Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Alleged Misbehavior by Cain; Police Vs. Occupy Protestors; Rare and Way Early Snowstorm Pummels the East Coast; "Occupy Atlanta" on the Move; Mixed-Race Marrow Transplants; The Politics of the Occupy Movement; Dead Help the Undead
Aired October 30, 2011 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Right now on CNN, Occupy out of control? Police and demonstrators going at it across the country. Are the crackdowns too much? Or are protesters going too far?
And stormy weather. A rare and way early snowstorm pummels the East Coast, millions in the dark, thousands stranded.
Then color barrier. If Obama versus Cain becomes reality, is racism officially over? A must-see conversation in minutes.
And high-speed chase. But this lead foot suspect is a fellow police officer.
And triumphant return of a paralyzed football player. Number 52 is inspiring his teammates. We promise he'll do the same to you.
It's all right here, right now on CNN.
Good evening. I'm Don Lemon. Thanks for joining us.
Those stories and more, but first we're going to start with some breaking political news. Herman Cain's campaign for president under scrutiny tonight over a report that could tarnish his carefully, cultivated image.
"Politico" reports that during Cain's time as a restaurant's industries chief lobbyist, at least two women complained of inappropriate behavior, specifically suggestive sexual behavior. Both women reportedly left the association with payouts in the five figures and agreed not to talk about it.
Revelations are the first serious setback for Cain at a time when some polls show him leading the race for the Republican nomination. Cain was confronted with the allegation Sunday in Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HERMAN CAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You won't tell me who they are, OK. That's like negotiating --
I'm not going to comment on that because, you know, I think that is one of those kind of things that --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thanks. Last --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: He said, have you ever been accused of sexual harassment, and then the reporter says, have a nice day.
I want to bring in CNN's deputy political director, Paul Steinhauser.
Paul, potentially, very damaging allegations if proven true. And the Cain camp is responding tonight. You've been in touch. What are they saying?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: They were very quick to respond. I guess "Politico" has been in contact with the campaign for about ten days on this story. So once this story broke tonight, I called the campaign. I spoke to J.D. Gordon. He is the communications director, a top spokesman for the campaign.
Here's his statement. And it says, "Inside the Beltway media have begun to launch unsubstantiated personal attack on Cain, dredging up thinly sourced allegations stemming from Mr. Cain's tenure as the Chief Executive Officer at the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s. Political trade press are now casting aspirations on his character and spreading rumors that never stood up to the facts. Since Washington's establishment critics haven't had much luck in attacking Mr. Cain's ideas to fix a bad economy and create jobs, they are trying to attack him in any way they can. Sadly, we've seen this movie played out before -- a prominent conservative targeted by liberals simply because they disagree with his politics. Mr. Cain and all Americans deserve better."
Again, J.D. Gordon, the top spokesman for the Cain campaign.
You know, Don, interesting there, look, you saw that statement there. Inside the Beltway.
LEMON: Right.
STEINHAUSER: Washington. Conservatives attacked by --
LEMON: This is what happens, though, when you run for president regardless of which party you're in. They start to scrutinize everything you've said and that may have occurred in your past.
STEINHAUSER: Oh, exactly, especially when you rise dramatically in the polls as Herman Cain has. Remember, he was basically an afterthought back over the summer, but he had a dramatic rise in the polls as you mentioned. He's now basically tied at the top with Mitt Romney in national polls and at some crucial state polls.
So, Don, everything he says and does comes under scrutiny. His 999 plan which have boosts him in the polls has been attacked by his rival campaigns and by those in the media.
Also, his comments on abortion. Every little thing he said on abortion has come under attack. Is he truly 100 percent pro- life? He's got to defend those attacks.
And the bizarre Web video we saw last week which actually did extremely well on YouTube and elsewhere went viral, but again, come under attack. And now this story dredging up possibly part of his past.
LEMON: And this allegedly, allegedly happened between 1996 and 1999 when he was chief of that association. So it goes back to the '90s.
Listen, these allegations come, Paul, at an awkward time, too, with Cain in Washington and a full slate of events lined up.
STEINHAUSER: Yes, I guess you could say the timing couldn't be any worse, because tomorrow morning he's at American Enterprise to give a big speech. A lot of the national media will be there. Later in the day, he's at a National Press Club. So, again, a lot of the national political media will be all over him tomorrow asking him questions about this story. The timing probably not so fortunate for Herman Cain, Don.
LEMON: Paul, give us a big picture here. What does this mean? Who gains or loses the most over this, beside, of course, Herman Cain?
STEINHAUSER: It's a little early to say. If this story has legs, of course, it could be very damaging for him. It could help some of the other people who have basically lost out to Herman Cain's rise in the polls. Maybe Rick Perry, or Rick Santorum, or Newt Gingrich. Any of the others. But again, too early to say what's going to happen here, Don.
LEMON: We can say the "Politico" has confirmed the names of these women apparently, but they have not released those names.
Clearly, Paul, more to come with this, and we'll be covering it here tomorrow as well on CNN. Thank you, sir. We appreciate it.
STEINHAUSER: Thank you.
LEMON: All right.
I want to go now to the Occupy movement. And dozens of arrests across the nation in the last 36 hours.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got you, OK. We got you. You hear me?
(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: Is there a message of fighting corporate corruption getting lost in all the mayhem. These scenes that you're looking at are from Austin, Texas. Police there said they arrested 42 people on Sunday. Portland and Denver saw the same story. Protesters refuse to move out, so police say they have to move in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PROTESTORS RALLYING
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: These clashes played out in a park in northwest Portland. Twenty-seven people arrested there by police in riot gear.
And in Denver, occupier show off their wounds from pepper balls in a faceoff at the city's Civic Center.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Denver police say they were forced to open fire. They ended up making 20 arrests Saturday night. In total, nearly 90 arrests of protesters who say police used too much force.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The only thing that happened is they asked us to take a tent down, some kid was standing too close to him they just started attacking everybody, spraying people with mace, arresting them. We did nothing. This was supposed to be a peaceful protest and they're attacking us like we're in a third world country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: But officers say they gave protesters multiple chances to follow the rules.
Occupy Wall Street protesters are still going strong in New York City despite facing a major physical challenge. A dangerous storm brought rain, snow, and bitterly cold temperatures to the northeast overnight.
Firefighters remove the group's propane tanks and generators before the storm moved in saying they were a hazard. Demonstrators were forced to get by with blankets, sleeping bags and tents. It was an early taste of brutal weather that's to come.
While protesters are facing another cold night, many are re- energized after hearing from someone who knows what it is like to suffer for a cause. Renown political activist Angela Davis addressed the Occupy crowd on Sunday.
I talked with her from New York's Zuccotti Park, and I asked if it was time the protesters get a cohesive message and some talking points.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELA DAVIS, POLITICAL ACTIVIST: It's very clear that there are many demands that people want an end to corporate executives making $1 million a year. They want an end to student debt. They want an end to evictions. They want a free education. There's so many possible demands.
And I think that in order for those demands to acquire real meaning, it is important for us to learn how to be together, to dwell together, to be in democratic unity together; which is something that has never happened, really, in this country.
LEMON: OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Later in my "No Talking Point" segment, I'll get Davis' take on how the Occupy Movement affects the current political climate and President Obama.
And in a moment, Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed will join me to talk about the Occupy Movement and how he got them out of one city park.
Now to the freak snowstorm that overwhelm the northeast. The power is slowly coming back on for millions of customers from Maryland to Maine. About 2.6 million people are currently without power. That is a significant improvement from earlier today when more than 4 million homes and businesses were in the dark.
The storm is blamed for at least five deaths. Two people died in a car crash near Philadelphia. It temporarily shut down Interstate 95.
Air travel along the eastern seaboard was a nightmare. JetBlue said passengers stranded nine hours on a plane in Hartford, Connecticut while much of the time without food or water will refunded their tickets and receive one free roundtrip airfare.
Let's go straight now with CNN's meteorologist Chad Myers. He is in York, Pennsylvania.
Chad, power is coming back on. Is it improving?
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: A little bit. And what improve today, Don, was the sunshine. The sunshine literally burned off the snow. What took though about eight hours to put down all this ice now is going to take many, many more hours to put this down. We talked to power crews. They don't expect it to come back until Wednesday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MYERS: This could take a long time to get all this back up, isn't it.
BARRY BAUMGARDNER, METROPOLITAN EDISON: Oh, absolutely.
MYERS: How many days, do you think?
BAUMGARDNER: I would say probably Wednesday.
MYERS: Wednesday.
BAUMGARDNER: Yes, we got a lot of crews coming in from other areas, other states.
MYERS: I see the windshield is just a mess. It's completely smashed. What did that feel like?
JOEL ROSENBLATT, YORK, PENNSYLVANIA: Well, you're just looking at it. It's the sound of the tree falling on the car scares you. And it didn't break, so I didn't get any glass in my face. I mean, it shattered and the mirror is hanging down there, so I couldn't even see the back windshield through mirror because the mirror is hanging down.
MYERS: Does it make you think about driving under trees the next time, or even driving at all?
ROSENBLATT: I debated whether to turn right and go home before I made that part of my trip yesterday or not, and I didn't, and it was a real mistake.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MYERS Don, more -- this is going to melt tomorrow. It's going to be on the roadways. And as it melts, it's going to be on the cars, tires in front of you. Those tires will spray your windshield. The most important thing you can do tomorrow is make sure you have washer fluid in their reservoir under your hood. You will need it, because otherwise, you're just going to be smearing that dirty, muddy water back and forth, and your visibility is not going to be that good.
It gets better tomorrow. More power lines will come up. The power line workers are working 16 on, 8 off. They expect it to come back, but it's going to be slow. This is Pennsylvania. There are still millions more without power from here all the way to Maine. Don?
LEMON: All right. Thank you very much, Chad Myers.
And how will this affect your commute tomorrow? Jacqui Jeras will join us in just a little bit.
Again, thanks to Chad Myers.
Up next, a big city mayor affected by the Occupy Movement here live to talk about it.
And ahead, when U.S. veterans return from war, where will they get jobs? Will they join the Occupy Movement? How does the president handle this? We'll explain. Those questions and more, straight ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Welcome back, everyone. Supporters of the Occupy Movement are staging protests all across the country, but in Atlanta, demonstrators have been kicked out of the park where they were camping overnight. Mayor Kasim Reed issued the order to get them out, and he is facing a lot of heat for his decision by some here in the city and probably from some of the movement nationally.
Mayor Reed joins me now, live.
So why did you want the protesters out of the park, first off?
MAYOR KASIM REED, ATLANTA: Because we had bent over backwards to accommodate them. The protesters were in the park under two executive orders that I issue in order to accommodate them, and the situation started deteriorating, and when you're the mayor, you don't get do- overs.
On the day that I ordered the park clear, there was a gentleman walking around with an AK47. We had intelligence that he had recently loss his job. The person that I had met with during the protest it turns out was a felon. So it was clearly deteriorating and even Ambassador Young said the individuals want to escalate a confrontation. I don't get do-overs as mayor.
LEMON: Do you make sure, because I asked a police officer earlier from one of the other cities where there had been violence.
REED: There was no violence here.
LEMON: No violence here.
If you -- what do you do when it comes to civil liberties? How do you do the check marks and say, I don't want to violate people's civil liberties. That's what the claims are.
REED: Yes, but those aren't the claims in our city. I mean, if you look at what happened in Atlanta, we arrested 52 individuals. We did it slowly. We had women officers arresting women officers, for the most part. Men arresting men. We videotaped the entire process.
LEMON: So you make sure you do it --
REED: We took a photograph --
LEMON: You do it right. OK.
REED: Yes. We took a photograph of every single person. And it's very important to know all the 52 people that were arrested were released on a signature bond.
LEMON: All right. All right.
There are a lot of things I want to get to you with. When you look at the video of the unrest that happened, when you look at Oakland and you look at Denver, what runs through your head when you see that?
REED: That's why preparation is so important. We spent two weeks preparing to clear the park, if necessary. So we were monitoring it every single day, and we prepared slowly so that we didn't do anything in terms of a knee jerk reaction.
I warned everyone when I made the decision to revoke my executive order. I held a press conference and made it very clear that we would be clearing the park shortly.
LEMON: So you were the first, really one of the first mayors to say this is not going to happen. I know Mayor Bloomberg was very critical, but they're still in the park. You said, this is not happening in my city.
I want to ask you, do you think that this Occupy Movement, is it more Democrat, liberal, or is it more mixed?
REED: I don't really think it's party driven. I think it's too fluid right now. You know, I want to be very clear. I understand the pain and the angst, but I don't think we know yet.
LEMON: I asked you that because many people label it a liberal movement of young people, sort of hippy-like people, modern hippy sort of people, and I wonder as a Democratic mayor, right, if you think that that's going to affect you by not allowing these people to demonstrate.
REED: Well, there are risks. I mean, I make 16 to 20 decisions a day, and there are always consequences. But I did what I believe was right in a situation where a man had an AK-47 assault rifle, where one of their leaders appears to have been a felon, where there was an unsanctioned hip-hop concert with no security plan. There were a series of things that led me to my decision.
LEMON: Who benefits from this, if anyone? Is it the president or the Democrats, or is it Republicans or the candidates who are running under the Republicans?
REED: I think it's too soon to say. I think that the country is going to benefit at the end of the day from seeing how frustrated people are and the kind of pain and anger that's out there. Hopefully everybody will accept this as a message that we need to focus on the real problems that folks are facing, which are having a good job to go to and being able to pay their bills and meet their obligations. That's the message that I heard.
LEMON: Thank you, mayor.
REED: No, thank you for having me.
LEMON: I know you're busy. I appreciate you coming here.
REED: Always glad to be here.
LEMON: All right. Mayor Kasim Reed of Atlanta. Thanks, again. REED: Thank you.
LEMON: Up next, what will President Obama do if U.S. veterans returning home at the end of the year can't find jobs, and they may join this Occupy Movement? We'll ask our political analyst, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: More politics now. Their messages, well, they're polar opposites, but the Occupy Wall Street movement is often compared, you've heard it, to the tea party. There's one noticeable difference, though. Occupy demonstrators are getting arrested.
So are police dealing with the two movements differently? Or are protesters bringing it on themselves?
Joining us live from the Occupy protest site in New York, CNN contributor and political anchor for New York One, Errol Louis. And here in Atlanta, blogger Matt Stevens.
So we're going to start with Errol.
City officials there, do you think that they're treating these two movements differently? Errol?
ERROL LOUIS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: It's entirely possible. I mean, the two movements have, I think, different aims and different strategies. The folks here have been engaging in civil disobedience, really, from day one. It's not something you often saw the Tea Party movement choose to do.
I don't think it speaks at all to any difference in the level of commitment. It's just that these folks chose a particular tradition that they wanted to sort of work within, which is the tradition of strategically confronting the law and giving themselves up for arrest. They've been doing it all over the country from day one.
LEMON: So assumed they were, as you said, there was really no sort of civil disobedience for the most part among Tea Party members.
There's some angry moments in the beginning but it was different in a sense to compare to the Occupy movement. But do you think the treatment by police and officials are different?
MATT STEVENS, CREATOR, PRUNE-JUICE MEDIA: Oh, I definitely think it is. I mean, first of all, they have delegitimize from the beginning though Occupy Wall Street movement protestors. And what they've done is really just in a sense say what they're arguing about and what they're protesting about is not important. And I think that that was the first step. And then with these arrests, definitely. But I think like, Errol, said they brought it on themselves because they've strategized a little bit differently.
LEMON: All right.
Hey, Errol, I want to ask you this and I've been wanting to talk to you about this since we heard about the troops coming home.
A lot of troops are going to be coming home from Iraq in the coming weeks. How likely is it that we could see a significant number of troops unable to find jobs and maybe joining these protests here in the U.S.?
LOUIS: Look, the number of veterans who are homeless is a national disgrace. It's been proclaimed all the way up to the White House. In fact, I was at the White House when they announced their homeless strategy and they had a very specific aim of doing away with homelessness among veterans within just a couple years.
So this has been a national scandal for a long, long time. Will they specifically flock to this movement or the Tea Party movement or any other remains to be seen. I think the underlying problem though is a very real one. There are big problems confronting these guys and gals when they come home, including a lack of jobs.
LEMON: Yes. You're going to have all those people who are going to come back to the same limited job pool that already exists here. That's a big issue.
STEVENS: Yes. You have 9.1 percent unemployment here in the U.S. Double digit unemployment in some states. And then on top of that, you have 1/3 of veterans that are already upset and believe that they don't think that it was worth it to go over to Iraq and Afghanistan in the first place. Now they're coming home to a job market that really isn't there for them. I think it's a recipe for disaster if the right things mix.
LEMON: It's going to be interesting. Do you support the president because he brought you home from war? Or do you not support him because of the economy and because of jobs. That's a decision that they're going to have to face.
What happens, Matt, if this movement grows even bigger? What impact could this have on the election?
STEVENS: Oh, this is going to have major impacts on the election. I think even now. And I know the movement is going to grow. It's going to have impact because now, what's going to happen is you've got people that, you've got this movement. It has a face and a voice now, and these candidates are going to now have to answer to the demands that the protesters are talking about, so the economy. That's already job -- that's already, you know, priority one for people now, and so now they've got to really face it.
LEMON: All right. Let's move on, Errol, and move us forward to what happens coming up, in the upcoming week.
Speaking of the election, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich have scheduled a debate this week. It's on Saturday. One-on-one. Modified version of the famous debates between Lincoln and Douglas. Three hours long. The campaign say it's a chance to go beyond the sound bite. Take us forward.
LOUIS: I'm sorry, Don. I didn't get that last part.
LEMON: Take us forward. What happens in these Lincoln-Douglas style debates. Are they a game changer here?
LOUIS: Oh, well, I think that, number one, there probably won't be a whole lot of cameras there to record it from gavel to gavel. I don't know what's you're planning to do. I'm not sure my organization is going to be there. It sounds like in some ways a bit of a stunt.
The fact that you've got two out of -- what are we up to, eight or nine candidates who were debating head to head? That's great, but we're not at a point where it makes sense for there to be just two people debating when no votes had been cast, no primaries or caucuses had been held. And frankly, if you had an hour down to two, it's not clear that these are the two that should be doing it.
So, you know, an interesting idea. Will it be an intellectual discussion we're hearing? Maybe. Will it change the politics? I have a hard time believing that.
LEMON: All right, the president. What's on the president's agenda next, Errol?
Errol, can you hear me? Errol Louis having --
LOUIS: Yes.
LEMON: What's on the president's agenda next week?
LOUIS: What's happening here next week, you're asking?
LEMON: I said, what is on the president's agenda next week?
LOUIS: Oh, the president's agenda next week. What the White House is talking about is going back on the offensive with some of the talk about the jobs bill, as well as rolling out more of these initiatives that only the White House can do without any need for help from Congress, because they're not expecting to get it.
You know, they've also begun going on the attack, by the way. You've heard the White House roll out the phrase, Gordon gecko capitalism. Gordon gecko economy. That's aimed at Mitt Romney. They seem to be narrowing, politically speaking, narrowing it down to going after Romney.
LEMON: All right. Errol Louis, thank you, in a very, very loud Zuccotti Park there. A little bit trouble hearing. That's live television.
And thank you Matt Stevens here in Atlanta.
STEVENS: Thank you so much for having me.
LEMON: We appreciate both of you.
Straight ahead here on CNN, a paralyze football player makes an emotional comeback to the field.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: A spike in peanut prices, car sales and consumer spending. Alison Kosik has the details in this week's "Getting Down to Business".
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: GDP numbers are easing fears about a double-dip recession. Both consumers and businesses are spending more, driving growth to almost double in the third quarter. The nation's economy grew at a 2.5 percent annual rate during the summer months, a good sign, but still not a silver bullet for the economy. The job market remains shaky.
We'll know more about that when the big jobs report comes out Friday.
Are you in the market for a new car?
Japanese automakers dominate when it comes to reliability according to "Consumer Reports" annual survey. But it was domestic car sales that surged in September, led by strong showings from Chrysler and GM. Tuesday's auto sales numbers will show us if that trend continued in October.
Finally, some sour news for your sweet teeth this Halloween. A peanut shortage is spooking peanut butter prices, so the cost of some of your favorite treats could be on the rise.
That's this week's "Getting Down to Business." Alison Kosik, CNN, New York.
LEMON: The Northeast gets pounded with an early snowstorm, knocking out power to millions of people. That and more headlines straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Checking your headlines now. Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain is fighting back against reports that he sexually harassed two women in the 1990s. His campaign calls the allegations unsubstantiated and thinly sourced. Politico first reported that during Cain's time as restaurant industry's chief lobbyist, at least two women complained of sexually suggestive behavior.
Electricity is slowly returning to customers across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic tonight. More than 4 million homes and businesses were in the dark earlier today after a strong winter storm blew through on Saturday. Power came back on for more than 1 million customers today. Restoring the rest could take several days. The storm is blamed for at least five deaths.
Female veterans are having a harder time finding a job than most Americans. The unemployment rate last month for female vets was nearly 15 percent, 3.5 point higher than the rate for men leaving the military. It isn't clear why the rate would be higher for women, but advocates point to challenges like child care and the civilian role unaccustomed to women veterans.
Three people are killed and three others are still missing after a huge grain elevator explosion in Kansas. Two others were hospitalized with burns. The blast at the Bartlett Grain Company in Athison could be felt 3 miles away. No immediate cause was given for the accident, but stored grains can generate toxic gases which could cause explosions.
Qantas Airways has been ordered to end a labor dispute with up to tens of thousands of passengers stranded worldwide. Qantas' flights could resume on a limited schedule on Monday afternoon. Since its fleet was grounded Saturday, 447 flights have been canceled and 68,000 passengers impacted. An Australian workplace relations tribunal issued the order, saying it wanted to prevent significant damage to tourism.
A humanitarian crisis looms in Thailand after the worst flood in decades left parts of the country underwater. More than 370 people are reported dead and more than 100,000 have taken refuge in government shelters. Flooding began in July after heavy monsoon rains. And to make things worse, relief agencies say water and insect-borne disease could break out in the weeks and days to come.
Go to cnn.com/impact for more information on what you can do to help out.
We told you about that big storm that hit the Northeast very early on. Let's talk about that and your commute tomorrow.
Probably not going to be a good one, I already know.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. You know, the weather itself is going to be fine across much of the Northeast tomorrow, Don, but, unfortunately, we're going to have a lot of residual catch-up. And there are really two big storms that we're going to be tracking in the next week ahead that will be impacting you and your travel as well.
(WEATHER REPORT)
LEMON: Try and do it on Thursday. We wish them luck in that area.
Thank you, Jacqui Jeras. We appreciate it.
Now to the big stories in the week ahead. From Washington to Hollywood, our correspondents tell you what you need to know. We start at the White House.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dan Lothian at the White House. Before heading to France on Thursday, where he'll focus on the global economy at the G20 summit, President Obama will welcome former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to the White House. I'm told there is no specific agenda but that they'll touch on a number of issues. That happens on Monday.
Then on Tuesday, as he continues to make his case to the American people, President Obama will sit down for interviews with local TV anchors from across the country.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Kate Bolduan on Capitol Hill. Both the House and Senate will be back in session this week. The Senate will try to tackle some spending bills before moving quickly right back to the big political fight over jobs, moving to take up a piece of the president's jobs bill focused on infrastructure spending, for example, money towards rebuilding roads or bridges.
The House will focus on taking up other jobs measures supported by House Republicans generally aimed at making it easier for businesses to raise money and, in their view, will then create jobs. But remember, another big focus will continue to be the Super Committee as the 12 members try to hammer out a deal to reduce the deficit by more than $1 trillion by November 23rd.
STEINHAUSER: I'm Paul Steinhauser at the CNN political desk. Most of the Republican presidential candidates will spend much of the week in Iowa, the first state to vote in the primary caucus calendar. On tap, a forum moderated by Iowa's Republican governor on Tuesday and a GOP party dinner on Friday night.
POPPY HARLOW, CNN MONEY.COM: I'm Poppy Harlow in New York, where Central Bankers meet at the beginning of the week and Wall Street is going to be looking forward to comments from the Fed coming Wednesday afternoon after that meeting on the state of U.S. economy. All eyes will then turn to France on Thursday where the G20 heads of state are set to gather for a two-day meeting. World markets will be monitoring that very closely, given Europe's ongoing debt woes. And on Friday morning here in the U.S., we'll get the October jobs report from the labor department.
We'll track it all on CNN Money.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST, HLN'S "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": I'm "Showbiz Tonight's" A.J. Hammer. Here's what we're watching this week.
Lindsay Lohan expected in court on Wednesday. She is going to find out if she's going to jail for violating her probation. Also I'm looking forward to this -- Nick Cannon stopping by to talk all about his new TV gig and the popular new Web site starring his twins. Be sure to catch "Showbiz Tonight," exclusively weeknights at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on HLN.
LEMON: Coming up, he was paralyzed in a football game, but a year later, Number 52 has returned to the field.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: An emotional scene at Rutgers University as one of their injured players returned to the football field. Eric LeGrand, Number 52, was paralyzed last October. Well, Saturday, he led Rutgers onto the field against West Virginia in a snowstorm, first time he's been back with his teammates since the accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. He was hurt making tackle against Army.
A bone marrow transplant can be difficult even under the best of circumstances. But when the patient is mixed race, finding a suitable donor becomes even harder. In tonight's "BLACK IN AMERICA," CNN's Soledad O'Brien has the story of a young girl who must overcome great odds to get the medical treatment she needs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IMANI CORNELIUS, MDS PATIENT: One of my birthdays at Chuck E. Cheese.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Your mom was telling me you love birthdays at Chuck E. Cheese.
I. CORNELIUS: Yes.
O'BRIEN (voice over): Imani Cornelius just wants a normal childhood.
(on camera): You look like the perfectly healthy 11-year-old girl.
I. CORNELIUS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Do you feel OK?
I. CORNELIUS: Yes, I'm OK. Sometimes, I have my ups and downs. You have aches and pains everywhere, but you still hurt.
O'BRIEN (voice over): Imani has myelodysplastic syndrome or MDS, which means her bone marrow doesn't produce enough blood cells. It could lead to leukemia if she doesn't get a bone marrow transplant.
(on camera): How did you feel when they first diagnosed her.
DARRICK CORNELIUS, FATHER: I mean, as a -- as a dad, it took everything out of me.
O`BRIEN (voice-over): Finding a donor match is always difficult, but it's more difficult for Imani because she's biracial.
LELIA JONES, MANAGER, NMDP REPOSITORY: Now with mixed- race people, why it's so difficult is that there's so many possible combinations. So, just tissue type is very complex. That's one level. And then if you match that with half of one ethnicity, half of another ethnicity, the number of possible combinations just explodes into the millions.
O`BRIEN: Outreach groups like Mixed Marrow are trying to lower those odds. ATHENA ASKLIPIADIS, MIXED MARROW: Me being mixed-race myself, I know this -- there wasn't any current organization or outreach specifically targeting the mixed-race community.
We do community events. We also do college events and then do the donor drives there.
JONES: If you're of a mixed-race background, you know, consider joining. It's really a --
O`BRIEN (on camera): All right. I'm in. You talked me into it. OK?
JONES: Perfect.
O`BRIEN: That wasn't that hard.
JONES: Perfect.
O`BRIEN (voice-over): The cheek swab is easy. Waiting for a match is the hard part.
O`BRIEN (on camera): How does that make you feel?
I. CORNELIUS: Feels like you're cut off from the rest of the world, what they get to do and what you can't do.
TAMMY BERNDT, MOTHER: We don't want a pity party. We don't want to have, you know, any sympathy case. We want a cure.
O`BRIEN: And that's a bone marrow transplant?
BERNDT: That's the only cure is a bone marrow transplant.
D. CORNELIUS: So we need a donor.
O`BRIEN (voice-over): Reporting for "IN AMERICA," Soledad O`Brien, CNN, Minneapolis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Soledad O'Brien's special report "BLACK IN AMERICA" airs Sunday night, November 13th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. It's called "The New Promised Land: Silicon Valley."
The politics of the Occupy Movement. A woman famous for her politics shows up unannounced to check on protesters. Renowned political activist Angela Davis with tough talk for the left, right and center in my "No Talking Point" segment next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: It is time now for "No Talking Points." And tonight, we focus on the Occupy Movement that started on Wall Street and spread around the world. While they say they're focusing on bank, they, their supporters and detractors are finding it hard not to insert politics. Tonight, we hear from a blast from the past, someone who's no stranger to sit-ins and civil disobedience -- 1960s and 70s political activist, Angela Davis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: We can't ignore the fact that we have a presidential election coming up in 2012. We're in the middle of it right now. What do you -- what does this mean for you, do you think, or for the country in political terms? Does it benefit either party?
ANGELA DAVIS, POLITICAL ACTIVIST: Well, I think we have to guarantee that the Republicans aren't elected but we also have to put pressure on the Democrats. So, we have to put pressure on the Obama administration, so that, you know, some of the needs of the people of this country can be met.
LEMON: Yes. I think some people may be surprised that you said, you know, we have to put pressure on the Obama administration and on Democrats. Follow up on that.
DAVIS: Well, as I was saying to the people who are involved in the occupation here in New York, Obama was elected largely because of an upsurge of young people such as the upsurge of the Occupy Wall Street movement. This is why a president was elected, a candidate was elected, who most people thought could never have a chance of achieving that goal.
But it was because young people refused to believe that it was impossible to elect a black president, a black president who identified with a black radical tradition. They said that it was possible when everyone else felt it was impossible.
And so it seems to me that this is the continuation of that movement. This is what should have happened in the immediate aftermath of the election, and perhaps we wouldn't be where we are today three years later.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: As you heard, Davis is transparent about being a liberal and doesn't want a Republican to win the White House, but says pressure must be put on Democrats. And while Davis is clearly ideological about her party affiliation, she lets no one including President Obama off the hook.
And that is in "No Talking Point" segment tonight.
Next, a real life police chase caught on camera, only, the bad guy is another cop. You'll see it play out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: So who wins in a race between a police officer and a state trooper? Better question, who wins in a chase between the two? Watch closely.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OFFICER: OK, stand by, he's stopping.
OFFICER: Put your hands out that window right now!
Put your hands out the window!
SUSPECT: Ma'am, didn't -- I didn't --
OFFICER: Turn around, turn around.
SUSPECT: Alright.
OFFICER: Turn around right now. See my gun? Turn around! Do yourself a favor.
SUSPECT: Ma'am, I'm sorry. I apologize, but I was on my way, off-duty.
OFFICER: I don't --
SUSPECT: But ma'am --
OFFICER: You got anything else? Any other weapon on you? No off-duty weapons?
SUSPECT: No, ma'am. I'm going to a school that I work in Boca Raton and I'm late for it, late for work.
That's the deal. But other than that, I didn't know you were stopping for me.
OFFICER: What?
SUSPECT: Yes. You're a police.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, on October 11th, this speeding Miami police officer refused to pull over for a Florida trooper, leading her on a chase in excess of 120 miles per hour. The officer's excuse when he was finally pulled over at gunpoint, as you saw and as you heard, he was late for a second job, so he was speeding.
You know, it's almost November, which means it's time for another World Series parade, led by Budweiser's Clydesdale. The Cardinals travel through downtown St. Louis today and right into Busch Stadium for a championship celebration with bands and, guess, even the team's unofficial mascot, the Rally Squirrel, was in attendance. The Cardinals finished their improbable run Friday night, beating the Texas Rangers for the franchise's 11th World Series title.
Congratulations to them.
It is Halloween weekend, of course. Zombies took to the streets just outside Atlanta for the first annual Marietta Zombie Walk. Not your usual trick or treat. Zombies of all ages donated canned goods to benefit families in need.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need all zombies inside the coral. All
zombies, make their way inside of the coral.
GARY HASTY, ZOMBIE WALK ORGANIZER: Zombies are the new vampire. We're much cooler. You know, we don't need much. We don't glisten and glitter. We don't have love stories, we're zombies.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The undead lives forever.
MEGHAN HILL, MUST MINISTRIES: And the idea was -- Gary loves zombies, so he wanted to do a family-friendly zombie walk in his neighborhood. And he wanted to team up with MUST to make it a food drive because he knew that we were low on food in our food pantries.
HASTY: We were expecting, you know, for the first year, maybe 50, 60 people show up. I think we were 300 or 400 or so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: For a good cause. No doubt inspired by "The Walking Dead," which, by the way, is filmed right here in the Atlanta area. And that's what I'm going to go do -- watch the "walking dead."
I'm Don Lemon at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. Make sure you have a great night, a great week. I'll see you back here next weekend. Good night.
