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CNN Saturday Morning News

Government Shutdown Averted; More Protests Erupt in Cairo's Tahrir Square; Can Man Live on Beer Alone?; Is It Fair to Judge Workers on Credit Standings in a Tough Economy?

Aired April 09, 2011 - 07:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.

And wooo, that was close! A sigh of relief across the country this morning. Our government is still open for business today. A deal was struck late last night with just about an hour to spare.

Good morning to you all. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, this is your CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

Glad you could spend part of your weekend with us. I'm T.J. Holmes. It's 7:00 a.m. here and also 7:00 a.m. in Washington, D.C., where we're about to go live in just a moment

Plus, also this morning. Can man live on beer alone? I'm getting some "yes" answers here in the studio from some of our crew. But, yes, apparently a man can. We will explain this in a bit.

But I do need to let you know because many of you may have missed this. The deal was struck by the time many of you went to sleep last night. So, while you were sleeping, Congress finished up work and finished up some votes needed to keep the government running.

So, there is no shutdown as of this morning. So, 800,000 federal workers, a lot of military families, also a lot of tourists who may have been planning to visit national parks and museum this is weekend can all breathe a sigh of relief for now.

Here's the big deal: $38.5 billion in spending cuts for the rest of this fiscal year ends in September. No changes to funding for Planned Parenthood. That became a big part of the debate yesterday. Republicans were fighting for changes there; Democrats said no.

There are two deals to tell you about. That bigger one I just mentioned but one short-term deal that will fund the government for another week, one week. The bigger deal goes through September.

Now, here's what the Republican leader and president had to say after the deals were done.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I'm pleased that Senator Reid and I and the White House have been able to come to an agreement that will, in fact, cut spending and keep our government open.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We protected the investments we need to win the future. At the same time, we also made sure that at the end of the day, this was a debate about spending cuts, not social issues like women's health and the protection of our air and water. These are important issues that deserve discussion, just not during a debate about our budget.

I want to thank Speaker Boehner and Senator Reid for their leadership and their dedication during this process.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

HOLMES: Our senior White House correspondent Ed Henry is with me this morning and also our congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar.

Boy, if you listen to the two sides after the deal was done, it sounds like one big happy family.

Brianna, let me come to you. I have to ask this question. This short-term deal, a lot of Americans here -- wait a minute, they need another short-term deal to last them another week? Does this mean, in a week, we're actually going to be right here in the same spot talking about another possible shutdown?

Brianna, answer that question for viewers.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The expectation on both sides, Democrats and Republicans, is no. And even though the short-term deal, the short-term one-week really extension to keep the government going -- this is what passed last night after midnight. It goes until next Friday, T.J.

But we're expecting to see a vote on the long-term, the rest of the budget year on Monday night. So, this is really just filling a gap. That's the expectation.

HOLMES: All right. And everybody thinks that they're going to be able to wrangle both sides, the leadership will be able to get enough members to get two things through. That's the expectation, correct?

KEILAR: Well, that's right. And, of course, part of this whole process, and you saw that sound there with Speaker Boehner. That was after he had a meeting with all of his Republicans. So, they have checked in with their entire caucus or their entire conference to try to get by it.

HOLMES: OK. Ed, let me bring you in here. President certainly was active in these negotiations. But at the end of the day, does the president have a deal clearly he can live with?

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think so. I mean, if you go back to December when the president cut that deal with Republicans on the Hill on, you know, a tax cut deal, there were liberals who were quite upset about it, that the president had given too much. They say this is the best possible thing I could have gotten.

I think this was a much different circumstance. This president was touting it because certainly, he had to give, Republicans gotten over $38 billion in spending cuts, a lot more than Democrats on the Hill originally wanted. But the president was also able to strip out some of those controversial issues like abortion. Democrats will be happy about that.

And I have to tell you, in private for a long time, Democrats here at the White House have been saying privately that Democrats on the Hill don't want to cut a lot of spending and the president does want to cut spending because he knows he's got much big mountains to climb down the road -- Medicare and Medicaid, some of these looming big, big debt issues. And so, this could be a step forward where both sides came together to start cutting. Largest spending cut in history for Congress in one bill. And that maybe this bodes well for the future.

So, they are going to clearly claim victory here.

HOLMES: Ed, it is -- and, Brianna, it is very scary to think this was the opening act for a couple of bigger fights that are coming. Good to see you both. I'll check with you again. Thanks so much. Good to have you all here with us on the CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

To our viewers, we'll take you back to Cairo, Tahrir Square in particular. And when you see the pictures, a lot of it will look familiar to you. But protesters are back in Tahrir Square protesting once again. This comes weeks after the ouster of President Mubarak.

So, why are they back and demanding change once again? We are live in two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Seven minutes past the hour now.

People are crowding into Egypt's iconic Tahrir Square right now.

CNN's Ivan Watson is joining us from there.

Of course, Ivan, people are -- remember this, this was ground zero for protests against Hosni Mubarak. Now, it seems like the scene, the pictures look the same in a lot of ways. Why are people back? And why are they protesting this time?

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, T.J.

It may look similar, but there have been some serious developments overnight. Tahrir Square is over my shoulder here. And under cover of darkness, the military moved in, in force last night, to break up an attempted sit in at the center of the square, in the roundabout at the center of the square. There's been YouTube video that's emerged showing minutes of sustained gunfire, scores of soldiers moving in in force with armored personnel carriers into the square. And the aftermath today is a number of burned out trucks and buses, as well as spent bullet casings littering the ground there, and a lot of angry Egyptians who say they were attacked by the Egyptian military and forced to move out of there.

Right now, the square is blocked off by barricades right now. There's traffic no longer moving through there and Egyptians that we talk to are stunned, confused and some of them very angry right now at Egypt's military rulers who took over the government of the country after the former President Hosni Mubarak stepped down, after 18 days of protests in that very same square that ended on February 11th, T.J.

HOLMES: Well, Ivan, help our viewers. We all remember the military got a lot of credit during that uprising for not firing on protesters and were in some ways seen as being on the side of protestors. How has this sentiment or anger toward that military council been growing over the past several weeks now?

WATSON: Well, since the military took over, the executive and legislative powers in this country, their image, especially of this ruling military council that's about 20 generals who have been very secretive in making amendments to the constitution and issuing decrees, their image has been tarnished somewhat amid a number of allegations and eyewitness accounts of torture of activists by military police and intelligence, amid some of the constitutional changes that the military has imposed that many political groups here have argued they weren't properly consulted and that the military had been ruling by fiat.

And so, that has hurt the credibility of the military since they took over. This case, this incident that took place overnight where the military used force against protestors on a large scale, that is going to deal a very serious blow to the credibility and the image of the military in the eyes of many Egyptians. Some of them are walking around today, this morning, demanding the immediate resignation of the head of the ruling military council who was Hosni Mubarak's former defense minister.

There's another incident, another case that has to be brought up. Yesterday, there were huge peaceful protests here. Tens of thousands of people gathering, demanding that Hosni Mubarak stand trial for his alleged crimes, and among demonstrators, T.J., were 15 army officers and soldiers in uniforms defying a ban by military which says, if any soldiers joined the protesters, they will immediately be arrested and taken before a military tribunal.

That put the army in a difficult position because you cannot have a chain of command when you have your very own soldiers standing up demanding that the generals be forced out of their positions and that put the military in a difficult position and they chose to use force. We're heading into uncertain territory again in Egypt and its continuing revolution.

HOLMES: Wow. Some amazing development and some disturbing developments out of Egypt. We appreciate that update, Ivan. We'll continue to check in with you. Thank you so much this morning. Also, a story about living on beer alone. It sounds silly when you first hear it. It's certainly not something a doctor would recommend.

But it seems to be working fine for a man in Iowa. He says he gave up all solid food for Lent. But why would he turn a holy period into a month long happy hour?

Don't start judging just yet. He's not the first to come up with this idea.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right. Sixteen minutes past the hour here now.

The story now of a man in Iowa with a bizarre but intriguing sacrifice for Lent. He's given up food completely. Now, that sounds like a heck of a sacrifice but he's replacing it, if you will, with beer and throwing in a little water. Yes, he's having essentially just beer.

Now, Catholics usually give up something during this holy period. A lot of people out there actually give up alcohol sometimes. But local newspaper editor and beer blogger J. Wilson has not touched solid food since he started this beer-only diet about a month ago.

Now, I bring in Nadia Bilchik for our "Morning Passport." A lot of people might hear and say, that's funny, might hear some frat boys saying, I want to try that, that's fun.

NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: Exactly.

HOLMES: But actually, this is not an original thought quite frankly.

BILCHIK: No, because the Bavarian monks in around 800 A.D. started brewing beer and during Lent, they used to have extra strong beer called Doppelbock. So, by extra strong, it had extra calories which meant it was extra nutritious. So, that's what he's done.

And the beer that's Doppelbock, that has the extra calories -- now, this would be pure brewed beer. Now, it became so popular with the monks that in around 1515, there was actually a proclamation to protect the purity of beer by (INAUDIBLE). And he said if you have beer that just has barley, malt, hops and water, that is pure beer and that's what the monks had stood on and enjoyed and gave their parishioners on high holy holidays and that's what J. Wilson is having.

HOLMES: So, you're telling people that beer and religion actually go together?

BILCHIK: Yes. During that time, beer was synonymous with the monks and only then it became popular in Germany. But it started all with the Bavarian monks. Now, beer has all of the vitamin Bs with exception of vitamin B1. It also lacks thiamin. But it does have folic acid. It does have fiber and it does have a certain amount of protein.

HOLMES: OK, now, we need to make this clear. But the way you're surrounding right now, you're telling me beer might be the most nutritious thing I will have today.

BILCHIK: It has certainly nutritional value. But what's really good about beer, and here's the caveat, here's the surprise, is, of course, the alcohol. What the alcohol does is prevent sclerosis. Now, we're talking in moderation there. So, that's why having a certain amount of beer is actually or certain amount of alcohol, according to certain nutritionists, will tell you that it's very valuable.

HOLMES: How, last thing here -- how is the health of these monks do we know?

BILCHIK: Well, they were very robust, very healthy and very happy during Lent with their Doppelbock. So, I say, T.J., never mind an apple a day keeping the doctor away. How about a pure brewed beer?

HOLMES: Oh, Nadia, come back any time. Nadia Bilchik with this morning's passport. And good one this morning. Thank you. We'll see you again here shortly.

Doing time and paying for it, literally. Go to jail in one Arkansas county and you actually have to pay for your stay.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right. Twenty past the hour now.

Should workers be judged on their credit worthiness or just past job performance? This tough economy people looking for work seem to be caught between a rock and hard place here. They have bad credit sometimes but they can't get a job to help pay the bills and they can't get a job because they have bad credit.

What are your rights out there?

Our financial analyst, Clyde Anderson, joins us once again this morning.

Good to have you here as always. I didn't realize how much this is going on. But why are employers or potential employers, why do they want to check your credit any way?

CLYDE ANDERSON, FINANCIAL ANALYST: Well, they say they want to check it to see what type of person you are. You know, they only say that credit is a good judge of character. You know, that's what they used in the past.

But, now, with everything happening in the economy with foreclosure rate and unemployment rate, it's really hard to use that to determine if I'm going to be a good employee and there's no evidence to substantiate that.

HOLMES: Are some employers starting to get away from it themselves because of what's happening in the economy or are they going to have to be forced to do it through legislation?

ANDERSON: Well, you know what? It's different. More employers are using it now than they were before. So, it's becoming more and more popular, which is kind of absurd based on what's going on in the economy.

HOLMES: You tell me my credit score can cost me a job?

ANDERSON: It can cost you a job and it has for several people.

HOLMES: What does that have to do with how good a job I might do at work?

ANDERSON: Well, what they're saying is it will determine what kind of person you are. So, if you're dealing with cash -- now, in some industries I understand it. You know, if you're talking about financial industry, if you're talking about the defense jobs or government jobs or certain things where they want to see if you are -- you know, if you are a good credit risk how you manage your finances will determine what type of job you may do.

HOLMES: OK. Are a lot of employers doing this or specific type of employers doing this?

ANDERSON: In the past, it was specific types, like I said, financial institutions. But now, I'm seeing cashiers, I'm seeing service jobs, I'm seeing waiters. I'm seeing a lot of people eliminated --

HOLMES: You say waiters?

ANDERSON: -- waiters -- because they deal with cash is what employers are saying. So, now, that determines your character.

HOLMES: So, if you -- OK, in theory, if you have a tough credit report and you have financial problems and you're handling my cash, I'm the employer, maybe you might be a risk of some kind.

ANDERSON: That's what they're saying, you know? But the ELC is saying right now that you really should really avoid this because it's adverse to some minorities and some females as well.

HOLMES: OK. It's not illegal, though.

ANDERSON: It's not illegal right now. So, they're looking to pass bills to really kind of get employers away from doing this. Because, right now, about 60 percent of employers are using this method to determine if you are a good employment candidate.

HOLMES: Did you have to authorize --o give them the right to check the credit? ANDERSON: You do have to give them the right. But just think about it like this -- if I don't give you the right, I'm pretty much weeded out of the process anyway.

HOLMES: Can they do -- is that legal?

(LAUGHTER)

ANDERSON: I mean, when it comes down to their decision. You know, for them to say that -- if you're with an employer and you tell them you can't pull your credit report, for them, it seems like something shady may be going on.

HOLMES: OK. And you're sitting in that office. Of course, you just want to say yes to everything at that point. So, what can you do? It sounds like you don't have much of a choice. Is there any way to combat this?

ANDERSON: Really, what you have to do is really file a complaint with the ELC if you feel like you've been treated unfairly. You really you got to do their Web site and look at it and what you have to do is prove that you were treated unfairly, that you were discriminated against. And it's a real hard battle right now. But they're really looking to get more people -- if more people report what's going on, if they feel like they were discriminated against because of their credit, you know, that's when they have to really kind of come together and have a voice.

HOLMES: OK. And the other I was talking about legislation here. But there's movement in a number of states right now to essentially -- are we talking about flat out?

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: To do away with it. I mean, and that's really what we need to look at, especially in these times. It's unprecedented times. So, we're talking about pulling my credit to determine if I can work as a cashier here, I'm not sure if --

HOLMES: Man, this is another good topic this morning. Very helpful for folks and something a lot of people may not have even thought about. But it's crazy. I want to improve my credit score, so I want to get this job. I can't get this job because I got a bad credit.

ANDERSON: Exactly.

HOLMES: That is amazing.

Clyde, good to see you as always. Good information.

ANDERSON: My pleasure. Good to be here.

HOLMES: Thanks so much, buddy.

Well, being incarcerated, of course, that's no fun. That's no vacation, right? But if you are locked up in Sharp County, Arkansas, in the jail there, you could be charged for your stay. We're talking about $35 a day. It is meant to offset inmates' medical expenses and to discourage crime.

The sheriff admits it will be tough to collect that money from some of the people, but says we have to help out taxpayers any way we can. So, jail like a hotel now. You have to pay 35 bucks a night.

Well, a message from the mayor of Los Angeles for the two men wanted in a savage beating of a baseball fan at Dodger Stadium. That's part of this morning's top stories.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Getting close to the bottom of the hour now.

Take a look at some of the stories making headlines.

On Capitol Hill, a late night, last minute, let's make a deal is struck between Democrats and Republicans who are sparring over the federal budget and the agreement averts a partial shutdown of the government and the potential furlough of thousands of government employees.

Also, the power of positive thinking -- staffers for Gabrielle Giffords are now planning for her to attend her husband's shuttle launch set for later this month. Giffords doctors will have final say if she's ready. She continues from that shooting in early January. Her husband, Mark Kelly, is set to command the last scheduled flight of the space shuttle Endeavour.

Also on the mend in this morning, California paramedic Bryan Stow -- he was severely beaten late last month outside Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. As the team evaluates new security plans for its fans, the city's mayor, in L.A., is now appealing to the two suspects. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, LOS ANGELES: Turn yourself in. What you did was wrong. It was despicable and senseless, unprovoked, but make it a little better by coming forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, $100,000 reward has been issued for information leading to the attackers' arrest and conviction.

Well, staggering new statistics out there on the scope of diabetes in this country. Twenty-six million people have it. But almost three times that many in beginning stages and don't know it.

Taking a look at the numbers, the causes and how some people have learned to keep it in check while also rocking the big stage. That's on "SANJAY GUPTA, M.D.," which is about to start right now. But, of course, I will be back with you at the top of the hour with more live news right here. And, of course, still the breaking news this morning, it only happened a few hours ago. They have averted a government shutdown in Washington, D.C.