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Money Spent on Midterm Elections; Terrorism Magazine; NASA May Get One More Shuttle Mission; Battle Against Bullying; Long-Missing Vet Buried; Space Tourism Taking Off
Aired October 16, 2010 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the top of the hour here now. Good morning to you all from the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm T.J. Homes.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kate Bolduan. Thanks for staying with us you guys. Election, they are around the corner. That could change the course of this country. Just 17 days away now and it's been an all-out frenzy on the campaign trail.
HOLMES: Also in Chile, emotional homecomings for a group of national heroes. Now, the miners who spent 69 days underground getting the royal treatment from friends and family and even complete strangers.
BOLDUAN: And from al Qaeda, chilling new terror tips. The group goes online to recruit Americans to kill Americans. We'll have more on that.
But let's first start with politics and the desperate scramble to get voters to the polls with just 17 days left until Election Day. One hot spot right now -- Maryland, where Democratic Governor Martin O'Malley is in a surprisingly close race for re-election.
"The Best Political Team on Television" is on the job. And Congressional correspondent, Brianna Keilar is in Oxon Hill, Maryland just south of Washington, D.C. So what's going on there today, Brianna?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're here today at a "Get Out the Vote" day. This is behind me you see really just a few union members. And right now, what they're doing is they've been going out to talk to people around here in Prince Georges County. Because here is the thing, this is a Democratic stronghold.
So a lot of these folks are right now in between groups that's why there aren't many people here. But right now they are about 30 or so union members who are out, they're knocking on doors. And because it is a Democratic stronghold, chances are, they knock on a door, the person who comes to the door is a registered Democrat and they're trying to make sure that that person is going to go out and vote.
They're telling them where they can vote and they're telling them to vote early. Because early voting here starts October 22nd. Why are they doing this? Well, because Democrats are facing an enthusiasm gap problem. Right now, a lot of the enthusiasm is on the part of voters who are pushing for Republican candidates.
I spoke with Congresswoman Donna Edwards who represent this district about what that's going to mean and really the reality of this for Democrats in perhaps changing the balance of power in Congress. Here's what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR (on camera): CNN does the poll -- the poll of polls. And there -- you do see an enthusiasm gap there. But you think that Democrats are -- are picking up a little bit?
REP. DONNA EDWARDS (D), MARYLAND: I think they are. And I think all across the country, just as here, we're starting to go out in the street, knock on doors, stop in shopping centers -- I was out in the shopping centers the last couple of days and I can really see it -- people starting to finally focus on the election.
And keep in mind, when you're focused on whether you have a job and what's happening with your home and whether you can send your child to college, it doesn't leave a lot of room for other things. But I think now as we close in on these final days of the election, I can certainly see here in Maryland that our votes are going to -- are going to pick up. We're going to have a really strong election. And across the country, I do believe we're going to retain our majority.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: So that's Congresswoman Donna Edwards' prediction for Congress and Democrats in the House of Representatives. But one of the really tight races here in Maryland is what you mentioned, Kate, Martin O'Malley, a Democratic governor. He is facing Bob Erlich, the former governor that he ousted four years ago. And it is a much tighter race than expected. Erlich has some momentum.
And I've got to tell you, he has his own events -- Martin O'Malley is going to be here a later in the day maybe in a couple of hours. Erlich has his own events where? Here in Prince Georges County, yes, the Democratic stronghold. That just goes to show you that he is on the offense in these places which are considered friendly for Democrats, Kate.
BOLDUAN: As well of course this isn't necessarily a national race, obviously, we're talking about a governor's race. This seems why it's so important exactly what you said, it's representative of the reality of this election cycle. A Democratic stronghold and they're trying to get out the vote with Democrats in their state.
All right, she must be having a little audio issue. Thanks, Brianna Keilar, in Maryland for us. We'll talk to you soon.
So President Obama he is on the campaign trail today. He'll attend a rally in Boston for Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick who's seeking re-election against Republican Charles Baker and independent Timothy Kahill. We'll have live coverage beginning shortly at the 3:00 p.m. Eastern today. Then at 6:00 p.m. Eastern, we'll bring you live coverage of a rally in Anaheim, California featuring former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and Republican National Committee Chairman, Michael Steele.
HOLMES: And we are hitting the road coming to you next week. And when I say you, I mean you, Charlotte, North Carolina. Election Express is kicking off another tour on our way down to Florida. I'll be aboard the Election Express as we kick off the tour Monday in Charlotte, North Carolina. Tuesday we're coming to see you in Columbia, South Carolina. On Wednesday we're making our way to Macon Georgia. Thursday, Jacksonville, Florida and then on Friday, we're going to land in Tampa, Florida.
Tampa is where our Candy Crowley is going to be moderating the Senate debate between the three top contenders down there. She'll do that on the following Sunday. But let us know what type of things we should be covering.
Send me a message ahead of time on Twitter or Facebook. We'd like to know some of the things you'd like us to talk about and highlight in your towns. Also a reminder for you, if you're away from that television, and need your political fix, you know where to go to our Web site, CNNPolitics.com.
One more political note, I need to pass along to you here, people still talking about this week's Delaware Senate debate. You know the two, Republican Christine O'Donnell and also Chris Coon, the Democrat. It's moderated by our Wolf Blitzer. If you missed that the first time around, you got another chance to it. We're going to run that debate for you in its entirety starting at 4:00 Eastern time today.
BOLDUAN: And amazing news from Chile, all but two of the 33 rescued miners are now out of the hospital. They spent less than 48 hours there undergoing tests and reveling, obviously, in family reunions. You can see one right there. Doctors say some of them have had trouble sleeping, probably not surprisingly.
But for the most part, all are in relatively good physical health. And communities are turning out to welcome home their heroes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Welcome home, Victor Segovia. If God has given you a new life and chance, grab on to it with everything you have.
VICTOR SEGOVIA, RESCUED MINER (through translator): My life will be different. I miss my friends and family. I think about God more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: Segovia was the 15th miner rescued. He says he has no plans to write a book or sue the mine's owner. He even wants to go back to working in mines, maybe just not the one near Copiapo. And from mining for gold to hitting the proverbial jackpot: those rescued miners are posed to cash in on their months-long ordeal down there.
CNN's Brian Todd counts the many ways.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Why is this man so happy? Well, he's got a new lease on life, of course, but he also may be looking to what lies ahead. It appears at least some of these miners might have been charting their future course while they were still trapped.
Here is a quote from miner Yonni Barrios -- in a letter he wrote last week while he was still in the mine. Quote, "If we do this properly, we won't have to work for the rest of our lives."
How much do they stand to gain? According to various media report, here's what we're looking at. The paper, the mail on Sunday says TV networks are offering up to $400,000 each for the miners to tell their exclusive stories and predictably, agents are climbing all over themselves to sign the miners and their families to lucrative book and movie deals.
Also one Chilean mining tycoon has pledged to give each miner $10,000. The government also is giving them some money until they're fully recovered. Now, according to various reports, they've gotten offers to endorse various products. We're going to take a look at some of those right here, including mining equipment, of course, naturally. Chocolate bars, clothing, beer and a sexual enhancement vitamin. I'm sure we can't wait to see those commercials.
Now, some things you wouldn't necessarily figure but are interesting, nonetheless, according to some published reports are some gifts that these miners have gotten. The soccer team, Real Madrid has sent signed jerseys and balls to the -- to the miners. Manchester United one of the most popular soccer teams in the world has offered expenses-paid trips to see that team play for each miner and his family.
A local winemaker is offering free wine for a year. And here is my personal favorite. This is miner Edison Pena; he's a die-hard Elvis Presley fan. He led his fellow miners in Elvis sing-alongs. He's been offered an all-expense-paid trip for two to Graceland courtesy of the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau.
I'm Brian Todd, CNN in Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And we turn to Pakistan now where two suspected U.S. drone strikes are credited with killing 13 suspected militants. Pakistani intelligence officials say the drones targeted two alleged militant hideouts Friday in North Waziristan, a tribal area that borders Afghanistan. It's notorious for insurgents the Pentagon are not commenting on the drone attack as its policy. Also support for the war in Afghanistan has never been lower. A new CNN poll shows that little more than a third of Americans support the war now. Half of those polled think it's turning into another Vietnam. Also even fewer believe the U.S. is winning the war in Afghanistan.
BOLDUAN: And another large area of the Gulf of Mexico has been reopened to fishing three months after the gushing oil well was capped. The federal officials gave the all-clear to nearly 7,000 more square miles of fishing waters off the coast of Florida and Alabama. That leaves just seven percent of federal waters still closed in the region. Officials say tests on seafood from open fishing areas show no oil contamination.
HOLMES: Well, we have seen several stories in the past several weeks and months about people being bullied to the breaking point. We're talking about kids here killing themselves when they think there's no way out.
BOLDUAN: Yes but a city councilman in Texas, he really knows how they feel and he has some advice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOEL BURNS, FT. WORTH, TEXAS, COUNCILMAN: If you can just hang out, stay with it long enough; there will be an entire lifetime of happy memories that will replace the dark ones that you're having during your teenage years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: His message for tortured young people is straight ahead. It's 11 minutes past the hour.
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BOLDUAN: A rash of suicides tied to bullying, the problem is a serious one across America. The issue hits home for Joel Burns, a gay city councilman in Ft. Worth, Texas, who was bullied while growing up. He shared his own personal struggle during an extremely emotional speech at a council meeting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: I have never told the story to anyone before tonight. Not my family, not my husband, not anyone, but the number of suicides in recent days have upset me so much, they have just torn at my heart.
And even though there may be some political repercussions for telling my story, the story is not just for the adults who might choose or not choose to support me. This story is for the young people who may be holding the gun tonight or the rope or the pill bottle. Give yourself a chance to see just how much life -- how much better life will get.
And it will get better. You will get out of the household that doesn't accept you. You will get out of that high school and you never have to deal with those jerks again if you don't want to. You will find and you will make new friends who will understand you. And life will get so, so, so much better.
But it's about creating a safe place for our kids to go to school. And even when they're out of school and they're at a local convenience store or at the shopping mall or wherever they are, that they're not subjected to the kind of really just over-the-top harassment and bullying that we've seen.
Some of the kids, some of the guys that I referenced at the beginning of my comments, I mean they had survived literally years of harassment and bullying that had largely, according to their parents, gone unanswered over the course -- from the administrators and principals and teachers. And that's something that has to stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: Burns' message is spreading and spreading quickly. It's already had hundreds of thousands of hits on YouTube -- T.J.
HOLMES: Well, a Michigan man says he was kicked off a US Airways flight because of his disability. He's a motivational speaker. His name is Johnnie Tuitel. He has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. He was on a US Airways flight last month. The plane was cleared for takeoff, then he was asked to get off. He wasn't even sure why at first.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNNIE TUITEL: I immediately thought something was up with my family. Let them take me off the plane. This is a flat-out issue of civil rights.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: US Airways says Tuitel didn't appear to have the ability to help himself in the event of an emergency. He says he has flown for more than 20 years, no problems. Since the incident, he says he's talked with US Airways about helping improve service for disabled passengers.
A World War II airman is being buried with full military honors in Ohio today sixty-five years after he disappeared in the Philippines. His body was found several years ago but it wasn't until this year that DNA testing established his identity.
Our CNN affiliate WKEF with the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Judson Parkhurst can't remember the last time he talked to his brother, Arthur, the last letter they exchanged. But he does remember the last thing he said to him.
JUDSON PARKHURST, ARTHUR PARKHURST'S BROTHER: Fruitcake. We put it in the mailbox and sent it to Oklahoma. It never did catch up with him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Both served their country in the Army Air Corps but at just 20 years, Arthur died when his cargo plane went down in the Philippines in March 1945.
PARKHURST: I was a junior in high school when mom got the telegram. Mom opened it, read it. I can't remember the words she said. She read it out loud. But I do remember her saying or praying that she would rather Arthur be killed in a crash than to be taken prisoner by the Japanese who at that time had a real bad rep on cruel torturing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the next 65 years, the Parkhurst family in the Miami Valley and in Evansville, Indiana knew next to nothing about Arthur's fate. Then in 2002, a farmer in the Philippines discovered the wreckage and what turned out to be Arthur's remains. The joint POW/MIA personnel accounting command took over from there.
PARKHURST: I didn't know it was going to happen in my lifetime that I would be able to find out. That was the biggest wow in my life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And with family from Indiana here in town, Arthur's story will live on through the new generations of Parkhursts.
STEVE PARKHURST, ARTHUR PARKHURST'S NEPHEW: It's just a legacy event for the family. It's a historic moment where we can look at a person in our family that served above and beyond the call of duty and sacrificed in a way that none of us can really relate to.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN: Nineteen minutes after the hour and it may surprise you to learn that even terrorists have their own magazine now.
HOLMES: Yes, and the man believed to be behind it is actually an American. We'll explain.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: Your chance to travel into space. You never thought it would happen, but it might not be as far off as you think.
HOLMES: Ok. Apparently there was a successful flight last weekend; plans are moving ahead to make space tourism now available. The cost, though, is astronomical as well, as you would expect. But, Josh, there seems to be a market for this unbelievably.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is. And here's the thing. Yes, the cost is astronomical. But it's coming down so fast that if it keeps coming down at this pace, then over the next decade, it will actually be something people can legitimately afford.
Here's the basic idea. We have some cool pictures here and renderings of what some of these spacecrafts look like. And it was just last weekend that the Virgin Galactic has the first manned spacecraft -- commercial spacecraft took off.
Take a look. Kind of looks like a very, very big plane. This is over California's Mojave Desert. Two pilots were on board there. Richard Branson later put out a statement saying the sky is no longer the limit. He said his company will begin pushing to the final frontier of space over the next year.
And in as soon as 18 months, hundreds of travelers might actually be among the first paying passengers aboard the Virgin Galactic which plans to take them to sub-orbital space, about 62 miles above the earth. The cost, $200,000 each; yes, $200,000 is an incredible amount of money. But -- and the story here on cnn.com, we talk to you about what's happening with those costs and we show you some of the spacecraft.
What it's saying is that you can actually now find some places that are talking about $100,000 like a group called Space Adventures saying they can get you into space for $100,000. The idea is these prices would start off -- you only heard about stuff like $20 million, and now you're hearing $200,000 and now you're hearing $100,000, well, it's changing pretty fast and more and more locations are being licensed as non-government space boards.
And I'm going to just show you -- we have some images here as we flip through it of what some of these different spacecraft look like. And what you see is a lot of them have very different designs from each other. And the idea is that they have different ways, different paths, different plans for how to get people up into space.
You don't have to be trained as an astronaut, just commercially. So, you want some specifics, I have it all linked up for you at my Facebook page. Take a look there. And you will be able to see, you can weigh in if this is something that you think it's a good idea or a bad idea.
Also, how long you think it will take before you're comfortable enough with the safety of it. Lots of people even if they had the money would not want to be among the first actually getting inside these things. So T.J., Kate, we need to see if this is even a possibility and that we're advancing toward that frontier. Just not sure how long it will take.
BOLDUAN: I just love that you said non-governmental spaceport.
LEVS: Right. I know. That's going to be a normal term in a few years because the government has spaceports, obviously, for what the government does up in space through NASA. But now you're seeing private company's get into the mix. The term non-governmental spaceport won't sound so crazy in like ten years.
HOLMES: It's going to be crowded up there soon. Josh, thank you.
All right. Let's take a look now at some of the stories that are making headlines. China State media reporting at least 20 miners are dead after a gas explosion in a coal mine. This happened in central China. Another 17 miners believed to be trapped still. Authorities say 239 others were rescued. Earlier this week, China announced it is restructuring its mines trying to make them safer.
Also, sports fans in New York, they're going to be hot this weekend because News Corp has pulled the plug on CableVision customers effectively blacking out its Fox stations to more than 3 million households in and around the New York area. This whole dispute is over a programming fee. News Corp says that they deserve more money. They want $150 million now from CableVision.
CableVision says that they have been paying $70 million and the fee increase is just too much. They want News Corp to restore the signal and submit to binding arbitration.
Of course, what some of the fans up there in New York might miss is a lot of baseball. They were able to see this game last night at least between the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers. It's being carried by TBS. But the National League Championship series between the Giants and the Phillies -- that's Fox. A lot of people are going to miss that game.
Last night, the relief pitchers for the Rangers, eighth inning another a rough one. The Yankees scored five runs in that inning when they were down 5-0 in the game; they ended up winning the game. This was just game one. They won it 6-5. But still, the Yankees, pretty good showing last night.
More of your top stories coming up in about 20 minutes.
We talked about space just a second ago, the shuttle program was supposed to be winding down.
BOLDUAN: Supposed to be winding down. But astronauts may get a new mission before their final curtain call. That story coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: Yes, when you see this lovely gentleman, you know what that means -- weather.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: Well, 17 days to go for the midterm elections. Nobody pulling punches right now.
You've seen the ads all over the airwaves. Some were funded from outside groups. Some of them get to remain anonymous. Some of those donors do.
A Supreme Court ruling allows corporations to give cash to help defeat or promote candidates, and you don't have to disclose those donors. And earlier today, I asked the head of the Center for Responsive Politics how money spent on this midterm election compares with midterm elections in the past.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHEILA KRUMHOLZ, EXEC. DIR., CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS: It's coming in fast and furious this cycle, just as was predicted after that Citizens United versus FEC Supreme Court ruling. We had predicted back in March, based on historical trends, that this election would cost $3.7 billion, up from just $2.8 billion in 2006. So, based on spending that we've been seeing, and the receipts coming in, I think we're on track to at least match that $3.7 billion, if not surpass it.
HOLMES: Would this make this a record midterm year?
KRUMHOLZ: It would indeed. In fact, we say that each cycle, that we're breaking the past records. But this cycle I think may go beyond that typical trend.
HOLMES: And how much do you blame the spike we're seeing on that Supreme Court decision? Do you put all the blame on that? Is that why we're seeing so much more money?
KRUMHOLZ: No. I think that there's a lot of money going directly to the candidates and parties as well, surprisingly, given this down economy. And that has nothing to do with this outside spending other than maybe they're able to generate more money in order to combat that -- those independent groups spending money against them. So I think this is an unusually expensive cycle. Of course, a huge factor is the intensity and the high stakes.
HOLMES: Will that just be the case? Will we ever have you on during a midterm and you say, yes, actually, there's a little less money that's going to be spent this time around than the last midterm? What will it take to start to bring these numbers back down again?
KRUMHOLZ: You know, I think it's going to take a radical shift that I don't see on the near-term horizon for this cycle or likely next election cycle either. So we typically see an upward trend beyond the rate of inflation. And even though this economy is to tough, and so many people are hurting, clearly the people who are generating campaign donations are able to deliver as much or more than before.
HOLMES: Well, ma'am, what have you all been able to find on this story that was sparked about a week or so ago? The president coming out, and he said it out on the stump, essentially saying that the Republicans and some of those shadowy groups that are giving money to Republicans have been able to find a way to get foreign money into our election cycle.
Now, they didn't offer any evidence of that. That was part of the controversy. But from what you all are seeing, is there foreign money coming in and influencing this election?
KRUMHOLZ: The bottom line is that we have no way of knowing. The contributions going to these outside groups, they've spent so far $173 million, not counting all the independent spending by the parties. So, it's huge sums of money, hundreds of millions of dollars anticipated by November 2nd, and much of that money will go undisclosed.
The organizations, of course, will say that this is not foreign, but we have absolutely no way of proving that. I think it's not responsible to accuse organizations of foreign donors unless we have evidence. Of course, with the Chamber of Commerce, we know that they do collect dues from foreign corporations. They're saying that they segregate the funds.
HOLMES: Yes. And the Chamber of Commerce, that's who specifically the administration did call out.
Another thing here to you, all this stuff, all the collecting of the money, spending of the money, is legal. But in your estimation, is it right?
KRUMHOLZ: You know, I think information is good. And these organizations, these independent groups, ideological business associations, unions, purport to provide us with important information that the voters need to have on Election Day.
If they were doing so in a transparent way, if they were saying here's what my organization stands for, here's who we are, and here's where we're getting our money, I think that would be OK. We should not censor information. Voters want to have all the information at their fingertips before they head to cast their ballot.
But the problem is that so many of these organizations are essentially front groups, shadowy organizations that we have no idea really what they stand for. They try to say they're issue organizations, but they're really targeting our votes, and they are not saying who is bankrolling their effort.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN: Both Republicans and Democrats are hitting their opponents hard in a slew of new TV ads. But one Democrat is really getting slammed by candidates who aren't even running against her. That story coming up in our "Political Ticker."
And also, troubling news about the federal deficit, $1.3 trillion in the red. But there's a tiny bit of encouraging news in the latest numbers. That story also coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: Have you ever run across an online magazine called "Inspire"? Well, it's al Qaeda's latest effort aimed at encouraging terrorism against Americans.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN (voice-over): Colorful, creative imagery promoting a deadly message, chilling terror tips on how to wage violent jihad. The 74- page second edition of the al Qaeda online magazine called "Inspire" aims to recruit Americans to kill Americans.
"The Ultimate Mowing Machine," reads the title of one article, suggesting how to carry out individual attacks. "The idea is to use a pickup truck as a mowing machine, not to mow grass, but to mow down the enemies of Allah."
TOM KEAN, FMR. CHAIRMAN, 9/11 COMMISSION: What al Qaeda is looking for right now is not their additional recruits that they used to do in places like Pakistan and other places in the Middle East. And that's a very dangerous figure for us and a very hard figure for us to intercept, particularly if you have an American passport.
BOLDUAN: Another article takes direct aim at the nation's capital. "A random hit at a crowded restaurant in Washington, D.C., at lunch hour, for example, might end up knocking out a few government employees."
Intelligence officials believe Samir Khan, an American citizen now living in Yemen, is a driving force behind the publication and pens his own essay in the new edition, "I am Proud to Be a Traitor to America."
Fran Townsend, former homeland security adviser to President Bush, says while the magazine's message isn't new, the way they're getting it across is.
(on camera): So what is different here with this magazine?
FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: These are guys who have either been born here or lived in the United States who speak idiomatic colloquial English, who can appeal to Americans to join their cause. They know how to persuade them, they know how to speak to them, and they know how to really inspire them to become a part of it.
BOLDUAN (voice-over): And top U.S. officials like FBI Director Robert Mueller say the Internet acts as an accelerant for terrorist activity.
ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: Consider the impact of someone like Anwar Awlaki, the American-born, Yemeni-based extremist. Ten years ago, Awlaki would have operated in relative obscurity. Today, on the Internet, he has unlimited reach to individuals around the world, including those here at home.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN: A U.S. counterterrorism official tells CNN they are aware of the publication, saying it aims to provoke the murder of innocents and says it hardly lives up to its name, "Inspire."
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We laugh because we love.
BOLDUAN: We laugh because we are crazy people.
HOLMES: How are you this morning?
WHITFIELD: I'm doing good. How are you guys doing?
HOLMES: Over here. I'm over here.
WHITFIELD: Now I feel like I'm watching a tennis match. But everything is good.
BOLDUAN: No, look at me. No, look at me.
WHITFIELD: That's like an Old Spice commercial.
Yes, you all have had a great morning, huh?
HOLMES: Have we?
WHITFIELD: Very busy.
BOLDUAN: It's been great.
WHITFIELD: It's been a while since we've seen you here in person.
BOLDUAN: I know. I'm sorry.
WHITFIELD: So, yes, I know it was a great morning.
BOLDUAN: T.J. finally let me back.
WHITFIELD: OK. Very good. He left the door open.
HOLMES: It's been so good, we had to be separated.
BOLDUAN: Exactly.
WHITFIELD: I'm here now to separate the two, because you've had a lot of close time all morning long.
We've got a lot coming up, noon Eastern hour. Oh, yes, let's talk about that, what's happening the rest of the day.
BOLDUAN: Yes.
WHITFIELD: You know, we love our legal guys when they come, Avery and Richard. They tackle all sorts of interesting, fascinating things. And among them, a case that might impact a whole lot of people out there, especially since just a couple months into health care reform, people are getting used to the idea in some fashion.
Well, about 20 states attorneys general are contesting it. They have managed to take this matter to court. Our legal guys are going to explain exactly what's going to transpire from here.
And then most people think earrings, necklaces are kind of a fashion statement.
BOLDUAN: I would say so. Is this a trick question?
HOLMES: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Well, not all the time. There's a 14-year-old girl who was suspended from school for wearing a nose ring. And the argument here -- it's now a legal case -- the argument here is that this was an article of faith, and that because of her religion, she and her family members wear these nose rings, wear other types of jewelry or armor.
And the school is saying no. She is now taking this to court. ACLU fighting whether this is a constitutional right.
HOLMES: Even if it's not a matter of faith, shouldn't a kid have the right to wear a nose ring?
WHITFIELD: Well, not if the school says no jewelry, no nose rings.
HOLMES: No jewelry of any kind.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HOLMES: OK.
BOLDUAN: I see.
WHITFIELD: So that's where we are.
BOLDUAN: Oh, that's interesting.
WHITFIELD: Yes, exactly.
OK. And there's another news case we're going to tackle.
You know, a lot of city ordinances have rules on lawn care. You've got to keep your grass mowed. Well, a Georgia woman kind of took her state and community to task saying, no, cutting my grass, that's slavery.
HOLMES: I'm sorry?
WHITFIELD: Yes. Legal case. It went all the way to court. As opposed to paying the $45 perhaps to get somebody else to cut the grounds --
BOLDUAN: She just really does not want to cut her grass.
WHITFIELD: Yes. Other moneys went elsewhere.
BOLDUAN: Interesting.
WHITFIELD: And so we're going to give you the outcome of that case.
HOLMES: Now, was this a matter -- this is the city telling her to do it, or the housing authority?
WHITFIELD: The city ordinance.
HOLMES: City ordinance.
WHITFIELD: That's right.
HOLMES: Oh, wow.
WHITFIELD: And there's some precedents.
BOLDUAN: It falls into safety things. That's how the city --
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: And they study it, because it can invite vermin, snakes in some communities. And so that's why there might be ordinances in place, as opposed -- in addition to the fact that it's kind of an eyesore.
BOLDUAN: But that was not what I was expecting.
WHITFIELD: I know. I know. But that's what we do. We like to keep you surprised.
BOLDUAN: You keep me on my toes.
WHITFIELD: Especially with our legal cases.
And then, of course, you know him for the "Pursuit of Happyness," writing the book. He was also the lead character in that movie.
Chris Gardner, I got a chance to sit down face to face with him. And he talks about everything about managing your life, your job, your money, your family life as well. It's a little bit of what he had to say right here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS GARDNER, AUTHOR, "THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS": They both decided to bring home report cards that started with the back end of the alphabet. And that's where I said no.
It was Christmas. I will never forget this. The tree is up, the presents are wrapped.
And I said, "Don't touch nothing. We're not going to open a single present until the next report card comes out," which was in March.
WHITFIELD: Oh. That was a very delayed Christmas.
GARDNER: And all their little friends had to come to the house and wonder, why do you all still got the tree up?
(LAUGHTER)
GARDNER: Well, the presents, don't worry about that. But they got the message.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Contagious laughter.
BOLDUAN: Oh my gosh, what a great laugh. WHITFIELD: Chris Gardner, he's a fascinating man. He talks about everything face to face throughout the day, noon, 2:00, 3:00. We've got you covered here in the NEWSROOM.
BOLDUAN: Perfect.
HOLMES: Good to see you, dear lady.
WHITFIELD: Good to see you guys, too.
HOLMES: We will see you in just a minute.
A quick break though. We're right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) .
BOLDUAN: Officially, there are only two more shuttle missions left before the program comes to a close.
HOLMES: Again, "officially" is the word, because there's a real chance now shuttle astronauts may get an encore performance.
And our John Zarrella reports for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The end is etched in stone. Exactly when is, well, up in the air.
There are two space shuttle flights left --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- your touchdown.
ZARRELLA: -- but NASA's new budget signed by President Obama calls for adding one more flight next June. Maybe.
Florida Senator Bill Nelson --
(on camera): This is where you were?
SEN. BILL NELSON (D), FLORIDA: Yes, I was in the middle seat.
ZARRELLA (voice-over): -- spearheaded the effort to get the added shuttle curtain call. It would allow NASA to stock the Space Station with tons of extras -- computers, spacewalk gear, experiments, all kinds of spare parts. And it would save jobs for a few extra months.
NELSON: If I put on my parochial state of Florida hat, or the Texas senators put on theirs, then an ease of the adjustment of the workforce is clearly one of the concerns that we have.
ZARRELLA: Those arguments don't fly with everyone.
FRED GUTERL, EXEC. EDITOR, "SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN": The rule of thumb is whenever the space shuttle flies, it's a waste of money. The space shuttle is hugely expensive for what it does, and it's not that safe, which is why it's being discontinued.
ZARRELLA: Bottom line, are spare parts worth the risk and the cost? How much? About half a billion a flight. On top of that, the budget only calls for the added mission.
(on camera): But you don't have the money funded yet for that additional flight. It's not there.
NELSON: Well, we're going to get it.
ZARRELLA: Are you nervous about that?
NELSON: Well, of course I am. I mean, you have to deal with senators that -- one senator can stop the whole works.
ZARRELLA: Some money would come from leftover cash in the 2010 budget. The rest likely siphoned from other NASA programs.
(on camera): So, if there is an additional launch, the Space Station will get a lot of extra stuff, shuttle workers will keep their jobs a little bit longer, and the local economy will get a tremendous boost. An estimated one million people will come for the launch, spending approximately $30 million.
(voice-over): From Titusville to Cocoa Beach, standing room only.
ROB VARLEY, FLORIDA SPACE COAST TOURISM: It's going to be a celebration around here.
ZARRELLA: Rob Varley heads Space Coast Tourism.
VARLEY: Our phones are ringing off the -- "Oh, my gosh. I've never been over here to see the shuttle, and now it's a last chance."
VELSHI: To see the space shuttles' last dance.
John Zarrella, CNN, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
