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Crunch Time In Presidential Race; Clinton Focused On Global Hotspots; Ahmadinejad On Osama Bin Laden; Schools Give Morning After Pill; NYC Crashes In On The U.N.; Truck Drivers In High Demand; Presidential Candidates Agree on Guns; Emmy Awards Last Night; Avalanche Kills 8 in Nepal; New Hope for Breast Cancer Treatments

Aired September 24, 2012 - 13:00   ET

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


SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: She's even got her own reality T.V. show coming out. Unsurprisingly, tweets rolled in out about the outfit. This one comparing it to a collision between an ostrich and a disco ball. Ouch. One tweeter was a bit nicer saying, I enjoy her, she washes over you like a strawberry scented glitter cloud. I don't know what that means.

I'm Suzanne Malveaux. This hour in the CNN NEWSROOM, we are focusing on the first presidential debate. That is coming up in 10 days. (INAUDIBLE) birth control for 13-year-olds and the lack of spending at the U.N. General assembly. A lot on our plate, I want to get right to it. It is down to crunch time in the presidential race, election just 43 days away. First debate is in nine days. Polls showing President Obama leading Mitt Romney in many of those crucial swing states, but Romney says he is going to run on his record while challenging the president's record. On NBC's "Meet the Press," the criticism of Romney by fellow conservatives led to a heated back and forth.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: David Brooks, Joe Scarborough --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Which side are you on? We are taking this country --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The "Wall Street Journal" editorial page, Laura Ingram, Rush Limbaugh. I can go on and on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Peggy, --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rush Limbaugh --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, hold it, one at a time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you want to blame the media for Mitt Romney's inept campaign, Peggy Noonan said it best, this is a nightmare of a campaign, and the most troubling thing is it's not that a lot of us Republicans don't think he can win. We do believe he can win, but when he says he has no need to turn this campaign around after a disastrous week where you see Ohio slipping away, Wisconsin slipping away, Iowa slipping away, -- UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE.)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- Michigan slipping away.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) had it exactly right though.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And that is a political concern. Not an ideological concern. That is a political concern.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold on, Benson (ph).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Political Editor Paul Steinhauser joining us live. And, Paul, the talk shows over the weekend really extraordinary --

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Yes.

MALVEAUX: -- when you watch them and see the kind of back and forth, really the split within the Republican party, people outside of Romney's campaign, those inside of the campaign saying, look, you know, do we need to make a course correction? Mitt Romney says so far, no. How do they get beyond that? How do they move beyond that when you have just weeks away now, and he is now behind -- seriously behind, in some of these polls?

STEINHAUSER: He sure is and a lot of these polls -- though, you know, polls can change. We still have just over six weeks to go, Suzanne. But, you know, Mitt Romney talking about the polls, says , basically, he likes the position he is in. He says, basically, he is within the (INAUDIBLE) in a lot of these surveys. As for what he is going to do, well, the campaign says we're going to see more of Mitt. Basically that. More of Mitt Romney on the campaign trail, and more of Mitt Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan, spelling out what they would do especially to help the middle class. Romney was asked about this on an interview on "60 Minutes" on CBS. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I wonder if any of that criticism gets through to you and whether you're concerned about it at all? Whether it --

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That's not the campaign. That was me, right? That's not a campaign.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are the campaign.

ROMNEY: I've got a very effective campaign, it's doing a very good job, but not everything I say is elegant, and I want to make it very clear. I want to help 100 percent of the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEINHAUSER: You know, the candidate's wife, Ann Romney, was a little more blunt last week basically telling all the Republicans to cut it out with the criticism. MALVEAUX: Yes, we heard that. Basically, telling them to knock it off, that this is not an easy job to run for president. We heard also, from the president, on "60 Minutes" over the weekend talking about the one thing that a lot of people see as a potential failure, and that is changing the tone in Washington. And here's how he responded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think that, you know, I bare responsibility for everything to some agree, and one of the things I realized over the last two years is that that only happens if I'm enlisting the American people much more aggressively than I did the first two years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Paul, is he actually talking about or is the campaign talking about getting over the hurdle in terms of dealing with Republicans in Congress, because he had -- he had a Democratic majority, both houses, the House and the Senate, the first two years. He has had a lot of pushing back from Republicans. How did he move beyond that if he, in fact, wins?

STEINHAUSER: Yes, it's going to be tough because we don't know what's going to happen in the battle for the Senate and the battle for the House, and he may have a Republican dominated Congress next time -- next year if he is re-elected. You know, it's interesting, those comments by the president -- and we heard him last week as well say one of his biggest disappointments, Suzanne, from his first term is he hasn't been able to change the culture right here in Washington from the inside. The Romney campaign was very quick to criticize him on that, and they've been pushing back as well on some of the other things he said in that "60 minutes" interview. But for the president, let's be honest, if he does win re-election, he may face some of the same problems he has faced these past few years with a Republican dominated House -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: I noticed you have this back and forth, this game of setting low expectations, if you will, for both sides, Mitt Romney and the president saying, oh, I think the other guy is going to do a lot better in this debate. How important is it, when you've got nine days out before these two face off head-to-head?

STEINHAUSER: With both sides, this is what you do in politics, you try to lower expectations, and then if you do better, you say you won. You know, though, for Mitt Romney, I think more is on the line at these debates -- these debates because look at the poll numbers. He is trailing a small -- by a small amount, but he is trailing the president. We asked in our poll -- take a look at this, this is from earlier this month. We asked, who is going to win the debates? Who is more likely to win the debates? You can see among likely voters, a lot more people think President Obama than Mitt Romney -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Yes, and that might not be a good thing for them because they're trying to lower the expectations a bit. STEINHAUSER: Lowering them down, you got it.

MALVEAUX: But we'll see how it goes. OK. Thank you, Paul.

Movers, shakers from business, government foundations, they're all meeting in New York right now to tackle some of the world's toughest problems. This is the Clinton global initiative that we are talking about bringing people together. More than 1,000 leaders from around the world. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke earlier at this event. This event, of course, convened by her husband, former president Bill Clinton. She talked about the reaction to some of the recent protests over an anti-Islam video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY LCINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: The people of the Arab world did not set out to trade the tyranny of a dictator for the tyranny of a mob. There is no dignity in that. The people of Benghazi sent this message loudly and clearly on Friday when they forcefully rejected the extremists in their midst and reclaimed the honor and dignity of a courageous city.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: I want to bring in our foreign affairs correspondent Jill Dougherty to talk a little bit about this. And honestly, Jill, there is a different tone to these meetings now after you see these anti- American demonstrations across the Middle East. I know that the secretary, she had a chance to meet with the president of Pakistan, Zardari.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Right.

MALVEAUX: Do we know anything about what came of that? Because there were some pretty significant protests over the weekend out of Pakistan.

DOUGHERTY: Yes. And you know, Suzanne, this issue of that blasphemous video really is kind of overshadowing a lot of what's going on, because it's not just the video, it's what happens to these Arab Spring countries now that they've gone, say, a year, a year and a half of being free and moving toward democracy. But it's a very rocky road. And I was just saying that the sound that came from president Zardari, he said, one or two insane people should not be allowed to endanger world peace in the garb of freedom of expression. But the issue that is kind of complicated is in the west, things are allowed that might not be allowed in other countries, especially in the Middle East. And so, that's one of the complications that secretary of state Clinton has in explaining the U.S. position, excoriating it but also saying, look, that's, you know, the way it functions in many countries in the west.

MALVEAUX: It really is a balance that she has to strike there, Jill. I think that's a really important point. I know that she's also going to be meeting with the leaders of Libya and Afghanistan. What do we -- what does she hope she is going to get out of that meeting, specifically with the leader of Libya, in light of the fact that you had the U.S. ambassador, Chris Stevens, killed, assassinated, just the week prior.

DOUGHERTY: Yes, exactly. And it's a very, very sensitive time. But, you know, as in most of these countries, it went through the Arab Spring. What she is going to try to do is make sure that the government, the government of Libya -- and there are other new governments as well, in fact, Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen all have new governments. And the idea that she's trying to get across is that they should encourage people being able to express themselves, but that it should not turn violent. And it's a very -- again, a very complicated message to get across but it's very, very important because if these countries turn to chaos, violence, demonstrations, they could be back in maybe worse shape than they were before.

MALVEAUX: And we should make the distinction, there's the Clinton global initiative which is happening and then, of course, you also have the United Nations general assembly. You've got all those world leaders that she's meeting on the side. Is there any backlash from some of those leaders that they're not meeting with President Obama but they're meeting with the secretary of state?

DOUGHERTY: Well, of course, there was one backlash from Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, who is not getting a meeting with President Obama. But some of the other leaders realize that this is a campaign season in the United States, and President Obama, in a sense because it is so delicate, is not going to be meeting with other leaders. Hillary Clinton will and she has a lot of very specific things that she wants to discuss with him.

MALVEAUX: And she has a lot of clout as well. Jill Dougherty, thank you. Good to see you, as always.

As we mentioned, the Clinton global initiative, it's coinciding with the start of the U.N. general assembly. One of the controversial speakers that we anticipate, of course, the Iranian president who's going to be speaking on Wednesday, diplomatic relations with Iran at an all-time low now. Canada even closed its embassy calling Iran and its ties to terror the most significant threat to global security today.

Our Piers Morgan, he spoke with the running president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He asked him what he thought of the death of Osama Bin Laden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PIERS MORGAN, HOST, "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT": Were you pleased that Osama Bin Laden was killed by American Navy SEALs on the instructions of President Obama?

MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, PRESIDENT, IRAN: I would have been happier to see a transparent trial, a formal trial, and find out the root causes of all of the events of the last few years.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MALVEAUX: You can see the full interview with the Iranian president on "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT," that is 9:00 Eastern time right here on CNN.

Here's what we're working on for this hour.

(voice-over): High school students in New York are getting more than just an education, they're getting birth control and morning after pills, and their parents may not even know about it. Plus, the money behind the United National general assembly. World leaders are arriving in style. Think Bentley's, presidential suites, and expensive clothes.

And when it comes to gun control, Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama are not so far apart in terms of action on the issue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Some New York high schools are now offering students morning after pills and other birth control drugs, and the parents, they might not have any idea. It's all part of a pilot program started last year to help stop teen pregnancies.

Alina Cho, she's following the story. She's joining us from New York. Alina, first of all, can you explain to us, because it's a little hard to understand how it is that the parents wouldn't even be notified or know about what is going on.

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. A lot of people are asking that question. Good to see you. You know, this pilot program is called, catch, which actually could be the first of its kind in the nation. It's been quietly going on since January of last year, that's until the story broke here in New York over the weekend. So far, more than 1,100 students in 13 high schools have been given birth control pills, amazingly, including the so-called morning after pill known as plan B. Now, the city department of health says, the schools in the program were picked because the students there were known to have a higher risk of getting pregnant and lower access to health care. Now, one of the schools involved, listen to this, actually dropped out of the program because students were overloading the medical office.

And the most surprising part about all of this, Suzanne, of course, is that many parents may be clueless about it. This is the important part that you need to know. The children here do not need permission from their parents to get the pills. The default is they're allowed to get them unless the parents opt out of the program by signing a letter. The question is, are the parents getting the letter? We are told that the letter was both mailed and sent home with students, but we know how teenagers are. And, of course, if they want to keep that information from their parents, they're going to find a way to do it.

The Department of Health says, though, no more than 2 percent of parents at each school sent those letters back. It would stand to reason that that number might be higher if more parents actually saw the letter. We should also tell you that under federal law, kids under 18 do need a prescription for plan b. As you know, Suzanne, plan b can be bought over-the-counter, otherwise, if you're an adult. So how are they getting around that? Health department doctors are actually giving them those prescriptions.

According to the CDC and the New York City Health Department -- and these numbers are staggering -- 46 percent of New York City teens have had sexual intercourse. Seven thousand girls get pregnant by the age of 17. Nine out of 10 of those pregnancies are unplanned. And this is the important part that city officials want you to know. Seven out of 10 of those teen mothers actually drop out of school as a result.

The New York City Health Department released a statement saying, in part, "we are committed to trying new approaches, like this pilot program, in place since January of 2011, to improve a situation that can have negative consequences that can last a lifetime."

And, Suzanne, we just got a statement from the mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg. He's saying, in part, "the good news is, we've brought teen pregnancy down by 25 percent in the last 10 years. The bad news is, there is still an awful lot of girls who get pregnant at a very early age, when history shows it's very difficult to raise a child and give the child the care it needs when the parent is young and hasn't had the experience of adulthood." So the from the major of New York.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: And, Alina, the parents who don't return the opt-out letter, so that means the children can receive birth control without any kind of further parental consent.

CHO: That's right.

MALVEAUX: How are the parents in these areas reacting to this program?

CHO: As you can imagine, some of them are quite angry about it. Others say teens will be teens. We actually found some of those parents and we spoke to them earlier today. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If my child was -- if my daughter was a minor, yes, I would want -- I would want to know if she did the plan b.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I think kids are -- they're going to get into trouble, so at least the school can help them out some.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that's absolutely fine. Kids are going to have sex. They've always had sex. And they should have birth control available to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHO: So, no surprise there, Suzanne, and no shortage of opinions on the streets of New York City right outside our studios. This is a story that's getting a lot of attention in New York and certainly now across the country.

Back to you.

MALVEAUX: I can imagine. Very controversial. All right, Alina, thank you. Appreciate it.

CHO: You bet.

MALVEAUX: Glitz, glamour begins in New York this week. We're not talking about Fashion Week. We are actually talking about the money that is behind the United Nations General Assembly. World leaders, they are spending millions at the ritzy hotels and the restaurants.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Leaders from around the world come to the U.N. this week for the annual session of the General Assembly. They're going to be spending a whole lot of money in New York. They're talking about high- end retailers, restaurants, hotels, all of them gearing up for what many think is going to be the most profitable time of the year. Alison Kosik, she is in New York. She is tracking down all the dollars and where all the bling is.

This is a big deal for New York, yeah?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really is. You know, some of these prices, let's say for hotels, are set, but some do wind up charging more this time of year. But, yes, New York City's hotels and restaurants, they are definitely raking in the cash this week for the U.N. General Assembly.

Now, we did call some of New York's finest hotels where some of the visiting dignitaries can stay and check out some of these prices for the presidential suite. Would you pay $30,000 a night at The Plaza, Suzanne? Come on.

MALVEAUX: Wow.

KOSIK: Or 21 -- how about $21,000 for the St. Regis. This is per night. This is crazy if you ask me. But some of the smaller hotels closer to the U.N., they're also doing quite nicely. One tells us it usually charges $509 for its best room. This week it's going for $645 because rooms in general, Suzanne, are booked solid across New York City. You know, this time a year ago, when the U.N.G.A. was in town, hotel occupancy hit 92 percent in the city. That's the highest of any point from July through October.

And, yes, you see this ripple effect. Restaurants, dry cleaners, they get a bump too when the U.N.G.A. is in town. I can imagine car service do as well. They get a nice bump. You see those stretch limos and the Mercedes all piling up all around town.

But, you know, I find this really ironic because so many, Suzanne, so many of these dignitaries are from impoverished nations, yet they're so thrifty with their spend when they get here.

Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Yes. You know, I don't suppose there's like any miles or any points that you could use for any of those presidential suites anywhere in town.

KOSIK: I'm not thinking so.

MALVEAUX: A lot of people debate this, whether or not it's even worth it to have the U.N. hosted by New York. I mean you've got the traffic, there are the headaches.

KOSIK: Yes.

MALVEAUX: But, of course, you've got all that money that's pouring into the city. What goes into that when they make the decision, hey, we'll do this again another year.

KOSIK: OK, so it's true, you know, you've got the money coming into the city, but then there are costs to New York City as well. Look at security alone. The cost is in the millions of dollars. You look back at 2010 or the most recent figures that we got. Police Commissioner Ray Kelli estimated security costs for the U.N.G.A. range anywhere from $5 million to $7 million. Now, the NYPD has yet to get back to us with current costs.

But aside from these costs surrounding the week, you know, some scholars also believe all the luxury of New York City can really be a big distraction for visiting diplomats. One NYU professor says, you know, maybe if the U.N. weren't in New York City, diplomats would actually focus more on policy issues than all the glitz and the glamour and Broadway, you know. But no question about it, I have to tell you, you know, the business is positive for New York City. The city says having the U.N. located here adds about $2.5 billion, with a b, to the local economy.

Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Wow. Yes. You know you're right, though, Alison, they might get more done if they sat down and, you know, in the middle of the woods somewhere and said, OK, let's hash -- let's has this out.

KOSIK: Exactly.

MALVEAUX: All right, thanks, Alison.

KOSIK: In the middle of the woods, yes.

MALVEAUX: If you're one of 12 million Americans who are out of work, have you actually considered driving a truck? Well, in this week's "Smart Is The New Rich," Christine Romans, she looks at the demand for drivers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Help wanted. Must love the open road, sleeping in tight quarters, and 26,000 pounds beneath your feet. Sounds good for Wade Brumett.

WADE BRUMETT, HIRED TO BE TRUCK DRIVER: I got hired to drive a truck for Prime.

ROMANS: Out of work for a few years, Brumett went from home building to trucking. The reason? It's where the jobs are.

BRUMETT: I've been through several recession before and thought I was building homes when Jimmy Carter was president for crying out loud and things were bad then, but they're terrible now in that industry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR, "CONVOY": Breaker 1-9. Breaker 1-9.

ROMANS: Movies like "Convoy" and "Smoky and the Bandit" were the image of truck drivers in the past. But a weak job market has brought out a different applicant.

JOAN MCKINSEY, PRIME TRUCKING RECRUITER: And I do get people from all walks of life. I've had, you know, ex-teachers, ex-lawyers, ex- accountants.

ROMANS: The money's there. Nearly $38,000 a year for heavy long haul truckers. And the top 10 percent make more than $58,000. It's supply and demand. A rebounding economy means more freight to move and more jobs to fill. About 200,000 long haul trucking jobs are open nationwide to add to the 1.5 million drivers on the road now. Like health care jobs and retail sales, truck driving is an occupation that's growing. More than 300,000 long haul trucking jobs are expected to be added between 2010 and 2020. Prime Trucking is hiring.

JOHN HANCOCK, DIR. OF RECRUITING, PRIME INC.: I could put a couple of hundred people to work this next week. The demand for our services is there. It's the qualified people that's the challenge.

ROMANS: Those qualifications include a commercial driver's license, which can cost thousands of dollars and weeks of certification courses. There are also safety concerns.

HANCOCK: Safety is absolutely vital.

ROMANS: And the trucker lifestyle can also hold some back from applying.

MCKINSEY: It is a 24-7. You are making a big commitment.

ROMANS: Prime is trying to recruit by offering certification and training on site for free.

RICK YARBOROUGH, PRIME INC. TERMINAL MANAGER: The cost here is zero. We're training them. We want to help that person who is making that career change or choosing their initial career.

ROMANS: Alan Harrell is training Gerald Hesser. Both switched careers to trucking after being laid off.

ALAN HARRELL, FORMER GARAGE DOOR INSTALLER: They were looking to cut costs and that was the downfall from it.

GERALD HESSER, FORMER MACHINIST: Got laid off at the beginning of the year and I needed the -- something to take care of my family.

ROMANS: While the days are long --

HARRELL: I am probably gone probably 45 weeks out of the year.

ROMANS: For Alan and Gerald, trucking is more than a job.

HARRELL: You get a chance to go just in some phenomenal areas, you know, of the country driving. That is the beauty of this job.

HESSER: Yes, I really love to be a truck driver. I really do.

ROMANS: Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: The day the music died. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is now on strike. They're demanding more money and better health care. Sound familiar? Well, don't forget, you can watch CNN live on your computer, while you're at work. Head to cnn.com/tv.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: First, Chicago's teachers, but now, the city's musicians are now on strike.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: That was the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performing last year. But last week, it was a different story for the folks expecting to hear them play. Instead, this was the scene. Musicians were picketing outside. They say they are concerned about contract changes to salary and health care benefits.

Green Day's lead singer, Billy Joe Armstrong, now getting help for substance abuse problems. According to the band, that is. The announcement after Armstrong's on-stage meltdown -- that's right -- during the show in Vegas. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILLY JOE ARMSTRONG, FRONT MAN, GREEN DAY: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) joking. (EXPLETIVE DELETED) joke. I got one man -- one man left.

Oh, now I got nothing left. Now I got nothing left.

(SHOUTING)

ARMSTRONG: Let me show you what one minute (EXPLETIVE DELETED). (SHOUTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: All right. After he destroyed the guitar, he tossed the remains into the crowd, flashed the middle finger, walked off stage. Apparently, angry because he thought he had to cut the performance short. The band now says the set was not cut short. They apologized to those who he offended. Green Day has received three Grammys since the punk band first broke into the scene. That was nearly 20 years ago.

When it comes to gun control, you might think it's obvious where President Obama and Mitt Romney stand. But as Deborah Feyerick found out in this week's "In-Depth," there were some gray areas as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When it comes to gun control, those on the extremes of the debate see it in one of two ways. On one side, gun control is the threat to law-abiding gun owners and the right to protect themselves. But on the other side, gun control is the only way to stem gun violence and prevent the tragedies like Colorado's movie theater massacres and those temple shootings.

Where did the candidates stand? When it comes to the Second Amendment? Both President Obama and challenger Mitt Romney say, yes, they support it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OBAMA: I believe in the Second Amendment. I believe in people's lawful right to bare arms.

ROMNEY: I will protect the Second Amendment rights of the American people.

(CHEERING)

FEYERICK (voice-over): Both sides stick to language in the Constitution, with President Obama attempting to pacify critics from the National Rifle Association.

OBAMA: I will not take your shotgun away. I will not take your rifle away. I won't take your handgun away.

FEYERICK: The fact he hasn't tried doesn't make the NRA with continued unsubstantiated warnings that began back in 2008.

WAYNE LAPIERRE, PRESIDENT, NRA: All that first-term lip service to gun owners, it is just part of a massive Obama conspiracy to deceive voters and hide his true intentions, to destroy the Second Amendment during his second term.

FEYERICK: Romney has been actively cultivating the NRA, speaking at this year's convention. It's a switch for the ones tough-on-guns governor.

Consider the assault weapons ban. President Obama is a yes, but with an asterisk. Mr. Romney moves from a yes to a no. Here's why. In 2004, Governor Romney signed a permanent assault weapons ban in Massachusetts. Now Candidate Romney says he opposes any new laws.

ROMNEY: We need a president that will enforce current laws not create new ones that only serve to burden lawful gun owners.

FEYERICK: After Aurora, Mr. Obama stressed the need for a ban on assault weapons. So that's a yes.

OBAMA: A lot of gun owners would agree that A.K.-47s belong in the hands of soldiers and not in the hands of criminals.

(CHEERING)

FEYERICK: The reason Obama's yes has an asterisk is that, in four years, no new gun control laws have been enacted. In fact, under Obama's watch, concealed weapons are now allowed on Amtrak trains and in national parks.

DAN GROSS, PRESIDENT, BRADY CAMPAIGN: He's continued to pay lip service to those things, but he hasn't shown real leadership in pursuing those changes.

FEYERICK: Yes, background checks have gotten more thorough under Obama for people legally buying guns in gun shops. But the big problem remains gun shows and the Internet, specifically, unlicensed dealers selling firearms to buyers with no background check needed.

President Obama has supported closing the gun show loophole in the past. But the White House says his focus now is on existing laws.

Governor Romney says no to any further regulation of gun shows.

ROMNEY: There's no particular change in law that's going to keep people who are intent on doing harm from doing harm.

OBAMA: The majority of gun owners would agree that we should do everything possible to prevent criminals and fugitives from purchasing weapons.

FEYERICK: So while President Obama says he wants tougher gun laws, little was done during his first term.

(SHOUTING)

FEYERICK: Republican challenger, Romney, has done more in the past, but now says it's enough. Both candidates apparently not so different now when it comes to gun control.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MALVEAUX: The Emmys had it all -- glitzy dresses, big winners, even a Twitter prank by Jimmy Kimmel. Today, reviews are in. Was it a success?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: The Emmys were handed out last night. Big surprises and some familiar winners. Plus, Jimmy Kimmel as host.

Kareen Wynter has all the highlights.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, EMMY AWARDS: Welcome to the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards --

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like the categories they honor, the 64th Annual Emmy Awards were filled with drama.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Oh, my god.

WYNTER: Comedy --

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: I forgot of my glasses.

WYNTER: -- and for many, the reality that they won the biggest award in television.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Julianne Moore.

(APPLAUSE)

WYNTER: Four-time Oscar nominee and six-time Golden Globe nominee, Julianne Moore, is now a primetime Emmy winner. She took home one of "Game Changes'" four statues.

JULIANNE MOORE, ACTRESS: I feel so validated because Sarah Palin gave me a big thumbs down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Modern Family."

(APPLAUSE)

WYNTER: For a third straight year, reigning king of comedy, "Modern Family," did it again, winning a total of four Emmys, including best comedy series. Supporting actress for Julie Bowen (ph) and supporting actor for Eric Stonestreet.

ERIC STONESTREET, ACTOR: I never knew I would be on TV as a gay man. But I lot of the pictures of harry chests. You guys are sending me.

WYNTER: "Two and a Half Men" star John Cryer and Beebs, Julia Louis- Dreyfes took lead comedy honors.

(APPLAUSE) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And the Emmy goes to "Homeland."

(APPLAUSE)

WYNTER: After four consecutive wins, "Mad Men" was dethroned by Showtime's powerhouse, "Homeland" for the top drama prize. It stars Damian Lewis and a pregnant Claire Danes, who both won for lead acting honors.

CLAIRE DANES, ACTRESS: My husband, my love, my life, my baby daddy. This doesn't mean anything without you.

WYNTER (on camera): While his late night show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live," didn't end up winning a prize for an outstanding variety series, the comedian did deliver on his promise to host the Emmys with a twist.

KIMMEL: I would like the people who are at home watching the Emmys right now to help me pull a big prank on the people who are not watching.

WYNTER (voice-over): The late-night funny man asked the audience and viewers at home to post tweets and Facebook messages indicating that "30 Rock" star, Tracy Morgan, had passed out on stage.

KIMMEL: Just lie there for about, I don't know, 10 minutes or so.

TRACY MORGAN, ACTOR: OK.

WYNTER: But instead of Kimmel, it was once again "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart that won its tenth variety series Emmy in a row.

JON STEWART, HOST, THE DAILY SHOW: Years from now, when the earth is just a burning husk and aliens visit, they will find a box of these, and they will know just how predictable these (EXPLETIVE DELETED) are.

(LAUGHTER)

WYNTER: Laughter, tears, talent, and cheers, TV's golden night once again reminded millions of what host Jimmy Kimmel has known all along.

KIMMEL: I've got to get out less.

WYNTER: Kareen Wynter, CNN, Hollywood

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Out less.

(LAUGHTER)

Kareen is joining us from L.A.

You look great, by the way. Love that dress.

WYNTER: Thank you.

MALVEAUX: What are people saying about Jim where I Kimmel's performance?

WYNTER: You know, mixed reviews. Mostly positive, though. Kimmel has already gotten a thumbs up from the "Hollywood Reporter," "Huffington Post," "Entertainment Weekly." Not so much from "USA Today." They actually panned his performance. And I'm quoting here, calling him, "The wrong guy at the wrong place." Kind of harsh.

You know, we're still waiting for the ratings, the official numbers to come in. But I watched it. I thought he was great. People have to remember, it's a tough stage. It's a tough gig. You know? I think he had some really hilarious moments. I don't know, Suzanne. I think he will be invited back. Let's see how he does.

MALVEAUX: Always a tough crowd as well. All right.

WYNTER: It is.

MALVEAUX: Good to see you, Kareen.

WYNTER: Thank you.

MALVEAUX: Well, one survivor said, when he stopped rolling, he was neck deep in snow. An avalanche sweeps two dozen hikers from one of the highest peaks in the world. We'll look at the weather conditions that are now complicating the search.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Search has been ended for three mountain climbers after a deadly avalanche killed eight on Sunday. It happened near Katmandu and the world's eighth highest peak. It is believed the avalanche might have been triggered when the piece of ice the size of six or seven football fields fell from a melting glacier. Survivors say they managed to break open their tents as ice and snow was piling on. They rolled hundreds of feet in the snow to get away.

We're bringing in our Chad Myers to talk a little bit about monsoon season in Nepal, and whether or not that had anything it to do with what happened here.

It's tragic.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I believe it did. There are two climbing seasons at this peak. We have one climbing season at Mount Everest. It's about two for this peak. One before the snow and the rain begins, and then one after the snow and the rain stops. Just last week after this most of the monsoon was over, another batch of snow happened above these climbers, and the snow came tumbling down, literally right on top of them. They're having some trouble getting up there because it is so very high, 24,000 feet in the air. Can't really fly helicopters up there very well. Not much air for those rotors to catch.

Here's the United States. We'll fly you around to the other side and show you where all this is. Katmandu right here. The very just top of the world right here from Manaslu, and here's Katmandu, and they're right up here along the peak. Very, very high ridges here. A lot of snow this year happened there with the monsoon season. Not so much rain fell where they need it in the growing regions, but there's the top of the mountain, and they were so very close. You know, we had over a couple hundred people on the mountain this year heading up to the peak, and it's not a difficult peak compared to some like a K-2 climb. Not like I'm a climber, but I'm told it's not a very bad climb, and they are waiting to get up to do the final peak up to the top, and then, all of a sudden, the snow came down at one hour before day break. So it was completely dark when the snow and ice came crumbling.

MALVEAUX: What actually causes these avalanches? Could this have been avoided in some way?

MYERS: I don't think so. You know, in America here we shoot big rockets and old bombs into where we think avalanches could happen. And we create the avalanches in a hurry before they could hurt anybody. We know where they're coming. We know what they can do. Up here, when you are up this high, there's nothing more that you could do. They probably knew this snow was loaded up there. They were taking the chance. They were already on the mountain. At that point in time, you are only a day or two from making the summit. You aren't going to turn around at that point many times. I'm sure they had no idea that snow was up there. Otherwise, they would have camped in a different spot. They were in a camp right below this ledge that came crashing down.

MALVEAUX: Oh, tragic.

Chad, thank you very much.

MYERS: You're welcome.

MALVEAUX: Breast cancer used to be considered a single disease, but there's now a new study that says some breast cancers are a lot like ovarian cancer, and that could lead to new treatments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: One doctor calls it a road map for curing breast cancer in the future. A comprehensive analysis of breast cancer found there are important genetic differences in types of breast cancer could lead to new ways to fight it.

Want to bring in our senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, to explain this and how significant this is.

What did they find, first of all?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: What they did was really fascinating. They took 800 something women with breast cancer and they mapped the genes of the cancer, not the women's genes, but the cancer's genes. And what they found was that there is some really distinct differences between different cancers, so much so, that the way they're expressing it, is that the genes may be more important than the location. Because usually you say we treat breast cancer like this, we treat ovarian cancer like that, thyroid cancer like that. Maybe the genetic makeup is more important than where they find the cancer.

So, for example, they find that some breast cancers may genetically be more like ovarian cancers, and maybe ovarian cancer treatments would be more helpful for those types of breast cancer treatments. They're hoping this is a road map that will lead them down to new and much more specific ways of treating breast cancer.

MALVEAUX: What do you do with this information? Is this information that can be used now? Is it something that is later on down the road?

COHEN: It is later on down the road. And you don't want it now. So let's say doctors said, gee, this breast cancer genetically is more like an ovarian cancer, let's give it the ovarian cancer treatment. That might work, but it might also hurt the woman. You want to do clinical trials. You want to do this in an organized, scientific fashion. That does not happen overnight. So you can't go to your doctor now and say, hey, I hear they did this incredible gene mapping, can you do it for me and will act on it? Not on what they found in this study. First of all, most places can't do this kind of mapping. It is very intricate. But it hopefully will be important later on down the road.

MALVEAUX: How significant is this now in terms of treatment?

COHEN: Right now, what they're finding -- what they found now is not significant in terms of treatment this minute. If you went to your oncologist this minute and said, I read this fabulous story, I want that treatment, they wouldn't be able to do it. It just allows them to think about doing clinical trials, and saying, women that have breast cancer that genetically looks like an ovarian cancer, let's, in a very controlled clinical trial, try that and see what happens. That's the stage that they're at. They're thinking about doing those types of studies. You don't want them to rush into it. I said, it could actually hurt someone. You want them to do this in a very studied way, not in a quick way.

MALVEAUX: Sure. Is it a complicated test?

COHEN: It is a complicated test. There aren't a whole lot of places that can do it. So there is some simple genetic tests that your doctor might be able to do now on breast cancer -- on your breast cancer, but this kind of complicated very comprehensive thing is tough to do.

MALVEAUX: All right. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you.

COHEN: Thanks.

MALVEAUX: Good to see you as always.

To learn more about cancer treatment and become an empowered patient, head over to CNN.com/empoweredpatient.

And comedians, of course, have a great time making fun of politicians on "SNL." Going to play some of that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Presidential race, keeping the late night comedians laughing all the way to Election Day. Romney campaign, its recent problems, providing some material for "SNL" over the weekend, and Vice President (ph) Obama. Sit back and watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SETH MEYERS, ACTOR, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: Why are you saying anything during this Romney tail spin?

(LAUGHTER)

Let's review. On Monday, a secret tape is released where Romney insults half of the country. And then that same day, he stands by those remarks. On Wednesday, he does a town hall for Hispanics in brown face.

(LAUGHTER)

And Friday, Paul Ryan gets booed by the AARP. And then, instead of just enjoying that, you go, hey, everybody, remember my campaign slogan? Yes, I can't do that.

(LAUGHTER)

Don't make this hard on yourself. You're like the criminal who gets away with murder and then starts sending the cops puzzles to figure it out.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: "SNL" making fun of the undecided voters. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Before you get our vote, you're going to have to answer some questions. Questions like --

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: When is the election?

(LAUGHTER)

How soon do we have to decide?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are the names of the two people running? And be specific.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who is the president right now?

(LAUGHTER)

Is he or she running?

(LAUGHTER)

Because if so, experience is maybe something we should consider.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(LAUGHTER)

MALVEAUX: Yes. I guess.

Quick trip down Memory Lane. Hit cartoon of the '60s, "The Jetsons," made its debut about 50 years ago. And, well, check it out. Here is what the future looked like in 1962.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The original show lasted only a season. Those same 24 episodes were played over and over again. It was remade in the '80s.

I don't know about you, Brooke, but I always thought there would be robots we would have --

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: -- be the jetting around. It didn't happen.

(LAUGHTER)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Not yet, Suzanne Malveaux, not yet.

(LAUGHTER)

I'm still waiting for my flying card. We shall see.

Thank you so much. I'll take it from here.

Good to see you here at the top of the hour in CNN NEWSROOM.

We begin 43 days out from the November 6th election. Let's talk politics.