criticisms, how we can do it better every time and better every week on our shows. thank you as always for joining the conversation this week on "your money," we're here every saturday at 1:00 p.m. eastern and sundays at 3:00 p.m. eastern. you can stay connecte connected @alivelshi, have a great weekend. you're in the "cnn newsroom" where the news unfolds live this saturday, november 12th. i'm fredericka whitfield. after several days of defending himself, republican presidential candidate herman cain is trying to regain momentum. at a brief campaign stop in his home state of georgia today, cain declared he's in the race to win it and he took a shot at president obama. >> before president obama took

office, i never even conceived a thought of running for president. it was only after when he took office and i saw his arrogant disregard for the american people that i knew i had to do what i could do. arrogant disregard of the people that's made our military weaker. our economy weaker, and our respect in the world less. >> cain will be in south carolina tonight for a gop debate. the obama administration has turned over some e-mails to a house committee investigating the solyndra collapse. they did not give the panel everything it requested saying the subpoena was "overbroad and overreaching." the committee is investigating the decision to provide $535 million in loan guarantees to solyndra.

and right now in hawaii, president barack obama, he's hosting leaders from the asia-pacific region, talking about the economic potential in that region. cnn's dan lothian is there. and you will be hearing from him later on. the president, meantime, will be heading to australia and indonesia next week. safe at home. major league baseball player wilson ramos has been found healthy and unharmed in venezuela. on wednesday, kidnappers snatched the washington nationals catcher. ramos says he appreciates those who rescued him. >> translator: i am very happy for the rescue operation they carried out. very thankful to the government and the national army. i didn't expect them. where they were holding me captive was a very remote place, basically a jungle. and i was praying to god to bring me home safely to my family. and look at these guys, they risked their lives to save mine and i'm thankful. >> ramos was found in a jungle

area 30 or 40 miles from his family's home. the country's justice minister says an arrest warrant is being issued for the alleged master mind, a colombian man. and we're closely monitoring the penn state/nebraska football game today. it is underway now and it comes after a volatile week at penn state. first a child sex abuse scandal erupts with former assistant coach jerry sandusky, and a few days ago, they fire joe paterno for not going further in reporting what he knew about the allegations. paterno's firing sparked a lot of riots, as well, this week. security at today's game is tight and police have been monitoring students' facebook pages and twitter accounts. and consider this, penn state got a warning this week from the credit ratings agency moody's. the school's credit worthiness could be downgraded as a result of all that's transpired in the last week.

at the very least, cnn's athena jones is at the game, in the parking lot there where a lot of fans have been gathering. and athena, you've had a chance to talk to a number of the die hard fans in the game and those out on campus. what have they been saying to you? >> reporter: well, it's been really interesting, fredericka, because as use described, it's been far from a typical week for penn state at penn state. and it looked like a typical college football tailgating party as people streamed in, set up to do their cooking and do their drinking. we talked to a lot of fans, and there were a lot of mixed feelings. you had people with these shirts on that said the legend. they had joe paterno's years of service on, signs that say penn state spirit is about more than football. you also have people who have really criticized us in the media saying we've blown things out of proportion, that we kind of caused the school to act earlier than they should have when it came to joe paterno. it's been a real mix of

emotions. let's listen to what one penn state alumni had to tell me in the parking lot. >> one of the things that gets lost in this is nobody -- no sane person thinks that the victims are not the children -- the boys. nobody is saying that. but joe paterno is family. i mean, i've only met him a couple of times, but he's family. and what would you do if someone was attacking family? >> reporter: and that's what we've been seeing. we've seen a lot of people saying the focus should be on the children, not on joe paterno or any of the other coaches. and you have had a lot of people here wearing the penn state gear, the dark blue gear saying penn state. also, people in the same colors wearing shirts that say "stop child abuse." i should also mention that before the game someone had hired one of those little planes to fly around the stadium streaming a big banner, a big, long banner that said, joe is so dirty he needs a shower.

you can tell there's a lot of mixed feelings here. we just started the third quarter of the game. penn state's behind right now. people are trying to come out and celebrate football and they know they're still dealing with this big cloud that's hanging over the school. fredericka? >> and so, there haven't been any security problems, correct? we know they have heightened security, measures in place, anticipating there might be some problems. but how has it all unfolded today? >> reporter: so far so good right now. earlier, we saw there certainly isn't a police presence down there where there are a number of officers on foot. there were at least half a dozen officers on horseback that we saw riding around down there amongst the crowd. we know that at one point there was a bomb threat for the stadium, but they brought in bomb-sniffing dogs and they didn't find anything and they've done another sweep. and that turned out to be nothing. and so far, so good. we'll have to see how the rest of the game plays out and the time after the game, fredericka. >> and we know a lot of people have been camped outside of

paterno's home. meantime, the interim coach tom bradley said he wouldn't be surprised if paterno were to show up at the game. any signs of him? >> reporter: not so far. i haven't seen any indication or any reports of that. but we certainly haven't seen it. i wouldn't -- i'm not willing to guess whether he would or would not. i would imagine it would be a bit of a distraction if he did. >> keep us posted, thanks so much. so what happens now that paterno has been fired and a new college president put into place? how does penn state put all of this behind it? and next hour i'll be putting that question to dan wetzel, the national columnist for yahoo sports. and major news from overseas today, the arab league is showing syria the door. full details from ben wedeman in cairo next. i'd race down that hill without a helmet.

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part of a plot. >> translator: regrettably, the arab league is transformed. against a founder of the arab league. >> now we're getting reports that in damascus there have been demonstrations against the arab

league in support of the regime of bashir. but we're also seeing videos of opponents in syria celebrating the arab league's decision. fredericka? >> so, ben, there were apparently warnings, you know, prior to this that the arab league had given warnings to syria, they need to stop what they were doing or there would be this kind of crackdown or face sanctions. so what has been syria's reaction to this. >> reporter: well, syria as i said actually signed on to this plan, but it appears it did very little to implement it. we spoke with the secretary general of the arab league the other day, he said that syrians had informed him that they released 553 prisoners, but apparently that's just a drop in the bucket when it comes to the total number of people arrested. and another problem is the arab league is part of this agreement that's supposed to be allowed to send monitors to syria to see if

the agreement was implemented and they never got the green light to go. also in that agreement, they were supposed to allow the arab and international media into syria. and as you can see, i'm reported from cairo. >> we noticed that. and so let's talk about the white house now has reacted, president obama, says this in this white house statement. the united states joined with the arab league in its support for the syrian people who continue to demand their universal rights in the face of the regime's callus violence. now, what would syria have to do, ben, to get back in to the arab league? >> reporter: well, they've actually still got four days to change all of this. what it would have to do is stop the violence, release prisoners, take syrian forces off the street and agree to a dialogue with the opposition. and it's clear that even though they agreed on paper, they

certainly not willing to do it on the ground. >> all right, ben wedeman, thanks so much there from cairo. other international news headlines now. these could be silvio berlusc i berlusconi's last few hours in office. he promised to resign as soon as parliament passed an austerity package granted by the rest of europe. and we're watching rome closely for a potential announcement now. and a man hijacked a sea ferry last night off the coast of turkey taking the captain hostage. officials say the manmade just one demand, that the hijacking be shown on live television. turkish commandos boarded the ferry and killed the man. and according to the media, more than two dozen people are dead after an explosion there on a military base. officials say a munitions depot caught fire at a base near tehran. all right. you're seeing the advertisements and the circulars, holiday shopping is right around the

corner. so how much will the average american spend this year? find out when we come right back. [ artis brown ] america is facing some tough challenges right now. two of the most important are energy security and economic growth. north america actually has one of the largest oil reserves in the world.

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we know you're starting to save your money or set some aside for the holiday gift shopping. how much will the average american spend on holiday spending? $704 according to the national retail association. gear up for black friday right around the corner and all the

other sales and promotions coming your way. it's the mailman! >> okay. maybe don't lose your mind like that. sinbad playing the mailman who found the one item everyone else wanted in the movie "jingle all the way." so we want you to keep your marbles when you shop this holiday season. it is the number one issue in american homes. getting your financial house in order today in our weekly financial fix holiday gift buying. black friday kicks off the shopping season the day after thanksgiving. the author of "it's just money" is joining us. karen, last time you were here, we talked about, you know, making a list, checking it twice, and planning before you go out shopping. and you say that really is universal all yearlong. >> of course it is. >> same applies here in a big way. >> right. and we talked about two different kind of shoppers. you've got the planners, let's

talk about the procrastinators. they're so much to watch -- >> you spend too much money -- >> well a lot of them rationalize that the closer they wait till the holiday that the more the prices come down. the truth is, the supplies are gone and you've put very little thought into what you're spending and, yes, you'll tend to overspend. >> and yeah, so all the good sale items are gone. >> generally. >> how do you need to go in to approach this holiday season? there's a lot of pressure. >> there is. >> to buy, buy, buy. >> you really can't be upset with anybody for wanting to take advantage of these great advertisements. >> but we need to be cautious. >> okay. >> first about the planners who have their lists. >> uh-huh. >> go back to the list and really look at it. do you have to buy something for everyone on that list? maybe just something smaller, small token. and with families, i'm seeing a lot of families now especially with the great families having discussions about should we buy for everyone? i see them saying let's just buy

for children, maybe the adults our age maybe just pick a name. and so i think that doing something like that is a good start, but let's not go into debt or more into debt over holiday shopping. >> you know, a lot of people do that. they kind of make a condition, though, they go into the holiday, i'm going to be very frugal and responsible throughout the year, but for the holiday season, i'm going to do a major blowout. >> it's not worth it. and the second thing we want to talk about is quantity versus quality. i think it has little to do with the way you were raised and if you're used to coming out maybe christmas morning and there's huge pile. >> huge pile of gifts. >> there could be. i know lots of families with the huge pile of gifts. one thing we've learned from the great recession, less is more. and maybe look for something that is really wanted, but resist the temptation just to buy and how about just buying because it's a deal. is it a deal or is it something somebody really needs? >> so when you see these great

circulars, the television ad, et cetera, and they tell you black friday or you need to get in here because you're never going to see this kind of deal again as the holiday progresses. how do you treat that? >> i think the main thing i want to tell your viewers is be cautious of retailers. they're brilliant marketers, they use our psychology so it lures us into the store with a limited supply of these items, and once we're in there, what are we going to do? not buy more? of course we are. so be very, very conscious as you're shopping. you have your list and you have your budget. hopefully you can maybe grab that one item on sale, but if you miss it, that's okay too. right? >> and you want to stick to that list. that's the temptation, though. you've got some other things being advertised or especially when you first walk into a store and all of this stuff is in front. >> right. >> addition tract you. >> right. right. >> the final question, the final thing i want to talk about is what do you do if you get in that store and they don't have what you want? or you can't -- >> you've got to improvise. >> first of all, have backup

ideas for other -- if you've got your list with an idea with each person, have backup gift ideas. be prepared to walk out the door if they don't have what you want. if the salesperson is pressuring you, walk out. there are plenty more days to hit the stores. >> so it sounds like, though, to be this kind of calm and calculated about your shopping -- >> yes. >> the recommendation is you do need to start early. you will panic at the end. i've seen it. i've seen it. >> oh -- >> serious. >> and i've done it myself. i've done the panic. >> i've done that before which is why i will not do that anymore. >> and i know people that -- my mom and sister will shop all yearlong looking for items. >> i do that. >> do you? >> i see things and i -- >> i definitely agree. don't wait until the last minute. and don't feel pressure that black friday's your one day. there's going to be sales all the way up to the season. >> okay. good. i like the whole family pact ideas.

come up with a secret santa, you know, or make a decision say, hey, we're only going to do for the little people in the family -- >> the little ones. >> the big people, they don't need anymore. >> that's great. >> all right, karen lee, thanks so much. >> you bet. >> and karen's pretty easy to find, i know you've got great inquiries on how to manage money better. get more information by reading karen's new book "it's just money, so why does it cause so many problems?" all right. for women with seasonal allergies, fall can be a season of misery. here with this week's health for her, elizabeth cohen. >> hi, how are you? >> reporter: lavell is not a big fan of this season. >> fall is the absolute worst. the absolute worst. i have a runny nose, burning, post nasal drip with the scratchiness and the hoarseness

in my voice. >> reporter: while millions of americans suffer from seasonal allergie allergies, each person may experience them differently. itchy eyes, stuffy nose, sore throat, cough and fatigue. the doctor says the allergies in the autumn are attributable to one main culprit. >> ragweed blooming. and that's the problem with fall allergies. >> reporter: because you're an adult without allergies doesn't mean you're in the clear. >> if you've never had allergies before, it's still possible you could develop them. it's more common among people with a family history of allergies. >> reporter: while nasal sprays and products may be effective for some, others may need to go on allergy shots or require a combination of therapies. and it's working to give her much-needed relief. with this week's health for her, i'm elizabeth cohen. a look at our top stories now. a bomb scare at the penn state university football stadium is the latest development in this sex abuse scandal. a search turned up nothing

in today's football game against nebraska is underway. the campus is in turmoil after child sex allegations against former assistant coach and a firing of head coach joe paterno for allegedly not doing enough to report the allegations. kidnapped washington nationals catcher wilson ramos says he's thankful for his rescue. venezuelan security forces rescued ramos in a remote area two days after he was abducted in venezuela. he was kidnapped from his mother's house. he was not hurt in the ordeal. the arab league has suspended syria citing the government's violence against its own people. it also called for sanctions against syria's president but didn't elaborate. and this youtube video is said to show the aftermath of shelling and homes, the center of the syrian uprising. an opposition group says five

civilians were killed just today, four of them in homes. it's happening on college campuses across the united states, female students being recruited to donate their eggs for cash. one activist says it's putting these young women at risk. find out why her documentary exploitation has reproductive specialists up in arms. it is in the next hour of the "cnn newsroom." i'm fredericka whitfield. now stay tuned for a cnn special "veterans in focus."

welcome to the washington navy yard. a place filled with so many memories. this is veterans in focus. and i'm tom foreman. and this program is really all about memories, memories of more than 23 million veterans who have served all around the globe as captured by the fine photo journalists here at cnn. and we begin with a tale from bob crowley about some men who most wanted to be unnoticed during their time in service.

>> it's not a natural thing to submerge your ship in water. >> the mission of the submarine is not to give itself away, to remain undetected. we didn't want to make any kind of noise that a fish didn't make. >> all of the submariners, when they go to sea, that they're in harm's way. >> basically patrol for 60 days at a clip, submerged all the time. >> i had to learn my job well so i could keep my ship meamates a and healthy. >> it didn't matter whether they were seamen or a captain. >> you were on the first nuclear powered submarine.

i was onboard for four years from 1957 to 1961. when i was onboard, i was a sonar supervisor. a couple of pieces of equipment there were the same ones i operated. i think the political climate at the time was one of tension between us and the ussr. we could be in a harbor and nobody would know we were there. we could be along the coast and nobody would know we were there. >> our adversaries knew that we were out there and they couldn't find us. that's what the cold war was about. >> we just hope that every time we went to battle stations that it was a drill. because we all knew if it was not a drill, home would be in pieces. >> i think we're probably a unique bunch of guys who think that we're better than everybody else. >> special, special fraternity.

>> and it's so different than any other service. >> military service can be full of uncertainty and so can life after the military for some veterans. they fall on homelessness or hard times or even get into serious trouble with the law up to and including murder. in a prison north of d.c., however, we found that that doesn't necessarily break their bond with each other. indeed, there are prisoners there who are relying on each other for the strength to do the right thing and do their time. and they're recording their stories on video for the library on congress. that's where tony caught up with them. >> i was enlisted into the army, but decided to go into the marines. >> 1972 to 1976, hm3ss. >> i was in the united states army, i went to vietnam.

>> my specialty was planting and removal of explosive devices. i did my entire tour in europe, enjoyed the military, willing to serve my country again. >> i've been 18 years. my family and i discussed that i needed some more structure or a little bit more discipline in my life. and they felt that the military would be the best thing for me. so i enlisted. >> they served this country, they put themselves in harm's way. they got out of the service. some honorably, some dishonorably, but they got out of the service and they committed a crime against the state of maryland in this case. and i think people -- it would be good if people remember these -- even though they committed a crime against the

state of maryland, they did serve this country and they did put themselves in harm's way for us. >> the veterans here in this group here, they have a shine about themselves. they have a pride about themselves. the way they do things, the way they conduct themselves. they try to conduct themselves with the staff in a very, very respectful way. and when you give respect, you get respect. if possible, i would like for us once we're released to keep the same bond. i want for us to get outside of here and form some sort of a group and reestablish ourselves in the communities. >> drink hard, eat hearty. >> in a moment, one vet's long, slow, and steady quest to help his brothers in arms. and later --

singing a different tune, a song for better days. when veterans in focus continues. mine was earned over the south pacific in 1943. vietnam, 1967. i got mine in iraq, 2003. u.s.a.a. auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation, because it offers a superior level of protection and because u.s.a.a.'s commitment to serve the military, veterans, and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto insurance quote. u.s.a.a. we know what it means to serve.

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many veterans spend many years feeling not only indebted to but also responsible for those with whom they served. few, however, show as much dedication about it as one 93-year-old man that photo journalist derek davis found in a v.a. hospital near chicago. >> i feel like i'm -- this is still my squad. my guys in the front line. they wait for me like, i don't know, like i'm their first sergeant. they depend on me. they can't move, so i have to move for them. >> there you go. here comes the food. >> i think everybody knows pete. they've seen him around.

it's over 24,000 hours he's logged here in the 26 years that he's been a volunteer. he is a hero because -- because of the time that he gives. and, again, at his age, at 95. >> well, i was with the infantry, we did everything. out in the field sometimes you can help so much and that's it. when a comrade would fall, you'd try to give him as much help as you could. but then some time you just have to carry on, you couldn't leave it there. i was able to help him. and they came by, before you know it, 30 years went by and i'm still there. >> we take care of each other. pete, pete is one of a kind. >> you look beautiful there, fella. >> some of the american people here, they forgot about -- they don't really realize what their freedom is. you know, they got this freedom and they take it for granted

that it's here. they don't realize how they got it. you know, the price of freedom is in these patients. you know, that's where the freedom came from. >> he's a jolly old soul. let's put it that way. >> you come home and once you leave out there you say to yourself, boy, you feel like you're the richest person in the world. and you can walk out of there. and you look back and you see -- you think of all of these guys that are still there and can't go any place. i see them and i say that could have been me. you going to go to your room? you want me to take you there? the war hasn't ended because they're not the same as they were. they need me here. i've got to help them out. that's what keeps me going. i could say that america, i gave my best to you, at least i tried as best i could do. >> this is --

coming up -- keeping calm under fire, keeping troops alive on death's doorstep. the tale of an army nurse. and back to work and play, stay with us. [ courier ] the amazing story of whether bovine heart tissue

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when a soldier or sailor is wounded, there can often be no more reassuring sight than the arrival of a medical team. in vietnam, where this ship saw so much service, that often meant brave young men and women willing to risk their lives to save others. photo journalist gabe ramirez introduces us to one near los angeles. >> i was in the army nurse

corps. and i was with the 91st evacuation hospital. i had had a lot of civilian experience and education in nursing. and i had decided it was time to do something different in a different place. about that time was when there was a lot of recruiting going on because of a big build-up in vietnam, and so i thought why not? when the plane door opened, when we got to the airport near saigon, it was like being hit in the face with a wet, hot blanket. and that was my first impression of vietnam. we were near a town on the coast of the south china sea. and the first contingent of nurses arrived there in early march 1967. we had a lot of patience with

malaria, fever, and other problems and patients coming in who were wounded. what i do remember -- all of the medical patients had been evacuated to empty the ward beds for the incoming wounded. and after that, it just went on and on and on and on. and everybody just worked constantly, constantly, constantly as the flow came through. and the wounds were of all kinds. head wounds, extremity wounds, body wounds, everything. we had patients who got care just to keep them comfortable because there was no hope for them. i stopped trying to feel badly about it all because i don't think i could've dealt with that. so i just accepted it as part of what i had to accept.

i think nurses at one time were thought of, well, they're not really in the military, they're not in combat. but you look at the situations, we were just as subject to incoming rounds as anybody else. we were just as subject to small arms fire as anybody else. i was always constantly surprised at how beautifully they performed, how well they performed. they never -- they never let me or the patients down. never. >> all of us have experienced the way that music can change your mood. but for some veterans, dealing with depression or the trauma after battle, it can sometimes be much more powerful. that has fueled a national movement called guitars for vets, to put instruments into the hands and songs into the heart of folks who need them the most. photo journalist john benna and amanda sansone went to richmond, virginia, for that story.

>> i've been playing guitar since i was in the seventh grade. i just love doing it. it's a freedom when i play guitar. i could take every emotion i had, whether it was mad, glad, or whatever, i could put it out in a song. my name is mike. i'm one of the instructors with guitars for vets. >> i was in missouri. >> i went to the first gulf war in '91 and the second one in '03. >> home based out of norfolk, virginia. >> it's more informal. i'm not a strict teacher and i'm not cracking rulers on people. we hang out and we talk. >> when i feel like i'm about to slip away and get depressed and fall into that, oh, i don't feel like doing anything. i look across the room, pick up the guitar, pull out some of the sheet music and the tabs and start playing and i get lost in it. >> it soothes me. makes it feel comfortable. i'm away from everybody.

>> one of my guys told me, he says i don't get out of bed because i'm depressed. he says now that he's playing guitar, i have an excuse to get up now and gives me something to do in my idle time. >> i just can't stop, once you pick it up, i can't put it down. >> i like rock. >> country, bluegrass. >> you know, it's more than just guitar lessons, and that's the vehicle. it's about human interaction, it's about trust. goal-setting, accomplishment. >> it's not as easy as it looks. getting your fingers in the right position, stretching your fingers for the chords. that's the hardest part for me. >> once they've completed the chords, they've got guitars and tuners donated to them. >> it's fun, i'm learning

something new, and we should all be students in some, shape, form, or fashion. >> this is just another steppingstone for me, something to better myself in and hopefully carry back to my community. >> it's just a great feeling. to know that you're doing something to get back, and people who have done so much and given so much. nobody can take the music away. they'll always have that. >> that was a great pass, a great one -- >> take that! take that! >> when we return, a new field of battle where courage is still key. mine was earned over the south pacific in 1943. vietnam, 1967. i got mine in iraq, 2003. u.s.a.a. auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation, because it offers a superior level of protection and because u.s.a.a.'s commitment to serve the military, veterans, and their families

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recovering from severe injuries sustained in battle for many veterans is about a lot more than just getting back to work. it's about getting back to a sense of having a full life. and that's exactly what some veterans found on a soccer field not far from this spot. and that's where photo journalist jeremy moorhead found them. >> you go out there thinking i'm going to be okay. i'm going to come home safe. but then all of a sudden something happens to you and everything just like slow motion.

i was in afghanistan, we were running an overnight patrol on a previous blast site. i would lead the squad clearing the road and stuff for bombs. it was really dark, i couldn't see anything so i was just going off the beeping noise and the light on the metal detector. i just remember i was looking down at the ground and i see a bright flash -- i couldn't see anything because the dust was everywhere. it took me about 30 seconds to realize i stepped on an ied. i've never felt that amount of pain. so i didn't know if i was going to die or live. >> have a good day. >> we're just about ready to start. you'll notice the guys in the green shirt. >> this is my first time playing soccer ever. >> these are all wounded warriors who have lost their limbs in afghanistan. >> what's going on today is we're having a friendly match between the u.s. national amputee soccer team and the team from haiti. it is part of a three-day effort

here to give something back to the u.s. veterans that are in walter reed hospital, show them how the game is played, show them that they can look forward to playing this game even if they were wounded in action. >> i have a soccer background. three of the guys came up to me and asked me to play on their team today. and they were just like, hey, we'd be honored if you would put on this jersey and play for us. of course i'm going to say yes because i love this game. after the injury, i was kind of thinking, i'm not going to be able to play any of the things i love to play. and when i heard about this, i jumped onboard right away. i was excited. >> i can't believe he got that. >> when i see these guys coming into walter reed with the combat injuries, i understand that there's been a lot of trauma. that they are in a new configuration, they're in a new body and they're not quite sure what they're going to be able to do with it. one of the things that drives us is to say, okay, you're in a new configuration. that doesn't mean you have to be

limited in your competitive nature. when i lost my leg, i really didn't know what there was to do. i literally forgot i was on crutches. i forgot that i had no leg. with a shoe and a shin guard and two crutches, they can become world class athletes. it's hope, it's participation -- >> we got a last-minute goal in, that was an amazing header, and we ended up winning it. >> it's opening a door to the future they may not have thought they had. >> usa! usa! >> and with that, on behalf of all the excellent photo journalists here at cnn, our thanks to the washington navy yard for having us here today and to all who have served our country over all these years. i'm tom foreman, thanks for watching.