Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Yale Killing's Person of Interest Providing DNA; Baucus to Unveil Compromise Bill; Serena Speaks Out; New Jobs For Young Former Wall Streeters; Accusations of Racism Hurled at Joe Wilson; Police Investigate Possible Connection Between Garridos and Missing Children; Dan Brown's New Novel Set In D.C.

Aired September 16, 2009 - 08:00   ET

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


JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: That brings us close to the top of the hour. It's Wednesday, it's the 16th of September. Thanks for joining us on the Most News in the Morning. I'm John Roberts.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kiran Chetry. Here's what's on the morning's agenda. These are the stories that we're going to be breaking down for you in the next 15 minutes.

First, new information today from police in New Haven, Connecticut. They have a person of interest now in the murder of Yale University graduate student Annie Le and they are in the process now of collecting DNA evidence from Raymond Clark, also searching his apartment to see if he's tied to the killing. He again is a lab technician at Yale University. We're getting a live report coming up.

ROBERTS: Health care reform with or without Republican support. Today, the leader of the bipartisan so called "gang of six" unveils his own health care reform bill. So what's in it? And is it the chance for bipartisanship or is bipartisan dead?

CHETRY: And her profanity-filled shouting match with a line judge at the U.S. Open still making headlines. But now Serena Williams says she was in the moment and doesn't really remember what happened. And that now that she apologized she wants to move on. Well, she's going to be joining us in our studio to talk about that and her new autobiography "On the Line."

Well, this morning police in New Haven, Connecticut are focusing their attention on a person of interest as they are saying in the murder of Yale grad student Annie Le. 24-year-old Raymond Clark was taken into custody last night, a lab tech who worked at that same Yale medical research building as Le.

Investigators are taking samples of Clark's DNA to compare with evidence from the crime scene. Mary Snow live in New Haven with the very latest on what's going on right now. So, I don't know if it's semantics or not, they don't want to say suspect at this juncture but he was taken away handcuffed. They are processing him. What's going on?

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Kiran, they are just referring to him as a person of interest. And he was released overnight after cooperating with authorities. And that had been anticipated.

Police say they executed two search warrants. One on his apartment and one essentially on him so that they could take physical evidence, those DNA samples, samples from hair, from his saliva, from his fingernails. Police say what they're trying to do now is see if those samples match any of the evidence they have already seized. And they said they've seized some 150 pieces of evidence from the crime scene.

Now, what led them to name him a person of interest? Only they would say that his access to that laboratory where Annie Le's body was found on Sunday, which is restricted access. They would not elaborate other to say that he has been under surveillance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF JAMES LEWIS, NEW HAVEN POLICE DEPT.: We've known where he was at all along. He was exactly where we expected to be when we served the search warrants tonight. We've been with him, you might say, since we took this case over. So, we've always known where he's at. There's never an issue where he was at. We've always known where he's at.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: And neighbors at his apartment complex in Middletown, Connecticut, have said that they have seen a police presence up until yesterday for more than 24 hours. It is believed that he lives with his girlfriend and a woman by the same name is listed in the Yale directory as a lab technician.

The police are being careful to say that he is not labeled a suspect and that they say they don't want to have tunnel vision, that they are continuing their investigation to see if there are any other potential suspects out there. They do say they should know by the end of this week whether or not Raymond Clark will be arrested or whether he will be cleared -- Kiran?

CHETRY: In the meantime, as you said, he's released overnight. There are some jitters around -- on and around the Yale University campus, that there could be a killer in their midst. So, in this situation, I understand that police are trying to be careful. They're not calling him a suspect, but if indeed he ends up being responsible for this murder, he's released right now, he's out. So, are they tracking or keeping him under surveillance?

SNOW: Well, one would assume that they are because they had been keeping him under surveillance for the past couple of days. They are not officially saying that, but he has also hired an attorney. Also, you know, that lab building where Annie Le's body was discovered on Sunday, on the Yale Web site, parts of that building are, today, being reopened.

CHETRY: Mary Snow for us this morning in New Haven -- thank you.

ROBERTS: It could be good news for the president's plans to overhaul health care. Just in a few hours' time, Senator Max Baucus, one of the so-called "gang of six" lawmakers, will roll out his version of a reform bill.

Three Republicans and three Democrats have been hammering out the details for months now and may continue to work on it because the Republicans in the gang still aren't sold on the plan.

Our Brianna Keilar is live on Capitol Hill.

What should we be watching for in the next few hours, Brianna?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Ten a.m. Eastern, John, we'll be hearing -- we're expecting to get the details of this bill, this bill that's going to go to the Senate Finance Committee which will begin voting on it in this form next week. Also, keep an eye out for a noon press conference from Senator Max Baucus, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, who's been leading these "gang of six" negotiations.

And as you mentioned, these three Republicans in these talks are still not on board. That said, they also have not walked away from the table. And we're that expecting negotiations could continue to go on into next week as the Senate Finance Committee starts going through this bill line by line and having votes on changes they want to make.

Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, the top Republican on this committee, issued a statement yesterday that says in part, "Unfortunately, we're operating under an artificial deadline set by Democratic leadership and the White House. There are still some serious outstanding issues yet to be resolved. We've been clear from the start," he says, "that we're willing to stay at the table."

So, do or die, there really going to be that final vote in the Senate Finance Committee. That will be really the last chance to see if there is going to be Republican support in the Senate Finance Committee, John. So, this still could go on for a few days here.

ROBERTS: All right, Brianna Keilar for us on Capitol Hill. Before we go, let me just ask you, what are the hang-ups on both sides of the aisle?

KEILAR: Well, liberal Democrats have an issue where they think that there is not enough coverage perhaps for low-income Americans, middle-class Americans. They think, maybe, the package needs to be bigger than the $880 billion that Max Baucus is proposing. And most importantly, John, they're kind of upset that it doesn't include a public option, because this is the one bill in Congress that doesn't. It includes a health care co-op.

But for his part, Senator Chuck Grassley actually wants to decrease the overall cost here, has a couple other issues, wants to make sure federal money isn't used for abortions, and also wants to make sure that federal money would not subsidize any coverage for illegal immigrants, John.

ROBERTS: All right. Brianna, thanks so much for that.

Coming up at 8:30 Eastern, by the way, we're going to talk health care and more with two of the best political minds on the planet: James Carville and Ed Rollins. So, stay with us.

CHETRY: Well, former President Jimmy Carter is speaking out against some of the big health care protests at a town hall in Atlanta. Carter said that racism is behind much of the anger towards President Obama, including Congressman Joe Wilson's outburst during the president's speech about health care last week. During an interview with NBC's Brian Williams, Carter said it's something that concerns him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY CARTER, FMR. U.S. PRESIDENT: An overwhelming portion of the intentionally demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he's African- American.

I live in the South, and I've seen the South come a long way and I've seen the rest of the country that shared the South's attitude toward minority groups at that time, particularly African-Americans. That racism inclination still exists and I think it's bubbled up to the surface because of a belief among many white people -- not just in the South but around the country -- that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Well, Carter went on to say he believes President Obama will be able to, quote, "triumph over the racist attitude that is the basis for today's negative environment."

ROBERTS: President Obama has something to say about Kanye West cutting off Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night. But he didn't intend for everyone to hear it. Here's the off-the-record comment during an interview with CNBC.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were your girls as hacked off as mine were that Kanye gave Taylor Swift the Joe Wilson treatment?

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I thought that was really inappropriate. You know, I mean, it was like she's getting an award -- why are you butting in? I hear you. I agree with you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, does that count as the first question?

OBAMA: The young lady seems like a perfectly nice person. She's getting her award. What's he doing up there. He's a jackass.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

CHETRY: Speaking of Kanye, by the way, he is finally offering up a personal apology to Taylor Swift. The rapper reached out to the singer after she appeared on "The View" yesterday to describe what exactly happened Sunday night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAYLOR SWIFT, SINGER: Well, I think my overall thought process went something like -- wow, I can't believe I won. This is awesome. Don't trip and fall. I'm going to get to thank the fans, this is so cool. Oh, Kanye West is here. Cool haircut.

(LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)

SWIFT: Kanye West is here. Cool haircut. What are you doing there? And then -- ouch, and then, I guess I'm not going to get to thank the fans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Anyway, she says that she did accept Kanye's apology and as you know, she did get a chance to thank the fans thanks to Beyonce who handed over her speaking time to let Taylor finished her speech.

ROBERTS: Both of them very classy ladies. Kanye, not so much.

It was a rumble in the Bronx last night, both benches cleared as the Yankees took on the Toronto Blue Jays. It started when two Toronto players were beaned with pitches. The Jays seemed to answer when reliever Jesse Carlson threw a pitch behind Yankee's catcher Jorge Posada. Later on that inning, Posada bumped Carlson while crossing home plate. That's all it took. Both players were ejected. There is a consideration of fines and/or suspensions. Toronto won the game, by they way, 10-4.

CHETRY: There you go. And as Rob points out though, the Yankees are indisputably in first place. Twenty games up.

ROBERTS: They are. And Toronto isn't.

We've been talking about her all morning. She's got a brand new book out, her memoir, "On the Line." Serena Williams is joining us next here on the "Most News in the Morning."

Stay with us.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ROBERTS: A little bit of a mash up this morning to get your day going. Good morning to New York City where it's cloudy and 66 degrees. That's going to be the high for the day. It will stay in the mid-60s, a few showers later on and some wind as well.

Welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning."

This year's U.S. Open was filled with amazing tennis, big upsets, but the drama that grabbed the headlines, Serena Williams dropping an F-bomb or two during a heated exchange with the line judge.

CHETRY: And when questioned about it Saturday, she didn't have much to say about it. On Monday though, she won the doubles title with her sister, Venus, and wanted to clarify how she felt. Here's a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SERENA WILLIAMS, U.S. OPEN WOMEN'S SINGLES SEMIFINALIST: I don't think that's necessary but for me to speak about that I've let it go and I'm trying to better -- to, you know, to move on.

I am a very sincere person. I wanted to offer my sincere apologies to anyone I may have offended.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: So, here to talk more about this as well as her new book out is Serena Williams, and she's going to be telling us about her new autobiography as well, "On the Line."

Thanks so much for being with us.

WILLIAMS: Thank you for having me.

CHETRY: So, this is supposed to be a book tour for you, but in some way, it's turned into a bit of an apology tour because of what happened. As we've gotten a few days from it, what are your thoughts about what went down?

WILLIAMS: Well, yes. Like I said, everyone has -- says, you know, things that they do and everyone, you know, has moments. No one is perfect. And I think everyone could see that when I played at the U.S. Open, everyone kind of sees me as like a little bit sometimes (INAUDIBLE) -- which is one of the reasons why I wanted to write "On the Line" because it talks a lot about my faults and a lot about how I kind fell from grace, so to say, move from number one in the world to almost 200 in the world, and that whole fight that I had to do to come back.

ROBERTS: There are so many interesting stories in here. You play through a lot of matches, and there are so many insights, as you said, into your personality and what drives you. You have a match book that you write little sayings in.

WILLIAMS: Yes.

ROBERTS: One of the sayings -- I mean, it almost seems prophetic to some degree here, leading into chapter three. You write, quote, "They want to see you angry. Be angry -- but don't let them see it. Play angry but let them see confidence. Play angry, but let them see patience. Play angry but let them see certainty. Play angry, but let them see determination."

I want to -- how powerful a motivator, when you're an athlete, when you're out there, is anger?

WILLIAMS: Well, for me, I'm really an emotional player. I really give everything I have when I'm out on the court. And I think people see that when I play, like I'm always yelling, "Come on," you know, sometimes I throw my racket down. You know, I'm just that person that when you go out there, it's like, wow, she's pretty exciting to watch because she is so into the match. And I think that note that I wrote myself then was just it's OK to be angry but to also stay calm and just, you know, have a way of doing it.

ROBERTS: You're also a faithful person. You are a Jehovah's Witness. What is more powerful motivator, faith or anger? Can you -- can you explain that to us?

WILLIAMS: Well, I think faith is the most powerful motivator of all. I think that if you have a strong faith, and that is really a good strong background, good strong backbone that you can have. And I think that has been, you know, pretty much a really good thing in my life and just always having a strong faith.

CHETRY: One of the things in the wake of this, there's a lot of different people weighing in about what happened. And one person, Mary Carillo, well-respected in tennis, said that, "If you care about the integrity of your sport, you throw someone out of the game for a while," and the U.S. Tennis Association is looking into this incident. Do you think that this is over, or do you think that these additional fines or other things are going to come back and come out in the wake of this?

WILLIAMS: Well, I mean, if you look at all of the stuff that happens in tennis, all of the stuff that's used and all of the things that are said -- I mean, this isn't -- this isn't -- this isn't the first time this has ever happened. This kind of happens a lot. There's lots of players that, you know, not only in tennis, in different sports as well, that show their passion.

There's lots of players in tennis that show their intensity, that, you know, show anger sometimes. And it's OK to get angry. It's just the way you handle it.

CHETRY: And, in fact, Roger Federer dropped an F-bomb.

WILLIAMS: Absolutely.

CHETRY: Some people said, wait a minute, is this sexist thing? Is it -- is it so shocking because it came from a woman player?

WILLIAMS: Well, I'm not sure because, you know, there was, you know, incident just in the finals where you know, Roger may have said some things but I'm not here to talk about Roger, I'm here to talk about me.

ROBERTS: Right.

WILLIAMS: I don't point the finger at anyone. You know, I'm a total responsible person and I definitely take, you know, things on myself. And that's again why I wrote this book "On the Line," because you can see kind of me like an open book so to say.

ROBERTS: Right. You know, you talk extensively about your background growing up and you talk about there are many other players out there who are passionate, who have been known to throw rackets and smack a few cups and things like that around. John McEnroe...

(CROSSTALK)

ROBERTS: Let's just re-rack the clock here and look at some of John McEnroe's more famous moments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN MCENROE, FMR. PRO-TENNIS PLAYER: You can't be serious, man. You cannot be serious. The question, jerk. Come on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: OK. (INAUDIBLE) been out there doing it. And he has been sanctioned for verbal abuse, but he's never threatened anyone. And I wonder, reading through your book and all of that, you know, there was an implied threat in what happened on Saturday. I'm wondering -- where does -- where does that come from?

WILLIAMS: Well, I think there is a difference between anything implied and anything done like that. You know, people, when athletes are really out there, you know, athletes go and they do the best that they can, they give every ounce of energy that they have in that moment because this is your one moment. As an athlete your career traditionally isn't that long. So I think that, you know, whoever goes out there and just shows the passion, determination, that's the best you can do.

CHETRY: You share a lot in the book about yourself. You are really a hero for a lot of young girls, a lot of young people in general wanting to play tennis and just wanting to achieve and reach the top. You talk about what it was like to go from the top all the way back down...

WILLIAMS: Yes.

CHETRY: You suffer with your injury, with your knee, and then to come back again. What was the lesson that you learned from all of that?

WILLIAMS: Well, it was difficult. I was on the top of the world, like I said, and then next thing you know I'm almost rank 200 in the world, due to a couple of factors. One, I had a major knee surgery that no one really knew about. And, you know, it was more major than what people thought. And then the second fact was my sister was murdered and this was a very difficult time for my family.

And I talk about this a lot in the book, how I was able to deal with it, how I was able to overcome some things that, you know, happened to me that I never talked about. And how I found out about my sister's passing and things like that. And it was a really super- emotional time for me and I think that, you know, being in the public eye, there's a lot of things that, you know, personally, I don't talk about. And I thought, this is a good opportunity to kind of come on the line and that's why I named the book "On the Line" and talk about, you know, things that I did well, things that I did bad, and things that I can learn from.

ROBERTS: All right.

CHETRY: Well, we're going to have much more of Serena Williams. We're going to take a break. When we come back, we're going to talk about, you know, you are -- you are a world class athlete and you still sometimes have self -- body image...

WILLIAMS: Yes.

CHETRY: ... concerns that you might not think about.

So, we're going to talk about that as well as some other very interesting things from the book. Right now, we're going to a quick break.

It's 20 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC)

ROBERTS: Welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning."

CHETRY: Yes. We are back now with our number two tennis star, Serena Williams. She's number one for us.

ROBERTS: She's got a new book called "On the Line." And you may have heard a heated exchange with the line judge grabbed a few headlines during the U.S. Open. We're here to talk to her about -- we've talked to her about that already. So, on to her memoir, "On the Line," and talking more about her life.

You know, you do -- you have a whole chapter in the book about your sister Yetunde, you know, called her Tunde, who was killed in September of 2003. You were in Toronto at the time. And that set you into a tailspin emotionally and professionally. How difficult was that for you to deal with?

WILLIAMS: Well, it was really difficult. I mean, my sister, she -- me and my family, we are super close. My sisters did everything for me. At the time Yetunde was my sister, and she was helping me out with a lot of stuff and I would see, you know, she has three kids who would just -- always be together. At that point, I think, I just kind of moved a little bit to L.A. And it was, you know, my first big move by myself, I wasn't with Venus even though I still lived with Venus in Florida like when I was in L.A. I had my own little space and I hung out with my sister a lot.

So, it was a really difficult time for me. And it was a difficult time for -- you can imagine any family that lost someone that's super close to them.

ROBERTS: Yes. (INAUDIBLE) with you yesterday, and the emotion still just below the surface there.

WILLIAMS: Yes. When I talk about her I obviously get really emotional. But talking about it definitely helps and that's what I learned that, you know, you can't hide your emotions. If you talk about them and you can feel a little better.

CHETRY: It's interesting though because you wrote about how you didn't tell your family exactly -- just how much you were hurt by what had happened, and by the loss of your sister. But you actually sought out their opinion, what, every single day. How did that help you?

WILLIAMS: Well, you know, I had a really problem with just speaking out how I felt. And then I just felt better just going out there and talking to a third party which I never thought I would do. And, you know, sometimes, you get to the point in life when you are just willing and have your mind open to accept any type of healing that would heal you. And for every person, it's different. And for me, I think that was one of the things that helped.

ROBERTS: One of the things that helped to heal you was a trip you made to Africa. You went to Ghana and Senegal. You toured the famous slave castles, the door of no return, there in Goree Island in Senegal. And of that time you wrote, quote, "I came away thinking that I was part of the strongest race in human history. My approach to the game changed as well. The very next time I held a racquet in my hands, I thought there's nothing that can break me. On the court. Off the court. Anywhere."

What was it that gave you such strength coming out of that? You went on to the Australian Open right after that.

WILLIAMS: Yes. And it was kind of almost Godsend that I had that time in Africa because at that point in my life, you know, I didn't know what was going to happen in the next few months. So, I saw what my ancestors went through with all of the slave castles and everything, and all of the torture and everything that, you know, my ancestors went through. And I thought, wow, this is -- if they can survive this and I'm part of that family tree, then I felt like at that point, I could survive anything.

And, of course, later in Australia, I had gotten so much bad press about being fat, you know, about -- you know, about being too big and never being able to win another grand slam, never going to be able to win another tournament or anything. And so, you know, I thought that maybe it was Godsent that that trip was perfect timing.

CHETRY: And you write a blog about that body image situation...

WILLIAMS: Yes.

CHETRY: ... that, you know, a lot of people would think that you don't have those type of insecurities that a lot of young women, a lot of us have. Because you're an athlete, in incredible, incredible shape, what are your insecurities at times about your body?

WILLIAMS: Well, you know, as everyone knows, I really look up to my sister Venus. And, you know, growing up, she was -- she's just a year older than me, like 15 months. So, we're really close. And she's thin and she's really tall. And I'm a little smaller and shorter, but I'm more curvier.

And so, always wanting to be like Venus, I think, I was like, why can't I have those legs, why can't I be thinner. But, you know, I think it's important to learn that everyone's not the same and you have to learn who you are, to love who you are. And in Australia, when they -- all the press was bad about me being fat, and, you know, that was definitely a moment where I realized, well, am I going to believe this or am I going to, you know, get better, get more fit, you know, and at the same time love who I am.

ROBERTS: So, you know, as you put the experience of the U.S. Open behind you and you go on, there is another match book entry that I thought was interesting where you write on page 210, quote, "Breathe. Remember, there are so many more important things. This is so small."

So, do you kind of take that with you now as you go forward?

WILLIAMS: Yes. Absolutely. Absolutely. Because I'm doing so much with different charities right now, like I opened a school in Kenya last November. And when we cut that tape, I thought that that was the best moment in my life. I never -- even when I held up the Wimbledon trophy or when I first won the U.S. Open, I never felt better than helping those kids who didn't have anything. And we donated HP computers, they just had such a wonderful time.

I'm actually going back this year to do another one. I'm really excited about that. But that makes me realize that, in life, there are so many more important things than, you know, yourself.

ROBERTS: All right.

CHETRY: It's wonderful to know, but you work so hard at tennis, you're working hard through these charities. What do you -- what does Serena do for fun? What do you like to do when you can kick back a little bit of time to yourself?

WILLIAMS: Well, I love to read. And that's why I was able to write my book. I love to read. I love going to the movies. I like cooking. I want to take some cooking lessons one day. So, maybe I'll be actually good at cooking and not just like cooking.

ROBERTS: The book is called "On the Line." It's a fascinating look at tremendous athlete. Serena Williams, it's great to see you this morning. Thanks so much for dropping by.

WILLIAMS: Thank you so much. Thank you guys so much.

ROBERTS: We really appreciate it.

CHETRY: A pleasure to have you here.

WILLIAMS: Thank you.

ROBERTS: It's twenty-seven and a half minutes after the hour. Lehman's younger workers -- where are they now? And James Carville and Ed Rollins and all things political, coming up on the "Most News in the Morning."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

CHETRY: Wonderful to get a chance to talk to Serena Williams. And she's very candid. We're going to post that on CNN.com/amFIX a little bit later.

ROBERTS: She's also very candid in her book as well. And, you know, you can see -- as you go through her history, you can sort of see some of the building blocks of why and what happened on Saturday night might have happened. Doesn't excuse it, just you know, an explanation of why it happened.

CHETRY: She's a passionate girl. One young woman. She sure is.

Well, anyway, welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning." Thanks so much for being with us.

And imagine you've gone to school for years, right, and your only goal is you just want to break into the world of finance.

ROBERTS: And it happens that you get the interview, you land the job of your dreams, and then your company goes bust, markets across the globe tank, the economy implodes.

Our Christine Romans is here "Minding Your Business" this morning.

Good morning.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. A year ago, they were packing up their boxes and walking out the door, sort of shell shocked, their entree into Wall Street, what they've always wanted blows up. That's exactly what happened for some of the youngest workers at these banks gone bust.

So, what do you do when you worked your whole life for a job in finance only to see Wall Street go into a tailspin? Meet three recovering Wall Streeters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: Mimi Connery traded pinstripes for black leather. Avi Yesham went green, and Ryan Stroker looked on the sunny side. It has been quite a year for these fired Wall Streeters.

MIMI CONNERY, DIRECTOR, TRUE MEANING: I'm grateful, personally, for the experience I had.

ROMANS (on camera): You're grateful?

CONNERY: Not for bankruptcy and the market going under and lost jobs, but for the business background.

ROMANS: New gig for this former investment banking analyst at Lehman Brothers -- she is on tour with the rock band Third Eye Blind, running the lead singer's foundation.

CONNERY: Going on tour with the band was quite an experience, actually not that different from investment banking in terms of hours.

AVI YASHCHIN, PRESIDENT, CLEAN EDISON: We can just do it under us.

ROMANS: Avi once spent long hours trading credit default swaps for Lehman. He now says he got lost when it crumbled.

YASHCHIN: I immediately started calling my friends and trying to find out what the next big thing is. And everyone said the same thing -- green. You have to get into the green industry.

ROMANS: He sees green as a modern day gold rush. He started a company to sell the tools, training, and education to help people get these jobs.

And Ryan, a former Merrill Lynch subprime mortgage trader, recently launched a new line of BluBlocker sunglasses with his girlfriend.

RYAN STROKER, CO-FOUNDER, MY BLUBLOCKERS: This quickly separates the people who had talked about doing for something so long. So you quickly find those who actually take advantage of that, and that's fun to see.

ROMANS: These three all took advantage, taking what they learned on Wall Street, a place they never thought they'd leave.

YASHCHIN: I could sleep for a week when I found out they offer. I was very excited. It was my dream and my goal.

ROMANS: Hard work and the lure of big money.

STROKER: The guy who was 27 and sat next to me was brought over from Bear Stearns, made $750,000.

ROMANS (on camera): $750,000?

STROKER: Yes.

ROMANS (voice-over): But Wall Street blew up before these three could get that far.

So what have they learned?

CONNERY: So when you go to work, you should actually be passionate about what you're doing, and that's not just the day-to-day task. I think it is important to take a step back and actually see what you are contributing to the world.

ROMANS (on camera): What would Gordon Gekko be doing right now a year after the collapse of Lehman, I wonder? Would he be in green technology?

STROKER: He'd be selling BluBlockers.

ROMANS: He might be selling BluBlockers?

STROKER: That's very possible.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: Ryan actually got another job on Wall Street. He's back.

When I asked these kids, kids -- some of them are 31, you know, the 20s and early 30s -- what happened here, do you mourn the loss of this Wall Street life? This Wall Street culture, was it really what you were going for all of the time?

The tape is the next thing you do. You start a new company, start a new business, trying something else. It's that work ethic, that drive, you know. They're going to be just fine.

ROBERTS: You can certainly mourn the loss of the three-quarter of a million dollar a year salary before bonus.

ROMANS: Yes. And maybe they never would have obtained it. You always hear about that one person who gets the big bonus, and that's enough to keep people going for the long time.

ROBERTS: The one person.

ROMANS: Well, a lot of people. At these guys level, no one would be making bonuses like that.

ROBERTS: Christine, thanks so much.

You can read more about Christine's story, by the way, and see the rest of our "Banks Gone Bust" series. Just send it to our show blog at CNN.com/amfix.

CHETRY: And we're crossing the half hour. We're checking our top stories.

There's new information about the alleged terror plot uncovered here in New York. Sources telling CNN the targets of Monday's raid were Afghan nationals who all attended to same mosque. Several were questioned but later released. Officials also say no explosive devices or explosive-making materials were found.

It's the first time that sources can recall Afghans being allegedly involved or even suspected of being involved in a plot to attack the U.S.

The Food and Drug Administration approving the new swine flu vaccine. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says that the first flu shots should be available starting early next month, and she says that eventually there will be enough HINI vaccines for everyone.

Right now, though, on the priority list, children, pregnant women, health care workers, and those who deal with infants under the age of six all at the head of the line.

And President Obama is hosting a rally to boost Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. The president's hometown is in a tight race with Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, and Tokyo.

Chicago officials had hoped that the president would fly to Copenhagen next month for a crucial meeting, but the White House says that as the health care fights continues, he has to stay home.

But the first lady, Michelle Obama, is going to be going instead, and given her popularity, that also may be just as good if not better -- John?

ROBERTS: It certainly might be.

There is no letting up for President Obama when it comes to health care. He is going to make the rounds at Sunday talk shows this weekend followed by an appearance on Monday on David Letterman.

Joining us to talk about that and all things political, from New Orleans this morning, Democratic strategist and CNN political contributor James Carville, not to mention co-chair of the upcoming Super Bowl committee.

And with us here in the studio, Republican strategist and senior CNN political analyst Ed Rollins.

Before we get to the president making the rounds on the Sunday shows and then Letterman this weekend and Monday, let's talk a little bit about Jimmy Carter, and what Jimmy Carter said yesterday to Brian Williams on NBC.

He said that a lot of this anger and opposition to President Obama is because he's black, suggesting that racism is still alive and well in America. He said it was, quote, "an abominable circumstance that grieves me and concerns me very deeply." Ed, let's start with you, since you're on the other side of the fence. Has he got a point?

ED ROLLINS, SENIOR CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: No. As usual, Jimmy Carter is off base on this particular one. Opposition to this president today is about his policies.

I think we got past a lot of racism in Americas and we had a great campaign in which it never got really raised on the right. And 53 percent of the American public went and voted for Obama. I think that was a milestone in this country. And I think to basically blame any opposition on racism is just absurd.

ROBERTS: Do you agree with that, James?

JAMES CARVILLE, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Well, look, I think some of the opposition is. You can't say all is. But I wouldn't say none. Some of it.

But I don't think what President Carter said was particularly helpful. I think some of the stuff, it rises itself. It can be commented on, and I think his statement was overly broad.

I certainly believe some opposition has to do with race, but I think there is other that doesn't. We have to be careful what kind of brush we paint with here, and also be careful who wields the brush that does the painting.

I agree with Ed that this was not very helpful, but I do think that there's racism in the United States.

ROBERTS: When you look, James, at some of the posters that were out there at some of these protest events over the last few day, one of them had President Obama dressed up as a witch doctor, is that parody or racism?

CARVILLE: No. I mean, look, again, I would say some of it is. I don't think there is any doubt. But I wouldn't go so far as to say every person out there was motivated by race. And if there's some opposition, we got to realize, it's not absolute answers for everything.

Look, but it's always been something that we have in the United States. I suspect that even though we have an African-American president it's not something that's going away, and it's something we have to deal with in the country. But making overly broad, sweeping statement is probably not the most helpful thing to do.

ROBERTS: So we've got another tell all book coming out of the Bush administration. This one from ex-speechwriter Matt Latimer, who wrote about President Bush talking about then candidate Obama, saying, quote, "He came in one day to rehearse a speech, fuming. 'This is a dangerous world,' he said, 'and this cat isn't remotely qualified to handle it. This guy has no clue, I promise you.'"

Ed, former White House officials already pushing back on some of the ideas in this book. Does that sound like President Bush?

ROLLINS: No, it doesn't, not the President Bush I know. I think a lot of people may have had some reservations about President Obama's experience, and it is a dangerous world. But I just don't think the George Bush that most know would make disparaging remarks about a candidate, his own party or the other.

ROBERTS: You know, James, any time one of these former insiders comes without a tell-all book and they write something that would seem to indicate that maybe one of the members of the former administration was intemperate or said some controversial things, everybody from the former administration was close to the president piles on and says we don't remember it that way.

Do you think this guy has any reason to tell what wasn't true?

CARVILLE: I think this little dweeb needs to be glove slapped. I don't know whether it's true or not, but I do know that if you work for the president of the United States, and the president says something in his office, he is entitled to a degree of privacy.

And I'm not very impressed with him. I'm not impressed with Levi Johnston or any of these people. Bush may have said, he may have not said. People say things in the office, people say things in their house, and people that have the honor to work in the White House ought not to go out and publish this.

I don't really -- I don't give one wit's damn about this little punk that wrote that book.

ROBERTS: James, never mincing words.

ROLLINS: Never mincing words.

(LAUGHTER)

ROBERTS: All right, Senator Max Baucus...

CARVILLE: It's just the way I feel. No sense in...

ROBERTS: Don't sugarcoat it, James.

ROLLINS: James and I have never minced words.

ROBERTS: Don't sugarcoat it, James. Tell us what you really think.

CARVILLE: I just think when you work with somebody they are entitled to have moments, and they can call people what they want, and you ought to keep it to yourself. If everything I ever called somebody and somebody wrote it, it would have been embarrassing.

ROLLINS: And that's part of his pre-nup with Mary.

(LAUGHTER) ROBERTS: There you are.

Hey, let's move on to some policy here. Senator Max Baucus announcing his long waited health care plan. None of the gang of six at this point on the Republican, Ed, willing to sign on to this. Do you think this is this going to get Republican support?

ROLLINS: No, I don't. I think realistically, it's going to be a fight to get some of the Democrats support, someone like Senator Wyden, whose been a very key player, isn't very satisfied with it. Senator Rockefeller is not very satisfied with it. So I think there is still a long, hard battle to go here.

ROBERTS: And James, final point here. As we said the president is making the rounds of the Sunday shows, also appearing on Letterman on Monday. Is it possible to get too much president? Is he diluting his message by doing so many interviews with so many different people?

CARVILLE: You know, they are really trying to build this up I think to help themselves a little bit with the speech, they are trying to build on that. But anything is possible, but they are concentrating a lot of energy here.

I think that they understand that there's a lot at stake here, and they want to have this more the president's plan than the Congress plan because if you do the math, the president is more popular than the Congress. So I think they are trying to put him more on the front. That's the strategy behind it.

It's not without danger, but I think on the whole it makes sense and it's a pretty good strategy.

ROBERTS: James Carville, Ed Rollins, as always great to see you, folks, thanks for joining us this morning.

And don't miss this Sunday. President Obama sits down with our John King on "State of the Union." It airs Sunday at 9:00 a.m. eastern right here on CNN -- Kiran?

CHETRY: John, thanks.

And still ahead, we're going to have more on the search, Phillip Garrido's home and a few other places as investigators try to find out whether or not he's linked to other missing girls.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: It's 45 minutes past the hour.

In just a few hours police investigators in northern California are going to be resuming their search of Nancy and Phillip Garrido's home. The Garrido's, you'll recall, are accused of kidnapping Jaycee Duguard when she was just 11 and holding her captive for 18 years.

Authorities are now looking for clues that might link the couple to the disappearance of two other young girls back in the 1980s. Our Dan Simon has the latest.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, when this case first broke late last month, police said they were going to look at Phillip and Nancy Garrido as possible suspects in other crimes, including kidnapping.

Now police are back out at the house. They plan to be here for the next several days, and they are looking for evidence that might tie the Garridos to a pair of kidnappings about 20 years ago in this area, the first case involving Ilene Misheloff. She was just 13 years old when she vanished while walking home from school.

The second case, Michaela Garecht, who was nine years old when she was abducted near a supermarket.

That case in particular has drawn a lot of attention because, first of all, police say Jaycee Dugard was held captive about two decades. They say she and Michaela Garecht kind of look like each other. Both have blond hair, blue eyes, and about the same age when they disappeared.

The second thing is this. Police say a composite sketch of the suspect in the Garecht case bears a striking resemblance to Phillip Garrido. Police say they seem to look like each other.

I want you to listen to the mother of Michaela Garecht who is hoping the search will yield answers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARON MURCH, MICHAELA GARECHT'S MOTHER: I am hoping that this will lead to a resolution, and I'm hoping that it will lead to a positive resolution. I know that if Jaycee Dugard can be found alive and come home after 18 years, then my daughter can be found alive and come home after 18 years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON: Police say the search will continue through at least the rest of the week. One of the things they are using while doing the search is some ground penetrating radar equipment to look for anything that might be buried beneath the ground including bodies.

John and Kiran, back to you.

ROBERTS: Dan Simon for us this morning. Dan, thanks very much. And from one Dan to another, Dan Brown's latest thriller, "The Lost Symbol" is out in stores. And this time he has Washington, D.C. in his sights as opposed to Paris, France. And there are all sorts of symbology (ph), he says, around Washington D.C.

CHETRY: Right. And now D.C. is using it as a marketing tour for tourists.

ROBERTS: Why not?

CHETRY: We'll have much more on that in a minute. It's 47 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: A lot of people up early in Vegas this morning, where it's clear and 74 degrees. Later on today, sunny, with a high of 95.

CHETRY: It's summer some place.

ROBERTS: It's a dry heat, though.

(LAUGHTER)

(WEATHER BREAK)

CHETRY: Still ahead, we're going to have more on the latest thriller from Dan Brown, you know, the man who brought you, of course, the "Da Vinci Code," "Angels and Demons." Well, now there is another one, and it focuses a lot on the symbolism in Washington, D.C. D.C. is trying to cash in on that as well. We're going to show it to you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: The nation's capital this morning, Washington, D.C. It's not bad there right now. It's 68 degrees, but a little bit later it could be in for showers, 75 for the high.

And welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. Our nation's capital a vacation destination and the monuments to the past presidents, a lot of beautiful things to see.

ROBERTS: There certainly is. This morning, though, the city is bracing for a new wave of visitors, and not because of the traditional monuments. They are looking for the lost symbols.

And that's all thanks to "Da Vinci Code" author Dan Brown who is turning his attention now to Washington and the secretive freemasons. Here is Elaine Quijano with more on that.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, there's an unusual building in northwest Washington that's the setting for the opening scene of Dan Brown's new book. It's the headquarters of the Scottish rite of free masonry of the southern jurisdiction of the United States. And we got a chance to take a look inside.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: This is the actual room and the ceremonial altar where the startling ritual in the opening scene in Dan Brown's new book "The Lost Symbol" takes place, a secret initiation ceremony inside a building that free masons of the Scottish rite call the house of the temple.

But ground historian Arturo De Hoyos says in this case truth is definitely more boring than fiction.

ARTURO DE HOYOS, GRAND HISTORIAN, SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY: He has his candidate drinking wine out of a human skull.

QUIJANO (on camera): That doesn't take place here?

DE HOYOS: I've never seen it.

QUIJANO: Any wine drinking at all?

DE HOYOS: Not that I'm familiar with.

QUIJANO: De Hoyos says this is a formal meeting room where ceremonies do take place. But he explained freemasonry is not a secret, sinister society.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Freemasonry is simply the world's oldest and largest fraternity.

QUIJANO: After all, George Washington, the most famous freemason, was wearing the ceremonial apron when laying the cornerstone of the capitol.

Still, in a town where conspiracy theories flourish, even the book's arrival was shrouded in some mystery. Washington's tourism bureau is fully embracing the novel and all of the attention, even partnering with the publisher to market the book and city with this video.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Discover powerful connections as a D.C. insider. Find your trip to the nation's capital at Washington.org.

QUIJANO: Elliott Ferguson is president of Designation D.C.

ELLIOTT FERGUSON, DESTINATION D.C.: I think the book exposes its readers to a different perspective of Washington, D.C., going into the neighborhoods itself, also exposing them to the U.S. botanical gardens and the temple on 16th street.

QUIJANO: As for the Scottish rite, Arturo De Hoyas is still reading the novel, but says so far, no harm-no foul.

DE HOYOS: As long as people understand that it's a work of fiction, I think everybody will enjoy it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: As for tourism, a local trolley company is considering a special tour based on the book, and officials at the Masonic temple, which gets thousands of visitors a year, say they wouldn't be surprised if the number of tourists jumps now that the book is out -- John, Kiran?

CHETRY: Elaine Quijano for us this morning. Thanks so much.

ROBERTS: Continue the conversation on today's top stories. Go to our blog at CNN.com/amfix.

That's going to wrap it up for us. Thanks so much for joining us, and we'll see you back here again bright and early tomorrow.

CHETRY: In the meantime, the news continues. "CNN NEWSROOM" now with Heidi Collins.