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Discouraging Jobs Report Highlights Economic Tough Time; House Members Hear from Automakers; Another Judgment Day Awaits O.J. Simpson

Aired December 05, 2008 - 10:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: New blood letting in the economy. Not so happy there. Jobs being lost faster than before. Our money team puts it in perspective and has pink slip tips.
Also happening now, House members hear from the Big Three automakers calling out for a financial lifeline.

It is Friday, December 5th, I'm Heidi Collins. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Your paycheck, your bills, their survival. The morning headlines all about your wallet yet again today. The Big Three automakers back on Capitol Hill this hour. They're looking for $34 billion in taxpayer loans. And they say the clock is ticking. Bleak new unemployment numbers, 533,000 more Americans lost their jobs in November. That's the biggest jump in 34 years.

Now, some good news, because we have some oil and gas prices do continue to fall. And the best may be yet to come. Merrill Lynch predicting oil could drop to 25 bucks a barrel. That's compared to the July record of $147 a barrel. CNN's money team will be breaking down all of these developments impacting your wallet.

And Dana Bash is on Capitol Hill for the automakers' hearing. Brooke Baldwin looks at the auto workers whose jobs are in limbo. Christine Romans looks at the new jobless numbers. And Gerri Willis shows us where the jobs are. It is your money and the Big Three automakers want it. They're back on Capitol Hill this morning in search of that taxpayer loan. They say their survival actually depends on it. CNN congressional correspondent Dana Bash now with the very latest.

We heard some of the opening statements. I believe we're getting to the questioning phase now.

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We'll get there soon. This is a large House panel. But unlike yesterday this is actually moving along with a brisk pace, Heidi. But you know the atmosphere was laid out by the chairman Barney Frank who in his colorful style laid out the fact that clearly there is a problem, but made very clear that it's something that everybody is going to have to fix.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. BARNEY FRANK (D), MASSACHUSETTS: I think all of us remember in school the teachers we hated most were the teachers who said, if one person misbehaved, the whole class would get extra homework. I don't want to give the whole country extra homework because automobile executives in the past misbehaved. We have to separate out unhappiness and anger over things not done in the past from the consequences now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, a couple of the lawmakers, Republican and Democrat, looked at the CEOs and said point-blank, you know, thank you for presenting these plans, not good enough. There were some big holes in the plans that they presented. But others said, look, nothing is going to be perfect. And it is clear it's time to stop staring one another down and start talking and start really trying to work out a solution here.

And what was interesting, Heidi, you and I talked about the fact that one of the Democrats proposed this idea of a short-term fix just to make sure companies like GM have the $4 billion they say they need to be solvent before the end of the year. Even one of the leading Republican critics, the top Republican on this committee, Spencer Bachus, he suggested that might not be a bad idea. And one other Republican did as well. So there do seem to be some things, at least some ideas jelling here, at least some opportunities perhaps for these lawmakers to get at least something in the short-term if they can't come up with a broad solution before the end of the year.

COLLINS: Yes. All right. Well, we are watching closely. We hope something can be done certainly.

Dana Bash, thank you.

The head of the United Auto Workers union is joining in the Big Three bid for an economic lifeline from Congress. The union is even offering labor concessions. But how is it all playing out on those auto assembly lines in Michigan. CNN's Brooke Baldwin is there joining us now from Lansing sort of in the thick of it, if you will, right on the production line.

Good morning to you, Brooke.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, good morning.

We're trying as hard as we can to stay out of these guy's way, so let me sneak across in between these two cars. This is the thick of things, is exactly what you said. This is the Grand River Plant here in Lansing. They build multiple models of Cadillacs, looking at the CTS, what these people are doing. They work in teams, they have a certain amount of time for them to get their job done. They're putting on some of the back lights. He's putting in the shocks, putting in part of the front of the car, the rear carpeting. Then you guessed it, the next car moves forward.

Here, of course, the mood in this plant has definitely changed given what's happened with the Big Three here in Detroit. And the fact that the CEOs today are in Washington fighting for that bridge loan, fighting to survive. I want to bring in Mike Green.

Mike, if you don't mind coming over here. Mike Greene is four generations of GM workers, your grandfather, your father and your son at this plant. You're also the president of the local 652 which is what all 1,800 of these workers, right?

MIKE GREEN, PRES. UAW LOCAL 652: Correct.

BALDWIN: Your whole family is personally affected by this story.

GREEN: Oh, yes, absolutely. My grandfather has passed on. My father retired from GM and his pension, those things. My son is going to be affected because he's low seniority. And he'll be laid off. So you know, that's just devastating to us.

BALDWIN: What's your message to American taxpayers? A lot of people saying, you know what, hey the American automotive industry should not get this money from the federal government. You say -

GREEN: Let me remind you if you look around in here, we're all taxpayers. Everybody in this plant is a taxpayer. Now Ford, GM, Chrysler, we all pay taxes. If you're looking for my own to reinvest in America and let us have a loan, that's what we're looking for, I'm saying OK.

BALDWIN: One of my biggest questions to these workers because they do not know their fate including your son, is your son, as you're saying he would be laid off here as in February they're laying off the second shift. Does he have a plan b?

GREEN: Well, we've always talked. Funny you say that. I always say plan a because he's always wanted to work here. And after five years of working here, what's plan b? I guess we'll have to look at that plan a little closer. But if you look around in this plant, people come to work, this morning it's old news. People dug down in their pocket because it's for the community, to do the right thing. Even though some of these people will be laid off, we do the right thing. We always have.

BALDWIN: All right, Mike. Thank you.

I know a lot of you are fiercely proud of what you do. They've been working here for years and years, Heidi. So it's tough for many of these workers to even contemplate the thought of not coming back here to the plant to work tomorrow.

COLLINS: Yes. And Mike is such a good example, too. I know he's the president of the local chapter there. We had a chance to talk with him yesterday. Boy, many, many generations that have been working awfully hard in this industry.

Brooke Baldwin, thanks so much. Appreciate that.

Now let's take a look at the larger unemployment picture. This morning's news pretty grim. CNN's Christine Romans is in New York now with the very latest on this.

And you know, Christine, we've also been watching the Dow on this. I mean, we expected that they will really go down. Those futures were pointing down about 170 points. It looks like now we are there, obviously reacting to this incredibly large and surprisingly large jobless number.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Listen, we knew it was going to be big, right. We thought maybe 325,000 or 350,000, some of the outside expectations were maybe 400,000 jobs lost in November. And Heidi, it was 533,000 jobs lost in November. And the two prior months which were already ugly were revised lower still. So for three months you saw more than 1.2 million jobs lost in this economy. You haven't seen a three-month performance like that since all the way back in 1974 and 1975 which is a very tough time in this country.

COLLINS: Why do you think, Christine, that estimate was so off?

ROMANS: Because a lot of economists are doing all of their own math. And they just didn't think that companies were going to lay off as many people as they did. They just didn't really think it was going to be quite so dramatic. Because really it's been accelerating and accelerating more than economists have thought. And they're expecting it to continue to accelerate into the end of the year. I mean these are companies that are trying to make their head count - sorry trying to make their numbers by cutting their head count through the end of the year. And that probably is going the ramp up a lot of economists are telling me. Before I tell you about the President- elect's response, I wanted to show you kind of where the worst spots were.

COLLINS: OK. Yes.

ROMANS: Construction, engineering, retail. This is the time of year usually you're adding retail jobs, right? Well, you're not. And so people who are relying on those kinds of jobs to get them through the end of the year are not going to have them. Construction, hotels and restaurants also losing jobs. You did see jobs growth in health, health care. It's a trend we've been noticing all year. Anything related to a hospital or a patient is adding jobs. Anything related to a piece of machinery in a hospital is adding jobs. Some of these take a little bit of training. And many of these jobs pay more than the median income in this country. So it's something to remember.

Health care also can be a local job. There are hospitals and health care facilities where you live. You don't necessarily have to move to get these jobs. So 359,000 of those jobs added over the past year, a rare bright spot. Something for people who are looking to translate their skills to a new area, something for them to remember. Now the president-elect sent out a statement today saying you know that this is a dramatic reflection of the growing economic crisis that we face.

Barack Obama has been handed a very difficult situation because people are going to look to him to create jobs in this country. And presidents, for better or worse, get more credit and more blame than they deserve for what happens in the jobs market. But he has promised to try to save or create at least 2.5 million jobs over the next couple years. My sources, Heidi, are saying that's not enough.

COLLINS: Yes.

ROMANS: It's got to be more than that. It's got to be more than that. (INAUDIBLE) who is an economist with a Nobel Prize, a very respected economist, he says we need five million jobs created over the near term, over the next couple of years just to get back to even. It takes a million and a half jobs created every year just to keep up with the working age population. So that's just a snapshot of the difficulty of this new administration and the President-elect, he realizes that it is a tough job and that this new team certainly has its work cut out for it.

COLLINS: No question about that. All right. CNN's Christine Romans from New York for us.

Thank you, Christine.

So who is cutting those jobs? It's a very long list by now. It seems to be growing longer by the day as you just heard Christine say. In fact, just yesterday five major companies slashed nearly 23,000 jobs. AT&T eliminating 12,000, about four percent of its total workforce, Dupont cutting 2,500 jobs, the Delaware based chemical company says it's responding to today's tough times and what lies ahead for them next year. Credit Suisse as a group is slashing 5,300 staff jobs, that's 11 percent of its worldwide workforce. It's also eliminating 1,00 contractor positions. The list goes on. Viacom and Avis cutting a total of about 3,000 workers, and countless companies say they are not replacing workers as they leave.

Millions of Americans learning the hard way they were in the wrong line of work. So how do these people find a new career? It doesn't sound all that easy. CNN's personal finance editor Gerri Willis though has some answers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A new security alert in India is putting travelers on edge. The U.S. State Department says the Indian government has been warned terrorists may be planning to attack Indian airports and flights today or tomorrow. As a result security has been tightened at airports across that country. Indian security sources tell our sister network CNN IBN, the ten attackers who killed nearly 180 people during last week's siege got help from a Bangladeshi national. The sources says the Bangladeshi bought cell phone SIM cards for the attackers inside India. Intelligence experts say terrorists used the cards to then switch phones and throw police off their trail.

We have told her story of bravery and love. And now here it is in her own words. The nanny who saved a toddler from terrorists in Mumbai spoke with CNN's Paula Hancock in Israel

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PAULA HANCOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Pure concentration on his latest work of art. Moshe Holtzberg draws and plays with the nanny who saved his life. It's a million miles away from last week's Mumbai attack which killed both his parents.

SANDRA, NANNY: I was in the kitchen. I came running, and I see one man is shooting at me. He shot at me.

HANCOCK: Sandra locked herself in the storeroom with another Chabad house worker, Jacki. And when she heard baby Moshe calling her name 12 hours later, she didn't hesitate to unlock the door and risk her life to save his.

Then I heard gunshots, not one or two, hundreds of gunshots, 10, 20 grenades, bombed in Chabad. So even I am a mother of two children, so I just pick the baby and I run. I don't think of fear. Does anybody think of dying at that moment when a small precious baby - no.

HANCOCK: Moshe is now learning to play again, but likes to know that Sandra is close by.

SANDRA: For two or three days he asked for his (INAUDIBLE) continuously because she used to always give some special time to him.

HANCOCK: Moshe plays in the garden of a Rabbi (INAUDIBLE) David Grossman, a man who has spent 40 years looking after orphans in Israel, his own great nephew also now an orphan. But Moshe now has dozens of loving relatives willing to give him a new home. And the Chabad movement has created a fund to secure his future.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody thinks Sandra because she gives the life to save Moshe. She knows she can be killed and she go and take him out.

HANCOCK: A non-Jewish Indian nanny welcomed as an Israeli hero. She has carte blanche to stay in Israel and says she will not leave as long as Moshe needs her. Even now Sandra barely takes the time to think of herself.

And how are you coping now?

SANDRA: Me? Baby is there, Sandra is there. That's it.

HANCOCK: Paula Hancock, CNN, northern Israel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: A CNN I-reporter bringing us pictures from a Mumbai memorial now. Vikan Talwar captured this image from near the Eiffel Tower. Crowds gathered to show solitarily for the victims of the attack.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: It's looking like a winter wonderland in parts of the country. Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is in the severe weather center with a look at where the cold and snow are blowing around today.

Hey there, Reynolds.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Heidi, you're from the Midwest, aren't you?

COLLINS: Yes. In fact, I got the snow report from the parents yesterday.

WOLF: OK. Well, see then you know exactly where I'm coming from when I say that snow is great, the first dose is just fantastic.

COLLINS: Exactly.

WOLF: But when you get to April, you know late in the season, you're just done with it.

COLLINS: Enough is enough.

WOLF: Absolutely. Spring is a long time away. We're talking about winter. And we've got, well the snow is flying right now especially off the lakes, we're going to go to Michigan first, and right now, the i-75 corridor up near Traverse City, and points north, you're getting some snow. That's good news. You need that in places like Boeing (ph), up near the ski reports, farther into the south. In Grand Rapids, some slight to moderate snowfall. And same story in Cleveland and Ashtabula and north of Jamestown, south of Buffalo, the snow continues to fly. Same story south of Watertown, north of Syracuse.

Now, something else that we're going to be seeing with the snow is delays. It certainly can be expected in places like Detroit, back into Cleveland. For the New York airports, also in Boston, wind could be an issue. You could see some delays from say 15 minutes to 30 minutes. Also possible delays in Minneapolis due to the snow and wind especially as it gets into the afternoon hours.

Now, for the rest of the nation we could see some travel trouble problems out to the west, the golden state of California northward into Oregon and Washington, fog could be a big-time issue. That's going to lower visibility along parts of I-5 and even Highway 1. So be careful there. And the same, the U.S. high pressure is going to be the dominating feature with that compressing effect on the atmosphere. Dry conditions, fairly tranquil, but back to the east in parts of north Florida and into southeast Georgia, rain is back in the picture.

That is a look at your forecast. And Heidi, we'll talk more about your forecast coming up in a few moments. Let's send it back to you.

COLLINS: It sounded a little bit like you were going to break into song there, I don't know why. But I was waiting.

WOLF: It was tempting.

COLLINS: Yes. Yes, tempting. Maybe a little later. Thank you, Reynolds.

Unable to see the doctor? Trouble getting an appointment. Today while you're sick? We may have a solution.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: We've all had it happen to us, you need to see the doctor today, but there are no appointments available. But don't give up hope. CNN's medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is joining us now with a bit more information on what you can do.

Because we were just talking in the break, and that's kind of why I go to urgent care is because I'm sick now on that day and I need to be seen that day to feel better, not two weeks from now when they have an opening.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. What's the point of having a personal doctor, having an internist if when you call up and say, I feel horrible, can I come in, and they say yes you can come in next month. What is the point of that? And that's a struggle that many people are facing as family doctors get busier and busier. So we ask doctors themselves, hey what do you recommend? What are some inside tricks to get in when the receptionist says you're all booked up. And these are the answers that they gave us.

They said, first of all, what you can do is be specific. Don't just say oh I feel awful, say I've got a 104 temperature. Be as specific as you can as what's wrong with you. Also, Google around and find out your doctor's e-mail. Remember you're talking to the receptionist. She may not really get it. If you e-mail the doctor, that's a much more personal and direct appeal.

Also just like in a restaurant where you're not getting the service you need. If you're not getting the service you need from your office, ask for the manager. The nurse supervisor or the office manager maybe able to squeeze you in. The receptionist might not have that authority. So if you want to find out more tip, cnn.com/empoweredpatient. And you'll see it all.

COLLINS: It's really good information because it's like what we said in the introduction, everybody seems to go through this at one point in another. In fact, you heard some pretty outrageous stories about what people do to get in and see the doctor.

COHEN: Yes, an ears, nose and throat surgeon said that he had a patient call up an say that she really needed to be seen and the receptionist said, sorry the doctor is booked up.

So this woman hung up and called her local television station and says it was outrageous. I'm really worried and my doctor won't see me. The television station called the hospital. The hospital called the doctor and he saw her right away. Now, sometimes a tactic like that -

COLLINS: The power of media. COHEN: Right. Exactly. Sometimes a tactic like that can backfire. But in this case, he was like, wow, I had no idea she was so desperate to be seen. It was kind of a wake-up call for him.

COLLINS: Yes. Well, maybe that's good then. If all else fails though, what should you do?

COHEN: Go to the doctor's office, plunk yourself down in the waiting room and say I am sick, would you please see me? There is a chance that you might really get the office staff mad at you. But there is also a chance that somebody is going to take pity on you and squeeze you in to see the doctor. So that is the last-ditch effort. And you know what, if you have a doctor who does this a lot, and can't see you when you're truly sick, just find someone else.

COLLINS: Yes. Sounds like the best idea. All right.

CNN's medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen, thank you.

COHEN: Thank you.

COLLINS: A big number for Wall Street to chew on, 533,000. That is how many jobs were lost last month. We're watching the market react now. Dow Jones industrial averages down 205 points.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The heads of the Big Three auto companies making their case yet again for billions of dollars in taxpayer help. They are back on Capitol Hill. This time the execs are before the House Financial Services Committee where they are being met with much skepticism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. SPENCER BACHUS (R), ALABAMA: As I've said since day one, taking from the vast majority of citizens whose wages, health benefits and pension plans are less generous than those of the management and labor force at the Big Three appears neither right nor fair. Personally the only course I could possibly endorse would be limited transitional assistance to allow the American domestic automobile industry to return to solvency and profitability. But then only if there's a reasonable and expectation of success.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: We are going to be continuing to follow those hearings. As you can see live, here behind me, that's Ford's CEO, Alan Mulally, talking at this time. I'm getting his statements. We'll watch him and bring you any news, should we find it warranted.

Crashing car sales send Honda to the pits. The automakers is pulling out of Formula One Racing and trying to sell it's team, citing the global economic slowing. That is sparking concern other car makers might pull out, too and cripple the worldwide racing series. No word on Honda's future in U.S.-based Indy car races. (BUSINESS HEADLINES)

COLLINS: It becomes a pretty simple question. Home, car payments and utility bills ride on the answer, too. Where can people find jobs now? CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis is joining us from a career counseling center. It's in Yonkers, New York.

So, Gerri, I wonder, what's the mood there? Are they incredibly busy? Or, do people not know that this is where they should begin their search?

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well, you know, it's interesting. This office is very busy. There are lots of people here. they're looking for jobs. They're very hopeful.

But, I have to tell you right now some people are complaining that they're not getting responses to their resumes out there. They're very worried with the holidays coming. As a matter of fact, I have a couple people here with me right now, Diana and Cassandra, who are going to talk to us a little bit about their efforts to find a job.

Diana, you speak five languages. You're very skilled.

DIANA TRONCOSO, FORMER ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Four languages. Four. But, it is very hard. All the offers that we're getting right now is temp. And I don't want temp. I want permanent. We've been sending everything through the Internet, through faxes and all the things that you get back is like three weeks out.

WILLIS: How long have you been looking and how many letters do you think you've sent out?

TRONCOSO: Oh, god. I started looking a week prior to knowing that we -- the office was closing. That's when I started looking.

WILLIS: Is that a month?

TRONCOSO: Yes. Because closed on the 31st, on Halloween.

WILLIS: All right. Cassandra, I want to get to you for a second. You're a mother of two. Tell me how long you've been looking where you've looked and what kind of response you've gotten?

CASSANDRA CARDENAS, FORMER TELEMARKETER: Right. Well, I've been laid off since June 13th, of the summertime. I've been working for work since then. I've put in at least 30 applications to different places, 25 different interviews. KMart, Walgreen's, anyplace you can think of, I've went to interviews. I've gotten no response at all.

WILLIS: And you're really a salesperson, right?

CARDENAS: Yes. I actually was a telemarketer for a company, a waterproofing company. I sold waterproofing. They laid everybody off, everybody. Lack of call volume, decreasing call volume. WILLIS: Now, I'm wondering, how does this make you feel at this point? The holidays are coming, you're trying to get some income coming in. How do you feel about this? Are you worried? Are you concerned?

TRONCOSO: Sometimes I do get concerned. But then I think, you know what, a lot of people have it worse than me. You just keep it going, you just keep moving and just keep thinking positive. It'll get there. We're going to get there.

CARDENAS: Definitely. I'm still working on it. I'm not going to stop, not going to stop.

WILLIS: All right. Well, you heard it here. These are two women who are continuing to look for jobs. They're optimistic about their prospects. They're working very hard. Just two people. But, as you know, the problem is much bigger than these two folks as they continue their efforts to find new work.

COLLINS: Yes. And sometimes those temporary jobs can turn into permanent ones. So, it might be something to consider. We will continue to watch a lot of people's different stories here on CNN.

Our personal finance editor Gerri Willis. Thank you, Gerri.

For all the latest news about your wallet, check in with the experts. That address, once again CNNMoney.com.

Judgment day now for O.J. Simpson, facing the possibility of life in prison. A judge in Las Vegas set to decide his fate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Quickly want to let you know that we are getting word. President Bush is expected to make a statement on the economy. We believe that will be happening around 11:30 Eastern time. It's going to take place there at the White House, obviously. So, we will bring it to you just as soon as it happens.

A small town police chief in western Massachusetts, indicted on involuntary manslaughter. Charges in the traffic death of little boy. Pelham Police Chief Edward Fleury owns a company that sponsored a gun show in October. That's when 8-year-old Christopher Bizilj fatally shot himself in the head with an uzi. Prosecutors say the boy's father picked the uzi for his child to shoot, thinking it was a safer weapon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM BENNETT, HAMPDEN, CO., MASS. DISTRICT ATTORNEY: He was not familiar with the characteristics of the weapon and it appears he selected the micro uzi to fire because it was small. And he did not realize that its small size actually made it more dangerous.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COLLINS: The two men who bought the weapon -- brought the weapon to the show and the club that hosted the event are also charged in the case.

It is sentencing day for O.J. Simpson, expected to appear in a packed Las Vegas courtroom in just a few hours.

Kara Finnstrom is in Las Vegas now, with a preview this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FINNSTROM (voice-over): Thirteen years ago, the nation watched the chase. The theatrics.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not guilty of the crime of murder.

FINNSTROM: The so-called trial of the century that turned O.J. Simpson into celebrity outcast and obsession.

FRED GOLDMAN, RONALD GOLDMAN'S FATHER: Ron and Nicole were butchered.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Orenthal James Simpson guilty.

FINNSTROM: Last October 3rd, we watched again when Simpson convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping in an entirely different case was taken away in handcuffs. His daughter cried. His sister fainted.

GABRIEL GRASSO, SIMPSON ATTORNEY: Had O.J. walked into the Bank of America with an AK-47 and duct tape and duct taped all the tellers and stuck them in the safe, OK, and stole a million dollars, he'd be charged with the same exact thing he's charged with here.

FINNSTROM: Prosecutors said Simpson and a group of cohorts orchestrated a holdup in a Las Vegas hotel room using a weapon to get merchandise from two sports memorabilia dealers. Simpson claims the items were stolen from him. The confrontation was caught on tape.

O.J. SIMPSON: Don't let nobody out of this room. (EXPLETIVE DELETED)! Think you can steal my (EXPLETIVE DELETED) and sell it?

UNKNOWN: No.

SIMPSON: Don't let nobody out of here.

FINNSTROM: Simpson's attorneys say a fair trial was nearly impossible. Millions had watched his acquittal in the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown-Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Two years later, the public watched another jury in civil court find him liable for the killings. And then there was his 2007 book, "If I Did It." Simpson's hypothetical account of the murders.

Fred Goldman, Ron Goldman's father, reacted to the Las Vegas conviction. GOLDMAN: We're absolutely thrilled to see that the potential is that he could spend the rest of his life in jail where that scumbag belongs.

FINNSTROM: Goldman now plans to witness the sentencing and he'll have company. The Las Vegas courthouse is planning for crowds, offering limited public tickets and setting up an overflow courtroom with a TV.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FINNSTROM: As you can see, some of the color that's expected outside of the courthouse today, already started to show up. We do know Simpson will end up serving some prison time. The big question is how much. And Heidi, that could go on the bottom ends from six years before being eligible for probation, all the way up to life. Judge Judy Glass has a reputation for handing down stiff sentences. But, we'll have to wait and see here.

COLLINS: Yes, of course. And also wondering, how long will this sentencing phase take? And indication at this point?

FINNSTROM: Well, we're told probably about an hour. It could take up to two. But, again, Judge Judy Glass has a reputation for being no-nonsense so most legal analysts expect that she'll kind of whip through this.

They also kind of split on how harsh she'll be. Because she has this reputation for harsh sentences. Because she has not shown Simpson in any slack in the past. At one point during the trial, she actually called him arrogant. Weighing that, but then also weighing on the other hand that she doesn't want this to appear to be a re- trial for the '94 slayings he was acquitted of. So, she'll probably have to balance both of those.

COLLINS: Yes. It's going to be a tough job. CNN's Kara Finnstrom coming to us live from Las Vegas.

Thank you, Kara.

Learning how to take it and dish it out. Girls putting on the gloves and stepping into the ring.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Out of a job? Searching online may be a great place to begin. But unemployment experts say choosing the right job search sites is key. You don't want to go just anywhere. CNN's Poppy Harlow is joining us live from New York.

Hey there, Poppy. I guess I said, unemployment experts. But, they are actually employment experts, which is a better thing to be.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: There are still employment experts out there, Heidi, despite the grim news this morning, that more than half a million jobs were lost in this country last month alone. If you're one of those people you are really looking hard for a job, you should try online. But, be careful when you do that. Because if you post your resume on sites like Monster and Hot Jobs, it really may get lost in the mix. We talked to some experts. Here's what they're telling us.

If you're going to put your resume online, put it on specialty sites. Here's a list of some industry specific ones that could help you out. The first one is dice.com. That helps with technology jobs, especially. Efinancialcareers.com. Of course those financial jobs. Some may still be out there. That's a pretty difficult sector. And also some aggregaters, like Indeed.com. They pull listings from many different web sites and newspapers, as well. Those newspaper listings might not make it to the web. Our site, CNNMoney.com has great advice, as well.

Let's go through it here. Because on our home page today, we have a whole box here talking about America's money crisis, your job. It talks about the fate of people on Wall Street. It talks about the layoffs we've seen this week alone. Already more than 33,000 layoffs this week. It has a lot of other advice for you. Where jobs are and where they aren't.

Another thing on our site, you can search this right at the top of our site, is Ask Annie, 30 best webs sites for people hunting for their jobs. It's interesting, it's helpful. But, Heidi, we want to mention, this was staggering to me. Only 4 to 5 percent of jobs that are available, are posted online.

COLLINS: Yes.

HARLOW: It is key that you network with your friends and family. Tell them you're looking for a job. That's the best way in the door right now.

They also say -- the experts say if you apply for a job online, write the company a letter about a week or so after you've applied. So that they say, hey, OK, we'll go back and we'll look for this person's resume. And you may want to join your online college directory. You never know, your old roommate might be able to help you out. Some tips. It's hard. But this at least will get you on the way to starting that.

COLLINS: Yes. No question that networking, those classes that we took way back when, always essential.

All right. Poppy Harlow, thank you.

HARLOW: You're welcome.

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GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Everybody join. Five, four, three, two, one. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Aww. Washington lighting up for Christmas. President Bush presiding over his final lighting of the National Christmas tree. The switch was flipped by the daughters of two Military service members. It took two days actually, to decorate the 42-foot tree with more than a hundred ornaments and about 34,000 lights. Beautiful.

Stopped on the way to the hospital.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He asked if I needed an ambulance. I said no, but if I keep moving --

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COLLINS: Expectant parents get an unexpected birthday present from a state trooper.

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COLLINS: Fighting back. A new program teaching girls how to take control in and out of the boxing ring.

CNN's Frederick Pleitgen steps into the squared circle for the story.

FREDERICK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rosalia Scowron comes from one of the toughest neighborhoods in Berlin. She got into fights and was failing at school. But then, Rosalia learned to box.

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ROSALIA SKOWRON, BOXER (through translator): I've become much calmer and more self confident. I notice it as school, too. I can now easily do presentations. And of course, I'm much fitter.

PLEITGEN: Fit and confident enough to take on the big boys like me.

(on camera): So whoever said girls can't fight, you're dead wrong.

(voice-over): This is BoxGirls. Europe's biggest all-female boxing club. But, BoxGirls is more. A project to empower young women and help them succeed in school, manage conflicts in the street and thrive in the male-dominated working world.

Heather Cameron is the project's founder.

HEATHER CAMERON, FOUNDER, BOXGIRLS: They're able to take on things which before they thought was perhaps too big a challenge. Because they're able to make those challenges work at the boxing gym. They also think, hey, I can achieve that at school or I can bring up that difficult topic with my parents.

PLEITGEN: BoxGirls is so successful in Germany, it's going global. A sister project launched last year in Kenya's capital Nairobi, supported by U.S. President-elect's Barack Obama's half sister (INAUDIBLE) Obama.

The organizers say in just 12 months, they went from four female boxers to more than 40. Kanjastina Atchieng (ph) is one of them. She's a pro and recently fought for the world title. Kanjastina's nickname is Fists of Stone. And she seems to enjoy throwing those stone fists at CNN reporters.

But Heather Cameron says BoxGirls is just as much about building personalities as it is about throwing punches. And she believes the concept will spread to many other cities around the world.

CAMERON: Who knows? I think BoxGirls International will take over the world and make it a safer place for women and girls.

PLEITGEN: Women and girls with the skills and the courage to fight their way to the top.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.

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COLLINS: Seeing Frederick Pleitgen get beat up a lot lately.

Being in labor was no excuse. This Boston area couple stopped by a state trooper on their way to the hospital, ticketed for driving in the breakdown lane. Two other troopers had let the couple pass.

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JENNIFER DAVIS, STOPPED WHILE IN LABOR: He came back, asked to see under my jacket. So, I showed him my stomach, that I was, in fact, pregnant. And I just thought it was a little excessive, you know, the $100 ticket when we were in labor.

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COLLINS: What? the Davis' still made it in plenty of time, thank goodness, for Charlotte Jane there, to be born in the hospital and not on the side of the road. Can't make this stuff up.

I'm Heidi Collins. Join us again beginning on Monday at 9:00 a.m. Eastern. For now, have a great weekend. And CNN NEWSROOM continues with Tony Harris.