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No Verdict So Far in Conrad Murray Case; IAEA Report on Iran Awaited; Inside the Amish Beard-Cutting Spree

Aired November 05, 2011 - 15:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Civil action groups urged Americans to take their money out of big commercial banks today. This is one of the ads for the "move your money" and "bank transfer day" movements. A national survey shows at least 650,000 customers have joined credit unions since the day Bank of America announced plans to impose a debit card fee. The bank has since reversed that decision. Occupy Wall Street is planning a "dump your bank" day on Tuesday.

And a possible step in the right direction for Greece, Prime Minister George Papandreou met with the country's president today just hours after barely winning a vote of confidence. He says he'll do whatever he can to form a coalition government. His next objective, to push through approval of an international bailout package.

And world leaders pledged support for the Greek debt deal while at the G-20 Summit in France. They wrapped up the meetings by unveiling a two-page action plan. But the plan is short on specifics and leaders admit it will be hard for some countries to follow through as they try to get their own financial houses in order.

Here in this country some 215,000 customers of Connecticut Power and Light are still without power, one week after a freak fall snowstorm. Connecticut's governor warned residents of another cold night tonight and he is urging them to take advantage of warming centers across the state. The utility vows 99 percent restoration by Sunday night.

An outpouring of tributes today for Andy Rooney. The veteran broadcaster died last night following complications from minor surgery. He was 92. Rooney started his career as a writer. Before retiring last month he spent 60 years working for CBS, first behind the scenes and then in front of the camera. Earlier I spoke to one of Rooney's "60 Minutes" colleagues, Bob Simon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB SIMON, CBS CORRESPONDENT: He was awfully, awfully nice. He invited me to lunch. He would call now and then to see how I was doing. He was a sweetheart of a human being which didn't always come across in his commentaries.

WHITFIELD: Oh wow. So now that he went into minor surgery, were you and people who were close to him kind of blind-sided that he was not recovering well?

SIMON: Frankly, I wasn't blind-sided. And the reason is I've know a lot of guys who die quickly after they retire. It's just something that happens. I don't understand it. I don't know if any doctor understands it. But I've seen it happen before.

So when Andy left, I was thinking, I hope he has some good years ahead of him but I wasn't sure that he did.

WHITFIELD: Wow. At 92. He was a writer. And during his farewell that so many of us watched on "60 Minutes" a few weeks ago, he stressed that, I'm a writer. But he also talked about kind of one of the things that got under his skin that he wasn't that comfortable with is that he didn't like being recognized on the streets. Did you ever get to see that that was something...

SIMON: That's right.

WHITFIELD: ... that aggravated him?

SIMON: Oh, absolutely, whenever we went out to dinner together. Most correspondents love it when somebody comes up and says, I think you're great, can I have your autograph? Andy hated it. He just wanted to have his dinner.

The really -- I think one of the most unique things about Andy professionally is that every other correspondent in television news fills a slot. There is a White House correspondent, a foreign correspondent, and an anchor. And when they leave, they will be replaced.

Andy didn't fill a slot, he was Andy. And he can't be replaced. So his slot will be retired the way Joe DiMaggio's number 5 was retired. There is nobody else who can do it. I have no inside information but I'm confident that CBS has no intention of trying to do it.

The only guys I can think of who might be able to do it are Mark Twain and Will Rogers, but I'm not sure.

WHITFIELD: They are not available. So Andy Rooney, he had this very unique position, as you just described. Pictures did not tell his stories like most television correspondents would rely on pictures to help tell that story. Did he kind of craft this position to be that final punctuation of "60 Minutes" every Sunday? Was that kind of his own enterprise? Was it something that kind of evolved because of the character that was Andy Rooney?

SIMON: I think he just was most into it. As he said in his final statement, his final piece, which I thought was his finest moment, he said, writers don't retire, I'm a writer, therefore I won't retire. That's how he always thought of himself.

And he wrote for other correspondents because he was such a good writer. And then at some point he just started doing his own pieces. And being who he is, he became who he is. But he never thought of himself as a television personality, even though he was certainly one of the most recognizable people on television in the United States.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: CBS's Bob Simon there.

Jurors in the Conrad Murray trial have the weekend off. They started deliberating yesterday but ended the day without a verdict. CNN's Ted Rowlands has more from outside the courthouse in Los Angeles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: One full day of deliberation, no verdict here in Los Angeles. The jurors will be back at 8:30 in the morning on Monday morning. They at one point asked to see some evidence. They brought the evidence into the jury room. What we don't know, of course, is if they are going through evidence together in agreement, sort of doing their due diligence, or are they disagreeing on any specifics.

Of course there's no way to know that. There's no way to know what is going on inside that room. But there are a lot of people outside of the courthouse and inside the courthouse who are watching and waiting very, very patiently.

The judge will not allow this jury of seven men and five women to deliberate over the weekend, or outside of court hours. So they will be back at 8:30 Monday morning along with a lot of the media and a lot of the people outside of this courthouse.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Representative Gabrielle Giffords promises to go back to work. The Arizona congresswoman was shot in January during a public appearance. A new book by her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, will be released later on this month. Giffords wrote the last chapter and vowed to return to Congress once she is strong enough. She made a surprise appearance there back in August to vote on that debt ceiling deal.

This is the time of year when many high school seniors start thinking about applying for college. Of course, some colleges are harder to get into than others. U.S. News and World Report recently named the colleges and universities with the lowest acceptance rates. New York City's Cooper Union accepted only 8 percent of applicants this year. Three schools tied with 7 percent. They are Stanford University, Harvard University, and Alice Lloyd College in Kentucky. There is one school on the list that was even more selective. So which college has the lowest acceptance rate? Find out after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: So before the break we named four of the five colleges and universities with the lowest acceptance rates. Claiming the top spot, it's the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, which accepted only 4 percent of all applicants this year. The Curtis Institute has a total undergraduate enrollment of only 123 students. Tuition and fees are $2,300 for the 2011-2012 school year. Returning to Greece and its troubled economy, Prime Minister George Papandreou says he'll do whatever it takes to push through an international bailout package. Time is running out to save that country's finances, and if you think you shouldn't care, think again. Earlier I spoke with Mark Zandi from Moody's Analytics about why the Greek crisis impacts every single one of us in the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK ZANDI, MOODY'S ANALYTICS: We're tethered at the hip with Europe, and if Europe has trouble, we do too as well. The most obvious and direct link is through the stock market, a large number of our big multinational corporation do lots of business in Europe, and their stock price reflects what's happening there.

And if you go back to the start of the European debt crisis, almost a year-and-a-half ago, the stock market as been up, down, all around, but it has really gone nowhere. And that's largely because of the European situation.

There are other links, but that's the most key and immediate one.

WHITFIELD: How is it that people can feel, I guess, a little bit more confidence, if confidence is the right word, in their 401(k) while Greece tries to work out its money problems?

ZANDI: Well, you know, I don't think you can. I mean, the ups and downs in our stock market and people's 401(k)s and their other pension assets is directly related to what's going on in Europe almost day-to- day.

And, you know, it's not only that the stock market has gone nowhere for the last year-and-a-half or two years, the problem is the volatility, it's the ups and the downs. With that kind of -- those kinds of swings it's very difficult to know, you know, what you're worth. And so that has a big impact on people's thinking, on their psyche, and ultimately on their spending, and thus the broader economy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Greece's Prime Minister Papandreou is now trying to convince his country citizens to accept new economic austerity measures. But as CNN's Diana Magnay learned, some Greeks may not wait around much longer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Break time at Athens's New York Business College, a bunch of students set on getting qualified, then quitting the country.

(on camera): Don't you feel that your country needs people like you?

DMITRIS TSIOUTSIAS, BUSINESS STUDENT: They do but there's no opportunity. People are closing -- stores are closing, strikes are making it very hard for people to even go to school and work.

MAGNAY (voice-over): His friend Hrack Altunyan thinks it's more deep- rooted even than that.

HRACK ALTUNYAN, COMMUNICATIONS STUDENT: If you take a Greek guy, a Greek guy who lives in Greece, he would do nothing. If you take a Greek guy, move him to Australia, move him to Canada, move him anywhere we want, he will do great things.

MAGNAY: There's a special course here on Greece and the crisis, an attempt to try and buck the trend and keep the young back home.

LEONIDAS BOURITSAS, PROFESSOR, NEW YORK COLLEGE, ATHENS: It's all about finding the presence of mind to go against a lot of what has been built and declare it debunked. It's something that only younger people can do.

MAGNAY (on camera): But it seems the younger generation feel the principles of democracy broke down long ago. They say they feel cheated by their own politicians, by their own parents and grandparents for creating a mess of monumental proportions that no one seems able to fix.

(voice-over): Talk to older generations and they will freely admit much of the blame lies with Greek society.

ALEX PAPAKOSTAS, FIREFIGHTER PILOT: And I believe that we have to earn our living. It was the last 10 years we were living with loans -- not only the last 10 years, since our revolution in 1821, we have bankruptcy five times, maybe more. And we don't get the lesson out of that.

MAGNAY: In 1821, Field Marshal Theodoros Kolokotronis fought for independence from the Ottomans and won. Now Greece faces the option of dependence on European paymasters or a fate that may be far worse.

Sadly for Greece, many of the young who could fight for its future say they are not prepared to stick around.

Diana Magnay, CNN, Athens.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Now to the U.S. economy. It added 80,000 jobs in October. And the unemployment rate dropped a tad from 9.1 percent to 9 percent even. So, what will it take to see a meaningful improvement in the job market? Christine Romans talked about solutions with economist Diane Swonk and Peter Morici.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The jobless rate stands at 9 percent. That number has nearly doubled when you look at the under- employment rate which includes those who want to work full time but can only find part time work. That's 16.2 percent. Each month brings slight progress at best but what other real long term solutions? I want to turn back to our economists, Diane Swonk and Peter Morici. Diane, let's start with you. We've gone over the problems. What needs to happen to return to the days of 200,000 jobs added each month and 5 percent unemployment?

DIANE SWONK, CHIEF ECONOMIST, MESIROW FINANCIAL: It's going to be difficult. There is no easy fix. We've always talked about if there's a silver bullet to be shot, it would have already been shot. That said, there are things that could be done in the margins, changes in regulation, easing up on regulation, and if we did have some more fiscal stimulus, as Peter noted, I think that would help.

We're not going to get it, unfortunately, to go along with the ongoing monetary stimulus that's in the U.S. economy.

I also think it's important, the issue we talked about, discrimination against long term unemployed, we've got to eliminate that. That just can't happen because then you close those workers out for good out of the labor force.

And we're seeing many states now pass anti-discrimination laws where you can't say, I'm not going to look at you unless you're employed already or if you have been unemployed more than six months or more than a year. That's a very important issue as well.

I think we also have to do things like I did, the unpaid internships to make sure we keep our young engaged in the labor force at some level. Even if they are not earning money, they are at least getting skills that are going to be very important for them going forward.

So there are things that be done on the margin to keep them employable. The key issue is to not have a whole lost generation at both the older and the younger end of the spectrum.

ROMANS: Peter Morici, I guess my advice to people is fill the gap on your resume, and if it says the jobless need not apply, apply anyway.

PETER MORICI, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF BUSINESS: One of the things that older workers can do that have been laid off is get out and do that volunteer work. You know, after about the first two or three months of looking for a job, your day simply isn't filled up by it because you can only send out so many resumes.

You should do something every day. But if you budget your time properly you can then do some of the things that young people do, and that can lead to other work. I don't mean internships but perhaps volunteer work where you continue to apply your skill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: That was Christine Romans discussing jobs with economists Peter Morici and Diane Swonk.

Here's something that will perhaps make you happy. Can you guess which star is the most popular on YouTube? Is it Rihanna, Justin Bieber, or Lady Gaga? The answer, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: So before the break we asked, of these three stars, which star is the most popular on YouTube? Did up get it right? The answer, Justin Bieber. In fact according to a social media monitoring company, the teenage heartthrob just became the first person ever to get 2 billion views on YouTube.

And now it's possible to stream your favorite YouTube videos, check emails, and share photos right your television, it's called smart TV. And it's hitting the store shelves for the Christmas season. Our technology analyst, syndicated writer Marc Saltzman is joining us from Toronto to explain.

So, Marc, exactly what is smart TV? Something tells me it's not something just for relaxing.

MARC SALTZMAN, SYNDICATED TECHNOLOGY WRITER: Sure. Well, you can if you want to relax, or be as engaged as you want. You know, we have got smart cars and smart phones so why not smart TVs? They are also referred to as Internet TVs or connected TVs. In a nutshell, it's essentially bringing the best of the Internet to your big screen television.

So these new crop of televisions have Internet access so you can then enjoy dozens and dozens of different kinds of apps, not unlike what's on your smart phone or tablet. So that can be everything from streaming video services like Netflix and YouTube or Hulu Plus and Blockbuster, to streaming music like Pandora.

You've got social networks like Facebook and Twitter, online photo gallery access such as Picasa or Flickr. And then of course on demand weather and news and sports scores and stock quotes, all on your big screen TV. So it's streaming content, be it media or information.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. So who is making these Internet-enabled TVs and do they all offer the same kind of service and perks?

SALTZMAN: Right. So all the major TV manufacturers offer some flavor of Internet TV today. And I'm sure they are going have greater success with Internet-connected TVs than they have with 3D TVs. And some have both, by the way, so all the major players.

But the second part of your question is about whether or not they all have the same services. The short answer is no, many of them share common ones like Netflix or YouTube. Some have a complete Web browser so you can access the Web as if you're in front of your laptop.

For example, Samsung and LG have more than 100 different apps with their smart TV platform. And that's what they branded it, smart TV. Panasonic has on demand gaming, so streaming video games, instead of buying or renting a disc, you're actually playing the content over the -- in the cloud, if you will.

And Sony has a few exclusives. One of them is they are the only TV- maker that has Google TV, which is their own service that they license, and they have their own services as well like Curiosity.

So you're going to get a little bit of different content with every partner. Some offer Skype chatting, like what we're doing now right now through their TV. Yes. Some pretty cool stuff. And it's poised to be a pretty big deal in 2012.

WHITFIELD: Full service television. All right. So once you buy a smart TV, what else do you need to get going? Is there a way to add Internet access to an existing TV?

SALTZMAN: So, you do need a high-speed Internet connection. So that's number one. Some smart TVs or Internet-connected TVs give you a wired or wireless option, or both. So if you have a Wi-Fi network, you are going to want it fast enough to stream video. So 802.11N as in Norman is the latest speed for wireless routers.

Again, but some prefer to have a wired connection with a little Ethernet jack that plugs into the back of the TV. So number one, you do need, if you have an Internet TV, one of these new TVs, you will need a high-speed Internet connection.

But if you are perfectly happy with your existing TV, but you want to tap into all this really cool interactive and streaming content, you can buy a box and connect to it your TV. It plugs into any HDMI slot in the back or side of your TV.

And that includes Apple TV, which is what I use. And that also gives you access to streaming TV shows and movies on iTunes and other cool advantages.

There's also a Boxee Box from D-Link. There's Roku. They have units as low as $50. There's Logitech Revue. There's a few different products that will add that sort of on demand content. Even some Blu- ray players have smart TV features built into them.

So if you are not going to run out and buy a brand new TV this holiday season, you can still take advantage of this smart TV revolution.

WHITFIELD: Wow. That's incredible. All in time -- just in time for the holidays. What a coincidence.

SALTZMAN: (INAUDIBLE).

WHITFIELD: So very smart, all right, thanks so much, Marc Saltzman.

SALTZMAN: Thanks, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: for more high-tech ideas and reviews, just go to cnn.com/tech, and look for the "gaming and gadgets" tab.

From smart TV to a real-life drama playing out in front of the cameras, the involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray is in the hands of the jury. Nancy Grace weighs in on the case.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: The jury deciding the fate of Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, is taking a break this weekend. They are expected to resume deliberations about who was responsible for the singer's death on Monday. Which side in the case scored the most points in those closing argument? I asked Nancy Grace to weigh in.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NANCY GRACE, HOST, "NANCY GRACE": Well, here's the deal. All I have to say to that is four gallons of propofol. Dr. Conrad Murray claimed he was trying to wean Jackson off of propofol, and for those of you who don't know whole propofol is, I had it once when I went under surgery.

You put it in your arm, you're out. You take it out of your arm, you're awake. It's only to be used as a surgical anesthetic in an operating room. Conrad Murray had ordered four gallons, think of a gallon of milk, for Michael Jackson alone, when he says he's weaning him.

So after that came out in court, I think that all of their arguments fell flat. They also argued in his defense that he was little fish in a quote "big dirty pond." In other words, a lot of doctors had Jackson hooked on drugs. But those doctors aren't the ones accused of killing him.

WHITFIELD: OK. Quick verdict, in your view, then?

GRACE: Well, remember, I was the one who said Simpson would go down on double murder. So consider the source. But I absolutely believe there will be a guilty verdict. I think it's all over but the sentencing. However in California that sentencing may be very lenient. He may get straight probation for killing Michael Jackson.

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's switch gears a little bit. The other reason why you're out in Los Angeles, "Dancing with the Stars." You're still in the game. So you and Tristan, you had a very different competition this week. The big group dance. A lot of pressure on that. Do you feel like there's greater pressure, pressure on the group dance versus when it's you and Tristan, you know, competing?

GRACE: Well, the thing about the group dance that was a shocker is that that score -- that group score was added to everyone's individual score.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

GRACE: How does that work, Tris?

TRISTAN MACMANUS, DANCE PARTNER: Well, I guess we went into two teams of three. I don't know which one. I had a split opinion on the first, because I always thought that our own dance was the most important one.

But, again, it's kind of -- you're taking it at your own hands then when you're helping out the team as well. And you can't kind of -- you really need to work as a team in that scenario. So they were equally as important, I think.

GRACE: And you know, what I hate is that outfit. I was literally in an asylum cage wearing a straight jacket outfit, and a big crazy wig. I didn't like that part. But I liked the dance a lot and it prepped me for this week because that was a tango and we're doing a tango this week, which was very hard.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Nancy Grace and Tristan MacManus there.

So this just in now to CNN. Boxing legend Joe Frazier is in a hospice in Philadelphia. CNN has learned that Frazier has liver cancer. He apparently suffered pain last month and then went to the doctor. Frazier fought Muhammad Ali in the "Thrilla in Manilla" fight. Fans can go to joefraziercorner.com to send any well wishes.

Another look at our top stories now. Andy Rooney was a man of letters and words delivered with great wit. He died last night following complications from minor surgery. Rooney retired from his job as a commentator at CBS's "60 Minutes" just in October. He won many accolades in his long career and also sparked controversy with his candor. Rooney was 92.

In Texas this is what's left of a bus carrying students and faculty from Abilene Christian University, a 19-year-old woman was killed when the bus struck a concrete culvert and rolled over. Several other passengers were ejected and suffered varying degrees of injuries.

A sanitation worker in Stamford, Connecticut, says he bought the winning $254 million Powerball ticket. Amazing luck, right? Not so fast. Apparently the man says he can't find the winning ticket now. He bought it a local mini-mart.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUNI PATEL, BELLTOWN SUPERETTE: He said that's his number but he can't find the ticket, it's a lost ticket. So I don't know what to say.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How upset was he?

PATEL: Oh, he was -- looked like when he came to my time, like he was a little upset.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: He better find that ticket.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, meantime, will release a new report on Iran next week. It's expected to include the most explicit charges by the IAEA to date. Joining me right now to talk more about this is CNN's senior State Department producer, Elise Labott.

So, Elise, What is about it this IAEA report you can tell us? ELISE LABOTT, CNN SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: Well, Fred, in recent reports there has been concern that Iran's program is not for peaceful purposes as they say it is, and that they have been trying to develop a nuclear weapon.

Now we understand from diplomats that the charges in this report are irrefutable. That the case is made that Iran has been trying to develop a nuclear weapon. It has been simulating computer models, trying to develop a nuclear warhead, which would basically be how they deliver a nuclear weapon to a country.

So, we understand these are the most damning, as we said, charges to date that the IAEA is going to be putting out in this report, and this is going to give a lot of leverage to the United States and other countries as they seek to increase pressure on Iran -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: So how might the U.S. respond to this, especially in the wake of that Iranian bomb plot?

LABOTT: Well, it could definitely strengthen President Obama's hand. We understand the U.S. is really going to use this report to try and ratchet up the pressure on Iran, more financial economic measures, possibly more political pressure, trying to get more political pressure at the U.N.

They say that countries like Russia and China are going to see this report and even they won't able to deny the evidence. And so we understand President Obama said when he was in Cannes that he discussed the upcoming report with French President Sarkozy at the G- 20.

And now he is leaving for Asia next week where he's going to be talking to the leaders of Russia and China, saying, listen, hey, we really need to put up the heat on Iran.

WHITFIELD: OK. Meantime, there's this drumbeat -- this resounding drumbeat involving war possibly with Iran and Israel would play a role potentially. Explain more about this.

LABOTT: Well, the U.S. is downplaying these reports. We heard from reports in Israel that Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Barak, have been looking to the cabinet to perhaps authorize some kind of military strike, suggesting that they are considering it.

Well, I speak to officials. They say, listen, when Iran is really loud about these type of charges, when we see a lot of reports, then we don't worry so much, but when they go quiet, that's when we worry.

But on the other hand, military officials are saying they are concerned that possibly Israel would attack Iran and they are going to be looking at Israel and Iran very carefully.

Right now the U.S. is saying it wants to use diplomatic measures, economic pressure, political pressure on Iran. It isn't considering military options, although you always know, Fred, they never take anything off the table. WHITFIELD: That's right. All right. Elise Labott, thanks so much.

So many Americans need assistance during these hard economic times. One man is doing all that he can.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAL DIMICELI, CNN TOP 10 HERO: I find the situation is getting worse. They need food. They need help with their utilities. This is 2011 in America. We should be helping each other.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A CNN top 10 "Hero" next in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Each week we're shining a spotlight on our top 10 CNN honorees and their work as you vote for the one who inspires you the most. The "CNN Hero of the Year." This week we're re-introducing you to Sal Dimiceli. He has spent decades helping people get back on their feet through his non-profit The Time Is Now to Help.

He assists hundreds of people each year helping to provide food, rent, utilities, and other necessities. Sal Dimiceli joins us live now from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

Good to see you. And congratulations for being a top 10.

DIMICELI: Thank you very much.

WHITFIELD: So, you write a column in your local newspaper. It tells readers about people's situations and how help is needed. Is this the basis of The Time Is Now to Help, getting local people to help one another?

DIMICELI: It's the beginning of a network that we've been doing for quite a few years. I feel all across America the same thing can be done. We've been networking for numerous years from different government entities, a lot of private entities of different businesses giving back to their communities, and everyone else coming together to volunteer.

WHITFIELD: So help explain how it works. You hear of someone, and their need, you visit the home to get a full understanding of what they need before actually providing any supplies or assistance?

DIMICELI: Yes. A few decades ago, instead of going golfing and that, growing up in poverty, I went out and looked for those that were suffering. After a while I started doing my column, coming out and networking where people can write in for help and also people could write in for others that they know that they need help but they have pride and they will not ask for help.

Once they write in for help, I review the letters. I open them up in chronological order, and I take the ones that are very severe need, you know, out of food, utilities off, being evicted, to become homeless, and then I investigate each situation to make sure that it's for real, not somebody trying to take advantage.

I love helping the elderly, the children, the handicapped, those that cannot fend for themselves, and also good Americans who would like to work, fallen on hard times, especially now in the recession. And I love helping them and their families.

WHITFIELD: And this really is very personal for you. You know what it was like as a child to live in poverty. How does that experience make you that much more effective in helping other people?

DIMICELI: If it wasn't for my mother's tears that I saw as a little boy growing up, The Time Is Now would not exist and I would not be helping all these people. As I grew up, our utilities now and then would be off. The electric would be off. We would have little or no food. My mom would be crying all the time.

At 12 years old I went for my first job. I was told, as the man looked at me, you're not 16. I was a malnourished 80 pounds. And he said, I cannot hire you. I said, please, my mom is home, our electric is off, we need food, she's crying. I got my first job.

On the way home, running all the way home, I made a vow to God that I would never forget those roots. And I will help and give back. I live good but everything else I give back to help the poverty- stricken.

WHITFIELD: And that's what you've done and that's why you're a top 10 "CNN Hero." Thanks so much, Sal Dimiceli. All the best and congratulations and best of luck too as we're about to meet all of the top 10 "CNN Heroes" for 2011, and people will be voting for the one that inspires them the most. And you can do that at home at cnnheroes.com.

All 10 will be honored live at the "CNN HEROES: An All-Star Tribute," on December 11th, hosted by Anderson Cooper. And you can vote online, on your tablet, even your mobile phone. Just go to cnnheroes.com right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Middle class students are apparently not making the grade. A report from the think tank Third Way finds middle class students are consistently underperformers and underachievers. Only one in four is likely to graduate from college. In this "Perry's Principles," education contributor and high school principal Steve Perry offers some perspective.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR: One of the most interesting things about this report is that it dispels the myth that if you move to the suburbs you're actually going to get a better education.

What we're finding is that across the board America's schools are falling short of the expectation of American parents. As a result, we're seeing that our children are being beaten by international comparison to other schools in other countries.

So we need as a country to do a better job of uplifting all of our schools and providing children with a choice, actual access to opportunities outside of the traditional school in which the children can find the school that fits their needs best.

One of the reasons that the middle class students are not going college is the fact that truthfully a third of them, when they get there, are taking remedial courses. That's at four-year colleges. The percentage of students who are taking remedial courses at community colleges could be anywhere from 60 to 70 percent.

So just because you graduate from a high school doesn't necessarily mean you're college-ready. In fact, in America, it may mean that you're not.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Coming up, meet a little girl who has a priceless reaction to her birthday surprise, viral videos next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Jacqui with me now with an interesting viral moment, I guess it's every little kid's dream.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: To go to Disney.

WHITFIELD: To be able to go to Disney.

JERAS: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: And it's the highlight of your elementary years, right?

JERAS: Yes, I guess so.

WHITFIELD: And for this little girl, family breaks the news, we're going to Disney. This is how she reacts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you could go anywhere, where would you want to go?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Disney!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why don't we go?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, when?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now, today. I'm being serious.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're leaving today to go to Disneyland.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you joking?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I'm not joking.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, we're going.

(CHILD CRIES)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you excited?

WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. That is so cute. Now it makes me want to cry. That is so sweet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy birthday!

WHITFIELD: Wow, that's some serious happiness.

JERAS: Sometimes your emotions get the best of you, right? You don't know if you should laugh or cry you're so happy.

WHITFIELD: I know. I'm feeling kind of the clumps for her. That's so sweet. Her sixth birthday. What a big, big gift on that big six. That's so sweet. I'm so happy. Five million people have found that to be touching as well on YouTube, and keep watching it over and over and over again.

(CROSSTALK)

JERAS: I want to know how many -- I have friends who did that to their kids but didn't tell them until Christmas morning they went to Disney. I don't know that I could keep it to myself for that long in the planning stages, could you?

WHITFIELD: I probably wouldn't be able to too. No. OK. Fun stuff. Thanks.

JERAS: Great results though.

WHITFIELD: We'll see you a little bit later.

JERAS: OK.

WHITFIELD: Good bye.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Now we want to take you to Carrollton, Ohio, to an unassuming private Amish community being that is being rocked by a rash of strange assaults. These five men were arrested on kidnapping and burglary charges. They're accused of arming themselves with scissors and battery-operated clippers to hack off what is an important symbol of the Amish face, men's beards and women's hair.

All five thought to be members of what some believe is a breakaway Amish cult. Gary Tuchman has a rare inside look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In rural eastern Ohio, the Amish have lived for generations in peace and solitude. But recently in the middle of the night, an Amish woman in this house, Arlene Miller, called 911.

OPERATOR: Carroll County, 911.

ARLENE MILLER, VICTIM: We have terrorists here, somebody is terrorizing us.

TUCHMAN: Then her husband Myron took the phone.

MYRON MILLER, VICTIM: I opened my door and asked what they want. The one guy who reached in, grabbed me by my beard and pulled me out.

TUCHMAN: Grabbed him by his beard and started to cut it off. Myron Miller is one of at least four Amish men in Ohio who have been victims of bizarre beard-cutting attacks. That's right, beard-cutting attacks.

Fred Abdalla is the sheriff in Jefferson County, Ohio.

SHERIFF FRED ABDALLA, JEFFERSON COUNTY, OHIO: It's very degrading to Amish men. The one Amish man said he would rather die than have his beard cut off. That's how bad that is.

TUCHMAN: Myron Miller was attacked by five men. He escaped before his entire beard was cut. He talked, but like many Amish who don't like publicly, did not want to face the camera.

M. MILLER: it doesn't make sense to us either why somebody would just start cutting beards to terrorize people.

TUCHMAN: Myron Miller's wife did not want her face on camera at all.

(on camera): There we go. OK. This is my first time putting a horse on a buggy.

(voice-over): But she did offer to take me in a horse and buggy ride to talk about the fear in the community.

(on camera): Amish people aren't used to being scared. It's such a peaceful lifestyle, right?

A. MILLER: We never locked our doors before this happened. But now that this has happened, we are locking our doors.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): And this is who they say they're trying to keep out, these Amish men, who were arrested in connection with the beard- cutting case of Myron Miller. This was a court hearing for three of the five men arrested. They are all now free, out on bond.

But the sheriff says the men were ordered to do the beard-cuttings by one particular man.

ABDALLA: I've dealt with a lot of Amish. They're just beautiful people. But I can't compare Sam Mullet to the ones that I've met.

TUCHMAN: Sam Mullet is the bishop of a breakaway Amish sect that's in a deep rift with the mainstream Amish who say he's dangerously manipulative over his flock. But why the beard-cutting? It's a profound insult to the Amish. And Mullet's followers have allegedly used it as a weapon to punish people who might have insulted them.

Three of them arrested are sons of Sam Mullet.

ABDALLA: He is a domineering individual. Nothing moves in that community without him saying it's OK. He calls all of the shots. They're literally scared to death of him. And I've said that he is a cult leader over the years because they will do anything he tells them to do. They once said they will die for their father. That's how severely he has them brainwashed.

TUCHMAN: So we went to the tiny of Bergholz, Ohio, in search of Sam Mullet, and we found him. He wasn't very pleased to see us.

(on camera): If the sheriff says you're a cult, what's your response to that?

SAM MULLET, BISHOP OF BERGHOLZ AMISH COMMUNITY: We're not a cult.

TUCHMAN: But did you -- have you ordered men to cut people's beards off?

MULLET: I have not ordered them.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): But Sam Mullet does not deny that his sons or the other men committed the beard attacks.

MULLET: They do what they think is right. And yes, I could have probably said, you're not going to do this and maybe they wouldn't have right then, but sooner or later it would have happened anyway.

TUCHMAN (on camera): But why do you think these people had their beards cut off?

MULLET: We're getting in too deep and it's too long a story, it goes way back, I'm just not interested.

TUCHMAN: Do you think those people did something wrong?

MULLET: I'm telling you I'm not interested. Can you hear me?

TUCHMAN (voice-over): To Myron Miller's wife Arlene, who later decided she would appear on camera, there's no doubt who is behind the attacks.

(on camera): Who do you believe is responsible for all this?

A. MILLER: Sam, Sam Mullet. TUCHMAN (voice-over): She says Sam Mullet is angry at her family because her family helped one of Mullet's sons leave his father's group.

A. MILLER: If they ever do arrest him and he comes out, he's able to get out on bond. He's not going to go down easy.

TUCHMAN: Sam Mullet hasn't been arrested but authorities say they're building a case against him.

ABDALLA: I can't take any chances with this guy.

TUCHMAN: Meanwhile, no arrests have been made in another case, an Amish woman was victimized by a hair-cutting attack. Amish women consider their hair to be God's glory. The police report stating "the victim removed her bandana and revealed several patches of hair missing."

The sheriff says Mullet is behind that attack. And now the federal government has decided to get involved.

(on camera): The FBI is now investigating the situation. What's your feeling about that?

MULLET: We're not guilty, so I have nothing to hide. If they want to come and check us out, we'd be glad to see them here.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Sam Mullet claims people have a vendetta against him, that he just wants his people to be left alone, and that he is the righteous one.

MULLET: People that are spreading lies around about us and the way they're treating us by getting the sheriff, getting the law, and everything, are asking for a big punishment from the man up above.

TUCHMAN: For people who are supposed to live very simply, life has become complicated and very intimidating.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Carrollton, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)