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Markets Surge; Alleged Affair Dogs Cain Campaign; Penn State Students Get Answers; Hillary Clinton In Myanimar; Reagan Shooter Seeks Release; An Arrest A Day in NYC Schools; Cain On Political Race; Syracuse Univ. Sex Scandal; Gingrich Tops Polls

Aired November 30, 2011 - 13:00   ET

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

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone, I'm Randi Kaye. It is 1:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Let's get right to the news. Good news for investors today. We are seeing a big surge in markets. The Dow is up, you can see it right there, up 417 points. Today is the third straight day that stocks have rallied. You're seeing the affects from the news that central banks in the U.S., Europe and China will increase lending. The move is expected to lower short-term borrowing costs for troubled European banks.

Herman Cain's alleged mistress is adamant that she is the one telling the truth about what she called a 13-year on and off again affair. In what could be another devastating blow to Cain's campaign, Ginger White told ABC's "Good Morning America" she, quote, "can't make this stuff up." During her first interview with WAGA, White showed phone records that detailed nearly six dozen calls and text messages between her and Cain, some as recently as October and even this month. Cain denies the affair.

As Herman Cain is reassessing his run for the White House, he is kicking off a bus tour in the key swing state of Ohio today. But listen to what White says about Cain as president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GINGER WHITE: It was a very casual affair. Am I proud to admit to that? No, I'm not.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOLOUS, HOST, "GOOD MORNING AMERICA": Do you believe that Mr. Cain is fit to be president, or should he end his campaign?

WHITE: In my opinion, no, I do not. I honestly do not think that he is -- in my opinion, would make a good president, as far as I'm concerned.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: This is how Cain responded during a stop in Ohio today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HERMAN CAIN, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: But all of the mess going on over the past several weeks where they've been trying to do a character assassination on me, some of them even predicted that this room was going to be empty today. I don't think I see any empty seats in here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: When asked if he was ending his campaign, he simply repeated, we are reassessing.

A new alleged victim has hit Penn State, Jerry Sandusky and his charity, The Second Mile, with the first civil lawsuit since the scandal broke. The alleged victim's attorney just revealed the details in a news conference a couple of hours ago. The attorney alleges Sandusky sexually abused his client who is remaining anonymous over 100 times.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF ANDERSON, ATTORNEY: He has now, with our assistance, reported this to law enforcement. And he has now begun the process of recovery. And he's now taken this action courageously, this on his behalf and all of the other survivors.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Tonight, Penn State students get the chance to ask the hard questions, and demand answers from school administrators. The university is holding the first of its three campus forums for students. The forum takes place as the department of education begins its federal investigation into Penn State.

Hillary Clinton became the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit Myanmar in more than 50 years today, following concessions by the new government. The reclusive Southeast Asian country, also known as Burma, has been under military control since 1962, and is undergoing a period of rapid political change. The White House says gritted (ph) reforms with cautious optimism but says the trip is an indication that the time could be right to forge a new relationship between the nations.

The man who shot President Ronald Reagan is asking a judge today to eventually free him from a mental hospital. John Hinckley Jr. has been a patient at a federal mental hospital in Washington since 1982, when his trial ended in a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. A judge began hearing arguments today that Hinckley, now 56, should be able to spend more time outside the hospital, eventually even full time. Prosecutors oppose the plan, saying Hinckley is a man of -- man capable of great violence. The hearing will last for eight days.

A sign of a tough economy. More and more kids are receiving free or low-cost meals in schools today. According to "The New York Times," the proportion of fourth graders eligible for free or reduced-price lunches through the government's school meals program has increased nationwide to 52 percent from 46 percent since 2007. Families of four with incomes between $29,055 and $55,348 are eligible for reduced- price meals which cost 40 cents or less.

The U.S. Agriculture Department has slapped the parent company of the "Greatest Show on Earth" with a record penalty for alleged animal rights violations. According to a USDA news release, Feld Entertainment which produces the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus has agreed to pay $270,000 for allegedly systematically abusing and exploiting elephants. As part of the settlement, the company admits no wrongdoing or violation of USDA policy.

Well, hurricane season officially ends today. Take a look at this video from the national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showing all 19 tropical storms this year, of which seven become hurricanes, including three major hurricanes. The storms led to 120 fatalities and more than $11 billion in damage. Hurricane Irene alone accounted for 43 deaths and $7.3 billion in damage.

CNN's own Larry King is part of a group hoping to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers. While king's stake is relatively small, he says the possibility of ownership would be a huge thrill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY KING, CNN HOST: It would be a thrill of a lifetime to be a part owners -- partial owner of a team I grew up rooting for as a child in Brooklyn.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: The team's current owner agreed to sell the franchise after a six-month legal battle with baseball commissioner Bud Selig.

Well, it is 74 feet tall and is decorated with five miles worth of lights. This year's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree will be lit this evening in New York, and 10s of thousands are expected to attend with Mayor Bloomberg helping flip the switch just before 9:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Well, first, it was former NFL players, now college football players. How are they trying to bring awareness to brain injuries on the field by moving concussions, into the courtroom.

But first, if you're worried about the state of the nation's youth, meet Michael Dusek, Johnny Grail and Antonio Ezzo. These Florida teens rescued a three-year-old who nearly drowned in a canal Monday. The toddler wandered right into the water from a backyard. Two boys jumped in while the third reached out his hand and pulled that child to safety. The three-year-old is expected to be OK. Police are investigating the parents, and how this happened. But for your selfless act of courage, Mike, Johnny and Antonio, you are today's "Rock Stars."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back. I want to tell you about someone, his is name is Derek Owens. He is number seven in this picture right there. Derek used to be a straight-A student and a college sports star but all that's changed. He now lives with migraines and can never play a contact sport again. All because of concussions he suffered on the football field. Now, Derek and three other former college athletes are suing the NCAA in what could be a game-changing class action lawsuit. This case follows similar lawsuits filed against the NFL this year by dozens of its former players.

In this suit, the college students claim the NCAA was negligent in awareness and treatment of athlete's brain injuries. That's why we're giving some "Facetime" time today to attorney Steve Berman who represents the four players in the lawsuit. He's joining us from Seattle.

Steve, nice to see you. What happened, exactly, to Derek, and your other clients, that have them bringing this lawsuit?

STEVE BERMAN, ATTORNEY: Well, there's a similar pattern that they all went through, namely that they suffered concussions. In many instances, they didn't know that they'd suffered a concussion because they weren't, quote, "knocked out" or they didn't black out. There was no investigation by trainers, or coaches. They were returned to practice. And your brain's like an eggshell. I mean, after a number of cracks, it begins to deteriorate, and your performance, your cognitive abilities, deteriorate. And that's what's happened with a number of the plaintiffs. Their grades have gone down. They finally, on their own, not through the schools, went to doctors, found out that they had suffered brain injuries, and that they needed treatment.

KAYE: I want to share just a portion of what you say in your lawsuit with our viewers. It says, the NCAA has engaged in a long-established pattern of negligence and inaction with respect to concussions, and concussion related maladies sustained by student athletes, all the while profiting immensely from those same student athletes. Now that is the core of the complaint. But tell us exactly what you mean by that?

BERMAN: Well, we documented in the complaint studies over the last 15 years that have shown that student athletes, in particular sports, not just football but also soccer, are getting concussions. That they don't realize they're getting concussions, and they need to be educated and promptly treated. The NCAA received these studies, or should have been aware of these studies, but has not done anything about this problem.

Instead, you know, like Derek Owens, they're not educated to recognize when they've had a concussion, no one is watching out for them, and so they're left untreated which is a harmful thing when you're talking about an injury to the brain.

KAYE: I do have to ask, though, because, you know, a lot of people wonder, well, if you say to the NCAA, you should've known about these and how to treat these concussions and the risk of these concussions, shouldn't the players have known about them, as well? Isn't some of the burden on them?

BERMAN: I really don't think so for two reasons. Number one, take Derek Owens. One of the concussions, the symptoms was vomiting. He started vomiting after a hit. That's a classic concussion symptom, no one educated him that it was. So, he wouldn't go to a doctor or even seek treatment, he just thought it was part of the game.

The second answer is that, when these kids are hit, you know, they don't sometimes have the wherewithal in their brains because their brains have been injured, to recognize and act responsibly. But take the hit that Derek Owens -- everyone in the stadium went, oh, my god, is that kid hurt? Yet no one from the team checked up on him. They sent him home and told his roommates to keep an eye out and then wanted him to return to practice.

KAYE: I want to get your reaction to the --

BERMAN: But as to --

KAYE: I just want to get your reaction to the NCAA. We reached out to them. They didn't give us a statement, but the general counsel did issue a statement to "The New York Times" saying that the NCAA is an attractive target for opportunistic plaintiffs' class action lawyers, adding that to date none of these cases have been proven to have merit. So, I'd like to give you the final word there.

BERMAN: Well, I don't know what he means by none of the cases have merit. This is the first case, and we wouldn't have brought it if we didn't think we have a just cause.

KAYE: Steve Berman, appreciate your time. And do keep us up to date on what's happening with this. Thank you very much.

BERMAN: Thank you.

KAYE: Warnings, detentions, suspensions, all ways schools can discipline kids. But should they be arrested? A closer look at one school district, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Detention, demerits, suspension, expulsion. Schools have lots of options when students cross the line. And here's another one. Arrest.

Real by the book arrests by real police officers. It's "Under Covered," but it happens. And in New York City, it apparently happens a whole lot.

Look at these numbers just released by the NYPD. From the 1st of June through the end of September, officers from the school safety division made 63 arrests. That's in 50 class days. Most of which, obviously, were summer schools. They issued 182 citations.

And even though African-America make up less than 40 percent of the New York school population, they're almost 70 percent of the arrested students. One in four of the arrested students is Hispanic.

I want to get some perspective on this now from Pedro Noguera. He's an urban sociologist and professor of education at New York University.

Professor, do these numbers surprise you?

PEDRO NOGUERA, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY: No, unfortunately, they don't surprise me because this has been going on for some time now, especially in New York City. What we're seeing is really the inappropriate use of police officers in schools arresting students for incidents that were never treated as criminal in the past.

KAYE: How would you say these numbers compare when you look closer at them? How do they compare to other big school districts?

NOGUERA: Well, in the cities that have adopted the use of police officers for the purpose of ensuring safety in schools, you're seeing similar patterns. You're seeing what I'm calling the criminalization of young people in schools, which starts a process of introducing them into the criminal justice system. And I think disproportionately you're seeing that occurring with minority males.

KAYE: I mean do you think that police really have any place in schools at all?

NOGUERA: Well, yes, I think that there are schools that are clearly unsafe. In neighborhoods that are unsafe. And it's necessary to ensure that children are attending schools that are safe and orderly. And if police are required to do that, then absolutely you need a police presence.

However, you also need police that are reporting to the educators, the principal in charge, to make sure that they're being used appropriately, that children are not being harassed in schools unnecessarily and that they are there to focus on learning and not being harassed by police officers.

KAYE: What do you make of the claims by the New York Civil Liberties Union saying that they see a racial component here. Do you?

NOGUERA: Well, I think the racial disparity, to me, is significant, but it's not the main issue. The main issue is the inappropriate use of police officers. New York City schools are heavily minority. So you're going to see a majority of the students, in almost any day that will be minority, black or Hispanic.

The big issue to me is that these students are being arrested, and cited, and losing school time for offenses that are not criminal in nature. They are riding a bicycle on a sidewalk, cutting class, disrupting a classroom. These students should be held in detention. They should be made to do more work, not less work. They should be -- we should really focus on how to address the underlying causes of behavior rather than sending them to the criminal justice system.

KAYE: So what is the answer then, focusing on that?

NOGUERA: That's right. The answer is how to reconnect kids to learning. I keep reminding people that the goal is to keep kids in school. And the schools that are safe already, and there are several in New York City that find ways to keep kids safe without relying on police officers, are doing it by really focusing on academic engagement, on focusing on providing good counselors.

We now have more police in schools in New York City than we do have guidance counselors. And it shows you a distortion of the priorities. And I think it's really returning to the larger purpose of school and the focus on academic engagement that will get us the safety that we need, rather than thinking that we can find it through police officers and metal detectors.

KAYE: Pedro Noguera, appreciate your perspective. Thank you.

NOGUERA: Thank you.

KAYE: The chancellor of New York City schools tells "The New York Daily News" that he will examine the racial dimensions of the student arrest data, but he points out crime in schools is down by almost half since 2000.

The allegations against a former Syracuse coach keep piling up and one of Bernie Fine's accusers opens up to CNN about their alleged relationship.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You would go to Bernie Fine's house?

MIKE LANG, BERNIE FINE ACCUSER: Every day.

TUCHMAN: And why would you go there? Would he invite you? Would he ask you to go there?

LANG: It was like my home. I can go there any time I wanted to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Why he says he came forward to try to stop the abuse.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back.

Just moments ago our Jim Acosta got a very quick one-on-one with Herman Cain, the man who is debating whether to stay in the race for the president. Jim joins us on the phone right now.

Jim, what did he say?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Randi, you know, we only asked him a couple of questions. That's all the time we had. He was doing the rope line inside a Marriott Hotel in Dayton, Ohio, after wrapping up a speech. And I just asked him very quickly, are you vowing to stay in the race? And all he would say is, we are reassessing and re-evaluating. And then I asked him again, does that mean you're staying in the race? And he would -- he only responded, we are re-evaluating and reassessing. And then I asked him, when will you have a final decision on your future plans? And he said within the next several days.

So, it sounds like Herman Cain is not going to drop out of this race today. It sounds that (ph) he may not drop out at all. We listened to his speech inside this hotel just a few minutes ago and he was very defiant, saying that character assassination would not drive him out of this race. But when we asked him specifically, on the record, on camera, whether or not he is going to stay in this race, he did not give us a straight answer, Randi.

KAYE: Jim, does he seem at all worn down or frustrated by all of this?

ACOSTA: You know, if anything, he looked emboldened. I have to say, he gave a very fiery speech here. It was basically his standard stump speech. It had most of the one liners that people who have covered him closely have heard before. But he really whipped up this crowd here.

He had a very large crowd inside this ball room just a few moments ago and they were eating it up. And they were shouting back to him, Randi, don't get out of this race. Stay in the race. We need you, Herman Cain. So, the candidate was defiant and so was his audience.

KAYE: Jim Acosta, a nice get, getting a quick interview there with Herman Cain. Thank you for that reporting.

It was an emotional outburst that hasn't happened at Syracuse University in weeks. The men's basketball team and head coach, Jim Boeheim, had their first home game last night since the firing of longtime assistant coach Bernie Fine amid sexual abuse allegations. At least three men accuse Fine of molesting them years ago when they were boys. After the game, which Syracuse won to remain undefeated, Boeheim talked about the scandal that broke earlier this month. Boeheim said he doesn't regret initially backing Fine, support he said was based on what he knew about the case at the time. But he says that at the end of the day, he's responsible for what happens on his watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM BOEHEIM, SYRACUSE HEAD BASKETBALL COACH: Ultimately, the head coach is responsible for everything. I think you knew that, didn't you? Everything that I can control, I hold myself responsible for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: In another new development, one of Fine's accusers is speaking out for the first time. Here's national correspondent Gary Tuchman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The second accuser in this case is Bobby Davis' stepbrother, Mike Lang. Mike Lang is 45 years old. He says he was a ball boy for Syracuse University for about 15 years, beginning when he was in junior high school. He said he did not talk about these accusations because he felt helpless and embarrassed. But he's speaking out now. And he talked to us earlier.

TUCHMAN: He'd invite you to his house and you'd go. You would hang out there. LANG : Right. I'd go over there every day.

TUCHMAN: And most of the time you would just watch TV or what would you -- just study or --

LANG: Watch TV, rake his lawn. Do whatever I wanted to do. It was like my house, you know.

TUCHMAN: So you considered him like a fatherly figure?

LANG: Yes. Absolutely.

TUCHMAN: But when did you realize that there was something wrong with what he was doing? What did he do to you?

LANG: He touched me -- he kept touching me.

TUCHMAN: So where, though? Where were you touching?

LANG: My leg and my penis.

TUCHMAN: And did you say something to him?

LANG: Yes. I said, Bernie, please stop this because I'm not that kind and I won't tolerate it. If you don't want me to come over here no more, I won't come over here. But if you keep doing it, I'm not going to come over here.

TUCHMAN: But you were a kid and you knew this was wrong. And here's this grown-up man doing this to you. And when you said this to him, stop doing that, what did he say to you?

LANG: He didn't say nothing. He'd just move his hand and then he wouldn't do it for a -- for the -- that night.

TUCHMAN: This is Gary Tuchman, CNN, in Syracuse, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: And in another development, Syracuse Police say the police chief in 2002 was aware of sexual abuse allegations against Fine, but current chief Frank Fowler says that because the abuse stopped 12 years earlier, a report was not filed because the statute of limitations had passed. Fowler says that policy has been changed and that all future reports of sexual abuse will be formally documented.

Newt Gingrich calls himself a Washington outsider.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And what you see now in a bipartisan basis in this city is a desertion of Lincoln. Government of the insiders, by the insiders, for the insiders.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: But hasn't Gingrich been in politics for decades? Can he convince the GOP he's not one of the insiders? That is "Fair Game," and it's next.

But first, our political junkie question of the day. If an alleged affair drives Herman Cain from the race for president, he won't be the first. Who was the last candidate for president, at the time the front-runner, driven from the race by allegations of infidelity. Bonus points if you know who won the nomination for his party in that race. Tweet me the right answer to @randikayecnn. I'll give a shout-out on the other side of the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: We asked if you could name the last presidential candidate forced out of the race by allegations of infidelity, and who won the nomination. Well, here's the answer. In 1987, Gary Hart, popular Senator from Colorado and the front-runner in the Democratic race, suddenly dropped out when allegations of his affair with Donna Rice surfaced. Michael Dukakis, the governor of Massachusetts, won that nomination. And now a big shout-out to Chris O'Sullivan. He is the first one to tweet me the right answer. You are the man, Chris. Nicely done.

Newt Gingrich is breathing the rarefied air you find at the top of the polls. But success brings scrutiny, of course. Can he win the nomination with all his baggage, political and personal?

Never shy, he's actually on the attack. His target -- the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWT GINGRICH, (R), FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Obama can't possibly win an election that's fair. The only way he's going to win is to so destroy the Republican or the people decide reluctantly that he is less disgusting than his opponent. So they will run a campaign of astonishing dishonesty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Classic Gingrich. But can he survive the scrutiny?

It is all "Fair game."

With me today, Doug Heye, a Republican strategist; and Roland Martin is a CNN political analyst. They both join us from Washington.

Roland comes ready to play.

ROLAND MARTIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Of course.

KAYE: I'm sorry, I'm going to start with Doug, here.

So, Doug --

(CROSSTALK)

DOUG HEYE, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Thank you.

(LAUGHER)

KAYE: All right, we're done with the facts.

If Gingrich gets the nomination, Doug, could he stand up to the type of campaign that he says Democrats will employ?

HEYE: I think he's ready to do that. You look at what's happened with the Gingrich campaign over the past year, it's very similar to the McCain campaign. It fell apart a little bit. People didn't take it seriously. People had written him off. But he's slowly and surely built himself up. If you've watched Newt Gingrich's career over the years, he's been criticized a lot for being undisciplined. Over the past year, he's been very disciplined, very focused, very clear and consistent in the debates. I'd look forward very much to a debate between Newt Gingrich and President Obama. I think he could win it.

KAYE: Still, Roland, we know that Newt Gingrich is trying to paint himself as a Washington outsider, not an insider. Do you buy it?

MARTIN: Not for a second, Randi Kaye. If that was a Democratic candidate, with all of Newt Gingrich's baggage, and he tried to say, I'm an outsider, when he's been an insider, Doug would be licking his lips saying, oh, my god, we're going to tear this guy apart. There is no way in the world Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, can stand there and talk about insiders in Washington. He has essentially been peddling his influence, with all these people supporting his various interests. Now he'll say these are all my ideas, but they are by access to state officials, and federal officials, and he knows it. And you would think Tea Partiers, who have been saying throw the bums out, the last thing they want to do is put a bum back in.

KAYE: Doug, you want to respond to that?

HEYE: Well, in an anti-incumbent atmosphere, you know, that's something that Newt Gingrich, having been elected so many times, being a former speaker, will have to address. But what we've seen is, on the stump, he's really been at his best. For a lot of people, it's been a surprise. But we know that that is how Newt Gingrich really galvanizes support with talking about real ideas and actually a lot of straight talk, too. And that's what Republican voters want to hear.

(CROSSTALK)

MARTIN: Randi, it's real interesting, because we saw former President Bill Clinton come out and talk about how Newt has re-energized himself because of his ideas. If you go back to 1991, '92, in essence, Bill Clinton knew he had skeletons in his closet, the bimbo eruptions. You go back and study that campaign, Bill Clinton tried to make it all about ideas, ideas, and the economy. I think Newt Gingrich has actually studied the Clinton campaign in '92, to say focus on the economy, downplay your personal problems when it comes to your marriages, divorces, and cheating, and say it's all about the --

(AUDIO PROBLEM)

KAYE: Oops. All right we lost Roland there for a moment.

Doug, I'm going to continue with you in the meantime.

HEYE: Sure. KAYE: Certainly, Gingrich is getting some criticism about the fees that he got from Freddie Mac. How do you think that's going to play?

HEYE: Well, that's something he'll have to directly address. He'll have to make very clear that -- and the laws, fortunately for former Speaker Gingrich are very clear on this, about what is lobbying, what isn't lobbying. He'll be able to address that pretty clearly. But he'll have to convince voters that this is something that not only is acceptable, but also is something that is an asset for him in his campaign.

KAYE: So --

(CROSSTALK)

MARTIN: No, Doug.

(LAUGHTER)

KAYE: Oh, Roland's back.

MARTIN: I'm back, Doug!

HEYE: I hear him.

MARTIN: I'm back, Doug.

Doug, it's a little hard to stand there and condemn Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac when you took almost $2 million. And I get the technical aspect of who they're lobbying. But the reality is, Doug, you have been in this town, we know how it all plays.

Those two entities had Republicans and Democrats, and they put them on the payroll, because they knew about their influence, and how they could impact members of Congress from their respective parties. So Newt can't stand there and say, oh, no, I was a historian. Right. We can read a history book. He was there because he's a former Republican speaker of the House. So technically, he wasn't a lobbyist. But he was there for his influence, and he knows it.

KAYE: But we should point out, he's not registered as a lobbyist. And he says he is not a lobbyist.

MARTIN: Right. But that's the ban (ph). Read Craig Andre's (ph) book, Randi Kaye, where Craig Andre (ph) -- where the Carlyle Group would say, oh, no, former President George H.W. Bush, he wasn't going out lobbying for contracts. Well, you knew when he had lunch at the Saudi royal palace, he was there to hook up some contracts. And so, that's the Washington, D.C.-Potomac two-step. I'm not a lobbyist, but I'm an influencer.

KAYE: Are you going to teach us the Potomac two-step one day, Roland?

MARTIN: Oh, yes.

(CROSSTALK) (LAUGHTER)

MARTIN: It's very similar to the Texas two-step, except this one, they're mouths are moving. Our feet are moving.

(LAUGHTER)

KAYE: Let's give Doug the last word here.

HEYE: Sure. Obviously, it's going to be a difficult thing to do. And it's one of the challenges that he's faced. As other issues have come up, he's faced these challenges, too. Again, a lot of people have written off Newt Gingrich not just during this campaign but two years ago, four years ago. No one thought Newt Gingrich would be a force in the Republican Party, or in politics as a whole. We'll see if he can climb that last hill. But he's done really well, again, being clear and consistent with his messaging.

KAYE: Doug Heye, Roland Martin -- I know, Doug, you tried to disconnect, you pulled that satellite plug, but --

(CROSSTALK)

MARTIN: That's another two-step.

(LAUGHTER)

KAYE: Thank you both. That was fun.

And that is "Fair Game" for today.

Anti-austerity protests have taken place all over Europe. And today, mass strikes have begun across this European country due to proposed pension reforms. Do you know what country we're talking about? The answer next in "Globe Trekking."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back. Let's go "Globe Trekking" to the United Kingdom where public sector workers are taking to the streets today to protest government pension cuts. This battle to try to rein in Britain's deficit has impacted the stock market in the U.S.

CNN's Richard Quest joining me from London.

Richard, nice to see you, as always.

Who exactly is striking there? What's being affected?

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, public-sector employees were on this one-day strike. It was a nasty strike involving many tens of thousands of employees. Primarily, it affected schools. It affected hospitals. It affected border controls. And it affected some emergency services, like ambulances.

I have to say, however, that British Prime Minister David Cameron described it as a damp squid, saying that, in many places, there were -- things were not normal, but not as bad as feared.

But the importance of this strike is that it's the first of its kind for about 20 or 30 years. There's a deep, deep unhappiness, an unease by public-sector employees because their pensions are about to be attacked by the government, and made less favorable. So taken together, this is the first of what I fully expect will be more.

KAYE: And was the announcement that we saw today by the central banks, I mean, to add to the liquidity -- I mean, was that the move, do you think, that the markets were waiting for?

QUEST: Well, I mean, that was the interesting part about today. You had the strikes in Britain over austerity and what's happening. And then you have the six central banks all coming together and issuing liquidity, in a complicated swap deal. All you need to know about why the market is roared up, the Dow over 400 points, is this, relief that somebody is doing something about a crisis in Europe that's threatened to get out of hand.

In addition, the U.S. had ADP employment numbers better than expected. In addition, China is pumping some more money into the economy to make sure that China engine keeps going. Put it all into the melting pot of the global economy, and you do have this, whew --

(LAUGHTER)

-- thank goodness somebody's doing something. And that is what this relief rally is all about.

KAYE: Yes, the markets are happy. And I guess the investors are happy, as well.

QUEST: Absolutely. But, look, OK, I've built it all up, now let me knock it all down.

KAYE: Oh, no, I knew this was coming.

QUEST: This -- I mean, you know, this could disappear in a moment. The Eurozone still has the most breathtakingly complicated problems you can imagine. And they're still a long way from being solved. The U.S. hasn't solved its budget debt crisis by any stretch of the imagination. Economies are slowing down. So, let's give thanks for what we've got today, but don't necessarily take it to the bank, because it might be Scotch mist for tomorrow.

KAYE: All right. Well, I was feeling pretty good about things, but not so much anymore.

Richard Quest, nice to see you, I think. Have a good day.

QUEST: Sorry.

(LAUGHTER)

KAYE: Immigration fears lead to one undocumented teen's death. The message this man hoped to send with his Dream Act suicide. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(AUDIO PROBLEM)

DIYRA MENDOZA, BROTHER OF JOAQUIN MENDOZA: He just saw no other way or no other option.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His brother says Joaquin wanted to be an engineer. The sketches he left behind show his ability. But he was quickly losing hope of ever going to college, his family says. Last Friday, according to family members, he went to the bathroom, and shot himself in the head.

MENDOZA: A suicide. I could see the bullet hole. And there was no movement, no signs of anything. He was gone.

ROMO: He says the letters his brother left behind reveal his fears about being in the country legally. He was also frustrated the Dream Act never passed.

(on camera): The initiative would legalize young immigrants who have been in the country for more than five years, if they attend college or served in the military. The Dream Act fell five votes short in the Senate last year.

A new push by Democrats in Congress this year didn't go too far, either. Republican lawmakers called the bill blanket amnesty and have strongly opposed it.

SEN. JOHN CORNYN, (R), TEXAS: It is a band-aid. And maybe worse, it will provide an incentive for future illegal immigration.

ROMO (voice-over): The Dream Act was also a hot-potato issue in the recent CNN debate of Republican presidential candidates.

REP. MICHELE BACHMAN, (R), MINNESOTA & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The federal Dream Act, which would offer taxpayer subsidized benefits to illegal aliens. We need to move away from magnets, not offer more.

GINGRICH: I don't see any reason to punish somebody who came here at 3 years of age but wants to serve the United States of America.

ROMO: Back in Texas, Mendoza is thinking of other young immigrants like this brother.

MENDOZA: It's like all these kids who are here, they're all dependent, and that Dream Act, to keep on studying.

ROMO: But with the Congress unable to reach a compromise to reduce the deficit, and presidential elections less than a year away, the chances of any immigration reform seem very unlikely.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Thanks, Rafael.

Well, the holidays are here. Yes, they are. And so is the battle between tradition and political correctness. See how a controversy over what to call this tree is getting political.

But first, before Facebook, Twitter or iTunes, there was Napster, created by a college dropout in 1999 to allow millions of us to share songs online for free. Eventually, the courts out-ruled the free part, and the music renegade service was reborn as a legitimate business. But the music industry was forever changed. This week, the name that unleashed a digital revolution goes the way of records and eight- tracks, the victim of a corporate buyout. Sorry, Napster, your 15 minutes are up.

(SINGING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Let's check stories making headlines at "Street Level."

In Rhode Island, the state's governor says the evergreen tree house in the state house will be referred to as the holiday tree rather than the Christmas tree. Governor Lincoln Chafee says the label is in keeping with the state's founding as a haven for religious liberty and diversity. While some call him Governor Grinch, Chafee insists this is a continuation of past tradition, not a change on his part.

Next, to Suffolk County, New York, and concerns over a startling number of whooping cough cases on Long Island. So far, the county health department reports 216 cases, that is four times the number from just a year ago. Schools county-wide reports students coming down with the cough and that has parents uneasy. Whooping cough highly contagious and starts with symptoms that look a lot like the common cold but develops into a violent cough that can last for weeks.

Next to San Diego, where marijuana dispensaries are shutting down in droves. According to the "San Diego Union Tribune," 139 of 222, 62 percent of all marijuana outlets, have closed in the last eight weeks alone following a federal crackdown. More shutdowns are expected soon amid threats of criminal prosecution. California first approved the use of medical marijuana in 1996. But the drug remains illegal under federal law.

The suspect in a Thanksgiving Day hit and run of an Iraq War veteran has been captured. Police say Eduardo Shaparo Escobal (ph) was arrested at his home after an officer recognized him from surveillance video released from the evening in question. Escobal (ph) is alleged to have run down Albert Bartal (ph) after an altercation in a restaurant on Thanksgiving. Bartal (ph) still remains in critical condition in a San Francisco hospital.

And finally, to Oklahoma City. Before September 11th, there was the Oklahoma City bombing. April 18th, 1995, you may recall, a truck bomb ripped through this 9-story federal building, which included a daycare center on the second floor. 168 men, women and children died. Hundreds more were wounded. At the time, it was the worst terrorist attack ever on U.S. soil. The bomber, Timothy McVeigh, was executed. His co- conspirator, Terry Nichols, is serving a life sentence.

And you would think that everyone would be happy to see Terry Nichols rot away in prison, right? Well, not my next guest. Jannie Coverdale lost two grandsons, then 5-year-old Aaron and 2-year-old Elijah, in that bombing, but she forgives Terry Nichols.

She joins me on the phone from Oklahoma City.

Jannie, you've been corresponding with Terry Nichols for the last seven years or so. I'm curious, what made you want to reach out and write that first letter?

JANNIE COVERDALE, LOST GRANDSONS IN OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING: Well, after Terry Nichols' trial in the state of Oklahoma, and he didn't get the death penalty, I was very angry for a while. And then, it was like a voice told me that there had been enough killing. We needed to leave that alone.

So I wanted to talk to Terry. And I have never believed that the government has told us the truth about what happened here that day. So I had a friend to get Terry's address. He was in Oklahoma in prison and I wrote him a letter, and I said, now that god has seen fit to spare your life again, it's time for you to tell us what really happened. And I really didn't expect Terry to answer my letter, but he did.

KAYE: You lost your two grandsons in that bombing. How long did it take you to forgive Terry Nichols?

COVERDALE: It took me nine years. I was angry for nine whole years.

(CROSSTALK)

KAYE: And what made you forgive him?

COVERDALE: I beg your pardon?

KAYE: What made you forgive him? Was it something that he said to you?

COVERDALE: He asked me to forgive him. In one of his letters, he wrote, he said, for all of the pain and heartache that I've caused you and your family, please forgive me. And God said in order for him to forgive me, I've got to forgive Terry. And that's what I started working on. It took a long time and a lot of praying. But I got rid of that anger. And --

KAYE: Really, I don't think Terry Nichols deserves any more time than Michael Fortier (ph) gone. If the government could dress Michael Fortier (ph) up, shave him, put him on the witness stand and let him lie and he serves a minimum time, I think Terry Nichols should have too.

KAYE: What do you talk about? Tell me some of the things that he has said to you. There's a lot of people wondering what he thinks about all of these years locked away. So what strikes you?

COVERDALE: Terry and I talk about his mother, because I got to know his mother during his trial in Denver. She would see me in the courtroom every morning, and she and I would sit together and we would talk. And Terry saw me sitting with his mother and he appreciated that. And we talked about his son, that -- in prison. We talk about his other two children. Terry's mother has been very ill. We talk about her. We talk about Aaron and Elijah. I don't try to keep things from Terry. If it's close to Aaron and Elijah's birthday, I remind him, Aaron and Elijah's birthday is in September.

KAYE: And he is full of guilt when you talk about the loss of your grandsons and the others?

COVERDALE: In one letter, Terry said, my heart bleeds every day for what I've done. And a lot of people don't believe him. A lot of people think Terry is just playing games. I don't.

KAYE: Has he ever told you why he got involved with this horrible nightmare?

COVERDALE: Terry told me that it was the worst decision he has ever made and, no, he hasn't told me why. I think he knows I know why because we've been told so much. But it's just a part where he apologized to me. We talked about him. We talk about capital punishment. I don't believe in capital punishment. Terry say (ph) he does. And I don't understand that part.

KAYE: It sounds like -- it sounds like you've had some very interesting correspondence with him.

Jannie Coverdale, I appreciate your time. Of course, we're sorry for your loss of your two grandsons all those years ago. Thank you.

And thank you, everyone, for watching today. As always, I would love to hear what you think about the show. You can continue the conversation with me on Facebook or on Twitter at randikaye/cnn.

And I will hand it over now to Brooke Baldwin.

Hi, Brooke.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Randi, thank you so much.