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American Morning
Pakistan Mosque Bombed; Confusion in Air France Crash Investigation; Hamas Responds to Obama; Cartoon Controversy; New Technology for Terrorists; Jobless Rate Declining
Aired June 05, 2009 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: We're crossing the top of the hour now. It's coming up on 8:00 Eastern. Thanks for being with us on this Friday, June 5th for the most news in the morning. I'm John Roberts.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Carol Costello, in for Kiran Chetry. Let's get right to it. Here is what is on this morning's agenda. Stories that we'll be breaking down for you in the next 15 minutes. Fresh evidence on the surge of violence in Pakistan. Police say at least 30 people were killed and dozens more injured after a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a mosque. We're live in Islamabad.
The search for Air France 447 is back to square one this morning. We're just learning debris found earlier this week is not actually from the missing plane.
And right now, President Obama is making his way to a German concentration camp. Before he left he spoke about his historic speech in Egypt. We'll hear what he had to said.
Outrage this morning over a cartoon showing Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor strung up like a pinata. The Oklahoma newspaper published it earlier this week. Critics are calling it offensive and insensitive. No comment from the newspaper.
ROBERTS: We begin with breaking news this morning. And chaos and nuclear-armed Pakistan, a country the U.S. is really counting on to help fight terrorism.
This morning a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a mosque. The attack just the latest evidence that Taliban fighters chased out of the Swat Valley are taking vengeance on nearby cities.
CNN's Dan Rivers is live in Islamabad, Pakistan, this morning. What's the very latest from where you are there, Dan?
DAN RIVERS, CNN BANGKOK CORRESPONDENT: Well, sadly, 30 people now thought to have died in this suicide bomb attack in a mosque that happened during Friday prayers. This afternoon, 3:00 p.m. It happened in a district called Upper Dear, which is right next door to the west of Swat District, close to where the army has been trying to fight the Taliban and push them out to the safe haven there.
At the moment, we haven't really got many more details other than 30 dead as they say and 30 or 40 people injured. And we're still waiting for more details from the police.
ROBERTS: Dan, we're also hearing that the authorities have made some key arrests?
RIVERS: That's right. They have arrested the spokesman of Sufi Mohammed. Now, he was, or is, the radical cleric who is being very pro-Taliban and...
ROBERTS: Unfortunately, troubles with our broadband connection there to Dan Rivers. But Pakistan making a number of key arrests in that mosque bombing. We'll continue to follow that developing story for you this morning.
COSTELLO: We're also following another developing story. Confusion now reigns in the search for the wreckage of Air France Flight 447. Brazilian military officials now saying the debris recovered so far is nothing more than sea trash and none of it actually belongs to the doomed jetliner.
Earlier on AMERICAN MORNING, John asked a former NTSB official about the impact of the crash on the investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER GOELZ, FORMER NTSB MANAGING DIRECTOR: The longer time goes on, the further away from the actual crash site does the, you know, the debris floats. It's just going to be terribly challenging to find where to start the search for these data recorders and the clock is ticking. You know, the batteries on these locator devices attached to the black boxes have a limited life span -- just 30 days. The depth of water is challenging but it doesn't eliminate. We've recovered boxes as deep as 6,000 or 7,000 feet. We've recovered debris from this as much as 10,000 feet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Yes, but if we don't find anything, it brings up the question, will we ever know what brought down that plane.
CNN's Jason Carroll is here now.
I mean, is there anything that any clues?
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are some. Very limited at this point. And, you know, the French officials are very unhappy with the Brazilian officials in terms how this was all handled. The French transportation minister in fact saying that extreme prudence should be used from this point on.
At this point, investigators are relying on four minutes of automated messages they received before the crash. Based on those messages, there is some new information out there about what may have caused the plane to go down off the Coast of Brazil. One possible theory, the pilot was flying at the wrong speed heading into the thunderstorm because a device called an air speed indicator may not have been working properly. In the last hour, John asked the former National Transportation Safety Bureau's managing director about that type of malfunction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOELZ: Some concern that there was a faulty speed indicator on the aircraft. And that could really be disastrous. And it's happened before. If they are malfunctioning, it can give a false read into the cockpit that can be misinterpreted and a disaster can follow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: And aviation experts say a plane that flies too slow can lose lift and crash, while flying too fast can cause a mid-air breakup. Investigators also saying the autopilot which flies the plane much of the time may have also failed.
And officials, at this point, not ruling out the possibility of foul play. Pilots in the area where the plane went down reported seeing intense bright flash erupt in the sky and reported their findings to the Spanish Civil Air Authority.
Air France also received a bomb threat last week for a flight from Buenos Aires to Paris. The plane was inspected and no bomb there was found. Also, at this point, on the way out to the region, is a minisub that the French are providing. This minisub can go to extreme depths. The same sub was used to recover artifacts from the Titanic.
So, they've got the materials and the equipment that they need to get out there. They just have to figure out where to search.
COSTELLO: Yes. They have a lot of area to figure.
I mean, where do you start? At least they are using the submarines and that's -- some hope.
CARROLL: Yes. And the four minutes of automated messages that came through, too, perhaps. That, in some way, will give them some clue. But they need those black boxes.
ROBERTS: Oh, definitely. Thanks, Jason.
Also, new this morning, President Obama in Germany today to continuing to push for a Middle East peace. But this morning, he is also making a point to remember the cost of war.
Right now, he is making his way to the Buchenwald Concentration Camp. His great uncle help liberate that. But before he left the president talked about the reaction to his historic speech in Cairo, Egypt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yesterday was just one speech. And it doesn't replace all the hard work that's going to have to be done. That was done before the speech, and it's going to have to be done in the years to come in order to just solve what has been a 60-year problem. And I'm under no illusions that, you know, whatever statements I put forward somehow are going to supplant the need to do that work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: In just a few minutes, we're going to be talking with Ahmed Yousef, by the way. He's a former senior adviser to the Hamas- led government in Gaza. He'll be joining us live from Gaza City to give us Hamas reaction to President Obama's speech to the Muslim world in Cairo yesterday. So stay tuned for that. That will be interesting. This is the first time we've ever had Ahmed Yousef on.
COSTELLO: Yes. I think that's an understatement.
ROBERTS: Yes.
COSTELLO: It will be very interesting.
ROBERTS: It will.
COSTELLO: Also new this morning, a story getting a lot of hits on cnn.com. Federal authorities searching for a man who is charged with threatening to kill President Obama.
According to a criminal court complaint, Daniel James Murray recently withdrew $85,000 from a Utah bank and then he made a threat against the president's life before leaving. He made that threat -- he told that threat, he shared it with a teller at the bank, and there are at least eight guns registered in this man's name.
Police and FBI investigators are trying to determine whether a substance they took from a suburban Seattle home is the deadly poison Ricin. Police blocked off an entire street while searching that home. We know a man who lives in the home was hospitalized with an unknown condition.
And the top story on CNN.com this morning, police in Thailand saying, actor David Carradine may have died from accidental suffocation or heart failure. The 72-year-old Carradine was found naked and hanging in his hotel room closet, his neck and genitals bound with rope. An autopsy is being conducted at a Bangkok hotel.
It's seven minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. In Germany this morning, a day after his landmark Middle East speech, President Obama repeating one of his key points. He says the moment is now to push for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We've heard reaction from Israel and the Palestinians to the president's plan for peace. This morning, we're hearing from a third critical party in the equation: Hamas.
Ahmed Yousef is a former senior adviser to Hamas. He joins us now live from Gaza City.
Mr. Yousef, thanks for being with us this morning. It's the first time we've had you on the program. It's good to have you with us.
What's your reaction to President Obama's speech yesterday and how is it being taken there in Gaza?
AHMED YOUSEF, FORMER HAMAS SENIOR ADVISER: Yes, no doubt, it was a historical speech. It was wonderful words. And the majority of people in the world, in the Arab and Muslim countries saying, it's excellent. But now the people wonder, is he ready to walk the way he talks? This is the questioning.
ROBERTS: So you're wondering if he's ready to walk the way he talks. He's also wondering if Hamas is ready to walk the walk as well. He addressed you directly yesterday. Let's listen to a little bit of what he said in his speech.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Hamas does have support among some Palestinians. But they also have to recognize they have responsibilities -- to play a role in fulfilling Palestinian aspirations, to unify the Palestinian people. Hamas must put an end to violence, recognize past agreements, recognize Israeli's right to exist.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Mr. Yousef, let's take the last part of that statement there. He said Hamas must put an end to violence, recognize past agreements, recognize Israel's right to exist. Is Hamas ready to do that?
YOUSEF: We have said this is from somebody like him, President Obama, as professor on international law, he understands that you can't ask the people who are under occupation to recognize their occupier. This is against international law. When we have our own state, a free and independent Palestinian state, then we can talk about the issue of recognition, but now we are the victims.
And the people should help the Palestinians by lifting the sanction and ending the siege of Gaza. It's too early to talk about recognition while we are suffering for the last 60 years from the occupation.
ROBERTS: So, here then is the problem, I guess, that what you -- in "diplomatese" it's called sequencing. You're looking for a Palestinian state before recognition of Israel. Israel wants recognition of its right to exist before it crafts a peace deal with the Palestinians. So is there some compromise? Is there some way to meet in the middle on this?
YOUSEF: Yes, we have said that. We need really a concrete step and see a patch on the ground. The people talking all the time. The people lost confidence in the world community because there is United Nations resolution 194, talking about the Palestinian right to return and being compensated. None of these actually United Nations resolution being implemented.
People asking the Palestinians to give concession to the occupation and the PLO and Mr. Chairman Arafat, when they signed also they have actually gave all kinds of concessions, even they recognize Israel. But why you insist now when the people look -- nothing happened to the Palestinians. Actually, they promised to have the Palestinians reinstated 2005 with Mr. Bush. But what the people have seen all the time is the Israeli aggression justified by the Americans and the world community.
We lost confidence in the world community. I think the ball now in the court of the people in the world to prove that they are really sincere about the Palestinian concern and grievances and ready to help the Palestinians to have their own independent state.
ROBERTS: Mr. Yousef, you talked about the facts on the ground. And President Obama alluded to that yesterday in his speech in Cairo as well, pointing to the Qassam missiles that are fired on an almost daily basis from Gaza into the southern part of Israel. Let's listen to what he said about that.
Actually we don't have the sound. Let me just read it. He said, quote, "It is a sign of neither courage nor power to shoot rockets at sleeping children, or to blow up old women on a bus," talking about suicide bombing operations. "That is not how moral authority is claimed, that is how it is surrendered." How do you respond to that?
YOUSEF: We have said that if you look to the figure how many Palestinians being killed during the last couple of months and how many Israeli been bothered by these kind of homemade missile. That there is no comparison, actually, between the number of the people being killed by the F-16 and Apache and also by dropping half-ton bombs on the residential area to compare it with somebody firing rockets to send signals to the war. There are people suffering from the occupation. That's what we are doing.
ROBERTS: But Mr. Yousef, those rockets are more than just -- they're not signal flares. They are explosive devices and they have killed people on the Israeli side of the border. So if Hamas really wanted to...
YOUSEF: How many people...
ROBERTS: If Hamas really wanted to...
YOUSEF: How many people killed by these homemade?
ROBERTS: If Hamas wanted to, could it put an end to these...
YOUSEF: But how many...
ROBERTS: ...Qassam rocket attacks. If Hamas wanted to, could it put an end to these Qassam rocket attacks? YOUSEF: We actually, from more than a month and there is no Qassam rocket fired on the Israeli side. We still -- the Palestinian, they have unilateral cease-fire many times. Many people being killed while the Israeli never respecting or abiding by any agreement.
When we have the cease-fire, we abide by the cease-fire. But the Israeli never fulfilled their promises or keeping their words when we have these kinds of agreements, the cease-fire agreement with the Egyptians. Even before the end of the Ten, the Israeli killed like 21 Palestinians and violating the cease-fire agreement more than 80 times.
What do we have to do? We are the people who have been having funerals every day. And we have to defend ourselves. That's what we actually -- the missing side of the piece.
President Obama, with all respect to his speech and it's an excellent speech, he didn't say anything that now is the time to lift the sanction and helping the Palestinians. They still ignoring that the Palestinians are suffering from the sanction and this has became like a crime against humanity. It's collective punishment endorsed by the people in the West.
I hope that we going to hear something positive and see again action or facts on the ground after this speech. That's what we -- the things that will bridge the gap between the Muslim world and the -- the Muslim world and the West again. We hope to see something being done in the next to few months or few days.
ROBERTS: Right. Well, President Obama says that he is going to make this a personal priority. It's obviously going to be a big story, one that we'll continue to follow. And Mr. Yousef, we'll continue to follow it along with you.
Ahmed Yousef from Hamas this morning. Thanks very much for being with us. We appreciate you coming on.
YOUSEF: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: We'll be back with a look at an Oklahoma controversy, a political cartoon in there depicts Sonia Sotomayor strung up like a pinata. We'll tell you what the critics are saying and if the Oklahoma newspaper is answering them.
It's 17 minutes past.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. It's 20 1/2 minutes after the hour. And a quick look now at the A.M. rundown and stories that are coming your way in the next few minutes.
Is Google Earth making terrorism easier? CNN's homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve investigates for us.
Issue number one is the economy. We've got some new jobs numbers out for you today. We'll bring them to you live. Also the latest unemployment numbers.
And you can't miss this. A day in the life of a trauma neurosurgeon. We're going inside Dr. Sanjay Gupta's operating room. This is "Grey's Anatomy" plus -- Carol.
COSTELLO: That's pretty fascinating.
More on a developing story for you this morning. A cartoon depicting Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor strung up like a pinata is causing quite a controversy. Some argue the cartoon published earlier this week carries a racist message. Mary Snow has more on that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Oklahoma newspaper published the cartoon titled "Fiesta Time at the Confirmation Hearing." It features Judge Sonia Sotomayor strung up as a pinata while President Obama wears a sombrero and asks elephants who are Republicans, "Now, who wants to be first?" The cartoon quickly gained attention far beyond Oklahoma.
ROSSANA ROSADO, PUBLISHER, "EL DIARIO LA PRENSA": I saw a lot of reaction. In our community, you know, people were upset about it and somewhat stunned.
SNOW: Rossana Rosado publishes New York's largest Spanish language newspaper. She's also friendly with Judge Sotomayor who's Puerto Rican. Rosado questions why a Mexican sombrero and pinata were used.
ROSADO: I do know that it's offensive, and I think that it reflects a lot of the ignorance that many Americans have about Latinos, that, you know, we're kind of -- we're all Mexican or we're all this or all that. And in the end, it's just not that funny.
SNOW: The syndicated cartoonist who drew about Sotomayor says stereotyping was his point.
CHIP BOK, SYNDICATED CARTOONIST: Since she emphasized her Latinaness and that played it up as a virtue, I thought, you know, how about a fiesta and a pinata? This is a Mexican thing, but, again, we're dealing with stereotypes. That's all kind of the joke, I thought.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not too many people are laughing in the Latino community.
SNOW: Marissa Trevino's Web site is dedicated to news impacting the Latino community. She actually comes to the defense of the cartoonist and says, "Looking at it closely, he's poking fun at Republicans, not ridiculing Sotomayor," but she still calls it insensitive.
BOK: When you tell a cartoonist he's insensitive, it's kind of like telling a basketball player he's tall. I mean, that's our job description.
SNOW (on camera): The cartoonist says his aim was to poke fun at the situation Republicans are in. Calls to the editor for the Oklahoma newspaper for comment weren't immediately returned.
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And a quick program note. Coming in October, CNN will take a comprehensive look at how Latinos are reshaping America from politics and business to our schools and neighborhoods -- "LATINO IN AMERICA." That's coming your way in October on CNN.
It's 23 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: And the taxis go round and round and round on Columbus Circle outside of our home here at the Time Warner Center, where we got light rain and 59 degrees in New York. Later on today, light rain and 59 degrees.
It's one of those days where it's just kind of like -- blah. But don't worry, the weekend is supposed to be good.
Well, these days, just about anyone can explore the Grand Canyon or downtown New York with a click of a mouse. c. Here's CNN's Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: John, Carol, if terrorists wanted to attack a nuclear plant, there is worry that enhanced technology is giving them a new tool.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCOTT PORTZLINE, THREE MILE ISLAND ALERT: These are the old satellite images and you can see this nuclear plant, it's quite blurry. This is the newest quality. It's a high quality resolution with a different angle where we can see more of a 3D layout of the plan.
MESERVE: Scott Portzline is taking us on a tour of U.S. nuclear power plants on the Internet where high resolution satellite imagery is conveniently linked with even higher resolution aerial photography. It's a tour he's afraid terrorists are taking right now.
PORTZLINE: What we are seeing here is a guard shack. This is a communications device for the nuclear plant. This particular building is the air intake for the control room. I look at this and just say, wow.
MESERVE (on camera): How hard is it to find this image online?
PORTZLINE: I found it in five minutes' time. MESERVE (voice-over): Some of the images are of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, but officials there say much of their security is not visible and they say they're not concerned.
RALPH DESANTIS, AMERGEN, THREE MILE ISLAND: Our security programs are designed and tested to defend against a threat that has insider information, even more information is available on the Internet.
MESERVE: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says old low resolution images were not a concern, but it is reviewing the new, more detailed imagery.
"We are taking another look because the security of nuclear power plants is something we take very seriously."
BRIAN JENKINS, TERROR EXPERT, RAND CORP.: I looked at these. They were extraordinarily impressive.
MESERVE: Terror expert Brian Jenkins does not believe Portzline or CNN is telling terrorists anything they don't already know. They have used online satellite imagery to plan the Mumbai attacks last November, for example. Although the nuclear industry has spent $2 billion improving security since 9/11, Jenkins believes the images of the plant should be blurred.
JENKINS: Mystery is an important component of security. This takes away that uncertainty. If I were on the defending side, I certainly would not want to see anything that detailed available to anyone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE: Chemical plants, national monuments, all kinds of potential targets are also captured on satellite and aerial imagery that can be called up on a computer with just a few clicks of a mouse. And every case raises the question -- how do you balance public information against security?
John and Carol, back to you.
ROBERTS: Jeanne Meserve for us this morning. For more on the story, you can read Jeanne's blog. Where to find it? CNN.com/amfix.
COSTELLO: We're getting a lot of good comments on our blog this morning, especially about the death of the middle-class. You know, a lot of people are asking that question. We did a story earlier and you'll see it again soon but keep them coming, CNN.com/amfix.
Twenty-nine minutes past the hour.
Checking our top stories now. It's back to square one in the search for the wreckage of Air France Flight 447. French authorities say debris that's been found is not from the plane. Investigators now believe a malfunction in the flight control system could have caused the crash. And first lady Michelle Obama has replaced her chief of staff. Jackie Norris is out. White House lawyer Susan Sher is in. The administration offering no explanation for the change. In a statement, Michelle Obama called both women her friends.
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is blasting the Obama administration's handling of the economy. The former vice presidential nominee claiming the president is planning to bail out debt-ridden states and, quote, "get in there and control the people."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), ALASKA: Since when can you get out of huge national debt by creating trillions of dollars of new debt? It all really is so backwards and skewed as to sound like absolute nonsense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Palin made the comment in a speech introducing Michael Reagan, the son of the former President Ronald Reagan, to an audience in Anchorage.
And President Obama, he is in Germany this morning. He is holding talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel and later this morning, he'll head to the site of the Buchenwald concentration camp.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: First of all, I've never traveled to one of the concentration camps, but this one has a personal connection to me. It's not only that I know Elie Wiesel and have read about his writings, it's also that -- and I've stated this before - that my grandfather - my grandmother's brother was one of -- was part of one of the units that first liberated that camp.
And I've talked about this before in the United States, perhaps not in Germany, the shock for this very young man. He couldn't have been more than 19 or 20, 21 at the time, was such that he ended up, when he returned, having a very difficult time readjusting to civilian life, and it was a memory that burned in him for quite some time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: CNN, the only U.S. TV network to send a reporter into the Buchenwald camp to give you the best possible access to the president's visit there. Later today, our Fred Pleitgen is there now, live from Buchenwald, Germany. And Fred, Mr. Obama, on his way right now. What is he doing first?
FREDERICK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, Carol, he is going take a tour of the camp here together with the German chancellor, with Angela Merkel. And the other thing that he is going to be doing which is going to be very important to him, if he's going to be speaking with survivors of the Buchenwald concentration camp here. And as you said, we've obviously been covering this story for the past couple of days and we got a tour of the Buchenwald concentration camp.
And we're actually able to speak to some people who are very close to some of the folks who survived this concentration camp here. What they told us actually, they said that some of these survivors actually feel as though the president is almost one of their grandsons because he has this relation with one of the U.S. army members who actually was here to liberate this camp. So certainly for them, this is going to be a very emotional day.
For him, of course, this is going to be a very emotional day. And I can tell you, Carol, from having walked through that camp, having seen all these things, it's a very, very oppressive place and it certainly does get you to think differently about a lot of things. Carol?
COSTELLO: I'm sure. Fred Pleitgen reporting live from Germany this morning. Thanks.
ROBERTS: Well, we got a new jobs report that just come out and it's not looking good in terms of the unemployment numbers. Our Christine Romans breaking it all down for you in just a couple of minutes. Stay with us right here on the most news in the morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
ROBERTS: Just in to CNN. A new jobs report that came out just minutes ago. Christine Romans is here to break down the numbers. And just seconds ago, you said I'm such a geek and I just love poring through these numbers and we love that thing.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Oh, thank you. I love poring through these numbers because I'm a geek and because every one of these numbers represents a person with their job and their family. So it's really important stuff. And I'm pleased to be able to report that the economy only lost 345,000 jobs in the month of May, 345,000 jobs.
In good times that's not a good number, but that is about half the rate we've been going over the last six months. So that means that the mass layoffs are slowing. And when you look within this number of how many people lost jobs, you can see that manufacturing jobs still a big job loss there again and we're expecting that to get worse because of the auto restructurings over the next few months.
But when you look outside of their professional and business services, the losses are moderating. In construction, believe it or not the losses are moderating and in hospitality and leisure, this is going to the restaurants, going to the hotels, that was almost flat for the first time since 2007, meaning for the first time since 2007, people weren't having mass layoffs at hotels and restaurants across the country. And those as we know are jobs that are supporting people who are living paycheck-to-paycheck.
Health care, jobs growth. That's been the trend that we've been seeing. Here is the bad news in this report. The unemployment rate jumped to 9.4 percent, the worse since 1983. We all know that was a really tough time. What these numbers tell us that the mass layoffs are slowing but it's still difficult getting a job and when you look at people who have been unemployed for six months or longer, the highest percentage of the population again since 1983. So we know that it's tough out there. Every one of these numbers, we know it's tough out there but there are indications that maybe the worst is bottoming here. The labor market might be bottoming.
ROBERTS: You know, even the most pessimistic economists were predicting 9.4 percent by the end of this year, and we're not even halfway through the year now.
ROMANS: That's right. And there are still people who are saying, look, this is going to get worse in the unemployment rate before it gets better. You could see 10 percent or higher this year or next.
COSTELLO: And you know, you mentioned, the big problem is how long people have been unemployed. Gerri Willis, you're going to delve into that somewhere this morning?
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: That's right. Yes. That's one of the big problem in this economy. Absolutely. The length of time that people are unemployed, 21 weeks on average. That's about five months, a little more than five months. And that figure doesn't count people who have stopped looking for work out there.
Obviously, the numbers are pretty concerning. Let's take a look at the trend. In 2006, people were out of work for about four months but as you can see the number steadily climbing out there, creeping up and up and up. So good news here, unemployment benefits have been extended and dramatically you can get from 72 to 79 weeks of unemployment. To find out what you're eligible for, call your state's unemployment office. Also they're putting 25 bucks extra in these unemployment paychecks. That is good news. And the first $2,400 of benefits are exempt from income taxes.
COSTELLO: That's a bit of a bright note although 25 bucks isn't very much But it's something.
WILLIS: It's something. And of course, you know, you're probably wondering what do you do if you're one of these -
ROBERTS: How do you cope with that long-term joblessness?
WILLIS: It's tough. And you have to find some kind of work out there. Because employers will take a look at you if you've been out of the job market for 12 months, 18 months and say, what is wrong with this person? Are they lazy or they just not working? You know, if you can't get the 40 hour a week full benefits job, you got to do some volunteer work, you got to find some other kind of work. And you have to expect a roller coaster career path in this kind of economy. Where boom or bust, your path is going to reflect just that. Also, seek out staffing firms. They specialize in different niches, and different industries and different kinds of work. So if you're looking for part-time work, contract work, find the right staffing firm to help you out. And finally you got to structure that daily schedule if you really want to stay sane through all of this, make sure you're keeping busy, schedule your time that you're going to be on the social networking sites. Set aside some time to do some research out there on the web. So you feel like you're working even though you're not getting a paycheck.
ROBERTS: All right. Gerri, thanks so much for that. And Christine, we love the fact you are such a geek about all of this. The geeks of the world unite! You have a new queen!
Forty-one minutes after the hour now.
Fans of "Grey's Anatomy" will want to stick around for a little while because we have got our very on McDreamy McGupta coming up! He takes us inside the O.R. next. Stay with us for the most news in the morning. Yes, he is a dreamy geek!
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ROBERTS: Well, I have no idea what that was.
Well, for the first time the other day, we brought you a look at our Dr. Sanjay Gupta in action at his other job, the one that is brain surgery because television certainly isn't. It was the most popular segment of the week and, today, our own neurosurgeon, our own McDreamy, our own Dr. Gupta, taking us inside the O.R. yet again. And good morning, doc.
(LAUGHTER)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Doing the live shots with you, John, actually harder than brain surgery. No question. But it is a question that, you know, that I get a lot - do you still practice? Do you still practice neurosurgery? I do. But for the most part kept this world separate but I wanted to get people a glimpse of what a day in the O.R. might be like and also some of the comparisons between medicine and media. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA (on camera): I'm going to the locker room to change my clothes. I don't suppose you guys want to come along, do you?
1-2-3.
This is my O.R. every Monday for sure and every other Friday usually as well. So I come in here. We have our team. You can see the camaraderie. Everyone knows each other. But more than just being pretty good friends, it actually really I think makes for better and safer operations. So, we're about to do a time-out. We got to make sure this is a new protocol, safety protocol in hospitals. So Carolyn is going to make sure that everything we're about to do is the right thing and on the right patient.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Time-out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody, time-out. Has antibiotics been given? We have four units of blood in the room. We have the aneurysm clip, and everything is here. Everybody agree?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I agree.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
GUPTA: This is a very big case for, you know, the residents of this hospital. So, a lot of teaching involved which is so nice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We get 50 manitol?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Manitol 5-0.
GUPTA: We make sure keep the pressure nice and high. Stop before we open the dura. I probably clipped hundreds of aneurysms, but every single one is pretty new. It's pretty challenging. So, I think as far as neurosurgery goes, this is sort of when the rubber hits the road.
Let's get a couple of brain blades in there and drill down the sphenoid. OK. Good.
The patient is going to be great. All the blood is out of her brain. Aneurysm is clipped. She's never going to have this problem again.
All right. That's good.
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GUPTA: I tell you, it is just wild still watching that on television for me. One of the things you may have noticed there, John, is something called a time-out. And we talked a lot about medical errors. This is one of the ways that we try to prevent medical errors in the operating room. Everyone literally freezes, stops what they are doing, check to make sure that the patient is the correct patient, we are operating on the right side and there is blood, there is antibiotics being given and all the instruments are in the room, so you got to see a little bit of a glimpse of how that works, John.
ROBERTS: And I tell you, Doc, it's amazing. Because I've known you for a while and we're buds but every time I see you go into that operating room, I am just in awe of what you do. I mean...
GUPTA: Well, thank you.
ROBERTS: How do you, you know, get into the zone when you go in there?
GUPTA: Well, you know, a lot of it, John, is just training. I mean, we train a long time. There's about 3,000 neurosurgeons in the country and we train for seven years after medical school. A lot of us do fellowships as well. So a lot of it is just the training but there are little things as well. You know, for example, you and I have talked about this, the fact that you listen to music in the operating room. I have music that I like to listen to at the beginning of a case. I have music that I listen to at the end of the case. There is sort of my play list for the operating room. Gipsy Kings is -- I think that's spelled wrong. That's the opening music that I like.
COSTELLO: Good catch.
GUPTA: Eddie Vedder, "Rise," that song. And Red Hot Chili Peppers in my spine cases. Post-op, Coldplay. The Killers, don't pay attention to the title of the band, but I like the song "Brightside" which is very celebratory. Not a good choice of band titles for it but things like that. Having a camaraderie with the residents and the staff makes a difference as well.
COSTELLO: It was not spelled wrong! Ha ha, Mr. Neurosurgeon!
ROBERTS: There you go. He is a brain surgeon, he is not a spelling major.
GUPTA: That's right.
ROBERTS: I have couple of other questions, too. Do you live in a trailer? Do you date Meredith, and are you going to stay friends with McSteamy?
GUPTA: Oh, John. Like I said, these live shots with you are harder than brain surgery, quite literally.
COSTELLO: I think you have some good stories though, behind-the- scenes stories that you can't share or your wife will be really mad.
GUPTA: You, too, Carol! You know what, I give you both an open invitation to come visit me in the operating room any time.
ROBERTS: I would love to do that. Doc, we really sure appreciate what you do. And seriously, I am in awe of what you do there -
GUPTA: Thanks, John.
ROBERTS: In the O.R. and love what you do on TV as well. Thanks for being with us this morning.
GUPTA: Appreciate it.
ROBERTS: Forty-nine minutes now after the hour. Stay with us.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Heroes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He shoved me to the ground and covered my mouth with his hand. When the rape ordeal was over, he plant some leaves and wiped me.
BETTY MAKONI, PROTECTING THE POWERLESS: In Zimbabwe, young girls are raped because of the myth that virgins cure HIV and AIDS.
Ten girls per day, they are raped. They meet in advocates to help them break silence.
My name is Betty Makoni. I founded an organization that raise these girls from abuse. I was sexually abused at six years and also lost my mother at nine years. After my mother died from domestic violence, I told myself that no girl or woman would suffer the same again.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
I started to provide a safe place for girls to yield from abuse. When a girl gets to the clinic, she is provided with the emergency medication, reinstatement in school. It gives them the confidence to transform from victims to leaders.
Say no to child abuse!
Say no!
Say no!
This is something I always wanted to do. It gives me a fulfillment and, in girls, I see myself every day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Live picture of Marine One just touched town and delivered the president to his waiting SUV. This is just outside the Buchenwald concentration camp. Of course, you know, the president has got a personal connection to this, Carol. His great uncle was a soldier during World War II and help to liberate one of the parts of Buchenwald so many years ago and the president is going to go off there and pay his respects.
COSTELLO: The president spoke a little earlier before arriving here, obviously. And he got very emotional when he talked about his great uncle and saving these people in the concentration camp.
ROBERTS: Right. So we should have some pictures from inside there which we'll bring you a little bit later on. There is the president right there meeting with Elie Wiesel, I believe that is.
COSTELLO: Ah. He said he knew him. He also mentioned - he also mentioned Mr. Wiesel in his remarks this morning and said that he learned a lot about World War II and what went on during the holocaust.
ROBERTS: And the president's close adviser David Axelrod there with him as well. So a little bit later this morning in the NEWSROOM, we should have some pictures of the president inside Buchenwald. So look forward to that.
Meantime, as we do every Friday, Carol has got a segment called "Just Saying." And she is here to bring us that. What's on your mind today?
COSTELLO: Yes. We will take hot button issues and we want your comments. That's the point of "Just Saying" and this topic, the hot button topic today is the middle class dying. Is it already dead? American giants GM and Chrysler are bankrupt and shuttering dozens of plants. But President Obama insists our children will grow up in a country that still makes things. But just saying -- talk to blue collar workers and they'll tell you manufacturing jobs will soon be a thing of the past. And so will they.
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COSTELLO (voice-over): Danny Borden makes things, at least he used to. He was a steel worker in Cleveland for the past 32 years.
DANNY BORDEN, UNEMPLOYED STEELWORDER: Obama, if you're looking at CNN, help the steel mills, too, man!
COSTELLO: It's a plea he knows well. Laid off more than once, he has a feeling this time he won't be going back to work.
BORDEN: Angry. I'm very angry. You know? But I just can't let the anger get to me.
COSTELLO: But that's tough because Borden feels he has not only lost his job but his economic status.
BORDEN: I don't see no middle class. I see myself as fortunate, but I really don't see myself as middle class.
COSTELLO (on camera): Just saying, is Borden right? Is the middle class extinct?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think what you have is a real fear. The manufacturing jobs that have traditionally been here, everyone knows they're not going to be there anymore.
COSTELLO (voice-over): According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 1980, 21 percent of the nation's jobs were in manufacturing. The bulk of good paying middle class jobs. Today, just nine percent of jobs are in manufacturing.
And as some economists say, that puts the middle class at a massive economic black hole. LARRY MISCHEL, ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE: You have to start creating jobs and we have to work on creating good jobs, you know, for people so that they can start earning good family pay checks and increase their consumption based on that.
COSTELLO: But Borden doesn't see that happening in Cleveland. He doesn't see a guy like him finding a job that would enable him to buy a car, a home, and raise two college-bound kids.
BORDEN: I hear everybody talking about it, but where are they at? Because they're not up here.
COSTELLO: He hears about green jobs replacing manufacturing jobs one day. But they pay around 12 bucks an hour. 60 percent less than what someone like Borden would make at the plant.
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COSTELLO: Now critics say hey, Danny Borden, it's time to move on because the world is changing but consider this. According to the Census Bureau, 72 percent of Americans do not have a college degree. 72 percent don't. Some economists think that will change one day but not for a long time, so the challenge for President Obama is how to create jobs that pay enough to keep the middle class in the middle class.
ROBERTS: Do we get some comments about this? Do we have time to read -
COSTELLO: I hope we have time. Because we ran the story earlier and we're asking for your comments on our blog site and we got a couple and I want to share them with you now. John writes "I'm now 52 and I remember my Dad telling me about 30 years ago that there will be no more middle class. Just the rich and the poor. Was it that obvious?"
Richard writes, "I try to remain optimistic, but sometimes I feel like the folks in Washington are trying to intentionally eliminate the middle class. Why, I don't know. Choose you favorite conspiracy. But I've seen my wages drops 50 percent to 60 percent in the last two years. I've sold my house because I couldn't afford it. Downgraded my car, I wonder why the folks in Washington sacrifice nothing while requiring me to sacrifice everything."
ROBERTS: Tough times out there, obviously reflected in the comments.
COSTELLO: Yes. And you know the interesting thing, some political scientists say President Obama, if he doesn't fix this problem, will have a real problem come next election with these blue collar workers, with the middle class.
ROBERTS: A gap between the haves and the have-nots growing as we speak.
COSTELLO: Big problem. ROBERTS: Good piece, Carol.
COSTELLO: Thank you.
ROBERTS: We continue the conversation, by the way, about America's middle class on Carol's blog. You can find it at cnn.com/amfix. 58 minutes after the hour.
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ROBERTS: That's going to wrap it all for us. Thanks so much for joining us on this AMERICAN MORNING. Have yourself a wonderful weekend.
COSTELLO: Oh, yes. Happy weekend. Here is Heidi Collins.
