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Shortage of H1N1 Vaccines While 48 States Now Report Widespread Flu Activity; Convicted Ohio Rapist Now in Custody; Pirate Proofing Ships Heading to East Cost of Africa; Avoiding Numerous Hidden Fees

Aired October 31, 2009 - 15:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, again. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

More cases of the H1N1 flu this weekend. But, there's also more vaccine to deal with it. Forty eight states now report widespread flu activity. That is up two weeks -- it's up, I guess from two weeks ago. But more than 26 million doses of h1n1 vaccine are available. That is 10 million more than just a week ago. Production delays have affected the supply.

And earlier, we spoke with the Health & Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius. She said the vaccine will be available to everyone soon. Until then, the focus is on those who need it the most.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATHLEEN SEBELIUS, HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES, SECRETARY: In the meantime, believe me; I can fully understand the anxiety of parents who are really worried about their kids. I'm a mom, I can't -- I share that. I know how frustrating it is to stand in line for hours and maybe not get what you came for in the first place. That is infuriating. We really want to remind people, there are some people who will likely get very ill and could potentially die. Who are in much more priority situations?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And even when the vaccine is widely available, not everyone will actually get it. For parents, especially, the decision can be tough. CNN's Mary Snow with a look at two moms and two very different conclusions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): Get a glass out or something.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Laura Wellington says she does what she can to keep her 10-year-old daughter Izzie healthy along with the rest of her family. But when it comes to the h1n1 vaccine.

LAURA WELLINGTON, KIDS NOT GETTING H1N1 VACCINE: I'm absolutely not getting the children vaccinated. No. It's not -- the risk is not worth it. SNOW: Laura has four children and is pregnant with her fifth. She's not against vaccines in general and has paid close attention to information about swine flu and talked to her doctors.

Is your main concern side effects, the speed of the vaccine, what is your main concern?

WELLINGTON: its side effects. It's potential down the line. You put something new into your body. People react differently to different things that they put into their body. One person, it may be fine. For another, it may not.

SNOW: Not Laura is not very worried about her kids getting the swine flu. Amy Pisani is. She's especially worried about her 9-year- old son Antonio who was hospitalized as a baby because of the flu.

AMY PISANI, KIDS GETTING H1N1 Vaccine: I am really nervous.

SNOW: Because you have seen what happened when he had the flu before.

PISANI: I seen that in him and I have seen what happened to other children. I do work for an advocacy group now Every Child by Two, I have met a lot of parents who lost their children to regular, seasonal flu. I'm so grateful that it didn't happen to us.

SNOW: Amy was able to get the H1N1 vaccine for her son Nicholas, but she is still waiting to secure one for Antonio. In the meantime --

PISANI: We have stuff all over the house. I tell them to wash their hands. The jells are in the kitchen table and on the counter in the bathrooms. We think about it all the time. My kids are paranoid at this point.

SNOW: Among parents concerned about the vaccine, one big question is potential side effects. Health officials say they see no proof of damaging side effects. They do say there may be soreness or redness in the arm similar to the seasonal flu shot.

Mary Snow, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A convicted rapist and suspect in six killings is now in custody in Ohio. Police in Cleveland arrested Anthony Sowell this morning while he was walking near a police station. Two days ago authorities were serving a search warrant at Sowell's home when they found six bodies on the property.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. THOMAS STACHO, CLEVELAND POLICE: We have taken a confirmed three bodies out of the home. With the assistance of the coroners office, removed what we believe are the remains of three additional victims. One from the backyard and two from inside the home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Sowell will serve 15 years in prison on a rape charge. And he's now accused of raping and assaulting another woman. Police were serving a search warrant on his home in connection with that crime when they actually found those bodies.

New developments in that horrific gang rape case in Richmond, California. A 15-year-old girl was beaten and raped repeatedly outside a high school dance last weekend. Now, police say one of the six suspects arrested so far will not be charged. Prosecutors have insufficient evidence against him. Police say as many as ten people were involved. Another ten actually stood by and simply watched.

So why didn't anyone help the girl or even call 911? Next hour, we discuss the troubling issues this case has actually raised with a panel of experts.

Joining us right now with a preview on the discussion, where that discussion is likely to go is our own Josh Levs.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred as we gear up for this I want everyone to know where you can get the facts as well, zoom in to the screen behind me, it is at the CNN.com. Click on justice at the very top of the screen. We have a series of stories here. You click to play. You can hear the voices of some people at the scene there. In addition to reading some of the details.

There's also this. It talks about raising questions about bystander's role. About what the allegations are from police about what happened here. This is where you weigh in. Silent witnesses is on our blog. We are hearing from a lot of people. Also, Facebook and twitter. I got this tweet. The witnesses are probably more afraid of the gangs than the police are. I like these two because they contradict each other.

This is Maria, "What we must get back to is how we as a nation should all come together and save the future generations of our children." This one says, "People who live in the inner city communities need help." But then take a look at the next one below here. This one says, "People who live in the inner cities need to get out of this fear mode mentality and help their neighbors and see what is going on around them." That's the kind of thing we are going to be talking about next hour at a larger national level. The phenomenon, what does it say, what does it mean? At CNN.com/fredricka.

On the next screen, you can see the Facebook and twitter. Joshlevscnn.

Keep those coming we are geared up next hour -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Because this is the crime of a different scale, but we have seen this phenomenon before in so many different cities across the country where people witness something happening and they don't say or tell anybody. A lot of times people say they fear retaliation and that is why. A lot of our experts that we are going to have in that hour say it's more complicated than that as it pertains to the case. It's not just a fear issue.

LEVS: We will hear about that. Some people are saying different regions of the country will respond differently and we will hear about that next hour.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much Josh.

You and I spent tax dollars for a tsunami warning system that American Samoa never built.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): There is every reason to believe tsunami warnings sirens should have been blaring at the time when people were sitting in the line of fire. True?

True.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And this is what happened. This is an investigation that you have to see. We're going to spend some time really delving into what happened to your money in America Samoa.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, did you know that U.S. taxpayers have spent millions of dollars for a tsunami warning system in American Samoa? If you spent so much, why did last month's tsunami catch the south pacific island territory by such surprise? More than 30 people lost their lives when the killer wave hit. So exactly what happened? We sent Drew Griffin our Special Investigation team to find out and he came back with allegations of tax dollars being used for trips, plasma TVs and expensive furniture not life saving warning systems. Here is the first part of Drew's report.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On a Saturday morning, villagers in American Samoa hold funeral mass for the 33rd victim of this tsunami. Outside the packed church, the village remains in ruins. A boy is still missing here. One village over flowers marks the spot where two more died.

(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): They found the mom. Now, they are still looking for the daughter.

GRIFFIN: Nobody sent out a warning?

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): No warning at all.

GRIFFIN: That's why people died.

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): That's why people died.

GRIFFIN: We decided to investigate why the United States government has sent millions and millions of dollars to this island to prepare for an emergency that they weren't prepared for. Records show U.S. taxpayers have shelled out nearly $13 million in disaster preparedness grants since 2003. Yet, no sirens, no warning system and 34 dead.

To our surprise, the highest ranking official here, on this American territory, an island of 68,000 people, the governor, says there was a study, but never a plan for a warning system.

GOV. TOGIOLA TULAFONO, AMERICAN SAMOA: I was trying to get verification of what happened to the application. I wasn't able to get the definite information.

BIRDSALL ALAILMA, FMR. AMERICAN SAMOA HOMELAND SEC. ADVISOR: There's every reason to believe tsunami warning sirens should have been blaring at the time people were sitting in the line of fire. True.

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): True.

GRIFFIN: This man says he has all the information the governor says he lacks. His name is Birdsall Alailma. He worked for the governor as Samoa's homeland security advisor. He was fired two years ago in 2007. Today, he lives Birdsall lives with his son in the U.S. and he insists he was testing and preparing the very warning system the governor seems to know little about.

ALAILMA: The siren system that was being planned was going to be right up here.

GRIFFIN: Thirty or more towers he says, 30 or more sirens, hit a button and a tsunami warning siren blasts across the island. You are saying is that the tsunami warning system should have been in place?

ALAILMA: Yes.

GRIFFIN: So what happened? Birdsall says some of the money from U.S. taxpayers for Samoa homeland security went missing. He says the government of Samoa was using that money to pay salaries of what he calls extra personnel.

You say personnel put on the payroll, me, being from Chicago think I'm rewarding my cronies with a job.

ALAILMA: In some ways, yes.

GRIFFIN: Not just new jobs, U.S. Homeland Security investigators reports emergency money instead was spent on fancy extras like plasma TVs, expensive leather furniture and government SUVs not used for emergencies. The U.S. stopped the free money train. It froze the Samoan accounts.

TULAFONO: I'm not going to fault them for freezing the funds. They are federal funds. They have oversight responsibility. They saw fit to freeze the funds.

GRIFFINS: Federal negotiators wanted the Samoa's to pay back the misused funds before unfreezing the rest of the money.

TULAFONO: All I'm saying to you is we have tried to work with them and we have tried to get partial releases, but so far, it hasn't happened.

GRIFFINS: A federal official in position to know calls the governor's statement nonsense. American Samoa was asked to pay back just some of the money it misused. The government here and the governor refused. The tsunami siren system was stopped. When we asked the governors office about that, a spokesman declined to comment, 34 dead, and 13 million in U.S. taxpayer aid and now CNN has learned the FBI is looking at why Samoa's tsunami warning systems were never built.

In fact, since 1995, the U.S. has sent $2 billion to American Samoa. That, while the U.S. officially describes American Samoa as quote, high risk for receiving federal funds.

Drew Griffin, CNN, American Samoa.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: There's even more to this investigation. When the tsunami hit last month, the U.S. rushed in tons of emergency aid. But, the people who actually need it are not getting it. That's next in our "Special Investigation."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. We're going to continue our look at how U.S. tax money and aid dollars are being spent in American Samoa. In the weeks after a killer tsunami hit, the U.S. rushed over tons of supplies. You helped pay for it. A lot of people who need it still are not getting it. Drew Griffin with CNN Special Investigations unit went looking for answers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: In village after village, recovery in American Samoa is a do-it-yourself operation. On this day, a church group came to hand out water. Workers at a fish canary are clearing debris. College students cleaned clogged streams. For most of those devastated by the tsunami waves like this boy searching through rubble in search of furniture. The clean up and recovery will be purely self--help. The government seems of this island of just 65,000 people seems to be absent.

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): I don't know what happened to the government. They said they would be here soon.

GRIFFIN: It's been a couple weeks?

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): Yep.

GRIFFIN: They haven't showed up?

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): No.

GRIFFIN: Why should you care? Take a look around. The United States taxpayer has spent $2 billion in money to America Samoa since 1995. More than $200 million every year in direct grants to the government here. Yet, three weeks after the tsunami, destruction is everywhere and any signs of help from the local government, hard to find.

HEINRICH TAVAI: The government gets a lot of money from the U.S. Federal government. Every year, they get millions and millions of dollars. As you can see, we look like a third world country, when we should look like a U.S. territory.

GRIFFIN: The tsunami much like the hurricane that hit New Orleans has unleashed long simmering complaints about government money being misspent and government grants going nowhere.

A.E. PULU, PAGO PAGO VILLAGE CHIEF: This is my village.

GRIFFIN: Pulu is a former lawmaker here. He points to an area where a federal grant was to build a gym. A creek with a $2.9 million grant for upgrades, it never happened. The money, he says, seems to vanish. Remember, Samoa is an American territory. We are talking about your money. While there have been some federal investigations, many government agencies that send money here, he says, don't seem to care.

PULU: They need to come down and look to make sure and fill out the report.

GRIFFIN: You were a member of this government. You are telling the federal government, you need to come here and look at where you are throwing money.

PULU: Exactly right.

GRIFFIN: It sounds like you are telling me they are throwing it away.

PULU: That's what I'm saying.

GRIFFIN: The one person who should know where the money is going is the person who takes much of the credit for getting it here. The website of Samoa's long time congressional delegate Eni Faleomavaega is filled with notices of government grants. He has one for this tiny island. But in a satellite interview, he told us; his responsibility doesn't include making sure that money is spent correctly.

ENI FALEOMAVAEGA, SAMOAN DELEGATE TO CONGRESS: Yes, we have a lot of federal funds that come here in the territory. I'm making no excuses. This is the American taxpayer's money. The public is entitled to know how this money is being spent.

GRIFFIN: Is there, in your mind any responsibility on the American Samoa government, which the Department of Homeland Security says is at high risk for corruption and misuse of these funds. That's why many of these funds were in deed frozen. FALEOMAVAEGA: If the local administering authority is not in compliance with the federal requirements and how that grant is supposed to be sent, by all means, it should be noted and grants should not be given.

GRIFFIN: Federal investigative sources in Washington tell CNN, American Samoa is simply too hard to keep track of, too far to send investigators. Too much trouble to find out if taxpayer dollars are being spent correctly.

In the meantime, you are about to send even more, $24 million in emergency housing funds, just announced. Yes, even stimulus money for an island of just 65,000 people. Among the $68 million in stimulus funds heading to this island, $7.4 million from the Department of Energy to develop, among other things, solar power, on an island that receives 200 inches of rainfall a year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Drew Griffin with CNN Special Investigations Unit reporting from American Samoa. We're going to keep an eye on this story, of course.

A look at the top stories right now. Britain is holding firm against a demand to pay $7 million for the safe return of this British couple right here. Somali pirates kidnapped Paul and Rachel Chandler last week from their yacht. British officials say they are in close contact with the couple's family. The government refuses to pay ransom.

And at least four more college students were hurt when a charter bus overturned this morning on I-75 south of Atlanta. The bus was one of three traveling in a convoy to a football game. Police say the driver lost control after another vehicle moves into the bus lane and it was rainy this morning at the time.

And De Scozzafava (ph) has dropped out of New York's 23rd District Congressional race. It leaves a conservative party candidate Doug Hoffman in a neck-in-neck battle with Democrat Bill Owens. Several national Republican figures including Sarah Palin endorsed Hoffman over the GOP candidate.

Trick or treating with umbrellas, perhaps? It's what a lot of ghouls and goblins will be doing tonight in parts of the country. Bonnie Schneider is joining us now with a look at the Halloween forecast. But they don't care.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Of course they don't. Raincoat it could be part of the costume.

WHITFIELD: They are waterproof.

SCHNEIDER: Well you know in Colorado earlier this week, had it been Halloween a few days ago, they would have been shoveling out to get to the door because there was so much snow in Colorado. I have to show you this report. WHITFIELD: No way.

SCHNEIDER: Exactly. It is no way. It was sent from Ft. Collins, Colorado. If you are thinking look at all the snow on his balcony. Here is what they did. It's a dream to build a snow fort. It didn't work out. They took laundry baskets, several of them; fill it with snow until they had a snow fort around their apartment. Lots of free time and lots of fun, right?

WHITFIELD: That's why it was unreal to me. It is.

SCHNEIDER: I have to show you, Fred, the extreme weather that's happening there, look at the current temperature. It's almost 60 degrees. It was in the 20s earlier this week. Now, we are seeing big changes. Trick or treaters there, they don't have snow, certainly, it would melt if you had conditions like that. What about the trick or treater forecast? It does look good, some exceptions though. There's a lot of wet weather in the mid-Atlantic, the northeast. That rain is moving in tonight so the later you go out, the wet you will get. You'll get lots of candy. Others won't want to deal with the rain. Go for it.

WHITFIELD: These kids are unstoppable. They will go for it. If anything, it's the parents that will say I don't want to go out in the rain. OK. Thanks Bonnie.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

WHITFIELD: All right, the Obama administration said it's created or saved 640,000 jobs. Why are so many people still out of work? We will take a hard look at the numbers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: President Barack Obama says the economy is moving in the right direction. He points to this week's report that the gross domestic product grew for the first time in more than a year as proof. But with unemployment at 9.8 percent, the president warns hard times are not over yet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Economic growth is no substitute for job growth. And we will likely see further job losses in the coming days, a fact that's both troubling for our economy and heart breaking for the men and women who suddenly find themselves out of work. But we will not create the jobs we need unless the economy is growing. That's why this GDP report is a good sign.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The White House says hundreds of thousands of jobs have been created or saved in the first year of the Obama administration. Critics say those jobs cost more than they are worth, if they exist at all. Louise Schiavone has both sides of the debate. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LOUISE SCHIAVONE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the Obama administration, a jobs creation message.

JARED BERNSTEIN, WHITE HOUSE ECONOMIC ADVISER: We are going to learn, today, later, again from the Independent Recovery Board, direct information from recipients of Recovery Act funds that they have created or saved 650,000 jobs so far.

SCHIAVONE: From the government's own record keepers, the other side of the story: 15.1 million unemployed, more than one million net new unemployment claims filed in the two weeks ending October 24th. One nonprofit with long experience studying federal spending has doubts about the record keeping.

CRAIG JENNINGS, OMB WATCH: I think it's too early to say, you know, based on the numbers today, how many jobs were created or saved.

SCHIAVONE: The administration says half the jobs saved so far have been in education, where state and local government use stimulus money to avoid layoffs. But at Input, a marketing research firm that advises clients on federal contracts, President and CEO Tim Dowd told us, quote, "how can you tell the difference between a created or saved job. We don't think that number is knowable," end quote.

In fact, shortly after announcing the stimulus had saved or created 650,00 jobs, the administration changed the number to 640,000.

Global financial strategist David Smick says it's all designed to lend some courage to a job starved nation in the face of challenging realities.

DAVID SMICK, GLOBAL FINANCIAL STRATEGIST: Here is what's really going on: the unemployment rate is almost 10 percent. To bring it down to five percent over the next five years, not an unreasonable amount of time, we would need the creation of 250,000 jobs per month, each year, for the next five years. We would need to achieve massive growth rates.

SCHIAVONE: The 650,000 jobs claims is based on 150 billion dollars in stimulus spending. The White House says the number is closer to a million when tax cuts and other measures are included. But each cost 230,000 dollars to create. Vice President Biden conceded --

JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's not good enough. Less bad is not good enough.

SCHIAVONE (on camera): That appeared to be Wall Street's impression, closing down more than 250 points, more than giving up Thursday's gain on word of a 3.5 percent third quarter gross domestic growth, which, on second look, said financial strategist David Smick, appeared much less impressive.

Louise Schiavone for CNN, Washington. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, fans heading to the Phillies-Yankees World Series game in Philadelphia are going to have a hard time getting home later on. Talks are going on right now with the local transit unit. If a 6:00 p.m. deadline passes with no deal, workers could go on strike, and that means no busses or trains tonight.

The holiday shopping season is almost here. Businesses, large and small, hope for a rebound from last year. Big retailers have a corporate cushion to fall back on. But some small shops are realizing they need to team up to survive. CNN's Allan Chernoff has this turn around report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kelly Delrosso and her father Jim are trying to be optimistic about the upcoming holiday shopping season. Like many small, independent retailers, the months of November and December can make or break their home furnishings business.

KELLY DELROSSO, SMALL BUSINESS OWNER: The holiday was rough last year. It was definitely rough. It's been a difficult year. People are not shopping for sport anymore.

CHERNOFF: Main Street, USA has lost a lot of its hustle and bustle to shopping malls, big box stores, and discount super centers, all competing for fewer shopping dollars. To stay in the game, Kelly has teamed up with 60 independent stores in Montclair, New Jersey, some of which are her direct competitors. She says, they have to think like mall store owners to survive.

DELROSSO: It's such a big message nationally. If stores get together and realize that, you know what, if your neighbor closes on your right and on your left, you are on an island.

CHERNOFF: She built the group website, sent out fliers and coupons, got on Facebook, and linked up with the 350 Project, a national buy local movement. Thousands of independent retailers, in communities from Arizona to Alabama to Illinois, have joined on, too.

CINDA BAXTER, FOUNDER, THE 350 PROJECT: We are not telling consumers to stop going to big boxes or to stop going to chains and franchises, because it's unrealistic. It's about remembering that not all things have to come from a big box.

CHERNOFF: That, some says, is important not just to retailers, but cash-starved communities as well. According to a recent study, for every 100 dollars spent in the independently owned stores, 68 dollars goes back to the community, through taxes, payroll and other expenses. If that same 100 dollars is spent in a national chain or big box, just 43 dollars stays local.

Kelly and Jim Delrosso are hoping shoppers in their town get that message. DELROSSO: The sense of community has been unbelievable. There are so many customers that walk in and say, I'm here to shop local.

CHERNOFF: The Delrossos and other local retailers hope that message carries them through a crucial holiday season.

Allan Chernoff, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Pirates beware. We have just the thing if you are planning to set sail through pirate infested waters.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Somali pirates say they haven't hurt the British couple that they kidnapped last week. Pirates want seven million dollars to release Paul and Rachel Chandler. But the British government refuses to pay the ransom. The Chandlers were headed to Tanzania in their yacht when a distress signal was sent out October 23.

Piracy off the east coast of Africa actually changes with the weather. This is the busy season. Now, one company says it can offer pirate proof protection. Pirate proof. In this exclusive report, Brian Todd takes you on board a ship as it's put to the test.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Using the crudest tactics, they have hijacked the shipping industry. With grappling hooks, AK-47s and rocket propelled grenades, they brazenly clamor on board massive tankers and cargo ships, taking crews hostage. Pirates off the eastern coast of Africa have cost the industry billions of dollars in recent years.

Military officials tell CNN, they don't have the resources to cover the vast areas of those hot zones. With Monsoon season ending in that region, the pirates are back at it.

This is what they could now encounter; a security team helps the crew get into a blast proof bridge. A sniper takes position on deck, scans the perimeter.

It's a drill on board the SS Horizon Producer, a cargo ship making a run into San Juan Harbor. The vessel is equipped with a new multi-layered security system called Tritan Shield. It starts with long-range surveillance cameras to detect pirates further out. If they do get close, loud speaker alarms.

A few feet away, trained guards patrol the deck under simulated fire. At sea and in port, with the help of the San Juan Bay boat pilots, CNN has exclusive access, as the captain and crew are trained how to scramble into their secure bridges and engine rooms.

It's not always smooth. But the captain says his crew needs this.

CAPT. STEVE PROCIDA, SS HORIZON PRODUCER: You saw the drill. Guns going off, and that kind of stuff. There was a realism about it and I think it woke up a lot of guys.

TODD: This is the brain child of a company called International Maritime Security Network, IMSN. The firm provides everything, security teams, fortification of bridges, sniper nests, training the crew how to react if pirates breach the vessel. I spoke to an IMSN instructor what asked that his name and face not be identified because he conducts training in high-risk regions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We show them how to detain that individual. We show them how to use handcuffs. We also, in the course, train the crew on how to be a hostage.

TODD: There's another part of the system, aimed at never letting it get that far.

(on camera): This is a crucial part of the deterrent, a wall of water that blasts down from the gunnel to knock the pirates off as they try to scale the ship. It can also flood the pirates' boat. They can mix in bleach, pepper, oil, even soap, to try to distract them even more.

(voice-over): I'm repeatedly blasted. When I try to look up alongside the hull, I can't see a thing. Back on deck, I press the instructor about the effectiveness of all.

(on camera): How confident are you that this wall of water, the blast proof bridge, the loud speakers are going to really keep pirates from coming on the ship?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Brian, we're 99.999 percent sure that we have the answer here.

TODD: That really -- that certain? Because the pirates and the criminals always stay one step ahead of the law; 99.9 percent?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's true. Back in our factory, we are already making the next version of the next step up. We're going to one-step them. Every time they make a move, we'll be ready for them.

TODD (voice-over): What these security consultants are really aiming for is a true deterrent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The whole point is they see this from the water and they say, these guys are -- it's not worth hitting the ship. Let's go somewhere else.

TODD: This is the only vessel IMSN has outfitted so far. But we're told more are in line. In the coming months, this system is going to be deployed on another merchant vessel off the coast of Africa for a trial by fire.

Brian Todd, CNN, San Juan. (END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's talk about the Afghan presidential run off now, and how it might take a turn into a one-man race now. Challenger Abdullah Abdullah is expected to announce tomorrow if he will boycott the vote. Abdullah held talks with President Hamid Karzai today about preventing vote fraud. None of Abdullah's demands have been met, however, so far.

And Cleveland police in this country today arrested a convicted rapist. They say they found up to six bodies at his house. Fifty year old Anthony Sowell (ph) spent 15 years in prison for a 1989 rape. Police have been looking for him ever since discovering the first two bodies Thursday night.

The Reverend Bernice King is following in her father's footsteps. She's the new president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. It was co-founded in 1957 by her father, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. She's the first woman to lead the civil rights group. Her brother, Martin Luther King III, was president from 1998 to 2003.

All right, that horrific gang rape outside a high school dance in Richmond, California is our topic in the news room for all the next hour. How could so many people stand by and do nothing? We have been asking for your feedback, and already we have been getting it.

From Rochelle, "the bystanders in this situation need some kind of punishment. I don't care if it's as simple as hours working at a community center for battered and abused teens ten hours."

From Joel, "they did not break any laws by the definition of being a bystander. It's extremely unfortunate they did not do anything to intervene. However, it's not uncommon."

Stay with us. In the next hour, "Silent Witnesses." We'll have a panel of guests to talk about this disturbing case and where do we go from here? How do we reeducate everyone that you can't stand silently when something so heinous takes place. Send your comments to my blog at CNN.com/Fredricka, or you can find me on Facebook as well, FredrickaWhitfieldCNN.

All right. Coming up, straight ahead, much more here in the NEWSROOM. You have to see some of the Halloween iReport that we've already been --

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, people in Nashville looking for a spooky Halloween experience might want to check out the Flying Saucer Restaurant and Bar. It's downtown at the city's old railway station. The wait staff will tell you the place is haunted. They say spirits take over the restaurants pool room once customers actually leave for the night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have turned off the TVs a couple times and the TVs will turn right back on as I'm closing down.

She was opening the pool room by herself. Came in here, one of the chairs slid over by itself.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They continually see an old gentleman, like from back in the '20s and '30s, sitting over here between the two mirrors, with a hat on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Oh, no. I'd say it's time to find new employment. Employees say the pool room was built where the railroad station's waiting room once stood. They think there's some parallels there.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Well, our CNN iReporters always very creative. They're definitely in the Halloween spirit. Our Josh Levs has been scanning through a bevy of them. What are you seeing?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, we got this -- we got a lot of good ones. I will show you some great images from around the country. But this might be the best. This is from an iReporter who has created what just might be a new Halloween rap anthem. Take a look.

(SINGING)

LEVS: It's called "Ghost On a Stick." He's having a lot of fun. Let's hear the part where he gets everyone to sing along.

(SINGING)

LEVS: Put your hands in the air if you got a ghost on a stick. We played that once this morning, and dozens of people have been walking around the NEWSROOM singing, I have a ghost on a stick all day.

WHITFIELD: It is catchy.

LEVS: I think he realizes how funny it is. Maybe a little sardonic. It's very clever and it's getting a lot of traffic there.

WHITFIELD: What city are we talking about?

LEVS: You know, I have to check which city.

WHITFIELD: I always like to try to recognize the skyline.

LEVS: Cincinnati, Ohio.

WHITFIELD: OK. A little MJ action on the footwork.

LEVS: I'm kind of impressed. Ghost on a stick might become a national phenomenon because of this new anthem. He's not alone. Let's zoom into the board. I want to give a little love over here to some of our other great iReporters. Check this out, CNN.com. Just click on the living section. All you've got to do is click here. It's the New.com. It is designed in neat ways.

This, for example, is from -- they're calling it Bumblebee and Optimus. I don't know the names of all the Transformers. But Jennifer and Pedro Martin's home have this outside. They set up these Transformers at their home.

And let's go to this "Wizard of Oz" one. These people went pretty far out too. You can see is they created all the characters. This is the Mott family in Clark Summit, Pennsylvania. They're being all the characters. They even have their own yellow brick road.

WHITFIELD: Is Toto in there, too?

LEVS: I don't think they went that far.

Yes, they should have brought in the neighbor's dog. Maybe the witch got him. Keep them coming.

WHITFIELD: I think the ghost on a stick, it's a little catchy. The tune is still in my head.

LEVS: I know. It's stuck in my head too. Now I want a ghost on a stick.

WHITFIELD: That's funny. Thanks, Josh. What's your little man going to be?

LEVS: Right. He's three. He's going as Batman and I'm Robin.

WHITFIELD: I love that. That is sweet.

LEVS: Secret is out.

WHITFIELD: Take pictures, maybe we'll share them. Thanks, Josh -- I mean Robin.

Does it seem like your hard earned money is always disappearing? Halloween or not, find out the latest ways that cell phone, cable, and credit card providers are hiding fees that can add up to big bucks. That is scary.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Fees here, fees there, fees everywhere. Hidden charges tacked onto the goods and services that you buy can really add up. Our personal finance editor, Gerri Willis, has been looking into that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR (voice-over): From cell phones to cable service, to credit cards and banks, to airline travel and hotel stays; experts say the average American is spending close to 1,000 dollars a year extra on hidden fees and surcharges, a nickel here, a dime there.

BOB SULLIVAN, AUTHOR, "RED TAPE CHRONICLES": That's real money, married couples we're talking about 2,000 dollars. That's a nice chunk of change to stock a healthy retirement, pay for a nice vacation, get a head start on school costs.

WILLIS: Bob Sullivan is the author of "The Red Tape Chronicles."

SULLIVAN: Almost every transaction now, buying a car, buying a house, getting a cell phone, the company knows far much more than you do, including they know what the real cost is. And when there's all this confusion over what things cost, consumers lose.

WILLIS: And they're losing in a big way. The average fee ranges from less than a dollar to 10 dollars. While that may not seem like a lot of money, it adds up. Cell phone fees average 9.40 per month, more than 116 dollars a year. Cable and satellite TV fees, on average, run 9.52 a month, totally 114 dollars a year.

Every time you fly 33.44; with a national average of three and a half tickets a year, that totals 102 dollars a year.

Credit card fees average 7.72 a month, bringing the annual cost to 92 dollars. And the average fee incurred for a hotel stay is close to 25 dollars, roughly 95 dollars a year per person.

Bjorn Hanson is a professor at NYU's Tisch Center for Hospitality. Hanson says hotels have become more creative in what he calls the surprise fee.

BJORN HANSON, NYU TISCH CENTER: The hotels in 2008 collected about 1.75 billion dollars on fees and surcharges. Some of the fees that surprise guests the most would be an early departure fee, a cancellation fee, mini bar restocking charges, luggage or baggage holding fees.

WILLIS: Some hotels go as far as charging resort amenity fees for towels, and some urban hotels even charge a daily fee for receiving faxes.

(on camera): Experts say the best way to avoid being surprised by hidden fees or surcharges is to ask up front before every transaction what's the final cost I'm going to pay? According to the national survey cited in our report, consumers had the most success resolving fee complaints with credit card companies and hotels.

Gerri Willis, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)