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Biden in Baghdad; Patrick Swayze Dead at 57; Annie Le Killing not Random Act; Tea Party and Politics of Race
Aired September 15, 2009 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Closing in on a health care compromise. The senate's Gang of Six works towards a final plan, now expected tomorrow.
Federal agents raid New York City buildings. You'll hear what residents are saying about the terror investigation.
Plus, a chunk of concrete smashes into a car and a driver lives to tell the story.
Good morning, everybody, I'm Heidi Collins. It is Tuesday, September 15th, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
A lot to get to this morning, so we want to walk you through a little bit.
On Capitol Hill this morning, a major development regarding the health care debate. There's actually a bipartisan group now of senators that says a compromise bill may actually be unveiled pretty soon. So we're going to talk about that.
Also, Brianna Keilar following another measure now taking shape on Capitol Hill; it involves the Republican Congressman who heckled the president. So we'll get to her as well. Later, Democrats might actually get the final word.
And Suzanne Malveaux looks at the war in Afghanistan this morning; the deepening divisions over what the president should do next.
An unannounced arrival in Iraq: Vice President Joe Biden touched down in Baghdad a short time ago. This is actually Biden's second trip to Baghdad now since President Obama made him the administration's point person on Iraq back in June.
CNN's Cal Perry is joining us now on the telephone with more on the Vice President's agenda. Cal, good morning to you.
CAL PERRY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Good morning, Heidi.
We expect that he'll be meeting with both the President of Iraq and the Prime Minister and the head of the Kurdish Regional Council. This is something that Joe Biden has taken on big time as a portfolio to try to smooth over the relationship between the Arabs and the Kurds up in the north. He touched down about 45 minutes ago. There was a brief stopover in England, where they re-fueled. He met with some airmen there. There's an attachment of Air Force Airmen.
One of the interesting things about this visit is whether or not Joe Biden will actually see his son. His son, Beau Biden, is a captain in the reserves out of Delaware. And when he was here last July, Beau Biden actually kind of slipped over to Camp Victory and had a reunion with his father.
It'll be interesting to see if the father and the son will be able to do that again on this trip -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. Cal Perry we're going to stay on top of that once again, covering the visit of Joe Biden there. We sure do appreciate it, Cal. Thanks.
The battle over health care reforms: could a compromise be brewing? A bipartisanship group of senators, the so-called Gang of Six, is expected to unveil a negotiated measure tomorrow. Democrat Max Baucus, the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, predicts there will be, quote, "significant bipartisan support." Negotiators have shaved down the cost of the bill to $880 billion over ten years.
Now, Baucus says the full Finance Committee is set to begin debate on the proposal next week. The Finance Committee is, of course, a critical hurdle. If the bill is approved there, it can then be taken up by the full house and senate.
The issue of health care reform has stirred a lot of passion and fuelled quite a few Tea Party protests.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're on our way to Washington...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: But has a small minority of these protesters turned to race- baiting? We're going to take a closer look and you can judge for yourself.
The health care debate also has stirred a deep passion on Capitol Hill, as you would imagine. And as we saw last week, the president addressed a joint session of Congress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The reforms -- the reforms I'm proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally.
REP. JOE WILSON, (R) SOUTH CAROLINA: You lie!
OBAMA: That's not true.
(END VIDEO CLIP) COLLINS: Today that Congressman, Republican Joe Wilson of South Carolina could face a formal scolding and CNN's Congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar is joining us now with more to explain.
All right Brianna, so what could happen here to Representative Wilson?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we are expecting there to be this vote on a resolution of disapproval, Heidi. House Democratic leaders, they met last night. They scheduled this to happen today. We're not expecting it to happen until this afternoon.
You'll recall that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the day after Congressman Wilson heckled President Obama, she said that he'd apologized, basically, it's time to move on and talk about health care. But a number of Democrats felt very strongly that some sort of message needed to be sent, including Jim Clyburn, also of South Carolina, as is Congressman Wilson, he's the number three Democrat in the House.
And Wilson, for his part, has said that he apologized. He did last week, in a written statement, also in a call to the White House. But what these Democrats really want and what they've said they wanted is an apology on the House floor. They have not gotten that.
Listen, yesterday, to what Congressman Wilson said when he did take to the House floor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILSON: During my 25 years of serving the public in the state Senate and Congress, I have not seen such passionate events full of patriots 95 percent of whom support health insurance reform, but not a government takeover.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: So instead of Democrats wanting -- hearing an apology, which is what they want, they heard Congressman Wilson talking about, really, the success of the town hall meetings. And he called the people who came to his town hall meetings patriots.
That was certainly not what they wanted to hear. He has been adamant that he has done saying sorry, he's not going to apologize again. And Republicans for their part while they say they don't back his conduct they say Democrats are trying to score political points by having this vote on a resolution of disapproval.
For their part, Democrats saying that this is not an issue of scoring political points. A spokeswoman for Congressman Clyburn saying, this is about not -- if you don't address the issue, it sets a precedent for bad behavior -- Heidi.
COLLINS: But what does it all really mean? I mean, he did address the issue. We all know he did apologize to the president and I wonder -- it seems like it's still out because, I don't know, politics are involved. Yes or no? KEILAR: That's not really my place to say certainly...
COLLINS: Well, I mean, as far as what you're hearing and of course on Capitol Hill.
KEILAR: Well, that's what Republicans are saying. Democrats say that's not the case. What they'll tell you, is if during the course of being on the House floor and not when the president is speaking, but just any time you're on the House floor and it's in session, if someone were to have an outburst, if they were to get personal and call someone a name, which happens from time to time, Heidi, the Democrats or whoever is in charge really would move to strike that from the Congressional record.
And they're saying that, normally, the member who had the outburst would apologize. There hasn't been an apology on the House floor. So this is, essentially, Heidi, though, a slap on the wrist. This is not -- there are many different degrees of what they could do or attempt to do here, and this is really the least severe of their options.
COLLINS: All right, very good. We'll stay on top of it, obviously. Brianna Keilar thanks so much from Capitol Hill this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was scary. To know something like terrorist is like so close to you. It is a shock. It's a big shock.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very scary, very scary. Very surprising. Luckily, it stopped. Got raided, I mean, that was good. I mean, we're safe for now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Neighbors are breathing a sigh of relief after federal agents with the Terror Task Force raided several buildings in New York. They were carrying out search warrants in Queens as part of an ongoing investigation. It is unknown how many people were taken into custody.
New York Senator Charles Schumer talked about the severity of the threat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER, (D) NEW YORK: There were some rumors that a terrorist act was imminent. That is not true. Second, there was some speculation that the raids were related to President Obama's visit to New York, because they occurred at the same time. That is not true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Two other sources tell CNN, now, the timing of the president's trip was taken into consideration.
Hollywood loses a star; a wife loses her husband of 34 years. We are remembering Patrick Swayze this morning.
I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Severe Weather Center -- excuse me. We have flooding rains across Texas that are slowly moving to the east. Where is that going next? And is Fred totally dead yet? Weather's coming up in a few minutes.
CNN NEWSROOM is coming right back.
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COLLINS: As an actor, he would not be typecast. In death, he's being remembered beyond his movies for his love of family and his fight against cancer. Patrick Swayze died yesterday at the age of 57.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PATRICK SWAYZE, ACTOR: Nobody puts Baby in a corner. Come on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: He played the romantic leading man in movies like "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost" but he also played a doctor in an impoverished Indian village in "City of Joy" and a drag queen in "To Wong Fu: Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar." And "Road House" with Swayze as a bar manager became a late-night cable cult classic.
Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March of 2008, but was still acting earlier this year in a TV series "The Beast." In a January interview with ABC's Barbara Walters, Swayze lashed out at the tabloids for reporting he was near death.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SWAYZE: I have the meanness and the passion to say, "To hell with you, watch me." You watch what I pull off. All of these years, I've never reacted to them, I've never had issues with them, but when they start -- when they start screwing with people I love and they start screwing with my family. You know, hope is a very, very fragile thing in anyone's life and the people I love do not need to be having that hope robbed from them, when it's unjustified and it's untrue.
BARBARA WALTERS, ABC ANCHOR: There have been reports in the tabloids, recently, that, quote, you were saying, "You're on your last legs, you're saying goodbye to your tearful family."
SWAYZE: Am I dying? Am I giving up? Am I on my death bed? Am I saying goodbye to people? No way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Swayze is survived by his wife of 34 years, Lisa Niemi (ph) and his mother, Patsy.
Here's some information now about pancreatic cancer from the National Cancer Institute. It's sometimes called the silent disease because early pancreatic cancer often does not come with signs. But as the cancer develops, symptoms can include pain in the upper abdomen or upper back, yellow skin and eyes and loss of appetite.
This year, an estimated 42,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the United States with more than 35,000 people dying from it. To find out more about the disease, including treatment, go to www.cancer.gov.
Police say the killing of Yale University student Annie Le was no random act and the medical examiner expects to have more information later today. Our Mary Snow tells us, students on campus are still trying to make sense of what's happened.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NATALIE POWERS, ANNIE LE'S ROOMMATE: She was always kind, generous, honest -- oh, caring and the list just keeps going.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Natalie Powers speaking out for the first time about her roommate, Annie Le. Yale students held a vigil just hours after authorities confirmed their worst fears.
The body found Sunday lodged inside a basement wall at a Yale research facility was Le, a 24-year-old PhD student who stood at 4'11 and weighed 90 pounds.
POWERS: She was tougher than you'd think by just looking at her. That this horrible tragedy happened at all is incomprehensible, but that it happened to her, I think, is infinitely more so.
SNOW: As one professor put it, there's the sense there's a murder among us and Yale's president tried to assure students.
RICHARD LEVIN, PRESIDENT, YALE UNIVERSITY: We're doing all we can to ensure your security across the campus.
SNOW: The president of Yale said there were a limited number of people in the basement that day and they were known to authorities. To get inside the building, students tell us IDs like these need to be swiped.
SUMAYVA AHMAD, YALE MEDICAL SCHOOL STUDENT: Obviously, this person probably had access to the building. So it makes you very wary of people that you're around and work with.
SNOW: But Annie Le herself wrote an article for a university magazine in February on how not to become a crime statistic in new haven. Adding to the anxiety on campus, Yale officials say the building where Le's body was found is a newer one and had top-notch security. More than 70 cameras were trained on the building and its surroundings.
Officials also say they have images of her as she walked several blocks from another building to the lab where she was killed. But a Yale official says there were no cameras in the area where her body was found and that has shaken some fellow graduate students.
YAN HUA, YALE RESEARCH STUDENT: I think most of us work very hard here. We work during the night and also the weekends, also. So there are not too many people around. (END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: And Mary Snow is joining us now. Mary, good morning to you.
How much progress are police actually making on an arrest in this case?
SNOW: Well, Heidi, good morning. All indications are that authorities are closing in on an arrest and it's not because of what police are saying. It's what they're not saying.
Yesterday, officially police here in New Haven were shooting down any reports that a suspect was in custody. This morning, we're here at the New Haven Police Department, officially police are not giving any statements.
COLLINS: All right. Well, we know that you're following it closely, Mary. Let us know if anything should develop there. Appreciate that.
The shoe thrower goes free: surrounded by a crush of supporters, the man who threw his shoes at President Bush now talking about being a hero.
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COLLINS: Time for a quick check of our top stories now. The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at then-President Bush walked out of prison earlier this morning. He offered no apologies after his release. Instead, saying he saw his chance and didn't miss it. He's been in prison for nine months.
President Obama, on the road this morning and apparently in full campaign mode. He'll focus on two of his top priorities, health care reform and the economy. He'll tour a General Motors plant in Warren, Ohio. He says it is rehiring workers, thanks in part to his "Cash for Clunkers program. Then he'll speak to union workers at the AFL-CIO convention in Pittsburgh. And finally in Philadelphia, he'll attend a fund-raiser for Senator Arlen Specter, the long time Republican who became a Democrat earlier this year.
Support is at an all-time low for the war in Afghanistan. A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll released this morning says 39 percent of Americans approve of the war. It's a big drop from the 53 percent who supported it in April. Fifty-eight percent now oppose the U.S. action in Afghanistan.
Of course, we always like to poll the Heidi show viewers directly. We love to hear from you guys. Want to know this morning. Do you support the war in Afghanistan? And we'll be giving some of those responses to you a little bit later on. Tell us why or why not as well, if you would.
Just go to cnn.com/Heidi, right over here, and you'll see my picture there. Also, a bit of a synopsis of that poll we were just telling you about for support from Americans in the Afghanistan war. Once again, cnn.com/Heidi and put your thoughts there. The health care debate has stirred a lot of public anger and protest, as you know. Now a disturbing question hangs over the Tea Party rallies for some people. Has a small minority of those protesters turned to race-baiting? CNN's Elaine Quijano takes a closer look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Within the larger Tea Party movement that's gained steam across the country, a small but passionate minority is also voicing what some see as racist rhetoric, including this doctored image circulating on the Internet and even some protesters' signs, like this one in Brighton, Michigan, portraying President Obama as a witch doctor.
We took to the streets of Washington to get reaction.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's disrespectful to the office of president to portray him in this manner. It's racist.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is appalling.
QUIJANO: Just how prevalent were the protesters carrying racially charged messages? Difficult to quantify. CNN all-platform journalist Jim Spellman spent weeks covering the Tea Party demonstrators as a whole.
JIM SPELLMAN, CNN ALL-PLATFORM JOURNALIST: Only a handful of people seemed to outwardly have racial issues with the president. But the more you talk to people, you could sense that it was part of a larger distrust.
QUIJANO: for their part, Tea Party leaders disavowed any racist views.
MARK WILLIAMS, TEA PARTY ORGANIZER: I saw very little overt racism or anger, and those were on the fringes and were marginalized.
QUIJANO: they want attention focused on the role and reach of government into people's lives, but say that controversial protesters have the right to speak their mind.
WILLIAMS: Part of America is that there are people who are bigoted. And, you know, you're never going to convince them not to be. You don't have to embrace them, but in this country, you can't shut them up, either.
QUIJANO: Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page sees the Obama presidency as a chance for some to lash out.
CLARENCE PAGE, "THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE": People are not just mad at Obama, they're mad at Jesse Jackson, they're mad at Reverend Wright, they're mad at Al Sharpton, they're mad at people who have nothing to do with Obama, except they all happen to be black.
QUIJANO: Page says the vehemently racial resistance that's emerged is another sign any notion of a post-racial society after Barack Obama's election was wishful thinking.
PAGE: It's only the beginning of the process that we are able to live with leadership that may not look like us, may not come from the same background as us, but is still part of this very diverse society.
QUIJANO (on camera): Mark Williams, the Tea Party organizer we talked to notes there's been inflammatory rhetoric and statements at events like anti-war protests in the past, burning flags and hanging effigies, he says. His point, that like other grassroots movements, the Tea Party protesters are a cross-section of America.
Elaine Quijano, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Let's head over to Rob Marciano now in the Severe Weather Center. And it looks like, at least from what I can see there, rain, in the south? Yes? Not Texas again, I hope though.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: No, we're for moving it out of Texas, although there's still a chance of seeing some leftover showers in Dallas later on today. But most of the action is moving east. But it's really spreading out and fingers of this low rotating around reaching as far east as the Smokey Mountains.
Getting a little more expansive, but not moving any quicker. And because of that, a threat for flooding is going to exist today for a good chunk of the Southeast. Namely, I think it's going to be mostly southern Arkansas, northern Louisiana, and then stretching up into parts of northern Mississippi.
Some of these thunderstorms are going to be resulting in some heavy rain and there are flash flood watches that are posted for this area not only through today, but right on through tomorrow afternoon.
Kind of a cool shot. This is the Memphis tower camera. A little bit of a green thing going on. That's not entirely because of the sky, but just probably the camera there. Dolly Parton Bridge, I just want to point that out. You have some rain on the way for you my friend in Memphis. So definitely bring along the rain gear if you're heading outside tonight.
There's the rain shield, again, expanding off to the east and picking up moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. Also notice that the cold air is going to be rotating in from Canada, into the northeast. Today's highs will be in the 80s but tomorrow's highs in New York City will be 66 degrees; so definitely some chilly air.
Mentioned Fred a few minutes ago; well, this is what's left over of Fred. Not quite dead yet. National hurricane center still keeping an eye on it, it is drifting this way. So we'll watch it as well, still several days away but just wanted to point that out, because Fred just doesn't want to completely go away.
COLLINS: I know. It's a hang-arounder. All right Rob. Thanks so much. (CROSSTALK)
COLLINS: We'll check back later. Thanks.
The 1998 bombings at two U.S. embassies in Africa and the deadly 2002 blast at an Israeli hotel in Kenya; for years, a top suspect has been running free, until now.
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COLLINS: The opening bell, right there for you. All-American Rejects (ph) going to give you help on Wall Street today, ringing the bell.
And also today a new report shows Americans were in the buying mood last month. Let's see if investors now are in a buying mode, that will be great. Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange with a look ahead -- hi, there, Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. Today, the President of the United States on Wall Street yesterday and gave the All- American rejects.
COLLINS: I'm not saying anything.
LISOVICZ: Neither will I.
Let's talk about retail sales. I'll tell you, it prompted stock features to turn higher and we're seeing some nibbling in the first few seconds of trading. Retail sales surged nearly 3 percent last month after falling in July.
Three words, why retail sales jumped, Heidi Collins. You got a clue there?
COLLINS: Absolutely.
LISOVICZ: Cash for Clunkers.
COLLINS: Clunkers.
LISOVICZ: Oh, yes. That is the big reason. Along with higher gas prices, electronics, appliance stores and department stores all posted gains as well. A sign that maybe shopper are gaining some confidence.
COLLINS: Yes.
LISOVICZ: Well, it will be a while, probably, before we can confidently say the retail sector has turned around, because we do have Best Buy posting a 22 percent drop in quarterly profits on lower sales.
"Toys R Us," meanwhile, trying desperately to gain market share. It's setting up 350 temporary stores. It will keep those mall-based pop-up stores open, of course, during the holiday shopping season. Toys R Us hoping to catch some of the spending that went to now defunct KB Toys. Finally, there are reports that Citigroup is trying to get the government out of its board room. Citi and the government discussing how to reduce the government's 34 percent stake in the bank. Possibly selling some shares as early as next month. The government pumped $45 billion into Citigroup. It will be nice to get some of that back.
Checking the early numbers, well, those nibbling, well, not really happening. We're seeing very, very modest losses. And remember, those losses turned into modest gains at the end -- by the end of trade yesterday.
COLLINS: That's right. Very good. All right, Susan, we'll check back with you later on. Thanks.
An important hearing just now getting under way on Capitol Hill. Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen is set to testify in front of his Senate Armed Services Committee. His nomination hearing now for a second term as the president's top military adviser. The majority of his testimony is expected to focus on Afghanistan, as you might imagine.
The chairman of the committee, Senator Carl Levin, there you see him, has become an outspoken opponent on the current strategy there.
Afghanistan also the focus of a new CNN Opinion Research Corporation poll just out this morning. It shows support for the war in Afghanistan at an all-time low. Just 39 percent of Americans say they favor the war, 58 percent oppose it.
Here's the support by the political -- by political party now -- 62 percent of Republicans are in favor, 39 percent of independents and 23 percent of Democrats. Those numbers for Democrats, even lower than they were just two weeks ago.
CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is joining us now to talk about this a little bit more.
What is the White House actually think about those numbers, Suzanne?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: This is going to be a very tough sell for the White House. And what was interesting, Heidi, you take a look at those numbers, the Republican support for the war in Afghanistan really took a nosedive and that's why you see those numbers declining.
One of the things that the White House is doing is that they are trying, essentially, to debate and figure out what to do next. There is a fierce debate that's taking place inside of this building, inside of this White House.
The president has said before that the goal is clear -- to disrupt, dismantle, defeat al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But Robert Gibbs, the press secretary says, look, we're not going to be rushed into this, that there's going to be weeks and weeks to basically take a look at all of the alternatives.
We know that one of those possibilities is an increase in troops.
COLLINS: Right.
MALVEAUX: We know that some people inside the White House are quite fearful this could be mission creep or nation building. They want to make sure they've got a very clear mission ahead.
That's why you're going to see them take their time and there is that question, Heidi, whether or not this is going to make an impact on the president's political agenda, the ability to get things done and potentially even turn into a one-term president.
I want you to take a listen to what he said on CNBC.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you reflect on what happened to Lyndon Johnson and worry the same might happen to you?
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I think that you have to -- you have to learn the lessons from history. On the other hand, each historical moment is different. You never step into the same river twice. And so, Afghanistan is not Vietnam, but the dangers of overreach and not having clear goals and not having strong support from the American people, those are all issues that I think about all the time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: And, Heidi, I had a chance to talk to an analyst with the Center for Strategic International Studies who said Afghanistan looks very different now than it did eight years ago. Unclear whether or not al Qaeda is really centralized in that country, whether or not it has spread regionally, not so much targeted in that particular area.
So, there are questions about whether or not there should be that kind of resources all poured into Afghanistan and setting up the war there.
COLLINS: Well, of course, we'll be continuing to follow that for quite some time. Certainly. And as we see Admiral Mike Mullen on Capitol Hill this morning, as well, we're going to be listening into that.
And the president is also heading back out on the road today. What's he going to be talking about?
MALVEAUX: Two different stops. We're talking about Lordstown, Ohio. That is where he's going to be at a GM plant. That is where he's saying that, look, his cash-for-clunkers program was a success. The money that was lent to that auto plant actually worked and has turned around and actually bringing workers back to work next month.
He's then heading to Pittsburgh. That's where he's going to speak before AFL-CIO, obviously, to push for it on health care reform with labor leaders. COLLINS: Yes. All right. Well, we'll be watching all of it. Thanks so much, Suzanne Malveaux in front of the White House for us this morning.
After years of hunting for a top al Qaeda operative, American forces think they've finally caught up with him in Somalia. Our David McKenzie joining us now live from Nairobi in neighboring Kenya.
David, remind us of who exactly we're talking about here.
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Heidi.
It's been a dramatic daytime raid according to officials, taking on this man. It is Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan. He is a wanted terrorist by the FBI. He's toward the top of the FBI wanted list. He's wanted for a number of terror attacks including an attack on a Mombasa hotel in 2002, which killed scores of people, and a botched attempt on an airliner. He's also wanted for questioning on the 1998 -- those two attacks on the embassies in East Africa.
But we are hearing that he has been killed. It would be a major victory for the U.S. forces should such a high-level al Qaeda operative been taken out -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Very good. All right. We'll stay on top of this one alongside you from Nairobi, Kenya. David McKenzie, thank you.
Your college student's phone calls home running up your bills and what about those enormous book fees? There are things you can do about to rein in some of the college costs. We're saving you money now.
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COLLINS: Checking top stories now.
The nation's terror alert system could change. Associated Press reporting now a task force is expected to recommend reducing the alerts from five to three colors or three threat levels. The review also determined the government needs to be more transparent about its reasons for raising or lowering the levels. The bipartisan task force reports its findings to the Obama administration.
A shocking upset at the U.S. Open men's final. Look at that. Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro knocked off top-seeded Roger Federer in a five-set, four-hour match. It was the 20-year-old del Potro's first grand slam final and the first time he has beaten Federer. Federer, plagued by spotty serving, fell short in his bid to win the Open for the sixth straight year.
Very exciting.
A year in turmoil. That's the name of the conference where Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is speaking at just about 20 minutes from now. And turmoil is the right way to describe all that happened after Lehman Brothers toppled exactly one year ago. Expect Bernanke to reflect on the financial crisis and the actions taken to stop the free fall. The conference is at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.
Remembering the fear and uncertainty one year ago when Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy. But the United States wasn't the only country reeling after the banking giant collapsed. It also had a ripple effect on financial institutions and markets all over the world.
We have correspondents in some of those countries. Let's begin with Adrian Finighan in London.
ADRIAN FINIGHAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Here in London, the collapse of Lehman Brothers was the precursor for a wave of unprecedented financial turbulence. The nationalization of RBS, the rescue of HBOS by Lloyds TSB and the subsequent bailing out of Lloyds TSB which found that it had bitten off more than it could chew. Property values slumped by as much as 20 percent. Unemployment rose steadily while interest rates fell to record lows.
AL GOODMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Al Goodman in Madrid outside an unemployment office where the lines are much longer than a year ago. And you're seeing this right across the nation. Spain's jobless rate, 18 percent, the worst in the European Union. 4 million Spaniards out of work, and that's 1.5 million more than just a year ago when Lehman Brothers collapsed. The financial crisis cut down Spain's booming construction industry and hundreds of thousands of new homes are still unsold. Spain's tourism industry caught a deep chill and along with every other sector is shedding jobs. These lines are expected to stay long for a long time to come.
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Robyn Curnow in Johannesburg. And on the streets of South Africa, or in fact across the whole continent, many people believe that Africa would be relatively insulated or at least shielded from the full impact of the global economic meltdown.
How wrong they were? Because at the beginning of the year, it became clear that although the impact was, indeed, delayed, it was no less severe. Growth rates across the continent dropped, so much so that it's estimated 8 million to 10 million more people fell into poverty, and it also probably led to at least 50,000 more children dying. Now, to make matters worse, tourism also fell, commodity prices dropped, and demand fell, which all hits trade across the whole continent.
COLLINS: Speaking of your expenses and your money, college expenses go far beyond tuition costs. Think books, meal cards, and nights out. But there are ways you and your kids can put a lid on spending.
CNN's personal finance editor, Gerri Willis is here with today's "Saving Money Now" segment.
All right.
So, Gerri, where do we start?
Yes, that's right. There's the books, there's the food, the phone calls home, and the beer.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Right.
Yes. But, you know, it's not all pizza and beer there, Heidi. You know --
COLLINS: I know.
WILLIS: ...college students spend nearly $1,000 a year on textbooks. But there are a growing number of options out there. First, get your used books online. Check out half.com and campusbookswap.com. These days, you can even get e-books downloaded to your laptop for half the price. And don't rule out international editions. You can look on sites like Aidbooks.com.
Don't forget to resell your books when you're done either. That way you can recoup some of the cost.
Heidi?
COLLINS: Oh, cool.
What about reducing those phone calls at home?
WILLIS: Right. That's a big one.
Well, get the best discount phone plan you can. A great place to go, billshrink.com, where you can input some of your usage information. There could be a plan out there that could save you a couple of dollars a month, and that's definitely worth looking into.
You can even tap the power of the Internet to cut your phone bills. Companies like Vonage and Skype use Voice Over Internet Protocol or VOIP technology to offer potentially cheaper phone services. So that's definitely worth looking into.
COLLINS: Yes, sure.
Entertainment, as we know, big expense, especially for college kids.
Any ideas on this?
WILLIS: Well, let's talk about free, right?
COLLINS: Yes. That's a good deal.
WILLIS: Everybody loves free.
Check out free online video games at popcap.com or poco.com. For free TV and movies, head to ovguide.com.
You'll find a list of TV and movie sites, including Hulu.com and fancast.com.
With music fans, hey, go over to Pandora.com or Slacker.com for hours of free tunes.
COLLINS: Wow, nice. What advice do you have about credit cards? Do you give your college kid a credit card? Do you give one in your name?
How should people be handling that?
WILLIS: Well, you know, guess what. Often you don't even have that option because your college student gets it on campus, right, before you even have that conversation. But they're not going to be doing that anymore starting next year.
Until then, though, you want to make sure you avoid the free T-shirt and pen marketers, offer kids to sign up for a card. We want kids to build up a solid credit histories, you want to do your homework and find a card with a low interest rate, and the best terms available. There are special student cards designed specially for college students. Go to cardratings.com or creditcards.com for more info.
But mom and dad can also help with this, and sort of keep a lid on spending by also being on that credit card as well.
COLLINS: Yes, yes. All right, great ideas.
Thank you, Gerri. Sure do appreciate that.
WILLIS: My pleasure. Good to see you.
COLLINS: Good to see you, too.
Cars zipping along the turnpike, a falling piece of concrete, a disaster waiting to happen in Massachusetts.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: I want to get this out to you right now.
Our Pentagon correspondent, Chris Lawrence, is on the line with me to tell us a little bit more about the vice president, who is sort of on a surprise trip, as we speak, in Iraq.
Chris, tell us what you know.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, Heidi, it was somewhat of a surprise to all of us in the Press Corps. We didn't even know where we were going and we weren't told until we were wheels up from Andrews Air Force Base. And we were told we were coming to Iraq.
The vice president has now landed in Iraq, expected to meet with top Iraqi leaders, including President Jalal Talabani, Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki, and also as well, some of the leaders from the Kurdish regional government up north.
That is a very important distinction, because there's been rising tension between the Kurdish government up there and the Iraqi government over oil, over land. The vice president going to meet with leaders of the Iraqi government and the Kurdish area up north. Also, going to be meeting with some enlisted men, some soldiers that are stationed here in Iraq, and some of the top commanders. Some of the questions that we'll be having for the vice president will be the possibility of perhaps drawing down another brigade of troops from Iraq to bolster the effort in Afghanistan.
Heidi?
COLLINS: All right. Very good. I would ask you more, but I think you're finding it out sort of as you go there.
Chris Lawrence, sure do appreciate that, coming to us while traveling with Vice President Biden in Iraq today. We'll keep our eye on that for you.
(VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Remembering Patrick Swayze. The actor who starred in pictures like this "Dirty Dancing," also "Ghost" and "Roadhouse" died yesterday from pancreatic cancer. He was 57.
Despite his success as a romantic leading man, Swayze sought to stretch his career with some offbeat roles. In fact, it's one of the biggest topics people around the world are following online today.
Our Josh Levs has been watching all of this and joins us now with a little bit more.
Hi, there, Josh.
People are really sad about this.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are. Yes, they're really moved. You know, to a lot of people, he was an icon.
Do you have a favorite Patrick Swayze --
COLLINS: Well, you know, I'm torn. It would definitely be "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost," somewhere in the middle.
LEVS: Yes.
You know, we've been asking that today and almost all the women are saying, "Dirty Dancing," "Don't Put Baby in the Corner," something like that.
COLLINS: Yes. Our producer is very, very excited about that.
LEVS: And all of the guys are saying, I agree. The pottery scene in "Ghost," great stuff.
COLLINS: Yes.
LEVS: Here's the thing.
It is actually the number one story that some of the people are looking out. Let's zoom in here. It's our top story on CNN.com.
What I want to do now is jump over to something that we have. We're linking you to this. At "Life" magazine -- Life.com.
You know, they have incredible photography. And they have this really beautiful spread that we link you to here through his life, when he met his wife, some time he spent with other celebrities.
You can see some of the work he was involved in. Famous shot there from "Ghost," all of that at Life.com. Also, this is interesting. In addition to our story, we have a time line for you that takes you through parts of his career, key moments in his career including this, which, of course, will mean so much to a lot of people if I can get it. The "Dirty Dancing," 1987.
It's not opening. Oh, well, you can see when you get there, CNN.com.
And we've been reaching out to people. We've been saying what are your thoughts today? What do you want people to remember about him? So let's zoom back in. I'm going to show you what people have been writing us here in the NEWSROOM.
Check this out. At Facebook, we got this.
This is from Deborah Thompson, "Just like in Dirty Dancing, I hope he's having the time of his life in heaven."
Jonathan Canales -- oh look at this one, check it out. "I think Patrick Swayze gave men a reason to dance and bar fight in equal measure. You will be missed."
And let's jump over here to Twitter for a second. We got this tweets. "Swayze appeared to be the most decent man anyone could hope to be."
So obviously a lot of people thinking of him today. We're also now opening up our iReport page as well. We look forward to getting iReports from you. Also the CNN blog. It's all here.
So let's go to that graphic, and went to see the various places you can weigh in throughout the day. We're following you here. You got blogs CNN.com/josh, will get you there. Also in my Facebook and Twitter pages. A lot of people posting their memories.
Also, Heidi, a lot of you are posting YouTube links or links to photos or their favorite fan sites. That kind of thing.
A lot to check out, CNN.com throughout the day as we look back on this man's life and career.
Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Very good.
Josh, thanks so much.
An awful lot going on this morning. In fact, CNN crews are in place to break it all down for you. Let's check in with our correspondents beginning with Deb Feyerick now in New York.
Good morning to you, Deb.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. Well, investigators are trying to find out whether in fact there was a bona fide threat or whether federal agents may have jumped the gun.
Heidi?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN GENERAL ASSIGNMENT CORRESPONDENT: I'm Brianna Keilar on Capitol Hill, where Democrats are planning a vote to essentially give Congressman Joe Wilson a verbal slap on the wrist. A public slap on the wrist. Republicans say it's politics. Is it? I'll have details coming up.
LISOVICZ: And I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange, where we're keeping an eye on your tax collars. This is one of the biggest recipients of TARP funds may be preparing to pay us back.
Heidi, more on that in the next hour.
COLLINS: All right. Great.
We'll check in with all of you a little bit later on.
We will also look at the latest scandal to hit ACORN. The community- based activism group under fire and firing back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: The law says don't drive drunk, even if you're driving a motorized scooter. This is police dash cam video now. Police say this Milwaukee man was drunk when he took a spin on the freeway on a motorized scooter he borrowed from a friend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you doing on the freeway, man?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm trying to get off.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he's going to take him for his number 5 right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does this count?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: When tested, police say he blew three times over the limit. He already has four prior convictions for drunk driving.
Thank goodness he wasn't in a car. Falling from above. A chunk of concrete smashing a woman's windshield. It dropped from a Massachusetts turnpike overpass in Austin. Some of the concrete landed on the driver through her sunroof. She had only moments to deal with the shock.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARGARET GARVEY, HURT WHEN CONCRETE HIT CAR: All of a sudden it sounded like an explosion and before I knew it, all the rock -- tons of rocks had come through my windshield and through my sunroof, which was open and landed on me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: She has minor injuries, believe it or now. For now crews have a temporary fix on the damaged overpass.
Time now to check some of our other stories happening in the news today. Police in Baltimore say a college student claims he was just protecting himself this morning when he killed an intruder with a Samurai sword. The John Hopkins University student cut off the intruders hand and slashed his upper body during a struggle. Prosecutors have not decided whether to file charges in the case.
The defense get started today in the trial of a Kentucky high school football coach accused in the death of a player last year. The coach is charged with reckless homicide after the player collapsed and died after a rigorous practice.
Britain's Prince Harry turns 25 today. The youngest son of Charles and Diana is now entitled to part of his inheritance. He gets the interest income from the money his mother left him when she died in 1997. He will be entitled to the whole amount when he turns 30.
President Obama on the road this morning and apparently in full campaign mode right now. He's on his way to Ohio, and then he has stops in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. He's focusing on two of his top priorities, that's health care reform and the economy. He'll also help raise money for a long-time Republican.
In fact, there's a lot of ground to cover here. White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux here to walk us through everything that will be happening today.
Hi, there, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Well, hey, there, Heidi.
The first stop the president already leaving the White House. He is heading to Lorton, Ohio. That is where General Motors plant is there. He's basically highlighting this place, wants to show that this is a success story. This is a place where just a couple of months ago GM and Chrysler, they had declared bankruptcy and then said they were out of bankruptcy after about $48 billion in U.S. loans to those auto companies. This is a place that is going to bring back about 1,000 workers or so to start a new line, a new production line, they say thanks to the Cash for Clunkers Program. Those federal dollars able to turn in and exchange those cars.
And that they also say as well, that loan, that money from the federal government helped turn things around. They are restructuring, becoming leaner and meaner. This is all a part of what the president is trying to do when he's talking to the American people, talking to workers saying, look, I understand the economic situation. I understand people are worried about their health care, but that things are getting better. This was part of his message at least, Heidi, when he went to Wall Street just yesterday.
COLLINS: All right.
