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American Morning: Wake Up Call
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Ends Today; "This is Not Class Warfare; It's Math"; U.N. Tackles Non-Communicable Diseases; Budget Plan Raises Fees On Flying; Foo Fighters Sing To Protesters
Aired September 20, 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 Tuesday, September 20th. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL.
I'm Carol Costello. Thank you for joining us this morning.
The "don't ask, don't tell' policy is history today. For the past 18 years, it has kept gays from serving openly in the military. The Defense Department formally repeals it today.
Check out what top military leaders have to say about the change. Quote, "From this day forward, gay and lesbian soldiers may serve in our Army with the dignity and respect they deserve." That is a joint statement from Army Chief Staff General Raymond Odierno, Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond Chandler, the Army Secretary John McHugh.
President Obama started the repeal process last year.
Here's a blur from one of the hearings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: As one Special Operations force war fighter told us, we have a gay guy in the unit. He's big, he's mean and he kills lots of bad guys. No one cared that he was gay.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: A legal network for service members estimates more than 14,000 were booted from the military because of "don't ask, don't tell."
Authorities in Georgia could decide today whether a condemned man lives or dies. Troy Davis was convicted of killing a Savannah police officer in 1989. If the state does not intervene, Davis will be put to death by lethal injection at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
Davis' supporters say he is innocent. The officer's family says justice is overdue. Both sides spoke before Georgia's parole board.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
JOAN MACPHAIL-HARRIS, WIDOW OF SLAIN OFFICER: No time is easy when you have to go before the pardons and parole board. But we feel like we got to say what we needed to say. They heard what we had to say. They heard the truth, which is the most important part. And I believe that they will probably favor in our favor.
MARTINA DAVIS-CORREIA, TROY DAVIS' SISTE: I would be petrified, but Troy -- Troy has an understanding of this is bigger than him. This is about a judicial system that may possibly need to change and get better so that this doesn't really happen.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
COSTELLO: The board could commute his death sentence to life without parole or life with the possibility of parole, or it could deny clemency and let the death sentence go forward.
The FBI says someone is murdered in the United States every 35 minutes. But despite that, violent crime overall is down in the United States. The bureau has released the figures from last year and they show a 6 percent drop from the year before. Over the last 10 years, violent crimes are down more than 13 percent.
Not that we're complaining, but why is America less violent? Experts say it could be because Americans are getting older. They also mention better policing and programs for young people and prison parolees.
There's one of a possible settlement in the U.K. phone hacking scandal. The publisher of the now defunct "News of the World" might pay more than $3 million to the family of a murdered girl. Journalists of the paper hacked into Milly Dowler's voice mail when see disappeared.
Also, Rupert Murdoch would pay about $1.6 million to charity as part of the deal. "News of the World" was part of his media empire.
Authorities in Aruba have been retracing the final steps of a missing American woman. Robyn Gardner went snorkeling with Gary Giordano on August 2nd and that was the last anyone saw her. Giordano is the only suspect in the case. He's in custody. Prosecutors wanted to stage the re-enactment of Gardner's last day until the weather was similar to the day she disappeared.
And today is day two of a federal hearing into the death of a killer whale trainer last year at SeaWorld and whether the park should be charged with a willful violation. Dawn Brancheau was working the platform next to the whale tank when an orca pulled her and dawn her. OSHA cited SeaWorld for three safety violations in putting employees in danger. The whale that killed the trainer was involved in another trainer's death in 1991.
David Kirby wrote a book called "Death at SeaWorld." He spoke with Anderson Cooper about the hearings near Orlando.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVI KIRBY, AUTHOR, "DEATH AT SEAWORLD": I mean, let's face it. Someone is at fault probably. You can't blame a killer whale for killing somebody. So it was either Dawn's fault or it was SeaWorld's fault. And contrary to what Mr. Lucinak just testified, I was in court all day today and Kelly Flaherty Clark, the head curator for animal training, said that Dawn followed protocol. That this was not Dawn's fault. Where does that leave us?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: SeaWorld has dismissed the allegations as unfounded and is contesting them. The hearings are expected to last all week.
Let's head to Atlanta now and talk about weather. Rob Marciano is here for us. So, it was a beautiful day yesterday in New York.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It was. Across the East, Carol.
COSTELLO: I felt blessed.
MARCIANO: Well, I'm glad you enjoyed -- I hope you appreciated it.
COSTELLO: Oh, no.
MARCIANO: Not too bad. We have some rain that's going to be heading across not only New York but much of the eastern third of the country. Here it is on the radar scale.
First, we start you off across the south where the heaviest rain will be from Alabama in through Georgia, right now it just light rains, most of the heavy stuff is down across moment Mobile Bay and over towards Pensacola. Binghamton, New York, Wilkes-Barre, where we had the flooding, a little bit of light rain this morning, and that's heading across -- towards the I-91, and the New York throughway corridor there and through the Adirondacks as well.
As far as where you'll see rain delays for airport travel today, no severe real bad thunderstorms expected but New York, Boston will see some delays, Philly and D.C. as well. And some morning fog in Detroit and Chicago, from left over moisture.
Got another front rolling across the Upper Midwest, that will bring yet another batch of cool fall-like air as we get towards the end of the week. So, enjoy 79 in Memphis. Enjoy 76 degrees in Chicago, because you'll get back to seeing temperatures in the 60s, I believe.
All right. Still hurricane season. This guy out in the middle of the Atlantic is getting better organized, 70 percent chance of becoming something more interesting in the form a tropical depression or tropical storm in the next two days, but it's very far out there.
Hey, leftovers of hurricane Irene, Carol, you know, when you -- when it rains a lot, and the water paddles, you often get a lot of mosquitoes. And that is an ongoing problem in the past couple of weeks because of what Irene and Lee brought across the eastern coastline and the Northeast. So, a lot of mosquitoes. Local communities are trying to control them with pesticides.
But the CDC is now reporting over 200 cases of West Nile, most of which has come after August 1st, during the height of those hurricanes and tropical systems, so going outside. Spray on the DEET, if you can.
COSTELLO: I can tell you, I can attest to that, I was visiting friends in Fairfield, Connecticut, which is near the Long Island sound, I was just standing in the yard and I swear to you I had 15 mosquito bites on my legs in a matter of minutes.
MARCIANO: Really?
COSTELLO: It's really bad.
MARCIANO: I was going to ask you something. That would be inappropriate. Just don't scratch so much. Don't break the skin, Carol.
COSTELLO: You can't help it. It's agony.
MARCIANO: Stop.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Rob.
MARCIANO: Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: It's called the Buffett Rule. Something the president wants to enact to tax the rich and cut the deficit. But so far, it just has comedians cutting up. Here's your punch line.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
JAY LENO, COMEDIAN: Well, President Obama's new plan to cut the deficit involves taxing people that make over a million dollars a year. Here's some that will be affected. Take a look.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: KCAL 9's Whit Johnson reports on the so- called Buffett Rule in reference to Warren Buffett and how Republicans are responding.
REPORTER: President Obama's plan will include a new tax on those making over a million dollars a year. Those affected include University of Miami football players, Chelsea Handler's live-in bartender, and Christina Hendricks' breast wrangler.
JIMMY KIMMEL, COMEDIAN: Already, the Buffett tax is under attack by special interest groups.
NARRATOR: Americans are struggling just to make ends meet. So why does Barack Obama want to tax our buffets. Don't let this crony president and his lettuce-eating wife take away your God-given right to eat all you can eat.
Call President Obama. Tell him to keep the taxes off of American's buffets. Say no to the Obama buffet tax. Paid for by fat people.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
COSTELLO: Oh my God. I needed a laugh this morning. That was great.
All right. Back to the news: AIDS researchers have been working on a particular problem for years and then they handed it over to gamers from all over the world and, bingo, a breakthrough.
But, first, here's our quote of the day. Quote, "Giving the federal government more money would be like giving a cocaine addict more cocaine," end quote. Find out who said it in 90 seconds.
It's nine minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is 10 minutes past the hour. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL.
Now, back to our quote of the day. This is a quote, "Giving the federal government more money would be like giving a cocaine addict more cocaine." Who said that? It was House Speaker John Boehner. He said that yesterday and reacted to President Obama's new tax plan.
We'll be talking more about that and the Buffett Rule or as Jimmy Fallon likes to call it, the Buffet Rule.
We do have a breaking news out of Turkey right now, and a serious stuff. A mini-bus exploded there. Two people were killed. It happened in the Turkish capital of Ankara.
Just moments ago, we learned that the explosion was actually caused by a bomb. As soon as we get more information we'll pass it along to you.
But, again, a mini-bus in Turkey, in Ankara, the capital, explodes. Two are killed. And we understand that explosion was detonated by a bomb.
You hear all this talk about conserving energy, but according to experts, it doesn't appear anyone is really working to make a difference.
So, let's head to Hong Kong and Kristie Lu Stout.
You're kidding. People aren't conserving energy?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: I know. This is the most disappointing report here. In the decades ahead, there will be a surge in global energy use. This all according to a new report by the Energy Information Administration. And according to the EIA, energy use will jump 53 percent by the year 2035, driven largely by demand from India and China. And with that, there'll be a rise in greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent.
On the plus side, renewable energy use is expected to grow the most, but fossil fuels will remain the dominant fuel choice. And the report, it adds that these projections could change if countries like the U.S. and China pass stronger environmental laws.
So, Carol, here's hoping that they will. Back to you.
COSTELLO: China passing stronger environment at laws. I guess they have in the past but not many, huh? I don't know.
STOUT: Well, they do have it in their interest to develop a native industry, especially in solar panels. So, there you have it.
COSTELLO: Yes, we'll see.
So, tell us about this computer game that could actually save lives.
STOUT: That's right. This is something that's also on my radar. It's called Fold It. And it asks gamers to predict and design protein structures to better understand how they work. Now, the game, it was released by the University of Washington in 2008. Since then, more than 60,000 from all over the world have taken part. And in just 10 days, gamers were able to do what scientists have been trying to do for 10 years. They were able to unravel the structure of a protein that is key to the way HIV multiplies. And with that knowledge, scientists can hope that they can make drugs to stop its growth.
And, amazingly, Carol, a few of the gamers actually have a background in biochemistry. The key talent here is facial reasoning, just the ability to visualize and manipulate patterns.
So, if you think you have the skills, go online, sign up at fold.it.
Carol, back to you.
COSTELLO: That's awesome. Thanks so much, Kristie Lu Stout, live from Hong Kong for us this morning.
Here at home, Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann fires back against one of her critics, but it's not just any critic. He's actually her former campaign manager. What he said that has her on the defensive coming your way in 90 seconds.
It's 14 minutes past.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Good morning, Washington. It's 15 minutes past the hour.
A controversial book hits the store shelves about former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Among the gossipy tidbits, allegations she had a one-night stand with a former NBA star Glen Rice. That was before she was married. The author of "The Rogue," Joe McGinniss, talked to our Piers Morgan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE MCGINNISS, AUTHOR: I had heard over and over again that one reason for her racism was that she had an event in her young adulthood where she had a sexual encounter with a black man and that afterwards she freaked out about it. She became hysterical. She was horrified with herself because of being racist that she had actually had sex with a black man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: McGinniss did research for the book while living next door to the Palins. Palin's husband says the book is full of disgusting lies. And we might add, since I read the book, not much information in that book is attributed to anyone. It's a lot of unnamed sources -- just so you know.
Time now 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: Speaking of disgusting lies, here's Tim Farley, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you very much.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: No -- never mind. I don't even want to go there.
OK. Let's talk about President Obama and class warfare because everybody is talking about that. You know, he wants to raise taxes on millionaires and billionaires, and the Republicans have already come out and said, hey, that's just class warfare. You're picking on one segment of the population.
Let's listen to President Obama.
FARLEY: Don't forget. Those Jimmy Buffett fans, too. Those parrot heads, they have to pay the Buffett Rule, you know? This class warfare, what is it, it's like math class against history class. It's intramural basketball.
COSTELLO: Pause there. Exactly, pause there because we want to hear President Obama say it's math so here goes.
FARLEY: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If Warren Buffett believes he's not paying enough taxes today, then I encourage him, don't wait, write a check today. The largest check you can and send it to the United States Treasury. But you and the president should not be exacting warfare on the millions of small businesses on charities and on the middle class people who built this country.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is not class warfare. It's math.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
COSTELLO: It's like -- OK, so here we go again. I know. It's the same argument over and over again, though, Tim.
FARLEY: Yes, and, frankly what this is all about is a pivot for the president because the grand illusion is what is now taking place, the grand bargain, he knows that he can't get certain cooperation with Republicans, so what he's done now is gone out there and done what he can to energize his base. I mean, that's pretty much what this was all about yesterday because the idea that Republicans are going to all of a sudden embrace the concept of raising taxes, whether it's on millionaires or billionaires or gazillionaires, it doesn't really matter because it's probably not going to happen.
So, this is going to be one of the arguments moving forward. And, of course, this does distract a little bit from the fact that we still have a jobless rate. And this is deficit reduction, which is separate from that. So, we'll see how it plays how.
But I think this is the new and strident and fighting president that his base is looking for. And that's why he's doing it.
COSTELLO: Yes, it's kind of depressing, all of this, isn't it? Because you're right, people's jobs or lack thereof are at stake. And also, we have to work on the deficit still with the supercommittee and that's, you know, the president's plan is going to affect that as well and everything could come to a screeching halt and we'll be at the same place we were when we were arguing about the debt ceiling and whether it was raised or not.
But anywho --
FARLEY: You get that in Washington, you know?
COSTELLO: I know.
FARLEY: Being in the same place where we started.
COSTELLO: I know. You just want to beat your head against the wall. Let's talk about Michele Bachmann a little more because she's getting it from all sides. Another former staffer has come out criticizing her political abilities.
I think we lost the sound bite but basically -- we lost Tim Farley. We lost everything. Tim Farley is frozen in satellite land. I apologize.
FARLEY: I am.
COSTELLO: Oh, he's back. So let's talk about Michele Bachmann because her former campaign manager says she can't make it much past Iowa because she's out of money.
FARLEY: Ed Rollins is the man who -- you know, frankly, Carol, you and I talked about this a long time ago. This was a part of the early strategy to get her past Iowa because if she could win there, then she could move along and usually, you get a victory, you get something in your pocket, now you can start lining your pocks with cash.
Ed Rollins didn't say she can't, but he said that she would have a tough time getting past Iowa and that is what we kind of thought would happen. She's really looking for a place at the table. Past Iowa and South Carolina, there aren't too many who thought she could be competitive nationwide anyway. She just wants to be considered -- she would never say that, of course, but I think his comments (AUDIO BREAK).
COSTELLO: Yes. Tim Farley, thank you, and we're sorry we froze you there for a time.
FARLEY: That's OK.
COSTELLO: Tim Farley live from Washington -- thanks so much.
Pirates making a strong showing in Berlin's election. Not the swashbuckling Johnny Depp kind of pirates. I'm talking about 20- somethings in hoodies, now lawmakers for the Pirate Party. Who they are and what they want, coming up.
But, first, today is National Punch Day. No, it's not an excuse to get in a fight with a co-worker. It's actually a day that celebrates the drink, you know, punch. Just so you know, the first punch bowl was actually hollowed out on rock.
It's 21 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It's 24 past the hour. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL.
Six documentary filmmakers are under arrest in Iran, accused of working for the BBC's Persian language service.
Let's head around the world with Zain Verjee live from London.
Good morning, Zain. So, what was the documentary about?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, it was a documentary, the BBC says that was an in-house production and it was on the ayatollah, the supreme leader, Khamenei. And they say that these six filmmakers have absolutely nothing to do with this documentary, but they were arrested a day after it aired.
There's also a rights group that's come out and has told the Iranian government and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad just stop intimidating and detaining filmmakers and journalists. And they want a lot of pressure turned up on him by diplomats and journalists when he's at the U.N. over there in New York for the General Assembly meeting.
COSTELLO: Gotcha. I'm really interested in this Pirate Party in Germany.
(LAUGHTER)
VERJEE: Well, it's not that kind of pirate, though. You know, they are wearing more hoodies and Captain America T-shirts as they pose out there outside the Berlin parliament. But this was a bit of a shocker. These guys are kind of like a fringe party. You know, they campaigned on something like Internet freedom.
And guess what? They got 15 seats, Carol, in the Berlin state parliament, which is a really huge deal. I think they were shocked. They're totally inexperienced. They're like in their 20s and 30s, and a lot of people are saying, you know, this was kind of a joke party. People would vote for a party like this. It's more like a protest vote.
They're saying they're serious and they have a plan. But we'll see how it goes, because they're in a state parliament that deals with really serious issues. But somehow, they swept up 15 seats, which is a big deal and a surprise to everyone.
COSTELLO: Well, it just goes to show people aren't so happy with politics in Germany either.
VERJEE: No. Nien.
COSTELLO: Nien. Thank you, Zain. Thank you very much.
If you are over 40, you are probably shrinking. Don't feel too bad. It's natural.
But lose too much height and too fast, it could be a medical warning sign. What to keep an eye out for. We'll be back.
It's 26 minutes past.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Good morning to you. It is Tuesday, September 20th. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. I'm Carol Costello joining you live this morning from New York. It's 30 minutes past the hour.
We all know the toll that diabetes can take on the body. Now, there is new evidence of what it does to the mind. It can double your risk for Alzheimer's disease. That's according to a study out of Japan. Researchers followed 1,000 people over the age of 60, and they found those with diabetes were twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's within 15 years. They're also more at risk for all types of dementia.
Scientists are still sorting out exactly why, but they point to a possible link between insulin resistance and brain plaque. Some 25 millions Americans are diabetics, and millions more are pre-diabetic. Diabetes among the chronic diseases front and center at the big United Nations summit. Global health experts are in New York sharing ideas on how to stop the spread of heart disease, lung disease, cancer, and other illnesses that are not spread person to person. So- called non-communicable diseases are now the world's leading killers. Here's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I think that that's what people are starting to realize. You think of these as they called non-communicable diseases such as the ones you mentioned as being diseases of the after fluent, diseases of developed countries, diseases of the elderly, and what you find when you really start to look at the numbers is that in many places around the world, it's quite the opposite.
In fact, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today three out of five people living on earth will die of these chronic or non- communicable diseases.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: This is only the second time the United Nations has tackled a health issue. It has been a decade since world leaders met to talk about the spread of HIV/AIDS.
If you fly, you will pay more for your ticket under President Obama's new budget plan. It doesn't matter if you fly in a private jet or a commercial airliner, first class or coach, almost everyone would take a hit. Right now, you pay $2.50 for a passenger security fee on each league of your trip. The White House wants to mesh that up a little to $7.50 per trip by 2017. That's more than a little. And private jets flying in controlled airspace would also be subject to a $100 flight fee.
If you woke up this morning feeling a little shorter, it may not be in your head. Shrinking is actually a natural part of getting older. In fact, it's normal to lose up to a third of an inch of height every decade after age 40. But, shrink too much, and it could be a health warning sign. It ups the rick of hip fracture for everyone, and in men, it's also a marker of heart disease. That's according to a study in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
Protest the Foo Fighters, they might just protest back. The rock stars serenaded members of the Westborough Baptist Church who were picketing the band's Kansas City show. Church members say the band endorses adultery and homosexuality. Here's how the Foo Fighters answered.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It takes a long time. I don't care if you're black or white or cripple or green. Whether your Pennsylvanian or Transylvanian. Lady Gaga or Lady Antebellum.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Man! He was looking like dizzy top (ph), isn't he? The Westborough Baptist Church is known for its protests often sticking out military funerals with those horrible controversial signs, but the Foo Fighters decided they would fight back.
It, apparently, pays to be the odd man out of "Two and a Half Men." TMZ is reporting Charlie Sheen settled his dispute with Warner Brothers to the tune of $100 million. He'll get a quarter of that money now. The rest comes with syndications profits over the next decade. It's a pretty healthy paycheck for getting your characted killed off.
We learned during last night's season premiere that a subway train in Paris hits Charlie Harper, and Ashton Kutcher made his debut as a lovelorn internet billionaire. There he is. Charlie Sheen tweeted this picture of himself watching the debut quoting, it's, quote, "odd but cool." So far, lots of laughs," end quote.
Speaking of Charlie Sheen, a line-up of guests roasted him last night on comedy central from his children to stints in rehab. No topic was off-limits. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Charlie is a self-contained unit. He is dependent upon no man and no things except crack, jack, crank, meth, lewds, Vicodin, blow acid, upper toppers (ph), e. nitrus (ph) dust, hash and this one (EXPLETIVE DELETED) medicine from Norway. As you may know, Charlie Sheen is not his first name. His original Spanish name is Senor Drugs.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Charlie, if you're on winning, then something is wrong with the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) scoreboard.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, man. Charlie, if you're winning, then this must not be a child custody hearing.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The only time your kids got to see you is in reruns.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: First of Charlie, I'm 80 years old. You're what, 47?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 46.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How come we look like we went to high school together? If I may give you my most important piece of advice tonight, never, ever forget to book your next rehab stay through priceline.com. (END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: There you have it. A few hours ago, Sheen tweeted his response to the roast saying, he was both speechless and grateful.
Another sign that Americans are worried about the economy. A new study shows 40 percent of consumers are cutting back. We're live from the NASDAQ MarketSite with more on that.
But first, our "Get Smart" question of the day. According to new research, would the majority of Americans rather text or talk on the phone? The answer in 60 seconds. It's 35 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Thirty-seven minutes past the hour. This is you're A.M WAKE-UP CALL. Now, back to our "Get Smart" question of the morning. Would the majority of Americans rather text or talk? If you said text, you would be wrong. The answer is B. Talk. According to a new Pew Research study, 53 percent said they prefer to talk on the phone, 31 percent said they would rather text, and 14 percent says, hey, it depends on the situation.
Right now, European markets are in the black despite yesterday's news involving Italy's debt downgrade. Let's head to the NASDAQ MarketSite and Carter Evans. So, Carter, tell us about this downgrade for Italy.
CARTER EVANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a downgrade from A+ at A. S&P, basically, says that Italy's weakening economic growth and political uncertainty are damaging its financial stability. Right now, growth estimates for Italy at seven tenths of one percent for its gross domestic product. There's political gridlock over there.
That's the lame responses to the countries current financial challenges. Italy could accumulate even more debt and warrant another rating slash. So, S&P is warning that it is not over for Italy right now. If you look at the main page on CNNMoney.com, there is a map of Europe there, color coded map, and Italy, the possibility of a default there is at 33 percent right now.
COSTELLO: And they only went from an A to an A-?
EVANS: From an A+ to an A.
COSTELLO: Oh, yes. I'm sorry. An A+ to A. Sorry.
EVANS: Yes. Get it straight.
COSTELLO: Sorry about that. As if we needed more proof that consumers are worried about the economy in the United States, there's a new study to tell us how worried we actually are.
EVANS: Right. And you know, we got an inkling of this in August, because, you know, August (INAUDIBLE) school shopping, but retail sales in August, essentially, flat from July. So, we know people weren't spending that much, but now, there is a new study from bankrate.com suggesting that 40 percent of consumers cut spending by 60 percent in the last two months and all of it due to worries about the economy
This affected Americans across all income groups. They all reduced spending. Also, this study finds that more Americans over the age of 30 reported a lower net worth compared to last year, and job security is a big concern right now. Twenty-three percent of respondents under the age 30 say they feel more secure in their jobs than they did 12 months ago, only 23 percent.
If you're talking about people between ages of 50 and 64, only 10 percent feel more secure in their jobs this year than they did last year.
COSTELLO: That's a shame. Carter Evans, thanks. We'll get back to you.
EVANS: OK.
COSTELLO: And, we'll have a quick look at sports coming your way in just a couple of minutes, including a very expensive tackle that's costing one player $40,000. You can not violate rule 12, section 2 article 9 of the NFL rules and expect to get away with it. Thirty- five minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Ah, a splitting image for our "Political Ticker" this morning. Let's bring in CNNs deputy political director, Paul Steinhauser. He is live on the phone from Washington D.C. Good morning, Paul.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR (on the phone): Carol, how are you?
COSTELLO: I'm just dandy. I'm hearing that Vice President Joe Biden is taking a little trip today. He's going to go to Ohio to tout President Obama's jobs plan.
STEINHAUSER: Ohio, your home state, Carol. And, listen, if you need more proof than Ohio, you know how important it's been in presidential politics. It was the state that put George W. Bush over the top in his re-election in 2004. President Obama, Joe Biden, the vice president, they won Ohio last time around back in 2008. OK. So, the vice president going there today.
He was there on Labor Day as well. President Obama going back to Ohio this week, later this week, on Thursday. He was there last week, as well. Boy! Do you need more proof that Ohio, a major battleground state, is going to be so crucial to this administration, to this White House, for their re-election plans? Well, here it is. It's all about location, location, location, Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, but don't you think Ohio voters kind of realize they're being used right now? They did kick out the Democratic governors. They elected a Republican governor, although, they're not very happy with that Republican governor right now, but still, I mean, at some point, don't voters get tired of just politicians like traipsing through the state? Once voters know, they're only traipsing to the state because they want their vote at that particular time.
STEINHAUSER: Yes. You know, good point, but I guess, there's a flip side to that, as well. You know, the more attention a politician or a sitting president brings to a state, the more good you can do by that, as well. And, well, yes, of course, there are tough economic times right now in Ohio as well as many states in the Midwest.
And that's why you're going to see the president again there later this week and the vice president there today touting this jobs plan, their idea, their plan to boost up the economy and create jobs. Republicans, obviously, they sing a different tune, Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, how do you suppose Ohioans will feel about President Obama's latest plan to tax millionaires at a higher rate?
STEINHAUSER: You know, I think Ohioans just like the rest, it really depends where you come from. If you're a Republican in Ohio, you're probably not going to like this plan. You're going to think that any tax on anybody, even the wealthy, especially they will argue wealthy Americans who help create jobs is a bad idea.
The president, you saw him yesterday in his speech at the Rose Garden saying, listen, this is not class warfare. It's math. Take a little listen. We able to sound of the president yesterday making another push for his jobs plan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A week ago today, I sent Congress the American Jobs Act. It's a plan that will lead to new jobs for teachers, for construction workers, for veterans, and for the unemployed. It'll cut taxes for every small business owner, and virtually, every working man and woman in America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: Well, that's what the president says. Of course, I think that plan is going to be pretty much dead-on-arrival in the Republican-controlled House. Carol, what is all this? It's the beginning of the 2012 presidential election. No doubt about it.
COSTELLO: You're right about that. Paul Steinhauser, many thanks. Paul live from Washington this morning.
Let's take a quick look at sports, shall we? Check out the hit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO (voice-over): Dunta Robinson of Falcons gave the Eagles, Jeremy Maclin, on Sunday night. That'll leave a mark on you, left a mark on Maclin's head and on Robinson's checking account. The NFL has fined Robinson $40,000 for violating safety rules. Oh, that's just hard to watch. You know, they know those kinds of hits are illegal, but I guess, it's just the culture. I don't know. But $40,000 fine on Robinson.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO (on-camera): A major change in the military goes into effect today. We'll have more on that after a break.
And on this day in history, back in 1984, "The Cosby Show" debuted. The Huxtable Family was on the air for eight years in its original run on NBC. TV Guide said it was, quote, "the biggest hit in the 1980s in almost single handedly revived the sitcom genre." It's 46 minutes past the hour.
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COSTELLO: Good morning to you. It is Tuesday, September 20th. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. I'm Carol Costello joining you live this morning from New York. Thanks for waking up with us. It's 48 minutes part the hour.
Yemen is on a knife edge of civil war this morning. That's according to Amnesty International. That's how they put it. Security forces are cracking down on protesters spilling blood in the process. Dozens of people killed yesterday along in the capital city of Sanaa. So, let's head around the world with Zain Verjee live from London. Things getting worse now in Yemen?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol. Yes, things are getting worse. There's a real fear that the whole place could just descend into civil war. Some of the latest report of this, there's been heavy firing in the place called Taiz. That's in the southwest. It's a city in that region of Yemen.
Also, Sanaa, the capital, medics are reporting now that two people have been killed. They were fired on by security forces as they were in a protest camp (ph). Now, if you look at numbers quoted by medics, they're saying, Carol, in just the last two days, 57 people have been killed and more than 500 injured.
This crackdown has really escalated, and it seems as though things could get a lot uglier. This is important to the U.S., because there's a real fear that al Qaeda operates in Yemen and effectively so, and they've really tried to crack down so hard except there's this kind of chaos and civil war in Yemen. It's going to make it a bigger security issue for the U.S.
COSTELLO: Here in New York, Zain, President Obama will meet with the head of Libya's National Transitional Council today in New York. That would be the first time. What can we expect?
VERJEE: We can expect a lot of questions about how to move forward, how to create a real sense of reconciliation and unity, and what exactly is the Transitional National Council going to be doing to push forward. Of course, there's a big unanswered question, too. Where is Moammar Gadhafi? Nobody really knows yet. The U.S. has said that he's probably still in the country because there's no indication that he's left.
President Obama also has a bunch of meetings about Libya that are going to be hosted by the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and one other person on his dance card today.
Carol, he'll be meeting Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, and that's important because the U.S. needs to start hammering out, seriously, the security handover of troops to afghan forces which has been a real big question mark as to whether they can even handle it or not. You're going to have a lot of traffic jams this week in New York, carol, because of that (ph).
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: I know. They've already begun. I'm just walking everywhere, even bother with cabs. Thank you, Zain.
The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is history today. For the last 18 years, it has kept gays from serving openly in the military. The defense department formally repeals it today. Check out what top military leaders are saying about the change, quote, "From this day forward, gay and lesbian soldiers may serve in our army with the dignity and respect they deserve," end quote. President Obama started the repealed process last year. Here's a blurb from one of those hearings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CARL LEVIN, (D) MICHIGAN: As one special operations force war fighter told us, we have a gay guy in the unit. He's big, he's mean and he kills lots of bad guys. No one cared that he was gay.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
A legal network for service members estimates more than 14,000 people were booted from the military because of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
There's worth of a possible settlement in the UK in that phone hacking scandal. The publisher of the now defunct "News of the World" paper might pay more than $3 million to the family of a murdered girl. Journalist at the paper hacked into Milly Dowler's voicemail when she disappeared. Also, Rupert Murdoch would pay about $1.6 million to charity as part of the deal.
Now, let's head to the weather center in Atlanta to check in with Rob Marciano. Any flight delays?
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Not yet, but we'll probably have a few. You know, we're just discussing that Friday, fall officially arrives in, you know, the past few days. It's been acting that way. It's going to get -- I think the 90s and 100s were, you know, those areas that have really been feeling it are pretty much gone. A little bit of rain across the spine of the Appalachians this morning. There it is on the radar scope. This is light stuff. Shouldn't cause any sort of flooding, but certainly, bringing up reminders of weeks past and Binghamton down through Scranton as this line of showers moves its way across the Poconos and into New York City or it should be very light today but may cause some delays there and then Atlanta also seeing some rainfall.
Here are the areas that we'll see some delays, New York, Boston, Philly, D.C. Also got some fog across Chicago and Detroit. Some of that is pretty thick this morning, so a slow go not only for air travel but also for just driving around. There's your couple of fronts. The next one that comes down will bring another reinforcing batch of cool air.
Hey, folks at IT have come up with an ongoing problem. What do you do with men when, otherwise, wants to spend hours and hours there? Well, you can put the kids in play land. Now, they have a man land in some stores, Carol, where you can go play video games.
You can watch the ball game and hang out on a La-Z-Boy, just chill with the other guys until the rest of the family is done making their way through that maze that Ikea is famous for. It's a pretty good idea. They even give your man a buzzer that, you know, the wife can buzz the man when she's done shopping. It sounds all very sexist, but I guess, you know, it's a problem, so they're trying to deal with it as best they can.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: It just proves the fact that men remain children their entire lives.
MARCIANO: This, I won't argue with.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Smart man.
MARCIANO: See you, Carol.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Rob.
MARCIANO: All right.
COSTELLO: Let's take a look at the word of the day, shall we? It's sociogenic. Find out what sociogenic means and why you need to know right after this short break. It's just about six minutes until the top of the hour.
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COSTELLO: It is just about two minutes to the top of the hour. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL.
Now, back to our word of the day. That would be socio-- sociogenic. Here's what it means. This is the definition from Merriam-Webster. It's an adjective, and it means produced or determined by society or social forces. You need to know this today because there are mass faintings going on in Cambodia factories. And some say it might be a mass sociogenic illness or even mass hysteria.
According to "Time" magazine, hundreds of women have been hospitalized in several clothing and shoe factories. Now, you know.
Now, let's head to the NASDAQ MarketSite and check in with Carter Evans. How are the markets looking?
EVANS: Well, you know, after all the red that you saw behind me yesterday, we might see a little bit of green today, Carol. We've got reports on housing starts and building permits this morning. That's about it as far as economic news coming out.
Take a look at our futures, though, right now in the premarket pages, CNNMoney.com, Dow futures up 13. NASDAQ up about 5.5. The S&P futures up about four points right now. Hopefully, we'll bring things back to an up note today.
COSTELLO: Gosh, I hope so. Well, let's talk about an up note before you go, because Apple, Apple is hitting a new high.
EVANS: Apple is hitting a new high. Yes. Take a look this. In premarket trading, it's up again this morning, $416.25 a share, a five percent. This makes it the most valuable company in the country, more valuable than ExxonMobil, if you can believe it. And analysts say, shares are worth a whole lot more than this.
Apple is sitting on piles of cash right now, and a lot of people are saying what is Apple going to do with all this money? Maybe, it will share the wealth and pay a dividend to shareholders. Maybe, give them an iPhone 5. I don't know.
COSTELLO: Maybe, hire someone.
EVANS: Hey, there you go. What a noble idea.
COSTELLO: It's a concept.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Thanks very much, Carter. Carter Evans live from the NASDAQ MarketSite.
"AMERICAN MORNING" continues right now.
