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Florida Vs. Feds Over Voter Purge; Children in Syria Conflict; Father Kills Daughter's Molester; Reward Rises In Auburn Killings; Fund Raising Frenzy In High Gear; Retirement Age Will Have To Rise

Aired June 12, 2012 - 12:00   ET

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

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, Ashleigh. Have a good one.

Hello, everyone. I am Kate Bolduan in for Suzanne Malveaux today.

Lots of news happening. So, let's get right to it.

CNN has just learned that the fast-moving wildfire raging through Colorado has scorched more than 43,000 acres. That's bigger than the nearby city of Ft. Collins. One person has been killed. Officials are saying things look better than they thought, but at this point the fire has not been contained.

And she's become a national symbol of really perseverance. Now, voters in Arizona are going to the polls today to decide who gets to fill Gabrielle Giffords' empty seat.

Giffords campaigned over the weekend for her former aide, Ron Barber. He is running for the seat. Giffords resigned in February to focus on her recovery from a gunshot wound to the head. None of us forget that. Her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, says she is making progress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK KELLY, GABBY GIFFORDS' HUSBAND: She's doing great. You know, we've been here in Tucson for a few days going around. Gabby's been thanking Ron's supporters and volunteers and motivating them to get out the vote here for the election.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: So the Democratic candidate, Ron Barber, he faces Republican Jesse Kelly in a pretty close race. Kelly is a former marine and Iraq war veteran. Much more on that a little bit later.

A battleground state that could sway the presidential election is in the middle of a legal fight again. We're talking about Florida. In the 2000 election, it was hanging chads. No one will forget that.

But this time the state and the federal government are suing each other over an effort to purge Florida voting rules of ineligible voters. The Justice Department says the purge violates federal voting rights laws. Now, Governor Rick Scott says Florida is suing the government. He says the state needs access to a database that will help identify ineligible voters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RICK SCOTT (R), FLORIDA: The Homeland Security has been stonewalling to give us a database we're entitled to. We've been asking for months. Make sure we do it in the right way. And so, we were put -- we were put into a position where we had no choice but to sue Homeland Security to get that database to make sure that your right as a citizen is not diluted by somebody that's a noncitizen illegally voting in our state.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: There seems a lot going on here. I want to bring in our senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin who is on the phone to help me weave through this.

Jeffrey, we're a couple months from the Florida primary. So, what is your take on really the legal issues at stake here?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST (via telephone): Well, this is really, as you pointed out, an issue with a long history. The Republicans who have run Florida government for the past 15 years or so have made determined efforts in each step of recent elections to try to limit the number of people who could vote, eliminate -- in 2000 and 2004, it was supposedly felons. In this election, it has been supposedly illegal immigrants.

But all of these efforts, at least after 2004, have been stymied by the courts because the courts say these efforts cut too broad a brush and are eliminating legal voters as well as people who shouldn't be voting.

BOLDUAN: Well, and, of course, then when you add the politics at play, because we're talking about a political -- you know, talking about an election here, it gets just really messy. I mean, you look at the two sides. Governor Scott says this is about making, as you said, making sure noncitizens don't get to vote and critics of the state's efforts say this is unfairly targeting minorities who often vote for Democrats.

So, they're both suing each other. Who do you think is likely to win out then?

TOOBIN: I think the federal government is likely to win out. Under the Voting Rights Act, the federal government has a big supervisory role, particularly for states like Florida, which have a history of discrimination. I can't imagine that the courts are going to sustain this effort since it has been so riddled with efforts.

You know, CNN got involved in this debate in 2004 when David Vigilante, our lead lawyer, led a lawsuit against the state of Florida to try to get access to these names and so we could see for ourselves whether these people really were registered or citizens or felons or who they were. But the state of Florida wound up changing its laws so that we couldn't get meaningful access.

And at the end of the day there, again, the lists were found to be flawed and the people were not thrown off the voting rolls. But this is something that appears to go on every four years in Florida, and so far, at least, after 2000, the state has been thwarted, the Republicans who run the state have been thwarted in trying to get people thrown off the voting rolls.

BOLDUAN: One thing that's a key factor here is timing. I mean, we're not talking about, you know, a year out from an election. We're talking about a couple months from a primary here.

I mean, you mentioned the hanging chad issue of the 2000 election. The recount wound up at the Supreme Court.

Once again, Florida as it always is, is a battleground state in this election.

So do you think this battle will make it all the way up to court -- of the high court?

TOOBIN: Well, I don't, actually. I mean, I think the courts are aware of the coming election. So they are going to deal with these issues quickly so that people can know whether they are registered or not.

The chad issue was something that came up during the recount, after the votes were counted. This is an issue that involves before the election, whether people have the right to vote in the first place, so the courts and the federal government are certainly aware that this issue has to be resolved well in advance of the days that people go to the polls because any sort of uncertainty might result in people not casting ballots who have the right to vote.

BOLDUAN: I mean, do you think in the end there's going to be a clear-cut answer? You know, we're talking now, as you said, this has a long history. Do you think this is going to add to the history, the long kind of troubled history when it comes to Florida elections, or a clear-cut answer here if the state of Florida is in the right here, or the federal government is in the right here?

TOOBIN: Well, based on how I understand the law, I think there will be a clear-cut answer. I think that this effort to throw thousands of people off the voting rolls will not be allowed to proceed in the way that Governor Scott has said he wants it to proceed.

And these people will be allowed to vote. They will remain registered. Now, whether anyone who is not a citizen winds up voting, I can't say, but certainly at least based on the initial indications, these lists are very flawed and the federal government simply is not going to allow. And many election commissioners in the Florida counties are not going to allow these efforts to proceed.

So I do think there will be a clear-cut answer and I think people who are currently registered with very few exceptions are going to be allowed to vote come November.

BOLDUAN: All right. We'll have to see how this one shakes out. All eyes again on Florida.

Senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin -- thanks so much, Jeff.

I want to turn now to Syria. The suffering of ordinary people caught in a deadly conflict. The horror of it all is not easy to convey, but we're about to show you something that will.

And I do want to give you a very good warning. I must tell you these images are graphic and difficult to watch. They honestly were difficult for us to watch. If you need to turn away, please absolutely go ahead.

But we think it is important to show you these images, the real evidence of the magnitude of the suffering in Syria. What you're seeing right now are some young victims of the shelling there, regime shelling -- a crying baby and a wounded toddler. Activists tell us this video was shot today in the city of Annadan.

The new images come as we get truly disturbing accounts of children being tortured, beaten and used as human shields. That's according to a new report from the United Nations.

I want to talk more about this. I want to bring in our Rima who has more details. She is joining us from Abu Dhabi.

Rima, tell me more tell our viewers more about the really scathing report coming out of the U.N.

RIMA MAKTABI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHO: Yes, Kate, there's surely more. I mean, these kids gave their testimonies to the U.N. apparently in this report and talked about being beaten, blindfolded, subjected to stress positions, whipped with heavy electrical metals, scarred by cigarette burnings, or burns, and one case talked about being subjected to electrical shock to the genitals.

I mean, just reading these issues in this report is really shocking.

BOLDUAN: And there was some -- it was noted in this report as well some allegations that some rebel forces were also recruiting children. What can you tell us about that?

MAKTABI: Yes. Despite that, the Free Syrian Army has stated that it is not within its policy to recruit under the age of 17. However, these reports state that there has been kids. The conflict is chaotic however, the conflict on the ground in Syria. There are many armed rebels. These people have no one standing by them except themselves fighting for their lives.

BOLDUAN: In terms of allegations against rebel forces, it's nothing kind of in comparison to these allegations against the regime and using children as human shields, right?

MAKTABI: Definitely. If you compare this to that, especially that the Syrians are frustrated. They feel that the international community is doing nothing to help them. And the Syrian army and the government forces are just raiding their villages, their houses, their towns, so what do they have to defend themselves other than using themselves and possibly their children?

BOLDUAN: And, you know, this conflict, this violence has been going on for 15 months now. More than a year.

The United Nations has estimated that more than 10,000 people have died including civilians since the violence erupted. Opposition groups, of course, put that number higher.

Is there any estimate of how many children are among the dead in this conflict?

MAKATABI: Yes. The human rights watch today said that around 1,167 children have been killed during those 15 months. However, this is only the info that these organizations are able to get, but probably when the regime falls and the media and these NGOs are allowed in to Syria will definitely find out more.

BOLDUAN: That's obviously one of the problems from trying to report on this story. Rima Maktabi from Abu Dhabi. Thank so much, Rima, for bringing that to us. A very difficult story to talk about but very important to continue talking about. Thank you. >

We're working on a lot more coming up for the next hour. Plus, here's what we're working on:

(BEGIN VDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN (voice-over): The man known as victim one takes the stand today in the Jerry Sandusky child rape case. After an already disturbing day of testimony against Penn State's former assistant coach.

A dingo ate the baby. Thirty-two years after an Australian mother's frantic cries about a wild dog grabbing her child, the cause of death is now official.

Why casinos are betting big on expanding gaming even where it's illegal now.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: You can own a handgun, you can put your child up for adoption, you can buy liquor, you can sign contracts, you can invest all your money in one stock. But in most states you can't go to a casino.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: New details right now on Hosni Mubarak's health. A government spokesman says the former Egyptian president is clinging to life, slipping in and out of consciousness. The 84-year-old is in a prison hospital. He's serving a life sentence for his role in the killing of pro democracy demonstrators last year.

The spokesman says Mubarak's two sons are beside him and his wife visited him today. Something we've been tracking very closely.

And in Australia, turns out a dingo did steal her baby. I'm talking about a famous case from the 1980s. You remember, probably remember this story. A mother was convicted and served time for her baby daughter's death. The mother always claimed a wild dog called a dingo stole the baby.

Our Michael Holmes is here to help explain this. It's really amazing when you think about, this is some 30 years ago. It's back in the news. And there's real resolution.

How did they figure this out?

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: At last. Put it in context here, this was Lindy and Michael Chamberlain take the kids camping to (INAUDIBLE), aboriginal language.

And during the evening, they're out just getting, for ten minutes getting food for the campfire for the kids in the tent. The baby this appears. There's blood in the tent.

The mom says she saw the dingo carrying the baby away. Nobody else did. Nobody believed her, even though there was evidence of tracks, drag tracks.

Long story short, there's a coronial inquiry, nothing comes out of that. Another coroner inquiry, they say she did. The cop totally believe she did it.

She didn't do herself any favors. She wasn't showing a lot of compassion. This is a mom that didn't cry, you know, she was as manipulative, a bit sassy.

The dad was a bit of weirdo, to be honest.

BOLDUAN: But she didn't do it and she was convicted.

HOLMES: She didn't. And thing is, all the forensic evidence, at the time, 32 years ago, if you had the case today would never get to court, because the blood they found in the car, it was dust from the town they lived in which was a copper mining town.

All these sorts of things. They went through trial. Mom goes to jail three years. She got out of jail. They had a fourth coronial inquiry, the dingo did it.

BOLDUAN: It captured the country.

HOLMES: There was a Meryl Streep movie about it. There were books written, plays done. Half of Australians thought she was a cold manipulative child killer and the other half thought, well, where's the evidence? There's no motive, no murder weapon.

And so, what happened is everyone had an opinion in Australia. I covered it in my early days of newspaper which makes me really old. The thing was everyone had an opinion after this case.

BOLDUAN: So after all of this time, what is the family -- how's the family reacting? Are they saying anything?

HOLMES: Yes, they are. I mean, Lindy was talking today. She's obviously relieved and poke fondly of her daughter who would be 32 years old last week.

BOLDUAN: Wow.

HOLMES: They've got some closure at last. I mean, for years everybody's known they didn't do it. This was the official -- now they can put on the death certificate the dingo killed the baby.

BOLDUAN: I was reading kind of like refreshing your memory about how this -- it really is not just a sad story about a child dying. Then you're talking about a mother being wrongly convicted and also during this long legal battle, they divorced during it all.

The family was really destroyed during this whole thing. If this happened in the United States -- it was big there, it would be huge here. >

HOLMES: Yes, it would be. You know, who knows. If she'd been convicted of murder here in the wrong state, you never know what could have happened, too. It was an example of forensic medicine have come along for start.

Also at the time, when you go right back, there were a lot of us who covered the story at the time who thought, hang on, where is the real evidence of this? There was blood in the tent, drag marks, trackers were called in, they're the ones who found the drag marks.

It never added up that she did it. As I said, part of the mystery of this story was how she behaved. She was almost cold and calculated. I remember her doing an interview for Australian "60 Minutes" and talking about the tear marks in the clothing they found and almost forensically herself. She was not your average mom in that way who would be in tears and heavily emotional.

BOLDUAN: I have a feeling there may be another book, another movie.

HOLMES: She did get compensation. I think she got $1 million for the time spent in jail. This just consumed their lives.

BOLDUAN: Amazing to finally have resolution to this.

Michael Holmes, CNN international anchor, very good friend, thank you.

HOLMES: Nice to see you.

BOLDUAN: Nice to see you, too.

A big story here in the United States, a second alleged victim takes the stand in the Jerry Sandusky child being sexual abuse trial and tribe describes being sexually assaulted by the former Penn State coach. A live report on that coming up.

And don't forget, while you're at watch CNN live on your computer even when you're at work. It's okay. It's educational. Head to CNN.com/TV.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: A startling development today in Jerry Sandusky's child rape trial.

The state Attorney General's office says former Penn State's Vice President Gary Schultz was keeping a secret file on Sandusky and accusations of his sex abuse.

CNN contributor Sara Ganim is a reporter for the "Patriot News" and in court for the testimony and leading on this story all along. What happened in court today?

SARA IMMERMAN: Yes, the way this came about, the files, the way the files came about today is that the defense for Gary Schultz, that Penn State administrator, wanted the charges dismissed saying there wasn't enough evidence.

So, prosecutors came back with the court document that said, we have this new evidence.

Now, Penn State released a statement yesterday saying some of the e-mails that may have shown that this evidence existed came about through an internal investigation. When they realized they have these documents, they handed them over to the attorney general's office. We know that that case has had some new developments in the last couple of months. Leading up to the Jerry Sandusky trial which is happening simultaneously.

BOLDUAN: And today, something obviously that we really wanted to talk about is we're hearing from victim one who said the former football coach sexually abused him. It was -- I believe, this victim, victim one's original allegations that triggered this investigation into Sandusky. What did he say on the stand?

GANIM: That's right. He was the one that triggered this investigation. He was incredibly emotional on the stand. He walked in and you could just see on his face that he was tortured and uncomfortable.

He hung his head for most of the beginning of his testimony as he was trying to explain the acts that he alleges against Jerry Sandusky. At one point he buried his head in his hands. He was crying. He was sobbing.

And he looked up to, you know, get these words out of his mouth and he glanced over at Jerry Sandusky and really stared at him for a second or two which felt like a really long time and at that point he seemed to get the strength to continue testifying. So it was a very emotional morning in court. He just actually got off the stand a few minutes before lunch and to get on the stand after him was a woman, a case worker, who says she interviewed Jerry Sandusky and he did admit to some of the things.

Not anything sexual, but laying within his back, the boy or rubbing his back, kissing him on the forehead. Things like that Jerry Sandusky admitted to her. That's what she testified today.

In addition to victim one's clearly powerful testimony today, we also had victim four was on the stand on Monday giving some very powerful testimony. You know, you were in the courtroom. What was it like in the courtroom, that the emotion from the alleged victims and its impact on the jury? Did they react?

BANFILED: You know, today I really noticed more of an emotional reaction from jurors than I did yesterday. Alleged victim four, you have to remember, he's ten years older than alleged victim number one. He's 28. The adult who testified today is 18.

So, you know, I don't know if that plays into the emotional factor but victim four was a lot more matter of fact. He really did not get emotional on the stand much at all.

Jerry Sandusky, however, has acted the same way both days. He leans forward in his chair up against the table and directly looks at these witnesses as they testify.

As for jurors, you know, yesterday there was another factor. The courtroom, the air-conditioning broke. It got really hot in there. Some of the jurors were really struggling with that. Today it was a lot more comfortable and they seemed a little bit more engaged. One victim one was testifying, a lot of them had their hands up to their faces, their mouths opened. They really seemed astonished by what he was saying.

All right, Sara, keep contributing that for us. CNN contributor Sara Ganim -- thank you very much.

Coming up, the race to raise campaign cash is hitting you the race to raise campaign cash is heating up. Who's seen more so far? President Obama or Mitt Romney?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: A Texas father beat a man to death. He allegedly caught a man molesting his 4-year-old daughter inside his home and locals in the small town of Shiner are voicing their support for that man, the father.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SHERIFF MICAH HARMON, LAVACA COUNTY, TEXAS: In the defense of her, trying to get her away from him, that he struck the individual in the head several times.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think he should be arrested for it. I don't think any charges should be filed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If somebody abused my grandchild, like he did, I think he'd deserve everything he got.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Especially 4 years old. That's terrible.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Now, the sheriff says a grand jury will decide if the father will be charged in this case. We are told the little girl suffered, quote/unquote, "mental trauma," but is physically OK.

And authorities in Alabama say the reward for information leading to a triple murder suspect is up to $30,000. The manhunt continues after police surrounded and searched a home for more than six hours.

They're looking for 22-year-old Desmonte Leonard, accused of killing three people at an off campus party near Auburn University. The dead include two former Auburn football players. Police say they are determined to find their suspect.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF THOMAS DAWSON, AUBURN POLICE: If he's watching, I want to realize this. It doesn't matter where he's at. We have the FBI on this case, the U.S. Marshals. We'll find him. We will bring him back to Auburn, Alabama. He will be incarcerated at some point and taken to jail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Both President Obama as well as Governor Mitt Romney are on the money trail today. The race to win the White House is taking a bit of a back seat maybe. It's the race to raise campaign cash that's driving their schedules.

Political editor, Paul Steinhauser is joining me to talk about that and all the other stories in our political radar that I don't know how Paul keeps track of. Obama and Romney have several events today. Who's going where and why?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: I guess you can call it a fundraising frenzy today. Both men have been out there fundraising, but it just seems a little pronounced today, Kate.

Let's start with the president. He has six fundraisers today. Three in Maryland, three in the Baltimore area and he does the small hop from Baltimore up to Philadelphia and has three more at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. And by my count, if you add it all together, he's going to bring in at least $3.6 billion from the fundraisers today.

As for Romney, he had a campaign event down in Florida earlier today in the Orlando area. He has two fundraisers there. He moves up to Franklin, Tennessee, for another fundraiser and he had some big fundraisers last night in Atlanta -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: Let's talk about last month. I mean, obviously campaign cash is the way you keep the campaign alive. But the Obama campaign seems to be playing a little bit of catch up this month? The Romney team raised more cash than the Obama team in May?

STEINHAUSER: Yes, it really is interesting. The Republican primaries pretty much over, Mitt Romney now starting to concentrate on the general election and fundraise for the general election. Look at the May numbers right here.

Mitt Romney and the RNC, the Republican National Committee, brought in about $76.8 million they report. Look at that, that's $16 million more than what President Obama and the Democratic National Committee brought in.

Kate, this is fascinating. Remember four years ago then- Senator Obama broke all records, raised $750 million. More than triple what John McCain, the Republican nominee, raised and spent.

A very different ball game this time around. It's going to be much more even and when you throw in that "Super PAC" money, Republican "Super PACs" raising a lot more than Democrats. It's going to be a very different ball game than four years ago -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: A different ball game. But still it really is mindboggling how much money goes into the race for the White House every four years. It's pretty astonishing.

So talking about the race, the polls are showing it's a very tight race. That President Obama isn't taking anything for granted. I'm sure Mitt Romney is not either.

But specifically in looking at President Obama, he is working on galvanizing support among African-Americans. What is he doing to reach out to African-American voters?

STEINHAUSER: Yes, this is brand new. He's out with a radio spot. Running nationally, the campaign says, this targeting African- American voters. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four years ago, we made history. Now it's time to move forward and finish what we started together. We have to show the president we have his back.

(END VIDEO CLIP) STEINHAUSER: Here was this deal four years ago, Kate. Listen, President Obama making history, the first African-American elected to the White House. Look at the exit polls from four years ago.

You can see the president winning overwhelming, 95 percent of the African-American vote according to the exit polls. Like you said, he doesn't want to leave anything to chance, anything -- doesn't want to take anything for granted.

That's one of reasons they're starting these radio ads. Polls indicate right now that he's winning almost 90 percent of the vote. But I'll tell you the key is getting African-American voters to the polls on Election Day. That's important.

Especially in some battleground states like Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, where they make up a larger percentage of the voting population, Kate. That's why he's doing this.

We also see him going after the Latino vote big-time. He's been out with three TV rounds of ads already going after the Latino vote -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: No matter what they say how much they say or support, it's voter enthusiasm, getting them to the polls, which obviously is oh so important coming to the election.

All right, one light moment we can end on. There's been a lot of big news today. Light moment at the White House. President Obama welcomed none other than the famous, the wonderful, the fabulous Betty White.

Who was actually in town in Washington to speak at the Smithsonian. The 90-year-old actress got to walk around the grounds and pet the first dog, Bo. I'm told.

A couple weeks ago the actress endorsed the president for his re-election bid. I'm trying to start a rumor, we were at least in the newsroom, maybe this is a little clue of Veep-stakes?

STEINHAUSER: Obama/White, 2012? Probably not. Listen, she says she is very bipartisan, but as you mentioned, she has publicly endorsed the president. We'll see if she appears in his campaign ads. I don't see anything out there right now.

BOLDUAN: Yes, I mean, her approval rating, if you want to talk about good approval rating --

STEINHAUSER: Sky high.

BOLDUAN: Betty White has a pretty good one. Paul, thanks so much. We'll talk to you later.

STEINHAUSER: Thanks.

BOLDUAN: A new report says retirement ages need to be raised around the world because governments can't afford to pay. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: So Americans are living longer than ever, and that means we're living long paths to retirement age. On average, 20 years past it. Sounds like good news, right?

Well, as with most things in this world there's a catch. The government may not be able to afford it. Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange with more. So Alison, how dire are these warnings we're hearing?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: How dire? Well, consider this, Kate. We're already being slapped in the face with this reality. The Social Security program is already strapped for cash.

It's currently paying out more in benefits than it's bringing in and partially because of what you said, because people are living longer, which means they're getting social security checks for longer periods of time. How long? Take a look.

In 2010, men were expected to live 17 years beyond retirement. Women expected to live 20 years beyond retirement. This was the estimation made in 2010. The organization for Economic Cooperation and Development thinks life expectancy will only go higher, will rise another three or four years by the year 2050.

So that's only going to drain Social Security more though the good news is you get to spend more time with the grandkids -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: Yes, and any talk of raising the retirement age is like political kryptonite at the moment. Even though it's being talked about, don't know how soon that will happen. All right, Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange. We'll talk to you soon.

KOSIK: OK.

BOLDUAN: So why a "Newsweek" contributing editor thinks Germany is acting like a swing state in our presidential election.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there. Thanks for joining us. Today on "Help Desk," we're talking about taxes. What else?

Joining me this hour, Lynette Khalfani Cox is a personal finance author and founder of financial advice blog askthemoneycoach.com. David Novick is a certified planner and adjunct professor of Finance at NYU.

Thank you both for being here. Question about taxes we got from a man on the street here in New York. Take a listen to what he had to say, David.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I owe back taxes, which is the case, is it dischargeable as far as bankruptcy is concerned?

HARLOW: About how much?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: $10,000.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: All right, so what's your take?

DAVID NOVICK, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER, PROMETHEUS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT: It is possible. It depends on what type of bankruptcy he's filing, whether he's filing Chapter 7, which allows for discharge of some of his debts or Chapter 13, which is a payment plan.

If Chapter 13, it would not be possible. Chapter 7 it would be possible. They have very strict requirements, though. He should check with an attorney who specializes in bankruptcy law.

And if it's taxes that are less than two or three years old, it's not going to be discharged, but taxes that are older than that, it may be possible.

HARLOW: Lynette, what about any forgiveness programs you can think of through the IRS or is that not an option?

LYNNETTE KHALFANI COX, FOUNDER, ASKTHEMONEYCOACH.COM: There are a couple of options through the IRS. You know, there's an offer and compromise where you sort of settle what you owe.

HARLOW: OK.

COX: Really tough requirements. The IRS wants you to really prove that you wouldn't be able to pay off your debts over a period of six years or so, which is the other one, the instalment agreement.

Right now, if you owe up to $50,000 in taxes, you can essentially create a payment plan with the IRS. You don't have to talk to an agent. Just go online and fill out the form and pay it off over as long as 72 months or 6 years time.

HARLOW: Better to do this directly with the IRS than working with debt collection agency?

COX: I think so. Especially because a lot of, let's be honest, a lot of debt collection agencies are going to charge a fee or going to sometimes do things that might not necessarily be in your best interest.

Better to work out a deal with the IRS directly, handle it in a forthright manner and quickly as possible so you don't rack up additional penalties and interests.

HARLOW: All right, thank you, guys. We appreciate it. If you have a question you want financial experts to tackle, upload a 30- second video with your question to ireport.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: If you needed a reminder, it is an election year. You know what that means, lots of campaigning in key states, a lot of states but especially swing states, Iowa, Ohio, Florida. But my next guest thinks there's one other swing state that really matters, Germany. Yes. You heard that right. CNN contributor David Frum, he is joining me live via Skype.

David, your article on cnn.com really grabbed our attention, calling Germany the only swing state that matters this election. What do you mean?

DAVID FRUM, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: When you think about it, what is out there that has the potential really to transform this race, which is now neck in neck? Either to give the boost to the American economy and thus help President Obama, or hammer the American economy and make a strong case for a challenger?

It is the decisions that are going on right now in Europe. And the decision-maker is Germany and its government.

BOLDUAN: And that of course lends to the real question back here at home, is there really anything that any U.S. president could do, Republican or Democrat, to influence the economies of Europe, specifically Germany, or is this truly just one factor, a big factor in this election that's completely out of their control?

FRUM: Well, presidents have some sway, but the things they would have to do to have an influence are very hard for the American political system to accept. For example, I mean, if you were the chancellor of Germany, every day you get pressure from the United States, do something, help the weak countries of the E.U.

And the chancellor would say, OK, how much will you contribute? Will the United States or the International Monetary Fund contribute some of the costs of the bailouts that may be necessary?

Now that's a very hard thing for Americans to say yes for, but that's the one lever that the president has got.

BOLDUAN: Well, then kind of you look kind of in the near term, just the spin factor, just look at the president last week talking about the Eurozone, talking about what's going on in Europe in a press conference. And right afterwards Republicans were slamming him for deflecting, hiding behind the problems in Europe, deflecting from his failed economic policies, they said.

FRUM: Well, I think the president there was very much on the wrong track. Even if it were true that all that the problems of the Eurozone have nothing to do with the United States, are not of the president's making, are in no way the president's fault, if they hurt voters, voters punish the president.

One of the brute facts about political life is that the president is hurt by things that are not his fault that are bad and he has helped by things that are not of his doing if things go well. In 1996 when American productivity growth jumped a whole point and we launched into this dramatic boom of the later 1990s, Bill Clinton was massively re-elected. Bill Clinton had nothing to do with making the Internet come online. But he got the benefit for it. He was lucky.

And President Obama, if the euro goes to pieces, will be unlucky.

BOLDUAN: Yes, he could be very unlucky on that one. All right. We will watch it. Thanks so much, David. You can read his article on cnn.com. It was very interesting today. We'll talk to you soon.

FRUM: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: They have been a couple for more than a century. Now these two tortoises are calling it quits, darn it, a heartbreaker for zoo officials.

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BOLDUAN: After 115 years of companionship, Bibi and Poldi, apologies if I mispronounced those names, are calling it quits. That's right, a tortoise divorce is happening at an Australian zoo. Jeanne Moos has more.

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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You would need a neck rub, too, if your 115-year marriage just broke up. No more happy anniversaries. For Bibi and Poldi, these two giant tortoises at a zoo in Austria, are both said to be 115 years old and they were brought up together. But it was love on the rocks after Bibi the female took a chunk out of her mate's shell.

HELGA HAPP, ZOO DIRECTOR (through translator): They just go at each other. At first it was only the female who attacked the male and bit him. But now you get the feeling they can't stand the sight of each other.

MOOS: They don't even want to be in the same enclosure. Zoo keepers don't understand what went wrong after 115 years of togetherness. People posting online have plenty of theories.

"Every time she wanted to talk about the relationship, he retreated into his shell."

"My guess is she caught him making eyes at the 90-year-old bimbo in the enclosure next door."

"He gave the wrong answer when she asked, does my bum look big in this shell?"

(on camera): What makes this break up even more ironic is the song made famous by a certain singing group.

(voice-over): Who could forget The Turtles? (MUSIC PLAYING, "HAPPY TOGETHER")

MOOS: Now it's "happy apart" for these tortoises. Talk about irreconcilable differences.

HAPP (through translator): There's always the danger that they will bite each other so hard that one of them will bleed to death.

MOOS: On the bright side, 115 years sure beats Kim Kardashian's 72 days of matrimony. We haven't been this distraught about a breakup since Pedro and Buddy, the so-called "gay penguins" at the Toronto Zoo, were separated by keepers and put into a breeding program.

Bibi and Poldi are taking marriage counseling of sorts.

(on camera): Zoo keepers are trying to inject a little fun back into the relationship by getting them to play games together.

(voice-over): Imagine at 115, single again, looking for a hot tomato.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

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BOLDUAN: We wish them well.

Casinos are betting that they can spread gambling around the country. We'll tell you why they think now is the right time.

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BOLDUAN: Love it or hate it, gambling might be coming to a neighborhood near you. Poppy Harlow has more.

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POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thirty-five years ago, it was all about Vegas and Atlantic City. Today, casino gaming, both commercial and tribal, has spread to 39 states. Downtown Detroit, just outside Philadelphia, and now they're dealing cards in Cleveland.

GARY LOVEMAN, CEO, CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT: There are a few places like that left in the United States that are tremendous markets.

HARLOW: States like Massachusetts want to go all in, ready to issue licenses for three resort casinos. Caesars CEO Gary Loveman wants one of them.

(on camera): If casino gaming can get expanded in the way that you would like to see it, what does it mean for jobs?

LOVEMAN: Well, it would certainly mean hundreds of thousands of jobs. The industry already employs...

HARLOW: Hundreds of thousands of new jobs?

LOVEMAN: Of new jobs. Sure. I mean, just in Ohio alone, between the four new facilities that will open in the next year, that will be somewhere around 6,000 to 8,000 new positions.

HARLOW (voice-over): It's not just jobs Massachusetts is after. Over the past 20 years, it has watched its neighbor, Connecticut, earn $6 billion in gaming revenue, some from day-tripping Massachusetts gamblers.

Last year alone Pennsylvania raked in $1.5 billion in taxes from gaming revenue, the most of any state. More than 340,000 Americans work in the casino industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that will grow 13 percent by 2020.

GARY SELESNER, PRESIDENT, CAESARS PALACE: We have 10 Casinos here in Las Vegas and then we have another 40 casinos across the country.

HARLOW (on camera): Right. This is a bet on the future of the U.S. consumer that we will continue to spend in the way that we have?

SELESNER: There's no question about that. We've seen a steady incline in the amount of money these people will spend.

HARLOW (voice-over): Loveman says grandmothers are key.

LOVEMAN: Grandma has two things that are important. She has more money than her granddaughter has, and she has more time.

HARLOW: But industry experts note casino gaming revenue accounts for less than 5 percent of state budgets and they point out the social costs, namely addiction which can lead to bankruptcy, embezzlement, theft, and divorce.

Analysts say the closer casinos are to people, the higher their propensity to gamble.

LOVEMAN: Why shouldn't every American adult be able to do this? You can own a handgun, you can put your child up for adoption, you can buy liquor, you can sign contracts, you can invest all your money in one stock. But in most states you can't go to a casino.

HARLOW (on camera): There is a strong counterargument to that, and it's the social cost of gaming, compulsive gambling.

LOVEMAN: The only activity in casinos that worry me are the fact that about 1 to 2 percent of our visitors cannot control how much they gamble and as a result do damage to themselves, to their families, and their other constituents. And that's a big deal.

We have to take every single person who suffers this condition seriously and do everything we can do keep them out, provide them help and support.

HARLOW (voice-over): Right now, many states are considering that risk, but also, billions in potential tax revenue.

(on camera): It hasn't saved Detroit.

LOVEMAN: No.

HARLOW: It's not going to save cities.

LOVEMAN: I don't see why anybody would ever argue it's going to save anything. I mean, it's going to be a stimulant to a city that's having its own challenges. But I think you would overreaching, anyone would be overreaching terribly to say that this is going to be a panacea for something.

HARLOW (voice-over): Poppy Harlow, CNN, Las Vegas.

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