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Missing Yale Student; Pres. Obama's Economic Focus; Serena Williams' U.S. Open Outburst

Aired September 13, 2009 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. And you're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Annie Le was supposed to get married today. Instead, she's the subject of an increasingly grim investigation. The 24-year-old Yale University graduate student has been missing since Tuesday.

CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti is following the story from New York, and there are new developments today. Susan, I understand that they are examining what they believe to be evidence that might be linked to her.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're not sure if it is evidence but they are certainly testing materials that were found inside that medical research lab where Annie Le was last seen on Tuesday. A law enforcement source close to the investigation tells CNN that authorities are looking at bloody clothes that were found hidden in ceiling tiles inside that building.

Now again, the FBI says, for the record, that it does not know whether these clothes are in any way connected to Annie Le, but they are being tested at police forensic laboratories. In the meantime, we're also finding out today that authorities - the FBI specifically is at a landfill that's located in Hartford, Connecticut, about 40 miles away from New Haven because that is where trash that goes from the building on the Yale campus to that particular landfill. So they're checking to see whether they can find anything there that might be connected to this case.

WHITFIELD: And are they focusing on anyone in particular. I mean, this was a university building where she was last seen. Are there employees, perhaps? Anyone who may have been in the area at the same time that she was?

CANDIOTTI: Yes, police and the FBI are saying that they've talked to all kinds of people. They've talked with her family, of course. They've talked with her friends as well as professors and other people who work in that building. But right now, they are saying that they are not calling anyone a person of interest and that includes her fiance.

WHITFIELD: All right. Susan Candiotti in New York. Thank you.

The man who yelled "you lie" at President Barack Obama says he's not going to apologize to Congress for his outburst. Republican Joe Wilson of South Carolina did apologize to the president at the urging of GOP leaders, but this morning, he said no more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOE WILSON (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: I am not going to apologize again. I apologized to the president on Wednesday night. I was advised then that, thank you. Now let's get on to a civil discussion of the issues. But I have apologized one time. The apology was accepted by the president, by the vice president who I know. I am not apologizing again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And shortly after that comment, this moment. Representative Wilson stopping to autograph pictures of his now infamous outburst in the halls of Congress. So earlier today, I talked with our senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash about what could happen to Wilson on the Hill this week if he doesn't apologize to Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, if he's insisting, as he has today that he's not going to apologize, they can't force him to do that. But what they can do, Fredricka, is introduce a resolution essentially reprimanding him for his conduct. And when you talk to Democratic leaders, and I've spoken to a couple of Democratic leadership aides this morning, what they insist is that this isn't about necessarily the words that he said or sort of the theme of what he was trying to get at, but it is the conduct that is a problem. And then, basically, it is against the rules of the House to do things like that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: I talked with Republican strategist Phil Musser and CNN contributor Roland Martin about the messages sent from Wilson's words and actions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL MUSSER, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Why would Joe Wilson, you know, have this kind of emotional outburst? I think it's probably partly the manifestation of having just been in the August recess and heading these town halls where real Americans are saying, whoa, enough government in my life. This is breaking me up.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Sorry, Phil.

ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: All the other members of Congress were also on August recess.

MUSSER: Yes.

MARTIN: You did not see them act unbecoming as a member of the House. MUSSER: Roland, I'm not making apologies for Congressman Wilson. I think he -

MARTIN: I didn't say you were.

MUSSER: But I'm trying to help your viewers here understand where I think a lot of this passion is coming from, especially on the right side of the - the right and the right center.

WHITFIELD: But are we saying this exemplifies giving - are we saying this is an example of how this offers license, whether you be a congressional leader or you be a private citizen to chip away, not just at President Obama, but the presidency as a whole?

MARTIN: Well, Fredricka, first of all, you made a comment earlier. We have the right to criticize the president of the United States. I have been critical of issues where I disagree with the president. The difference is what is the level of respect? And yes, you have people who do not respect the office of the president. The same thing happened when President Bush was there. You had people on the left and frankly who were not speaking to the issues, who were attacking personally and who are being vulgar in their responses.

What you have here, we have a member of Congress who does this. He does indeed give license. You have people like Rush Limbaugh. Oh, he shouldn't apologize. And so what they are doing is they attack anything he does. The man kills a fly in an interview, all of a sudden, he gets attacked. So this is a personal attack on the individual. It has nothing to do with the office of the president.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And much more on the fall out from Wilson's comments coming up in the NEWSROOM in the next half hour. Political analyst and publisher of "Campaigns and Elections Politics Magazine," Jordan Lieberman, will be joining us live.

Health care and the economy are both on President Obama's agenda this week. The president travels to Wall Street tomorrow for what the White House calls a major speech on the financial crisis. CNN will cover that live. And then on Tuesday, he'll speak at the AFL-CIO convention in Pittsburgh. He'll discuss the economy there, as well, and he's expected to talk about health care reform.

Senior White House correspondent Ed Henry with us now. So, Ed, the president is going to be focusing on the economy come Monday from Wall Street. And perhaps he gave us a bit of a prelude into what he'll be talking about when he said this on Wednesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A full and vibrant recovery is still many months away. But thanks to the bold and decisive action we've taken since January, I can stand here with confidence and say that we have pulled this economy back from the brink. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Ed is this some of what we're going to be hearing on Monday or will there be more of a looking forward, this is what's next to reshape the economy?

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, absolutely. That was a preview because the president will hit that theme again and again. We've pulled the nation back from the brink. Get ready for that. Not just on Monday. But in the days ahead.

Because, number one, this is the Lehman Brothers anniversary. The major bankruptcy that really did put the nation's economy on the brink and really turn this financial crisis into a wildfire. And it's hard to believe that it was only one year ago because while the economy is not fully back, he's right, obviously, that there's not a full recovery yet.

Clearly there has been sharp improvement. But this White House is very nervous politically that with unemployment still rising, the American people are not feeling a recovery yet. So he's trying to change expectations a bit and say, give me a little more time. I inherited a mess here. Remember a year ago when Lehman Brothers went down. There was almost a great depression. I stopped that. Give me a little more time to bring unemployment back and get people working again.

WHITFIELD: And because this is the anniversary of the fall of Lehman Brothers, might we hear more about regulation?

HENRY: Yes, because it is astounding to me how despite it was the fact it was only a year ago that there was all this chaos on Wall Street, all this talk from Democrats and Republicans about we've got to crack down on Wall Street. We've got to clean up this mess. This is what happens in Washington a lot. Once things calm down a little bit and the economy starts coming back and the financial crisis dissipates, the talk of real reform, cracking down on Wall Street, starts disappearing.

I was at a dinner a couple of months ago with the Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. He was very optimistic as they were releasing their reform plan that this was going to get through Congress. This was the right plan. They did release a plan. It's virtually gone nowhere on Capitol Hill. And with the big health care fight going on right now, a lot of people have forgotten about it. And the clock is sort of ticking on getting Wall Street reform done by the end of the year. Because so much of the attention, so much of the energy has been really sucked up by health care reform.

WHITFIELD: Health care reform still in the forefront for the president. He mentioned during his speech to the joint members of Congress, he said, you know what, I've got an open door. But at the same time, I don't want to hear any nonsense. My words, not his. However, this week might he have appointments. Might there be some of those moderate or conservative Democrats or perhaps even Republicans that have a little face time with him this week in respect to health care?

HENRY: Absolutely, you're right. I mean, within 24 hours of that speech on health care reform, big, high pressure setting and audience and speaking to the American people, not just the members of Congress in the room. Within 24 hours the president had a group of moderate Democratic senators over because he realizes that they basically hold the fate of his health care reform plan in their hands. It's going to be up to the Ben Nelsons of Nebraska, Evan Bayh of Indiana. More so than the Republicans because the Democrats have the votes to get this done if they want health care reform.

The president's problem throughout has not really been Republican opposition, its been opposition in his own party, not just the Senate but the House as well. So I anticipate there will be a lot more behind the scenes meetings. That's where the real work is going to get done. Because the president is sort of shifting from the rhetoric of that speech to the reality of counting votes in the House and Senate to get this done.

WHITFIELD: Senior White House correspondent Ed Henry, thanks so much.

HENRY: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Another outburst to speak of. Up next, Serena Williams and the words that got her into trouble at the U.S. Open. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Severe weather hitting Turkey. Dozens of people are dead after massive floods triggered by days of heavy rain. Some regions are being evacuated. This is being called the worst flooding to hit Turkey in 80 years.

And then, this is the southern region of Brazil where rain has been falling for almost a week now. Thousands of people there have been displaced by flooding and landslides.

So flooding is possible for parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast today. And flood watches are already in effect for north Texas and parts of Oklahoma. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras has more in the CNN severe weather center. A lot to keep a close watch on, Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIT: Yes, there is a lot going on, Fredricka. And really, the big weather story is all of the water, which is standing all over the place in parts of Texas, Louisiana, and also into the state of Florida. This is going to be the focus of our forecast in the next couple of days as well.

There you can see some of the flooded pictures. I believe this is out of the Texas area. That's from our affiliate KHOU TV. Let's go ahead and take a look at what's going on currently in terms of the radar and where those showers and thundershowers are. There you can see the heaviest of rain and one of the communities that we're concerned about is the Dallas area. We've had quite a bit of flooding, especially on the southern side of town. You can see we're going to get more spotty showers moving in. So it's a little bit on and off in the upcoming hours. The flash flood warning has been canceled but there's still standing water. There had been at least three high water rescues which have taken place today. So really use caution and just don't risk it, guys. Don't drive through any water-covered roads.

Here we go into the Louisiana area, New Orleans has had about two inches of rainfall. The heaviest stuff starting to move east towards Biloxi and into the Hattiesburg area. We'll show you a picture here. This is from our affiliate WDSU TV out of New Orleans. 81 degrees right now. There you can see the low overcast conditions. And we're going to see showers and thundershowers not just in the forecast coming back this evening but really at least through Wednesday. So a very active wet weather pattern continues across many of the Gulf Coast states throughout that area.

We'll take you out west because we got a new storm system that's moving in here. Showers and thundershowers mostly offshore. But watch for this to spread into the San Francisco areas. Still a couple of hours away, certainly welcome news to get a little bit of this relief across the state of California. We think we'll get sprinkles maybe in Southern Cal. But not a whole heck of a lot in terms of accumulating rainfall.

Tropics. It is peak hurricane season, guys. September 10th, we hit that date this past week, which is the climatological peak. I'm happy to report not a whole heck of a lot going on. You can see that one little bubble there of clusters of thunderstorms here. This is the remnants of what was Fred. But we're not anticipating this to redevelop into anything else and overall, the tropics continue to stay quiet.

Today, a very significant day, by the way in hurricane history. Want to show you some pictures. One year ago today is when Hurricane Ike made landfall on Galveston Island. This was the third most destructive hurricane in U.S. history behind Katrina and Hurricane Andrew. 75 percent of the businesses that were damaged have now rebuilt. And are back open. So Galveston has made a lot of progress, and they did have some services on the beach there this morning.

So Hurricane Ike, one year ago, was a category 2 hurricane, if you remember, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

JERAS: But it was more indicative in terms of a storm surge of a category 4. And Ike was part of the reason why we're changing the storm surge scale which we actually haven't had to use a whole lot this year. Thankfully.

WHITFIELD: That's interesting. All right. Jacqui, appreciate that. Thank you.

All right. Some stormy times at the U.S. Open. The crowd at the U.S. Open was expecting a major battle in the semi-final match between Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters. Well, they got that, and more. A stunning tirade from Williams that actually knocked her out of play. The controversy also overshadowed the sensational comeback story of Clijsters.

CNN's Mark McKay is in Flushing Meadows where even though there's the women's finals is this evening, I know people are still talking about what happened last night.

MARK MCKAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They were talking about it Fred, as they walked through the gates here at Flushing Meadows for the first men's semi-final match. They are still talking about it as we await the second day's men's semifinal between Roger Federer and Djokovic. We're about five hours away from that women's finals that you mentioned, Fred.

Many thought this was Serena Williams' tournament to lose. Well, she lost it all right along with her temper last night in a break in the weather, we were able to get in a much anticipated semifinal between Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters. It was all going Clijsters way throughout the night, and it took an incredible turn very late in the second set as Serena Williams was called for a foot fault.

She did not like it. She didn't like it one bit. She went to the lines person, went right in her face, allegedly yelling profanities. She was then assessed a point penalty. That point penalty ended up being on match point. Giving the match to Clijsters. Serena Williams exiting the U.S. Open. Here's her perspective.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SERENA WILLIAMS, DEFENDING U.S. OPEN CHAMPION: All year, I have never been foot faulted and then suddenly in this tournament, they keep calling foot faults. I'm not saying I don't, but like, I don't know. You know, I'm not going to sit here and make an excuse. You know, if I foot fault, I did. So it was what it was. And that's basically all it was.

I didn't threaten. I didn't say - I don't remember any more to be honest. I was in the moment and everyone is fighting for every point. It was a really crucial point. I try to be really professional. I think Kim played a wonderful match, and I think I played good, too. I think I could have played better, and I actually feel like I can go home and I can actually do better, which I'm really excited about. There's someone out there that makes me want to go home and makes me want to work out and makes me want to go run.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKAY: Serena, of course, referring there to Kim Clijsters. Those of us inside Arthur Ashe Stadium immediately after this unfolded were really left stunned. We didn't exactly know what happened. An announcement was made that Kim Clijsters is your U.S. Open finalist. Kim told me afterwards that she was pretty shocked by what unfolded as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KIM CLIJSTERS, U.S. OPEN COMEBACK CONTINUES: I remember just sitting there after the match and just sitting on my chair and just like - like what happened out here tonight? So just unfortunate that a match that was, you know, which was a fun match, I think, for both of us, that it has to end like that. For me, personally, it doesn't take away how well that I played. So I still have a good feeling about this match.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKAY: So Kim Clijsters will now gather herself as she get ready to take on Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in tonight's women's final here at Flushing Meadow. Wozniacki's claim to fame, of course, knocking out Melanie Oudin, stopping her run earlier. I have a feeling the mom who came back after two years away, Clijsters, is going to the favorite to come away with her second U.S. Open title.

WHITFIELD: Wow, that would be an incredible comeback story. All ready an incredible comeback story. That would really be the icing on the cake. All right. Thanks so much, Mark McKay.

All right. Well, it may be the biggest running controversy ever in the world of track and field. Is South African runner Caster Semenya, a woman, a man, or something caught in between? Will she be allowed to race again? We'll go live to New York for an update.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Here are the top stories right now.

Today, Annie Le was supposed to get married. Instead, the 24-year-old Yale graduate student is the subject of a Connecticut Police manhunt. Le was last seen Tuesday morning as she entered Yale's Medical Building. The FBI says potential evidence is being tested and that investigators are searching a landfill that takes garbage from the Yale Lab. A source close to the investigation says that blood-soaked clothes were found hidden in the medical building where Le was last seen.

The former chief fund-raiser for ex-Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has died. The mayor of a Chicago suburb says police are investigating the death of Christopher Kelly as a suicide. Kelly, seen wearing glasses hopefully in an image you are about to see, actually died yesterday morning. He was 51. Results of an autopsy are not expected for several weeks. Kelly was just days away from reporting to federal prison to begin serving a three-year sentence for tax fraud.

And the wait for swine flu vaccinations may not be as long as you initially thought. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says early doses of the swine flu vaccine should be available prior to the bulk release set for mid-October. We'll have another look at the top stories in about 20 minutes from now.

All right. Well, it seems like every day there's a new kind of medical test available to help you protect your heart. But which ones do women really need? Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen sorts through the confusion in today's "Health for Her."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Carrie Vincent is your typical busy mom. But without warning at age 31, she had a heart attack just days after giving birth to her son, Griffin.

CARRIE VINCENT, HEART PATIENT: They told me that I had a 90 percent blockage to my left side.

COHEN: Carrie suffered from a clotting disorder. A simple blood test warned her of her condition, but she still never expected heart problems in her 30s.

VINCENT: When I was 31, I had a heart attack.

COHEN: Now an advocate for women's heart health she holds seminars to let women know the signs of heart disease and what test they can take to prevent it.

VINCENT: Know your numbers and what they mean.

COHEN: According to the American Heart Association, women after the age of 20 should have their blood pressure checked, along with their good and bad cholesterol levels. And don't forget testing for triglycerides. Those are other fats in the blood that can lead to heart problems. If a woman is a high risk meaning she is obese, a smoker or has diabetes or a family history of heart disease, she should ask her doctor about a test that measures her LDL size.

DR. SCOTT JEROME, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL CENTER: Some people if you look at them, they have completely normal LDL numbers but then you break down their LDL size. OK. We find that they have small particles.

COHEN: According to the National Cholesterol Education Program, the smaller the LDL particles, the more likely they'll enter the vessel lining increasing the patient's risk of heart blockages. And if women are interested in those new heart CT and MRI scans the hospital is touting.

JEROME: They actually look at the blood vessel and see if you have hardening of the arteries.

COHEN: But they do need to be careful, although some scans can provide good information, like coronary calcium scores, the American Heart Association warns that due to radiation levels, people with no risk should think twice before having the test.

Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: How an outburst is helping Congressman Joe Wilson cash in. We talk with an expert in politics. How the uproar on Capitol Hill gains momentum.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Republican Congressman Joe Wilson says once is enough. No more apologies for his outburst during President Obama's speech to Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOE WILSON (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: I am not going to apologize again. I apologized to the president on Wednesday night. I was advised then that, thank you. Now let's get on to a civil discussion of the issues. But I have apologized one time. The apology was accepted by the president, by the vice president who I know. I am not apologizing again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Jordan Lieberman is the publisher of "Campaigns and Elections Politics Magazine." He's joining us from Washington. Good to see you.

JORDAN LIEBERMAN, PUBLISHER "CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS POLITICS MAGAZINE": Good to be with you.

WHITFIELD: Well, what's interesting here is Mr. Wilson said that this was a spontaneous moment, however, now the way that he's handling it, you would think it was almost by design by no one is necessarily saying that. He's capitalizing off this, isn't he?

LIEBERMAN: He sure is. I don't know too many political consultants that would recommend this, but he is becoming a household name for the first time in his ten-year congressional career. He's becoming a political celebrity.

WHITFIELD: Well he's even calling this his town hall meeting. What does he mean by that?

LIEBERMAN: What he's saying is this was an uncontrolled outburst. He's angry and upset that the president may or may not be telling the truth and he's taking away power from the people. He's talked about how he's attended some very large town halls in recent days, and this is kind of a similar setup.

WHITFIELD: While at the on set there were very few Republicans who were willing to stand by him to say we support his actions, what he said, we believe in that. However, there were supporters across the country who over the course of a few days who have not only sent money to his opponent in South Carolina saying, you know, this is who we're now backing, Rob Miller, but at the same time, now he's receiving a good bit of money. They are both able to claim that they've earned or -- they've won the donations of $1 million each. So who actually is behind Congressman Wilson? Do we know who has been making these donations?

LIEBERMAN: We don't know yet but we know it's going to be a lot of small dollar donations from tea party activists from all over the country. On the other side, Rob Miller is probably getting it from the net works nations, liberals, and small dollar donations, many who propelled Barack Obama to the presidency.

WHITFIELD: How do you see this defining or maybe even redefining congressional races? This kind of money now involved.

LIEBERMAN: Let's start with this race. This race -- this seat has been in Republican hands for 40-plus years. Something dramatic has to happen for Congressman Wilson to lose. Right now, he is more or less a bet to win this race. But overall it just plays to the base of both parties. If anything, I think swing Republicans and swing districts should be a little nervous right now.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jordan Lieberman, publisher of "Campaign and Elections" Magazine, joins us from Washington. Appreciate it.

LIEBERMAN: Any time.

WHITFIELD: Eight years after the worst terror attacks on U.S. soldier, Americans are less concerned about terrorists striking again than in the period immediately after 9/11. In a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll, 34 percent of you say acts of terrorism are likely over the next few weeks, 64 percent say terrorist acts are not likely. Back in 2001, 66 percent of Americans feared more terror attacks in the weeks following 9/11.

So the eighth anniversary of 9/11 attacks more than -- it was very dramatic. And it is one that's impacted people for many, many years. So when the U.S. Coast Guard conducted a training exercise on Washington, D.C. in the riverfront it caused a lot of confusion and fear. Should the Coast Guard have scheduled the drill for a less sensitive day, or at least announced it in advance? I talked it over earlier this weekend with CNN homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve and Clark Ervin, Homeland Security Office former inspector general.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: I think it's unrealistic the public know about every single training exercise. Some of them, frankly, are not going to be obvious to the public. But something like this that was done on a public waterway near a major event with the president nearby, there should have been notification, many people feel, to some of the other local law enforcement, the federal law enforcement and also perhaps in this instance, the media.

You can bet that the Coast Guard is looking at that matter to figure out how to prevent anything like this from happening again. And I would think that other law enforcement agencies would be looking as well and consider it. I will say that very often we do get alerts. Our inboxes are often cluttered with notification that NORAD or somebody is going to be doing something around some sensitive facility.

WHITFIELD: So, Clark, particularly when it pertains to ports and waterways, many have said this is where the United States is most vulnerable. Would publicizing a training mission, publicizing every intricacy of national security as it pertains to ports and waterways, undermine this cloak of secrecy that's almost needed in national security in order to get the job done? Protect America?

CLARK ERVIN, FORMER DHS INSPECTOR GENERAL: Right. I agree with Jeanne. It's a question of detail. Certainly, we can't disclose every training exercise, including in the maritime context, many of them have to be classified. What was striking about yesterday is that it was 9/11. And the president was in the area. For those two reasons the Coast Guard ought not to have conducted that exercise. That particular exercise is a routine one, unclassified. It's one the Coast Guard needs to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: In Afghanistan, four U.S. troops have been killed in two separate attacks. Military officials say two troops were killed after their patrol struck a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan. Two others were killed by a roadside bomb in western Afghanistan.

And he hit ten banks in four states, but the FBI says this gun-toting criminal's days on the run are done. And how a television show may have helped put the cops on a serial bank robber. We're live with an FBI special agent.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. A look at the top stories right now. As the search for a missing Yale grad student intensifies, the FBI says it's testing potential evidence in the disappearance of 24-year-old Annie Le. Le was last seen Tuesday entering the school's medical building where she worked. A source close to the investigation tells CNN that bloody clothes were found in a search of that same building. Le was set to be married today.

And one year ago today, the costliest natural disaster in Texas history hit the Texas gulf coast. Hurricane Ike leveled much of Galveston Island and also did serious damage inland. Today, residents say they've made progress but still have a long way to go in restoring what was lost.

And this guy right here was one of America's most wanted until yesterday after he was reportedly recognized by a viewer of the show. The FBI says 37-year-old Chad Schaffner was captured yesterday in Missouri. He's suspected of pulling off at least ten bank robberies in four states over the past few months. Let's dig deeper into the capture of this alleged serial bank robber. Brian Truchon is the special agent in charge of the FBI's Kansas City office. So first off, good to see you. What can you tell us about this actual arrest, how it actually happened.

BRIAN TRUCHON, FBI SPECIAL AGENT: Well, actually, we got kind of lucky on a number of fronts. We had a former police officer from the Missouri State Highway Patrol who happened to be in Kingdom City, Missouri, for a college football game. And he recognized Schaffner from an episode of "America's Most Wanted" that he had seen. So those kind of combination of events led him to call the Missouri State Highway Patrol and they in turn contacted the FBI and the sheriff's office and the arrest of the individual was able to be made.

WHITFIELD: Over the course of four months, how is it that Schaffner was able to be so elusive?

TRUCHON: Well, for one thing, he had committed bank robberies, we believe, up to 14 different bank robberies in 6 different states. So part of the thing that was keeping him at bay if you will is the fact he was moving around so much. It's somewhat strange. He didn't wear a mask. He didn't wear a disguise when he committed his bank robberies.

WHITFIELD: That's what I was about to ask you. So if revealed completely and still he's an alleged suspect here. If revealed completely, why did it seem that it took so long for someone to actually recognize this guy who you see in plain sight?

TRUCHON: You know, I really have to attribute it to the movement. I think the fact he was cognizant enough to be on the move constantly and to move from state to state. So committing a robbery in one state, moving over to another, even though law enforcement was looking for him, he continued to move throughout the different jurisdictions.

WHITFIELD: So what's next in this case? Is this going to be one that has potential complications in trying to prosecute?

TRUCHON: Well, what will happen next for Mr. Schaffner is tomorrow he will receive an initial appearance in Jefferson County, Missouri, where he'll go before a U.S. magistrate. And then most likely be remanded in the custody of the U.S. Marshals and then perhaps, I think, initially transported to Knoxville, Tennessee, to face his first trial of the different bank robberies that have taken place.

WHITFIELD: Brian Truchon, a special agent in charge of the FBI's Kansas City Office. Thanks so much. Appreciate your time.

TRUCHON: Thank you very much.

WHITFIELD: Meeting the high cost of higher education in hard times. See how one family is paying for college despite the recession.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: It's the biggest running controversy in the sport of track and field in recent memory. The gender of a South African runner, Caster Semenya, after winning the world championship in the 800 meters in Berlin a few weeks ago, questions arose as to Semenya's true gender. Now media reports suggest that she has both male and female characteristics. Track and field commentator Larry Rawson said of ESPN joins us from New York with more on this story. Good to see you, Larry.

LARRY RAWSON, ESPN: Nice to be with you.

WHITFIELD: What's interesting here is while these reports have come out, while it is clear that there were gender tests that were conducted, now that this has been publicized unofficially, the results of these gender tests, Semenya has pulled herself out of a race this weekend that was to take place in South Africa. Her coach says she's not feeling well and now are the reports that she's receiving some counseling. What's going on here?

RAWSON: Let me just take everybody back a step or two to explain why this is such a big deal in the world of track and field. As a 16-year- old, the equivalent of a sophomore in high school she ran the 800 meters in 2 minutes and 11 seconds. Perhaps only one or two American high school girls as sophomores ran that fast. She dropped her time down seven seconds last year as a 17-year-old and maybe only one or two American girls ran as fast as 2:04. And then this year, the drop was 9 seconds to 1:55 and only two women in the world. And the last 12 years have run as fast or faster than she did. So all of a sudden, it's like, what is going on here? So the shock is great. And people are trying to figure out exactly why -- be sensitive to her and try to reach a decision.

WHITFIELD: But sometimes an acceleration like that in performance will immediately lead to people wondering about whether there was some doping involved. That wasn't the question with her, though. She popped up on the scene at the IAAF. People simply looked at her physique and said, wait a minute. Even some of the fellow female runners were saying, what's going on here? So now I'm wondering what's going to happen from this point forward if it's true that she's a hermaphrodite. Will she be allowed to compete alongside women?

RAWSON: It's a very complicated question. They actually prefer the word being used of intersex. She has the appearances of a woman, was raised as a girl is extremely upset. The whole nation of South Africa is very upset over this. I'm amazed at the extent of it, but it has really turned into a firestorm of protecting her.

WHITFIELD: In fact, the head of the South African athletics has withdrawn from the IAAF board saying we don't like the way this was handled.

RAWSON: Well, I think the difficulty is that there was a major championship that she competed in weeks before the world championship. I understand that tests were begun there and no conclusion was reached. This is a very complicated thing that will take a team of doctors to decide. People who study chromzones and endocrinologists. It's much more complicated more so than just making a physical check of what she is.

But the end result is she's been found to have, according to BBC, three times the amount of testosterone that the average woman does. That puts her up in a male category. How can you allow her to compete going forward and be fair to all of the women in the world who have a normal 1-1 ratio or something like that.

WHITFIELD: What will that mean for that gold medal she won during that championship? If she unknowingly has three times more testosterone, unknowingly has, you know, these -- I guess these test results of her genitalia, then, you know, she unknowingly -- she didn't intentionally try to, I guess, sway the race. RAWSON: I agree with that. And it is a difficult, delicate question. Does she deserve the medal to begin with? The IAAF stopped their gender testing in 1991. The International Olympic Committee stopped theirs in 1999. Again, very few tests have been found to be this way. So it's a great, great anomaly to have somebody to this extent and yet you could threaten the existence and the fairness of competing at distance races or sprints when you find somebody with such managed characteristics that they have.

With the t/e ratio is one good example that we know. The IAAF has applied that no matter what comes forth, they will allow her to keep her medal. I don't know whether that's pressure from South Africa or what. And is that really fair to everybody else? I don't think anybody thinks that she was really trying to cheat.

WHITFIELD: Larry Rawson, ESPN. Thanks so much. You can't help but feel sorry for her, though, that this is taking place and unfolding in such a public manner like this.

RAWSON: Fredricka, I agree with you totally.

WHITFIELD: All right. Larry appreciates it.

RAWSON: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Let's talk about what it's like to go off to college. It is an exciting time. Especially for freshmen and their families. But it is also costing a lot more these days. The average tuition at a four-year college is up as much as $1400 over the last year. That's forcing some families to change their choices. I had a chance to follow one family through the process all the way to move-in day.

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WHITFIELD (voice over): Move-in day for college freshman Presley Chakales, to a place she never expected would bring so much happiness and harmony.

PRESLEY CHAKALES, FRESHMAN: I've been working all day getting my room together, but I like it. I'm excited.

WHITFIELD: Also excited? Her parents, Peter and Ann.

PETER CHAKALES, FATHER: This is like a ride to a suburb when you live in Atlanta. So she's close.

WHITFIELD: But the hour-long ride to the University of Georgia in Athens didn't come without detours. Like thousands of American households on tighter budgets, savings and 401(k)s taking double-digit losses, family plans are forced to be flexible.

PRESLEY CHAKALES: I was really, really completely set on going out of state.

WHITFIELD: Oh, we remember. We first met the Chakales last spring. College acceptance letters were coming in. Along with the prospect of a full scholarship available to Georgia students with a 3.0 GPA or higher planning to attend an in-state school. But at the time, Presley and her parents were not Seeing Eye to eye. So your heart tells you one thing, but the purse strings tell you another.

PRESLEY CHAKALES: Yeah, definitely.

WHITFIELD: So what are these conversations like with mom and dad when you all try to come to grips about a happy medium?

PRESLEY CHAKALES: They can get heated.

WHITFIELD: That was last March. Now --

PRESLEY CHAKALES: I ended up getting into UGA off of the wait list and my decision immediately changed to back in state was I was going to UNC Wilmington, but I switched back to UGA to save an indescribable amount of money.

WHITFIELD: A huge relief for her parents. Even though they spent years saving for her higher education, the thought of unloading at least $25,000 a year for four years of out of state undergrad was stressful beyond words.

PETER CHAKALES: It would have been very, very tough. It was frightening. That financial part was absolutely frightening.

WHITFIELD: Staying in state, able to benefit from that Georgia full academic scholarship, cut their expenses by more than half. Out of pocket now, $10,000 a year for Presley's housing, books and other fees. The benefits of their family decision, endless.

ANN CHAKALES, MOTHER: I think she'll be able to study abroad for a semester, if she wants to. And that probably would not have happened if she had gone out of state.

WHITFIELD: The Chakales are confident Presley will maintain a 3.0 or better to keep the state scholarship until graduation. But the family's savings plan continues. In three years it will be Presley's younger brother's turn.

A. CHAKALES: We'll probably start prepping for our son a little bit earlier.

WHITFIELD: In hopes that he, too, qualifies for the same kind of in- state help.

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WHITFIELD: In-state students at four-year public schools are paying nearly $6200 this year according to the non-profit College Board's annual survey of college costs. The costs to go out of state nearly $11,000. About two-thirds of all undergraduates get some kind of financial help.

He wasn't exactly a household name. But he may have saved more lives than anybody else in history of the world. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: You may not recognize his name, but he's credited with saving hundreds of millions of lives. Norman Borlaug died in Dallas last night from complications of cancer. An agricultural scientist he was known as the father of the green revolution.

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NORMAN BORLAUG: Food is first. Without that, we will have greater increasing social, economic and political chaos.

WHITFIELD (voice over): Some say Norman Borlaug saved more lives than anyone else in history.

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): He is one of the great inventors of the green revolution. Ways of making crops yield more. Without Borlaug, untold millions of people would not have survived.

WHITFIELD: The world's population was growing faster than its food supply. In some places, famine was considered inevitable.

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): In the '60s, many of the intellects in our best universities, as well as in European universities, said in India it's hopeless, Pakistan, maybe something can be done. But look what happened.

WHITFIELD: Borlaug's research helped farmers in developing countries double and triple weak production.

PROF. M. S. SWAMINLATHAN (ph); Indian farmers, increased reproduction in four years by an order greater than that achieved during the preceding 4,000 years. Borlaug helped at a critical time in human history to prove the profits of doom wrong and allow them to purchase time in achieving a balance between population growth and food production.

WHITFIELD: Borlaug won the Nobel Peace Prize, a congressional gold medal and a presidential medal of freedom.

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRES. OF THE U.S: Ours is a land of hope and promise and compassion. And we see that compassion and promise in a man we honor today. Farm boy, educated in a one-room schoolhouse who left the golden fields of Iowa to become known as the man who fed the world.

WHITFIELD: Norman Borlaug was 95 years old.

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WHITFIELD: I'm Fredricka Whitfield. I'll see you back here next weekend. Coming up at 6:00, Don Lemon talks with two sisters from south central Los Angeles sharing one big dream to become pro tennis players. Sounds like the Williams sisters, doesn't it? Not quite. The girls are in a league of their own.

Fareed Zakaria of "GPS" starts right now.