Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Campaign Attack Ads Hit TV; Jerry Sandusky's Wife Denies She Ignored Boy's Screams for Help; Ex-FBI Agent Robert Levinson Appears in Video; Deal To Save The Euro; House Plans Payroll Tax Cut Vote; Two Dead In Virginia Tech Shooting; Jay-Z: "I'll Pay More Taxes"

Aired December 09, 2011 - 12:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. I'm Suzanne Malveaux.

Want to get you up to speed.

A deal to save the euro is driving U.S. stocks higher today. Want to check the Big Board now. The Dow's up 161 points.

Analysts say it is positive, yet lukewarm, reception to today's news from Europe. All 17 eurozone nations, those that use the euro as their currency, agreed to tightly integrate their economies, so that includes oversight of each country's annual budgets and a cap on deficits.

Police are trying to find a motive behind yesterday's Virginia Tech shootings. They say the apparent gunman and victim didn't know each other.

A university spokesman says the suspected shooter was not a student there, and ballistics tests confirm that the same gun was used to kill the suspect and a campus police officer. The suspect apparently died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Virginia Tech police identified the slain officer as Deriek Crouse. He was 39, married, with five children and stepchildren. And police say that gunman just walked right up to him and fired.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIE FLEMING, VIRGINIA TECH STUDENT: They opened his car door, and when they opened it, he just fell out towards the ground. And then they immediately started reviving him. And then two cops took off with some sort of automatic weapons, I guess. They started running the opposite direction after the gunman.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: That's so sad.

A small vigil was held on the Blacksburg campus last night. There is another one that is for Officer Crouse that is scheduled this evening.

A massive blaze in southwestern Pakistan today after militants fired a missile at 20 NATO supply trucks. Trucks were loaded with fuel and supplies for troops in Afghanistan.

So, we knew it was bad, but not this bad. The Air Force now admitting that it dumped the ashes of at least 274 fallen U.S. troops in a landfill in Virginia. That's far more than the Defense Department acknowledged to Congress last month. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta now ordering an independent investigation into this case.

A woman accused of dousing fellow Black Friday shoppers with pepper spray at a California Wal-Mart not facing felony charges. This was the scene. Firefighters had to treat 10 people who had been pepper- sprayed. The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office may consider misdemeanor charges.

So, take a look at this, incredible, incredible video. Amazing red- hot lava rushing down the side of the Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii's big island, flowing into an abandoned neighborhood. Authorities have closed off the tourist area until it is safe.

All right. Get ready to rumble. Presidential candidates, they're taking off the boxing gloves and, of course, the kid gloves, that is, in new attack ads.

First, Rick Perry striking at the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RICK PERRY (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a Christian. But you don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know that there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military, when our kids can't celebrate Christmas or pray in school. As president, I'll end Obama's war on religion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Joining me now, Larry Sabato. He is director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

So, Professor, first of all, let's just deal with that ad. Does that make any sense to you, that Perry's using gays openly serving in the military to slam the president on values?

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: It makes perfect sense when you consider that Perry's entire candidacy rests on Iowa. And you only need to know two things about the Iowa Republican caucuses. Sixty percent of the people participating, approximately, will be fundamentalist Christians, conservative fundamentalist Christians. They love the message of this ad.

The second fact is there won't be a whole lot of gay activists participating in the Republican Iowa caucuses, so there's not much of a downside. There's only an upside, and Perry needs all the help he can get.

MALVEAUX: Let's look at the candidates going after the man who's topping all the polls for the Republicans, Newt Gingrich. I want you to listen to this Mitt Romney ad.

I understand we don't have it, but he is going after Newt Gingrich, and the one thing that he's using is he's using conservative Republicans to make the point, saying that he's flip-flopping, that he's all over the place.

Do you think that that's going to be effective?

SABATO: Well, he has to use two arguments, and he's trying to use both of them in his ads. The first is that Gingrich should be disqualified, at least by conservative Christians, conservative Republicans, because of his inconstancy. And that includes the three marriages, but it also includes flip-flopping on a lot of issues.

That's the attack on Romney that's really sold within the Republican Party, and really beyond the Republican Party, that he's a flip- flopper. So, Romney is turning that on Gingrich, using people like Governor Sununu, former Governor Sununu of New Hampshire, and saying, wait a minute, Newt, you're a flip-flopper, too.

MALVEAUX: And there's a debate that's coming up here Saturday on ABC. We're going to see all these guys again. What do we make of how they are actually going to he debating each other? Do we think that there's going to be a topic that's really going to pick up and spark?

SABATO: Well, Newt Gingrich, for the first time, will really be on the hot seat, Suzanne. I think that's the key to this debate, because he has popped up in the polls almost everywhere, and in some places, is the runaway front-runner.

It isn't just Romney who has to go after him. Think about Perry, Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul. He's absorbed -- Gingrich has absorbed all their votes. If they don't get some of them back on Iowa, January 3rd, they're not going to be in the race very long.

MALVEAUX: We all remember that debate moment where you had Romney and Rick Perry kind of in each other's face there, if you will, with that hand on the shoulder. It almost looked like they were going to duke it out.

What do we think in the positioning of now Newt Gingrich next to Romney?

SABATO: Well, Suzanne, I don't think it would be a good idea for either Romney to touch Gingrich or Gingrich to touch Romney. We'll see whether they do.

At this point, the stakes are really high, and there's only three weeks to go, and one of the weeks is Christmas week. That's not going to be a good political week to make points. This debate and the one following are really it for the Iowa caucuses.

MALVEAUX: All right. Larry, thanks. Good to see you again.

Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we are working on.

Next, former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky's wife is speaking out. She says her husband did not molest young boys in the couple's home.

Then, Virginia Tech copes with another tragedy. We've got new information on yesterday's deadly shootings.

Also, we're seeing video now for the first time of a former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran nearly five years ago. His family now pleading for help.

We've also got some of the year's top pictures, dramatic images, like this one that stick in your mind.

And plus, rap star Jay-Z telling us what he thinks about paying higher taxes and about the Occupy Wall Street movement.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: The wife of former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky says that she's shocked by the allegation against her. An updated grand jury report says that she ignored a boy's screams for help as Jerry Sandusky sexually assaulted him in the family's basement.

In a statement to CNN, Dottie Sandusky says -- and I'm quoting here -- "No child who ever visited our home was ever forced to stay in our basement. We would never do anything to hurt them. We don't know why these young men have made these false accusations, but we want everyone to know they are untrue."

I want to bring in our CNN contributor Sara Ganim in State College, Pennsylvania.

So, Sara, you have the wife here going on to say that her husband's innocent, even though 10 now -- 10 -- have come forward outlining these alleged crimes in pretty graphic detail to a grand jury.

What do we make of this dramatically different story?

SARA GANIM, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, you know, I think the significance of Dottie's statement yesterday was that she's come up a few times in the grand jury presentments. She was mentioned as one of the people that called one of the victims after he was contacted by police, and then yesterday, in a much more compelling testimony, was mentioned as somebody who may have ignored screams of a child who was being assaulted in her basement.

You know, I think that was the significance of her statement, was that she came out in support of her husband, which we kind of already had the idea, that she was supporting her husband based on some interactions she had with the wife of -- or the ex-wife of one of her adopted sons who had some concerns about Jerry Sandusky being around their grandchildren. So, this is her first public statement since his arrest more than a month ago, and, you know, it's what everybody here was talking about yesterday. So, for her to issue that statement was something that people really wanted to hear.

MALVEAUX: And we -- Sara, I know that a CNN crew just spoke with Sandusky's attorney, Joe Amendola, outside the home just a little while ago. He was asked if he was worried that the wife, Dottie Sandusky, might face charges.

Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE AMENDOLA, JERRY SANDUSKY'S ATTORNEY: It's not clear even from the allegations made by the accuser number 9 that Dottie was aware, assuming something was going on, that anything was going on. Of course, Jerry denies anything happened. Dottie denies she ever heard any screams. So I think the attorney general's office would be hard- pressed trying to pursue some sort of criminal action against Dottie in the absence of any direct proof that, even assuming, which we deny, but even assuming that the allegations are true, that she knew anything about those allegations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So, Sara, set the scene for us here. We know that Jerry Sandusky, he's going to be in court on Tuesday for a preliminary hearing. And our CNN affiliate, they shot video of the courtroom inside.

What do we think is going to happen there? How is this going to play out?

GANIM: Well, I think that we're going to hear from several of the victims outlined in those two grand jury presentments. That's for sure. You know, his attorney says this morning that anyone who's looking for a surprise or some kind of shocking testimony really is -- that's probably not going to happen, that it's going to be an outline of the case, but not necessarily any bombshells coming on Tuesday, although everyone's going to be listening very intently to what those -- at least eight of those victims have to say.

MALVEAUX: All right. Sara, thank you. Appreciate it.

We'll all be watching Tuesday, that initial hearing taking place.

Well, he went missing in Iran for almost five years, and now there is a newly-posted video message from the former FBI agent. He is desperate to be saved. We're going to talk to the wife of Bob Levinson.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Well, a lot of doubts being raised about the drone that Iran has been parading around on TV. Iran claims that it's an American drone shot down over its territory, but there are some officials in the United States that say this could be a fake.

But CNN's Chris Lawrence tells us there is an even bigger question here. If the drone is American, what was it doing when it went down?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A U.S. official says it was a CIA mission strictly to search for insurgents in Afghanistan near the border. But several sources point out the Sentinel is a stealth zone designed to penetrate areas with air defenses. They say it's hard to believe the drone was strictly operating over Afghanistan, which has none.

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON, AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE OFFICER (RET.): So, it could have been used in Iran, it could have been deliberately used in Iran. And it's very likely, in fact, that it was a reconnaissance platform of choice to do precisely that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Iran is complaining to the U.N. about the alleged flight of an American drone over its territory.

So, there are now new pleas for help today from the family of a missing former FBI agent. Robert Levinson has been held captive for almost five years. For the first time, we are seeing this video of him.

You see how different he looks from when he disappeared in Iran back in March of 2007, much thinner. And the family posted this video on their Web site today. It is difficult to watch. He is 49 years old, and he is now pleading for -- 59, rather, pleading for help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT LEVINSON, FMR. FBI AGENT: I am running very quickly out of diabetes medicine. I have been treated well, but I need the help of the United States government to answer the requests of the group that has held me for three-and-a-half years. Thirty-three years of service to the United States deserves something. Please help me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: I want to bring in our own Jill Dougherty, who's at the State Department.

Jill, what do we know about this new video and the family coming forward?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a new video. However, it actually, we understand, was received by the family last year, and now they have decided to release it.

And what is the big question, of course, is, why did they release it at this time? Looking at that picture, Suzanne, you said it's difficult to look at it. And indeed, Mr. Levinson was a very robust, 6'4, 250 pounds when he was living at home. And now he looks quite different.

So I understand that we do have an interview that we can go to. Is that correct?

MALVEAUX: Yes, Jill.

DOUGHERTY: OK. I believe that we have. I don't know whether we can see, but we can certainly hear Christine Levinson, Mrs. Levinson, the wife of Robert Levinson.

Christine -- Mrs. Levinson, can you hear me? It's Jill.

CHRISTINE LEVINSON, ROBERT LEVINSON'S WIFE: Yes, I can.

DOUGHERTY: Oh, good. OK. Oh, there you are.

I wanted to -- I know we've talked before a number of times. When you saw that video -- and if you could tell us when you got it -- what did you feel? What did you think when you saw that video?

C. LEVINSON: Of course, we got it, as you said, a little more than a year ago. When I saw it, I was very sad to see him looking the way he does. However, at the same time, I was happy to learn that he was alive.

DOUGHERTY: Yes, that's the most important thing, of course.

Why did you decide to release it right at this point? I mean, you have had it for a year. Why now?

C. LEVINSON: Well, we have -- since we received that video, we've tried to get in touch with the group that is holding Bob. Unfortunately, we have not received any response from them, and we feel that this is a way to try and reach them with our plea and the video to get them to let us know what the family needs to do to get Bob home alive and quickly.

DOUGHERTY: And I know you've been dealing with the State Department. In fact, Secretary Clinton, back in March of this year, referred to that proof of life. I'm presuming this is that proof of life.

Did you give that video to them? Are they able to help?

C. LEVINSON: Yes, that is the same proof of life that she spoke about. The FBI has an ongoing investigation in the case. So we're hoping that we'll get some results.

DOUGHERTY: So you've had no communication whatsoever from whoever is holding your husband?

C. LEVINSON: We did. When we received the video, we tried to get back in touch with them, and since then we've tried multiple times to get an answer from them on what we need to do to get Bob home.

DOUGHERTY: But no response?

C. LEVINSON: No response.

DOUGHERTY: You know, this is such a difficult time right now, relations with Iran. We all know what's going on. Very tense. Do you think that in the context of how bad it is, will it be harder, do you think? I know it's difficult to judge, but do you think that would be an impact on getting Mr. Levinson freed?

C. LEVINSON: Well, as recently as the last U.N. General Assembly meeting in September, President Ahmadinejad had said that he was willing to help find Bob and send him home to us. I'm hoping that he will continue to do that.

DOUGHERTY: Is the Iranian government telling you anything to that effect, what they're doing?

C. LEVINSON: No, I have not had any contact with them recently as far as information about what happened to Bob. I have no information.

DOUGHERTY: I just wanted to make sure, when you -- you had no reaction, and so this is why you put the videotape out there on the Web site. But is it out of frustration? I mean, is there any help coming from the U.S. government to free Mr. Levinson?

C. LEVINSON: They are investigating. It's a difficult area of the world to get any kind of information from. I continue to hope that the group holding Bob will get back in touch with us so that we can find out what we need to do to get Bob home.

DOUGHERTY: Yes.

And I know, Suzanne, you probably want to ask a quick question. I just want to ask one last question of Christine.

And that is, I know you traveled to Iran. Would you go again if it helped?

C. LEVINSON: Of course. If I knew that I could bring Bob home, I would travel anywhere I needed to.

DOUGHERTY: OK. Well, I hope he will come back, and very soon.

Suzanne, you wanted to ask a question?

MALVEAUX: Yes. Sure.

Mrs. Levinson, I know it's been a very frustrating experience for you, having him been gone and missing from you for so long. Do you feel that your husband is still alive?

C. LEVINSON: Yes, I do.

MALVEAUX: OK. Well, we wish you the very best, and we certainly hope that the tape, video, will help find him. Thank you.

C. LEVINSON: Thank you.

MALVEAUX: Well, she borrowed money for a one-way ticket to Washington, and when I met Eman al-Obeidi at the Libyan Embassy, she just had $40 in her pocket. She said she was desperate. Her journey has been a difficult one.

So you may recall in the middle of Libya's violent civil war, Eman's story came to embody the cruelty of the Gadhafi regime. It was back in March Eman burst into this crowded AAA hotel room screaming that she had been raped by Gadhafi soldiers. Well, security guards, the forces, dragged her out of the hotel to an unknown destination and attacked the journalists who tried to help her. She was called a drunk and a whore by Gadhafi's government, but for others, she has been the face of defiance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMAN AL-OBEIDI, ALLEGED LIBYAN RAPE VICTIM: I usually get harassed when I have to show my identification card to government officials somewhere. And they find out who I am and that I've put complaints forward against Gadhafi's people. They humiliate me to the point where other people gather around and start saying that it's shameful to treat a Libyan woman that way. It is the same thing every day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And so Eman fled, bouncing from country to country. Finally, she found asylum here in the United States, but her journey is not over.

This is the first time that we have heard from her since she arrived in the United States. In our exclusive interview, she tells me about her life here, her struggles to recover from the brutality of that attack in Libya, and her efforts to move on here in the states.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AL-OBEIDI (through translator): When I came, I never imagined life would be this hard. There's nothing easy. You have to work. You have to work.

I mean, as we say in Libya, you have to kill yourself working just to survive. And I wish there even was work. The state I'm in seems cut off. There are no work opportunities. I have been going to the employment office for four months.

MALVEAUX: Do you have any support from your family?

AL-OBEIDI: My family supports me. I've been here for four months, and without the aid they send me every month, I could not have survived. Three hundred dollars a month can do nothing.

MALVEAUX: What would you like to do? Would you like to go back to your family in Libya?

AL-OBEIDI: I am sure everyone wants to return back to their own country, but I'm not mentally ready for that. I also feel personally I'm not ready to integrate back into the society. I feel life for me is hard because everything is so different, from culture to language.

(END VIDEOTAPE) MALVEAUX: Eman tells me that the pain is still too great to go back to Libya, but this isn't home either. I asked her as well about Gadhafi's death and what she's going to do next. She is a fighter, and we're going to bring more of my exclusive conversation with Eman al-Obeidi. That is on Monday, only in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Well, it's a deal to save the euro. We're going to explain how it might impact the dollars in your portfolio.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Here's what's ahead on the rundown next.

European leaders reach a deal to tackle the debt crisis. We'll tell you why it matters to us Americans.

Rapper Jay-Z talks about taxes and the "Occupy Wall Street" movement.

And remember this iconic image from the past year. We're going to show you some of the biggest dramatic moments of the past year in pictures.

And now highlights of a deal reached in Brussels today. One designed to save the euro and restore confidence in the world market.

Seventeen countries that use the euro, along with five other E.U. countries will submit their yearly budgets to a central body for approval.

Now the deficit, that's the root of the debt crisis, they will be capped at 0.5 percent of economic output and automatic penalties would kick in for any country that overspends.

Felicia Taylor at the New York Stock Exchange to give us a sense about whether or not this is actually working. This was all about restoring the market's confidence in the euro. Is the Dow responding? What do we see?

FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Dow is definitely responding, but you know, it is kind of a little bit difficult to gauge exactly what it is responding to because we've got today a tiny bit of a relief rally and that's because we had some significant losses yesterday.

The Dow was down about 200 points. So it is normal to see a little bit of a give-back, you know, people are sort of jumping into the marketplace looking for those beaten down stocks and kind of picking them up and reduced prices.

So that's part of the answer to the question. But definitely there's no -- there's certainty that the E.U. plan is a step in the right direction, but it is these baby steps. That's the problem.

It is not a lot of what the market really needs to see implemented in time and that's where some of the uncertainty still remains.

But nevertheless, the Dow is up 1.3 percent. The Nasdaq is up 1.5 percent as is the S&P. So going into a weekend, that's really pretty strong considering the market's only been open for about three hours.

MALVEAUX: Yes, that's good news. I mean, so what do we make of how this deal an ocean away matters to most folks here?

TAYLOR: Well, this really is a global economy. We saw the Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner who went to Europe this week because, frankly, Europe is that important to the American economy and the immediate impact as we've just talked about is in stocks.

But the more important thing is that Europe is our biggest trading partner. We've exported $275 billion worth in goods to Europe so far this year. If their economies are going to shrink, then those consumers aren't going to be out there buying American goods and products.

So naturally the healthier that Europe is the more they buy from the U.S. and the better that our American companies do and affect the bottom line. So it is very important that Europe stays healthy because it definitely matters for American manufacturers.

MALVEAUX: How's Wall Street? Are they satisfied with the deal?

TAYLOR: Not really. You know, this discussion isn't over yet. That is the problem. This is just an agreement on the table. They have to implement these things. They've got to put the details into it and actually put them to work.

That could take more time, will take more time and meanwhile the threat's still out there. Take for instance today. Moody's, one of the credit rating agencies, downgraded another three big French banks. That's not good news.

There is still uncertainty in the marketplace. China has said its manufacturing is going to get hit by Europe as well like we talked about with the American economy. So there is still a lot of uncertainty out there. So no, they got a little bit, but not everything that they wanted.

MALVEAUX: OK, thanks. Have a great weekend.

The House is setting up a showdown with President Obama next week. Republicans plan to go ahead with a vote on a measure to extend the payroll tax cut into 2012. Here's the rub.

The bill would also revive a proposed oil pipeline running from Canada to Texas. Well, President Obama shelved that. House Speaker John Boehner says it would create jobs.

The president says he wants a bill dealing with the payroll tax cut only and he's going to stay in Washington through the holidays to get that done. New information now about the man suspected of opening fire at Virginia Tech yesterday. Now the school says he wasn't a student. We'll go live to the campus in Blacksburg.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: It's been 24 hours since gunshots echoed across Virginia Tech University. Students hunkered down taking cover from a gunman. Police say the gunman shot and killed a campus police officer. The shooter was not a student.

At this point, authorities believe did he not know his victim. The suspect apparently died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. I want to bring in Athena Jones who's covering the story for us out of Blacksburg, Virginia.

So Athena, we understand that they didn't know each other. Do authorities have any sense of a motive here behind this?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's the top question everyone was asking at the press conference a little while ago. Authorities are still investigating the motive. As you mentioned, they say that this suspect was not a Virginia Tech University student.

It appeared to have no connection whatsoever to the university. They say that he may have been involved in a car theft earlier in the day in a town nearby, but they're still looking into that. That's not yet proven.

So there is still a lot of questions to be answered. They're still carrying out toxicology and other tests and of course, they haven't released the name because the medical examiner is still examining the body and they have to contact the family members as well. So motive, that question is still unanswered, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Athena, how is the campus reacting to this incident given what happened back in 2007, the tragedy of so many people killed on that campus?

JONES: Well, certainly given that massive shooting rampage back then four and a half years ago that left 33 people dead, it was conducted by a troubled student, people were very, very concern. They were very rattled yesterday during that four-hour lockdown.

The university though will say that they believe that the new initiatives they put into place to better alert and keep people abreast of the situation worked this time. So people were kept abreast minute to minute really of the developments as they came on.

One of the university officials spoke about the media attention those events of April 2007 drew and the attention that this latest incident drew. Let's listen to what that official had to say earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY HINCKER, ASSOCIATE VP FOR UNIVERSITY RELATIONS: We're all here because of an angry young man who had easy access to violent killing weapons four years ago. I don't believe that I feel any less safe here than I would on any other place, any other campus in the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: So certainly the university has -- is well aware of the level of interest. There were more than 100 people at the press conference peppering them with questions for more than 45 minutes.

As we know, there is still a lot more questions to be answered, but certainly the university understands why there is so much attention drawn on this school. It's for a tragic reason -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right, Athena, thank you so much. Athena Jones.

The "Occupy Wall Street" protesters say they want the rich to pay more in taxes. Well, record producer, entrepreneur Jay-Z says go ahead, tax me but with one caveat. We'll have a one-on-one with the rap superstar.

But first, here's some free money advice from the CNN "Help Desk."

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY CORRESPONDENT: Time for the "Help Desk" where we get answers to your financial questions. Joining me this hour, Jack Otter, the executive editor of cbsmoneywatch.com and Donna Rosato, is a senior editor at "Money" magazine.

Thank you both for being here. I appreciate. Jack your question comes from Randy in Wichita, Kansas. Randy says, my wife and I hold a 30-year mortgage with 24 years left. We've paid down the balance to under $40,000 -- good for them. Should they pay off the mortgage immediately or invest their excess money elsewhere?

JACK OTTER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, CBSMONEYWATHC.COM: Well, this is a question that has kind of a financial component and a sleep at night component and I can't quantify the latter.

So if it is really important to be debt free to own that house with no money outstanding, then pay it off. But, purely from a financial perspective, it is probably not the best move. There is a great study that I love where they compared the value of putting your money in a 401(k) versus paying off your mortgage and putting it in the 401(k) was a much better move.

First of all, it is pre-tax money. You put $1 in the 401(k), it is $1 in there. If you get a company match, it is $1.50. Paying off your mortgage is post tax money.

So you have to earn a dollar to put 70 cents into that. So I prefer them to max their 401(k) before they do this. Even investing elsewhere, saving for an emergency fund in case the gutters fall down on that house. So I'd rather say stick it out, pay it over time, get that tax deduction, but if it makes them feel better, pay it off.

HARLOW: Yes, assuming they have a fix rate, of course. Donna, your question comes from one of our viewers in Baltimore, Maryland. They write, I want to put more money in mutual funds. I hear it is better to wait until after the year's end dividends in capital gains distributions are made. What do you recommend?

DONNA ROSATO, SENIOR EDITOR, MONEY: That is exactly right. It is better to wait if you're going to put more money to work in a mutual fund. Reason why is because companies -- mutual fund companies at the end of the year pay capital gains and -- I'm sorry, pay distributions on capital gains at the end of the year and they pass that tax liability on to the shareholders.

So if you put money to work at a mutual fund at the end of the year, you're going to be getting -- you're going to be taxed on gains that you never were able to enjoy. Better to wait and then put that money.

HARLOW: All right, thank you so much both. And if you have a question you want answered, just send us an e-mail any time to cnnhelpdesk@cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Take a look at what's making news across the country.

Texas has a new tool now to fight drug and human trafficking. The State Department of Public Safety deploying a fleet of new boats. They're going to patrol the Rio Grande and international lakes along the Mexican border.

This weekend's going to be one for cleaning up in parts of the northeast. A winter storm dumped rain and snow in the metro New York area, making a mess of local roads. At least one driver had to climb out a window when floodwaters surrounded his car.

In Oklahoma, a trip to an annual holiday lights display turned into a Christmas gift that one woman is never going to forget. Yep, her boyfriend had a special surprise waiting for her. A sign that said, "marry me."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIFFANY BURKE, BRIDE TO BE: I didn't know what was happening. I felt bad walking into people's driveways. I've never been more surprised in my life.

CHAD LESTER, GROOM TO BE: It worked out perfect. I was really nervous. I didn't know if the timing and everything was going to work out. But it work out perfectly.

BURKE: I thought it was somebody else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: She thought it was somebody else. So don't worry, she said yes. It's all good. She said yes. Record producer, entrepreneur Jay-Z, he says he's willing to pay more in taxes as part of the top 1 percent, but with one caveat. CNN's one on one with Jay-Z up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: So, a midnight deadline for "Occupy" protesters to leave a city square in Boston. It's come. It's gone. But most of the folks still in their tents. More than 100 tents have been set up in Dewey Square since September protesting the country's growing gap between the rich and the poor. A judge ruled their first amendment right does not include seizing the park. The mayor says he's giving them a chance to leave at their own will, for now. One protester says the protest does not end because of eviction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can't evict an idea. Just because the tents are gone, doesn't mean the "Occupy" movement's even going to slow down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So, one of the demand of "Occupy" protesters is to make the top 1 percent pay more in taxes. Record producer Jay-Z is a member of that 1 percent. No surprise. And he says, go ahead, tax me more but only if the government does one thing.

Poppy Harlow from New York, you spoke to him. You got the story. What did he say?

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: You know, this is fascinating. What you're looking at next to me is video of Jay-Z, Shawn Carter, at a press conference yesterday at Carnegie Hall. He was announcing two concerts there at Carnegie Hall. The first time ever a hip-hop artist is going to headline there, to raise money for his scholarship foundation. So we talked to him all about the importance of education, why he's giving these kids scholarships. You can see that on CNN Money.

But when the conversation got pretty interesting, Suzanne, is when we talk about taxes and this debate on main street and in Congress over whether the rich should pay more. Here's his take.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHAWN "JAY-Z" CARTER, RAPPER, ENTREPRENEUR AND PHILANTHROPIST: Me personally, I wouldn't mind paying more taxes if it went to the things that really mattered. If it went to education, people in poverty and, you know. If it went to the right things, you know, I wouldn't mind.

You know, I think it -- I think it should be more -- it should be clearly defined, you know. Clearly defined where all the money is being allocated because you can understand paying so much for taxes and then things not improving, you're like where's everything going to? Like where's -- that's why I'm saying it should be --

HARLOW: So you get that argument? CARTER: Yes. It should be open accounting of where everything is going to. I'm sure people -- if it was for health care and for education and, you know, to help people that were -- you know, I don't think -- I think most people with a conscience and with, you know, some integrity and moral fiber wouldn't have any problem paying more taxes.

HARLOW: The Occupy Wall Street movement. You've been supportive of it. You've got "Occupy All-street" shirts out there.

CARTER: Yes.

HARLOW: Not financially supporting it, but the message. I'm wondering what your take is on what we're seeing develop in this country?

CARTER: I think -- I think it's saying a lot, you know, all over the world, you know, that people can, you know, get their voice out there and fight for a better world -- education and health care. And there's so many different other fights that we must take on that we just need to -- it's good. It's a good thing that young people are getting out and, you know, getting their voice heard.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Now Jay-Z is a pretty outspoken supporter of President Obama. We heard the president just this week talking about the increasing wealth gap in this country. The income divide. So I did have a chance also to ask him about that, whether the Obama administration, the government, is doing enough to close that gap to help the poor, Suzanne. His answer fascinated me. He said, it's not just about the government, it's about private individuals like me doing something to make that change. He's doing it with his scholarship fund. But interesting, it's not all about the government. He says rich folks like him need to do more.

MALVEAUX: He should run for office. He's very thoughtful. A very interesting interview. Thoughtful response. I was like, ah, you know, he should jump into the ring there.

Tell us a little bit about the kids that are benefiting from his scholarship fund.

HARLOW: Sure. We're going to pull up one girl right here. Her name's Bianca (ph). She spoke at the press conference yesterday. There you see her. She came from a single parent home. Struggled with that, as so many do. She got a scholarship through the Shawn Carter Foundation. She went to Brooklyn College. She's a senior now. And, Suzanne, she wants to do what you and I do. She wants to be in this crazy business for some reason. So that's just one of the kids. They've helped about 750 kids with more than $1 million and they're wrapping up those efforts now. So that's his passion.

Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Oh, that's great. She should come and visit the studios, the CNN studios. We'll take her around.

HARLOW: I invited her in. I invited her.

MALVEAUX: Oh, good. Good.

HARLOW: Yes.

MALVEAUX: All right, Poppy, thank you. Really appreciate it.

HARLOW: Yes.

MALVEAUX: Big events, 2011 in pictures. We're going to show you some of the most memorable images from this year that is about to draw to a close.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: This year's big events captured on film. Our Chad Myers is here to show us some of those pictures that really illustrate some of the more dramatic moments. Some of them tragic, some of them serious and others, you know, quite amazing.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We've been try doing this every day.

MALVEAUX: Yes.

MYERS: Pick four of the best and go through the rest of the year and show you the four best that we think kind of captured the moment. Captured something -- whether it's a war, whether it's an image of love, whether it's an image of life in general.

Let's go to the first one. I don't think you'll forget this one. This was a big one. This was all over the press. What was happening here? What were they looking at? Osama bin Laden was being killed. This was the update. There's secretary of state, Biden -- Mr. Biden there and Mr. President sitting there. Look, all eyes glued to that camera. I will ever --

MALVEAUX: And real time they were actually look at that and see what was happening on the ground there.

MYERS: In real time. I will never forget that picture.

The next, changing courses a little bit, two women embracing. One, 84. The other, 76. The first two women to get married. The same-sex couple. Same-sex couple being married in Manhattan.

MALVEAUX: And they were together for a really long time.

MYERS: After a lifetime of being together. Finally married. Finally able to make that commitment to each other that you get a piece of paper for. Obviously committed their entire lives and, boy, there it goes. That was the very first --

MALVEAUX: They look very happy.

MYERS: That was a great picture there.

And then taking a look --

MALVEAUX: The hug says it all.

MYERS: Taking a look over at Facebook and reading one way -- Facebook one way and the other way up on top. Facebook changed the world this year. It allowed people to come together, it allowed people to protest the uprisings throughout the Midwest and the -- or the Middle East really shot up. I think it's almost as people cane together on Facebook saying, what are you doing today? What are we doing? It became that place -- that gathering place on the web.

MALVEAUX: And the Arab Spring, I mean, really wouldn't have happened if we hadn't had that kind of communication.

MYERS: That's exactly right.

MALVEAUX: People who were alerted to what was going on. (INAUDIBLE) humanity.

MYERS: And what happens when the Vancouver Canucks lose the Stanley Cup? A couple embraces on the ground after she's knocked down by the police in Vancouver. There was a small riot in Vancouver after the loss of the Stanley Cup. And she was knocked down. His -- her Australian boyfriend went there to pick her up. But right before the pickup, there was a kiss.

MALVEAUX: That's nice.

MYERS: A great shot there.

We're going to try to do this every day about this time, or at least when we find the greatest shots for the rest of the year.

MALVEAUX: I love that. That's really, really sweet.

MYERS: Yes, it's good stuff.

MALVEAUX: Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

MALVEAUX: Appreciate it. Have a great weekend.

MYERS: You too.

MALVEAUX: CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Fredricka Whitfield.

Hey, Fred.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello to you. Have a great day and weekend.

MALVEAUX: Thanks. You too.