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Mandatory Evacuation Near Pearl River; Democratic National Convention Starts Tuesday; Franciscan Friar Sorry for Comments; Is Amish Hair Cutting a Hate Crime or Religious Freedom; Penn State Dealt Embarrassing Loss at Home Opener; Rain from Isaac May Be Too Late for Farmers
Aired September 01, 2012 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN ANCHOR: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Gary Tuchman in tonight for Don Lemon.
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is holding so-called victory rallies in the battleground states of Ohio and Florida promising to lower taxes on small business and balance the budget. President Obama is kicking off his road to Charlotte tour in the state of Iowa hoping to slow the Republicans' momentum coming out of Tampa. We'll go live to Charlotte, North Carolina in a moment.
People urged to immediately evacuate some areas near Louisiana's pro river. Authorities say, a lock failure is imminent on the canal and water is rising fast. Meanwhile, what's left of Isaac is moving north but storm-related problems are lingering. Flood waters may not recede for days in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.
Taliban militants are claiming responsibility for a double suicide bombing that killed 13 people in Central Afghanistan today. One bomber attacked a joint U.S./Afghan military base on foot before another detonated a truck bomb. Seventy eight people are wounded. No international service members were killed in the attack.
Gunfire and explosions are echoing across Syria today as fierce fighting reportedly rages in several regions. In Syria's largest city of Aleppo, a young man climbs through the rubble left behind from weeks of street battles and heavy shelling.
The opposition says, at least 134 people were killed today. And apologies from the company that makes Thalidomide, that's the medicine that caused thousands of birth defects in the 1950s and 1960s. The head of the German drug maker Grunenthal says, he regrets the tragic side effects Thalidomide cause and admits his company has been silent all these years since it was pulled from the market. The head of a Thalidomide survivors group says, an apology is not enough.
Some people stayed on their boats when Hurricane Isaac slammed into the Louisiana coast. They catch shrimp for a living and some shrimpers say they had to stick with their boats or risk losing their livelihoods.
Ed Lavandera has the incredible story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dean Blanchard lived through Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Gustav inside his immovable home in Grand Isle, Louisiana. He didn't think Hurricane Isaac could compare. He was wrong.
DEAN BLANCHARD, GRAND ISLE SHRIMPER: Even pushed my fuel tanks up on the levee right here.
LAVANDERA: All, but some 30 of Grand Isle's residents evacuated the island, but perhaps, no one experienced this storm quite like this group. Shrimpers who tied their boats down, the Blanchard docks and held on tight for almost 40 hours. One of those shrimpers was Nga Pham.
(on camera) What was it like?
NGA PHAM, GRAND ISLE SHRIMPER: What was it like? I don't know. That experience, I guess, I would never do this again.
LAVANDERA: Why did you do it, in the first place?
PHAM: I had no choice. I was stuck here.
LAVANDERA: Pham lives in Texas. She says she couldn't get her boat out of the storm in time and didn't want to leave the 100-foot ship behind.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You believed in TV when they told you 80- mile-an- hour winds?
PHAM: No, I don't believe that.
LAVANDERA: Grand Isle took about five feet of storm surge in many spots. Most of the houses on the island came out of the storm mostly unscathed, but Blanchard's shrimp docks took a beating.
BLANCHARD: This was all wood. This was all wood. You can walk all over, all that over there and on the other side, by the blue boat and all of that.
LAVANDERA: All of this where the water is.
BLANCHARD: Yes.
LAVANDERA: The huge deck?
BLANCHARD: Yes.
LAVANDERA: All of that's gone. Holy cow!
BLANCHARD: I mean, this is -- there's nothing you can do to stop that.
LAVANDERA: This is the main highway that brings you into Grand Isle. The storm surge through here was so powerful that in a few places it caused the roadways to buckle and wash away, and because of this, officials say that residents won't be allowed back for several more days.
(voice-over) Giant mounds of marsh grass also cover long stretches of the main highway onto the island. For the few who made it through hurricane Isaac, they won't forget the storm and Nga Pham says, she'll never do it again, but you'll be shocked to hear this part.
PHAM: We were able to watch TV and saw everything. But it was -- I guess it's not.
LAVANDERA (on-camera): You were able to watch TV from in there?
PHAM: Oh, yes, the whole time.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Just 36 hours in the life of Nga Pham.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Grand Isle, Louisiana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TUCHMAN: Thank you very much, Ed. Even though Hurricane Isaac is no more and tropical storm or depression Isaac is on its way up north. There are still serious situations going out in Louisiana. Mandatory evacuation order in St. Tammany Parish.
Karen Maginnis is with us now to tell us more about that, Karen.
KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Gary, just doesn't end with Isaac and we are still seeing the results of all of that rainfall across the watershed known as the lower Mississippi River Valley where some areas show as much as 20 inches of rainfall from Hurricane Isaac that made land fall on the seventh anniversary. This is the area that we're talking about. Lock two.
But in this area extending all the way down towards Slidell, not including Slidell but it's between lock two and lock one along this highway, they're saying it is then imminent danger of failing and they're doing reverse 911 call to people telling them to get out. Because the lock could fail at any time. They are saying, it is imminent. It is this region at to point out once again, extending from lock two all the way down to this region. Essentially in this watershed where they did received in some cases up to two feet of water over the last several days.
And what's happening now as far as Isaac is concern, the remnants are still filtering through the Midwest, there is nothing that is cohesive about it. They're saying it lost all these tropical characteristics. But we have tornado watches now. Throughout much of Illinois extending down through Missouri also portions of Arkansas where rainfall could be heavy at times. We did see some pretty heavy rain right around the St. Louis area in the past 24 hours. They were dodging the raindrops there. Take a look at this. Some of the streets and localized flooding.
But it's not just going to be there as we go through a time extending into Kentucky, Southern Indiana, and extending over into Ohio. Take a look at the next 48 hours. In particular, this zone in Southern Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky, we could see on the order, four to six inches and may be some locally heavier amounts. All of this due, thanks to Isaac and a frontal system that is moving through.
So, that will gets swept along, moves toward the eastern seaboard, so some places in the mid-Atlantic zone could also feel the effects of what remains from Isaac and Gary, it is amazing just how long we've been talking about Isaac for days now. And even in Louisiana where it's ended up moving away now they're still feeling the effects of this water moving downhill and once again that lock in St. Tammany Parish in imminent danger of failing and that is why they're notifying the people there.
TUCHMAN: Karen, we've been covering Isaac from Haiti, to Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and now in the Midwest. It is not over yet and that's why everyone has to pay attention to these storms.
MAGINNIS: Exactly.
TUCHMAN: Karen, thank you very much.
A young girl makes plans of her own as her family prepares for Isaac. Ashley's hurricane rules left for some of her most prized possessions. We'll explain what this is all about, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: With his home in the path of Hurricane Isaac, CNN I- reporter Greg Talor (ph) sent his family to Alabama to be safe. After they left Greg found this set of instructions. His eight-year-old daughter encouraged her toys to each find a buddy and to stay calm. She also warns them, hey, toys, no parties. Human behavior specialist Wendy Walsh joins us. Wendy, thanks for coming on today.
WENDY WALSH, HUMAN BEHAVIOR EXPERT: Isn't that sweet?
TUCHMAN: It is so nice. And she seems to be handling disaster very well, this little girl. A lot better than a lot of grownups do, right?
WALSH: Yes. Absolutely. Well, she clearly by some of her directives, she has been taught in school, you know, go with a buddy when you go to the bathroom. Stay safe in certain ways. So, that's what's happening there. But also, it's a way for her to sort of deal with her own anxiety. It's Freud's sublimation if you will. And that is, when you feel some uncomfortable emotion, you help those in need as well. So, she was helping her own stuffed animals with her anxiety.
TUCHMAN: That was Freud's sublimation you're saying.
WALSH: Yes.
TUCHMAN: That's hard to pronounce -- know what's about.
WALSH: Yes. I mean, it's taking your own pain and projecting it on to others and helping them.
TUCHMAN: Good for Sigmund. Now, there's research that suggests that kids can really be affected by disasters and, Wendy, those effects could last years for little children, right?
WALSH: Yes, some of the research is not good. Clearly, any kind of childhood trauma can create a lifetime of anxiety and depression but also you have to remember that if the child -- children have an additional trauma at home, whether they're witnessing domestic violence, whether they're abused emotionally or physically, then they're losing their main sale, they're losing their secure base if you will.
So, it's really important for adults to contain themselves during trauma, during these kinds of natural disasters, and assure kids that they'll be OK, that they will always protect them. That's the important thing. If adults just learn to contain themselves.
TUCHMAN: So what ages are we talking about? For example, my children were very, very young, you know, you just don't tell them what's going on. As they get older you have to make decisions. So, how do you deal with that with the ages?
WALSH: Well, you give them a limited information that's age appropriate. And you have to keep in mind that some -- they're little sponges and no matter what you don't tell them they are sucking up from you anyway because they're sensing everything that you're feeling. So, it is important to communicate to them in simple terms and also communicate to them that you will help them.
But remember, trauma is worse the younger the kid is because if you're preverbal, you store those awful memories as feelings in your bones. You're not storing them as a dialogue that you can talk out later in therapy. It's something that becomes part of you. So the younger children are most vulnerable.
TUCHMAN: Very good information, Wendy. I always told my kids that. You're just sponges. That's all you are. So, listen to what your dad has to say. Wendy Walsh, it's nice talking to you. We'll talk to you a little bit later. Thank you very much.
WALSH: All right. Take care.
TUCHMAN: Well, is there an art to procrastination? It seems at least one famous author thought so, who said, never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow. Mark Twain? Ernest Hemingway? Or Shakespeare? Let's see if you can get it right, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: A moment ago I asked you, which famous author said, never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow. Was it Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, or William Shakespeare? If you said Mark Twain or Samuel Clemens and you were right. However, Shakespeare is responsible for what many call literature's most famous procrastinator, Hamlet. Psychologist Wendy Walsh is still with me. Wendy, that did not really go too well for Hamlet but can't some procrastination be OK?
WALSH: Well, it can. I mean, you could say that whatever you divert yourself to, the time filling activity that you're doing while you're procrastinating, can be a well of creativity. You could be doing the fun stuff and that's where creativity lies. So, sometimes avoiding tasks can be helpful. Of course, depending on what the tasks are sometimes you have to get down to them like what about paying bills on time? Got to get to it.
TUCHMAN: Are there certain types of people who are more prone to procrastinating?
WALSH: Yes, of course. What you would assume, people who are more fearful. They want to be careful let's say in decision making to not make a decision too quickly. They want to make sure. But then there are some other people who procrastinate almost as an act of self- sabotage. Think of those people that don't study for exams, maybe on some level they don't think they deserve to get an A grade.
So, sometimes you have to look at your procrastination and say to yourself, am I avoiding this because I'm trying to hurt myself or am I avoiding this because this is not what I should be doing? Maybe you're procrastinating proposing to somebody. Maybe it's telling you something.
TUCHMAN: Well, I will tell you that sounds like masochistic procrastinators who harm themselves by waiting until the last second. Now, this is kind of funny. We are not sure how legit these folks are but there is even a procrastinator help group which at the moment -- I'm not sure this is serious. They're apologizing because there is a delay in approving new users. But can people take steps, are people able to take steps to procrastinate less?
WALSH: Of course. You can change any human behavior and there are all kinds of ways to do it. And generally it's done with a reward system. That means do the thing that you don't like to do and give yourself some reward of something that you like to do. I have a child who I have to work that way to get it through the home work. So, it does work.
TUCHMAN: Wendy, I hate to tell you but we waited until the last second to prepare this segment. I think it worked out very well. Just so you know.
WALSH: I think it did, too.
TUCHMAN: Wendy Walsh, thank you.
WALSH: Good to see you.
TUCHMAN: Yes. Thank you. It's great seeing and great talking to you. We'll talk to you soon, Wendy Walsh.
Well, join us or set your DVR tonight at 10:00 Eastern Time. I will talk with the author of a book called "The Art of Procrastination." He is a Stanford University professor and wants you to embrace putting it off.
A parade like no other. And it looks a little like a military parade. That thought fades quickly enough. Details in this most unusual march next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Don't forget you can stay connected, you can watch CNN live on your computer. You can do it from work. Just go to CNN.com/TV.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: As President Obama hits the road this weekend, the Democratic Party is putting the finishing touches on the Democratic National Convention. It starts Tuesday.
CNN political reporter Shannon Travis joins me. Shannon, it's nice seeing you. You were in Charlotte. More on the convention in a second but first we're learning the President and Vice President's plans following the convention. Where are they going?
SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. We just got this announcement that the team will basically be off and running right after the convention, Gary, on Friday all of them, and when I say all of them, I mean President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and his wife Dr. Jill Biden will all be going to a campaign event in New Hampshire. That's on Friday.
For the weekend they split up. President Obama is off to Florida for Saturday and Sunday campaign events. Vice President Biden is off to Ohio for the weekend for events there. You know, Gary, it's all about momentum building on momentum right after the convention, wasting no time hitting the campaign trail. It's something you saw Mitt Romney his running mate obviously do in the last few days since their convention. President Obama and Joe Biden will he doing the same.
TUCHMAN: Shannon, how are the preps going right now in Charlotte? Are people already starting to arrive there?
TRAVIS: Yes. We've seen some people filing in. By and large most of them journalists and members of the media setting up, getting ready for the week. There are some delegates, some guests that have been filing in as well, security preparations obviously are about to start. We know that they'll be erecting the perimeter around the entire border around the event zone tomorrow afternoon, Gary. So, there's a lot of final touches being put under way. People filing in definitely.
TUCHMAN: And Mother Nature as we know made quite an impact on the GOP convention. Shannon, I know you're not a weather man but I know you're watching it very carefully. How is it looking for the Democrats next week? TRAVIS: It's looking potentially a little murky. You can probably see behind me gray skies. It just finished raining like awful thunderstorms not too long ago, Gary. Those are potential problems for the Thursday event. Now the first few days will be in a covered arena here where I am right now. The Time Warner arena. But on Thursday when President Obama and Joe Biden make their acceptance speeches, that's in the Bank of America stadium and that's an outdoor stadium.
Seventy three thousand seats plus actually. So the forecast, the potential for rain and thunderstorms could be a problem I reported a few days ago that the DNC officials are saying they have a contingency plan in place. We don't know what that will be but certainly won't look good in terms of optics if you have 73,000 people with rain coats trying to get out of the rain, Gary.
TUCHMAN: Well, we know the contingency plan won't be putting a big dome on top of the stadium, so we'll have to, let's wait and see.
TRAVIS: We'll think so. A little too late for that.
TUCHMAN: I guess it's all better than snow. So, either way. Shannon, it's nice talking to you. We'll see you in a little bit. Thank you.
What is Barack Obama really like? CNN's Jessica Yellin reveals the man through the people who know him best. Personal confidantes, his closest advisers, and even the President himself. Watch Obama revealed, the man, the President, Monday night at 8:00 Eastern and Pacific on CNN.
Twenty five minutes past the hour now. Let's take a look at some of the headlines. GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney is holding what the campaign calls victory rallies for the battleground states of Ohio and Florida today.
Running mate Paul Ryan joined him in Jacksonville. Meanwhile, President Obama is kicking off his road to Charlotte tour in the Hawkeye State of Iowa hoping to slow the GOP's momentum coming out of the convention in Tampa.
And this just coming in to CNN at this hour. Buses will pick up people for a mandatory evacuation in parts of Louisiana, St. Tammany Parish. Officials say, a lock failure is imminent on the Pearl River diversion canal. Rivers there are swollen from Isaac's rain. The evacuation reportedly covers about 12 miles from the towns of Bush to the town of Hickory. The mandatory evacuation does not cover the town of Pearl River, Louisiana. This area is just north of Slidell, Louisiana which is north of New Orleans. We'll bring you more details as we learn them.
Meanwhile, a Missouri man prayed for a much weaker Isaac to head his way. He is a cattle rancher struggling through a very severe drought. Isaac's rain could help save his year. And that story is coming up in about 30 minutes. At least 13 people were killed in a double suicide bombing in Central Afghanistan today. Seventy eight people were wounded in the attack. The target was a joint U.S./Afghan military base, but no international service members were killed. The Taliban claiming responsibility.
It's another bloody day in Syria where 134 people were killed today according to activists. At the same time, the refugee crisis on the border, it's getting worse. Turkey says more than 80,000 Syrians have fled across the border. Five thousand shelter in the customs hall at one of the crossings.
Penn State football, first game of the new season today, first game since the death of long-time head Coach Joe Paterno, first game since the conviction of a former assistant coach. And they lost to Ohio University. Not Ohio State but Ohio University who they never lost to before.
Stay there. We'll talk about Penn State's new post Paterno program and their disappointing season opener with Joe Carter, our correspondent coming up in just a few minutes.
And fans of the comic book/Science fiction/horror flick universe are all in Atlanta, Georgia this weekend for the festival of all things nerdy. And they are very proud of that designation. It's called Dragon Khan and zombies shuffled side by side with Spiderman at this morning's Dragon Khan Parade through downtown Atlanta. It's quite a spectacle and it's a great event.
Checking the price you were paying at the pump. Right now, the national average is at $3.83 cents for a gallon of regular unleaded. That's up eight cents over last week. Some stations in the Southern United States have seen a 20-cent bump in the past week because of oil rigs and refineries closed because of Hurricane Isaac.
A New York City priest well known for his TV and radio appearances is in big trouble with his archdiocese and with his flock. He is apologizing for some puzzling comments he made defending fellow clergymen, particularly those accused of being pedophiles. CNN's Deborah Feyerick has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Father Benedict Groeschel celebrated his 50 years with the Franciscan Friars of Renewal here on this YouTube video, he could not have anticipated the anger he'd face over his comments concerning priests and sexual abuse.
Those comments have drawn fire from survivors and the New York Arch Diocese. The popular Catholic author, radio host and TV figure known simply as Father Benedict, describing convicted serial pedophile Jerry Sandusky as this poor guy, before going on to defend predatory priests for blaming children for their own abuse.
In his words, a lot of the cases, the youngster, 14, 16, 18, is the seducer describing a father/child dynamic. Saying, quote, "They won't be planning to get into heavy duty sex, but almost romantic, embracing, kissing perhaps sleeping. But not having intercourse or anything like that." The archdiocese condemned child sexual abuse as a crime to be prosecuted fully.
(on camera) I'm with CNN. I was trying to find Father Groeschel.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Father's not -- he's not here.
FEYERICK: He's not. OK, thank you very much, ma'am.
(voice-over) Seventy eight-year-old Father Benedict established this home nearly 40 years ago to serve in part as a spiritual refuge for clergy. Several priests accused of child abuse over the years have, according to news reports, sought sanctuary here and guidance from Father Benedict.
(on camera) Here at the Trinity Retreat, a man answering the phone told us Father Benedict had recently fractured his leg and that he would be away for about three months.
The Franciscan Friars of Renewal apologized for Father Benedict's comments defending his lifelong work and saying the comments were out of character.
(voice-over) The comments in this week's National Catholic Register set off a firestorm forcing an apology from the priest who said, quote, "My mind and my way expressing myself are not as clear as they used to be."
DR. JEFFREY GARDERE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, TOURE COLLEGE: I don't care whether you're senile or whether you may have had a hard day. The fact is, for you to say something like that, tells me that there are much, much deeper issues going on with you as the individual to try to justify something that is so horrific that has destroyed the lives of so many children.
FEYERICK: Jeff Gardere is a clinical psychologist.
(on camera): For an adult to think a child is seducing that adult, what's going on?
GARDERE: This is the typical mind of a pedophile where they intellectualize the relationship and convince themselves that the child wants the sexuality.
FEYERICK (voice-over): The "National Catholic Register" quickly removed the story from its web site.
A visitor looking for Father Benedict defended the aging clergyman.
(on camera): Intelligent?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
FEYERICK: Thoughtful?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
FEYERICK: Reflective?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
FEYERICK: Surprising that he would seem to make comments defending priests who maybe, quote, unquote, "seduced by children"?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes.
FEYERICK (on camera): In their statement, the Franciscan Friars say Father Benedict never intended to excuse the abuse or implicate the victims. They say in recent months his physical and mental health have been failing and, while it is not an excuse, it may suggest they believe why a man they consider so compassionate could be so wrong.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN ANCHOR: A very private community now on the national stage. Is the bizarre Amish beard-cutting incidents hate crimes, or just expressions of religious freedom? I'll talk to a criminal defense attorney.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: Religion meets American law this week as 16 Amish men and women sit in a courtroom in Ohio, charged with federal hate crimes in connection with a bizarre series of beard-cutting attacks.
I'll take you back to an alleged attack that shocked a rural Ohio community. It began when an Amish woman, Arlene Miller, called 911.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN AUDIO FEED)
DISPATCHER: Carroll County 911.
ARLENE MILLER, AMISH COMMUNITY MEMBER: We had terrorists here, somebody terrorizing us.
(END AUDIO FEED)
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Then her husband, Myron, took the phone.
MYRON MILLER, AMISH COMMUNITY MEMBER: I opened my door and asked, what do you want? The one guy who reached in, grabbed me by my beard, and pulled me out.
TUCHMAN: Grabbed him by his beard and started to cut it off.
Myron Miller is one of at least four Amish men in Ohio who have been victims of bizarre beard-cutting attacks. That's right. Beard- cutting attacks. Fred Abdalla is he sheriff in Jefferson County, Ohio. The sheriff says the men were ordered to do the beard cuttings by one particular man.
FRED ABDALLA, SHERIFF, JEFFERSON COUNTY, OHIO: I've dealt with a lot of Amish. They're just beautiful people. But I can't compare Sam Mullet to the ones I have met.
TUCHMAN: Sam Mullet is the bishop of a breakaway Amish sect that's in a deep rift with the main stream Amish, who say he is dangerously manipulative over his flock.
But why the beard cutting? It is a profound insult to the Amish. And Mullet's followers have allegedly used it as a weapon to punish people who might have insulted them.
So we went to the tiny town of Bergholz, Ohio, in search of Sam Mullet, and we found him. He wasn't very pleased to see us.
(on camera): Did you -- have you ordered men to cut people's beards?
SAM MULLET, AMISH COMMUNITY MEMBER: I did not order anything.
TUCHMAN: But Sam Mullet does not deny that his sons or the other men committed the beard attacks.
MULLET: They do what they think is right. And I -- yes, I could have probably said you're not going to do this, and maybe they wouldn't have right then but, sooner or later, it would have happened anyway.
TUCHMAN: Why do you think these people had their beards cut off?
MULLET: We're getting in too deep. It's too long a story. It goes way back. I'm just not interested.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Sam Mullet claims people have a vendetta against him, that he just wants his people left alone, and that he is the righteous one.
MULLET: People that are spreading lies around about us, and the way they're treating us by getting the sheriff, getting the law and everything, are asking for a big punishment from the man up above.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TUCHMAN: Criminal defense attorney, Holly Hughes, joins me now.
Holly, thank you very much for coming.
HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY & FORMER PROSECUTOR: Hi. Thanks, Gary.
TUCHMAN: Sam Mullet, interesting guy.
HUGHES: Yes.
TUCHMAN: As you can see. He told me then and he still says today, this is not a cult. It's a religion. These are his religious rights.
How does the court figure this out, whether something is the freedom of religion or that you are just downright breaking the law?
HUGHES: That's the fascinating issue here. Because as we talked about on the break, Gary, the Amish do not normally involve outside law enforcement. So you know, when they call 911, they are desperate for help.
And what happens here, the reason they're charged with a federal hate crime, is that they attacked someone based on their religious convictions or their perceived religious convictions. Mr. Mullet and his followers were attacking these other men and these women, cutting their hair, cutting their beards, because they disagreed with their religious beliefs. That's what turns it into a federal hate crime.
TUCHMAN: You know, when we were there -- and I was telling you this during the commercial -- people were desperately scared of Sam Mullet. They were very fearful.
HUGHES: Right.
TUCHMAN: That's why they're willing to talk to us. It is very unusual to talk to outsiders but they wanted him arrested and are relieved he is arrested now.
But I would imagine a smart lawyer for Sam Mullet could say, listen, this is his religion. People violate the tenets of the religion and this is what happens to you. Is it possible a defense like that could work?
HUGHES: It is possible, absolutely. Again, you know why? Because these aren't particularly -- when we look at it as outsiders, Gary, what we're saying is, you got your hair cut off. They cut your beard. That's going to grow back. But to the Amish people, this is such a sign of disrespect. And so if you don't get a jury who understands the severity of what happened to you -- it's not as simple as cutting your beard. It is a violation of your religious principles and your faith. So if you don't seat a jury -- and this is where it becomes very important to the prosecution and the defense, to pay attention in jury selection -- if they don't get it they just might say, you know what, we're not going to convict this man. We don't think it's that important.
TUCHMAN: What is amazing in this community, there is nothing that's more shameful. There are few things that are more shameful than not having your beard. That's why this is so significant.
HUGHES: Exactly.
TUCHMAN: For the judge in this case, for the jury in this case more specifically --
HUGHES: Right.
TUCHMAN: -- is it significant that it was the Amish themselves that told authorities?
HUGHES: That, to me, Gary, is going to the hugest part of this. We all know -- if you've grown up in America, you know that the Amish people and the Amish culture, they stay to themselves. They don't avail themselves to outside authority or outside technology. You know, they want to live peacefully and privately amongst themselves. And so when they step outside of that, and they not only call law enforcement but they proceed to testify in an English court of law, outside of their own -- because normally, in church matters, the Amish will discipline themselves, and that is what the defense is. That's my right to discipline. When these other victims, these Amish people not only call but then go into court, sit down and testify about what is a very private matter, the jury is going to be astonished. And they're going to understand this is serious to these people and this just violates everything they believe in.
TUCHMAN: We have some pictures being used as evidence in this case of the attacks. One thing that we've been told about since our time being there is that Sam Mullet allegedly also abused women sexually.
HUGHES: Yes.
TUCHMAN: But this crime is not about the alleged sexual abuse. It's about hate crime charges. But how does this impact the case because they are allowed to discuss it during the testimony?
HUGHES: Which is very unusual. You know, as well as I do, from covering so many trials, they don't normally allow evidence of what we call other bad acts.
TUCHMAN: Right.
HUGHES: You can't hear about any of this stuff. But what they're trying to do is establish a pattern of behavior, and the pattern of behavior is that this Sam Mullet doesn't discipline, he punishes with criminal acts. And so they're saying not only did he cut the beards of these people but he engages in this pattern of behavior where he is calling it punishment but it's actually a series of crimes against these people. And it goes to paint a picture for the jury of this defendant's mindset. And that's why the judge ruled it inadmissible.
TUCHMAN: This struck you as very unusual though --
(CROSSTALK)
HUGHES: I am very surprised, quite frankly, Gary. I just -- you know, normally when you talk about a pattern of behavior, you're talking about a similar crime so they might have let in evidence that he had done this before with the beard cutting, the hair cutting. But to go from beard cutting to sexual assault, those are two entirely different things. So it's a very brave ruling that the judge made here. And it may be the one thing that, if there is a conviction, we see come back on appeal --
TUCHMAN: Right.
HUGHES: -- is the allowance of that evidence.
TUCHMAN: Holly Hughes, nice talking to you.
HUGHES: Thank you so much.
TUCHMAN: Nice meeting you in person.
HUGHES: Finally. I know.
TUCHMAN: Yes.
HUGHES: We're always on air, on camera together, but never in the same room.
TUCHMAN: Thank you.
HUGHES: Real pleasure, Gary. Thanks.
TUCHMAN: Penn State has its first football game since that school dealt with a scandal that monopolized the headlines. Today, a heartbreaker for Penn State fans. We'll go live to the campus for details, next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHEERING)
ANNOUNCER: Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You OK? Let me help you.
My mom has been sick for as long as I can remember.
You need more methadone.
Helping her out is a bigger priority than going to school. Because I don't know what I would do if something happened to her, how I would be able to really live?
CONNIE SISKOWSKI, CNN HERO: In the United States, there are at least 1.3 million children caring for someone who is ill or injured or elderly or disabled. They can become isolated. There are physical effects, the stresses of it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, baby, so much.
SISKOWSKI: But these children suffer silently. People don't know they exist.
I'm Connie Siskowski. I am bringing this precious population into the light to transform their lives so they can stay in school.
We offer each child a home visit.
(on camera): Has it been helpful?
(voice-over): We look at what we can provide to meet the need. We go into the schools with a support group. And we offer out-of-school activities that give the child a break.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is so relaxing.
SISKOWSKI: So they know they're not alone.
(SHOUTING)
SISKOWSKI: We give them hope for their future.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now I'm getting as and B.S. and I feel more confident.
SISKOWSKI: But we have a long way to go. There are so many more children that really need this help and support.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TUCHMAN: The first weekend of college football is under way and, for some, it sadly ended in horror. A fan fell to his death at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta Friday night at the North Carolina State/Tennessee game.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAYLOR SPIRON, WITNESS: Everyone's reactions were really freaked out right after it happened and everyone tried to run to the sides but security was pushing everyone back and clearing the area out so people couldn't look over.
KELLIE WILBURN, WITNESS: It's not like something you would ever imagine happening at a football game because everybody is really excited and really happy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: Isaac Grub, who is 20 years old, and was celebrating a Tennessee touchdown, fell 35 feet from an upper level of the stadium. He died at the hospital. Very tragic.
For decades it's been one of college football's powerhouses, but today the Nittany Lions of Penn State were dealt an embarrassing loss at their home opener. The school, of course, has been penalized since the sexual molestation trial of a former assistant, Jerry Sandusky. Today, Penn State lost to Ohio University which, in the world of college football, is a huge upset. What does this portend for the future in Happy Valley?
CNN's Joe Carter is at Penn State and joins us now. Joe, first of all, from a sports standpoint, this is a pretty stunning loss, right?
JOE CARTER, CNN SPORTS (voice-over): Absolutely, Gary. I mean, Ohio University can definitely say this is the biggest win in its program history. For Penn State, today was really supposed to be the start of a new chapter, the start of a new era. And, unfortunately, it starts with a very disappointing loss. That's what happens in sports. You know, you win some and you lose some. And talking to the players after the game, they kept it in perspective by saying, this is the start of something new and this loss is just a bump in the road.
TUCHMAN: Ohio University is a great school and has a great journalism program there. A lot of CNN employees went there. But they're not known as a powerhouse football team and Penn State always has been. So for the 97,000 fans at Penn State watching the game, the great cathedral of college football, what was the atmosphere at the end of the game?
CARTER: You know, it was sort of that kick-in-the-gut look on people's faces coming out. People felt this was going to be such a day of high, positive emotion. And it started out with that. I mean, we saw the stadium observe a moment of reflection for all the victims of sexual abuse. The student body locked arms and they sang the alma mater. For the first time in 46 years, they got a new head coach, taking him out on the field. Again, wiping the slate clean, starting fresh but, at the same time being sensitive to all the things that have happened and all the victims out there.
But, yes. Talking to people after the game as they're still milling around our live truck, they just feel disappointed, Gary. It's kind of like they've been knocked down for the last 10 months and then just got up, thought they would move forward and just got kicked in the gut one more time. It's one game in one game in a long season.
TUCHMAN: Well, that's exactly right. Most teams play 11 or 12 games, so there's a lot more left.
Joe Carter, thank you very much for talking with us, from State College, Pennsylvania.
Well, Wolf Blitzer and "The Situation Room" team are already busy in Charlotte, North Carolina. We'll get a preview of what's in store for tonight's show, next.
And don't forget, you can watch CNN live on your computer while you are at work and even on your Smartphone. Just go to CNN.com/tv.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: "The Situation Room" is straight ahead, live from the site of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Wolf Blitzer, first of all, excellent job, you and all our CNN colleagues at the Republican convention in Tampa last week.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, THE SITUATION ROOM: Thank you, Gary. You know --
TUCHMAN: Now, secondly --
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: -- it's very different here in Charlotte than it is in Tampa. And you know what the biggest difference is, Gary?
TUCHMAN: Tell me what the biggest difference is, Wolf. Aside from the fact --
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: You're right. That's what I was going to say. A lot of Republicans in Tampa, at their convention. A lot of Democrats here in Charlotte at this convention. That's the biggest difference.
But you know what, they're all Americans. Everyone wants to do the best thing for the country. They have different perspectives, sometimes very different perspectives.
We heard one vision for the future of America last week at the Republican convention. We'll hear a very different vision for the future of America at the Democratic convention in Charlotte this week. And that's why I love covering these conventions, because it's always entertaining, it's always exciting, it's always fun. And in the end, we always learn something about these two presidential candidates and the two vice presidential candidates that we probably didn't know before.
So, hopefully in the next hour here in "The Situation Room," we'll learn something as well because we're going to set the scene for the Democratic convention. It doesn't begin until Tuesday. It goes on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The president's big speech, his acceptance speech, thursday night. But we'll set the stage for the Democrats and look back a little bit, what happened in Tampa with the Republicans. But I want to move the story forward in the coming hour.
TUCHMAN: Just to move it back for one more second, we'll be talking about all you've learned about the Republicans and Democrats. And this year we've learned about wonderful great actors, like Clint Eastwood.
BLITZER: We did learn that Clint Eastwood should have stuck to being a director, stuck to being a great actor and Academy Award winner, as we all know. And obviously a terrific guy. But he didn't do such a terrific job for himself or for the Republicans or for the Romney campaign the other night in Tampa, to be sure.
But that's not going to be the most important thing. The most important thing will be the debates, I am sure, between President Obama and Mitt Romney. Three presidential debates in October, one vice presidential debate.
And one of the things we're going to be doing in the next hour is taking a closer look at these debates. Gloria Borger is here. Ron Brownstein is here. We've got Brianna Keilar. We've got Jim Acosta. We've got all of our top reporters and our analysts. We're going to be assessing what's going on, so I think our viewers will enjoy.
TUCHMAN: The debates will be must-see TV, and so will "The Situation Room" at the top of the hour.
Wolf Blitzer, thank you very much.
Well, Hurricane Isaac brought rain to farmers who have been anxiously watching their crops turn brown. Next, we'll hear about how, for at least one farmer, it all may be too late.
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TUCHMAN: As Hurricane Isaac moved north after beating up the gulf coast, bringing welcome rain showers to parts of the country that desperately, desperately needed it, for some, it may have been too late.
Here's Susan Candiotti.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Here in Farmington, Missouri, because of the drought, it's make-it or break-it time for rancher, Ben Davis. If he doesn't get enough rain for the rest of this summer, he may have to sell off his entire herd of cattle.
Ben, what have you had to do to survive this drought?
BEN DAVIS, RANCHER: We've tried a little bit of everything. We used to have about 135 cows and we're down to about 95. So we're trying to get our cow herd down to a size that we think we can get through the winter, if we have a little bit of luck.
CANDIOTTI: You had to sell them off?
DAVIS: We had to sell them off. They just had to go. We knew we weren't going to be able to take care of them. We lost quite a bit of money doing it. But we're trying to survive. We're not trying to make good decision, but the best bad decision.
CANDIOTTI: How much a head do you think you lost by selling them early?
DAVIS: Probably lost about $400 or $500 a head, by what we've sold already. And we're trying to do all kinds of little things to try to survive. We're coming -- today, I'm out here -- tonight, I'm going to be spreading fertilizer, trying -- ahead of the hurricane, trying to get some fall regrowth.
(SHOUTING)
DAVIS: It's not a good place to be.
CANDIOTTI: And when you look at them, what do they mean to you? DAVIS: Well, they're -- you know, I grew up with it. I've been around it my whole life. It's kind of like you're messing up a legacy if you have to downsize that much. You got a lot -- a lot invested in it, and if it doesn't work, I'll be -- I won't be doing it this winter. So that's kind of sad and kind of depressing in a way.
CANDIOTTI: It's got to hurt.
DAVIS: It does. It really does. Just anything we can do to take the stress off the cows and take -- and to save feed.
CANDIOTTI: And what will the rain do for you?
DAVIS: Oh, we don't know. It's a gamble. We hope that we'll get some fall regrowth, you know, that we'll get enough moisture that it will start growing again and we'll have a little bit of something to feed them this winter.
CANDIOTTI: And if not?
DAVIS: Well, we'll have to sell a bunch of more cows.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Ben Davis isn't relying only on his livestock business to help him raise his two teenaged sons. He does have a second job, and for now, that's helping him get throught these tough times.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, Farmington, Missouri.
TUCHMAN: I'm Gary Tuchman, "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer begins right now.
