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Fourth Day Of Cairo Clashes; The President Hears A Few Jeers; President To Congress To Not Give Up; GOP Hopefuls Meet Again; Secret Audio Recording Released; Teen Pleads Guilty To Killing; New Arrests In SAT Fraud; Alabama's New Immigration Law; Egypt Nears Boiling Point; Gingrich Surge Makes Him Debate Target; Kepler Telescope's Mission to Find Earth-like Planets; College Park University to Cut Athletics; What to Expect from GOP Debate

Aired November 22, 2011 - 13:00   ET

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

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, before there was Occupy Wall Street, before revolution in Libya, Egyptians rose up against an autocratic ruler and won. Nine months later they are back in Tahrir Square, and Egypt's new rulers are listening. These are live pictures. The whole world is watching a fourth straight day of mass demonstrations and sometimes violent run-ins with Egyptian police. By official count, 29 protesters have been killed since Saturday. Almost 2,000 others and dozens of officers hurt. Three American college students are being held for allegedly throwing molotov cocktails. Within the past hour Egypt's Supreme Military leadership accepted the resignation of the civilian cabinet and promised to speed up elections and other reforms. We'll get more details in our "Facetime" segment that's coming up minutes from now.

Well, President Obama heard a few jeers today, some Occupy demonstrators chanted, trying to drown him out as he took the stage in Manchester, New Hampshire to push his jobs bill. This happened about a half hour ago. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: OK. It's OK, that's all right. Listen, they -- I'm going to be talking about a whole range of things today, and I appreciate you guys making your point. Let me go ahead and make mine, all right? And I'll listen to you, you listen to me, all right? Now --

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: This is the president's first trip to New Hampshire since 2010, it's a state Mitt Romney hopes to win. Today, Romney launched a new add criticizing Obama's record on the economy.

The Super Committee may have missed its deadline, but President Obama says Congress can and should keep trying to make a dent in the nation's debt. Stock markets are calmer than they were yesterday but not exactly celebrating. The only bright spot is a decision by the credit rating agencies not to further downgrade U.S. government bonds, at least for a while. In the meantime, all eyes turn to a payroll tax cut that's due to expire at year's end. Just last hour in New Hampshire, the president called on Congress to extend it at a cost of more than $100 billion.

The Super Committee runaway debt, spending cuts and feeble growth all will come up in tonight's GOP presidential debate in D.C., but national security and international policy are the focus and CNN is a co-sponsor along with two conservative think tanks. You can see how we've been setting up there.

If you are keeping count, this is debate number 11, but the first with Newt Gingrich at the top of the field. The fireworks begin at 8:00 p.m. Eastern only on CNN.

The chilling words are heard on undercover audio released by the justice department. Listen to an alleged group of Georgia militiaman talk about an attack using explosives and ricin, a biotoxin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have people all over the country who are actual enemies of the Constitution.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our enemies. All right, now our small unit --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE.)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: can't get them all, because there's too few of us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Four men are in custody waiting to stand trial. The FBI arrested them on November 1, identifying them as members of a fringe (ph) militia group. They are accused of planning an attack on justice department officials, federal judges and IRS agents. The alleged plot included spreading ricin in Washington, Atlanta and New Orleans among a list of targets.

A teenager has pleaded guilty to killing a gay classmate three years ago. 17-year-old Brandon McInerney admits he shot Lawrence King at point blank range in a classroom when they were junior high students. McInerney said he was embarrassed by the crush King had on him. where they were junior high students. He said he was embarrassed by the crush king had on him. The jury deadlocked at his trial and D.A. was ready to retry him. Under the plea deal, McInerney he will serve all 21 years of his sentence.

Thirteen high school students in New York face charges of cheating on the SAT. The group includes those who allegedly took the standardized test for others for money and those who paid them. And we're not talking lunch money either, $500 and up. An earlier round of arrests netted seven, including a man who's now in college in Atlanta. He could face four years in prison if convicted of felony fraud. An arrest in Alabama raises new questions about that state's tough new immigration law. The law generated protests even before news that police arrested a Mercedes Bens executive for driving without a licensor passport. The man is German and produced a German I.D. card, having left his other documents at his hotel. Well, Alabama's law allows police to demand proof that a person is not in the country illegally. The department of justice is suing Alabama over the law.

Major league baseball looks ready to announce a new five-year deal. You're looking at the news conference now announcing the tentative agreement, the players association and owners must still ratify it but everything has gone smoothly to this point. The current contract expires December 11. It has been 15 years since the last work stoppage.

Live pictures now from Tahrir Square. This was the scene in Egypt back in February, flags flown in celebration, and this is today. Why violence has taken the place of peace. We'll have that.

But first, she is the fresh new face on a popular NHL video game and she's only 14 years old. Lexi Peters of upstate New York is an avid video game player. The NHL game allows you to become a figure playing against hockey's greatest stars but only as a guy. Well, that is until Lexi complained and got the company to change. It is even using her face as the generic female player. Lexi, well, she doesn't think it's a big deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEXI PETERS: No, I didn't -- I actually never, like -- after I wrote the letter, we didn't get a response back for a while, so I just forgot about it. Then we got the wire and I saw, oh sweet, all right, worth a try. So no, not really, I didn't think it would become like this big.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: The NHL 12 game was released this fall with Lexi's face, there she is. Reproduced right down to the mole she had on her forehead. For setting up this winning slap shot, Lexi, you are today's "Rock Star."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: Ivan Watson has a look at the clashes in Tahrir Square. Let's go to Ivan now.

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These are front lines of the running battles over here. The police set up a barricade in this direction. Throwing rocks at them, the tear gas is coming constantly. You can see the corrosive effects of it. Everybody's showing these shells that they pick up and many of them claiming they are made in the USA. In fact, this is made in Jamestown, Pennsylvania, riot smoke, and that's creating a lot of anger against the U.S. right now. The crowd here, angry, young and furious at the loss of life here over the course of the past three days, demanding that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (INAUDIBLE) step down.

The soldiers are around the corner here -- around the corner right here, the Army has set up barricades along one road, but it's riot police that they're facing off against. If we turn in this direction, it's riot police down here. This is one pocket of turmoil in the center of the Egyptian capital, but it is throwing the entire country into a political crisis just days before elections are scheduled to be held and that's called into question whether those elections can be held at all.

ALLEN: Ivan Watson with the scene there on the streets, he's in the thick of it. It is day four of the protest. Demonstrators, as we saw, hurling rocks at police blockades through plumes of tear gas. Again, we've got live pictures for you right now up on your screen. Just as protesters did earlier this year to force out Hosni Mubarak, this time it is Egypt's military council they want gone. They are angry the Army still runs the country. In three cities, 29 people have been killed since Saturday, nearly 1,800 wounded. Sarah El Sirgany is a reporter for "Daily News Egypt" and she joins us now.

Sarah, the military leader just spoke on national television saying the military is with the people, not against them. Will protesters buy that?

SARAH EL SIRGANY, REPORTER, "DAILY NEWS EGYPT": I'm thinking, no. Protesters won't believe that because simply there are nine months of bad intention or bad deal of actions that did not set well with the protest, that did not fulfill the demands that protesters have made in January and February.

ALLEN: If the military did step aside, Sarah, who would take its place?

SIRGANY: This is the problem, there's no clear idea. The demands that started a couple of days ago in Tahrir and other cities around the -- in other squares around the country, it varies from those -- stepping down right now or having a presidential -- and having a presidential civilian -- presidential council or stepping in -- stepping down in April. And then having along this revision period, a more government with more powers, authorities to do what the current cabinet cannot do.

ALLEN: Well, we know this is a complex and emotional story to cover and there's so many angles to it and things to keep up with. But we do want to ask you, Sarah, what do you know of the three American students arrested during the protest?

SIRGANY: As far as we know, there are -- we know there are study abroad students at the (INAUDIBLE) University in Cairo. They were on the downtown campus when they were arrested. Generally, this is the -- this is the -- we're playing the same -- the military council is playing the same game that Mubarak has played before. If (INAUDIBLE), it's making it seem whatever the clash is or the demand of the protesters are the work of foreign hands of foreign agenda, not genuine distrust or disgruntled Egyptians. ALLEN: Well, Ivan Watson, our correspondents for CNN who's there in the thick of things, just showed us video of protesters picking up tear gas canisters that you could see U.S. cities as the manufacturer on them. Is some of the protester's anger directed at the U.S.?

SIRGANY: It's directed at the U.S. and other governments. There are exporting to the Egyptian government, all of the tools to suppress protesters, whether it's tear gas or rubber bullets. And it's also directed at the Egyptian government for spending money that's our need in education, health and in raising wages on wise control. If you -- if this money had been spent well on the Egyptian budget on realizing that creations of Egyptian people, there wouldn't have been any need for Army -- any needs for protests in the first place.

ALLEN: Sarah El Sirgany with "Daily News Egypt," we thank you so much.

Again, day four, and, as you can see from our live continuing pictures, it doesn't seem like there's any letup in sight. Sarah, thank you so much.

We will continue to follow developments throughout the hour.

Well, in a last-gasp effort, controversial Keystone pipeline is rerouted in Nebraska. Does this mean other states can power down on the pipeline too? That explosive debate and the latest moves coming next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: It's a big day on the Sandhills in Nebraska. A little over a week after a Canadian oil company agreed to shift its preferred route for a hugely controversial pipe line, Nebraska's governor signed two bills that pipeline opponents are cheering.

The Keystone XL project would link the tar sands of Alberta, Canada, refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast. It would have crossed the Sandhills just above a vast and vital aquifer, which experts say could have suffered from construction alone, let alone an accident.

Well, the project, as you know, has set off protest far outside Nebraska. And the protests prompted the White House to postpone a final decision to build the pipeline or not until 2013. But, from this day forward, Nebraskans have a bigger say in what goes where.

And joining me now by phone is reporter Kevin O'Hanlon of "The Journal Star" newspaper in Lincoln.

Thanks for being with us, Kevin.

And what exactly did the governor sign today and why is it important?

KEVIN O'HANLON, "THE LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR": Well, he signed several bills, but the two that are the most important, he signed one called the Major Oil Pipeline Siting Act, which will give Nebraska the authority for siting future oil pipelines. It doesn't impact the Keystone XL. It will give that authority to oversee it to the Nebraska Public Service Commission. But he also signed a bill, LB-4, which is part of a deal that the speaker of the legislature, Mike Flood, made with TransCanada to route the Keystone away from Nebraska's environmentally fragile Sandhills.

ALLEN: Yes. Why are the Sandhills so environmentally sensitive?

O'HANLON: Well, it's an intricate -- it's the largest and most intricate wetland ecosystem in the United States.

And it's basically sand dunes held together by all this plant life, all these native grasses. And beneath it is of course the Ogallala Aquifer, also known as the High Plains Aquifer, which is a vast water system that's linked with other water systems. And there are some that are not linked to it.

But it's one of the world's largest. And it covers parts of South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas. And about 30 percent of the nation's groundwater used for irrigation comes from that system. And it provides drinking water to more than 80 percent of the people who live within the aquifer boundaries.

ALLEN: Which is the identifying debate right there? Environmentalists worrying if there was some sort of disaster, what that could do for water. On other side is all the jobs that this can create. How closely are people there in Nebraska following this?

O'HANLON: It's pretty much on everybody's tongue. I haven't seen an issue, outside of Nebraska football, that most people are up on all the issues and all the sub-issues.

ALLEN: And I guess the environmentalists are savoring victory at this point?

O'HANLON: Well, they are, but there are still -- some of the environmental groups are basically opposed to the -- not just the pipeline, but they don't like the tar sand process, because it scars the earth. So -- and they are also dubious of TransCanada. For what reasons, I can't tell you, but a lot of people don't seem to trust the company...

ALLEN: All right, we're going to...

(CROSSTALK)

O'HANLON: ... for one reason or another.

ALLEN: We will be hearing more about this story as the different states have reactions to it coming through their states, reportedly.

Thank you so much, Kevin O'Hanlon with "The Journal Star" newspaper in Lincoln. Thanks, Kevin.

All right, the venue ready, the GOP candidates gearing up. Tonight, they battle over foreign policy and national security just blocks from where they all hope to live -- a look at the CNN Republican debate just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: There it is, historic Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.

And this is how we have transformed the building for tonight's Republican presidential debate. It's the 11th debate among the GOP presidential hopefuls. It's amazing to see how the stage takes shape.

Our team took just two days to complete the transformation. A little shout-out to them for all their hard and quick work.

So the venue is ready, but are the candidates? You can see the countdown clock on the bottom corner of the screen. There it is.

Our Wolf Blitzer is the moderator for tonight's action. So let's let Wolf tell us what to expect.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, we're here at historic Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. We're only, what, half-a-block away from the White House, a couple of blocks away from the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial.

This is a real beautiful building, very historic. Every president, by the way, since Calvin Coolidge has been to this building. And tonight there's going to be a significant Republican national security debate. The eight Republican candidates, they are going to all be up here, together with me, on the stage taking questions on national security, foreign policy, the economy.

We have our partners, the American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation. Experts from both of those think tanks, they will be asking questions as well. I will be directing the questions, making sure that the viewers out there, especially the voters, Republican caucus voters, Republican primary voters, will be a little bit more knowledgeable about where these candidates stand on the most important issues after the debate than they are right now going into the debate.

We want to know where the candidates agree, where they disagree, where they agree with President Obama on critical issues, where they disagree, where they agree among themselves and disagree.

So, we will have a good, strong debate. It's going to be important. I hope you will all be watching tonight the CNN national security debate at Constitution Hall here in the nation's capital, 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: You can take a little break from your Thanksgiving preparation and join us tonight. Wolf Blitzer there with a look at our big national security debate. It starts at 8:00 p.m. Eastern right on CNN.

What the candidates need to say to break from the pack, that's next in "Fair Game."

But, first, our political junkie question of the day. Constitution Hall was designated as a historic landmark in 1985. That same year, what president's home also became a historic landmark? The answer when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(SINGING)

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Before the break, we asked which president's home was designated as a historic landmark the same year as Constitution Hall. The year? 1985. And the home it belonged to? Harry S. Truman. It was the family farm house where he went to work when he was 22. And just as a side note, Truman's daughter, Margaret, performed at Constitution Hall in 1947. It was the first time her parents heard her sing in public. Hope they liked it.

This is the part of the show where we go beyond partisan talking points to the heart of the political debate where all sides are "Fair Game.

It is going to be our Wolf Blitzer's job to get past those talking points. We think Wolf is up to the task at tonight's Republican debate. Right now, we want to put the spotlight on the players.

Joining us now, Republican strategist, Ron Bonjean; and Democratic strategist, Robert Zimmerman.

Welcome, gentlemen. We're glad you're with us.

RON BONJEAN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Thank you.

ALLEN: As you can see, Newt Gingrich is the front-runner. Mitt Romney is basically in the same place he's always been, at or near the top.

So, Ron, let me start with you, with Gingrich's surge, does that put the target on his back for tonight's debate?

BONJEAN: Oh, it absolutely does. It has been on the back of Perry and then Cain and now it's going to be Newt Gingrich's turn. He's got a change tonight to really show his stuff. He and Romney both debate very well. I don't think you're going to see really major mistakes on that front. but I do think that Newt Gingrich is open to potential criticisms that fall outside of the foreign policy debate should another candidate, unlikely, but he be asked a question about his personal life or issue with Tiffany's, for instance. That could get under his skin and create news. It's hard to say with a national security debate if that would happen.

ALLEN: Robert? ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I think it's also interesting to note about the poll, is it shows only 27 percent of Republicans who were polled truly made up their minds and have decided who they are supporting. It's a wide open field and very fluid. I think Newt Gingrich's surge like Michele Bachmann or Donald Trump or for that matter Rick Perry. Their surges are running a political Viagra.

(LAUGHTER)

By that I mean, they are living off a sense of media spin, living off of a certain moment in time. Let's see if they can survive more than four months in this process.

ALLEN: Tonight's debate is about national security. Who has the most to prove on that topic, Ron?

BONJEAN: I think Herman Cain has the most to prove because he made the huge mistake on Libya. I don't think -- I think people have -- are starting to discount him and think he probably won't get the nomination, at least I don't. I think Rick Perry, because he has a lot of money left in the bank, and there's still some time on the clock, he has to gain some ground here. He has to show he can be effective in these debates and make a comeback. I think a lot of people in the media I talked to say there's still time on the clock and he still has a chance to get out of the rut he was in.

ALLEN: Let's listen to Newt Gingrich's take on going to war. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWT GINGRICH, (R), FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The Declaration of Independence is signed by a group of people who fight an eight-year war. It is a declaration of war in Great Britain in effect. Washington is in the field eight years with one week at Mount Vernon. These people who wrote these documents understood the grim reality. I believe we should not go to war if we can avoid it, and when we have to go to war, we should do so decisively with overwhelming power to seek the greatest possible victory, and we should, in fact, be prepared to do whatever it takes to win once we begin an engagement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Robert, is that the type of answer people will want to hear tonight?

ZIMMERMAN: That comment itself is a standard response about war. That's the General Powell Doctrine. The bigger issue here -- what makes the debate so exciting this evening, I the fact that the Republicans have got to make a decision on whether they preserve their credibility or play to the extreme fringe of their party, the right wing base? Let's remember who votes in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina. The Republican who wins two out of three, historically, goes on to win the nomination. We've seen the candidates sit soundly by while a gay soldier was booed. And we seem to make other statements on foreign policy. For example, Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich saying we should zero foreign aid to countries like Israel.

ALLEN: All right, thanks, Robert.

Last comment, Ron?

BONJEAN: No, I think the key here is their answers on the super committee cuts to the Defense Department. That will be a huge debate next year on whether or not President Obama will allow those cuts to really happen. I think this is going to be a platform for the GOP to really assert itself on protecting our national security.

ALLEN: We thank you both, Ron Bonjean and Robert Zimmerman.

ZIMMERMAN: Thank you.

ALLEN: That's "Fair Game."

Thank you, gentlemen.

After days of bloody demonstrations, the country's military leader says the army is with the people not against the people. But after counting the dead and wounded, those may be hard words for protesters to believe. Where is this country? The answer is just ahead in "Globe Trekking."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: This is day four of bloody protests in Egypt. We have live pictures now from Tahrir Square. You can see people massing, many very angry at the pace of transition from a military rule to a civilian one. In the past hour, the head of the military assured Egyptians that the armed forces do not want to stay in power.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMED HUSSEIN TANTAWI, CHAIRMAN, EGYPTIAN SUPREME ARMED FORCES COUNCIL (through translation): The armed forces is represented and its supreme council does not want to rule and put the interest of the country before everything and is ready to hand over the responsibility immediately and move back to its barracks if the people want that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Ben Wedeman is in Cairo.

Ben, what is your take on his address, and has there been reaction from the protester there's in Tahrir Square?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: The protesters aren't happy with what he said. He was very defensive and said the Egyptian military never fired bullets at the chest of the Egyptian people. What we've seen over the last three days is continuous clashes in the roads to the east of Tahrir Square. At least 27 people dead, not just in Cairo but other Egyptian cities, more than 1,700 wounded. People are angry, not just at the military but also at the security forces at the Interior Ministry. He did say that they would not -- that the military would hand over power to its civilian body and authority. But there's no clear timetable when that will happen. And that's the sort of thing people are looking for. They want to see rapid removal of the military from the political scene -- Natalie?

ALLEN: Ben Wedeman among our correspondents, keeping us posted on developments.

Ben, thank you so much.

Why scientists say there is growing evidence that we might not be alone. Their new approach that could change life as we know it.

But first, sad news for film buffs. The reign of the classic 35- millimeter film projector is over. According to a study by analysts at IHF, in just two months, digital will overtake film as the predominant projector technology in theaters. This will be the first time since the advent of the motion picture in 1889 that film projectors will be in the minority. Most are guessing they won't be back. Hitchcock must be rolling in their grave. 122 years is a good run but, film projectors, your 15 minutes are up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: A Dutch fiction writer says intelligent creatures exist in outer space. His proof? They haven't bothered to contact us. Scientists take a more serious view. They argue a universe so vast almost surely means there is life out there somewhere.

So let's go "In Depth." CNN's John Zarrella says many expert want to resume the search.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Probes to Mars, telescopes searching for other earth, listening for life out there. There's no proof yet but the body of evidence is growing -- we are not alone.

SETH SHOSTAK, SETI INSTITUTE SENIOR ASTRONOMER: One thing that strikes you, every time we learn something new about the universe, what we learn is that our situation doesn't seem to be all that special. And that suggests that life is not all that special either.

ZARRELLA: But it is still just that, a guess, based in part astronomy in overload, findings from telescopes, like Hubble, Spitzer (ph), Chandra (ph), new discoveries at the breath taking rate, revealing the sheer mind-blowing grandeur of the universe.

Consider these numbers for a minute. Perhaps one trillion, with a "T," trillion galaxies in the universe. Stars you ask? How about 300 sextillion, three followed by 23 zeros.

Where does that leave us with planets, more specifically, planets like our own? WILLIAM BORUCKI, KEPLER PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: We're learning something that is of fundamental importance to mankind, how frequent are earths around other stars.

ZARRELLA: Bill Borucki is the principle investigator for the NASA's Kepler telescope. Its mission, find planets similar in size to the earth, orbiting their suns. So far, it has been successful beyond expectations. Of the 1200 planet candidates, Kepler has found nearly 70 are earth sized.

NATALIE BATALHA, KEPLER CO-INVESTIGATOR: The indication from data that we have in hand is that small planets are common, that the galaxy means them efficiently, so they are going to be abundant.

BORUCKI: The number is large enough. There must be many billions of such planets in our galaxy. So that's been a very happy surprise.

ZARRELLA: How many are orbiting at just the right distance from the sun to support life? More than 50 candidates found, so far, where life might be possible.

What Kepler can't do is detect life. So, for now, that will remain just a guess.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: So John Zarrella joins us.

Can this telescope see these planets up close, John?

ZARRELLA: No, it cannot. This telescope can give you an idea of earth-sized planets orbiting in what the scientists call the Goldilocks Zone, not to hot or too cold, just right, around their star. It's not powerful enough, and there's no instrument on earth powerful enough to see oceans or mountain ranges on another planet. That may be 50 to even 100 years away -- Natalie?

ALLEN: Oh, shoot, we'll miss that.

John Zarrella, thanks so much.

(LAUGHTER)

ZARRELLA: Yes.

ALLEN: It's fun to ponder, and mesmerizing.

Thanks, John.

If you're shopping on Black Friday, beware of crowds may be the least of your problems? How someone or something may be following your every move.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: Let's head across the country to check stories making headlines from "Street Level."

Listen up, shoppers. A mall in Richmond, Virginia, along with another mall in California will be tracking you. They won't be physically following you. They don't have to. But, get this, monitoring your cell phone signals. These two malls will follow you from store to store on Black Friday to New Year's Day. The goal, to collect data on your shopping behavior. How much time you spend in one store, your favorite spot. Malls have tracked crowds for a while but this is the first time that they will use your cell phone. Some shoppers are concerned about their privacy. But the management company for both malls say that personal data is not being traced. Plus, you can opt out by just turning off your phone.

In Indianapolis, Indiana, the last donations are being paid to the individuals and families affected by this horrifying stage collapse in August. Remember, seven people were killed, dozens injured after winds toppled the stage before a Sugarland concert. The public raised a little under $1 million in donations. Half of that went to 28 people. The remaining amount is being pro-rated as a second payment to people who have already received money. All the donations were paid out on Monday. But not everyone got money. A special commission formed to handle to payout says those injured but did not spend an entire day at the hospital, didn't get donations. But the State Fair Relief Fund will continue to accept donations for a year.

We are just getting some news out of Tallahassee, Florida, about Florida A&M University's famed marching band. According to affiliate, WTXL, its president has suspended all band practices and performances as least until investigators determine what led to the death of one of the school's drum majors. 26-year-old Robert Champion collapsed on a bus after a football game Saturday night. He had been vomiting and complained he couldn't breathe. Champion's dad says he's not sure how this happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT CHAMPION, DRUM MAJOR'S FATHER: He was in pretty good condition. He ate and trained, and no medical condition that I know of.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you suspect any wrongdoing?

CHAMPION: No, I do not. I do want to know what happened because that would give me more understanding in something like this, so I can accept knowing what happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Sheriff deputies say there are no signs of foul play. They are waiting for autopsy results. The university president says that the school will form an independent task force to look into Champion's death.

Well, if you have ever played a sport, been on an athletic team, or are a sports fan, you'll understand just how devastating the news is for student athletes at the University of College Park. The university's president revealed the school plans to cut these eight sports teams by July 1st. They are victim of its athletic department's multimillion dollar budget deficit. Putting it simply, the school can't afford to keep them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE LOH, PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND: I want to make it very clear, that this is perhaps almost one of the most painful, most heart-wrenching decisions I've made.

KEVIN ANDERSON, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND: It was heart wrenching to go team to team and look these young people in the eye and tell them that there is a possibility of discontinuing their program.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Veteran "USA Today" sports columnist, Christine Brennan, knows a lot about this. She joins us over the phone.

Christine, this is a big deal. We're talking about 90 student athletes and coaching staff impacted by this, right?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, SPORTS COLUMNIST, USA TODAY (voice-over): That's right, Natalie. And it's unfortunate because these are the student athletes that will graduate on time, or close to it, who will give back to their university community for the next 50 years, who are model citizens, by and large, who won't get in trouble again, by and large. And it's just a shame that big-time college football and men's basketball is so pervasive and makes so much money that the administrators have to look at that and have to make sure that that is saved and preserved. But in the meantime, wonderful student athletes, unfortunately, lose an opportunity to play college sports.

ALLEN: Right. Absolutely. Why did the school have to resort to cutting teams? Couldn't they have cut other programs?

BRENNAN: That's what they talked about, Natalie. They are not happy to do this. No one is. They are giving an opportunity to donate and save the program. And that happened at Cal Berkeley a year and a half ago with five sports. So it can be done. But it's one of those things where they looked at costs, decided not to cut men's basketball or women's basketball, which is a big deal at Maryland as well, and cut these so-called men and women's minor sports. I think we'll see this throughout the country as budget woes continue.

ALLEN: I noticed that some people on the swim team have started a fundraising campaign, their own web site, trying to save it for themselves. The university needs to save a total are more than $29 million to save these teams. What's the likelihood that can happen?

BRENNAN: It would seem to be remote in these economic times, Natalie. However, Cal Berkeley did it. They did it with five sports. So you could see a scenario where this could be done if the energy is there, and let's hope it is, for these student athletes and their parents and supporters and what have you. Then it might happen. That would be a wonderful statement in this touch economic times and tough times for college sports in general.

ALLEN: Absolutely. It could hurt the school's recruitment as well with student athletes.

We appreciate your comments so much, Christine Brennan.

Thanks, Christine, from "USA Today."

And now for our "Political Ticker" with John King. John joins us now.

What can we expect at tonight's the Republican debate, John?

JOHN KING, CNN: Natalie, it's nice to see you.

ALLEN: Thank you.

KING: Tonight's debate is dedicated to national security issues, the debt crisis, the failure of the super committee. That's a national security issue because U.S. financial standing in the world matters.

Often, when it comes to national security and presidential campaigns, our questions are hypothetical. What would you do if Iran was on the verge of getting a nuclear weapon? That's not so hypothetical, is it? What if Egyptian government was back sliding on its promises to the Tahrir Square protesters? Not so hypothetical. What if the government of Syria was at risk of falling or if China was growing into a military super power? A lot of times people will say the election is mostly about the economy, but I hope everybody will watch. We've had a lot of debates. Some people might be saying said tune out. The next commander in chief will face some daunting challenges. And our friend and colleague, Wolf Blitzer, will press the candidates on them tonight?

ALLEN: Who has got the most at stake, John?

KING: It's a tough question. Because you could say Mitt Romney does because he's been the front-runner all along. Not Newt Gingrich and jumped up in the polls to challenge him. You could say Newt Gingrich. You come to the top of the national polls and now you have to prove yourself as a credible Republican nominee. If you're one of the lesser-known candidates, you're going to raise your hand and say, how about me? We've watched the anybody-but-Romney vote from Herman Cain to Rick Perry. He may have the most at stake because he needs to somehow break through.

ALLEN: It could be his evening. But Mitt Romney has a new ad and the Obama administration is crying fowl. What is that about?

KING: They're crying foul because the ad is reprehensible. It takes something the president said back in 2008 and uses it grossly out of context.

The only way to prove this is to show it so here, take a look at the first TV paid ad of the campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am confident that we can steer ourselves out of this crisis.

We need a plan for the middle class. We need to provide homes. It's going to take a new direction. If we keep talking about the economy, we're going to lose the race.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: You heard the president's voice there. That was then-Candidate Barack Obama, Senator Obama in 2008, "If we keep talking about the economy, we're going to lose." The Romney campaign think that's a powerful message going into 2012, right? But it's not what the president said. It's at least not fair. He was talking about something John McCain said in the newspaper. Let's show you what he said was. What Senator Obama was, "Senator McCain's campaign actually said, and I quote, 'If we keep talking about the economy, we're going to lose'." What the Romney campaign has done, they've essentially cut it in half. They've cut it in half and took in the ad, "If we keep talking about the economy, we're going to lose." It is completely, Natalie, out of context. Not what Senator Obama said.

The Romney campaign is saying that all is fair in love, war, and politics.

(LAUGHTER)

For this one, all candidates do this but this one is particularly egregious. At a time when there's so little trust in our politics, do we really need to resort to this?

ALLEN: Absolutely. What is the headline that will come out of tonight, if you had to guess?

KING: I think the number-one challenge is about the economy. There are a lot of global challenges and the economy is one of them. Can Newt Gingrich -- I think the biggest committee tonight is, now that Newt Gingrich has come from the bottom of the pact to the top of the pact, can he stand up at a time when his rivals will turn and pass him a bit. They haven't done that in the past debates. Because of his rise, if you rise in the poll, you get the kick me sign.

ALLEN: Absolutely.

John King, we appreciate it. Thanks so much.

You can see that countdown to the debate right there.

That does it for me. I'll be back tomorrow at 1:00 eastern.

I'm Natalie Allen, in for Randi Kaye.

Now more CNN NEWSROOM with Brooke Baldwin.