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American Morning: Wake Up Call

Herman Cain's Accuser Wants to Speak; The Greek Debt Crisis; Senior Citizens Charged In Militia Plot; Military Policeman Suspected Of Spying; Herman Cain's Accuser Wants To Speak

Aired November 02, 2011 - 05:00   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Developing right now:

In less than an hour, a judge in London set to decide whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will be extradited to Sweden on sexual misconduct allegations.

An incredible emergency landing caught on camera. Pilots forced to land a 767 packed with passengers on its belly. Get your morning coffee.

And pitch in to create jobs. That's what Starbucks is hoping millions of Americans will do next time they stop in one of its stores.

And good morning to you. It is Wednesday, November 2nd. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL.

I'm Carol Costello, joining you live from New York this morning. Thanks for being here.

If you're just waking up today, new claims that he's not telling the entire truth about sexual harassment allegations made against him.

One of the two women who accused Cain of inappropriate behavior says she wants to speak out about the scandal that's overshadowed Cain's campaign since "Politico" first broke the story on Sunday. The alleged incident occurred when Cain was chief executive of the National Restaurant Association in the '90s. The woman is barred from speaking about the scandal because of a confidentiality agreement she signed with a trade group.

Her lawyer talked about the case on "ANDERSON COOPER."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "A.C. 360": Have you approached the Restaurant Association or been asked by your client or your former client to approach the Restaurant Association about getting this confidentiality agreement overturned?

JOEL BENNETT, ATTORNEY FOR CAIN ACCUSER (via telephone): Not yet because I had closed my file and had disposed of the agreement. I'm getting it from my client. I hope to get it today or tomorrow. And once I do that with my client's consent, I will do that.

COOPER: Has your client asked you, in fact, at this point to do that?

BENNETT: She's still mulling over what she wants to do about this. She's naturally concerned about all the publicity and this coming up 12 years after the fact.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The attorney, Joel Bennett, says his client has been very upset since the story first came out because Cain is giving the impression that she made up the allegations. Bennett says he knows his client very well and that he's sure she would not make up a false complaint.

If you have a 401(k) plan, good chance you'll be eyeing the markets throughout the day. The big question this morning: will they take another nosedive like yesterday? Over fears the European debt plan for Greece may collapse.

As you see here, overseas markets are mixed right now. Japan's Nikkei closed down while the Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed up. And right now in Europe, the FTSE is trading up.

The latest turmoil was triggered by prime minister -- by the prime minister of Greece and his surprise plan to let Greek voters decide whether to accept a bailout plan reached by European leaders last week. A no vote could result in Greece abandoning the euro as its currency and possibly defaulting on its huge debt. The move could cost the prime minister of Greece his job despite the fact the candidate voted to support the referendum.

A no confidence vote in parliament is set for Friday. All of this mess triggered a big selloff on Wall Street yesterday. Bank stocks were hit especially hard.

A bit of good news, though. Stock futures are trading up on Wall Street right now.

One firm that got caught up with the European debt crisis and suffered heavily is MF Global, The commodities and derivatives brokerage house which collapsed in bankruptcy on Monday. Now, the discovery that hundreds of millions of dollars are missing from customers' accounts. The Feds are trying to figure out just how that happened, according to sources close to the investigation.

MF Global is led by Jon Corzine, the former governor of New Jersey and former CEO of Goldman Sachs.

"Occupy" protesters are calling for a general strike in California today in a bid to shut down the city of Oakland, and they're urging unions, workers and students to take part. Tonight, demonstrators plan to converge on Oakland's port, one of the city's most visible symbols of commerce. They're protesting a police crackdown which they say caused serious injury to a Iraq war veteran. Protesters claim Scott Olsen suffered a fractured skull after being struck by a tear gas canister launched by police.

A new warning about breast cancer and alcohol this morning, even moderate drinking increases a woman's chances of developing the disease. That's according to a new study of more than 100,000 nurses in the United States. The report says that as few as three to six glasses of wine consumed in a week increase a woman's chance of developing breast cancer. And the risk went up with the amount of alcohol consumed. The link between alcohol and breast cancer isn't new, but the effects of moderate drinking had not been calculated before. The study appears in the latest edition of the "Journal of the American Medical Association."

Now, let's head to Atlanta and check in with Rob Marciano.

Good morning, Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

We have a storm brewing out West, in through Denver, the second snowstorm in a week. I know that sounds a big deal, it's in Denver, you know, it's still early in the season. And we had our own little early-season snowstorm across the Northeast and those folks still in the dark -- a lot of them, and still very cold.

Here are flight delays. Denver's going to be a spot with that storm, heavy snow and wind if you're traveling. Although they do a great job out there getting rid of the snow. But visibility is going to be an issue as with the wind.

And Los Angeles, also gusty winds. Santa Ana winds setting up out there. Chicago, Minneapolis and Dallas may be your problem areas.

Mild on the eastern third of the country, and more east of the Mississippi, should be quiet as far as the weather is concerned. But, again, those who are dealing with the power outages still half a million or so in Connecticut and Massachusetts, parts of New York and New Jersey -- those areas in the snow zone are below freezing this morning. So, they're dealing with that on top of being in the dark.

All right. Back to the West, we go where the high fire danger's going to be an issue with those Santa Ana winds blowing. And a couple of feet of snow potentially across parts of the higher terrain. But this is going to be more of a high plains event. And with that winds and low visibilities, east of Denver, blizzard warnings have been posted for that area.

Thirty-three for the high in Denver, 57 degrees in New York and 67 in Atlanta.

We take you back out West, just outside San Diego. Check out this video, Carol, of a car got in a fight with a fire hydrant. Look at the high-pressure water scooting up the back end. I don't know how long it was like that, but shows you just how powerful the water pressure of those high hydrants can be. Don't be playing in that one.

COSTELLO: Can you imagine going out to get in your car and seeing that? It's like you'll never believe what happened. That's true.

Thank you, Rob.

MARCIANO: See you in a bit.

COSTELLO: Everyone has an opinion on why Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries are getting divorced, and that includes comedian Jay Leno.

Here's your punch line this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH JAY LENO": After just 72 days of marriage, Kim Kardashian has filed for divorce from her husband -- 72 days. I was on at 10:00 longer than that. I know. I was. Please.

Well, TMZ is reporting one of the reasons they broke up was that Kris wanted to live in Minnesota, and Kim didn't, which is understandable. You ever been to Minnesota in the wintertime? You freeze your ass off. And in Kim's case, that could be fatal. That could be fatal. That could be a career ender.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Shock waves in Greece felt around the move, the move that stunned Europe and triggered a huge selloff of stocks. We'll have a live report on the crisis, coming up next.

But, first, our "Quote of the Day." the National Collegiate Athletic Association or the NCAA, you know, the thing that governs college sports, not everyone is happy about it, so here's today's quote. Quote, "The NCAA is one of the most vicious, most ruthless organizations ever created by mankind. I think you would compare the NCAA to Al Capone and the mafia," end quote.

Find out what U.S. leader said that in 90 seconds.

It's eight minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It is 10 minutes past the hour. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL.

Now back to our "Quote of the Day." It's about the NCAA, the organization that governs college sports. The quote, "The NCAA is one of the most vicious, most ruthless organizations ever created by mankind. I think you would compare the NCAA to Al Capone and the mafia," end quote.

That's what Democratic Representative Bobby Rush said. He's from Illinois. He called a forum to discuss the guidelines surrounding college athletics, including if college athletes should be paid and how injuries and transfers would impact eligibility. And there you have it.

Governments and investors around the world are still struggling to come to terms with a stunning development in Greece. The Greek cabinet today voted to approve the prime minister's call to let voters decide whether to accept the latest European bailout, a plan designed to prevent the country from defaulting on its huge debt.

Dan Rivers is following developments in France.

So, Dan, how close was the cabinet vote, and what's the reaction from the Greek people to the prime minister's move?

DAN RIVERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the cabinet vote for the referendum was unanimous, but the problem is, the Greek prime minister, George Papandreou, is now facing a no-confidence vote in parliament on Friday, a vote that he may lose. If he does, that could trigger snap elections and would see the kind of unraveling of this feel that European leaders thought they had nailed down in Brussels last week.

The G-20 was going to flesh out more details of that deal here on the Riviera in Cannes. Now, it's going to all be about the crisis that is rapidly escalating in the Euro area.

The Greek prime minister, George Papandreou, is going to arrive here today to have an emergency meeting with President Sarkozy of France and Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, really to explain to them why he arrived at this surprise decision to put the austerity measures and the bailout to the Greek people without telling President Sarkozy, without telling the German chancellor, and without even telling his own finance minister who had no idea this referendum was going to be announced.

COSTELLO: So the referendum will definitely be on the ballot, right?

RIVERS: Yes. I mean, what he is proposing is having a vote for the Greek people to decide if they approve of this bailout package effectively, of more deep cuts to public services and the 130 billion euros that is being suggested to bail them out. The problem is that most opinion polls show that Greek people may well vote against that.

But it might not even get to a referendum put to the Greek people because if he loses this no-confidence vote in parliament amongst politicians, he'll be out as the prime minister. He could be finished. There could be a snap election. His own party, the Pasok party, is already splitting. He's only got a wafer-thin majority in parliament.

So, this is really beginning to kind of unravel very rapidly. And he's undoing a lot of work that they thought they had nailed down as a result of that summit in Brussels.

Why does this matter? Because it imperils the whole Euro project here. If Greece defaults basically, it could end up having to exit the Euro completely. And that may weaken the whole currency here, which could theoretically see other countries in a more perilous position.

Italy, for example, has a terrible set of public finances. It has enormous amounts of debt. More than 1 trillion euros of debt. And a lot of experts are saying Italy could be next in line if Greece is the first one to be pushed out of the Euro.

COSTELLO: Just awful. And, of course, it's a big trading partner with the United States, that will affect stocks here and eventually people's 401(k)s in the United States, so we'll be watching very closely.

Dan Rivers, many thanks, reporting live for us from France this morning.

One of the women who accused Herman Cain of sexual harassment says he's been lying. That's according to her attorney. Now, she wants to tell her side of the story. That's ahead in our Political Ticker.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Sixteen minutes past the hour.

Time for your Political Ticker with Tim Farley, host of "Morning Briefing" on Sirius POTUS live from Washington.

Now, Tim, we're going to talk about Herman Cain. He's still going before cameras, denying he ever sexually harassed anyone, calling the scandal a smear campaign. He talked to our Robin Meade of HLN and Cain is now saying he remembers more about one allegation anyway.

Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HERMAN CAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It out where she was making huge claims about sexual harassment. I do recall that she was asking for a large sum of money. I don't remember what that sum of money was. But as the review of this moved forward, that sum of money negotiating with my attorney negotiating with her attorney got less and less and less because her attorney started to figure out she didn't have -- she didn't have a valid claim.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So the lawyer for another woman who accuses Cain of sexual harassment says his client is now upset, and she wants to speak out and tell her side of the story. But, of course, she's barred by that confidentiality agreement.

So, listen to this conversation with CNN's Anderson Cooper. This is the woman's lawyer talking with Anderson. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENNETT: I have not had any direct contact with the National Restaurant Association. In the interviews I've given, I suggested that would be the right thing to do so that she can tell her side of the story since Mr. Cain is telling his side of the story. And if they -- if they agree to that, then I will confer with my client again and see what she wants to do. Ultimately, it's up to her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: OK. So, Tim, imagine, if you will, somehow this woman gets out of this confidentiality agreement and she comes forward and she tells her side of the story. This could get really ugly.

TIM FARLEY, SIRIUS POTUS XM HOST: It has gotten ugly already, Carol. This is just another shoe waiting to drop. And from the beginning, this has been a totally mismanaged embarrassment.

It's a neophyte candidate who is frankly groping for answers, if you'll pardon the expression, hasn't found any. He's done things like parse phrases, making distinctions without a difference between things like settlement and agreement, and that kind of syntactic nuance might play well in a courtroom. It does not play well in the court of public opinion.

Bottom line for Cain as a candidate, he's a man who has great appeal because he is not a politician. And frankly, he is sounding more and more like a politician every day. And that can't be good for him, Carol.

COSTELLO: Although Cain says that he raised $400,000 on Monday after the story broke. He seems to have very strong support from some conservatives. So you kind of wonder -- is this thing just going to blow over and he's going to be OK in the long run?

(CROSSTALK)

FARLEY: I can't imagine that it's that good of thing because partly he's tried to portray it as a left wing media conspiracy. And he made an appearance on FOX and there's been some pretty tough questions. And I'm not sure if Republican lawmakers who he's going to be courting on the Hill today are going to want to get too much associated with him until they find out more details about this.

There's even been sort of a playing of the race card, if you will, if you want to go back to when Clarence Thomas was going confirmed, the high-tech lynching of the uppity black, or playing to the stereotype, that ugly stereotype of the black man as a sexual predator. All of that is an undercurrent.

But I can't imagine that the support for Cain, while it may still be very, very strong in some quarters, that it would be actually expanding as a result of this. You may see sort of some circling of the wagons, but I think that core is going to get smaller and smaller if this turns out to be more of an embarrassment. And so far, it has not played well for Herman Cain, in my opinion.

COSTELLO: Tim Farley, host of "Morning Briefing" on Sirius POTUS Radio, thanks so much.

FARLEY: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Coming up, what did News Corp. officials know about the phone-hacking scandal and when did they know it? Newly released documents may prove trouble for News Corp. head James Murdoch in the upcoming face-to-face with parliament. We'll have more details for you next.

First, if you're having eggs this morning, how about some deviled eggs? That's because it's National Deviled Eggs Day. And if you can't make it in time for breakfast, have them later. Deviled eggs can be served as a side dish, an appetizer, or even as a main course. Mmm, that's versatility.

It's 20 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It is 23 minutes past the hour. Welcome back.

With the recent Europe debt deal looking a bit shaky, the world's most powerful political leaders gather this week in France to get their arms around the global economy.

Let's head around the world with Zain Verjee. She's live in London. It seems impossible to get your arms around the global economy, doesn't it?

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: It sure does, especially now where it seems like more of a struggle and a fight that's going on. The situation is really serious.

I mean, these world leaders are going to be meeting in the south of France on the French Riviera. And the beautiful plan that was so hard and difficult and took a long time to work out may be thrown into jeopardy when it comes to the Euro zone crisis. Greece is top of the agenda, and this meeting for the G-20 is really going to be a test on whether this deal's even going to hold. So, Greece has been playing out a big drama over the last 24 hours.

First of all, there's going to be a confidence vote this Friday for the Greek prime minister. That could throw the political system in total jeopardy. And the government could be on the brink of collapse if that doesn't go through.

Then there's a referendum that's going to be called either in December or January. Some reports are suggesting now December on whether the Greeks even want that deal or not. And that could scuttle the whole thing and put the entire Euro zone in danger. And it took Europe by surprise, that decision.

So, this is going to be topic number one at the G-20 meeting.

COSTELLO: I'd like to be behind closed doors and listen to those conversations. Let's talk about these new documents that have just been released --

VERJEE: Yes.

COSTELLO: -- yes, exactly -- these new documents that have been released about James Murdoch and what he knew about that phone-hacking scandal, because it's not over yet.

VERJEE: No, it's far from over. In fact, James Murdoch is going to go next week in front of a parliamentary committee here to continue to explain what he knew and when he knew it. Let's talk about these documents specifically, though. We're talking about a bunch of briefing notes and e-mails that were sent between News Corp. lawyers. And those documents have now been handed over to the British parliamentary committee.

Now, what they are saying is that there's enough information to show that ever since 2008, lawyers and senior officials at News Corp. knew what was going on with these phone-hacking scandals, and they did their best to try and keep it private.

Also, one thing that's emerged is that News Corp. has also agreed to pay thousands of pounds to an early phone-hacking victim. Why? Well, many are saying because it's that specific case that really shows that there are fatal flaws in the argument that News Corp. is saying that they didn't know how widespread all of this was. So, it's going to be interesting. And we're going to watch and see what happens when James Murdoch, his reputation has really been tarnished by this whole scandal, when he faces the committee next week.

COSTELLO: Zain Verjee live in London, thanks, as always.

Coming up, forcing your citizens in Georgia are in custody, accused of plotting attacks on judges, IRS agents and others.

And a plane makes an emergency landing on its belly. It's an amazing feat by the pilot. Unbelievable. We'll have more on that story, too. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Good morning to you. It is Wednesday, November 2nd. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. I'm Carol Costello joining you live this morning from New York. It is 30 minutes past the hour.

Four men will step into a Georgia courtroom later today accused of trying to buy explosives and stage deadly attacks. Federal agents say the men, all in their 60s and 70s, are part of a fringe militia group. They're accused of plotting to attack U.S. government officials with explosives and the biotoxin ricin. Prosecutors believe this was very real, a very real threat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SALLY QUILLIAN YATES, U.S. ATTORNEY: This wasn't just talk. They had taken real steps toward carrying out their plans. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Prosecutors say the public was never in imminent danger.

Members of Occupy Oakland want to ramp up their protests in California beyond several planned protests today. Our Dan Simon tells us organizers are hoping to enlist the local workforce and have them joined in on the demonstration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This group of protesters in Oakland became really energized last week when they were evicted by the city which, of course, set up that violent confrontation with police. Now, they're back in full force, tent city back here in front of city hall. They want to see if they can take things to the next level by calling for a general city strike.

They want workers to skip work. They're also telling teachers and students to not go to school. We know that there are going to be several hundred people marching throughout the streets of Oakland. They say that this will be a peaceful protest, but given what we saw last week, police are preparing for all eventualities.

Dan Simon, CNN, Oakland, California.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: A 22-year-old U.S. army military policeman has been arrested on suspicion of espionage. Specialist William Colton Millay was taken to the custody last Friday at the U.S. military base in Anchorage, Alaska, where he was stationed. Officials are only saying that it's an ongoing investigation involving both the FBI and army counterintelligence. Millay will be tried in the military court system.

America is losing its battle against suicide by veterans and service members. That's a direct quote from a new report that warns the military's growing suicide rate threatens recruitment and public confidence. The center for a New America and Security Study says there were 309 military suicides in 2009.

That's up from 160 in 2001. The increase is blamed on the lack of proper mental health care for service members and veterans.

It was a real white-knuckle moment on a flight From New Jersey to Poland. A plane with no landing gear making an emergency landing in Warsaw. Max Foster has the details on this incredible story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A nightmare scenario many of us fear when boarding a plane. The Boeing 767 was forced to land on its belly after technical failure with the plane's landing gear. And miraculously, it did so safely. It must have felt like an eternity as the plane slid along.

A landing none of the 230 passengers could have expected when they took of from Newark on the flight to Warsaw.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It was unexpectedly calm. The pilot landed perfectly. The crew kept us calm. We were sure that we landed on wheels. We were clapping our hands, but it turned out there were no wheels.

FOSTER: Once it was clear that the landing gear had failed, they had no choice but to crash land without it. For the safest possible landing, the pilot had to burn off excess fuel, and he circled around Warsaw for an hour to make it happen.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): There were no problems with landing. Nothing happened. It wasn't even swinging. So, we all thought that we had really landed with no problems. But I was sitting close to the wing, and I saw the sparks and smoke. And then, we ran to the exit.

FOSTER: Sparks flew at Warsaw airport as the plane slid along the runway in what was a textbook emergency landing. Emergency crews rushed to the scene. Luckily, there was no blaze, and none of the passengers or crew were hurt.

Max Foster, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: As you wait behind the school bus with the red flashing lights this morning, here's something that should make you smile. Fourth and eighth grade students scored higher in math -- they scored higher last spring than ever recorded. On a 500-point scale, fourth graders gained one point to 241 this year.

Eighth graders also up a point, 284 out of a 500 possible points. Eighth graders also gained a point in reading while fourth graders were flat. A little good news for you this morning.

Still ahead, Starbucks says you can help create jobs in America by picking up your coffee fix this morning. All you have to do is buy a cup of Joe. We'll show you how it works, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It is 35 minutes past the hour. Developing right now, worries over Greece. Stock markets are taking another hit, and European leaders are holding an emergency meeting today, all while Greece's prime minister pushes ahead with plans to hold a public vote on its bailout plan.

For morning money new, let's check in with Christine Romans. Boy, Greece really threw a wrench into things, didn't it?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: To say that Europe is mad at Greece right now is an understatement. Europe has been mad at Greece for months, and then, suddenly, it looks like internal politics in Greece where the prime minister wants to have a referendum on whether Greece will accept that big EU debt deal, throwing everything into question again, and it's really, really unnerved investors.

And for the first time, you're really hearing people say, look, this is an existential crisis for Europe. You've got to really take a close look at who are the members of the EU, who deserves to be members of the EU. This is what happens if you lower standards for some countries to come in. And then, suddenly, you look at Europe's debt -- or you look at Greece's debt, and it's still just a big problem.

So, Carol, I'll just say that Papandreou, the Greek prime minister, has been summoned to the G20 meeting in Nice where, I'm sure, he'll get a dressing down from Sarkozy and Merkel and all the others who work so hard to put a Euro debt together. And we'll see, maybe markets will be a little more optimistic today because they think that, you know, Greece will ultimately go along.

There's another little twist to the story, too. If, I think, 40 percent of people have to show up in Greece for this referendum or for this referendum to pass, it may be that Papandreou is just trying to show that he's in charge but knows that they'll never have enough people turn out to vote for this referendum. Who knows what the thinking is?

COSTELLO: I know, but that's a big gamble. And I don't think there's any way to -- I don't think there's any way you can, like, say you're going to put a vote to the people and then rescind it as a politician.

ROMANS: It's a gamble -- it's a disaster. The whole thing is one big, huge disaster. And a week ago, we thought this thing had been -- at least we thought there was a deal, and we were on the way to healing for Europe. Remember, if Europe falls into recession because of a big debt debacle, it is very bad for the United States.

It's the number one destination for our goods, some $400 billion of American goods. You can't have the U.S. recovering with Europe falling back and not being able to fix its debt crisis, which is why this G20 meeting is so incredibly important that they get this all fixed or at least get on the road.

COSTELLO: Yes. Ali Velshi's going to join us live from the G20 summit, what, in about 20 minutes, we hope, at least. We hope he's in his way (ph). Let's talk about Starbucks.

ROMANS: Sure.

COSTELLO: It's revealing this new plan that can help create jobs.

ROMANS: And Starbucks is going to throw $5 million into the brew to get it started. You know that the CEO, Howard Schultz, has been very vocal, almost political, I would say, about his distaste for gridlock in Washington. He wants to help people, help companies create jobs. So, they have started something, a small business loan program that they're trying to help fund.

You buy $5 donation at your Starbucks when you get your cup of Joe. You get this cool bracelet to show that you're a supporter of American jobs. And then, they're going to send that money to something called the OFN, the Opportunity Finance Network, I think, and they're going to try to get, they say, every donation you give is going to help fund $35 into that to get Main Street hiring.

You know, Carol, it's interesting. Main Street has been hiring. Big companies have been firing or not hiring over the past couple of years. Main Street is where any hiring has been happening, it's been happening. Companies with under 500 employees on average are hiring about 60,000 people a month. So, Howard Schultz wants to keep the money flowing to that.

COSTELLO: Good for him. Christine Romans, I'll see you in a bit.

ROMANS: Sure. Yes.

COSTELLO: Herman Cain mired in a sexual harassment scandal that will not go away. What he's saying now and what the lawyer for one of his accusers is saying. That's coming up next.

But first, it's time for your "Get Smart" question of the day. Another milestone for YouTube. A celebrity has become the first to get two billion views on a YouTube channel. So, who is it? Is it Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, or Kim Kardashian? We'll have your answer in two minutes. It's 40 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It is 42 minutes past the hour. This is you're A.M. WAKE-UP CALL.

Now, back to your "Get Smart" question of the day. A celebrity has become the first to get two billion views on YouTube. So, who is it? Is it Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, or Kim Kardashian? The answer is Justin Bieber. The 17-year-old pop star received 94 million views on his channel last month alone.

Herman Cain is waking up today to new claims that he's not telling the truth about sexual harassment allegations made against him. One of the two women who accuse Cain of inappropriate behavior says she wants to speak out about the scandal that's overshadowed Cain's campaign since Politico first broke the story on Sunday.

The alleged incident occurred when Cain was chief executive of the National Restaurant Association back in the 1990s. The woman is barred from speaking publicly about the scandal because of a confidentiality agreement that she signed with the trade group. Her lawyer talked about the case on "360" last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Have you approached the Restaurant Association or been asked by your client or your former client to approach the Restaurant Association about getting this confidentiality agreement overturned?

VOICE OF JOEL BENNETT, ATTORNEY FOR CAIN ACCUSER: Not yet, because I had closed my file and had disposed of the agreement. I'm getting it from my client. I hope to get it today or tomorrow, and once I do that with my client's consent, I will do that.

COOPER: Has your client asked you, in fact, at this point to do that?

BENNETT: She's still mulling over what she wants to do about this. She's naturally concerned about all the publicity and this coming up 12 years after the fact.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Joel Bennett says his client has been very upset since the story first came out because Cain is giving the impression that she made it all up. Bennett says he knows his client very well, and that he is sure she would not make a false complaint.

Coming up, why the U.S. military wants to give lollipops to injured soldiers in the field?

And take a look at these pictures. A car crashes into this hydrant, and look what happens. That's just bizarre. We'll have more on this story just ahead.

But first, on this day in history, 28 years ago, President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law. The legislation made Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a federal holiday. It's 44 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Good morning to you. It is Wednesday, November 2nd. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. I'm Carol Costello joining you live this morning from New York. It's 47 minutes past the hour.

England's landmark, St. Paul's Cathedral, now says it will back off its legal action against the Occupy London protesters. Let's go to London with Zain Verjee. So, Zain, why the change of heart?

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they decided maybe it's not such a good idea. They decided that rather than take legal action and forcibly disband them, maybe what they should do instead is engage the protesters and see what their issues are and find a way maybe, they say, to work together to highlight some of the social issues that they are really frustrated with.

This has been going on for a long time now. A very senior cleric at St. Paul's Cathedral also resigned. So, it's really caused a firestorm over here. And what they want to do is try and come to some resolution. So, they say they're going to pause and talk just for a few days, not weeks -- Carol.

COSTELLO: We'll see what happens.

This is kind of an odd story. Some U.S. soldiers in need of painkilling drugs may be handed lollipops?

VERJEE: Yes, and there's only one flavor, Carol, and it is berry. And that's all the flavors they can get. It's actually kind of an interesting development because U.S. marines and soldiers in Afghanistan will attempt to have morphine injected into their muscles if they need a painkiller, but now, there's this whole idea of giving them a lollipop instead.

They're saying that this is actually better than taking morphine. They call it a fentanyl lollipop. And the reason they say it's better because it eases pain faster, because when you put a lozenge into your mouth, it absorbs into the blood system much better than an injection does.

The other thing, too, Carol, they say is that you can also have more control over the dosage, because if you give someone a lollipop or a lozenge and they react to it, well, you can just pull it out, whereas if you've injected morphine and it's in, it's in. So, that's going to be the new plan moving forward, lollipops.

COSTELLO: Lollipops. Sounds good to me. Zain Verjee live in London, thank you.

If you have a 401(k) plan, good chance you'll be eyeing the markets throughout the day. The big question, will they take another nosedive like yesterday over fears the European debt plan for Greece may collapse? As you see here, overseas markets are mixed now. Japan's Nikkei closed down while Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed up.

Right now, in Europe, the FTSE is trading up. The latest turmoil was triggered by the prime minister of Greece's plan, his surprise plan to let Greek voters decide whether to accept a bailout plan reached by European leaders last week. A no vote could result in Greece abandoning the Euro as its currency and possibly defaulting on its huge debt.

The move could cost the prime minister his job despite the fact the cabinet voted to support the referendum. A no-confidence vote is scheduled in parliament. That's scheduled for Friday. All of this mess triggered a big selloff on Wall Street yesterday. Bank stocks hit especially hard. A bit of brighter news this morning, stock futures are trading up right now on Wall Street.

One firm that got caught up in the European debt crisis and suffered mightily is MF Global, the commodities and derivatives brokerage house which collapsed in bankruptcy on Monday. Now, the discovery that hundreds of millions of dollars are missing from customers' accounts. The feds are trying to figure out just how that happened.

That's according to sources close to the investigation. MF Global is led by Jon Corzine, the former governor of New Jersey and CEO of Goldman Sachs.

A new warning about breast cancer and alcohol this morning. Even moderate drinking increases a woman's chance of developing the disease. That's according to a new study of more than 100,000 nurses in the United States. Now, the report says that as few as three to six glasses of wine consumed in a week increases a woman's chance of developing breast cancer, and the risk went up with the amount of alcohol consumed.

The link between alcohol and breast cancer isn't new, but the effects of moderate drinking have not been calculated before. The study appears in the latest edition of "The Journal of the American Medical Association."

Let's head to Atlanta and check in with Rob Marciano. Any flight delays expected this morning?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. I think Denver's going to have some issues, although, the airport out there does a great job when they have snowstorms, but this is a pretty good one, especially for this time of year. We already have seen over a foot of snow in some spots in Wyoming, and blizzard warnings have been posted.

So, here is a list of the delays that we expect to see today. Denver, heavy snow and wind over an hour there. Also windy in Los Angeles because of Santa Ana winds blowing there. It could be some dust kicking up in Phoenix. Chicago, Minneapolis, and Dallas, the other problem spots if you are traveling today. Here's how the winds are going to shake down in SoCal. High fire danger as well as the gusty winds kicking up some gusts to 40 to 50 miles an hour as the classic Santa Ana setup is under way.

And it's all part of the backside of this storm system which is rolling into the central plains. Eight to 14 inches of snow expected in the Denver metro area and just east of there across the flat country. Windy conditions will cause blizzard conditions, and a blizzard warning is posted. Speaking of snow, here's a look at a high-resolution satellite picture from NASA taken from yesterday or the day before of the snow cover just after the snowstorm.

Notice the contrast between the white and the greenish terrain. You don't get this type of picture in January or February. Some of that snow is going to be melting, although, it is chilly this morning. Mild conditions across -- everywhere east of the Mississippi looks to be a pretty nice day today.

Temperatures will rebound, of course, above freezing to below freezing in some spots across the snow zone right now, but they get into the 50s, and in some cases, the 60s. I've got to show you this video again across just east of San Diego. This car, further information I've gathered over the last half an hour, Carol.

Authorities think it was stolen, because nobody was in or near the car when they finally got close to it, and it was getting cleaned on the rear end side there for a good hour before they could shut things off. (LAUGHTER)

MARCIANO: At least, it's a clean stolen car now.

COSTELLO: Yes, exactly. It's just such a bizarre picture. Thank you, Rob.

MARCIANO: All right.

COSTELLO: We appreciate it.

I have breaking news to tell you about right now. The controversial founder of the WikiLeaks website, Julian Assange, will be extradited from Britain to Sweden. He's wanted in Sweden for questioning over sexual assault allegations.

A British judge already approved the Swedish request for extradition, but Assange had appealed that decision. It went to London high court, and again, Julian Assange's appeal has been denied. He will be extradited to Sweden to face charges of sexual impropriety.

Bank of America announces it will not move forward with its plan to charge customers a $5 debit fee, but will this be enough for already outraged customers? Maybe not. It's 54 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Three minutes until the top of the hour. Welcome back. The late-night shows are getting a kick out of the Herman Cain sexual harassment scandal, Tahisha Greene (ph), most likely, but comedian, Jon Stewart, says whether the allegations are true or not, it's going to change how people view Cain. Here's your punch line.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON STEWART, HOST, THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART: If he's telling the truth, he's just a nice church-going guy and everything he does now is tainted by these allegations. Even his simple love of ice cream.

HERMAN CAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Black walnut, because it tastes good all the time.

(LAUGHTER)

STEWART: It just sounds really dirty now.

(LAUGHTER)

STEWART: And that clip of Herman Cain smiling at the end of his political ad --

(LAUGHTER)

STEWART: oh, that just -- that's just dirty. That commercial's just always going to play with different music in people's heads now.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: I really tried not to laugh, but it was impossible.

Let's head to the NASDAQ MarketSite and check in with Carter Evans. Good morning. Show us some numbers, will you?

CARTER EVANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: That was pretty funny, I've got to say. You know, leave it to Jon Stewart to make those connections there. Hey, you know, you see this red behind me. Yesterday, it was an ugly day for stocks. Today is going to be an interesting day here at home. We're going to hear from fed chief, Ben Bernanke.

We're going to get a reading on the mortgage index. We're going to get a reading on employment from payroll firm ADP. We're also going to get earnings from Comcast, MasterCard, Sony, and Kraft, just a number of companies today.

And our futures are a bit higher right now, but we've got this whole Greek debt deal hanging over our heads right now, and no one knows exactly what to think. At least right now, our futures are a bit higher. Dow futures up 80. NASDAQ up 22.5. S&P 500 up about 10. But anything can happen.

COSTELLO: You're right. Anything can happen. Let's talk about Bank of America, though, because this is score one for the consumer.

EVANS: Let me shift over here, because this headline on CNNMoney.com says it all. Bank of America axes that $5 debit card fee. You know, this is music to a lot of people's ears. Your complaints paid off. Score one for the little guy here. You're loud enough. You voted with your fee. You went to other banks, and banks are listening.

Other banks canceled that fee first, but Bank of America says it's cancelling the fee because they had listened to its customers.

COSTELLO: Now on to fighting other fees that will probably put into place of this cancel feel. But anyway, it's a victory. We should savor the moment.

EVANS: Yes. Small victories.

COSTELLO: Carter Evans, thank you.

"AMERICAN MORNING" continues right now.