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CNN Saturday Morning News

Rescuers Drill Very Close to Chilean Miners; Poll: Americans Divided on Bush vs. Obama; iReporters Share Their Experiences With Bullies; Head: New Trend: Blacks Running as Republicans; Camping Out to Beat Rent; Nigeria Opens "Sesame Street"; Secrets that Can Save Your Life

Aired October 09, 2010 - 06:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.

They have trapped 2,300 feet underground for more than two months now. And at any moment, rescuers could finally reach those 33 men trapped in that mine in Chile. But we'll explain why it could still be days before the miners get out.

Also, 24 days left until one of the most critical midterm election days in recent memory. But will it go down as one of the nastiest campaign seasons in recent memory as well?

Hello there everybody. From the CNN Center, this is your CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Six a.m. here in Atlanta, Georgia; 5 a.m. in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Wherever you may be, thank you for being right here. I'm T.J. Holmes.

Let me tell you what else I've got coming up for you over the next 90 minutes of this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

He won the Nobel Peace Prize, but he may not even know it yet. This year's winner remains behind bars. But his wife is scheduled to see him today and deliver the news about the prize.

Also, a woman might not be so comfortable admitting how many sexual partners she's had. But the one person you need to be honest with about it? Your doctor. A lot of women are holding that and other things back from their Ob/Gyns and it could be harmful to your health. We've got a report.

Also, seven people have died in Hungary after a massive toxic- sludge spill. This morning, authorities evacuating an entire village because of the threat of a second wave of sludge.

Now, let me get back to a story - that human drama that has been playing out for a couple of months now. Those miners have been trapped now two months - two months about a half-mile underground.

Give you an idea of half a mile. That's about two Empire State Buildings. That's how deep below ground they have been. They're expected though - the rescuers expected to get to them today. Literally, we're talking about seeing the light at the end of a tunnel. Literally, a tunnel is being drilled as we speak and is expected to break through at any moment.

The Chilean government says everything is being done now to take every precaution to make sure these miners are going to be safe when they're pulled out of there. Engineers are still looking to make sure - this hole that they're drilling, it's only about 21 inches wide. That's just barely enough to get those miners out, get their bodies out in this particular capsule. They're looking at the possibility of reinforcing the tunnel that's being dug.

Now, if they have to reinforce that tunnel, it could add to the time that it takes to get those 33 miners out. They're going to have to come up one at a time.

Now, before anyone is brought up though, a doctor is going to have to be sent down. Also - also one rescuer going to be sent down to tend to the men, check them out, make sure they can make the trip up. Once they start bringing them up, it's only supposed to be maybe about a 15-minute ride up to the surface, we're told. But still, that whole process could get them all out - could take at least 24 to 36 hours. And again, even though they might get through the tunnel and break through to where the men are today, they still will not start pulling them out until the earliest, we're told, sometime on Tuesday.

CNN spoke with one of the men working on drilling that hole.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: Did you always think that you guys would - would be the ones to - to pull this off?

BRANDON FISHER, MINE DRILLER: I've felt since we've been here we've had a good chance at it. I mean, we just - you - you can't predict the down timers (ph), the breakages, the - the formation issues. I've - I've felt since we got here that as long as we had some luck on our side, that we would have a real good chance of - of (INAUDIBLE).

QUESTION: When you break through, what's that going to be like? Have you thought about that moment?

FISHER: Yes, I've thought about that moment quite often. I think it - I think it's going to be a - an absolute overwhelming sensation, and at the same time I think it's going to be a tremendous release of stress and - and everything that we've been going through. I think it's just going to be a - a huge sigh of relief for everyone on here to know that - that we've finally made it through and (INAUDIBLE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, again, Americans have been playing a role in that rescue, helping and advising. NASA played a role as well.

And a lot of people are saying, this is really a case study, and really it's - it's writing the book on these types of rescues and could be used in rescues all around the world now. So a lot of information is really being taken away from this whole rescue effort.

We'll be monitoring this situation in Chile all morning. Again, expecting them to break through to where the men are at any moment. Any time today that could happen. We'll give you updates.

Also going to be live there. CNN is on the scene at Camp Hope they're calling it, right outside of where that mine is. People have gathered there with vigils, family members and whatnot. We'll be live there throughout the morning, starting in our 7 a.m. Eastern hour.

Let's turn to some politics now. And it's turning out to be one of the most-watched midterm elections in decades. And we are just 24 days away now from Election Day.

CNN's deputy political director Paul Steinhauser says the president is going to use these remaining days - of course, he's trying to help Democrats get elected. But also, he's going to take this time to repair his own poll numbers.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Hey, good morning, T.J.

We've got some interesting new numbers. CNN/Opinion Research Corporation national poll. And I want to really - I want to break this down to you, because it's fascinating stuff about Barack Obama and - and the battle for Congress.

So let's start with this first number. You know, this is great. We asked Americans: Who do you think has been a better president, Barack Obama or his predecessor, George W. Bush?

And check this out: Forty-seven percent now saying Barack Obama; 45 percent George W. Bush. That's basically split, Americans divided. But look at that on the right there. A year ago, you can see Barack Obama had a 23-point advantage over - over George W. Bush on who had been a better president. So a big change in opinion, our poll indicates, over the last year.

How do Americans think the president is doing right now? Forty- five percent approve of the job he's doing, giving him a thumbs-up; 52 percent giving him a thumbs-down, saying they disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing.

Why is all this important? T.J., here's why: Republicans are trying to make these midterm elections a referendum on Barack Obama, how he's done in the White House, how he's handling the economy, trying to make it a referendum on him and trying to tie congressional Democrats to him. So those numbers - keep an eye on those numbers, on Barack Obama.

Check this out as well - this very important as well: enthusiasm. Which side is more enthusiastic, Democrats or Republicans? Who's more enthusiastic about going to the polls and voting?

Well, our numbers suggest that there's a big enthusiasm gap - 54 percent say - of Republicans say they're more enthusiastic about voting this year, extremely or very; and only 34 percent say Democrats. So that is important.

T.J., you put all of these numbers together - you put them all together, and this is what we get. And this is what we're talking about here, we call it our generic ballot. And we ask people, if you had a choice between a generic Democrat or a Republican in your congressional district, who would you be more likely to vote for? Fifty-two percent say they would vote for the Republican; 45 percent for the Democrat.

And of course, that's really what it comes down to on Nov. 2 in the midterm elections.

That's what I got right now, T.J. Back to you.

HOLMES: All right. Thanks, as always, to our Paul Steinhauser. They're keeping an eye on all kinds of races around the country.

One of the most fascinating ones is the race - the Senate race, the three-way Senate race down in Florida. But could that three-way race now be down to two?

An article in the "Wall Street Journal" says that the Democratic Congressman Kendrick Meek will drop out of the Senate race and support current independent Governor Charlie Crist in the race for that Senate seat. Both Crist and Meek are trailing the Republican in the race, Marco Rubio. Trailing him in pretty much all of the polls.

So Mr. Meek, are you dropping out?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: Sounds like you want to go full-throttle ahead. "Wall Street Journal" is reporting you're going to drop out of this race.

REP. KENDRICK MEEK (D-FL), SENATE NOMINEE: You know, something, it's interesting - the "Wall Street Journal," last I checked, wasn't necessarily a - a - a publication that was on the side of - of Democrats or independents or even identified with Florida. You know, I don't know who they think I am. They probably think I'm Charlie Crist.

QUESTION: So you're not dropping out and backing Charlie Crist?

MEEK: Absolutely not. Why would I do that, after being validated by 150,000 voters, placing my name on the ballot, being validated in a Democratic primary against a billionaire - and we won overwhelmingly.

There are people that are very excited about my candidacy. And why would I do it?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well you heard him, absolutely not. Meek has aggressively courted Florida's large Hispanic vote, and he told a group in central Florida last night - quote - "I'm with you." So it looks like for now, he's not going anywhere.

Coming up at the bottom of this hour, our Soledad O'Brien taking a look at a new trend in politics: the surprising number of African- American candidates who are running as Republicans.

Also, you know the place to go if you need some political news out there. Our website for politics, CNNPolitics.com.

Well, he was 14 years old when he shot his mother, father and sister. Today, seven years later, he's going to be walking out of prison a free man.

That story is coming up.

It's nine past the hour. And it's time to check in with Reynolds Wolf.

Renny, good morning to you, sir.

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good to see you, T.J.

We got all kinds of things to share with you and the rest of America about weather. We've got a - again, the tropics are kind of active. We've got some great fall colors to share. And at the same, easy for me to say, your college-football weekend forecast.

All kinds of stuff coming straight ahead. T.J., let's kick it back over to you.

HOLMES: All right. Reynolds, got a easy question here for you. An easy one.

Our weekly quiz: From the "Fortune 500" list of the "50 Most Powerful Women in America," who is number one?

Reynolds, I'll let you take the break to think about this. Is it Oprah Winfrey? Or is it the chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi? Or is it the chairman and CEO of Kraft foods, Irene Rosenfeld?

Reynolds' answer when we come back.

It's 10 minutes past the hour.

WOLF: Putting the pressure on me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC, TRAVIE MCCOY, "BILLIONAIRE")

HOLMES: Boy, I hope this is the clean version of this song.

Before the break, we asked who is the number one on the "Fortune 500" list of "50 Most Powerful Women."

Your options, Reynolds, were Oprah Winfrey; also Indra Nooyi, the chairman and CEO of PepsiCo; also Irene Rosenfeld, CEO of Kraft Foods.

Now, this is an easy one, right, Reynolds?

WOLF: Yes, see I - I think this is a trick question. I was going to go with Oprah Winfrey. I am thinking of - you know, I'm going to go with Pepsi. I'm going to go with - I think it's - yes, it's B. It's Indra...

HOLMES: Well, give Reynolds credit here.

WOLF: Shocker.

HOLMES It is not Oprah Winfrey. Instead, it is that lady.

WOLF: I'll be darned.

HOLMES: Indra Nooyi.

WOLF: PepsiCo.

HOLMES: A name you probably not that familiar with. She's at the top of the list, and she's been at the top of this list for the fifth year now. She actually completed a merger that brings revenues to about $60 billion. Stock is up 12 percent from a year ago. Oprah is actually, I think, fifth or sixth...

WOLF: I'll be darned.

HOLMES: ...on this list. So you know it's an impressive list if she is a little lower.

WOLF: I know.

(CROSSTALK)

WOLF: Wouldn't you expect the opposite though? To be that - that, you know, that procedure, she'd be a little bit above the radar, so to speak, to be more visible.

HOLMES: Any - any list there's - there's powerful women, I just - Oprah is the first thing out of my mouth.

WOLF: Absolutely.

HOLMES: Usually. But - but no, women doing some great things. Check out that list.

Reynolds, how you doing this morning, bud?

WOLF: Doing pretty good.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: Well, we have gotten some new economic news, some of it good, some of it not so good. The good - look at those folks. They're smiling and clapping. They had good reason to. We'll tell you the milestone, if you will, for the stock market yesterday.

But also, I'm sorry, I'm going to have to bring you the bad news as well.

It's 17 minutes past the hour. Stay with us on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, at 20 minutes past the hour, let me give you a look at some of the stories that are making headlines right now.

Hungary, we're keeping an eye on this toxic red sludge. You see the pictures there - has claimed seven lives so far. But a Hungarian village having to be evacuated today because of the threat of possibly a second wave of this stuff.

This stuff came after a breach at a reservoir that was holding this toxic red sludge, which is essentially the byproduct of an aluminum plant. There's some new damage now in that reservoir. So that's the treat, that possibly more red sludge could be on the way. And the prime minister says, yes, more lives could be in danger.

Another story here for you, convicted Cody Posey going free today. You might not remember the name, but you certainly will remember the story. He killed his father, stepmother and stepsister. He was 14 years old. Confessed to those killings. The crime happened on a New Mexico ranch that was owned by newsman Sam Donaldson. Posey had claimed years of physical and psychological abuse.

Also, a milestone - at least a - a psychological threshold we passed yesterday with the Dow topping 11,000 to end the week. This was the first time we've seen the 11,000 number since May. Had been flirting with 11,000 for the past several days, but finally closed above 11,000.

The market though, it went up despite the jobs report we got yesterday, which didn't give us good news about the economy necessarily. The economy lost some 95,000 jobs in September; gained 64,000 in the private sector. So we have had nine - nine straight months of private-sector job growth. But still, it hasn't been robust enough to offset some of the losses we have seen. And also, the unemployment rate stayed steady at 9.6 percent.

Just some of the stories making headlines.

Also this week, we have seen - also this week, really, the past several months, and even the past year or so, several stories that have ended in tragedy about bullying. Sometimes cyber bullying.

And our iReporters out there often share their stories, often help us cover stories. But on this particular one, about bullying, they're sharing their own stories. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And they were throwing stuff in the back of the bus, and they hit me in the head with a glass bottle, and had got minor head trauma.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: We are going to share with you what some of our iReporters have shared with us. Their stories of bullying coming up next.

It's 22 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, 24 minutes past the hour now.

CNN has been looking at the impact of bullying in our schools. We've been taking a look at this all week. And for some children, the torment begins as early as kindergarten. In some cases, it has led some people to contemplate suicide. It has led others, as we know, in some cases to actually take that step and kill themselves.

CNN iReporters, victims and former bullies themselves, sharing their stories.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSH LEVS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I'm going to start off with an interesting one.

This is David Goldthorpe (ph) of Astoria, Oregon. He says, as a father, he is learning this starts as early as kindergarten. His daughter has been coming home about what's been happening to her classmates.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One instance involved a good friend of hers having his pants pulled down by another student. And another student, a friend of hers, was pushed down the slide, and then laughed at while he was on the ground crying.

It shocked me when I was told that these things happened already at age five.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: Age five.

Well, here's someone else. Colin Wynn (ph), of West Palm Beach, Florida, described his experiences with bullying as he's been growing up. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In elementary school, they would call me Chinese boy. And for some reason, in middle school, they would call me a terrorist.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How were you bullied physically?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, when I was sitting on my bus in middle school, and they punched me in my private area. And they were throwing stuff in the back of the bus, and they hit me in the head with a glass bottle, and had got minor head trauma.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: And he says he was confused. Now, he didn't even know who these kids were that were bullying him, what happened to him.

Here's something else: A group of students at a middle in schools in Bryan, Ohio, got together and talked about how they have bullied other kids.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everyone has bullied someone at some point in time, whether it's shoving someone in a locker, or calling somebody a name. So yes, I have bullied someone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I bullied someone just walking through the hallways, stepping on people's heels. I've seen kids drop people's books down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: All right. And we have time for one more. This is something a little different here.

Jason Donit (ph), who is one of our frequent iReporters, points to the recent suicides of - of young gay students, and he says that he once considered suicide, and that he has a message for others out there who are having those thoughts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Something went off in my head and said, the pain of me committing suicide would be so much worse than the - quote - what I thought the pain of me being gay would be. And I just want to share that message, that in my experience, my family was extremely accepting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: Now, we encourage you to share your thoughts, your stories, your videos, your photos, whatever you got, at iReport.com.

And I also want you all to know that we have links at my Facebook page and Twitter page there, joshlevscnn. I've provided you with a list of - of websites that are there as resources for kids, for teens and for parents. Also teach you to look out for warning signs that your kid might be bullied, or that your kid might be a bully.

And those pages have now begun conversation pages, where a lot of the people around the country, you're weighing in, you're saying which sites work out well for you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, and coming up tonight, a special town hall featuring a block of conversation around what needs to be done to stop bullying and protect children.

An "AC 360" special report: "Bullying: No Escape," tonight at 8:00 Eastern time.

Now, one of the stories we're keeping a close eye on today, and we told you there would be developments on this - those trapped Chilean miners, those 33 miners who have been trapped since August 5. We're told now that the hole that's being drilled, that's going to bring them up, they're going to escape through - they're only about 20 feet to drilling through to the area where these miners are. Thirty- three of them.

Now, this is a long tunnel, folks. We're talking about a tunnel that is as long as a couple of Empire State Buildings stacked on top of each other. These guys are 2,300 feet below ground, but the update we just got is that they're only about 20 feet away from finally drilling the hole completely and breaking through to where these 33 miners are. We are following this story; live updates from the scene coming as well.

We're coming up on the bottom of the hour here on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: The bottom of the hour here on the CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Welcome back to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes. Glad you could be right here with us.

And we are, today, 24 days away from the midterm elections. President Obama is not on the ballot, of course, but, it might be a good thing that he's not.

Check out this latest poll we have for you, asking Americans who was the better president, Barack Obama or George W. Bush? Check it out. Forty-seven percent said Obama, 45 percent said President Bush was the better president.

But look at the poll. When we did this last year, October of '09 the number was 57 percent for Obama, 34 percent for President Bush. So things are a-changing.

And also, poll numbers suggesting that Republicans have a slight edge over Democrats going into this midterm elections. Political observers say they could take back control of the House, and it's a possibility. The Senate is going to be up for grabs as well.

There's also a trend within a trend, as our special correspondent, Soledad O'Brien, finds out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Retired Lieutenant Colonel Allen West is the face of a new Republican Party.

LT. COL. ALLEN WEST (R), FLORIDA CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: This election cycle, you had about 42 black Americans who are running on a Republican ticket.

O'BRIEN (on camera): It's I think an unprecedented number.

WEST: It is an unprecedented number because I think that we don't want to be seen anymore as some monolithic group.

O'BRIEN (voice-over): A victory would make West just the fifth black Republican elected to Congress in the past 100 years.

This Iraq vet caught fire with a YouTube call to arms, ironically against the first black president.

WEST: The Constitution says promote the general welfare, not provide welfare. It is about setting conditions.

O'BRIEN (on camera): What happened after that speech?

WEST: I mean, it went viral, and then the next you know, people started paying attention people going to the website, the fund raising really picks up.

O'BRIEN (voice-over): In his bid to represent Palm Beach, Florida, West raised more money in the second quarter of this year than any other Congressional challenger.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: America needs a new way forward.

O'BRIEN: Along with Ryan Frazier in Colorado and Tim Scott, who's running strong in South Carolina, the three are the black Republican Congressional candidates given the best chance in recent polls of winning.

O'BRIEN (on camera): They have a black chairman of the party.

TIM KAINE, DNC CHAIRMAN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: They have candidates who are very viable candidates.

KAINE: I think that's great. Though, at the end of the day, the face is less important than the proposals and the substance in the policies.

O'BRIEN (voice-over): Those policies may not win over black voters, who traditionally go for Democrats.

MICHAEL STEELE, RNC CHAIRMAN: So you're saying because there's a black candidate, all of a sudden black folks are going to vote Republicans?

O'BRIEN (on camera): I think that's probably part of the strategy.

STEELE: Well, that's not very - a very smart strategy, if you think that. I think that - I think the number one -

O'BRIEN: Isn't that what part of the - the new face of the party is about?

STEELE: No, it's not, and I think it's insulting to even think it is.

O'BRIEN (voice-over): But if blacks do vote Republican, it could change politics.

DAVID LUBLIN, POLITICAL SCIENTIST, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: The black vote is growing, and if you got even a fifth or a quarter of the black vote, the Republicans would almost never lose.

O'BRIEN: This new wave have something else in common - the military. Of the 14 black GOP candidates still left, seven come from strong military background. Data from a "Military Times" poll shows that 12.3 percent of African-Americans in the military identify themselves as Republican. That's more than twice the national civilian average.

WEST: I think there is a relationship based upon the conservative principles and values of limited government, national security, individual responsibility. Sometimes it takes a - a little bit more character to swim against the - the tide than - than to go with it.

O'BRIEN: And that could mean changing the traditionally Democratic black political establishment.

WEST: And it's funny because members of the Congressional Black Caucus came out and said how they were coming down here and campaign against me.

O'BRIEN (on camera): Can you join the Congressional Black Caucus if you win?

WEST: Absolutely. I don't see why not, unless they're going to change the name to the Congressional Black Democratic Caucus.

O'BRIEN: Well, you know, they - they don't have Republicans in the Congressional Black Caucus.

WEST: Well, I think it's about time they do.

O'BRIEN (voice-over): Reporting for "In America," Soledad O'Brien, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And coming up in the 7:00 Eastern hour, we're taking a look at the increasingly nasty tone of the election. The latest example comes in the race for governor of California where a chance recording caught an insulting word on tape.

Also, of course, all the latest political news. Go to our website, CNNPolitics.com.

We got a hurricane out there. But, Reynolds, that's not our problem, right?

WOLF: That's right. It looks the East Coast is going to be in the clear, but it is the West Coast, specifically the Pacific Northwest, that may be inundated by two big storm systems. We're getting more on that, coming up in a few moments, T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Reynolds, we're not done with you. We got a quiz for you, coming up here as well, so don't go too far.

Some things women should never keep from their doctor. We have a list and a rather eye-opening report, coming up in a moment.

That (ph), again, as I said to Reynolds, another quiz, the "Fortune 500" list of America's most powerful women. Now, Reynolds, one of these women actually used to be an intern at the company she now runs.

So, is it Ursula Burns, who is the head of Xerox? Is it Carol Bartz, who's the president of Yahoo? Or is it Safra Catz, Chief Financial Officer of Oracle Corporation? One of them was actually an intern at the company she now runs. Reynolds, that means we have hope of making it to the 14th floor here at CNN.

WOLF: That's moving on up. Seriously.

HOLMES: Quick break. Reynolds's answer. It's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: These are more than just girls here.

We asked Reynolds before the break which of these women used to actually be an intern at the company she now runs - Ursula Burns of Xerox; Carol Bartz, head of Yahoo; or is Safra Catz, Chief Financial Officer of Oracle?

WOLF: I'm going to go with Oracle. I'm just going to give it a shot. C.

HOLMES: You're just going to go with Oracle?

WOLF: Final answer. It's done. Done. HOLMES: Well, thank you for playing along, but no. It's actually a woman you probably don't know. Most people don't know these names.

But Ursula Burns is the answer. One-time intern, now Chairman, CEO of Xerox. She was named the company chairwoman in May after completing a merger that made Xerox the world's largest business, process and document management firm. $22 billion in revenue.

Ursula Burns. Not just a girl.

WOLF: You got to respect that. That's amazing stuff.

HOLMES: From intern to running the company.

WOLF: See? And that's the kind of thing you don't - that ought to be put up on a pedestal. (INAUDIBLE). We shout on the rooftops and - and celebrate.

HOLMES: We don't hear those stories - and it's unfortunate - we celebrate, unfortunately sometimes, celebrities.

WOLF: Yes.

HOLMES: People who are out there on spotlight, doing this and doing that. And, you know, a woman behind the scenes, you don't even know her name, doing great things. Gone from intern to running company. We should be putting her up on a pedestal.

WOLF: Actually, we are now.

HOLMES: Yes. We can keep - let's keep talking.

WOLF: Let's do that.

HOLMES: All right.

WOLF: But seriously (ph), we need to have her on.

HOLMES: What's the weather going to be where she lives?

WOLF: You know, it's going to be - it's really the tale of two coasts. The eastern seaboard has really dodged a bullet, you know? At one point, you know, it looks like Otto might have been a threat.

But, out to the West Coast, now we're going to see that it's a tropical storm, looking at some - really, basically, some strong areas of low pressure out the Alaskan coast, which are actually going to sweep, in effect, the Pacific Northwest. Some strong winds, heavy waves.

At the same time, Boston has some rainfall that could get close to a foot in some places.

HOLMES: On the West Coast?

WOLF: On the West Coast.

HOLMES: Really?

WOLF: West Coast. Not - not the golden city of California, but rather -

HOLMES: Right.

WOLF: -- the Pacific Northwest. We're talking mainly Oregon, the Columbia River Basin, back over to Seattle. It's going to be rainy times, especially by the late afternoon.

It's all due to this is the area of low pressure. This is the first of two. They're going to make their way on shore. It's going to bring the heavy surf action along the coastline.

In the highest elevations, especially around parts of I-5, you're going up into the Cascades, Lake Sammamish. Yes, it's going to be really breezy for you. And if you're heading out towards, say - say Pullman, Washington for the big game this afternoon, you got Oregon, the Ducks. And they say ducks work well in rain. Today is going to be a good test for that. It's going to be interesting. Heavy rain there, no question about it.

When you get back into the Central Rockies, you move into areas of higher elevation, that cool air is going to make some - some moisture. Limited (ph) moisture, though, it may be, you could see up to three inches of rainfall in places like Hayton (ph), maybe even over towards Steamboat Springs, perhaps even into Jackson Hole, for that matter.

This area of low pressure is going to bring some storms into parts of the Central Plains, but back into the Southeast, no sign of rain whatsoever. And the sinking air brought to parts of the Southeast by this area of high pressure is going to give you some very sunny conditions. But, at the same time, it's going to really warm things up, especially over the next couple of days. Eighties and perhaps even some 90s can be expected.

Otto - we got to talk about Otto. Otto, moving up and increasing winds now at 85, possibly strengthening a little bit as we get into late Sunday - rather, early Sunday. Then into Monday, once it moves in the cooler water, it should begin to die out. That is certainly the best news.

And, coming up, we're going to take a look at that college football forecast. That's going to be moments away. At the same time, we're going to look at some spots around the country that are best for viewing those fall colors.

Let's send it back to you, T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Reynolds. We appreciate you, buddy.

WOLF: You bet.

HOLMES: Talk to you again here shortly.

Well, a lot of people out there are familiar with "Sesame Street" and the classic characters. The Cookie Monster eat cookies. Oscar the Grouch - well, he was grouchy. Count Dracula, he counted.

Well, they got a new friend coming to the block - Kami. What's Kami's thing? Kami is HIV positive. We'll explain where this new spin on "Sesame Street" is taking place.

Also, we're going to be checking in with our Nadia Bilchik, another story she's keeping an eye on out there. There she is. Commuters, folks in London, they are moving to the streets to beat the rent.

It's 42 minutes past the hour. Nadia - she is taking us around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right. Forty-five minutes past the hour now.

Many people in the U.S. grew up on "Sesame Street", love the show. Everybody loves that show. It may be responsible for shaping parts of our vocabulary and our numerical skills, of course.

But it may interest you to know that many countries, including some countries in Africa, are adopting the concept as an educational and training tool as well. I'll tell you about "Sesame Square" that's launching in Nigeria and how that's a lot different from what we're used to seeing in "Sesame Street" here.

But, also, I want to bring in Nadia Bilchik also, who always takes us around the globe, puts some things in spotlight you may not be - not be hearing about a lot, including in London. Nadia, good morning to you.

NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: Good morning, T.J.

HOLMES: Folks can't afford the rent.

BILCHIK: Yes. Well, what's happening in London is that because they're increasing prices in rent, some people are choosing to go to tent cities and camping sites to live during the week, and they call them camping commuters.

So if you think that the average - let's say a very - a cheap hotel would be $100 a night -

HOLMES: OK.

BILCHIK: -- an expensive camping site would be just $20 a night. So that's an expensive camping site.

HOLMES: OK.

BILCHIK: So just much cheaper to stay there than having to rent. But, obviously, the way people are dealing with difficult rent or expensive rent in London is they - subletting, sharing, all those things. Although, you know, the property did go in London for $140 million an apartment this year. So just another thought.

HOLMES: It's just another thought, though. Are they becoming a problem? Is the government trying to shut down these things, necessarily, yet? No?

BILCHIK: No. They're simply not (ph) trying to shut them down. In fact, it's just a push for more affordable housing. Probably like if you think of New York, how expensive it is in the city, imagine if there were trailers in Central Park -

HOLMES: Oh.

BILCHIK: -- probably bigger than some of the apartments, right?

HOLMES: Yes. That's a very good point, Nadia.

Now, the other story, which is an interest and certainly got a lot of our attention here and you brought to our attention - "Sesame Street" moving to Nigeria.

BILCHIK: Well, what happens is, Sesame Workshop will come to Nigeria. They've done that this year and actually broadcast in 2011. And they work in partnership with Nigerian educators and puppeteers and they've come up with "Sesame Square, Nigeria". Two unique characters - Kami, as you mentioned --

HOLMES: Yes.

BILCHIK: -- earlier who's HIV positive and then Kobe, who is not a cookie monster. He's a yam monster because yam, sweet potatoes are much more prolific in Nigeria than let's say cookies, which by the way are called biscuits in Nigeria.

But the idea behind this is let's look at what the children in Nigeria having to deal with. Now, pediatric HIV/AIDS is a problem. So here they've created this glorious golden character called Kami and she deals with her HIV in a very positive way. They call it the normalization of AIDS and that she's healthy. She talks about her feelings.

Some of the other issues that Nigerian children are dealing with is racial acceptance and religious acceptance. So that's one of the things. You know, there's a lot of religious intolerance between Muslims and Christians. So how you do that?

Malaria is another issue that they're dealing with. So they've taken - what Sesame Workshop done is taking the best of entertainment and brought it to other countries - Russia, Nigeria, South Africa, Argentina, and said how can we use our methodology and partner with the country to create "Sesame Square", not Street.

HOLMES: Not Street. BILCHIK: Because squares have a better connotation.

HOLMES: Well, again, adapting the concept which clearly is entertaining to kids, but also edutainment -

BILCHIK: Edutainment.

HOLMES: -- it's now you said it.

But one last thing, how was it received initially to, you know, some people might tell, hey, you shouldn't have a character on in here with HIV.

BILCHIK: Well, actually well received. They first piloted the HIV positive character in South Africa.

HOLMES: OK.

BILCHIK: Nigeria is only 2011. But it's such a different paradigm because it's such an issue there. So - and they have collaborated with Nigerians to say how will people receive it, very, very positively.

HOLMES: Very well (ph).

BILCHIK: So congratulations to Sesame Workshop and it's fun to buy a United States agency for international development.

HOLMES: Nadia, thank you so much. As always, we're going to be checking in with you again this morning.

Nadia Bilchik, our - what's the official title, our editorial producer, is that right?

BILCHIK: Yes. I like to think I'm multifaceted, right.

HOLMES: Multifaceted. That's how we're going to start introducing you, the multifaceted Nadia Bilchik. Thank you so much.

Well, coming up here, folks at 12 minutes to the top of the hour. It's safe to say some women keep secrets from their husbands. We understand. We don't like it, but we get it. OK? But ladies you can't just do that same thing with your doctor. We'll tell you why. Stay here.

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HOLMES: About eight minutes to the top of the hour here now.

Have you ever felt too ashamed, too embarrassed to tell your doctor the things you've done for possible fear of being judged? This could apply maybe to just about all of us. But for women in particular, it turns out you're not alone. But keeping secrets from your gynecologist can be hazardous to your health.

Our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen explains. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: T.J., it seems like everyone is sharing everything these days on Facebook or Twitter. But there's one group that says America's women are not sharing enough, and that's America's gynecologist. They say that women sometimes are too ashamed or embarrassed to admit certain things.

So let's take a look at three secrets you shouldn't keep from your gynecologist. Let's see. Number three is the number of sexual partners you have. Let's say you're sleeping - sleeping with five or six people, you may be embarrassed to admit, but you've got to say it so your doctor can test you for sexually transmitted diseases.

Also, the number of abortions that you've had. That's important information to share with your gynecologist. It may have an impact on your fertility and it may have an impact on future surgeries that you might have.

And number one, something you should share with your gynecologist is the identity of the baby's daddy. Even if it's not your husband, you need to be honest and say, hey, I had an affair. This is the baby's daddy.

The reason for that is that your blood type and the baby's daddy's blood type might not mix well and you might need injections during your pregnancy. Also, if the daddy is of a certain ethnicity, then you might need to have genetic testing done.

Now, to get the whole list of secrets you should not keep from your gynecologist, go to CNNHealth.com.

For empowered patients, I'm Elizabeth Cohen - T.J.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, those are some interesting conversations going on at the doctor's office, I take it.

Well, we're about six minutes to the top of the hour here now.

We know, every campaign season can be nasty, but does it have to get this nasty?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: He's a jackass. He's an economic illiterate. He's an economic ignoramus.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Who exactly is he talking about? How about the leader of the free world?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HOLMES: So, we're coming up on the top of the hour. A couple of the stories making headlines.

A Chinese dissident serving an 11-year prison term has received the Nobel Peace Prize, but he may not even know it yet. Liu Xiaobo is his name. Liu wrote an essay demanding political reform in China. His wife is expected to visit him today in prison. But, again, he may not have gotten word, because China blacked out the CNN and BBC coverage of the Nobel Prize announcement. Also, they have strict - strict control and censorship of the internet, so the announcements were blacked out there as well.

The Chinese government calls his selection blasphemy. President Obama, meanwhile, praised the choice, again urging China to release him.

Also, the Supreme Court has issued a temporary stay of execution for a Texas inmate. His name is Gayland Bradford. He was convicted of killing a security guard back in 1988. His lawyers argued that his IQ is 68 and is too low to allow his execution.

He's convicted of the murder of a Dallas convenience store security guard. He was on parole for a robbery at the time. The High Court has banned executions of mentally disabled, but hasn't necessarily set a standard for exactly what that is.

Also, out in California - Southern California, two children injured. Well, they were at their school when shots rang out. Police say Brendan O'Rourke, a man, for an unknown reason right now, fired several shots at the school, which is in Carlsbad, California. He's now facing six counts of attempted murder.

The 6- and 7-year-old, the two kids, they suffered minor injuries. They were just outside, eating their lunch at the time. According to police they were just grazed by bullets. Construction workers were the ones nearby who detained the alleged shooter.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They know Whitman will give them - will cut them a deal. But I wouldn't.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What about saying that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's a whore.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HOLMES: She's a what? You heard that right, folks. An aid to a California gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown calling his opponent that word. In the midterm elections - all election seasons are pretty much nasty, but this one could go down in history.