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Romney, Obama Court Latino Voters; Commerce Secretary Resigns; Zimmerman Re-enacts Martin Shooting; Year of Mama Latinas; Jury Gets Sandusky Case; Romney Bashes Obama on Immigration; Obama Speaks about Student Loans; Dow is Down Triple Digits.

Aired June 21, 2012 - 13:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour, I'm Suzanne Malveaux in the battleground state of Florida for a major gathering of Latino officials from around the country. Mitt Romney just finished speaking to the group. President Obama is going to be here tomorrow. Tells you how just important this meeting is and how important the Hispanic vote will be in November. National poll show that President Obama has a huge lead over Romney among Hispanic voters, 66 percent to 24 percent, that is according the latest Gallop survey.

But here, in Florida, the race is tight. The president has a four point lead over Romney last month. He trails him by six points. For more on the Latino influence on the presidential election and Romney's speech today, I want to bring in our panelist here, CNN Jim Acosta, he's inside, we're going to go to him later. Juan Carlos Lopez of CNN en Espaniol and Arturo Vargaz, he is the executive president of Naleo, and that is the group that is behind the Latino political convention. Juan Carlos, I want to start off with you. First of all, anything surprising from this speech? There's a lot of build-up here. A lot of people wanting to know, bring something back home to their constituents.

JUAN CARLOS LOPEZ, CNN EN ESPANIOL CORRESPONDENT: Tone. The tone on immigration, it's a different tone, a different message. He recognizes the importance of Latinos in the community, what they provide to the economy, the businesses they create, the importance of family in the Latino family, he's saying, I do not want to separate the families, I want U.S. Citizens and residents to have the same process time to request their relatives. He is saying that immigration has to be a humanitarian issue. It's been a law and order issue. It's been an issue where if you break the law, then we have to deport you. But now, he's framing it in a different way than he did in the past six months.

MALVEAUX: I want to bring you in as well, because this is something that Naleo has been focusing on. These two candidates, mano a mano if you will. He really focused on a number of things but specifically economy. We've talked about 11 percent unemployment in the Hispanic community, two million Hispanics living in poverty. Were you listening? Were you hoping for something more on immigration specifics or were you focused more on the economic aspect of the speech?

ARTURO VARGAS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NALEO: Well, I think he did something very smart by focusing both on the economy and immigration reform. And in fact, polls show that Latino voters are most concerned about suffering from the great recession job loss and the need to be the part of the economic recovery. Now, with regard to immigration, I think the most important thing the governor said was that he recognized we have a broken immigration system. So, I think there was ground to start working with together there, common ground. And I think that was an important statement on behalf of the governor.

MALVEAUX: Did you hear any specifics that made you feel that this is going to be something that is a real policy change or did it sound simply like a political speech?

VARGAS: Well, I think some of the specifics he said about immigration are -- really I took to heart, his emphasis on keeping families together, on giving priority to spouses and children of residents for green cards. And I think he said -- I thought was one of the winning line lines that he said was that he would staple a green card to anybody who earns an advanced degree. And I think that really goes to the importance of education in our community, and I would hope that this also signals an opening here for the Dream Act.

MALVEAUX: The Dream Act. And we know that he didn't actually endorse the Dream Act. One of his policy advisers made a point to tell our Jim Acosta inside that he is not going that far. What do you make of the fact here that he slams President Obama. He says this is a short-term fix, if you will, on immigration, it's the latest announcement that President Obama made last -- just last week that those young people who are -- meet certain requirements will avoid deportation.

LOPEZ: Well, we have to bring in Senator Marco Rubio. We have to bring him up in a conversation in such as this one. He was working on a similar project, something similar to the Dream Act. It would legalize young people, but it wouldn't give them a path to citizenship. And with the president's announcement, they basically -- they basically did that. They will not be deported. In at least two years, they can receive a work permit and they will not have a path to citizenship.

So, I think this opens a door to negotiations to have something that is permanent and comes from Congress and gives people more stability, and they know that this isn't something that's going to change. Now, governor Romney hasn't said that if he reaches the White House what he would do. If he would either maintain this policy or if he would revoke it. So, it's very interesting to see that he's talking about permanent issues, and he is receiving advice from people like Senator Rubio.

MALVEAUX: All right. I want to bring in Jim Acosta who is inside of the room. And Jim, first of all, tell us where the applause lines were, did he get any people standing on their feet regarding some of the things or his announcements or what was the mood in the room?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it was polite applause for Mitt Romney here in this crowd, Suzanne. I would say that the strongest applause that he got was when he talked about how he would like to see a path to legal status for the children of members of the armed services, and people who are in the armed services. But that is a policy proposal that he has laid out before. He's talked about it for many, many months so it's not really new. I have to tell you, Suzanne, that what happened here today, and this is really backed up by what a campaign policy director told me just a few moments ago, that this is really laying out broad principles. He wanted to challenge the president, take on the president, point out the fact that the president did not get comprehensive immigration reform passed in his first term of his administration.

But that's about all that we got out of Mitt Romney today. He did not take a position on what the president did late last Friday with that policy change with respect to the deportations of young undocumented people in this country. And I will tell you, Suzanne, right after the speech, I broke away after we talked last and I met up with an undocumented college student who was here in the crowd. She actually -- she told me just -- in an interview just a few moments ago, she went up to Mitt Romney after the speech and confronted him to try to get him to come down with a position on this issue of the Dream Act. She walked about disappointed.

She basically told me after the speech that she's furious that she did not get some kind of direction from Mitt Romney as to what would happen to her life, as she put it, should he become president. So, I will tell you, Suzanne, that I think there were some people in this room who were disappointed. But at the same time, we have to acknowledge this was probably a predominantly Democratic crowd. Remember, this is a crowd of Latino elected officials, and, as we know by looking at the polls, a large majority of the Latinos in the country favor the president in the upcoming election. So, it's not too surprising that the applause was polite and not thunderous in here, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And talk just a little bit about, Jim, here the strategy, because obviously they are here for a reason. I don't think that they think that they're going to win over in grand fashion the Latino community, but certainly here in Florida every vote counts. What are they hoping for? What are they wishing for in terms of shaving off the margin just even a little bit to get -- to gain some track Shawn here?

ACOSTA: Right. And Suzanne, as you know, we are in the state where every vote does count, but maybe not in all cases. But, yes -- no, what Mitt Romney is trying to do here is to talk about the economy and we talked about that a few moments ago. You know, his message, no matter what crowd he's talking to is about the economy. If it is the Latino leaders, it's going to be the economy. Keep in mind, he's going to be talking at the NAACP next month. My guess is he'll be talking about the economy and that is the message from here until election day.

But keep in mind, Jeb Bush is coming up, that is the next speech here later on this afternoon. Obviously, he is a very popular political figure in this state among Latinos. And tomorrow, Marco Rubio is talking. And one thing that we haven't really talked about throughout this whole discussion about what Mitt Romney would say here at Naleo is what happens with Marco Rubio? This whole discussion of whether or not he's being vetted ,whether or not he's going to be put on the Republican issue. That is another issue, not just immigration, but a lot of Latinos in this state are going to be watching very closely, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Absolutely. And don't forget as well, President Obama is going to be addressing this group tomorrow to talk about his immigration policy, economic policy and the reasons that he believes that the Latino community should vote for him for another four years. Jim Acosta, thank you so much, Juan Carlos Lopez for joining us, Mr. Vargas of Naleo. Thank you very much, I appreciate your time.

Here is what we are working on for this hour.

(voice-over): The night he killed Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman reenacted for police what he says happened. Now, that tape has been made public. We're going to play it for you in just moments.

And both sides in the Jerry Sandusky trial, they are wrapping up their closing arguments. Hear what the tactic the defense took to try to save Sandusky.

And we're going live to the president. He's about to speak in 30 minutes or so on rising student loan rates, a problem he is blaming on Republicans.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Broadcasters scored a win at the Supreme Court today, an eight to zero vote. The court ruled in favor of ABC and Fox in indecency dispute with the Federal Communications Commission. They FCC had hit the networks for heavy fines -- with heavy fines rather, for isolated incidents of foul language and nudity almost a decade ago. The court ruled the networks were not given fair notice before the fines were imposed.

Just learned a short time ago that the commerce secretary, John Bryson, is resigning. The White House cited health reasons. You might recall that Bryson was involved in a series of traffic accidents early this month in California. He was found unconscious in his car after the second of two collisions. Well later, it was revealed that Bryson suffered a seizure. He took medical leave on June 11th.

For the first time since Trayvon Martin was killed, we are seeing video of George Zimmerman describing in detail the night he shot the unarmed teenager.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE ZIMMERMAN, ACCUSED KILLER OF TRAYVON MARTIN: I was about here, and I had a flashlight with him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

ZIMMERMAN: The flashlight was dead though. And I looked around and I didn't see anybody. And I told nonemergency, I said, you know what, he is gone. He is not even here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.

ZIMMERMAN: So --

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: The video you are watching here shows Zimmerman at the scene giving detectives a blow by blow account of what he says actually happened there. There's also new video of Zimmerman talking at detectives at the Sanford police department. I want the bring in Martin Savidge, he has been looking into this. He joins us from Atlanta. And Martin, we should remind people that this is just one side of the story. Clearly, Trayvon Martin is not here to give his account of what happened. Tell us what some of the most dramatic sound that you have heard so far from Zimmerman?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, much of it's dramatic because much of it is, of course, in George Zimmerman's own words just hours after the shooting took place. We've heard these accounts in various forms and various ways, but this time, to hear it directly from George Zimmerman with the emotion, with the expression is really -- it makes a huge impression on this case. I think the most powerful moment, though, has to be as he describes to investigators just hours after he shot Trayvon Martin what happened. And listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZIMMERMAN: Then I really -- I started screaming for help. And he covered my nose with one hand and my mouth with the other one. And he said told me shut the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) up. And I couldn't breathe. I was suffocating. And all I could think about was, I didn't want him to keep slamming my head on the concrete. So I kind of shifted and squirmed my way out -- not out from under him, but like to where -- because the concrete was only -- it was a sidewalk and it felt like he only had my head on maybe a quarter of the concrete, and I could shift my way out and get onto the grass where he was slamming my head. It would just hit the grass and not the concrete. But when I shifted, my jacket came up and my shirt came up and exposed my firearm. And that's when he said -- he like sat up and looked and said, you're going to die tonight, (EXPLETIVE DELETED). And I felt him take one hand off my mouth and slide it down my chest. And I just pinched his arm and I grabbed my gun and I aimed it at him and fired one shot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: And, again, Suzanne, as you pointed out so correctly, that is just one account. George Zimmerman's. We don't know Trayvon Martin's because he didn't survive to tell the story.

MALVEAUX: And, Martin, also we know that George Zimmerman's bond was revoked. Earlier this month he misled the court about how much money he had during the bond hearing. Is his credibility also in question?

SAVIDGE: Absolutely. And that's why some people question about the timing of the release of all this information because it does seem to verify the story that George Zimmerman's told all along. His credibility had been questioned because of the monetary issue. Now it seems that the defense is trying to put forward and say, look, maybe he lied, maybe he misled about money, but he is telling the truth about what happened. Look at this. You listen and watch. They say it verifies his case.

MALVEAUX: All right, Martin Savidge. Thank you, Martin.

I'm live in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, where the nation's top Latino political leaders, they are meeting here. We just heard from Mitt Romney. My next guest is going to explain why she says this is the year of the ma Latinas.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. Today we are live from Florida where the largest Latino political convention in the country is taking place. President Obama, he's going to be here tomorrow. We just heard from Mitt Romney last hour. Both, of course, trying to win over Latino voters who are going to be a big influence on the presidential election.

We have heard a lot today about how the Latino vote will impact the next election, but is there one group that could actually determine it? My next guest, she actually thinks so. Victoria Defrancesco-Soto. She's a political science professor at the University of Texas. She is also a senior fellow at the Bernard Center for Women, Politics, and Public Policy.

So, Victoria, I live this, right, because you're like Latino -- mama Latinos here. We have the soccer moms. We have the security moms. The Wal-Mart moms. Tell us what about this group that really is making a difference?

VICTORIA DEFRANCESCO-SOTO: This is the year -- this is the year of the Latina mom. So that means, again, by highlighting that the focus on the Latina mom is about mobilization, not so much on them being a swing vote, like the soccer mom or the Wal-Mart mom. It's really about seeing what these women do in their family.

Latinos tend to have bigger families. We have multigenerational households. And these women are the nucleus. They are the ones that make everything go around. And if we can get them mobilized, if we can get them to light a fire under their family, then we're going to see more turnout.

MALVEAUX: Anything you heard from Mitt Romney today that makes you and other Latina moms actually get fired up?

DEFRANCESCO-SOTO: Well, I think the fact that he came. You know, he came. There was a lot of question of whether or not he would come. He did address the question of immigration, but I do not think that it's that shot in the arm that Latinos were waiting for. The devil's in the details. We're still here with an open mind to see what he elaborates on later. But I think Latinos want a bigger project. MALVEAUX: And what are you -- what are you listening for? What are you hoping for? Is it about economic concerns? Is it about jobs? Is it about providing for your families? Is it about school choice for your kids?

DEFRANCESCO-SOTO: It's all of the above. I mean, we do know that for Latinos, immigration and the economy are the top two issues. Latinos still are in the double digits for unemployment. We have the toughest recession hit. So we want both. We don't want just one. There's no silver bullet, regrettably.

MALVEAUX: What do you need, do you think, as a community, as mothers, when you look to your families, you look to your children and you encourage your husband's to participate in the political process? What are you listening for?

DEFRANCESCO-SOTO: We want the present (ph). So we want fixes to immigration problems, such as those that we face right now. We want jobs. But at the same time, we want a future for our children when they graduate. It does us no good (ph) to have a short-term solution, so when we go forward, our kids are going to go to college, they're not going to have a future ahead of them.

MALVEAUX: And tomorrow President Obama is actually going to come here and speak before you. Was this policy shift of last week allowing some illegal immigrates, young illegal immigration who actually meet some criteria, to stay in the country, was that enough? Did you feel like he made a strong enough stand there? Or did it look kind of as more like a political -- less than a political move?

DEFRANCESCO-SOTO: Well, I mean we do know from survey evidence -- a survey went into the field this past weekend, right after he made the announcement with the Latino decisions. And we saw that over to course of the weekend, enthusiasm among Latino voters shot up 50 percent. So there is enthusiasm there.

The problem the president has been having is exactly with that. Latinos support their president. Sixty percent rage (ph) and have for a long time. How are they going to turn out? That's the key question. They can answer yes in a survey, but come November 6th, where they are?

MALVEAUX: All right. And they're going to be looking for the moms either way.

DEFRANCESCO-SOTO: Right, Latina moms.

MALVEAUX: All right, thank you very much, Victoria. Nice to speak to you.

DEFRANCESCO-SOTO: Thank you.

MALVEAUX: The defense in Jerry Sandusky's trial presents closing arguments today, pointing out so-called inconsistencies in the testimony. We're going to go live from outside the Pennsylvania courtroom up next. And, don't forget, you can watch CNN live on your computer while you're at work. Go to cnn.com/tv.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Jerry Sandusky's fate is now in the hands of the jury. Attorneys wrapped up their closing arguments just a few minutes ago. But before they began, there was a surprise announcement from the judge. Three more child molestation counts against at the former Penn State assistant football coach have been dropped. Susan Candiotti, she is outside the courthouse in Pennsylvania.

So, Susan, first of all, earlier in the week one count against Sandusky was dismissed. Now we've got these three others dropped today. Can you tell us why?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, more or less, the judge dropped the charge -- total charges down to 48. In one of the instances today, he believed that one charge was redundant. And so he dropped that. And the other ones he had a conflict because he said that the -- the testimony didn't match the charge anymore. That the testimony that came out during the case was about something else that wasn't directly the kind of sexual assault, and so he threw that out as well. So, again, we're now down to 48 counts. A lot of counts anyway.

But beyond that, Suzanne, the first thing we heard from was the defense. They got their final say. And they went on to accuse the state and the investigators more or less of manufacturing a case against Jerry Sandusky. They said, the system decided Mr. Sandusky was guilty, and the system set out to convict him. And they gave a number of examples accusing investigators of coaching witnesses of what to say, accusing the alleged victims in this case of making things up, and that they were in it just for money.

And he kept the recurring theme. He kept saying, this just doesn't make any sense. And then he did something very interesting. He said that Jerry Sandusky wanted him to read to the jurors a poem written by Mother Theresa in which he more or less says to turn the other cheek. A poem called "Anyway." And then it was on to the prosecution's closing. Do we have time for that?

MALVEAUX: Sure. Go ahead.

CANDIOTTI: All right.

The prosecutors, they're the ones that wrapped things up. They said to the jurors, we don't want you to forget the boys in this case. The alleged victims in this case. They said that Jerry Sandusky is a man who has got two sides. Just because, they said, he is a good person in one way does not mean he couldn't have done bad things. As they put it, "Is that supposed to insulate you from your crimes that you have done some good in your life"?

And then prosecutors did something very dramatic in the end. The lead prosecutor moved directly behind Jerry Sandusky, and then said to the jurors, "He knows he did it, and you know he did it. Give him the justice he deserves. Find him guilty of everything."

And with that, the case has ended, and both sides have spoken. And the jury is now beginning deliberations -- Suzanne?

MALVEAUX: That is a very dramatic ending there.

Susan Candiotti, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

President Obama plans to speak in 10 minutes about the rising student loan rates that he says could have been prevented by a bill that the Republicans killed.

Last hour, we heard from Mitt Romney, bashing the president on immigration, at the largest gathering of Latino leaders in the country.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Latino voters will carry a lot of clout in the November presidential elections, so no doubt that both Mitt Romney and President Obama will speak to the convention here in Florida. The president will speak tomorrow.

We heard from Mitt Romney last hour. He blasted the president on immigration.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MITT ROMNEY, (R), FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: President Obama has failed to address immigration reform. For two years, this president had huge majorities in the House and Senate, and he was free to pursue any policy he pleased. But he did nothing to advance a permanent fix for our broken immigration system. Nothing. Instead, he failed to act until facing a tough re-election and trying to secure your vote. Last week, the president finally offered a temporary measure. He called it a stop-gap measure that he seems to think will be just enough to get him through the election. After three-and-a-half years of putting every issue, from loan guarantees to his donors to cash for clunkers, and putting all of those things before immigration, now the president has been seized by an overwhelming need to do what he could have done on day one, but didn't.

I think that you deserve better. Some people have asked if I will let stand the president's executive order. The answer is that I will put in place my own long-term solution that will replace and supersede the president's temporary measure. As president, I won't settle for stop-gap measures. I will work with Republicans and Democrats to build a long-term solution.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: President Obama is addressing Latino leaders here in Florida tomorrow. But right now, he actually just walked into the room, and he is focusing on the student loans. Interest rates on federally subsidized loans set to double July 1st if the Republicans and the Democrats can't reach an agreement on how to extend the low rates. Let's listen in.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- the piano --

(LAUGHTER)

-- cocktail hour.

(LAUGHTER)

So some of the most fun I have had as president is when I get a chance to talk with you, college students, about the importance of earning a higher education in today's economy. And I'll admit that the East Room is not as rowdy as Carmichael Arena at the UNC or -- we got any UNC folks here in the house? There we go.

(LAUGHTER)

Coors Center at C.U.-Boulder? Anybody? No?

(LAUGHTER)

OK.

I have to say that most of you are much more dressed up --

(LAUGHTER)

-- than usually when I see you in your own natural habitats.

(LAUGHTER)

But our message today is serious. Right now the unemployment rate for Americans with a college degree or more is about half of the national average. They earn twice as much as those who don't have a high school diploma. So whether a four-year college or a community college or a technical program, some form of higher education, something beyond high school has never been more important. It is the surest path to finding a good job, earning a good salary and making it into the middle-class. And at the same time, over the last two decades, the cost of college has doubled. It is actually more than doubled. That means -- and I don't have to tell you, because you are probably tallying it up right now -- the cost for you to take out loans has increased and you are more likely to rack up more debt.

The average student who borrows to pay for college now graduates with about $26,000 of debt from the student loans. Americans as a whole now owe more on student loans than they do on credit cards, and that is wrong. We cannot afford to price the middle-class and folks who aspire to go into the middle-class. We can't price them out of the college education market. We can't stand by when millions of young people are already saddled with debt just as you are starting off. Your parents, your grandparents, and, oftentimes they were in a position where, when they got that first job, the first thing they are thinking about is how do I save to buy a home and start a family. If you are already dealing with a big bunch of debt before you even get started, that is a problem. And it is mind boggling that we've had this stalemate in Washington that threatens to make the situation even worse.

So the reason that you are all here, and the reason that all of these fine looking young people behind me are here is that in just over a week the interest rates on federal student loans are scheduled to double. I have been talking about this for, what, a month and a half, two months, three month, five months? I have lost track. We have been talking about it for a long time. If Congress does not get this done in a week, the average student with federal student loans will rack up an additional $1,000 in debt over the coming year. If Congress fails to act, more than seven million students will suddenly be hit with the equivalent of a $1,000 tax hike. That is not something that you can afford right now.

Now, as I said, this warning sounds familiar. We have been talking about this for months. Congress has had the time to fix this for months. It is part of the reason why everybody here looks impatient.

(LAUGHTER)

This issue didn't come out of nowhere. It has been looming for months. But we have been stuck watching Congress play chicken with another dim light. So we are nine days away from thousands of American workers have (ph) to walk off of the job, because Congress has not passed a transportation bill. We are ten days away from nearly 7.5 million students seeing their loan rates double because Congress has not acted. This should be a no-brainer. It should not be difficult. It should have gotten week done weeks ago.

Now, the good news is that there are folks in Congress trying to do the right thing. Last month, the Democrats in the Senate put forward a plan that would have kept these rates in place without adding a dime to the Senate. Unfortunately, the Senate Republicans got together and blocked it. Over in the House, the Republicans said they would keep these rates down only if we agreed to cut things like preventative health care for women, which obviously would not fix the problem, but it would create a new problem. This is even as they were voting lock-step for an economic plan that would cut financial aid for nine million college students for the average of $1,000 and give $150,000 tax cut to wealthy Americans.

So, I recognize that there has been some effort to change the subject from this rate hike. One Congressman warned that this is all about giving college students free college education, which doesn't make much sense, because the definition of a loan is that it is not free. You to pay it back.

(LAUGHTER)

Others have said that we are just talking about student loans to distract from the economy. And that doesn't make much sense, because this is the economy. This is all about the economy. This is all about whether or not we are going to have the best-framed, best- educated workforce in the world. That improves our economy. And higher education cannot be a luxury reserved just for a privileged few. It is an economic necessity for every family. And every family should be able to afford it.

So, you know, you guys, during this period when you have been in college, have been some of the toughest economic times since the 1930s. And there are still a lot of challenges ahead globally. We can't control every economic headwind that we face. But this is something that we can control. This is something that we can do something about. Stopping student rates from doubling at the end of the month is something that we can do right now to make a difference in the lives of all the American people.

So there's still 10 days for Congress the do the right thing. I understand that members of both parties say they want to get this done, and there are conversations taking place, but they haven't done it yet. We have to keep the pressure on. That is where all of you come in. With the past few months, there are so many students and parents who have been working hard to shine a light on this issue. You have rallied on campuses, in your communities and campuses. You've called and e-mailed and tweeted your representatives in Washington. So you have played your part in making sure that the voice is heard and your democracy is responsive. My main message is, as you guys have embarked on this day of action, I want to make sure that you keep this going. Don't stop until it is actually done. There's nothing more powerful than millions of voices calling for change and all of your voices can make a difference. Keep telling Congress to do what is right to get this done. Tell them now is not the time to double interest rates on your student loans. Tell them to double-down on the investment in a strong and secure middle-class and that means your education. Tell them now is the time to double-down on America where everybody who works hard has a fair shot at success.

All right. And for those who are not here and are watching, if you tweet, use the hash tag "don't double my rate."

(LAUGHTER)

Don't double my rate.

But, I tell you, when I look out at this group right here, you give me confidence in America. You make me optimistic, not only because you are getting a great education, but also because all of you are participating in making sure that the democracy works the way it is supposed to. We need outstanding engineers and we need outstanding non-profit leaders and entrepreneurs --

MALVEAUX: President Obama in the White House in the East Room offering and encouraging Congress to keep interest rates for student loans low. It comes at a critical time during the campaign as he seeks support from young voters.

Next, it's called PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder, usually associated with people who have been traumatized by something. And now a study says that some heart attack patients are getting this disorder as well. We will explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: Post-traumatic stress disorder is usually associated with people who are traumatized by military combat or a violent attack, but doctors say it can also strike heart patients. A Columbia University study shows one in eight heart attack patients can develop PTSD. Researchers found those patients are twice as likely to suffer other heart problems than patients without PTSD. They are also twice as likely to die within three years.

Eating disorders don't just affect the young. A new study out of the University of North Carolina finds that 13 percent of women over the age 50 have eating disorders. The symptoms include binging and purging. 36 percent of the women surveyed spent a majority of the last five years dieting. 62 percent said their weight or shape has a negative impact on their lives.

Stocks down today, driven by global weakness and disappointment over the latest action by the Federal Reserve. We're going to take a look at the fallout from the Federal Reserve, the chairman's announcement, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: The Dow is down triple digits today despite the Fed announcing a $267 billion program yesterday to keep interest rates low and to pump life into a stagnant economic recovery.

Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange to tell us a little bit about this.

Now, considering the reaction since yesterday, simply, the markets saying the Fed hasn't done enough?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is part of it. You know, also, the other part of it is, you know, with the Fed going ahead and trying to push down long-term interest rates, it's an effort to try to boost demand. But you can't force businesses and you can't force people to borrow money and to lend money if they don't think the economy's going to improve. So that's really kind of why the Fed is kind of between a rock and a hard place. But it's giving it another several months to see if it can maybe spur some of that activity -- Suzanne?

MALVEAUX: Alison, do we think the recovery continues to stall? Do you think the Fed will actually do more?

KOSIK: That's actually what the market is hoping. But it go either way, because if the Fed takes even more aggressive action, it shows that the economy is worse off than everybody thought. But at the same time, the market wants to kind of get that boost from the Fed. And believe it or not, another bad jobs report may just sort of be the medicine or the push for the Fed to actually take more aggressive action -- Suzanne?

MALVEAUX: All right. Alison Kosik. Thank you, Alison.

So this is interesting for a status update. In one state, convicted sex offenders are going to soon have to out themselves to the public on their Facebook pages.

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MALVEAUX: A Syrian military pilot has defected. We are told the pilot took off in a MIG 21 fighter jet, landed in Jordon today, and was granted asylum. The White House is praising the pilot's decision to flee Syria. It comes one day after the U.S. warned members of the Syrian military they could face international criminal prosecution for attacks on civilian. A civilian opposition group says the regime has killed 81 people today alone. The government reports 20 Army, law enforcement and civilians killed by rebels.

Sex offenders in Louisiana will soon have to reveal their criminal status on their Facebook page and other social networking sites. A new state law requiring the posts takes effect August 1st. It is the first law of its kind in the country. Facebook already bans registered sex offenders from their site, but Louisiana now says that predators who lie about their status could face up to 10 years in prison.

CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Brooke Baldwin.