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American Morning
Blackberry's Answer to iPad; Not "All Natural"; John Thune for President?, Recapturing the Youth Vote; The Empowered Patient
Aired September 28, 2010 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rahm Emanuel, the president's tough-talking chief of staff looks ready to move on. The latest on the possibility of another high-level departure from the Obama White House -- ahead on the Most News in the Morning.
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KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. It is Tuesday, September 28th. Glad you're with us on this AMERICAN MORNING. I'm Kiran Chetry.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. I'm John Roberts. Thanks so much for being with us. We'll have more on Rahm Emanuel in just a moment, but first, this morning's top stories. Let's get you caught up on what happened overnight.
A deadly incident in Iraq. A U.S. soldier accused of murdering two other American servicemen and wounding a third. Military officials are calling it a non-combat incident. Details still emerging this morning. Our Barbara Starr live at the Pentagon with the latest details just ahead.
CHETRY: Seven former members of the U.S. air force coming forward insisting aliens and UFOs have visited earth, not once, not twice, but more than a hundred times, trying to deliver us a warning. You'll hear them reveal their thoughts on this in their own words in just a moment.
ROBERTS: And struggling to pay your credit cards? If so, you've probably noticed the ads promising to reduce or eliminate your debt. Well, now there are new rules to protect you from those deceptive guarantees that leave many consumers in worse financial shape.
CHETRY: And some changes at the White House. I guess you could say they're dusting off the "help wanted" sign again. Chief of staff Rahm Emanuel apparently has one foot out the door this morning.
ROBERTS: Sources tell CNN the president's right-hand man is going to be making an announcement Friday that he is running for mayor of Chicago. And he's already building his team to launch the campaign.
CHETRY: Yes, Suzanne Malveaux is traveling with the president this morning. She joins us live from Albuquerque, New Mexico, with more on this. You know, there was buzz, but I guess he's going to make it official this week, huh?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You know, you can bank on it. I think, obviously, multiple sources telling CNN this is the decision he's come. You know, call him "Rahmbo," call him a member of the Chicago mafia, all affectionately, of course. This is someone who has been a force in the White House, very colorful figure, obviously President Obama nudging himself publicly yesterday, saying you've got to make up your mind quickly.
He, in fact, could make that announcement as early as this Friday. He's got a lot on his plate in order to make this thing happen. We're talking about collecting some 12,000 signatures by the November 22nd date before the February 22nd primary. So there's a lot that's in play here.
He's been talking to his family the last couple of weeks. People have been jockeying to try to see who is going to be running in that position. Obviously Rahm Emanuel would be a strong character, a strong candidate for that position.
Who is going to take his place? A lot of folks at the White House say he's irreplaceable, but certainly on a temporary basis there are a lot of good candidates. The one that is the favorite, sources telling us, is the deputy chief of staff Pete Rouse. Kiran, John?
CHETRY: You see a picture of Peter Rouse there. Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, there was a fundraiser in New Hampshire yesterday and Vice President Joe Biden had some blunt words. We want to show you what he said and then I'll get your take on it.
He said "I'd like to remind our base constituency to stop whining and get out there and look at the alternatives. This president's done an incredible job. He's kept his promises."
Is this the message the White House wants out there, "stop whining, get over it"?
MALVEAUX: It might sound a little harsh, Kiran, John, but it really is the message of the White House, the president and vice president are trying to push this thing through here. They're saying, look, essentially, get off your duff here. We need the Democratic base, those surge voters, those 15,000 folks or so, young folks, minority voters who came out back in 2008 for Obama.
They need them desperately now. Five weeks before the midterm elections. And Vice President Biden and the president himself are going to say, look, it is not time to give up yet. It is time to get involved. We can still go ahead and keep the majorities in the House and the Senate. But it is going to be a long shot, a lot of work.
That's what you're going to see later today, as well. There's going to be a huge rally, campaign-style, try to get the magic back, the energy back, if you will. That's going to be later in Wisconsin in Madison. And we're expecting 15,000 people and an animated president to deliver that message.
CHETRY: We'll check in with you later today. Thanks, Suzanne.
ROBERTS: Other news stories this morning, the CIA stepping up the campaign of unmanned drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal regions along the border with neighboring Afghanistan. American officials say threats from groups like Al Qaeda as well as the Afghan and Pakistan Taliban are all deadly and drone strikes are meant to disrupt plots at whatever stage and wherever they may be focused.
CHETRY: Pacific Gas and Electric, the operator of the San Bruno, California pipeline that exploded earlier this month has reported gas leaks at rates of six times the national average. According to the "Los Angeles Times" PG&E has reported dozens of leaks in transmission lines near highly populated or environmentally sensitive areas since 2004. That San Bruno blast killed seven people.
ROBERTS: Now to a tragic incident involving American forces in Iraq -- an American soldier in custody this morning suspected of fatally shooting two soldiers and wounding a third. Our Barbara Starr is following developments for us live at the Pentagon. And this is officially being termed a "non-combat death." what do we know about it?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, details just emerging, John. And of course, terrible news for the U.S. military families involved. A U.S. soldier, specialist Naphtali Platero, identified by the U.S. military as now in custody in connection with the shooting deaths of two other soldiers and the injury of a third.
Those who were -- who have died have been identified by the military as specialist John Carrillo, 20 years old, of Stockton, California, and Private first Class Gebrah Noonan, 26 of Watertown, Connecticut.
This incident happened late last week and was identified by the U.S. military as a non-combat incident. But, in fact, specialist Carrillo's mother told a local news outlet that when she was informed of her son's death, she was not told that another soldier was suspected in his death, and she only found that out from local news media and doing an Internet search.
So a lot of questions right now about why the army may not have told the families of those who died exactly what happened. We're waiting for answers from the Pentagon. John?
ROBERTS: A terrible tragedy. You can imagine what the families are thinking this morning.
There's also another story coming out this morning. This one is equally as shocking -- American soldiers who are using powerful pharmaceuticals and killing for sport on the front lines in Afghanistan. We want to point out here, Barbara, that we've obtained interrogation tapes, in some cases confessions of the soldiers involved. There are 12 U.S. army infantrymen accused in this, three Afghan civilians are dead. Some say it's a rogue band of American soldiers who were not only on pharmaceuticals but also smoked hash at night and killed for sport by day. What's the Pentagon saying about this? It's extraordinarily troubling.
STARR: Well, I mean, let's be very clear. This case, in fact, has been out there for several weeks now that charges have been mounting more and more soldiers, as you point out, rounded up in this case. These people are going to face military justice proceedings.
Let's be clear -- innocent until proven guilty, but charges have been filed. And these are criminal felony charges of murder in this case. And having a tough day in the war, being stressed, being under combat stress, no excuse.
Of course, tens of thousands of U.S. troops have gone to the warzone over the years, served very honorably, come home, many suffering from combat stress, many under very tough conditions none of us can really imagine. So this is a criminal case. This is not a case of combat stress. John?
ROBERTS: And another potential black eye for the American military in the eyes of the world, no doubt. Barbara Starr for us at the Pentagon this morning, thanks.
CHETRY: State of emergency this morning in parts of North Carolina. Ten and a half inches of rain fell yesterday in Wilmington, North Carolina. Homes flooded, roadways underwater, and officials are saying that people who lived there should not travel at this point. It's the second largest rainfall total in the city's history, second only to hurricane Floyd's 13.3 inches they got back in 1999, and more rain is expected, unfortunately, tomorrow.
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ROBERTS: Listen to this story -- more than 100 UFO sightings, yes, we said UFO sightings, spanning three decades. The claim is coming from seven former members of the U.S. Air Force. They say extraterrestrials are visiting us, visiting us often, and trying to deliver a message. Could it be that ET has actually been here?
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ROBERTS: It's 13 minutes now after the hour.
They're here. And according to seven former members of the U.S. Air Force, they're not real pleased with us. A group of Air Force veterans talked about UFO sightings throughout the '60s, '70s, and the '80s. They're convinced that extraterrestrials have been visiting our nuclear facilities, and here's why.
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ROBERT HASTINGS, UFO RESEARCHER: I believe, these gentlemen believe, that this planet is being visited by beings from another world who, for whatever reason, have taken an interest in the nuclear arms race which began at the end of World War II.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: So exactly what do the extraterrestrial visitors look like? Well, listen to retired Colonel Charles Halt. He recalled the UFO sightings in eastern England back in December of 1980.
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RET. COL. CHARLES HALT, U.S. AIR FORCE: All through the forest was a bright, glowing object. The best way I can describe it, it looked like an eye with bright red with a dark center. It appeared to be winking. It would sort of wink. It was shedding something like molten metal that was dripping off it.
It silently moved through the trees avoiding any contact. It bobbed up and down, and at one point it actually approached us. We tried to get closer and it receded out into the field, beyond the forest and silently exploded into five white objects. Gone. So we went out into the field to look for any evidence because something apparently had been falling off it, and we found nothing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: All right, so -- I mean he's describing this in vivid detail. And the reason they wanted to hold this news conference, they said, is they say the government is keeping this information about UFOs from the public, and they're calling on federal officials to come clean about it.
Meantime, even if nothing comes of that, that was a very interesting description maybe a filmmaker a la "Terminator 4" is listening.
ROBERTS: If and when the UFOs do arrive and ask to be taken to our leader, they now got a leader that they can go to. The U.S. reportedly set to appoint Mazlan --
CHETRY: No, it's the U.N. Don't blame us.
ROBERTS: Yes. We'd never do anything like this.
CHETRY: Come on.
ROBERTS: The United Nations set to appoint Mazlan Othman, an astrophysicist, from Malaysia to coordinate mankind's response when E.T. does finally set down.
CHETRY: Yes. There you see a shot of her. She is currently the head of the U.N.'s little known office for outer space affairs. And at a recent talk to fellow scientist, she said quote "the continued search for extraterrestrial communications sustains the hope that someday human kind will receive signals from extraterrestrial." So, she wants to get them. The retired air force guys are saying we don't want them here because they're not too happy with us.
ROBERTS: There are other people who say that if and when we are contacted by extraterrestrials, they may not exactly be the friendliest folks in the neighborhood.
CHETRY: Steven Hawkins (ph), right?
ROBERTS: Yes. What do you think about all of this?
CHETRY: I don't know what to make of this testimony. I mean, it's very fascinating. Just like with big foot sightings. We never actually get the photos. Maybe now that cell phones are so ubiquitous, we're going to start getting some more pictures.
ROBERTS: Now, obviously, there are people who are going to argue against this position, but whenever we go anywhere in space, we leave a lot of stuff behind. And you would think that if they're coming down to visit, maybe they might just leave a little evidence.
CHETRY: That guy was shedding molten lava. So, I mean, obviously, he left something behind.
ROBERTS: Yep. Do I believe there are other things out there in the great wide expanse of the universe? Yes. Do I think they've been here? No.
CHETRY: Maybe they can --
ROBERTS: It's a little too far.
CHETRY: Maybe we'll get them on the show, and they'll convince you to change your mind.
ROBERTS: It's not like driving to Connecticut. It's a little farther than that.
It's the "it" fruit. There's pomegranate everything now, but should you buy the hype? How the fed's are cracking down on claims that it's a super food. Seventeen minutes after the hour.
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ROBERTS: "Minding Your Business" this morning. Blackberry makers research in motion unveiling its answer to the Apple iPad. It's the new Blackberry playbook. It's a tablet PC that the company says has aimed at professionals. The new gadget should be available sometime next year. No word yet on how much it's going to cost.
CHETRY: Is the iPad aimed at amateurs?
ROBERTS: It's the difference between Blackberry's sort of taken to be the professional e-mailer CEO type of thing where as the iPhone, the iPad more for the creative genius inside of all of us.
CHETRY: All right. Well -- we have both, so I guess we can figure out what we are one day versus the other. ROBERTS: Princeton versus Harvard, the same thing.
CHETRY: Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream will no longer claim its ingredients are all natural. They are actually being forced to drop the branding because the Center for Science and the Public Interest accused the company of deceiving its customers by saying all natural and putting it on the labels there.
They say that 48 of Ben and Jerry's 53 flavors have ingredients that either don't exist naturally or have been modified. For example, added color, artificial flavors, things like alkalized cocoa, hydrogenated oils, et cetera.
ROBERTS: You can't even pronounce them, how are you ever going to eat them?
It helps start the pomegranate craze, but now the Federal Trade Commission is suing POM Wonderful, the maker of expensive pomegranate juice saying there is no sign to support claims that it will prevent or treat heart disease. POM Wonderful released a statement saying it disagrees with the allegations, and that the FTC is wasting taxpayer money that quote "persecute the pomegranate." Sounds very much like the airborne case. They claimed it prevented colds and they were sued for $7 million or something.
CHETRY: They changed the labeling. They were making some interesting claims, though, the POM Wonderful, about strengthening or clearing your arteries. I mean, boy.
ROBERTS: Why don't they just say it tastes good. You can probably back that one up. Christine Romans here "Minding your Business" this morning. What are we talking about?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I'm talking about more if it's too good to be true category, it probably is. You know, this ad on TV for debt settlement and all over the place really for debt settlement companies that say it's fast, it's painless, help us cut your debt in half. It's not as easy as that, and the FTC, the Federal Trade Commission, is cracking down on these debt settlement firms that claim to cut your debt in half with no trouble whatsoever because you know what? It's not that easy and you can end up in some very big trouble down the road.
What you don't know about some of those debt settlement outfits? Not all of them, but some of them that are shady is that they tell you to stop paying your bills. You turn over everything to them. They're going to negotiate with your creditors, and in fact, you can be getting late fees. You can be getting all kinds of new interest charges, and you can actually end up in worse shape than when you started out. In fact, you can actually get sent to a collection agency before this even gets finished up.
So, the FTC now this week, saying that there are important new rules to make sure that they don't do this to you. For example, no more lying. Doesn't that sound nice? More transparency. There cannot be these big up-front costs. They have to tell you about the negative consequences as you're going down the road here. There are ways you can do this yourself. When you talk to credit company -- legitimate credit relief people, they tell you, look, you can do this yourself.
If you are really in trouble with your creditors, call the credit card company, call the creditor and try to do this -- it's going to be hard. It's going to take a long time. You're still going to have to pay. You might be able to negotiate down some interest rates and alike, but do it yourself. Be very, very careful. You can go to the FTC website to learn more about this. But if somebody tells you they can cut your credit card bills in half, they really -- they can't.
CHETRY: Right. So, the only easy thing about this is it's easy to rack up all that debt, right?
ROMANS: It really is.
CHETRY: Much harder to figure out what did they do with the --
ROMANS: And you know, Gail Cunningham for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, and it's so sad about some of these shady organizations because they're going after people who want to pay their debts. You know, people who aren't just letting their debts lay out there. They want to pay their debts. And in the end, you know, the debt company's getting a lot of money and you're getting more headache.
ROBERTS: Good information this morning, Christine.
ROMANS: Sure.
ROBERTS: Good to have you back. Thanks.
ROMANS: Thanks.
CHETRY: Thanks, Christine.
ROBERTS: The midterm elections aren't even over yet and already looks like a Republican senator is eyeing a 2012 run. A story from our CNNPolitics.com desk. It's 23 minutes after the hour.
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ROBERTS: Twenty-five minutes after the hour. Your top stories just minutes away now. But first an A.M. Original, something that you'll see only on AMERICAN MORNING. We've been following the story of Army Sgt. First Class Randy Shorter. He recently returned to Afghanistan for his third tour of duty.
CHETRY: Yes, it wasn't long before he was on the move again beyond the protective walls of his base. And Jason Carroll has the next chapter of his soldier stories. Interesting that we're talking about that this morning given this news of potentially two soldiers being killed at the hands of another soldier and also these allegations of soldiers perhaps in Afghanistan killing civilians. JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But really, that's the anomaly. The great risk these soldiers face is when they go outside these bases and how to do with these improvised explosive devices, these bombs that are set. This is what really they're dealing with on a daily basis.
You know, any time these soldiers maneuver outside bases in Afghanistan, there's the risk of those improvised explosives or bombs. It's one of the primary ways the Taliban attacks U.S. forces, and it's part of life when operating outside the wire.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody's going to get hands on on the radio so that way there's no if, ands, or buts --
CARROLL (voice-over): Sgt. Shorter hadn't been on the ground in Southeastern Afghanistan for two hours, and already, we found him at work testing weapons, quickly getting gear and his platoons' armored vehicles ready to roll.
This is the moment where you got to get a lot done in a short period of time, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is correct. It's very (INAUDIBLE) time.
CARROLL: Shortly after arriving at Forward Operating Base Sharana, Shorter's orders change. His platoon made up of 14 soldiers convoy to a much smaller Forward Operating Base just a few miles away. FOB Rushmore, located in an area where the Taliban still has a heavy influence.
CARROLL (on-camera): We're about to go on a convoy outside the wire, which is a term which basically means outside the protective perimeter of the base. Before you go, you got to make sure that you got your armored gear on. I got it, as well as a helmet here for civilians. This one got your last name on it as well as your blood type. This is a precaution that's done any time you accompany troops outside the wire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The guys know if we strike an IED, they know how we operate. They know as soon as an IED hits. We, as American forces, want to pull our buddies out.
CARROLL (voice-over): Little is said during the 20-minute trip to FOB Rushmore. The road is known to be secure, but in a volatile region like Patika Province where 19 U.S. soldiers were killed in a single weekend, nothing is for sure. Shorter's role required his platoon regularly operate outside the wire.
SGT. RANDY SHORTER, U.S. ARMY: You know, every day you go out there, you say your last -- you make peace with yourself. And you just tell yourself, hey, you know, today could be the day. You go out. You do what you got to do. Don't think too much of it and, you know, just hope you come back.
CARROLL: On this day, a delay. Shorter's armored convoy held up. Smoke nearby signals an IED may have been detonated.
SHORTER: There's little reports regarding two -- I guess two teenagers on a motorcycle may have set off a remote IED.
CARROLL: There's no age range that we're talking here for these people? Could be teenagers who do this? It doesn't matter.
SHORTER: It doesn't matter.
CARROLL: No soldiers were hurt. So, Shorter's platoon moves on to check a vital road to the north.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This whole stretch used to be a pretty much good IED alley because this is a main key route from that links two particular provinces.
CARROLL: This is familiar ground to shorter. He checked the same spot during his last deployment three years ago.
SHORTER: I was starting to see the same IED host that I remember back. So, a lot of flashbacks are coming back, but I see a lot of improvements. That's a good thing.
CARROLL: Troops on patrol always eyeing anything remotely suspicious. The smoke from earlier, a reminder of what's at stake. Shorter is just one of 30,000 soldiers now flooding the most dangerous area of Afghanistan. He's fighting a 9-year-old war. This year its deadliest on record.
SHORTER: As soon as I'm outside that wire, it's combat. I'm sorry to say, yes, it may be green in other aspects, but I'm ready to fight as soon as I walk out of that door.
CARROLL: Obviously, based on what may have happened today, they're ready to fight, as well.
SHORTER: Exactly.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL (on-camera): Well, the last time Sgt. Shorter was deployed to the same area of Afghanistan, his convoy hit a roadside bomb and his unit came under fire. Shorter says the insurgents have evolved. They've become better at making those bombs, and he says they've also become better at planting them.
CHETRY: And have they become better at detecting them?
CARROLL: Yes, they have, but the problem is as fast as they get at detecting some of these bombs, you know, the insurgents were out there. And they evolve again and figure out a way to get in there and plant a different type of bomb. So, it's this back and forth back and forth constantly going on outside the wire.
ROBERTS: It is just a constant stress, as well, that you drive up and down those roads, and you know, you drive up and down nine times safely, and it could be the 10th time.
CARROLL: You're absolutely right, John. And you know, when you're out there with these guys, that's the sense you get. You never know when your time's up.
CHETRY: Scary, very brave out there doing that work. Thanks, Jason.
Well, tomorrow, we're back inside the wire as Jason was describing the troops of the 101st adjust to new life on their base. Their tent home for the next year.
We're going to take a look at life in Afghanistan that you won't see anywhere else. It's a soldier story tomorrow on the most news in the morning.
ROBERTS: And it is now 31 minutes after the hour. Time for this morning's top stories. President Obama's chief of staff may have one foot out the door this morning. Rahm Emanuel expected to announce on Friday that he is stepping down so he can run for his dream job, mayor of Chicago. Sources say that he's already putting together a team to launch his campaign.
CHETRY: Also, Gloria Stuart, best known for his role as the spunky survivor in the hit film "Titanic" has died at the age of 100. Her family says she succumb to respiratory failure at her home in Los Angeles. Stuart was a leading lady in Hollywood in the 1930s. Her role in "Titanic" earned her an Academy Award nomination.
ROBERTS: And President Obama sending a not so subtle message to teachers and students. He thinks the school year should last a month longer and he wants bad teachers to get fired. The president also announcing a desire to recruit 10,000 teachers over the next two years in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.
CHETRY: And time for the latest news from the best political team on television. We're looking at the political ticker this morning. Democrats may be ready to attack former Bush campaign strategist Karl Rove.
ROBERTS: Our senior political editor Mark Preston live at the cnnpolitics.com desk. And Mark, we know that Karl Rove is strategizing behind the scenes with some heavy hitters in the Republican party. What's this latest thing all about?
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, John, Karl Rove is part of this organization that's helping fund the 2010 midterms for Republicans. There's been a lot of talk about how Republicans would make up this disadvantage, given the fact that Democrats control Congress and they control the White House. Well, Karl Rove is part of this organization that is trying to make that happen.
Democrats, in fact, have been testing Rove's popularity across the country. And they've come to this conclusion. He is still polarizing with Democrats. So they are seriously considering running TV ads in some targeted districts where they think that they could use Karl Rove as a negative in the midterm elections. John Thune is considering a run for president, John and Kiran. He is the South Dakota Republican, somebody who has a low national profile. Not a whole lot of people know him, but he is very well-liked by social conservatives and he's very well-respected here on Capitol Hill. Some of our viewers will remember that John Thune is the congressman who came out of nowhere to defeat then Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle just a few years ago. So John Thune considering a run for president. He told the "Weekly Standard," our friend over there Steven Hayes that in an article that was just published this week.
And Mike Castle, what is he going to do? Of course, he's the Republican who lost to Christine O'Donnell in the Republican primary in Delaware. Well, there is a remote possibility he tells the local newspaper in Delaware that he will stage a write-in campaign to take on O'Donnell. He has to make this decision very soon. He's very upset about how the primary was played out. He feels like he was done wrong. The question for castle is, if he does do a write-in campaign, will he be able to pull enough conservatives over as well as pull enough moderates over to win that election?
So we should know in the next day or so what Mike Castle will do. John, Kiran?
ROBERTS: You know, John Thune doesn't look unlike Bobby Kennedy. And you know, part of running for president, according to Bill Clinton at least who told me this, is people have to be able to see you as president. So he's definitely got the look.
PRESTON: He's got the look. And he's got the family and, I'll tell you, I've spoken to his advisers. This is very serious. John Thune is seriously considering running. And let's not forget, his state, Iowa, which plays a role in choosing the next presidential nominee.
ROBERTS: All right. Mark, thanks so much. We're going to check back in with Mark next hour and for all the latest political news go to our web site at cnnpolitics.com.
CHETRY: Still ahead, can President Obama recapture the youth voters who so energized his candidacy two years ago? He'll give it the old college try today. He's holding a rally at the University of Wisconsin. He's there and Suzanne Malveaux will be there, as well.
34 minutes past the hour.
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ROBERTS: Welcome back to the most news in the morning. Madison, Wisconsin, capital of the badger state, a university town has always been a liberal stronghold. In 2004, they packed the streets for Democrat John Kerry. And in 2008, they filled the Kohl Center for candidate Barack Obama.
President Obama hopes to recapture that youthful spirit and get young voters out to the polls this year. He's headlining a rally today on the University of Wisconsin campus. Emma Roller is the editor in chief of the "Daily Cardinals," one of the school's newspapers. She joins us this morning from Madison. And with us from Washington is Cord Jefferson, he is the Washington reporter for the root.com. Good to see both of you.
And Emma, let's start with you. The president packed out the Kohl Center in 2008. Lots and lots of enthusiasm. You were at sophomore at the college back then. How are students feeling now about the president?
EMMA ROLLER, EDITOR IN CHIEF "DAILY CARDINAL," UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN: Good morning, John. That's a tricky question to ask. I think that two years ago a lot of students were definitely very excited about President Obama. On election night, there was a huge impromptu rally on State Street when he was elected.
But two years later, what we're seeing is a bit of a slump and maybe a bit of disillusionment on the part of students that I think Obama is trying to regain a bit today.
ROBERTS: All right. We'll talk about some of the issues driving that in just a second. Cord, let's bring you in here. The president tried to energize the youth vote with his moving America forward advance. But if you take a look at a "Washington Post" ABC News poll, only 55 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds say they're absolutely certain that they'll go to the polls.
Does the president have a big hill to climb if he hopes to light a fire under the youth vote this year?
CORD JEFFERSON, WASHINGTON REPORTER, THEROOT.COM: Absolutely. Especially if you consider that - another Gallup poll recently showed that youth voters who are somewhat or quite interested in politics has dropped 56 percent since November of '08 when Obama was elected.
Obama had an unprecedented youth voter turnout. The likes of which the country's never seen. So trying to replicate that this year with these sorts of rallies and what not - especially since Obama's not on the ballot is going to be difficult, if not impossible.
ROBERTS: So he started these rallies with only five weeks left, Cord, is that too late?
JEFFERSON: I think that this is somewhat of a Hail Mary. I think that it is perhaps a bit too late. I think that starting these rallies with five weeks to go until the election sort of tells you what sort of importance they're putting on this and what sort of effectiveness they believe it will have.
And I think that they sort of wisely understand that this is kind of a Hail Mary and a last-ditch attempt to sort of turn around, turn around these sort of tight races and sort of important states like Wisconsin.
ROBERTS: And as we know it, Hail Marys, they're always exciting to watch, but very rarely do they ever work. Let's get into some of the issues, Emma, here, and let's put up an MTV Rock the Vote poll that was back in August. Asked about President Obama's two years in office, 27 percent of young voters said they were pleased. 37 percent said they were disappointed, and 34 percent, and that's a large number, not yet sure. What are students' frustrations with the president?
ROLLER: Well, I think a lot of students do realize that change does - the change that Obama was talking about during his campaign does take a while to occur. But at the same time, I think a lot of students are frustrated, especially on the Madison campus, which has a history of social activism with maybe some of Obama's social policy that maybe have not been furthered as much as they would have hoped.
ROBERTS: For the population at large, Emma, it's really all about the economy this year. And when you take a look at youth unemployment, let's put that up on the screen here. 16 to 24 years of age, unemployment is 19 percent. 4.4 million 16 to 24-year-olds who are unemployed. That's the same as last year. Is that a real factor for young people?
ROLLER: Oh, definitely. I mean, I'm graduating in May and it's been stressful for me starting to look for jobs. And I'm sure it's the same for many other students. And I think that is a factor.
ROBERTS: Cord, let's take a look at whether or not the president has so-called coat tails this election season. Rock the vote poll again found that the president is still an asset to some candidates who are seeking the youth vote. When asked are you more likely to support a candidate if endorsed by Barack Obama? 50 percent of young people said yes. 26 percent said Sarah Palin would get them to support a candidate, 26 percent said the tea party would get them to support a candidate. Notable is Russ Feingold, the senator from Wisconsin's absence today. Is he missing an opportunity here?
JEFFERSON: I don't know. I think that what's important about that Rock the Vote poll, what that shows is how - how very heavily democratic the youth vote skews. I think that Russ Feingold sort of understands that he has the youth vote simply by virtue of being a Democrat and that youth voters who will vote will vote for Feingold, by and large.
And I think that his opponent Ron Johnson who is a huge Tea Party candidate who is getting a lot of Tea Party support, who is actually leading in some of these trails who is actually a bit of a dark horse, he's leading, I'm sorry, in some of these polls. I think that - I think that sort of he's winning - he's winning in these polls based on the fact he is not Obama.
And so I think Feingold sees it as a strategic move to sort of distance himself from Obama while Obama will continue to support Feingold because he needs Feingold's - he needs Feingold to win in Wisconsin for his strategy.
ROBERTS: Emma, the suggestion there from Cord is that Russ Feingold can probably take the youth vote for granted and wants to distance himself from the president. Is he on safe ground if he takes the youth vote for granted? ROLLER: I think that's a good question. And I think Feingold really has been trying to distance himself. Obama has visited Wisconsin four times, I believe, in the past three months which is pretty unprecedented for a current president. And I - you know the majority of those times Feingold has not made it out to stump with Obama. And I think in some way it's Feingold's way of showing what John McCain showed in 2008 that he is not necessarily connected to the current administration, and that he is "maverick" of the Senate, which I think is actually a good idea.
ROBERTS: But does he have the youth vote locked up?
ROLLER: You know, I don't think anyone has the youth vote locked up right now. I couldn't say.
ROBERTS: Yes. Well, it's a bad year for anybody to take anything for granted. No question about that. Emma Roller and Cord Jefferson, great to talk to you this morning. Thanks so much for joining us.
JEFFERSON: Thanks very much for having me.
ROLLER: Thank you.
ROBERTS: You bet.
CHETRY: Well, the president's chief of staff appears ready to step down. White House sources telling CNN that an announcement could come from Rahm Emanuel by Friday. It seems there's a job that he's always wanted back home in Chicago that's now available. Suzanne Malveaux is traveling with the president and she'll be live with details coming up at the top of the hour.
Also, take a look at the satellite loop right now. A rainy start to the day in the east this morning. OK, we'll have in a second. Rob has the travel forecast for you coming up after the break. It's 45 minutes past the hour. There it is.
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CHETRY: Hazy, foggy start to the day in Manchester, New Hampshire, this morning where right now it is 57 degrees. We're looking at rain going up to a high of 75 today.
ROBERTS: Spending an awful lot of time there after November and for the next couple of years.
CHETRY: We had a fun time there back in 2000.
ROBERTS: We did.
Let's get a quick check of this morning's weather headlines. Rob Marciano in Atlanta for us this morning and lots of rain again today, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, especially on the East Coast where the unsettled weather pattern continues. Here it is in the radar scope. All the way up from Mania, New Hampshire to back through Jersey, the mid-Atlantic getting the brunt of it and it stretches all the way back down through Florida where there's a bit of a tropical connection here and that's why the rain has been so heavy of late.
D.C., you're in our flash flood watch here as the rains continue to roll through here after heavier rains yesterday. How heavy were they? At least in the Carolinas, yes, 10 inches in Wilmington for a 24-hour period, that's almost their all-time record.
The only time they were more that was, I think, during Hurricane Floyd. So, yes, there's definitely tropical -- the bad news is, there's much more rain coming, I think, for Wilmington here over the next 48 to 72 hours as more rain develops.
No rain, a lot of heat. Los Angeles, 113 yesterday that record was set at USC at 12:15 and at 1:00, the thermometer broke. So we may have seen even a higher temperature than that. It'll be at least 100 today, 76 in Atlanta. Here's a shot for you just a few minutes ago as the sun was coming up. Take a look at this beautiful video.
We had low-hanging clouds shrouding the higher tops of the skyscrapers as the sun peeks over the eastern horizon. Good stuff after a turbulent afternoon yesterday across the ATL. Today promises to be a quieter day.
A check on weather, AMERICAN MORNING is coming right back.
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CHETRY: Fifty three minutes past the hour. Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. Time for an AM House Call, stories about your health this morning, the importance of becoming an empowered patient.
ROBERTS: Our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen knows just how important that is. In fact, it's the title of her new book and she has a CNN special airing on this subject this weekend.
Elizabeth joins us from Atlanta. All this week, she's sharing lessons that could help save lives and she's got today's lesson. Good morning, Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John and Kiran. The today's lesson is that if you end up at the right hospital, it can save you. If you end up at the wrong hospital, it can kill you.
Well, we have an uplifting story today about a man for whom it worked out so well. I can't wait to tell you what happened in his situation.
We're going to tell you his story with the help of folks at the Turner Animation Studios. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN (voice-over): Fairvalley, California is a mountain paradise, gorgeous skiing and loads of snowmobilers. After skiing down the slopes one morning, Chuck Toeniskoetter stopped in at the local snowmobile center. And while he was inside, all of a sudden he fell down.
CHUCK TOENISKOETTER, STROKE SURVIVOR: Just draw a line down the center of the body and everything disconnected on the right-hand side.
COHEN: Chuck had just had a massive stroke in the middle of nowhere. Fairvalley nurse, Kathy Snyder, raced Chuck to the edge of town to wait for a helicopter ambulance.
TOENISKOETTER: I just remember the rotors turning and the snow flying and just waiting to go.
COHEN (on camera): Time is of the essence and this helicopter doesn't move.
(voice-over): Why were precious minutes being wasted? The flight nurse wanted the take Chuck to the nearest hospital, which was a small hospital.
KATHY SNYDER, NURSE: He had a cardiac problem. He had a stroke problem. He needed to go to a hospital with specialists standing by and these small hospitals don't offer that.
COHEN (on camera): You argued hard.
SNYDER: I did argue hard. Kind of got like this in each other's face.
COHEN (voice-over): Kathy convinced the helicopter team to fly to a hospital that was much further away. The flight took an extra 15 minutes. Dr. Christopher Markus took one look at Chucks' CT scan and knew he had a drug that could reverse the stroke.
DR. CHRISTOPHER MARKUS, SUTTER ROSEVILLE MEDICAL CENTER: We have three hours to give it. So we had to get the drug in, in the next 10 minutes.
COHEN (on camera): Talk about under the wire. You must think back and think, wow, what if Kathy hadn't argued with them.
TOENISKOETTER: I'm convinced it was a very, very high probability I would have been in a wheelchair.
COHEN: Can anyone do this? I mean, if you feel like a bad decision is about to be made with your health care, can you put your foot down?
SNYDER: You can change hospitals. Everybody has that ability and they should be aware of it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: Man, that's amazing. Do people understand, you know, I mean the other thing, too, is that you have to sort of know your hospitals to make that call? COHEN: Right. You do have to know your hospitals. You know what? It's actually not as hard as it sounds to know your hospitals.
In an emergency, it is tough but most of the time it's not an emergency so what you can do is you can go online. For example, right here. This is "U.S. News and World Report."
They have this incredible web site with thousands of hospital and what you do is you put in your location, your city or your zip code, and then you put in what you need, psychiatry, pulmonology whatever and it will tell what the best - what the best hospitals are and it really is a great service and several others like it.
There is Health Grades where you can do something similar. It also gives you safety ratings. Another one called Leapfrog Group for Patient Safety. They also do a terrific job.
And of course, I don't expect you to know all of these links just because we popped them up here. If you go to CNN.com/the chart, here's my blog and I have all the links right there.
ROBERTS: All, it's great to do your online research, no question about that, but let's say that you haven't had a chance to do that and you have a problem or you're in an unfamiliar city and you have a problem and you don't have a Kathy who happened to be a nurse there as an advocate for you. What do you do? How do you know where do you go?
COHEN: Right, I will tell you that in an emergency or in unfamiliar city, it is tough. So what you can do is that you can ask what's wrong? What happened? What happened to me?
For example, if someone says you have had a heart attack, you should specifically ask, hey, I'm unfamiliar with this city or with this situation. What is the best hospital for a heart attack?
The people who are there with you, they will know and you can say I don't necessarily want to go to the closest hospital. I want to go to the one that has the best reputation for treating heart attack patients. In an emergency, that's the best to do and you know what? That'll go a long way.
ROBERTS: All right, Elizabeth Cohen for us this morning. Elizabeth, thanks.
COHEN: Well, anytime, don't forget Elizabeth's special report " The Empowered Patient." It is coming this Saturday and Sunday night, 7:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
ROBERTS: And the top stories are coming your way right after a short break. Stay with us.
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