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Shooter On The Loose In South Carolina; The Breather After The Rally; Best October In Decades; Whirlpool Slashing Its Workforce; Oakland Mayor Apologizes For Violence; Occupy London Evictions Possible; Business Licenses For Medical Pot; Cardinals' Epic Win Forces Game Seven; Long Island Fraud; Railroad To Riches; World's Biggest Family; Michael Jackson Death Trial; What Would Have Been; If Clinton Were Running; A Pakistan Tragedy; Sharks: Predators Become Prey; Kevorkian Paintings For Sale; Sugarland Performs Free Concert; We're a Culture, Not a Costume"

Aired October 28, 2011 - 13:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Randi Kaye who's in Los Angeles. Hi, Randi.

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, Suzanne, thank you. Hello, everyone.

We begin with news just in to CNN coming out of South Carolina. Our affiliate WYFF reports ten schools are on lock down, and a shooter is on the loose in the city of Greenville. This follows a gun battle between a police officer and a man being followed for having a license plate that did not match his vehicle. The officer was not injured. Police are now putting up roadblocks to try to stop the gunman. We'll keep an eye on this and bring you developments as they happen.

And now, the deal that set off the rally. The details have stopped it. A day after stock prices soared around the world on hopes that Europe had finally dealt with its debt crisis, they're back down to earth as we learn more about the breakthrough. Blue chips on Wall Street are more or less flat.

And the same goes for Europe, though, Asia had a bit of a catch- up rally. Speaking of Asia, that's where we find the head of the E.U. bailout fund which is set to grow to $1 trillion Euros, $1.4 trillion. It wasn't clear yesterday where the new cash would come from, but now it's more than clear that Europe wants a big chunk from China. Beijing isn't making any promises beyond ordinary trade and investments in European bonds.

Now, let's get back to Wall Street where, believe it or not, this is shaping up to be a pretty great October. Isn't that right, Alison Kosik?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes. Not just good, Randi, it's really an absolutely awesome month when you look at it. Look how the S&P 500 has done in October. It soared 13 percent this month. And you really want to pay attention to this, because this is what your 401(k) tracks. The S&P 500, in fact, is having its best month in 37 years. And the Dow, it's not far behind either. All of this, of course, coming after we saw steep declines in the markets in August and September, investors, how could we forget, were rattled by all those European debt problems, the U.S. credit downgrades, and the worries about another recession here in the U.S. Ah, but yes, what a difference a month makes.

So, now we've got less uncertainty and those recession fears have been put to the back burner. Also, we found out yesterday that the U.S. economy grew at a faster pace. Still, though, bringing it back to reality, there are a lot of unanswered questions about what happens next in Europe. We still don't have details of the European debt deal, and while it does look to get a handle on its debt, it didn't help to boost economic growth in the European region.

So, what you get here, today, is the market trading in a tight range, investors kind of catching their breath after that big run-up that the market had yesterday -- Randi.

KAYE: So, Alison, are investors second guessing the E.U. agreement?

KOSIK: I think there is a little bit of second guessing going on. I think a lot of skepticism. You know, as I mentioned --you know, there really is nothing in this plan that helps Europe grow. It, basically, is plugging the debt hole that Greece has. There are lots of questions of who's going to pay for it. You mentioned China. Is China going to write a check? Are private investors going to be part of it too? So, there still are a lot of lingering questions as to how this plan is going to be paid for and how the implementation of it will be moving forward.

But at this point, you know, when you look at the U.S. markets, how the reaction is, it is pretty --it is pretty quiet today because once again, the run-up was pretty hefty yesterday, and you've got investors reassessing what that European debt deal means -- Randi.

KAYE: Alison Kosik, appreciate that.

And other stories we're developing at this hour, appliance maker whirlpool was slashing its workforce by 10 percent, cutting 5,000 jobs and closing a refrigerator factory in Arkansas. It also cut its earnings forecast. Whirlpool sites declining demand for refrigerators, aggressive low prices from overseas competition, and the overall weakness in the economy. The job cuts are expected to happen in North America and Europe. The Ft. Smith, Arkansas, factory is expected to close by the middle of next year.

Firefighters fanned out across occupy New York's epicenter's Ecoty (ph) Park to remove generators and propane tanks. The move could raise the stakes there because colder fall weather is beginning to set in. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said generators and propane tanks are fire hazards and against the law.

In Oakland, California, the mayor apologized for violence that left an Iraq War veteran in the hospital. Marine veteran, Scott Olsen, is in fair condition after being hit with a tear gas canister Tuesday night.

Across the pond in London, city officials in St. Paul's Cathedral may evict Occupy protesters by force. They've now taken legal action to force them out if they do not leave peacefully.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SPYRO VAN LEEMNEN: We are disappointed to see how the church decide to take the legal route. The church should stand by yourselfs. Jesus himself kicked all the money lenders from the temple and now we see this system of Christianity collaborating with the money lenders and -- to evict people from the doorstep.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Occupy London protesters say they're preparing their own legal response.

Colorado is issuing the nation's first state-level business licenses for medical marijuana. The "Denver Post" reports 11 licenses have been issued around the state, seven other operations that dispense marijuana and marijuana products have reportedly been told they're likely to receive licenses. When the first one was given to a Denver business, called Dr. Jay's, on Wednesday, the presentation received a standing ovation.

Unless you stayed up really late last night, you missed one of the greatest World Series comebacks of all time. By now, you've probably heard about the St. Louis Cardinals' epic win. And David Frese's 11th inning walk-off homer that forced the game seven between the Cardinals and the Rangers. But now, we're learning about the man who jumped the fence, grabbed the home run ball, then reportedly shoved it down his pants.

A local affiliate reports Dave Hoyat and a friend were sitting in the bleachers when the ball sailed his way. Well, after the game both ended up in the Cardinals' clubhouse. (Inaudible) offered Frese the ball, gave him a signed bat and another ball signed by the whole team. Pretty cool.

Seven railroad retirees, two doctors accused of taking tens of millions of dollars that was not rightfully theirs. That story next.

But first, give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. That's what this gal has been doing for 125 years as of today. She looks pretty good for a centenarian, doesn't she? For you decades of standing tall at America's doorstep, lady liberty, you are today's "Rock Star."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: For as long as there have been benefits for disabled workers, nondisabled scammers have tried to jump on board. Today in face time, all aboard. Seven retirees from the Long Island railroad and two doctors have been charged with faking disabilities at a cost of well over $100 million to the federal agency that handles those benefits. The feds say the bogus claims could easily top $1 billion if paid out in full.

Defendants include Gregory Noone, 62 years old, who collects $105,000 a year in early retirement and disability pay. Now, he claimed severe pain in his knee, shoulder, and back, but the fed says he plays tennis several times a week and over a nine-month period in 2008 played golf 140 times. 55-year-old Steven Gagliano is said to collect more than $76,000 in pension and disability based on claims of severe back and leg pain. But prosecutors say in 2009, he was fit enough to go, get this, on a 400-mile bike tour of New York state.

Joseph Rutigliano is a former union president who retired in 1999 on disability, but in his last year o on the , he worked 500 hours of overtime and never took a sick day. He claimed he fractured his spine years earlier and the pain was getting worse. But as late as 2008, he allegedly was playing golf twice a month.

All right, so now you get the picture, you get the idea? The investigation was prompted by a series of stories in the ""New York Times"" in 2008. And "Times" reporter, William Rashbaum, joins me now with the latest twists and turns in all of this. William, this is fascinating, fantastic reporting. Start, if you will, by telling us what makes the Long Island railroad so uniquely susceptible to this kind of scam?

WILLIAM RASHBAUM, REPORTER, "THE NEW YORK TIMES" : Well, I think that the pension system, the Railroad Retirement Board, the federal pension system that funds these pensions is probably where things began. That's the agency that issued the pensions and that essentially failed to notice that pretty much everyone who applied for a disability pension from the railroad was getting one.

KAYE: And is there something to be said for -- from what I understand, there's the --there's an early pension, which is much less than the regular pension, so maybe something was going on to try to make up for some of that difference?

RASHBAUM: Well, I think that the railroad, the Long Island railroad, allows its employees to retire at 50. You know, how much of an impact that had, I'm not sure. I couldn't tell you.

KAYE: I'm just curious because something that really struck all of us in some of the reporting and tell me if I have your reporting right here, virtually every career employee of the railroad was applying for and receiving disability payments? I mean, how is that possible?

RASHBAUM: Well, that's a very good question. I mean, that's one of the reasons why Walt Bogdanich, who is one of the reporters who wrote the story that led to this investigation, centered or zeroed in on this. I mean, obviously the nearly ubiquitous nature of these -- of the approvals caught Walt's attention. And he put these stories together with his class of graduate journalism students at Columbia. That was back in 2008.

KAYE: And if so many people are scamming, why are these relatively few being charged?

RASHBAUM: Well, what prosecutors said yesterday is that putting together the evidence that would allow them to prepare a case that they feel they could prove beyond a reasonable doubt is quite challenging. One of the --one of the things that makes it so challenging is that much of these --much of the medical assessment is viewed as subjective. These are soft tissue injuries, doctors have a fair amount of discretion in making their findings, and that -- I gather is making the prosecution more difficult.

KAYE: Well, it's really some great reporting by the ""New York Times"." William Rashbaum, thank you for your time today.

RASHBAUM: Thank you.

KAYE: One man, 39 wives, 94 children, and 33 grand kids. It may be the world's largest family. How they live, and a look at the world's population as it nears seven billion.

But first, a look at the top videos that you're watching on CNN.com

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: He is one man with dozens of wives, dozens of children, and dozens of grandkids. It is an amazing story that we think has been "Under Covered" that you should know about. This man's family may, in fact, be the biggest in the world. They live in a village in northeast India, which is on course to overtake China as the world's most populous country.

So why does one man have so many wives and so many children in a country struggling to reign in a soaring growth rate, where 76 percent of the people live on a mere $2 a day? He says it's God's will. Samnima Udas traveled to the village for a firsthand look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAMNIMA UDAS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An army of workers -- chopping, plucking, roasting. But this is not a military canteen. Everyone here is a wife, child, or grandchild of one man, Ziona.

"I am the eldest son," he says.

"My mother is the 26th wife," she says.

Ziana has 39 wives, 86 children, and 35 grandchildren, making his family very likely the biggest in the world. All 360 family members live here. A four-story mansion with 22 bedrooms in a tiny village in the northeastern Indian state of Mizoram.

The state itself has only 1 million residents. One of the lowest population counts in the country. But that may change if 69-year-old Ziona has his way.

"I believe God chose us to be like this. Those who are born into this family, they don't want to leave and they follow this tradition, so we just keep growing and growing," he says.

UDAS (on camera): This is the nerve center of Ziona's household. The outdoor slaughtering and barbecue area. The family indulges in meat three times a week. And for every non-vegetarian meal, 30 chickens are plucked and one giant pig is roasted.

UDAS (voice-over): Add in some carbohydrates, 25 kilos of rice and 40 kilos of potatoes are required for every meal. Dinner time is an efficient exercise. Without much fuss, some women of the house cook, while others set the table. Still others clean.

And Ziona remains the all-powerful patriarch. He first got married when he was 17.

"I loved him, so I married him," she says.

"He treats us all with so much love," she says.

His oldest wife is 70, and the youngest is 31.

Ziona's father founded this Christian sect in Baswan (ph) Village, promoting polygamy as God's will.

"I never wanted to get married, but that's the path God has chosen for me," he says. It's not my wish to keep marrying again and again.

With a following of 400 families, Ziona is now the caretaker of the self-reliant sect. They raise their own livestock and grow their own crops, while children go to a nearby school. Everyone seems to get along.

UDAS (on camera): Do you fight amongst your siblings?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Never.

UDAS: No fighting?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No fighting.

UDAS (voice-over): India is set to overtake China as the world's most populous nation by 2030, but crowding and crumbling infrastructure in India's booming cities doesn't seem to faze Ziona and his family.

UDAS (on camera): Does it ever feel crowded?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I --

UDAS (voice-over): "Since we're used to living in a very big family, when we go outside, we feel very lonely," he says. The family isn't listed in the Guinness Book of World Records because Ziona says he doesn't want the publicity. But as word gets out, Baswan Village may not remain isolated for that much longer.

Samnima Udas, CNN, Mizoram, India.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: And as we've mentioned, in a couple of days, the world's population will reach 7 billion. So this cool website that we found lets you enter your birth date to see where you fall in the overall count. You can link to it on my Facebook page, facebook.com/randikayecnn.

Clearing Conrad Murray's name. A key witness is back on the stand. But can he get the job done? That's the question. The latest from the Michael Jackson death trial.

But first, on this day in 2005, Vice President Dick Cheney's top adviser, Lewis Scooter Libby, resigned from office. Now his stepping down isn't so much the shame as why. Libby resigned because he was convicted of lying about his involvement in a CIA leak investigation. That's when Robert Novak revealed CIA officer Valerie Plame's identity in "The Washington Post."

Well, Libby was not charged with giving her away, but instead for lying about it over and over and over again, not only to the press, but to the FBI and the grand jury. It was a blow to the entire Bush administration. And that is this shame in history.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: In a little more than an hour ago, round two in the battle of the Propofol experts entered its final stage in the trial of Michael Jackson's doctor right here in Los Angeles. The defense's last witness, anesthesiology expert Dr. Paul White, is on the stand today. He's expected to counter conclusions of prosecution expert anesthesiologist Dr. Steven Shafer, who testified that Jackson could not have self-administered Propofol and that Dr. Murray is directly responsible for the singer's death.

Joining me now for "Crime & Consequence," former Jackson defense attorney Thomas Mesereau.

Tom, nice to see you again.

We've been talking quite a bit about this. What do you think Dr. White has to say, because I think what -- at least from my take, is that you listen to it and so much of it is science-based. So how can he explain to the viewers his take on this so they get it? I mean not to the viewer, but to the jury?

THOMAS MESEREAU JR., FORMER JACKSON DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, I thought that Dr. Shafer, for the prosecution, was very clear. He used illustrative aids. He used a video. He did a very good job in explaining it in an understandable way. I don't know if this witness is going to do the same.

But what the defense is trying to do, in my opinion, is, I don't think they're going to try and use this expert to justify all of the things Murray didn't or didn't do, what they're attacking is the causation issue. They're trying to say that even if he deviated from the standard of care, he did not cause the death of Michael Jackson or the prosecution can't prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he caused the death of Michael Jackson. It's a focused surgical attack.

KAYE: Because the prosecution's expert, the anesthesiologist, he had said that Michael Jackson could not have done this to himself. But the defense is claiming that Michael Jackson may have actually used a syringe to inject himself. But how can they prove that?

MESEREAU: I don't think they can prove it. But if they can get expert testimony to raise the possibility and make that a strong possibility, they're going to argue in their closing argument that the prosecution has not proven their case beyond a reasonable doubt. That that's the legal standard. You must follow it. There's a doubt about exactly what caused the death, and they're hoping it'll work.

KAYE: Let's listen to just a little bit of Dr. Paul White. He was on the stand again this morning. Let's listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. PAUL WHITE, WITNESS IN CONRAD MURRAY TRIAL: I think the point you're trying to make, and I think the important point in this case is that minimal sedation, as was provided by Dr. Murray to Mr. Jackson, would expect to result in a normal response to verbal stimulation, would not have an effect on the airway, would not affect spontaneous ventilation or cardiovascular function. So, in essence, it would produce a reduction in anxiety and a mild level of sedation or sleepiness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: What do you take away from that?

MESEREAU: Well, you have to believe Conrad Murray is telling the truth about minimal sedation. And the problem is, he didn't talk candidly to the paramedics, didn't tell them he'd given Propofol, didn't tell the truth to the police, didn't tell the truth to the hospital personnel who were trying to save and revive Michael Jackson. And there's a pattern of lying here that I think might cause a problem when it comes to whether or not there was minimal sedation.

KAYE: And in the end, when he did talk about it, when he finally did admit that he did give him Propofol, he said he'd given him 25 milligrams, right? But then they found this nearly empty bottle of 100 milligrams in the room.

So the prosecution learned from the defense just today that they're going to get a day to prepare to cross-examine this expert. Is that unusual or how needed is that? MESEREAU: It's actually not unusual because both sides have a right to investigate throughout the trial. If they find something in the middle of the trial that must be produced to the other side, they have to do it quickly. But these things do happen.

KAYE: And any prediction for us on when we might have an end to this?

MESEREAU: You know, I think you're not going to see this get to the jury until the end of next week. I suspect that the prosecution's cross-examination of this witness may take a while. I think Mr. Waldren's (ph) going to go through every point that he's proven and run it by this expert witness, try and turn him into a prosecution witness. I think there may be a rebuttal case by the prosecution. They may call one or two witnesses in rebuttal. Then I think there will probably be a day off to prepare for closing argument and to prepare jury instructions. You may not see closing arguments until the end of next week.

KAYE: Yes, and we thought we might even see them this week. So it's certainly going on longer than we thought.

Tom Mesereau, nice to see you. We hope to see you next week, as well. Have a nice weekend.

MESEREAU: Thanks for having me.

KAYE: Thank you.

Hillary Clinton is moving on up, at least in a new poll. Would she be a better presidential candidate next year than Barack Obama? That is "Fair Game" and it's next.

But first, our political junkie question of the day, which first lady was the very first to high a press secretary? The answer when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Before the break, we asked you which first lady was the first to hire a press secretary? The answer, Jackie Kennedy. She had a fashion style like none before her and the demand for her pictures and appearances became too much for the White House to handle.

Just look at her. So they hired someone to do it for them. Kennedy's also the reason the White House hired a permanent photographer.

Time now for today's fair game. Back in 2008, they were called the "Dream Team," then presidential candidate Barack Obama and his former primary foe Hillary Clinton. Many Democrats thought the two would be unstoppable as running mates.

The primary fight had been a fierce one. In fact, things had gotten so nasty, some Clinton supporters refuse to vote for Barack Obama. In the end, though, everyone rallied behind the candidate from Chicago.

Still, though, many wonder what could have been, what would have been if Clinton were president. Well, if new polls are any indication, the Democrats would be in much better shape heading into 2012.

A new "Time" magazine poll finds that if Clinton ran for president against Republican Mitt Romney, she'd win by 17 points. But a match-up between Obama and Romney shows President Obama with just a three-point lead.

Joining me now, CNN contributor Will Cain and Democratic political consultant, Ed Espinosa. Nice to see you both. All right, so let's just start with the most obvious question here.

I mean, is there a chance, Will, that President Obama will ask Hillary Clinton to be his running mate and would she even do it?

WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, there's a chance, definitely. Will she do it? I think she'll do what she's called upon to do. If the Democratic Party and President Obama want her to take up the vice presidential ticket, I think she'll say yes.

KAYE: Ed, what do you think?

ED ESPINOZA, DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL CONSULTANT: We haven't seen a vice president switch on a national ticket since Gerald Ford. He said it was one of the worst mistakes he ever made. If Obama and Clinton didn't join forces in 2008, they're not going to join forces now. Clinton is really popular because people know she's capable, they know she's experienced, and she can do the job.

But she's also had the benefit of being above the fray from all of this domestic debt arguments. Anybody who hasn't been involved in that is going to be pretty popular right now, but Joe Biden's been a good president --

KAYE: Whoa, whoa, president?

ESPINOZA: I've got my Joe Biden -- anyway, the bottom line is this, if Dan Quayle can't get kicked off a ticket, nobody can get kicked off a ticket. We're sticking with Obama and Biden.

KAYE: All right. Let me -- will, I'm going to let you weigh in there.

CAIN: I was just going to say I agree with Ed. The appeal for Hillary Clinton is that she has been able to be above the fray. I want to use the same catch phrase there. She hasn't had to get mired in partisan fights and she hasn't had to be attached to this economy in any way.

That being said, she brings these positives to the ticket and I've got to ask you this, Ed, I don't understand why it's so out of the question. What does Joe Biden bring to the ticket? What benefit? What positive does he bring?

I don't think when any voter goes into the voting booth and go, well, he does have Biden. In fact, I think it works the opposite. Biden is a negative to Obama.

ESPINOZA: Well, I disagree and I tell you why because you're right. I don't think people consider a vice president when they're voting for a president in the same way that I don't think it drags down the ticket.

Biden is an expert in foreign policy. He has deep congressional relationships that go back 30 years. This is a benefit to the ticket. And when it comes down to a decision we're going to make, it's going to be based on the team we've got versus the team that is presented to us.

The best presidential pairings over the years for vice president and president have been people who have good relationships and good working environments. President Obama and vice President Biden have a good relationship.

KAYE: Let me run just a quick little sound bite here from Hillary Clinton talking about this possibility and how she stands on it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, CNN's "THE SITUATION ROOM": If the president is re-elected, do you want to serve a second term as secretary of state?

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: No.

BLITZER: Would you like to serve as secretary of defense?

CLINTON: No.

BLITZER: Would you like to be vice president of the United States?

CLINTON: No.

BLITZER: Would you like to be president of the United States?

CLINTON: No.

BLITZER: Why not?

CLINTON: Because I have the best job I could ever have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Hillary Clinton talking with our Wolf Blitzer. So, I mean, just very quickly, yes or no, Will, will she change her mind?

CAIN: Regarding vice presidential nomination? Yes. She just said no to four things in a row right there, but at the end she said she liked her job including she said no to keeping her job. Kind of odd.

Hillary Clinton, she'll do whatever's asked of her. I'm not saying she's a follower, I'm saying the Democratic Party is much more cohesive than anyone would like to pretend.

KAYE: Ed, very quickly, yes or no?

ESPINOZA: No, means no. Just like Chris Christie. I don't know how many times he had to say it. I think she's going to stick by her guns, as well.

KAYE: Well, you never know. We'll see. We will see. Ed Espinoza, Will Cain, great to see you both. Have a great weekend. That is fair game.

CAIN: Talk to you tonight, Ed.

KAYE: Coming up in "Globe Trekking," we'll take you to a place that's one of the centers in the fight against terrorism. It's a nuclear power and has fought three wars with its neighbor, which also has nuclear we weapons.

But there's another battle raging in this country, extreme poverty causes some people to take extreme steps to help their desperate families. Where are we? The answer coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Time now for "Globe Trekking." Before the break, we told you about a country at the center of the fight against terrorism, but it faces another devastating problem that critics say has received little attention from the government, extreme poverty.

Where are we? Pakistan. That's where one man's desperate cries for a job so he could feed his family fell on deaf ears in the capital, Islamabad. What he did to draw attention to his plight was tragic. Reza Sayah is in Islamabad with details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No one listened to Roger Han's desperate cries for help, his family says. So with all hope apparently lost, the 24-year-old out of work father and husband took the most extreme measure imaginable. He doused himself with fuel and lit himself on fire.

(on camera): This is where Han set himself on fire, the Pakistani parliament here in Islamabad. The government that sits inside failed him he said. Police say he left behind a note saying he was tired of despair and poverty.

(voice-over): Medics and police rushed him to the hospital, but severe burns over 90 percent of his body were too much. He left behind a grief-stricken father, a wife, three sons, one of them delivered the very day he passed away.

For six months he had searched for that job so he could feed his family, relatives say. His last-ditch effort across country journey from his village to the gates of parliament where he made his final futile plea.

(on camera): His story is very similar to Muhammed Boazizi, the Tunisian fruit seller who set himself on fire. But he was widely credited for sparking the people's uprising in Tunisia that led to the Arab spring.

But in Pakistan, Roger Han's death is getting very little media attention.

(voice-over): This despite 40 suicides a week prompted by abject poverty according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

TAHIRA ABDULLA, HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST: Suicides are happening on a daily basis.

SAYAH: Human rights activist, Tahira Abdulla, blames the lack of attention on the media's focus on militancy, a crisis, she says, but one that has nowhere near the impact of joblessness and poverty.

ABDULLA: Poverty is, I think, the single biggest problem that the government of Pakistan has to face, but has not addressed in its 3-1/2 years of existence.

SAYAH: But in Pakistan, not everyone is silent. And some have been inspired by the growing occupy movement in America. The protests are small, but a sign perhaps that at least some Pakistanis have heard his cries for help. Reza Sayah, CNN, Islamabad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: The movie "Jaws" stirred up shark paranoia, was the truth is, humans are more of a threat to sharks than sharks are to people. We dive deep to get a look at the shrinking shark population.

But first, remember this guy? Florida Pastor Terry Jones of Koran burning infamy is back. He's actually announced that he's running for president of the United States. Listen up, Pastor, it's over, you're never going to be president of anything.

Roseanne Barr had a more serious campaign when she announced on the "Tonight Show." The 15 minutes you never should've had is now officially up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Three deadly shark attacks in three weeks in Western Australia. The thought of an encounter with a shark is horrifying to most people. But here is a reality check.

Given how many of us go to the beach for sun and fun, these kinds of attacks are extremely rare. Drownings are far more common. Sharks themselves are much more vulnerable to us. Overfishing are killing them off and crippling the entire marine food chain.

Kaj Larsen is on the assignment, but we should warn you, you may find some of the video in this report disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAJ LARSEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shark populations are crashing around the world. Millions die by finning to feed the growing demand for shark fin soup in Asia.

Roughly a third of all shark and ray species face some threat of extinction. Without them, the marine food web could start to unravel. This marine biologist is on a mission to protect sharks. We met up in the Bahamas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually, the marina we're in right now is one of the first shark-free marinas in the Bahamas.

LARSEN: Sharks are an apex predator, which at the top of the marine food chain. They grow slowly, maturely, and produce few young, making them vulnerable to overfishing.

LUKE TIPPLE, MARINE BIOLOGIST: We're supposed to have a certain number of sharks to be able to control these animals below them. So we take out that apex and we allow a lot of other fish to breed underneath them.

They basically annihilate everything below them, and then we don't have healthy ocean systems and we won't be able to pull food or product from there anymore.

LARSEN: The Bahamas banned commercial shark fishing, and that's helped lure more divers and tourist dollars to the islands.

(on camera): Come back with all ten of these.

LARSEN (voice-over): Luke and I jump in to see some sharks up close.

(on camera): Wow. They're right there.

(voice-over): But outside sanctuaries like this one, sharks remain at risk.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Wow. Kaj Larsen joins me now to talk about this. I'm amazed you were brave enough to go down there without a cage. What was that like?

LARSEN: Shark diving, no cage, it's the new black, Randi. Everyone's doing it.

KAYE: Not me.

LARSEN: So I spent my whole life as a surfer in the ocean trying to avoid sharks, and now all of a sudden we're getting in there and actually trying to see sharks.

It's really eerie, you don't know their intentions, but Luke is an expert, and he claims that he can sort of read their behavior and know they're docile at that moment.

KAYE: So do they come close to you? Were you nervous at all?

LARSEN: I mean, I was nervous every time they came close to me. I don't have a death wish. But what I was trying to do is draw attention to the plight of sharks, which you mentioned at the top are being severely overfished. And we're taking as many as 70 million sharks a year out of the ocean and that has to affect the marine environment.

KAYE: You know, we always think of them as predators, but they must have been just beautiful up close.

LARSEN: They're incredible creatures. I mean, almost 400 million years of evolution. They are the top predator in the food chain. They're majestic and they're totally in peril right now.

KAYE: Wow. That is really something I really look forward to your report. And I think what he's doing is fantastic to try to save them. Kaj, thank you very much.

And you don't miss CNN Presents "Predators as Prey." Watch hunting down sharks with Kaj Larsen. We'll also track a priest accused of child abuse in "Predators in Plain Sight."

And a re-imagining of the night before Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated in the play "The Mountain Top," that is CNN Presents Sunday night 8:00 p.m. right here on CNN.

Well, every day on this show, we call out someone who has to put it bluntly, screwed up. Didn't have to look further than TMZ's web site today to find this one, TMZ caught Usher in his hoodie being verbally assaulted by a woman in Atlanta.

Now before you judge, here at the facts. Usher reportedly arrived late to a Halloween parade in Atlanta complete with giant Elvis in costumes, but I digress.

Here's the deal, Usher grabbed the most convenient parking spot. Problem is, that parking spot was reserved for the handicapped. Usher didn't seem to have a problem with that, but one woman sure did and rightly so.

So when Usher refused to move his car, the woman rushed him, tried to grab his hoodie and screamed until her husband finally got her away. Now TMZ says that Usher did finally move his car. But, Usher, you never should have parked there in the first place.

You may be on the top of the billboard charts, but this puts at the bottom of my chart for your pre Madonna parking attitude, Usher. It's time for you to the face the music.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Now let's take a closer look at stories making headlines across the country at street level. Today, we start in New York City where bidders have the chance to snag something one of a kind, these paintings by the late Dr. Jack Kevorkian.

The auction is going ahead as planned despite an ugly legal fight over who owns them. Kevorkian loaned the paintings to a Boston museum in 1999 and the museum refuses to give them up.

Kevorkian's state meantime says, they consider the paintings to be stolen. The museum has filed a suit and while the paintings will be auctioned off today, they will not be delivered to the winning bidders until this dispute is settled.

To Indianapolis where the country music duo, Sugarland, returns today for a free concert. Tonight's show will benefit the Indiana state fair remembrance fund in honor of the seven people who died when the stage collapsed from in a storm back in August. More than 40 people in all were injured.

To San Francisco now where a missing historic church bell has been found. Police say the 122-year-old bell belonging to St. Mary's Cathedral was found near a scrap yard yesterday about 20 miles away in Oakland.

Church members reported the bell stolen over the weekend. After a tip, the bell was found sitting on top of two beams covered by a tarp. No arrests have been made in connection with this caper.

And finally to Athens, Ohio, where a group of college students wants you to think twice before choosing your Halloween costume this year. Students at Ohio University have launched a campaign called "We're a Culture, Not a Costume" where posters are going up all over the campus urging students not to target cultures with stereo typical Halloween costumes.

Joining me now to talk more about the campaign, Chrissa Bush, secretary of Stars, the student group that started it all. Chris, I see that you have some friends with you there. But let's talk about this, I mean, this is great what you are doing. Why do you think this is so important?

CHRISSA BUSH, OHIO UNIVERSITY STUDENT: We feel this is very important because a lot of students are unaware that dressing up or posing as a different culture is very offensive. And we want to bring awareness to not only Athens, but to all over the world where people can stop making this mistake and start respecting all ethnicities.

KAYE: And which types of costumes are you focusing on? What crosses the line for you?

BUSH: Well, we had one that represents black face and that crosses the line because in history shows that black face was a way of representing black people and very stereo typical, which is offensive and then we also have one of an Asian and this is offenseful because it represents the sex appeal that they have and we think that it needs to be focused on who they are as a person and that they are generalized.

KAYE: I realize as we look at these posters, you had quite a social media campaign. How has that been received?

BUSH: Well, their president put up the posters on tumbler and that was a big hit. There were 50,000 hits and then we made it our Facebook profile pictures, which spread quickly. And we put up the picture after it hit the social media.

KAYE: And other universities are requesting them as well? So this is really spreading.

BUSH: Not only universities, we have teachers from elementary schools, high schools, as well as just people interested in having them for their companies. It's been all over the world. Not only educators, but professional workers who are wanting to spread the word as well.

KAYE: I know that you believe strongly in what you are doing, but there are those that think you are being a little too sensitive. What do you want to say to those critics?

BUSH: I think that when we came up with the campaign we knew that people were going to think that we were being too sensitive and that's why we decided to do this. We feel that the people -- most of the people who do think that we are being too sensitive are people that probably haven't been discriminated against and haven't felt the hate and the anger that is being attached to these costumes.

So we just want people to know that we are not trying to take the fun out of Halloween. We go to Ohio University and Halloween is a big deal here. It's not that we are being too sensitive. We simply want to let people know that this does offend people and although you may not be offended, someone else does and you may not be aware of that.

KAYE: And what are you going to dress up as this year, Chrissa?

BUSH: I'm actually be a mime.

KAYE: OK, all right, well, listen. Have a great happy Halloween to all of you and thank you for what you're doing and thank you for coming on the show today.

BUSH: Thank you.

KAYE: What a cute bunch.

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain says despite all of the laughs, he is in it to win it. CNN's Paul Steinhauser is joining me with more on this in today's political ticker. So Paul, Cain has major cash on hand too, doesn't he for all this?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: He sure does. He was pushing back against critics today on the campaign trail who said that maybe Herman Cain really isn't running for president.

He made those comments, Randi, in Alabama. This is interesting. We're 67 days away from the first votes in Iowa. Where's Herman Cain, not in any of those early voting states, in Alabama today and tomorrow on the campaign trail.

Alabama does not vote until March. But as you mentioned, $3 million. That's the bucks we learned about yesterday. Three million dollars is how much Herman Cain has pulled in since October 1st. That's more than he raised the entire three months before that.

One other thing I want to share with you, Gary Johnson, former governor of New Mexico who's also running for the nomination, he had a little oops moment. He forgot today was the last day to file in New Hampshire to get on the primary.

So what did he do? He jumped on an overnight flight red eye last night from Phoenix into New Hampshire, filed this morning just in the nick of time to get on the ballot in New Hampshire, Randi.

KAYE: Wow, that's some dedication there, taking the red eye. All right, Paul, thank you very much. Have a nice weekend.

STEINHAUSER: You too, thanks.

KAYE: Thanks for watching today as always, I'd love to hear what you think about the show. You can continue the conversation with me on Facebook or on Twitter @randikaye@cnn. Have a great weekend everyone. I'll hand it over now to Don Lemon who's in today for Brooke Baldwin. Hi, Don.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Randi. I'll tell you what I think. I think your show was great. I really liked it. So everyone send that on to Randi Kaye. Have a great weekend, Randi.