obama's fiscal commission's proposal for changing the tax code. one option is to just simplify the tax code, reducing or eliminating hundreds of tax deductions, credits and exemptions in the tax code. that's a tough call to make because tax breaks benefit so many powerful ifle special interests and a lot of working americans. another option would to be repeal or reduce all sorts of deductions, including the popular mortgage interest rate deduction that so many homeowners count on right now as well as state and local tax deductions and other itemized deductions. both raise government revenues according to the fiscal commission because getting rid of all those tax breaks right now could add to government revenues by more than a trillion dollars a year. either way, americans would end up paying higher taxes under both proposals. and no one likes to pay more. but with the deficits skyrocketing the way they are, americans are likely to pay higher taxes in the future no matter what the politicians tell you. so if we're going to pay more,

wouldn't it be better to do so under simpler and smarter rules? something to think about. something we'll talk about more. that's my xyz. brooke baldwin takes it from here. is a hit squad coming for a double agent? he's accused of spilling secrets to the u.s. this sounds like a movie, but this is very real. the story in just 60 seconds. is this the future of war? soldiers becoming real life iron men. i'll tell you how close these sci-fi suits could be to showing up on the battlefield. how far would you go to fight a purse snatcher is this one woman gets dragged by an suv. how does this end? and why is this woman sitting in a glass room allowing everyone to watch her? wait until you hear the point she's trying to make.

happy friday to you. let's get going on this story that is just unbelievable. you remember anna chapman, here she is, she was at that center of the summer spy story, the one that really read like a cold war novel. they swooped in on russian agents leading fake american lives, they were deported to russia in exchange for four russian prisoners. now, chapman, if you've been doing your reading here, became quite a bit of a media sensation. she appeared on magazine covers, developing her own iphone app. i think she even has her own action figure. so that was pretty much it until now. this story has become a saga with russian media now reporting that this double agent who allegedly outed the spy ring to the fbi p. and what's even more stunning here, that man may now be in the crosshairs of the kremlin. let's get all this straight

here. matthew, let's begin with he's known as a rush shsian spy turn double agent. what do we know about him? >> not a great deal. we've been given his name in this very respected russian newspaper. they've been conducting a lengthy investigation as to how it was that these two -- sorry, ten undercover agents, including anna chapman in the united states, were exposed so dramatically. and they've come to the conclusion after talking to their you sources who run named inside the russian security establishment that it's this character who was the double agent, a key figure apparently in the svr, which is kind of the equivalent of the cia here in russia. it was his job to place these

moles, these undercover agents, in the united states. so essentially it seems that anna chapman and her cohortses were betrayed by their boss essentially in moscow. he's fled the country. he's believed to be in the united states right now. but as you mentioned, there are security sources again quoted in this newspaper ass saying there will be retribution. >> do we have any idea why he would have wanted to turn over his own colleagues? might it have been money, might it have been something else? >> it could well have been money. of course back in the cold war, it was often ideological reasons that people defected, but that's not anymore. it's capitalists like much of the world. so it could have been for money. that's one possibility that's been raised in this

investigation. it could have been something that he was caught doing by the u.s. cia or other agencies there and he could have been blackmailed. that's something that happens, you know, in the spy world, as well. the investigation didn't get to the would the of that, so that's still a big question mark. >> also the question mark here in the states, there are reports that perhaps he's getting help from, i don't know, the cia, the fbi, to go underground to get fault identity and i imagine it's a pretty big get for u.s. intelligence sources to have someone who would roll over like this. >> reporter: i think so. and apparently he brought with him according to these reports here in russia some very important files on some of the agents that he later exposed to the u.s. so i think he is quite a prized asset by the united states intelligence gathering community. i think he will have a great deal of information about this

very secretive svr, the overseas intelligence agency here in russia. and i think it's for that reason that there have been the direct threats issued by these unnamed sources admittedly in the investigation saying that there's -- they know where he is, they know who he is and that every day he will have to drag this with him and every day he will fear vindication. so some pretty explicit threats there. >> and what do you know about reports that russia has reportedly hired a hit man to find this guy in the u.s. and kill him? >> reporter: it's not clear whether any of this will happen, of course. it might just be bluster by this unnamed source. but it did go on to it say, let me quote this, there's no doubt that there is a murkerder that's

been sent for him, a spanish reference to 1940 to assassinate leon trotsky. he did that with an ice pick, so the implication that a similar fate waits this colonel. >> what a story. it does read like a spy novel, though this is very real. fascinating, matthew, thank you. also want to let you know, there is an urgent search for a mother, her two kids and a friend. apparently she didn't show up for work and they're trying to find her and they found her home in, quote, an unusual condition. that's all they're saying. the mystery unraveling right now. we'll get the latest coming up. also, another eruption in indonesia. thousands of people dealing with the aftermath. we'll tell you what crews are now finding at the bottom.

unbelievable pictures next. ♪

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president obama wrapping up his trip to south korea. he criticized china for allegedly manipulating its currency for affect global trade. >> it is undervalued. and china spends enormous amounts of money intervening in the market to keep it

undervalued. another big headline, the president was unsuccessful in persuading nations to get on board with stiff measures to pressure a policy shift by china. the president by the way now in japan, the last leg of his ten day trip to asia. the death toll now from the two week eruption has climbed above 200. it erupted again friday spewing hot gases, clouds of ash. what a mess. authorities say the worst may be over, but the danger remains. the volcano lies in one of the world's most densely populated areas. so almost 400,000 people have been displaced there. the supreme court today refused to temporarily suspend enforcement of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gay it is in the military. the obama administration, they say they want the policy repealed, but they don't favor a court based into the issue. a lower court had found the

policy unconstitutional. the log cabin republicans filed an emergency petition to suspend the policy, but it remains in effect until the full appeals process is complete. and take a look at some pictures with me here. this is just in from memphis. we know a construction worker there somehow has fallen into a creek. the worker and crew apparently out there, they were repairing this bridge. workers have called in the fire department, fire crews are on the scene. they're in the water with boats trying to find this guy. we can start to see the rescue, you know we'll be all over it and we'll bring to you right here hive. now, some people are calling sarah palin's new reality show the most expensive campaign ad in history. so if she decides to run for

president, will it help her, will it hurt her? that is ahead. and are your taxes about to go up? a fiery debate rages on over the bush tax cuts. but time is running out for it that final answer. dana bash breaking it down all for us. we'll have the latest coming up next. but there's one that's so clever, it makes your skin look better even after you take it off. neutrogena healthy skin liquid makeup. 98% of women saw improvement in their skin's natural texture, tone, or clarity. does your makeup do that? neutrogena® cosmetics recommended most by dermatologists.

welcome back. let's see if we can get this tax thing straight. so unless the president and congress reach this agreement, everyone's federal income tax will go up come january 1st because the tax cut is about to expire. runs out. so now the president wants to

freeze the current rate for about 98% of the country. but republicans are threatening to block him unless everyone gets the cut. so there's been a whole lot of back and forth. here's the latest. >> tax don't go up for middle tax families starting on january 1s. that's my full one priority. for those families and for our economy. i also believe that it would be fiscally irresponsible for us to permanently extend the high income tax cuts. i think that would be a mistake. particularly when we've got our republican friends saying that their number one priority is making sure that we deal with our debt and our deficit. >> so he mentions his republican

friends, but did you hear or should i say did you not hear one word is this he did not mention the word compromise. let's bring in dana bash. before we talk, i know you're talking to your sourceses, but i want to listen to another statement. this was made today by house speaker nancy pelosi if a radio interview. >> our position in the house has been that we support the tax cuts for every, but not an additional tax cut at the high end. it's too costly. those tax cuts have been in effect for a very long time. they did not create jobs. >> so, again, the word we're not hearing is compromise. what are you hearing on the hill? >> reporter: if they are going to get this done by the end of the year, there has to be a compromise. we know that, right? the question is what is it. now, to be clear, there aren't any serious discussions going on yet at all. but we are hearing some talk of

potential compromise that could come. and one thing i'm hearing is possibly just extending all tax cuts across the board for all income rates temporarily, maybe two or three year, and then that scenario, both sides would give a little bit. it was very noteworthy to hear president obama, he did make clear that he doesn't want to extend the tax rates for those of the upper income brackets permanently. permanently. so he gave a little bit of a wiggle room there. we'll see what happens when they start talking americanest, but that was very noteworthy. >> it's talk about the words temporary and permanent. temporary could mean years, two to tree ye to three years. everyone agrees it should be permanent with the middle class. so what's the deal? >> seems like a no-brainer. if everybody degrees that

$250,000 and less should be permanent, okay, we agree on that, let's move on. but what i'm hearing especially from republican sources is they're reluctant to take the two apart because they know and they're worried politically about having a debate just on whether to extend tax cuts for the wealthiest americans. they want to keep the two together. they're very clear about that. so this may be one reason why when you're talking about down the road coming together on a potential compromise doing both of them temporarily might be something that they might be able to come together on. >> so the republicans want to keep the two together. democrats are another story. but i want to take a look at a poll that just came out. 78% of americans believe the president needs to compromise. not just stick to his positions. 72% say the same thing about

republicans. so we have about six or seven weeks to work this thing out. so surely something will get done, right? >> you would think so. you would definitely think so. but i have to tell you, i've been talking and hearing more and more from republicans. maybe not. sounds crazy to think about the idea of republicans allowing any tax cut to expire, but there is one school of not out will this in the republican side of this that maybe they do let them expire, wait until january when the new congress convenes, when republicans have a lot more in terms of numbers, and then try to do it more their way and do it retroactively. i know it sounds crazy, but it is not out of the realm of possibility. and it's not just because of democrats and republicans coming together, it also coming because democrats until the lame duck is over still have a very large number and they still have a very big divide among themselves about how to go forward and do this. >> got to be strategic and i understand. perhaps they will wait as you're hearing would be a little bit

more of a home field advantage for republicans come january. interesting. dan made barb, keep us posted. listen to this. >> we do not need to you bring your life jackets. this is not a situation anywhere close to that. >> so they don't have to put their life jackets on. they're just getting word here. talk about cabin fever. little do these people mow, this is just a glimpse of what life was like on that crippled cruise ship. so coming up next, we're getting more of this unique amateur video, amazing stories from those frustrated passengers.

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the carnival cruise ship is finally docked and all passengers are back on land and we're finally getting our first look inside the ship during the pleasure cruise that was not so much pleasureful. what i'm about to show you is a sharp contrast to the mess following the engine room fire. this also speaks to the composure of the ship's crew who had to keep the spirits up among thousands of passengers in the face of smelly toilets, the long lines for cold food. and the lack of air conditioning. so the video you're about about to see was shot by one of the passengers as they were first being told there was some kind

of problem on that ship. watch. >> just on show you that this is not anything more than it is, you do not, i repeat, we do not need to you bring your life jackets. this is not a situation anywhere close to that. it is because we don't want you smelling the smoke which is going to eventually flow through the ship. so if you are smelling it, just come up to the open deck. i'll sound a general emergency alarm now. water doing it in accordance with the u.s. coast guard rules and regulations. so again recap one more time on so so i'm as clear as i can possibly be, we have a smoke situation, lots of smoke in one of our engine control areas. you are all smelling that smoke if you're at the back of the ship and teams are now fighting the smoke and making sure that we extract it so that the smoke

comes out. and at this time we believe that it is safe as far as not inhaling any of some this smoke. >> what's a mazing is so many people are taking, you know, carnival backup on another free could you see. hey, most passengers also on board the splendor, they left the ship, they were praising the crew for keeping them informed and also entertained. as entertained as possible i guess considering the circumstances during what many describe as really a nightmare cruise. and we're also keeping our eye very close on this mystery, this bizarre mystery unfolding in ohio. you have a mother, her two children, and a friend. they've all gone missing. and their home has been found in disarray. an entire college a couple miles away also on lockdown connected to all of this. so where are they? police may be getting a little closer to the answer next. retir? ♪ client comes in and they have a box. and inside that box is their financial life. people wake up and realize i better start doing something.

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there is a bizarre mystery unfolding in ohio and it came to our attention when kenyon college not too far from columbus sent a message to students and locked down the whole campus overnight. so here is what prompted this whole thing. you have this mother, her 13-year-old daughter, her 10-year-old son, and this friend, this female friend, they all go missing. they live about seven miles away from the college and police suspect foul play. but look at this. the mother's pickup truck, you see it, it was found near kenyon college near the campus. pay close attention to the sequence of events. the mother's boyfriend reported the family missing back on wednesday. now, the mother's pickup truck that you saw was it at the house on wednesday when they were

reported missing. a co-worker went to the family's house the next day on thursday to check on the mother when she didn't show up for work at the dairy queen. so that co-worker noticed some things were out of place when she looked in the windows of the home. then when police searched the home last night, the sheriff says they found the home to be in, quote, an unusual condition for a family home. that's all they're saying. an unusual condition. the children's father lives in another county, but he says he was called in about all these disappearances and he sounds very much distraught. the father says he last saw his children about three weeks ago when he took his wife and the kids to the columbus zoo. and he went on, speaking with the newspaper there in columbus, the clolumbus dispatch, that hi 13-year-old is a bubbly young girl and the 10-year-old is quiet her and always on the honor roll. so the story we've alluded to here has a lot of questions that

immediate need to be answered. we're digging and we'll led you know what we find. the next thing she said is i don't know about sex trafficking on the enter sunset and then she slammed the door in my face. >> what a story. you have an limited 300,000 kids here in the u.s., they're at the risk of being pushed in to sex slavery. but that number is growing and one group calls the reason astounding. that's ahead. but first, refugee children in it a small georgia town just outside of atlanta, they're getting this new lease on life all thanks to one woman and the game of soccer. our own dr. is an jay dusanjay the story. >> reporter: at first glance they just look like a bunch of kids playing soccer. but take another look, a closer one. this is the fu jcht is family. >> anybody who wants to be a part of this family can somebody. >> any refugee who wants to be a part of this family can be.

>> reporter: and that is what binds them together. 86 children and teens from more than 28 countries. >> any war that's had a war in the past 20, 30 years, we've had kids from those countries. >> reporter: what started as a casual soccer team is now a school full you have stunts most of whom had never been in a classroom before. robin, sharply dressed in the school's un for blue sweat errands tie, is an eighth grader at the academy. something that would have been almost impossible in his native sudan. if someone said what are you going to do with your life, what would you have said? >> i didn't know what to say during that time. and now when i look at myself, i want to be someone like very good, make my people pride. >> reporter: life in america has not always been good to robin. >> when you're an outsider from sudan living in the united

states, what is that like? what happens to you? >> it's very hard. everyone is picking on you. they treat you really different like you don't belong here. >> what that did you do? >> i used to fight a lot. but now a days, i don't really get into fights. i try to resolve them. >> reporter: and while there are refugees living all around the united states, this family is the only group combining soccer with the hope for a better future. are there other organizations that you know of like this around the country? >> no. this is it. an we get e-mails every week from people from around the country bring it to us. >> reporter: how many more years before you finish? >> i have four more years. >> reporter: and then? >> another four years of college. >> reporter: dr. sanjay gupta, cnn. fiber one chewy bar. how'd you do that? do what? you made it taste like chocolate. it has 35%

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a tragic combination. vulnerable children and sex traffickers. the victims are often pushed in to prostitution and the sordid trade oftentimes takes place with the help of the internet. the story of a teenager swept up into the sex trade and the mother who saved her. >> reporter: what was your first reaction when you went on the internet and saw the ads with your daughter?

>> i was heartbroken. i was scared. they showed her face. it was in a hotel room. and she had on lingerie and wig. she was in very sexual positions. >> reporter: and how old was your daughter? >> she was 14. >> reporter: 14 years old, anying for nine months. before her mother saw an ad selling her daughter for sex on the online classified site back page.com, giving police the break they needed to find the girl and bring her home. >> what's her name 1234. >> cookie. >> reporter: we're not naming the 14-year-old authorize her mother to protect the family. but we can tell you that she loves to draw and has brothers and a sister. one night last year, the girl ran away from home. she was angry that her parents had forbidden her from going to a party. the mother tells us the 14-year-old ran away from home and not even a day later was in this fast food restaurant and that's where a woman picked her

up and found out she was a runaway and said i have a friend you can stay with, come with me, she'll buy you clothes, give and you place to stay. and then everything went downhill from there. according to court documents and the mother's account, a trafficker got the 14-year-old hooked on drugs, marijuana, codeine, ecstasy. then sold her for sex to men who would literally line up to take advantage of the girl. when she was finally rescued, she was physically scarred and told her mother she'd been abused. >> once i got her home and got her in the tub and stuff and i was to get her to take the wig off of her head, and she had those burns in her scalp. >> reporter: she had burned on her head? >> in her scalp. all her hair was gone. and maybe about six burn marks in the back of her scalp. she just said that i don't want

to talk about it, mom yorks want to talk about it. >> reporter: we're driving through the area where this 14-year-old girl lives and where some of the sex trafficking took place. and i grew up in st. louis. and i was very surprised to find out that this was going on in this area of town. middle class families live here. there's nice neighborhoods. and i think when a lot of people think of the sex trafficking of our youth, they think this is only happening to poor kids in the city and that's just not the case. just what kind of a person would drug then sell a 14-year-old for sex? we went looking. and what we found isn't what you might expect. she was a 27-year-old woman, latasha mcfar land, free at home with a daughter of her own. mcfarland admitted in court to selling the 14-year-old on back page but denies knowing that she was a minor. she was originally charged with three counts, including two of

trafficking a minor for prostitution, a potential sentence. but those more serious charges were dropped when is he pled guilty to a separate prostitution charge that did not involve trafficking a minor. the maximum sentence on that charge, five years. and until her december sentencing date, this woman remains free at home caring for her child. the last thing accepted to me was i don't know anything about sex trafficking minorses on the internet and then she started crying and slammed the door in my face. rich callahan is the united states attorney for st. louis. it's the same sentence someone could get for trafficking a single marijuana joint across state lines. >> so it seems to me i can't believe how in the united states someone can traffic a 14-year-old girl, sex traffic her, sell her like a slave, profit off of it, and get an

equal punishment as someone who is trafficking a joint of marijuana. how is this possible? >> it's going to depend on witnesses. when you're dealing with runaway victims, if we can't -- >> but she's not a runaway. the mom said she would of it. >> i understand you keep saying that but she wasn't always live wgt mother. >> reporter: callahan said that because prosecutors couldn't count on the girl's testimony, they took the deal instead. >> five years in prison is by some lights at least better than getting nothing at all. and sometimes you have to do things that you don't think are -- you're not wowed about doing, you'd like to get more time, but you can't always do that. >> reporter: you can't always do that. that's the reality this girl's family is left wrks struggliwrk struggling to help their daughter salvage what's left of her childhood. >> i said why didn't cow back

home. and she said once i got to taking all the drugs and having all the sex, i didn't think that you would want me anymore. she was wrong. so wrong. >> reporter: amber lyon, cnn, st. louis. >> she didn't think she would want me anymore. umm. well, earlier this week, i told you how they're auctioning off some of bernie madoff's favorite things. now there is word of another kind of auction, but this has fascinating stuff from american history. we'll show you some of those items ahead. plus we have some new developments in the brett favre saga. the woman he allegedly sent sexually explicit pictures to has just met with the nfl. so what did she tell them? brooke anderson all over this next. [ beeping ]

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welcome back. we have sex scandal, new reality it chlt v show, stars an celebrities in rehab. it can only mean one thing. time for trending with brooke anders anderson. the host of hln "showbiz tonight." she joins me from l.a. lovely to it see you on a friday. >> thank you, you, too. >> let's begin with all things sarah palin. should we be surprised she has a reality tv show in. >> i don't think so. as her daughter brings stole getting a whole lot ofstars, sah palin is premiering this weekend, her new show called sarah palin's alaska, it begins on sunday. and the style is really

docu-reality in which she is kind of the tour guide for viewers of her home state, she hikes, she physicians, sfisphyf bearing. let's take a look. >> no boys upstairs. willow? i think that my kids will always call alaska home. and on a really clear day, you can see russia from here. almost. >> so she's having some fun being self-deprecating there. and also, you know, she's going to open the doors of her home, we saw a little bit and a half there, and really show what life is like in the palin household. and if done well, she has a shot at kind of changing people's perceptions of her kind of redefining herself after she was so harshly skrut sunrised and openly mocked when she ran for vice president. >> this way she has a little bit i imagine of some control of what's on this reality show and

someone was saying this could be the best ad for her ever. all right. >> possibly, yeah. although there are some who say like why is she even doing this and it's unpresidential and how can anybody take her seriously. but this is important to her, she wants to showcase her home state. it will be an eight week series beginning on tlc. >> and we say unpresidential. we don't know if she's sticking her big toe 249 race yin the rae yet, but we shall see. the brett favre saga, what do we know today? >> this whole sordid story continues. the woman jenn sterger who allegedly received sexually explicit photos and messages from brett favre met with nfl investigators, saturday down with them yesterday, her manager tells cnn that she cooperated fully and that, quote, they provided the nfl with substantial materials in their

possession. the manager did not elaborate on those materials. what we know is that favre and sterger both worked for the jets back in 2008. favre reportedly sat down with nfl investigators last month. he has refused to speak publicly about this, so, really, until the nfl, until the commissioner rules on whether favre violating their code of conduct policy, it's kind of a guessing game on what's going happen next with his career, with his personal life, with his endorsements. >> right. the jury really very much still out on that one. also we were talking, i feel like it was a couple weeks ago, but adorable disney star demi lovato who was headed to some sort of treatment facility, she had some sort of emotional issues. but now there's something new with her. what's going on? >> you're right. and it was a couple weekings ago because she's now in week two at her treatment facility and getting rehabilitation. but now there are reports, unconfirmed reports, i want to

stress, flying around that demi lovato was partying, was out of control, kind of on a wild tear, drug, booze, the whole nine yards, leading up to her taking herself off the tour with the jonas brothers to check herself into a treatment facility. her spokesperson is her spokesperson is denying she has those problems. can we put up the new statement "showbiz tonight" received. "demi is not in treatment for drug or alcohol. she decided to seek help for emotional and physical issues she has battled throughout her life. she's taken this step to get her life in order." i've got to tell you, regardless, brooke, of what her problems and demons have been, she's doing the responsible thing right now and that is getting help. >> we were saying at least good for her she's seeking help, whatever the issue is.

and you mentioned she had to bail out of the jonas brothers tour. doesn't she have a tv show? what happens next there? >> yeah, disney told cnn they were planning to pick up the show for a third season, resume production in january. but disney tells "showbiz tonight," "the health and well-being of demi comes first and if we have to make other plans, we will." so the show could be in jeopardy. but i say demi should not worry about one second about this show, just continue to focus on herself and her health. she can come out of this and still be a huge success. >> absolutely. brooke anderson, thank you. >> thanks. has it come to this for some dealerships? one salesman is offering free ak-47s with the purchase of a truck. this story behind the gimmick coming up 679 also, drivers, warning signs there for a reason. this is a lesson one person had

to learn the wrong way. you got to see this, next.

take one fussy baby who does not want to be in his car seat, parents, maybe you can relate. add a bill board hot 100 single and what do you get? you've got to see this. ♪ that's super cute. who says kids nowadays, they don't know good music? look at this little one rocking along. we've got to move on, i don't want to, but next, the number one rule of driving, keep your eyes on the road. look at this car. one jacksonville woman learned the lesson the hard way. she drove mast the barricades, head first into an eight-foot hole, luckily she got out okay.

her car, not so much. next, to australia we go. the second round of the masters. 10th hole, there she goes. robert allenby takes the tee shot. wait for it. bam! it hits this guy watching from the gallery. no need to worry. there he goes in the stretcher. but hey, he got an autographed ball. and a nice little ride off the course. see ya. he has been in a coma since 2006, but now former israeli prime minister ariel sharon is being moved from the hospital to his home. so why is this happening? that is ahead. wolf blitzer is also standing by with breaking news from the world of politics. that's next.

of course, cnn equals politics. and now for a look at the latest news item crossing for the cnn political ticker, we go to wolf blitzer at the cnn politics desk. wolf, good to see you. what do you have? >> i'm sure i'll be back at some point down the road, as well. the president of the united states, he's in japan now wrapping up his nine-day visit to asia. the president not necessarily coming back with a huge success as far as trade issues, other matters are a concern. with you he's coming back to a lame duck congress that has to deal with the issue of tax cuts, whether the bush era tax cut rates continue or revert back to the clinton administration tax rates, which are higher. they've got to reach some decision and pass new legislation by the end of the year during the lame duck session otherwise the tax rates for everyone goes up. the president says his number one priority is making sure that taxes for the middle class do

not increase at all. that's 98% of the taxpayers. the issue right now, what to do with the richest folks out there, those making more than $250,000 a year. and the president is saying he's not yet ready to cave on this issue. he's going to negotiate with the republican leadership and bring in the democrats, as well. he says my number one priority for those families and for the economy is to make sure the middle class continues to have their tax rates. i also believe that it would be fiscally irresponsible for us to permanently extend the high income tax rates. key word, permanently, because on the agenda apparently is a compromise to let the taxes continue at the current rate for the rich over the next year or two, and then punt, if you will, and come up with a new decision down the road. so they'll see how they work out this compromise. they've got to reach some sort of compromise. otherwise, everyone's taxes are going up and in the middle of an economic downturn, most

economists say that would be a huge mistake. another issue we're following, the don't ask, don't tell policy that would allow military personnel who are gay to serve openly in the military. the supreme court has said, we're not going to consider this issue right now. we'll let it go through the appeals process right now. so it's not going up to the supreme court, at least for now. we're waiting for the pentagon's final report. we expect that around december 1st. they're going to make their recommendations and we'll see where they go from there. it could come up for actual vote on legislation during the lame duck session, although that does not seem likely and as a result don't ask, don't tell policy probably will continue for the time being. interestingly, one footnote to that, cindy mccain, the wife of john mccain, she says get rid of the don't ask, don't tell policy. she's taking a very different stance than her husband and says let it continue at least for now, wait for the pentagon report to come out. so there's a little family

difference between husband and wife on this sensitive issue. >> we sat in the studio two days ago talking about the bush tax cuts and said look, congress has to do something, but dana bash saying it may be republicans' best interest to wait until they have the majority. >> the republicans will have a majority in the house of representatives come january. if they don't pass the tax law, the bush era tax laws by the end of this year, everyone's taxes are going to go upstarting in january. now, they could pass legislation retro actively going back to the bush era tax cuts, but this is -- they're playing eyeball to eyeball poker right now. the issues are very sensitive and the key is to make sure that taxes do not go up, at least for the middle class. folks making under $250,000 a year. if they do, who knows what the impact would be on the overall growth of the economy, the creation of jobs and all those

sensitive issues. >> absolutely. political poker, dangerous game. wolf blitzer, good to see you, thank you. we'll get another political ticker update in half an hour. here we go, top of the hour, i want to welcome the men and the women watching us right now on american forces network all around the world. we're going to move fast. let the rush hour begin. here we go. wolf mentioned the supreme court refusing to suspend enforcement of the military's don't ask, don't tell policy on gays in the military. it was that group, the log cabin republicans who filed an emergency petition with the court. the obama administration wants the policy repealed. that's what they've been saying. but do not favor a court-based end to the issue. the policy still remains in effect until the full appeals process is complete. next, a young man beaten brutally to death last weekend will be buried tomorrow.

four young men are facing felony murder charges in this case. i spoke with bobby tillman's mother earlier this week. her message was one not of grief, but of strength and of hope. >> my son died from bullying. if we can stop it before it gets there and help these children. it was rage, jealousy, pride, all these things in these boys to make them want to stop my son and kill him, that's outrageous. how can someone have so much of that inside of them, especially somebody not 21 yet? so they've lived only that long and had that much built up. it has to be stopped. it's before, not once they're caught. >> bobby tillman was just 18 years old. former israeli prime minister ariel sharon has been moved from a tel aviv hospital.

he's been in a coma for almost five years. doctors transporting the ex-leader via ambulance there to his ranch in southern ambulance where his wife is buried. sharon was reduced to a persistent vegetative state back in 2006 and requires 24-7 medical care. doctors say there's been no improvement in his condition and there's no sign he's likely to recover. next, take a look at the tar balls here. this is orange beach in alabama. they look kind of like meatball size. many beachcombers claim they have found tar balls the size of burgers. experts, they're blaming the weather saying tar balls that were submerged are now being pushed on shore by heavy surf. next, the guy who hacked into sarah palin's e-mail account, do you remember that story? might not see jail time. a tennessee judge recommending

22-year-old david cornell spend his one year and one day of custody in a halfway house, not prison. the judge recommended cornell get medical health treatment. the federal bureau of prisons will get the final say where he will spend his time. next, if you are a nissan driver, heads up. you may need to head to the dealer, take your car. more than 500,000 nissans in the u.s. being recalled over possible steering and battery problems. take a close look here. we made a list of the models being recalled. you get that? nissan plans to notify owners next month as soon as replacement parts are available. we are told at least no accidents or injuries reported with these issues. next, is there a job cut coming at yahoo?

two tech blogs reporting that 10% to 20% of employees may be searching for a job in the near future. yahoo cut 700 jobs last year. next, san francisco's mayor is expected to veto the ban on toys in mcdonald's happy meals. the board of supervisors approved the ordinance with a veto proof majority. next, you may have heard of u.s. marshals auctioning off all those possessions of bernie madoff. but there is another auction this weekend you may nod have heard of. two items on the block are catching a lot of attention. first, you've got a historic babe ruth autographed 702nd home run baseball. that is from 1934. it reads, to billy from babe ruth. wow! this thing estimated at at least

$50,000. and then there is this. marilyn monroe autographed photograph. in blue ink, she penned the words, "i love you, joe. marilyn." that's valued at at least $40,000. next, we have a couple of new developments here we are tracking alaska's senate race. another lawsuit being bandied about and the tea party republican candidate has hired the man behind those infamous willie horton ads. we are tracking all of this new stuff in juneau, alaska. let's begin with what's going on behind you. where are we with the counting? and i understand that joe miller's camp is alleging voter fraud. >> reporter: yeah. let's be clear here. they're not alleging voter fraud. let's talk about what is going on behind me right now. it's day tree of the vote count. right now lisa murkowski is

getting about 89% of the votes sorted in her favor. not officially added to her vote tally, just being put in a stack saying hey, these are clear votes for lisa murkowski. in terms of the lawsuit, the joe miller campaign is going to be filing the lawsuit in state court today here in juneau, that basically says hey, we want voter rolls, we want to look at different districts and say if 1,000 say voters registered in that district, we want to make sure there aren't 2,000 votes in that district. that addresses this notion of voter fraud. they are not alleging voter fraud, they are saying they're hearing complaints from voters calling into radio shows talking amongst themselves saying oh, we might have been disenfranchised. so they released an 800 number saying if you feel you were a victim of voter fraud, call this number. >> the vote counting, are those being counted?

>> reporter: yeah, some are being counted, some are not. it's the issue of voter intent. does an o where an i needs to be, does it mean folks were voting for murkowski or not? i want to get quickly to what you talked about, the willie horton thing also. there's a guy here, floyd brown. he's legendary in a lot of conservative circles. he signed on as a sort of spokesman for the miller campaign. he announced the lawsuit last night. he's behind probably one of the most controversial ads in political history, that willie brown ad, he signed on board that's raised a lot of eyebrows. >> when might we have a winner declared? >> reporter: anyone's guess. the lawsuit will continue. the first lawsuit that was filed

in federal court will continue next week. but the judge will only decide whether he has jurisdiction to even hear the case. beyond that, the vote counting will continue with these write-in ballots, with question ballots, with absentee ballots. we may not have a certification until the 29th of november. and only until then -- only after then i should say can the miller campaign even mount more legal challenges. so this could drag on for a while, brook. >> i hope you like thanksgiving dinner in alaska, travis. >> don't say that. >> i'm kidding. >> my mom in chicago would be very unhappy about that. >> shannon, thank you. are we looking at the future of war? could soldiers soon become real-life iron men? look at this guy. i will show you the fascinating technology that could end up on the battlefield. that's ahead. plus, one single mistake from google maps almost push two

countries into war. not joking. i'm going to tell you about the invasion that has the internet giant in hot water. that's next. this site has a should i try priceline instead? >> no it's a sale. nothing beats a sale! wrong move! you. you can save up to half off that sale when you name your own price on priceline. but this one's a deal...trust me. it's only pretending to be a deal. here, bid $79. got it. wow! you win this time good twin!

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behold, the power of google. wait until you hear this. it will strike a cord with anyone, me included, who got a little lost using an online map? can you believe google would sway world affairs, perhaps start a war without trying? sebastien castro is here. we're pulling in the big guns here, because we want you to explain what almost happened. talk to me about costa rica, your home country, and

nicaragua. >> there's always been a sort of territorial dispute over this river, which recently declared the san juan river, what happened is nicaragua sent in troops to costa rica because of a google map error. >> let's take a look. we have the google map, which is wrong, and we can see the green costa rica. >> the line is the actual border -- the line is the actual river, i'm sorry. so that would be the actual line that's drawn. >> that's the wrong line. this is the google map. so the white is nicaragua, and that is what they looked at and that's what got them upset. >> indeed.

nicaragua should not trust a product aimed at consumers to make political decisions. that is just a very irresponsible thing to do and they have corrected -- google has apologized and said they will correct it. >> let's pull up what google said. i was curious as to -- this is quite a bit of power in google's hands. i don't know if they comprehend countries are looking to them. okay. so i have it here. boom. here's what google is saying. it is our goal to provide the most accurate dates possible. there is going to be errors in that data. we work hard to correct any errors as soon as we discover them. you said, you know, they're working on it or have corrected it. >> and this has sparked a controversy. this is getting bigger every day. today, the organization of american states is having an

extraordinary session to decide how to act on this, all because of this little google map incident. >> because of google maps? >> i know. and actual maps that have been presented by the nicaragua government in the past. >> there are other examples of two countries who look to -- >> cambodia and thailand have had the same problem and morocco and spain over an island have been in dispute thanks to google maps. >> so lesson learned. if you are running a country or military in a country, don't go to google maps. >> go to a more reliable source. >> sebastien castro, gracias. so an attended purse snatching turns into something far more dangerous. we'll bring that all to you right after the break. and here is a recipe for disaster. you have an angry commuter.

we can relate sometimes, right? and a frustrated transit worker. it's caught on camera. now that person is in hot water. that's next.

you know this day and age, you should know this. you do something that you shouldn't have been doing, chances are you're going to get caught on camera, right? i have two examples of that today. let's go to boston. train passenger says he was attacked by a transit worker after complains about getting bad directions. he says the directions he got were wrong, set him back an hour and a half. he claims he tried to get the worker's name and when she

refused, he says he pulled out his cell phone to take a picture of the worker. according to wilkerson, that's when the transit worker started hitting him. you see it in the little picture? he claims the video shows assault. now, that worker has since been fired but the general manager says when he took a look at that video, he thought wilkerson was a tad aggressive with the camera. some sources are saying that the fired worker told investigators wilkerson was drunk and belligerent. wilkerson denies he was drunk at the time of the attack and says he's considering a lawsuit. then there is this. this is from ohio. you see the suv pulls up to a woman walking in a parking lot. it happened to fast. the moment the driver appears to snatch the woman's purse. see her on the ground?

pay close attention. she's hanging on. the purse is in the car. she lands on the street. police say the woman lost her purse and that woman, 61 years of age. hanging on for dear life. you have seen these sci-fi suits on iron man and avatar, but could soldiers use this gear eventually to fight wars? you've got to see this new technology. and how soon might the military implement it? that's next. ...authentic... ...pure... and also delicious. ♪ like nature valley. granola bars made with crunchy oats and pure honey. because natural is not only good, it also tastes good. nature valley -- 100% natural. 100% delicious. nature valley -- 100% natural. [scraping]

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are you in the market for maybe a new truck? how about an extended cab? how about an assault rifle for

the gun rack while we're at it? a florida truck dealer offering free vouchers for weapons with each purchase. it's redeemed at a local gun store. we also found another deal in missouri making a similar offer. so we're sitting around a meeting and we learned about this idea that we thought was so cool we had to show you. you know the movie "ironman" and he puts on this space-aged suit, he can fly, he becomes iron man. so when we saw that, we wondered why don't real-life soldiers actually have that technology? so it turns out they may soon have some ofit. cnn's pentagon correspondent chris lawrence takes us to utah where a prototype is in the works. ♪ >> reporter: it's got a iron man

ring to it. raytheon's test engineer is no playboy billionaire. married, three kids, but just maybe wearing the prototype for future soldiers. >> it doesn't fly. that seems to be the big thing that ironman does. >> reporter: if you're tony stark, there's the sports cars, the scantily clad women, the penthouse, all that? >> i roll in a minivan, man. it reacts to the force of your feet. >> reporter: grant it, it's dead weight. until it's used by outside power. then the hydraulic fluid starts pumping. steel and aluminum arms make everything lighter. >> reporter: so this 200 pounds feels like? >> less than 20 pounds. you don't have this imminence feeling of strength.

>> reporter: this is probably three inches of pine thick enough to hold up the second store any of a house. i'm not even going to tell you how much that hurt. show off. but here's where fictional meets functional. iron man can fly and shoot rays out of his hands. this source is still tethered to its mobile source. >> they respect gentle in the way they explode. >> reporter: for safety reasons, they can't power up the suit with me in it. but i've at least got to seal what it's like inside. without the hydraulics, it's tough to take a step forward. but i still feel like i've got the range of motion. that's important to supply units where being tethered to a power source wouldn't matter.

>> logistics personnel in the military move 16,000 pounds a day, which is an awful lot. >> reporter: and the suit can lift for hours. >> things that would just destroy your back, it picks it up no problem. >> reporter: today's troops are carrying up to 150 pounds in afghanistan. but it can make that feel 17 times lighter. >> you exert one pound and it exerting 17. that's a major amplification of strength. but all loads that the person doesn't have to carry themselves. >> reporter: chris lawrence, cnn, salt lake city, utah. >> you've got to admit that is cool. she won the nobel peace prize and for the last 15 years, she's been under house arrest. but could she be a mere hours from her own freedom? the story of activist. and dana bash is standing by with brand new information.

we'll get you the cnn political ticker, next. [ advisor 1 ] what do you see yourself doing one week, one month, five years after you do retire? ♪ client comes in and they have a box. and inside that box is their financial life. people wake up and realize i better start doing something.

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cnn has all your latest political news with the best political team on television. dana bash is in washington for us. and dana, what do you have, what's crossing right now? >> you know, i know election day was just last week, but everybody is already thinking about the next election,

specifically who is going to help both the democrats and republicans get elected? and for the democratic senators, we have learned that michael bennett, who just won his own re-election bid by a hair last week, he was approached by the senate majority leader harry reid to run the arm in charge of getting democratic senators elected. we're talking about 2012 now. i am told by one source that the ask was made and he's been thinking about it, but it's not that likely he's going to accept it. that speaks to a larger issue about the democrat's struggles in the next senate election. they have 23 incumbent seats to defend. and it's going to be an uphill battle. next up, it is a name that people who are political junkies, i know we have a lot of viewers that are junkies, will recognize floyd brown. if you go back in time, he was responsible for that infamous willie horton ad against michael

dukakis. he helped push gennifer flowers into prominence in 1992 for allegations she had an affair with bill clinton. he's in the state of alaska. that's right, he's helping joe miller, the republican senatorial candidate there with his recount vote or ballot count vote and also to help with his court battles as well. he said that he's going to make sure that the ballots get counted. really interesting blast from the past. and last, i think our viewers, it would be in their interest to go to cnn.com and listen to a podcast from candy crowley. she did a preview of an interview she did with george bush. candy has been covering george bush since he was governor. she was on the plane with him

all through 2000. she knows him extremely well. she's also going to have part of it with his brother, jeb bush, who of course is the former governor of florida. that's going to air 8:00 sunday night. >> i cannot wait. dana bash, thank you so much. also, this story. the murder of three members of a connecticut family have been described as pure evil. we've followed this very intensely for you. one killer has been sentenced to death but we did not hear the whole story. we're hearing new details and a look at the other suspect in this case. this thing is by far not over. that's coming up. also, after more than 15 years of house arrest, could the

activist from myanmar finally be free? that's next.

one of the world's bravest activists still remains under arrest, but kimt about the release of aung san suu kyi. myanmar's military leaders have kept her under house arrest and now barred international media to get in to cover her expected release. but we do have a report from myanmar. here it is. >> people in myanmar and the world public are still waiting

for opposition eye son aung san suu kyi to be released. many were expecting that to happen on friday and hundreds gathered outside her party's headquarters. but the deadline came and past. then one of the leaders of aung san suu kyi's political party said the release had been postponed. >> translator: she might be released tonight, after midnight. and we believe that the whole world and all the people of myanmar demand her release and legally her release date starts at midnight. >> reporter: the big question is whether the repressive military junta will try to attach strings to aung san suu kyi's release. for instance she never enter politics again. those close to her say she would rather remain in detention than accept conditions. but her lawyer tells cnn he does not believe that is the reason her release is being held up. "i think that's not true.

i have not received such information. her term ends tomorrow and i think she will be released in the evening tomorrow." even after spending more than 15 of the past 21 years under house arrest, aung san suu kyi remains the most important opposition figure in this country. many now believe she will be released saturday. however, we have to emphasize none of this is confirmed. the ruling junta has not given any information as to the time of her release or if she will be released at all. >> you know we will continue to follow this story. we have eyes on the scene right now and as soon as we know if aung san suu kyi, when she is released, we will turn some pictures around and bring it to you here at cnn. listen to this. you have this woman, she's living -- there she is. she's living in sort of a glass box. but anyone can watch her, and she's refusing to do anything face to face. kind of odd, right? well, not to her.

we'll explain why, next. we're just getting new pictures of form damage in texas. pictures are ahead, too. stay there. d., the doctor said. p-a-d... p.a.d. isn't just poor circulation in your legs causing you pain. it more than doubles your risk of a heart attack or stroke. i was going to tell you. if you have p.a.d., plavix can help protect you from a heart attack or stroke. plavix helps keep blood platelets from sticking together and forming clots, the cause of most heart attacks and strokes. call the doctor about plavix -- please? i will. [ male announcer ] certain genetic factors and some medicines such as prilosec reduce the effect of plavix leaving you at greater risk for heart attack and stroke. your doctor may use genetic tests to determine treatment. don't stop taking plavix without talking to your doctor as your risk of heart attack or stroke may increase. people with stomach ulcers or conditions that cause bleeding should not use plavix. taking plavix alone or with some other medicines including aspirin may increase bleeding risk, so tell your doctor when planning surgery. tell your doctor all medicines you take including aspirin especially if you've had a stroke.

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here's a thought. at some point or another, sometimes we get so wrapped up in our internet world, facebook, twitter, skype, that we can lose human contact with other people. so this woman, in portland, oregon, is trying to turn that concept into performance art. here she is. she's spending 30 days in what's being described as a glass box, as a symbolic warning. here's the deal. her only contact with the outside world will be through social media. we thought it sounded a little

gimmicky, but she says there's a serious message. >> i just want people to kind of take a step back and look at how all of these new technologies have changed how we communicate with each other. it's not all bad stuff, but we should pay attention to how good things are changing our daily lives. >> you saw some of the people peering in through the glass, right? the whole time she's in there tweeting, texting, she's in full view of total strangers. that's a good chunk of the point she says she's trying to make. >> i think that all these things are so new that a lot of people haven't even had time to digest them. one of the biggest things that stands out to me is a generational thing where we have the younger generations they don't filter what they're saying on the internet and they don't pay attention to all these other companies and stuff that are using that information. and then there's generations in my generation where i think we

see the good and the bad. but it's interesting to look at that and then even look at my part's generation and see how we look at things differently. so that's another reason i got interested in this. >> so we get it. 30 days in this glass room to make a point about social media. but you have to wonder about sort of the truly private personal stuff. she's just in a room for 30 days. anyone can watch. we'll let norene go there. >> the basic idea here is that it's not about me suffering. it's about me trying to create a living space as much like my own home as i could. the only thing that i was trying to suffer with is getting by without human interaction. i do have a private bathroom and a shower, which is great. that would be a little bit too extreme for me, i think. but i also have a kitchenette and i get groceries delivered once a week. >> there you go.

norene plans to turn her 30 days into a documentary. and with that, let's talk weather. we have some pictures from texas. this is tape. aerial shots of storm damage. hearing no reports of injuries. chad myers is here to talk about the storm. what rolled through? >> well, there was one storm, and literally, brook, there is one area in the entire united states that had storm damage. it's right there. that is an amazing television station. what station does that say? to get the one place that has storm damage in the entire nation, and to get it on tv that fast is amazing. here's ft. worth, there's greenville, kind of up i-30 or old u.s. 67. a line of cells rolled through dallas and there's still more weather up here. the airport would be right there. a couple of airport delays because of the cells we're

seeing here. but as the weather went up i-30, right there, that cell blew down some signs, but this isn't a spring-type storm, this is not a tornado type day. but when you get storms that line up like this, they can charge ahead and blow winds 30, 40, even 50 miles an hour. that's what we think happened. so these structures that were there were facing the wind and as soon as that wind hit it dead on, all of a sudden these things came down. great pictures, great hustle by that tv station. >> we like hustle. good for them, chad. thank you so much. wolf blitzer, he's up next with a look at what's ahead in "the situation room." we'll be right back. which is why i'm really excited. because toyota developed this software that can simulate head injuries and helps make people safer. then they shared this technology with researchers at wake forest to help reduce head injuries on the football field. so, you know, i can feel a bit better about my son playing football. [ male announcer ] how would you use toyota technology

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has moved on to japan, the final leg of his asia tour, taking part in an economic forum this weekend. wolf blitzer joins me now in "the situation room." wolf, the president did not get currency or trade concessions from china or south korea. it wasn't the full grand slam. he was speaking in baseball metaphors. but can he expect a better reception in japan? >> he's still the president of the united states and the most powerful man in the world. and he's got the u.s. economy, which is not necessarily the best of shape right now but still the most important economy in the world. so he's going to do just fine. he's got serious problems, though. he didn't hit a home run at the g-20 in seoul. he said he got a single. a single, it's still better than striking out or whatever. so still got a ways to go. a lot of people believe that the

political setbacks that he suffered and the democrats suffered last week are having an effect around the world. he doesn't necessarily have the glow that he had before, right after he was elected when he went around the world and people were admiring him. all of a sudden he's another politician to some of those allies in some countries not necessarily allies. obviously what happens domestically, politically can have an international effect. it seems to be having an effect right now. some of these countries playing hardball with the united states. >> you mentioned he is a politician. he's a half a world away but he's very aware of what's going on in washington and capital hill and all this back and forth ant the bush tax cuts. we know he has commented from the road on that. what has he said? >> he said he's not going to negotiate through the media. he's going to negotiate with the republican and democratic leadership when he comes back to washington. he's going to have a full agenda. the lame duck session is going to start next week and he's going to invite the leadership

over to the white house for dinner, democratic and republican leadership. they have to come up with a solution on what to do with the bush tax cuts. if they do nothing, taxes for everyone goes up january 1st. he's not going to negotiate through you and me. that's why he ref fused to say today what his bottom line is, which is start. he doesn't want to give an advance what he might have to give behind closed doors. >> finally, sir, what do you have coming up on "the situation room"? >> we're going to talk about all of this and a lot more. kent conrad, the democratic outgoing chairman of the senate budget committee and a member of that bipartisan commission dealing with long-term debt is going to be joining us. he's got some strong views own all of these issues, social security, national defense, earmarks. he's up for re-election in 2012 in north dakota. so he's got some major decisions he's got to make. so we'll get a good assessment

from him what's on his mind. >> we will see you in mine minutes. wolf blitzer, thank you so much. now to that brutal home invasion we've been talking so much about recently in connecticut. what is next in a family's search for justice? stay right there.

simple errands, running to the store, running to the bank. we run them every day. but in the case of one family, a simple errand led to a horrific crime. this week, a jury recommended the death penalty for one of the men accused in that crime, the home invasion and triple murders of a mother and two young daughters. cnn's randi kaye has been covering this almost unimaginable case since the murders more than three years ago. so this weekend, she's putting it all together in a special report calling it "pure evil: nightmare in connecticut." take a look. ♪

>> reporter: for the petit family in this quiet connecticut suburb, there was never any hint of the violence that was to come. >> the epitome of the all-american family. a beautiful mother and two beautiful daughters. >> reporter: never any clue their vibrant home in the town of cheshire would soon become a house of horrors. their last day together as a family was a classic summer sunday. dr. william petit, a prominent connecticut doctor, a leading expert in the field of diabetes, played golf with his dad. earlier that day, his wife of 22 years, jennifer hawke-petit, and her daughter michaela, 11, had gone shopping at this stop and shop supermarket. >> the younger daughter, michaela, was going to make a special dinner for her family. so she and mrs. petit went to the stop and shop here in town.

>> reporter: the older daughter, haley, 17, had just graduated from ms. porter school, a prestigious prep school. she wanted to be a doctor like her dad. as generaler the hawk petit, a pediatric nurse, drove back from the supermarket, she had no idea she was being watched. watched police say by two career criminals paroled from prison just weeks before. within hours, their worlds would collide. i want to bring in randi kaye. our show, we have covered this case, at least the first trial very extensively and the jury decided steven hayes would be put to death. what we haven't talked a lot about, the other defendant, who is scheduled to go on trial in january. i was fascinated to read that he -- i couldn't believe where he grew up. he's not just some punk from the

streets. >> no, he grew up in an affluent family and neighborhood just a mile or so away from the petit family, around the corner on a 65 acre estate. he was adopted as an infant. his grandfather was a conservative columnist for "the new york times," his grandmother was a ballerina. he went to a lot of boy scout bible camps but he started robbing homes at the age of 13 and he used night vision goggles. he was very skilled. friends said he could get in and out of a house in just seconds. when he was arrested for the petit murders, he had about 20 arrests on his record already for burglary and larceny. so something went wrong. he writes quite a bit and talks quite a bit about being sexually molested by another foster child his parts brought into the home when he was about 5 or 6 years old and how nobody helped him. in many ways, he makes that out

to be the reason why he took this very dark turn. >> wow. in listening to or reporting on sort of the opening and the closing arguments at least in the hayes trial, it was the hayes defense attorneys who tried to make it out, comparing hayes -- here he is, as being, if i may, the lesser of two evils. that hayes was the follower. did hayes' defense lawyers get that right, do you think, randi? >> they were trying to do that to try and spare hayes the death penalty. but i guess they did to some extent were successful at it. it was hayes who called the other after they had met as roommates in a halfway house about a year and a half before this crime. it was hayes who called him and said he needed some money. his mother was about to kick him out of the house and he was broke. so in that sense, hayes might have spurred this on, but it was the other who was in that stop

and shop parking lot the day before the crime and it was actually he who spotted mrs. hawk petit and her 11-year-old daughter named michaela. he had a real affection for young girls and he chose them as their next victims. so he was also the one who first went into the house and takes credit for masterminding this and who takes credit for nearly beating dr. petit to death with a baseball bat. so i would say they certainly tried to paint him as the rick leader. >> we've got about 40 seconds. you covered this, randi, from 2007. i've heard different people saying they sort of still have nightmares from it. is it still very vivid to you from three years ago? >> it is. when i first covered it, i had terrible nightmares of someone breaking into my home, because thkdz happen to anybody.

it could have been any family on that street. that's why this is so important to talk