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McQueary E-mail: I Stopped Sandusky; Perry Campaigns in New Hampshire; Romney Remains Favorite in New Hampshire; Cutting the Deficit; "Occupy" Protesters Return To Park; Seattle Police Clash With Protesters; Obama "Speaks Australian"; Obama Clarifies U.S.-Aussie Military Ties; ; Bieber's Accuser Drops Paternity Suit; Kardashian Critics Call for Boycott; Debt Deal Due in One Week; Lockdown at East Carolina University; "Morphine Lollipops" for Troops
Aired November 16, 2011 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we are at the top of the hour. Hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes in today for Kyra Phillips.
This morning, we are hearing from one of the people most vilified in that child molestation scandal at Penn State. Mike McQueary is the name. He is the graduate assistant who allegedly saw football coach Jerry Sandusky raping a boy in the locker room.
He has now faced some blistering criticism for not doing more when he saw that, but McQueary is now disputing what's been out there in the public. According to e-mails obtained the "Morning Call" newspaper, McQueary tells a former classmate, quote, "I did stop it. Not physically, but made sure it was stopped when I left that locker room," end quote.
Also, he says he reported it to police. In the same e-mail, he said he had quote, "discussions with police and with the official at the university in charge of police," end quote. Here is what McQueary told a CBS News reporter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have any idea when you think you might be ready to talk?
MIKE MCQUEARY, PENN STATE ASSISTANT FOOTBALL COACH: This process has to play out. I just don't have anything else to say. That's all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK and then just one last thing. Just describe your emotions right now.
MCQUEARY: All over the place. Just kind of shaken.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Crazy?
MCQUEARY: Crazy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You said what, like a --
(END VIDEO CLIP) HOLMES: At the bottom of the hour, we'll hear from Tom Goldman, a sports correspondent for NPR.
To the campaign trail now. Iowa, New Hampshire, will kick off the caucus and primary season just a few weeks and the GOP candidates are visiting those states with a vengeance.
In this hour, Texas Governor Rick Perry plans a tour and a town hall in New Hampshire. CNN deputy political director, Paul Steinhauser is joining us from Washington now.
It almost -- and I shouldn't say this, but if you look at the polls, I mean, everybody's wasting their time in New Hampshire. It seems like it's wrapped up.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, we'll get to that. T.J., can you imagine, it's just under seven weeks now until the Iowa caucuses on January 3rd. One week later, the New Hampshire primary, the first of the nation primary.
And as you mentioned, yes, Rick Perry there today. He's been campaigning in Iowa a lot, but as you said today, he's going to be in New Hampshire. Rick Perry, of course, tried to kind of resurrect his campaign.
He was the frontrunner, the Texas governor, when he jumped into the race, but you know, he has had some troubles, stumbles in the debates, we've seen those and now trying to pump things up again.
Take a look at the numbers. You mentioned this is brand new out of New Hampshire, people likely to vote in the primary there. There's Mitt Romney, 40 percent, the former Massachusetts governor.
Massachusetts, remember, a neighboring state to New Hampshire, they know Mitt Romney well in New Hampshire. He's got a home there. He's been the frontrunner in every poll over a year now. He remains that way.
Ron Paul at 17 percent, the Texas congressman who's making a stir bid for the White House. Gingrich rising in the polls, we've seen it nationally. Here he is rising in New Hampshire as well.
Cain appears to be dropping. Where's Jon Huntsman in this poll? He's not in the top four, obviously. He's at 7 percent. Huntsman last night, had his 100th event in New Hampshire. The former Utah governor really it's New Hampshire or bust for him.
T.J., he is going 100 percent in New Hampshire and we saw it again last night. One hundred events now for him in New Hampshire -- T.J.
HOLMES: One hundred events gives him what percentage?
STEINHAUSER: It's 7 percent. He's got 55 days to change that, I guess.
HOLMES: All right, there's always time. Let's move now from presidential politics to just politics back in Washington, D.C. This "Super Committee," everybody's been waiting on, see if they can reach some kind of an agreement on deficit reduction. Well, they're running out of time. Will they be able to get something done before Thanksgiving, which is their deadline?
STEINHAUSER: Yes, Americans don't think so. Take a look at this. Brand new numbers out this morning from CNN and ORC, and we asked just that. Are the committee members likely to reach a deal by the next deadline, which is a week from today?
Well, look at that. I think it's pretty obvious there, almost eight in 10 Americans say unlikely they're going to reach a deal to try to lower the deficit, $1.2 trillion is what they're trying to do in cuts.
Well, who would get the blame game if they don't reach a deal? Check out this next number. It looks like a plurality, more Americans blaming the Republicans rather than the Democrats by a little bit if there is no deal.
So yes, more blame going to Republicans than Democrats according to our new poll -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right, Paul Steinhauser. Thank you as always. And to our viewers, need to join us next week for a debate that's going to focus on national security and foreign policy.
The CNN Republican National Security debate co-sponsored by the Heritage Foundation nd the American Enterprise Institute, that's Tuesday night, 8:00 Eastern right here.
We're about 4 minutes past the top of the hour. Let's turn to "Occupy Wall Street." There's a before and after now in New York. Today, the tents are gone. Protesters say the cause though, still very much alive.
Deb Feyerick standing in what is Deb, a very different looking Zuccotti Park today.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. It's virtually empty. Gone is that tent city that really characterized this area for more than two months. You can see the park's been cleaned up. You've got security officers, private security officers there wearing yellow vests, keeping an eye on things.
You can actually even see the ground. Couple of people didn't realize there were lights on the ground. That's how long it seemed to have been occupied. But we're told that "Occupy Wall Street" is re- grouping. They're hoping to plan something big for the two-month anniversary tomorrow.
Some of the folks here are catching up on sleep. Remember the park was raided overnight, some of them up for 30 hours. Others were set to be released from jail today. So, really, sort of a temporary lull in the activity. The few dozen who stayed behind, they are tired, but very determined. You know, they tell us that in fact they had to stay up all night. They were banned from lying down. They're banned from sort of dispersing food as they had been doing and of course, no tents, no generators, so very, very different conditions.
I did see a man who was arrested. He was breaking up a fight. He was trying to deescalate the situation, actually. But police officers took him away and a lot of people were very confused by that. It seems that, you know, this had been a self-governing autonomous tent city.
But now that's been taken away, you've got this dynamic between the handful of protesters who are here, between the private security guards and also between some of the police officers who are unseen, who are on the scene here.
But there is a sense of relief that the movement is going to continue. They've said they've changed the national consciousness, the national dialogue and that's not something that's going to stop -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right, Deb Feyerick for us in Zuccotti Part, thank you so much.
In other cities across the country, patience is running out. Seattle police used pepper spray on protesters there. They had blocked rush hour traffic. At least six were arrested.
Also in Dallas, the fight is not on the streets necessarily. It's in the courtroom. A federal judge says the city can forcibly remove the 200 protesters who are camped out on City Hall property.
Today, city attorneys will meet with representatives of "Occupy Dallas" to discuss some possible options.
Turning to the president now, his first visit to Australia since taking office. The president really wants to make a good impression and really fit in and who knew the president spoke fluent Australian?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The alliance between the United States and Australia is deeper and stronger than it has ever been. Spot on. Cracker jack, in top neck. Thank you very much, everybody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Let me bring in CNN's Max Foster now. Max, clearly, the president having a little fun there, but some serious stuff going on, on this trip, of course.
MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they've signed a new military agreement the two countries and it means that the Americans will place a military personnel in Australia. The background to this is a lot of the Asian nations have been calling for greater U.S. presence in that part of the world. There's a concern about growing Chinese, control of the waters particularly around this. They want to rebalance that. But the president saying this is very much about a relationship between Australia and the U.S. He was saying it's important for the Chinese to play by the rules of the road on one hand.
But he was also saying that America isn't fearful of Chinese influence. I think the notion that we fear China is mistaken said President Obama. The notion that they were looking to exclude China is mistaken.
This is how the papers are interpreting it. The Australians saying 2,500 U.S. Marines on Australian soil to increase defense ties, but going on to say the agreement is set against the background of growing Chinese military spending and the dramatic expansion of the Chinese Navy.
And the "Telegraph" here in the U.K., similar headline really in saying that Mr. Obama insisted the deployment was not countered at Beijing's rise, but he pointedly called on China to play by the rules of the road.
So it's reading behind the lines really here, T.J., but China and the U.S. are the two major players really in that region militarily.
HOLMES: All right, Max Foster for us. We appreciate you as always.
We're 9 minutes past the hour. We want to bring you a bit of news we are just getting in here. A situation happening in Glouster, Ohio.
The picture we're showing here is a live one, but what they're responding to, and we have some video to show you in a moment to give you a better idea of what we're dealing with, which a gas line explosion.
This is just outside of Glouster, Ohio. This is the south eastern part of that state. This happened about 8:45 in the morning. A couple of hours ago essentially, but this is still an ongoing situation. No injuries at this point to report to you.
Also, no evacuations, but they are telling people in the area, if you do not have an emergency related to this incident, please do not contact 911 right now.
A lot of people in the area reported and we showed you from that picture some of that video we showed a moment ago, flames shooting hundreds of feet up into the air, at least according to some of the witnesses.
This video gives you an idea of what they're dealing with here. But apparently, there is a gas pipeline that runs through that area and there has been this explosion in Ohio. Again, the south eastern part of that state in Glouster, Ohio.
No reports of injuries at this point and no evacuations, but still, an ongoing situation. We'll keep a close eye, bring you updates as we get them.
Also, a bullet smashed a White House window. Police think they know who might have fired it. We're live in D.C. in just a few moments.
Also, his year long reign is over. Ryan Reynolds being replaced. There is a new sexiest man alive.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We're learning more about a bullet that hit a White House window. Authorities say bulletproof glass kept it out of the building. Secret Service officials say there are no specific concerns for the president's safety.
The question now is who exactly fired the shots and why. CNN's Athena Jones at the White House for us. Athena, important to note, people need to know, since these couple of incidents have come up, the president has not been in the White House.
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, exactly. He's been on this trip. He was in Hawaii at the time of this incident on Friday night. He's now in Australia.
Police are looking for a 21-year-old suspect, whose name is Oscar Ortega Hernandez. They believe that on Friday night, about 800 yards south of the White House.
He was driving his car and stopped on Constitution, down there at Constitution and 16th Street by the ellipse, which between the White House and Washington Monument and fired shots towards the White House.
As you mentioned, the ballistic glass kept the shot -- kept one round of bullets from going into the White House and that's exactly what it's meant to do. Another round was found on the ground nearby.
And so, police are investigating this. They've put out some pictures of Ortega Hernandez, who we're told by Arlington police had contact with those police over in Arlington, Virginia earlier on Friday at 11:00 a.m.
They stopped him for what they called suspicious activity. We're not quite sure what that was, but they stopped him, didn't arrest him, but did take pictures of him. And those are the pictures that we've been able to see.
Now, park police mentioned in a press conference over the weekend that this suspect who they are still looking for has some distinctive tattoos. Most notably, one on the left side of his neck that reads Israel and one across his back that reads Ortega.
They still don't know what his reasons are, but they have said that he has, quote, "a direction of interest in the White House or the president." And so they've been talking to family and friends and hoping to track him down to talk to him.
HOLMES: All right, Athena Jones for us at the White House. Thank you so much.
JONES: Thanks.
HOLMES: Give you a look now at some stories making news cross- country. Severe storms sweeping across the southeast this morning. Reports of tornados and damage in Louisiana and Mississippi. So authorities in San Pedro, California are afraid.
Look at this. That part of the town could slide right into the Pacific. The landslide already has closed down a stretch of road. It seems to be getting worse. Fences are set up to keep people at a safe distance.
Also, Macy's will have five new floats for its 85th Annual Thanksgiving Day parade. Zhuzhu Pets will get a float now and a hockey float with kids taking slap shots at a wooden turkey. You'll also see some new balloons, Sonic the Hedgehog among them floating down the streets of Manhattan.
Well, can you be hot and humble? Seems like a winning combination for Bradley Cooper at least. He is the new sexiest man alive, at least according to "People" magazine.
The actor says it's really cool to get this honor especially since he sometimes looks horrifying. Julie Jordan, senior writer at "People" magazine here to help us understand so why Mr. Cooper?
JULIE JORDAN, SENIOR WRITER, "PEOPLE": Why not Mr. Cooper? We've got the piercing blue eyes, right? Pretty incredible. We also love him for the movies of "Hangover," of course and we're intrigued by his romantic life.
You know, he says he's a 36-year-old single guy in Hollywood, so people assume that makes him a player, but you know what? He doesn't think of himself as a ladies' man, but he loves women. There's a difference. We like that about him.
HOLMES: OK, how does this work? There needs to be someone who, I mean, he's in a lot of tabloids. People want to know who he's dating. He's been in a couple of popular movies that people love. You just have to have a hot streak, if you will?
JORDAN: Well, maybe the spotlight shines a little bit brighter on this guy before we pick him. That's kind of how he bubbles to the surface, but you also want a guy who's humble.
When he heard that we were wanting to name him sexiest man alive, he really thought he was being punked. That's what you want. You don't want a guy who thinks, I'm sexy, this works.
You want a guy that's like, really? And Bradley has fun with it. He's having fun with it and most of the guys we choose over the years also really enjoy this title.
HOLMES: How does this process work of choosing these folks? Do you have a little committee? And also, I assume you get lobbied a lot by these Hollywood types who have people.
JORDAN: Yes, yes, we hear from a lot of people over the years. This is a title that's going to follow them around for the rest of their lives. The staff have their favorites. We pay attention online to see who the readers are loving.
You know, in the end, it isn't that hard. It's not scientific. We have a top tier group of editors that make the final choice and again, you know, when the guy is going to have fun with it and we know they're appreciative of the fact that we're giving this to them, that seals the deal.
HOLMES: Was there a runner up?
JORDAN: There aren't runner ups. You could look at every guy -- I think we have 125 guys in this issue. And I would say all of them are deserving and any of them are potential covers for future years. There's never a runner up.
HOLMES: Did you ever just blow it over the years when you picked somebody and you thought, man, we shouldn't have got that guy.
JORDAN: Well, you know, here's the thing. You've got to remember, when they get the title, in that moment, they are sexy, amazing, obviously at the height of their career. So of course, there's an ebb and flow in the years following.
I like to think that once you're sexy, you're always sexy, at least in the public's eyes. When you are sexiest man alive, but these men are very appreciative of the fact. There's an Oscar and there's sexiest man alive. It's the same in a lot of their books.
HOLMES: Julie Jordan, the next time we talk, I certainly hope it is not on this topic, OK?
JORDAN: Fair enough. I'm putting you in next year.
HOLMES: Sure you will. I'll have my people get a hold of your people. All right, Julie Jordan from "People" magazine. Thank you so much.
JORDAN: Thanks.
HOLMES: We're on 19 minutes past the hour now. Coming up next, we're going to head to Detroit, Michigan. Money problems have gotten so severe there, it's on the verge now of becoming the first major U.S. city to go completely broke.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: The financial numbers can be pretty staggering and if something doesn't happen soon, Detroit could be the first major U.S. city to go broke.
Let me bring in our Christine Romans and Christine, unfortunately, it's been some down economic news about Detroit over the years, but this is a resilient bunch.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it really is and the mayor is going to have an address tonight to the people of Detroit to explain to them how he's going to try to fix their budget problems because you know what?
An auditor earlier this spring found that quite frankly if Detroit doesn't do something dramatic and do it soon, Detroit runs out of money by the middle of next year. Think about that, a major American city running out of money.
We're talking about going bankrupt here. We've seen other municipalities already doing that. I mean, it's almost unthinkable, that "b" word, but it's been happening. You look at towns like Jefferson County, Alabama, a big county that's in trouble here.
A sewer project and you know, just revenue declining and costs going up, a problem there. We'll get more news on Detroit. It would be, of course, the biggest one, but it is running out of cash.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, also bankrupt, this is because of a trash incinerator that was supposed to generate revenue, but then it was just a disaster from start to finish, actually making money now, but it's not enough to pay off all its debts.
Central falls, Rhode Island, we told you about that one. That one bankrupt as well. So Detroit though the biggest of all of them in the problems that we had. I don't want to be so gloom and doom about it.
There are things that they can do, right? I mean, if he gets emergency powers, if the mayor gets emergency powers, he can start making some pretty drastic cuts. People will feel it, but drastic cuts.
Also, you know, the town has already been doing things like luring big businesses downtown. There's Whole Foods that's going to be going in down there. There's Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Some others that have been moving into the center part of the city because they're trying to revitalize it. So they've got an eye on the upswing, you know, the city planners there, they've got an eye on the upswing even though it feels like they're still on the way down -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right, we'll see what the mayor has to say tonight. Christine, always good to talk to you. Thanks so much.
We're getting close to the bottom of the hour here and our "Political Buzz" panel up next. Tough questions today about the president's poll numbers and that debt "Super Committee" and the clock is a ticking.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: "Political Buzz," rapid fire look at the best political topics of the day. We got three questions, 30 seconds on the clock. Playing today, CNN contributor, Maria Cardona, always good to see you, Sirius XM political talk show host, Pete Dominick, good to see you, my man and Georgetown University professor, Chris Metzler.
Let's start. First question, the clock is ticking on you and also, this debt "Super Committee." Got a week to go to reach a deal, so when we get to that deadline, Maria, next week, what will the headline be?
MARIA CARDONA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I'm actually one of those people where the glass is half full, T.J. I know you had a poll on earlier that said majority of Americans don't think there will be a deal. I'm hoping that there will be a deal.
I'm hoping that the committee can get there because so much is on the line. The problem is that Republicans have finally come around to understand that revenues need to be included, but more revenues need to be included, T.J. The middle class and the working class are carrying the burden of something being fair and balanced. Millionaires and billionaires need to do more of their fair share and hopefully, we can all get there.
HOLMES: All right, Pete, what about your headline next week when the deadline clock is over?
PETE DOMINICK, SIRIUS XM TALK SHOW HOST: I think the headline's probably going to be King Norquist wins again or because they're up against this Thanksgiving deadline, the pilgrims win again because no matter what the outcome, there's nothing on the Thanksgiving table that's going to benefit the vast majority of Americans.
Whatever it comes out is really going to benefit, I think, the most affluent, which is why this entire popular movement, the 99 percent movement was created. I don't think most Americans are going to benefit from whatever the "Super Committee" comes out with and lobbyists have been so incestuous with these people. Those are my headlines.
HOLMES: Chris, give me your headline?
CHRIS METZLER, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR: The headline's going to be that Congress has voted to dissolve the "Super Committee" and that in fact, the rest of congressional games have been canceled for the season.
The fact of the matter is that in this particular case, no one, neither Democrats nor Republicans, are serious enough about spending cuts, about deficit reduction to come to the table with some serious solutions.
We can't simply cut our way out of this and we can't simply stop spending. Yes, we have to stop spending, but we have to do a combination of both.
HOLMES: Let's turn to the president now, approval rating at 46 percent a year before an election. That puts him above only Jimmy Carter and Ford. I don't have to remind you of how those turned out.
Chris, let me start with you this time, 46 percent. Should the president be worried about that poll number or maybe something else he should be worried about?
METZLER: Yes, I actually think that the president should be worried about that poll number. I think he's got to put the focus on economy. He's got to put the focus on jobs.
And unless he's able to do that, what's going to end up happening is he is going to maybe go the way of either Carter, probably Carter. That's probably going to be the way that he goes.
So I think he very much has to be concerned about that. The focus has got to be on the economy. Forget everything else. He's got to focus on the economy.
HOLMES: Pete?
DOMINICK: He absolutely needs to be worried with an economy like this? He absolutely should and need to be worried. This is the toughest economic downturn since the depression.
CHRIS METZLER, PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: And unless he's able to do that, what's going to end up happening is he is going to maybe go the way of either Carter, probably Carter. That's probably going to be the way that he goes.
So I think he very much has to be concerned about that. The focus has got to be on the economy. Forget everything else. He's got to focus on the economy.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Pete?
PETE DOMINICK, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: He absolutely needs to be worried. With an economy like this, he absolutely should and needs to be worried. This is the toughest economic downturn since the Depression.
However, he doesn't have to worry as much because with a Republican presidential field like this, a line up of mostly clowns that are on book tours and trying to raise their speaking fees, it lets him rest a little bit easy.
The person he needs to be most worried about is Justice Kennedy, which is a talking point I stole from my friend Will Cain. The Supreme Court's going to be deciding next spring and that's going to really affect either way what happens with the presidential campaign.
HOLMES: Maria, I hope you're nicer and not calling them clowns in your answer as my man, Pete, just did. MARIA CARDONA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, clearly, the President needs to be worried, T.J. Any president who is going up for re-election with this economy and with those numbers should be worried and he is worried. He has said earlier that he is going into this as the underdog and he is running against the economy.
But he is focused on jobs, he is focused on job creation for the American people. I do agree with Pete that right now, the differences between him and the GOP candidates, I'm going to put my money on him.
But you never know. The economy is king. As long as the GOP candidates continue to focus on protecting the wealthy, the one percent, the billionaires, I think President Obama has a very good chance of getting re-elected.
HOLMES: I was really hoping we would run out of time because I was scared to ask Pete Dominick this last question. But the "Buzzer Beater" for today. "People" magazine has named its sexiest man alive as you know. The question and I will start with you, Maria. The sexiest GOP candidate alive?
CARDONA: Ooh, I'm going to go with, I'm assuming we're talking about the presidential candidates --
HOLMES: Sure.
CARDONA: I'm going to go with -- I'm going to go with Jon Huntsman. He is debonair. He is suave. But you know what his problem is, in terms of being a GOP candidate at the bottom of the pack is that he's also sensible. He believes in evolution, he believes in climate change and that's why he's got no chance.
HOLMES: Chris, I'll come to you next and hope still I run out of time before I have to ask this question to Pete.
Chris you're next.
METZLER: Well, ok, so she's not a candidate, but I have to say Condoleezza Rice. But in light of the fact that she's not a candidate, I'm going to have to go with the good-looking rascal from Texas, Governor Rick Perry.
HOLMES: The good-looking rascal from Texas and we do have time to spare. Pete.
DOMINICK: I'm going make this good, T.J. Listen, who's the sexiest GOP candidate alive? That is a horrible question. Something I don't want to think about. Not because I'm afraid, like some heterosexual men to say, men are sexy. I mean, look at you. Probably T.J. is one of the best looking human beings I've ever seen in my life. I mean, look at you have you seen a mirror lately, T.J.?
HOLMES: Pete.
DOMINICK: But -- but T.J. --
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: Yes.
DOMINICK: -- Webster defines -- Webster sexy as a word never used to describe Newt Gingrich. I'm going to have to give it to Ron Paul. Ron Paul sexiest for his consistency and principles.
HOLMES: You see folks, this is why I was hoping we'd run out of time. Maria, Chris, Pete.
DOMINICK: Look at those eyes.
HOLMES: Always a pleasure.
CARDONA: Thank you T.J.
HOLMES: I'll see you guys again soon. Thanks so much.
METZLER: Take care.
HOLMES: We're at 33 minutes past the hour now.
We will continue with a little more politics here in just a bit.
But we also got some headlines and some new information to bring you out of Penn State. We're getting more, more information and this time, we're getting information from one of the alleged witnesses -- Mike McQueary. He is an assistant football coach for the Penn State football team.
He is now rejecting the criticism that he did not do enough to intervene. In an e-mail to friends, he insists he didn't just turn and run away when he saw something wrong. He says he actually did the right thing.
Joining me now is Tom Goldman, sports correspondent for NPR. Tom, what does this new information mean now? A new e-mail that's come out and he says he did not turn and run. He says he actually made sure the allege rape he was witnessing stopped before he left. What do you make of that?
TOM GOLDMAN, NPR, SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: We're trying to figure out what that means actually. And it's two e-mails, apparently. One from -- one that was obtained by the morning column newspaper here in Pennsylvania, one by NBC. And both as you say, Mike McQueary talking about how he did intervene, he said not physically. I guess it's left to our imagination as far as what he did but he said in one of them, "You wouldn't have wanted to have been in my shoes for those 30 to 45 seconds."
We're trying to figure that out because this information contradicts the grand jury report that the world is using to formulate its opinions regarding this case. And does this mean you know, some are speculating, well, does this mean Mike McQueary is -- is changing his story? Does this mean that the grand jury presentment as it's called is somehow flawed? It's a summary, so it's not all the details of the case, so we're trying to figure this out right now.
HOLMES: And Tom, the other key part of this latest e-mail, this second e-mail we're seeing is that he said he got in touch with police and I had that grand jury report in front of me. It says specifically that the grad assistant was never questioned by university police and no other entity conducted an investigation until he testified in grand jury in December of 2010. So he is contradicting once again, he says he went to police.
GOLDMAN: Well, and if this is true, this is raising the question, was this another possible, you know, police have this information and then didn't pursue as allegedly happened in 1998, then we potentially have two police investigations that may have been stopped short. It's -- there's a lot to dig into this stuff.
HOLMES: One other thing and the President kind of hit at this in comments he made during that carrier classic basketball game. He said maybe this is the time in this story for all of us to stop and take a good look at ourselves. What are we learning about ourselves? I mean, this -- yes, this is a sex abuse scandal, but are we learning something about the culture of big time college athletics and these big time coaches and these programs that sometimes put everything above education and morals and doing the right thing when it comes down to these athletic programs?
GOLDMAN: Well, I think we are. I think that's part of the story. But we've been talking about that for a long time, how big it's all gotten.
And, you know, usually it's done in the context of scandals where for instance at Ohio State, where you had guys selling memorabilia for tattoos or money, that kind of thing. Things that fans were able to say, well, that's not so good, but we can move on.
This is a story you can't move on from, if these allegations are true. So this is the ultimate of scandals, if you will. I don't think there's any -- been anything like this in the history of college sports. And so yes, it's causing a lot of people to think, it's causing a lot of people, we hope, to have dialogue throughout the country on a large level with corporations, on a small level with their families, you know.
And talking to kids about you know, the importance of telling, of intervening and stopping bad things and if you see a wrong, make it a right as quickly as you can. We hope there's this kind of dialogue going on all over the country.
HOLMES: Tom Goldman, at NPR we appreciate you hopping on the line for us.
GOLDMAN: You bet.
HOLMES: Well, we're at 37 minutes past the hour now.
And one week from today, the super committee needs to have a plan to shave more than $1 trillion in debt. If they don't, automatic spending cuts will kick in. It could affect us all. We're talking about it coming up next.
Also, pop star Justin Bieber no longer has to prove whether or not he's a father. Those details, next.
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HOLMES: Well, we're about 20 off the top of the hour. You remember that paternity lawsuit filed against Justin Bieber? Well, it is apparently just vanished now. Our entertainment correspondent, Kareen Wynter joins me now.
We heard so much about when the suit was first filed. We didn't seem to hear a whole lot about it now that it's gone away.
KAREEN WYNTER, HLN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Right, but some explosive news today, T.J. TMZ says the suit was quietly dismissed last week. TMZ is also saying the attorneys involved in the paternity suit abandoned their client.
The explosive allegation that Bieber had fathered a child in a backstage bathroom encounter got a lot of attention and if this report pans out, T.J., I hope the dismissal gets the same amount of attention.
Now, from the beginning, the Beeb denied he ever met Mariah Yeater, the woman who filed the paternity suit, much less had sex with her. And he not only promised to provide a DNA sample to prove it, but he also threatened to sue Yeater and her attorneys. TMZ hints, well, that threat may have been the effective part in killing the suit.
So we'll have to see if he follows through with it. We put out calls to Bieber's camp, to all sides involved and we'll update you when we get more -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right. And what have we got -- is there Kardashian news?
WYNTER: Of course. We always have to talk Kardashian. A little boycott. The outrage. There's a grass roots effort to stop all things Kardashian, T.J. This is part of the big Kardashian backlash coming in the wake of Kim's divorce announcement and the controversy surrounding that.
You know, people, they get a little upset after buying into a fairy tale wedding which ended in a real life quickie divorce. This petition T.J., it targets the E! Network. It was started and it asks, "We are respectfully requesting that your network find other shows to air. 'Keeping up with the Kardashians' is just not viewing that we the public would like to see from your network. Enough is enough."
Of course, if the public really didn't want to watch the Kardashians, the ratings wouldn't be as good as they are and the show would likely be kaput. But there are plenty of people out there T.J. who are anti- Kardashian.
As of yesterday, there were 11,000 signatures on this petition. Today, there are more than 53,000. And it seems like there is so much traffic on the site, we had trouble just pulling it up on our computers. But knowing the Kardashian family, T.J., they're powerful. They're resilient. Something tells me they'll survive this backlash. Good press, bad press. It's what keeps them in the news.
HOLMES: And again, you said the ratings are still good on that show.
WYNTER: Phenomenal. Phenomenal.
HOLMES: Yes. The show's not going anywhere.
WYNTER: In a scary way.
HOLMES: Show's not going anywhere.
Kareen Wynter, always a pleasure. Thanks so much.
And For everything in the entertainment world, you know where to go. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT", 11:00 on HLN.
Also ahead, troops wounded in battle. They seem to be big fans of these fruit flavored lollipops. Well, they're not trying to satisfy the sweet tooth here. Something much more serious going on.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Now, the countdown is on. One week from today, the congressional debt committee, the super committee you've been hearing about, it needs to have a plan in place to cut $1.2 trillion in debt. If the committee fails, automatic spending cuts will kick in.
Our Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange. Alison, they put these automatic spending cuts there for a reason because they thought there was a chance, well, maybe this committee's not going to be able to come to an agreement.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They have one week to go, but you never know. And as far as knowing what cuts would happen, at this point, we only know in a broad sense what areas would actually be cut because it winds up being up to the appropriation committees in the House and Senate to really decide what gets cut and by how much.
But here's what could happen. We could see cuts to defense spending by 16 percent; that's the military. We could also see nondefense discretionary spending slashed by 15 percent. And this is really the big question mark, T.J., because non defense discretionary is like this big bucket.
That can mean anything from education cuts, cuts to infrastructure like highways, national parks, federal courts. Medicare cuts would be capped at two percent and you can see sort of a hands-off approach to Social security and Medicaid. Those would not be touched in these automatic cuts -- T.J.
HOLMES: Ok. Well, how are they watching things on Wall Street? We've got a week to go and people have been looking for certainty, trying to see what's going to happen down the road. How's Wall Street going to happen in the next week or so? Just standing by?
KOSIK: That's really a good question because, you know, these worries can really start to happen as we get closer to that date. You have to remember, Standard & Poor's downgraded the U.S. credit rating when lawmakers couldn't get their act together on the debt issue. Anything could happen and you can see the market fall as it did when S&P did cut the credit rating. We saw the Dow fall 600 points.
Obviously today, we're not seeing that. The Dow is down about 77 points. We continue to see worries about the debt crisis in Europe dragging down stocks -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right. Alison Kosik for us at the New York Stock Exchange. Thank you as always.
Well, troops on the battlefield severely wounded and something new is helping them numb the pain. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: And it's about nine minutes off the top of the hour.
Getting word that East Carolina University, that this campus right now is on lockdown. This is coming to us from the media relations folks. And also they sent an alert out to their students that the campus is on lockdown because of a report of a person carrying a firearm on campus or near campus. That is the report.
This was around 10:00 Eastern time, so less than an hour ago when that report came in that they have essentially now shut down or locked down, I should say, the campus. There is no report of any shots being fired or anyone being injured, but they are trying to use the utmost caution here. But searching for a possible gunman on or near the East Carolina University campus in Greenville, North Carolina. We'll keep an eye on that for you.
Also something new to help U.S. troops numb the pain from battle field wounds. No pills or injections. They're so-called morphine lollipops.
Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is here. Barbara, morphine and lollipops don't seem like two things that need to go together.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Except in the battlefield. It's something that's very innovative and it is working, I have to tell you. Our colleagues at "USA Today" first started reporting this story about morphine lollipops. Actually it's fentanyl one of the strongest pain killing drug. I think you see a picture of what we're talking about there.
These are essentially lozenges that a medic in the battlefield can pop into the mouth of a wounded marine or soldier within those first terrible minutes of being wounded, when they're trying to Medevac them and these guys are in a good deal of pain from their wounds.
The idea is if it's a lozenge they can pop in their mouth, a lollipop, it can be absorbed into the bloodstream very, very quickly and if they go into shock or have other medical complications, they can withdraw the lozenge of pain-killing medication. But the kind of thing that they can't do if they give them one of those traditional injections.
So it allows them to control the pain much more precisely and administer the pain killing right away. And you know, this is the kind of thing that also is used in civilian medical care and is used in a lot of medical circumstances. Kind of a simple solution to very critical problem: how do you administer pain drugs with precision -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right. That is very interesting. And like you said, might not sound like the two things go together but yes, on the battlefield, it's a whole different story.
Barbara Starr, always good to see you. Thanks so much.
STARR: Sure thing.
HOLMES: And coming up in the next hour the CNN NEWSROOM, Susan Malveaux will be here.
And talking about teen star, Miley Cyrus. She's lashing back at her critics who say she's put on a little weight. We'll take a closer look when we continue.
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HOLMES: And as we're coming up on the top of the hour, it's really like a round of speed dating with the GOP candidates. Rick Perry's flubs, Herman Cain's scandal, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is now surging in recent polls. This after the campaign was declared essentially DOA last summer.
CNN's political correspondent, Jim Acosta caught up with Gingrich on the trail.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet the GOP's latest fresh face, Newt Gingrich.
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yesterday afternoon in Jefferson, Iowa, someone introduced me as the frontrunner.
ACOSTA: Yes, the same Gingrich who was once a dead candidate walking now has a shot at the GOP nomination. Drawing big crowds in Iowa he is candid about his near-death political experience when his entire senior staff abandoned him all at once last summer.
(on camera): Did you feel dead?
GINGRICH: No I felt desperate. But I didn't feel dead. I have done this for 53 years and the two hardest months of my career were June and July.
I am the only candidate running who has actually led at the national level.
ACOSTA (voice-over): But with Gingrich, humility has its limits. In assessing what initially went wrong with his campaign, he compared himself to two conservative giants.
(on camera): And where did you go wrong?
GINGRICH: Oh, I think that it was a big mistake on my part to try to bring in conventional consultants because I am much like Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. I am such an unconventional political figure that you really need to design a very unique campaign that fits the way I operate and what I'm trying to do.
ACOSTA (voice-over): Gingrich has climbed in the polls by outshining many of his rivals at the GOP debates and by selling ideas that sometimes veer from Tea Party doctrine. For example Gingrich would spend billions on a new federal brain science project to find cures for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
GINGRICH: The best way to control the cost of Medicare is to defeat the diseases so people stay healthy.
ACOSTA: But in nearly the same breath, Gingrich rails against the Washington establishment.
GINGRICH: The Washington establishment model is pain and austerity.
ACOSTA: Despite being a creature of the capital -- for nearly three decades.
(on camera): You're not a creature of Washington.
GINGRICH: No.
ACOSTA: How long have you lived outside of Washington since your days as Speaker?
GINGRICH: I haven't. I mean I live in McClain, Virginia, for practical reasons. I do work -- I did work at the Central Intelligence Agency. I did work at the Pentagon.
(CROSSTALK)
ACOSTA: But critics might say you are a creature of Washington; that you've spent all of these years --
(CROSSTALK)
GINGRICH: You can -- you can call me anything you want to. All right. None -- none of my policy proposals represent the Washington establishment.
ACOSTA (voice-over): Ultimately, Gingrich wants voters to judge him, not on his past, such as his previous marital difficulties, but on what his campaign Web site calls the New Newt.
(on camera): Is this because this is the new Newt that we're seeing here? The New Gingrich?
GINGRICH: Go back and get the "Time" magazine cover in 1994. Where they had me as Scrooge holding Tiny Tim's broken crutch. And the title was "How mean will Gingrich of America be to the poor?"
I mean one of the things elite media did was it created a caricature of me so that when people finally saw me in debates, they said, that can't be Newt Gingrich because, in fact, I'm very different from the media imagery.
ACOSTA: Another telling sign of Gingrich's sudden surge, he plans to open up his first campaign office in Iowa next week. And he has an infusion of campaign cash to work with after raising nearly $3 million in just the last month.
Jim Acosta, CNN, Sheffield, Iowa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: You know it's an interesting campaign season when Newt Gingrich is the outsider in Washington.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: And close to the front of the pack, too.
HOLMES: It's been impressive what he's done.
MALVEAUX: Wow.
HOLMES: It's been impressive.
MALVEAUX: Yes.
HOLMES: But Suzanne, hello. It's all yours.
MALVEAUX: Nice to see you.
HOLMES: Good to see you.
