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American Morning
The Perils of Education Reform; Iran to Release U.S. Hiker on Bail; How to Get a Six-Figure Salary; Gas Drilling: Hidden Danger?; Winning Hearts and Minds?; A Test for the Tea Party; Fashioning a Fortune
Aired September 13, 2010 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, and welcome to AMERICAN MORNING. I'm Jim Acosta in for John Roberts this morning. And it's a great Monday morning because we have the presence of Candy Crowley with us this morning. Good to see you.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN ANCHOR: You and I are staging a coup here.
ACOSTA: Yes, it is a coup. That's right. A bloodless coup at that.
CROWLEY: Exactly. Exactly. I'm Candy Crowley. Actually, John and Kiran are off this morning. But we have a lot to talk about so we want to get right to it.
We are on freedom watch this morning. U.S. hiker Sarah Shourd could be heading home within hours after spending more than a year of her life alone in an Iranian prison. The question, of course, is whether Iran will make good on its word.
ACOSTA: A dangerous situation unfolding in the Atlantic Ocean. Hurricane Igor now a Category 4 storm and gaining strength. We've got new details on the latest track and whether the east coast could be in line for a direct hit.
CROWLEY: And finally, some uplifting news about jobs out there. We have the six jobs with six-figure salaries that don't require you to spend four years of your life hitting the books. That's straight ahead.
ACOSTA: I don't know about that story because I want my kids to hit the books. That's for sure. But the amFIX blog is up and running. Join the live conversation right now. Just go to CNN.com/amFIX.
CROWLEY: Also new this morning, surveying the damage. Victims of the San Bruno gas explosions and fires were allowed back into their neighborhood for the first time yesterday. Four people are confirmed dead and in all 37 homes were destroyed. California regulators ordering PG&E to inspect all its natural gas lines in the state.
ACOSTA: And firefighters battling an estimated 6,400 acre wildfire outside of Boulder, Colorado, are being called to another potentially dangerous one to the north. A brushfire west of Loveland, already growing to nearly 700 acres and forcing mandatory evacuations in the area. Officials have ordered a fire ban hoping to prevent the aggressive blaze from spreading.
And obviously at this time, you know, this would be a good time for folks up in Colorado to get some rain -- some much needed rain out there. But we're not absolutely sure they're going to get it at this point. But the man who does know is that man right over there, Rob Marciano, in this morning with the weather forecast.
How is it looking out there in the west? I know you've got the tropics behind you. But, Rob, we're wondering about Colorado. How are things looking? Are they going to get some rain?
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: The rains they do get this time of year are a little bit dicey particularly thunderstorms that can create more damage than good. But cooler weather, which is good news, and they'll always take that. That's certainly on the way. As a matter of fact, we're getting to the time of year where the higher elevations will actually get some snow.
Also the time of year where the tropics are definitely getting more active, we're watching something in the Caribbean mostly because it's very close to home and we had some planes roll in there yesterday. A number of different aircraft investigated and so far it hasn't been determined to be of any consequence of late.
But this thing on the left side of your screen there, that is Igor, which at one point was just a little thing when we last talked on Friday. It has exploded into a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 150 miles an hour. Look at that thing. It is a beast with an eye in diameter. It has a diameter eye of about 15 nautical miles. It is rolling westward, heading in the general direction of the United States. And the big question is does it recurve like a lot of storms have been doing this year or does it continue its march off towards the west? We're going to talk about the intricacies of that forecast a little bit later on the program.
And then behind that, which you can just barely see off to the right of your screen, that is tropical storm Julia. A weaker thing for sure. But she'll have time to develop, as well. Now, right now, battering the Cape Verde Islands. So, we're headstrong into the heart of tropical season here. This is typically the peak of it. And Mother Nature is not disappointing. Hopefully we'll keep some of these out to sea, but no promises on that. Back to you guys in New York.
ACOSTA: And, Rob, we won't get into the whole Igor versus Igor debate because --
CROWLEY: Thank heaven.
ACOSTA: Yes, I heard that's been shoot over plenty at this point. But I'm a young Frankenstein fan, so you know --
MARCIANO: Who is that?
ACOSTA: When I --
MARCIANO: Exactly, who is that?
ACOSTA: When I hear that debate going, it just brings me back. So, anyway -- so, thanks for that. Or not. Thanks, Rob, appreciate it.
CROWLEY: But it's Igor.
ACOSTA: Yes, it is Igor. Yes.
Education reform. You're going to be hearing about that a lot this week. It sounds great. Everybody wants better schools for their kids, right?
CROWLEY: Yes.
ACOSTA: Yes. Yes.
CROWLEY: But in D.C., the reformer mayor, Adrian Fenty, is battling for his political life. And if he loses tomorrow's primary it could have a chilling effect on education reform nationwide. Kate Bolduan is live in Washington this morning.
Kate, Mayor Fenty has made a few enemies along the way trying to upgrade D.C.'s school system.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He sure has. And this is why this race matters nationally. While there are other big local factors in D.C.'s Democratic mayoral primary, one issue playing a significant role also carries significant national implications, education reform. Then, known as a Democratic dynamo, Mayor Adrian Fenty came into office in 2006.
He quickly took complete control of D.C.'s failing public school system and he handed it over to new chancellor, aggressive reformer Michelle Rhee. Rhee ushered in a wave of controversial change that grabbed national attention, including shutting down two dozen schools, firing hundreds of educations including more than 100 teachers over the summer for poor performance.
Also, overhauling the teacher evaluation system, linking it to student performance for the first time, and doing away in large part with tenure, putting in its place teacher performance pay. But Fenty, once a rising star, as you mentioned, is now in the fight for his career. We caught up with him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR ADRIAN FENTY, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: You asked me whether we would make the decisions we made around education reform now knowing everything we did? I say absolutely, yes. A hundred times out of 100. I was elected to do what's right for the city and not what's politically popular. And that's what we've done around, fixing our schools. And the great thing is our schools are better off for them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: Fenty acknowledged to me yesterday when I caught up with him that the aggressive reforms have cost him in the polls, but he, as you heard there, is unapologetic saying D.C. schools and D.C. students have suffered for too long, Candy.
ACOSTA: And, Kate, just curious, why should the rest of the country care about what happens in this race? I mean, obviously the folks in D.C. care, the metropolitan area of Washington care, but what about the rest of the country? Is it basically because of this issue of education?
BOLDUAN: It is because of this issue of education. And here's why. The reforms that are happening that are currently underway in D.C. schools, as we've mentioned have definitely ruffled feathers locally and nationally including local and national teachers unions, but there are also exactly what the Obama administration is calling for nationwide and the administration has put up some serious cash to prove it offering more than $3 billion in competitive grants for innovative reform efforts just like D.C.'s. And in the most recent polls, Fenty is either neck and neck or losing to his challenger, D.C. city councilor chairman Vincent Gray. And voters count education as a chief concern heading into the polls.
Put all this together, this is leaving some to wonder if the results of this race are kind of a test case and could create a chilling effect on national reform efforts, simply fear that politicians will see reform efforts that are happening in D.C. that are backed by the Obama administration is just too politically risky to take on.
ACOSTA: Right. And, Kate, everybody it seems in the country has heard about Michelle Rhee, the school's chancellor in D.C. She was on the cover of "Time" magazine. She sort of made education reform a vogue thing to watch politically across the country. So this is going to be a very interesting race to watch with lots of ramifications.
CROWLEY: A bit of a Petri dish.
BOLDUAN: Exactly. Exactly.
CROWLEY: But we should also say that the mayor has been in some trouble for how he cleared the snow after two blizzards too. Just as one who lived through it, I can say that also caused him some problems.
BOLDUAN: Politics is always local, but there's a portion of this that people nationally should pay attention to.
CROWLEY: Exactly.
ACOSTA: Potholes matter.
CROWLEY: Yes. Right.
Another interesting race we have to watch -- thanks, Kate -- tomorrow features an upstart Sarah Palin-backed Tea Party candidate running for a Senate seat in Delaware. And she could win even though some members of her own party she isn't qualified. John Avlon weighs in on that contest in the next half hour. ACOSTA: And in this election season CNN is the place for politics. Just head to CNN.com/politics. And coming up in just a few moments, we're going to try to get out to Reza Sayah on the latest on that mission to bring back hiker Sarah Shourd from Iran. That's coming up in just a few moments. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CROWLEY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. Freedom may be just a few hours away. Sarah Shourd, one of the three Americans held prisoner in Iran for over a year, could be on her way home this morning. But she will have to leave behind her fiance, Shane Bauer, and friend Josh Fattal.
ACOSTA: They were all arrested along the Iran-Iraq border back in July of 2009. Iran said they were U.S. spies. Sarah Shourd has been in solitary confinement ever since. And her family says she is sick. Reza Sayah is monitoring the situation for us live from Pakistan this morning.
And, Reza, what are we hearing. We're all waiting in suspense. We want to know what's going to happen.
REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim, at this point, we are waiting to see if Sarah Shourd is actually going to be released and if so, when. Of course, with all the waffling Iranian officials have done with this case, it's hard to tell where things stand right now. Of course, last week Iranian officials came out and said Sarah Shourd would be released, then they said she wouldn't be released. On Sunday, a senior prosecutor in Tehran came out again and said Iran is offering to release her in exchange for $500,000 in bail money.
I spoke to Sarah Shourd's lawyer who also represents the other two hikers about an hour ago and he said although there's no new developments at this hour, everything is in place for this release to take place. All Iranian officials are waiting for is the money to be transferred. With Tehran and Washington not having any diplomatic relations, the Swiss embassy in Tehran is going to play the role of mediator in this case. The likely scenario is going to be the family of someone is going to come up with a half a million dollars, transfer it to Swiss officials, and the Swiss embassy is going to transfer it to the judiciary and then the release will take place. So at this point, it's a wait and see. But good news for Sarah Shourd according to Iranian officials, she can go home if she comes up with that hefty bail money.
CROWLEY: Reza, it is good news for Shourd. But the question is, what's happening to the other two? What's likely to happen to them?
SAYAH: Well, the senior prosecutor yesterday in Tehran in his news conference said that the other two hikers, Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal, they're not going anywhere. He said there's enough evidence that shows the two were spying when they allegedly crossed into Iranian territory in July 2009. Of course, spying is a very serious crime in Iran. If convicted, you could face the death penalty, Candy. So the ordeal far from over for those two hikers. CROWLEY: And very troubling. Thanks so much, Reza, appreciate it.
Do you need to go to college to get a six figure salary? Maybe not. Coming up, we're going to show you six jobs that allow you to train on the job instead of at the college campus.
It's now about 13 minutes past the top of the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CROWLEY: We can't figure out whether parents will be appreciative or not of this next segment, but with college students heading back to school, it does beg the question, what does that four-year degree get you these days? It may surprise you to know that you can pull in six figures without even stepping foot on campus.
How? We want to (ph) join us for some answers, Al Lee, director of quantitative analysis at PayScale.com. Mr. Lee, thanks so much for joining us.
Let's note how interesting it is to be talking to a PhD about how you don't need a college degree to - to win six figures. But we shall - we'll carry on here.
AL LEE, DIRECTOR OF QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS, PAYSCALE.COM: I got to -
CROWLEY: Listen -
LEE: I've got to say when I went -
CROWLEY: Go ahead.
LEE: I've got to say, when I first looked into these, I was kind of depressed how much time I spent in school and the I ended up not making nearly - nearly this much money.
CROWLEY: Well, let's see if we can let you be a cautionary tale, then.
And, you know, what are the odds, first of all? We want to look at a couple of these jobs, but what are the odds that you could get one of these six that you highlight if you don't have a college degree?
LEE: So that's a - a good question. Basically, what we did is we looked through our database of millions of people who work, and looking for people who earn a lot of money and don't have a college degree.
So these are all jobs where you can go in with a college degree, but, generally speaking, it's not required, and in fact, it's common not to have a college degree. So it's very much a place where you can kind of step right in.
CROWLEY: So let's show some people where they can send their resumes, at least according to you. A few of the jobs - one of them is an elevator mechanic. Surprising to me that you can earn six figures here, and why is that a good avenue of pursuit for a non-college degree job searcher?
LEE: So, in general there's a class of jobs which are the ones which are kind of skilled trades. You know, everyone's familiar with auto mechanic or plumber. This is kind of an interesting one because the demands of high-rise elevator mechanics is - is kind of a complicated mix of electronics, electricity, and - and mechanics that are - pays very well.
CROWLEY: And you also list air traffic controller. I'm - I'm a little surprised here. Let me - let me have you talk about that a little bit. Also, to kind of include in your answer, if an employer has a choice between a college-educated air traffic controller or one who doesn't have a college degree, wouldn't they naturally gravitate towards the college degree or no?
LEE: Well, this is an interesting case because it's a very specialized skill. It's not something you're going to learn in a class in history or - or even mathematics or something like that. And so it really is the on-the-job training that makes the - the critical - kind of separates the men from the boys or - or who would be really good at the job.
And it's - you know, you can't fake it. You can't have, you know, have classroom knowledge stand in for the ability to handle the stress and complexity of routing traffic in a major airport.
CROWLEY: So basically a person that would go to - begin to train as an air traffic controller right out of high school would have a jump start on somebody who went to college, paid all that money for college, and then came in four years later is what you're saying?
LEE: Well, at least an - at least an equal chance, and that's the - the key here is it's not necessarily that college graduates don't go into it. People take a lot of paths to various jobs. It's more of a question of you don't have to get that college degree to qualify to get in.
CROWLEY: OK.
And director of security. Must be a lot of those jobs out there. This must be a booming industry.
LEE: Right. That's a very booming industry. Everybody's concerned about that, you know, let's be honest, post 9/11, people are even more concerned. And when it comes down to it, this is an area where it's really understanding people more than book smarts that gets you, you know, moving up the ladder and understanding how to react to dangerous situations and that kind of, you know, qualifications that are not once again something you can learn in a classroom.
CROWLEY: Al Lee, director of quantitative analysis at PayScale.com. Thank you so much. I don't know if we've scared parents or just given them something to think about, but thanks.
LEE: Yes. Thank you.
CROWLEY: Of course, you can find the entire report on our website. Just check out CNNMoney.com.
ACOSTA: And there's got to be a joke in there about elevator repairmen going up the ladder in their career.
CROWLEY: Go ahead.
ACOSTA: Somewhere in there, there is. I'm not going to go there.
But natural gas is often hailed as the clean alternative to oil and gas, but don't tell that to people who can light their water on fire. The story from CNN Special Investigations Unit.
It is 20 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
The massive gas explosion in California last week is a reminder this is an energy source that comes with risks. Drilling for natural gas has become a very big business in many parts of the country, but it can also have a negative impact on the people who live near that drilling.
CNN's Special Investigations Unit Drew Griffin joins us now live with that. And, Drew, this is a - this is a troubling look at this industry and - and what people who live near this industry have to deal with.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE UNIT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim. Absolutely.
No doubt we need the gas. The controversy is over how they're getting this natural gas out of the ground in Pennsylvania and whether or not this type of drilling should be extended to other parts of the northeast.
You know, for the people I met in Dimock, Pennsylvania who told me their ground water is now flammable, the answer, rather obvious.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN (voice-over): Bill Ely's pure artisan well water that he and his family have been drinking for nearly 50 years is now full of methane gas. He's sick of telling people about it, so now he just shows them.
BILL ELY, LIVE NEAR NATURAL GAS DRILLING: I have it (ph) like this because (INAUDIBLE). It's going to blow it right out, but I'm going to try it.
GRIFFIN (on camera): Whoa. It looks like you scared me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know what? You're - you're really lucky you didn't -
GRIFFIN: What just happened? I mean -
ELY: That's just the gas went down. And that's why I said, it comes back and blow it out these holes. But if I turn it up a little bit and the water flak (ph) that, and then it'll just burn a flame right off the top.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): The gas bubbles through his well.
ELY: As you can see right now, you can't see it in the hose into the bottom of that because that's all gas.
GRIFFIN (on camera): And it was at one time clear?
ELY: Clear. Crystal clear.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): It steams off like Alka-Seltzer. In his chicken COOPER: , where it's dark, he can show you the flame.
What's causing this? He says like a lot of people in rural Eastern Pennsylvania, he has been fracked. This area is seeing a boom in the natural gas business because of a geological formation known as the Marcellus Shale and a drilling process called hydraulic fracturing.
Fracking, as it's known, drills down and then sideways into the massive shale rock that lies thousands of feet below, injecting mostly water and some chemicals, which cause many earthquakes. That fractures the rock, releasing clear, odorless, floating gold - natural gas trapped inside the Marcellus Shale, hundreds of trillions of cubic feet worth, enough to supply the northeast for decades to come.
Craig and Julie Sautner say they too are being fracked.
GRIFFIN (on camera): I'm going to play a little devil's advocate with you. That's a little bit why they say they're doing this, because this is clean fuel.
CRAIG SAUTNER, LIVE NEAR NATURAL GAS DRILLING: Clean fuel.
JULIE SAUNTER, LIVE NEAR NATURAL GAS DRILLING: It's - it's not clean to get. It's a fossil fuel. Any fossil fuel - coal, oil, gas, is - they don't see the dirty side. This is the dirty side of natural gas. It's clean to burn, but it's not clean to get.
GRIFFIN: Like Bill Ely, the Sautner's well is poisoned. Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection confirmed it, and it's now forcing the gas exploration company, Cabot Oil & Gas, to truck in clean drinking water, though Cabot denies its process of fracturing has contaminated anything.
In fact, the company's spokesman cites a 2004 EPA study which found only a minimal threat to underground drinking water, and told CNN, "We don't believe the process is contaminating the ground water. As a technology, it's proven and safe."
C. SAUTNER: We don't know - GRIFFIN: The Sautners and other homeowners just don't buy that. They are suing. Craig wants a clean water pipeline to his home, and he wants to be paid for a house that now has a methane release stack in his front yard.
C. SAUTNER: To keep it - to keep it from blowing up, yes.
GRIFFIN: And a neighborhood, he says, that is sometimes fogged in with methane mist.
C. SAUTNER: Will this become a ghost town some day? Maybe, right?
I - I sure don't want to live here anymore.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN: What Craig and Julie Sautner want most now is to warn people in other areas, especially New York State where this hydraulic fracturing is being proposed.
They do admit, Jim, they were suckers. They were paid $2,500 an acre to lease their mineral rights to Cabot Gas. They also get royalties, which Craig says amounts to dollars a week. The money, they say now, just was not worth the price they are paying.
ACOSTA: Yes. And, Drew, we're hearing more and more stories from homeowners out there going through the same experience, and it's - it's really worthwhile to - to see what happens when this doesn't go right.
Drew Griffin with that really revealing look at this industry this morning. Thanks a lot, Drew. Appreciate it.
And it is 28 minutes after the hour right now. Time for this morning's top stories.
We're waiting for word from Iran that American hiker Sarah Shourd is a free woman this morning. Iran says she will be released on bail. She is one of three of Americans who were captured along the border and thrown into an Iranian jail more than one year ago. The other two could stand trial on spying charges.
CROWLEY: And rescuers in Chile are sending 33 miners trapped 2,300 feet underground one of the things they crave the most - cigarettes. The men will share two packs a day.
Officials have been supplying them with nicotine patches and gum. The miners also received a power line that will allow them to install lights.
ACOSTA: And the Obama administration is preparing to notify Congress of America's largest arms deal ever. "The Wall Street Journal" is reporting the U.S. is offering advance aircraft to Saudi Arabia that could be worth as much as $60 billion. The deal reportedly involves the sale of 84 F-15 fighter jets and more than 170 helicopters to the Saudis, and it could create up to 75,000 jobs in the U.S. CROWLEY: And for eight days now, our newest correspondent, Kaj Larsen, has been traveling across Pakistan to some of the most remote and dangerous parts of the country, places where even many rescue teams can't or wouldn't go.
ACOSTA: And along the way, he spoke to the people about where their hearts and minds lie with the United States now doing so much to save flood victims even as the military hunts for Taliban and al Qaeda. And Kaj joins us from Islamabad this morning.
And, Kaj, this has just been just a tremendous week of reporting that you've brought to us, and we're seeing just a part of the world that if it weren't for this - this immense tragedy, we really wouldn't see. I guess, you know, there's that - I guess there's that positive upside to this.
KAJ LARSEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Absolutely, Jim.
Well, this weekend is a - was a very, very critical time here in Pakistan. It marked not only the anniversary - the nine-year anniversary of 9/11 in the States, a time of remembrance, but it also marked Eid, the Eid holiday, the traditional end of Ramadan here in Pakistan...
So, at this critical time which could be described as a low point of relations between Islam and the West, I was traveling around asking Pakistanis how they feel about Americans and America. So here's what I found on my journey.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARSEN: So here I am in Pakistan. For the last week, I've been crisscrossing the country as I've been following the aftermath of the devastating floods that took place here. And along the way on my journey, I've been talking to different Pakistanis that I meet to get a pulse of how the people of this country are feeling about Americans and about America.
First stop, Multan (ph). I spent the night in a local guest house, and in the morning, I spoke with a couple of the cooks who had made us breakfast.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): America is not Pakistan's enemy. If so, why are they here to help the Pakistan people?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): If U.S. is enemy of Islam, then why are there mosques being built there? According to my information, there are over 300 mosques in America.
LARSEN: The next stop on our journey was about five hours down the road, when our driver wanted to stop for some chai tea.
What do you think of Americans?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I think the U.S. is a good country. And the people of the U.S. are good. If there are drones, it's because there are terrorists. If there are no terrorists, then there will be no need for drones.
LARSEN: So after the chai refill, we decided that we had to refill the car. We stopped at a petrol station and chatted with the cashier about his feelings.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The U.S. is helping people who are affected by the floods.
LARSEN: But my man over here who pumped our gas feels differently. He does not agree.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The U.S. is attacking Muslim countries one after the other. One day, I worry that the U.S. will attack Pakistan.
LARSEN: Hmm, mixed reviews. Well, we kept pushing south to our next story where we arrived at our luxury accommodations. The Decent Lodge -- so we're going to head into the Decent Lodge and talk to the manager and find out his opinion about Americans.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Pakistanis give Americans maximum regard in Pakistan. But Pakistanis are not treated well in the United States.
LARSEN: And American policy -- how do you feel about American policy?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: American policy for Pakistan (INAUDIBLE) -- not good for Pakistan.
LARSEN: I don't -- I don't need a translator for that one.
Finally, I spoke with Dr. Yasmine (ph) who I had met on a story we were doing about a humanitarian group.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Should I speak the truth? When there is a disaster, it gives us a lot of food there. But at the same time, it's throwing bombs on us. If you want to win the hearts of the people, you have to live in the hearts of the people. You cannot throw bomb and say you love me.
LARSEN: Hey, Rahij (ph), what do you think of Americans?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
LARSEN: Thank you.
Road trip Pakistan. Three provinces, seven days, 500 miles, two polarities that speak volumes about this country -- a well-educated Pakistani doctor who had grave suspicions about America, and a chai tea maker who had never met Americans before, yet embraced us.
(END VIDEOTAPE) CANDY CROWLEY, CNN ANCHOR: So, Kaj, can you tell whether the effort to help in the flood -- and as far as I can tell -- the U.S. has been in there more than any other nation. Has that helped change minds? Do people, you know, say, look, we felt one way, but now we're seeing all these relief? Or are they pretty much solidified beliefs before and after the flood relief?
LARSEN: That really is the critical question, Candy. The U.S., as you said, has given more aid than any other international partner. The issue is, it's a long road to haul here for the U.S. Prior to the floods, a survey found that 60 percent of Pakistanis considered America their enemy. So, there is a huge swath of resentment against American policy here in the region.
And despite all of the best efforts to help with the flood relief, they still have to combat that. Recently, Roger Cohen said that only a spark separates resentment from uprising. And that's no more true here where there so many triggers that could erupt this place back into conflagration again.
CROWLEY: Kaj Larsen, a fascinating look at Pakistan, things we don't often get to see -- thanks so much.
A big test for the Tea Party tomorrow in Delaware's Republican Senate primary. An upstart challenger backed by Sarah Palin may be poised -- or may not be poised -- to topple a titan in the state, even though some Republicans claim she's not qualified for the job.
It is 35 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CROWLEY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
It seems like we've been saying this for a lot of Tuesdays in a row, but there's a critical test for the Tea Party tomorrow. Delaware's Republican Senate primary pitting a Tea Party favorite, upstart Christine O'Donnell, against nine-term congressman, Mike Castle.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: That's right. The question is what we'll be seeing Wednesday morning. O'Donnell has the backing of Sarah Palin, and she's getting lots of buzz. But some Republicans insisting she's not qualified for the job.
So, joining us now to get a closer look at this race, John Avlon, CNN contributor and columnist for "The Daily Beast."
And, John, we're all watching this race.
JOHN AVLON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Good morning.
ACOSTA: Good morning to you. And because we're wondering if she's going to pull a Joe Miller, pull a Sharron Angle, you know, the analogies go on and on here. But -- I mean, Mike Castle is in serious trouble. AVLON: And, Mike Castle -- I mean, what's at stake here is really Republican-controlled Joe Biden Senate seat. Mike Castle, hugely popular, former governor, long-serving congressman, could walk into this race, this seat many polls show. Christine O'Donnell, a much longer shot, but she has the backing of Sarah Palin, the Tea Party Express.
So, it's really in some ways, it shows the underlying fault lines in the GOP. It's Chris Christy has Mike Castle, the centrist-wing of the party, versus Sarah Palin and the Tea Party types.
And the reality is, is that O'Donnell is just a professional social conservative -- exactly the kind of Republican that voters in the northeast do not reward. So, these are very high stakes and in a low turnout close partisan primary, that's when the activists and the extremes can really dominate the debate.
CROWLEY: And it is -- we should point out -- that only Republicans can vote in this primary.
AVLON: That's right.
CROWLEY: They're closed primaries, as we call them. But look, Delaware is not Alaska, number one.
AVLON: That's right.
CROWLEY: And so, that makes it different, does it not? And the fact is that -- Mike Castle sees this coming whereas Lisa Murkowski who got defeated in Alaska didn't see it coming.
AVLON: That's absolutely true. He has the benefit of knowing that there's a problem on the ground.
And the other -- the flip side of Delaware not being Alaska is that while Joe Miller may still be avail to be a credible general election candidate, Christine O'Donnell would not.
And one of the really interesting things for me is that the Tea Party Movement has told its supporters it's primarily about fiscal conservatism with a strong libertarian streak. And here you have luminaries in the movement and various established senators and political figures backing somebody who's primarily and almost exclusively a social conservative. That is a tension there that --
ACOSTA: Right.
AVLON: -- the Tea Party movement's going to need to reconcile and it has not to date. But this really is about electability versus not. It's not Tea Party versus Kool-Aid really.
ACOSTA: She led an abstinence -- a pro-abstinence group, I believe, in Delaware. But there are questions about both of these candidates. Christine O'Donnell has made that now infamous claim that she won two counties in a Senate race against Biden a few years back. But Mike Castle also has an Internet -- a Google problem because Tea Party activist can go back and Google up the picture of him holding up that stimulus check, you know, a couple of years back.
And so, I guess, the question becomes is this -- is it -- I mean, are the Republicans left with two choices that they really don't want in this state?
AVLON: No, Mike Castle can -- polls show Mike Castle (AUDIO BREAK) what is now very Democratic state.
What's interesting here, yes -- I mean, Mike Castle has earned the entity of the Tea Party folks. Early one, he stood up and criticized the birthers. He voted for cap-and-trade. However, he voted against the stimulus bill, he voted against health care. This is a guy when he was governor succeeding Pete du Pont cut income taxes three times and balanced the budget.
So, he would seem to have a lot of credibility on fiscal issues that should please the Tea Party supporters. So, why this drift towards a pretty flawed candidate in Christine O'Donnell? I mean, it goes pretty deep when you look at the record of controversies here.
So, there are some underlying fault lines underneath the GOP. And the real stakes is whether you want someone who can win Joe Biden's seat or you want to place ideological activists and put yourself in an event deeper trough when it comes in the northeast.
CROWLEY: Looking across at some of the Tea Party-backed candidates, in Nevada, in Kentucky, in Colorado, perhaps in Delaware, those now have made them iffy races.
AVLON: Yes.
CROWLEY: What looked like Republican wins now look at least a little bit iffy. Let's say some of these Tea Party-backed candidates get into the U.S. Senate, I talked a little bit to Dick Armey about this yesterday, like how would they -- how was the Tea Party candidates mesh inside the Republican caucus? Because they're to the right. And he said, well, he thought that the Tea Party people were the middle of American politics.
AVLON: No. I don't think that's true. I mean, look, Tea Party movement what we know now is they are conservative populists. They are not to be confused with independent voters in general.
Now, on fiscal issues, they can help move the Republican Party to a more consistent conservative position that can help bridge gaps with independent voters. But they're going to be -- they want the Republican Party to be more polarized and that is significant. These are people who many believe the cooperation is collaboration. So, saying it's going to lead to some new -- new era of the strength of the center in the Senate I don't think is credible.
They can move the Republican Party and perhaps the country towards more fiscal conservative policies which would be embraced by many independents and voters in the center. But the issue is, is a real anger, an underlying anger at Barack Obama that is going to really undercut attempts at conciliation and moving the ball forward, not left or right.
ACOSTA: And these Tea Party candidates -- I mean, we have to wrap it up, but these Tea Party candidates, you can argue, have pulled these Republican candidates in all of these races to the right. So Dick Armey's claim that while they're going to bring together this new American political center, I mean, I don't know if that holds up if you look at what has happened in all of these races.
AVLON: It is a powerful way.
ACOSTA: Yes.
AVLON: Midterm elections, remember, low turnout, high intensity elections. The Tea Party has been a powerful mover for Republicans here. But it's not credible to say it's about the center. That's not where the energy is coming from.
CROWLEY: The center is always pretty much depends on where you're sitting.
AVLON: I still think --
(CROSSTALK)
ACOSTA: John Avlon, thanks a lot. Appreciate it.
AVLON: Thank you.
ACOSTA: All right.
CROWLEY: It is 6:43, almost 6:44.
Still to come, we are going to be looking at Rob Marciano. He's going to have this morning's weather. He's looking at some hurricanes, and I think, some fires right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: All right. It's 46 minutes after the hour. Let's get a quick check of this morning's weather headlines. Rob Marciano is in the -- oh, it looks like hurricane headquarters. We're moving beyond the Extreme Weather Center and just going right to the hurricane headquarters.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: This time of year, you got to do it. Good morning, Jim. Hi, Candy. Again, we are looking at hurricane Igor or I should say Igor. Igor is the correct pronunciation, but we're having too much fun with the young Frankenstein analogy, and sometimes, I'm even messing it up. Hurricane Igor, 150-mile-an-hour winds. It went from, you know, pretty mild tropical storm the end of last week and just exploded over the weekend. Look at the size of this thing, and that gorgeous, gorgeous eye.
It's about 15 miles wide, looks a little bit large on the satellite picture, but according to their analysis, 15 miles wide. It's not the biggest hurricane that we've seen. I mean, hurricane- force winds only go about 40 miles from the center, but nonetheless, it is well, well defined and well structured, and we don't anticipate any sort of weakening. As a matter of fact, it might even strengthen to a category five storm before this is said and done.
Before we talk about the track, I do want to touch on what's going on with this. This is tropical storm Julia, obviously, not nearly as organized. It's rolling through the Cape Verde Islands and heading off to the west. Not going to have to deal with that anytime too soon. Let's talk about the track for hurricane Igor. A category four storm, could get to five, but we anticipate it to be a major hurricane. Right now, it's about 900 miles east of the Leeward Islands.
And then kind of start and make that right turn. That's the forecast. We certainly hope that holds true. And if it does, then we'll look for it to be maybe curving out to sea before it gets to the U.S. But right now, too far to tell that. A couple of showers across the northeast today. Other than that, it's pretty quiet weather across much of the United States and dry, comfortable stuff all the way down to the deep south. Little cool front coming down to the -- through Dixie to give folks a little taste of fall.
We are getting into that time of year where cold fronts get all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. And I tell you what, if you live down south, it is a welcome breath of fresh air. Candy, Jim, back up to you.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN ANCHOR: OK, Rob. Right after we figure out Igor, I'm going to have talk to you about your pronunciation of Frankenstein.
MARCIANO: I'm waiting for hurricane Frabrucka (ph). That's what I'm waiting.
(LAUGHING)
CROWLEY: All right. Jessica Simpson got a bad rap for sporting a pair of mom jeans, remember that?
ACOSTA: Oh, boy.
CROWLEY: We are going to find out how she parlayed all that gossip into a $1 billion business. Who's laughing now? It is 49 minutes past the hour/
ACOSTA: Wish I thought of that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: Yes, they are awake in there.
CROWLEY: Yes, they are, and so are we.
And Jessica Simpson is back. Although, I didn't know she'd gone anywhere, but all right. She is working on a new Christmas album, she has a new denim line in stores, and she is a fashion mogul in the making.
ACOSTA: How about that? Simpson's label is popping up on clothes, shoes, and handbags, but does she really have the fashion cred? Alina Cho would know. She spent some time with Simpson recently. In this "A.M. Original," she shows us the secrets of a future billion dollar girl.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jessica Simpson is an American sweetheart. The girl known for her gas.
JESSICA SIMPSON, CO-CREATIVE DIR., JESSICA SIMPSON COLLECTION: I know it's tuna, but it says chicken by the sea.
CHO: Good looks --
SIMPSON: You all ready to order?
CHO: And turning the tabloids. But Jessica Simpson is also a mega fashion brand.
You got sweaters, shoes, jewelry, handbags, hats. I mean, did you ever think?
SIMPSON: No. Honestly, this isn't even like a dream that I had. I mean, I played with Barbie when I was little, and I like to dress them up.
CHO: Now, she's dressing up real people head to toe. A full fashion line named after who else but herself.
PHILLIP BLOCH, AUTHOR, "THE SHOPPING DIET": She could end up selling food. She could end up selling house ware. She could end up selling cars. She's like the next version of Martha Stewart.
CHO: Before you doubt it, get this, just five years after its launch, the Jessica Simpson collection has 21 different product categories. Everything from butterfly patterned dresses to boots, definitely not made for walking, to perfume, even luggage with well over $500 million in annual sales, on track to be $1 billion brand by 2012.
SIMPSON: This is the most lucrative thing I do, absolutely.
CHO: It is?
SIMPSON: Yes.
CHO: So how does she manage it all? Lots of help from her co- creative director, her mom.
What's most important for you?
TINA SIMPSON, CO-CREATIVE DIR., JESSICA SIMPSON COLLECTION: Oh, that it's real for Jessica. You know, it's real to her. Like nothing goes through approvals with us that isn't like something that Jessica wouldn't be interested in or wouldn't love.
SIMPSON: I like it doesn't have the collar. I think that's cute.
CHO: Hmmm, yes. That's a great jacket.
SIMPSON: I am definitely a girly girl, so it was fun for me to like even put together color palates or like create some pair of jeans that a woman would feel comfortable in.
CHO: That's right. The brand's latest venture is a full line of jeans.
JEFF GENNETTE, CHIEF MERCHANDISING OFFICER, MACY: She's a curvy fit. And there's a lot of women out there that are looking for a jean that fits a curvy woman.
CHO: Something the tabloids have taunted her about. Making light of her weight battles.
SIMPSON: I don't like to read that stuff about myself. Yes, the world doesn't like me! Oh, they think I'm a size 100.
CHO: But it's this candor, relatability that industry insiders say consumers love.
Where do you want to see this brand go, I mean, five years from now, ten years from now? What are you --
SIMPSON: Oh, I'm thinking even after I'm gone. I would like for it to be around.
CHO: You are that all-American girl, aren't you? Isn't that --
SIMPSON: Well, I hope so. I hope I'm the all-American girl. I think I am.
CHO: I think you are.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO (on-camera): And she certainly is, and that's what sells, you know. If you ask people why Jessica Simpson's clothes, bags, and shoes sell. They will tell you the three Cs, cost, comfort, and credibility. Her bags and shoes, for example, start at under $50. Simpson tells me incredibly that her shoes are so comfortable, guys, that flight attendants actually come up to her all the time and say, you know what, your shoes are the only ones that I can wear because I walk up and down the aisles, and they're really, really comfortable.
ACOSTA: They would know.
CHO: They would know. You know, as for credibility, Macy's tells me, she's relatable. Every time her weight goes up and down, she breaks up with a boyfriend. People say, you know, I can relate to that. I've been through that. You know, will her collections ever grace the pages of vogue? Probably not. But as one person told me, she's laughing all the way to the bank. Nearly the billion dollar business.
CROWLEY: I think what we ought to do, though, is test those shoes on the concrete convention floors.
CHO: I'm telling you. I think they can. I was really surprised, you know. I'm a 6-inch platform heel girl myself, and they were very comfortable. They're very comfortable.
ACOSTA: I have to say as a Washington redskins fan, I appreciate the Jessica Simpson effect on Tony Romo. Not to bring it to football, but --
CHO: And now she's dating another NFL player, Eric Johnson. She's very much in love, she says, and maybe, she'll start a men's line soon.
ACOSTA: There you go (ph). I mean, you got to give her this. I mean, what a smart business move.
CHO: And she's putting her name on everything, perhaps just like Martha Stewart down the line. So, we'll see. She's a smart girl.
ACOSTA: All right. Alina Cho, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
Top stories coming up after the break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) was that? Is that a plane crash?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: We begin with shocking new video this morning. Moments after the huge explosion in San Bruno this morning, homeowners return to see what's left of their of their neighborhood while questions surrounding the energy company. Were warning signs missed?
It is Monday, September 13th. We'll be showing that video again this morning. I can guarantee that. I'm Jim Acosta. John Roberts has the morning off.
CROWLEY: And I'm Candy Crowley in for Kiran. We will have the latest on the California explosion investigation in a moment.
