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Pakistan Army Fights Taliban in South Waziristan; Afghan Election Crisis; Wall Street vs. Main Street

Aired October 19, 2009 - 10:59   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. It is Monday, October 19th. And here are the top stories for you in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Fraud allegations in the Afghan election. Investigation results are just in. How this could influence President Obama's decision on U.S. troop levels.

Flu cases on the rise. H1N1 vaccine deliveries running behind. An emergency room doctor has advice on protecting your child from the flu.

And northern exposure to tough times. Tourism is down, unemployment is up, as the recession reaches Alaska.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Decision time nears for President Obama on the pressing question of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Senator John Kerry in the war zone with a clear message for President Karzai -- his leadership crisis must be resolved before the U.S. can commit more troops to battle.

Across the border in Pakistan, the fight against the Taliban rages right now on a number of fronts. The top U.S. war general, David Petraeus, is in the Pakistani capital as clashes intensify.

Let's get right to the fight. Our Reza Sayah joins us now from Islamabad.

And Reza, good to see you.

We had a phone conversation this morning about the fight going on right now in the tribal region of Waziristan. We've put together a series of maps here of the region. I'd like for you to explain to us the strategy of the Pakistani army to fight the Mehsud group in South Waziristan and why this offensive is so important to General Petraeus and the U.S. military.

REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, first off, let's talk about South Waziristan and Pakistan's tribal region along the Afghan border, because things could get confusing there.

South Waziristan is one of seven districts in the tribal region, and it's the headquarters of the Pakistani Taliban. Their leadership is there. And it's the Pakistani's government position that 80 percent of the suicide attacks taking place on Pakistani soil are launched from South Waziristan by the Pakistani Taliban.

That's why they're targeting this particular location. Their strategy is to put 28,000 troops in this very severe mountainous area, encircle the Taliban, and beat them to a submission.

Keep in mind, since 2004, they've tried similar offenses. They failed each time. This time they insist things are going to be different.

Now, let's talk about things from a U.S. perspective.

HARRIS: Yes. Yes.

SAYAH: From Washington's perspective, any offensive targeting the Taliban in this region is a good thing. Washington is convinced this is the hub of jihadi activity. They believe al Qaeda is here plotting the next attack on U.S. soil. They believe if al Qaeda wants to train, plan and launch attacks, they do it from here.

But it's important to note that the two militant groups that are causing the most problems for U.S. and NATO forces across the border in Afghanistan are the Haqqani network in north Waziristan and the Hekmatyar network in another part of the tribal region. So, these two groups are not in South Waziristan. So, even if the Pakistani army has success in this offensive, Tony, these two other groups are going to remain intact.

HARRIS: Terrific.

All right. Our Reza Sayah for us in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Reza, appreciate it. Thank you.

Checking the wire now.

Senator John Kerry back in Afghanistan today. He cautions against raising U.S. troop levels too quickly in Afghanistan when the country hasn't completed its election. Kerry tells CNN the presidential crisis must be resolved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: In my judgment, the most important thing here is legitimacy as we go forward. President Karzai needs to have legitimacy in his country with his own people, and obviously with the global community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And other stories on the wire now.

Police at the University of Connecticut are searching for a killer after a star football player was stabbed to death outside a homecoming dance. Huskies cornerback Jasper Howard had been awarded the game ball just hours before the attack. Police say this does not appear to be random, and they are looking for suspects and witnesses. Meantime, the community and Howard's teammates trying to cope with the loss.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DESI CULLEN, UNIVERSITY OF CONN. FOOTBALL PLAYER: We will do what it takes to not get through this, but to grow from it, because we're not just going to get through it. We're going to take something -- every single player on the team will take something away from this experience, and we will all grow from this experience and become better men because of Jasper.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Howard was 20 years old and lived in Florida. He was about to become a dad.

In Chicago, a street fight involving two to three dozen young people leaves a teen girl injured, so severely she may lose an eye. Police report four arrests. A witness tells WGN it started after another girl refused to buy drugs and a group of teens attacked.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At least 35, 40.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Golf clubs, baseball bats, 2 x 4s. They jump at the car (ph).

MAXINE CLAUDIO, WITNESS: I can't say what all is going on, but I see so much brutal -- so much, you know, just meanness and hatred. It's just -- and these are kids.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: The melee happened less than two miles from where an honor student was beaten to death in a similar fight.

A year after the huge collapse on Wall Street, you might think the financial sector would be ready for some reform. Well, think again.

Speaking of your money, here's the latest on Wall Street, the Big Board.

The Dow up 82 points. We're following developments here with the Dow, the numbers throughout the morning, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRIS: The U.S. now tying the Afghan troop decision to elections. That could be complicated because today, a U.N. election commission has concluded that there was large-scale fraud in the August presidential vote.

Live now to CNN's Chris Lawrence in the Afghan capital of Kabul.

And Chris, this U.N.-backed electoral complaints commission has invalidated ballots from more than 200 polling places.

Where does that leave the August election?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Think about this, Tony. They only looked at about 350, 360. They had validated 210 of those. It's a very high percentage.

Some of the things that they found were all 600 ballots filled in for the exact same person at one polling place. In another, 100 percent of all the ballots had the exact same mark. Just some of the widespread abuses that they found within the system.

What this means is it is pushing things one step closer to a possible runoff between the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, and his challenger, Abdullah Abdullah. The problem with that, when you look at it from a U.S. forces and a NATO perspective, is that if there is a runoff, it would have to be very, very soon, because the Afghan winter is coming in by the middle of November, and that means the roads become impassable, you would not be able to do it then.

But if you have a runoff, the troops that would be needed to secure another election, those are troops who are pulling from other missions that could be doing the missions that General McChrystal has wanted them to be performing. And if the runoff does not occur, then you're looking at pushing it back into the spring.

That leaves the entire winter with no exact stable government in Afghanistan, and anyone can point to it and say that is the legitimate government. And ultimately, what this means for the U.S. and for NATO forces is, if you want to pursue a counterinsurgency strategy, you've got to have a viable, local Afghan partner. And that's why this election and these results are so important.

HARRIS: Well, Chris, you talk about what potentially could happen down the road here as a result of the findings of this U.N.- sponsored commission, but I'm curious as to whether or not the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, has responded to the report at all, if he is even willing to accept the findings of the report.

LAWRENCE: Well, he has said he has been pressured up until this point to say that he would accept the runoff if that was the result. He said he would not agree to that and he would wait until the findings.

Well, now you have one set of findings, and now they're going to another commission to be verified. And that is the key. If they come back and recommend that a runoff be conducted, would President Karzai agree to that?

To tell you how important this is, Senator John Kerry made a return trip back here to Afghanistan after visiting Pakistan. The U.S. Embassy here tells us that he is in the middle of intense discussions with Afghan officials. All sides seem to be pointing to try to work out some sort of compromise between these two candidates.

HARRIS: Well, talk to us about the possibility of a compromise here. It seems there are a couple of options. You either hold the runoff, and you sort of outlined the difficulties in that scenario. The other, it seems to me, is the idea of some kind of power-sharing agreement with President Hamid Karzai and, let's say, the second place finish here, Abdullah Abdullah.

LAWRENCE: That's true, but that would be a possible solution. The only problem with that is there is a lot of thought that President Karzai has promised certain positions of power or authority to certain, you know, officials, warlords...

HARRIS: Sure.

LAWRENCE: ... you know, that were part of this coalition. And now, if you then have to give those positions to Abdullah Abdullah and his supporters, what does that do to the promises you've already made? There are no easy answers to this problem here -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yes. Boy, we hear that over and over again.

All right. Pentagon Correspondent Chris Lawrence for us in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Chris, appreciate it. Thank you.

The rebound on Wall Street has not reached many on Main Street. Americans are still struggling with high unemployment, smaller paychecks and rising health care costs. The White House chief of staff says he understands why people are not happy with Wall Street and the financial institutions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAHM EMANUEL, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: I think the American people have a right to be frustrated and angry in this sense -- when the financial markets and the financial system had frozen up to a point that literally one of the reasons the economy was literally going towards a depression, literally head first -- there was a one out of three chance we were going to get a depression -- that basically, the system came and the only place that you could actually resolve this situation was the government, which required the taxpayers putting up $700 billion.

That as soon as stability was achieved and things had a sense of normalcy, what do some of the titans in the financial institutions do? Is they're literally going and fighting the very type of regulations and reforms that are necessary to prevent, again, a crisis like this happening. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: More now on why many of us on Main Street are frustrated with Wall Street.

Stephanie Elam on our CNN Money team joining us live from New York.

And Stephanie, we're frustrated because of what Rahm Emanuel just alluded to. Because of this recklessness and greed which got many of the banks and financial institutions in trouble, it now appears the industry is trying to fight efforts to stop it from happening again.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony. I don't even think it's the way it appears. I think it's the way it is.

And I think a lot of people feel like Wall Street has a very short memory and they're not realizing that it was just last year that they were getting bailed out, a lot of these big banks. And so, you saw a concerted effort here by President Obama's top aides to do something about that, get the word out that they're expecting some cooperation, that it's their duty to society to help out at this point. Because we also heard David Axelrod, besides Rahm Emanuel, out this weekend on the political shows talking about this. And this is what they're really saying needs to happen.

They're saying, for one thing, you've got stop fighting these regulatory changes. They need to happen.

No one wants to see what happened last year happen again. They're saying this definitely needs to be the end of that. And so we need more regulations to make sure of that. But there's a huge fight from a lot of companies on Wall Street who want to just keep the government out of their way, unless, of course, they're helping them out with big relief packages that obviously they have to pay back.

Now, the other issue, the size of the bonuses. You do have a few banks that did get some bailout money but have already paid it back. They do not come under scrutiny for how much money they give in bonuses to their employees. But at the same time, there are some people saying it still looks crazy when you have unemployment nearing 10 percent in this country and you also have the numbers coming in for these people so much less, like their income is going down, a 20-year low, nearly, at this point. So, for some people, it just looks crazy to have these bonus pools as high as they are.

The other big issue, Tony, is credit lending. Consumers cannot get their hands on money as much as they need to. They see people need to buy homes, they want to get a loan for a car. If they want to start up a business and get a business loan, these things are still too tight. Credit is not loose enough, and they're saying the banks need to help these people out.

HARRIS: Yes. And we're back to -- we were talking about this all on Friday, where the banks are dealing with all of these derivatives and credit default swaps. And I don't know what any of that stuff is. But also, it's this idea that these financial firms are resistant to the idea of hedge funds having to register with the SEC, for goodness sake.

Come on.

ELAM: Well, you take a look at it, obviously, you know, water's going to find the path of least resistance.

HARRIS: Yes.

ELAM: The same thing here. You look at how long it has been, when we had the boom days in the markets, even if you go back to the tech boom. You take a look at how we've had such strong numbers coming in. Everyone was fine as long as everyone was riding high.

But you know that old saying that, when the water recedes, you find out who's swimming without their shorts on. Same sort of thing.

So, we've seen all these problems here, and you can see that they need to be addressed, but obviously still fighting it because they want to have their will and do what they like on Wall Street. But a lot of people are keeping their eyeballs on them now and saying that something has to be done, because we cannot have the effects of Wall Street so greatly impeding the people on Main Street.

HARRIS: There you go.

All right, Stephanie. Appreciate it. Thank you.

ELAM: Sure.

HARRIS: Have you looked around your home lately? Need a new car or appliance? Now's the time to buy.

Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis has your tax credit tips, and that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And checking our top stories right now.

The U.S. general overseeing the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq is in Pakistan right now as that country intensifies the fight against the Taliban in its tribal stronghold.

Iran accusing the U.S. and Pakistan of ties to a Sunni group that carried out a suicide bombing yesterday. The U.S. calls the claim absolutely false. At least 42 were people killed in the attack, including key leaders of the elite Revolutionary Guard.

And the Obama administration says preliminary numbers show the Recovery Act will be credited with saving at least a quarter-million education jobs across the country. State, government figures due out later this month.

So, time is running out on a number of tax breaks, but you can grab yours before they're gone.

CNN Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis is here with details.

Gerri, good to see you.

What kind of tax breaks are we talking about here?

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well, the 8,000 first-time homebuyer's tax credit is scheduled to expire on December 1st unless it's extended by lawmakers, and there's been some talk about this. But to qualify right now, you have to close on your home before December 1st.

You may still have enough time to close on a home if you act quickly. But remember, this credit doesn't have to be repaid as long as you stay in that home for three years. To find out if you're eligible, go to federalhousingtaxcredit.com.

HARRIS: And Gerri, what if you're in the market right now for a new car?

WILLIS: Well, if you're in the market for a new car, you can deduct sales and excise taxes if you buy before December 31st. Now, there are restrictions, Tony. You can only deduct the sales tax for the first $49,500, and the deduction phases out for single taxpayers who make more than $125,000 and couples when make more than $250,000.

Now, the good news here is you don't have to itemize on your tax form to claim the deduction. The amount you save will depend on your state sales tax rate and how much your car costs. Let me give you a quick example here.

If your state imposes a four percent sales tax, and your car costs $30,000, the deduction will reduce your adjusted gross income by $1,200. So that means you'll pay less in taxes.

HARRIS: I see.

We've been talking about tax credits set to expire. Is there any tax credit out there where we actually have a little more time?

WILLIS: Well, there is some good news. Tax credits for making your home more energy efficient are extended through 2010.

So, look, if you're putting in new windows, adding insulation to your home, installing Energy Star appliances, or replacing air conditioners or furnaces, you can qualify for a tax savings of 30 percent of the cost up to $1,500. Now, experts say after 2010, that could be the end of the credit, so you might want to take advantage now. But given the cost of replacing your windows or maybe your furnace, the big expenses, taking the credit only makes sense if you're going to replace these things anyway.

Look, replacing your windows alone, Tony, as you may known, could cost you $20,000.

HARRIS: My goodness.

All right, Gerri. Appreciate it. And give everyone the address again if they've got questions for you. You do that on Fridays, but...

WILLIS: That's right. If you have questions, e-mail me at Gerri@CNN.com. We answer those questions right here every Friday.

HARRIS: Good Monday to you. Good to see you. Thank you.

You know, some find it shocking, the rising cost of health care during this season of open enrollment. Our Susan Lisovicz joins us next.

And we're also listening to your opinions about U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Many of my friends in the military are still over there, many in leading positions in Afghanistan, and as well as Iraq. And I know how they feel personally, but I also know how their families feel. And unless this war is thoroughly explained to the people back home, and why we're doing it, they don't want participate in it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What they should do is actually pull the troops out of Afghanistan, send in the bombers, (INAUDIBLE). The cost of the missile versus the life of service personnel, we should just use missiles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am retired from the United States Navy with over 20 years of active duty service. I appreciate the president making a deliberate, informed decision and taking his time to do so.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HARRIS: And you can still weigh in on this issue. Just call us at 1-877-742-5760. Let us know what you think the U.S. should do next in Afghanistan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: It is that time of year again when workers around the country will be choosing a health plan. But no matter which plan you chooses, chances are you will be paying more.

Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with details.

And Susan, I'm telling you, every year it seems we go through this. And this increase, whatever you -- the passthroughs, however it's being described, it feels to your pocket, to your income, like a tax.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: No question about it, Tony. This is a trend. This is a trend that started occurring before the recession. And it's accelerating now.

I'm sure you've been looking through that big fat package you received in the mail.

HARRIS: Oh, yes. Yes.

LISOVICZ: Well, if you've been checking it out, things to look out for. Certainly higher out-of-pocket costs. It's as simple as that.

There's an interesting survey by Watson Wyatt which shows that workers' cost may increase 10 percent to 20 percent just because of that, higher deductibles, co-pays, out-of-pocket limits, you name it. Another trend, Tony, that we're seeing is moving from co-pay to co- insurance.

You know what co-pay is, right, Tony...

HARRIS: Yes. Yes.

LISOVICZ: ... where you pay a flat fee, say, $10 to $35 per visit to a doctor? Well, the co-insurance is to pay an actual percentage of your health care spending. The idea here is that the employee would be more careful about the kind of spending he or she did. Fewer options, incentives to stay healthy. For instance, if you joined a weight-loss program or a quit-smoking kind of program, you might get a lower premium as a result.

Also, closer scrutiny of dependent coverage. The possibility of a surcharge if your partner has access to other health care coverage. So, there's a whole lot in there, and the bottom line is, Tony, it will probably cost you more.

HARRIS: Oh, absolutely.

LISOVICZ: Stay healthy.

HARRIS: Yes, yes. Now, I understand that companies have tightened their belts during the recession. But we're talking about health care here. So, will the companies ease up a bit when things eventually return to normal? Whatever that is, the new normal.

LISOVICZ: Right. Well, that's it -- the new normal. It's so different. It's so different. Well, there's -- Watson Wyatt, this study, showed that two-thirds of companies say they don't cut -- they don't plan to cut benefits -- don't plan to restore, excuse me.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

LISOVICZ: Restore benefits to prerecession levels. We know what they're doing now, watching finances during this very difficult economy. But also, the fact that the baby boomers are getting older, medical costs, that's one thing, even in a noninflationary environment are, rising. "The Wall Street Journal" did an interesting study that showed that employers pay an average of $6,700 per employee, per year, which is twice as much as it was just in 2001. So, that's why back to normal, not probably in the foreseeable future. We have to get used to it. And staying healthy would be a good incentive.

What we're seeing on Wall Street is a healthy rally, Mr. Harris. Ben Bernanke giving a speech out on the West Coast saying that...

HARRIS: Whoa!

LISOVICZ: ... we need to work down the deficit. Yes! Triple digits. And economies like China spend more. So, we need to save more here, spend more. In Asia, right now, the bulls are buying. Dow is up 1 percent. So are the two major averages. And of course, getting close to 10,100.

HARRIS: How about that? Good to see you, Susan. Thank you.

LISOVICZ: Likewise.

HARRIS: The global economic downturn has seen as exodus of wealthy expatriates from Dubai. CNN's Leone Lakhani introduces us to someone who sees that as an opportunity to help the tiny emirate's working poor.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEONE LAKHANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL PRODUCER (voice-over): You know that old saying one man's trash is another man's treasure? Well, the group Take My Junk UAE puts that into practice on a daily basis.

FAISAL KHAN (ph), TAKE MY JUNK: How are you? It's Faisal from Take My Junk.

LAKHANI: Its founder, Faisal Khan (ph), spends hours a day driving around Dubai collecting goods from the wealthy and giving them to the poor, moved by the plight of low-income workers. Khan (ph) started Take My Junk six months ago.

KHAN: When I started visiting the neighboring labor camps, I said, you know, how can I help?

LAKHANI: With hundreds of expats leaving the country at the start of the economic crisis, Khan found an abundance of goods with nowhere to go. Khan says the exodus of expats has now slowed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whatever's in this room you can take.

LAKHANI: (INAUDIBLE) moving to Singapore. Her husband's been relocated there because of his job.

KHAN: Is this the plane you're going to go to Singapore with?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hopefully it will be a bigger one.

LAKHANI (on camera): We've just packed up at (INAUDIBLE) house. We're going to head to another pickup in the scorching heat. This is only two pickups you did around...

KHAN: Yes. Only two or three pickups.

LAKHANI: There's only about two pickups that Faisal's (ph) doing today. But in July, August he did about...

KHAN: Fifteen pickups a day.

LAKHANI: ... 15 pickups a day.

(voice-over): The next pickup is just minutes away. There are no fees for those who give or those who receive. But donations to cover Khan's (ph) costs are welcome.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please to meet you. Are you Faisal (ph)?

KHAN: Faisal (ph).

LAKHANI: People like Dave, who are just moving within the city, are happy to contribute to Khan's (ph) cause in way they can.

(on camera): And you're just moving to another house (INAUDIBLE)?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes.

KHAN: OK. Thank you. Have a nice day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Faisal (ph). Nice to see you.

LAKHANI (voice-over): As the sun settles, thousand of workers head home. Khan and a group of volunteers await with a truck full of goods.

(on camera): So, you've sorted out all of your junk?

KHAN: Everything is sorted out. Everything is, you know, cleaned, laundried or ironed or whatever needs to be done.

LAKHANI (voice-over): The workers clamor at the base of the truck.

(on camera): Twice a month, they come to one of these distribution points outside Dubai. They hand out all the goods they've collected, and in this case, they're also handing out bags of rice.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(voice-over): The first distribution complete, it's on to the next. Take My Junk UAE's mission for the day is done. But with thousands in need, the deed of this modern-day Robin Hood can only grow.

Leone Lakhani, CNN, Dubai.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And during these times of economic turmoil, many of you are thinking of starting your own business. See the 50 best places to launch it by logging on to CNNmoney.com.

Where is that Rob Marciano? He is in the severe weather center. And Rob, what is on your satellite, your radar today? What are you following, Doctor?

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: The H1N1 flu is out there. Are you protected? We will hear from one emergency room doctor who tells you how to stay away from the hospital. And that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: All right. Let's get you caught up on our top stories now. A University of Connecticut football player stabbed to death outside the homecoming dance. Police right now are searching for his killer. Cornerback Jasper Howard had been awarded the game ball Saturday and called his mom just hours before his death to tell her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOANGELA HOWARD, JASPER'S MOTHER: He was a good kid. I never had no problems with him. All I wanted him to do was go to school and get an education, and he was doing what I asked him to do. I never had no problems (INAUDIBLE). None.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Another student also stabbed, but the wound wasn't life- threatening.

A report just out from the U.N. commission investigating fraud in the Afghan presidential vote. It invalidates ballots from more than 200 polling stations, but it is still unclear if a presidential run- off will take place.

As President Obama considers a new war strategy, many of you are weighing in on Afghanistan.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CALLER: I say we definitely need to send more troops over to Afghanistan. If we pull out now and take our troops out now, not only will we be admitting defeat it terrorists, but we'll be welcoming them to come over to the U.S. and get another attack on us. I mean, it's just crazy.

CALLER: We need to focus on al Qaeda and terrorism as a global problem for all governments, and get their support and bring our troops home as soon as possible.

CALLER: We need to pull our troops out of Afghanistan. No more fighting, no more killing, but we need to help with the infrastructure, help with their hospitals, help with their schools, cleanup, and in a friendly way take care of Afghanistan and help the people of Afghanistan.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HARRIS: We still want to hear your comments. Just call us 1- 877-742-5760. Let us know what you think the U.S. should do next in Afghanistan.

In health news, the CDC says flu cases are continuing to increase across the country. Forty-one states are reporting widespread flu activity. And that's according to the latest weekly update from the CDC. The nine other states are reporting local or regional flu activity. The CDC says visits to the doctor for flu-like illnesses are also higher than expected for this time of year.

While emergency rooms are busy treating flu cases, there is concern about the delay in deliveries of the H1N1 vaccine. On CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," Kiran Chetry talked with an emergency room doctor about the shortage and about protecting children at risk of getting the flu.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: The one thing that's troubling that we're talking about is they said that 40 million doses of the vaccine were expected to be out by October. They say they're running about 25 percent behind. But after that initial 40 million doses, they were supposed to have 10 more -- 10 to 20 million per week after that. And the CDC is saying they're falling a little bit behind. What are the implications of that?

DR. CHRISTINA JOHNS, ER SPECIALIST, CHILDREN'S NATIONAL HOSPITAL: Well, I think that that's going to mean that we are right where we are now, and that is, are we seeing an uptick in emergency department visits? You bet. I am busy as a bee when I'm at work, that's for sure.

But does it mean that more people are going to be sicker or that somehow this is going to turn more deadly? I don't think so. We're really just going to be where we are, where people are indeed getting sick, just like they do every year.

CHETRY: Right. But when we're talking about the swine flu, I mean, I guess you could say if they had vaccines ready, the 40 million doses, and they were going out this would prevent those people from getting the flu down the road.

JOHNS: Well, hopefully so, for sure. That's the plan, that if we can get more people vaccinated, that means that we will have less people sick. But I want to caution and say that it doesn't mean that if you -- I'm seeing people at work every single day who have flu, who have H1N1, who are doing fine and getting better. So, I think that that's just a really important message to get across. CHETRY: It is, you know, because as a parent, it's terrifying to hear 43 children just since August, so it's only a month that they've been doing this. Forty-three children under the age of 18 have died from swine flu. Do we know more? And I guess it's in the 80s now for -- since last fall, since they first discovered it. Is there anything that dictates what makes your child so sick or perhaps makes swine flu fatal in some cases?

JOHNS: Well, that's a great question. And as a mother of two children under 5, you bet I'm thinking about it. The one thing that I can say for sure is that if your child is someone who has chronic illnesses, has lung problems like asthma, heart problems, those children are indeed more at risk, and those are the first kids who need the vaccine right away.

CHETRY: OK, so let me stop you there. I just want to ask you about that. I do have a child who has asthma, and her pediatrician has been told they're not getting the swine flu any time soon. And they're actually out of seasonal flu vaccine as well. We did get ours. But it seems as though this year -- and you know, this is anecdotal. Again, though, we called four or five different area places that usually offer seasonal flu vaccine, and they're out of it, and they haven't gotten swine flu vaccine.

JOHNS: Right. Everybody is paying attention this year. And I think people are on the stick in terms of getting their seasonal flu vaccines early. People are aware of it and really paying attention.

So, what I would say to parents throughout who have kids with asthma is, look, you've got to be really vigilant. You've got to be careful when your child gets sick. They need to be looked at right away, if they've got any signs of significant respiratory distress. You've got to make sure that you have your asthma medicines, for example, at home, prescriptions filled, and ready to go so that right at the first bat, when they're getting sick, straightaway, that you can start in with your intervention.

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HARRIS: Boy, good advice there. We are hearing from some of you who have been able to get the H1N1 vaccine. IReporter Cameron Harrelson sent us this account of his experience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAMERON HARRELSON, CNN IREPORTER: As all of you know, the swine flu has scared many people across the nation including getting people to go out and get vaccinated for the flu. Well, I'm about to go right now and get my vaccination.

Well, I'm proud of myself for taking another step to ensure my health and safety by getting vaccinated, and I encourage all of you to get your vaccination, too, whether it be with a flumist version like I got, or with the shot version.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: All right, Cameron, appreciate it. Thank you.

You know, it is one of the states away from the mainland, and it's feeling the recession. Hear why people in Alaska want you to visit but don't want you to move there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Food is an essential ingredient in understanding anyone's culture. CNN's Soledad O'Brien catches up with a Venezuelan businesswoman who feels its her ticket to ride the Latino wave sweeping across the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Five, four, three, two. Camera three.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lorena Garcia is a television chef, and her weekly Friday morning segment on America's largest Hispanic network, Univision, has made her a household name in Spanish-speaking households.

"Despierta, America" -- "Wake up, America" -- is enormously popular among Latinos.

It's a relaxed, off-the-cuff blend of humor, news and Latin lifestyle. And, get this, the show draws more Hispanic viewers than the big three network morning shows combined.

LORENA GARCIA, CHEF: Being a Latina in this country right now, I think, is the best position we can be. We're growing, we're being noticed. So, pay attention.

O'BRIEN: Martha Stewart, step aside.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lorena Garcia. It doesn't get better than this.

O'BRIEN: Chef Lorena's got her own product, line and she's building an empire.

GARCIA: Oh, my God. Oh, my God. This is amazing!

O'BRIEN: Now Lorena wants to share her passion for cooking and reach a bigger audience.

GARCIA: My cherry on top, having my own English-speaking show, cooking show, that's what I like to do.

O'BRIEN: Fresh out of culinary school, Lorena was told, to break through she'd have to lose the accent. It didn't stop her.

GARCIA: I realized that when people tell you no to something you cannot do, I mean, that should give you the strength to continue.

Let's do this. Thank you, guys. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: We are just two days away from "LATINO IN AMERICA," a comprehensive look at how Latinos are changing America. CNN's two- night event takes place Wednesday and Thursday at 9:00 Eastern, and it will also be simulcast in Spanish on CNN en Espanol.

Here's what we're working on for the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM. Your thoughts on Afghanistan and troop levels. New poll numbers just released. And a soldier who died earlier this month in Afghanistan is being buried today at Arlington National Cemetery. Our Kate Bolduan talks with his family.

Also ahead, intoxicated moms getting behind the wheel, some taking their children along for the ride. We will take a look at a troubling new trend. Those stories and much more coming up in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM.

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HARRIS: Alaska's jobless and homeless problem on the rise. The state is now discouraging prospective residents from moving there without a job.

Here's CNN's John King.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Alaska takes pride in their natural beauty and the geographic isolation that makes it very different from what folks here call the Lower 48.

NEAL FRIED, ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR: Our economy really beats to a very different drummer than the, sort of the average American economy, if there is such a thing.

KING: But state economist Neal Fried says the numbers don't lie. Tourism is down, trade is slumping, unemployment climbing.

FRIED: Now we're part of it like the rest of the country is. We appear to be more attached, and we're being more affected by this recession than we've been in prior recessions elsewhere in the country.

KING: With jobs so scarce, Brad Gillespie says the state is taking new steps, including an online warning to discourage people who lost jobs elsewhere from migrating to Alaska.

BRAD GILLESPIE, ANCHORAGE AREA JOB CENTER: We have a fair number of people that think Alaska's the promised land. They have maybe misconceptions about what's up there, and they load up their family and head out on the Alaska Highway. And we want to encourage them to not do that until they have something lined up before they get up here.

KING: Sharon Phillips is a regular here, out of work for nine months now.

SHARON PHILLIPS, UNEMPLOYED ALASKA RESIDENT: I've put in for probably -- oh, probably, ten jobs -- eight or ten jobs a week. I get interviewed for about four a week. And I'm still unemployed.

There's usually about 70 or 80 people that apply for most jobs. We've been here for 27 years, but this is probably the worst I've ever seen the economy anywhere since I've been alive.

KING: Sharon's unemployment benefits run about $450 a month. She says others have it worse.

PHILLIPS: My husband also works for the state, so we're making it, you know? But it's -- I see so many people -- I've seen more people out in the streets. I see more people homeless. It's going to get worse with winter.

KING: Demand for shelter is increasing, and at this one in Anchorage, the faces reflect the recession's higher toll on Native Alaskans. So does the activity at the Cook Inlet Tribal Council job center. Unemployment among Native Alaskans is around 20 percent, and with winter approaching, Employment and Training Director Carol Wren worries it will go higher.

CAROL WREN, COOK INLET TRIBAL COUNCIL: They face a lot of other challenges that non-native individuals may not face. You look at education levels, they're usually lower. Poverty rates, pregnancy rates, some of those things.

So, I think that it's going to be a little rough for folks here into the future. I think we're just starting to feel it here.

KING: The tribal center has benefited from federal stimulus money. So has the state government. But Republican Governor Sean Parnell says he would prefer longer-term help from Washington, like approval of new oil and gas leases.

GOV. SEAN PARNELL (R), ALASKA: Outer continental shelf development means 35,000 new jobs. The problem with stimulus funds is that they're great when they come in, but it's horrible when they're gone. So, it's a dependence that gets created that doesn't lead to any more freedom or prosperity in the long run. I'd like to see more policy geared towards investment and job creation rather than, you know, propping up states along the way.

KING: Looking ahead, the governor worries next summer will be another tough tourism season and that a recession that came late to Alaska will linger too long.

PARNELL: Alaska tends to trail the rest of the U.S. when it comes to the economy. So, when the rest of the economy is headed out, it takes Alaska some time behind it. When the national economy is heading down, we trail.

John King, CNN, Anchorage.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Boy, that is beautiful.