Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Support for the 'Butcher': Protesting Karadzic Extradition; Former NBA Referee Sentencing Today; Negotiating Deals: Leverage in a Bad Economy; AIDS & African-Americans: Report Government Should do More; Getting Rich in a Tough Economy

Aired July 29, 2008 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: You are with CNN. I'm Heidi Collins. Tony Harris is back tomorrow.
Developments keep coming into the CNN NEWSROOM on this Tuesday morning, the 29th of July.

Here's what's on the rundown.

The end game. A former NBA ref sentenced this hour for taking payoffs from gamblers. We'll have live coverage.

And out of control. A wildfire threatening 4,000 homes this morning near Yosemite National Park.

A poor economy, but that doesn't mean you can't get rich. Our experts show you all-day coverage in the NEWSROOM.

A fast-moving wildfire tearing through northern California this morning. About 3,000 firefighters are battling flames like these near Yosemite National Park.

High temps and rough terrain are not helping. Hundreds of homes have been evacuated. And some of the evacuees getting very little warning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was like half an hour later, and there were police cars going up and down saying, time to get out. You have 10 minutes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Here's where we stand right now: 25 homes have been destroyed since the fire started on Friday, 4,000 homes are in danger today. Both of those numbers have actually doubled since yesterday. Four firefighters have been injured.

Now, the body of a man missing in the New Mexico floods has been found. At least one other person is still missing.

Heavy rains from the storm that used to be Hurricane Dolly dumped around nine inches on Ruidoso in southern New Mexico. This incredible video shows floodwaters carrying -- yeas, that's a house -- away, down the river. As many as 500 homes and buildings were damaged in the flooding. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has declared the county a disaster area.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: When the weather becomes the news, remember to send us your iReports. Go to ireport.com, or type ireport@cnn.com right into your cell phone. Of course, stay safe if you choose to do that.

A glimmer of hope from that church shooting in Tennessee. Three of the wounded upgraded from critical to serious condition this morning.

Yesterday, more than 1,000 people poured into a church next door. They remembered the two worshipers who were killed and tried to make sense of the senseless, as the church president said.

Suspect Jim Adkisson jailed on one count of murder for now. More charges are expected.

A new assault on insurgents under way right now in Iraq. Iraqi forces, backed by U.S. troops, launched the operation this morning in the volatile Diyala Province. It started with a raid in the city of Baquba. Their goal, to clear out al Qaeda in Iraq and other insurgents.

Diyala Province sits north of Baghdad and borders Iran. Military commanders say it's the last major insurgent stronghold around the capital.

Riot police are standing by in Belgrade, Serbia, right now. That's because supporters of former Bosnian-Serb president Radovan Karadzic planned demonstrations against his extradition. The man called the "Butcher of Belgrade" could be headed to a war crimes tribunal any minute now.

CNN's Alessio Vinci has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A Karadzic family member was spotted Monday morning delivering two suits to the courthouse where the former Bosnian-Serb leader is being held. And court officials confirm they have received no appeal blocking the extradition.

"We have been waiting for 13 years, and the moment has arrived," the Belgrade war crimes prosecutor told CNN. "If all the procedures have been carried out and there are no doubts, then it could be done right away."

New video surfaced on Serb television showing an apparently relaxed Karadzic attending a lunch party in June at a village outside Belgrade. The woman with him is not identified, and no one seems to suspect the bearded man among them is Europe's most wanted man. Belgrade is rife with speculation that Serb officials want to extradite Karadzic before a planned demonstration Tuesday evening, when thousands of radicals and nationalists are expected to gather in Belgrade for an organized protest to support the man they call a hero. Karadzic's lawyer attended a smaller, spontaneous gathering on Sunday evening and told hard-core supporters the extradition was near.

"My only goal, as well as that of Radovan Karadzic, is for that not to happen," he said. "But we are aware that it will eventually happen, and unfortunately, we cannot change that."

Serb officials have deployed dozens of extra riot police in front of the courthouse and throughout town. But analysts point out these rallies are being organized by parties who have lost recent elections, and much of their support in Serbia.

STEVAN NIKSIC, SERB JOURNALIST: They are unsuccessful. Since they lost everything, they lost chance, they lost hope for any political future, they are now marginalized. And they have radicalized. I mean, they have been radicalized from inside as a way to express their anger.

VINCI: Some of that anger is being vented directly at Serbian president Boris Tadic, who recently defeated radicals in national elections. CNN has obtained copies of several e-mails recently sent to his office.

One man wrote, "You call yourself a Serb, but you have betrayed the whole Serbian nation." Another man from Montenegro said, "God will judge you." A third e-mail in bright red characters read, "You are a dead man."

(on camera): A former Serbian prime minister long considered a supporter of pro-western policies was assassinated here in Belgrade in 2003. So officials are taking those threats seriously, but they're not backing off from their intention to deliver war crime suspects to The Hague tribunal.

Alessio Vinci, CNN, Belgrade.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: The NBA's gambling problem in court right now. Former referee Tim Donaghy admitted to taking payoffs from professional gamblers. Now he's about to be sentenced in a federal case.

CNN's Richard Roth is live in New York.

Hi there, Richard.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Good afternoon.

This case is now in its final minutes. The Tim Donaghy saga, the now disgraced referee, walking into court within the hour, accompanied by his lawyers, family members, there's a priest inside the courtroom with him. Donaghy did not say anything. I asked him if he had any thoughts. A tightlipped former referee. This case turning out to be the biggest sports gambling scandal in decades.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROTH (voice over): Like any referee in any sport, former NBA official Tim Donaghy had his share of disagreements on the court. But little did players, coaches or fans of the NBA know that a man paid to be an impartial judge was gambling on dozens of games that he officiated.

MICHAEL MCCANN, LEGAL ANALYST, SI.COM: He was part of a pattern of behavior that is illegal, is very wrong, and sets a very poor example for others, particularly for all the people who watch the NBA.

DAVID LETTERMAN, "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": I had a lot of fun. Went out to dinner and came home and watched the crooked NBA finals. That was fun.

ROTH: The scandal is no laughing matter for the NBA's powerful commissioner, David Stern. The league's integrity was further shaken when Donaghy told federal investigators that there are other cheating refs. Stern was forced to play defense.

DAVID STERN, NBA COMMISSIONER: On behalf my officials, I would like to tell you that they don't engage in the criminal conduct of which Mr. Donaghy has accused them.

ROTH: Since Donaghy spoke to the feds, several NBA referees have reportedly been interviewed by the U.S. government. None have been charged with crimes. And while most league observers believe Donaghy was simply a rogue ref, many agree that the league had to make some changes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The big issue here is one of gamesmanship. It's one of sportsmanship. The idea that our games are supposedly real based on actual events and not scripted, unlike entertainment events such as wrestling.

ROTH: Commissioner Stern says the NBA has reviewed tape of all of their officials' work just to be sure there were no other rogue refs, and he also hired a retired U.S. Army general to oversee the officials' work.

Fans think the NBA still has some rebounding to do.

(on camera): So what's your opinion right now of that whole affair and your trust of the game?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They've got to get their credibility back.

TOMMY DEE, THEKNICKSBLOG.COM: It's the biggest scandal that they've had to deal with, certainly I think in the David Stern era. But again, as long as they throw the ball up every night, the fans will always be paying attention. (END VIDEOTAPE)

ROTH: Now, under federal sentencing guidelines, Donaghy could receive a sentence between 27 and 33 months. But he has cooperated extensively with the government, and judges in the past have leaned on this and been a little lenient. In a bid for leniency, Donaghy's lawyers submitted papers saying that he's a compulsive gambling addict to explain why he gave out tips to gamblers -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Richard Roth from New York this morning.

Thank you, Richard.

Stripped of his badge and gun, a New York City police officer is feeling the heat after this video was posted on YouTube. Take a look.

It shows a police officer body-checking a bicyclist. See it again in slow-mo now. Right there.

The cyclist passes by, the officer moves in. And bam, they are on the ground. The video was posted to the Internet anonymously. New York City police say they are investigating. Until that is complete, the officer is on desk duty.

The art of a deal and the science of negotiation. A consumer expert tells you how to stretch your dollars a lot more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Get smart, get rich, but first maybe you need to get moving. Here is a list of the best places for job growth between the years 2000 and 2007.

Topping the list, Tooele County, Utah. Growth there, more than 123 percent.

A distant number two, Kendall County, Illinois, at almost 64 percent growth. Flagler County in Florida, just behind with about 62 percent.

Number four on the list, Loudoun County, Virginia, followed by Washington County, Utah, and St. Lucie County, Florida. Rounding out the top 10, Douglas County, Colorado; Lee County, Florida; Rockwall County, Texas; and finally, Collier County, Florida.

Interesting.

Negotiating a deal in a bad economy, companies may be desperately competing for your business. And here to show you how to make the most of that leverage, Lisa Freeman, editor-in-chief of "ShopSmart" magazine. She is in Yonkers, New York, this morning.

Thanks so much for being here, Lisa.

It feels like we're talking a little bit about a ton of these different things that people just plain forget about. Where do we start, some of these hidden discounts?

LISA FREEMAN, "SHOPSMART" MAGAZINE: Well, one of the things you can do when you're negotiating is to encourage silence in the conversation. If you're going back and forth and not getting anywhere with the salesperson, say, hmm, I'm not sure. Those little silences can actually open up the door to a better offer. So that's one technique.

COLLINS: OK. So don't be afraid of the silence.

FREEMAN: That's right.

COLLINS: OK. Very good. Because sometimes it can get intimidating when nobody is talking.

FREEMAN: Right.

COLLINS: Just a lot of eye contact, which is probably another good hint.

What do we do from there?

FREEMAN: Well, the other thing you can do is simply ask for a better price. If you're in a store and you're not sure where to begin when you're negotiating, simply ask for a better price. See if they can do better for you on that product.

And if they're not willing to budget -- say you're buying a big screen TV and it's already on sale, find out if there are other things they can do for you. For example, maybe they can give you a break on installation or delivery, or other parts of cables or things that you might need to go along with that television.

COLLINS: Yes. And then you always say, never, never give up. Something about, don't take a "yes" -- no, don't take a "no" from a person who can't refuse "yes," or something that's way above my pay grade.

FREEMAN: Right. Make sure you're negotiating with someone who can actually give you a better price.

I have found that more and more salespeople are able, have the flexibility, to work with you on price. But if you're talking to somebody, make sure they're the person who can work with you. And if not, ask for a manager or supervisor.

COLLINS: OK. Does the manager or the supervisor really want to talk to you?

FREEMAN: Absolutely. They want to make the sale. They've got to make sales to, you know, keep that cash flow going, and they want to work with you. And they're more desperate than ever, because sales are down at many places, and they really want to make that sale.

So make sure that -- don't be embarrassed or shy. Go and ask for that supervisor. COLLINS: Sure. And I think it's probably kind of easy for this next one, where you say, all you have to really do is say, "Can you do better for me?"

FREEMAN: Yes, absolutely.

COLLINS: Maybe give them a wink?

FREEMAN: Yes. Well, another thing you can do is, in addition to asking if they can do better for you, is look for opportunities for them to help you get a better price.

For example, maybe there's an imperfection on an appliance or a piece of furniture or a piece of clothing. That's a good opportunity to jump start a conversation about what a better -- you know, a better deal that you might be able to get on that product.

COLLINS: All right. What's your favorite tip here? What's the most important thing to do when you're trying to negotiate?

FREEMAN: Well, I think you have to do your homework. You have to make sure if you have got your heart set on a particular electronic or a piece of furniture or an appliance, make sure you go online first. Go to sites like pricegrabber.com and shopping.com and Yahoo! Shopping and do a little price search to find out what the best prices are on those products before you head out.

And what you might want to even do is print out that list of the prices that you find online and bring them to the stores. Show them what else you can get elsewhere.

COLLINS: Sure.

FREEMAN: And that is a great negotiating tool.

COLLINS: Real quickly before we let you go, a lot of people may not realize that when you talk about negotiating, we're not just talking about cars. I mean, I think that everybody thinks, well, yes, of course you're going to haggle on a car. But you're talking about appliances, furniture, even clothing.

FREEMAN: Absolutely. I was in an outlet store not too long ago, and I saw a button was loose on a jacket. And I said to the cashier, "Could you give me another 15 percent off?" She said, "No problem."

So this is a great example of how more salespeople, cashiers are able to give you discounts nowadays. So don't hesitate to ask. You may not even have to ask for a manager or supervisor.

COLLINS: Lisa Freeman, editor-in-chief of "ShopSmart." magazine.

Appreciate your time and your tips. Thank you, Lisa.

FREEMAN: You're welcome.

COLLINS: And we do want to hear from you. Are you a millionaire in the making because of your financial habits? Share your story and your advice: ireport.com/millionaire. You can also learn the secrets catapulting your fellow viewers into that elite club.

AIDS and African-Americans: new claims the U.S. government is doing more to fight the disease abroad than at home.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: AIDS and black America -- a report just out says the epidemic is as bad in parts of the U.S. as it is in Africa. The Black AIDS Institute wants the government to do more to fight it.

CNN Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here now with more.

Hi, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi.

You know, we've talked a lot on your show about how AIDS affects African-Americans disproportionately, affects them more than affects other people in this country. This statistic really says a lot.

One out of eight Americans is African-American. However, half of all people living with HIV in this country are African-American. So you can see how disproportionate that is.

So this group that has put together this report about African- American and AIDS, they say if you thought of black America as a country, there is -- the rates of HIV are higher in black America than in these countries that you see listed here, these countries that are in Africa. And so there is a lot of concern that the infection rates in the African-American community are very high and that efforts to fight the disease in this country aren't what they should be.

COLLINS: Now, why is HIV and AIDS so bad in the African-American community specifically?

COHEN: Right. There are several reasons for that.

One is, is that African-Americans just don't have as much access to health care as other people in this country, so that in the same way that African-Americans have higher rates of other diseases, they also have higher rates of HIV. Also, substance abuse is higher in the African-American community. And of course, that's one of the ways that you can get HIV. And so there are all of these issues that kind of come together to unfortunately create this perfect storm for high HIV rates in this country.

Also, Heidi, unfortunately, some people say there is a stigma about HIV in the African-American community. It doesn't get discussed enough. And when AIDS doesn't get discussed, you know, there was that old saying, silence equals death.

COLLINS: Yes.

COHEN: When AIDS doesn't get discussed, rates go up. COLLINS: Yes. Well, we know President Bush has sent, and the administration has sent, billions of dollars overseas to help fight HIV and AIDS, particularly in Africa. What about here. Those numbers are lacking?

COHEN: Right. There are concerns -- there is the concern among public health experts that we are spending more money on fighting AIDS in Africa than among the African-American community here.

Now, the government says, hey, we're spending billions of dollars on fighting AIDS, and some people are saying, well, a lot of that money is going to pharmaceutical companies, it's going other places, and it's not reaching the people that it needs to make. But that comparison that you just made has not been lost on a lot of people. They say we're fighting AIDS outside of the U.S., we need to do more to fight it inside the U.S.

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Elizabeth Cohen.

Sure appreciate it.

COHEN: Thank you.

COLLINS: Thanks, Elizabeth.

To get your "Daily Dose" of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library, and information on diet and fitness. The address: CNN.com/health.

Bumped and bruised, but alive. A baby survives a tornado.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Banged his head up a little bit. He's got a couple of good wounds there, and his knuckles got it a little bit, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Oh, sweet boy. This little boy owes his life to his grandma.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Welcome back, everybody. 11:30 Eastern Time now.

We are showing you a live shot of the federal court in Brooklyn, New York, where we are awaiting the sentence for former NBA referee Tim Donaghy. As you may remember, he pleaded guilty to two felonies related to wagering on professional basketball games. This is a 13- year veteran referee, as well.

So we're going to wait for that sentence to come down. We do have a producer inside the courtroom there. So we will get word just as soon as it happens and bring it to you. A fast-moving wildfire in northern California exploding into an out-of-control monster. About 3,000 firefighters battling those flames near Yosemite National Park. High temperatures, rough terrain certainly not helping.

Here's where we stand right now. Twenty-five homes have been destroyed since the fire started on Friday. Four thousand homes are in danger today. And both of those numbers have doubled since just yesterday. Four firefighters have been injured.

Earlier, I talked to Yosemite Park ranger Scott Gediman about the fire at the park's doorstep and the danger that's forcing his family to leave.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCOTT GEDIMAN, YOSEMITE PARK RANGER: Seeing a lot of smoke. We had a lot of ash. We were basically raining White ash last night, and right now, it's just a lot of heavy smoke.

COLLINS: So what are you going to do with your family? As we said, you are there with your wife and child.

GEDIMAN: Well, basically, my wife and son are going to go today, go out of town and get a hotel. The smoke is just too difficult for them.

We've been out of electricity since Saturday, and so just keeping food and keeping things going is becoming more difficult. So I'll stay on, but they're going to go out of town for a few days.

COLLINS: OK. And that's certainly one of the concerns, I know, as far as whether or not the park will eventually close down, is because of the power and the water, right?

GEDIMAN: Right, exactly. Right now, there is no power, and so some of the buildings have generators, and we're able to keep, like, the visitors center and Ahwahnee Hotel and the Yosemite Lodge open on individual generators. But for the most part, you know, park rangers such as myself and other park employees, there has not been power. They were hoping to maybe get it on yesterday, but with the increased fire activity, it doesn't look like that's going to happen anytime soon.

So, the park is still open, visitors can still come. You know, of course the hiking trails and, you know, the park is fully open. But we'll have to see what the next few days bring us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: As Scott said, the park is still open, and they are keeping a close eye on park visitors to make sure everybody stays safe.

Well, there's now quite a haze hanging over Yosemite National Park, but the popular tourist attraction is still open, as we said. Park officials say the campgrounds are full despite the smoke.

That story now from George Warren of affiliate KXTV.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE WARREN, REPORTER, KXTV (voice over): If you use your imagination, you might be able to see one of Yosemite's most famous landmarks through that smoke.

LUIS GARCIA, YOSEMITE VISITOR: I don't know if you can make it out. There's like a white ridge. That's the top of Half Dome.

WARREN: People coming to see Half Dome and other Yosemite landmarks are finding them obscured by a thick blanket of smoke.

GARCIA: Well, it's very disappointing. I mean, the beauty of the Yosemite Valley, you're really missing it because of the clouds and so much smoke.

WARREN: It happened suddenly after a relatively clear weekend.

JOHN HAZEN, YOSEMITE VISITOR: Coming in, it was better than we thought it would be, but it seems to be blowing in now. It's more than when we first got here, don't you think?

WARREN: Cameras were good for parking lot portraits, but that's about it.

JESSE ALVARADO, YOSEMITE VISITOR: We all brought our cameras, but we can't take pictures it's so smoky. A lot of smoke in the area.

WARREN: The fire cut power, so generators are running much of the valley, but the lights are out at the Yosemite Lodge, along with the hot showers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not too bad. You can taste it a little bit. It's nice to be out in the park.

WARREN: Despite the smoke and the power outage and all that, Yosemite is still a very busy place.

KARI KOBB, YOSEMITE PARK SPOKESWOMAN: Visitors are still coming. And that's what we want to make sure is known, that the park is open. And although it is smoky and you can't see a lot, it's still a wonderful place to be.

WARREN: It helps if you use your imagination.

At Yosemite National Park, George Warren, News 10.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Lucky to be alive. A 2-month-old in Deerfield, New Hampshire, survives Thursday's tornado. Little John Paul Stevens (ph) had miner cuts after the house he was in was blown apart. And that is thanks to his grandmother, who died with the child in her arms. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEREMY STEVENS, BABY'S FATHER: Brenda was holding on to him, and when the tornado came through, my father ran down to get to the both of them. And from what I gather, he was pulled out of her arms, and she held on to him long enough so that he didn't get tossed around.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Brenda Stevens (ph) was the only person killed in the tornado. Nineteen homes were destroyed.

On the trail, with fewer than 100 days to go until the election, Barack Obama heads to the Hill. He meets House Democrats today. The economy and his overseas trip expected to be discussed.

John McCain heating things up in Sparks, Nevada. He is holding a town hall meeting there. McCain also has a couple of fund-raisers planned.

Barack Obama back from Europe and turning to pocketbook matters -- the country's and his own. He's been raising money for his campaign, speaking at fund-raisers outside of Washington yesterday. Obama sounded confident but cautious.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are now in a position where the odds of us winning are very good, but it is still going to be difficult.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Obama also met with economic advisers. He says the country needs another stimulus plan and more focus on renewable energy and universal health care.

John McCain could get news today about his health, results of a biopsy on a growth removed from his face. The tiny spot getting a lot of scrutiny because McCain is a skin cancer survivor.

He told CNN's Larry King, voters shouldn't be worried about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you look at it and you be careful, it's fine. I had one serious bout with it, and that was, frankly, due to my own neglect because I let it go and go and go. In fact, I was running for president at the time. I'm not making that mistake again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: McCain urged everyone to stay out of the sun and use sunscreen. He also says any discoloration on the skin should be checked. John McCain talking a timetable for pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq. Would he support a withdrawal by 2010? He told CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE" yes, but...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCAIN: I said it has to be based on conditions on the ground.

Senator Obama said it's a hard and firm date. That's why the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said that it has to be condition-based, and said that his approach would be very, very dangerous.

The way the question was asked, why not 16 months? The fact is, it has to be condition-based, and we are withdrawing. The last brigade from the surge is coming home the end of this month or early next month, and we will be having further withdrawals based on conditions.

Now, whether that fits into 16 months or not, or one month, or whatever, the point is, it's got to be condition-based. And that's the point General Petraeus is trying to get over as we go into this political season.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Barack Obama has been calling for a phased withdrawal over 16 months. Both candidates have recently claimed their opponent was moving closer to their position on Iraq.

Check out our Political Ticker for all the latest news on the campaign. Just log on to CNNPolitics.com, your source for all things political.

Found money, lots of it. Some of it badly decomposed. Did millions just come out of the ground?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Your money, your concerns, and the latest headlines affecting your wallet.

Just last hour, a fresh check of the consumer outlook. A private research group says consumer confidence crept up a bit in July after declining for six months in a row.

Also this morning, more evidence the housing slump is getting worse. Home prices fell 16 percent from May of '07 to May of this year.

Oil prices have resumed a two-week slide. The reason, OPEC's president says prices are much too high and could soon come down.

Gas prices also dropping. The national average hash dropped more than a penny and a half since yesterday. Today's price, $3.94 a gallon. That's almost 14 cents less than one month ago. Let's go ahead and see how investors are reacting on Wall Street. A live look at the Big Board now shows a nice little rally: 131 points to the positive.

Dow Jones Industrial Averages, Nasdaq, also up. Don't have the number off the top of my head, but last time we checked, it was double digits there. So we will watch all of those numbers for you. The Nasdaq up 45, it looks like.

Rough economic times on the other side of the world. Starbucks wakes up and smells the coffee. The java giant says it will close two-thirds of its stores in Australia by the end of this week. Almost 700 people will be out of work.

Starbucks says its situation in Australia is unique, and other international operations are not affected. The surprise announcement follows big cuts in the United States -- 600 company-owned stores are being closed.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COLLINS: Was it buried treasure or something more sinister? A Texas businessman and his family coming up with some $20 million of decomposing bills over the past few years. Some of the family members have said the money was found across the border in Mexico. But the stories have varied, and now the feds, of course, want to know, was a crime committed, and if so, by whom?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEONARD OLIJAR, TREASURY DEPARTMENT: One of the things we're also concerned with here at the bureau is that we could possibly be used to launder money that was gained through illicit activities. So we are very concerned about what we would call a suspicious case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The feds leaving open the chance that it is drug money someone found in the desert. They're taking hold of it and say if the finder wants it back, he'll have to get his story straight.

Getting rich -- do you have what it takes? Veronica De La Cruz has your iReports coming up next in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Get rich in a rotten economy, is it possible? Well, some of our iReporters say it is.

Veronica De La Cruz has a few of their stories.

Hi, Veronica.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Heidi.

You know, a lot of our iReporters do believe it is possible, starting with Bill Crocker. His secret? Real estate and art.

Take a look. Here is a picture of his house, Heidi. He says that he bought it for $225,000 in 2003, and today it apprises at almost twice that amount. And he's constantly pouring his own blood, sweat and tears into the home, updating it.

And then instead of buying modern and contemporary future, Heidi, Bill collects antiques that only rise in value, along with his home. So that's a secret.

And then when it comes to saving, he says, "I think the most important option is to cut out the debt whenever possible. Drive an older but strong car, and find things in life that bring you joy, but don't cost anything, like great friends, a warm house and whole foods."

All right. So that's Bill Crocker.

Justin Schiavo and his girlfriend consider themselves millionaires in the making. This is a picture of Justin right there.

Justin is extremely disciplined when it comes to money, and is teaching his girlfriend, who he says he plans to marry the exact same way. He says, "I know exactly where my money is going and how much I have to spend for the remainder of the month. I usually go out to eat once every week, and I pack a lunch four out of the five workdays."

"I have a jar on my bedroom dresser where I keep all my loose change for the day. I keep a detailed budget, itemizing all of my expenses into categories, and track my fixed and variable costs through the budget sheet. It is the best and the worst thing that has happened to me" -- Heidi. I don't know, it sounds like a whole lot of work.

COLLINS: Yes, it certainly does. My, oh my.

DE LA CRUZ: It does.

COLLINS: So how do you become a millionaire? Can anybody do it? Do we have more on that?

DE LA CRUZ: Well, I mean, they say they're doing it. And we're asking you, do you think that you can do it? Can you be a millionaire in these troubled times?

Go ahead and share your secret by logging on to ireport.com -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. Very good. We will be readily awaiting those e-mails, certainly.

Thanks so much, Veronica.

We also wanted to share with you some of the incredible pictures sent to us from our iReporters showing the floods in New Mexico. These pictures sent to us by Mirandy Wood. She watched the flooding from her home in Ruidoso. She lives near the big racetrack there, Ruidoso Downs.

Great pictures of the damage. Nine inches of rain fell there, literally swamping several homes. As many as 500 homes and other buildings were damaged.

When the weather becomes the news, remember to send us your iReports. Just go to ireport.com, or type ireport@CNN.com into your cell phone. And please stay safe when you do this.

Well, speaking of staying safe, get out of this guy's way. Hey you, marsupial, that's no way to treat a human being. Look at this -- a kangaroo throws a temper tantrum, and a few punches, too.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Happening right now, waiting for a former NBA referee to be sentenced in federal court. Tim Donaghy admitted to taking payoffs from professional gamblers.

Our Richard Roth is in New York with more on this story.

Any idea when the sentence could come down, Richard?

ROTH: It's expected very soon.

Tim Donaghy walked into court to hear his fate about an hour or so ago, not saying anything. But inside court, before Judge Carol Ayman (ph), he has spoken, and he has asked for forgiveness. He said he is very sorry and he's "brought shame" upon himself.

His lawyer asked for probation and for treatment for gambling addiction. Federal prosecutors asking for 27 to 33 months jail time for Donaghy.

The federal government has said before that he cooperated very extensively. The judge is going to have to take all of this into consideration when she pronounces sentence.

COLLINS: All right, Richard. We will wait to hear from you just as soon as that sentence comes down. A lot of people are wondering what's going to happen here.

Appreciate that.

Five indicted members of a Texas polygamous sect have turned themselves into authorities. They face charges of sexual abuse -- child sexual abuse, that is.

Raymond Jessop, Michael Emack, Merrill Jessop and Allan Keate have all been charged with one count each of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 17. It is a felony, with a sentence ranging from five to 99 years, or life in prison. Merrill Jessop was also charged with bigamy. Lloyd Barlow was charged with three counts of failure to report child abuse. It is a misdemeanor, and he could get up to six months into prison. The five were indicted last week, with Warren Jeffs, the already jailed leader of that polygamous sect.

To this story now out of Tennessee. Perhaps a glimmer of hope from the church shooting there.

Three of the wounded upgraded from critical to stable condition this morning. Yesterday, more than a thousand people poured into a church next door. They remembered the two worshipers who were killed and tried to "make sense of the senseless," as the church president said.

Eric Dixon was watching his daughter in a play when he heard shots.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC DIXON, TACKLED CHURCH SHOOTER: Somebody yelled, "Duck, get down!" And I started to get down, but then I was like, well, what good is that going to do?

So I jumped over the pew in front of me and I ran in that direction. And by the time I got there, there were two or three people already on top of him.

He was pinned to the ground, and the gun was laying there. And he was -- I can't remember if his hand was actually holding it still by the butt, or if it was close to, but I kicked it, and I didn't kick it far. I just kicked it with my heel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: And the suspect in that shooting, Jim Adkisson, is still in jail.

Quickly want to get you back to federal court, Brooklyn, New York, where we have Richard Roth standing by to give us the very latest.

Do we have a sentence in this former NBA referee case?

ROTH: Yes, we do. Tim Donaghy gets 15 months prison time, followed by a three-year term of supervised release.

This is a reduced sentence under federal sentencing guidelines. He could have received 27 to 33 months.

The cooperation with the federal government in its investigation of his gambling activities is what has been cited. The judge said, in effect, "His fall from grace has been dramatic."

Once again, Tim Donaghy, former NBA referee, 13-year referee, gets 15 months federal prison time, followed by a three-year term of supervised release, reduced under the federal statutes because of his cooperation.

COLLINS: All right, Richard. How do you think this sentence is going to play out across the NBA? People going to think this is enough time?

I think some are going to say it's not enough to send a big, strong message about gambling and professional sports. Others will say because he cooperated, that helped.

But earlier, his attorneys said that Donaghy has told that other NBA referees were gambling, not specifically, necessarily, on NBA games, but that NBA refs were involved in gambling activities. That is still believed to be under investigation. The FBI has been interviewing former and current referees.

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Richard Roth on the scene there, federal court Brooklyn, New York.

We sure do appreciate that.

Again, a lot of people wondering what was going to happen in this case.

Thank you, Richard.

Time now to take a look at some of the most clicked-on videos on CNN.com. A lot of you are watching the new video from the satirical Web site JibJab.com. It bids farewell to President Bush and welcomes the campaigning between Senators McCain and Obama.

Plus, rock star wannabes who compete to become air guitar heroes. One regional winner lost a toe when she tripped over a chair during a stage dive.

And our own Anderson Cooper gets up close and personal with sharks. He swam with them in South Africa for the latest "Planet in Peril" series.

For more of your favorite video, go to CNN.com/most popular. And, of course, don't forget, you can take us with you anywhere you go with the CNN Daily Podcast. Just go to CNN.com and click on "podcast."

Well, talk about a political mix-up. Notice anything unusual about this Barack Obama campaign button? That's supposed to be Idaho Democratic Senate candidate Larry Larocco with him, but it's not. It's actually Larry Craig. You know, the airport bathroom foot- tapping Republican senator.

We showed this to you yesterday. Apparently, though, the maker put the wrong Larry on the button. Craig was arrested in a restroom sex sting in Minnesota last summer. He is not running for re- election. Because of the mix-up, the campaign buttons could become collectibles.

That's all we have for now. CNN NEWSROOM does continue later on in the day. Right now, though, we toss it over to "ISSUE #1" with Gerri Willis and Rick Sanchez.