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Penn State coach Joe Paterno Cancels News Conference; Conrad Murray 'Confident' About Appeal; Asteroid Approaching Earth; Smartphone's Smart Mouth; The Help Desk; Talk Back Question; The Euro Crisis Hits Home

Aired November 08, 2011 - 12:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. I'm Suzanne Malveaux.

Want to get you up to speed.

Joe Paterno expected to hold his weekly news conference right now. He planned to talk about this weekend's game against Nebraska, but reporters were much more interested in asking about the allegations that young boys were sexually abused at Penn State's athletic facilities.

So, with that in mind, Paterno canceled his news conference. That happened just 15 minutes ago.

His long-time defensive coach, Jerry Sandusky, is charged with molesting eight boys over a 15-year period. Paterno is not accused in the case.

Presidential candidate Herman Cain says he's going to set the record straight about allegations of sexual harassment against him. Cain holds a news conference. That is happening later today.

A fourth woman has now accused him of inappropriate behavior, and she says it happened after she lost her job at the National Restaurant Association and she went to Cain for help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARON BIALEK, ACCUSES HERMAN CAIN OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT: He suddenly reached over and he put his hand on my leg, under my skirt, and reached for my genitals. He also grabbed my head and brought it towards his crotch. Mr. Cain said, "You want a job, right?" I asked him to stop, and he did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Cain told ABC's Jimmy Kimmel that the allegation is false and he got angry watching it with his staff.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HERMAN CAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And they could see steam coming out of my ears, and the feelings that you have when you know that all of this is totally fabricated, you go from anger, then you go -- you get disgusted. You try to control yourself to make sure you watch this thing all the way through. And I was listening very closely. And then when it was all over with I said, "Well, I know what we've got to do, because there is not an ounce of truth in all of these accusations."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So we're going to bring you Cain's news conference. That is live at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, and hear what he's got to say.

Cracked buildings, buckled roads, collapsed chimneys, it's just part of the damage in central Oklahoma from a weekend of earthquakes. Yesterday, it was tornadoes, and storm chasers caught this one touching down in Tipton.

Now, fortunately, no one was hurt, but a building was flattened. Three others were damaged.

Former boxing heavyweight champion Joe Frazier has died. He was battling liver cancer.

"Smokin' Joe," as he was called, fought Muhammad Ali three times, beating him once. Their third fight, the "Thrilla in Manila," considered one of the best of all time. Frazier was 67 years old.

So, how much time is Dr. Conrad Murray going to serve for Michael Jackson's death? His lawyers plan to ask for probation and maybe a little time in the county jail for the involuntarily manslaughter conviction. Murray was handcuffed, locked up after the guilty verdict was announced. Sentencing, that is set for November 29th.

And Jackson's family, well, they couldn't be happier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LA TOYA JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON'S SISTER: Michael loves everybody out here. I love them. We all love them. And guess what? He was in that courtroom and that's why victory was served.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: You're not going to be seeing graphic warnings on cigarette packs any time soon. You may recall what they looked like. A federal judge has blocked the law that would have forced tobacco companies to include these kinds of pictures. The judge says the case raises First Amendment issues involving commercial speech.

Well, right now we were supposed to be hearing from Joe Paterno, the Penn State football coach. He was scheduled to have a news conference, and we were hoping he would answer questions surrounding the sex abuse scandal that is unfolding there.

Well, as you know, his former assistant, Jerry Sandusky, is charged with molesting eight boys. Just a few minutes ago, we found out that this press conference has now been canceled. Our Jason Carroll, he is in State College, Pennsylvania, on campus there.

Jason, tell us how this all unfolded this morning.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, basically, everyone was lining up, getting ready to take positions, hoping that we would be able to have an opportunity to ask Joe Paterno some questions. Then, all of a sudden, they came out with a very brief statement I'll read to you. It's very short.

"Due to the ongoing legal circumstances centered around the recent allegations and charges, we have determined that today's press conference cannot be held and will not be rescheduled." There was no other further explanation other than this very brief sort of one-page statement that they handed to us.

Basically, a lot of us were hoping that we'd get the opportunity to speak to head coach Joe Paterno about some of these recent allegations, but having this happen now, it really sort of begs the question, is anyone from the university going to come out and speak? Will, in fact, we hear perhaps from the university president?

Later on Wednesday, for example, Suzanne, a fund-raising dinner was supposed to be held with the university president. That was canceled as well. So what we might be experiencing here is somewhat of a media blackout -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: So they seem to be hunkering down here.

What are the students and the people on campus telling you, Jason? Do they think that they should come forward and explain what has happened from the coach, as well as the president?

CARROLL: Absolutely. No matter what side that you're on.

There are some of those here who obviously support Paterno and some of the other officials that are here. But there's also a lot of students here, and not just students, people in the community, alumni who are angry. They're upset.

This is a school with a stellar reputation. And a lot of people are wondering why more was not done when these allegations of sexual abuse came forward. And, quite frankly, at this point, Suzanne, a lot of folks wondering why no one is coming out to speak.

MALVEAUX: Well, we will see if that changes. But Jason, thank you very much.

Obviously, just keep us posted on what is happening there on the campus. A lot of unanswered questions, a lot of angry folks, and now a news conference that is no longer there. So we'll see how this all unfolds.

Thank you, Jason.

Here is a rundown on some of the stories ahead.

First, a Herman Cain accuser goes public with her story. We're going to take a look at what is next now for his campaign.

Then, I'll tell you what happened after this protester dangling off New York's Tappan Zee Bridge suddenly let's go.

Also, look out above as another giant asteroid zooms by.

And this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Siri, what are you wearing?

AUTOMATED VOICE: Aluminum glass and stainless steel. Nice, huh?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Apple just raised the bar on voice recognition technology.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Here's your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. In light of the latest allegations against Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, today's question: Is Cain's accuser's statement a game-changer?

Carol Costello, she's joining us from New York with more.

Hi, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Suzanne.

After days of blaming the media, and blaming Rick Perry, and all those women named "Anonymous," Herman Cain now has his wish. Sharon Bialek, a former National Restaurant Association employee, accused Cain of groping her sexually in 1997 when she asked him to help her find a job.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIALEK: And initially, I went into this hoping every hope of hopes that Herman would just step forward. That was actually my primary goal, just admit it. Step forward, admit it, and move forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Bialek says she is ready for the media onslaught, and it's already begun.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: I assumed it was Bialek, but Gloria Allred says her name is Bialek, as in buy (ph) a lick.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Bialek is also criticized for her choice of lawyers, Gloria Allred, a celebrity whose last client was a porn star who received sexual texts from former Congressman Anthony Weiner.

Herman Cain is denying Bialek's claims and fired off this statement -- and I quote -- "Just as the country finally begins to refocus on our crippling $15 trillion national debt and the unacceptably high unemployment rate, now activist celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred is bringing forth more false accusations against the character of Republican front-runner Herman Cain."

But Bialek's claims go beyond sexual harassment. CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin says Bialek's allegations amount to assault, and he says Cain may never recover.

So the "Talk Back" today: Is the Cain accuser's statement a game- changer?

Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour.

MALVEAUX: Carol, I'm really curious, too, whether or not his comments are going to change the game as well later this afternoon if he goes point by point, taking on her accusations.

COSTELLO: A lot of people want him to do that. In fact, critics say he has to go through allegation by allegation, and then respond to each one and try to be sort of respectful sounding towards these accusers, because disrespectful won't make him look very good. But we'll see what happens at 5:00 p.m. Eastern today.

MALVEAUX: All right. Thank you, Carol.

(NEWSBREAK)

MALVEAUX: The man convicted of causing Michael Jackson's death will stay in jail until his sentencing later this month. Dr. Conrad Murray, he's described as devastated by the guilty verdict and confident that he's going to win an appeal. That is according to at least one of his lawyers.

Criminal defense attorney Richard Herman, he's joining us from Washington.

So, Richard, good to see you.

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Hi, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: You followed this very closely here. What do you think went wrong with Murray's defense in this case?

HERMAN: I think the jury just could not get over his two-hour conversation, which the defense could not separate themselves from. That was devastating, Suzanne. That, in and of itself, caused the conviction here.

And I also believe the jury just could not swallow the fact that Propofol, anesthesia, was being used to put Michael Jackson to sleep at night. Whether Michael started it years ago, or whatever, Conrad Murray was administering it. He did it for two months. He was continuing to do it.

You don't give anesthesia to someone to go to sleep at night. And that was the big problem here.

MALVEAUX: So, Richard, why do you suppose his team -- they seem pretty confident that they're going to make a case for his innocence a second go-around with this appeal.

HERMAN: Well, they were confident they were going to win this case, too, Suzanne. And it's always the knee-jerk reaction when you lose a case, we're going to take an appeal. But very few appeals get reversed.

Here, you know, the judge limited -- in pretrial motions -- limited the scope of the trial. In the end, I think it was probably the right decision. And I don't know that they have a viable appeal.

They can certainly appeal it. They will appeal it. But I don't think they're going to get any leverage with that.

MALVEAUX: And the fact that we saw the judge threw Murray in jail without bail, can we read anything into that, that perhaps he feels pretty badly about this guy and he's going to deliver a harsh sentence?

HERMAN: Yes. I think we can read clearly that this judge does not like Conrad Murray.

And I think it was completely wrong for this judge to put him in prison right now and jail right now until sentencing in the next three weeks. But clearly, this judge is going to sentence him to the max, four years, four years in state prison, which will get reduced to county prison, which he gets credit day today, so it's a maximum of two years in county. And then, California, because of the new laws, because it's a nonviolent felony conviction, and he has no criminal history before this, he's probably going to get house arrest, and that's what he deserves.

MALVEAUX: What did you make of the fact that the judge said that he was a danger to the community, that he wasn't going to release him on that basis? Also the fact that he might be a flight risk?

HERMAN: Well, the flight risk issue, the judge was lucky to have that because of Conrad Murray's ties to the Caribbean and other places outside the United States. But the fact that -- to call him a risk to society, a harm to society, Lindsay Lohan is a harm to society, not this guy.

He can write prescriptions. And his ability to write prescriptions is gone now. He's suspended everywhere. So he can't do that.

This was a bad move by the judge, and I really disagree with the judge on this one.

MALVEAUX: All right. Richard Herman, we're going to be following this very closely. Thanks. Good to see you again.

HERMAN: You too, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Heads up. Right? A huge space rock is coming this way. How close is it going to get? We're going to let you know in a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Well, you've heard the story. A UFO crashes near Roswell, New Mexico. The government hides the aliens at Area 51. Well, after decades of conspiracy theories, the White House is now setting the record straight.

A statement says that no ETs have ever contacted the human race, nor is there credible evidence that aliens crashed on Earth and were hidden. The statement came in response to an online petition.

So, grab your telescope, though. An asteroid is buzzing Earth today.

Our own Jacqui Jeras has her eye on all this, on how big it actually is.

What do we think, Jacqui?

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's huge.

MALVEAUX: I love these stories, by the way.

JERAS: I know. It's so interesting.

Nobody needs to worry about it, but it is some kind of fun scientific information. And there could be some new things learned as this asteroid makes a very close approach to Earth.

Now, when you take a look at it from this perspective, this is the moon right up here. Here is the moon, here is the Earth, and this is where the asteroid is expected to pass on through.

So, it's going to be closer than the distance between the Earth and the moon, but not so close that we're worried about it hitting either of these things. But it is really large.

In fact, it's the size of an aircraft carrier. So we're talking almost a quarter of a mile. That's like 1,300 feet.

And if that thing were to splash into the ocean, it would create a very large tsunami. If it were to hit the Earth, it would create the equivalent of a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. If it hit the moon, it would really create a huge crater. But we don't think it's going to have anything like that happen, and here is why.

All right. The plain between the Earth and the moon here, where it's going to be approaching the Earth at its closest area, is going to be way up here. So you have to be in the Northern Hemisphere to actually see this thing, and you probably can't do it with the human eye.

You need a really good telescope. And man, they've got a couple of them in the United States. We've got one in Puerto Rico, and we've also got a series of them here in San Bernardino, California.

Now, this telescope was actually -- it's basically like a radar antenna, so it's like getting a radar image of it. And they took this one yesterday of the asteroid when the thing was, like, 860,000 miles away.

So, as it gets closer to the Earth, within about 200,000 miles, they think they're going to get a really good image. In fact, resolution down to, like, 15 feet. So, scientists hope that they can use that information to learn more about it, and they also hope that they might be able to figure out what the compound is, what it's made of.

All right. If you want to see it, you've got to have a telescope that's got at least a six-inch mirror on it. If you live along the East Coast, you have got the greatest opportunities, because, A, you're in the right place, and, B, you've got lots of clear skies for tonight.

6:28 tonight, Suzanne, is when it will make its closest approach, but you're going to be able to see it for a while, probably maybe for a good day, they say. It's going to take a while for it to pass through in that area.

MALVEAUX: Well, hopefully they're opening up the National Observatory. I know that Vice President Biden, they've got one of those huge telescopes. Maybe folks would be able to take a look at it.

JERAS: Yes, that would be great. It's moving really fast, so you really do have to have a great telescope to be able to catch it.

MALVEAUX: All right. Thank you, Jacqui.

JERAS: Sure.

MALVEAUX: Well, one Penn State alum, she says she feels sick. I'm going to talk to her about the sex abuse allegations and the possibility of a cover-up to protect the school's legendary football program.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Want to talk to a Penn State alum about the sexual abuse allegations that have rocked that campus.

Roxanne Jones is the CEO of Push Marketing Group and former editor of "ESPN," the magazine. She's joining us from New York.

And you wrote a very strong editorial. You clearly had a lot of pride in your school, and you talk about it, you write about it, saying you were a cheerleader who proudly chanted, "We are Penn State." And you says this community, you lovingly call it Happy Valley.

What are your feelings today about what is taking place?

ROXANNE JONES, CEO, PUSH MARKETING GROUP: Today, I feel saddened and sick and angry, and angry that nothing was done when allegations were first reported to stop it. That's how I feel. Ashamed as well.

MALVEAUX: Do you think that coach Joe Paterno, who has not been charged with anything, do you think he should have canceled this press conference? Do you think he should go before the cameras and try to explain things and how this all came about?

JONES: Yes. I think he absolutely needs to explain things. But last night, the media got a media advisory from Penn State saying that at today's press conference, they would only talk about Senior Day and football and the upcoming game.

And so, those are really unacceptable terms in light of what's happened. And so maybe they canceled because that would have just been a bad move for the university. Joe has to speak.

MALVEAUX: Roxanne, what do you want to know? What do you want to know from the coach or from the officials or even from the president of your university?

JONES: I want to know from Coach Paterno, since he is the face of this school, why he did nothing. Of course, he reported, he says, to his bosses. He really does haven't a boss there, including the president of the university. Why didn't he do more?

Why was Sandusky allowed to stay around for years and allegedly prey on young boys, using Penn State as the lure? And who knew what and when?

And when is Joe Paterno retiring? When is he stepping down? He has to. And not just him, but everybody else has to go.

MALVEAUX: And Roxanne, help us understand that for those of us who are not familiar with Penn State. Why do you say that he, the coach, the football coach, really didn't have a boss or was more powerful than the university president? I mean, what kind of figure was he on your campus?

JONES: Well, bigger than the president. He was the face of the university. And this is not -- you know, it's similar in other big college sports programs.

And Joe Paterno is a very decent man. He's a very good man, as far as I know. And I did spend some time around the program and around him and his family. But he really is -- the buck stops with him.

He has been the program 100 percent. And not just the program, the face of the program, but the face of the university. That's why kids go there, to play for Joe Paterno.

Now, of course over the last decade or five years, that's been tarnished a little because he is aging. But he's it. It stops with him. So that's why he really does have to go.

MALVEAUX: And does any of this surprise you, Roxanne, when you hear about the kinds of things that are alleged taking place in the sports facilities, a 10-year-old boy allegedly being sodomized?

JONES: It does surprise me. It really does surprise me. And I don't say that to sound naive.

And Penn State has always been a program that's had a very clean, publicly, and even on campus, reputation. The athletes are educated. They go to class.

I was a tutor for many athletes there. They really were held accountable for their academic standing and records.

And so, although of late, since 1998, this was first reported, there might have been internal rumors around Sandusky, but there was certainly no whisper up close in the program about the kind of things we're hearing about sodomizing of 10-year-old boys, and just a long line of allegedly being a predator of children, and using the campus to do that.

MALVEAUX: Roxanne, very quickly here, what do they need to do to rehabilitate the image of the campus and the university that you love so much?

JONES: They need to fire a few people, including Joe, send some people to prison for what they did -- it's absolutely criminal -- and try to move on and clean up that program. I don't think that you really recover from this. You'll always remember. There are certainly lessons to be learned, starting with the president of the university and going on down.

MALVEAUX: All right. Roxanne Jones, thank you very much for your time. We really appreciate it. Again, a very strong editorial. Thanks again.

In a few minutes, I'll talk live with a former National Hockey League player. We'll get his story of sexual abuse and the takeaways from the case that is unfolding at Penn State.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

MALVEAUX: So, a man who served his country in World War II spent the rest of his life serving others at a veterans hospital in Virginia. Today's "Veterans In Focus" is about 95-year-old Peter Pulis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETER POULOS, WWII VETERAN: I feel like this is still my squad, my guys in the front lines. They wait for me like, I don't know, like I'm their first sergeant. They depend on me. They can't move. So I have to move for them.

Here you go. Here comes the food. A little surprise.

PAT MOSS, NURSE, HINES, VA HOSPITAL: I think everybody knows Pete. They've seen him around. It's over 24,000 hours he's logged here in the 26 years that he's been a volunteer. He is a hero because of the time he gives. Again, at his age, at 95.

POULOS: When I was with the infantry, we did everything. Out in the field sometimes you can help so much and that's it. When a comrade would fall, you'd try to give them as much help as you could. But then sometimes you'd just have to carry on. You couldn't just leave them there.

So here, at least I was able to help them. I can help them along with what they need. And that's set, and before you know it 30 years went by, and I'm still there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We take care of each other. Pete? Pete is one-of-a-kind.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You look beautiful there, fellow.

POULOS: Some of the American people here, they forgot about -- they don't really realize what their freedom is. They got this freedom, and they take it for granted. They don't realize how they got it. The price of freedom, it's in these patients. You know, that's where the freedom came from.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a jolly old soul. Let's put it that way.

POULOS: You come home, and once you leave out of there, you say to yourself, boy, you feel like you're the richest person in the world. You walk out of there. You look back and think of all these guys still there and can't go anyplace. I see them and I say, that could have been me.

Are you going to go to your room now? You want me to take you there?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

POULOS: That war hasn't ended because they're not the same anymore like they were. These guys need me there. I can help them out.

That's what keeps me going. I can say that America, I gave my best to you. at least I tried the best I could do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: So, rather than face questions about sex abuse allegations, Penn State coach Joe Paterno has canceled his weekly news conference that was set for this hour. Paterno's former assistant, Jerry Sandusky, is charged with molesting eight boys, some of them in Penn State's athletic facilities.

Sheldon Kennedy. He is a former National Hockey League player, and he knows the horror of sexual abuse by a coach. When he was a teenager, Kennedy's coach sexually assaulted him over a five-year period.

Sheldon Kennedy, he is on Skype from Alberta, Canada, to talk about his case and what he thinks about this case in Penn State. And first of all, I must applaud you for coming forward, to be so public, and to try to help people to understand what that must be like. Can you tell us your story?

SHELDON KENNEDY, FORMER NHL PLAYER: Yes, I can. I know the fear that's involved in something like this is tremendous. You've got such a power and balance with authority and the issues themselves -- the issues themselves carry a lot of fear in society. A lot of times, they're misunderstood and people don't recognize the damage that sex abuse, abuse, bullying has on our young people. I mean, ultimately, as we've seen many times recently, is that it kills people. And I think maybe we're starting to recognize that. But the fear is somewhat overwhelming.

MALVEUAX: And Sheldon, you say it was very difficult to make friends, that life was, in your words lonely, a living hell, and you changed that. How did you do that?

I think we've lost - unfortunately, we've lost Sheldon. Hopefully we'll be able to bring him back. He has an amazing story. We'll try to get him after, and we'll take a quick break and try to reconnect with him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Want to bring back Sheldon Kennedy. He was a National Hockey League player, and he was abused by his coach when he was a teenager, and he was joining us before the break to talk a little bit about his own experience and the fact that you were able to overcome this, Sheldon, and the courage it takes really to come forward. You say your life was a lonely living hell, and you changed that. You were able to somehow get the courage to talk about this. How did that happen?

KENNEDY: Well, I had a choice to make, and that was either I needed to deal with these issues or I was probably going to be dead. And I think that's where most abuse victims get to, is the shame and the guilt becomes overwhelming, and the way and the lifestyles to numb out the pain usually is drugs and alcohol. So, one thing that we do and have realized over the last 14 years since we've been involved here with these issues is that the pain is very great. And if we see a lot of times -- which we've seen recently, with bullying and abuse cases, back in the day we used to write it off as, oh, that individual has problems, why their took their own life. Now, because of social media, et cetera, we can link a lot of these suicides to bullying and sex abuse and so forth.

It has a huge amount of damage. But there is a way out. That's the important piece.

MALVEUAX: Sheldon, I know you kept quiet for 13 years. There are a couple of the alleged victims in this case at Penn State -- one who was 10 years old -- they're not identified and they are trying to get those now young men to come forward, but they were just 10 years old back at the time. There must be a lot of fear and a lot of shame as you've talked about.

What would you say to those men now who might be watching this unfold and who were victims, alleged victims of this abuse?

KENNEDY: One of the things that happened is that you think you're alone because you're told as such a young person by someone in authority that you trust, such as i.e., the perpetrator that it's a secret and no one else will know about this.

But the reality is in this day and age people that come forward and do the right thing are going to be supported, and for these individuals, they're not alone. And I think that's what we find today, is that that's the biggest fear. The fear is that we're going to be alone and nobody is going to believe us. But the reality is that we're not alone, and people do believe us.

And I think that for me to be able to move on and to become the person that I wanted to be, I let myself be in relationships -- that I was unable to unless I dealt with this stuff. I needed to confront and do the right thing. And that is step up to the plate and be honest with myself about what happened and then start repairing that.

MALVEUAX: Is that the message that you would tell those people who are still hiding, who are still afraid?

KENNEDY: Yes. I think that there's probably -- there are probably living with a secret. And I would hope that there's lots of ways they can do it and not be identified. In Canada, anyway -- I'm not sure exactly of the U.S. laws, but I would hope that one way or another that they deal with it.

MALVEUAX: All right. Well, Sheldon Kennedy, thank you so much for being such a great inspiration and role model in terms of someone who has come forward and who has dealt with it publicly and has used your platform to help those who are actually struggling, who are victims who are now survivors. Thank you very much, Sheldon.

KENNEDY: Thanks for having me. I appreciate it. MALVEUAX: Voice recognition technology has been out for some time. But the game changed, right, when Apple launched Siri. Siri's grasp on artificial intelligence. It is turning the iPhone 4S into the smartest smartphone on the market. Here's Dan Simon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wake me up tomorrow at 6:00 a.m.

SIRI: OK. I set it for 6:00 a.m.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's that easy.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The iPhone's new virtual assistant Siri is still only in beta, yet many early adopters have come to rely on it. We saw that when users voiced frustration over a temporary outage last week. Apple may still be working out the bugs, but Siri has been called as revolutionary as the first computer mouse.

GARY MORGENTHALER, VENTURE CAPITALIST: It just come to me that, you know, I've seen the future.

SIMON: Few understand Siri's capabilities better than Gary Morgenthaler. A Silicon Valley venture capitalist, he helped provide the financing to made Siri a reality.

It began when its creators walked through his door to pitch him on their product. Adam Cheyer, Dag Kittlaus and Tom Gruber. Three genius entrepreneurs who wanted to build the next generation user interface.

MORGENTHALER: And the idea was to create an executive assistant. A virtual executive assistant for individual people on the Internet to ease the access to the Internet. If you think about it, on a mobile device, you don't have a big screen, you don't have a mouse, an icon. You don't have a lot of information. It's slow. It's hard to type. You really want to be able to talk to it and you want to be able to get the information services that you want immediately.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): And now we're introducing Siri.

SIMON: Siri was originally a free app on the iPhone, but Apple was so impressed by it, it bought the company for a reported $200 million. And now it's a key selling point for the new iPhone, the 4S. But Morgenthaler says its functions will become much more broad and sophisticated.

SIRI: (INAUDIBLE) you already have a meeting about budgets at 12:00 p.m. Shall I schedule this anyway?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Move it to 2:00.

MORGENTHALER: So you can imagine, for example, saying, to Siri, Siri, purchase a copy of the Steve Jobs biography and send it to my father. And just -- that's all the more you have to do. You can also imagine Siri controlling various functions in your house. The temperature and HVAC, checking on your appliances, managing devices for you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Read me my text.

SIMON: Apple, as usual, is mum on its plans, but some, including "The New York Times," have speculated that it could come out with a television where you could use Siri and tell it what you'd like to watch. One feature immediately available on Siri is its sense of humor. And users have had fun asking it off-beat questions.

MORGENTHALER: Where do you hide a body is one.

SIRI: What kind of place are you looking for? Dumps, swamps, mines, metal foundries or reservoirs.

MORGENTHALER: Siri, what are you wearing?

SIRI: Aluminumsilitate (ph) glass and stainless steel. Nice, huh?

SIMON: Giving Siri a real persona was important to the creators to make it more memorable and distinguished.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Dan Simon, he's joining us live from San Francisco.

So, Dan, this is pretty cool, right? Pretty remarkable stuff. But there are still some kinks?

SIMON: Well, still a few kinks. You know, even though it's a signature selling feature of the new iPhone, the 4S, you know, it's still in beta, which means that it's still unfinished software, so you might experience some issues from time to time. But we should point out that the iPhone is selling like hotcakes. We're in front of an Apple store and Siri is the big reason for that.

MALVEAUX: All right, Dan, thanks. Appreciate it. Really cool.

Well by now you've heard the latest allegations. You've met the woman behind them. So today's "Talk Back" question, is this Herman Cain accuser's statement a game-changer? Sal says, "no. The fact they waited so long to come forward makes them lose all credibility." More of your responses up next.

But first, here's some free money advice from the CNN "Help Desk."

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Well, time now for "The Help Desk," where we get answers to your financial questions. Joining me this hour, Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, the founder of the financial advice blog askthemoneycoach.com, and David Novick, a certified financial planner and adjunct professor at NYU.

Thank you both for being here. David, your question comes from Craig in California. Craig says, "we have businesses, banks and brokerages asking us to go paperless." He wants to know, look, does it carry any legal ramifications for us that we should know about?

DAVID NOVICK, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR OF FINANCE, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY: Well, there's a couple things with going paperless. One, if you're going to do that, you want to make sure that your e-mail account that you're going to be using and your password is very secure.

Secondly, you need to make sure that you keep on top of the notifications, because you're still responsible for any bills or expenses that come through. If you make any changes to your e-mail or whatever, you need to notify them right away and you need to make sure you're able to either keep a paper copy or have access to their site for at least three years for tax purposes.

HARLOW: They say save paper and I agree, but print it out when you think you need to, right?

NOVICK: Yes, I would print it out.

HARLOW: Print it out for your files.

Thank you.

And, Lynnette, your question comes from Frank in Virginia. Frank is 63 years old and less than five years from retirement. He says he's at the top of his earnings power right now and the top of his tax rate. He wants to know if he should get a Roth IRA or stick with a traditional IRA. What do you think at 63?

LYNNETTE KHALFANI-COX, FOUNDER, ASKTHEMONEYCOACH.COM: Well, the question is whether or not he qualifies for the Roth IRA. He didn't say what his income is and he didn't say whether he was single or married. There's different income limitations. Generally around $120,000 to $122,000 range for single people, $177,000 or so for married folks. So he may be locked in to the traditional IRA.

However, if he does qualify, I think the Roth is a great deal because, again, you can get those monies, you can take them out tax free on the back end.

HARLOW: Pay it now.

KHALFANI-COX: So whenever people do qualify, I do suggest the Roth.

HARLOW: All right, thank you both. We appreciate it.

And if any of you have a question you want answered, just send us an e-mail any time to cnnhelpdesk@cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: You've been sounding off on our "Talk Back" question. Carol Costello is joining us from New York with the question.

Hey, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Suzanne. The "Talk Back" question today, is Cain's accuser's statement a game changer.

This from Pinar. "I was a Herman Cain supporter until yesterday. I believe the woman. Herman Cain did it in my opinion. How come Cain's wife never has any appearances with him? She knows her husband. That's probably why."

This from John. "I watched his latest so called victim and I observed that she did not take her eyes off the script as she was reading it. If she remembered the incident so vividly, why did she rely completely on the script. I am a trained observer with 32 years as a police detective. She did not appear truthful."

This from Sam. "Change the game entirely. Cain initially faced the challenge of running for the presidency, but now he's most likely facing sexual harassment charges, erasing his chance of any credited government position at all."

And this from William. "Game changer? Perhaps for some. Not for me. The man has no plan. I wouldn't consider voting for him anyway."

Keep the comments coming, facebook.com/carolcnn. And thanks, as always, for your comments.

MALVEAUX: And, Carol, I know we'll be watching Herman Cain as well. That press conference happening at 5:00 live later today. See if that's a game changer as well.

Thank you, Carol.

COSTELLO: Could be. Sure.

MALVEAUX: Sounds far away, but the trouble in Europe could be bad news for the American job market. We're going to show you how what happens there could hurt folks here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: It's an ocean away, but the economic crisis in Europe could have a very real effect on your life, especially when it comes to finding a job and managing your investments. Our Poppy Harlow has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Probably wondering what the situation in Europe means for you in the United States. Of course the world's biggest economy. It means a lot.

Let's bring in Jim Awad. He is the managing director of Zephyr Management. And, Jim, looking at Europe and these countries in crisis right now, it is not just about Greece. What is the impact if we see Greece implement this bailout package and the market believes it?

JIM AWAD, ZEPHYR MANAGEMENT: Well, in that case, you'll avoid a double dip in the United States and we will continue to grow.

HARLOW: The question is, how much are we going to grow? So jobs in the United States. What's the ripple effect here on unemployment?

AWAD: Well, on the margin, we'll create jobs probably a little bit more than we've been creating them since the economy has gained a little bit of momentum. So you would gradually bring down unemployment over the next year, from 9 percent to something like 8.5 percent.

HARLOW: And then the question becomes, what does this growth do to your investments, not just stocks, also bonds, et cetera, when people are looking at where their money is right now. Given that scenario in Europe, what do you advise?

AWAD: Well, you probably want to avoid Europe since they'll be in a mild recession due to all the austerity packages. The United States will continue to grow. But you want to own the most conservative, big companies with exposure to the growth economies, which are the United States and the emerging markets. So you'd want to own the S&P type stocks that dominate their markets, that have dividends. You would want to sell small-cap stocks, risky investments like junk bonds. And in addition to category killer U.S. corporations, you'd want to own some growth companies in the emerging markets.

HARLOW: Yes. A big question has been, how are corporations that are truly global, how are they going to fair give this scenario in Europe? Really what you're calling the best case scenario right now. Corporations, are we going to see growth or is the weakness in Europe going to knock off their earnings?

AWAD: Well, the growth in the United States and emerging markets will more than offset the decline in earnings from Europe. So you're probably talking about 5 to 8 percent type of earnings growth for the large U.S. corporations.

HARLOW: What would you say the likelihood of this scenario is? That Greece implements the bailout, that the market believes it and then we do have to pay attention to what happens across Europe. But what's the likelihood of this now?

AWAD: By a little bit it's the most probable scenario.

HARLOW: All right, Jim, thank you.

AWAD: A pleasure.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Randi Kaye.

Hey, Randi.

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Suzanne, thank you very much.