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Recession Triggers Major Layoffs; Jobless Woman Wears Resume Tee; Defense Secretary Gates in Iraq
Aired December 13, 2008 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALINA CHO, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Hello, thank you for joining us. I'm Alina Cho.
A man in a hurry with nothing to say -- at least, not to reporters. And that is him, behind the post. Embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich leaving his home in Chicago earlier today. Reporters shouted questions they all wanted to know one thing. Will he resign amid allegations that he tried to sell Barack Obama's senate seat to the highest bidder. These of course are just allegations right now. Blagojevich is defying all calls to step down and denying all federal charges of corruption. In a CNN exclusive, our Drew Griffin caught up with the governor yesterday and actually got something of a response.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Drew Griffin of CNN, can you say anything to the people of the state of Illinois, sir? Do you have any anything to say?
GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH (D), ILLINOIS: I have a lot to say at the appropriate time. Absolutely.
GRIFFIN: Are you going to resign, sir?
BLAGOJEVICH: I have a lot to say at the appropriate time.
GRIFFIN: Governor, are the authorities right in their petition that criminal complaints? Did you do what they said you did? Governor? Just 30 seconds for anybody for the state of Illinois.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: The Blagojevich scandal is casting a shadow over several prominent politicians, including the man Barack Obama has tapped to be his White House chief of staff. CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us now from Chicago. So the "Chicago Tribune" is reporting, Elaine, as you well know, that Rahm Emanuel had some conversation or at least a conversation with the governor about who might replace Barack Obama in the Senate, but there's not necessarily anything wrong with that, is there?
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's not. We should tell you Rahm Emanuel had no comment to CNN on that "Chicago Tribune" report that said that Emanuel did have a conversation with the embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich about Obama's vacated senate seat. Now to be very clear, a source tells my colleague Jessica Yellin that Emanuel is not, is not the target of the federal corruption probe.
Also, we should note that U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has of course said there are absolutely no allegations against the president- elect contained in the federal complaint. And you are right, Alina, there would be nothing wrong, in fact, it would be expected for there to be contact between the Obama camp and people within the governor's office. The problem is it is now Saturday, as you all know, of course, the charges of the federal corruption allegations came out on Tuesday. What is taking so long for the president-elect to lay out what specific contacts there might have been? We just don't know. But the longer these questions persist, the more it seems to fuel speculation that the president-elect, of course, as you know, has said that his staff is looking into that and will provide additional details in the coming days. Alina.
CHO: Now, as you all know, Elaine, Blagojevich has been adamant in not coming out and saying anything about whether he will resign. So there's sort of a lot of options being floated out there. Give us some of the scenarios.
QUIJANO: That's right. Of course, the easiest option, you ask anybody here in the state of Illinois, and they say they want the governor to simply step down. They say that would be the quickest process, the simplest process. It doesn't seem likely that he will do that, but of course anything is possible.
Another possibility would be for the Illinois state attorney general to actually have him forcibly removed. He has already taken some steps to try and do that. She has asked the state supreme court here in Illinois to go ahead and have him declared unfit to serve. Another option that is out there, the Illinois general assembly is going to be meeting to decide what route they want to take. They could decide to have some special elections, pass legislation to try and do that, or they could also try and start impeachment proceedings. The difficulty with either of those options is that it takes time and it could be a few months yet. And again, Alina, everyone here in Illinois seems to think that the easiest course of action, the thing that would be best for the people of the state of Illinois would be for Governor Blagojevich to simply step down. Alina.
CHO: Impeachment could take months. I mean and it's just interesting when you lay it all out. It does seem like that would be the easiest route. Now, whether he will do that, of course, that's still an open question. Elaine Quijano joining us from Chicago. Elaine, thank you.
Another prominent politician facing questions in the Blagojevich scandal, democratic congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.. According to a report in the "Chicago Tribune," businessmen with ties to the governor and Jackson talked about raising $1 million for Blagojevich to get him to name Jackson to Obama's senate seat. In an exclusive interview with CNN's Don Lemon, Jackson flatly denied any wrongdoing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REP. JESSE JACKSON, JR. (D), ILLINOIS: I presented him my credentials, a notebook that I'm prepared to give everyone a copy of. That has my bio in it, legislation that I passed, the (Rasmussen) poll, the Zogby poll, how I think I can win in 2010 and how a team of democrats, because this is about the top of the ticket in 2010, can win re-election for democrats in 2010. That's very, very important.
DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No discussion at all of quid pro quo or anything like that? Or was there a discussion?
JACKSON: I have nothing to offer. Nothing to offer but my record of public service. That's how I conducted myself for 13 1/2 years, and I did that day as well.
LEMON: That's all you discussed.
JACKSON: That's all we discussed.
LEMON: Do you think it's still possible for you to get this job that you want?
JACKSON: Well, let me tell you what I have been doing. Sometimes -
LEMON: Do you think it is still possible?
JACKSON: Well -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We hope so.
LEMON: Why do you say -
JACKSON: Let me - before you answer that. Let me say that, because I respect my wife's opinion on this. I have been fighting corruption in the state of Illinois from day one, for 13 years. Sometimes in their endorsement of me said Congressman Jackson is the rare official who - democratic officials who has spoken out against corruption in the state and in the city. I'm the same person I was when the "Sun Times"" endorsed me for the November 4th general election fighting against corruption. It has stopped businesses from coming to our state at a time when the economy needs help and people need help. Corruption in our state has been challenging. So on this question of being in the United States senate or not, let me be perfectly clear, while I would be honored to serve the people of the state, it is clear to me that I'm in no capacity to serve them if there is a cloud over my head that seems to suggest I am involved in some unscrupulous scheme to be a United States senator or to be anything else. And so it is very important for me to allow this process to play itself out. I need to find out and we all need to find out the truth, which is why I have encouraged everyone to fully cooperate with the United States' attorney office and provide the good men and women of our Justice Department all of the information and data that they need. Because when the process is over, I profoundly hope that the people who give me my name back. Right now it is bantered about in columns and in blogs and people can say what they want to say, but when it is over, I want everyone to remember that I would like my name back.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: You can hear much more of Don Lemon's exclusive interview with Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., in the next hour and again at 11:00 p.m. Eastern.
A deadly explosion in western Oregon. Police say officers were called in to investigate a suspicious device at a bank in the town of Woodburn. It exploded killing one officer and a state bomb technician. The police chief was critically injured. A $35,000 reward is being offered for any information leading to an arrest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GREGG HASTINGS, OREGON STATE POLICE: This individual or individuals took the lives of two police officers and critically injured the chief of police and potentially could have killed one or two of the bank employees still inside, and that person is very dangerous. And that person needs to be found as soon as possible. And if it takes a $35,000 reward or if that reward even grows to convince someone to come forward to give us that information that's going to break the case. Then, that's money well spent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Police received a bomb threat earlier in the day at another bank nearby. They found nothing there.
Well his crimes caught the nation's attentions. Now Brian Nichols will spend the rest of his life in prison for a deadly shooting rampage in Atlanta. Today a judge sentenced Nichols to life with no chance for parole. Nichols killed four people during a brazen courthouse escape three years ago. The victims' family members attended today's sentencing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUDY BRANDAU, VICTIM'S SISTER: My sister is here today with us, her spirit fills the room, as it did when she was alive in any room. She hears us and knows that through our words today, she is being honored, being honored in a court of law. The exact place where she worked, loved to come to work, the place where she died. I can leave today happier knowing that she knows. Julie, hear us. We love you and honor you today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Nichols was spared the death penalty after jurors failed to reach a unanimous decision on his punishment.
Investigators say there is growing evidence that a skull found in Orlando, Florida is that of Caylee Anthony. The skull was discovered Thursday in a wooded area just half mile from the little girl's home. The measurement and the color of the hair match those of Caylee, but it could be another week before there's a conclusive DNA report. Caylee Anthony was just two years old when she disappeared back in July. Her mother Kaycee Anthony is charged with first-degree murder.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was actually quite frightening. It sounded like there were fireworks going up every time a limb would fall.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pretty noisy. Pretty hectic last night between the cracking and the thumping of the trees and the limbs. This one woke me up. This one popped me out of bed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Imagine waking up to that. The northeast is trying to recover from a brutal winter storm. Snow, ice and high winds toppled trees and power lines. More than a million homes and businesses lost power. And at least one death is being blamed on the storm. The governors of Massachusetts New Hampshire have declared states of emergency.
Heavy rain from that storm system did this to a small airport in Connecticut. It doesn't look bad on the outside, but look inside, three inches of water seeped into the check-in area of the Tweed Airport. Workers tried their best to push and even vacuum that water out, but they had little success. One flight was canceled.
So that was the east coast. I know Jacqui Jeras, you are watching with what's happening on the west coast. It is going to be brutal there, right? With the wind chill factors, it's going to be really cold.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, you know so cold Alina that we are talking your skin can freeze in a matter of minutes if exposed outside. So you really don't want to be out there if you don't want to. The northwestern tranquil now, but you're chilly and certainly not comfortable for those people who don't have power. But at least at this point, you don't have to worry about any more wet weather at least not today or tomorrow, but those of you in the west, we've already got the cold air in place here across Montana, through the Dakotas and even colder air is trying to make its way into the Pacific northwest along with a little more moisture, which means another round of snow and very cold conditions.
Here you can see all the warnings which are in place and it covers really a good chunk of the western part of the country. And there you can see the dark red where the blizzard type conditions are. And in fact, the high that I was showing you, the east showing you the tranquil conditions that's fighting this low in between. So we got a big difference in the pressure gradient. And that's why the wind are so strong with this to go along with those cold temperatures. Those going to be feeling like 30 to 50 below zero. That's the temperature. Your body is going to feel due to those combined effects of the cold and the wind together. And your temperature at the thermometer at this point just doesn't matter. But you are not going to make it above zero unfortunately for the next couple of days. There you can a little sampling where the really cold air is starting to move into parts of the western coast.
Here's the northeast. For those of you without power, we are looking at 20s and even some single digits still out there. So it is bitterly cold tomorrow. We'll watch the temperatures to warm here a little bit more into the east while it's going to be dropping right here. We are really going to bottom out I think as Sunday night into Monday morning is when the worst of the temperatures will be for those parts of the north.
CHO: Get out the hats and scarves.
JERAS: Yes.
CHO: Brutal. Thank you. We'll check back with you later.
Could the White House rescue the big three? Well, Congress has rejected a bailout package, $14 billion. Now the Bush administration is looking for ways to help.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back, the White House is trying to figure out how to help the U.S. auto industry now that the Senate rejected a $14 billion bailout plan. One possibility, using money from the already approved $700 billion bailout for Wall Street. CNN's Kate Bolduan, she's on the story and has the latest from Washington. So $700 billion possibly being used for the auto industry, are there other options on the table, Kate?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Alina, a senior White House official says the administration is still considering all of its options to assist U.S. automakers, not going into too much detail there. This official adding that the White House is gathering and reviewing information today about the automakers' financial situation and also what their near terms future looks like. Yesterday administration officials told CNN President Bush is thinking about tapping T.A.R.P. funds to help American automakers, possibly this weekend or next week.
Now, this comes, as you mentioned, after Congress failed to agree on a $14 billion rescue plan. Meanwhile, automakers say they desperately need a lifeline now. So we went out to a GM dealership today to see what customers and the local dealer owner think about the White House possibly stepping in. Listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MYLANDAR DAVIS, CUSTOMER: It's just tough right now. And you know we as taxpayers we should stand back and list it. You know we don't want our friends or relatives losing their jobs right now. And that's three million people out of work and more. So you know I just think that you know right now we should really look at the bigger picture. And it might be a Band-aid on it right now, but right now let's keep the people working.
JACK FITZGERALD, DEALER: Somebody has got to be the policeman. The government should exercise its police in the country's interest. It's in our interest as a nation to have our good industry and preserve those jobs. It's silly for those people to be out of work. The world is full of people who want to buy cars.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: Now that's Jack Fitzgerald, the owner of the GM dealership in Maryland. He says they have already slashed prices, but there is no question car sales are slowing. He says there is a bit of a silver lining though here. It is winter and people need to service their cars, especially if they are trying to hold off buying a new one. So there is business, probably not as much business as he is hoping for.
CHO: Oh, yes, the dealers are really hurting. I did a story about a Florida dealership offering two-for one deals.
(CROSSTALK)
CHO: And car dealers, a lot of people don't know this. Car dealers actually employ more people than car manufacturers in this country. So they are just as big a part of this as everyone else. So Kate Bolduan, thank you for that.
BOLDUAN: Sure.
CHO: We'll get back to you later.
BOLDUAN: OK.
CHO: Well you might think Detroit's problems are good news for Tokyo, not so fast. That's not necessarily the case. A big three collapse could hurt foreign automakers, too. CNN's Brian Todd explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Here's the problem, suppliers like Goodyear which makes tires for overseas based and American automakers will feel an immediate pinch, experts say, if one of the big three goes down.
RON HARBOUR, THE HARBOUR REPORT: They are so interlinked today. They have so many common suppliers.
TODD: To show how that will then hurt the European and Asian car companies, we asked industry expert, Ron Harbour, whose publication looks at manufacturing and performance to take us inside the hood of a Toyota Camry sedan.
HARBOUR: This engine has a starter motor that is supplied by a company called Denso or formerly known as Nippondenso. It's a Japanese supplier but with a huge manufacturing presence here in the North America. They provided this component for Toyota, but they also provide components for most of the major car manufacturers here in North America. So if one of those companies was to leave the market and go bankrupt or whatever, that has a huge impact on Denso.
TODD: Harbour says Denso could then lose a big chunk of its income. It may have to downsize, possibly lay off hundreds of workers at big plants like its facility in Battle Creek, Michigan. Harbour says that could be repeated at parts manufacturers throughout the midwest corridor, from Michigan to southern Ohio to hubs down south like Kentucky where Toyota has big plants. What's Toyota thinking then?
HARBOUR: What Toyota is thinking about is what impact we'll have in their quality or the delivery of their parts to their plants. Would it shut any of their facilities down, or create a quality problem that they would have to be concerned about.
TODD: Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Well she has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Barack Obama in the Senate. An Illinois congresswoman live in the NEWSROOM on what she knows about the Blagojevich scandal and what she thinks should happen next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: We have more now on the corruption charges against Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. Among other things, prosecutors say he tried to sell Barack Obama's senate seat to the highest bidder or even take the seat himself. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky has been mentioned as a possible candidate for that seat. She joins us live from Chicago. Congresswoman, thank you for joining us. I know you have some strong feelings about what you think Blagojevich should do. But first, I know you spoke to him by phone on November 18th, what was the discussed on that call?
REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY (D), ILLINOIS: Well he was returning my phone call. I had called him in order to find out whether I really was in consideration by him for the appointment.
CHO: And you're interested?
SCHAKOWSKY: I was very interested and I had heard that perhaps was on his list, but I wanted to ask him directly.
CHO: And so what was said?
SCHAKOWSKY: Well he assured me that I was, that I was among those that he was considering, but of course, in retrospect, I don't think he really was considering me because in that short conversation he never asked me for anything.
CHO: Interesting. So at the time, you thought, oh, wow, there's hope here, but now looking back you think, not so much.
SCHAKOWSKY: I don't think he was thinking about me at all. I didn't have anything to offer.
CHO: Interesting. What do you think should happen to the governor? Do you think he should resign?
SCHAKOWSKY: I believe I was the first one to call for his resignation. Not because I'm making a judgment about the legal case, but because the governor can't govern right now. We are without a governor and without a senator in Illinois. And we need good leadership at the top. I think at this point Governor Rod Blagojevich just can't provide that. And that he should step down. If not, I said the state legislature to impeach him. And they are going to consider that I believe in this coming week.
CHO: Yes, they are, in fact, but that's a process that could take months. I mean, you know, a lot of people, especially in the state of Illinois, want a speedy resolution to this. Now having said that, the Illinois General Assembly I know on Monday will hold a special session to consider the possibility of a special election. Now, you are in favor of that, right? Why? And will you throw your hat in the ring?
SCHAKOWSKY: Well, I would like to see a special election because I think at this point putting the decision in the hands of the people would give more credibility to the candidate. And I would certainly seriously consider, I am seriously considering being a candidate should a special election occur.
CHO: Obviously, in the state of Illinois, has had political scandals in the past. Now, congresswoman, I used to live in Chicago. I love the windy city. This one seems to take the cake. What does this say about the state of politics in your state?
SCHAKOWSKY: Well, let's remember that only about four or five days ago we were in Chicago, the center of the universe in a good way. We have sent Barack Obama to be president of the United States, a person that has made ethics and campaign finance reform, hallmarks of his career, and so I think we have our share of both. I would have to admit we have had a bad run of governors.
CHO: Yes. George Ryan, of course, in prison right now came out with an apology as well. Listen, I love the deep dish pizza. Again I lived in Chicago. And tourism is booming. I did a story about that.
SCHAKOWSKY: It's a great city and we have so many people who are really good political servants, too.
CHO: All right. Well, this one, certainly, the story about the governor we are following very closely. And congresswoman, I wish you luck. If, indeed you are seeking the Senate seat, and we thank you for talking to us.
SCHAKOWSKY: Thank you.
CHO: It's a fascinating statement that says I need a job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know people read shirts, I read everybody's.
I did see some that said I'm unemployed on it, so I decided to take it a step further and put everything on the shirt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Meet a determined job seeker who literally wears her resume.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CHO: Welcome back. 'Tis the season to be sleeping. Well from shopping, parties, writing Christmas cards, many of us are running ourselves ragged this time of the year. I'm one of those people. CNN's Judy Fortin has an eye-opening report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JUDY FORTIN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: With all the stress of getting ready for the holidays, there's one crucial item to put on your to-do list that is a season not just merry, but healthy. That item is rest, as in sleep, and making sure we are getting enough of it. A 2006 study found Americans spend 7.5 hours in bed, but only six of those hours are actually spent sleeping. That's less than most doctors recommend. Add to that the strains of the holidays coupled with our dismal economy, and you might find lots of people not getting the shut eye time they need.
DR. DAVID SCHULMAN, EMORY UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: Sleep problems are very, very common affecting more than a third of Americans in any given year. And the reason I say any given year because some people have temporary sleep problems that come and then resolve.
FORTIN: So that means, once the holidays are over, our sleep problems will be a thing of the past. Well, hopefully yes, but probably, no. It seems our bodies when it comes to sleeping are very adaptable.
SCHULMAN: People who wake up multiple times per night, multiple nights per week, in addition to feeling bad about themselves, are in danger of setting into place a cycle where the body will learn there is some normalcy in waking up at night.
FORTIN: Why all the fuss over lost sleep? Well, here's why. It seems to reduce our ability to concentrate, learn or even operate motor vehicles and it may even bring on other medical problems like obesity, diabetes and hypertension.
SCHULMAN: Most patients with chronic insomnia have this feeling of learned sleeplessness -- I don't know what to do. They feel like they are giving up control of their body and there's nothing they can do. And empowering them to make a difference with simple behavioral changes that will make a difference will often fix the problem.
FORTIN: So just what are those simple sleep solutions?
SCHULMAN: No caffeine within eight hours of bedtime, no food or exercise within three hours of bedtime. Do not stay in bed for more than 30 minutes at a time. Relaxing activities in the evening. Don't watch TV or use the computer directly before bedtime.
FORTIN: And remember, some sleeplessness is common. But if those sleepless nights turn into sleepless weeks, it's really time to consult your doctor.
Judy Fortin, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Bottom of the hour. I'm Alina Cho. Thanks for joining us.
Here's what's happening right now.
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich may be checking out his legal options today. His vehicle was seen parked outside the offices of a prominent Chicago lawyer. Blagojevich is under heavy pressure to resign amid charges he tried to sell Barack Obama's old Senate seat to the highest bidder.
Officers killed. Now authorities are offering a $35,000 reward for any information in an Oregon bank bombing. The blast killed a bomb disposal expert and a state trooper. The local police chief is in critical condition.
The man known as the Atlanta courthouse shooter has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole. Brian Nichols was convicted of killing a judge and two other people during his escape from a 2005 rape trial. He also killed a federal agent before he was captured the very next day. A deadlocked jury spared Nichols from the death penalty.
Well, a deepening U.S. recession pushing unemployment numbers sky high. Nearly two million jobs eliminated just this year, and most of the losses coming in the last three months. And December is shaping up to be another miserable month.
Layoffs announced just this week. Bank of America planning to cut as many as 35,000 jobs over the next three years. Sony putting 8,000 employees on the chopping block by 2010. And Wyndham Hotel Group scrapping 4,000 positions.
Many of you are feeling the pain and sounding off. CNN's Josh Levs is joins us now with the your iReports.
So what are people saying out there? It is just brutal out there, isn't it?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's really brutal. I mean, when you hear these heartbreaking stories of people trying to find ways to get jobs when they can -- this is actually a little ironic. I'm talking about that while showing you this photo. But when you look at what the photo actually is, you can see it's someone trying to make light of a really rough time, a really rough winter, now and ahead.
"Unemployed Frosty," a sign of the times. This is an iReport to us from Shane McNeil (ph). He says an unexpected snow fell on Spring Hill, Tennessee. We'll have to check it out with Jacqui Jeras. And he says as a result, snowmen popped up everywhere, and this particular snowman he felt was basically the symbol of the season because it's looking for a job.
Let's go to this one. Really sad. "Newborn Twins and Now We're Unemployed." This comes to us from Erin Crilley (ph) of Bexley, Ohio. She says two weeks after she came home from the hospital, Alina, her company called her and laid her off -- no severance, no remaining vacation, nothing.
Now, as you know, we also get videos via iReport. This one comes to us from Patricio Espinoza (ph) of San Antonio, Texas. He says, "Who's bailing you out?"
He did something interesting. He called his credit company, because it's a major company and they've got billions of dollars in bailout dollars. He called and he said, you know what? I'm unemployed right now. Could you cut me a deal?
Let's show you a clip of what happened then.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If the government is bailing you out, why can't you bail me out? I appreciate your apology. However, if for some reason I can't pay, you will report me to the credit bureaus, right? Yes, if it goes in default I will get bad credit and all that. So you can do that no problem, but you can't help me?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: And he has his entire 6.5 minute conversation there -- in that 6.5 minute video rather. You can see that at ireport.com.
A couple more I want to show you. Sometimes it's about people trying to share their stories, maybe get some ideas about how to handle the situations they found themselves in.
Let's zoom back in on the board. Then I'm going to show you how to join in on this.
This one says, "I knew it was coming." This one comes to us from Evelyn Guzman (ph). She says -- listen to this, Alina. This is unbelievable.
She was recently laid off. Her fiance was recently laid off from the same job. And her ex-husband is now unemployed as well. They're all trying to get by, all trying to figure out how you take care of three kids. She says they have now lost their health insurance.
These are the heart-wrenching stories we are seeing on ireport.com.
Let me show you how you can weigh in. This is what you do. Go to ireport.com, check this out -- "Have you lost your job?" That's one place where you can weigh in, "Have you lost your job?"
Also, a lot of people, Alina, are going to this one. This one says, how do you feel about the bailout these days? And it's officially called, "Do you have the big three bailout blues?"
A lot of people weighing in on whether they think that specific bailout should go on. In fact, every time there's been talk of any kind of bailout this entire season, Alina, we have had people weighing in right away on that. Of course, we can expect a lot more of that tonight. We'll take a look at it again tomorrow.
CHO: Well, yes, it's' really interesting, because Kate Bolduan and I talked about this earlier. You know, that $700 billion bailout for Wall Street, that passed and nobody said anything about it.
LEVS: Right.
CHO: And you know, this $14 billion bailout for the big three, there was so much back and forth. Ultimately, it was killed in the Senate, but there's a lot of people suggesting that there is simply bailout fatigue. And you certainly are hearing a lot of that from people out there, aren't you?
LEVS: Sure, absolutely. And one of the iReporters point out, and what we've reported as well, is that original bailout package that we were talking about in September was in the middle of the election time when no party wanted to be responsible for seeing things get even worse in the stock market. You had a whole different set of pressures, yes.
Now we definitely are seeing some people who didn't like that bailout, some people who did. Some people want the auto bailout, some don't. They are all over it on that.
And we'll keep an eye on what all these iReporters are saying because we want to share your stories. We want to hear where you stand.
Just go to ireport.com, click on any of those links. It's really easy. And if you don't know how to do fancy YouTube videos, we ill talk you through it step by step. Send us your videos, your stories, your photos, and we'll share them right here.
CHO: You're going to have to walk me through it. I have no idea how to do that, Josh. But certainly all those people out there who are looking for jobs, especially around the holidays, and especially those people with children, we wish them the best of luck.
LEVS: We do.
CHO: All right. Some people wear their hearts on their sleeves, but how about your resume? Check out how one enterprising woman is using her shirt to get her name out there in a tough economy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLY KINNEY, WEARS RESUME TEE: My name is Kelly Kinney. I'm 29 years old. It's never been this hard for me to find a job before, ever.
I know people read shirts. I read everybody's. I did see someone that had "I'm unemployed" on it, so I decided to take it a step further and put everything on a shirt, both sides.
Are you guys hiring?
It's something I've always been good at. And basically, the name of the game is how can you get noticed? How can you distinguish yourself from everybody else? So this is what I did.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you have a resume on you?
KINNEY: I do have a resume on me.
You get mixed reactions. Some people look at you, like, how are you doing that? You know, aren't you ashamed to be doing that? And then you get people that are like, that's really clever.
I think there's a lot of competition. I think there's a lot of people in the same situation that I am right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just laid off 900 people.
KINNEY: That's not good.
You can't even get into the door, applying, applying and applying. And I just sort of feel like my resume is going on a giant stack with everybody else's.
Seriously, I'm applying for like 40 jobs a day on average. Most of the time, more than that.
I would get an e-mail response that says, hey, we've got 500 resumes for this and we're closing the position and we're going to go through them. And then you never hear anything else. But 500 resumes, wow. Where am I in that stack?
I got somebody that offered me a marketing assistant for minimum wage.
It's just not a possibility for me and still stay afloat.
Who do you work for?
It's dire at this point. We had savings set aside for a down payment on a house, and we have had to go through that. So it's to the point where we have nothing left.
What we will be able to pay is pretty much our basic bills. And then we're going to get behind on some stuff.
I do have another gimmick in mind if this one doesn't work out. It will be something no one has done before. I'm not going to tell though. Somebody will do it before I do.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Boy, I don't know if I'd be brave enough to do that, but she certainly is brave.
So did she get a job? Well, Kinney will join us live in our next hour. She'll be talking with Don Lemon to talk more about this unusual job quest. Boy, she is brave.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Baghdad today as the U.S. prepares for a transfer of power and a withdrawal of troops.
CNN's Michael Ware is there in the Iraqi capital.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates touched down in Iraq Saturday afternoon local time for discussions with his top commanders in the field here in the war. The secretary said that whilst U.S. troop numbers will start to go down in Iraq, it was nonetheless heartened by President-elect Obama's comments recently that the president-elect would be listening to the commanders as to the precise timing of that drawdown.
The secretary referred to the crucial phase of the war that America was now in, in Iraq, as he spoke about why he had chosen to stay on to serve the new Obama administration.
ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: There are a lot of reasons to accept President-elect Obama's request to stay on as secretary of defense. Among others, the crucial next phase we are entering here in Iraq, plus forces in Afghanistan, and tough choices in a tough economy the Pentagon is going to need to make regardless of budget (ph) priorities, and a wounded warrior care system that still needs more work. But I will tell you that no reason was more compelling to me than the fact that hundreds of thousands of young Americans are doing their duty.
WARE: But that duty was to continue, Secretary Gates told the troops around him, as America's enemies in Iraq remain resilient, and there was much yet to be done.
Michael Ware, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: In Afghanistan, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says the Taliban used a 13-year-old boy in a suicide attack against British forces. At least three British marines were killed, another British marine was killed in a separate attack. Brown denounced the attacks in a joint conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORDON BROWN, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: For the Taliban to engage in such cowardly behavior that means that a 13-year-old young boy is used to kill British troops, is something that will offend public opinion not just in Afghanistan and Britain, but right across the world. My thoughts are with the families of all of those who have suffered this grievous loss.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Brown also pledged $10 million to the Afghan government to help register voters for next year's presidential election.
Well, it wasn't a drive-through before, but it is now. An airborne SUV crash-lands into, interestingly enough, an auto shop.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: A Rice University professor was trying to reinvent one of Mother Nature's most complex creations. He didn't, but he was able to come up with something pretty amazing.
Kyra Phillips explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You're looking at a work of art designed by Mother Nature that an ambitious professor is trying to recreate. It's the human retina.
PROF. ANDREW BARRON, RICE UNIVERSITY: In this case, we were looking very specifically at a medical application where a device would be small enough obviously to fit in the human eye.
PHILLIPS: Professor Andrew Barron's nano technology team at Rice University was trying to develop an artificial retina, when they ran into a problem.
BARRON: But if we don't solve that problem, all we've got is a solar cell.
PHILLIPS: Eureka -- solar power.
BARRON: The retina is an extremely efficient design for capturing photons, and photos are essentially light.
PHILLIPS: Now Barron is growing nano-sized forests of light-absorbing rods modeled after those amazing light-absorbing rods of the retina.
BARRON: What we've got here is a model of a nanotube.
PHILLIPS: What's the big deal? Well, this is the typical solar- powered panel. You know, those bulky squares you see on rooftops.
BARRON: It's very brittle. It shatters very happily when you touch it.
PHILLIPS: Compare that to the Barron solar cell made of flexible nanotubes 1,000 times thinner than a human hair. The channel of getting the Barron solar cells from the scale to this will take time. After all, Andrew Barron is not Mother Nature.
Kyra Phillips, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Well, take a look at that. This SUV definitely in need of repair, but so is the repair shop.
Police in St. Augustine, Florida, think the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel. Now, the vehicle hit a curb, went airborne, then went right through the wall of, appropriately enough, an auto repair shop. Amazingly, no one was seriously injured. That's the good part. But the SUV landed on top of a vintage Corvette.
Can you imagine, Don, how much that Corvette must cost?
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: I can't. And I'm trying to get dressed here. Just back off of a plane. Can you hear me? Is my mike on?
CHO: Hey, listen, I know. You were in Chicago. Yes, I can hear you just fine. And you had that exclusive interview, that big, exclusive interview with Jesse Jackson Jr.
He get really emotional in it.
LEMON: He really did get emotional, and...
CHO: But you know, his reputation is on the line here.
LEMON: Yes. And indignant in some ways.
And both he and his wife. It was a very interesting interview sitting down and talking to them. You have seen a lot of it.
CHO: Yes.
LEMON: But there's a heck of a lot more...
CHO: I'm sure.
LEMON: ... especially about who he blames and what he blames...
CHO: Oh, interesting.
LEMON: ... and whether it's a culture of underhandedness.
CHO: Interesting. You know, I was in Chicago on election night, and I interviewed him on election night and the day after. And he was great. He was really accessible and he was the first to say, listen, if the Senate seat was offered to me, I would take it.
A lot of people believe that he was the frontrunner. We'll have to see what now.
LEMON: Was he actually in it though?
CHO: Yes.
LEMON: Because there was a list, we are told, that was a list delivered to the president -- delivered to Governor Rod Blagojevich and his name was not on it.
We are also going to talk about Kelly Kinney. You guys have been doing that story.
CHO: That's a great story.
LEMON: The woman with the T-shirt, right.
CHO: Talk about resourceful.
LEMON: Isn't she fantastic?
CHO: Yes, she's great.
LEMON: And we're going to talk to her live.
CHO: That's great.
LEMON: So you should stick around and hang out. "I need a job." A lot of people probably want to wear those T-shirts.
And as I said, we're going to be talking about Jesse Jackson Jr., of course.
And then Dr. Phil will join us live.
CHO: I really look forward to that. He's great.
LEMON: And his wife, to talk about kids. How do you talk to kids about the financial facts? How do you? It's very interesting, because, you know, kids want all these things.
CHO: Especially around the holidays.
LEMON: Parents don't have the money right now. Yes, especially -- why can't we do this, mommy and daddy? Why can't we do this? Well, because we don't have money.
CHO: Boy, a lot to get to. Don, I'll be watching.
LEMON: All right. Thank you. Good to see you. Welcome to Atlanta.
CHO: Thank you. Good to be here.
Well, it's not just job seekers getting desperate. There's also trouble in Toyland.
More when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Trouble in Toyland. The economic downturn has hit the annual Marines Toys for Tots program.
CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Merry Christmas. EBONY, TOYS FOR TOTS RECIPIENT: Thank you. Merry Christmas to you all, too.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ebony desperately needs Christmas toys for her children. She has come to the Marine Corps Toys for Tots center to get them.
EBONY: There is no money. I wrote my letter early, in October, and I was able to come pick up my toys today.
STARR: The toy program began 61 years ago. This year, with the economy in shambles, the Marines are anxious; there aren't enough toys. Here in the nation's capital, these were the only toys the Marines collected the night before we arrived.
(on camera): How far behind are you from where you want to be?
MASTER SERGEANT TIMOTHY BUTLER, U.S. MARINE CORPS: We are tens of thousands of toys behind. Tens of thousands.
STARR (voice-over): Master Sergeant Timothy Butler says unless something changes and soon, all the toys in these crates, donated over the summer by companies, will be gone in five days. Butler has to find enough toys for 82,000 children in the Washington, D.C., area. These bare containers, which should be full, are not.
BUTLER: Here we are in the nation's most powerful city, and we have those kinds of needs. We have folks that last year lived in a nice home, this year are homeless.
STARR: And over at Union Train Station, people getting off the trains are giving what money they can. But it's not enough.
STAFF SERGEANT JOHNNY NOBLE, U.S. MARINE CORPS: Last year here, from just the morning time frame, we collected just over $13,000. This year, right now, we're lucky to get about half that.
STARR: Even as toys are packed up and shipped out every day, the worries grow.
(on camera): What's it gonna mean to the U.S. Marine Corps if they can't give every child who needs a toy a toy?
BUTLER: Well, to be honest, it's going to break my heart.
STARR: Marines respond to crises all over the world. But what the Marines didn't expect was that their latest crisis might be making sure every needy child has a toy this Christmas.
Barbara Starr, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: I'm Alina Cho. Thanks so much for spending some time with us on this Saturday. I'll be back here tomorrow at noon Eastern Time.
But stay tuned. The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM begins right now.
