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American Morning: Wake Up Call
A Minimum Tax For Millionaires; Deadly Quake Hits India, Nepal; Pastors Shot In Sunday Service; Delay In Hikers Release
Aired September 19, 2011 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. It is Monday, September 19th this. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. I'm Carol Costello, joining you live from New York.
A big story you're going to hear a lot about today is the Buffett rule as in Warren Buffett. Yes, he's rich -- so rich he might actually get a tax named after him.
Today, President Obama will talk about his plan to cut the national debt by about $3 trillion over the next 10 years. One part of the plan: raise taxes on Americans who earn more than $1 million per year. That's what's known as the "Buffett Rule."
White House sources say the idea is to make sure rich people aren't paying a smaller percentage than the middle class. Republicans think the Buffett rule reeks of class warfare.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PAUL RYAN (R), WISCONSIN: Class warfare, Chris, may make for really good politics. But it makes for rotten economics. We don't need a system that seeks to divide people. We don't need a system that seeks to prey on people's fear, envy and anxiety. We need a system that creates jobs and innovation and removes these barriers for entrepreneurs to go out and rehire people. I'm afraid these kinds of tax increases don't work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The president's plan also calls for $580 billion in mandatory spending cuts, much of it from Medicare and Medicaid. But it's also the $1.5 trillion in tax revenue, more than $1 trillion in war savings as operations in Iraq and Afghanistan drawdown and interest savings would amount to more than $400 billion.
GOP presidential frontrunner and Texas Governor Rick Perry might be asked more about this on the campaign trail. Census data from last year shows more than 18 percent of Texans live below the poverty line. That's 3 points higher than the national average. The state also has the highest share of people without health insurance. And it's tied with Mississippi for the highest percentage of minimum wage workers.
Perry's office says the governor is focused on creating jobs so people can take care of themselves. Forty percent of the jobs added in the United States over the past two years were in Texas, but many of them pay minimum wage.
In other news this morning, there is a murder mystery at an Air Force base in Arizona. A husband and wife found stabbed to death at Luke Air Force Base outside of Phoenix. The bodies were inside a post office on the ground. Police say they also found a knife.
They don't believe any military personnel or their families are in danger. They should be releasing more details later this morning.
A U.S. soldier who escaped military custody at Ft. Drum, New York, is back in custody. Private Russell Marcum had been accused of burglary and handed over to the military authorities. But he gave them the slip, allegedly stole his parents' SUV and vanished. Police arrested him three days later, 125 miles away from the post. Marcum served in Afghanistan earlier this year.
New developments in the plane crash investigation in Reno. It turns out the plane carried equipment that might help determine what went so terribly wrong. It carried a camera and a data recorder. Nine people died, including the pilot and when the World War II era plane plunged into the grandstand at an air race on Friday.
We're learning more about the victims, too, this morning like Mike Wogan of Phoenix. He had muscular dystrophy but graduated with high honors from Arizona State in May.
And John Craig from the Reno area -- he was at the show with his 12- year-old son. Our reporter talked with his sister-in-law in Colorado.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHANNON WILHITE, VICTIM'S SISTER IN LAW: They could see the plane coming down and I think that he probably sheltered his son, and that's kind of the guy he was. So very, very good dad, very good husband, very in love with my sister.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Almost 70 other people at the show were hurt.
And remember the trainer killed at SeaWorld last year by a killer whale. Federal government slapped the park with about $75,000 in penalties after that. Today, SeaWorld will argue that the safety citations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were unfounded. There's a hearing later this morning in Orlando.
Let's head to the weather center and Rob Marciano.
So, Texas finally getting some range? Yay.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, that's good. They could use it and everybody else getting a little bit cooler weather. So, that's what most folks endured over the weekend, feeling a lot like fall -- although the official beginning of it as far as the calendar is concerned happens this week. Some thunderstorms across parts of the South today. Some of these are strong, heading across southeast Texas. Yes, they'll take it. It's not only dry but they've had fires across the Houston area, so these aren't severe. Not anymore at least and driving down to the South of the Gulf of Mexico. So, decent amount of rain in there and maybe even see some brief street flooding. Ah, sounds good, huh? Crazy.
This front off the East Coast going to keep on pushing down to the South. Some thunder across parts of Florida and secondary cool front sliding across the western Great Lakes to give us a reinforcing shot of that fall-like air. Sixty-eight degrees in New York City, it will be 72 degrees in Chicago, 75 in Minneapolis. If you are traveling today, some thunderstorms potentially with that front, Chicago, might slow you down. Same deal in Cincinnati and Cleveland, Memphis and maybe a few of those morning thunderstorms.
Hey, what's this? It's a satellite. Check it out close and personal with all intact -- because it may blow up or be torn apart in a 26 different pieces of debris and each one may weigh up to 300 pounds. This thing is coming into the atmosphere in a hurry this Friday. Here's what it looks like on our Google Earth map.
Every little dot you see there, that's a satellite. I mean, it's crazy when you think how many pieces of scientific and communication equipment and military equipment is spinning around the globe up there. How that stuff doesn't bump into each other, I don't know. But that's UARS there. That's the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, that's been pirating around the globe there, giving us valuable data.
Well, a scientific life span is over and it's out of fuel, Carol. So, it's coming back home on Friday. The problem is, as it does so, it's going to bust up into a bunch of pieces and we don't know where that stuff is going to fall. So, it could fall in your backyard. There's like a 1 in 3,000 chance of somebody getting pegged with this thing. So --
COSTELLO: Oh, geez!
MARCIANO: We'll update you as best we can and track this stuff as we can. Friday is the day this all comes down.
COSTELLO: OK, well, we'll hear our hard hats.
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: Whoo-hoo! Thank you, Rob.
MARCIANO: All right, Carol.
COSTELLO: The cast of "Mad Men" and "Modern Family" are celebrating big wins this morning. The shows won for best drama and comedy respectively at last night's Emmy Awards. Former "Two and a Half Men" star Charlie Sheen, he even took the stage and he wasn't completely crazy, and had these words for the cast and crew of the new season of "Two and a Half Men" which kicks of tonight. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
CHARLIE SHEEN, ACTOR: From the bottom of my heart, I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season.
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And the Emmy goes to "Mad Men."
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Modern Family."
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Let's put mama down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A little bit weird. Get off me.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
COSTELLO: I didn't watch so I don't know what that's all about. Hopefully you do. I just wanted to watch Jon Hamm for a little longer but no.
Anyway, we also have another Emmy treat for you. Anderson cooper did a fake news report on the Emmy's last night talking all about New Jersey. Emmy host Jane Lynch starred in the sketch. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: New Jersey is everywhere. But who is behind this explosive trend?
JANE LYNCH: Thanks to me. Now, 50 percent of all television is set in Jersey. (INAUDIBLE), Jersey. "House," Jersey. Sarah Palin's "Alaska," Jersey.
COOPER: The greatest success when she took eight at-risk youths and made them star.
LYNCH: Why do I do what I do? Because watching these kids is like watching the Cirque du Soleil. Freakin' beautiful, just like Jersey. Watch out, Hollywood, because Jersey is taking over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: She's a funny lady.
Still ahead, scientists say on the outside it had an icy exterior but beneath it, there could actually be an entire ocean. It's a discovery out of this world, literally.
But, first, check out our quote of the day. This is a quote, quote, "The president never does -- the president never does the country any good by panicking," end quote. This was in response to an opinion piece last week by James Carville. He was giving President Obama advice. You'll never believe who responded with that quote.
It's eight minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is 10 minutes after the hour. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. Good morning to you.
Now back to our quote of the day. Were you thinking about it? I'm sure you were.
This is the quote, "The president never does the country any good by panicking." Who said that? Well, it was former President Bill Clinton. He said that in response to an opinion piece by Democratic strategist James Carville.
Carville said last week that President Obama should panic. The president's approach isn't working. It needs an urgent fix. So, he said he should just fire a bunch of people.
Google has been promoting it for some time now and now we're learning Google Wallet could be launched as soon as today.
So, let's head to Hong Kong and Kristie Lu Stout. She's got all the details on the Google wallet.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hey there.
Yes, Google Wallet may be finally launching. According to the blog "Tech Crunch," Google's mobile payment app, it may officially launch later today. Now, Google Wallet is an app that makes your phone your, yes, wallet. With it, you can store your credit cards and gift cards all into your smartphone without the bulk.
And all the buzz about official launch began a few days ago. It was when Google posted a teaser for Google Wallet and it features George Costanza of "Seinfeld" fame. He tries to put a Google ad into his overstuffed wallet and all goes horribly wrong. Laughter ensues. It's a good watch. You can find it out on YouTube.
Carol, back to you.
COSTELLO: OK, I'm going to -- I'm going to go on YouTube right now and find that. Also, there's this cool story -- just funny. There's this cool story about Pluto. Please tell us about, ooh, maybe life on Pluto?
STOUT: Well, there may be a liquid ocean under Pluto's icy shell. Now, temperatures on the surface of Pluto -- they're at around negative 382 degrees Fahrenheit. But because of planet's internal core, the heat there, scientists at the University of California at Santa Cruz, they believe that a slushy sea could exist and where there's water, there may be conditions to sustain life and understandably, Carol, scientists are very excited about this. Back to you.
COSTELLO: Well, you're not kidding. I'm going on YouTube. I wasn't really listening because I'm going to go on YouTube.
STOUT: You're still thinking about George Costanza. And the laugh track is there in a "Seinfeld" fashion. You can find it.
COSTELLO: Cool.
STOUT: Take care.
COSTELLO: OK. I'm doing it now. Bye, Kristie Lu. Thank you.
The rich maybe forced to pay more in Texas. It is a plan called the Buffett rule. The president is set to unveil that today and you can bet, Republicans are not happy. We'll have all the details coming up at 90 seconds.
But, first, today is September 19th. It's also Talk Like a Pirate Day. It actually started back in the '90s by two guys playing racquetball. One got hurt and screamed out "arrr" like a pirate and now it's caught on. I'm not lying about this. This is the truth. So, happy Talk Like a Pirate Day.
It's 13 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Looks peaceful in Washington, doesn't it? At least for now.
Time for your Political Ticker with Tim Farley, host of "Morning Briefing" on Sirius XM POTUS, live from Washington. Good morning, Tim.
TIM FARLEY, SIRIUS XM POTUS: Good morning.
I'm depressed. I just heard you were talking about the fact that fall is coming this week. It seems the summer is over already. Where did it go?
COSTELLO: I know. But it is talk like a pirate day so that should brighten your morning.
FARLEY: Arrrr!
COSTELLO: Aaarrr! OK. Let's get right to this, shall we?
President Obama unveils his plan to impose a new tax rate on the rich as part of this deficit reduction plan. Of course, it's being called the "Buffett Rule" after billionaire investor Warren Buffett. You know, he's complained that super rich don't pay their fair share of taxes.
Listen to what he told CNN's Poppy Harlow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WARREN BUFFETT, BILLIONAIRE INVESTOR: We're going to have to get more money from somebody. Now, the question is, do we get more money from the person that's going so serve me lunch today or do you get from me? I think we should get it from me.
And I have a lower tax rate counting payroll taxes than anybody in my office and I don't have a tax shelter. I just follow -- I just take the form and fill out the numbers. And I think that's very wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: OK. So, the president will say today he's going to -- he wants to institute the Buffett Rule. But Republicans are already saying, please, this is just taxing the rich and that's going to help. You're taxing the very people who are job creators.
FARLEY: Yes. The point of class warfare, for example, is something that you heard Paul Ryan mention earlier. And yesterday, Senator Lindsey Graham was saying the same thing to Candy Crowley. This was (INAUDIBLE) the Democrats have used for a while.
I think it's key here that we have a deficit reduction notice from the president today, his plan. This is distinct from the jobs plan that he was outlining a week and a half ago. And we are looking at a president who pretty much rejected or did not incorporate the Simpson- Bowles reduction findings into his budget this year.
So, one has to wonder whether he thinks this really has a chance of moving forward or if he was saying it to satisfy a very discontented Democratic and liberal base. I guess we're going to have to see because he's even gone so far, according to some reports, already thinking about threatening a veto if there isn't some sort of a tax increase included in this deficit reduction. So, we'll have to see, Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes. It will be interesting. Later today, 10:30 Eastern Time, that's when the president gives his big speech.
Also, let's talk about this poll. CNN/ORC poll last month asked should deficit reduction -- should the deficit reduction bill increase taxes on businesses and higher income Americans? Sixty-three percent said yes, 36 percent said no. So, there's the poll so you can see the president has some support for this.
On to topic two now, Tim, though -- President Obama -- let me see, he's also taking some heat over the high unemployment rate among African-Americans. It's up, what, 15.1 percent among blacks in this country don't have a job.
So, the Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Emanuel Cleaver told "The Miami Herald," quote, this is an op-ed he wrote, "If former President Bill Clinton had been in the White House and had failed to address this problem, we probably would be marching on the White House. There is a less volatile reaction in the CBC, the Congressional Black Caucus, because nobody wants to do anything to empower the people who hate the president."
What do you suppose he means by that? FARLEY: You notice we're hearing an awful lot of those WWCD, what would Clinton do. James Carville has been talking about that. There's a book -- a Ron Suskind book out this week that a lot will probably be talking about.
Look, this is all about jobs right now and the president will talk about deficit reduction. It's about jobs. The Congressional Black Caucus is upset because the president has not yet directly addressed the problem that they think needs addressing, and that is urban poor and specifically African-Americans who are out of work. And the president does not have a specific plan about this that to their point is meeting what they want to see.
So, I'm not sure that they're not going to vote for the president. The question is exactly how excited they are about supporting this president and clearly something has to happen for them to be a little bit happier moving into the 2012 general.
COSTELLO: Yes, something. I just think that a lot of people are going to stay home, right? I mean, they may still like the president.
FARLEY: That's a concern. Sure.
COSTELLO: Yes, his likability factor is still high, but if people don't feel he's doing anything for them, they're not going to be excited about going out and voting for him in 2012.
FARLEY: No, that's the exact point. It's not so much about whether or not they think he's better or worse. It's just whether or not they're going to feel so inspired to get off their you know what is and get to the polls. We have a year before that happens.
But clearly, this is something that is of concern because it's chipping away that particular part of the president's support. And it's got to be a concern to the White House right now.
COSTELLO: Oh, you bet you -- as Sarah Palin would say.
Thank you, Tim Farley. We appreciate it.
FARLEY: On to fall.
COSTELLO: Thanks.
On to other news, people in northern India and Nepal are dealing with the aftermath of a deadly earthquake. It's already killed nearly two dozen people. We'll have a live update coming your way just ahead.
It's 20 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It's 23 minutes past the hour. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL.
A deadly earthquake killed 21 people along the border of India and Nepal. The magnitude 6.9 quake struck yesterday in the northern Indian province where it collapsed buildings in Nepal's capital of Kathmandu. Walls crumbled at the British embassy, leaving three dead.
Let's head around the world now with Zain Verjee. She's live in London.
Anymore you can tell us about this earthquake.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hi, Carol.
Well, the numbers are likely to go up. The problem is right now is that there's so much rain and so many landslides that it's impossible for a lot of the rescue workers to get to the people that really need help. Because what's happening is it's a pretty isolated area between India, Tibet, and Nepal. And what they need to do is land their helicopters and get through some of the mountain passes. But those have been blocked because of the landslides.
So, it's a really difficult situation and many of the areas too, the phones have been cut off where it's patchy. Electricity is out.
So, it's going to -- it's going to be bad because a lot of people are expecting the casualty numbers here both dead and injured will go up.
COSTELLO: Also we have to talk about this. It's going to be an interesting day at the United Nations here in New York City because of this --
VERJEE: Yes.
COSTELLO: -- the Palestinians are going to ask for statehood. The United States is against that. I just wondered -- what are people in Europe saying about this?
VERJEE: Well, the Europeans are concerned for some of the same reasons as the U.S. is. They're trying to avert or delay any kind of a showdown at the U.N. General Assembly this week. They also really want to push the Palestinians and the Israelis to the negotiating table where the Palestinians are saying, look, we're going to go ahead with this.
In Europe, though, it really seems divided. You've got countries like France and others that are likely to support the Palestinians. You've got Germany, the Netherlands and other European countries that are unlikely to support it.
So, there is concern though and there is universal fear, both in Europe and the U.S., that this could trigger more turmoil in the region if it goes ahead and there is a showdown.
COSTELLO: Well, it'll be interesting, of course. The president will be in New York later today after he gives his big speech on tax hikes and the Buffett Rule at 10:30 Eastern this morning.
Zain Verjee, many thanks to you.
VERJEE: Thanks.
COSTELLO: The TSA took some tough action to deal with a security problem at a major U.S. airport and fired a group of screeners. What those screeners failed to do. That's coming up.
It's 25 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Good morning to you. It is Monday, September 19th.
This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. I'm Carol Costello joining you live from New York this morning. Thank you for joining us.
It's 29 minutes past the hour.
What happens today in Atlanta could determine whether convicted cop killer Troy Davis lives or dies. Davis is set to be executed on Wednesday. The Georgia Pardons and Parole Board meets this morning to decide whether that execution is carried out.
Davis was convicted in the 1989 killing of Savannah Police Officer Mark MacPhail. There's been protests and rallies around the world calling for that execution to be stopped. The daughter of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. is joining the chorus.
Officer MacPhail's mother insists the trial was fair and Davis is guilty.
A Florida pastor and associate pastor are in the hospital this morning after a shooting at their Lakeland church. Police say a 57-year-old man walked to the front of the church during a prayer meeting and opened fire, hitting both victims point-blank. Worshipers tackled the man and held him on the ground until police arrived. The gunman is also suspected of killing his wife. No word on the motive.
The Transportation Security Administration has fired 28 screeners. Three others resigned or retired after an investigation at Hawaii's Honolulu International Airport. Investigators say screeners routinely loaded bags onto flights without checking them for explosives. In addition to the firings, agency suspended another 15 workers.
Two American hikers are spending yet another Monday in an Iranian jail, but, there is still hope they'll soon be free. A lawyer representing Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer says bail has been paid, but it needs two judges' signatures to prove it. He's got a signature from one of the judges. The other judge, well, he's on vacation. He's supposed to be back at work tomorrow.
Some stories really don't require words. Take a look at this spectacular time lapsed view from the International Space Station as it orbits the earth. This is what it would be like if you were superman. This is absolutely mesmerizing. It starts at the Pacific Ocean and continues to fly above north and South America before entering daylight near Antarctica. Isn't that cool? By the way, those occasional flashes you see, lightning. (LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: That is awesome.
COSTELLO: In case you missed it, here are some of the big winners from last night's Emmy Awards. For the fourth time in a row "Mad Men," won for Best Drama Series. The Best Comedy went to "Modern Family." In the best actor in a drama category, Kyle Chandler won for "Friday Night Lights" and Julianna Margales -- Morgales -- Morgales -- Margulies. I knew I'd get it right eventually, she won for "The Good Wife."
Charlie Sheen made a brief appearance and wished his former cast members on "Two and a Half Men", quote, "nothing but the best" this coming season. The show which gave him the boot after dispute with producers starts its new season tonight.
Netflix makes another move just days after nearly one million customers canceled their service. The CEO is even going as far as apologizing.
But first, our "Get Smart" question of the morning. What causes more deaths in the United States? A. Drugs or B. Traffic accidents. It didn't (ph) surprise you. The answer in 60 seconds. It's 32 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is 33 minutes past the hour. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. Now, back to our "Get Smart" question. What causes more deaths in the United States? A. Drugs or B. Traffic accidents. Well, it turns out the answer is A. Drugs. According to an "L.A. Times" analysis of government data, more people die from drugs than from traffic accidents. It reports prescription narcotic overdoses propel the increase. Drugs now claim one life every 14 minutes.
President Obama's plan to cut the national debt leads our money talk this morning, so let's check in with Christine Romans. So, the buffet rule, the president is going to unveil that at 10:30 eastern this morning. Tell us about it.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, an hour of your work or a dollar of your work, Carol, is taxed at a higher rate than say your investments, a dollar of your investments, and what the president and his team want to do is make sure calling it the buffet rule, but more millionaires, they're not able to use their investments to pay overall a lower rate for their earnings than, say, someone who's just a working person, somebody who's not getting a bunch of investments and write-offs because of their investments.
So, this would be a way to tax the rich. When you look at the president's debt plan, a lot of its money comes from taxing people who've got the money, in the first place, and that means rich people and corporations. That buffet rule for millionaires, they say would level the playing field so that a middle class family wouldn't pay an overall higher rate for federal income taxes than, say, a millionaire who's paying a lower tax rate for all of their investments.
And it would also veto Medicare benefit reductions, and also, Carol, it does not call for raising the Medicare eligibility age. That is something that fiscal experts, budget experts have said simply must be done eventually that entitlement reform in terms of raising the Medicare eligibility age is a good idea. The president is not including that in this proposal, Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes. We'll see what else he has up his sleeve at 10:30 eastern time. Let's talk about Netflix, because the CEO, he said, I'm sorry that I made you so mad that I lost a million customers. What's this about?
ROMANS: It's not very often that you hear a CEO say, you know what, I was too arrogant and I'm sorry. He used the word "arrogant," Reed Hastings. You know, people who are Netflix customers were outraged, quite frankly. They say they were getting out of -- they were raising some prices. They were changing, focusing solely on streaming video, and Reed Hastings said that clearly in the end was a mistake.
Well, he says it was a mistake after, you know, last week, Carol, the stock lost a quarter of its value. It's down 40 percent, so far, this year. So, they're going to have the DVD service that you get mailed in the little red envelop, but it's not going to be called Netflix. It's going to be called Qwikster . Netflix then will be the name of the streaming business. Qwikster , the old-fashioned business that you get mailed, you know, the DVDs back and forth, they're also going to run out videogames.
And CEO of Reed Hastings in a pre-remarkable -- I'm going to put a link to it, of a tweet link to it if anybody wants to follow me at Christine Romans to read this -- to read this Netflix apology, but this reminds of, remember, the coke debacle -- the new coke debacle. Remember, Tropicana changing the way its orange juice carton looked.
This Qwikster/Netflix Reed Hastings drama is up there in the pantheon of corporate strategy mistakes. We'll see if it needs any difference for the company, of course, but pretty interesting stuff. You don't hear CEOs say they're arrogant very often.
COSTELLO: Didn't Netflix raise prices too? Yes, they did raise --
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: There is nothing in the letter -- I'm trying to get -- nothing in the letter that said, oh, we'll give you a coupon for a discount or we'll lower prices, just I'm sorry, I was such an idiot kind of things.
ROMANS: He says I owe everyone an explanation, not a refund.
(LAUGHTER)
ROMANS: I see explanation. Nothing about a refund.
COSTELLO: Oh, it figures. Thanks, Christine. I'll see you in a bit. ROMANS: Bye-bye.
COSTELLO: She's done it once, but any chances she'll do it again? We're talking Hillary Clinton in 2012. Hear what her husband has to say about suggestions that Hillary Clinton ought to run against President Obama.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Thirty-nine minutes past the hour. Time for our "Political Ticker," so let's bring in CNNs deputy political director, Paul Steinhauser. He's awake. He is funky this morning. I can't wait to talk to you. Good morning, Paul.
VOICE OF PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Hey, look, Carol, for you, I'm always going to get up early.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Fantastic. Let's talk about former President Clinton, because he talked about his wife, Hillary Clinton. Oh, you know, we keep hearing that she should run against President Obama, but come on!
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, you know, I'm very proud of her, and so, I'm always gratified whenever everyone says anything nice about her, and I very much agree that she's done a good job. I think he, by saying something nice about her in the way he did it, knew that it might cause a little trouble. I don't want to help him succeed in his political strategy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: OK, so, Paul, he was laughing through the entire answer.
STEINHAUSER: Carol, he was, but he makes a great point there. You know, (INAUDIBLE) democratic side there suggesting that, you know what, maybe Hillary Clinton should go after Barack Obama after the president in 2012. Carol, it's not going to happen. There's a new Bloomberg poll as well that came out just the other day, and it shows that 34 percent of Americans now say things would have been better if Hillary Clinton won that democratic nomination battle back in 2008 and the presidency.
That's up nine points from earlier this summer, but still, forget about it, Carol. It isn't going to happen. As you said, she's been asked so many times about this. She says, no, no, no, no, no. I like my current job. Up done with running for president.
COSTELLO: Yes. 20/20 hindsight is a beautiful thing, but you know, let's be fair about this. Nobody really knows if things would be better if Hillary Clinton would have won the presidency, right?
STEINHAUSER: That poll is showing the frustration of Americans right now, at least, 34 percent of Americans say that because of the state of the economy. We don't know what would happen. Things could have been different or things could have been the same. Who the heck knows?
COSTELLO: Exactly. Who the heck knows? Let's talk about Ron Paul, because he just won another straw poll in California, and he keeps winning straw polls, but, I guess, if history is any gauge, it doesn't really mean very much.
STEINHAUSER: Yes, if was just winning straw poll, Ron Paul would be president right now. This guy's got a great track record at winning straw polls. He won the huge sea PAC one earlier this year. It's a second straight year in a row. This guy does extremely well. Why? Because his supporters are energetic, enthusiastic.
They go to these events and they show up and vote in big numbers. But, again, it's more to that than just winning straw polls. He won 44.9 percent of the vote in the straw poll in California over the weekend, Carol. I must said, though, he was the, you know, speaker there. Coming in second place was Rick Perry, about 30 percent for Texas governor who didn't show up.
Mitt Romney at 8.8 percent. Michele Bachmann was there, the congresswoman from Minnesota. She did speak at the event. She came in fourth place. Maybe not the best time, but this is California. It's not the end game, Carol.
COSTELLO: I understand. Paul Steinhauser, many thanks.
And Ron Paul supporters out there, yes, Ron Paul won the straw poll in California. So, see, we are talking about Ron Paul.
Here's a quick look at sports for you this morning. If you're up early, you might not have seen this. The battle of the birds, the Eagles versus the Falcons. Michael Vick returning to Atlanta, the face his old team, and guess what, he got hurt in the third quarter and had to leave the game. It turned out he had a concussion. Atlanta beat Philly, 35-31. No update on Vick's condition, but as soon as we get that, we'll keep you posted.
Check out the Aragon Grand Prix in Spain. It was so windy on the track, a bunch of riders crashed. Can you believe that? You got to - apparently, none of the injuries suffered in these crashes were life- threatening. Australian, Casey Stoner, by the way, won the race.
It's official. The Ronald Reagan Centennial Coin is now in service. It's not U.S. currency. You can't use it in the vending machine. It's being used for coin tosses at football games across the country from high school to the pros. The very first toss happened Saturday before the USC/Syracuse game. U.S. football legend, Lynn Swann, did the honors. The coin toss is part of the year-long celebration of the late president's 100th birthday.
Former IMF chief, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, sits down for his very first TV interview since his sexual -- since the sexual assault charges were against him were dropped in New York. His admission and regrets about what happened in that New York hotel room with a maid who accused him of attacking her.
But first, on this day in history back in 1928, Mickey Mouse was born. He made his on screen debut in Steamboat Willie. That's a colony theater in New York City. Now, you know. It's 44 minutes past the hour.
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COSTELLO: Good morning to you. It is Monday. Monday, September 19th. This is your A.M WAKE-UP CALL. I'm Carol Costello joining you live from New York this morning. It is 47 minutes past the hour.
A violent crackdown on protests in Yemen killed at least 26. It injured hundreds more yesterday. For details on this -- for more details, let's head around the world and check in with Zain Verjee. So, tell us about this protest.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the protest is gathering steam again. They, basically, want President Saleh out. He's in Saudi Arabia recovering from wounds, and he's actually not back in the country, but they were protesting. They've had something like a seven-month sit-in, Carol in the Main Square that they're calling Change Square, and the security forces just came in really hard.
One witness said that they just showed no mercy. There was tear gas. They were firing shots into the crowd, so it's becoming a situation that's really beginning to escalate again. Just take a look at some of this video. You can see some of the chaos and the drama and people that are injured that are being taken away. This is video where CNN cannot confirm its authenticity, but it really gives you a sense of the horror and drama that these protesters face the security forces really turned up the heat -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Let's turn our attention to France now. An international monetary mogul, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, gave his first television interview since prosecutors in New York dropped sexual assault charges against him. I guess, he admits the charges unnerved him, so let's listen to a bit and then talk on the other side.
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DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN, FORMER INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND CHIEF (through translator): I was afraid. Very afraid. When you get stuck in the just of this judiciary machine, it's like being in a meat grinder. I had the feeling of being stomped on. Humiliated before even being able to say a word.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: What else did he say, Zain?
VERJEE: Carol, he went on to say that he had shown a moral weakness. It was a moral error, a moral failure, and then, he also continued to deny that he had sexually assaulted the maid in a Manhattan hotel and insisted that it was consensual. If you look at the French papers, a lot of the analysis around this interview is that, you know, this was a very well rehearsed interview. He was extremely careful in the language that he chose.
He apologized to the French people, to his former colleagues, as well as to his family. I mean, don't forget, this was a guy with so many people in France were saying that they would have voted for, because he was considered a possible presidential candidate. And so, the question a lot of people are asking now after this interview today is, does he have a future role in politics? I don't know.
COSTELLO: Well, he says he's going to take a break for awhile, because he wants to spend time with his family and, you know, repair relations with his wife, but how are the people of France taking this interview? Do they think he's sincere?
VERJEE: There are mixed feelings. I mean, some people say, OK, you know, it was a mistake. He admitted what happened. Let's move on. And there are others that say, look, this was a guy we were going to vote for if he was going to run for president, and I'm totally disgusted and I don't believe a word he says. So, you know, it is a mixed feeling.
There are a majority of analysts, though, who say that Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a very smart guy, we're in a global economic crisis, there's no way he would sit it out and behind the scenes, he may try and have some kind of economic advisory role in the future. Not now, though.
COSTELLO: Yes. We'll see if he's still got that civil lawsuit to take care of. And, of course, there's another charge of assault against him levy by a French woman, so he's still got a lot on his plate. Zain Verjee live in London, many thanks to you.
In other news this morning, there is a murder mystery at an air force base in Arizona. A husband and wife were found stabbed to death at Luke Air Force Base outside of Phoenix. The bodies were inside a post office on the ground. Police say they also found a knife. They don't believe any military personnel or their families are in danger. They should be releasing more details later this morning.
New developments in the plane crash investigation in Reno. It turns out the plane carried equipment that might help determine what went so terribly wrong, including a camera and a data recorder. Nine people died including the pilot when the World War II era plane plunged into the grandstand at an air race Friday. We're also learning more about the victims like Mike Wogan (ph) of phoenix.
He had muscular dystrophy, but he graduated with honors from Arizona State in May. And John Krake (ph) from the Reno area. He was at the show with his 12-year-old son. A reporter talked with his sister-in- law in Colorado.
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SHANNON WILHITE, VICTIM'S SISTER-IN-LAW: They could see the plane coming down, and I think that he probably sheltered his son, and that's the kind of guy he was. So very, very good dad, very good husband, very in love with my sister.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Almost 70 other people at the show were hurt. We're going to talk to a member of the NTSB, the National Transportation Safety Board, on "American Morning."
Remember the trainer killed at Seaworld last year by a killer whale? The federal government slapped the park with about $75,000 in penalties after that attack. Today, Seaworld will argue that the safety citations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were unfounded. There's a hearing later this morning in Orlando. We'll tell you what happened after that transpires.
Let's head to Atlanta now and check in with Rob Marciano. Oh, it's chilly outside this morning.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It is. You know, fall right around the corner. It's coming up this week officially, although, you know, once September 1st hits, the atmosphere starts changing gears, and we certainly got a taste of that this weekend, and we'll continue to see that as we go along through the next couple of days. Couple of more cool fronts sliding through down to the south and east.
Here's the map. Check it out. Some rain across Chicago. The Western Great Lakes sliding all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. As a matter of fact, there's some decent thunderstorms that are moving through Southeast Texas. They will take it. They'll take all the rain that Mother Nature has been giving them and a whole lot more. Houston, no stranger to the drought either, and they saw some fires the past month.
Chicago and Detroit, you'll see some delays because of the thunderstorms, same deal with Cincinnati and Cleveland. And here are some of your daytime highs today.
Interesting story coming out of Israel. The Dead Sea, which is a place I've never been but always wanted to go to, not sure this is an incentive, but nonetheless, in order to raise awareness, Carol, because the Dead Sea is drying up, the River Jordan is being diverted elsewhere, a famous photographer who coincidentally does nothing but take pictures of naked people shot 1,200 of them along the shores of the Dead Sea to raise awareness, hopefully, maybe get it more water flowing to that area about 1,300 feet below sea level.
COSTELLO: Well, if anything can bring alive at Dead Sea, it's naked people.
MARCIANO: And aren't we all happy that we haven't shown any of those pictures on this morning program?
COSTELLO: No, I'd actually like to see them, frankly.
(LAUGHTER)
MARCIANO: Go online. COSTELLO: You know you would, too.
MARCIANO: Go online.
COSTELLO: Go online.
(LAUGHTER)
MARCIANO: Just like any other naked beach, typically the ones that are there, you don't want to see naked.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: That's so sadly true. Thank you, Rob Marciano. We appreciate it.
Police on Wall Street are on high alert this morning after a series of protests targeting financial firms. Details coming up live from the Nasdaq MarketSite.
But first, let's take a look at the word of the day, craniopagus. Yes, craniopagus. Find out what the heck that means and why you need to know after this break. It's five minutes until the top of the hour.
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COSTELLO: Oh, it's two minutes until the top of the hour. This is our A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. Happy Monday.
Now, back to our word of the day. It's craniopagus. Craniopagus. Merriam-Webster's definition of this word is a pair of twins joined at the heads. You need to know this today because British doctors successfully separated two sisters from Sudan. The 11-month-old girls were joined at the top of the head. They had a one in 10 million chance of surviving, and they beat the odds. The organization called Facing the World funded the separation.
Let's head to the NASDAQ MarketSite and check in with Carter Evans. How is it looking this morning?
CARTER EVANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, carol, from what's going on around the world and in the pre-markets, it looks like banks are going to be the focus today and not in a good way. Our futures aren't looking so good either. Dow futures down 188. NASDAQ off 41. S&P 500 down 22. At least, we did have five days in a row of gains last week, though.
COSTELLO: That's a good way to look at it. Glass half full. We're loving that. Give us a headline about these Wall Street demonstrations. There are supposed to be more today.
EVANS: Yes. It looks like this could go on again today. Hundreds of protesters on Wall Street this weekend. They call it "Occupy Wall Street." They say they want to end the influence that money has over our representatives in Washington. Well, they may be out there again today. Their target is going to be banks.
It means people working down there and living down there might need to show IDs to get around on Wall Street today. So, a tough commute down there. Back to you.
COSTELLO: Carter Evans, many thanks to you. "American Morning" starts right now.
