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American Morning
Cain Accuser Alleges Sexual Harassment; Report: Fifth Woman Questions Cain's Behavior; Michael Jackson's Doctor Guilty; Is Cain Accuser's Statement a Game-Changer?; Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal; Are Berlusconi's Days Numbered?; Cain Accuser Goes Public; Miss. To Vote On "Personhood" Measure
Aired November 08, 2011 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHARON BIALEK, HERMAN CAIN ACCUSER: I want you, Mr. Cain, to come clean. Just admit what you did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: She is the first woman to go public with sexual harassment claims against Herman Cain. Sharon Bialek here live this morning with her story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guilty of the charge of involuntary manslaughter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: A jury decides the fate of Dr. Conrad Murray. What's next after the dramatic and emotional end to the Michael Jackson death trial?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a roar, my God.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And way too close for comfort. Storm chasers capturing an amazing video of a tornado on the ground in Oklahoma on this AMERICAN MORNING.
VELSHI: Good morning. It is Tuesday, November 8th. Welcome to AMERICAN MORNING.
ROMANS: All right, up first, shocking accusations against Herman Cain. This morning the "Washington Examiner" is reporting that a fifth woman is raising questions about Cain's behaviour.
She says Cain asked to be set up on a dinner date with another woman after a speech he gave nine years ago. CNN has not independently verified her story. This after accuser number four came forward and didn't hold back.
Her name is Sharon Bialek. She's a single mother from Chicago who worked for the National Restaurant Association's educational foundation back in the 1990s. She's been laid off and claimed she met with Cain in 1997 to ask help for finding another position.
Bialek with celebrity lawyer, Gloria Allred by her side giving a detailed account of a dinner she had with Herman Cain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHARON BIALEK, CAIN ACCUSER: Instead of going into the offices, he suddenly reached over, put his hand on my leg, under my skirt, and reached for my genitals.
He also grabbed my head and brought it toward his crotch. Mr. Cain said, you want a job, right? I asked him to stop and he did. I asked him to take me back to my hotel, which he did, right away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Herman Cain striking back just hours ago on late night TV. We expect to hear more from the candidate later today. Mary Snow is with us this morning.
The last night on late night TV, he said that he would be having a press conference today to fully, you know, respond to this firestorm.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, this comes just days after Herman Cain said that this story was over. Now, he said he will set the record straight and that will happen later today in Phoenix at the site of that news conference.
On the Jimmy Kimmel show last night, the Republican presidential candidate denied the allegations made by Sharon Bialek, described his reaction to her news conference yesterday with his staff watching him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HERMAN CAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They could see steam coming out of my ears, and the feelings that you have when you know that all of this is totally fabricated, you go from anger, then you get disgusted.
You try to control yourself to make sure you watch this thing all the way through it, and I was listening very closely. And when it was all over with, I said, well, I know what we've got to do because there's not an ounce of truth in all of these accusations.
I will talk about any and all future firestorms because here's one thing people don't know about Herman Cain. I'm in it to win it and I'm not going to be discouraged. (END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: Now, on the specific allegations made by Bialek, Cain's campaign said in a written statement last night that there was no written statement, no complaint filed to support her claims.
Now Bialek says she did not file a complaint with the National Restaurant Association because she wasn't working with them at the time that this alleged encounter happened in July of 1997.
She had been let go about a month prior to that. After her news conference yesterday, she gave her first interview to CNN's Piers Morgan and talked about why she decided to speak now and the scrutiny she's expected to face.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIALEK: I wanted to do this because those know that know me know I don't back down from controversy and things, and I felt I needed to do this for the other women that couldn't or wouldn't.
And regardless of what happens and I know there is -- you're right. There's going to be a lot of backlash and I'm going to have to suffer through that. And I'm sure I'm going be portrayed as different things. I'm willing to handle it. I'm a tough girl.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: Now Bialek's claims come one week after it was disclosed that two women received payments from the National Restaurant Association after they alleged that they were sexually harassed by Herman Cain in the 1990s when he was head of the NRA.
One of the attorneys for one of the women said yesterday after Bialek's news conference that his client's story had similarities. He did not elaborate, but he said that there were similarities that would corroborate her story.
ROMANS: This is the first woman to kind of put a face and a name to these accusations against Herman Cain.
SNOW: You know, apparently, she reached out to Gloria Allred last week. You know, a lot of scrutiny, a lot of questions that she's going to making money from this. She said she does not anticipate filing any kind of lawsuit.
COSTELLO: Well, we're going to ask Gloria Allred and Ms. Bialek when she appears on AMERICAN MORNING" a little later this morning, but yes, that is the rub there. I'm not going to talk about this anymore. I'm going to talk about it every time it comes up again.
SNOW: You know, throughout yesterday, there were only general denials and not specifics and it started to get a little more specific yesterday, and, of course, we'll hear a lot more from him today.
ROMANS: Thanks, Mary Snow. Keep it on CNN all morning because at 7:40 Eastern, we're going to be joining live, as Carol said, by Cain's accuser, Sharon Bialek, and her attorney, Gloria Allred.
COSTELLO: Two years after Michael Jackson's death, a dramatic and emotional end. Dr. Conrad Murray guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAMMIE BENSON, JUDGE MICHAEL PASTOR'S CLERK: We, the jury find the defendant, Conrad Robert Murray guilty of the crime of involuntary manslaughter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Murray stone-faced as he learned his fate in the courtroom. You heard Michael Jackson's sister, Latoya. She let out that celebratory cheer as the family watched. Latoya later calling the decision a victory.
Let's go to Casey Wian live in Los Angeles. Dr. Murray I assume is behind bars this morning.
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He is behind bars, Carol, reportedly on suicide watch. Yesterday, after that verdict was read, different reactions as you can imagine from the lawyers on both sides.
Prosecutors very happy as they say justice was served, also offering their sympathies to Michael Jackson's family. The defense team saying that Dr. Conrad Murray did not get a fair trial and they're vowing to appeal. Let's listen to what both sides had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NAREG GOURJIAN, CONRAD MURRAY'S DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I was a little disappointed with the outcome. I can't say that I was surprised. There was a lot of evidence that we wanted to get admitted that we felt was critical for the jury to hear to make an informed decision.
DAVID WALGREN, PROSECUTOR: I just thank the jury and our sympathies go out to the Jackson family at this time for the loss that they suffered, not a pop icon, but a son and a brother, and I think that's most important to keep in mind today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIAN: Now, the reason the defense team says that Dr. Murray in its view did not get a fair trial is because the judge early on in the case did not allow a lot of evidence into the trial, specifically Michael Jackson's past drug use and specifically his financial condition.
They do vow to appeal, but in the meantime, they're going to be working on trying to figure out the arguments to persuade this judge to give Dr. Murray a much lighter sentence. He could get up to four years in state prison.
The defense team is expected to ask for probation, perhaps a very short amount of time in county jail. This judge, though, is the same judge who ruled yesterday that Dr. Conrad Murray is a danger to society. So they've got a long way to go to try to convince this judge that the sentence should be short -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Casey Wian reporting live in Los Angeles this morning. Thank you.
VELSHI: All right, Carol, let's bring in CNN legal analyst, Paul Callan. He's been following the trial closely from the beginning. Good morning, Paul.
PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: Good morning.
VELSHI: All right, let's talk about sentencing first of all. Convicted -- sentencing will be I think on the 28th of November. Separate and apart from this issue in California of whether or not they have enough jail space, what's he likely to get?
CALLAN: Well, think given what Judge Pastor said yesterday, four years is a light sentence. Four years is a maximum sentence, but you know, the judge did something very surprising at sentencing.
He basically said slap on the handcuffs and take him away. He's a threat to public safety. This is a violent crime. I mean, all the messages were is that there is going to be a severe sentence handed down by the judge.
VELSHI: Is this true? I mean, this was highly specific what he was accused of doing. What he's convicted of doing. How does that make him a threat to society?
CALLAN: I don't think that it does. I mean, certainly, it is a homicide case. He took a human life, no question about that. But frankly, the only threat that he poses to society would be his ability to prescribe medication. He has been suspended as a physician already.
VELSHI: Right.
CALLAN: So he has no right to prescribe medication. So what is he going to do? This is not --
VELSHI: He is now convicted of doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing as a doctor anyway. So it's a very strange. I mean, a lot of people are conflating this case with doctors who over prescribe or incorrectly prescribe prescription drugs. This is a whole different realm.
CALLAN: Well, you know, I think though that you're only something there, because I think Judge Pastor is sending a message through this case to physicians practicing particularly in California where you have this hire a doctor and you can get whatever prescription drug you'd like. There's been so much damage done to so many people by doctors who are becoming drug dealers really by being hired by celebrities and think he was sending a message here, we're not going to tolerate it anymore. This is what's happening to this physician. He's going right into prison. Strong message from the court.
VELSHI: Now, his medical license in California is suspended. The medical board there has to review it. I'm assuming they'll have to take it away.
CALLAN: Undoubtedly, they'll take it away. Felony conviction, almost 100 percent of the time, it's permanently revoked.
VELSHI: It's a state board. Does that mean he can practice somewhere else?
CALLAN: No. Most of these states have what we call reciprocity. If you get suspended or revoked in one state, you'll be suspended and revoked in another state. Now there may be a procedure, a brief procedure that you'll go through, but he's not going to practice medicine again.
VELSHI: All right, one of the things that Ed Chernoff, his defense lawyer said yesterday, was that they're going to do everything they can do to try -- right now, their main job is to prepare for sentencing and limit the amount of time that Murray spends in a jail. But there was an implication in what he said, that they don't want to take up a jail cell in the county.
CALLAN: Yes. That's going to be the approach here. There are two things going on in California. One is called the California realignment law, which basically they're trying to get nonviolent felons out of prison into the state jail system and then home confinement, that sort of thing, probation as much as possible.
VELSHI: Right.
CALLAN: Federal court has an order about overcrowding in California because of the financial crisis. So they're going to try to use those two things to limit his jail time.
VELSHI: Can you do that? Can you argue in court when you're talking about your sentencing that the state's structure and crowding is the reason --
CALLAN: You can under this strange California realignment law. One of the things that is looked at is the nature of the crime and whether you should go to jail as opposed to prison.
Prison is where felonies normally are served. If he gets into a jail situation and that jail down the line turns out to be overcrowded, he could be out in not four years, he could be out in under two years.
I mean, Lindsay Lohan is a classic example. She's in for 30 days. She's in for two hours and she's out. That's classic California sentencing.
VELSHI: But the judge has made it clear that he thinks this man should be in jail. Is this overcrowding issue going to be the judge's problem? Can he over sentence to ensure that Conrad Murray goes to jail? He seems to have expressed his view that this man should be in jail.
CALLAN: Yes, and I think, you're going to see the judge try to make sure that he's not going to walk because of overcrowding. This judge has sent a message. This is a prison case. This is a serious case. He's a threat to society.
He's gong do everything possible to make sure Conrad Murray spends real time in prison. As it is, it's only a four-year maximum for the death of a human being. It's not a lot of time.
VELSHI: Paul Callan, good to see you, my friend. Paul is a CNN legal contributor, a criminal defense attorney and a former prosecutor -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Also new this morning, Ali, a smoking Joe Frazier has lost his battle with cancer. The former heavyweight champ was only recently diagnosed with the decease.
Frazier is most famous as you know for his three fights with Mohammed Ali back in the '70s. He won the first becoming the first fighter to beat Ali and then he lost the next two including that "Thrilla in Manila." Joe Frazier was just 67 years old.
ROMANS: The White House is denying a report this morning that Bill Daley is surrendering his main duties as chief of staff. The "Wall Street Journal" reported yesterday that presidential aide, Pete Rouse, would be taking over the day to day operation of the west wing, but a senior administration official tells CNN that report is flat wrong although Rouse has been asked to come in and help improve the efficiency of the White House staff.
COSTELLO: A replacement for Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou will be announced sometime today. Papandreou agreed to step aside on Monday as long as the European bailout plan is approved. New elections will take place after that bailout is put into place.
VELSHI: Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is refusing to resign even though he's losing support to pass the reforms needed for Italy to avoid financial disaster.
In just a few hours, Berlusconi's coalition government faces another crucial test when parliament votes on a budget. Berlusconi could also face a vote of no confidence this week over the handling of the Italian economy.
ROMANS: All right, up next, a stunning report about counterfeit parts from China flooding the American military supply chain. Why one senator says the Chinese are costing U.S. taxpayers millions and putting the lives of American troops at risk. COSTELLO: And he's not charged in the case, but the pressure is mounting on legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno to resign after a child sex abuse scandal rocks the program.
VELSHI: Disgruntled and dangling. A man suspends himself from a busy New York bridge as part of a political protest. We'll tell you how that bizarre scene played out coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Eighteen minutes past the hour. Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING.
Attorney General Eric Holder will get a grilling today from a Senate sub-committee. Out of a sales ATF gun walking program donned "Operation Fast and Furious." It was an effort to disrupt the flow of illegal weapons south, but two guns traced to the program were found at the murder scene of a federal agent.
In a prepared testimony -- in prepared testimony, rather, Holder says the tactic that allowed illegal guns to be smuggled into Mexico should have never happened and it must never happen again.
ROMANS: Counterfeit electronic parts mostly from China have flooded the U.S. Military's supply chain, and according to one U.S. senator, they're endangering our troops and costing American taxpayers a fortune. A Congressional investigation found 1,800 cases of knock- off parts of transistors and memory chips used in our helicopters and fighter jets with 70 percent of these counterfeits reportedly coming from China.
VELSHI: A bizarre protest in New York. Michael Davitt, a fired government worker, dangled from the Tappan Zee Bridge for more than three hours yesterday. He used a rope and a harness to suspend himself. This was his way of protesting Rockland County legislation. Police were able to lower Davitt who tried to make a quick escape into the water, but no success. He was taken into custody.
COSTELLO: Now is your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. The question for you this morning, is the Cain accuser's statement a game-changer?
After days of blaming the media, Rick Perry and all those women named anonymous, Herman Cain at last point to an accuser with a face and a voice. Sharon Bialek, a former National Restaurant Association employee, accused Cain of groping her sexually in 1997 when she asked him to help her find a job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHARON BIALEK, HERMAN CAIN'S ACCUSER: I want you, Mr. Cain, to come clean, just admit what you did, admit you were inappropriate to people. America is in a -- and then move forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Bialek says she is ready for the media onslaught that has already begun.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: I assumed it was Bialek, but Gloria Allred says her name is Bialek as in buy a lick (ph).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Bialek's also criticized for her choice of lawyers. Gloria Allred, a celebrity who's last client was a porn star who received text from Congressman Anthony Weiner.
Herman Cain is denying Bialek's claim and fired off this statement, "Just as the country finally begins to refocus on our crippling $15 trillion national debt and the unacceptably high unemployment rate, now activist, celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred is bringing forth more false accusations against the character of the Republican front-runner Herman Cain."
But Bialek's claims go beyond sexual harassment. CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin says Bialek's allegations amount (ph) to assault. And he says, Cain -- Cain may never recover.
So the "Talk Back" question for you today, is the Cain accuser's statement a game-changer? Facebook.com/AmericanMorning, Facebook.com/AmericanMorning. I'll read your comments later this hour.
ROMANS: All right. A warning to earthlings this morning. Get ready for a close encounter of the asteroid kind. What scientists are saying is coming your way and whether it will pass. I'll tell you.
VELSHI: Come on. You ruined the tease. Now, why --
ROMANS: Oh, come on.
VELSHI: -- why do I watch through the commercial if I know the asteroids are going to pass?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're all going to die.
VELSHI: All right. I'll give you something to stick around for.
Here's something you hear -- don't hear very often. A bank giving you money. If you're a Bank of America customer, we'll tell you why you could have some money coming your way.
Twenty-two minutes past the hour. Ignore that nonsense about the asteroids.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Welcome back. "Minding Your Business" this morning.
Right now, U.S. markets poised to open higher this morning. They closed higher yesterday after a long day of pretty volatile trading. Investors still pretty jittery about the developments in Greece and Italy.
Let's talk first about Italy. Italian bond yields nearing record highs, close to a very dangerous seven percent level. Investors rushing away from government bonds showing concern that Prime Minister Berlusconi will not be able to get the country's debt problems under control. The bond market is about twice the size of the stock market. The global bond market is about twice the size of the stock market, we're really watching for action there to tell us about how people are feeling about Europe right now.
We're also waiting to hear who will become Greece's next prime minister. And an announcement is expected at any time. The current Prime Minister George Papandreou agreed to step down as long as the controversial $178 billion bailout deal is approved.
Warren Buffett is back in stocks. The filing shows his Berkshire Hathaway invested more than $20 billion last quarter, that's the most in at least 15 years. The purchases included Bank of America and chemical company Lubrizol.
More than 13 million people will get a payment from Bank of America. A federal judge yesterday approved a $410 million settlement in a lawsuit claiming the bank charged customers excessive overdraft fees. An attorney says the average customer will likely get back around $27 even though they paid maybe $300 in those overdraft fees.
AMERICAN MORNING will be right back after this quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: The man who once said he was the right man and the right job may soon be out of a job. Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is at risk of facing a serious revolt in the Italian parliament -- on this AMERICAN MORNING.
(MUSIC)
VELSHI: Welcome back. It's 30 minutes after the hour on Tuesday morning.
Time for this morning's top stories:
A single mother from Chicago is going public with sexual harassment cases. She claimed Cain groped her 14 years ago after she asked him for help finding job. Cain plans to counter her accusations at a news conference later today.
ROMANS: Legendary heavyweight champ Joe Frazier has died of liver cancer. Smokin' Joe was 67 years old. He was the first fighter to defeat Mohammed Ali, landing what maybe the most memorable left hook in boxing history. It came in the first of their three classic fights.
In a statement Ali says of his longtime nemesis, the world has lost a great champion. I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration.
COSTELLO: Dr. Conrad Murray behind bars. He's been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter on the death of Michael Jackson. The judge denying bail and ordering Murray to stay in jail until his sentencing at the end of the month. He faces four years in prison and will likely lose his medical licenses in three states. He was already suspended in California.
VELSHI: Now, the sex abuse scandal that's rocking the Penn State campus. Two school officials have now resigned and face criminal charges for failing to report alleged sexual abuse by former coach Jerry Sandusky.
Now, he is charged with assaulting at least eight young boys. Prosecutors are calling on any unidentified victim to come forward.
CNN's Jason Carroll is following the developments. He's live in State College, Pennsylvania.
Good morning, Jason.
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Ali.
You know, late yesterday, Penn State released a statement saying that Joe Paterno would not answer any questions about the sex abuse scandal. We'll have to see what happens at that press conference later on today.
Meanwhile, this all coming after two school officials posted bail late yesterday and their attorneys lashed out at the attorney general.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL (voice-over): Two Penn State officials charged with perjury were each released on $75,000 bail. Athletic director Timothy Curley and senior vice president, Gary Schultz, resigned in the wake of a sexual abuse scandal involving former football coach Jerry Sandusky. Sandusky is accused of sexually abusing eight boys. The attorney general says Curley and Schultz failed to report one of the incidents of sexual abuse to police and lied to grand jurors.
Their attorneys say the charges are bogus.
CAROLINE ROBERTO, ATTORNEY FOR TIMOTHY CURLEY: It is a distraction in this case, the charge of perjury, and it is unconscionable that the attorney general's office would level such a weak case against a man of integrity like Mr. Curley.
THOMAS J. FARRELL, ATTORNEY FOR GARY SCHULTZ: This is disappointing, because rather than follow the law, the attorney general has fabricated a fiction.
CARROLL: The attorney general stands by the accusations laid out in 23-page grand jury report which alleges Sandusky used his position as a former coach and founder of an organization to help troubled youths to befriend young boys so he could sexually assault them. Sandusky maintains his innocence.
Prosecutors say that Penn State official reported the allegation of abuse to police, which is required under Pennsylvania law, it would have stopped Sandusky from allegedly finding more victims. Eight boys are described in the report but prosecutors say their investigation is not over.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think it would be beyond the realm of possibility that there are other victims that exist here.
CARROLL: Head football coach Joe Paterno is not charged in the case. In 2002, a grad student reporting seeing Sandusky sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy in the shower at the university. That student reported the incident to Paterno and who in turn told his immediate supervisor Timothy Curley. Prosecutors say, in the eyes of the law, that was enough.
FRANK NOONAN, PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE COMMISSIONER: I wouldn't characterize how I feel about Joe Paterno or another individual in this case. All the sympathy I have is directed towards the children.
CARROLL: Sandusky, once celebrated as a hero, he was carried off the football field during the Alamo Bowl in 1999. Now, he's out on $100,000 bail and facing life in prison if convicted on all accounts.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: And Sandusky is expected in a court appearance tomorrow. As for Paterno, well, you know, he's a legend here, Ali, you know that. But there's been a growing number of students at Penn State who are calling for his resignation -- Ali.
VELSHI: What's a sense of how this is going? Because this is obviously a side debate and it's certainly not as important as the boys and the victims and finding out exactly what happened. But the debate surrounding it seems to be what should happen to Joe Paterno? What's likely to happen? Will that lucrative program protect him or will he resign, will he be forced out?
CARROLL: Well, you know, when you look at the situation with Paterno, you can look at it two ways. I mean, when you look at it from the legal aspect of what's going on here, Ali, you heard from the attorney general's office, you heard from police. They feel as though legally he did the minimum of what was required. So, that's why legally he's not facing any charges.
Morally, there seems to be a question as to whether or not he did enough. You know, he knew about this allegation and there are some who are simply saying, why didn't someone here call the police? Whether it be Paterno or these other school officials -- why didn't someone reach out to the police? That is why you see a number of students here at the university and, quite frankly, throughout the community, at least on one side of this issue, who say it is in fact time for this man to step down.
But having said there, there are still a number of people who support Joe Paterno, make no mistake about that -- Ali.
VELSHI: Thanks very much, Jason Carroll, in State College, Pennsylvania.
COSTELLO: Also this morning, it appears Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi's days could be numbered. As we speak, Italy is trying to get its finances under control. The Italian parliament is now debating a proposed budget plan and it's unclear whether Berlusconi can muster enough votes to pass the bill.
Matthew Chance live in Italy this morning, in Rome. Matthew, bring us up to date.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What you say, within the past few minutes that parliamentary session has apparently gone under way with the Italian government debating what should be a very mundane budget bill. But it's become much more important because there have been reported, perhaps a dozen or more defections from Silvio Berlusconi's ruling coalition. It means that, you know, the prime minister may not be able to have a majority in the parliament. And if he can't do that, the pressure is really going to be on him to step down.
The newspaper is full of speculation that Silvio Berlusconi, of course, has been dogged by legal scandals, sex scandals, charges of corruption and misuse of power, will fight to the end. He's a veteran trader. He's been trying to attract these rebel parliamentarians back to his side.
But, you know, things looking very touch and go for the Italian prime minister. Before the day's out, we may have perhaps a new Italian government or at least some clarity on what Silvio Berlusconi intends to do.
COSTELLO: Matthew Chance, live in Rome this morning -- thank you.
ROMANS: Mother Nature piling on in Oklahoma. The Sooner State shaken by an earthquake, a 4.7 magnitude quake centered about 17 miles from the town of Shawnee. At the same time, at least one tornado touched down in southwestern Oklahoma, near the Texas border, with reports of several more there. The twister damaged some buildings, but no reports of injuries.
Rob Marciano in the extreme weather center for us.
They've had quite a couple of days over there, Rob.
COSTELLO: Yes, poor Oklahoma.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, not to mention their record breaking heat in the summer and the cold and snow from last winter. Here's another shot at that twister.
We are in severe storm season. We'll get another round in the fall, not quite as intent or as long as the spring.
But you get monster twisters like this. My goodness. Look at that thing. Like a blender and a drill bit just scooting across the Oklahoma landscape. Luckily, just some structures damaged, and as you mentioned, no injuries.
We have a threat for severe weather today across parts of Texas. This line of storm is moving toward Dallas. Severe thunderstorm watches or tornado watch have been allowed to expire. A lot of that rain is getting up into towards Wisconsin, will get into Chicago as well. And some of this will turn to snow in places like northern Wisconsin and parts of Minnesota.
Red area here, including Louisiana, parts of Arkansas, that's where your severe weather threat is. East of there, we're in for mild and beautiful weather again. Temperatures will be in the 70s in many spots, 68 degrees in New York City and 72 degrees expected in Dallas.
All right, briefly, what's going on with this thing, which is the asteroid that Ali mentioned? Yes, it is going to miss both the moon and the earth. This is a two-dimensional vision. If you were to look at it three-dimensional, actually, it will be in the different points. So, there's really no chance of it hitting either one.
It's going be scooting across the atmosphere at around 6:30 tonight. And here's what it looked like yesterday with the high- powered radar telescope, 8,000 miles away.
So, you know, it's not really that impressive. Nothing really worth looking at. You'd have to have a high-powered telescope to see it as well. Just something of interest.
VELSHI: At a time in our life, is there going to be an asteroid that actually just hits us like a big one, like the movies?
MARCIANO: Are you hoping for that?
COSTELLO: I know.
MARCIANO: This thing would have created --
VELSHI: If you told me there's zero chance then I won't get excited every time we do these stories because Christine teases that there's going to be an asteroid and it's going to be closer than the moon and thinking, oh, my do I need a well? Is anyone going to be around?
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: I just want to know if it's going to happen in my lifetime. My kids' lifetime?
MARCIANO: This could happen in your lifetime. You know, we can't keep track of all these asteroids.
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: What is it you're busy you're doing than keeping track of an asteroid that's going to destroy the earth -- is there something more important than the little weather pattern over Japan?
MARCIANO: Are you tracking that toward me.
VELSHI: Just a little frustrated.
MARCIANO: We have severe weather. We have a tornado. Who's going to man the Doppler, Ali? You? You, Romans? Costello?
COSTELLO: I have no part of this.
MARCIANO: I have a greater possibility than you can possibly fathom.
VELSHI: All right. You just keep your eye on that lake of moisture that's coming in from the South. Don't worry about the asteroid.
ROMANS: It kind of looks like a moldy pea that's been under the couch for a long time, you know?
VELSHI: Yes.
ROMANS: If it hit the earth it would be like a 7 magnitude earthquake.
VELSHI: Really?
ROMANS: If it hit the ocean, it would be like a huge tsunami. So, there you go. If it did hit, it would be --
VELSHI: I would have thought it'd be bigger than a 7 magnitude earthquake. Won't you? All right.
I didn't get a lot of sleep last night.
Still to come this morning, with unemployment at 9 percent and the price of college education rising, is that college degree still worth the price? Interesting data for you. Find out on the other side.
Forty-two minutes after the hour.
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VELSHI: All right. All this week, we are showing you how to speak money. Today, the value of a college degree and how to maximize its financial power. The job market has changed dramatically over the last 50 years. You've noticed.
ROMANS: Right. Back in the day, a high school grad was all but guaranteed a job with high wages, benefits, paid vacation, retirement, pension. Those days are long gone. Now, anyone looking to enter the job force better have a college degree.
VELSHI: Some question, though, whether a college degree is worth it in these economic times. Now, Christine and I couldn't agree more. We disagree about a lot of things, but we agree. A college degree is worth it now more than ever. Take a look at this. The U.S. unemployment rate has hovered around nine percent over the past couple of years, right? We know that.
ROMANS: If you breakdown the unemployment rate by education level, you can see the more education you have, the less likely you are to be unemployed. Only a high school diploma? That's 10.3 percent unemployment.
VELSHI: Wow.
ROMANS: But if you have a bachelor's degree, it falls -- I think, these are numbers from last year, about 5.4 percent.
VELSHI: After you breakdown the median weekly earnings by education level, this is another trend. If you only have a high school diploma, you're going to make an average of $626 a week. A college degree jumps that number up to $1,038. It's a dramatic difference.
ROMANS: Now, college is expensive. This is where the is-it- worth-it part comes in. People say, hey, you know, is it worth it if I may have all of this debt? You know, students have tens of thousands of dollars in debt, but that means it's very important to be smart about how you're going to pay for college, save for college.
VELSHI: Which means picking a school you can afford. Private universities now cost $25,000 a year making your total tab for your education over $100,000. It usually means student loans and lots of debt once you graduate. So, one rule of thumb. Don't graduate with debt that exceeds for the annual salary of your first job.
ROMANS: And that means you need to be strategic about what you're going to pick with your degree. Many state schools offer an education, by the way, just as good as private schools from a fraction of the price check amount. And also, a lot of schools are starting three-year programs.
VELSHI: Right.
ROMANS: It's tougher, but a three-year program will save you a whole year of tuition.
VELSHI: But you have to choose what you study. Christine and I both have liberal arts degrees, and why we're glad we have them, neither of us would encourage someone to follow in our footsteps without a very clear as to what's your going to do with that degree. It could mean getting another degree, afterwards.
ROMANS: You need to be balanced. You heard a lot about STEM., science, technology, engineering, and math. That's that acronym. And we think, by the way, that STEM should be balanced off with the healthy --
VELSHI: Sure.
ROMANS: But the top majors with the highest median earnings are all STEM jobs compared that to the median income of, say, counseling psychology only $29,000 a year. A controlling engineering, that's $87,000 a year.
VELSHI: I mean there are a lot of interesting jobs. They just don't pay that much. So, choose a school that you can afford. Study a subject with high potential earnings, and you'll set yourself up for financial success down the road.
ROMANS: All right. There's more in our book right now, "How to Speak Money," and all these sorts of subject. Tomorrow, we're going to talk about investing, how to make your money work for you -- Carol.
COSTELLO: OK. I'm excited to hear that one because I want to retire very soon.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Still to come this morning, our "Talk Back" question, is the Herman Cain accuser's statement a game-changer? Oh, you responded. We'll read some of your comments next. It's 47 minutes past the hour.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MACKLOVITC, CHROMEO: What's up? This is Dave from Chromeo. This is Pete. And how much you're on the road, Pete?
PATRICK GEMAYEL, CHROMEO: It's about 250 days a year. Our main mission is to make people dance.
MACKLOVITC: We put out our first album not knowing we're going to ever (INAUDIBLE) using just Pete and I, him driving his Toyota Rav 4 and us kind of going as far as we could. For years, Pete and I would share a hotel room with the cheapest hotel we could find.
GEMAYEL: Sometimes, I prefer taking the bus. So, this is my (INAUDIBLE). I love riding the bus. It's great. It rocks me to sleep.
MACKLOVITC: We're really a hands-on kind of band, and we pride ourselves on that.
GEMAYEL: We each have our little off jobs within the band.
This is my office. You can see all my paperwork is here.
MACKLOVITC: We really try to pride ourselves in having the cleanest bus possible.
Thanks for joining us.
MACKLOVITC: Yes, on this grade road trip. And we'll see you in your city.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is 51 minutes past the hour. Here's what you need to know to start your day.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO (voice-over): Herman Cain will hold a news conference later today to accusations of sexual harassment by a single mom from Chicago. Sharon Bialek says Cain groped her in the 1990s after she went to ask him for help in finding a job.
Dr. Conrad Murray found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson. The judge denied bail. Murray will stay in jail until he's sentencing at the end of the month. He faces four years in prison.
Smoking Joe Frazier has died. The legendary heavyweight champion lost his fight with liver cancer last night in Philadelphia. He's a 67 years old.
A controversial vote today in Mississippi. Residents will decide if life begins at inception by defining personhood. Critics say the decision could have serious legal implications like eliminating abortion and certain types of birth control.
We're standing by to learn who replaces the Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou. That announcement is expected some time today. Papandreou announced he would step down if the European bailout was approved.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO (on-camera): That's the news to start your day. AMERICAN MORNING back after a break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Welcome back. You didn't have a reservation, but then, again, you didn't need one. Check out this video.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS (voice-over): A deer crashing through the front window of a Taco Mac restaurant at Alfredo, Georgia right next where people were sitting and eating.
COSTELLO (voice-over): That would wake you up.
ROMANS: As quickly as the deer came, it left to the backside of the door. Thankfully, no one was injured. The deer did leave a souvenir. It lost an antler in the --
COSTELLO: Oh.
ROMANS: But you know what, antlers grow back.
COSTELLO: They do.
VELSHI (voice-over): That's crazy. I don't even understand what that deer was thinking. There were days when I really wanted a taco, but not that bad.
ROMANS: And then he saw they didn't have enchiladas that day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO (on-camera): They see the reflection in the glass, and it scares them, and then, they jump through.
VELSHI (on-camera): Wow! Wow.
COSTELLO But he found his way out, and that's good.
OK. We ask you to "talk back" on one of the big stories of the day. The question for you this morning, is the Herman Cain accuser's statement a game changer?
This is from Janice, "I'd take anyone over our current president. If we could all love Clinton After his cigar incident, then we can get over Cain. Wasn't the argument back then that personal character had nothing to do with professional abilities? Oh, how short the public's memory is."
This from Cameron, "It depends on how he handles it. All politicians running for president get into some kind of scandal, but running around blaming people isn't handling it correctly."
And this from Andre, "No, it's not a game-changer. These allegations are extremely sordid, but it's an all too familiar story in the Black community. Throughout history, White women have made up stories accusing Black men of making unwanted sexual advances toward them."
Keep the conversation going. Facebook.com/americanmorning. We'll read more of your thoughts later.
Really interesting sentiments from people this morning.
VELSHI: Yes. As we're going through them, there's some very interesting. We'll try to get in as many of those as we can in today.
And coming up ahead in the next hour, we'll hear from Herman Cain's accuser live. The first woman to come forward in the scandal. It's 55 minutes -- 56 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
