Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Protests in Rome, Italy Turn Violent; March on Washington Emphasizes Jobs and Economy; Financial Experts Give Advice on Lowering Medical Expenses; Hair Style Industry Booming in Recession

Aired October 15, 2011 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM, where the news unfolds live this Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Spreading protests in response to the global economy. In Rome, we are monitoring the Occupy Italy protest that turned violent a few hours ago. According to Italian police about 500 anarchists infiltrated the otherwise peaceful protest. Police say the anarchists began torching cars, smashing windows, and even setting a government building on fire. Video coming out of Rome shows police firing tear gas into the crowd.

"Newsweek" Barbie Nadu tells us many of the peaceful protesters left once the violence began. We are reaching out to Nadu phone. She will be joining us in a few minutes.

A much calmer gathering in Washington, D.C. The rally was not organized by Occupy Wall Street backer, but it is a march for jobs and justice being led by civil rights activist the Reverend Al Sharpton, they're heading for the new Martin Luther King Jr. memorial which is being officially dedicated tomorrow.

A Catholic bishop has been charged with failing to report suspected child abuse. Police say Bishop Robert Finn of the Kansas City St. Joseph Diocese knew about foreign graphic pictures of children on a priest's laptop last December. If convicted, Bishop Finn could face a year in jail.

Actor Larry Hagman says he has been diagnosed with cancer. The 80- year-old best known for his role as J.R. Ewing on the TV series "Dallas" didn't disclose the type but says it is a very common and treatable form of cancer. Hagman says he will undergo treatment this month while working on a remake of the show "Dallas."

Let's get right to those occupy Italy protests that have turned violent now. Newsweek reporter Barbie Nadu is in Rome. She's joining us now by phone. So Barbie, what's happening right now, earlier you mentioned to us these anarchists kind of clashed with the peaceful protester, and now it's the anarchists who have the upper hand there. Are you there?

BARBIE NADEAU, "NEWSWEEK" REPORTER: I am here. I can't hear the show, though. I can hear you.

WHITFIELD: Tell me about how this protest has been taken over by the anarchists.

NADEAU: What we have right now is a situation that has definitely returned to a more calm environment, but it is not normal yet. You have pockets of these anarchists who are still causing trouble throughout the city. One particularly scuffle the Italian networks are reporting is showing video of a train station which looks like it is getting a little bit violent.

There is still a dozen they are saying right now of these more violent anarchists where are still holding out where the bulk of the violence was earlier. And those protestors are still battling with the police right now. The police using tear gas and water cans to get around them to cart them off.

Dozens of these protesters have been taken into custody at this point, and there have been dozens of injuries reported. A lot of police officers injured and a lot of the peaceful protesters are injured.

WHITFIELD: Are you hearing, Barbie, whether there is a plan to resume the demonstrations, kind of this Occupy Italy, after what is taking place this evening is brought under control?

NADEAU: At the height of the violence a couple of hours ago, I saw a lot of the peaceful protesters just packing up and going somewhere else, just giving up. They were upset. They were complaining, saying this isn't about why we are here.

Then about an hour ago, there was sort of a new protest that was brewing in another part of Rome on the far side of this Piazza San Giovanni. And these were the peaceful protestors again talking about what they came here to talk about in the first place, which is the economy, job cuts, and students complaining about the cuts in education in Italy. So I think the peaceful protesters are still un- detained.

But it is after 8:00 at night. It is dark here in Rome by now, and there is still violence in certain parts of the city centers. So whether they stage another protest, we are still waiting to hear. There has been some talk they are going to try to get their point across yet, because their voices weren't heard. The only voices heard today were those of the violent anarchists.

WHITFIELD: OK. All right, Barbie Nadu, thanks so much for your reporting. We will check back with you throughout the afternoon, evening there.

We're still overseas now. Protesters are also on the march today in one of the world's most important financial capitals, that of London. Thousands of demonstrators gathered near the heart of the city's financial district. There are no reports of any violence there in the British capital.

Back to this country and the Occupy Wall Street movement where it all got started, in New York City. And the protest there is still going on. A showdown was avoided yesterday however when demonstrators were allowed to stay in a park that they have been occupying. The park owner at first wanted to clear out the park to sanitize it and clean it, but then changed his mind.

Back to Washington, D.C. now where people are marching on the National Mall. They want Congress and the government to stop bickering and start working together to create jobs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER: It is time for us to occupy Wall Street, occupy Washington, occupy Alabama. We come to take our country back to the people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Athena Jones is at the march in Washington. Athena, it is coinciding with the sentiment of the Occupy Wall Street protest, but this is a separate march from that, right?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is. This was planned some time ago. It was supposed to coincide with August 28th, the original date of the dedication of the Martin Luther King Memorial.

That, of course, would have been the 48th anniversary of the march on Washington and his famous "I have a dream" speech. So this march had been planned to take place the day before that. So it shifted along with the shifting back of the dedication of the memorial.

And so the idea today was to honor Dr. King's legacy because we know he was not just about civil rights but also the fight for economic justice. You heard a lot of the speakers today.

You saw Martin Luther King III, his son, speak to the crowd along with Reverend Al Sharpton and many union representatives, all talking about the need to bring down the unemployment rate and to push for Congress to act on jobs. Let's listen to what the Reverend Al Sharpton had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: We come today because this country has ignored the plight of the unemployed and people that are chronically unemployed. On Monday in this the capital they had the audacity to turn down a jobs bill. So if you won't get the jobs bill done in the suite, then we will get the jobs bill done in the street.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: So that's the idea. Just about half an hour ago, the crowd took off from the stage behind me marching towards the Martin Luther King memorial, chanting things like "Pass that bill." The Reverend Al Sharpton says they plan to have similar events like this one in 25 cities around the country, all meant to pressure members of Congress to do something on the jobs bill.

We know the jobs bill itself as a full package got stopped in the Senate, and so it is going to be broken down into its parts and hopefully passed that way. They want to keep the pressure on. Interesting to note, though, that some of the Occupy Washington protesters, people who have been out on Freedom Plaza for several days protesting, came down and joined this margin. So the crowd numbers swelled to, we are told, over 1,000, headed down to the Memorial. Fred?

WHITFIELD: Athena Jones, thanks so much, the mall on Washington.

Among the crowd there, Martin Luther King III, he was there at the rally. Before he took off for Washington, I spoke with him as well as his sister, Reverend Bernice King. And they actually drew parallels between the occupy movement and the civil rights movement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTIN LUTHER KING III, SON OF MARTIN LUTHER KING: Certainly, we have to applaud young people. Number one, because the modern civil rights movement was basically young folk.

WHITFIELD: So you see some real parallels between the civil rights movement that your dad and many others, foot soldiers, were involved in. You see the parallels with the Occupy Wall Street?

KING: I certainly see that a movement could evolve from what they are doing. And my prayer is that it always stays nonviolent. If it reverts to violence, that would be terrible. But I don't see that happening.

WHITFIELD: And at the root of both movements, we are talking the frustration of economic disparities. Do you think that when you see some of the young people, and people of all ages, not just young people but people right in the middle, people who are older, some who have jobs, some who don't, et cetera, when they are out there, did you feel like you could identify right away that this is very similar to how the seeds of the civil rights movement began?

REV. BERNICE KING, DAUGHTER OF MARTIN LUTHER KING: Well, certainly, the roots of the civil rights movement. As we know, when daddy started, there were already things happening. It wasn't -- the movement didn't start December 1st, 1955. It fact that wasn't the first time someone had sat down on a bus and was mistreated. And so -- but the seeds of where people get tired of being trampled upon, being mistreated, I see those seeds of frustration being expressed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Tune in tomorrow at 2:00 Eastern for more of my interview with Bernice and Martin Luther King III. They will be discussing the Memorial and how it makes them feel when they see that stone etching of their father.

And it's your money. Did you know you can negotiate those expensive medical bills? We will tell you how to cut down on those medical costs coming up in our financial fix with them. They are the Dolans, the dynamic financial duo. They're joining us live from West Palm. We will see them live in a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The number one issues in American homes, getting your financial house in order. Today in our weekly financial fix we are talking about how to negotiate your medical bills. Daria and Ken Dolan join us now from West Palm Beach. Good to see you. It has been way too long.

KEN DOLAN, PERSONAL FINANCE EXPERT: Hi, Fred.

DARIA DOLAN, PERSONAL FINANCE EXPERT: Fred, how are you?

WHITFIELD: I am doing great. Great to have you all back. I had no idea your medical costs could be negotiable. In what way, to what degree?

DARIA DOLAN: To the degree that 40 percent of the roughly 15 percent of Americans who have the nerve to stand up to their doctor or a hospital and say, can we do better on this bill, 40 percent of them get a reduction in the price of the medical procedure.

WHITFIELD: You have to ask.

KEN DOLAN: Yes. It is high. It is important for our viewers to understand these little tips talk both for people that have no health insurance, people who have high health insurance deductibles they have to pay before that, and people who are going into procedures that are either not covered by their insurance company or partially covered.

But you know, this segment should be titled, "No guts, no glory." All you can do is ask.

WHITFIELD: So once you ask, might you have a little leverage if you say, I'm going to pay cash, what my health care provider is not covering? I am going to pay cash and maybe you get an additional discount, or does it matter how you are going to try to resolve that?

DARIA DOLAN: If you talk to any doctor or hospital, what's the biggest problem they have? Waiting for the insurance company.

KEN DOLAN: Medicare, Medicaid.

DARIA DOLAN: -- the Medicaid to pay them, Medicare to pay them. So as in every other phase of our lives, cash is king. It could result in as much as a 50 percent discount. I'm not guaranteeing that, but that's how important it is.

WHITFIELD: You are talking about the stuff that or the bill that you would get after your provider has covered all these things, because if you are getting a $50,000 procedure and you have insurance or Medicare is going to cover it you are not going to try and cover that first because, a, you don't have it.

DARIA DOLAN: Exactly. But you could also be having a $50,000 necessary procedure and have no insurance whatsoever. KEN DOLAN: You know what you want to do, Fred. The first thing to do is go to healthcarebluebook.com. That's what the insurance company is expected to pay for a particular procedure. To get a rough idea, getting an idea of what's the invoice of a new car.

I talked to our family doctor today. He encourages people paying cash and, as Daria says, as much as a 50 percent discount. Most people don't realize that most providers have programs, they don't tell you, for people to get discounts who are financially unable to pay or can't pay everything. The program is in place. You just have to ask.

Who knew there was a blue book for medical procedures?

KEN DOLAN: Health care blue book.

DARIA DOLAN: It gives you an idea of what to ask so you are not way out in left field really trying to get a low ball price on something.

Then, if you get that, Fred, it is very important that you get it in writing, because you want to have proof so that somewhere down the line some office manager doesn't look at this --

KEN DOLAN: Or billing manager.

DARIA DOLAN: -- and say, oh, my goodness, this person owes us a whole lot of money and sends it off to collection.

WHITFIELD: Sometimes you get a bill from your doctor and it is a surprise to you that come to find out there is still a bill that you are incurring even after your insurance may have weighed in and you still need help paying for it. You say you should be able to ask for some sort of payment plan.

KEN DOLAN: Yes, absolutely. You want to talk to the billing manager. Most doctors and a lot of providers have billing managers. They don't do it in the office. What you want to do as sort of a last report, Fred, is ask for a payment plan that makes sense to you. Don't agree to something that you simply can't pay to shut him up for a month or two, because if you don't pay, it is going to go to collections and you are going to be worse off if you hadn't done it in the first place. So a payment plan that works. No guts, no glory.

DARIA DOLAN: Also in writing, everything in writing so you can keep it straight.

KEN DOLAN: You have nothing to lose, especially nowadays with money so tight.

WHITFIELD: Fantastic. It is always good to see you all. I have missed you.

KEN DOLAN: Thank you, Fred. We missed you too, Fred.

DARIA DOLAN: Ken and Daria Dolan. I know you want to hear more. You can actually sign up for a free weekly e-letter from them by going to www.dolans.com/signup. World Food Day is Sunday. Actress and singer Christina Aguilera is on a personal mission to combat hunger. She traveled to Haiti and Guatemala with the World Food Program to impact your world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINA AGUILERA, SINGER: Hi, I'm Christina Aguilera, and we can make an impact on world hunger. After I had my son, Max, I realized this was a huge issue. I went on a trip to Guatemala with World Food Program and seeing these women and children living in these dirt huts that have nothing. It is just so crucial and vital for these people to get nutrition.

Haiti was devastating because of the earthquake. I got to meet so many young people that were so eager to learn. You would see their faces light up. Every child deserves the chance to dream and hope. Join the movement "Impact your World." Go to CNN.com/impact.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: To help the country, logon to CNN.com/impact.

American troops ordered to central Africa. They have got a specific mission and specific people employed to help track them down.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Drone attacks in Yemen last night killed at least seven suspected militant fighters, one of them the son of this man, Anwar al Awlaki, a top Al Qaeda leader in Yemen. The elder Awlaki was killed two weeks ago, also in a drone attack.

American troops are headed to central Africa to help hunt down the leader of a notorious rebel group blamed for thousands of rapes and murders. U.S. troops will be armed, but the Pentagon says only to defend themselves.

And does this look right to you? Does it look like it is leaning? London's most famous clock tower is no longer standing up straight. It is leaning of about one foot off kilter at the very top. London officials say there is no reason to think that Big Ben is going to topple over any time soon. The tower has been standing for more than 150 years.

The economy may be in the tank, but one industry, believe it or not, is growing like mad. Details coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Despite the lousy economy, there is one business that is really growing, hair salons. While most Americans seem to be cutting back on expenses, the hair scene is not one of them.

Athena Jones gives us a look at this thriving industry.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here at Fabulocs, a natural hair salon in suburban Maryland, business is booming.

NIMAT BILAL, FABULOCS SOWNER: See, I didn't do that.

JONES: Owner Nimat Bilal says she didn't feel the effects of the recession and hasn't seen a drop in her clientele during the slow economic recovery.

NIMAT BILAL: Every year, our business is better and better. So this is the business to be in. It is consistent and it is growing.

JONES: In fact, she had to move to a larger space two years ago to accommodate the growing number of stylists looking to rent a booth here.

(on camera): Despite the sluggish economy, barber shops and salons like this one are growing nationwide as customers place a high priority on looking put together.

JANICE WASHINGTON, CUSTOMER: It's a necessity because I do want my hair looking like it is maintained. I don't buy new shoes. I do get the hair done.

JONES: Census data show the number of barber shops in Maryland rose nearly 11 percent in 2007 and 2009, and the number of beauty shops jumped more than 17 percent. Nationwide there were 18.6 more barber shops and 14.4 percent more beauty salons in 2009 than in 2007.

And in one sign of the effect the recession has had even on educated workers, seven of the nine stylists here at Fabulocks have college degrees and spent years working in other fields. Tarsa Scott was a real estate agent before the recession. When the housing market tumbled, she got a job at a foundation and decided to train a stylist to earn extra money. She now plans to quit her office job to style here full time.

TARSA SCOTT, HAIR STYLIST: I'm an entrepreneur at heart, and so I love having my own business:

JONES: Mimac's sister, Aisha has a master's in education but lost her job at a nonprofit two years ago.

AISHA BILAL, HAIR STYLIST/TRAINER: Contracts dried up a lot for many of us and just couldn't sustain myself doing it anymore.

JONES: Now, she helps train people who want to become stylists. It is an industry that can't be outsourced.

DEREK DAVIS, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BARBER BOARDS OF AMERICA: It is normally a community-based type industry. And in every community, you have a barber shop.

JONES: Derrick Davis is vice president of the National Association of Barber Boards of America. He has a barber shop that's been in his family since 1968. DAVIS: Beauty has always been something that the public has always wanted. Everybody wants to look good and they want to feel good.

JONES: That's why Mimac Bilal expects business at her salon to remain strong.

Athena Jones, CNN, Capital Heights, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And hard to believe, but it was 60 years ago today that "I Love Lucy" debuted on CBS, setting the standard for what we now know as the modern day sitcom. Lucille ball starred in what was the first program to be based in California, and it was not shot live but recorded on film, basically inventing what we now call reruns. It was also the first show to be shot with three cameras. A technique still used today.

Next on "CNN FASHION BACKSTAGE PASS," CNN's Alina Cho brings you the latest fashion trend. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. I will be back at the top of the hour with more news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)