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U. of Florida President Speaks; Goldman Family Denied O.J. Memorabilia; Fed Cuts Rate Half Point
Aired September 18, 2007 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everyone. I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Betty Nguyen in for Kyra Phillips today. We're waiting for a press conference to take place any minute from the president of the University of Florida. That's the place where we saw the student yesterday not only be apprehended by police there, but also was Tasered at the same time. And he simply was at a John Kerry rally, and that got apparently out of hand to the point that these officers were called in.
Now, the president of the University of Florida will be speaking, as to his reaction on what happened. That student has since though, we will remind you, been released from jail, and we're going to get more just as soon as we hear from the president of the University of Florida.
LEMON: Someone is stepping up to the mike now I believe, Betty. I'm not sure if it's the university president. We may be getting the two-minute warning or five-minute warning, as they say. Not sure who this guy is. If you guys can tell us, it would be much appreciated. But again, that's a press conference that Betty was just telling you about.
NGUYEN: Here he comes right now.
J, BERNARD MACHEN, UNIV. OF FLORIDA PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. I am Bernie Machen, the president of the University of Florida. I want to apologize going in. I have had some eye surgery, and it's difficult for me to see, so if I miss you, you will have to make sure that I recognize you.
I'm here today to address the incident that occurred yesterday and hopefully answer any questions you might have about the university's response to it. I want to state going in that we're absolutely committed to having a safe environment for our faculty and our students so that the free exchange of ideas can occur.
Civil discourse, civil debate are hallmarks of the universities, and we believe it's fundamental that we preserve an environment so that that can occur whenever and wherever it needs to happen.
The incident that occurred yesterday is regretful for us because civil discourse and dialogue did not occur. In the last 24 hours I have received lots of help and lots of advice about what to do with this, and the response to the incident and what I know about it today, the university has announced this morning the five things that we are proceeding with in order to help get this behind us.
First of all, the chief of police and the university has asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in Tallahassee to conduct an independent investigation on the police's response in this circumstance. This will be done in the very near few future and will help determine the appropriateness of the response that was made.
Two officers that were central to the activity yesterday have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of this external report and whatever decisions follow from that. We are forming a panel of faculty and students.
We're going to review all of our protocols relative to student dialogue and faculty interaction in the hopes that we can identify places where we can do better at having the environment safe and open for the kind of debate that we so value.
In addition, the university offices involved in this circumstance are conducting their own internal review of what happened, why it happened, what could we have done better, and that will obviously be a post-talk analysis, but we think that could reveal some helpful hints for us as well.
And, finally, we have every reason to believe the state's attorney is going to act expeditiously as we have called him and urged him to do so in deciding whether to go forward with the charges against the student. It's his decision when he makes that determination, but it's with our encouragement that he do so as fast and as completely as he can.
That completes my statement so at this time, Steve, I am going to need your help in identifying the questions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (OFF-MIKE)
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) what would your recommendation be in going forward with charges?
MACHEN: Well, I'm waiting for the reports. I did not see the incident. I have obviously heard from a lot of people who either saw it or saw tapes of it. It depends on what the findings are relative to the use of force, relative to the civil behavior of the student, and I think we will make our decisions about further actions, if any, pending the outcome of those external reviews.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
MACHEN: Well, I think they're concerned about the same thing that I'm concerned about. This is a university. We want to have civil discourse, and that's what we're all about. The fact that it didn't occur is as troubling to me as I think it is to them.
What we do about it though is dependent upon what the facts are, and that's what we're trying to sort out, and I think we've outlined a plan that can let this happen quickly and fairly.
QUESTION: President Machen, have you talked to Andrew (OFF- MIKE)?
MACHEN: I have not. I have talked to no students other than Ryan Moseley (ph), the president of the student body.
NGUYEN: So you have been listening to Bernie Machen, the president of the University of Florida, talk about the event yesterday where a student was Tasered during a John Kerry event. And that student being Andrew Meyer.
And the president there saying today that the whole situation is regretful because civil discourse and dialogue did not occur. He also mentioned that a couple officers will be placed on paid administrative leave while a review is under way into exactly how this situation was handled, if it was handled correctly.
Also, one other thing, the state's attorney will decide whether to go forward with any charges against the student. So a lot more investigation being done into exactly what happened yesterday which led this student to be Tasered and then put in jail.
LEMON: You better believe we're going to keep an eye on that. We're also keeping an eye on this one. Everyone is affected pretty much, this hour, is a rate cut finally in the cards? This hour the Federal Reserve Board is widely expected to cut a key interest rate in the face of market instability and a slump in the housing market.
The announcement is due in about 15 minutes or so from now, probably about 10 minutes from now. I think it's still, what, 15 after the hour it's due. We'll have live reports on what it all means for our economy and our wallets as soon as we get that news for you -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Also, Ron Goldman's family denied for now. A judge has tentatively rejected their sweeping request to get their hands on O.J. Simpson's earnings. And just moments ago we brought you comments from the Goldmans' attorney. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is at the courthouse in Santa Monica, California, with the reaction from Simpson's legal team -- Thelma.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Betty, I can tell you that they held a news conference just a few moments ago, and Simpson's attorney says that he was confident, absolutely confident, that the hearing would end exactly as it did. It didn't go that well, however, for the Goldmans.
Now, in this latest round, Fred Goldman's attorney came to court. He was seeking a court order for all the sports memorabilia that was -- that O.J. is accused of stealing in Las Vegas, that that be turned over to the Goldman family.
However, the judge denied that request. The judge said, first of all, if you come to court requesting such a thing, you need to make a list. You need to specify exactly which items in question you're seeking.
And number two, you have to first determine who owns these items, and that's all up for grabs right now. Nobody knows. Is it the sports memorabilia dealers who accused O.J. of barging into the room and stealing these items who actually own the memorabilia, or is it O.J. Simpson himself? And so that was a big item today.
Now, the Goldmans say Simpson is a wealthy man. He has a pension plan that's worth $2 million. He also makes $400,000 a year. They say this is a wealthy man. They have been trying for 11 years to collect on that civil judgment against him. And today Simpson's attorney says all of that is irrelevant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONALD SLATES, O.J. SIMPSON'S ATTORNEY: I understand my client is not the most popular of persons, but he has a right, like everybody else, to be protected. A jury acquitted him of the murder, yet Mr. Cook (ph) continually refers to him as a murderer. We have a system here. The system was followed. He has a right to collect. We have a right to protect.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUTIERREZ: Now, in the Goldmans favor, the judge did rule that they can come back to court either Thursday or the first of next week to question the ownership of a Rolex watch that O.J. is -- there's a photograph of him wearing this Rolex watch. It appeared on tmz.com. And so the ownership of that watch is in question and the Goldmans may be able to challenge that.
Betty, back to you.
NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez, we have not heard the last of this. We appreciate it, thank you -- Don.
LEMON: Let's go now to Britain, Betty, where the parents of Madeleine McCann are pleading for an end to speculation as to what might have happened to her. Portuguese police have named Kate and Gerry McCann as suspects, but they insist they had nothing to do with their young daughter's appearance. A former British government official is now the family spokesman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLARENCE MITCHELL, MCCANN FAMILY SPOKESMAN: Kate and Gerry want the process to be as open and transparent as possible. They have nothing to hide. And if -- I stress, if any case is finally put to them as a formal accusation, then they will defend themselves robustly. Until that happens, they have nothing to say about reports of how the investigation is or isn't going.
LEMON: Our prime time team, our "AC 360" team of course "Keeping Them Honest." And our Randi Kaye joins us now from the McCann's home town of Rothley, England.
Hi, Randy.
RANDY KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Don. As you just heard there, Clarence Mitchell speaking earlier today here in Rothley about the McCanns. In fact, he said that he does believe they are innocent. And they're willing to go to Portugal because they have nothing to hide and they are willing to give more interviews.
Right now the judge there in Portugal can decide -- has to decide actually by Friday what to do with the McCanns. He can put them under house arrest. He can call them back to Portugal for more questioning. Or he can leave them here to be questioned by police here in the U.K. That decision has not yet been made.
But as far as the McCanns go, they're still continuing to get some mixed press both here in the U.K. and in Portugal. The papers this morning in London certainly were more in their favor than they have been.
But there's a Portuguese magazine called Flash, and they are saying that Kate McCann had given them an interview, now it's unclear through the family spokesperson when this interview was given, if it was done before or after she and her husband were named as suspects.
But in this interview according to the magazine, she said that the first six months of Maddie's life were very difficult. She cried practically for 18 hours a day. "I had to permanently carry her around." The magazine also said that Kate told them that after the twins were born, Madeleine started to demand lots of attention. "She would run up and down screaming in the background, shouting for my attention."
Now the spokesperson does confirm that Kate McCann did speak to that magazine, but says that is not what she said. The spokesperson says that Kate told him Kate did not complain to the magazine at all about Madeleine being colicky or demanding more attention.
On the ground here, we continue to talk to family and friends who are still coming out in support of Kate and Gerry McCann, saying they are wonderful parents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: How was Gerry as a father in terms of the time he wanted to give to his children and the time he wanted to spend with his children?
DR. DOUG SKEHAN, GERRY MCCANN'S BOSS: Well, Gerry is a great father as far as I can judge. I'm a father myself and I'm not sure I can call myself great, but I would say Gerry is a great father. His daily conversation includes his family, and stories about Madeleine were rife on a day-to-day basis.
To see him interacting with her, with her on his shoulders, pushing the twins in the buggy, there are things that I can remember very vividly, and there's an ordinary guy with his young kids enjoying them.
(AUDIO GAP)
KAYE: ... about Kate and Gerry McCann?
NICKY GILL, KATE MCCANN'S BEST FRIEND: For me, it's the two special people who love their children dearly. They would not harm a single hair on their head. They just want her home, just want her back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Madeleine's great uncle, Brian Kennedy (ph), sat down with us for a rare interview, and he told us that everything started to turn against the couple about three weeks ago. He said it was very sudden. But that's when they started to get the feeling that they might be named as suspects. He believes someone is behind this, and he told us he is completely baffled by these accusations -- Don.
LEMON: All right. CNN's Randy Kaye, thank you so much for your report in Rothley England. And much more on this unfolding investigation coming up tonight. Join Anderson Cooper at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. CNN goes inside the investigation that's, "AC 360" tonight.
NGUYEN: Well, the Federal Reserve Board is just about to wrap up its meeting. We want to get you some news. CNN's Susan Lisovicz is live at the New York Stock Exchange. Ali Velshi is at the Chicago Board of Trade.
So, Susan, I know we are just a few seconds early. Have you heard any word?
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, and the markets are abuzz, as I'm sure Ali will testify in Chicago. This is a big decision. Yogi Berra once said, when you come to a fork in the road, take it. Well, the Fed is at a fork in the road. We have got oil prices at $81 a barrel, all-time highs, but you have clear and indisputable evidence that the economy is slowing down, and lots of people are raising that R-word, as in recession.
What's the Fed to do? We believe that the Fed will cut rates. The question is to how much, whether it's going to be a quarter of a point or a 50 basis points, that would be half a point. And the reason why is that even in the past month, Betty, things have gotten so much worse. We got a jobs report that showed a net loss for August. We got a retail report...
NGUYEN: Susan, let me stop you for a second because I see Ali motioning. I think he has got some kind of word.
What do you know, Ali?
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's moving right now, hang on a second. What are we getting here? We've got the news that the Fed has dropped the rates -- what do we got?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fifty.
VELSHI: Fifty basis points. This is a big surprise, we were expecting a 25 basis point -- this is going to erupt any second now where bonds are being traded. The market had priced in at 25 basis point, 25 percent cut. We have a 50 point basis cut.
Everybody around here was saying they expected 25 basis points. You're going to see a major reaction. Susan is going to have it over at the stock exchange. That's your investments and your 401(k). Over here are your loans, your debts, your credit card, your adjustable rate mortgage. Everything else is going to respond...
(AUDIO GAP)
VELSHI: ... come down along with the Fed rates. So this is good news with the debt right now. This is a bigger deal than what was being -- than what was expected. The Federal Funds rate now is 4.75 percent. This is the first drop in more than four years. That means your prime rate is 7.75 percent.
If you have a loan tied to prime, that's what you're paying. You just got a big break. And if you have an adjustable rate mortgage, you also got a break if it was about to reset to a higher rate. You should be seeing a reaction now on the New York Stock Exchange.
But here in the bond pits in Chicago, you are seeing bond yields move lower. This is a big discount for America. Over to you, Betty.
NGUYEN: Well, Susan, let me get some reaction from you because we were expecting, like Ali said, about a quarter point, but now we're looking at a half point. So what does this say about the economy and the markets that they had cut so much?
LISOVICZ: Well, that's the thing, we haven't received the statement yet. In fact, I haven't even heard it yet officially, but the market's reaction is clear that the market likes it.
NGUYEN: Look at that.
LISOVICZ: But clearly with what Ben Bernanke and the other policymakers were saying, they're concerned what has happened over the past month. We know it from a variety of reasons. Lowering the discount rate, that was a month ago, but that's not as widely used as the funds rate, which affects the mortgages, credit card rates, auto loans, everything that Ali was just referring to.
That was -- also the Fed has been pumping more than $100 billion of liquidity into the system. But the magic bullet is really the Federal Funds rate. And for the Fed to cut rates and by such a margin after four years, saying that the Fed realizes that, you know, the cavalry is coming and it came with this interest rate cut today.
NGUYEN: Yes, it did, and look at the markets react to that. Of course, we are going to get back to both of you to talk...
LISOVICZ: Well, the market jumped by 100 points in the last couple minutes.
NGUYEN: Yes. It just in a few seconds it seemed. All right. Susan, we're going to be speaking with you and Ali about what this means for people at home watching. That is coming up, but in the meantime, you are watching the NEWSROOM right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. Breaking news. You heard it here on CNN just as it unfolded. Our Ali Velshi broke the news. He is of course at the Chicago Board of Trade. Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. The question for either, whoever wants to jump in, here is the big question. What does this mean for the average Joe at home who may have a home to sell, is worried about a 401(k), investments? What does this mean for the average person, guys?
LISOVICZ: Ali, I'm going to let you answer that one.
VELSHI: Susan, as you know, the one thing that everybody is affected by, this is what these guys are trading, Treasuries. Now the issue here is if you have an adjustable rate mortgage, it's the Treasuries where they're financed.
They are going down because Treasury rates move with Fed rates. So they are going down. If you are one of those people whose mortgage was about to reset at a higher rate, it is now going to reset at a rate lower than it would have yesterday. That's number one.
Number two, The prime rate is 3 percentage points higher than the Fed rate. So the Fed rate has moved from 5.25 percent to 4.75 percent. That makes the prime rate 7.75 percent. And you see loans and credit cards and home equity loans are tied to that. So you just got a discount on that too. This is money in your pocket if you have debt.
LEMON: All right. So Ali or Susan, both of you experts, so if you have a house for sale, you're looking for a house because everyone is concerned about the slump in the housing market, is this hopefully going to cause more folks to be able to be able to afford a loan, to be able to buy into the housing market and will those homes start moving again which will in turn help the economy? That's the big question.
LISOVICZ: Well, I mean, that's the idea. That's why the Fed is taking a big move for first time in four years by cutting interest rates, even as oil is at all-time highs, Don. But you have to remember, this didn't happen overnight. There's a lot of capacity. Have you noticed how many for sale signs are out there? Do you know how many adjustable rates are going to be reset next month? Something like $50 billion worth.
So I think that for this to just end overnight because of what the Fed does today is really just a fantasy. But should credit be a little bit easier, a little bit more accessible, a little bit more affordable? That's what the Fed is doing today.
LEMON: So we've got to go through the wilderness a little bit more before we get to the promised land.
Ali, what are you hearing there on the floor? VELSHI: It takes a while. What these guys will tell you is that when rates come down, it doesn't have an effect overnight to everybody. Some people will see their rates go down, as I said, but what it does is it makes money cheaper for businesses and for people. And when money is cheaper, people borrow more, they spend more, businesses expand and hire more workers. Workers spend and they get into debt. And that's how the economy grows and that's how it keeps going.
The problem that the Fed has is they don't want to stimulate that too much because it causes inflation. But this is meant to give people a little more money and businesses a little more money to say, if the economy is showing down, don't worry, money is available, it's not that expensive, kick it up a notch.
The danger, of course, is that that is kind of what got us into this mess in the first place...
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: That's exactly what I wanted to mention. That this is really an art, not a science, when the Fed decides on interest rates. Because I think there's a lot of people who say, well, you know, the Federal Reserve helped create this housing bubble by keeping interest rates so low. That is, historic levels of 1 percent for so long.
So the Fed certainly knows that that history lesson is a very recent one, and wants to be very careful as to where it goes in the future.
LEMON: Susan Lisovicz, Ali Velshi on top of it. Thank you so much. I learned a lot from all of this and hopefully I guess what they do want is that this will help get the economy moving, the housing market as well. We are going to continue to follow this story. We are definitely going to have Susan Lisovicz back. Ali, we hope to have you back as well. Thank you both for helping us with that news.
NGUYEN: Want to get you more on another story that we are following, that involving a student who was Tasered at the University of Florida during a John Kerry event yesterday. Here is some video of that actual event where Andrew Meyer was Tasered by police.
Now, we heard a little bit earlier from the president of the University of Florida. He called the whole incident regretful because civil discourse and dialogue did not occur. He also mentioned that a review is being done over how the officers handled the situation, and that the state's attorney will look into whether charging this student.
But at this moment we are getting some sound in from students there on campus talking about what happened and their reaction to it. Let's take a listen to Benjamin Dictor, he is a junior majoring in political science.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BENJAMIN DICTOR, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA STUDENT: I think what needs to be stressed here, as much as there will be investigation into the physical violence, is that what happened in that auditorium yesterday was not only a physical assault, but an assault on reason itself.
For a question to be met with arrest, not to mention physical violence, is completely unacceptable in the United States, especially in the halls of education. For thought and for inquiry to be suppressed in the halls of education is completely unthinkable for what a university is meant to do.
The violence that we saw has prompted three demands on behalf of the students in the lobby. We demand that the charges are dropped against the student who did nothing more than ask a question. Second, we demand that charges and punishment be brought against the officers who committed the true crime in that auditorium yesterday. And, third, we demand that Tasers be taken off campus.
I'm sure in the public discourse the numbers of individuals who have died from Taser use in this country will come out over the next couple of days, and I think that that's an important thing to focus on. It's also important to focus on the fact that the investigation that is planned for this incident will occur behind the blue wall of secrecy.
Meaning that law enforcement will be investigating themselves and that, my friends, is an absolute joke. We cannot have that. We need a real, free public inquiry. Let this be an appeal to all organizations who have an interest in the civil liberties of students and Americans everywhere, we need your help on this campus. This is an appeal to the ACLU, this is an appeal to every organization that can possibly come down and help us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: So that student there, Benjamin Dictor, a junior majoring in political science, calling for action in regards to what happened yesterday. And some of that action including demanding that the charges be dropped against Andrew Meyer, the gentleman who was Tasered yesterday. Also he wants Tasers taken off campus.
But tonight we are taking this entire situation "OUT IN THE OPEN" right here on CNN. We're actually having Andrew Meyer on live tonight at 8:00 p.m. to talk about what happened. As we heard a little bit earlier from the University of Florida president, Mr. Meyer has been released from jail. And we are going to hear more on exactly what happened to him through his own words. So stay with us, 8:00 p.m. tonight, right here on CNN.
LEMON: Betty mentioned this, live in a small town, how many people have heard about you (ph) except the people who live around you in that small town? All of a sudden you're right in the middle -- dropped right into the middle of a media spotlight. If you own a business and a big civil rights movement scheduled to come to your town, do you stay open? What do you do? It's a big question. We're going to talk to a business owner about that coming up right here in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Hello everyone, I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen in for Kyra Phillips today. Jena, Louisiana, braces for thousands of visitors coming to show support for the so-called Jena six.
LEMON: What do you do in this situation? We'll ask some local business owners what they're anticipating this Thursday. How do you really know? Never happened before. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Well, there's a chance Jena's population could swell by up to 35,000 people this Thursday, and business people there looking forward to the influx? That's a question. Are they worried the town will be overwhelmed? Two business owners join us now from Jena, Louisiana. Charles Gayden, he owns a funeral home, and Tina Norris owns a tanning salon. Is it Cafe Martin, right?
TINA NORRIS, OWNER, TROPICAL DREAMS: Yes, Cafe Martin, it's a restaurant.
LEMON: Cafe Martin and it's a restaurant, ok. So what do you do? You've got all these people coming to town, Tina, and you would think that with a restaurant you would welcome thousands and thousands of people just for the money. Are you going to stay open? Are you going to close?
NORRIS: Oh, no, we're closing for that day.
LEMON: Why are you closing?
NORRIS: Well, we don't really know what's going to happen on Thursday, and so we're just going to shut down and go home and hope that everyone comes in and has a peaceful rally for that day and that we won't have any property damage done to our businesses.
LEMON: So you're saying that, and I don't want to put words in your mouth, you said you don't know what's going to happen. Are you thinking there's going to be violence because you're getting all these quote, unquote, outsiders coming into the community?
NORRIS: I hope it doesn't. You know you hear rumors, but you hope that it will be very peaceful, that people will come in and that they won't, you know, they won't be violent and won't cause any damage and will do what they need to do and then go home.
LEMON: Ok, so, Charles, I'm going to get to you, but just -- Tina, just by saying that, just by anticipating that there may be violence, do you think in some way that you are encouraging what people are thinking and saying about Jena? You know, there's lots of rallies and festivals in New York City and Chicago and Atlanta and San Francisco, what have you, and most of the time people don't close their doors. NORRIS: Well, we're just a small town. We don't have things like that here, you know. We're not used to --
LEMON: I guess the question is why -- people would say why aren't you anticipating that it's going to be something good where people can learn something about Jena and learn something about racism and about everyone coming to your town. Why can't you show them your hospitality instead of closing your doors.
NORRIS: Well, I wish we could, but we don't know how many people are coming. We don't know -- our town is just not large enough to handle the people that they say are going to be here. You get that many people together, you're going to have some that -- I'm hoping they're not going to incite a riot or anything, but you know you're going to have some troublemakers that are going to come in, and you don't know what's going to happen. Just to keep ourselves safe, we're just going to all close and hope for the best.
LEMON: Ok. Charles, she said some troublemakers are going to come in. You're closing a funeral home, correct? Are you staying open or you're closing?
CHARLES GAYDEN, OWNER, GAYDEN FUNERAL HOME: No I'm staying open.
LEMON: You're going to stay open?
GAYDEN: We stay open 24 hours.
LEMON: Why are you staying open?
GAYDEN: Why? Well, first of all, we're governed by the state, and our doors have to be open from 8:00 to 5:00 in the state of Louisiana.
LEMON: What do you make of people who are closing their doors and getting out of town and not dealing with the people who are coming in? What do you think of that?
GAYDEN: I feel a lot of people are overreacting, and I think it's a boost for the economy. And the ones that close their doors, I think they will lose out on a lot of revenue.
LEMON: Charles, do you think your town is racist?
GAYDEN: No, I don't feel that -- you have some certain isolated incidents, but I don't think that the town as a whole is racist.
LEMON: Do you think that many people who have lived there and I grew up in Louisiana, people who have lived there for so long may not recognize it because they're too close to it?
GAYDEN: Maybe some.
LEMON: Tina, do you think your town is racist?
NORRIS: No, I don't. I mean, we have like Charles said, we have a few incidents that happen, but in general we're just a small, peaceful town.
LEMON: Ok. And I didn't get the last part of what you said. Someone was talking to me. Say it again.
NORRIS: I said in general we're just a small, peaceful town, you know.
LEMON: Yeah. And it's understandable. I would guess some would say that you don't know who will come into your town or how many people. We wish you success on Thursday, and we wish better news for your town than what's been coming out of it. So thank you so much for joining us today.
NORRIS: Thank you, thank you.
LEMON: Both Tina Norris and Charles Gayden. We understand that you don't know what to expect, so when there's no precedent, who knows. Thank you both very much.
And some Jena residents say they wish the outsiders would stay out. You heard part of that in the interview we just did. And the spotlight on their town would of course dim. Others think the spotlight isn't bright enough. CNN SIU, that's our special investigations unit, will take you beyond the sound bites in the Jena case. Don't miss our very own Kyra Phillips in the hour long special report, "Judgment in Jena," it happens this Thursday at 8:00 p.m. eastern right here on CNN.
NGUYEN: In other news, every American who doesn't have health insurance would have to sign up for it. That's the core of Hillary Clinton's ambitious new health care plan. She unveiled it yesterday and she is defending it today. The Democratic presidential hopeful rejects critics who say the plan amounts to government-run health care and higher taxes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: All of the critique of that I suppose is politics as usual because the plan, of course, does have both an individual mandate and insurance reform, and I think you have to have both. I'm asking for shared responsibility. Individuals have to do our part, the drug and insurance companies have to change the way they do business. Employers have to contribute and the government has to help. I think that's the American way, to have everybody working and doing their part and taking responsibility. And I don't think I'm going to be nominated for insurance woman of the year. I have been taking on the insurance companies and the drug companies for 15 years, but I also know that we've got to have a plan that reflects what Americans want, and a lot of Americans are very satisfied with the health care that they have. And as far as I know, most of the people who have looked at this on the Democratic side believe that an individual mandate is a very important way of getting to universal coverage. You help people who cannot afford to do it on their own. You help small businesses that cannot afford to make the contributions without a tax credit. You limit the amount that an individual has to pay as a percentage of income, and you also reform the system by modernizing it through electronic medical records and making it more efficient. So I feel very good and quite confident that the parts of the plan that I have put together will find a lot of favor among people who know what we have to do to get to universal coverage.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, one of the critics of the Clinton health care plan is Karl Rove. The former top Bush White House adviser says Clinton is asking Americans to trade freedom for government regulation. In a Wall Street Journal editorial Rove says his fellow Republicans need to offer a plan that boosts competition and puts patients more in charge of health care decisions.
Mitt Romney's criticism of the Clinton health plan is drawing its own criticism from the hospital Romney used as a back drop. Romney stood in front of New York City's St. Vincent Hospital yesterday to pan Clinton's plan. Well now the hospital accuses Romney of using it as a political prop and says he held a news conference without St. Vincent's knowledge or consent. Romney calls the hospital an important institution and his spokesman says he stood on a sidewalk, not on hospital property.
LEMON: Here's a very good question for you. How would you like to file your taxes in five minutes? Senator Barack Obama says millions will be able to under his tax plan. The Democratic presidential hopeful unveiled it this afternoon and he wants to cut taxes for the middle class and poor, boost them for the rich, and simplify the tax code to make filing easier and quicker.
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SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The American people work longer and harder than the people of any other wealthy nation in the world, but their hours are getting longer, and their wages aren't getting any higher. Their costs are going up, but their economic security is going down. When a single mom gets her paycheck, that check gets taxed. When she goes to buy her groceries, that purchase gets taxed. When she reaches her retirement, her social security benefits get taxed. Meanwhile, her boss's investments get taxed at a lower rate, and the corporation she works for has all kinds of loopholes built into the tax code because they have lobbyists who are sticking up for their interests.
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LEMON: Obama says for the middle class alone, his plan would call for $80 billion or more in tax cuts.
NGUYEN: All right, take a look. It came from the bottom of the lake killing three kids.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This thing is just there. It's lurking like, you know, some deadly thing in the water which can take our children's lives, and we all have to be aware.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: No, it is not a monster, but yet an amoeba. We'll explain, coming up.
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LEMON: All right, for the first time in four years the feds dropped the interest rate, 4.75 Betty Nguyen and guess what, look at the market.
NGUYEN: They have reacted.
LEMON: Up 242 points you see right now. Is this good news for investors? Good news for your 401(k), for your home, for all that?
NGUYEN: Mortgages?
LEMON: You know who can answer that, Susan Lisovicz. We will check in with her in just a little bit on this new announcement.
NGUYEN: Right now we want you to check out this new video that's coming into CNN. It's new video of Andrew Meyer being released from jail. That is the guy right there. You saw him a little bit earlier in some other video at the University of Florida during a John Kerry event yesterday where he was asking a number of questions. There he is hugging someone. But yesterday asked a number of questions to the point that he was taken by officers there and tasered and then later put in jail. Well, we have heard from the president of the University of Florida today who says the whole event was just regretful because civil discourse and dialogue did not occur. An investigation is taking place into how that was handled. We're going to hear from Andrew Meyer tonight at 8:00 p.m. here on CNN, so you want to stay tuned for that.
LEMON: It's not the first time. It was during the Harry Potter book, remember, there was video of him standing on the corner saying Harry died, even though it wasn't true and some people found it kind of weird that he was saying that.
NGUYEN: He's been known for doing practical jokes and other things at different events so we'll see how this plays out. We're going to hear from him tonight, so you want to stay tuned to that to hear in his own words exactly how it played out.
LEMON: That story affecting a lot of college students and this one affecting a lot of folks at home. Better check your lettuce, investigators in Canada have found e.Coli in a bag of Dole, it's called "Hearts Delight," it's a salad mix. Now Dole is recalling thousands of bags. They were sold in Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and parts of Canada. Suspect lettuce was processed at the Dole plant in Springfield, Ohio, and carries a best buy date of September 19th. Dole says it's had no reports so far of anyone getting sick. NGUYEN: A swimming hole on a hot summer day. Sounds pretty good, right? Well if you're a kid or even if you're not, that's pretty close to a perfect combination. But it is not, however, perfectly risk-free, and one of the most serious potential dangers is too small to even see. CNN's John Zarrella reports from Orlando, Florida.
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JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 11-year-old Will Sellars loved the water and being outside. So naturally his dad was surprised one weekend when Will didn't feel like doing much and complained of headaches.
STEVE SELLARS, WILL'S FATHER: And then that was on a Saturday, and Sunday morning and then Monday rushed him to the hospital, and then two days later he's passed away. It's like a nightmare.
ZARRELLA: Will died a little over a week after he went swimming in this lake near Orlando. Health department officials say he's one of three boys to die here in Orlando this summer from a microscopic amoeba that has lived for eons in the sediment and muck of fresh water bodies.
DR. KEVIN SHERIN, DIRECTOR, ORANGE CO. HEALTH DEPT.: So this thing is just there. It's lurking like, you know, some deadly thing in the water which can take our children's lives, and we all have to be aware.
ZARRELLA: The amoeba, which attacks and kills the brain, thrives in hot, summer months, especially when the water goes above 80 degrees. It is rare, only 24 cases in the U.S. in the past 20 years. It is almost always fatal. It starts innocently enough like the flu, fever, chills, a stiff neck.
MANDI SELLARS, WILL'S MOTHER: Acted like the flu. It just -- you never would have suspected that he would pass away just a few days later.
ZARRELLA: And it's not just in Florida. Two people died this summer of it on Lake LBJ in Austin, Texas. In Orlando, the health department has posted signs at dozens of lakes warning people of the danger, warnings that have fallen largely on deaf ears.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We didn't see a warning, did you see a warning?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No I did not see it.
ZARRELLA: Frustrating for health officials who know in the dead of summer, the water is simply too inviting.
(on camera): Health department officials say they're not sure why there have been three cases this summer. Perhaps in the past it was under reported or miss misdiagnosed because it looked so much like the flu. Health department officials say though if people are going to insist on swimming in these lakes, then they need to wear a nose clip because the organism gets to the brain through the nose and wearing a nose clip is the only way to protect yourself. John Zarrella, CNN, Orlando, Florida.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right, here is one of the big stories of the day, it's not the big story of the day, the fed's cut interest rates. First time in four years. Look at that, the market is rallying. We're going to check in with our Susan Lisovicz in just a bit who is going to give us a complete break down on what's going on, what the fed's hope will happen from all of this.
In the meantime, we spend a lot of time talking about the fed and the decisions made by its board of governors. So our news quiz today, how long is a term for members of that board. How long is a term for members of that board. Betty Nguyen knows everything, she probably has the answers for you, but, we won't go to it. We'll go to that right after the break.
Meantime, there's our guy, Hollywood guy, right there.
A.J. HAMMER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: It was a tough day in court yesterday for Britney Spears. I'm going to tell you what happened coming up next in the NEWSROOM.
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LEMON: Oh, boy. Does she ever get a break? The trouble just keeps coming for Britney Spears. A.J. Hammer is there to tell us how bad it's getting for the pop star. A.J., A.J., A.J., does she ever get a break?
HAMMER: No Don, she doesn't and it is bad and it's coming from all sides right now. First this child custody hearing going on in L.A. yesterday between Kevin Federline and Britney Spears for custody of their two young kids. That didn't go well for Spears. A former bodyguard of hers made a surprise appearance in court to tell a judge that he saw her doing drugs and running around naked in front of the couple's two sons. That's the bodyguard right there with his attorney outside of the court. Now Spears' attorney Linda Wasser called the witness a disgruntled employee. Spears had fired the guy four months. But I guess Wasser the lawyer wasn't too happy with Britney either as her boss because shortly afterwards she quit the case and was replaced with another attorney. So she's gone, but that's not all. High powered management company "The Firm" has also decided they don't need Britney as a client anymore and they announced that they have ended their relationship with the pop princess. That is a pretty big statement. So let's review now, bad performance on MTV that people are still talking about it. This ugly custody battle, now her advisers, her lawyers, they're leaving her. I would say, Don, a pretty tough stretch for Britney Spears right now.
LEMON: What do they say, when it rains it pours?
HAMMER: Yeah. LEMON: Who knows what happened, but you got to feel bad someone has that much trouble. I'm sure -- I shouldn't say I'm sure. I have seen it. The tabloids, I was in the airport yesterday, every magazine Britney Spears, Britney Spears, Britney Spears, they're going crazy with this.
HAMMER: Yes, this is a bona fide tabloid tornado circling around Britney right now. We all know that that can be incredibly tough on Britney or any star for that matter. As a matter of fact, last night we spoke with Good Charlotte front man Joel Madden whose relationship with Nicole Richie definitely gives him tremendous perspective on what's it like to deal with the paparazzi and we asked him how he deals with it.
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JOEL MADDEN, GOOD CHARLOTTE: As far as that tabloid stuff goes, I mean the way that I feel the way me and my girlfriend feel about it, I'm sure the way Benji feels about it is, we like to count our blessings and we have a really great life, and like I said there's problems out in the world that we -- we have our health and we have our happiness, so, you know, you just kind of shut it all out.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yeah, you have to do your best to do that, I guess. That's Madden's brother Benji sitting right next to him in that shot. We spoke with them just before they opened up for Justin Timberlake's show in L.A. last night. Nicole Richie and Madden are expecting a baby together in January. Madden is understandably excited at the prospect of becoming a dad. He called Richie the best girlfriend in the world and he revealed that they don't want to know the sex of the child before it's born. In the meantime, his band, Good Charlotte, is heading off to headline a tour in Australia. I will tell you this, paparazzi cameras are following him like never before so he better be on his best behavior.
LEMON: You know you see so much of it A.J. How do you know what's real or not? That's the question. I mean I never know what's true and what's not true.
HAMMER: It often comes down, Don, to who is reporting it. There are certain magazines that have a reputation of not necessarily putting the whole truth out there.
LEMON: Right, I guess you know you have to watch "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" and that will give you --
HAMMER: That's exactly right.
LEMON: The truth every single time. Ok, Barry Manilow, you don't hear about him much in the tabloids, what's going on with him?
HAMMER: No, well you know he has a new CD in stores and apparently he pulled out of today's scheduled appearance on "The View" to promote that CD. He says he did it because he's a friend of Rosie O'Donnell's and he doesn't agree with the politics of one of "The View's" co-hosts Elisabeth Hasselbeck. TMZ.com broke this story about Manilow's decision yesterday. The show's executive producer Barbara Walters and producer Bill Getty responded on Sirius satellite radio last night. They're saying that "The View" is about each host's point of view and that they wouldn't let a guest pick and choose who they would talk to. Which you could certainly understand. Not a mention of it on "The View" today, so I'm guessing this whole thing is probably going to blow over pretty darn quickly.
Now coming up tonight on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," is O.J. Simpson done? A simple but poignant question. Startling new evidence piles up showing what may have really happened during O.J.'s alleged robbery attempt in Las Vegas. Is there any way he can actually beat the wrap or is O.J. headed to jail for a long, long time? We've got the latest dramatic developments tonight on TV's most provocative entertainment news show, it's "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT." We will see you at 11:00 p.m. eastern and pacific on "Headline Prime."
LEMON: Just when you thought you heard the last of O.J.
HAMMER: Oh, not for a while now.
LEMON: All right, thank you A.J. We'll be watching.
HAMMER: Thanks.
NGUYEN: Talk about dramatic developments, let's take a look at the markets right now. We're going to send you to the big board where you can see how they are reacting. Up 246 points to the fed cutting interest rates by a half of a percentage point. We're going to have much more on this right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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