Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Wall Street Reopens after Big Rally; Initial Jobs Claims Rise; Cain Claims Character Assassination; The Fight Against HIV/AIDS; Penn State Sex Scandal Forum; Gingrich: A "Newt or Not-Newt" Race; Televangelist Developing Reality Show; Parents There for Both Sons; Alarming Moments on the Set
Aired December 01, 2011 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: You guys are excited about that almost Friday. Have a great day.
This morning in just 30 minutes, Wall Street reopens after its biggest single day gain in more than two and a half years. So we want to answer the question for you that many recession worried Americans like you are asking.
Is the worse finally over?
Well, Christine Romans and Alison Kosik are here with some answers.
We go back, Christine, you're working double duty. We're never going to let you go home.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
LEMON: And we're going to bring you in first. So is this -- is this big surge on Wall Street a sign of better times ahead or just -- I don't know, one feel good day for investors?
ROMANS: I mean it is a very big feel-good day. I'll have to tell you, 490 points. When we were talking about this yesterday morning. It's rare. We haven't seen a big move like that in 2 1/2 years but we have concerns here and as I pointed out to you yesterday, you know, that was a defensive move by the world central banks to make sure that the oxygen is still flowing to the European financial system and to the capital markets.
And so, because of big danger signals overall in the markets, that's why you had folks -- you had the central banks coming in. So don't forget, we still have a lot of things here that are holding the U.S. back. We have the Europe situation, the European mess, that's something that still has to be resolved.
We also in this country have our own debt problems, don't we? And gridlock in Washington about how to fix them. Don't forget the Super Committee just had a super failure and we haven't resolved many of the problems that led the United States to lose its AAA -- any of the problems actually that led the United States to lose its own AAA credit rating. We still have a 9 percent jobless rate and a pretty weak housing market. And new data this morning that showed us that still you've got a lot of people still filing every week for unemployment benefits. So the things that we feel here in this country, still don't feel so good, still concerned about Europe.
I mean I don't mean to be the --
LEMON: I was just going to --
(LAUGHTER)
ROMANS: The dark cloud with the silver lining --
LEMON: You're taking all the wind out of our sails here.
ROMANS: Don't get me wrong, and I'm sure Alison is going to agree with me, too, that I mean, let's take yesterday's rally and enjoy it.
LEMON: Yes.
ROMANS: And remember that that rally is a result of having to be very defensive to try to -- to try to prevent another 2008 from happening.
LEMON: Yes, you like to --
ROMANS: That's really where we stand.
LEMON: You like to give all good news, but you have to be the voice of reason, Christine.
Let's go to Alison right now at the New York Stock Exchange.
Alison, where does Wall Street appear headed at least this hour? We got -- we have, what, 27, 28 minutes before the Opening Bell.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. And you know what, I will agree with Christine because a new day, a new reality check. Stocks in about half an hour expected to open flat to slightly lower.
You're going to see investors take a bit of a breather, not a huge surprise after yesterday's monster rally after the Dow, you know, soaring almost 500 points, making the best gain in almost 2 1/2 years.
Wall Street has got a new worry on its plate. There's another sign that China is slowing. Manufacturing there hit a 2 1/2 year low. Analysts are pinning it on weak demand in China and abroad.
Remember, Europe is one of China's biggest trading partners. So you're seeing the weighty issues of Europe make their way over to China as well.
We've also got, you know, plenty of issues here in the U.S.. New jobless claims, they climbed back above that 400,000 level, that psychological level that we all kind of look at at this point. It's not a huge increase, you know, there's still the expectation that Wall Street will get a decent jobs report on Friday.
In fact, CNN Money survey -- did survey calls for gains of 110,000 new jobs added. The reality is with that, it's still not good enough to bring down the 9 percent unemployment rate. So overall, we've got concerns about the slowing global economy weighing on the markets today a half hour before the Opening Bell -- Don.
LEMON: Yes, Christine touched on it just a -- just a little bit ago, but what did international markets do overnight?
KOSIK: Markets in Zurich, in Frankfurt, Paris, London, they all rallied yesterday but they're mixed today because these European central bank issues, it's sort of a new warning on how bad things are. That's how Europe is really viewing this, is how bad did things have to get for this coordinated effort by central banks, you know, to really just step in.
So, you know, yesterday's action to make cash more available. It doesn't get to the root of Europe's debt problem. It really just treats the symptom and I think that realization, you're going to see that come out more and more today -- Don.
LEMON: We will be watching. Thank you. Alison Kosik and also Christine Romans as well.
Now to politics.
And, of course, at the top of the list, Herman Cain may be closer to making a decision about whether to move forward with his presidential campaign and our deputy political director Mr. Paul Steinhauser joins us now.
So, Paul, where is the Cain train on this timeline here?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: The Cain train. Here's where it is right now. It's in New Hampshire, but Herman Cain, the Republican presidential candidate says it could all come down to his wife and his family as to whether he stays in the race for the White House or whether he drops out.
Take a listen to what he told reporters late last night in New Hampshire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HERMAN CAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Number one. And so, since I've been campaigning all week, I haven't had an opportunity to just sit down with her and walk through this with my wife and my family. I will do that when I get back home on Friday.
Secondly, reevaluate the support of my supporters. It has been overwhelming so far. Thirdly, reevaluate the impact this had on fundraising.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: Now fundraising, of course, Herman Cain in that -- in that meeting with reporters last night also acknowledged that fundraising has taken a dip earlier this week after an Atlanta businesswoman came out and claimed that she had a 13-year affair with Herman Cain. This about one month after four other women claim sexual harassment allegations against Cain when he was the head of the National Restaurant Association back in the late 1990s.
Cain said that his fundraising dipped but it's starting to come back this week -- later in the week. But he also admitted that some of his -- as he called them, warm weather supporters have started to maybe peel off from his campaign.
Don, I guess it will all come down to next week if Herman Cain has a news conference in Atlanta early next week. That may -- that may be the end of his campaign, but if he goes back on the campaign trail, maybe he'll try to continue on.
LEMON: Hey --
STEINHAUSER: Less than five weeks away now from Iowa.
LEMON: Yes. Who knows? And listen, maybe this was in the works before this happened, this woman came out. But Cain is launching a new ad campaign in Iowa. Is that a sign that his campaign will continue?
STEINHAUSER: Yes, that right now seems to be a sign. And yes, like I said, we're just about five weeks away from Iowa, just under. Starting tomorrow, there will be an ad in Iowa. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAIN: The engine of economic growth is the business sector. Now this is good. This is bad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: Cain obviously touting his business credentials in that ad. You know he's touted that he's not a politician, that he's a businessman. But hey, the thing about this ad, it's a very, very small ad buy in Iowa. His campaign says that Cain will be back in Iowa and that he's expected to take part in the next presidential debate which is out there.
But Don, again, let's wait and see what Herman Cain says after meeting with his wife and his family on Friday back in Atlanta.
LEMON: It is definitely making for an interesting political season. Thank you very much, Paul Steinhauser. We'll be watching that.
Herman Cain's lawyer, by the way, leaving open the possibility of legal action against the woman who alleges she had a 13-year affair with the candidate. Attorney Lin Wood joins our Piers Morgan for an exclusive interview. "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT" 9:00 p.m. Eastern only here on CNN.
And we'll have your next political update in an hour and a reminder for all the latest political news, go to our Web site, CNNPolitics.com.
It is World AIDS Day. A time to raise awareness. Money and fight discrimination.
CNN's Zain Verjee joins us now from London with the headlines and reaction.
Hi, Zain.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hi, Don, good morning. Thirty-four million people around the world are believed to have HIV.
Let me give you an idea of what some of the newspapers are saying today. "The Herald" in South Africa has this headline, Don. "The fight against AIDS is not over." It says, "The responsibility for caring for AIDS orphans is not just the government's alone. It takes a village to raise a child. We all need to play our part in ensuring AIDS orphans are given a chance."
Then take a look at "The Guardian." Do not forget this disease. It says, "How can this be the right time to let the global fund founder, there are more than six million people in poor countries on the drugs right now, but just as many are still in need and many more will soon join the waiting lists. Without treatment and continuing effort three decades of progress could be reverse."
Take a look at DNA, this is from India. Its headline says, "Slipping back is not an option." It quotes the Indian philanthropist Parmeshwar Godrej, and the paper says, "Access to prevention and care remains inadequate for most people vulnerable to HIV. Why is this? The answer is stigma, stigma, stigma. Society still treats HIV- positive people like dirt."
Don, the United Nations says the biggest problem right now is the funding crisis in all of this. And I was just looking at some of the areas where infection of HIV is actually on the rise. It's in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa -- Don.
LEMON: Zain Verjee in London. Zain, thank you very much.
I want to tell our viewers also in about an hour our Dr. Sanjay Gupta will moderate the beginning of the end of AIDS panel. He gives us a look behind the scenes now.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're getting ready for this high-level panel discussion, Don, regarding WORLDS AIDS DAY. This is -- how ONE and RED sort of decided they're going to put things together inviting President Obama and two former presidents, Bush and Clinton, along with Bono himself. They're going to be on the stage here shortly to talk about what has been accomplished over the last 10 years and also what still needs to be done specifically.
You have to look here at some of the -- the folks that are the partners here. Lots of different organizations including the Clinton Foundation, the George W. Bush Presidential Center. It's going to be an important discussion. People already starting to filter in here. A lot of partners of ONE and RED.
I will tell you, Don, 30 years now, 30 million funerals. That's obviously the headline when looking at the past. But today is really more of a discussion of the future. How do you continue to make some of the progress that they've made over the last 10 years, especially with the economies down all over the world.
The right people on stage are going to be talking about this. So the science, the money and where do we go from here? I'll be moderating the panel. Hopefully we'll get a chance to talk to you afterwards, as well. Back to you for now.
LEMON: All right, Sanjay, thank you very much. And make sure to tune in to CNN at 12:00 Eastern today. Sanjay Gupta and Bono joins Suzanne Malveaux live, and hear what the rock star has to say about the goal for an AIDS free generation by the year 2015.
Members of the Penn State community come together to deal with the child sex scandal and it was not easy. We'll talk to the student body president who attended the forum, next.
Plus, it's one of the biggest pot busts in history. Tons of marijuana discovered in an elaborate tunnel complete with an elevator and a rail system.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Checking news "Cross Country" now.
The fed seized 22 tons of pot from an elaborate border tunnel linking Tijuana to San Diego. Look at this place. It's one of the biggest marijuana busts in history. And authorities say the tunnel is the length of six football fields with an elevator and a rail cart system.
And check out this camera shot in L.A. It's bouncing around in the violent Santa Ana wind. Some with hurricane-force strength. That means flying debris and power outages affecting tens of thousands of people. Even parts of L.A.'s airport went dark leading to delays and diverted flights and some very unhappy people.
And the Reverend Billy Graham is in a North Carolina hospital. The 93-year-old evangelist is being monitored and treated for possible pneumonia but he is said to be in good spirits this morning.
Members of the Penn State community shared their emotions last night at a campus forum dealing with the child sex scandal. Students had a chance to question administrators and there were awkward moments such as this one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now I want to tell you how I feel. I don't know if all of you feel this way, but Sandusky was part of the Penn State family. We all are. And I feel shame.
What do I do with these feelings?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do I do with these feelings?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Awkward silence there.
T.J. Bard is the undergraduate student body president at Penn State and he attended that forum last night.
Hello, T.J., thank you for joining us.
Did anyone ever answer that woman's question?
T.J. BARD, PENN STATE STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT: Absolutely. I think the reason for the pause was just the emotion in the room at that point in time. I think a lot of people shared her emotion and I think they were absorbing it.
It was the first time of that evening that someone really, truly got emotional and I think everyone was just kind of, we shared in her emotions and I think it was just kind of that boiling point that we were all really emotional and we just kind of waited and soaked it in. But, absolutely. Numerous people who addressed her then once they kind of soaked in their own emotions.
LEMON: And there was sort of a tepid applause when she said, I feel shame. Is that what many people feel? I mean, I don't know if people were applauding or just awkward because they didn't want to applaud her statement. But do people on campus feel shame about this? Is that the overwhelming emotion there?
BARD: I think students were applauding her because they wanted to support her. They wanted to support her having the courage to stand up and really speak what was on her heart. Obviously, she was very emotional, as are the majority of us. I think those emotions are really running the gamut at this point. I think a lot of us are heart broken. A lot of us are still shocked.
But at the end of the day, we're truly ready to start moving on and getting answers and finding some closure. And I think that was the purpose of last night.
LEMON: You know, you have said this, too, we want to -- we should be remembering the victims. The victims are what's important here. But also, this is very important. This is why you're going to this institution.
Do you see the scandal is affecting you personally in the future and I mean other student, as well, not only you? Like when you go for a job interview, will a recruiter just want to talk about Jerry Sandusky or the scandal? Do you think it's going to affect your livelihood in that way?
BARD: I think, obviously, students have been deeply affected, and will continue to be deeply affected by this. Honestly, the future is yet to be foreseen.
But one of the great things last night and that was one of the questions one of the students actually asked the administration was, in regards to job offers and corporations, if they feel that they're looking at us differently than they did before. And the administration and President Erickson really reassured us that corporations have a vested interest in us. They're more confident in us than ever and they're really not pulling out their support from the student body.
They really -- they understand this wasn't a student issue. This was administrative issue and a faculty issue, and that the students shouldn't be faulted for this. And they have the upmost confidence. And I think the students really needed to hear that and they really appreciated hearing it.
LEMON: Let's be real here and talk about it. Everyone talks about school pride. I'm very proud of the college I went to. Everyone is usually pretty proud of their college.
My final question to you is, are you proud to be a Penn State student right now?
BARD: Penn State is more than the actions of a few. We're 96,000 students, 500,000 alumni. We have 156 years of history. And in the actions of the few, the events that transpired the past two weeks, they can't define us and they won't define us.
And we'll have 156 years, if not more, of histories and traditions and honors to be proud of.
So, I am proud to be a Penn State student. And my heart breaks for the victims and their families. And I think all of us at this point. We're really truly want the focus to be on them and for justice to be found for them.
LEMON: T.J. Bard, thank you for your time.
BARD: Thank you, Don.
LEMON: Millions of dollars are going unclaimed and we're talking about tax refunds here. Does the IRS owe you money?
We'll go to the New York Stock Exchange for some details.
Plus, a chocolate wonderland in China. There you go -- from dogs to shoes and unbelievable edible display of chocolate art.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Chocolate lovers, listen up. Edible chocolate artwork comes to Shanghai, China. It is built as the world's first chocolate theme park. What?
CNN's Zain Verjee has the mouth watering details for us.
I'm sure most people are going -- sign me up, where do I buy a ticket?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: They sure are. It is a chocolate wonderland. You know, China likes theme parks. Actually, Don, they had an Angry Birds theme park, would you believe? Now they have this chocolate theme park.
There are 200 chocolate art pieces made by dozens of chocolatiers. So, you can see from these pictures here, it's actually really cool. They have a river made out of chocolate. There are Louis Vuitton handbags made out of chocolate. Famous Terracotta warriors of China also in chocolate. Some amazing paintings, too.
It's pretty impressive. You could take a look at those shoes there that they managed to do something so incredible. There have been thousands of visitors coming to check this theme park out.
The only thing they do not have in chocolate, Don, is Bradley Cooper.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Is that what you would like?
VERJEE: Yes, I would. Actually.
LEMON: Well, he's not chocolate. I'm chocolate. You could have said Don Lemon. I'm chocolate, baby.
VERJEE: That's right. Sorry, Donny. I didn't. I only had the one track mind.
"Limitless." "The A-Team." "Hangover."
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Thank you. Thank you, Zain Verjee. Always a good time.
VERJEE: What a fine mocha it is. Thanks, Don.
LEMON: Bye-bye.
You missing some money lately? The IRS may have it. Isn't it usually the other way around?
Thousands of people still haven't gotten their tax refunds. Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange.
Alison, I think I have some idea how this could happen because I think this happened to me.
ALISOIN KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Did it really? Did you give the IRS or did the IRS have your wrong mailing address? Is that what happened to you?
LEMON: I haven't gotten it. It has been months. So, they're trying to track it down and figure out where it is.
KOSIK: OK. And this story is for you, Don. Listen, sure, the IRS says the problem here is that it has the wrong mailing addresses. And so, for future reference, take note here, Don. You want to make sure you get your refund in the future, make sure you get direct deposit, because it could be faster and it's more secure.
At this point, 99,000 people have yet to get their money. It's a small percentage of taxpayers, but those people are losing a lot of money because their average refund is at about $1,500. You add it up, that's more than $153 million in unclaimed tax refunds.
Now, if you want to go ahead and check if you are that person, Don, listen here. Check your status at IRS.gov. Go ahead and click on "where is my refund," which is located on the right-hand side.
Now, keep in mind, the IRS is not going to get out there and try to contact you. So, it's really up to you to go after your money, Don.
LEMON: Yes, and I think it takes like 60 days or something. They put a tracker on it. I already did that. I went to IRS.gov. I talked to them on the phone.
So, yes, I'm very familiar with this. Interesting, interesting.
Let's talk about things that affect most people in the country, and that's the markets, their money. Are you still expecting a flat open after yesterday's huge runoff?
KOSIK: Looking at a big of a lower open. And, you know, nothing huge, not too bad. You know, when we see this kind of monster rally like we saw yesterday, we often see a big pull back. So, this really shows that the market -- hey, may actually believe the central bank's moves may help support the global economy, but the reality of this situation is that this more or so fixes, it sort of it looks to help the symptoms. It doesn't necessarily fix the overriding issue that Europe's massive debt load is still there -- Don.
LEMON: All right, thank you, Alison. We'll be checking back with you.
Politics now. Newt Gingrich says the GOP race could come down to two choices: Newt or not Newt. Sounds confident, doesn't it? We're asking the best political team on television if he's the new man to beat.
Plus, Kris H accuses his wife, Kim Kardashian, of fraud. Are they still married? I'm not sure. We'll explain in showbiz.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Let's take a look at your top stories now.
In Baghdad, Vice President Joe Biden honors the sacrifice of U.S. and Iraqi troops. The ceremony just a month ahead of the U.S. withdrawal recognizes the coalition's achievement over the last 8 1/2 years.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with Myanmar's new president and says sanctions will be in place. U.S. wants the country formerly known as Burma to continue democratic reforms and cut military ties to North Korea.
At the White House, a huge red ribbon marks a 30th annual World AIDS Day. More than 33 million people worldwide are infected with the HIV virus.
The opening bell ringing on Wall Street. You see the applause right there, and a big cheer.
Investors are hoping for another big day following yesterday's nearly 500-point surge. Big board up yet? Once the big board comes up, we'll look -- there it is. It's ringing right now. We're going to keep an eye on this all morning for you.
If it's flat, as our folks in New York have said they believe, it's going to open flat. The big board is going to show up where it is going to open in just a moment. We'll get back to that just as soon as it happens.
There it is, opening at a plus, 0.53, minus 38, it's going to take a while to go up -- still trading around 12,000. There you go.
The Dow in positive territory yesterday and at that point -- yesterday, at this point we were up 161 points, but not so today. So, we shall see.
Let's talk a little politics now.
And we're going to start with Newt Gingrich and he said the tables have turned in the GOP race for the White House. Please, listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think whereas I would have thought originally, it's was going to be Mitt and not Mitt, I think it may turn out to be Newt and not Newt, and that's a very different formula than, frankly -- so, we're having to redesign our campaign strategy because we're at least 60 days ahead of where I thought we'd be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So, he didn't think he'd be at this point, at this level at this point.
I'm joined now by CNN political analyst Roland Martin and CNN contributor Will Cain.
OK. I expected at least a tie or an ascot, guys. I mean, come on here.
(CROSSTALK)
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Kyra is normally here, this is the way we roll in this segment.
LEMON: I feel like I should take my tie off.
MARTIN: Well, actually, you know, Will has a little inferiority complex. So, I got to tune it down, because he's really at that level yet. But it's OK.
LEMON: Oh, my God. Let's stick to business here and I'll start with you since you're doing all the talking, Roland. Does Newt Gingrich have a point or is this wishful thinking?
MARTIN: Let's remind ourselves. In 2008, at this very point, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson were leading the pack in the Republican polls. What happened to them? Two of the worst campaigns in history.
Look, there's no doubt that Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, is riding a wave of momentum. But my suggestion to note would be, you focus on Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. All of this whole talk about, you know, debates and, you know, general election strategy against President Obama, you need to win the nomination.
He does not have smooth sails. He still has lots of issues. And so, I would say, Newt, calm down a bit, don't get cocky and arrogant. You still need to win some primaries.
LEMON: Well, here's the thing, Will. I guess, I guess we do. Who knows what's out there? But pretty much, Newt is a known entity.
So, all of his scandals, all these skeletons or whatever, I guess, have come out already. So, people already know about him and they are supporting him. So, does he have a point? Unlike Herman Cain?
WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: That is huge, Don. It's huge.
First of all, all of Newt Gingrich's flaws -- look, we know his issues with his wife, his infidelity. But the truth is, most of his flaws and people talk about these days, don't involve the word "sex" -- which is huge.
And second, we already know them all. They happened over the past decade, whether or not it's being the force behind Medicare Part D, whether it's taking money from Fannie and Freddie, they're known quantities, as you just said.
So, the end result, because it neither has the word sex attached to it, nor would it come as a surprise, it would never feed a 24, 48- week-long news cycle the way a Herman Cain issue did. So, it's going to play in Newt Gingrich's favor. It means we can't dismiss him.
LEMON: OK.
MARTIN: No, no, no, Don, I got some issues with that. I got some serious issues with what Will just said.
LEMON: Go ahead.
MARTIN: Because what we have to own up to, is that first of all, the revelations about Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, you see the stories talking about the amount of money he has gotten from health care companies, some $37 million, tied to all these various entities that he has.
Look, Newt Gingrich says one thing and does another.
LEMON: Roland --
MARTIN: The Congressman Ron Paul ad is devastating against Newt Gingrich. He still has to answer those questions.
LEMON: Roland, I understand. I agree with you. But this has been, I've read at least three or four stories about that in "The Times" over the last couple days. And it's been out there. But he is still gaining in the polls.
CAIN: Yes.
LEMON: So, conventional wisdom, you may say he has to answer these things, but the voter is supporting him.
CAIN: Exactly. The issue is the difference between should --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Go ahead, Will.
CAIN: Exactly, Don. The issue is should and will it. Roland, should it matter that Newt Gingrich took money from Fannie and Freddie? Absolutely.
Will it? It doesn't seem to matter to voters, right now at least, because you know why, Roland, because it's a policy issue, because it's a smart issue.
Voters out there, people watching -- you know what gets their attention and takes them away from their morning breakfast right now, the word sex. You need something like that to sink a campaign at this point.
LEMON: Go ahead, Roland.
MARTIN: Let me remind, let me remind both of you of something. Not one person has voted.
Y'all keep saying the voters. These are polls. I started this conversation off by telling both of you, Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, no entities were leading in the polls in 2007 at this point. What happened?
What I'm saying is there a difference between what happens in polls and what also takes place in the voting booth. And so, Newt Gingrich still has to deal with that. You still have to convince the voters.
What I'm saying is, also, more scrutiny will now be on him and he will no longer give free rides in the debates when he was down in the polls. Expect Romney and Perry and the other candidates to now laser-like focus on Newt Gingrich so not as simple as, hey, it's all known, it's all no big deal. No, it's a different deal now.
LEMON: Roland --
CAIN: That's all fair. That's hard to disagree with. All I can say is I hope you're right and I'm wrong.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: All right. Thank you, guys.
MARTIN: You're a Texas Longhorn, you're always wrong.
LEMON: That's going to have to be it. He always has to go to that. Roland, come on now.
(CROSSTALK)
CAIN: That's what happens when you lose. You go on TV for the last five seconds and make a cheap shot.
LEMON: Good-bye. Thank you, guys. Thank you, guys. That's it.
Coming up, talking evangelism and taking it to a new place. Pastor Joel Olsteen is working on our new reality show and he says it is ready for primetime.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Kanye West might want to expand his trophy room. He already has got 14 Grammys and he has just nominated for seven more.
A.J. Hammer joins us now live from New York.
Hello, A.J.
Kanye leads the pack this year with the most nominations, but a few folks are hot on his heels.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST, HLN'S "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Yes, Don. Kanye may have the most nods this year. If I were him, I wouldn't start counting those Grammys just yet, because I think this year, it's going to be all about Adele. She got six nominations. And quite frankly, every one, even the other nominees think she is going to be the Grammy juggernaut to beat this year.
The only real mystery seems to be, is Adele going to have recovered from her throat surgery in time to perform at the award ceremony? Of course, that happens in February.
Well, "Showbiz Tonight" was right there backstage last night at the nomination special, really a great night of music. And we spoke with a lot of nominees, including country star Jason Aldean who got three dominations last night. He said he was glad he wasn't competing directly against Adele.
Also, Bruno Mars, who matched Adele's six nods, including in the album of the year and record of the year categories, something that he laughed about backstage. But he told us that even though he was nominated for seven Grammys last year alone, he still gets a thrill being nominated, again.
Listen to what he told us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNO MARS, 6 GRAMMY NOMINATIONS: You know, you want to jump and I wanted to rip my clothes off and bang on my chest. But I was trying to be cool because I was like, the parents are probably watching, so, oh, that's great, album of the year. Cool.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Probably best he didn't rip his clothe off last night.
Some of the others who heard their name repeatedly, Foo Fighters, they got six nominations.
And Lady Gaga who's up for three Grammy Awards in the coming year. Now, Don, she had -- I don't know if you were watching because it was pretty late. She had what I thought was not only the best performance of the night last night, but perhaps one of the best TV musical performance I have seen, in I don't know, a decade.
She and Sugarland performed her hit "You and I." It brought the house down. It was really -- I was on the edge of my seat in the living room. I cannot describe it enough. Seek it out and watch this thing. It was unbelievable.
LEMON: Thank you very much, A.J.
A.J. is back with "Showbiz Headlines" in just about an hour. A.J., thanks again.
Coming up, the pastor of a megachurch is working on a reality show. Are you ready for some extreme faith makeover?
And plans to evict a 103-year-old woman. Will her home be saved this holiday season? Can you believe that? That story is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: This is time when we take you across country for some news.
A bizarre plane crash at Seattle's Boeing Field Wednesday night. Shortly after takeoff, this piper crashed into a parked aircraft, caught fire and it flipped over. CNN affiliate KIRO says the flight instructor and student onboard escaped with minor injuries.
We go on to Georgia where 103-year-old Vinia Hall and her 83- year-old daughter were supposed to be evicted from their home on Tuesday. Sheriff deputies and movers refused to kick them out.
After outrage from the community, the bank says they no longer plan to evict the woman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CROWD: Three, two, one!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Did you watch it? It's always a spectacle. A magical moment in New York City last night. The annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
The Norway Spruce sparkles with 30,000 LED lights, five miles of wire and is topped off with a Swarovski crystal star. It probably costs more than you and I make in a year.
All right, he runs the biggest church in the country and his services are watched by millions every week. Well, Pastor Joel Osteen is looking for another way to bring his message to the masses. He's teamed up with the producer of "Survivor" to work on a reality show.
Mark Burnett, right?
DAN GILGOFF, CNN.COM RELIGION EDITOR: That's right.
LEMON: That's not Mark Burnett, this is Dan Gilgoff. He's the religion editor at CNN.com and he's written about Osteen's new venture on our belief blog. So Dan, what's the story with this show? What's -- what's the premise? It is a unique idea?
GILGOFF: It is a unique idea. And what Osteen says; and you know it's important to realize that Osteen is already huge. I mean, he runs the biggest church in America.
LEMON: Yes.
GILGOFF: They meet every Sunday in the former Compact Center where the Houston Rockets used to play, 16,000 seats and his sermons are already nationally televised. As people say reach 10 million people every Sunday.
And so I think there's a big question surrounding the show and that is -- will this introduce him to new people, to new markets, will this broaden his appeal even further?
LEMON: Because does not mean, it's a built -- and everyone said out, this is my Bible. I am what it says, that's how he starts and he's on and from him and his dad. His dad started that whole thing. And you're right, he's like a rock star when he go to this events and he packs these auditoriums.
One would think it's a built-in audience. But if this is uncharted territory, what don't know what this is -- there's no conflict like the Kardashians or anything like that.
GILGOFF: Right. So, the premise of the show is that he goes into towns and the show is still in development. Him and Mark Burnett recently signed a deal. Mark Burnett of course is the man behind "Survivor"; kind of pioneered reality television. And the premise is that they go into different towns and it could be a rundown neighborhood. It could be a town that was hit by a tornado and it's illustrating his -- members of his congregation doing good works across the country.
And he says that America is home to the most generous and selfless people on the face of the planet.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: So it's a feel-good show, it's a feel-good show like, what is it? "Extreme Home Makeover" sort of thing, right.
GILGOFF: That's right, that what he's comparing it to. And Mark Burnett says that reality television is changing so that although shows about conflict and criticism and nasty judges have done well, because of the economic downturn and because people are hurting -- this is what Mark Burnett says -- people are looking to feel good about themselves.
LEMON: Yes, yes. Well it's interesting. I mean, I think that "Home Makeover" show does very well. And it's going to be on a major network, right in primetime.
GILGOFF: That's what the hopes are.
LEMON: Ok.
GILGOFF: Right now it's still in development. They've been befriending each other basically over the course of the past year. Now his people say they've been approached many times over the years about a show. We'll see if this one works.
LEMON: All right. He's got a good-looking family. That's always good for TV, very telegenic as we know because he's on television every week.
Thank you, Dan Gilgoff.
GILGOFF: Right.
LEMON: I appreciate it. Dan does some great work here. You can read Dan's piece at CNN.com/belief. If you like, you can join the conversation and leave a comment for him. Again thanks to Dan Gilgoff.
GILGOFF: Thank you.
LEMON: Tosses a Frisbee, tossing I should say a Frisbee has come a long way from the college campus. I want you to check this out. The Frisbees thrown off a bridge and over the water and someone will make the catch. The whole tape coming up in sports.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: 2011, almost over. And we want you to help us pick the top ten stories of the year. Just go to this Web site, cnn.com/topstories and take part in our online poll between now and December 15th. Now and December 15th, the top ten stories of the year will be unveiled on air and online on December 30th.
Let's check some stories now making headlines.
Later today to mark World Aids Day, Magic Johnson will kick off a free HIV testing caravan at 11:45 Eastern. Vans will fan out to sites across Los Angeles.
At 2:00 this afternoon the top execs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will testify at a congressional hearing. The troubled mortgage giants have come under fire for handing out hefty bonuses.
And then at 5:00 President Barack Obama and his family will light the National Christmas Tree.
We are following lots of developments next hour in the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's check in first with Christine Romans.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there Don. We're watching stocks. And they're holding on to yesterday's gains. The DOW is down just a little bit. But I'll tell you just what has to happen next for Europe to recover and what that means for your job, your mortgage rate, and your own economy here in the U.S. I'll have that at top of the hour.
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: And I'm Mark Preston in Washington. Herman Cain's campaign for the Republican presidential nomination could be coming to a quick end. Or maybe not. I'll have more at the top of the hour. BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Brianna Keilar at the White House. Well, President Obama is marking World Aids Day by announcing a new commitment to fight the disease here in the U.S. and all around the world. And he'll be getting a little backup from Presidents Bush and Clinton. We'll have that after the top of the hour.
LEMON: And we see that big red AIDS ribbon right over your shoulder there. Thank you very much all of you.
Also coming up, when you think of the top places to retire, Florida and Arizona probably come to mind, right. But baby boomers are now flocking to some new hot spots. We'll tell you where, next hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: It's certainly a night to remember for the parents of college basketball brothers Tyler and Cody Zeller. Jeff Fischel is here.
JEFF FISCHEL, HLN SPORTS: Yes. Don, it was kind of like one of those math word problems. It's Cody Zeller's Indiana team; their game starts at Raleigh at 7:15 Eastern. And Tyler Zeller's North Carlina game starts at Chapel Hill at 9:30. And if Steve and Laurie Zeller drive the speed limit for the 23 miles between the two, how much of each game could they see?
Look at their custom made shirts for Indiana and North Carolina.
First stop, freshman Cody and the Hoosiers taking on NC state. Steve and Laurie leaving the second half so they miss Cody's Hoosiers making a comeback to win.
Next stop, North Carolina versus Wisconsin. Mom and dad, they get there during the first half. It was a great top ten battle. Tyler Zeller had 12 points. His Tarheels beat the Badgers 60-57. A great night for the Zeller family.
An emotional moment for fired UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel. At the final practice last night with Neuheisel, the team carried him coach off the field singing the UCLA fight song. Neuheisel is also a UCLA grad. He fought back tears a number of times at a news conference right after this. The Bruins are huge underdogs and his final game tomorrow at Oregon in the Pack 12 championship game.
And finally, you've got to watch this over and over again.
LEMON: Oh my God.
FISCHEL: This guy throws a Frisbee out into the bay. Meanwhile, down below there's a speed boat, and incredible catch diving out of the boat.
LEMON: No freaking way. FISCHEL: And of course, some people saying, I don't believe it. It's photo-shopped, whatever. Now here's the camera on the boat to say, yes, it really happened. Watch as the Frisbee comes down and he just dives out and grabs it.
LEMON: Was this planned or was it just -- these people happened to be out there.
FISCHEL: No, no. They were trying to show some guys who do trick basketball shots that they could one-up them.
LEMON: That was nice.
FISCHEL: Awesome. I have to high five you for that one.
That was really good. I wish we could do that. That's sports.
LEMON: Thank you very much, sir. Appreciate it.
FISCHEL: OK.
LEMON: You know, fire alarms can go off at the most inopportune moments. CNN's Jeanne Moos reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No cause for alarm.
Fire alarms go off everywhere, from the U.N. to church, but the one that went off at the beginning of the NBC "Nightly News" made news.
BRIAN WILLIAMS, ANCHOR, NBC NEWS: For all the bankruptcies we've covered in this grim U.S. economy, this one gets your attention.
You'll forgive us --
MOOS: The alarm was unforgiving.
WILLIAMS: Well, perhaps not something special anymore.
MOOS: It went on.
WILLIAMS: Andrea thanks. That fire alarm we assured everybody had been given the all clear is back on.
MOOS: And on.
WILLIAMS: Thanks for bearing with us.
MOOS: Not totally stopping until about 23 minutes into the newscast.
WILLIAMS: We continue to be under no danger. It's just clearing the electronics.
MOOS: But poor Brian Williams is not alone.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Especially in some already close races here in the northeast. Fire alarm.
MOOS: The fire alarm has been alarming anchors regularly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Trying to sneak into the U.S. now facing --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Reach -- oh, my goodness.
MOOS: Connie Chung was tortured by one during her very first show at CNN.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh boy. There it goes again.
MOOS (on camera): There is one sure-fired TV strategy for when the fire alarm goes off when you're live on the air. Go to break.
(voice-over): Though even that --
WILLIAMS: We'll take a break we'll be right back.
MOOS: -- didn't help Brian Williams. In his case, workers changing ventilation filters in the news studio triggered the alarm, but sometimes it's the real thing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Florida became the first state to allow citizens. Excuse me, we're having some technical problems in the studio.
Let me try to get through this while we figure out what to do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to have to go to a break, guys. We have a fire in the studio.
MOOS: Abandon set. The top light was shooting sparks.
The award for best impersonation of a fire warning goes to, calling Shep Smith of Fox News.
SHEPPARD SMITH, ANCHOR, FOX NEWS CHANNEL: There's never a fire in here, but they go off. In just a minute some dude on like the 50th floor will come on and go, hello, this is the fire warden. Nothing weird has happened. There is a lady stuck in the toilet on the 31st floor.
MOOS: The prize for most Zen reaction goes to Stevie Wonder.
STEVIE WONDER, MUSICIAN: I'm trying to figure out a new melody.
MOOS: Come on, baby, light my fire alarm.
Jeanne Moos, CNN -- go to break.
SMITH: There may be a fire on this floor, next. MOOS: New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
