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Israeli Soldier Swapped for 1,000 Palestinian Prisoners; Republican Presidential Candidates Who Have Best Chance to Beat President Obama in 2012 Election; Banks Lending Dangerously; Four Allegedly Held for Social Security Checks

Aired October 18, 2011 - 11:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, she is the first cabinet official from the United States to visit the new Libya. Clinton sat down with the new political leadership. It is called the National Transitional Council. And she made a stop in Tripoli.

Now, she brought ideas on the transition to democracy, as well as an aid package.

Less than 300 miles away, there is proof that Libya's civil war is not over. Fierce street battles continue in Sirte. The city is Moammar Gadhafi's hometown. It is the last battleground for his ousted regime.

Well, engineers near the crippled nuclear reactors in Fukushima, Japan, might be cool enough for a complete shutdown in December. Now, that is a month earlier than predicted. Three of the plant's four reactors melted down after, you recall, that earthquake and tsunami hit Japan back in March.

Well, there's a cargo ship that grounded on a reef off of New Zealand. That happened two weeks ago. Well, it's now breaking apart in heavy swells. If that happens, officials say it could send an estimated 1,400 tons of crude into the ocean. Three hundred and fifty tons of fuel have already been leaked. Some of that oil has stained New Zealand's beaches.

We got an update on that horrific story about the four mentally disabled adults who were allegedly held captive in a dank Philadelphia basement. Well, police say they found dozens of IDs when they arrested the suspects. So detectives think that those IDs could lead them to other victims.

The people who have just been freed say they were chained to a radiator, given little to eat, and also hit on the head.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He hit me with a bat on my head, and all this was all bleeding and everything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was real dirty of you. That was wrong.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you guys willingly give her your information?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. She asked for it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She took it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She took it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She took it away from me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: It is such a sad story. Philadelphia police are holding three suspects, and they say one of them, Linda Weston, served eight years in prison for killing a man, and that that man was locked in a closet and literally starved to death.

Well, there are a lot of U.S. Marines who are angry today because they are being told that they can't wear bracelets bearing the names of fallen Marines. Marine Corps regulations prohibit jewelry except for rings and watches.

Well, the Corps made an exception for prisoner of war and missing in action bracelets back in the 1970s. Well, Marines want a similar exception for their killed in action bracelets as well.

President Obama is about to hammer Republicans on jobs. He's going to speak at a community college in Jamestown, North Carolina.

Republican lawmakers blocked, as you'll recall, the president's jobs bill, but President Obama says that he has now chopped the package into bite-sized pieces. He wants lawmakers to vote on a $35 billion package this week. It's supposed to save the jobs of teachers, police, firefighters. This is day two of his three-day bus tour to promote the jobs bill.

Uh-oh for the White House. That's right, a TV station in Richmond, Virginia, is saying that a truck carrying the president's teleprompter, podium, other equipment was stolen on Monday. Police found the truck in a parking lot of a Holiday Inn Express.

There is no word on the presidential equipment. An official will only say that nothing classified or sensitive was stolen. The president speaks in Chesterfield, Virginia, tomorrow.

We want to go to some live pictures. I understand this is out of Israel.

This is Shalit's hometown. This is where he is been greeted by a throng of supporters waving flags.

You can see the Israeli flag there as the caravan, white vans, travel through the city there. You can see even cameras from on high catching the route here of Gilad Shalit on his way home.

You can see the security that's in the front there, the front seat. Those are official vehicles, it looks like, from the looks of it, the flashing lights, as they proceed through his hometown.

As you may recall, this was an Israeli soldier who was freed after more than five years in the custody of Hamas, in exchange for 1,000, at least 1,000, Palestinian prisoners. And you can see that they are snaking their way through.

It looks like they are putting their blinkers on, that they might be stopping soon. You can see security on both sides who are running to make sure that everything is OK there.

They are getting out of the vehicles now. You can see a very heavy security presence. You can hear the cheers of the crowd.

I think we are able to catch him. A little wave -- you see him there, walking rather quickly. I think we just lost visual of him, but he did get out of the vehicle. You see just -- let's listen in for a minute.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gilad Shalit has finally arrived.

MALVEAUX: I think we may be looking at perhaps the home, or certainly the location where they have brought Gilad Shalit, who is returning to his hometown, Mitzpe Hila. You can see that is an aerial shot there of that building. That is where they brought him in just moments ago.

It looked like people celebrating, cheering, hugging, holding on to each other. A lot of emotion there. They have been waiting for him.

And this has been a very contentious issue on both sides, the negotiations that have gone on and failed for years. Just this breakthrough happening last week, that, in exchange for Gilad Shalit, more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners who were also released, or are being in the process of being released here.

This is a moment that both Israelis, as well as Palestinians, are celebrating as a breakthrough. And what you are seeing now are pictures of a celebration that is taking place in the hometown of Gilad Shalit.

For a lot of people here, this is a move forward. As you know, many -- practically all the family have members in the military. And they serve to protect and to bring back those who have been captured.

He was taken into custody, held by Hamas for more than five years. It has been a point of contention between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority in terms of his release. And that release has happened. And so you see the celebration that is now taking place on the streets, as well as a heavy security presence there as well, and media from around the world who are capturing, really, a very important moment for both sides.

This was a deal that was negotiated with the help of the Egyptian government, the new Egyptian government, as well as the German government. A real breakthrough for the Egyptian government in terms of its new place in the Middle East and what it means for its own emerging power after the Arab Spring and overthrowing of Hosni Mubarak.

We are just learning information that Gilad Shalit is actually in his home, in his House now. This taking place after more than five years in prison.

I want to go to some live pictures out of Gaza, if we can.

And we are looking there at people who have gathered. And they are waiting for Palestinian prisoners who have been released, about 500 who have already been released. We also expect another 500 to be released shortly.

And you can see there are signs that they are holding up of some of those individuals. There are Palestinian flags, there are the colors that unite them.

And as they wait for this historic moment, this grand bargain that was made between the Palestinians and the Israelis, but specifically Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by U.S. officials and some of the United States allies, those prisoners being released in exchange for Gilad Shalit.

Let's listen in.

What it looked like there is a moment of thanks, perhaps a moment of prayer, as that individual kneeled and was on the ground. And then you can see the support, the music, the raised hands and the celebrations on the Palestinian side as they welcome those who had been imprisoned under Israel.

We're going to have more of this breaking news story, a real historic moment between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and perhaps a move forward -- who knows -- in the peace process, but certainly a moment that a lot of people have been involved in. And various parties, negotiating parties, trying to make sure that this Israeli soldier was released and those Palestinian prisoners as well.

We're going to take a quick break and get back to this in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is visiting Libya. She arrived in Tripoli just a few hours ago. Now, Clinton is the first member of President Obama's cabinet to visit Libya since Moammar Gadhafi was ousted.

I want to go to Jill Dougherty. She's traveling with the secretary, and she's joining us by phone.

Jill, first of all, tell us about these meetings. Who did Secretary Clinton meet with there in Libya, and what was the purpose of the meeting?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, she's had a couple of meetings now with the leadership of the NTC, the National Transitional Council. And what she is really doing (INAUDIBLE).

MALVEAUX: I think we have lost Jill Dougherty, who is with Secretary Clinton.

We understand that she is meeting with the new government in Libya to offer some aid, some financial, as well as some other kind of support from the United States. And there is still fighting that is continuing in certain parts of that country. We know Sirte, the hometown of Moammar Gadhafi, that there is still some firefights that continue.

Well, tonight, fight night in Vegas, politically speaking. Seven of the Republican candidates for president are meeting in a debate co- sponsored by CNN.

The stakes could not be higher. Top issues facing the country playing out now in Nevada. You are talking about the jobs, the economy, foreclosures, illegal immigration, all of that.

Our own Paul Steinhauser, he's joining us from Vegas.

So, Paul, we know it's all about odds in Vegas. We got some new poll numbers, right, that show which Republican has the best odds of beating President Obama? What do we know?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, brand new CNN/ORC numbers, Suzanne. You're right, just coming in a couple hours -- about nine hours before the debate right behind me at the Venetian in Las Vegas here.

Let's look at this.

We asked Republicans and Independents who lean towards the GOP which candidate has the best chance of beating Barack Obama in 2012, and you can see right at the top there, Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, who's making his second bid for the White House. Forty-one percent say he has the best chance. That's 17 points ahead of Herman Cain.

We also asked Republicans, who do they think is going to win the nomination? And you can see right there, more than half of the Republicans we questioned say Mitt Romney has got the best chance of winning the nomination -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And what do the polls tell us about Herman Cain's recent surge?

STEINHAUSER: You know what? This poll really tells us the secret to his success.

We've seen him jump in those polls. He's basically dead even now with Mitt Romney in the battle for the nomination in our most recent poll. Here's why.

Take a look at this. We asked, "Who is the most likeable candidate among the Republicans?" And there, right at the top, Herman Cain. We also asked, "Who has the best plan to fix the economy?" Once again, at the top, Herman Cain. And I think a lot has to do with that 9-9-9 tax plan that he's been touting quite often -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Paul, his rise makes him obviously, I would imagine, a big target tonight. Is he ready?

STEINHAUSER: Oh, yes. So true, so true.

Listen, when you rise in the polls, more scrutiny. And we saw that this weekend.

He had a pretty tough weekend. Comments he made on the border, possibly electrifying the fence, and also comments on his tax plan have really gotten some pushback from the other candidates. And he's under the eye of the voters and the media, so expect more of that tonight.

In fact, this morning, we heard Ron Paul on "AMERICAN MORNING" very critical of that 9-9-9 tax plan. Expect Ron Paul and the other candidates to come out swinging at Herman Cain and also Mitt Romney tonight -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And what about Rick Perry here? Is this kind of a make-or- break night for him?

STEINHAUSER: We've seen his -- remember, he was the front-runner not that long ago, just about a month ago. But the Texas governor has really dropped in the national and state polls, a lot because of his debate performances.

He didn't have a good debate performance last week in New Hampshire. I think he really needs one tonight. He needs to stand out, he needs to shine. He says debates are not his good format, not his strong suit. He needs to change that tonight -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Paul, thank you. We'll be watching.

You can see the Western Republican Presidential Debate. That is live from Las Vegas tonight. It begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN, part of our coverage of "America's Choice 2012."

Well, you've got banks inching back now into dangerous territory. A report finds them once again targeting borrowers with questionable credit histories. It is the risky business that got the economy in the trouble of what we see today. We're going to get those answers for you up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: President Obama is in North Carolina, trying to drum up public support for his jobs plan. He just started speaking.

Last week, the Senate rejected the $447 billion proposal. Well, now the president is pushing for Congress to take up the measure piece by piece. This is the second day of his three-day bus tour of North Carolina and Virginia. There are some Republicans who are accusing the president of campaigning on the taxpayers' dime, but the White House says this is not a political event.

Banks once again lending dangerously. They have been issuing millions of credit cards to folks with weak or limited credit histories.

Alison Kosik, she is at the New York Stock Exchange to explain this.

So, Alison, what do we think this means about the economy if these banks are willing again to take that kind of risk?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know what this shows, at least according to analysts, Suzanne? It's that it could actually be a good sign that banks are extending credit more because it shows that banks are happening -- that, rather, they are confident and they're more willing to extend this credit, because they see delinquencies are falling, meaning people are paying their bills on time.

So what you see is banks are willing to take on more risk. Proof of that, Equifax showed that credit cards issued to subprime borrowers jumped more than 60 percent in the first half of this year. So they're dipping their toe into those risky waters again -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Alison, does it mean that the banks now are more willing to lend? Do we think that that's going to happen, or they are still being pretty careful?

KOSIK: It's really questionable whether they are being careful. I mean, it's clear that overall lending, it is picking up. We're not seeing that lending at the pre-recession levels that it used to be. So credit is still tight. Analysts say banks are charging higher interest rates, so they're kind of covering themselves in that way -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And do we think they have learned their lesson here? I mean, doesn't it seem like Groundhog Day, dangerous territory? I mean, isn't this exactly what got us into this mess in the first place?

KOSIK: Oh, and you're right. You know, it's really questionable whether they even see it that way.

But, you know, this is dangerous territory, because subprime borrowers are the riskiest. They have the most questionable credit rating at this point, because if they default, the bank is left holding the bag.

You'll remember, that's what started the whole mortgage mess. But subprime borrowers, also, they pay the most, they pay highest interest rates. So this winds up being a big opportunity for banks to make more money.

But I think what you really need to see here is there needs to really be a balance here. But the borrower clearly is responsible as well. You know, don't go ahead and sign on to a credit card and spend money that you just don't have -- Suzanne.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

MALVEAUX: All right.

Alison Kosik, at the New York Stock Exchange.

Thank you, Alison.

Well, we've got some disturbing developments on a story that we told you about yesterday. Four mentally disabled patients -- people, rather -- chained in a basement for their Social Security checks. Well, the victims, they are speaking out now, and police say that the people who locked them up there may have been running a scam for some time.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Here's a rundown of some of the stories ahead.

Up next, three mentally disabled people describe being shackled in a basement. I'm going to speak to one of our reporters who went inside the so-called dungeon to see for herself and get the latest from Philadelphia's police commissioner.

Then, everything goes dark in a Texas city as a massive dust storm rolls in and turns out the lights.

And later, one of the three 9s in Herman Cain's new tax plan is kind of a sales tax that's similar to what they use in Europe. But would it work here? We're going to compare them in just a few minutes.

Well, we are now hearing from three of the four mentally disabled people who were found in chains inside a basement in Philadelphia. And their accounts, it is just horrific.

Police say there is now more cause for alarm. Clues suggesting that one of the suspects may have at least 50 victims in three states.

Jericka Duncan with affiliate KYW has those details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TAMARA BREEDEN, HELD CAPTIVE IN BASEMENT: He did this to me, too, and then to us, hit with a bat.

JERICKA DUNCAN, REPORTER, KYW (voice-over): Tamara Breeden, Derwin McLemire and Herbert Knowles, three of the four victims held captive inside a northeast Philadelphia home. They spoke about the horrible way they were treated by 50-year-old Linda Weston, a convicted murderer who has been arrested for kidnapping and assaulting four mentally disabled adults.

BREEDEN: He hit me with a bat in my head, and all this was all bleeding and everything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was real dirty of you. That was wrong.

DUNCAN: They say they were manipulated by Weston, who they claim took their Social Security information to collect their checks.

(on camera): Did you guys willingly give her your information?

BREEDEN: No, she asked for hit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She took it. She took it away from me.

BREEDEN: She took it.

DUNCAN (voice-over): Forty-one-year-old Derwin McLemire, originally from North Carolina, says he met Weston last year through an online dating Web site. He says it was not long before he realized Weston didn't care about him.

DERWIN MCLEMIRE, ALLEGED VICTIM: I escaped one time to one of the houses that we used to live in of hers, and I didn't get away, so they got me.

DUNCAN: Police found McLemire and the other three victims Saturday morning in the sub-basement of this Tacony apartment building. McLemire was actually chained to a boiler.

(on camera): So you were afraid of her?

MCLEMIRE: I was.

DUNCAN: Did she hit you, too?

HERBERT KNOWLES, ALLEGED VICTIM: No. Mr. Greg hit me.

DUNCAN (voice-over): Forty-year-old Herbert Knowles is referring to Gregory Thomas. He, along with Eddie Wright, have also been arrested in connection to this case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am very much surprised to know that these things are still going on today.

DUNCAN: And Hugh Robinson (ph) is the head administrator at the personal care facility contracted by the state where the four adults are currently staying.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They will get proper meals, properly seen by the doctor and visiting nurses, so they can come back to -- you know, to regular life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Our Sarah Hoye has been following the story since it broke, and she joins us live from Philadelphia.

Sarah, this is just so unbelievably disturbing when you hear this and you see this. You were actually allowed in this basement to see the living conditions for yourself. Can you give us a sense of what it was like? What did you see?

SARAH HOYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Suzanne, yes, I was.

Last night, myself and a handful of reporters were allowed to go into the tiny room in the sub-basement of the seven-unit apartment building. It was night. It was dark. We stepped in. The room was tiny. It was cramped. And police are saying it was about 10-by-6, so if you can imagine what type of a cramped quarter that was.

Also the smell, Suzanne, there was such a pungent smell of ammonia from urine, it stung by nostrils, as well as there was a metal mop bucket where there was human waste in it. This floor was kind of falling apart. Where these people were was somewhat of a perch, almost in a horseshoe shape around a boiler where one of those victims was chained by the leg to the bottom of it.

It was eerie. There was a very ominous feeling in that room, and I had actually asked detectives and the police commissioner to turn off the light and close the metal door, which they did. Now, being in there for five minutes, I felt claustrophobic and wanted out. So I can only imagine what it would be like to be there for days, a week even -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Sarah, was there any light that came into that room? When they closed the door and it was dark, could you see anything? Could you tell where you were?

HOYE: No. Suzanne, it was pitch black. I knew I was in a corner by a door because I had been standing there and knew that position. There was just a hair of light. And when I had said something to the detective, he corrected me and said, no, remember all the light bulbs in this basement had been removed.

There were some cracks on the wall facing the outside which light may have gotten through, but it was very, very little. It was pitch black in that room.

MALVEAUX: And, Sarah, just a final question there. You were there inside that room with other people. Could you -- were you bumping into each other? Was it very crowded? How many people could comfortably even fit into that space?

HOYE: Oh, absolutely.

First of all, there shouldn't have been people in there in the first place. There were three adults, myself and two men, one including the police officer and another being the reporter, and it was cramped. We were next to each other almost shoulder to shoulder, kind of perched on one side, because if you took a wrong step, Suzanne, you could have fallen.

So to see where four people could have fit, it blows your mind. You couldn't imagine people would be in there, and especially four people laying on the ground, dirty clothes on the ground, soiled blankets, soiled pillows. It was a sight to be seen for sure.

MALVEAUX: Sarah, thank you so much. It is just very -- it's just awful.

I want to get more details on this story from the Philadelphia Police Department, police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, who is joining us by phone.

And if you would, please help us understand how big we think this case is here. We know about four victims. Might there be others?

CHARLES RAMSEY, PHILADELPHIA POLICE CHIEF: Yes, we believe it is a strong possibility that there are others. We don't know how long this has been taking place. It could go back as far as the late '90s that she's been involved in this activity.

We did find about 50 pieces of identification from various people, Social Security cards, court documents giving power of attorney, those kinds of things. We have to track all those down to find out whether or not, one, these people are still living, where they are located, what happened to them, to see whether or not they were victims.

So we don't know whether there are more people involved as offenders or as victims.

MALVEAUX: But you're talking about as many as 50; is that right?

RAMSEY: Yes, at a minimum. And it could grow from that. That just happened to be what she had in her position on the night she was arrested.

We don't know the extent of this. We do know it goes beyond the borders of Pennsylvania, at least Texas, Florida, and Virginia. And we suspect other locations as well.

MALVEAUX: So one of these suspects here, the alleged ringleader in the case, Linda Ann Weston, so she's already been convicted of keeping a 25-year-old man in a closet, right, of her own North Philadelphia apartment until he starved to death. And that was back in 1981. How is it that she is able to get out of prison and do this again?

(CROSSTALK)

RAMSEY: Well, that's a good question. Our legal system is what it is, but you would think that someone who committed a crime that horrific would still be in jail, but she wasn't.

And obviously she was not fully rehabilitated either because her conduct is very similar to what she did in the early 1980s, keeping people locked in closets, locked in basements, things of this nature. We don't know the full extent of this yet.

I have got an entire team of detectives, our Northeast Detective Division, that is working on this. Probably, we will have to put together a task force for a more long-term investigation, because this is one that's not going to end very quickly.

MALVEAUX: Commissioner Ramsey, thank you very much. Just hard to believe that something like this in this day and age still happens, but we really appreciate your time. And, obviously, if you have got any more information about how this unfolds and how many people are involved in this, we will be getting back to you very shortly.

The economy may be crippled, but one industry, believe it or not, it is actually growing. We will tell you which one coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Well, despite the lousy economy, there's one business that is growing. This actually is not surprising for me -- hair salons. Yes. While most Americans seem to be cutting back on expenses, it's your hair not one of them.

Athena Jones gives us a look at the thriving hair industry.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

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

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every year our business is better and better so this is a business to be in. It's consistent and it's 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, barbershops and hair salons like this one are growing nationwide as customers place a high priority on looking put together.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is a necessity because I do want to keep my hair looking like it's well maintained. I don't buy new shoes anymore. I do get the hair done.

JONES (voice-over): Census data show the number of barbershops in Maryland rose nearly 11 percent between 2007 and 2009 and the number of beauty salons jumped more than 17 percent. Nationwide, there were 18. 6 percent more barbershops 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 Fabulocs have college degrees and spent years working in other fields.

Tarsa Scott (ph) was a real estate agent before the recession. When the housing market tumbled, she got a job at a foundation and decided to train as a stylist to help earn extra money. She now plans to quit her office job to style hair here full-time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm an entrepreneur at heart and so I love having my own business.

JONES: Nimat's sister Aisha (ph) has a master's degree in education, but lost her job at a nonprofit two years ago.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Contracts kind of dried up 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's an industry that can't be outsourced.

DEREK DAVIS, VICE PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BARBER BOARDS OF AMERICA: It is normally a community-based type industry and in every community, you have a barbershop.

JONES: Derek Davis is vice president of the National Association of Barber Boards of America. He has a barbershop 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: And that's why Nimat Bilal expects business at her salon to remain strong.

Athena Jones, CNN, Capital Heights, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Good for her.

Well, GOP candidates campaigning now online. Two presidential hopefuls are out with new Web videos. Find out who goes positive and who goes on the attack.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Two of the Republican presidential candidates are out with Web videos today. Well, the methods might be the same, but the message is very different.

Our Peter Hamby, he is in Vegas, the site of tonight's Republican presidential debate.

Hey, Peter. Let's start with Rick Perry. What's his message? What's his Web message?

PETER HAMBY, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: Hey, Suzanne.

Yes, Rick Perry is really trying to get his campaign back on track and refocus his message on jobs and job creation and his record of job creation in Texas. He put out a Web video today kind of previewing some of his messaging that might see later tonight in the debate, really focusing on the energy speech, the energy plan he rolled out last Friday in Pittsburgh. Take a look at this video from Perry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, AD) GOV. RICK PERRY (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: we're standing on top of the next American economic boom, and it's the energy underneath this country. And the quickest way to give our economy a shot in the arm is to deploy the American ingenuity, to tap American energy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMBY: So you're seeing a kind of positive message. Romney -- excuse me -- Perry had an original Web video that was negative going after Romney. His Web videos kind of had this Jerry Bruckheimer look and feel. So he's trying to kind of again go back to that positive jobs message. We will see if the other candidates tonight let him stay on that message at the debate tonight.

MALVEAUX: All right. What about Mitt Romney? What is his Web video...

(CROSSTALK)

HAMBY: Yes. Well, Romney -- right. Romney -- we have seen Herman Cain come up in the polls. The Romney campaign I can tell you still views Rick Perry as their primary opponent in this race and they are kind of keeping their foot on his neck and with this new Web video, they're going right after Rick Perry and trying to poke some holes in his record in Texas with a negative Web ad that they're out with today, Suzanne.

Listen to this -- so no audio there, but a very tough negative ad against Rick Perry. They don't want Rick Perry to come back up in the polls at all, because Rick Perry has $15 million in the bank. He's still a serious, competitive candidate. He just needs to recover his standing among conservative voters. And the Romney campaign is trying very hard to make sure that that doesn't happen. So I think you will see Rick Perry again on the defensive tonight -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: What's up with the drumbeat, huh? You said no audio, no words, but, boy, that was some audio, quite a drumbeat he got there. I guess that is meant to capture people and keep their attention a little bit.

HAMBY: Yes. Kind of spooky.

(LAUGHTER)

MALVEAUX: All right, Peter, thanks. We will be watching for the debate.

You can see the Western presidential Republican debate. It's live from Las Vegas tonight, begins at 8:00 p.m. only on Eastern, part of our coverage of America's choice 2012.

Well, check this out. A bright sunny day suddenly turning dark as a monster dust storm rolls into town. Find out where it hit and why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Check out our stories from our affiliates.

First, this apartment fire outside of Austin, 15 people trapped, including a 6-year-old boy. Well, his grandmother was holding him out of the third-floor window when she lost her grip. A firefighter raced over to make the catch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GLENN MCGILLIVRAY, BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT: I knew she wasn't going to be able to hold him forever. So, at that point, when I got underneath him, I just said, go ahead and drop him. I was thanking my lucky stars.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Thank goodness he's OK. The boy is OK. Twelve other people were hurt, including two firefighters.

(WEATHER UPDATE)

MALVEAUX: Herman Cain says his 999 plan is the answer to the country's economic trouble, but one of those nines is a national sales tax. We are going to take an in-depth at a similar plan and see how it's working in Europe.

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MALVEAUX: Well, Herman Cain's presidential campaign has surged lately -- part of the reason, his 999 tax plan. People seem to like its simplicity. But one of the nines is a national sales tax. And that's the focus of our in-depth report.

Becky Anderson, she looks at how a similar tax is working in Europe and what it would mean for things you buy here at home.

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BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A value added tax is similar to a sales tax, but they both cost you about the same amount.

So it truly rests on the percentage that the government takes. Like the sales tax in the United States, which varies from state to state, it also varies from country to country here in the European Union.

But whereas, in America, some states like Alaska, as you know, have no sales tax, with the highest state being California, with a 7.25 percent sales tax, over here in Europe, well, the lowest VAT rate is 15 percent in Cyprus, the highest being Sweden with a 25 percent VAT rate, although goods like food and baby clothes are VAT-exempt. You got to remember that.

But a good way to see the impact of this tax is looking at a good available across the world. You will recognize this, of course. This is the iPod Classic. Now, at the store in New York, that would set you back $271. But that same iPod here in the U.K. would cost $312. And, in Sweden, you can see here because of the VAT rate, it would cost you $390.

Now VAT is controversial. Some people argue that it hurts the poorest because you pay the same regardless of how much you earn. But it is useful as a political lever because it can be reduced quickly to try and encourage consumers to spend. And it can be much easier to change than it is to adjust, for example, a progressive tax like an income tax.

I'm Becky Anderson, paying 20 percent VAT at CNN's London bureau.

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