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American Morning
Changing of the Dictator; Hostage Killed During Rescue Mission; Sesame St. Spoofs Old Spice Guy; Foreclosures On Ice; Paladino: "Being Gay Is Not OK"; Mass Overdose At College Party
Aired October 11, 2010 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you guys. You're with us on this Monday, it's Columbus Day, October 11th. I'm Kiran Chetry.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. I'm John Roberts. Thanks so much for being with us. If you're off today, glad you're up early with us.
Let's get you caught up on what happened overnight. Tanks, missiles and thousands of soldiers welcoming a dictator in waiting. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il and his son, the heir-apparent, Kim Jong-Un, both appearing at one of the biggest celebrations in the communist country's history. Alina Cho was one of the few foreign journalists who were allowed in. She's going to join us live from Pyongyang in just a couple of moments.
In Chile, the final steps are underway to bring the 33 trapped miners to the surface. Rescue crews have finished drilling an escape hatch. The men could finally be brought to the surface as early as Wednesday. We're live in Chile with the latest developments.
ROBERTS: And mass overdose at a college party in Washington State. Most of the victims were young women. That is sending shockwaves across the campus of Central Washington University.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It scares me. Honestly, it scares me to ever go out anywhere. I mean, like, if they drug you, you don't know what's going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: We're going to have the latest on the investigation into who did this and why they did it.
CHETRY: Up first, though, a succession process underway in North Korea this morning. The heir apparent, the son of North Korea's dictator, Kim Jong-Il, paraded before the world.
ROBERTS: The father and son watched a massive show of military force passed by. Tanks and missiles with banners that said "Defeat the U.S. military." And, of course, the United States is closely watching as North Korea enters a new era. Our Alina Cho was one of few journalists granted rare access inside North Korea. She has the latest what happened over the weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The most reclusive dictator in the world opened his arms and his doors to the world, an unofficial and elaborate coming out party for Jim Jong-un, the hermit nation's hidden prince, the son of Kim Jong-Il, who one day became its leader. This is the world's first glimpse of him in action after being name a four-star general last month.
Just after touching down, we're whisked to Pyongyang's stadium for the first event, the mass games.
(on camera): There are 100,000 performing in a massive display, a coordinated songs, dance and gymnastics. They practice eight hour as day every day for a year and there's never a guarantee that Chairman Kim Jong-Il will be in attendance. Tonight, he is.
(voice-over): What's different this time is that Kim Jong-Il appears along side his son. When the show is over, North Koreans in the audience applaud not for the performers but for their leader.
Next up, a massive military parade, billed as the country's largest ever. A goose-stepping show of fire power by one of the largest armies in the world. Kim Jong-Il, said to be in frail health and rarely seen in public, shows up again for the second time in two days, walking unaided but with one hand on the railing.
This woman says, "Long live the general and long live his son." Here, Kim Jong-Il flashes a rare smile, as his son jokes with elders. The crowd goes wild, jumping, clapping, even crying. Then, at nightfall, yet another spectacle.
(on camera): Tonight's event called the soiree is the third such event in less than 24 hours and it is pure pageantry. Take a look behind me: the colors, the choreography, literally thousands of dancers in traditional dress. The media has been invited as guests. This is the invitation. But make no mistake: the real guests of honor are up there in the balcony, Kim Jong-Il and his son, the heir apparent, Kim Jong-Un.
JOERGEN MELSKENS, ACTOR/VISITING FROM DENMARK: I think it was fantastic.
CHO (voice-over): This man, an actor from Denmark, one of a handful of private citizens invited by the North Korean government is among those watching.
(on camera): What about all of the reports of oppression and the people starving and --
MELSKENS: I can't see it. Maybe it is there, but I can't see it. I can just see lucky people. CHO (voice-over): This secretive nation will soon close its doors again, leaving many questions about its future. How will the young son rule? How long can North Korea continue as an isolationist state?
The world's eyes are watching as North Korea begins its transfer of power.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
CHETRY: And we are following breaking news into CNN this morning from Afghanistan, that a hostage who died during a rescue attempt may have been killed by an allied grenade.
ROBERTS: Yes. Our Phil Black joins us live from London this morning.
Phil, you've been listening to a press conference being held by British Prime Minister David Cameron. And what's he even been saying about this incident?
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, good morning.
He's essentially tried to clear up what appears now to have been misreports about an incident that took place in Afghanistan late on Friday. It was the attempted rescue by American Special Forces of a British aide worker, Linda Norgrove, 36 years old. She died during that attempted rescue.
And initial reports following that indicated that she had been killed in a blast or explosion of some kind set off by one of her captors. But the British prime minister now says may not have been the case. He received a phone call this morning from U.S. General Petraeus in Afghanistan, who told him that he's after reviewing the operation. It is now believed that she could have been killed by a grenade detonated by one of the task force that was attempting to rescue her.
She was a British aide worker as I say. But it was U.S. Special Forces that were attempting to rescue here in a difficult mountainous area of Afghanistan where the U.S. has command -- John, Kiran.
CHETRY: So explain a little bit more about the circumstances surrounding this rescue, how long she was being held and by whom, and why they were attempting it at that time?
BLACK: She had been taken hostage sometime earlier and it was an issue that wasn't being discussed or reported publicly here in Britain, which is the usual way that these matters are handled, very discreetly, very quietly.
But we heard from the British prime minister today that they essentially had intelligence that they couldn't discuss, which led them to believe this was the best course of action. Essentially, they fear forward her life, her life was at risk and they believe that that was that danger was only going to get worse. He said they feared that she was going to get passed up the terrorist chain of command, in his words, and there was a possibility also that she was going to be taken across the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan where the risk, he said, would increase and presumably the possibility of attempted rescue would have been much harder.
So, the prime minister essentially let it be known today that he took full responsibility for the decision. He said it was a difficult one, an error of judgment where there was no certainty. But despite the outcome, he said he still believes it was profoundly the right decision -- John, Kiran.
ROBERTS: What a tragedy.
All right. Phil Black for us this morning from outside number 10 Downing Street -- Phil, thanks so much.
Now to the war in Afghanistan. President Hamid Karzai has confirmed to CNN that he has been in talks with the Taliban in an interview that will air tonight on "LARRY KING LIVE."
Here's a bit of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. HAMID KARZAI, AFGHANISTAN: We have been talking to the Taliban as countrymen to countrymen talk in that manner, not as a regular official contact with the Taliban with a fixed address, but rather unofficial personal contacts have been going on for quite some time. Now that the peace council has come into existence, these talks will go on and go on officially and more rigorously, I hope.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Karzai also denied a report in a new book by "Washington Post" reporter Bob Woodward that he suffers from mood swings and has depression.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": What do you make of the stories then about your being a manic depressive -- which is, by the way, a common disease, millions of people around the world have it -- and being delusional? Where does that come from?
KARZAI: Like -- like al other stories.
KING: Not true.
KARZAI: Oh, definitely not. Rather funny.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: The entire interview with Afghan President Hamid Karzai tonight, his push for peace as the war enters its 10th year. That's tonight, 9:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.
CHETRY: Well, he's been a lightning rod for controversy. And this morning, New York's fiery Republican gubernatorial candidate, Carl Paladino, is in some hot water again, this time for some anti-gay comments he made while speaking to orthodox Jewish leaders. In prepared remarks, Paladino called himself the religious values candidate and said that children are better off not being gay.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARL PALADINO (R), NY GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: I think my children and your children will be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family. And I don't want them to be brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid or successful option. It isn't.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: A spokesman for Paladino's opponent, Andrew Cuomo, blasted the speech as, quote, " stunning homophobia and a glaring disregards for basic equality."
But earlier on the "Today" show, Paladino defended his comments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PALADINO: That remark has to do with schooling children. My feelings on homosexuality are unequivocal. I have absolutely no problem with it whatsoever.
My only reservation is marriage. That's the only reservation I have. I have a lot of homosexuals working in my organization.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Paladino went on to say that discrimination against gays is, quote, "horrible."
ROBERTS: Rob Marciano in the extreme weather center for us this morning with an early look this hour at things across the country.
How are we looking today, Rob?
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Toasty, again, especially the eastern third of the country.
Good morning again, guys.
Temperatures in the low 90s yesterday, it sure felt like August rather than October. Little Rock hit 91 degrees with the 117th time they've been over 90 this season, including the fall, obviously. That's a record.
Ninety-one degrees in Montgomery, Alabama; and Fort Wayne, 88 degrees -- that's as warm as it's been this late in the season. So, yes, it's been a pretty toasty fall. That will continue here at least in the eastern third. Eighty-seven in Atlanta, probably a record.
A little bit stormy conditions across parts of the midsection of the country, and then San Antonio as well.
And, of course, we're watching this area of development potentially in northwestern Caribbean, that is still hurricane season and this is a hot spot for development this time of year. South Floridians may want to keep an eye on this and we will as well.
John and Kiran, back up to you.
ROBERTS: All right, Rob. Thanks so much, looking forward to your next report.
CHETRY: Well, there's finally a way out for Chile's 33 trapped miners. There are some tense final hours, though, that lie ahead. How they are preparing physically and mentally for their final ride to freedom. We're going to get a live report, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: A breakthrough in those efforts to reach the 33 trapped Chilean miners, a drill reached the men over the weekend. It broke through into the cavern where they had been holed up for more than two months. Now, final rescue preparations are being executed.
CHETRY: If all goes as plan, they're going to start bringing the men one by one out Wednesday.
Our Patrick Oppmann is live in Copiapo, Chile, with more on the latest.
It looks like they got through that phase, that final phase, of reinforcing the hole and it looks like now, they are moving forward. That happened pretty quickly.
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And despite the success (INAUDIBLE), all of the pictures (AUDIO BREAK) everybody wants that for obvious reasons, but that final ride will not be easy. It's going to be an ascent up from about 600 -- a little over 2,300 feet up to the surface.
And we are told yesterday that as the men go up the surface in that capsule, the capsule actually turning, making about 10 to 12 rotations. So, they are very concerned how the men will react to this tight quarter, as you can imagine. So, the advice of the NASA space agency, to actually put the men on a liquid diet, to help them deal with the nausea to help them deal with, there is going to be oxygen, there is going to be a live video feed so they can talk to the men see how the men are reacting. But even the final hours of this long ordeal the men have gone through, even during the moments of the rescue, it's going to be pretty white knuckle experience, John And Kiran.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: You know Patrick, it really is remarkable, when you think that they have been down there for more than two months now. And I know there has been a lot of psychological preparation that's gone into this idea of them being rescued, some physical preparation as well. But it's remarkable how well they have held up physically and mentally.
OPPMANN: You know, one of the key things psychologist say is from the beginning they fell back on the hierarchy of the mine. They had a foreman there, they had a hierarchy of the workers. They have a job to do. And instead of sitting around, waiting to be rescued, they have been working, they have been clearing the rubble that's fallen down, as the drills were about to reach them, in the final hours on Saturday as the drill was pouring down it was the men who radioed up to the surface, the miners, who said the drill is this far away and who guided the drill essentially they are rescuing themselves in many, many ways here.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: It's amazing. And to be able to see them down there, they look great for how long they have been down there and for everything they have gone through. So you know everyone is eager, everyone's been praying for them the final days. Their families must be so excited. Patrick Oppmann for us this morning, Copiah, Chile, thank you.
ROBERTS: And of course there's going to be a lot happening over the next 48 hours there in the desert. They say they prepare to bring them up to the surface. And we'll be watch all of the action right here on CNN.
Troubled homeowners finding foreclosure proceedings may get a breather. Bank of America is freezing foreclosures. What does it mean for the housing market and your neighborhood? Our Christine Romans, watching it all and she's coming up next, 17 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome Back to the Most News in the Morning. Twenty minutes past the hour. Grover has gone viral. The Muppets spoof the spice guy from the commercial that also exploded on YouTube. Check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GROVER, SESAME STREET MONSTER: Hello everybody, look at yourself. Now back at me. Now back to me. Sadly you are not a monster. If you listen to Grover you will know all about the word on just as this monster does. Look down. Back up. Where am I? Oh, I'm on a boat. What is in your hand? Back at me. I have it. This is a clam with two tickets to the thing you love. On my nose. Ah. Anything's possible when you smell like a monster and know the word on. I'm on a horse. Moo. Cow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Very creative. ROBERTS: He's my favorite, Grover has always been my favorite. Christine Romans is "Minding Your Business," she joins us now. This foreclosure mess is just -- amazing.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It get's messier and messier - you know it was a mess on the way in with banks not checking documents and loan companies not checking documents and then we know we have this big housing crisis. Now on the other end, in the foreclosure process, now we have got banks saying you know, we weren't checking the paperwork the way we should have. We're going to have a time-out on foreclosures across the country -
ROBERTS: Yes, we need a time-out.
ROMANS: So we can figure out what happened and review your documents. How many states impacted? For the Bank Of America, all 50 states they halted foreclosure sales. So there are people ready the buy a foreclosed property who are now just sitting there waiting in limbo because Bank Of America says they are going to review all of the documents for those foreclosure sales. Allied Bank, JP Morgan Chase, they have stopped foreclosure in 23 states. In 23 of the states, why 23, in 23 states, it is a court that has to -- foreclosure goes through the courts. So anything that the court - and then they found in the court process, they founds these bank officers were saying oh yes, we signed thousands and thousands of foreclosure documents and we didn't check or review the loan details. How many loans are affected? Well, there are 5 million loans that are delinquent or in the initial stages of foreclosure.
ROBERTS: Five million.
ROMANS: Five million. So experts are saying there are probably hundreds of thousands of mortgages that are now in limbo. The exact number really unknown. JP Morgan Chase, Allied and Bank Of America are not saying exactly how many have been suspended because of this. What does this mean for you? On the plus side if you're sitting in a house and you haven't been paying your bills and you're facing the sheriff at the front door you got a little more time.
CHETRY: To do what though?
ROMANS: To sit in the house and not pay for it. But the sheriff is eventually going to come because Bank Of America and other executives are saying they think that most of these foreclosures are fine, they are fine, they are just checking all - checking all of the paperwork. It means fewer homes on the market right now. You're going to have, like, not a bunch of new foreclosed homes coming on. But on the minus side this stalls the recovery in the housing market. Until you can get all of this bad supply out, these bad loans out of the system it's going to be hard. Abandoned homes, doesn't have anybody in them, they are going to sit there. That's not good for you if you're trying to sell your house next to an abandoned house. And then of course the foreclosure houses is expensive, those costs eventually will be passed on. It's a mess.
CHETRY: So there's no -- there is no hope that any of these will be modified? This is past that point.
ROMANS: Most of these, almost all of these, they say, they are past the point of modification.
ROBERTS: But who knows.
ROMANS: But there are no -- it is an absolute wreck. It was an ungodly mess on the way in and it's an ungodly mess on the way -- imagine foreclosures, foreclosures sales halted in all 50 states from the country's largest bank. I mean that's what it has come to. Still this many years after the subprime crisis began.
ROBERTS: I knew it was going to take a while to wash out but --
ROMANS: And it hasn't even washed - I mean we're still washing. It's ugly.
ROBERTS: Thanks, Christine.
ROMANS: But I will say if you are thinking about not paying your bills, I don't recommend it. You do not want to get in this mess. You want to stay as far away as you can.
ROBERTS: Thanks so much.
ROMANS: You're welcome.
CHETRY: Well there's another controversy in the race for governor of New York, Republican, Carl Paladino says that kids shouldn't be quote "brain washed into thinking being gay is OK." We are going to hear his comments and also what he's saying this morning to defend himself, 24 minutes past the hour.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Minding Your Business" brought to you by Xerox, with Xerox, you're ready for real business.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: A developing story and troubling story of central Washington at 27 minutes past the hour now. A college party went terribly wrong, 12 people, 11 of them young women, became violently ill.
ROBERTS: And police say it appears someone spiked their drinks, causing the mass overdose. Now an investigation is under way to determine who did it and why. Ted Rowland has the latest for us this morning.
ROWLAND: John and Kiran, the party was thrown by a college freshman here at a second home owned by his parents, according to police 11 out of the 12 victims were girls, all between the ages of 18 and 21.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROWLAND (voice-over): Students at the party say it was clear something was wrong.
KATELYNN ALLEN, CWU FRESHMAN: Everything was going fine, the music was playing, people were having begun and all of a sudden, we, all of the girls were puking everywhere, girls were outside like on their back and people were so drunk they didn't know what to do.
ROWLAND: Police believe the victims were drugged without their knowledge.
CHRIS UNGER, CWU FRESHMAN: People were saying don't drink out of the red cups, don't drink out of the red cups. And I know I had saw someone drink out of the red cup. I took one sip of it, I immediately threw up without even a single drink. I mean that was how powerful it was.
ROWLAND: For police the night started in this grocery store parking lot, a girl unconscious in a car, officers traced her condition back to the party. They had to break down the door because nobody would answer.
CHIEF SCOTT FERGUSON, CLE ELUM-ROSLYN POLICE DEPT.: I would hate to think what could have occurred had there been another 15, 20 minutes that would have passed.
ROWLAND: Police detained a man who was having sex with a semiconscious female. He was released after it was determined the two were dating. The man may still face charges.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera): Blood and urine samples have been taken from the victims in an effort to figure out what exactly what they consumed. Police plan to interview everybody who was at the party so they can find out who was responsible for drugging the students. John, Kiran.
CHETRY: All right, we'll looking into that more throughout the day. Thanks Ted, it's 30 minutes past the hour right now. Time for a look at our "Top Stories." Breaking News this morning, rescue mission gone wrong in Afghanistan. U.S. Special Forces were trying to save British aid worker Linda Norgrove on Friday. Now British Prime Minister David Cameron says after review she may have been killed by an allied grenade. Initial reports said she died in a blast set off by her captors. She was taken by militants last month.
ROBERTS: The transition of power underway in North Korea. The communist nation putting a military parade billed as the nation's largest celebration ever in front of North Korea dictator Kim Jong-Il and his son Kim Jong-Un who the U.S. believes will be the country's next leader.
According to the Associated Press North Korea threatened a nuclear strike if the U.S. and its followers, quote, "infringed on our sovereignty."
CHETRY: Work to reinforce the rescue shaft to bring up the 33 Chilean miners is expected to be completed soon. And then once that is finished officials will send down a doctor and rescue worker to prepare the miners for the journey back to the surface.
ROBERTS: Time now for the latest news from "The Best Political Team on Television." And crossing our Political Ticker this morning, New York's Republican gubernatorial candidate stirs up another controversy after anti-gay comments and talks about it this morning.
CHETRY: Our senior political editor Mark Preston is live at the CNNpolitics.com desk. Mark, good morning.
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: Good morning, Kiran and John. Yes, Carl Paladino, the bombastic Republican up in New York, the Tea Party favorite, has got himself some say in hot water. He made critical comments about gays to an Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn. Let's take a listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PALADINO: I just think my children and your children would be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family. And I don't want them to be brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option. It isn't.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PRESTON: And if that isn't controversial enough, what's perhaps even more controversial is his comments on some prepared remarks that he did not say. Let me read it to you very quickly. "There is nothing to be proud of in being a dysfunctional homosexual. That is not how god created us."
Mr. Paladino did not make that remark. However, it was on his prepared text. He was on "The Today Show" a short time ago, some would say an act of contrition, trying to back off the remarks. He said he has no problem with homosexuality. His only reservation is with marriage.
So of course these comments come as the New York police continue to make arrests in that hate crime, that very vicious hate crime that we have seen over the weekend.
I should tell you quickly that the race for governor in New York is pretty deep. Right now Andrew Cuomo, the Democrat, has a 14-point lead over Mr. Paladino.
Moving on to Karl Rove had some tough words for President Obama. Karl Rove is telling President Obama basically to back off. What this has to do is with president Obama and the Democratic National Committee's criticism of Mr. Rove, suggesting that he is part of a funding operation where they are collecting foreign money to help run campaign ads against the Democrats.
In fact, Karl Rove went on "Face the Nation" yesterday, or rather he was on FOX News yesterday, and was very critical of Mr. President. He basically said to President Obama how dare you make these remarks. Ed Gillespie, another Republican was on "Face the Nation," he as well had some critical remarks of Mr. Obama. John, Kiran? ROBERTS: Mark Preston for us this morning, Mark, great to see you. And a reminder, for all the latest political news go to CNNpolitics.com.
CHETRY: Still ahead, did Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre send naked pictures and leave racy voicemails to a woman not his wife? These are the allegations out there. The NFL is now taking them seriously. We're going to speak with Max Kellerman coming up.
ROBERTS: And there is no longer one black America. Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for the "Washington Post" Eugene Robinson says the rise to power among African-Americans actually splinters a unified black community. His controversial book when he joins us live coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: It's 36 minutes after the hour. This morning a new look at the notion of being black in America and maybe that there is no one black in America anymore. It's a coverings that may be long overdue.
Eugene Robinson is a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for "The Washington Post." He writes about this in his book "Disintegration -- the Splintering of Black America." And Eugene joins us this morning. Great to see you this morning. Thanks for being with us.
EUGENE ROBINSON, COLUMNIST, "WASHINGTON POST": Thanks for having me, John.
ROBERTS: Let's pull a quote where you say, quote, "There is no longer one black America, no longer a complete sense of racial solidarity based on clearly defined common interest." In short, you say black America as we know it is history. How so?
ROBINSON: It's because of all that's happened over the last 50 years. When I was a kid, you could have made certain generalizations about black America, that it was poorer, that it was less educated. You would have known where black Americans live because -- I grew up in the south, we lived in segregated neighborhoods, not necessarily by choice but by law.
Because of many positive developments over the years and because of new opportunities for African-Americans I think the community is not as unitarian as it once was. You can't generalize the way you could. And this had been nagging at me for a whilem and I decided to try to do a resurvey of black America to describe what it is now as opposed to what it was when we were younger.
ROBERTS: We should point out you grew up in Orangeburg, South Carolina, and you found through your research, and you write about this in your book, instead of one black America there are four that can be fairly clearly defined. Black America splintering into four groups.
There is mainstream or middle class black America, the abandoned minority, the transcendent elite, which would include people like President Obama, Oprah, Jordan, folks like that, and emergent groups, mixed race and recent immigrants. You say they are increasingly distinct and in many cases not a lot of interaction and in some cases downright distrust.
ROBINSON: Right. There is a cultural, a geographical, and I think a social separation that happens. What happens when African- Americans get educational opportunities and begin to earn good incomes, they have options, and they have options to move to other communities out of inner cities, out of areas where there is rural poverty.
And as a result what's left are the people who don't have those opportunities, who don't have that preparation. I think the difference between that mainstream group that has entered the middle class and abandoned group that has not is growing rather than shrinking. And I think that's something we need to talk about because it's fairly alarming.
And the other groups, the group that I somewhat call transcended, I think is new. It's new for even a few African- Americans to have that sort of power and wealth or influence in this society.
And the emergent groups are really fascinating because recent immigrants -- immigrants from Africa are the best educated coming to the country. And this is going to have an outsized impact in years to come.
ROBERTS: One of the more controversial points in the book, you say there is no clearly defined black agenda anymore, and this idea of there being black leaders is really an old idea.
ROBINSON: It really is an old idea. That has been an old idea for a while. You think back, again, in the 60s, there was a clear civil rights agenda. Voting rights act, fair housing act, the Civil Rights Act itself. There were things that we could all agree on needed to be done.
Now, it's much more difficult to come up with a single set of policies that would materially benefit every single African-American or every group of African-Americans. I have some idea what is more urgent. I think the urgent issue is addressing the plight of the abandoned. But the idea of a single black leader is really, really archaic at this point.
ROBERTS: Let's look at that idea needing to address this abandoned minority to a greater degree than ever before. You write, quote, "As long as the abandoned remain buried in both societies and their own dysfunction with diminishing hope of being able to escape the rest of us cannot feel we have truly escaped either."
Their plight you say is in some ways worse than it was prior to the civil rights era. A slot economic because there aren't the number of blue collar jobs which acted as a stepping stone or served as a stepping stone for some to make it from the lower economic levels into the middle class.
ROBINSON: That's exactly right. You can see this as kind of enhanced or intensified version of what's happened to the larger society. This is a structural change in the American economy. But those blue collar jobs don't exist, so you can't, a person with a high school education or partial high school education can't go down to the plant, get a good union job with job security, earn enough to buy a house, raise a family, send their kids to college, and have a pension. That sounds like a tale from the last century right now.
And those manufacturing jobs and industrial jobs just don't exist. They moved to other countries. And so where are the rungs of the ladder people are supposed to use to climb up out of that poverty and dysfunction? We haven't even gotten into the state, for example, of the public schools, which is another big factor.
ROBERTS: Huge problems still exist. It's an interesting read. Eugene Robinson, thanks for being with us this morning.
ROBINSON: Thank you so much.
ROBERTS: All right, one black church has fought for civil and human rights, and now it's waging a war on debt, looking for salvation from financial despair. Don't miss "Almighty Debt" a "Black in America" special coming Thursday, 9:00 p.m. eastern, only on CNN.
CHETRY: And it's 43 past the hour. A cold front hits the northeast, record warmth down south. Tropical storm Otto is out but another system is taking shape. We're going to check in with all of our weather news with Rob Marciano coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you guys. You're with us on this Monday, it's Columbus Day, October 11th. I'm Kiran Chetry. JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. I'm John Roberts. Thanks so much for being with us. If you're off today, glad you're up early with us.
Let's get you caught up on what happened overnight. Tanks, missiles and thousands of soldiers welcoming a dictator in waiting. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il and his son, the heir-apparent, Kim Jong-Un, both appearing at one of the biggest celebrations in the communist country's history. Alina Cho was one of the few foreign journalists who were allowed in. She's going to join us live from Pyongyang in just a couple of moments.
In Chile, the final steps are underway to bring the 33 trapped miners to the surface. Rescue crews have finished drilling an escape hatch. The men could finally be brought to the surface as early as Wednesday. We're live in Chile with the latest developments.
ROBERTS: And mass overdose at a college party in Washington State. Most of the victims were young women. That is sending shockwaves across the campus of Central Washington University.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It scares me. Honestly, it scares me to ever go out anywhere. I mean, like, if they drug you, you don't know what's going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: We're going to have the latest on the investigation into who did this and why they did it.
CHETRY: Up first, though, a succession process underway in North Korea this morning. The heir apparent, the son of North Korea's dictator, Kim Jong-Il, paraded before the world.
ROBERTS: The father and son watched a massive show of military force passed by. Tanks and missiles with banners that said "Defeat the U.S. military." And, of course, the United States is closely watching as North Korea enters a new era.
Our Alina Cho was one of few journalists granted rare access inside North Korea. She has the latest what happened over the weekend.
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ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The most reclusive dictator in the world opened his arms and his doors to the world, an unofficial and elaborate coming out party for Jim Jong-un, the hermit nation's hidden prince, the son of Kim Jong-Il, who one day became its leader. This is the world's first glimpse of him in action after being name a four-star general last month.
Just after touching down, we're whisked to Pyongyang's stadium for the first event, the mass games. (on camera): There are 100,000 performing in a massive display, a coordinated songs, dance and gymnastics. They practice eight hour as day every day for a year and there's never a guarantee that Chairman Kim Jong-Il will be in attendance. Tonight, he is.
(voice-over): What's different this time is that Kim Jong-Il appears alongside his son. When the show is over, North Koreans in the audience applaud not for the performers but for their leader.
Next up, a massive military parade, billed as the country's largest ever. A goose-stepping show of fire power by one of the largest armies in the world. Kim Jong-Il, said to be in frail health and rarely seen in public, shows up again for the second time in two days, walking unaided but with one hand on the railing.
This woman says, "Long live the general and long live his son." Here, Kim Jong-Il flashes a rare smile, as his son jokes with elders. The crowd goes wild, jumping, clapping, even crying. Then, at nightfall, yet another spectacle.
(on camera): Tonight's event called the soiree is the third such event in less than 24 hours and it is pure pageantry. Take a look behind me: the colors, the choreography, literally thousands of dancers in traditional dress. The media has been invited as guests. This is the invitation. But make no mistake: the real guests of honor are up there in the balcony, Kim Jong-Il and his son, the heir apparent, Kim Jong-Un.
JOERGEN MELSKENS, ACTOR/VISITING FROM DENMARK: I think it was fantastic.
CHO (voice-over): This man, an actor from Denmark, one of a handful of private citizens invited by the North Korean government is among those watching.
(on camera): What about all of the reports of oppression and the people starving and --
MELSKENS: I can't see it. Maybe it is there, but I can't see it. I can just see lucky people.
CHO (voice-over): This secretive nation will soon close its doors again, leaving many questions about its future. How will the young son rule? How long can North Korea continue as an isolationist state?
The world's eyes are watching as North Korea begins its transfer of power.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
CHETRY: And we are following breaking news into CNN this morning from Afghanistan, that a hostage who died during a rescue attempt may have been killed by an allied grenade. ROBERTS: Yes. Our Phil Black joins us live from London this morning.
Phil, you've been listening to a press conference being held by British Prime Minister David Cameron. And what's he even been saying about this incident?
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, good morning.
He's essentially tried to clear up what appears now to have been misreports about an incident that took place in Afghanistan late on Friday. It was the attempted rescue by American Special Forces of a British aid worker, Linda Norgrove, 36 years old. She died during that attempted rescue.
And initial reports following that indicated that she had been killed in a blast or explosion of some kind set off by one of her captors. But the British prime minister now says may not have been the case. He received a phone call this morning from U.S. General Petraeus in Afghanistan, who told him that he's after reviewing the operation. It is now believed that she could have been killed by a grenade detonated by one of the task force that was attempting to rescue her.
She was a British aid worker as I say. But it was U.S. Special Forces that were attempting to rescue here in a difficult mountainous area of Afghanistan where the U.S. has command -- John, Kiran.
CHETRY: So explain a little bit more about the circumstances surrounding this rescue, how long she was being held and by whom, and why they were attempting it at that time?
BLACK: She had been taken hostage sometime earlier and it was an issue that wasn't being discussed or reported publicly here in Britain, which is the usual way that these matters are handled, very discreetly, very quietly.
But we heard from the British prime minister today that they essentially had intelligence that they couldn't discuss, which led them to believe this was the best course of action. Essentially, they fear forward her life, her life was at risk and they believe that that was that danger was only going to get worse. He said they feared that she was going to get passed up the terrorist chain of command, in his words, and there was a possibility also that she was going to be taken across the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan where the risk, he said, would increase and presumably the possibility of attempted rescue would have been much harder.
So, the prime minister essentially let it be known today that he took full responsibility for the decision. He said it was a difficult one, an error of judgment where there was no certainty. But despite the outcome, he said he still believes it was profoundly the right decision -- John, Kiran.
ROBERTS: What a tragedy.
All right. Phil Black for us this morning from outside number 10 Downing Street -- Phil, thanks so much.
Now to the war in Afghanistan. President Hamid Karzai has confirmed to CNN that he has been in talks with the Taliban in an interview that will air tonight on "LARRY KING LIVE."
Here's a bit of it.
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PRES. HAMID KARZAI, AFGHANISTAN: We have been talking to the Taliban as countrymen to countrymen talk in that manner, not as a regular official contact with the Taliban with a fixed address, but rather unofficial personal contacts have been going on for quite some time. Now that the peace council has come into existence, these talks will go on and go on officially and more rigorously, I hope.
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ROBERTS: Karzai also denied a report in a new book by "Washington Post" reporter Bob Woodward that he suffers from mood swings and has depression.
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LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": What do you make of the stories then about your being a manic depressive -- which is, by the way, a common disease, millions of people around the world have it -- and being delusional? Where does that come from?
KARZAI: Like -- like all other stories.
KING: Not true.
KARZAI: Oh, definitely not. Rather funny.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: The entire interview with Afghan President Hamid Karzai tonight, his push for peace as the war enters its 10th year. That's tonight, 9:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.
CHETRY: Well, he's been a lightning rod for controversy. And this morning, New York's fiery Republican gubernatorial candidate, Carl Paladino, is in some hot water again, this time for some anti-gay comments he made while speaking to orthodox Jewish leaders. In prepared remarks, Paladino called himself the religious values candidate and said that children are better off not being gay.
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CARL PALADINO (R), NY GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: I think my children and your children will be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family. And I don't want them to be brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid or successful option. It isn't.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: A spokesman for Paladino's opponent, Andrew Cuomo, blasted the speech as, quote, " stunning homophobia and a glaring disregards for basic equality."
But earlier on the "Today" show, Paladino defended his comments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PALADINO: That remark has to do with schooling children. My feelings on homosexuality are unequivocal. I have absolutely no problem with it whatsoever.
My only reservation is marriage. That's the only reservation I have. I have a lot of homosexuals working in my organization.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Paladino went on to say that discrimination against gays is, quote, "horrible."
ROBERTS: Rob Marciano in the extreme weather center for us this morning with an early look this hour at things across the country.
How are we looking today, Rob?
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Toasty, again, especially the eastern third of the country.
Good morning again, guys.
Temperatures in the low 90s yesterday, it sure felt like August rather than October. Little Rock hit 91 degrees with the 117th time they've been over 90 this season, including the fall, obviously. That's a record.
Ninety-one degrees in Montgomery, Alabama; and Fort Wayne, 88 degrees -- that's as warm as it's been this late in the season. So, yes, it's been a pretty toasty fall. That will continue here at least in the eastern third. Eighty-seven in Atlanta, probably a record.
A little bit stormy conditions across parts of the midsection of the country, and then San Antonio as well.
And, of course, we're watching this area of development potentially in northwestern Caribbean, that is still hurricane season and this is a hot spot for development this time of year. South Floridians may want to keep an eye on this and we will as well.
John and Kiran, back up to you.
ROBERTS: All right, Rob. Thanks so much, looking forward to your next report.
CHETRY: Well, there's finally a way out for Chile's 33 trapped miners. There are some tense final hours, though, that lie ahead. How they are preparing physically and mentally for their final ride to freedom. We're going to get a live report, coming up next.
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ROBERTS: A breakthrough in those efforts to reach the 33 trapped Chilean miners, a drill reached the men over the weekend. It broke through into the cavern where they had been holed up for more than two months. Now, final rescue preparations are being executed.
CHETRY: If all goes as plan, they're going to start bringing the men one by one out Wednesday.
Our Patrick Oppmann is live in Copiapo, Chile, with more on the latest.
It looks like they got through that phase, that final phase, of reinforcing the hole and it looks like now, they are moving forward. That happened pretty quickly.
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And despite the success (INAUDIBLE), all of the pictures (AUDIO BREAK) everybody wants that for obvious reasons, but that final ride will not be easy. It's going to be an ascent up from about 600 -- a little over 2,300 feet up to the surface.
And we are told yesterday that as the men go up the surface in that capsule, the capsule actually turning, making about 10 to 12 rotations. So, they are very concerned how the men will react to this tight quarter, as you can imagine. So, the advice of the NASA space agency, to actually put the men on a liquid diet, to help them deal with the nausea to help them deal with, there is going to be oxygen, there is going to be a live video feed so they can talk to the men see how the men are reacting. But even the final hours of this long ordeal the men have gone through, even during the moments of the rescue, it's going to be pretty white knuckle experience, John And Kiran.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: You know Patrick, it really is remarkable, when you think that they have been down there for more than two months now. And I know there has been a lot of psychological preparation that's gone into this idea of them being rescued, some physical preparation as well. But it's remarkable how well they have held up physically and mentally.
OPPMANN: You know, one of the key things psychologist say is from the beginning they fell back on the hierarchy of the mine. They had a foreman there, they had a hierarchy of the workers. They have a job to do. And instead of sitting around, waiting to be rescued, they have been working, they have been clearing the rubble that's fallen down, as the drills were about to reach them, in the final hours on Saturday as the drill was pouring down it was the men who radioed up to the surface, the miners, who said the drill is this far away and who guided the drill essentially they are rescuing themselves in many, many ways here. KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: It's amazing. And to be able to see them down there, they look great for how long they have been down there and for everything they have gone through. So you know everyone is eager, everyone's been praying for them the final days. Their families must be so excited. Patrick Oppmann for us this morning, Copiah, Chile, thank you.
ROBERTS: And of course there's going to be a lot happening over the next 48 hours there in the desert. They say they prepare to bring them up to the surface. And we'll be watch all of the action right here on CNN.
Troubled homeowners finding foreclosure proceedings may get a breather. Bank of America is freezing foreclosures. What does it mean for the housing market and your neighborhood? Our Christine Romans, watching it all and she's coming up next, 17 minutes after the hour.
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CHETRY: Welcome Back to the Most News in the Morning. Twenty minutes past the hour. Grover has gone viral. The Muppets spoof the spice guy from the commercial that also exploded on YouTube. Check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GROVER, SESAME STREET MONSTER: Hello everybody, look at yourself. Now back at me. Now back to me. Sadly you are not a monster. If you listen to Grover you will know all about the word on just as this monster does. Look down. Back up. Where am I? Oh, I'm on a boat. What is in your hand? Back at me. I have it. This is a clam with two tickets to the thing you love. On my nose. Ah. Anything's possible when you smell like a monster and know the word on. I'm on a horse. Moo. Cow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Very creative.
ROBERTS: He's my favorite, Grover has always been my favorite. Christine Romans is "Minding Your Business," she joins us now. This foreclosure mess is just -- amazing.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It get's messier and messier - you know it was a mess on the way in with banks not checking documents and loan companies not checking documents and then we know we have this big housing crisis. Now on the other end, in the foreclosure process, now we have got banks saying you know, we weren't checking the paperwork the way we should have. We're going to have a time-out on foreclosures across the country -
ROBERTS: Yes, we need a time-out.
ROMANS: So we can figure out what happened and review your documents. How many states impacted? For the Bank Of America, all 50 states they halted foreclosure sales. So there are people ready the buy a foreclosed property who are now just sitting there waiting in limbo because Bank Of America says they are going to review all of the documents for those foreclosure sales. Allied Bank, JP Morgan Chase, they have stopped foreclosure in 23 states. In 23 of the states, why 23, in 23 states, it is a court that has to -- foreclosure goes through the courts. So anything that the court - and then they found in the court process, they founds these bank officers were saying oh yes, we signed thousands and thousands of foreclosure documents and we didn't check or review the loan details. How many loans are affected? Well, there are 5 million loans that are delinquent or in the initial stages of foreclosure.
ROBERTS: Five million.
ROMANS: Five million. So experts are saying there are probably hundreds of thousands of mortgages that are now in limbo. The exact number really unknown. JP Morgan Chase, Allied and Bank Of America are not saying exactly how many have been suspended because of this. What does this mean for you? On the plus side if you're sitting in a house and you haven't been paying your bills and you're facing the sheriff at the front door you got a little more time.
CHETRY: To do what though?
ROMANS: To sit in the house and not pay for it. But the sheriff is eventually going to come because Bank Of America and other executives are saying they think that most of these foreclosures are fine, they are fine, they are just checking all - checking all of the paperwork. It means fewer homes on the market right now. You're going to have, like, not a bunch of new foreclosed homes coming on. But on the minus side this stalls the recovery in the housing market. Until you can get all of this bad supply out, these bad loans out of the system it's going to be hard. Abandoned homes, doesn't have anybody in them, they are going to sit there. That's not good for you if you're trying to sell your house next to an abandoned house. And then of course the foreclosure houses is expensive, those costs eventually will be passed on. It's a mess.
CHETRY: So there's no -- there is no hope that any of these will be modified? This is past that point.
ROMANS: Most of these, almost all of these, they say, they are past the point of modification.
ROBERTS: But who knows.
ROMANS: But there are no -- it is an absolute wreck. It was an ungodly mess on the way in and it's an ungodly mess on the way -- imagine foreclosures, foreclosures sales halted in all 50 states from the country's largest bank. I mean that's what it has come to. Still this many years after the subprime crisis began.
ROBERTS: I knew it was going to take a while to wash out but --
ROMANS: And it hasn't even washed - I mean we're still washing. It's ugly. ROBERTS: Thanks, Christine.
ROMANS: But I will say if you are thinking about not paying your bills, I don't recommend it. You do not want to get in this mess. You want to stay as far away as you can.
ROBERTS: Thanks so much.
ROMANS: You're welcome.
CHETRY: Well there's another controversy in the race for governor of New York, Republican, Carl Paladino says that kids shouldn't be quote "brain washed into thinking being gay is OK." We are going to hear his comments and also what he's saying this morning to defend himself, 24 minutes past the hour.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Minding Your Business" brought to you by Xerox, with Xerox, you're ready for real business.
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CHETRY: A developing story and troubling story of central Washington at 27 minutes past the hour now. A college party went terribly wrong, 12 people, 11 of them young women, became violently ill.
ROBERTS: And police say it appears someone spiked their drinks, causing the mass overdose. Now an investigation is under way to determine who did it and why. Ted Rowland has the latest for us this morning.
ROWLAND: John and Kiran, the party was thrown by a college freshman here at a second home owned by his parents, according to police 11 out of the 12 victims were girls, all between the ages of 18 and 21.
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ROWLAND (voice-over): Students at the party say it was clear something was wrong.
KATELYNN ALLEN, CWU FRESHMAN: Everything was going fine, the music was playing, people were having begun and all of a sudden, we, all of the girls were puking everywhere, girls were outside like on their back and people were so drunk they didn't know what to do.
ROWLAND: Police believe the victims were drugged without their knowledge.
CHRIS UNGER, CWU FRESHMAN: People were saying don't drink out of the red cups, don't drink out of the red cups. And I know I had saw someone drink out of the red cup. I took one sip of it, I immediately threw up without even a single drink. I mean that was how powerful it was.
ROWLAND: For police the night started in this grocery store parking lot, a girl unconscious in a car, officers traced her condition back to the party. They had to break down the door because nobody would answer.
CHIEF SCOTT FERGUSON, CLE ELUM-ROSLYN POLICE DEPT.: I would hate to think what could have occurred had there been another 15, 20 minutes that would have passed.
ROWLAND: Police detained a man who was having sex with a semiconscious female. He was released after it was determined the two were dating. The man may still face charges.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera): Blood and urine samples have been taken from the victims in an effort to figure out what exactly what they consumed. Police plan to interview everybody who was at the party so they can find out who was responsible for drugging the students. John, Kiran.
CHETRY: All right, we'll looking into that more throughout the day. Thanks Ted, it's 30 minutes past the hour right now. Time for a look at our "Top Stories." Breaking News this morning, rescue mission gone wrong in Afghanistan. U.S. Special Forces were trying to save British aid worker Linda Norgrove on Friday. Now British Prime Minister David Cameron says after review she may have been killed by an allied grenade. Initial reports said she died in a blast set off by her captors. She was taken by militants last month.
ROBERTS: The transition of power underway in North Korea. The communist nation putting a military parade billed as the nation's largest celebration ever in front of North Korea dictator Kim Jong-Il and his son Kim Jong-Un who the U.S. believes will be the country's next leader.
According to the Associated Press North Korea threatened a nuclear strike if the U.S. and its followers, quote, "infringed on our sovereignty."
CHETRY: Work to reinforce the rescue shaft to bring up the 33 Chilean miners is expected to be completed soon. And then once that is finished officials will send down a doctor and rescue worker to prepare the miners for the journey back to the surface.
ROBERTS: Time now for the latest news from "The Best Political Team on Television." And crossing our Political Ticker this morning, New York's Republican gubernatorial candidate stirs up another controversy after anti-gay comments and talks about it this morning.
CHETRY: Our senior political editor Mark Preston is live at the CNNpolitics.com desk. Mark, good morning.
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: Good morning, Kiran and John. Yes, Carl Paladino, the bombastic Republican up in New York, the Tea Party favorite, has got himself some say in hot water. He made critical comments about gays to an Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn. Let's take a listen to what he had to say.
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PALADINO: I just think my children and your children would be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family. And I don't want them to be brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option. It isn't.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PRESTON: And if that isn't controversial enough, what's perhaps even more controversial is his comments on some prepared remarks that he did not say. Let me read it to you very quickly. "There is nothing to be proud of in being a dysfunctional homosexual. That is not how god created us."
Mr. Paladino did not make that remark. However, it was on his prepared text. He was on "The Today Show" a short time ago, some would say an act of contrition, trying to back off the remarks. He said he has no problem with homosexuality. His only reservation is with marriage.
So of course these comments come as the New York police continue to make arrests in that hate crime, that very vicious hate crime that we have seen over the weekend.
I should tell you quickly that the race for governor in New York is pretty deep. Right now Andrew Cuomo, the Democrat, has a 14-point lead over Mr. Paladino.
Moving on to Karl Rove had some tough words for President Obama. Karl Rove is telling President Obama basically to back off. What this has to do is with president Obama and the Democratic National Committee's criticism of Mr. Rove, suggesting that he is part of a funding operation where they are collecting foreign money to help run campaign ads against the Democrats.
In fact, Karl Rove went on "Face the Nation" yesterday, or rather he was on FOX News yesterday, and was very critical of Mr. President. He basically said to President Obama how dare you make these remarks. Ed Gillespie, another Republican was on "Face the Nation," he as well had some critical remarks of Mr. Obama. John, Kiran?
ROBERTS: Mark Preston for us this morning, Mark, great to see you. And a reminder, for all the latest political news go to CNNpolitics.com.
CHETRY: Still ahead, did Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre send naked pictures and leave racy voicemails to a woman not his wife? These are the allegations out there. The NFL is now taking them seriously. We're going to speak with Max Kellerman coming up.
ROBERTS: And there is no longer one black America. Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for the "Washington Post" Eugene Robinson says the rise to power among African-Americans actually splinters a unified black community. His controversial book when he joins us live coming up next.
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ROBERTS: It's 36 minutes after the hour. This morning a new look at the notion of being black in America and maybe that there is no one black in America anymore. It's a coverings that may be long overdue.
Eugene Robinson is a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for "The Washington Post." He writes about this in his book "Disintegration -- the Splintering of Black America." And Eugene joins us this morning. Great to see you this morning. Thanks for being with us.
EUGENE ROBINSON, COLUMNIST, "WASHINGTON POST": Thanks for having me, John.
ROBERTS: Let's pull a quote where you say, quote, "There is no longer one black America, no longer a complete sense of racial solidarity based on clearly defined common interest." In short, you say black America as we know it is history. How so?
ROBINSON: It's because of all that's happened over the last 50 years. When I was a kid, you could have made certain generalizations about black America, that it was poorer, that it was less educated. You would have known where black Americans live because -- I grew up in the south, we lived in segregated neighborhoods, not necessarily by choice but by law.
Because of many positive developments over the years and because of new opportunities for African-Americans I think the community is not as Unitarian as it once was. You can't generalize the way you could. And this had been nagging at me for a while and I decided to try to do a resurvey of black America to describe what it is now as opposed to what it was when we were younger.
ROBERTS: We should point out you grew up in Orangeburg, South Carolina, and you found through your research, and you write about this in your book, instead of one black America there are four that can be fairly clearly defined. Black America splintering into four groups.
There is mainstream or middle class black America, the abandoned minority, the transcendent elite, which would include people like President Obama, Oprah, Jordan, folks like that, and emergent groups, mixed race and recent immigrants. You say they are increasingly distinct and in many cases not a lot of interaction and in some cases downright distrust.
ROBINSON: Right. There is a cultural, a geographical, and I think a social separation that happens. What happens when African- Americans get educational opportunities and begin to earn good incomes, they have options, and they have options to move to other communities out of inner cities, out of areas where there is rural poverty.
And as a result what's left are the people who don't have those opportunities, who don't have that preparation. I think the difference between that mainstream group that has entered the middle class and abandoned group that has not is growing rather than shrinking. And I think that's something we need to talk about because it's fairly alarming.
And the other groups, the group that I somewhat call transcended, I think is new. It's new for even a few African- Americans to have that sort of power and wealth or influence in this society.
And the emergent groups are really fascinating because recent immigrants -- immigrants from Africa are the best educated coming to the country. And this is going to have an outsized impact in years to come.
ROBERTS: One of the more controversial points in the book, you say there is no clearly defined black agenda anymore, and this idea of there being black leaders is really an old idea.
ROBINSON: It really is an old idea. That has been an old idea for a while. You think back, again, in the 60s, there was a clear civil rights agenda. Voting rights act, fair housing act, the Civil Rights Act itself. There were things that we could all agree on needed to be done.
Now, it's much more difficult to come up with a single set of policies that would materially benefit every single African-American or every group of African-Americans. I have some idea what is more urgent. I think the urgent issue is addressing the plight of the abandoned. But the idea of a single black leader is really, really archaic at this point.
ROBERTS: Let's look at that idea needing to address this abandoned minority to a greater degree than ever before. You write, quote, "As long as the abandoned remain buried in both societies and their own dysfunction with diminishing hope of being able to escape the rest of us cannot feel we have truly escaped either."
Their plight you say is in some ways worse than it was prior to the civil rights era. A slot economic because there aren't the number of blue collar jobs which acted as a stepping stone or served as a stepping stone for some to make it from the lower economic levels into the middle class.
ROBINSON: That's exactly right. You can see this as kind of enhanced or intensified version of what's happened to the larger society. This is a structural change in the American economy. But those blue collar jobs don't exist, so you can't, a person with a high school education or partial high school education can't go down to the plant, get a good union job with job security, earn enough to buy a house, raise a family, send their kids to college, and have a pension. That sounds like a tale from the last century right now.
And those manufacturing jobs and industrial jobs just don't exist. They moved to other countries. And so where are the rungs of the ladder people are supposed to use to climb up out of that poverty and dysfunction? We haven't even gotten into the state, for example, of the public schools, which is another big factor. ROBERTS: Huge problems still exist. It's an interesting read. Eugene Robinson, thanks for being with us this morning.
ROBINSON: Thank you so much.
ROBERTS: All right, one black church has fought for civil and human rights, and now it's waging a war on debt, looking for salvation from financial despair. Don't miss "Almighty Debt" a "Black in America" special coming Thursday, 9:00 p.m. eastern, only on CNN.
CHETRY: And it's 43 past the hour. A cold front hits the northeast, record warmth down south. Tropical storm Otto is out but another system is taking shape. We're going to check in with all of our weather news with Rob Marciano coming up.
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ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well the sky is no longer the limit, that from Virgin Galactic's Richard Branson. Take a look at this spaceship of the future; completed its first man's commercial space flight yesterday. It's called the Space Ship II, that was flying away very high above the Mojave Desert, about 45,000 feet for its first solo flight as the mother ship detached, gave birth I suppose, to the little baby ship.
At one point passengers will be paying $200,000 a ticket to go at low -- a low space flight.
All right, good morning everybody. Again, I'm Rob Marciano at the CNN -- CNN Severe Weather Center. This shot taken up from about 22,000 to 23,000 feet up from our geostationary satellite. We're watching this area of development for potentially becoming a tropical depression or storm here in the next couple of days as it drifts and meanders towards the northwestern Caribbean.
This is a hot spot for hurricanes this time of year. And this is where Wilma developed back in 2005 and eventually pummeled south Florida, so those folks certainly nervous about this and we will watch it as it comes into shape over the next couple of days. Coming into shape or staying in shape as the record warm temperatures again across the Eastern third of the country.
More heat, humidity being pumped up by this low which has a few thunderstorms that earlier today where on the severe side at least north of Dallas. And these are rumbling to the east of about 40 to 45 miles an hour towards Texarkana; some damaging wind earlier today.
If you are traveling, D.C. Metro, you'll see a little bit of delays later on today because of thunderstorms and some thunderstorms right now across Dallas and Houston and later this morning may cause some problems.
Little Rock at 91 degrees, 117 days above the 90-degree mark in Little Rock, that set a record. It has been a toasty, toasty summer and fall.
You're up-to-date weather-wise, AMERICAN MORNING is coming right back.
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CHETRY: Welcome back to The Most News in the Morning. T.O. flagged for a tweet, Cincinnati Bangles wide-receiver Terrell Owens may have to pay a fine for violating the NFL rules against using social media within 90 minutes of the game. An hour before kickoff T.O. tweeted that a fan wearing his jersey would get a signed ball. The league fined his teammate Chad Ochocinco $25,000 for tweeting during and before a preseason game. He was the first player fined for violating the Twitter policy.
ROBERTS: And you got to look, you got to watch the watch, watch the watch.
Here, once the best touchdown combo on NFL history, now a new report says that a childish argument may have split up Tom Brady and Randy Moss. That (INAUDIBLE) says before Moss was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, the two got into an argument about -- hair. Brady telling Moss to shave, Moss telling Brady his haircut makes him quote, "look like a girl". No comment yet from either side on that.
CHETRY: Come on.
Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre will be throwing passes to Moss Monday night football. Tonight, he's facing some embarrassing accusations this morning though that he sent sex texts with sexual connotations to a former game hostess while he was the Jets quarterback back in 2008.
ROBERTS: There's also a voice mail that's been released by the Web site, DeadSpin.com. Here is a bit of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRETT FAVRE, MINNESOTA VIKINGS: Love to have you come over tonight. But I know I think (BLANKED OUT) came up and asked you if would give him your number or he was going to give you my number. But I understand. But -- give me a text, would love to see you tonight.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Now, DeadSpin could not say for sure that this was Favre's voice t. The NFL said it's going to review all of these allegations. Favre returns to play his old team tonight.
Joining us now to talk all about this is CNN contributor Max Kellerman. So -- how -- how much difficulty could this be for Brett Favre? It's been swirling for months but now it's headed the mainstream.
MAX KELLERMAN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, if they can pin him down because you know, you can see what time the calls came in and who sent them and what phone it was made from. If they can pin it down and in fact, it was Brett Favre making the call, not just someone who sounds like him for some reason, it could snap his consecutive games played streak.
ROBERTS: So they would suspend him?
KELLERMAN: But -- he could be suspended, yes.
ROBERTS: How long? How long?
KELLERMAN: It depends on the judgment of the commissioner. But -- but that -- he has one of the most -- you know, football is not known for records the way baseball is. It's not a sport of records the way baseball is. But his streak of consecutive games started is the most by any position player in the history of the NFL, 288 games. And that would be in jeopardy.
He hasn't actually denied it so that was kind of smart when he's been asked about it. So he -- he won't be in -- in trouble for a cover-up which is usually worse than the crime.
CHETRY: Right. And it -- it -- it's certainly unwanted attention and unwanted focus on this right now. He was in fact asked about it at a press conference. Let's listen to Brett Favre said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAVRE: Yes, you know, I mean, no. I mean, I'm not getting into that. I got my hands full with the Jets and -- and trying to get some timing down with -- with our guys, that's -- that's all I'm asked, that's all I'm going to discuss.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KELLERMAN: "Sext" scandal -- I let -- with a "t." It's crazy -- by the way, what do you think a mention on CNN AMERICAN MORNING is worth to an NFL player? Like they are texting and getting fined for it, $25,000 but they may be getting $25,000 of publicity or more just by texting. Don't you think?
CHETRY: Yes I mean and it brings up an interesting -- and the whole discussion about how we're dealing with social media.
KELLERMAN: Yes.
CHETRY: The girl who apparently was the one who was on the receiving end of this, she didn't want it out there, right? Initially?
KELLERMAN: No in fact. She was kind of being harassed by a blogger to -- you know, I remember this came out months ago. I've been sitting on this story long enough. You got to come out.
ROBERTS: How did it first come out? She didn't want it out. Favre didn't want it out.
KELLERMAN: A blogger posted it without the audio and without the pictures.
ROBERTS: How did they find out?
KELLERMAN: Months ago, he was talking to the girl who is now -- she mentioned it to him.
There are so many interesting sports stories right now. Why are we mired in scandal for crying out loud? Brady and --
ROBERTS: Well, because if Brett Favre gets suspended, it will break this record that you're talking about.
KELLERMAN: That's true.
ROBERTS: In a game that doesn't really talk about records at all.
KELLERMAN: Incidentally --
ROBERTS: That's why it's important.
Kellerman: "Monday Night Football" tonight, real football talk, or if you want to get into the narrative of the game, so many interesting storylines because Favre is now in Minnesota. They're playing the Jets who he played for. A lot of people think that he went to the Jets first just as a way to get to Minnesota because Green Bay wouldn't have let him go to Minnesota since they're in the same division.
Moss -- Randy Moss, you mentioned how he and Tom Brady had a split, although Tom Brady is now denying it today. At any rate, Moss has been traded to Minnesota. He's teaming with Favre. Rex Ryan from HBO's "Hard Knocks" fame is the head coach of the Jets -- they are flying high right now. It's a great Monday night football game.
We should talk real sports.
CHETRY: All right. Come back tomorrow and fill us out.
KELLERMAN: Am I invited back?
(CROSSTALK)
ROBERTS: It's true, though, that hair has been the source of many arguments.
KELLERMAN: Yes. And in fact, my old --
ROBERTS: Just ask my sweetheart.
KELLERMAN: My old side kick on ESPN radio, Robin Lundbergh (ph) tweeted today that -- you know, about the beard and the haircut. Sometimes both sides are right.
ROBERTS: There you go.
CHETRY: Yes. Exactly. Thanks Max.
ROBERTS: Thanks Max, great to see you.
We've got about three minutes to the top of the hour. Stay with us.
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ROBERTS: That's going to wrap it up for us. Thanks so much for joining us on this AMERICAN MORNING. We'll see you back here again, bright and early tomorrow.
CHETRY: Sure will. Meanwhile, the news continues. "CNN NEWSROOM" with Kyra Phillips starts right now. Good morning Kyra.
