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Counter Terrorism Seizures; Storm Pounds Mid-Atlantic States; Missouri Sex Abuse Case
Aired November 13, 2009 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: COLLINS: Life behind bars, no chance of parole. That's the sentence given Curtis Vance. He was convicted of killing TV anchor woman Anne Pressly in her home one year ago. Prosecutors had asked for the death penalty.
In Parma, Ohio, a mother and her two young children are caught on store security cameras apparently shoplifting. Watch what happens when mall police try to prevent them from leaving. Two more people including a 64-year-old woman join in the scuffle. The adults were arrested. The Two children ages 8 and 10 were turned over to children's services.
A school bus driver and his assistant are out of a job after a 3- year-old boy was left on a bus for almost seven hours. It happened yesterday in Osceola County Florida. Surveillance tape shows the special needs child strapped in his seat. No one noticed him until it was time to go home. The bus driver and his assistant charged with child neglect. The boy is okay.
In just an hour from now, an announcement that will almost certainly stir outrage and legal fights as well. Five terror suspects with alleged ties to the 9/11 attacks will be moved from Guantanamo Bay to a civilian court not far from ground zero. The suspects include the self-proclaimed mastermind of the attack, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
We're going to get the very latest now from homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve, joining us from Washington. That's for sure. There's going to be a lot of outrage on this one, Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Heidi. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, as you say, the confessed mastermind of the 9/11 attacks is the most notorious of the Guantanamo Bay detainees and news that the administration wants to move him and four other alleged 9/11 conspirators to the United States for trial is likely to ignite a firestorm of criticism from people who say it just isn't safe for the American people.
Sources say the attorney general will also announce that five other Guantanamo detainees will be sent to military commissions for trial including the man who allegedly planned the attack on the "USS Cole." The administration was facing a court-imposed deadline on whether to continue trials in the military legal system or move them to civilian courts. President Obama in Japan this morning had this to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am absolutely convinced that Khalid Shaikh Mohammed will be subject to the most exacting demands of justice. The American people insist on it. My administration will insist on it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: Mohammed confessed of playing a part in the 9/11 attacks but a Justice Department memo revealed he was water boarded 183 times in 2003. The use of that controversial technique could call his confession into question. Critics including former Attorney General Michael Mukasey have maintained that trying detainees in civilian courts could revealed intelligence sources and damage national security because classified evidence is likely to be discussed. But civil liberties group have maintained that the military commissioned favored by the Bush administration were tilted in favor of the prosecution. So this is going to be a hot one, Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, it certainly is. So much to talk about with all of this. All right. Jeanne Meserve, appreciate it. Our homeland security correspondent. We will also have live coverage of the announcement from Attorney General Eric Holder, scheduled for 11:00 Eastern, 8:00 a.m. Pacific.
The White House has confirmed its top lawyer Greg Craig is resigning. Democratic sources tell CNN Craig was forced out after senior White House officials became frustrated with how he handled plans to close Guantanamo Bay. Craig advised President Obama to sign an executive order promising to shut the U.S. military prison down by the end of January. The deadline, the White House now says probably will not be met.
The White House says Craig will be replaced by veteran Democratic lawyer Bob Bauer, the husband of outgoing communications director Anita Dunn.
It could be the biggest seizure on what was once called the war on terror. Federal prosecutors are laying claim now to a half million dollars in assets including a skyscraper in Manhattan and several mosques around the country. The reason? The Muslim group that owns them may be under the control of Iran's government. I want to get the details now from CNN's Deborah Feyerick in New York.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: U.S. officials are attempting to seize four mosques plus a New York City skyscraper just steps from Rockefeller Center on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue. The charge? That the (INAUDIBLE) foundation which gets money from these properties is actually a front company for a larger Iranian-owned bank and that that bank channels money to support Iran's nuclear program and parts of its military forces labeled terrorist organizations by the United States.
The four mosques include the Islamic Institute of New York in Queens, New York, the Islamic Education Center in Houston, Texas and two other mosques in Maryland and California. We're told that the imam at the New York mosque is on a pilgrimage to Mecca and could not be reached for comment.
President Obama on Thursday extended the national emergency with respect to Iran because of ongoing problems with that country. U.S. officials are also attempting to seize bank accounts and other properties believed to have direct ties to the Iranian government. The U.S. accuses Iran of deceptive practices designed to fund terrorism and pursue its nuclear and missile programs.
American Muslims are already concerned about potential backlash because of the Ft. Hood shootings. A senior justice official stresses that the move is against the Iranian landlords and that the mosques just happen to be in some of the targeted buildings.
An attorney for the Ilabi (ph) Foundation tells CNN that the foundation has been cooperating with prosecutors and that they will fight these charges. Meantime, the skyscraper on Fifth Avenue remains open. Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Eight days after the shooting rampage at Ft. Hood we have new developments to tell you about. 12 of the victims are still hospitalized this morning. So is the accused shooter. The lawyer for Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan said he is now paralyzed and apparently will never walk again.
Meanwhile formal charges have been filed against Hasan. He now faces 13 counts of premeditated murder, one for each of the people killed. And federal investigators say Hasan apparently acted without any outside link to terrorism.
A slow moving storm has been pounding the mid-Atlantic states triggering flooding in coastal areas. In Virginia, hundreds of roads and several bridges have been closed. Wind gusts have been clocked at hurricane force speed. The storm also causing problems further north. Strong winds and crashing waves are causing beach erosion in New Jersey.
A search for three fishermen missing off the Jersey coast has now been called off. The storm has also been blamed for at least five deaths across three states. More than 155,000 electricity customers in Virginia and North Carolina still have no power at this time.
Rob Marciano is tracking this deadly storm. I was surprised to see the news this morning, Rob. Five people killed in all of this.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. It doesn't take much when the ocean is that turbulent and fierce and angry. I hate to use that term. But it's the truth. We have this low which, you know, it was stronger than when it was a tropical storm certainly but the other problem is that it ran into this high. So kind of battled it out and it really doesn't matter who won because the battlegrounds or the line of scrimmage was right in between them. And that's where the wind was the most fierce and it was really over maybe a 50 to at the most 100-mile-an-hour stretch of coastline as where we saw hurricane force winds. And we talk about hurricane force winds and we mean winds that gusted over 70 miles an hour. 75 in Oceana. 74 degrees in Norfolk and Cape Henry seeing 72 mile an hour winds.
I want to show you this video of one of our affiliate reporters reporting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KURT WILLIAMS, WTKR-TV CORRESPONDENT: I'm out here on Bush. You can see where the water is well over my waist.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: A striking resemblance to our own Sanjay Gupta. That was not Sanjay even though he (INAUDIBLE) everything at this network. But that was one of our affiliate reporters in that waist deep water. And that scene echoed across much of the Hampton roads area. An area that has, you know, 100,000 - not 100,000, about a million people living in that stretch of real estate.
So what was different this go around then from Isabelle. In the tidal area right here, we saw a record breaking high tide from the storm surge. But it didn't get much more up the Chesapeake or up the Potomac like Hurricane Isabelle did because the storm kind of stayed out to sea. So that's really the only saving grace.
We had over 100,000 power outages, as you mentioned. We saw storm surge that was up and over with Hurricane Isabelle brought and winds that were of hurricane strength and the next order of business really is what's it going to do to Jersey? What is it going to do with Long Island?
I don't think it's going to be nearly as bad there because the storm is weakening a little bit. Might see a half inch or an inch of rain in those spots. But certainly the damage is done as far as the airports are concerned over two-hour delays in places like La Guardia, Newark, and Philadelphia at this hour.
So historic storm even though no longer has a name, Heidi, these nor'easters as we get into that winter season can certainly pack as big a punch as a tropical storm or in this case a hurricane.
COLLINS: Yes, good point. All right. Rob, we'll be watching it. Thanks so much.
MARCIANO: You bet.
COLLINS: President Obama arrives in Japan. The issue of nuclear proliferation a major focus there. Hear what the president had to say about the standoff when Iran and North Korea.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COLLINS: Some new details coming out about rumored tensions between the McCain and Palin camp during last year's election. In her new book "Going Rogue," the "Associated Press" reports Sarah Palin wrote the McCain camp kept her bottled up and away from reporters and the AP says Palin comes across as upset about being stuck with $50,000 in legal bills related to her own legal vetting process. Not so says the general counsel for John McCain's campaign. Trevor Potter told the AP the campaign never asked Palin to pay a legal bill.
President Obama indicating the prominence of the U.S.-Japanese relationship makes Tokyo the first stop of his Asian tour today. The president held talks with newly elected prime minister Yukio Hatoyama. One thing they talked about, Afghanistan where Japan says it will extend up to $5 billion in civilian aid. The leaders also talked about the U.S. plans to move one of its bases in Okinawa which has generated a storm of protests among residents and there was also a commitment to nuclear nonproliferation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: We are building a new international consensus to secure loose nuclear materials and strengthen the non-proliferation regime. And to that end we discussed both North Korea and the situation in Iran recognizing that it is absolutely vital that both countries meet their international obligations. If they do, then they can open the door to a better future. If not, we will remain united in implementing U.N. resolutions that are in place and continuing to work in an international context to move towards an agenda of nonproliferation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: President Obama heads to Singapore tomorrow for a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Group or APEC.
A 12-year-old girl beat the common cold left but she's left with an uncommon side effect. She can't stop sneezing.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: All right. Quickly want to take you to a courtroom because we are hearing now that the infamous balloon boy case, there are some things happening there today. We are seeing the parents of balloon boy. This is Ft. Collins, Colorado, right now.
Richard and Mayumi Heene, they are going to be entering their pleas today. This is in Larimer Country Court there in Colorado. The pleas they will enter are those of guilty. But Mayumi will be pleading to false reporting to authorities, lowest level misdemeanor in the state. And then Richard Heene will be pleading guilty to attempting to influence a public servant.
So again, they have just arrived in the courtroom. You can barely see them there. You can see his hair, at least a little bit. Anyway, we will continue to follow this and show you anymore pictures as we move on this morning. The former congressman known for allegedly hiding $90,000 in cash in his freezer will be sentenced today in Virginia. William Jefferson, a Democrat from Louisiana, was convicted on charges including bribery and racketeering. Prosecutors want him to serve at least 27 years in prison.
A jail house apology sort of from Phillip Garrido. He's the man accused of kidnapping Jaycee Dugard and holding her captive for 18 years. Since his arrest in late August, he's written three letters to CNN affiliate KRCA in Sacramento and the one delivered yesterday, Garrido apologizes by saying this "to every human being for what has taken place." Garrido and his wife have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
A crusading prosecutor who inspired a movie finds himself in front of a judge today. You may remember the story of Bobby DeLauder. In 1994 he helped convict Byron De La Beckwtih, for the 30-year-old murder of civil rights leader Medgar Evers. Alec Baldwin played him in the movie "Ghost of Mississippi." Well today Delauder faces sentencing he has admitted to lying during a federal corruption investigation.
Americans are lighting up a little more often. That's according to a new study from the CDC. In 2008 lightly less than 21 percent of Americans smoked. This is from 19.8 percent back in 2007. It's the first increase in adult smoking since 1994. Health officials think cuts in funding for anti-tobacco campaigns may have played a part in the increase.
A 12-year-old Virginia girl is suffering from an extremely unusual condition. She can't stop sneezing. Lauren Johnson sneezes about 12,000 times a day. I don't know who's counting that but that's a lot. And if you have any questions on just disruptive and uncomfortable that would be, listen to Lauren as she tries to answer a reporter's questions about sneezing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUREN JOHNSON, CHRONIC SNEEZER: It was different. I just kind of got along with it. Thinking that it wouldn't last this long but it's been two weeks now. And it just hasn't stopped.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Two weeks. Here to give his take on Lauren's rare disorder and the tape you just saw, CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well it's a pretty amazing video to look at. And if we look at it again, there's a couple things worth pointing out. First of all, she's obviously sneezing a lot. Several times a minute. Thousands of times a day. And she still looks like she's doing all right. I mean, she doesn't look like she's having trouble breathing or really getting on.
As a doctor there are a couple of things worth pointing out. First of all, she's not sneezing while she's sleeping. That's really important. If this were a true pathological process in the body, something that's irritating here sinuses, for example, the sneezing will probably continue even if she was trying to sleep.
Also the sneeze does not appear to be particularly productive sneeze. So it's not that she probably has some sort of irritant that she's trying to sneeze out either in her lungs or her sinuses, or something like that. Those two things are really important. And I think it sort of starts to take this out of the realm of is there something happening within the body to whether or not there's happening more psychogenically.
So there is something known as a psychogeneic intractable sneezing. And it is rare for sure. Only about 40 cases are documented around the world. A lot of people think of things like tics or turrets. It's worth pointing out as well, when you think about those sorts of things, the entire treatment is different. So, for example, the treatment here might be something that focuses more on the psychogenic sort of aspects of this. There are certain medications for anxiety, for depression if behavioral therapy, for example, doesn't work.
The other thing I was thinking off is this going to be harmful for here in any way? Obviously, it has greatly impacted her activities of daily living. She's not going to school. She's unable to do things that she normally does. But overall it probably isn't really going to affect her body.
I mean, if she was having trouble breathing that would be one thing. If this would continue on for a much longer time, she might start to develop pain either in her upper lungs even in the rest of her body, getting a pins and needles sensation. That has been described before. But my guess is, my hope is that she'll get some treatment hopefully be able to stop the sneezing, which has been going on for a few weeks now. Back to you.
COLLINS: Thanks, Sanjay. It's unbelievable, isn't? Lauren's family says they've been to six doctors and they've tried 11 different medications but so far as you saw nothing has worked.
To Missouri now, an investigation into sexual crimes against children is expanding. We'll hear from authorities about suspects and victims.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've lived in this neighborhood for years. And he's been a neighbor for years. And who would ever suspect that. You know, it's just amazing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: One woman's reaction to the arrest of a neighbor accused of horrific crimes against children. It's a story we first told you about yesterday. Five men from one family in custody now on charges including rape, bestiality and forcing a child into a fake marriage. The incidents reportedly happened between the mid 1980s and 1995.
Authorities say they have arrested yet another man not related and they're searching still some property for clues and even possible bodies. Joining us now by telephone, Corporal Bill Lowe with Missouri officials there. Corporal Lowe, I wonder if you can update us right now. We're getting a little bit of interesting developments coming out of this. We mentioned the other arrests. Why don't you tell us maybe what's going on, maybe over the last 12 hours or so.
CORPORAL BILL LOWE, MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL: Well, over the last 12 hours, as you said, we have said identified an additional suspect and he was taken into custody last night in Kansas City, Missouri by the Jackson County sheriff's office.
And he was transported to the Lafayette County sheriff's office where he is currently held.
COLLINS: OK. Remind us, if you will, of how this case began. As we mentioned it took place between the '80s and 1995. How did it come to your attention now?
LOWE: Well, it was originally brought up, brought to the attention of the Lafayette County detective. He initiated the investigation around mid August and since then he requested the assistance of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
COLLINS: But I mean, some of the victims came forward, isn't that right?
LOWE: That's correct, yes.
COLLINS: And where are these victims now? We mentioned several times this happened a long while ago. They were juveniles at the time. They have grown up and no longer live in the area, is that correct?
LOWE: That's correct. They're scattered throughout the U.S. currently any specific location we're getting about the victims were not released...
COLLINS: No, of course and we wouldn't be interested in that. I just wonder if there will be more interviews, I imagine that could take place in order to further investigate what went on here.
LOWE: Sure. They're cooperating with our investigators and they are giving their statements to the investigators and the case is continuing on.
COLLINS: One of the really upsetting things in all of this was I believe that authorities learned from one of the victims here that we've been discussing that they were told when they were little children that they should just write down any of the bad things that happened to them or any of the bad dreams that they were having and put them in a glass jar and then bury them. Anymore that you can tell us about that?
LOWE: Well, that's all of the information that we've been able to release. That's what they were told.
COLLINS: Have you found any of the glass jars?
LOWE: No, we have not found the glass jars. We're continuing to search the area where they possibly could be.
COLLINS: All right. And I know you're looking for clues and possibly we have heard additional bodies here. No discoveries as of yet, right?
LOWE: Correct. No discoveries as of yet.
COLLINS: All right. Well, Corporal Bill Lowe, we appreciate your time this morning. We'll stay on top of this story.
We have another court case that we are following this morning out of Ohio. Just last hour a suspected serial killer in Cleveland has pleaded not guilty to attack that prompted a police search of his home. Anthony Sowell charged with attempted rape, murder, kidnapping and assault on the alleged attack on a 36-year-old woman in September.
Police investigating that case searched Sowell's home and found the remains of 11 victims. So far Sowell has been charged with five of those murders.
Heavy rains may be slacking off in Virginia but people are still very worried about flooding as you would imagine. At least five deaths are being blamed on the bad weather there. The National Guard has sent soldiers to the Hampton Roads area to help rescue stranded residents. Hundreds of roads across the state are closed. Tens of thousands of people have no electricity. The storm is made up of remnants from tropical storm Ida causing problems in other states too. Rob Marciano has been watching all of it for us. And joins us now. What's the latest, Rob?
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Heidi, back over to you.
COLLINS: Good. We'll keep checking. All right, Rob. Thank you.
MARCIANO: You bet.
COLLINS: The Fed is clamping down on some bank fees making sure you know what you sign up for. Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange with more on how to avoid some of those nasty and annoying fees. Hi there, Alison.
ALISON KOSTIC, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. This could wind up putting money in your pocket, something's that a nice change when it comes to those bank fees. And what's going to happen is starting next summer, July 2010, banks can't automatically enroll consumers in those overdraft programs. Consumers are going to have to opt in. And if you don't opt in and you overdrafting on your account -- let's say you try to take money out from your ATM or use your debit card and you just don't have money in that account -- you would be denied. That's kind of the old fashioned way of being embarrassed, but it's better than paying those exorbitant fees that can go as high as 35 bucks.
So, let's say you use your debit card for a cup of coffee, that cup of coffee could wind up costing you 40 bucks. It's amazing. These banks, about 75 percent of these banks wind up putting you in overdraft programs, and you don't even realize it until you see your statement.
There are two caveats I want to mention. If you go ahead and you bounce a check or you have that automatic bill pay and you don't have enough money in your account to pay that bill, that's where those rules do not apply. Heidi.
COLLINS: Unfortunately a lot of these banks well depend on these overdraft fees as revenue. Will they be able to make up the losses?
KOSTIC: You make a good point. These banks really depend on it. In fact, they were on track to earn upwards of $38 billion just this year. As you can imagine, they're not happy about this crackdown. Some analysts say they'll fight back. They're expecting these banks to go ahead and raise other fees, to go ahead and tighten lending practices and even reinstate those annual fees on your credit cards. Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Alison. Sure do appreciate that.
Need to head over now or back over to the courtroom. Colorado. Larimer County here. We're talking about the father, Richard Heene, of balloon boy. They are entering their guilty pleas today.
Let's see if we can listen in for a moment, if Richard Heene ends up going to that microphone. I will wait for that. Meanwhile, just -- let's listen to the attorney.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Certainly he's entitled to be advised under Rule 5. Would you like me to do that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, Your Honor. We'll waive any further reading of rights or charges. We're prepared at this time to enter a plea of guilty to attempt to influence a public servant, Class IV felony.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Okay. Mr. Heene, there are a number of things we need to go over here on the record this morning. I am going to ask you a number of questions. Let's start with you stating your full name for the record.
RICHARD HEENE, FATHER OF BALLOON BOY: Richard Alan Heene.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Mr. Heene, I've been advised, as Mr. Lain just summarized that intent is to plead guilty to this charge. Is that correct?
HEENE: That's correct.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. How old are you?
HEENE: 48.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where were you born?
HEENE: Fairfax, Virginia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's the level of education you completed?
HEENE: High school.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And did you read this document, the statement of plea disposition?
HEENE: Yes, I did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Did you believe that you understood it?
HEENE: Yes, I did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you have any questions about it -- did you go over those with your attorney, Mr. Lain (ph)?
HEENE: No questions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK..
I'm going to ask you a couple questions that have to do with my just assuring myself that your mind is clear and that you understand what we're doing today. The first is whether you're taking any kind of medications. They could be over-the-counter medications, they could be prescribed medications, anything that would affect your ability to understand what we're doing?
HEENE: No medications.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. Do you have any mental health problems, now or in the past, that would affect your ability to understand what we're doing?
HEENE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Have you had ample opportunity to discuss this case and the disposition of this case with your attorney?
HEENE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. And are you satisfied with the advice and representation that he has given you?
HEENE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And, Mr. Lain, do you believe the defendant understands his rights and understanding this plea agreement?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your Honor, I have gone over his constitutional rights with him. We have thoroughly discussed this plea. I believe this is a knowing and voluntarily and intelligently made plea after full consultation and understanding of all his constitutional rights. And we with will further waive any additional reading of rights.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
In any event, though, Mr. Heene, and I appreciate your attorney telling me that, I do think there's some things under the law and under Rule 11 I need to go over with you in court and make sure that you understand.
So, you are presumed innocent. I know you told me you intend to plead guilty, but you're presumed innocent when a charge is filed against you. You have a right to a trial in the case of a felony, a 12-person jury trial. That would be a speedy and public trial. You and your attorney would get to participate in the choosing of those jurors. Those jurors would be advised that the burden is on the people at that trial to prove each and every element of the charge against you beyond a reasonable doubt.
The burden is not on you to prove your innocence or disprove those charges. The burden is on the people, and the jury would be told that.
(COUGHS) Excuse me.
Your attorney would have a right to cross-examine any witnesses against you at the trial. You could choose to put on a defense or not at that trial if you had any legal defenses that could be raised at that trial.
Also importantly is you have a right to remain silent. And you and you alone would have the right to decide after you heard the evidence against you whether you wanted to give up that right to remain silent and testify at that trial or to continue to remain silent. and you wouldn't have to make that decision until you heard all of the evidence against you at the trial.
If you were convicted at trial, you would have a right to appeal. You're giving up all of these rights if you plead guilty. There will be no trial. You're giving up your presumption of evidence because you're going to tell me you're guilty. You're giving up your right to remain silent because either you or your attorney are going to tell me that you did something to justify this charge and the guilty plea to that charge. Do you believe you understand those rights?
HEENE: I do. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. You understand that you're waiving them if you plead guilty?
HEENE: Yes, I do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Is your decision to plead guilty voluntary?
HEENE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
Now, it is important that you understand what you're going to plead guilty to. The charge against you is attempt to influence a public servant. What that count states is that in Larimer County, Colorado, on or about October 15th, 2009, you unlawfully and feloniously attempted to influence James Alderdan, a public servant, by means of deceit with the intent thereby to alter or affect the public servant's decision, both opinion or action, concerning a matter which was to be considered or performed by the public servant or the agency or body of which the public servant was a member.
And the word intent is in that charge, meaning pretty much what it means in common English. That you intended that result. There was a conscious mental state that you had. Do you understand that charge and the world intent?
HEENE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You understand the word intent, as well?
HEENE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. This offense is a Class 4 felony. And the possible penalties or consequences for a guilty plea or conviction on a Class 4 felony are incarceration from 2 to 6 years...
COLLINS: All right. Just wanted to give you a little bit of what's going on. Larimer County court. This is Fort Collins, Colorado. We're listening to the judge, Steven Shipanski (ph) advise the defendants here from the balloon boy case that we saw pictures there of Richard Heene standing his to his attorney, putting in his guilty plea today. Attempting to influence a public servant, a Class 4 felony.
And also, his wife, Mayumi Heene, plans to plead guilty today as well to false reporting to authorities. That's a Class 3 misdemeanor. Lowest actual level of misdemeanors in the state.
So, these stipulations do carry a possibility up to 90 days in jail for Richard Heene, and about 60 days in jail for Mayumi Heene, along with probation. So, those decisions will be made, of course, later on. But again, that's what's going on in a Larimer County courthouse today.
We'll take a quick break and be back here in just a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Checking our top stories. The federal government is moving to take over properties in New York allegedly linked to the Iranian government. Yesterday, the feds seized assets belonging to the Alavi Foundation and Aza (ph) Corporation that include a Manhattan skyscraper and four mosques. Officials say the owners funneled money to Iran illegally. A lawyer representing the Alavi Foundation says the foundation has been cooperating with prosecutors and that they will fight these charges.
In about 20 minutes, Attorney General Eric Holder will announce five men with alleged ties to the 9/11 attacks, including mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed will be tried in a civilian court in New York, not by a military tribunal. The suspects are now being held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Holder is also expected to announce five other detainees held at the U.S. military prison will be sent to military tribunals for trial.
We'll have live coverage of the announcement from Attorney General Eric Holder, scheduled for 11:00 Eastern, 8:00 a.m. Pacific.
Another arrest in the case involving crimes against children. We first told you about it yesterday. A 77-year-old Missouri man and his four sons are accused of sexually abusing the children of one of the sons. It happened for at least seven years beginning back in the 1980s. Last night, a man described as an associate of theirs was arrested. He's suspected of raping a child less than 14 years old.
In these hard times, some people actually have money lying around but they're earning less than 1 percent on CD or money market accounts. There must be a better way to make the most of your cash, right Felicia Taylor is in the CNNmoney.com newsroom in New York. Felicia, nice to see you again. People are saving more it seems, but then what are they doing with it?
FELICIA TAYLOR, CNNMONEY.COM: Exactly. The question is what do you do to make the most of some extra cash if you're lucky enough to have it? Let's take a round number. About $1,000 you might have set aside. "Money" magazine has some ideas on how to spend or invest it.
So, the first suggestion they have is to buy a no-load stock fund. And here are a few examples. FMI Large Cap, Meridian Growth, and selected American shares. You can see those expenses are very low, but average is about 5 percent, 5.8 for FMI. 4.3 for Meridian, and just about 2.1 over a five-year period.
Now, the reason this is unusual is because $2,500 is usually the more typical minimum investment. So, we take a look at the five-year returns, and not bad considering that the Dow tanked 33 percent last year alone.
So, we have another idea. Spend a few hours with a fee-only financial planner. They typically charge about $150 to $ 250 bucks an hour. If you're not sure where to find one, garrettplanningnetwork.com is a good place to start. This is also a great time to upgrade your appliances. There are plenty that are highly rated, but still cost less than $1,000. The EPA says replacing old models with EnergyStar appliances can save 75 bucks a year on average. And some hefty rebates will be rolling out in the next few months, so that's also good. Worth $250 on some of those appliances. Heidi?
COLLINS: Anybody who knows about Vegas and how it works there knows that you have to spend money to make money. So, how can $1,000 really help your entire career?
TAYLOR: OK. So, this falls in the self-improvement category. It can distinguish you the workplace which is always worth quite a bit. So, let's say you spend about $450 on a class. Maybe you learn a foreign language or maybe an improve class if you want to help your public speaking.
Another 300 bucks can buy you two hours with an executive coach. This is really worthwhile and help develop career goals. The rest can go to networking. So, maybe you take someone you admire out to lunch. I'll take you out to lunch some day. Or invest a little in your work wardrobe. Experts say dress for the job you want, not the job you have. For more ideas on who to spend $1,000 or even $10,000 if you're lucky enough, check out CNNmoney.com. Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. I'm taking up the invite. Absolutely. Felicia Taylor, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
Health care reform. It has stoked new passions and new allegations in the abortion debate. We'll look at the claims and find the truth.
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COLLINS: Calls to change the Republican National Committee's health care plan. It covers elective abortions for its employees and has since 1991. Well, that's something Republican lawmakers have been fighting against abortion in health care reform bills. RNC chairman Michael Steele wants the provision stripped, saying, quote, "Money from our loyal donors shouldn't be used for this purpose."
For the moment, the health care debate is in the Senate's hands. The House passed its version on Saturday but only after compromises over abortion provisions. CNN's Dana Bash reports the debate is far from over.
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DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jubilation over passing health care in the House.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: The bill is passed.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) BASH: But many of these cheering Democrats are already threatening to block a bill from going to the president's desk unless strict prohibitions on abortion are removed. What are those restrictions?
Ask advocates on different sides of the abortion debate and get different answers.
CHARMAINE YOEST, AMERICANS UNITED FOR LIFE: People still have the choice of having abortion coverage, if that's what they want. But you can't have federal dollars going to abortion coverage.
CECILE RICHARDS, PRESIDENT, PLANNED PARENTHOOD: It's a very far- reaching amendment that would fundamentally change women's access to getting health insurance that covers all of their reproductive health care.
BASH: So, which is it?
Let's take a closer look. It would ban abortion coverage in a new government-run health insurance option. Private insurance in a new government-regulated exchange would also be prohibited from offering abortion coverage to anyone getting taxpayer money for health care.
But private insurers would be allowed to offer separate coverage that includes abortion only to people paying with their own money.
RICHARDS: The intent of this amendment was to ensure that no one under health care reform could purchase a plan that included abortion coverage.
BASH: Abortion rights advocates argue that in practical terms insurance companies aren't likely to offer two plans, and say even if they did, middle-income women eligible for government assistance probably won't pay for additional abortion coverage with their own money.
RICHARDS: How ludicrous is it to think that a woman would ever plan to have an unintended pregnancy and plan to have an abortion?
BASH: But anti-abortion activist say, if government-assisted health care coverage is expanded, current law restricting abortion coverage must be as well.
YOEST: The simply extends what current federal policy is. The ultimate objective of the abortion lobby in this whole fight is to define abortion as health care.
BASH (on camera): Most abortion rights advocates do call it part of health care for women. It's one of the many reasons there is such a deep divide on this issue. Now, several female senators are trying to come up with a compromise to ease the abortion restrictions passed in the House, but anti-abortion Democrats say they won't budge. Strict prohibitions on abortion or they won't vote for health reform.
Dana Bash, CNN, Washington. (END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: We are standing by, waiting for Attorney General Eric Holder to come to the podium there. Washington making the announcement, and further details will be given about how the Obama administration has decided in fact to try the confessed mastermind of the September 11th attacks, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, and four other terrorism suspects in civilian court instead of military tribunals. It will happen in New York. That announcement coming your way shortly.
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COLLINS: All right. Quick updates before we let you go today. We've been following what's going on in Larimer County courthouse today regarding the case of the balloon boy there. As you may or may not know the parents of balloon boy are in that courtroom right now. You are looking at live pictures there. There is Mayumi Heene. She is pleading guilty. Her husband earlier pleaded guilty.
He pleaded guilty, Richard Heene, to attempting to influence a public servant. That's a class 4 felony. His sentencing date set for December 23rd. I imagine the sentencing date will also be set in a few moments here for Mayumi Heene, the wife. She is pleading guilty to false reporting to authorities.
Their sentences actually carry the possibility of 90 days in jail for Richard. Sixty days for Mayumi along with probation. We have also just learned that apparently, the judge in this case, Steven Shipanski (ph), has mentioned to Mayumi that there is a possibility she could be deported. Clearly, a lot of issues to be talking about as the sentencing phase nears in that case.
Also want to let you know as we've been saying all morning long, we are waiting for Attorney General Eric Holder to come to the podium there. He's going to be announcing more details about the news we've been giving you all morning long that says that the mastermind of the September 11th attacks, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, as well as five Guantanamo Bay detainees will be tried in civilian court. It will all happen in New York. The implications of that many people, I'm sure, will be talking about that. Civilian court versus military tribunals. That announcement minutes away.
I'm Heidi Collins. Thanks for watching. CNN NEWSROOM continues with Tony Harris.
