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Americans Killed in Afghanistan; Kids Missing More than a Week; GOP Cut Ties with Consulting Firm; Ancient Stream Bed Found on Mars; Secret Vatican Documents Leaked; Historic Comeback at Ryder Cup; Candidates' Stands on Gun Control

Aired September 30, 2012 - 18:00   ET

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

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: Well, hello, everybody. You are in THE CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Deborah Feyerick, in for Don Lemon.

And let's you up-to-speed on the day's headlines.

Two Americans were killed in Afghanistan today, one U.S. soldier and one U.S. civilian. Officials say they died in a firefight either with insurgents or troops of the Afghan army. Investigators are not yet 100 percent sure exactly what happened. Three Afghan soldiers also died in an incident at a check point west of Kabul.

And in Iraq, at least 30 people were killed today in a wave of bombings.

Seven explosions hit in or near Baghdad. It is the deadliest day in Iraq for nearly a month. Shiite Muslim communities appear to be the main targets of the attacks. The violence comes just days after dozens of dangerous prisoners broke out of a jail in northern Iraq.

And in Los Angeles, crews are working quickly to finish this bridge demolition over the 405 freeway. Some scary, scary moments when a portion of the Mulholland Bridge came down unexpectedly, narrowly missing a couple of workers. It was feared the construction would cause massive traffic jams on one of the nation's busiest freeways. But so far those fears have not come true.

The 405 is expected to open back up at 5:00 a.m. local time tomorrow morning, in time for work.

Well, a possible break involving a missing University of Florida student. His backpack has been found at the home of a teenager now charged with the student's murder. Gainesville police say blood was found in the car belonging to 18-year-old Pedro Bravo. Bravo allegedly told police he and 18-year-old Christian Aguilera (ph) the night Aguilera was last scene.

Aguilera disappeared 10 days ago. The search continues. He's still not been found.

And a family is in panic and despair tonight, wondering if two of their kids are alive or dead. This is where we're talking about, middle Tennessee, the town of Unionville. Nine-year-old Chloie and 7- year-old half brother Gage were thought to have died in a house fire that also killed their grandparents. But so far no sign of the children and it's been more than a week.

CNN's Susan Candiotti has more on this developing mystery.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More than a week after sifting through ashes and debris, investigators have found no sign of 9-year-old Chloie Leverett and 7-year-old Gage Daniel. No sign the youngsters were there. And so far, no evidence they were when an inferno swept through the home where they lived with their grandparents.

Friends and family don't understand and neither does anyone else.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think something is very fishy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The more you find out, the more questions you have.

CANDIOTTI: Helicopters equipped with infrared cameras found no signs of the children in surrounding woods either. The children were last seen playing in the neighborhood about three hours before the fire started last Sunday night. Did someone take them?

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an AMBER alert Friday night, calling the missing children endangered. Authorities don't know what caused the fire, adding to the mystery.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They said that it was not an intentional fire, but obviously there's more to it than that.

CANDIOTTI: Chloie's parents are not considered suspects according to police.

MARY LAM, SISTER: We are tired but we want to continue on until we found out what's really happened to these children.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: And Susan Candiotti joins us now from New York.

And, Susan, you're keeping your eyes on many mysterious missing kids case in Tennessee. Here it is Sunday evening. The kids have been missing for more than a week.

Is there a single lead? Why do investigators think they that they might have been in the house initially?

CANDIOTTI: Well, initially, because they lived there and they've been live being the grandparents for years. So, that was the natural assumes, they must have been home when this terrible raging inferno raced through that house. And since then, authorities are telling us they have some leads but they're not disclosing exactly what they are.

We know that they've been through the neighborhood. They're talking to friends. They're talking to family. They're talking to the parents of these children and who live apart from each other. The parents tell them that they -- where they were. They're not disclosing to us where they were when all this happened.

But authorities say the family members are fully cooperating.

FEYERICK: And so, the parents have been ruled out or at least they're not being questions as suspects for the time being.

CANDIOTTI: That's right.

FEYERICK: Is there the suggestion that this fire was deliberately set, that perhaps somebody took the kids? Is that one of the scenarios police are working on?

CANDIOTTI: Well, it's certainly one of the many theories. Did the children wander off maybe right before the fire happened or afterwards? Remember they were playing in that neighborhood just three hours before the fire was called in at 9:30 last Sunday night. Could someone have snatched the children? I mean, these are the possibilities they're looking at.

And why do they wait until Friday to issue the AMBER alert? Well, remember, for the immediate few days right after the fire happened, they kept looking and relooking, looking again through the ashes, through the debris, fully expecting to find these children. And it wasn't until Wednesday when the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation got involved and they looked again and then on Friday issued the AMBER alert. When it was clear to them, they say there is no physical evidence that those children are in that debris.

That's why they've been broadening the search area even today, spending hours. They're still out there with dogs looking in the area, in the roads, trying to see whether the children wandered off.

FEYERICK: All right. Susan Candiotti for us there in New York -- thanks so much. Clearly time of the essence in this because the more time goes on, the more they lose a grasp of where these children might be. Thank you so much for joining us.

Well, let's take the race for the White House.

With 37 days to go until Election Day, President Obama is out west. He landed in Las Vegas a little while ago, where he's going to hold a rally later this evening. He'll be on the road through Wednesday's presidential debate.

And Mitt Romney is keeping a low profile this weekend. He went to church this morning outside Boston. But he had no public events yesterday or today. Romney heads to Colorado tomorrow where he'll hold a rally and continue his preparations for Wednesday's showdown debate in Denver.

Meantime, Republican Party officials cut ties with the consulting firm that Florida election officials say turned in suspicious voter application forms.

CNN's David Mattingly has been investigating this story.

And, David, what are you learning?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is Florida. It's always close there. It's hugely important to both sides. We know it's going to be close this time.

So, any time the topic of voter registration fraud comes up, it's going to get a lot of attention. And that's what's going on right now.

It's focused on Strategic Allied Consulting. That's the company was hired by the Republican Party to register people to vote. That sounds pretty benign, sounds like it wouldn't be a big problem.

But here's what happened: that company was fired last week by the Republican National Committee after one of the employees of that company, just one, may have provided false signatures on some of the documents that he was filling out. So, right now, we're having people look in multiple counties throughout Florida. We've seen reports that maybe as many as 10, where they're looking at some of these things to see how widespread this might be.

But the ground zero for right now seems to be in Palm Beach County. That's where the election supervisor is looking at 106 ballots -- 106 applications rather that were provided for by this company. Beyond that, this election supervisor is going past that 106 to look at every single ballot -- every single application that has been changed recently. Guess how many that is?

FEYERICK: I can't imagine.

MATTINGLY: Sixty thousand. But the supervisor says she doesn't believe this is a crisis. She wants to get out in front of it. And she's encouraging this similar action to be taken on a state level right now.

But again, she says she doesn't believe it's a crisis. But she's got a lot of applications to look at to make sure that when people come to the polls on Election Day that they are able to vote and paperwork signed on their behalf is actually their signature.

FEYERICK: What's fascinating, we've been speaking so much about voter ID, which is when you actually get to the polls. Clearly, before that, you've got all this registration to make sure people are signed up, so they can go to the polls.

Is this company doing work for Republicans in other states? Because could those states be in jeopardy potentially?

MATTINGLY: Oh, yes. The Republican Party has paid this company several million dollars to do work. We're looking closely at some of the swing states that are going on right now. We just talked about Florida. There's also Colorado, North Carolina, and Virginia. We've seen reports that the state -- on the state level, they severed their ties with this company in Colorado. Got some calls there and waiting to hear back from North Carolina and Virginia on that as well.

FEYERICK: Oh, boy, Dave Mattingly, I think you and I are going to be very busy after Election Day trying to figure out exactly what's going on in terms of voting.

MATTINGLY: That's right. We always are.

FEYERICK: We always are.

MATTINGY: Yes, especially when it comes to Florida, right?

FEYERICK: That's exactly. All right. Dave Mattingly, great job as always. Thanks so much.

Well, President Obama and Mitt Romney face to face as American voters weigh their choice. The first of three presidential debates will be Wednesday night. You can watch it here live at 7:00 eastern on CNN and on CNN.com.

And as we get closer to that debate, all week we heard about both sides trying to lower expectations of their candidates. Is it going to work? Two of our political experts weigh in.

And incredible video. A man jumps from a third floor window into the arms of a crowd below. We're going to tell you what forced him out of that window.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Guns belonging to a gangster couple killed 78 years ago hit the auction block today. Nearly 100 of Bonnie and Clyde's possessions were on sale, including the pistols the pair were wearing when they were killed. Those two guns together sold for half a million dollars, $504,000.

An intriguing art heist worthy of a Hollywood film wandering into a flea market one day, a shopper snags a painting for just $7. Well, it turns out to be a Renoir original. The lucky buyer, of course, wants to auction it off, but wouldn't. The FBI steps in and puts the brakes on.

As Brian Todd explains, it's all over a crime committed more than 60 years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's 5 1/2 by 9 inches, worth between $75,000 and $100,000 and back from the dead. Titled "On The Shore Of The Sand" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir believed to have been painted for his mistress in 1879, this landscape has made a mysterious journey.

DOREEN BOLGER, DIRECTOR, BALTIMORE, MUSEUM OF ART: This is just what we all fantasize about finding a great treasure unknown somewhere.

TODD: Doreen Bolger is Director of the Baltimore Museum of Art. Her institution once had that Renoir on display, loaned by a well-known local art patron named, Sadie May. More than 60 years ago, the painting was lifted.

(on camera): The circumstances around the theft of the painting are not clear, but this is the library's record of the painting. The card saying it was lent here. This notation is saying it was stolen from the museum in November of 1951. That was only about five months after the lender, Sadie May, died.

(voice-over): Fast forward to 2010, a woman at the Harpers Ferry Flea Market in West Virginia is attracted to a nondescript box.

ELIZABETH WAINSTEIN, POTOMACK CO. AUCTION HOUSE: She paid $7 for a cardboard box full of miscellaneous items.

TODD: Including a doll, a plastic cow and the long lost Renoir. The purchaser who wants to remain unanimous took the painting to the Potomack Company, an auction house in Alexandria, Virginia, where it's being kept now. What happened between high-end heist and flea market haggle over roughly 60 years is virtually unknown.

(on camera): How tough is it to piece together how it might have made that journey?

BOLGER: You know, I think people feel a painting by a famous artist like Renoir ought to be very clear. But you know, life has so many twists and turns. It has friendships and deaths and divorces and all kinds of chaos moving, you know, changing of occupation. It's very hard to speculate what are the circumstances would cause the painting to change hands.

TODD (voice-over): And she says, records of artworks were not digitized and tracked then with the sophistication used now. The FBI is investigating that trail.

Authorities and probably lawyers will also have to determine whether the painting is rightfully the property of the woman who bought it for $7, the museum or the insurer who paid out the claim. Right now, it's not clear who that insurer was either.

(on camera): What would Sadie May say about this whole situation?

BOLGER: Sadie May was a pretty extraordinary woman. She -- I'm sure she would be amused to find her reputation brought to the surface and so much attention paid to her.

TODD (voice-over): As much as they want the painting back, museum officials aren't prepared to say they'll wage a legal fight to get it. Right now, they're focusing on piecing together how the painting was stolen and how it got to a flea market in West Virginia.

Brian Todd, CNN, Baltimore.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: And just three days until the first presidential debate, and it seems both sides are trying to lower expectations of the candidates. Will it work? Two of our political experts are about to weigh in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Well, Mitt Romney's running mate says, yes, we've made a few mistakes. But that doesn't mean the presidential race is over.

Let's talk about the campaign's final 37 days -- final 37 days with two CNN contributors, L.Z. Granderson, who's also a senior writer for ESPN, and Ana Navarro, Republican strategist.

Guys, let's take a listen to Paul Ryan this morning on FOX.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Yes, we've had some missteps, but at the end of the day the choice is really clear. We're giving people a really clear choice. We have these pro growth solutions for opportunity and upward mobility in the dynamic economy. You've got the president promising four more years of stagnation, of dependency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: So Paul Ryan acknowledges what he calls missteps. Ana, admitting mistakes, missteps -- is that a deliberate strategy?

ANA NAVARRO, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I don't know if it's a smart strategy. But I know it's a realistic strategy.

Obviously, they're down in the polls. They've got to do some re- tweaking.

I think he's being humble. I think he's being realistic. He's admitting there's been mistakes made. Mitt Romney has admitted that he didn't do the most articulate expression when he was speaking about that 47 percent.

So, I think it is a good thing. They do need to eat a little humble pie and they need to admit that things are not all rosy. We can't deny what the polls are showing. We may be able to argue with the polls a bit, but, you know, things need to pick up.

And I think Paul Ryan admitting that this morning is a good thing and refreshing from a politician.

FEYERICK: Absolutely. So, effectively, what he's doing is he's telling people what they already know. He's saying, look, we've done it. Now, we don't have to talk about it.

But, L.Z., let's get to Ana's point, which is, you know, Mitt Romney did speak about the 37 percent of Obama voters who he doesn't think are going to vote for him. He's sort of written them off.

Does Mitt Romney have to be perfect in Wednesday's debate, avoid the so-called missteps?

(INAUDIBLE)

FEYERICK: OK, L.Z., we're going to fix your audio.

But, Ana, we're going to ask you about that. Do you think, Ana, that Mitt Romney has to be perfect? Does he have to avoid these missteps?

NAVARRO: I'm loving this, Deb, L.Z. not being able to speak.

FEYERICK: Be careful, we hear his audio is back, Ana. But go ahead.

NAVARRO: I think both of these guys are good, able debaters. You know, I was on the McCain campaign. I was on the Huntsman campaign. I've sat through debates with Mitt Romney and debates with President Obama, then-candidate Obama.

Both of these guys are articulate. They have experience. They know how to debate. They've had good debates. They've had some that are less good.

FEYERICK: Right.

NAVARRO: But I think both of them are going to do well.

FEYERICK: OK. So, L.Z., we're going to throw two to you right now. First let me ask you, does Mitt Romney have to avoid missteps? Peggy Noonan has said this is sort after a hinge. This is a turning point that has the potential to alter the dynamic of the election.

L.Z., do you see the debate as that crucial, this first one?

L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Absolutely. I think the first one is the only one that really matters, because if Mitt Romney can't hit President Obama with a haymaker in the first, who really wants to hear what he has to say in the second and third, right? I mean, he has to find a way.

Now, I want to make sure that we're clear on one thing. These haven't been gaffes by Mitt Romney. This is Mitt Romney. This is not the first time he's talked about not necessarily caring about people less fortunate than him. He flat out said he wasn't very concerned about the very poor.

So, this isn't like a misstep, like a one-off. This is a consistent pain with him. And it's up to the voters to figure out whether or not they agree with him or not. But they're not gaffes, they're him.

FEYERICK: So, then, L.Z., let me ask you, what does -- how does Mitt Romney have to appear during that presidential debate? Does he have to be deferential? Does he have to be aggressive? What is the right tone?

Because when we saw him before when he was running for the nominee, he could be a little bit aggressive. Remember that point when he said to Rick Perry, oh, I bet you $10,000? Not going to go over as well in the presidential debates, I don't think L.Z., right?

GRANDERSON: No, absolutely not. The thing is Mitt Romney seemed to function well when he's coming from behind. So, if there's anything that would give them any hope is that when he seems coming from -- someone else has the momentum. He has to take the momentum. He seems much better as a front-runner.

So, if he has any hope knowing he's going in, thinking that the expectations are extremely low for him. If he's able to take that and be aggressive and attack President Obama, because let's face it, the president is still extremely vulnerable. And the only reason why he's not winning -- or Romney isn't winning is because Romney has been an absolute idiot the past two to three weeks. So, if he can correct that by being aggressive, perhaps he can bring the momentum back in his favor.

FEYERICK: We like to use the word missteps.

But, Ana, let me give you the final word, and that is President Obama is vulnerable.

GRANDERSON: Go ahead.

FEYERICK: He's been called a wonderful orator, you know, that he mesmerizes audiences when he speaks. But he is vulnerable.

What does Romney have to -- how to -- where does he have to strike him?

NAVARRO: Look, I think Romney has to do what he did in the last two debates of the primary in Florida. He needs to come across as knowledgeable. He needs to come across as presidential, assertive, know his stuff, do his homework, not dodge the questions but rather answer them directly.

And I think he needs to pivot and put the pressure back on President Obama. If he does those things, if we see the Mitt Romney that we saw in the last two debates in Florida, we're going to see a very able and capable candidate.

FEYERICK: All right. L.Z. Granderson, Ana Navarro -- we'll be coming back to you, L.Z.

But one thing I do want to say is that I think a lot of people are looking forward to these debates because they really want to get clear answers. Mitt Romney has been speaking to the Republicans, President Obama to the Democrats. Let's see what they have to say to the independents who are out there.

Both of you, thank you so much. We really appreciate it.

Well, President Obama and Mitt Romney will go head-to-head in the first presidential debate Wednesday night in Denver. And, of course, we're going to be there with you live 7:00 Eastern on CNN and on CNN.com. And talk about being in the right place at the right time. Check out this video. OK? See that? A man jumps from the third floor window. And a crowd is there to catch him. We're going to tell you why he had to jump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Meet Jennifer Pahlka, founder of Code for America. It's kind of a Peace Corps for geeks.

JENNIFER PAHLKA, CODE FOR AMERICA: Most people have seen that really geeks have changed the world so much in the past 10 or 20 years, that they haven't changed government yet.

We get people to take a year off. It's geeks. It's also designers. It's product managers, people from the technical industries. We get them to work with people in city hall to solve problems in cities for a year.

GUPTA: She wants to fix local government one smartphone app at a time. It's Sunday on "THE NEXT LIST."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: It is half past the hour now. Let's take a look at the headlines. Police in middle Tennessee have a real mystery on their hands. They're urgently searching for two kids, a 9-year-old girl and her 7-year-old half brother. Those children were thought to have died in a house fire that killed their grandparents.

But investigators have found no sign of them. Here is the urgent part, that house fire happened last week and the kids are simply missing.

Rescue crews help stranded drivers in Texas after flooding covered parts of the state yesterday. Get this: the past three days brought more rain than Texas got all of last year when it suffered through one of its worst drought in history. Today storms moved east into parts of Louisiana and Mississippi, and are expected to continue on that path for the next 48 hours.

Well, actress Lindsay Lohan back in the news. The troubled starlet says she was allegedly attacked in a Manhattan hotel room early this morning. We've just learned that police have dropped assault and harassment charges against a 25-year-old man. A law enforcement source telling CNN Lohan knows the man.

He's a friend of a friend, and apparently he was snapping photos of Lohan with his cell phone. She grabbed the phone. They struggled. That's when Lohan says he tried to choke her. Police expect Lohan and the man will file harassment charges against one another.

Well, key decision makers from across Washington attended today's Annual Red Mass including six of the nine Supreme Court justices. The annual event aims to bring people together to pray for the members of the judiciary before the court begins hearing cases. It's called the Red Mass because of the color of the garments worn by clergy. Some people criticize the service because of the mix of religion and government.

Raging -- a fight raging on in Syria today where observers report heavy shelling from the Syrian army. A hundred and forty-three people were killed across the country with most of those deaths in Damascus and its surrounding suburbs. A local opposition group reports finding 30 bodies in a Damascus basement.

And a 72-year-old man jumps from the window of his burning apartment. And his neighbors, they caught him. Watch this video.

Ronnie Poe fell three stories. His only injury was a bruised heel. He says flames were blocking all the exit routes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RONNIE POE, JUMPED FROM APARTMENT WINDOW TO ESCAPE FIRE: I held my army out right here and waited and waited. I couldn't hold on no more.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I held him. You know, I held him. I said, are you all right, are you OK? He said, yes, I'm good.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Now fire destroyed his kitchen. Poe says he's not afraid of heights because the army trained him as a paratrooper. Who knew it would come in handy?

Now to the big stories in the week ahead. From the White House to Wall Street, our correspondents tell you what you need to know. We begin tonight with the presidential debate on Wednesday.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dan Lothian at the White House. A big week for President Obama as he faces his GOP opponent in the first presidential debate in Denver on Wednesday. A lot is riding on the performance of each candidate. And both campaigns are trying to lower expectations.

Now, following the debate, the president will spend the next two days campaigning in the important battleground state of Ohio. By the way, President Obama will prepare for the debates in Nevada where he'll also hold a campaign rally.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: I'm Paul Steinhauser on the campaign trail. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney flies to Colorado tomorrow. He holds a rally in the swing state tomorrow night before hunkering down for final preparations. Meanwhile, his wingman, running mate Paul Ryan campaigns at the beginning of the week in Iowa.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY CORRESPONDENT: I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. Well, all eyes will be on the economy this week. The big news for Wall Street comes on Friday with the September jobs report. Of course, that is key for the market, but it's also key in the race for the White House.

Also ahead, we'll get a look at September auto sales data as well as the latest look at construction spending. We'll see if those indicators show any continued signs of improvement like we've been seeing in the housing market. And the fed releases its minutes from its last meeting, shedding more light on the central bank's decision to try to further stimulate the U.S. economy. We'll track that and all the week's business news on CNNMoney.

A.J. HAMMER, HOST, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: I'm "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT's" A.J. Hammer. Here's what we are watching this week. Former "My Name is Earl Star" Jaime Presley is going to be joining me. We're going to find out what she's been up to lately.

And we've also got a big SHOWBIZ countdown this week of the best presidential impersonations ever. You've got to tune in and see if your favorites make the cut.

FEYERICK: All right. Thanks, guys.

Well, we've got some brand new pictures from Mars. They've got NASA scientists all excited. That rock you see there, well, that may be proof of rivers and streams on the red planet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: A discovery that NASA could only hope for. Evidence of fast flowing streams on the surface of Mars.

Denton Ebel is a planetary expert with the American Museum of Natural History, and he joins me live from New York.

Denton, we've heard about water on Mars. But people are really excited about this one. Why? Tell me.

DENTON EBEL, AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY: Well, before we've seen water from space, we've seen the evidence of large scale flows. But now we have proof on the surface. So our robot geologist is doing its job very well.

FEYERICK: What's amazing is that -- and what they're finding is that the water could have been almost hip deep. What does that suggest?

EBEL: Well, this would have been a rushing stream, coming out of a deep canyon in the wall of this big crater. It 100 mile crater that we're in. And the rim has this long canyon very -- about 30 meters deep. And an alluvial fan comes out of that spreading material from the top into the bottom of the crater. And that's where we're finding these rounded pebbles that indicate a strong stream was there.

FEYERICK: Which is really remarkable. I mean, and you look, that is a picture of Mars there. And then the more black and white one, that is a picture of earth. What does this suggest about our planet? Does it suggest that perhaps one day rivers and streams dry out or does there need to be a catastrophic event for that to happen?

EBEL: Well, that would be a very catastrophic event indeed. You know, the earth is so blessed with abundant water and, of course, that's part of the fact that it's habitable. Earth is a wonderful planet. This is news from another planet that has gone through different history, different set of geological events and perhaps, perhaps has harbored life. Will we see that with this rover? Maybe. But this is certainly showing we had a lot of water in this particular location.

FEYERICK: What's fascinating is that, you know, as you say, you know that there is water, but now you have sort of -- not boots on the ground, but a rover on the ground gathering all this information. If we could listen in to the private conversations going on now at NASA, what sort of exciting things are they -- what possibilities are they talking about?

EBEL: Well, one thing we'll do is we'll learn the composition of these pebbles because they are -- they represent a lot of different terrains potentially that fed this one area, and perhaps that tells us about the geological history. But the cement that's holding them together is even more interesting. Just perhaps it's carbonate cement. And that's a different kind of chemistry.

And we're going to see a lot more of this in days to come. And the rover is going to be active for at least two years. So there's a lot coming up.

FEYERICK: Learning about mars to shed a little bit of light on the earth.

All right, Denton Ebel, thank you so much. We really appreciate you joining us this evening.

EBEL: Thanks, Deb.

FEYERICK: Well, a Pakistani girl faced life in prison for allegedly burning the Quran. But police now say it turns out it's all a setup. So what happens?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: A Christian Pakistani girl accused of desecrating the Quran is set to be cleared of all charges. Tomorrow a juvenile court in Pakistan is expected to uphold the police investigation that found the 14-year-old was not only innocent, but was framed by a Muslim cleric in her hometown. The cleric now faces blasphemy charges of his own for tearing pages out of a Quran to use as evidence against the child.

Well, in Italy another court case is under way. Pope Benedict's ex- butler on trial for theft after he allegedly leaked hundreds of secret papers from the Pope's personal apartment to an Italian journalist.

CNN's Azadeh Ansari is joining me.

And this is pretty significant for the Vatican. They're known for secrecy. And so at least we're expected to learn a little bit of what's going on.

AZADEH ANSARI, CNN INTERNATIONAL DESK EDITOR: Well, we hope, Deb. That is the hope. Absolutely. And again, it's one of the most significant cases the Vatican City court has heard, not to mention a huge embarrassment for the Vatican.

I mean, Gabriel -- Gabriele who's on trial right now, Pablo Gabriele, is one of the most trusted advisers or was to the Pope. And he said he did this, he leaked these kind of personal papers of the pontiff, why? Because we wanted to expose the evil and corruption that was taking place perhaps in the Vatican itself or in churches everywhere. So he had a motive behind it. And he didn't fight it. He didn't -- he actually admitted to the fact that he did this, even though he hasn't entered a formal plea.

FEYERICK: Sure. But intent is one thing. Theft is another.

ANSARI: Correct. Correct.

FEYERICK: Which is what's going to be so fascinating. Now Saturday's initial session was held under very closely controlled circumstances. Only a handful of approved reporters were inside. So what are some of the juiciest details that came out?

ANSARI: But we're not surprised, right? So no cameras, no recording devices. And even the pens that the reporters walked in with were taken and replaced with Vatican issued pen because what if there was a recording device in one of the pens. You know, they really took every proactive measure to make sure that this was a very controlled -- that this is a very environment. And -- so on Tuesday we're actually going to expect to hear from Gabriele himself and also the computer technician who is believed to have assisted him in these efforts.

And so, you know, there -- this is -- this could actually all wrap up as soon as sometime next week.

FEYERICK: I never thought about the pen.

(LAUGHTER)

You have to remember that.

ANSARI: This new age.

FEYERICK: Don't you think -- so reporters are allowed in, reporters are allowed to report what it is they're learning. What are they -- what have they heard so far?

ANSARI: So far there have been 82 boxes of evidence that have been confiscated. And there's a three-judged panel that's presiding over this. So the Pope himself will not be a witness on the stand but he does have the authority to say, you know what, let's say they give Gabriele a sentence of up to 80 years, which is what he could potentially face, he could say, you know what, and he could -- he could step in at the last minute and weigh in on the entire case. But he doesn't have influence as the case is going on. You know, so it's the three judges that are presiding over it at this moment. So again, this really rocks the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. You know?

FEYERICK: Yes.

ANSARI: And that being said, I mean, it could potentially affect who will be the next Pope. So there's a lot of controversy, a lot of scandal going on.

FEYERICK: And you know what's so fascinating is that, OK, so they're looking at the theft clearly. But the intent, the fact that the butler was doing this because he said there's so much corruption that I want to get it out there. If I write a book, if I profit, it's secondary. But anything on the corruption side, though? Has it proven to be?

ANSARI: Well, not as of right now. And that's what's going to come out next week. And that's what's so exciting. Everyone is waiting to see what happens. Because he still hasn't come out and formerly spoken, you know, as a witness.

FEYERICK: Right.

ANSARI: And so that being said, I'm actually waiting to see what he's going to say, too.

FEYERICK: It's going to be riveting. Riveting.

ANSARI: Absolutely.

FEYERICK: All right. Azadeh Ansari, thank you so much.

ANSARI: Thank you.

FEYERICK: Always fascinating to hear from you. Thank you. Appreciate it.

Well, Tiger, Phil, Bubba, what happened? The U.S. chokes at the Ryder Cup. Our next guest says he's never seen anything worse.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: A huge upset from the world of sports within the last hour or so. Really hard to believe, in fact.

Let's talk about the Ryder Cup with Terrence Moore, sports contributor for CNN.com and a columnist at MLB.com.

Terrence, the United States team, Tiger Woods, the best players the U.S. had to offer, they squandered it. What happened?

TERRENCE MOORE, CNN.COM SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: They choked. This is one of the biggest chokes in the history of sports. You know, sports fans probably remember the '69 Cubs, more so the miracle Mets, but the Cubs choked that year. Then you had the '83 Phi Slamma Jamma right down the line.

Look, they had it right here. They're playing at home. They've got the crowd going crazy, a huge lead. And then today Jim Furyk disappears, Steve Stricker disappears late on 18th hole. God knows what he was doing there. This was not good.

FEYERICK: You know it was fascinating because we were -- we were talking about it down in the newsroom earlier. And people sort of kind of clenched up and they said oh my god, it's going to come down to Tiger, can Tiger he do it? And that would never have been the case.

MOORE: Well, you know, and actually Tiger was hitting pretty well today. So who -- if it would have come down to Tiger, I just have a feeling he probably would have done OK. But, you know, to be fair, Ian Poulter played out of his mind yesterday for the Europeans, birdying the last five holes. That set them up for the miracle from the European standpoint, the choke from our standpoint.

FEYERICK: OK. All right. So let -- OK, the European comeback -- actually, what we're showing right now is the winning putt. But it started yet.

I want to switch gears just a little bit. You can see it. I mean really.

MOORE: Yes.

FEYERICK: It was -- and it made the front page of every single paper because they were just so excited.

MOORE: Sure.

FEYERICK: There you can see the winning put. A quick look there. Wow.

MOORE: It's awful. You know, but this was going to --

(CROSSTALK)

FEYERICK: He knows it. Look at it.

MOORE: You know? And in the old days, the Europeans wanted this thing more than we did. OK?

FEYERICK: Right.

MOORE: But now we really, really want it, and that's why we really, really choked.

FEYERICK: All right. So let's switch gears a little bit, let's get over the heartbreak and get to a different topic.

So baseball great chipper Jones retiring after 19 years in the Major Leagues.

MOORE: Yes.

FEYERICK: So all with the Atlanta Braves, he's considered one of the best players. And I know you have a close relationship with him. Tell us about what happens -- what happens next.

MOORE: Well, I mean he's even greater than that. I'm a Hall of Fame voter for baseball. And he's going to get my vote. I mean as soon as I get that envelope, my check mark is going to go right next to his name.

Here's the thing about Chipper Jones. Chipper Jones is one of the three greatest switch hitters of all time, up there with Mickey Mantle and a guy named Eddie Murray. But here's what makes him even more interesting is his father, Chipper's father, Larry Senior, his favorite player of all time Mickey Mantle. So now his son has a chance of being greater that Mickey Mantle because he's the only one of those three switch hitters who had a lifetime batting average over .300.

FEYERICK: That's remarkable, you know, when your child becomes your really.

MOORE: Really --

FEYERICK: Or surpasses your hero to become your own hero.

MOORE: Because you know one thing, though, his father got this huge picture of Mickey Mantle in the den.

FEYERICK: Yes?

MOORE: And his father told Chipper, I'm not taking Mickey Mantle's picture down to put your picture in his place.

(LAUGHTER)

FEYERICK: OK. We can all understand that.

All right. The NFL, let's talk about that. So now that the refs are back, I guess we can assume that there will never, ever be another questionable call, right?

MOORE: You know what this means? Instead of fans biting off the heads of officials now when they make a bad call, they'll just go for the arm and the leg. OK? Because after the replacements, they see how good these guys are. And they are pretty good. We're seeing that. They've got standing ovations in these stadiums when they've showed up.

FEYERICK: Right. And you know, I think you have to appreciate that. Because always the Monday morning quarterbacking. But for these guys to get a little show of acknowledgment and respect, they deserve it.

All right. Well, listen, Terrence, thanks so much. We really appreciate your insights.

MOORE: Thank you.

FEYERICK: It's always interesting to talk to you. Thanks so much.

MOORE: Thank you.

FEYERICK: Well, the final day of the 39th Ryder Cup goes down to the wire between Europe and the U.S. team. We'll go to the Medina Country Club next hour for a full live report on either the heartbreak or not depending on who you were rooting for and find out whose late arrival almost got him disqualified.

And just 37 days until the presidential election. Gun control may be a critical issue for some voters. Coming up, we're also going to show you the candidates and the fact they may not be so far apart when it comes to the Second Amendment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: And as countdowns go, 37 days until the election, CNN is helping you understand where President Obama and Governor Romney stand on the big issues. Today we're going to tackle an issue that's important to many Americans. Gun control.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I believe in the Second Amendment. I believe in people's lawful right to bear arms.

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I will protect the Second Amendment rights of American people.

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 even tried doesn't placate the NRA, with continued unsubstantiated warnings that began back in 2008.

WAYNE LAPIERRE, NRA PRESIDENT: All that first-term lip service to gun owners 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 one's 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 band in Massachusetts. Now candidate Romney says he opposes any new laws.

ROMNEY: We need a president who 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 AK-47s belong in the hands of soldiers, not in the hands of criminals.

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 we should do everything we can 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. 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.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: And you can stay informed on all the issues and political news from the campaign trail. Log on to CNN.com/politics.