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Two Tennessee Children Still Missing; Candidates Prepare for Debates; Supreme Court To Face Tough Decisions in New Term; Team USA Chokes at Ryder Cup

Aired September 30, 2012 - 22:00   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBORAH FAYERICK, CNN HOST: Dead or alive? A family in panic. Did two young children die in the house fire or have they been abducted?

When you are running for president, every moment counts, and even Mitt Romney's running mate admits there have been a few bad moments lately.

L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Romney's been an absolute idiot the past two to three weeks.

ANA NAVARRO, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I think he is being humble.

FAYERICK: Two of our favorite political analysts on whether Romney can recover at this week's presidential debate.

And what happened? The U.S. team falls apart and the Europeans take the Ryder Cup back home.

And is there life out there? NASA says a river really did run through it. More evidence there may have been life on Mars.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FAYERICK: And good evening, everyone. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Deborah Feyerick, in for Don Lemon.

Let's get you up to speed on the day's headlines.

The presidential candidates are headed west. President Obama is in Nevada tonight holding a rally at Desert Pines high school. Let's take a moment and listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I will use the money we are no longer spending on war to do nation building here at home, rebuilding roads and bridges and putting Americans back to work and that's part of what makes America strong. That's what we're going to do.

So this is the choice we face in the election. This is what the election comes down to. And you are going to hear over the next two months -- I know you must be tired of hearing ads, but you are going to hear more over the next six weeks -- and over and over again, you are going to hear my opponents talking about how bigger tax cuts, fewer regulations and that's the way to go, and since government can't do anything, it should do almost nothing.

They basic theory is that if you can't afford health care, then hope you don't get sick. If you can't afford college, borrow money from your parents. You know what? That's not who we are. I don't think government can solve all of our problems, but government is not the source of all of our problems, either. There's some things we got to do together.

Now, we -- instead of going around blaming somebody, unions, or immigrants, or gays, or somebody for what is going on, what we need to do is pull together. We are all in this together. We believe that America only works when we all accept responsibility for ourselves and for our each other. That's how we create --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FAYERICK: And Mr. Obama will be on the road through Wednesday's first presidential debate.

Mitt Romney heads to Colorado tomorrow where he will hold a rally and continue his preparations for Wednesday's showdown in Denver. He went to church this morning outside Boston but held no public events over the weekend.

In Iraq, at least 30 people were killed today in a wave of bombings. Sudden explosions hit in or near Baghdad. It's the deadliest day in Iraq in nearly a month. Shiite Muslim communities appear to be the targets of the attacks.

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

And this is the center of a desperate search for two little children in middle Tennessee: a family home that burn down last weekend. Everyone believed a 9-year-old girl and her 7-year-old brother were among those killed, but their remains have not been found. Police now consider the kids not dead but missing. More on that story coming up moments away.

And, in Texas, stranded drivers had to be rescued after flooding drenched parts of the state yesterday. Get this: the past three days, yep, brought more rain than Texas got all of last year when it suffered through one of the worst droughts in history.

Today's storms moved east into parts of Louisiana and Mississippi. There are expected to continue on the path for the next 48 hours.

The Pope's former butler is on trial in a Vatican City courtroom that is off-limits to tourists. He is accused of stealing secret papers from Pope Benedict XVI and leaking them to an Italian journalist. The trial is in recess until Tuesday, but the court denied of motion to strike some of the evidence, including the gold nugget found in the butler's apartment.

A huge golf upset at the Ryder Cup. The Europeans rally for a dramatic comeback against the U.S. team to hold on to the trophy. German golfer, Martin Kaymer, sank the winning pot on the 18th hole to clinch the victory. The U.S. dominated days one and two of the competition but had no answer as the Europeans came roaring back on the final day of play. More from the Ryder Cup in just a few minutes.

In Los Angeles, crews working quickly to finish this bridge demolition over the 405 freeway. There were some scary moments when a portion of the Mulholland Bridge came down unexpectedly, narrowly missing a couploe of workers. It was fear the construction would cause massive traffic jams on one of the nation's busiest freeways, but no traffic snarls materialized. People stayed at home. The 405 is set to re- open at 5:00 a.m. local time tomorrow.

Well, voter registration fraud hits the Republican Party. There's word tonight that RNC officials have cut ties for the consulting firm it hired to register new voters. Board of Elections official say the firm turned in suspicious voter application forms.

CNN's David Mattingly has been investigating. And David, what are you learning?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We don't know how big or how small it's going to be, but we do know that election officials in Florida right now are looking at these forms that were filled out. This coming from a company called Strategic Allied Consulting. It was hired by the Republican party to do voter registration there which is something parties do in just about every election.

But what they were doing here, this company says one of their employees may have put fraudulent signatures on some of these forms. They don't know for sure, but they turned over these documents to the election officials there, and now they are going to be going through 106 of these applications. Officials say they may actually broaden that out in Palm Beach County which seems to be ground zero for this.

Officials saying they may look at 60,000 recently changed applications just to make sure this is not part of a bigger trend. So it may be one of something out of those 106, but they are going to look for more, and we are told the election supervisor in that county saying she doesn't believe it's a crisis but wants to be sure.

FAYERICK: You know, it's interesting, because we are talking about 106 registrations. But clearly, you have that. You only one person doing it and it taints really the entire process. It's is just why they are being so careful? And it is not just in Florida that this firm was doing voter registration, correct?

MATTINGLY: That's right. This firm was hired by the Republican party to work in a number of the battleground states, Florida, Colorado, North Carolina, Virginia, the RNC, the Republican National Committee says that we are severing ties with them. So, essentially, that company has been fired and we are waiting to hear from all of the states to find our if they are using them possibly on the state level.

FAYERICK: And it is interesting. You mentioned that these are all battleground states and that's exactly why voter registration in the area is so crucial.

MATTINGLY: And absolutely why they need to maintain the integrity of the process which is why they are reacting in the way they are.

FAYERICK: Absolutely. Dave Mattingly, thanks so much, as always. Appreciate the insights.

All right, well, the Supreme Court has a new docket with a new terms start tomorrow. We will look at the hot-button issues the justices are expected to tackle.

And this from the campaign trail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAYERICK: When you are running from president, every moment counts, and even Romney's running mate admits there have been bumps lately.

GRANDERSON: Romney's been an absolute idiot the past two to three weeks.

NAVARRO: I think he is being humble.

FAYERICK: Two of our favorite political analysts on whether Romney can recover at this week's presidential debate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FAYERICK: Mitt Romney's running mate Paul Ryan hit the Sunday talk shows today and acknowledged what he described as campaign missteps. I talked about the presidential races' final 37 days with to CNN contributor, L.Z. Granderson who is also a senior writer for ESPN and also, Ana Navarro, a Republican strategist. I asked Ana if Paul Ryan's remarks are part of the deliberate strategy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NAVARRO: I don't know if it's a smart strategy, but I know it's a realistic strategy. Obviously they are down in the polls and they have to do re-tweaking. I think he is being humble. I think he is being realistic. He's admitting there have been mistakes made. Mitt Romney has admitted that he didn't do the most articulate expression when he was speaking about the 47 percent. So, I think it's a good thing. They do need to eat a little humble pie and they need to admit that things are not all rosy.

FAYERICK: Peggy Noonan has said this is sort of a hinge. This is a turning point. It has the potential to alter the dynamic of the election.

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

GRANDERSON: Absolutely. I think the first debate is the only debate that really matters at this point. Because if Romney cannot hit President Obama with what he has to say in the first, who really wants to hear what he has to say in the second or in the third, right? I mean, he as to find a way.

And I want to just make sure that we are clear in one thing, these has not been gaffes by Mitt Romney. This is Mitt Romney. This is not the first time he talked about not necessary caring about people less fortunate than him. He quite now said that he was not very concerned about the very poor. So, this is not like a misstep, like one off. This is consistent theme with him and it's up to the voters to figure out whether or not they agree with him or not. They are not gaffes, they are him.

FAYERICK: 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 differential? Does he have to be aggressive? What is the right tone? Because when we saw him, you know, before when he was running for the nominee, he could be a little bit aggressive. Remember that point when he said to Rick Perry, I bet you 10,000 -- not going over in the presidential debates, I don't think, L.Z., right?

GRANDERSON: No, absolutely not. And the thing is that Mitt Romney really seemed to function well when he was coming from behind. So, if there is anything that could give them hope is that when he seems to be coming from someone else has momentum, he has to take that momentum. He seems perform much better as a frontrunner.

So, if he has hope going in, taking that the expectations are extremely low for him, if he is 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 is not winning or Romney is not winning is because Romney has been an absolute idiot the last two or three weeks. And so, if he can correct by being aggressive, perhaps he could bring the momentum back in his favor.

FAYERICK: We like to use the word missteps. But Ana, let me give you the final word. And that is --

GRANDERSON: Go ahead.

FAYERICK: President Obama is vulnerable. He has been called a wonderful orator. He is, you know, that he mesmerizes audiences when he speaks, but he is vulnerable. What does Romney have to - how does -- where does he have to strike him?

NAVARRO: Look, I think Romney needs to do what he did in the last two debates of the primary in Florida. He needs to come across as knowledgeable. He need 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 are going to see a very able and capable candidate.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FAYERICK: OK. Well, judges, lawyers, other Washington D.C. decision- makers, attended today's Red Mass, including six of the nine Supreme Court justices. The annual event aims to bring people together to pray for members of the judiciary before the court begins hearing cases. It named "Red Mass" because of the color of the garment worn by clergy. Some people criticize the service saying it mixes religion and government.

And the Supreme Court may attack hot-button issues like affirmative action and same-sex marriage when its new terms starts tomorrow. The justices went their separate ways for the summer after the court's controversial health care ruling in June.

Joe Johns takes a look at how the health care ruling may have affected the justices' relationships and the tough issues ahead for the court.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Fred, at the beginning of new session, the Supreme Court is going to be closely watched for signs of strain between the uses or anything else that suggests things may have changed since the health care ruling, which arguably was is biggest opinion by the court since Bush versus Gore more than a decade ago.

JOHNS (voice-over): Right after the Supreme Court's health care decision in June, Chief Justice John Roberts joked to colleagues that he would find an island fortress to escape the political heat. Here's how justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg describes the eventful spring.

RUTH BADER GINSBURG, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: The term has been more than usually taxing. Some have called the term of the century.

JOHNS: Now, three months later, the court is back and there are no signs of it cooling down.

THOMAS GODSTEIN, PUBLISHER, SCOTUSBLOG.COM: The justices are moving from the frying pan right into the fire. They are tackling some of the most difficult legal question of the day. Across the board, probably the biggest term in at least a decade.

JOHNS: Cases involving the contentious issues of affirmative action, same-sex marriage, voting rights and abortion are all likely to come up this term which kicks off Monday.

CARRIE SEVERINO, JUDICIAL CRISIS NETWORK: There's some very exciting cases already on the docket and amount more in the pipeline that may - that the court is going to be making a decision on soon.

JOHNS: Another set of big decisions will bring even more scrutiny on the Chief Justice. Rumors surfaced that the healthcare ruling be authored caused a personal rift with fellow conservative colleagues, including Justice Antonin Scalia, a claim Scalia denied to CNN's Piers Morgan.

ANTONIN SCALIA, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: No, I haven't had a falling out with Justice Roberts.

PIERS MORGAN, CNN HOST, "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT": Loud words exchanged?

SCALIA: No.

MORGAN: Slamming of doors?

SCALIA: No.

MORGAN: Nothing like that?

SCALIA: Nothing like that.

JOHNS: The other big question, will the Chief Justice take the Court in an aggressive new direction. Liberals fear a more hard line, dogmatic shift to the right.

ELIZABETH WYDRA, CONSTITUTIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY CENTER: A lot of progressives are concerned that this might mean that Chief Justice Roberts has built up some capital, some good will, and will now push the conservative agenda.

JOHNS: Tom Goldstein, who has argued before the Court, thinks Roberts wants a more conservative court, but that he will do it gradually.

GOLDSTEIN: He is not trying to move the law radically quickly. I think Justice Scalia or Justice Thomas really want to get to the end answer as quickly as possible and make the law conform to what they really understand, whereas the Chief Justice is more incrementalist.

JOHNS: But conservative court watcher, Carrie Severino, doesn't believe much will change any time soon.

SEVERINO: Certainly, this is not a crusading conservative court. Until we have a shift, I think in the membership of the court, it's impossible to call it a court that leans more to the left or to the right.

JOHNS: For the opinions that could be close, 5-4 decisions, attention will also be paid to Justice Anthony Kennedy, who's frequently the swing vote in some of the toughest cases.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FAYERICK: Joe Johns there for us in Washington.

A Tennessee house fire leaves two grandparents dead and there are no signs of two kids staying at the home. It has been a week and investigators are getting desperate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FAYERICK: Distraught parents and frustrated police officers, they found nothing today in a place where two small children were last seen in Tennessee. Now this is a small community of Unionville where police believed for days that a young brother and sister had died. Well, their remains have still not been found, prompting the search to go wider and become much more urgent.

Here is our national correspondent, Susan Candiotti.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Deborah, authorities in Tennessee spent yet another day looking for any sign of 9-year-old Chloe Leverette and her 7-year-old half brother, Gage Daniel.

On Sunday, they took a team of dogs to search the area around the house, and even looking in the woods to see whether they could pick up any leads as they search for these children.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): More than a week after shifting through ashes and debris, investigators have found no sign of 9-year-old Chloe Leverette and 7-year-old Gage Daniel. No sign the youngsters were there and so far no evidence they weren't 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's 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 seen playing in the neighborhood about three hours before the fires started last Sunday night.

Did somebody 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 it was not an intentional fire, but obviously there's more to it than that.

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

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

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI: Police have a number of leads but they are not discussing them. Of course, there are a lot of questions. For example, could the children have run into the woods when the fire started or did somebody kidnap them? The search continues on Monday. Deborah?

FAYERICK: Susan Candiotti, thanks. Well, the U.S. took a big lead into the final day of the Ryder Cup, but eventually it just all fell apart in the face of a European comeback.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FAYERICK: It's been called a historic win over the Americans, the European team rallying from behind to win the win golf's prestigious Ryder Cup. Even on home turf, America's best golfer just could not quite pull it off.

CNN's Shane O'Donoghue has more from Medinah Country Club.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHANE O'DONOGHUE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Everything points towards an American victory in this 39th edition of the Ryder Cup. They had home advantage. Their players were in inspirational form. And they had an insurmountable lead going into Sunday's 12 singles matches. 10-6 was the gap, but they came up against the European side clearly in inspired form as they bulldozed their way through Sunday's singles matches to eventually accumulate 8.5 points from a possible 12. The home side were left shell-shocked.

DAVIS LOVE III, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: Phil played great. As I said, Tiger played great. A lot of guys played great and just got beat by a guy that played a little bit better.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was definitely tough losing. Nobody wants to lose but they played better than we did today.

JIM FURYK, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: This compared to '99? That was fun. This was pretty miserable. You know, it was a hell of a lot of fun being on the other end. It wasn't very much fun today.

RORY MCILROY, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: We went out and tried to get points on the board early, get the lead, get on the board and we did that. So we sped through the rest of the team and -- can't believe it. It's just an unbelievable feeling.

O'DONOGHUE: Rory McIlroy nearly didn't make it to the first tee Sunday, mistaking Eastern Time for Central Time, and eventually hitching a ride in a police car no less and getting here with a precious seven minutes to spare. He then casually went out onto the course without hitting a practice ball and contributed a valuable point to the European effort.

Shane O'Donoghue, CNN. Chicago.

FAYERICK: Minutes to spare.

Well, men in zebra stripes seem to be the most popular guys on the planet today. The regular NFL refs back to work. Referee Ed Hochuli greeted like rock stars in Jacksonville, Florida, even posing from photos with fans and players. In Houston, a fan sign read "Welcome back, zebras." The end of the three-week lockout sent replacement refs packing, questionable calls and all. The refs are happy to be back after closing a deal on an eight-year contract that comes with a pay raise.

Well, just three days until two men who want to lead this country go head to head in their first debate. What can voters expect? That's up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FAYERICK: And it's just passed the half hour now and let's look at the headlines.

Countdown to Election Day. With just a little over five weeks to go, President Obama is out west holding a rally this hour at a Las Vegas high school. He will be on the road through Wednesday's first presidential debate.

Mitt Romney keeping a lower profile over the weekend. He was at the church this morning outside Boston. Tomorrow he heads to Colorado rallying a crowd and preparing for Wednesday's debate.

Key decision-makers attended the 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 hears cases, and it's called "Red Mass" because of the color of the garments of the clergy. Some people criticize the service because they say it is too much of the mix of religion and government.

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

It's the face-to-face showdown political watchers and voters have been waiting for. No TV ads, no campaign surrogates, just the president and his challenger one-on-one. So, what it at stake in this first debate Wednesday?

CNN's Athena Jones takes a look for us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Both the Obama and Romney campaigns are doing their best to lower expectations ahead of Wednesday's debate.

DAVID PLOUFFE, OBAMA CAMPAIGN'S SENIOR ADVISER: We have expected all along that governor Romney will have a good night. He's prepared more than any candidate in history.

REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: President Obama is a very gifted speaker. The man's been on the national stage for many years. He is an experienced debater. He has done these kinds of debates before. This is Mitt's first time on this kind of a stage.

JONES: Ryan's words echoed to memo from Romney adviser, Beth Myers, who said the president was widely regarded as one of the most talented political communicators in modern history. Myers even pointed to a CNBC poll showing a 25 point advantage for Obama on who voters take will win the debates.

The Obama camp likes to remind voters that the president hasn't had as much time to prepare for the debates because he's busy being commander in chief. When it comes to just how much debates matter, it depends.

ALEX CASTELLANOS, REPUBLICAN CONSULTANT: Most often debates don't make that big a difference. Very few candidates win an election with a debate, but quite a few have lost an election with a debate. So, it can matter.

JONES: These match-ups can produce some memorable line. Like 1980, between then governor Ronald Reagan and president Jimmy Carter. And Lloyd Bentsen's wipe at fellows some Dan Quail in 1988.

SEN. LLOYD BENTSEN (D), 1988 VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I served with Jack Kennedy, I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy.

JONES: And then there were the moments that seemed to say more. Like President George H. W. Bush looking at his watch in 1992 debate with Bill Clinton.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't.

JONES: Texas Governor Rick Perry's oops remark.

GOVERNOR RICK PERRY (R), TEXAS: Oops.

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Rick, I tell you what.

JONES: Romney's high dollar wager.

ROMNEY: A $10,000 bet?

JONES: And Obama's comment to then rival Hillary Clinton in 2006.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You are likable enough.

HILLARY CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Thank you so much.

JONES: One thing analysts agree on. The debates maybe Romney's big chance.

CELINDA LAKE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: He's got two very tough competing goals, be likable and lay out a contrast. It is hard to be likable when you are the attack dog.

CASTELLANOS: We have gotten to know Barack Obama pretty well. We have seen him as president for four years. There is not a lot room left on his canvas to paint. Mitt Romney, he has still got a little white space on his canvas; he can still show us who he is and where he would lead us.

JONES: The president spends the first part of the week in the battleground state of Nevada where he will be doing debate prep with Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, who is playing Mitt Romney.

Governor Romney will be in Colorado, another swing state where he will be practicing with Ohio Senator Rob Portman who is playing President Obama.

Athena Jones, CNN. Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FAYERICK: So, what will they say and what would the memorable moment feel President Obama and Mitt Romney will be face to face? As American voters will weigh their choice and the first of three presidential debates coming up this Wednesday night, and can you watch it with us live at 7:00 Eastern on CNN and CNN.com.

Of course we take politics very seriously here. There is also a funny side. And I talked with a comedian Ben Gleib about debate messaging.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAYERICK: Let's get right to it. Camps on both sides, seeming to manage expectations. Is that like trying to make sure that each side doesn't step in a land mind kind of thing? Good idea?

BEN GLEIB, COMEDIAN: Yes, exactly. They are trying to put out fires before they happen, which is not even how fire department's operate. But, it's pretty amazing however year they expect us to believe this person can take our nation and in a lot of ways a planet into a new day, t can lead us through the most difficult times when we are experiencing modern history.

Yet, also, we should believe they are not great in front of a camera. Don't expect too much though; they are also a little nervous in front of people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FAYERICK: Well, happy birthday to the compact disc. It turns 30. But can you guess the first CD released in the U.S.? No Googling. Here's a hint: some used to joke the singer had two first names. So Bruce Springsteen, he is out. But see if you've got it right, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FAYERICK: Well, you are listening to Billy Joel's "My Life," a much younger Billy Joel, and it's from "52nd Street", which was the very first commercial CD ever released. The compact disc turns 30 years old tomorrow and when the first CD player hit the market in 1982, it sold for $730, Today, the equivalent would be 17,000 bucks.

Well, notorious gangsters Bonnie and Clyde, shot dead 70 years ago, took center stage at an auction today. Nearly 100 of Bonnie and Clyde's possessions went on sale including pistols the duo were wearing when they were killed. Those two guns together, get this, sold for more than half a million dollars.

When it comes to gun control, those on the extremes of the debates go one of two ways. On one side, gun control is a threat to all law- abiding gun owners and their right to protect themselves. But on the other side, gun control is the only way to stem gun violence and potentially prevent tragedies like tis summer's Colorado movie theater massacre and Wisconsin temple shooting.

So where do the candidates stand? Well, when it comes to the Second Amendment, both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney say, yes, they support it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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

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

FAYERICK: 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 you handgun away.

FAYERICK: The fact that he has not even tried doesn't placate the NRA, with continued unsubstantiated warnings that began back in 2008.

WAYNE LAPIERRE, NRA PRESIDENT: All the 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.

FAYERICK: Romney, who has been actively cultivating the NRA, speaking at this year's convention. It is switch for once tough on guns governor.

Consider the Assault Weapons Ban. President Obama is a yes, but with an as 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 opposed any new laws.

ROMNEY: We need a president that will enforce current laws, and not create new ones that only serve a burden law for gun owners.

FAYERICK: After Aurora, Mr. Obama stressed the need for ban an assaulted 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.

FAYERICK: The reason Obama's yes has an asterisk is that, in four years, no new gun control law has 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 continued to pay lip service to those things but has not shown real leadership in pursuing those changes.

FAYERICK: 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 is going to keep people who are intent on doing harm from doing harm.

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

FAYERICK: So, while President Obama says he wants tougher gun laws, little was done during the 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)

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

So is there life out there? NASA says a river really did run through it. We are talking Mars and more evidence there may have been life on the red planet.

And we want viewers to stay connected to CNN even on the go, so grab your mobile phone, go to CNN.com/TV. If you're on a desktop or laptop, you can also watch CNN live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FAYERICK: Well, NASA believes it has found evidence that there was once some fast fallen rivers mars. Signs that is already new. There once water there but this is something altogether knew. And earlier I spoke with Denton Ebel, an expert on planets, about what this could mean for our own rivers here on Earth.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) FAYERICK: 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 suggests that perhaps one day rivers and streams dry out or does there need to be a catastrophic event for that to happen?

DENTON EBEL, PLANETARY SCIENCES, AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATIONAL LIBRARY: Well, that would be very catastrophic indeed. You know, the earth is so blessed with abundant water, and of course that's part of the - the fact that it is inhabitable or it is a wonderful planet. This is news from another planet that had gone through different history, different set of geological events and perhaps 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.

FAYERICK: What's fascinating is that, you know, as you say, you know, that there was water but now you have 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 will do we will learn the composition of the pebbles because 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. Perhaps, just perhaps, it's carbonate cement, and that's a different kind of chemistry, and we will see more a lot more of this in days to come and rover will be active for at least two years, and there's a lot coming up.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FAYERICK: Denton Ebel out of New York.

Well, no one wanted to invest in a Latino man's dream of opening up a restaurant in his neighborhood. Boy, did he show them wrong.

Ed Lavandera talks with the chef who's stopped at nothing to open his high-end restaurant.

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ED LAVANDERA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Raul Reyes is unlike any chef and restaurant owner you have met.

RAUL REYES, RESTAURANT OWNER: But this is, you know, something that come from my heart.

LAVANDERA: He is talking about construction, because he just doesn't build authentic Mexican seafood dinners. He built this restaurant with his own hands.

When Raul Reyes courted investors to help him start Mesa Restaurant on Jefferson Boulevard in the heart of a predominantly Latino neighborhood in South Dallas, he says he was told, "Sorry, can't help."

REYES: They said you are amazing chef, you are amazing -- you create amazing dishes and your food is fantastic, but I don't think so.

LAVANDERA: With that rejection in hand and $26,000 in savings, Reyes got to work.

Raul, everything in the restaurant you found dumpster diving, in trash bins?

REYES: Yes.

LAVANDERA: Most everything in here is other people's trash?

REYES: Yes.

LAVANDERA: So these are crate pallets that were just thrown away?

REYES: Yes. I spent like $80 on this bar.

LAVANDERA: The bar costs you $80?

REYES: Yes.

LAVANDERA: So you are a little bit of an artist, too?

REYES: Thank you, my friend. A little bit.

LAVANDERA: In the last year, Reyes, his family, and a few friends created the most unlikely sensation, with trendy urban decor, "Dallas Magazine" called it the Restaurant of the Year and now he's expanding.

How many more tables are you going to put here?

REYES: At least 30 tables.

LAVANDERA: This carpenter by day, chef by night, is adding more space and he's still scrounging from materials.

All of this was leftover wood from a guy that builds fences.

REYES: Yes. And the metal -- this is crane metal to him.

LAVANDERA: Juan Tornoe is Chief Marketing Officer for a firm in Austin, Texas called Cultural Strategies. He says many Latino-owned startup businesses struggle for access to investment capital.

People just kind see like a cultural barrier?

JULIAN TORNOE, CULTURAL STRATEGIST: Definitely every city and I would say in the world has that divide. And sometimes it's easier to start a business if you are in the right part of town. That is one of many barriers that you will encounter and you figure out a way just to hop over it.

LAVANDERA: When night falls on Jefferson Boulevard, Raul Reyes puts down the hammer and works the Mesa kitchen.

Do you feel like Superman? This morning you were wearing a tool belt, now you are wearing a chef's jacket.

REYES: Kind of.

LAVANDERA: Reyes's dreams of opening more restaurants, bottling his family-inspired mole sauce and selling it in grocery stores, and he smiles when he thinks back to those investors that said gringos wouldn't come eat in his part of town.

REYES: This restaurant is filled up with gringos every night.

LAVANDERA: ED Lavandera, CNN. Dallas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FAYERICK: Well, be sure to watch when CNN presents "Latino in America: Courting Their Vote." It airs next Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN.

From the White House to Wall Street, our correspondents have what you can expect for the week ahead. 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 Wednesday 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 will 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, CNN MONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT: I am Poppy Harlow in New York.

Well, all eyes will be on the economy this week. The big news from Wall Street come on Friday with the September jobs report, of course, that is key for the market. That is also key in the race for the White House.

Also ahead, we will get a look at September auto sales data as well as the latest look at construction spending. We will see if those indicators show any signs of continued signs of improvement like we have been seeing in the housing market.

And the Fed releases minutes from its last meeting, shedding more light on the central bank's decision to try to further stimulate the U.S. economy.

We will track that and all the week's business news on CNN Money.

A.J. HAMMER, HLN HOST, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: I'm "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT'S" A.J. Hammer. Here's what we were are watching this week.

Former "My Name Is Earl" star, Jaime Pressly is going to be joining me. Going to find out what she has been up to lately. And we 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.

FAYERICK: Thanks, guys.

Well, some high school students thought they were pretty funny nominating a girl to the homecoming court as a joke, but well, she got the last laugh.

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FAYERICK: A young girl nominated for the homecoming court as a prank, she could have let it go, but instead she embraced it.

Here is CNN's Chris Welch.

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CHRIS WELCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT : A superstar practically overnight. 16-year-old Whitney Kropp is a role model to anyone who's ever been bullied.

CROWD: We love you, Whitney!

WELCH: But this sophomore's journey to stardom was no fairy tale. When her peers picked her for the homecoming court as a joke, she had thoughts of suicide.

WHITNEY KROPP, ON HOMECOMING COURT: I'm like, wow, I feel like trash. I feel like I'm a little thing that no one really cares about.

WELCH: At her sister's urges, she decided to keep her title on the court.

If I were in your position, that would be really hard to do.

W. KROPP: It's really hard to do right now because, at first, I had thought about dropping out of the homecoming court but I'm not this joke that everyone thinks I am. Ican just prove all these kids wrong.

WELCH: Well, that is exactly what she did. Since then, she's been swamped with support, from the local hair salon that gave her a new 'do. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To find out it was a joke, it just - it really touched me.

WELCH: -- to the Facebook page with over 100,000 fans.

BERNICE KROPP, WHITNEY'S MOM: It's so cool to see e-mails that she's -- we're getting or she's getting from parents and other students from all over the place telling their stories and how it helped them and it touched them. And, you know, my daughter's out there as an inspiration to a lot of people and that's a really cool thing.

"See, you're like Cinderella, mistreated, unappreciated, abused. After much support, you're going to have a great time at the ball."

W. KROPP: You know, I thought before, no one cares about me. I thought, you know, not even my own brother and sister care. But they're proving they do care. The world is proving that they -- not really care about me but they care about the situation.

WELCH: Folks from all over the state are here tonight. In fact, this group of girls traveled more than an hour away -- you left your home football game to come here to support Whitney. Why?

DONNA GEORGIEFF, SUPPORTS WHITNEY KROPP: We want to show Whitney our entire student body is completely and 100 percent behind her.

WELCH: From being bullied to the bully pulpit. She's using her new found fame to send a message.

W. KROPP: The kids bullying you, do not let them bring you down. Stand up for what you believe in and go with your heart and go with your gut. That's what I did and look at me now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FAYERICK: Good for her. Good for her.

That's CNN Chris Welch reporting.

Well, I'm Deborah Feyerick at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. Have good night and a great week everyone. Don Lemon is back next weekend