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Alleged Seattle Cop Killer Dead; White House Contacting Military, Foreign Allies on Afghanistan Plan; H1N1 Test Faulty?
Aired December 01, 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: Here are other stories that we're following right now.
The Senate set to start day two of debate on health care reform bill. Democrats are expected to offer up amendments today guaranteeing that Medicare benefits will stay intact. The debate on the nearly $1 trillion bill is expected to take weeks.
Polls open in Atlanta right now for the runoff election to choose a new mayor. City councilwoman Mary Norwood is looking to become the city's first white mayor in 35 years. Norwood and Kaseem Reed are the top two out of six candidates in the first vote on November 3rd. We'll follow that for you.
Also, following two major stories that are unfolding this morning. The U.S. war strategy in Afghanistan is taking shape. Later today, President Obama ill unveils the details including how many more U.S. troops will join the fight.
And a violent end to a violent criminal. Police in Seattle shoot to death an accused cop killer. And that is where we begin with the end of a two-day manhunt for Maurice Clemmons.
CNN's Dan Simon is on the scene now with the very latest. So Dan, tell us what happened very early this morning.
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
This happening just before 3:00 this morning here in South Seattle. A police officer on routine patrol spotted what he thought was a stolen vehicle. In fact, he ran the license plate and determined that the car was stolen. Moments later he saw a man emerge, a man he recognized to be the suspect in that shooting case with those four police officers.
The suspect, 37-year-old Maurice Clemmons. He ordered Clemmons to stop and put up his hands. Clemmons kept proceeding and actually went into a counter clockwise direction and went towards the officer. At that point the officer took out his own weapon and fired several times at the suspect killing Clemmons right here on the spot. Heidi.
COLLINS: Having a little bit of trouble hearing you, Dan. I just want to make sure that everybody knows exactly what went on here at least to the best of our knowledge. I hear a lot of people talking in the background. I'm sure the scene is still a very active one. Will there be further investigation now? I mean, what happens? It seems like a silly question but what happens after a suspect is shot dead?
SIMON: Well, the investigation is really in its infancy. Because this happened on Sunday morning and this was a situation where the suspect, Maurice Clemmons, allegedly went into a coffee shop in the town of Lakewood and murdered four police officers who were basically there prior to their morning shifts.
Shortly after the shooting, there was an intense manhunt and from what police understand they believe that Clemmons was aided and abetted by several family members and friends. Police are telling us that several people have been arrested and charged or charges are pending for people who allegedly aided and abetted him.
So that is unfolding right now. I want to tell you exactly who these police officers are, Heidi, because we certainly need to talk about these folks.
COLLINS: Please.
SIMON: 39-year-old Sergeant Mark Renninger. He had been a cop for 13 years. He had a wife and three children. There's also - looking down here at my notes. 37-year-old Officer Ronald Owens, a dozen years of experience. He left behind a daughter. The lone female officer, Tina Griswold, 40 years old, 14 years on the force, married with two children, and 42-year-old Officer Greg Richards, an officer of eight years left behind a wife and three children. Such a tragedy.
And obviously this has gripped the entire Seattle community and I don't know if we can put it this way but perhaps a little bit of relief that at least it's concluded that this man is no longer on the run.
COLLINS: Understood. I'm sure. Boy, oh, boy. Talking about nine children without at least one of their parents right now and the widows left behind. And Dan, I'm sure you'll keep us posted on details of a memorial services or funerals that may come in coming days as well. Thinking about their families now. Thank you so much, Dan Simon. Appreciate it.
Now a closer look at the president's speech and the new details of the war strategy in Afghanistan. President Obama will deliver the address from the U.S. military academy at West Point. His new strategy is expected to send more than 30,000 U.S. troops into Afghanistan.
As early as Sunday night, the administration began informing military advisers and foreign allies in a series of private meetings and phone calls. At least one group of Marines is expected to deploy within two or three weeks. They would be in Afghanistan by Christmas. Larger deployments wouldn't follow until early 2010.
Let's get the latest from the White House now and CNN's Suzanne Malveaux. Suzanne, good morning once again. The president likely to face a tougher audience than his predecessor, President Bush, this time around in talking about Afghanistan.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You're absolutely right, Heidi. And one of the things they're going to be talking about is the idea of an exit strategy. One of the things that the president has acknowledged, he says is that he does not want to leave this to his potential successor being I guess, four years or eight years that there is an exit strategy.
One thing I spoke with Robert Gibbs this morning that he emphasized is that it is the timetable here, and accelerated timetable for getting those troops in and getting them out. It is going to happen within weeks as you had mentioned before. He said one of the things that's also going to happen is his top military aides said well, let's spread it out over two years or so.
Well that has been collapsed as well. So they are going to get those troops in a matter of weeks. They are also going to try to get those troops out and he says they are not going to take two years to get everybody in. It is going to happen fast. They have an exit strategy. They are not saying exactly when or giving a date per se but they say that that is one of the main goals and one of the main missions tonight. Heidi.
COLLINS: Hey, Suzanne. Just curious I don't want to put you on the spot but we've been reading in here a little bit about some testifying that will go on after the president makes his address regarding the top commander there, General Stanley McChrystal and also the U.S. ambassador Karl Eikenberry. Do we know any more about that at this point?
Well, I don't want to put you on the spot but we've been reading and hearing a little bit about some testifying that will go on after the president makes his address regarding the top commander there, General Stanley McChrystal and also the U.S. ambassador Karl Eikenberry. Do we know more about that at this point?
MALVEAUX: Well, you know, they're going to roll that out just starting as early as tomorrow. This is all a part of the big sales job, Heidi, if you will. The president is going to be speaking to the American people but it's also going to be very clear that they're going to have a lot of questions to answer before Congress.
One of the things that members of Congress is asking is mostly from Republicans is how do we win this war, mostly from Democrats, how do we get out of this war and what is the exit strategy and then from both parties essentially how we're going to pay for this war. Very controversial. Those are some of the things that are going to be on the table when they actually go before members of Congress.
COLLINS: Yes, absolutely. Some controversial points there too, that we've been hearing about and that we will get to and follow very closely. Suzanne Malveaux in front of the White House. Thanks, Suzanne. Make sure you tune in tonight for President Obama's prime time address. Our special coverage gets under way at 7:00 Eastern, 4:00 Pacific.
We have much more on the mission ahead in our show, just a couple of minutes in fact. We're going to be talking to a former NATO supreme allied commander about what the U.S. needs from its international partners in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, they claim their lives are ruined. The couple who is accused of crashing the party at the White House, the state dinner, they're speaking out this morning.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN severe weather center. We got a storm developing across the Gulf of Mexico. Flood watches are poster. Winter storm warning is up. And a high wind watch up as well for a good chunk of the country.
Look at the map and it will give you a little taste of what's to come there as things swirl around there in the gulf. Weather is coming up later in the program.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: We've been bringing you expanded coverage this morning of Afghanistan and the president's plan, the strategy decision. Of course, we're going to hear more about that tonight in his address. We expect he's going to send more than 30,000 additional troops to the war zone. But is that enough?
Joining us from Washington now is General George Joulwan. He is the former NATO supreme allied commander for Europe. We appreciate you being with us once again, General.
Listen, I want to talk about NATO today because obviously from the position that you come from, that's some of the expertise that you offer. We talked a little bit earlier with another guest who talked about how important it's going to be for the president to somehow rally NATO, if you will, and their commitment here. How is he going to do that and what's the best way to make that happen?
GEN. GEORGE JOULWAN, FMR. NATO SUPREME ALLIED CMDR.: Well, I think it's already started. At every level there's been consultation and we haven't done that very well in the past eight years but there's been consultation that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs level and secretary of Defense Gates at his level and Secretary of State Clinton will be meeting with foreign ministers this week.
So there's been consultation on the way ahead and Secretary- General Rasmussen has been very pro-active here and I think you're going to see NATO, what they call the force generation conference, generate anywhere between 5,000, 7,000 or 8,000 troops for this latest surge in Afghanistan.
COLLINS: But yet what do we have from NATO? Great Britain? That's it. 500 troops.
JOULWAN: Well, you have 28 nations. I would give this speech tonight time to set in and let's see what NATO can do. Remember, they declared an article 5 on September 12th, 2001.
COLLINS: They did.
JOULWAN: On Afghanistan. So it's time to see if we can somehow finish the job that was started there. And I truly believe that if approached right, you're going to see several more than just Great Britain, several NATO nations join us.
COLLINS: Well, let's certainly hope so. In fact, General, if you'll stay with me, I want to bring in one of our White House correspondents, Ed Henry. He is standing by now.
Because I understand, Ed, that you have more information about this deployment specifically and how it could look.
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Heidi.
CNN is picking up new information from the White House officials saying that tonight the president is going to tell the American people that they're actually sending 30,000 more troops. That number generally has been out there but what's new is we're hearing that he's going to try to speed it up. He's now going to order the military to get these new troops there within six months.
What's really interesting about that is that as you know former vice president Cheney and other Republicans have been accusing the president of dithering during this process, taking too long to make a decision and one of the ways to defend the president in recent weeks, White House officials have been telling us well, the troops can't get there that quickly. It might take a year or so to get about 30,000 more troops there. So there's no point in rushing.
I asked White House officials why there seems to be a contradiction here as to why all of a sudden they can get troops there quickly and one official basically told me, look, the president is now ordering this so the military is going to carry it out. They explained by saying that during this long process the president came to the independent conclusion after hearing from all of these divergent voices about whether to speed it up or to slow it down and how many to send and that this is the best way to do it?
It is to send a number that's close to General McChrystal's 40,000 and send 30,000 and hope that he can get the NATO allies as General Joulwan has been saying to sort of make up the difference and get you as close to 40,000 as possible but most importantly get them there as quickly as possible and the main goal there in the words of these White House officials is to not back the Taliban and to make it a real surge and not one that's over a year or so or 18 months.
COLLINS: Right.
HENRY: Get them there within six months, Heidi.
All right. Ed Henry, sure do appreciate that. General Joulwan, as you sit there and listen to that, our White House correspondent saying they're going to get the bulk of them there in six months? Are they ready? And where are they going to come from, will they come from? Is that realistic?
JOULWAN: Absolutely. Look, what has been missing here is the decision. There is now a decision.
COLLINS: Right.
JOULWAN: And once the president makes the decision at least in my experience, the military turns two. And they will generate this force and get it there as quickly as they can to meet the responsibility on the ground, the mission on the ground, and I hope our NATO allies react equally with swiftness and decisiveness to get there. Because it's extremely important because this cannot drag on forever.
I really think the Afghans have got to understand this is their time to get their act together. If not, I think within a year or two as we measure this, it is not open ended, this commitment. I think there will be benchmarks along the way that need to be met and I think there's a very innovative approach that would be focused on the province or state level and not at the federal level where these troops sort of like a National Guard will be developed on the Afghan side. And that's where the Americans are going to concentrate their effort.
COLLINS: Yes. But it's hard. I mean, obviously it's hard. We've been dealing with this for eight years now. And as we look at tonight and what the president will be saying, we are also talking about some new challenges, relatively new, with regard to the hearts and minds of the Afghan people, their troops, who they are fighting for, the Afghan government and whether or not they are understanding that fighting for a potentially corrupt government is another challenge in and of itself. So when you talk about timeframe, probably not something that he is going to want to address specifically tonight, right?
JOULWAN: I don't think you'll get specific timeframes. But I think it's extremely important because of what you said that the president really state our strategic objectives of why we're there and not just the Taliban. You have Pakistan, India, two nuclear powers, you have Iran on one part of the border and china on another.
This is an area where we have interests much more than just Afghanistan. And I hope h he lays out that strategic interest of the United States because that's important. And I hope that's discussed tonight. Because we do have interest in the area. How he says that and how he brings NATO from the political side in is going to be extremely important.
COLLINS: Yes, absolutely. You said clarity is very important.
JOULWAN: Clarity is important.
COLLINS: Rallying the troops what you want them to do. So, of course, we will be listening very closely for all of that.
General George Joulwan, we sure do appreciate your time. He's the former NATO supreme ally commander for Europe. Thanks again. Always nice to talk to you.
And right now we want you to share your views on the president's war strategy. You can go to our blog at cnn.com/heidi and let us know what you think. We're going to be reading some of those comments live right here in the NEWSROOM about 30 minutes from now.
The so-called party crashers at the White House state dinner. They're speaking out today and they say there's a lot more to their story. We'll take a look coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Time to check some of the top stories we're watching this morning. Now, the couple accused of crashing last week's White House state dinner say they have documentation in the form of e-mails that makes it clear they were invited guests. They made their first public comments today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAREQ SALAHI, WHITE HOUSE PARTY CRASHERS: I can tell you this has been the most devastating thing that's ever happened to us. We're greatly saddened by all of the circumstances that have been involved in portraying my wife and I as party crashers and I can tell you we did not party crash the White House.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: The Obama administration says they were not invited. The Secret Service is investigating and charges are possible.
A judge has halted Latin America's first same-sex marriage. The injunction stops this couple's planned civil ceremony today in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Earlier a separate judge ruled anti-same-sex marriage laws were unconstitutional. Today's ruling puts marriages on hold until that decision can be reviewed.
Quick isn't always the best way to get your health care of course, in emergency rooms. Some doctors are using rapid tests to check children for the H1N1 flu virus. But sometimes those tests don't tell the whole story with dangerous consequences.
CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joining us now with part two of this special report on swine flu. Today, we're looking at one little girl's story that we talked about yesterday of misdiagnosis.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. As she went to the emergency room, they gave her a rapid flu test and guess what? It was wrong. Here's the Murphy family in Ft. Myers, Florida.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN (voice-over): Medical tests are supposed to help people. But this rapid flu test may have hurt nine-year-old Haley Murphy.
(on camera): Haley wasn't just sick with H1N1. She was...
JULIE MURPHY, MOTHER: She was right there. She was on death's door.
COHEN (voice-over): Back in September, Haley first started showing signs of the flu, so her mother, Julie Murphy, took her to the emergency room.
(on camera): When you brought Haley into the emergency room the first time, they did a test and they told you -
MURPHY: She's fine. She doesn't have the flu. She's got a virus with high fever. Take her home.
COHEN (voice-over): At home, Haley's temperature climbed to 104 degrees. The next day, her mother took her back to the E.R. where again this rapid test said she did not have the flu.
(on camera): You expect when a test says negative that it's negative.
MURPHY: Yes.
COHEN: What did you find out?
MURPHY: I found out different.
COHEN (voice-over): The next day, Haley was so sick, her mother had to carry her into the emergency room. Haley spent the next six weeks here in intensive care. Doctors used a different, more reliable test, and it turns out Haley did have H1N1.
(on camera): This is the test that was used on Haley Murphy and twice missed her H1N1 flu. It's relatively inexpensive. It's very quick. And it's wrong a lot.
When these tests say you don't have the flu, how often are they wrong?
DR. RHONDA MEDOWS, GEORGIA DEPT. OF COMMUNITY HEALTH: Anywhere from 90 percent to 30 percent of the time.
COHEN (voice-over): Dr. Rhonda Medows, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Health warns doctors in her state not to use Rapid Flu test because they're wrong so often.
MEDOWS: I'm telling them that they don't really to use them. They need to focus more on their clinical exam. I don't see the value.
COHEN: We contacted three big makers of rapid flu tests used in the United States. One gave us a statement. The company, B.D. said "As with other rapid tests, doctors should be aware that a negative result does not fully exclude the possibility that the patient has influenza. Following a negative rapid test, physicians have the option to proceed to more advanced tests."
Dr. Roberto Monge was one of the first doctors who treated Haley in Ft. Myers, Florida.
COHEN (on camera): So twice, Haley received this rapid flu test and twice it was wrong.
DR. ROBERTO MONGE, HEALTHPARK MEDICAL CENTER: This test is not as good as we would like for it to be.
COHEN: Do you think in Haley's case this test might have misled the doctors?
MONGE: No, I don't think so. This was handled very well.
COHEN (voice-over): Monge says doctors did not just solely rely on the rapid test but also on physical exams and their best judgment. All of which led them to believe Haley did not have H1N1.
COHEN (on camera): If you had listened to those tests...
MURPHY: She would have been dead within the next 24 hours.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN: One in fact, just as these experts told us if you get a negative flu test, the test says you don't have the flu, there's a 50- 50 chance that that test result is inaccurate. That's why parents need to keep an eye on their children. You can go to cnn.com/empoweredpatient to learn more about signs to look for when your child has H1N1 flu.
COLLINS: OK. Well, this could potentially freak out a lot of people because parents may say what do I do? Become a doctor myself? If the test is given by a physician, you still only have a 50-50 chance of it being accurate. What are you supposed to do? Do you just request the more thorough test right off the bat and refuse the rapid test?
COHEN: No you can't really do that. Because that other test takes a long time to work. It's expensive. You can't really. Hard to insist on it. It will take days. So you don't necessarily want to insist on it. To answer your question, you don't have to become a doctor but you have to say to the doctor, I know that when a test says that someone doesn't have a flu, there's an excellent chance it's wrong.
You're my doctor. Look at my child. Why do you think they don't have the flu? If you tell me my child doesn't have H1N1 flu, tell me why you think that. Specifically what are you seeing in my child? A doctor should be relying on their clinical judgment and not on the test. COLLINS: Yes. Definitely but even in that case again it's just one story and it's the case of one little girl who got very, very ill. They looked at her with their clinical background and they didn't think it was the flu either.
COHEN: And they were wrong. And they say now, they were wrong. It took them three days to get it right
COLLINS: Yes. You mention this better test though, obviously the more thorough one that we're talking about.
COHEN: The better test is the DNA-based test.
COLLINS: OK.
COHEN: And you can eventually get it but it will take a couple of days. Because they have to take it and then they have to send it out. It's only done at only a handful of labs. So you're not going to an answer right there and then which is they don't always do it plus it's very expensive.
COLLINS: So what should we bring for your child. I mean, let's say your child is feeling sick. You get the no. The child doesn't have the flu. But they still feel tired and ill and all of those same things. You just bring them right back in. I mean, you just have to be persistent.
COHEN: You do. You have to be persistent. If you see your child is going downhill and that something unusual is happening and they're having trouble breathing, for example, or their fingers or toes are numb or they don't look right for you, go back again. Keep going back until you as a parent feel satisfied.
COLLINS: OK. Good. All right. Our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. Thank, Elizabeth.
COHEN: Thanks.
COLLINS: The war in Afghanistan. How much will the new strategy cost you, the taxpayer? We're going to crunch some numbers coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM: Heidi Collins:
COLLINS: Decision Afghanistan. New details this morning on what President Obama will tell us tonight about U.S. strategy there. And that is his primetime speech. He'll be calling for 30,000 more U.S. troops to be sent in. He's ordering military officials to get the reinforcements there within six months. The president will also call on NATO allies to send more troops of their own.
We will carry President Obama's primetime address live. Our special coverage gets under way at 7:00 Eastern, 4:00 Pacific. Over the past eight years, nearly $1 trillion has been spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now that price tag will balloon even more. CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow is in New York with more on this.
Poppy, good morning to you. This time, U.S. taxpayers could actually directly shoulder more of the financial burden here.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: That's exactly right, Heidi. And when we look at the debt in this country, that's a scary thought for a lot of Americans. If you'd look at the debt, we're $12 trillion in debt. You've got bank bailouts upon bank bailouts, stimulus spending, taxpayers are clearly in the hole.
And we are expecting -- as we're just reporting here on CNN -- a troop surge of 30,000 more soldiers on the ground in Afghanistan. That could mean more red ink. President Obama is expected to make that announcement tonight at 7:00 Eastern Time.
Let's talk about the price tag, though, folks, because according to White House estimates, the price tag for that 30,000 increase in troop levels could be about $30 billion per year. Again, that's according to White House estimates.
Now, there's a handful of Democrats, Heidi, that want President Obama to impose a surtax to pay for that. This is legislation just put forward by three Democratic congressmen, including Representative John Larson of Connecticut, who I spoke to this week, who talked about the fact that listen, we can't push these costs on to our children and our grandchildren. If we are going to increase the war effort now, we have to pay for it now.
So, let's take a look at what that would mean. Let's pull up the graphic and show you what we're talking about in terms of a cost that you could actually shoulder.
We're talking about a 1 percent tax on your current tax bill, on your tax liability. So, for example, a family making $50,000 a year, this could be about $50 more in yearly taxes; $100,000 a year roughly $100 more. It actually goes up to 5 percent depending on your income level.
And, Heidi, just to be clear here, these are really, really rough estimates. This came to us from the House Appropriations Committee, but when you actually print out the bill that I have here and you read through it, there's a lot, Heidi, that's actually left up to the president's discretion if we were to see a war tax essentially, Heidi -- something we haven't seen since World War II -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, definitely. And, you know, it's the same question I always ask, even if you go to the highest level of income there that we were just showing, $250,000, when you look geographically...
HARLOW: Yes.
COLLINS: ... at cost of living and you talked about $250,000 -- oh, I don't know, in New York or L.A., it's very, very different...
HARLOW: Right.
COLLINS: ... than other parts of the country.
HARLOW: Right.
COLLINS: Thirty billion is obviously a huge financial commitment.
HARLOW: And we're talking about per year, and I should say here, I misspoke. We did have a slight war tax during the Vietnam War as well, but everyone does remember that war tax in World War II.
You've got some Republicans coming out, Heidi, and speaking against this for many of those reasons, saying, "Listen, you can't tax the American people on this." One representative, Tom Price of Georgia, said it's cynical and irresponsible to do that. He says the number one challenge and the task for the United States Congress is to protect the American people.
So, if we do see this carried forward, Heidi, that's going to be very interesting -- certainly not law yet, just a proposal that is out there, floating out there right now. But really asking the American people, look at what a troop surge is going to cost us right now, look how in debt this nation is, how we're going to pay for it. It's going to be an interesting debate.
You can see more on the story that we have right here -- I'll pull it up for you -- how to pay for the war, "Pay for it or charge it," on CNN Money -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Poppy Harlow. Thank you.
Speaking of paying for things, a lot of shoppers are choosing the Web over the mall this season. Sales on Cyber Monday were up by 14 percent this year. Auto retailers were offering special deals yesterday. It's become a day when a lot of people shop online at home and at work after the Thanksgiving holiday.
Have you checked the calendar? Well, it is December 1st, the first day of the last month of this decade. Generally speaking, investment gurus say stocks rise over the long-term, but this decade has been really tough on investors.
And Susan Lisovicz is on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with a look back.
Hi there, Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. First of all, can you even get your arms around the fact that it is the final month of this decade?
COLLINS: No.
LISOVICZ: So...
COLLINS: Not even close. I can get my arms around that Dow Jones industrial numbers, though.
LISOVICZ: OK. Yes, that is nice. And you know what? Triple- digit gains are a terrific way to start the month. We need quadruple- digit gains to...
COLLINS: Yes.
LISOVICZ: ... kind of get to where we were, oh, 1999, around this time, because it has really been a challenge to the thing that we have learned. Time and time again, we talk about it, the buy and hold strategy.
From December 31st, 1999, to the end of November, the S&P 500 is down more than 25 percent. The S&P, the broadest of the three major averages and so many of our mutual funds track the S&P 500. That has only happened once before by a greater percentage, that was in the 1930s.
Lots of similarities to the 1930s, like, for instance, the collapse of the financial markets -- check. Double-digit unemployment -- check. Falling home prices -- check.
The good news, Heidi, is that you've never seen back-to-back decades where the S&P 500 has fallen.
COLLINS: Yes, that's true. Any winners, though, over the past 10 years? There had to have been some winners.
HEIDI: Oh, sure. Yes, there is. And we talk about all the time, too. Energy -- if you had gone just into energy, your prices would have doubled.
Consumer staples is the kinds of things that we use in the house no matter what kind of economy. And materials -- basic materials up more than 20 percent. That's a lot due to the emerging markets and we are seeing the bulls emerge. Dow is off its highs for the session but up 98 points. NASDAQ doing nice as well. Gold has another high overnight.
So, lots of green arrows today. We need more green arrows in the New Year and rest of the month, too.
COLLINS: Yes, that would be super. All right. Susan Lisovicz, thank you.
LISOVICZ: You're welcome.
COLLINS: A bloody end to a shocking crime. An alleged killer of four police officers is shot and killed by another officer on routine patrol.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Checking our top stories.
An alleged cop killer is shot dead in Seattle, Washington. Police say an officer encountered Maurice Clemmons shortly before 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time. They say he was armed with a gun stolen from one of the officers killed on Sunday. There is no motive in this crime as of yet.
Tiger Woods has withdrawn from his own charity golf tournament. Woods says injuries from his weekend car accident have left him unable to compete. The golfer has faced a firestorm of scrutiny over his Friday morning mishap when the SUV left his driveway and hit a fire hydrant and a tree. Woods and his wife have refused to talk to investigators from the Florida Highway Patrol.
El Paso, Texas, gets a bit of snow. Boy, that's for sure. Pretty slick...
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
COLLINS: ... driving conditions there and the whole bit.
MARCIANO: Well, you know, you think Texas and you think November, and you don't think this. Even in west Texas which gets the worst of their weather for sure, but these folks, as you pointed out last hour, do not look happy. They're not singing "Jingle Bells" or sleigh bells...
COLLINS: No, they aren't.
MARCIANO: ... or they're not really in the mood there. A bit of a shock to the system. Always that first cold snap or snowfall and they're just getting around town. It's going to be, you know, he looks -- that little guy looks a little bit happy, doesn't he? Kids love snow.
COLLINS: Not really. It's cold.
(CROSSTALK)
MARCIANO: Hey -- yes, it's cold. And we still have some white that's coming down here, the backside of this developing area of low pressure. Front side obviously is rain. But as it develops, it's going to really start to fill in, not only with rainfall, but potentially wind, and tomorrow, maybe even severe weather.
All of the moisture right now is right along the immediate shoreline and most of the heavier rain is south of I-10, with the exception of Louisiana. From Sioux Falls to Lake Charles, across the (INAUDIBLE), Baton Rouge is where we look for more rainfall right now that's becoming a little more intense.
All right. Here's our low, and we'll throw it in motion and show you where it's going to go as it gathers strength here across the Mississippi delta and then kind of rides up the Appalachian mountains. And as it does strengthen, high wind watches have been posted. So, not only potential for seeing flooding across the Florida Panhandle, but also the Storm Prediction Center is saying, "You know, tomorrow, we better look out" -- the potential of seeing severe weather across the low country of the Carolinas and also Georgia.
And we really haven't had to say too much about that this year. It's been a slow season not only for lake effect snow but also for the fall severe weather that we typically get during the month of November. We really didn't see much and that's a good thing. And, hopefully, we'll get through tomorrow with some of the record but it looks a little bit dicey at this point.
Back over to you.
COLLINS: Yes. Yes, dicey, indeed. All right, Rob, thanks.
MARCIANO: You bet.
COLLINS: Possible serious side effect of a U.S. troop surge in Afghanistan. Could it give militants a boost over the border in Pakistan?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: As you know, Pakistan shares a border with Afghanistan. It's a dangerous one, too. It's reasonable to expect that a U.S. troop surge in one country will have a major consequence for the other.
Our Reza Sayah has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The U.S. decision to increase troops in Afghanistan has already heightened tensions in neighboring Pakistan. In his latest press conference, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani warned the troop surge could push Taliban fighters across the border into Pakistan.
YOUSUF RAZA GILANI, PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER: Sending more troops to Afghanistan, then again, there is a fear that the influx of the militants may be towards Baluchistan. Therefore, we have hinted of border (ph) concerns.
SAYAH: Analysts say the troop surge could also fuel anti- Americanism among Pakistanis who blame the rise in extremism and suicide bombings here on what they call a failed U.S. policy in Afghanistan.
GEN. HAMID GUL, FMR. HEAD OF THE I.S.I (RET.): No amount of surge is going to work.
SAYAH: Few have been more critical of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan than Pakistan's former spy chief, Hamid Gul, who says the U.S. should never have turned its back on Afghanistan after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989. Back then, Pakistan fought side by side with Americans against the Soviets. Gul says a troop surge in Afghanistan could energize militants in Pakistan. GUL: The mujahideen are going to be inspired to go and fight. This is what is the recipe for greater defeat, more humiliation, down the years (ph), and with more loss of life.
SAYAH: Political analyst Pervez Hoodbhoy says, combined with a political solution, a troop surge in Afghanistan is good for Pakistan.
PERVEZ HOODBHOY, POLITICAL ANALYST: If the United States is fighting a war in Afghanistan, then it has to fight it properly, else it should simply leave.
SAYAH: Hoodbhoy says nothing would embolden Pakistan's militants more than U.S. defeat in Afghanistan.
HOODBHOY: If the Taliban win in Afghanistan, it's going to be terrible for Pakistan. It's important that the United States make up its mind whether it is going to fight for a victory.
SAYAH: Washington made it clear: to win in Afghanistan, it also needs the Pakistani army to crackdown on insurgents along the Afghan border. The U.S. has never fully trusted the Pakistan army because of past relations with militant groups.
For Pakistan and the U.S., the troop surge in Afghanistan is another test for two allies still searching for a solution to militancy in the region.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Reza Sayah is joining us now live from Islamabad, Pakistan.
Reza, Washington says that al Qaeda's headquarters is now based in Pakistan's tribal region, along that Afghan border. Is the Pakistani army doing an effective job against insurgents there?
SAYAH: Well, Heidi, U.S. officials say they're doing more, but they're not doing enough. Remember, this is a region U.S. forces cannot enter. The past year, we've seen a new willingness on the Pakistani army to go after the Pakistani Taliban. These are militants and insurgents launching who are attacks on Pakistani soil.
But we have yet to see evidence of an earnest effort against the Afghan Taliban. Its leadership -- remember, the U.S. is convinced -- they're still enjoying safe havens in this region along the Afghan border and that's what Washington is pressuring the Pakistani government and the Pakistani army to do.
COLLINS: Sure, understood. All right. Reza Sayah, thanks so much for that.
Now, we want to talk about what you think about the war in Afghanistan and the new U.S. strategy.
Our Brooke Baldwin has been talking to our viewers.
Good morning to you, Brooke. What exactly are we hearing?
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, good morning.
It's really amazing. My producer, Susan, and I, are going through all these different iReports. We've seen iReporters engaged. They are educated. They know what's going on and we're hearing all kinds of different opinions.
But I got to tell you that many of these opinions that we're hearing really pertain to this growing sentiment that some Americans really are tired of the conflict in Afghanistan. But we want to hear every single side of this story.
Let me show you. This is obviously -- this is CNNiReport.com. And here is what you do. You click on :"assignment" -- and obviously, today, our assignment is talking about more troops in Afghanistan and really the question we're asking is: what do you think about the surge? Do you think it's a good decision? Why? Yes, no and why?
Once you click on Afghanistan -- I wanted to show you all kinds of different responses we're getting. These are different iReports.
We'd pull two for you. We really liked this one because we have Katy Brown on one side and then we have another iReporter who directly responds to her iReport. Let's roll it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS, IREPORT)
KATY BROWN, IREPORTER: Mr. Obama, you have no military background or experience. If the general asks for more troops, I would send them. Why? Because he knows best. I would take the advice of the general. If he wants more, send them.
These men and women signed up for this. They knew coming into this job that was their responsibility, to protect us and to protect the country. So, even though they are putting their lives at risk, they knew that from the beginning, and they're willing to do that just because they love this country that much.
So, Mr. Obama, if the general needs troops, please, please send them, or else, all the lives that were lost before will be for no reason.
EGBERTO WILLIES, IREPORTER: (INAUDIBLE) you're completely wrong with regards to us sending troops to Afghanistan. Unfortunately, I think the president will send more troops to Afghanistan to appease people on the right like yourself. It would be horrendous for us to send more troops. We will simply compound the damage that we've already done, and moreover, it will cost us an arm and a leg and further put us in the hole.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
BALDWIN: So, again, we want to hear from you. Go to CNNiReport.com. Heidi, I'm sure you're with me. And let's challenge our viewers. We want to have people reacting now to the news that Ed Henry broke on your show...
COLLINS: Right.
BALDWIN: ... about this idea of the six-month surge. And that we're hearing a little bit more on a timetable, let's hear from our iReporters.
COLLINS: Yes, no question. All right, Brooke, in fact, we are also talking about this on our blog today -- our question about asking your views on the president's new strategy in Afghanistan.
Vickie writes this: "We missed the mark by not going into Afghanistan full force in the beginning. I can't see wasting more American treasure on a country whose morals allow such corruption."
John writes, "Obama is right to send the extra troops. If his generals are asking for them, then they obviously need them. Wars should be fought on the battlefront, not from Washington."
And Tony writes, "If we think our economy is in the tank now, start spending $35 billion more on the additional troops in Afghanistan. What makes the president think that we can afford this?"
Remember, we do want to hear from you. Just logon to CNN.com/Heidi and share your comments.
Designer Kenneth Cole is known for shoes and fashion, but raising AIDS awareness is his other passion. What he's been doing to make a difference.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK0
COLLINS: Today is World AIDS Day. Twenty-five years later, 33 million people are living with AIDS worldwide. From the beginning, shoe designer Kenneth Cole has been an advocate in the fight against AIDS.
Our Alina Cho talked with him about his role to raise awareness.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Heidi. You know, Kenneth Cole was introduced to the AIDS crisis early on. He's a fashion designer. He knew many people who are infected back when most didn't know what AIDS was and many didn't care.
Today, the world knows Kenneth Cole for his provocative, socially conscious ads -- his way of making a difference.
(voice-over): Take a look at these eye-popping ads, and by now, they are instantly recognizable. The man behind them, Kenneth Cole, fashion designer with $1.5 billion empire, and an even bigger conscious. His passion: AIDS awareness. Cole got involved early on, 1985, when few people cared.
KENNETH COLE, CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER, KENNETH COLE PRODUCTIONS: The groups knew who they were. They were Haitians, they were intravenous drug users and they were gay men for the most part in this country those days. And I was a single male designer. So, I knew everybody would just assume I was probably Haitian. But...
CHO: Using his platform as a businessman seemingly not at risk, this married father of three was able to raise awareness fast through a series of provocative ads always pushing the envelope.
COLE: It was illegal to advertise condoms when we ran this ad.
CHO (on camera): Really?
COLE: Yes.
CHO: Wow.
COLE: And what we did was we airbrushed off so you can't really -- there's no word that says condom here. So, you don't know for sure what it is. It could be a graduation hat.
(LAUGHTER)
CHO (voice-over): Cole is the force between this 1985 Annie Leibovitz photo featuring some of the world's most famous models with the tag line "For the future of our children."
Then there's this ad, circa 2009, using another word for condom to sell rubber boots with profits going towards AIDS research. The need has never been greater.
KEVIN FROST, CEO, THE FOUNDATION FOR AIDS RESEARCH: The economic downturn leads people into behaviors that can put them at risk. That may be sex work, because people have to pay to put food on the table. People who are despondent in a world where they cannot find work often sometimes turn to drug use and that puts people at risk of HIV infection.
CHO: The second wave of the crisis, the designer famous for his shoes maintains what we stand for is more important than what we stand in. The goal: finding a cure for AIDS, which Cole hopes is not too far off.
(on camera): When you look at this today, what goes through your mind?
COLE: It's -- we've come a long way, but in some ways, we haven't come that far. So...
CHO: Still a lot of work to be done.
COLE: Still a lot of work to be done. CHO: What you probably don't know is the man behind the ads is really the man behind the ads. Kenneth Cole actually writes many of the ads himself and says he never met a pun he didn't like. A fashion provocateur in a different way, a way he says is bigger than himself -- Heidi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: All right, Alina, thank you.
I'm Heidi Collins. "Decision Afghanistan," President Obama speaks tonight. Make sure you stay right here for continuing coverage throughout the day.
CNN NEWSROOM continues now with Tony Harris.
