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Barney Frank Won't Run Again; Egypt Holds First Elections Since Revolution; Pakistani Fury Over Airstrike; Syracuse University Fires Accused Coach; Occupy Los Angeles Camp Still Standing ; Syria Blasts Arab League Sanctions; Obama Talks With E.U. Leaders; Americans Shopping Online Today; Newt Gingrich Gets Important Endorsement; Deadline Comes for L.A. Occupy Protesters

Aired November 28, 2011 - 13:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Ted Rowlands.Hey, Ted.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN ANCHOR:Hey, Suzanne, thanks.

He is an outspoken liberal, a frequent target of consumer -- conservatives, and he soon will be gone as we just heard.Sixteen-term Congressman Barney Frank says he will not run for re-election next year.The opening gay -- openly gay Massachusetts Democrat announced his retirement just a few minutes ago as you just heard.We'll have much more coming up at 1:30 in "FAIR GAME" and in our Political Ticker at the bottom of the hour about the retirement of Barney Frank.

They had a revolution.They've ousted a ruler and now they are about to do something that is probably the most important thing that they have done and that is get out and vote.Egyptians are hitting the polls today.They are out voting.It is the first in a series of elections for parliament and president.They are all under way.Even in the midst of Egypt's second major uprising of the year.

The goal of both is the same -- an end to military rule which replaced the regime of long-time president Hosni Mubarak in February.Turnout is surprisingly strong.Voting for parliament will take place in stages through March, presidential elections are set now for June.

Pakistan says no more business as usual with the U.S. after a weekend air strike that NATO calls tragic and unintended.NATO helicopters from Afghanistan opened fire on Pakistani forces at the border killing 24 and wounding several others.Afghan officials say the allies were returning fire from Pakistan but Pakistan denies it.To show their displeasure, Pakistanis are blocking two border crossings used by trucks supplying ally troops in Afghanistan and demanding that the United States vacate a Pakistani airbase.CNN's Reza Sayah sat down today exclusively with the Pakistani prime minister.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT:There is a lot of Pakistanis that are fed up that say enough is enough.Has Pakistan reached a point of no return with its relationship with the U.S.? YOUSUF RAZA GILANI, PRIME MINISTER, PAKISTANI:Business as usual will not be there.Therefore, we have to have something bigger so that to satisfy my nation with the entire country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS:The president will join us from Islamabad moments from now in our "FACE TIME" segment.

Sex abuse allegations first lodged in 2005 have now led to the firing of an assistant men's basketball coach at Syracuse University.Bernie Fine is accused by two adult step brothers of repeated molestation dating back to the 1980s.The 2005 investigation by the school found no cooperation or evidence, but when the men went public earlier this month, Fine was placed on administrative leave.Now a third man has come forward and, so has an audio recording between one of the first two men, and fine's wife, Laurie.You'll hear some of those recordings and what the family says about the authenticity of those recordings later in this hour.

Occupy protesters in Los Angeles are claiming a victory of sorts today, a midnight deadline for campers to leave the park around City Hall came and went.Protesters are still there.Police had hoped that the deadline would get campers to clear out, instead the deadline brought hundreds more protesters to the area.But police did succeed in dispersing demonstrators who had blocked the main intersection and they cleared the streets for morning commuters.A few protesters refused to go, police say four people in all were arrested.

Syria is blasting the Arab league for its decision to impose economic sanctions.Meeting over the weekend, Arab league ministers agreed to punish Syria for its violent crackdown against dissidents.They voted to freeze Syrian government assets to stop dealings with Syrian central bank and to ban high-profile Syrian officials from visiting Arab nations.Supporters of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad held a rally today in Damascus.Syria's foreign minister says the Arab league is deluded if they think they can undermine the Assad government.

President Obama is weighing in on the European debt crisis today.He's meeting with European union officials at the White House.They are covering a wide range of issues but a lot of the talk was expected to center on Europe's troubled economy.Some experts fear that Europe's problems could help push the United States to the brink of a new recession.

Many Americans are back to work today for the first time since thanksgiving but not all of them are spending the whole day working.Don't tell the boss, but today of course is what the retail analysts call Cyber Monday.When many workers use their office computers to shop online.Eight out of 10 online retailers are said to be offering special promotions today and online sales are expected to total $1.2 billion, a new record.

A warning from Pakistan's prime minister after a NATO air strike kills two dozen Pakistani soldiers.Why he says business as usual with the United States is now a thing of the past.A CNN exclusive interview is next.

But first, everybody talks about the run-away national debt but nobody seems to do anything about it.Well, scratch that.Some people actually do do things about it.Thomas Ceil Garcia (ph), for example, he is an 84-year-old retired postal worker who lives on a pension and spends his days collecting aluminum cans in San Antonio, Texas.Each month he sends the proceeds from those cans, plus a $50 check, from his pension, to the Bureau of Public Debt in Parksburg, West Virginia.Over the years, he's trimmed our debt by about $4,000.80.He is not alone since President Kennedy opened up the Treasury for private donations, since then Americans have kicked in $38 million, which of course isn't much when it's up against a $15 trillion debt.But in our books, that makes Mr. Garcia and the rest of you debt donors "Rock Stars".Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROWLANDS:As we've been reporting, U.S. relations with Pakistan's volatile in the best of times are now in tatters after a weekend air strike by NATO forces in Afghanistan.Two dozen Pakistani troops were killed in what looks to be a disastrous case of miscommunication.The fallout goes far beyond street protests.Pakistan has cut off a pair of overland NATO supply routes and demanded that the U.S. forces leave an airbase in Pakistan.Pakistani leaders say business as usual is no more.

And that brings me to CNN's Reza Sayah who is in Islamabad.And in Washington, we're joined by Brian Fishman, counterterrorism analyst at the New America foundation.Reza, let's start out with you.First of all, tell us about your exclusive interview with the Pakistani prime minister.How upset is he and how upset is the government there?

SAYAH:He is upset and so are other government officials.Pakistan and the U.S. have certainly seen their share of crises.They've had a lot of low points, but today, Pakistan's prime minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani said this is the lowest point he's seen since his administration.He said, no longer is it going to be business as usual with Washington.He said Pakistan is re-assessing its partnership with the U.S. because he said this partnership is fast losing support among the Pakistani public.

They've had a lot of low points but today Pakistan's prime minister says this is the lowest point he's seen since his administration.He says no longer is it going to be business as usual with Washington.He said Pakistan is re-assessing its partnership with the U.S., because he said this partnership is fast losing support among the Pakistani public.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAYAH:Is your prediction that this relationship will continue with Washington?

GILANI:That can continue on mutual respect and mutual interest.

SAYAH:Are you getting that respect? GILANI:At the moment, not.

SAYAH:You're not getting that respect.

GILANI:If I can't protect the sovereignty of my country, how can we say it is a mutual respect and mutual interest?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAYAH:This was clearly a prime minister who was angry after this incident.But it's important to note that he was also very diplomatic, offering a lot of measured thoughts, saying, look, he doesn't want to cut off ties with the U.S., but there must be some changes.He wasn't very clear on what those changes should be, Ted.He said that's going to be up to Pakistan's parliament.

ROWLANDS:What specifically, Reza, happened?We are getting two different stories.Both sides say the other fired first and both said they communicated with each other.What's the story on the ground there?

SAYAH:The most detailed account we're getting is from Pakistani officials, and they're describing this as an unprovoked attack against two Pakistani military check posts on Pakistani soil.We've had statements from NATO and U.S. officials.They've been regretful, remorseful, but they have not corroborated Pakistan's account which suggests perhaps they have another account.There's been some reports coming from Afghanistan that perhaps they drew fire first -- these NATO troops drew fire first.But again, those claims are being rejected vehemently here in Pakistan.NATO says they're still investigating.

ROWLANDS:All right.Reza Sayah, thanks for joining us.Brian Fishman, is this a low point for Pakistani-U.S. relations?

BRIAN FISHMAN, COUNTERTERRORISM RESEARCH FELLOW, NEW AMERICA FOUNDATION:Absolutely it is a low point, but I think it is important to remember where we've come from.It is not as if relations have been good over the past year or so.I mean, beginning with the Bin Laden raid -- or even beginning before the Bin Laden raid, but it especially sort of catalyzed by the fact Osama Bin Laden was found, you know, just a half a mile or so from a Pakistani military academy, I think really undermined trust on the Washington side of this relationship.And what we see here with this incident is that a lot of that trust, what trust did exist, has been undermined on the Islamabad side of the relationship.

ROWLANDS:Publicly both sides either aren't saying much or they're being rather aggressive.I would imagine in the back channels there is a lot of communication going.How dire could this situation be specifically of those supply routes are left closed for an extended period of time?

FISHMAN:Yes, the supply route question is a really important one, and that is a major source of Pakistan's leverage on the United States and NATO effort in Afghanistan.But I think it's important to remember that NATO and the United States have been taking measures over the past couple of years to reduce their dependence on the Pakistani sort of line of communication.They've been -- they've been moving that dependence so that we are, you know, sending more and more of our resources through central Asia and into Afghanistan.

So, I think Pakistan can apply a lot of leverage and that will create real problems for the effort -- for the NATO effort in Afghanistan, but they -- you know, we have planned for this eventuality, and I think that there are probably measures in place where you can continue the mission in Afghanistan, even if Pakistan keeps that -- keeps those supply routes closed.

ROWLANDS:All right, clearly a situation still unfolding there on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan.Brian Fishman, counterterrorism research fellow with the New America foundation.Thanks for joining us.

Chances are you've never heard of the Real I.D. Act, but the new law is making it a real pain in the neck for a lot of Americans to get their driver's licenses.It's not a story you've heard a lot about but it is one you may want to pay attention to, could you be affected?We'll have that coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROWLANDS: Oh, see this? It's my driver's license. Of course, we all have them. Well, a lot of people don't have them. We take them for granted. But we do need our driver's license or another state issue I.D. for a whole lot of things. Without it, of course, you wouldn't be able to legally drive, fly, open an account, cash a check, collect Social Security or Medicare, even change a job. But a tough federal law created to crack down on terrorism is making it nearly impossible for some people to renew their licenses or their state issued ID. Critics point to the Real ID Act, which Congress passed in response to 9/11. That law essentially requires states by 2013 to issue IDs that you can only get if you show proof of citizenship or legal residency. Only those IDs will be accepted to board a plane or go into a federal building.

Sounds simple enough, right? But the reality is far from it. Which is why it is in our "Under Covered" story segment today. And we're going to bring in Chris Calabrese from the ACLU.

Give us a sense, Chris, how serious of a problem is this across the country here?

CHRIS CALABRESE, LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL, ACLU: Well, you know, it's tough to know exactly because, of course, these are very local issues. But one reporter from "USA Today" just called around to a couple legal aid societies in Florida and found dozens of cases. We've seen other cases reported in California and South Dakota. So it's clearly a national problem.

ROWLANDS: To be fair here, you can bring in other documents if you want to renew your license. You can bring in a valid unexpired U.S. passport, an original or a certified copy of a birth certificate, a report of birth abroad, a certificate of naturalization, certificate of citizenship. A lot of different things you can bring in here. So is there really a problem? I mean can't people -- it may take them a while to find this, but can't people apply -- get these things and get their license without too much trouble?

CALABRESE: Well, you know, it can be difficult. There's layers of trouble. I mean there's multiple trips to the DMV kind of trouble and there's people -- for example, one gentleman in Florida, his name had been changed without his knowledge as part of a custody proceeding when he was 12, so his birth certificate didn't match up with his other documents.

It took him eight months to get that resolved in Florida. Eight months without a license, without the ability to do all those things you discussed earlier. That's a big deal, especially when you consider that many states have decided not to do Real ID at all and have actually opted out of the law. So in many cases it really feels unnecessary that people are being put through this.

ROWLANDS: A lot of people disagree with you. Advocates of the act say that it is necessary and what is at stake here is safety.

CALABRESE: You know, it's not though, because states tightened their license requirements after 9/11 and really made very secure licenses. And in fact, Real ID, which is the law we're talking about, repealed a process that was supposed to bring federal people -- federal agents, state officials and civil liberties groups together to find a good, secure way to do licensing that also respected people's civil liberties. That process was eliminated by Real ID and now we've got this mess.

ROWLANDS: Is there a feasible alternative here to replace it or are you advocating just getting rid of it?

CALABRESE: I think at this point you can repeal it. I mean the states have already done many of these things. And, in fact, in 15 states, it's against the law to comply with Real ID because it's so expensive and such a burden. So I think there's no reason that we can't extend that to the other 35 states and just say, we don't need Real ID. States are handling licensing fine on their own.

ROWLANDS: All right, Chris Calabrese, legislative counsel with the ACLU, live for us in Washington, D.C., talking about something that I'm sure a lot of people don't even know could be a potential problem for us.

Thanks, Chris.

CALABRESE: Thank you.

ROWLANDS: Well, another university coach is facing child molestation charges and now his own wife is caught on tape spilling details. You'll hear that next with a live report from Syracuse. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROWLANDS: Syracuse head basketball coach Jim Boeheim is expressing shock today over new sexual abuse allegations against his long time assistant coach Bernie Fine. The university fired Fine yesterday after news that a third accuser had spoken to the police and a graphic taped phone conversation between Fine's wife and another accuser became public. You'll recall that Syracuse had put Fine on administrative leave earlier this month after two accusers alleged that Fine had molested them. Ed Lavandera is outside the Syracuse basketball training center in Syracuse.

Ed, what's the reaction on campus to Fine's firing?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the timing of this announcement, Ted, very interesting because many of the students on campus here coming back from their Thanksgiving holiday break to this news. They had hoped that perhaps after the initial wave of this news had broken a little more than a week ago, that all of this would begin to die down. But obviously that is not happening now.

All of this in the midst of the -- these taped recordings that were made back in 2002 between the principal accuser, a man by the name of Bobby Davis, who says he recorded these phone calls with Bernie Fine's wife. Take a listen to these phone calls. It really kind of seems to bolster his case that he said that he had been abused by Bernie Fine several hundred times over the course of 16 years.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURIE FINE (voice-over): I know everything that went on. You know, I know everything that went on with him. Bernie has issues. Maybe that he's not aware of, but he has issues. And you trusted somebody you shouldn't have trusted.

BOBBY DAVIS (voice-over): Yes.

FINE: Barney is also in denial. I think that he did the things he did, but somehow through his own mental telepathy, he's erased them out of his mind. You know, he needs a (ph) -- male companionship that I can't give him, nor is he interested in me and vice versa. Because I care about you and I didn't want to see you being treated that way.

DAVIS: Right.

FINE: And it's hard for -- if it was another girl, like I told you, it would be easy for me to step in because you know what you're up against. You're -- when it's someone that's another guy, you can't compete with that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: Now we've been making repeated attempts to speak with Laurie Fine since this story first broke more than a week ago. Went up to her door. She -- the family actually lives directly across the street from the head basketball coach here of Syracuse University, Jim Boeheim. We have been denied any kind of comment from the family repeatedly. We've also been reaching out to Bernie Fine's attorney. They have not put out any new statements based on all of this.

Jim Boeheim, the head basketball coach here at Syracuse University, his reaction has been very interesting. Remember, early on, he put out a statement fully supporting his long-time friend and assistant coach. And at one point in the interview, calling the principle two accusers liars. His comments in his statement that he put out last night backtracking dramatically, Ted, from those early comments and saying that he actually apologized if his comments created an atmosphere that would have prevented other people from coming forth.

And as you mentioned, Ted, there is that third accuser now who's coming forth. He lives in Maine. But there are all sorts of interesting problems there. His father is basically saying his own son is lying about that case. So all of this in the midst as authorities here in Syracuse continue to investigate these allegations.

Ted.

ROWLANDS: All right, Ed Lavandera live for us in Syracuse. Thanks, Ed.

Most said he was out of the race before it even started, but a lot can change in a short period of time. Now a big endorsement for Newt Gingrich. It is a game changer. That's "Fair Game," next.

But first, our political junkie question of the day. New Hampshire's "Union-Leader" newspaper has endorsed the eventual Republican primary winner only four times in four decades of primaries. Who are they? The answer coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN ANCHOR:Before the break, we asked you which New Hampshire primary winners the "Union Leader" newspaper actually endorsed.There were four over the past four decades of primaries.The answer -- John McCain in 2008, Pat Buchanan in 1996, Ronald Reagan in 1980, and Richard Nixon back in 1968.

This is the part of the show where we go beyond the partisan talking points to the heart of the political debate where all sides are "Fair Game."Today, we are talking about Newt Gingrich getting the big backer.The New Hampshire "Union Leader" newspaper endorsing the former speaker of the House for the Republican nomination.

Here's how the "Union Leader's" publisher explained it, saying, quote, "Republican voters too often make the mistake of preferring an unattainable ideal to the best candidate who is actually running.That candidate is Newt Gingrich."

Joining me now is Democratic political consultant, Ed Espinoza; and Republican strategist, Ford O'Connell.

Ford, let's start with you.

Is this a vote of confidence for Newt Gingrich for a vote of no confidence or Mitt Romney?

FORD O'CONNELL, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST:I think, given the emphasis that Mitt Romney's put on New Hampshire, I see this more as a slap in the face to Mitt Romney than a boom for Newt Gingrich, but it shouldn't be discounted because we have new primary rules.The average recipient of this endorsement gets 29 percent of the vote in New Hampshire.This is a positive for Gingrich but a slap in the face for Romney.

ROWLANDS:Obviously, this helps Newt Gingrich, especially during a week when there is no debate.It gives him some traction.Who does the Obama White House want to go up against?Any but Romney or does Newt Gingrich scare them?

ED ESPINOZA, DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL CONSULTANT:Well, look, the anyone- but-Romney narrative is actually one you are seeing taking place through the Republican primary right now.You've had a different front- runner every month and you've got a new one in November.We could have a new one in December all together.

As to who Obama wants to run against, I think he has a strong record to stand on, and we're willing to -- Democrats are willing to stand on what we believe and what we're fighting for the rest of the year no matter who the nominee is.

The problem here is that if Romney has made New Hampshire his firewall and he is not getting the endorsement of the daily paper, that's a problem.Because the people who know him best are the people who have the most problems with him.This is not a good sign for him going six weeks away from the first primary.

ROWLANDS:Yes, but you take a listen to the endorsement, you read the endorsement -- in fact, let's take a listen to the paper's editorial page editor.It is not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW CLINE, EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR, NEW HAMPSHIRE UNION LEADER:We consider the candidate overall.I mean, we don't just look at the poll numbers.This isn't a game where we're trying to win the primary so we can have a record of "X" number of wins.We don't look at it that way.We're not trying to attach our name to a winner.That's not really leading.

(LAUGHTER)

That's not -- that would do our readers a very big disservice.We're looking at who we would like to see as president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS:Ford, what does Newt Gingrich have to watch out for in the coming weeks so that he doesn't have the same fate as the other non- Romney candidates who have made it to the top of the polls?

MCCONNELL:Well, he has to demonstrate message discipline.He seems to be somebody with a lot of ideas in his head.He can't sometimes seem to put the brakes on his mouth.I think that's the big thing for him.

But I think he has to win Iowa if he wants a realistic shot at the nomination.To do that, he has to organizational tenacity.Remember, Gingrich's campaign is just now solvent.Romney is still in the best position to win the nomination from an organizing fund-raising standpoint.

ROWLANDS:Ed, Barney Frank stepping down.What does it mean -- this guy has a long history.What does it mean for him to step out, and the way he did it, saying that redistricting was a factor here.And he says he doesn't want to be a lobbyist here.He wants out.

ESPINOZA:Well, retirement's a part of Congress.We see them every session, regardless of who's in the majority or who's in the minority.But Barney Frank has a long record of service and we'll miss him in Congress.But I don't think this is anything too abnormal from our regular political cycles.

ROWLANDS:Politically, Ford, this is not a seat that Republicans are looking at to possibly win?

O'CONNELL:Well, we have zero Republican Congressmen in the state of Massachusetts.And in 2012, we'll still have zero Republican Congressmen in the state of Massachusetts.

(LAUGHTER)

ROWLANDS:No matter who retires?

(LAUGHTER)

O'CONNELL:You got it.

ROWLANDS:All right, thanks, Ford O'Connell and Ed Espinoza.

That is "Fair Game" for the day.

And one programming note to tell you about.Our John King will sit down with Newt Gingrich later today to talk about the "Union Leader's" endorsement and I'm sure a lot of other things.That's at 6:00 p.m. eastern time on "John King USA."

It is one of the country's where the Arab Spring began but, as early spring has turned into late fall, we've seen new protests and new violence.Today, they're holding an election.Do you know what country we're talking about?The answer when we go "Globe Trekking" right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROWLANDS:Time to go "Globe Trekking."To Egypt we go, which is holding the first election since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.The vote comes after two weeks of demonstrations against Egypt's interim military rulers.

CNN's Ivan Watson is in Cairo.

Ivan, some of the protesters were talking about boycotting the elections.Is there any indication of a boycott?Are people turning out? IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT:We've seen probably the opposite of that, Ted.I'm in a polling station where last-minute voters are coming in.It was extended to 9:00 p.m. local time.People here have about 25 more minutes to cast their ballots.

Then, they have a second additional day of voting tomorrow.We've seen long lines going around the blocks of these polling stations.People very enthusiastic.Many of them telling us this is the first time ever they've voted in an Egyptian election.

Take a listen to what some of them had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED EGYPTIAN FEMALE:I've never voted before, because you know, we didn't have such, you know, awareness.and we didn't have this faith in, you know, fair elections and fair voting.That's why.

WATSON:Why didn't you vote before?There were other elections in Egypt.

UNIDENTIFIED EGYPTIAN MALE:No.Because I am really know that my vote or my voice hasn't any importance.Do you know --

WATSON:Under Mubarak.

UNIDENTIFIED EGYPTIAN MALE:Yes -- no, under Mubarak, under Sadat and under (INAUDIBLE).

WATSON:And now?

UNIDENTIFIED EGYPTIAN MALE:And now I think maybe I'm wrong.It is free, or it is good direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON:That's just part of why people are so excited.

Take a look at this ballot.People have 67 choices to choose from, 67 independent candidates and party listed.And they say, in the past, there was basically only one party, the ruling party of Hosni Mubarak, they could vote for.That's part of why people are so excited today about these momentous elections.

(AUDIO PROBLEM)

ROWLANDS:All right, Ivan, we're losing your signal there, but obviously good news that people have come out to vote.

You see those images in Tahrir Square.Then you think, well, there is an election.Are people going to come out?Is it safe?But clearly, it is a very safe situation there in Cairo and around Egypt.and people are out in force voting and getting their voices heard.

Back here in the U.S., the deadline has come and gone.And defiant Occupy protesters in Los Angeles say they're not going anywhere.So what happens now?That's coming up next. But first, have you seen this video?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MILEY CYRUS, SINGER:You know you're a stoner when your friends make you a Bob Marley cake.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS:That's Miley Cyrus at her 19th birthday bash last week, calling herself a stoner after receiving a Bob Marley cake.Her folks say she was joking, but when you're a Disney darling with young impressionable fans to boot, making comments like that probably isn't a good idea.

We'll be right back.

(SINGING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROWLANDS:It had all the makings of a violent clash between police and Occupy protesters, a midnight deadline for campers to clear out of the park around the Los Angeles city hall.Well, deadline came and went.

There was no violence, thankfully.The L.A. police say the last thing they, of course, wanted was a repeat of the heavy-handed evictions that occurred in Oakland, New York and a few other cities.

Sandra Endo is right across the street from city hall.

I see the tents are still up, Sandy.What's happening right now?

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT:That's right.It is pretty peaceful, pretty calm right now, Ted.But you can see a lot of protesters did decide to stay.You can see the tents behind me.But overnight, quite a different scene.Hundreds of protesters descended here.They shut down the street behind me in a last stand to defy the order to end the encampment at midnight.

Cops were also out in full force but there was no real clash.The chief of police says that will be a gradual process to end the eight-week embankment.

Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLIE BECK, CHIEF, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT:We've always said, always, that 12:01 was the time at which it would become illegal to be in that park and we would enforce the law when it made sense, when it makes sense, when it is going to be safe for police officers and safe it is going to be safe for people in the park. And last night, it didn't make sense.We knew it wasn't.There was no plan to do any movement last night.and that's what you saw.What we did have to respond to was a large group that descended on the camp and then tried to take the street, so we had to respond to that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENDO:Now there were only four arrests made overnight and police did leave the scene as the crowd dispersed as well.

And this is the largest encampment in the nation in terms of the protests affiliated with the Occupy Wall Street movement.This has lasted the longest time.But again, the police chief here wanting to make sure this is a peaceful process to end the protests here.And a lot of protesters we spoke with, Ted, say they refuse to leave, they say their cause is worth getting arrested for -- Ted?

ROWLANDS:So the bottom line is they're just going to slowly stretch this out, days, weeks?Or what's their plan here?I guess people want to be taken out in cuffs, huh?

ENDO:Well, it's going to be a gradual process.They don't want any violence.A lot of protesters we spoke with say, hey, if they're going to get arrested, they'll be peacefully, but they'll have to be forced out.

The police say, look, when the time is right, this is a misdemeanor, they are break being the law, but they'll go in there -- they know where these guys are so they'll go in there when the time is right and make sure this is al cleared out in eventual time.

ROWLANDS:Sandra Endo, live for us in Los Angeles.Thanks, Sandy.

He's only years old and already weighs 200 pounds.There is no denying one Ohio boy may need a diet, but should he be taken away from his parents, too?That is exactly what happened.And now his mother is fighting back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

First, we head to Lithonia, Georgia where the family of a Georgia A&M drum major who died after a suspected hazing revealed that it is suing the university.Robert Champion died last Saturday after a football game.The Orange County, Florida, sheriff told CNN last week that hazing was involved but authorities have yet to determine the official cause of death.

During a news conference today Champion's family says this lawsuit is about sending a message against hazing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAM CHAMPION, MOTHER OF DRUM MAJOR:You have to make a change.This needs to stop.No one wants to be standing in our shoes.No one wants to hear on a phone call that your son collapsed and died, over the phone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS:The family's lawsuit comes just days after Florida A&M fired its long-time band director and the president suspended all band performances.

A university of Utah professor is in court today in Boston, Massachusetts, for allegedly looking at child porn on his laptop during a flight.Police arrested 47-year-old Grant Smith on Saturday when his Delta plane landed in Boston where he was to attend a conference.

Another passenger used his cell phone to record Smith allegedly looking at porn.Smith is a professor of material science and engineering at the University of Utah.He has been placed on administrative leave.

Some big college sports news heading to Columbus, Ohio.Don't call Urban Meyer a Florida Gator anymore.Now he's an Ohio Buckeye.According to ESPN, Meyer is going back to his roots and has taken the head coaching job at Ohio State.

The 47-year-old Meyer, who led the Gators to two national championships, stepped down as Florida's coach amid reports of health issues.After weeks of speculation, Ohio State is expected to make the announcement at a news conference in a few hours.

Coming up at 3:00 eastern, Emma Sullivan talks about her controversial tweets with CNN's Brooke Baldwin.Be sure to tune in for that.Again, that is 3:00 eastern time.

Now on to Cleveland, Ohio, where an 8-year-old boy was taken from his family and put into foster care, not because he was being physically abused, but because the little boy is severely obese.The third grader weighs more than 200 pounds.

According to a Cleveland newspaper, "The Plain Dealer," social workers say his mom wasn't doing enough to control his weight.But his mom says otherwise.This is reportedly the first time that state officials can recall a child being taken away from his parents because of weight.This case raises a lot of questions and fuels the intensifying national debate over childhood obesity.

Dr. Joanne Dolgoff is a pediatrician and a child obesity expert.She joins us now with more.

Give us some context of this story, if you would.

DR. JOANNE DOLGOFF, PEDIATRICIAN:Absolutely.This boy weighs about 250 pounds.He's 8 years old.He is severely, severely obese.Apparently, officials had been working with his mother for a year and they felt like she was not making enough progress and so they decided to take the child out of the home and put him into foster care.I have to say I strongly disagree with this decision.

ROWLANDS:You disagree with it.Why?

DOLGOFF:There are so many causes for childhood obesity, and to blame this mother for it solely, it's really an injustice.This could be genetic.I'm not sure if they did genetic tests, but there was a case of a family in Britain, the government was about to take the child away until they discovered that child had a genetic abnormality.

Also, no parent has complete control -- in school, the kids can get seconds and third lunches.And as you know the schools now decided pizza is a vegetable, so it's not like they're getting healthy nutrition there.

I also believe that the separation, taking the child out of the home, is going to cause so much stress for the child, that just leads to cortisol release, which causes us to eat more and to convert more of our calories to fat.I think there has to be a better way.

ROWLANDS:When you take a look at the averages of roughly what an 8- year-old should weigh, depending on their height, it's obviously way under the 200 pounds.Boys typically are under 64 pounds, girls under 65 pounds.When you see a 200-plus-pound eighth grader -- what are the inherent health dangers, too, this child is up against?And does taking this child away from his parents, this 8-year-old, does that create more stress and possibly even more problems, health problems, for him?

DOLGOFF:That's the whole point.Yes, this child is at major risk for medical problems.Being overweight or obese affects every single organ system in the body.So this child is at risk for heart attack, stroke, liver failure.And there are probably many changes in his body already.Studies have shown thickening in the arteries, fatty deposits in the arteries of kids as young as the age 6.So, yes, he is in grave danger.

The issue, in my mind, is what's the best solution.And I think rather than disrupting this child's life by taking him out of his house, it's much better to focus on supporting the family more.Apparently, this mother did enroll her child in the weight loss program and the child lost weight.

Then, as what happens very often, the child gained the weight back.The mother has been trying to get the child to exercise, bought him a bicycle.We see the mother is making an effort.I think as a society we need to do what we can to support her.

We need more funding for programs to help children lose weight, more support for the families.I think that's the real answer.And, in fact, we've offered to reach out and help this child if they'd like to accept our help with my own weight loss program for kids.You know, I think we need to do whatever we can to get this child back with his mother.

ROWLANDS:His mom's lawyers say that the county is overreaching and says that the medical problems may -- his medical problems may be a risk for further imminent danger right now.Obviously, that family very upset.The mother very upset that her 8-year-old has been taken away from her. Quickly, this is an extreme situation.If your child is overweight, though, what specifically can you do?

DOLGOFF:You really want to watch how much your child is eating.You know, portion distortion is a major problem.So you want to watch serving sizes.You want to make sure your child is having lean proteins, whole grains, and getting a lot of exercise.

ROWLANDS:All right.And we have heard from a spokeswoman from the county Department of Children and Family Services.They basically are saying the following:"This child's problem was so severe that we had to take custody.The agency worked with the mother for more than a year before asking the juvenile court for custody over the child."

A case that we will be watching.

Joanna Dolgoff, thank you for your insight on this.Obviously, a difficult situation for all parties involved.

Let's check in with CNN's Mark Preston for today's "Political Ticker."

Mark, what do you have?

MARK PRESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT:I tell you what, Ted, big news in Washington and in Massachusetts.Barney Frank, the 16-term congressman, surprised everyone by announcing today that he will not run for reelection.Now, he was very much intending to do so, at least, that's what he was telling people.However, he came out just a short time ago, said he did not want to run in a new district.He also had some tough things to say about the political process.In fact, let's listen to what he said, Ted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARNEY FRANK, (D), MASSACHUSETTS:I think I was pretty good at being a legislator.I think I have been pretty good at working inside that framework of government.But, to my disappointment, the leverage you have within the government has substantially diminished.The anger in the country, the current opinions are such so that the kind of inside work I have felt best at is not going to be as productive for the foreseeable future and not until we make some changes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PRESTON:Now, Ted, it's not quite sure what he meant by the changes but clearly there's a hyper-partisan effort in Washington, as there is across the country.Barney Frank, much an inside player, but also a partisan himself.He was somebody who would go toe-to-toe with Republicans.

Now, Ted, he's not the only Democrat now that has announced his retirement.In fact, nearly 20 Democrats have decided they will not run for reelection in the House.Eight of them will run for the Senate, run for governor or run for mayor.However, Charlie Gonzalez, a Texas Democrat who cheered the Hispanic Congressional Caucus, said on Saturday he will not run as well.He's decided to do something else. As we're heading into 2012, a lot of politicians here in Washington are reassessing whether they want to actually come back to Washington -- Ted?

ROWLANDS:Well, it won't be a big political change with Barney Frank giving up the seat there, but it will change Washington a bit.He was quite a character.I know you had personal experience with him.We've got about 30 seconds left.He took you to task, I guess?

PRESTON:He did.He did.Ted, he actually acknowledged today that he was sometimes abrasive to people.But I've got to tell you, when I was a young reporter, covering the Clinton impeachment hearings, I asked him a question he didn't like.He literally tore me apart piece by piece to the point where I actually went and sulked off.

(LAUGHTER)

It took a couple of reporters to come over to me and pat me on the back and say, you've arrived.Because if Barney Frank hasn't yelled at you, you haven't got a taste of Capitol Hill, so that's my Barney Frank story anyway -- Ted?

ROWLANDS:All right, thanks, Mark Preston.

Thanks for watching today.That will do it for me.

Randi Kaye returns here same time tomorrow.

Now, Brooke Baldwin -- Brooke?