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Bid for 2016 Summer Games; Geneva Talks "Constructive Beginning"; Prisoners Traded for Video

Aired October 02, 2009 - 10:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To host athletes and visitors from every corner of the globe is a high honor and a great responsibility. And America is ready and eager to assume that sacred trust.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: President Obama lobbyist-in-chief.

This morning he made his pitch to bring the Olympic Games to an American city in Chicago; wears its heart on its sleeve and its hopes on its skyline.

Well, now the countdown begins. Less than three hours from now, we'll learn which of these four cities will host the 2016 Summer Games. We have CNN crews around the world following all of the developments.

First up: Ali Velshi in Chicago and Ed Henry in Denmark. Let's begin this hour with Ed and President Obama's pitch to the International Olympic Committee, the IOC. Good morning, Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Heidi.

Absolutely this was a strong final push from the president, clearly, trying to make a big difference here. He realizes that in recent years various nations have won the Olympics by sending in leaders like Tony Blair and then Russian President Vladimir Putin making the final pitches. That has been the difference maker.

So the president came in but he also had a not so secret weapon: his wife, the first lady.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HENRY: After flying through the night for seven hours, the president arrived in Copenhagen for just four hours. Immediately joining forces with First Lady Michelle Obama to help make the final pitch for Chicago and the U.S. to host the 2016 Olympics.

B. OBAMA: There is nothing I would like more than to step just a few blocks from my family's home with Michelle and our two girls and welcome the world back into our neighborhood. At the beginning of this new century, the nation that has been shaped by people from around the world wants a chance to inspire it once more.

HENRY: But his wife stole the show with a speech that tugged at the heartstrings.

MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: In my dad's early 30s he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. And as he got sicker it became harder for him to walk or let alone play his favorite sports.

HENRY: Mrs. Obama spoke emotionally about her father getting sicker but still teaching her how to play sport while propping himself up on crutches.

M. OBAMA: My dad was my hero. And when I think of what these games can mean to people all over the world, I think about people like my dad. People who face seemingly insurmountable challenges but never let go, they work a little harder. But they never give up.

HENRY: It also wouldn't be Chicago without lobbying from the mayor.

MAYOR RICHARD M. DALEY, CHICAGO: We want to share our city with the world. We want to welcome people from all nations. You have my commitment that Chicago will work every day for the next seven years to be an Olympic City that you and the world would be proud of.

HENRY: But the final word went to the president who is still talking about his wife's remarks as he wrapped up the arm twisting.

B. OBAMA: Well I did not know -- it made me miss home just looking at those videos.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you feel your accomplished what you set out to do?

B. OBAMA: I think Chicago could not have made a better presentation. Obviously now it's up to the IOC members but we are just grateful for the incredible hospitality. And I'm proud (INAUDIBLE) the mayor and my whole crew. The only thing I was upset about is they arranged for me to follow Michelle that's always been.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HENRY: Now, we're going to kick the drama up to another notch. An hour from now, that's when those secret ballots are going to start being filled out by the 105 International Olympic Committee members who get a chance to vote. They're going to be doing all of that behind closed doors.

We're not going to learn the final results until just after 12:30 p.m. Eastern time, maybe close to 1:00 p.m. even depending on how they dribble this out. The president and the first lady will be on Air Force One still when they get the results -- Heidi. COLLINS: Yes and speaking of Air Force One, Ed, there's a lot of other news going on if you will and issues that the president is needing to give his attention to. We've got health care. We've got Iran and now of course, the continuing discussions about possible troop deployment and more troops being needed in Afghanistan.

There was a meeting with the top commander of Afghanistan and the President himself today on Air Force One?

HENRY: That's -- that's right. General Stanley McChrystal; and what's interesting is the Republicans have been criticizing the president in recent days for not having a face to face meeting with his commanding general on the ground in Afghanistan.

They have done secure videoconferences and what not including Wednesday when the president was in the White House Situation Room for three hours trying to go through every possible option about the days ahead in Afghanistan; whether or not to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan as General McChrystal wants.

So the president clearly trying to diffuse that controversy because General McChrystal happened to be in London. So he was in Europe at the same time. He had given a speech, they flew him to Denmark so he can go on Air Force One. They had a 25-minute meeting.

We're told there's no decisions coming out of that meeting but this is just another example of how the president very meticulously is going through this to figure out whether or not he's going to send more troops to Afghanistan and a lot of pressure on him right about this decision -- Heidi.

COLLINS: And obviously part of that strategy is the timing of it all.

All right. Ed Henry, we sure do appreciate it.

HENRY: Absolutely.

COLLINS: Coming to us live from Copenhagen, Denmark.

In Chicago the clock is ticking and the tension is building. One center of the excitement will be the local landmark of Daley Plaza. Right now people are starting to gather for the buildup to the announcement. It will be shown live at the events.

But it's also worth pointing out that public opinion is divided in Chicago. Some locals want to seize the world stage and others are afraid of footing the bill.

CNN's chief business correspondent Ali Velshi joining us now to explain more on that front; hi there Ali.

ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hey Heidi, getting loud a little here since the last time we talked. Thousands of people have now appeared at Daley Plaza right here in downtown Chicago; a really smart venue too because this announcement is going to take place right around lunchtime in Chicago.

So a lots of people around. You can see these signs. Chicago 2016. That's a Picasso statue with a medal on it. Most people here around me clearly want the Olympics to come to Chicago. But polling shows that there are a substantial number of Chicagoans who think that the money can be spent better elsewhere and it might have a detrimental effect.

It's a mixed message. Take a listen to some of the people I've talked to.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIDANA CARTER, CHICAGO RESIDENT: My mother would pack up some food and we would have blankets and she'd say we come and sleep in the park.

VELSHI: A smile lights up in Nidana Carter's face as she remembers the nights her parents would take her and her sisters to spend the night in Washington Park, a huge space with more acreage than Washington's National Mall.

But that smile disappears when talk shifts to Chicago possibly winning the bid to hold the Olympics and of plans to build an 80,000- seat stadium in Washington Park over the very spot Carter slept under the stars as a child back in the 60's.

CARTER: The biggest negative is the cost. There's no city that has had the Olympics that hasn't spent more than 20 years paying for it.

VELSHI: That's not true of every Olympic city. But there's more.

CARTER: Then is the displacement. This displacement is going to hurt a lot of people.

VELSHI: Carter is among those who don't want the Olympics because they think thousands of low income Chicagoans will be moved out to make room for construction of new sports venues. But the city has said all along that won't happen.

They say the sheer size of Washington Park plus the fact that the athletes village is planned for an abandoned hospital means the city can construct enough new venues without forcing renters out of their homes and Olympic bid supporters say it'll bring in the type of construction that this city needs to put people back to work.

TOM VILLANOVA, CHICAGO BUILDING TRADES: We're talking about an initial $4 billion in construction so there will be an affect across the board for all 24 trades that I represent.

BOB KERSEY, CHICAGO RESIDENT: I really don't see any reason why we shouldn't get it. I'm all for it.

VELSHI: But some people will be moving out. Developers not necessarily affiliated with the Olympic bid are anticipating a property boom and they've offered south side homeowner Bob Kersey money to sell his childhood home regardless of whether Chicago wins the bid.

And if the city is victorious, Kersey gets a bonus.

Can you tell me what that bonus was?

KERSEY: No, I can't tell you that. I wish I could. But I can't tell you that.

VELSHI: Most Chicagoans according to a new poll support the bid but that doesn't sway the city's many opponents. No one has offered Nidana Carter a bonus and she says she's not leaving whether or not the Olympics come to town.

CARTER: They will drag my cold dead body out and my ghost will hurt them. That's the way it's going to work. I'm not going. I'm staying.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELSHI: It's pretty strong opinion. They're going to drag her out and...

COLLINS: Yes.

VELSHI: ...and her ghost is going to hunt them.

Bottom line is all of those arguments are done for now. The only argument or arm ringing that's going on is in Copenhagen now as these votes start to get casts and as that develops over the next couple of hours.

At this point everybody gathered around here and this crowd is going to get a lot thicker, Heidi, over the course of the next hour. Everybody here is here to see and hope that Chicago wins the 2016 Olympics -- Heidi

COLLINS: All right. Ali Velshi, we'll be watching. Thanks so much. I appreciate that from Chicago today.

And we are talking about Chicago's Olympic bid on our blog today. We want to hear from you. Do you think Chicago should be the host city for the 2016 games or should one of the other cities win? Just go to my blog, CNN.com/Heidi and let me know what you think.

And you can stay with us for the live coverage of the IOC announcement. We are going to find out the winning city during the noon hour Eastern.

A powerful typhoon is headed for the Philippines. Thousands of people who live in danger zones along the coast are evacuating today.

Meteorologist Rob Marciano is tracking the path of typhoon Parma in the CNN Weather Center now. Rob, how does it look?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, the bad news here is obviously is because last week they had -- it wasn't a typhoon at the time but they had a strong tropical storm Ketsana...

COLLINS: Yes.

MARCIANO: ...that came on board and dumped all that rain in a short amount of time.

So the key with this is, how fast is it moving and what direction is it moving and where is it going to make landfall? The center of it right about here and you can see the trajectory of it is to the northwest at about eight miles an hour. And this is generally the forecast.

So it will make landfall in the Philippines here over the next 24 hours or so. Right now it's the equivalent of a Category 4, 3 or 4 storm and it's forecast to come onshore as a Category 3 storm. So that will bring in damaging winds, yes, but not so much to the populated area of Manila.

How much rain it brings to Manila is a bigger question. Right now forecasts are for anywhere between two and four inches of rainfall on top of all of the flooding they had last week.

All right. A little bit closer to home, here's what we're looking at today. A cool front pressing off to the east; this spawns some showers and thunderstorms that have become weaker. It will bring in some cooler air behind us and drier but not until I think later on tomorrow.

Here's tomorrow's forecast map. That means northeast I think will be on the wet side of this thing at least for tomorrow. Sunday looks to be a little bit drier.

All right, international hot air balloon fiesta happening in Mexico begins tomorrow. Chilly there today; temperatures in mid 40s right now, a bit of a breeze. But we always like to give a shout out to our friends who live in New Mexico. And you know don't like me to see that a full shot there.

All right Heidi, that's the latest from here. Back over to you.

COLLINS: All right, very good. Rob thank you.

Now, the death toll from this week's earthquake and tsunami in the south Pacific is rising. Officials now say 168 people were killed when massive waves triggered by the quake slammed into the Samoan islands in Tonga. Relief supplies are pouring into the region. The Samoan government is planning a mass burial for victims next week.

Iran and the U.S. sit down for a face-to-face talks for the first time in decades; at issue, Iran's nuclear ambitions.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Will the U.S. ever be able to declare victory in Iraq? A top U.S. military commander is doubtful. Army General Ray Odierno expressed that concern to reporters at the Pentagon. Odierno says he would like to draw down U.S. forces at a faster rate than planned if the security situation allows. About 123,000 troops are there right now. President Obama wants all combat troops gone by next August.

The president spoke with the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan before Obama left Copenhagen. Today's meeting with General Stanley McChrystal aboard air force one was the first face to face meeting between the two men since McChrystal took command.

The president has been conferring with top aides on the next strategy for Afghanistan and McChrystal believes tens of thousands more U.S. troops are needed to win the war.

President Obama is calling the Geneva nuclear talks with Iran a constructive beginning. The rare session was the highest level bilateral contact between Iran and the U.S. in years.

CNN's foreign affairs correspondent, Jill Dougherty, reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: At crucial talks in Geneva between Iran and the U.S. and its big power allies, the Obama administration's pledge to engage with its enemies swings into action. A pledge to meet again in a one-on-one meeting out of camera range during a lunch break between a top U.S. diplomat and Iran's chief negotiator.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today's meeting was a constructive beginning. But it must be followed with constructive action by the Iranian government.

DOUGHERTY: It's a dramatic detour from the path George W. Bush traveled on Iran.

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: States like these and their terrorist allies constitute an axis of evil.

DOUGHERTY: Is it a breakthrough? Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calls the talks productive but she's treading carefully.

HILLARY CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We've always said we would engage but we're not talking for the sake of talking. We're not involved in a process to say that we can check a box on process. We want to see concrete actions and positive results and I think today's meeting opened the door but let's see what happens.

DOUGHERTY: Critics of engagement warn Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may be trying to simply run out the clock. One Iran expert cautions the longer talks with Iran continue, the more pressure there may be on President Obama. KARIM SADJADPOUR, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: If after weeks and months of meeting with the Iranians there's no headway, we've not seen any signs of compromise by the Iranian government, I think there's going to be a lot of pressure on the Obama administration to justify these conversations if they are simply an exercise in futility.

DOUGHERTY: And on that point, President Obama says he and his allies will not negotiate indefinitely.

Iran has agreed to cooperate fully with the United Nations and allow its inspectors full access to Iran's secret uranium enrichment facility. And Mr. Obama says they must do that within two weeks.

Jill Dougherty, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: An alleged extortion attempt revealed against funnyman David Letterman and the suspect works for CBS.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Here's a quick check of our top stories now, U.S. troops killed in both wars. The military says an American was killed in a grenade attack in eastern Afghanistan today. And a U.S. soldier was also killed in a mortar attack at Baghdad's Camp Liberty yesterday. Both names are being withheld until their families have been notified.

A CBS employee accused of trying to extort $2 million from late night host David Letterman is expected to be in court today. Robert J. Calderman (ph) is facing charges of attempted grand larceny. Letterman revealed the alleged plot on his show last night and he admitted he'd had sex with women on his staff. Letterman also testified before a grand jury about those liaisons.

A debate continues today in the Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill. The panel is working to strike a compromise deal on health care reform. We're going to keep an eye on the discussions and bring you any developments as they happen.

A national rollout of the H1N1 flu vaccine is moving ahead of schedule. Federal health officials say manufacturers began shipping the nasal spray earlier this week. Some 600,000 doses will be distributed to 21 states in several major cities by Tuesday. The nasal spray is recommended for people ages 2 to 49 with no existing health conditions.

The leaders of cities and countries have made their cases; now the Olympic Committee is getting ready to cast their secret ballot. Find out more in a live report from Copenhagen.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: We have some of that breaking news in fact right now: Israel has gotten proof of life of a captured soldier in the form of a videotape. It was part of an unprecedented trade with Hamas.

CNN's Kevin Flower joining us now live from Jerusalem with more on this story. Kevin, tell us what you know.

KEVIN FLOWER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, today a videotape was delivered to the Israeli government by German mediators and in this tape which was just released a short time ago on public television here, it shows Gilad Shalit -- it's the first time that Gilad Shalit has been seen in over 3 years. He was captured by Hamas and other militants in a cross border raid three years ago.

This news is big news here in Israel. Lots of people anxiously awaiting or hoping that a deal can be reached for his release at some time soon.

COLLINS: Kevin, take us back if you could just briefly here a little bit more about the release of the 19 Palestinian female prisoners. That obviously was what this deal was all about and both sides deciding that they would compensate a little bit here.

FLOWER: Exactly. What's going on here is that when Gilad Shalit was taken in 2006, there were -- negotiations were started almost at the time he was taken. And what Hamas and some of the other militant groups in Gaza are hoping for is to have Palestinian prisoners released, as many as they possibly can.

And there's been back and forth on that issue for years about how many prisoners would be released for Gilad Shalit, et cetera. So today under German and Egyptian mediation a deal was reached for 19 female Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for this proof of life video.

Now, these 19 female prisoners, 18 went to the West Bank and one to the Gaza Strip; they'd been serving for various offenses charged by the Israelis from one to seven years. This is also being seen as a victory by Hamas who is eager to show its populace in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank that they can bring prisoners home -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes. An awful lot going on here, in fact, behind the history of all of this. We also understand that Benjamin Netanyahu may actually -- the Israeli Prime Minister, may actually be in the room of this group of people who is going to screen this video?

FLOWER: Well, what happened today is actually the tape was released to the Israeli government a number of hours ago. There's a group of security officials who were the first to watch the tape.

They gave the green light for the go ahead for release of the Palestinian prisoners and then that tape was delivered to the Prime Minister's office here in Jerusalem. And at the same time it was brought to the Shalit family so it was the family in consultation with the government who actually gave approval for this tape to be aired publicly.

We didn't know until just a short time ago whether or not this tape would even be released publicly. And there's a lot of debate within the government, within newspapers about whether it should have been.

COLLINS: Understood. All right, Kevin Flower. We sure do appreciate that. Thank you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I urge you to choose Chicago. I urge you to choose America. And if you do, if we walk this path together, I promise you this. The city of Chicago and the United States of America will make the world proud.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The clock is ticking. The voting for the host city of the 2016 Olympic Games is minutes away. We'll know the winner in the noon hour. CNN International sports anchor Pedro Pinto is in Copenhagen where the big announcement will be made.

We know a lot about Chicago. Who should the city fear? Who is kind of knocking on their door if you will?

PEDRO PINTO, CNN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ANCHOR: Oh, Rio de Janeiro is knocking on that door pretty loud, Heidi. Chicago should fear that three-letter word, and that's Rio. The Brazilian put together a pretty sentimental pitch, as would you expect from a Latin bid, and they said, "Give South America a chance. Let us show you that we can do it," because South America never hosted the Olympic Games before. It's gone to Europe, Asia, North America, but never to South America and they really want to have that chance.

Chicago, obviously, has the know-how and the experience but it seems like Brazil and Rio are trying to play to the hearts of the IOC members that will make that decision, Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, well, you know what? We'll all be watching. No doubt about it. Just about an hour and a half away or so. So, Pedro Pinto, we sure do appreciate it. Live from Copenhagen this morning.

For the first time, the heads of state or government of all four Olympic bidding cities were on hand for final presentations to the Olympic Committee. Here's a look at the bidding process for you now, in case you were wondering how this works. The order of presentations are determined by IOC drawing lots and candidate cities are asked to provide information on their nation's political structures, election plans and per capita income.

The International Olympic Committee members vote by secret ballot, and then the host city is announced by the IOC president.

So, the 2016 Olympic Games. Is chicago going for the gold or going for broke on this one? There are many Chicagoans who want the Olympics to come, and there are others who really say it's too much of a burden, economically and for some other reasons as well.

So, we are wondering what you think about this. Do you think Chicago should actually be the city that wins in 2016 for the Summer Olympics? Let's look at what some of you had to say.

This person says, "Brazil is hosting the World Cup in 2014. Makes sense to host the Games in Brazil." This person says, "Yes, of course, Chicago should win. Chicago is a microcosm of the world and celebrates diversity."

And finally, "Hello, Heidi. My opinion of Rio de Janeiro should be the host of the Olympic Games in 2016. Rio has a better chance, mostly because the Games never have happened in that city. They are well prepared and deposited a lot of effort into that dream of theirs."

Thanks for your comments, everybody. And make sure you stay with us for live coverage of the IOC announcement. We'll find out the winning city during the noon hour, and you can see it here in the NEWSROOM.

Chicago has some big plans to go for the green if it is chosen to give out the gold in 2016. Felicia Taylor is in New York with a look at some of the Second (ph) City's Olympian "Energy Fixes." Felicia, good morning to you.

FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. Chicago 2016, the bid committee calls it the "blue-green games." That's a detailed effort to minimize impact of the games on the environment, which is a good thing, and includes major plans for energy efficient and renewable energy technology.

Here's some of the highlights. The Olympics will be powered by 100 percent renewable electricity. That'll mean the installation of new wind farms or solar collectors. So, additionally, all generators used will be 100 percent powered by biofuels.

The plan also aims to offset the carbon footprint caused by transportation. So, all of event ticket will come with free access to mass transit, and that'll encourage spectators to use public trains and buses. The committee wants to offset emissions caused by increased travel to Chicago during the games, as well. So, it will do this through the Chicago Climate Exchange. That's a local cap-and- trade system, which is what they are calling it.

The ambitious green plan also calls for what the committee is labeling as "crowd farms." This is a special flooring system that takes the energy generated from human steps and then converts it into electricity. I think this is fascinating. It will be used with areas with high foot traffic like event venues, obviously, and train stations and public transportation. So, foot traffic equates into energy. Heidi?

COLLINS: OK. Got it. Are some of the proposals unique to Chicago, or are other cities coming up with creative energy fixes if you will, too?

TAYLOR: Well, big plans for each candidate city include a section called "Environment and Meteorology." All four cities have plans to cut emissions, obviously, build new green spaces or plant trees, which every city is planning to do.

Chicago's Blue-Green Plan is the most comprehensive, though, in terms of proposals. Rio has a bid to call for just 45 percent of electricity to come from renewable sources. Not the 100 percent that Chicago is promising. Chicago is on the top of the list. Worth noting is that if Chicago does not get the bid today, it still plans to implement a scaled-down version similar to those in the Olympic bid. So, even if they don't get the bid, they're going to the green approach.

COLLINS: Well, yes. Seems like they should whether the Olympics come or not. Some people would argue that, anyway, yes?

TAYLOR: Well, and we've had a number of cities in the United States in terms of U.S. Olympic cities. It wouldn't be a surprised if we saw it go someplace else, but thank goodness Chicago is still on the green in terms of moving forward.

COLLINS: I like the crowd farm idea. Interesting. Felicia, thank you so much. Appreciate that.

TAYLOR: Thank you.

COLLINS: More than a quarter million jobs lost last month. It's more than analysts thought. So, is that news having a ripple effect on Wall Street? We're headed there for an update in just a moment.

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COLLINS: Look at our top stories. Michael Jackson's autopsy reportedly shows he was in relatively good health for a 50-year-old man. The Associated Press reports that Jackson's heart was strong and his kidneys and major organs were normal. The coroner found the anesthetic Propofol was administered to Jackson without any medical need. You recall, Mr. Jackson's death was ruled a homicide with Propofol listed as a contributing factor.

A deadline for the King siblings. The children of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. have until Wednesday to reach an agreement in their ongoing legal battle or face a civil jury trial. Bernice King and Martin Luther King III are suing their brother, Dexter. At issue: whether he acted inappropriately as head of the corporation that controls their father's estate.

A chilling account of kidnapping and rape from an alleged victim. Elizabeth Smart, now 21, told her story yesterday at a court hearing for her alleged attacker. She testified he raped her three or four times a day, and threatened to kill her if she yelled or tried to escape. Smart was held captive for nine months after being kidnapped from her home in Utah in 2002. She was 14 years old.

On Wall Street, investors have been gearing up all week, for today's jobs report but they didn't get what they wanted. For only the second time this year, jobs losses rose from the month before. Susan Lisovicz is on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange now with the latest check of the job market and numbers on Wall Street. Hi there, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. We know the jobs market is lousy, and it took a turn for the worst last month. A total of 263,000 jobs were lost. And that sounds so clinical. Let's just say for each job, a person lost their job. The human toll is incalculable.

This is the 21st straight month where the U.S. economy has shed jobs, and the unemployment rate rose, as expected to 9.8 percent. Last time we saw a rate that high was 26 years ago. Of course, a lot of people will tell you that number as high as it is, is even higher when you calculate the number of people working part-time because they can't find anything full-time, or just simply dropped out of the workforce altogether. That underemployment rate, as we call (ph), is 17 percent.

Look at what's happening on Wall Street, Heidi. You didn't want to even see me or talk to me after we had the opening bell. Look at what's happened. We were expecting a far worse open -- triple-digit losses. The Dow's actually turned positive. One reason why may be this. As lousy as that jobs number is, a huge chunk of the losses came from the government.

Now, a job is a job is a job. Okay. That's one thing. But the fact is that the private sector, when you look at it, the private sector losses may not be as bad. In other words, the private sector may not be as bad as what you think when you see that number because the government was shedding jobs as well. That's thinking, and that may be why the market is taking it better than one might think. We've also been down for a number of days as well, Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes. Down 200 yesterday.

LISOVICZ: Correct. The worst loss we had seen in several months.

COLLINS: Yes. All right. Let's hope for not a repeat. Sure do appreciate it. Susan Lisovicz, thank you.

LISOVICZ: You're welcome.

COLLINS: Brazil has a message for the International Olympic Committee. Choose Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Games. We'll travel to the sunny South American city in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Chicago residents gathering in the Windy City right now, awaiting word on whether their city has the winning bid for the 2016 Olympic games. Live pictures for you. We're watching, too, and will bring you live updates as we get closer to the announcement which happens in the noon hour.

But there are three other international cities in the running, too. Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Madrid round out the top four, and Rio may actually be among the frontrunners. CNN's Shasta Darling (sic) is joining us now from a watch-party in Rio De Janeiro.

So, I guess that things behind you are getting pretty crazy as we get closer and closer to this announcement.

SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, you know, I'm having trouble hearing you. What I wanted to tell you is I'm here on Copacabana Beach, where Brazilians are coming out in numbers to hear this announcement live.

They set up big screens behind us. They have actually declared that it's a public holiday in the city. People aren't going to school. They aren't going to work. They're turning up right here on the beach.

This has been one of the points that Rio has pushed. Their people are passionate about this. They want it, and the motto is "Our Time Has Come."

Of course, here are also some downsides to the Rio bid and security, traffic and whether or not Rio can really get together the budget are some of the questions that people have. We even went (INAUDIBLE) to talk to police about what they think, and they have taken over what used to be gang-controlled drug areas and turned them into checkpoints.

They say given the personnel, given the time, they can bring things under control. They have a few years to do it. But for now this is about enthusiasm, passion, like I said motto here as things get rolling is "our time has finally come." Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. Shasta Darling (sic), things are getting fired up there in Rio de Janiero, obviously. Thanks so much.

And Olympic rally is also on in the Spanish capital of Madrid. Organizers say the city is ready to open its hands and hearts to the 2016 summer games. Members of the International Olympic Committee visited Madrid last may. This week, Spain sent its king and queen to Denmark for the final royal pitch.

Tokyo also vying for the Olympics in 2016. But it is considered an underdog in all of this. CNN's Kyung Lah is joining us now live from Japan's capital city. Don't tell anybody there that they're the underdog, right, Kyung?

KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You may call them the underdog, but this city says don't count it out yet. They do have the sake ready to get flowing just in case. You can see what's happening behind me with a bunch of guys with suits, but they are also hoping to be celebrating shortly.

This is the viewing party where they are expecting to be named the host city for the 2016 Olympics. Some of the things Tokyo has going for it, it's a compact venue. All of the Olympic venues are within about a five-mile radius.

There's a lot of money in the bank. About $200 million reserved so far. They expect to have by 2016 about $4 billion for this Olympics. So, they are really hoping that the Olympics committee will look at that. The hard figures, and every venue that exists already, Heidi, to bring the Olympics here.

But something that Tokyo does have going against it: Beijing is it just host Summer Olympics, and to have another Olympics hosted by a city in Asia -- that's a knock and something that's very difficult to overcome. And also public opinion here as far as support -- a little low. About 70 percent. That's considered low for a host city.

But, at least here in this room, they are anxiously awaiting the announcement, and hoping that the news will be good. Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. Thanks so much. Kyung Lah, thanks so much.

You can stay with us for live coverage of the IOC announcement. Remember, we'll find out the winning city during the noon hour right here on CNN.

A mass burial is planned for victims of this week's tsunami in the South Pacific. The death toll there has climbed to 168. Most of the victims died on the Samoan Islands, which were engulfed by massive tsunami waves triggered by the quake.

Anguish and disbelief in Indonesia after an earthquake flattened entire communities on Wednesday. U.N. officials say at least 1,100 people were killed. As many as 3,000 more may be buried under rubble. Landslides also claimed many victims. CNN's international correspondent Arwa Damon has that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Where we are standing there literally used to be three villages, but 90 percent of the residents are dead, killed in a landslide that was caused by the earthquake. You can still smell the stench of dead bodies here because, according to local officials, at least 200 to 300 people are believed to be buried underneath this thick mud beneath our feet.

We spoke with some of the survivors. Most of them weren't even in the area when it took place which is the only reason they're still alive. One old woman telling us she was buried up to her chest and had to dig herself out. Eight of her family members are dead.

Everybody in shock. We spoke to a young man who talked about how his home used to be on a cliff and now there is nothing that remains of it. He was only able to find a motorcycle that used to belong to his family. Four of them dead that had been swept away. He found that further down.

These are very difficult times for everybody. Search and rescue teams have been here. The army just arrived today. So far, despite all of their efforts they've only been able to dig up 25 bodies. And it does seem with each passing day, the devastation caused by this earthquake is only just beginning to be appreciated as the death toll in Indonesia continues to rise. Arwa Damon, CNN, outside of Pragon (ph), Indonesia.

COLLINS: Let's take a moment to get over to Rob Marciano now from the severe weather center with more on what is happening basically the same area, right, Rob?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's on that side of the International Dateline, to say the least. They've had their fair share of problems from Samoa over toward Indonesia, those two earthquakes, and subsequent tsunamis. And now the Philippines, which was in the news last week because of the tropical storm that turned into a typhoon, Ketsana, dumping all that rain in a short amount of time in highly populated city of Manila, and this is our next typhoon.

You know, it's been a very quiet year for tropical cyclones globally, and the Philippines just can't catch a break. It's at 135 miles an hour. Decreasing in intensity just a bit; forecast to go in that general direction. As a matter of fact, I think I have the forecast up here somewhere. There it is.

Forecast coming ashore as a 3 or 4, equivalent thereof across the northern coastline of the Philippines. Missing Manila, but Manila will get a fair amount of rain from this and that's going to be the issue. If they get over 4 or 8 inches of rainfall on top of what they've already had, they just can't take it.

(WEATHER FORCAST)

COLLINS: All right, Rob. Thanks so much.

MARCIANO: You got it.

COLLINS: No home, no job, no hope until now. We'll tell you about a program that's putting people on a career path in broadcasting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A TV show is not only providing important information for the homeless, it's giving some of them jobs as well. CNN's Chris Welsh looks at how one man was able to turn his life around.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS WELCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This cable access TV show may have the look and feel of a typical local program, but one thing is very different.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) It's a service that provides free voicemail service to low-income and homeless individuals.

WELCH: "Voices for Change" is a show produced and presented by people who are or have been homeless. Among them, this man. Show director Ron Kennebrew (ph).

(off camera): Tell me where you were, say, a few years ago? RON KENEBREW (ph), SHOW DIRECTOR, VOICES FOR CHANGE: I was in prison.

WELCH (voice-over): But when he got out, he moved to Minnesota to start a new life. Easier said than done.

(off camera): Did you end up homeless?

KENEBREW: Yes. Last year, I stayed a few days in a motel, and my little pocket money was exhausted, and so I found myself homeless, but not without hope.

WELCH (voice-over): He was homeless for months and in a Minnesota winter. He would sometimes ride the city buses all night just to keep warm. He still spends most of the nights in a shelter, but these days, Ron Kenebrew says he's on a better path.

KENEBREW: To do something positive with my life with what I have left.

WELCH: Which is exactly what led him and others in his position to the studios of the St. Paul neighborhood network.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Phil is in the shot right now.

WELCH: They're part of a program created by Pastor Luis Alvarenga, a former TV and radio reporter from El Salvador, now with St. Paul's First Lutheran Church. He provides hands-on training and ideally, a skill they can use to improve their life situation.

LUIS ALVARENGA, PASTOR: Eventually have a future, a job, a sense of belonging. A sense of worth.

KENEBREW: I could learn how to be a cameraman, and how to edit and how to operate the control room.

WELCH (on camera): I spent a few days with these guys now, and the studios they work in are just as professional as just about any studio you may have ever seen. And what we have in here is the control room, which just like in other studio situations, is the nerve center.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your audio's good...

WELCH (voice-over): It's where you will usually find Kenebrew. What he's learned here may be the beginnings of a new career path. He's already producing freelance videos for a small paycheck. This one featured on the station's YouTube channel.

KENEBREW: This is giving birth to an idea that I would want to reach out and aspire to be a cinematographer.

WELCH (off camera): Does the fact that this centers on homeless issues make it more rewarding in some way?

KENEBREW: Yes, it does, because I came out of that community. I'm wanting to make a success story out of a situation of despair.

Cut!

WELCH (voice-over): Whatever your definition of success, this is at least one step in the right direction. In St. Paul, Minnesota, Chris Welch, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: I'm Heidi Collins. Have a good weekend, everybody. CNN NEWSROOM continues with Tony Harris.