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Penn State Kicks Off without Joe Paterno; GOP Prez Candidates Debate Foreign Policy; Kidnapped Nats Catcher Ramos Home Safe

Aired November 12, 2011 - 12:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks to our Mario Armstrong. But let me hand this thing over immediately now, top of the hour, to Fredricka Whitfield.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Are you in a hurry?

HOLMES: Not really today. Arkansas doesn't play until 6:00.

WHITFIELD: OK. I knew there was something like that.

HOLMES: Want me to stick around? I've got all kinds of time today.

WHITFIELD: A little football later on today, Arkansas, and then of course you can't wait for the boxing.

HOLMES: The fight tonight. I'm a morning guy. The fights don't start until almost 11:00, midnight.

WHITFIELD: You're just going to have to be a vampire today and sleep during the day.

HOLMES: Should not be a problem.

WHITFIELD: OK. You have a good day.

We're going to talk about another very big game today. We're talking about Penn State's football game. All of this on the heels of that sex scandal that is certainly overshadowing the university and overshadowing today's game involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.

Well, this is also -- this scandal enveloped a legendary football coach, Joe Paterno, who, for the first time in nearly 50 years, is not on the sidelines with the team. Overnight developments include a bomb scare, a statement from Paterno, and a student vigil.

We'll get to those all of those things. So Penn State's new interim president is promising a full investigation. He has appointed an ethics officer to report directly to him on his findings. But right now the campus is trying, trying to regain its footing. Mike Galanos is outside the stadium with new developments.

So, Mike, what is this bomb scare all about?

MIKE GALANOS, HLN ANCHOR: Well, there was a bomb threat last night, let me tell you that. There is so much news going on, Fredricka. Bomb scare, they brought in bomb-sniffing dogs and other personnel. Nothing found. The stadium behind me, Fredricka, it is electric. I had a chance to go in there moments ago. And it is bigger than a football story.

But they are hoping football can help heal. And it is a big game atmosphere. It is not just another. It is the game you feel that they have to win. Because imagine after all of this, all that has gone on, losing of a legendary coach, the scandal, the victims who are really number one in all this, but to lose the game as well, you can just feel that.

Now many wondering, what is Joe Paterno doing? He has been the head coach since 1966. LBJ was in office, just to give you a little perspective. Here is a statement released through his son Scott, saying: "My father is experiencing a range of powerful emotions. He's absolutely distraught over what happened to the children and their families. He also wants very much to speak publicly and answer questions. At this stage, however, he has no choice but to be patient and defer to the legal process."

So we'll hear from him at some point. There was also reports, Fredricka, that Joe Paterno wrote a letter to his team saying I'm sorry I'm not going to be there, but focus on the game, not on me. Another report that the team may go to his home and give him the game ball.

There will be a Paterno on the sideline, though. His son Jay will be on the sideline. He's an assistant coach. And what's significant there, he's normally up in the press box. So there will be a Paterno presence on the sideline, a subtle message there on this day when there's so much emotion going on -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Oh, interesting stuff. Now, you know, we are talking about the legacy of a football program there at Penn State. Now talk to me about Mike McQueary. He was another assistant coach who was expected to be there at the game. Of course, it was his allegations that helped open up this can of worms, so to speak, in terms of leaving not just from one allegation of a child who was abused, but in the end somewhere like eight or maybe even nine.

Now he's no longer going to be at the game, not necessarily because the university took a stand, right, but instead because of threats but then now his job or there is a suspension that has also been imposed.

GALANOS: You know, that's another one of those sidebar parts of the story that played out throughout the week. Because many here in State College thought if Joe Paterno is going to go, Mike McQueary should go as well. Again, he was a grad assistant in 2002. He says he saw Jerry Sandusky molesting, sexually assaulting a young boy in the shower.

But he still had his job up until yesterday we find out after the threats you mentioned. And then the president, Rodney Erickson, interim president, said that Mr. McQueary is on paid administrative leave. So, again, that would have been a huge distraction if he had been on the sideline or I think really even in the stadium. So not here today but still has a job.

WHITFIELD: OK. Are you able to tell me anything about whether this is a particularly packed game, more so than what they expected prior to this scandal?

GALANOS: Well, you know, you talk about -- just the atmosphere here, everywhere you go, people seem conflicted. You know, they admit there's a cloud. There's not a cloud in the sky here today, Fred, at State College. But they know there's a crowd hovering.

And really the feel is, let's send a new message. We don't want to see what happened a few nights ago on the streets with all the mayhem. What they want, obviously they want to win a football game and be peaceful and have a new showing. And part of that was a vigil last night to put the victims first. And we just had a moment of silence here, by the way, for child abuse victims of abuse as well.

So setting a new tone here from Penn State.

WHITFIELD: All right. Mike, thanks so much. We'll check back with you throughout the afternoon.

So the game just started. You heard the cheers in the background there. And moments ago CNN's Athena Jones was talking to some students. And she's joining us right now.

Athena, what have they been saying?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred, you know, it's interesting because we've been here since early this morning. And in many ways it has been just like your typical college tailgating party. People have been arriving, streaming in, beginning to set up, to cook and to drink, or continue to drink, some of them.

And there have been a lot of mixed emotions that we've seen. We've seen people walking around in shirts saying "The Legend" and reading the years that Joe Paterno served.

We have also had people saying, we need to be paying attention to what's going on with the children, with the abuse victims themselves. Let's listen to what one fan had to say. She summed it up really well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATE BARRICK, PENN STATE STUDENT: I think everybody is focusing on Joe and not so much what happened. They are just worried about his image and everything that he should have done. But really it's not about him, it's about the kids.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: And so amidst the sea of blue that you're seeing here, a lot of people, of course, in Penn State here, that dark blue and white. We've also seen people wearing blue shirts saying "Stop Child Abuse."

And so they're trying to kind of cover both sides. You have people who believe that the university should have handled the situation with coach Paterno a little differently, let more of the facts come out. There are people who can't wait to hear from the coach himself, and hear more about his side of the story.

But then you have other people who say that we need to be paying attention to the real victims of all of this, which are the children -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Athena Jones, we'll check back with you as well throughout the afternoon. Game time already under way now.

So in about 10 minutes our legal guys will be tackling this case against Sandusky and all that involves Penn State now. The question surrounding those who knew about the allegations of sex abuse.

But first a couple of homecomings. We take you on the campaign trail as Herman Cain comes home to Atlanta for a brief visit.

And we'll hear from a Major League catcher returned to his family after two harrowing days, 50 hours in the hands of kidnappers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: President Barack Obama drops in on his home state. The first couple arrived in Hawaii early this morning. First stop of a nine-day trip through the Asia-Pacific region. The president is hosting an economic conference there this weekend and plans to meet privately with the leaders of Mexico, Canada, Japan, Russia, and China.

In his weekly address, recorded aboard the USS Carl Vinson, President Obama calls on all Americans to honor U.S. veterans for their service and sacrifice. Beyond that, he is urging companies to lend them a hiring hand, a theme Republicans are also pushing this weekend with veterans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To give our veterans the possibility they have earned, I've directed the federal government to lead by example. And already we've hired 120,000 veterans. We've also challenged private companies to hire or train 100,000 post-9/11 veterans or their spouses by the end of 2013. So far many patriotic companies have answered the call, hiring more than 16,000 Americans.

REP. JOE HECK (R), NEVADA: We owe it to our veterans to ensure they come home to a strong economy so they can transition into civilian life and support their family with a good-paying job. Together we can rise above politics to make certain our nation remains great and worthy of our veterans' sacrifices.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: A big debate coming up tonight for the Republicans running for president. And Herman Cain plans to be there. This morning he was back home, or here in Atlanta talking to young Republicans. He is pushing a foreign policy of, quote, "peace through strength and clarity."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HERMAN CAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We must clarify who our friends are, clarify who our enemies are, and stop giving money to the enemies.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

CAIN: And we must clarify who our friends are so we can let the rest of the world know who our friends are and they will know who we going to stand with. Starting with Israel, we will stand with them. They are our friends.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Our own Paul Steinhauser standing by right now in Washington. So you've been looking at the latest polls. We have become accustomed to Romney and Cain kind of sharing the spotlight at the very top. What's happening now?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: You know, we've got a new person kind of butting in there, it's a three-way battle it seems right now, Fred. You know, we're just over seven weeks away from those first votes in the Iowa Caucuses.

Look at these brand new polls, the first one, McClatchy-Maris, it was conducted this week, just in the last couple of days. And there you go, at the top, Mitt Romney, he has been there a while, right? The former Massachusetts governor is making his second bid for the GOP nomination.

But look who is right there within the sampling error, basically all tied up, Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker. He was basically left for dead. His campaign was left for dead back in May and June. But he has slowly rebounded. And Herman Cain, who we've seen very much at the top spot -- or right near the top spot, is still there at 17 percent.

Got to the next one as well, this is from CBS News, also conducted over the last couple of days. And a similar story, Cain at the very top on this one, with Romney and Gingrich at 15 percent. But basically when you take the sampling errors there, just about dead even.

And both those polls indicate a lot of Republican voters still undecided. Gingrich was talking about that. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is a wide open race. I think that the American people are looking, asking questions, thinking about it. And I think it will stay wide open until January.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEINHAUSER: Live pictures here of Newt Gingrich right now. This morning he's in Greenville, South Carolina. The former house speaker at an event right now. Most of the candidates are campaigning in South Carolina this morning because, as you mentioned, Fred, tonight, there's going to be a foreign policy debate, national security debate right there in South Carolina.

WHITFIELD: So, Paul, one has to wonder how much the debates have made an impact on the polling. Gingrich and Cain shared that debate last weekend. And now we're seeing Gingrich is near the top of some polling. So how much is going to be riding on tonight's debate in South Carolina for maybe not just the upper three here but all of the candidates?

STEINHAUSER: So you're absolutely right. So much riding on these debates. Why? Because they have been very influential, especially in the polling, more so than in past debates. Let's talk about Rick Perry, he has not done well in debates. That has hurt his polling. And we remember what happened just the other night, that snafu he had when he blanked out a little bit at that debate in Michigan.

So that's why for tonight so much is going to be riding -- or so much is on the line for the Texas governor. But Herman Cain as well. Even though he has done well in debates, foreign policy, national security has not been his forte. So a lot of eyes will be checking out Herman Cain tonight to see how he performs in this specific debate.

Now remember, just a week-and-a-half from now, CNN has another debate on foreign policy and national security right here in Washington -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Paul. I know you'll be bringing that to us as well. Appreciate that.

STEINHAUSER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And, of course, if you want to join us every Sunday afternoon, 4:00 Eastern, when we dedicate an entire hour to the presidential contenders in this 2012 election.

All right. President Barack Obama thanked U.S. servicemen and women, then took in some college hoops, but not your ordinary college hoops game. This was rather unusual. It was on the flight deck an Air Force carrier. The USS Carl Vinson got an extreme makeover to prep for yesterday's game between the University of North Carolina and Michigan State. And there the president and first lady looking at it all.

And there, there's the transformation, you know. Fast forward. The flight deck was turned into an 8,000-seat venue, with sailors, veterans, family members, alumni from both teams filling the stands. What an incredible experience. The president told Armed Forces Radio that he couldn't imagine a better place to watch such a game. The top-ranked Tar Heels in the end won 65-55.

All right. I wonder if these numbers mean anything to you. Kim Kardashian, 93, Christine Romans, our gal, she's 63, we're not talking about age, and George Clooney, 0. We're talking about "Klout" with a "K." I'm going to explain what those numbers mean and what Klout is all about.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Top stories are straight ahead, including a Major League Baseball player freed after being taken from his home at gunpoint. You'll hear about the rescue and see video of him now. That's just a few minutes away.

But first, you may Tweet a lot. Me not included. But do you know your Klout score? In Today's "Smart Is the New Rich," Christine Romans talks to experts how it can actually help you grow your business or perhaps even land a job.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: OK, look. So I, Joe, am a 63, my co-author and friend Ali Velshi is a 65. I'm intent on narrowing that gap. I don't even know how to do it. It's a public score. Companies are using it for marketing. And some people using it on their resumes. You have even ranked the most influential colleges. Is there a way for companies, colleges, the unemployed to use this to build their brand?

JOE FERNANDEZ, FOUNDER & CEO, KLOUT: Absolutely. So every few years there's some skill that it's important for the workforce to understand. A couple of years ago just getting comfortable on the Internet, but now it's about getting comfortable on social and being able to share your message with the world.

Klout is a great way to benchmark your ability to impact your audience and activate them. So if you're a company or just a person, to be able to spread your ideas and products through social media is really important.

ROMANS: All right. Jeff Bercovici, I want to bring him in. He covers media and technology for Forbes.

I checked it, you've got a score of 58. And that's part of...

JEFF BERCOVICI, STAFF REPORTER, FORBES: Follow me on Twitter, everybody.

ROMANS: There you go. But I think that when we talk about people putting it on their resumes, it shows you people are trying to show how they can harness social media as a business, as a brand, as an image. This whole new arena, it's hard to figure out how to gauge your influence on it.

BERCOVICI: Absolutely. And I think the companies -- it's a great idea to put it on your resume or at least to, you know, sort of tout it in a job interview. I know people who are being asked in job interviews how many Twitter followers they have.

ROMANS: They are.

BERCOVICI: I think a lot of companies are all trying to reinvent themselves for this social era. And a lot of the time people running companies are -- may be older and are not as kind of fluent in the new social language, so they are extra interested in bringing people into the company who are fluent and can prove it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So now you know what kind of Klout you have.

Conrad Murray convicted. But how might his admission in a television interview impact his upcoming sentencing?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: It's a real nightmare for Penn State. A former coach is accused of raping children, at least one, on campus. Others admit knowing about it but doing next to nothing. Let's bring in legal guys. Avery Friedman, a civil rights attorney and law professor in Cleveland, hello to you. And Richard Herman...

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Hello.

WHITFIELD: ... in New York, criminal defense attorney and law professor, joining us from Washington. Good to see you as well.

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Hi, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Gentlemen, it's like, where do we begin on this? It's just so giant and colossal. Let's talk about some of the latest developments that have happened just in the past few hours. We know now that the former head coach Paterno has hired a criminal attorney, a defense attorney.

Richard, why would he need to do that?

HERMAN: He needs to do that, Fred, because although there are announcements by the prosecutors that Joe Paterno is not a target at this time in their investigation, Fred, I have seen witnesses and subjects get indicted.

So he needs to protect himself here. He needs to ensure his grand jury testimony was all totally accurate and perfect. And he had better make sure that he was not part of a cover-up, which is too late right now.

If information comes out that he knowingly participated in a cover-up here, he is going to be indicted criminally.

WHITFIELD: Avery?

FRIEDMAN: I have a little bit of a different view. I think this case turns on the so-called mandatory reporting law. If you're a doctor, lawyer, social worker, teacher, you know about this. But in Pennsylvania, for some reason, when you discover child abuse, and of course, Joe knew, and other coaches knew, in most states you must report it to law enforcement.

The argument here was, well, we reported it to our superiors. And I'm not quite sure how that cuts it. I'm not convinced that Joe Paterno was out of the woods. I think he did the right thing by hiring counsel and you're not going to hear a thing from him until this is further investigated.

WHITFIELD: But you really touched on something, Avery, that is really center to this whole investigation. That it's not just one person who says, I reported it to a superior, I thought I was doing the right thing, but you have you a host of people doing that, beginning with Mike McQueary, at the time a grad assistant, now assistant coach. He has apparently been suspended in the past few hours now, too, when at first he wasn't going to be at the game because of security reasons.

So that -- he has been suspended. Is it likely that he's leading -- or at least the university, or somehow he's positioned to be leading down that same road of, wait a minute, you didn't meet the moral authority -- you know, the threshold of moral authority to report something. But now you didn't even do what most would think one would do. Is there was no mandatory reporting to police that took place here.

FRIEDMAN: Well, but think of it like this. You've got Tom Bradley, who is the interim coach, who has been on staff since 1979, Fredricka. It seems incomprehensible that the board -- it sounds like they are scrambling.

First they let McQueary stay on, then they put him on paid administrative leave, and then they let Bradley take over. The truth is, if Penn State is going to do the right thing, everybody has got to go. It's a clean sweep, they've got to start all over. But they're afraid to do it because you have got a federal grand jury, you're going to have a state grand jury, you have Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of Education looking into it.

WHITFIELD: Well, do you think it's afraid to do it or it's just not the right timing? Wait until the football season is over, because if this is about protecting the athletic program or the football program, that, too, seems to be weighing quite heavily, Avery.

HERMAN: Fred, it's all about protecting the football program, the image, and money being generated by this football program, from federal sources, from alumni. This football program supports the university, Fred. Please, the profit that this program generates is off the charts.

WHITFIELD: And real quick, I know we have got some other cases, but I do want to ask you too, Avery, you know, we talked about it, DOJ, Department of Justice investigation, and then Department of Education investigation, how are they different?

FRIEDMAN: Department of Education sex abuse, Department of Justice criminal. You've got two different issues. Ultimately they join together. Separate responsibilities, look for both of them.

WHITFIELD: OK. All right. Let's move on to Conrad Murray. We know he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. But right around the corner he's going to be sentenced. Right on the eve of his sentencing, this "Today" show interview is aired this week and he makes a host of admissions. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, "TODAY": How could you really be monitoring Michael Jackson at the same time you're making calls, you're texting, you're e-mailing. Were you distracted?

CONRAD MURRAY, CONVICTED OF KILLING MICHAEL JACKSON: No, I was not. When I looked at the man, he was all night deprived of sleep. He was so desperate for sleep, and finally is getting some sleep. Am I going to sit over him, sit around him, tug on his feet, doing anything unusual to wake him up? No.

GUTHRIE: So you walked out of the room to talk on the phone.

MURRAY: Absolutely. I wanted him to rest.

GUTHRIE: You said you were talking on the phone but you could see him.

MURRAY: I could not see him from where I was talking, but...

GUTHRIE: But you could hear him?

MURRAY: I would think if he got up and he called for me, I would hear him.

GUTHRIE: If he stopped breathing, could you hear that?

MURRAY: No, I cannot. But he was not on an infusion that would cause him to stop breathing. And that's the reason they talk about I was not supposed to be monitoring him at that time, because there was no need for monitoring.

GUTHRIE: So you don't regret...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So, gentlemen, Avery, you first, how is this going to impact his upcoming sentencing? Might it have influenced the court's decision?

FRIEDMAN: Holy smokes. I mean, yes, of course, it -- you know, Michael Pastor is going to consider that interview, he's going to consider a lot of things that couldn't get in evidence. Who the heck is letting a defendant like this, after a conviction, go on television and make these remarks? That is stunning to me.

Now having said that, even if we're looking at the max of four years, Fredricka, California has implemented what's called realignment, which means the maximum he's looking at, at least criminally, is two years. But there is a whole other dimension of civil liability.

WHITFIELD: OK. Richard, how do you see it?

HERMAN: It has absolutely no bearing on sentencing, Fred. Because this judge hates him. He's going to give him four years. It's in stone. You can take that to the bank. He's going to get the maximum. Fred, the judge is a state court judge. Has he to run for election. This is the man who killed Michael Jackson.

Please, he's getting four years no matter what he says. He can get up and blast the judge he's getting four years. But Avery is right, it's going to be reduced to two in county. He's going to get home confinement for the entire sentence. That's what's going to happen.

WHITFIELD: All right. We've got one minute left, gentlemen. Richard, you're favorite, Lindsay Lohan, what now? Oh, my gosh, this is like every week there's something involving either her sentence or probation, showing up or not showing up. Now what?

HERMAN: Remember in "Animal House" like "double secret probation" they were put on? Anyway, here, you know, she's threatened if she violates the law, the letter of the probation here, she's going to do 270 days. It's a farce, the entire California judicial system is a farce.

You know, Murray is going to be in county prison. He's looking to -- Lindsay Lohan was in country prison. It's ridiculous. You know she's going to violate again. You know she's going to be in court.

WHITFIELD: Aw, positive thinking. Avery, you said she was scared straight recently.

FRIEDMAN: Yes, scared straight. She put four-and-a-half hours in Century Detention Center this week. You know what, maybe call me optimistic, I do think that we're going to see a young woman who is going to get her act together hopefully just to save her. And I think we're going to see that.

WHITFIELD: All right.

FRIEDMAN: By the way, there's some civil litigation going on, we don't have time to talk about it. But believe me, Lindsay will remain an annuity to this show, believe me.

WHITFIELD: Oh no, no, I don't want to look at it that way. OK. Half glass full, come on, you've got to pull for her, you hope that she gets it together, right?

FRIEDMAN: That's right. That's right.

WHITFIELD: Avery, Richard, thanks so much. We're going to see you again in about 10 minutes. We have got other cases in which to talk about. Unbelievable case out of Florida. We're talking about a nine- year-old who was charged after throwing a tantrum over candy on the school bus and off the bus. (INAUDIBLE) have to say about that one.

And then some of the most breathtaking spots on Earth are part of a new list of the "Seven Natural Wonders" of the world. Beautiful.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories right now. Penn State is fighting through a sex abuse scandal involving a former assistant football coach. The Nittany Lions are facing Nebraska in Penn State's final home game right now. And Students are wearing blue to support the victims -- the alleged victims.

Fired head football coach Joe Paterno issued a statement saying he is distraught over what happened but he won't have anything else to say. Students have plenty to say, however.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARRICK: I think everybody is focusing on Joe and not so much what happened. They are just worried about his image and everything that he should have done. But really it's not about him, it's about the kids.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The two teams said a prayer for the victims -- the alleged victims at midfield before the game.

President and Mrs. Obama are in Hawaii. It the first stop of a nine- day trip through the Asia-Pacific region. The president is hosting an economic conference this weekend there and plans to meet privately with the leaders of Mexico, Canada, Japan, Russia, and China.

And fans of Joe Frazier, "Smokin' Joe," are playing their last respects to the legendary boxer this weekend. A two-day public memorial is taking place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The 67-year-old Frazier died this week from cancer. His funeral is Monday.

This fan is urging others to turn out to today's memorial.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM CONWAY, FRAZIER FAN: Young people out there you get a chance to meet your hero, take it, because you never know when you're going to get another shot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: If you haven't made it to see the "Seven Wonders" of the world, you've got a little more traveling to do. The next Seven Wonders -- natural wonders of the world were announced yesterday, chosen in an online vote. The provisional winners are the Amazon, Halong Bay in Vietnam, Iguazu Falls in Brazil, Jeju Island in South Korea, Komodo in Indonesia, Puerto Princesa Underground River in the Philippines, and Table Mountain in South Africa. And now this is the provisional list. The official winners won't be announced until next year. Injured in a car crash, a New York woman now relies on a service dog. So why did her lawyers insist that she leave her dog outside their offices? A case for our legal guys, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: So what if police put a tracking device in your car without your knowledge and without a warrant? We're going to find out what our legal guys have to say about that. It is indeed a case. Avery Friedman in Cleveland and Richard Herman in Washington. Not a hypothetical, but something that really did happen. And a young man by the name of Antoine Jones in D.C., Avery, is saying something is wrong here, what happened to the Fourth Amendment which protects me against unreasonable search and seizure?

FRIEDMAN: Yes, Fredricka, I love this case. It really goes to the essence of the protection of the Bill of Rights against an expectation of privacy. The bottom line is, can the police put a beeper in your car and monitor you? They did in this one. They had a warrant but the warrant expired.

And the amazing thing about the arguments this week was that the majority of the court, including people like Alito and people like Scalia are using words like "Orwellian," and "1984," and "trespass." My prediction here, Fredricka, what happened in D.C. with Antoine, violation of the Fourth Amendment, look for an either 7-2, 8-1 decision throwing the case out and a victory for the Fourth Amendment.

WHITFIELD: So, Richard, it's not an issue of we just forgot it was there, first we a warrant, it was allowed to be on the vehicle, and we just forgot, not right?

HERMAN: They don't forget, Fred. They know full well what the deal is. And it's just a little overreaching. They are going to get spanked on this one. And, Avery, I have to agree with them. The judges absolutely rested on your right to privacy. Right to privacy seems to be the overwhelming theme from the justices.

It's definitely going to come down that way. You're going to need a warrant if you want to bug someone's car and monitor them, absolutely going to require a warrant in the future.

FRIEDMAN: Makes sense.

WHITFIELD: OK. And now we have a case that's really pretty remarkable. Lauren Klejmont, she was in a serious car accident. She has a service dog that helps her get around. She was going to her attorney's office, going to the law firm, and they said, OK, you're allowed, but your dog isn't, you've got to leave the dog outside.

And so now Department of Justice is involved here, saying, this may violate the Disabilities Act.

So, Richard, what kind of recourse does she have? And wait a minute, this was a law firm? Wouldn't they know? Wouldn't they know the law and what would be allowed and permissible? HERMAN: Apparently not, Fred, because she came the first time and they wouldn't let her in. Then they got a call from the Justice Department saying there is this Americans with Disabilities Act, and you had better read it and comply with it. It's a public law firm. She came again. They needed to make accommodations for this dog.

They did make accommodations but one of the attorneys in there said, I don't care, look, it's a German shepherd, I'm not going to meet with her, I don't want anything to do with this.

FRIEDMAN: That's right.

HERMAN: And they are going to get sued and they are going to end up paying her money. And that's just how it's going to end up.

WHITFIELD: So, Avery, how do you see it? What will be the arm of the law that says violation of Americans with Disabilities Act, and what would be the lesson that is being taught to this law firm? What's the potential penalty?

FRIEDMAN: Well, the lesson will be this 21-year-old federal law means business. Suit has been filed by the Department of Justice, actually U.S. Attorneys Office in New York. Federal district judge will enforce that. Compensatory damages, a civil fine on top of it. And cost to the government as well as an injunction. What a mess, how simply this could have been avoided. Now these guys are in the soup, a big, big mess.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness, terrible. OK. Now we've got a case out of Florida. This involves a nine-year-old who reportedly had a little bit too much Halloween candy. The bus driver said, stop eating candy, you're getting out of control. And the kid allegedly starts cursing at the bus driver and even makes a threat.

Next thing you know there was a charge being imposed. But then, Avery, the family says there's a medical reason potentially as to why this child kind of went off on the bus driver. Explain further.

FRIEDMAN: Well, you know, when Richard last week threatened to spit on that Texas judge, I understood all that. But I think this woman -- this young girl, I should say nine years old, actually a schizophrenic, apparently she didn't take her meds, she threatens to spit on the bus driver, she throws asphalt, the equivalent of four felonies.

The family is saying she should have been medicated, except for one problem, Fredricka, she wasn't. They let her on the bus anyhow. The key is, medicate your children and keep them away from the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, they will be OK. You are not going to have a -- you won't have a case like this, it would never happen.

WHITFIELD: So, I mean, Richard, in the end the family is being held accountable. I mean, this may be their defense, but it's backfiring for them, Richard?

HERMAN: Nothing is going to happen to the family, Fred. This child is going to be ordered to take her medication and get whatever necessary treatment is required. In the end that's what's going to happen. But she was charged with launching a deadly missile into the bus.

She grabbed pieces of asphalt from the ground after she was removed and she was throwing them at the bus and apparently one piece got in, batteries against the bus driver and police officer with resisting arrest. That's a natural reaction for a 9-year-old, isn't it, when you are told, don't eat candy? She was throwing the F-word all over the place.

I mean, it was -- look, I don't know, this kid needs some discipline too, I think, in addition to the meds, yes.

FRIEDMAN: Where did a nine year old learn that? I mean, holy smokes.

WHITFIELD: All right. I know you guys have had a very long day as well. You've handled a whole lot of cases. You were up very early with my colleague T.J. Holmes.

HERMAN: You allowed that, Fred.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: They asked my permission after the fact, but you know, they're my peeps, it's all right.

HERMAN: After the fact. Hey, Fred, Fred, I have such warm regards to you...

FRIEDMAN: We know the team.

HERMAN: Fred, I have warm regards from Howard University. We've been there all week. Howard University School of Law, paralegal certificate program. Elise and I got pinned.

WHITFIELD: Oh, you got the Howard pin.

HERMAN: We got the Howard pin this week and we're so proud and honored to be affiliated with them.

WHITFIELD: You're doing some fantastic work for Howard University, my alma mater. Go Bison.

HERMAN: Thank you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Richard. And, Avery, you as well, thanks so much. Always good to see you, gentlemen. Can't wait to see you again back here in the house. We've got to look at our calendars, get you down here again.

FRIEDMAN: That's for sure.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much.

FRIEDMAN: Pretty soon. HERMAN: Be well, Fred. Have a good weekend.

WHITFIELD: See you soon, next weekend. All right. Thanks so much.

Let's talk about Major League catcher Wilson Ramos, what an incredible last 50 hours for him. Now the family in Venezuela is celebrating, and his extended family in the U.S. also celebrating. He is safe, unhurt, after a harrowing kidnapping ordeal. We'll get an explanation. How did this go down and why?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In Venezuela, celebrations by the family of kidnapped Washington Nationals baseball player Wilson Ramos. He has been rescued by Venezuelan security forces. CNN's Luis Carlos Velez is following the story for us from New York.

So, Luis, what are you hearing about how this rescue happened? And has anybody been apprehended?

LUIS CAROLS VELEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. Yes, this is a very important case in Venezuela. Wilson Ramos is a national star. He plays for the Washington Nationals. And the most important game in Venezuela is baseball. Yes, he was rescued after two days of being kidnapped in his hometown. He talked to national TV. And he said that he's very happy to be back home with his friends and his family.

Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILSON RAMOS, WASHINGTON NATIONALS CATCHER (through translator): I am very happy for the rescue operation they carried out, very thankful to the government and the national army. I didn't expect them. Where they were holding me captive was a very remote place, basically a jungle. And see, I was praying to God to bring me home safely to my family. And look at these guys, they risked their lives to save mine and I'm very thankful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ: Fredricka, Ramos also said that the kidnappers and the special forces interchanged heavy gunfire during the rescue. He also said that he believes kidnappers are Colombians. He could notice something different in their accent and that he is very happy and willing to join his team again very soon -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So, Luis, it's amazing how this actually happened in the first place. Four people allegedly grabbed him, put him in a vehicle. And the next thing you know, he's somewhere like 40 miles away from his family's hometown, but way in the mountains, he clearly didn't know exactly where he was.

Is it true that Hugo Chavez got involved here and said, we're going to make this rescue happen or we're going to get the right amount of resources involved to make sure this rescue takes place at all costs? VELEZ: Absolutely, Fredricka. Venezuela, it's a very interesting country. President Hugo Chavez knows everything about the country itself. The minister of interior said yesterday that President Hugo Chavez himself ordered the rescue operation yesterday morning. And as you saw, you know, the results were pretty fast.

Venezuela, it's a very interesting country as well. President Hugo Chavez has been in power for many years now. But at the same time, the security has been deteriorating so this is not an isolated case. Kidnapping is becoming very common in Venezuela.

WHITFIELD: Sadly too common. All right. Well, we're glad that the outcome was the one that we saw involving Wilson Ramos. Thanks so much, Luis.

All right. One major part of the Cold War went unseen and unheard, far beneath the ocean surface. America's submarine fleet, the silent service, those sailors in our "Veterans in Focus," next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: This time around's Veterans Day, we take opportunities to honor the men and women who serviced in the U.S. armed forces, to hear their stories of struggle and sacrifice. This "Veterans in Focus" is about the men who served in the Cold War far beneath the surface of the ocean.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not a natural thing to submerge your ship in water.

ALFRED CHARETTE, U.S. NAVY (RET.): The mission of a submarine is not to give itself away, to remain undetected. We didn't want to make any kind of noise that a fish didn't make.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of the submariners know when they go to sea that they are in harm's way.

THOMAS M. RUSSELL III, U.S. NAVY (RET.): Basically our patrol for 60 days at a clip, submerged all the time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had to learn my job and learn my job well so I could keep myself and my shipmates alive and healthy.

EDWIN (BUD) ATKINS, U.S. NAVY (RET.): My life depended on my other shipmates. And it didn't matter whether they were a seaman or a captain.

CHARETTE: You were on USS Nautilus SSM 571, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine. I was on board for four years from 1957 to 1961. When I was on board, I was a sonar supervisor. A couple of pieces of equipment in there are the same ones that I operated.

I think the political climate at the time was one of tension between us and the USSR. We could be in a harbor and nobody would know we were there. We could be along the cost and nobody would know we were there.

ATKINS: Our adversaries knew that we were out there and they couldn't find us. That's what the Cold War was about.

RUSSELL: We just hoped that every time we went to battle stations that it was a drill, because we all knew if it was not a drill, home would may be in pieces.

CHARETTE: I think we're probably a unique bunch of guys who think that we're better than everybody else.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A special, special fraternity.

ATKINS: And it's so different than any other service.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And joining us later on today for a special tribute to U.S. veterans, CNN photojournalists turn their lenses on the men and women of the military, capturing their struggles as well as their successes. Tune into "Veterans in Focus" at 2:30 p.m. right here on CNN.

All right. Joe Paterno isn't on the sidelines for Penn State today. Instead, the campus is in turmoil over a sex abuse scandal. More on that after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Top stories now. It's a day of drama and uncertainty at Penn State. The team is playing Nebraska in its last home game without head coach -- former head coach Joe Paterno. He was fired this week over a child sex abuse scandal. Paterno's firing set off riots by some students and supporters. At the start of today's game, the two teams met in the middle of the field for a prayer for the alleged victims.

In a vote watched by nervous economies around the world, Italy's lower house of parliament just passed austerity measures. It said it approved the package which includes spending cuts and proposals to boost growth. The move is the last act for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. He could resign as soon as tonight.

State-run news media in Iran is reporting at least 27 people have been killed in two explosions at a military base there. More than a dozen others were hurt. It happened at a Revolutionary Guard munitions depot at a base in Western Iran. Rescuer workers are at the scene.

Later on today in the 2:00 Eastern hour, Black Friday, well, it's coming soon. We'll have tips for navigating all those retail sales. And in the 3:00 Eastern hour, a new documentary called "Exploitation" divides the fertility treatment community. We'll be talking to both sides in that controversy.

And in the 4:00 Eastern hour on this Veterans Day weekend, we'll talk to two Tuskegee airmen about their roles during World War II, a new documentary out this week and an upcoming film. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. See you later this afternoon. "YOUR MONEY" starts right now.