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Cash for Clunkers Deadline Tomorrow: Hurricane Bill Affects Maine; Pakistan Claims It Stopped Terror Attacks
Aired August 23, 2009 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield and you're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
This breaking story we're following for you right now, coming out of Maine. We told you about Hurricane Bill that is threatening the New England area and possibly Canada and now we're hearing what's being called as a rogue wave, a big wave seems to have swept several people into the Atlantic Ocean. This is off the main coast at the Acadia National Park.
We understand that two people are actually rescued from the water but now the U.S. Coast Guard and other emergency apparatus are involved looking for other people including a seven-year-old girl which apparently may have been swept away from this wave. When we get any more information, we hope to be hearing from the U.S. Coast Guard directly within this hour and when they're able to provide us more information. We'll bring that to you right away.
In the mean time, let's talk about the other top story. This involving you car and whether or not you have a clunker. If you want to get cash for your clunker, you better do it right now. The federally funded trade-in program ends that 8:00 p.m. Eastern tomorrow. And this time, it won't be extended.
CNN's Kate Bolduan reports that last minute shoppers are trying to beat the deadline.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With a fast approaching deadline, customers flock to car dealerships over the weekend, looking, hoping, to be one of the last to drive home a deal.
DAVID BARROSO, CUSTOMER: I came here so many people here.
BOLDUAN: David Barroso is trading in his van with more than 150,000 miles on it for a new Toyota.
BARROSO: Thank you.
BOLDUAN: Thanks to a $3500 "Cash for Clunkers" rebate.
BARROSO: For me, more motivation, you know? And of course, a new car is always good.
BOLDUAN: As of Thursday, the Transportation Department reported more than 450,000 clunker deals nationwide, worth nearly two-thirds of the $3 billion set aside for the program. But dealers say the paperwork and the payback is a major concern.
(on camera): 15 to 20 documents like this for every deal?
TAMMY DARVISH, VP, DARCARS AUTOMOTIVE GROUP: Right.
BOLDUAN (voice-over): Tammy Darvish is the vice president of DARCARS Auto chain in Greater Washington. She has people working around the clock to meet the deadline. They have made 1,400 clunker deals so far, fronting as much as $4,500 for each rebate. To-date, they have only been reimbursed for nine.
DARVISH: I mean, you know, especially coming out of the times we have just come out of and then to have this kind of cash flow hanging out there, it's very unnerving and hard to sleep at night knowing that you have, you know, $6 million outstanding.
BOLDUAN: The National Automobile Dealers Association is urging the government to give them an additional week to process all the deals they expect in these twilight hours. Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood assures the money is on the way.
RAY LAHOOD, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: They are going to get their money. We have the money to provide to them.
BOLDUAN: As for customers like Sarah Nesbitt, she is rushing to cash in on a deal she just couldn't pass up.
SARAH NESBITT, CUSTOMER: From this, with all the dings and dents and scratches and dog hair and all it that into one of those.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And Kate Bolduan joining us now from Silver Springs where I'm seeing a lot of people behind you there, Kate. So this is a popular day?
BOLDUAN: It is a popular day. It is hot outside, so people are loving it in this show room right now, Fredricka. The big question is that many people are asking are what are people buying? Well, this dealer says that close to nearly 80 percent of all clunker customers are buying foreign brands and about 80 percent of all the cars people are bringing in to trade in are domestic vehicles. Fredricka -
WHITFIELD: That is interesting. I know a lot of folks who had a beef with who has been benefiting from this program, American automakers or foreign but also a lot of foreign maker have a lot of manufacturing plants right here in the U.S.. So a lot of money being spread around in the country as well. Thanks so much. Kate Bolduan, appreciate that.
Well, in the fight against the Taliban, the Pakistani government claims it recently prevented several attacks by the insurgent group. In an interview with CNN today, a government official says the attacks targeted the parliament building, the intelligence agency and several other federal buildings.
CNN's Cal Perry reports now from Islamabad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAL PERRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Complex explosives packed in a crude fashion, surrounded by ball bearings, if detonated, sources tell us these vests would kill anyone within a 50 to 100 meter range. It was fours week ago, according to the Interior minister, when three bombers were detained, along with these implements of destruction. Their target, the lifeblood of the Pakistani government.
REHMAN MALIK, PAKISTANI INTERIOR MINISTER: The first target was the Parliament House. Second was one of the lead agencies and third, any building of class and more prominent in Islamabad.
PERRY: The Parliament is a five-minute drive from Pakistan's most powerful intelligence agency, the ISI, both in the heart of the Pakistani capital.
MALIK: They had the (INAUDIBLE) jackets, like they were staying in one house and they had hidden the suicide jacket not far from that in the hills, which we have recovered. They are available with us. Obviously, they had a plan because (INAUDIBLE).
PERRY: Hitting back at the government would seem to be a high priority for the newly-appointed leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Massoud, said to be a brazen and young commander. He has been linked to attacks along the Afghan border in the past on NATO troops, striking high-profile targets would send a clear message that the group still has a fight left in it. Which is why the government continues its assault on the Taliban. Rumors of a ceasefire during the holy month of Ramadan quickly shot down.
MALIK: They are never captive words. And now when they are at the weakest moments and everybody knows, every child of Pakistan knows that their back is broken, they are no more powerful so we won't give them time to get energized.
PERRY: The campaign against the Taliban incorporating continued air strikes in the northwest. This video shows the aftermath of one of the recent drone attacks by the U.S.. 19 were killed, and according to intelligence sources, the majority were Afghan nationals.
For now, a series of battle field victories for the Pakistani government across the country but are these vests a sign of success or a troubling taste of things to come?
Cal Perry, CNN, Islamabad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Kim Dae-Jung won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to improve relations between North and South Korea. The two sides came together again today for the state funeral of the former South Korean president. They were among thousands who turned out in the capital of Seoul.
Hours earlier the North Korean officials held talks with South Korea's president. The first high-level talks between the two sides after many months of tension. Kim who died Tuesday, made history by going to North Korea in 2000 for the first summit between the leaders of those two countries.
All right. Let's talk one more time about Hurricane Bill and what is it is threatening to do as it makes its way toward the Canadian Coast. Jacqui Jeras in the weather center, still a hurricane, but downgraded but still potentially dangerous, right?
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, yes. And look what just happened. We just found out what happened there in Maine, and that rescue that is taking place, very likely results of Bill. We want to talk a little bit more about that.
This was in the Acadia National Park. There you can see the state of Maine, wasn't too far away from Bar Harbor. The Coast Guard here is saying that it was a rogue wave that basically swept these people off the rocks. Now, generally, when I think of a rogue wave, I think of a huge swell out in the middle of the open ocean, but in general terms, it would be an unexpected kind of a freak wave that would occur, and probably about twice the height of a regular significant wave across the area. So that is the situation that is ongoing.
And you know, we still have high surf warnings and advisories in effect all across the Atlantic coast, the threat of rip currents and unexpected waves is going to continue throughout the weekend. So you really don't want to go in the water. You really want to play that safe. It is just going to continue through today into tonight and then we are going to start to watch some of those improving conditions tomorrow but still could see some rough seas.
Here, you can see Bill is a category 1 storm, continues to move very, very rapidly to the north and east. Maximum winds 80 miles per hour, the center, just here offshore, less than 60 miles away from Halifax and the coastline at this time. It is going to rip toward Newfoundland later on today. And you can see that is well away from the U.S. but such a large storm continuing to generate all of these waves.
And the projected path, check this out. You can see it heading towards Newfoundland late tonight and into tomorrow. Watch what happens as we zoom out, actually, on this map here and watch where this thing is going to be in three days' time. Taylor, if you could hit advance for me. This thing is going to go believe it or not, all the way over towards the U.K..
It won't be tropical anymore but just kind of an interesting note. If you have friends or family or business travel over there that is something to watch out for as well.
Let's talk about some of the rain showers that we have had here across much of the northeast. Some spotty showers, as our front starts to make its way offshore. It is going to be impacting travel throughout the day today but not really anticipating anything severe. The rainfall totals from Bill and that front yesterday, just incredible. Most of this was flash flooding though, Fredericka, so that is some good news that much of this has receded.
WHITFIELD: Yes, it came and went pretty quickly?
JERAS: Absolutely.
WHITFIELD: Hopefully didn't cause too much damage. All right. Thanks a lot, Jacqui.
JERAS: Mm-hmm.
WHITFIELD: All right. Canadians, well, they have had had plenty of time preparing for this storm, and Friday, residents of Nova Scotia began buying up electric generators. They brought groceries as well and plenty of bottled water, of course, just in case. We are already getting reports of flight and ferry cancellations in Nova Scotia. You heard Jacqui talked about the possible impact on air travel as well and even some power outages as Bill's outer bands come ashore. The hurricane watch is still in effect.
All right. Well, sometimes, instead of fleeing a hurricane, thrill seekers are drawn to the serious waves churned by the storm. That was the case along the North Carolina coast yesterday with Hurricane Bill passing. Emergency officials in Wrightsville Beach say they pulled as many as 80 people from the water. As to why the beach was not closed, well, one city worker says it would have been tough with 50,000 people on a beautiful summer day.
And of course, we continue to watch what is taking place in Maine with the wave, that maybe the result of Hurricane Bill causing some problems there. Search still under way for possibly a seven year old.
In the meantime, further north from North Carolina, Hurricane Bill proved to be a real beach bummer for the Atlantic coast this weekend as a whole. The storm prompting authorities to put up the red flag and close beaches along many other beaches and coasts. One of our I- reporters grabbed his camera and simply started shooting.
Take a look right here. He captured these images from Brooklyn's Coney Island Beach and boardwalk area and these recreation workers enforcing the no-swim warnings due to dangerous rip current and heavy surf spawned by the storm. Those red flags up.
All right. Let's move across the seas now to Greece. Wildfires prompt a state of emergency. This is what it looks like near Athens. Take a look.
Several homes have been destroyed. So far no injuries have been reported but tens of thousands of residents have been evacuated to suburbs north of Athens. More than 90 wildfires have broken out this weekend, six major fires are burning right now.
And new marching orders for G.I. Joe and G.I. Jane, how the Army is trying to make soldiers mentally stronger while helping them deal with a disorder that is as old as war itself.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. More now on this breaking story we are following out of the Acadia National Park in Maine. We understand a what is being called a rogue wave simply swept a number of people off the rocks there, enjoying themselves at the national park and into the Atlantic Ocean. A rescue mission is under way, many people were actually plucked to safety.
But apparently at least one person, maybe even seven-year-old is still being searched for. We have the Coast Guard, we understand, was plugged in on this rescue mission. We are right now joined by the U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer James Rhodes on the phone with us right now. So, Mr. Rose, what can you tell us about this search for this seven-year-old?
VOICE OF PETTY OFFICER JAMES RHODES, U.S. COAST GUARD: Right now, we had a situation in the Acadia National Park, where we have 20 people on the cliffs when a rogue wave struck the area known as thunder hole. We have about nine people that have been taken to the hospital, another three taken out of the water, including the seven-year-old. We did locate her. She's been transferred to local EMS. The Coast Guard is back on scene, with two aircrafts, a boat, along with marine patrol and they are looking for two unaccounted people and they are not certain whether they are in the water or not but they are still looking for two more unaccounted people.
WHITFIELD: OK. So right now, looking for two other people. The seven-year-old I mentioned that is one of about nine people who have been rescued since, I guess a little bit earlier this afternoon. Give me an idea, were there signs posted, anything to people to say this might not be a good idea today given that Hurricane Bill is in the region?
RHODES: You know, we have been send out warnings all weekend, you know, warning people of the weather that's been coming through due to the storm, as far as I'm not sure of that at this point. But there has definitely been a warning here and its definitely something that the weather has been a concern all weekend.
WHITFIELD: Well, give me an idea how difficult this search would be for the two people there. Does this mean you have helicopters in the air or is it simply too windy because of this threatening storm or is it strictly divers? What kind of apparatus, what are your resources to help in this search?
RHODES: (INAUDIBLE) on scene and then the Maine Marine Patrol is also searching the water along with the National Park Service. They are doing a shoreline search as well.
WHITFIELD: OK. So, Mr. Rhode, I'm going to ask you to repeat a little bit of that because of the cell phone was a little spotty there. Yes, the helicopter is in the air and how else are you conducting the search? RHODES: Well, yes, we have a helicopter in the air. We have also a Falcon jet that is providing cover for the helicopter and we have a 47-foot motor lifeboat from our local station in southwest harbor there. They are searching, along with the Maine Marine Patrol is searching the water and the National Park Service is also searching the shoreline.
WHITFIELD: Are the currents or even other waves affecting your search right now?
RHODES: I mean, again at this time, not 100 percent sure of that. I mean, it looked like there was rough water in the area.
WHITFIELD: OK. All right. U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer James Rhodes, thanks so much. All the best in the continued search for yet two more people now. So far, they've rescued a handful of folks. Nine people have been taken tot he hospital after what is being called a rogue wave, simply swept about 20 people who are enjoying themselves on the rocks of the Acadia National Park there in Maine, swept them back out into the ocean. Many of them have been rescued but still the search under way for two more people, you heard there from the petty officer.
All right. Mean time, the Army, the U.S. Army has a new offensive on its hands, battling attitudes about post-traumatic stress disorder. It started a new program that requires all service men and women to get training to boost their medical resiliency. Our Elaine Quijano reports on that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For all his training as an Army Ranger, 1st Sgt. Creed McCaslin said it was a coffee urn that shielded and saved him the day a suicide bomber blew up a dining hall in Mosul, Iraq.
1ST SGT. CREED MCCASLIN, ARMY RANGER: I was about 20 feet from the bomb.
QUIJANO: 22 soldiers died. McCaslin knew 19 of them. But he shook it off, or so he thought.
MCCASLIN: I convinced a doctor that I was good to go and got back on the plane and went back down the range.
QUIJANO: He returned to combat but another suicide bomb left him with a broken back. This time there was no shaking off his physical and psychological pain. And no training that could have stopped him from feeling.
MCCASLIN: When you watch people burn alive and the smells that come from that or when you see, and you're coming up trying to save a family and watching them get executed before you can get to them and save them those aren't things you can recreate in your life.
QUIJANO: He began drinking heavily and barely slept. MCCASLIN: For over a year I was lucky if I was getting two hours of sleep every other night and I was a walking zombie.
QUIJANO: Eventually his higher ups intervened, temporarily demoting him and forcing him into treatment for post traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. McCaslin is not alone. Nearly one in five service members returning from Iraq or Afghanistan reported suffering symptoms of PTSD or depression, according to a survey last year by the non-profit Rand Organization.
Now the Army is focusing more attention on soldiers' mental and emotional well being. With new training, aimed at helping them deal with mental health problems. Creed McCaslin believes the first step is getting soldiers to overcome their fears of looking weak.
MCCASLIN: Stigma kills. And we've got to do a culture change within our military.
QUIJANO: McCaslin now speaks to other soldiers about PTSD as he did recently at Fort Hood, Texas. His message? That soldiers can and should reach out if they need help.
MCCASLIN: Soldiers have to take control themselves. It's not just, hey, everybody needs to take care of me. The soldier's got to take care of himself.
QUIJANO (on camera): As for that Army program, all active duty and reserve soldiers will have to take a 170-question survey. It's meant to identify potential mental and emotional problems and direct a soldier to counseling if needed.
Elaine Quijano, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Now this sad store ray. A 59-year-old soldier from Washington state has become the oldest U.S. service member to die in Afghanistan. First Sergeant Jose San Nicolas Crisostomo was killed by a roadside bomb in Kabul on Tuesday. He was a Vietnam veteran and twice received the Bronze Star for combat valor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PATRICIA CRISOSTOMO, SOLDIER'S WIFE: When 9/11 came up, he insisted in going back and serving his country which he loved to do and that was his passion, his life. What are you going to do out there? They will be push you in a wheelchair? He said, no they won't. I will be pushing those guys.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Crisostomo also received the Purple Heart for being wounded in combat.
Well, it's been almost four years since Hurricane Katrina. Is New Orleans coming back? We will take a look. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Now, a look at the top stories.
Eastern Canada is getting ready for Hurricane Bill. The storm is not expected to make landfall in Nova Scotia but flights are still being cancelled at the Halifax Airport and people are being warned to stay away from the beaches.
And even though some polling places have posted local results there is still no word on who won last week's presidential election in Afghanistan. Partial preliminary figures are expected Tuesday. More than 200 allegations of irregularities and vote fraud have already been posted.
And in what may be a sign of easing tensions, an official North Korean delegation attended today's funeral for former South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung. Kim won the Nobel Peace Prize back in 2000 for his efforts to improve relations with the north.
All right. The first family taking some well-deserved R&R. We will show you where the Obamas are vacationing in Martha's Vineyard and why their presence has a special significance for the island's rich history.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. The first family arrived in picturesque Martha's Vineyard last hour. The Obamas are renting the swanky Blue Herron Farm for their vacation. And as our Dan Lothian African- American heritage.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's easy to see why Martha's Vineyard is a big draw, the beaches, the boats, the vintage carousel, but before you attach the label enclave of the rich and famous, long-time summer resident and Harvard Professor Charles Ogletree says take a look around.
PROF. CHARLES OGLETREE, HARVARD LAW SCHOOL: It really is one of these rare people where you see people who are unemployed and who are CEOs. You see people who are wealthy and poor. And there is no pretension here. The people are very comfortable.
LOTHIAN: Even if sitting presidents keep dropping in. First, it was Ulysses S. Grant, then the Clintons. Now, President Obama and his family are stretching out on the 28 1/2-acre Blue Heron Farm in (INAUDIBLE).
NANCY GARDELLA, MARTHA'S VINEYARD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: It is very flattering and impressive that President Obama and his family are coming.
LOTHIAN: Island historians say Mr. Obama's presence carries more weight because of the African-American heritage on Martha's Vineyard. KEITH GORMAN, EXECUTIVE DIR., MARTHA'S VINEYARD MUSEUM: There have been African-Americans on the island since at least the 18th century.
I think in terms of this first family coming to the island, it's important. This shot, I think is really quite telling.
LOTHIAN: The pitchers are in black and white at the local museum. Some were slaves, who, when freed, made a home here. Later, other blacks came in search of good jobs.
GORMAN: You could get on a ship, a whaling ship, and in the 19th century, you had these multi-ethnic and multi-racial whaling vessels.
LOTHIAN: African-Americans began to settle in Oak Bluff, an early resort community that didn't shut the door.
OGLETREE: The colored only, white only signs were up throughout much of the 20th century. And so, this was a place that didn't have the signs, didn't have the barriers to integration.
LOTHIAN: It's a history largely hidden behind the island's pristine beauty and high profile presidential visit but historian Carrie Tankard is trying to change. She co-founded the African-American Heritage Trail that marks 22 sites honoring people of color on the island.
CARRIE TANKARD, AFRICAN-AMERICAN TRAIL AT MARTHA'S VINEYARD: The uncovered headstones and things, you can put your hands on it. You can see it. It is just a feeling you can't describe. We just want them to know that we were here.
LOTHIAN: While the president may be hoping to simply spend some quiet time relaxing with his family and friends, his visit is also seen as another chapter in this island's deep history.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And our Dan Lothian joins us now from Martha's Vineyard. All right. Dan, we know, a lot of celebrities, a lot of big names converge on Martha's Vineyard, but when a president arrives, something tells me a huge crowd does, too. Have there been a lot of people outside, say, the farm where the Obamas are staying?
LOTHIAN: No, not a lot of people gathering out there. This is a pretty isolated area. It's far, about eight miles away from sort of the hub where people come to really hang out and have a lot of fun, the entertainment hub, if you will, of this island which is Oak Bluff, which is sort of off, really back from the road.
But a lot of people really have been sort of anticipating this visit. As you drive around, you will see large signs in front of the homes here welcoming the first family. So, certainly a lot of excitement here on the island as the president and his family visit for the first time as president but Mr. Obama has been here twice before, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Very good. Thanks so much, Dan Lothian. I know you're going to have a good time while you're there as well. Are you there for the duration of the vacation?
LOTHIAN: Yes, I am here for the entire time and we hope to, you know, give you whatever happens.
WHITFIELD: Sure.
LOTHIAN: We are being told by senior administration officials not to expect too much from the president. He is going to be relaxing, playing a lot of golf, nothing official on his schedule yet. But if he does anything or even if he doesn't, we will be here to cover it.
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, enjoy covering the vacation and maybe sneaking in one of your own, right? If it stays quiet?
LOTHIAN: That's right.
WHITFIELD: All right. Dan Lothian, thanks so much. Appreciate that.
LOTHIAN: OK. Bye-bye.
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, the recession now, let's talk about that left millions of workers down and out. Now, many are facing another blow, losing the only helping hand that they have had, their unemployment benefits.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: I'm Fredricks Whitfield back in Atlanta. We continue to watch a breaking story taking place out of Acadia National Park in Maine where a search is under way for possibly two people who were knocked off a cliff, among about 20 people who were knocked off a cliff because of a so-called rogue wave. The majority of the people were rescued but now the search is intensifying for two people who are still somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. The U.S. Coast Guard is involved in the search. They have got a jet in the air, a helicopter, and several boats in the water trying to locate the two people who are missing. Much more information on this as we get it.
Meantime, the recession has left more than 6 million Americans out of work. On top of that many could lose their unemployment benefits before they actually find a new job. Here now is our Poppy Harlow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Rachel Gold and Anthony Barberio don't have much in common. Rachel is 28 and worked in recruiting after graduating college. Anthony is 46, he worked on Wall Street for 20 years, but he never went to college. The thing they do have in common, a $430 weekly check from the government. Like 6 million other Americans it is life on unemployment after losing a job.
RACHEL GOLD, RECEIVING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS: I definitely didn't think that I would be sitting here, you know, nine months later, you know, without employment.
HARLOW: Rachel lost her job in November. For Anthony, it has been more than a year.
ANTHONY BARBERIO, RECEIVING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS: When I first was let go I figured maybe a month, two months, you know, and I didn't think it would last this long.
HARLOW: But it has and each day brings more work to find work.
GOLD: This afternoon at 2:30, I have a recruiting meeting with somebody that I was networking with.
HARLOW: But the responses are few and far between. So you have applied for more than 650 jobs?
GOLD: Correct.
HARLOW: How many interviews have you had out of that?
GOLD: Maybe ten.
HARLOW: Anthony has applied for hundreds of jobs, too. If it were up to him, he would extend unemployment benefits.
BARBERIO: I think they should just keep continuing it until the job picture gets better.
HARLOW: Unemployment benefits have already been extended but the Labor Department forecasts 4.4 million Americans may lose their benefits before finding jobs. For Anthony, that will happen by the end of this year. And Rachel expects to lose her benefits in January.
GOLD: I would go out and get a waitress job. I would have to.
BARBERIO: I'm going to put like a deadline as to when I'm, you know, going to have to really seriously, you know, look for something, you know whether it be a department store or something like that.
HARLOW: So, why don't Rachel and Anthony find temporary low-paying jobs now? Here's why. The $1,700 a month they receive through unemployment is more than they would make at most entry level jobs.
GOLD: There are people that I have e-mailed.
HARLOW: For now, unemployment is their best bet.
GOLD: It is not that I don't want to work but it is kind of like I could not survive, you know, like working at a store making minimum wage. I wouldn't be able to pay my rent.
BARBERIO: I'm anxious to get back to work. You know, a year in the house could drive somebody crazy.
HARLOW: In New York, Poppy Harlow, CNNMONEY.com.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Now appearing on television in Iraq today the confessions of an accused bomber. Iraq's military says the man is one of the suspected masterminds behind two truck bombings that hit Baghdad last week. The suspect reportedly said the bombers who drove the trucks paid $10 thousand in bribes to get through heavily-guarded checkpoints. At least 100 people were killed in the bombing.
The chief opponent in Afghanistan's presidential election is pushing forward allegations of voter fraud. Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah today expanded his allegations against President Hamid Karzai charging that turnout figures padded. The Canadian head of electoral complaints says that some of the allegations were serious enough to influence the outcome, if true. Final results are expected early next month.
And a warning today that the situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating that is the assessment of joint chiefs chairman Admiral Mike Mullin. He says Afghanistan remains vulnerable to being taken over, again, by the Taliban. He made his remarks on CNN's "State of the Union" today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADMIRAL MIKE MULLEN, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: I think it is serious and it is deteriorating and I have said that over the last couple of years that the Taliban insurgency has gotten better, more sophisticated, their tactics, just in my recent visits out there, talking with more troops indicates that. General McChrystal is about to wrap up his assessment and he will come in with that assessment in detail and I haven't seen that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Army General Stanley McChrystal, which he mentioned, is the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan.
All right. Starting September 7th, Anderson Cooper takes you inside Afghanistan live from the battle zone. An "AC 360" special report only on CNN.
The clock is running on for cash for clunkers. If you want the cash, you better be ready to do a deal right now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Now a look at our top stories, hurricane Bill is blamed for high waves that swept people into the sea at Acadia National Park in Maine where apparently thousands of people turned out to watch these waves as they stirred up by this hurricane. When the waves did crash into some rocks there on a cliff, there were about 20 people apparently on a particular cliff, many of them were swept out into the ocean and many of them, all but two so far have actually been rescued. Among those rescued a 7-year-old girl, again, the U.S. Coast Guard is intensifying it's search for two other people who were swept into the water from what is being called a rogue wave that storm, hurricane Bill, heading toward Canada now.
All right, one of 90 wildfires raging in Greece is heading toward the town of Marathon, threatening two ancient temples. Tens of thousands of residents have been evacuated from their homes in the southern suburbs, rather, of Athens.
And the U.S. government-funded cash for clunkers trade-in program well it ends tomorrow. Some dealers ended their participation; others are catering to last-minute car shoppers.
Let's talk more about hurricane Bill. While it is taking aim at Canada where it could dump up to seven inches of rain on Nova Scotia, power outages are already being reported across Nova Scotia's southern shore and some roads near the coast are closed. More than 50 flights have been canceled at the Halifax Airport.
All right. Let's talk now about the city of New Orleans and its effort to move past Katrina. I went there recently for a firsthand look at what's being done to help bring back some of the glory days.
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WHITFIELD: Four years ago next weekend, hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. You remember these images, right? The early days and then the weeks and then the months that followed, but what about right now and what about the city of New Orleans? Not quite three-quarters of its residents have actually returned.
Well, one group of architects and developers is hoping to help bring back people, jobs and neighborhoods altogether by reinventing portions of the so-called Crescent City. Recently, they showed me how they are on the verge of breathing new life into the city.
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WHITFIELD (voice over): Everywhere you look, remnants of hurricane Katrina sometimes camouflaging, if not upstaging any progress of a city slowly rebuilding. Unlocking a different view --
SEAN CUMMINGS, EXEC. DIR., NEW ORLEANS BUILDING CORP: This great multiuse performance venue.
WHITFIELD: Developer Sean Cummings and architect Allen Eskew, showing me part of their dream project, reinventing a six-mile stretch of Mississippi Riverfront, the centerpiece of a $300 million New Orleans revitalization project, bringing acres of green space with trails, ballparks, benches and ample theaters just inches from the water.
ALLEN ESKEW, URBAN DESIGNER: This is, for me is the sweet spot of the whole place, because I love industrial relics. And this one's about 1926.
WHITFIELD: Unused, dilapidated wharfs, like this one, getting a major overhaul, designed by some of the cities and some of the world's most prominent designers and planners.
ESKEW: And to be able to capture this, save it and then repurpose it for community activity it is pretty exciting.
WHITFIELD: And particularly special.
CUMMINGS: The river. Right there.
ESKEW: There it is.
WHITFIELD: For these native New Orleanians, who say for too long, people living on the crescent of the Mississippi have been unable to fully enjoy the muddy waters, a strange irony, as pointed out by Ryan Scully, who lives in a neighborhood called Bywater.
RYAN SCULLY, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: It is shame that it is called the Bywater, yet you can't get to the water.
WHITFIELD: Can't even see it.
CUMMINGS: Part of the problem is it's not folks, it is that they can't get out here and enjoy it so when you have this calliope this mesmerizing view of the river. It is pretty cool.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): So we have that piece and then we have that one. OK.
WHITFIELD: It is a plan they say that won't disturb the ecosystem nor undermine the business of this vital shipping channel.
ESKEW: And last week, we had -- we were within about six inches of the river cresting, so, you had this enormous power of water, you know, drains 40 percent of the continent, flowing right within inches of the edge of the wharf. So the power of the river is also something that's very exciting.
WHITFIELD: Right now, recreation along the river here is limited. Other Bywater residents say green space within walking distance will be good for families.
(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): It will be nice for the kids; it will keep them out of trouble.
(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): The kids stuff to do.
WHITFIELD: Ground breaking for the reinventing the crescent project is this fall, the first phase a mile and a half stretch to be open for walks, jogs or weddings by 2011.
CUMMINGS: Going to have music events out here, you will be able to have large dinners.
WHITFIELD: This $30 million phase financed by public funds and private donations. These planners see promise and potential no drawings could quite capture.
CUMMINGS: I think that it is going to unleash a lot of job creation. It is going to unleash a lot of investment privately and, you know, that's what you want.
ESKEW: I already know people that are holding on and literally running out of patience with slowness of the recovery, but they are in these neighborhoods, they go to meetings and they say my goodness, this is our neighborhood park? Front porch of our community?
WHITFIELD: A big front porch, that in a year and a half, will for the first time, be accessible to everyone.
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WHITFIELD: So the entire six-mile project is expected to be complete by 2018, in time for the city's 300th birthday but again that first phase, barely 18 months from now, you might get a chance to see the grand opening of that.
All right. Sean Callebs, he lives and works out of our New Orleans bureau and he is joining us right now. Sean good to see you.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks.
WHITFIELD: So when you hear that barely thee quarters of the residents pre Katrina are back in New Orleans, one would think that economically this city is really hurting?
CALLEBS: Yeah, you know it remains a tale of two cities, I know that may sound like a cliche, but it is true. Now, here's the good story. The good story is economically this city has been shielded to a huge degree from the punishing economic recession, here is why, millions and billions of federal money has been pouring in here since the storm, it has allowed people to rebuild. Some 80,000 homes needed to be rebuilt after Katrina did its worst on this area.
I will give you a couple numbers that are very significant. Nationally the unemployment rate, we know is more than 9 percent. Here in the city it has been as low as 5.5 percent the last few months. Right now it is just under 7 percent. So New Orleans doing better in terms of jobs. And these aren't just service jobs. We have seen things pop up like idea village and entrepreneurs row. What these think tanks are doing, they are bringing in white-collar businesses that could set up anywhere in the country, in Boston, in New York, and so they are setting up here it is giving the city a strong economic base and as Sean Cummings, the head of Entrepreneurs Rode said, look we can't talk about cream sauces, paddle wheels and bengays all the time, we have to look to our future.
Secondly, the area of New Orleans, Aged, Genteel, those areas are still very punished from the storm. Rebuilding is almost nonexistent in some of those places, if you, as a tourist, come to the city, interesting thing is you may never know a storm hit. So that is the reason it's important to let people know this is a tale of two cities and New Orleans is a long way from being whole.
WHITFIELD: It is a tourist and see the French Quarter, you think, OK, not bad except there is still a lot of vacant properties, a lot of business store fronts that are closed down, wasn't the case more than four years ago but you go into, you venture into the neighborhood and people talk about what still needs to be done. So, you live and work there you hear it all the time. Overall, are people happy with the progress of four years or are people feeling like this is just simply too slow? Because it was a just last year we heard a lot of folks who said what is going on the red tape is standing in the way of progress here?
CALLEBS: Well, I think the government, the people here would say the government at every level let the people down horribly, we are talking federal, state, parish and city. And I think there's a whole lot of venom still aimed at the way the city leadership as guided as well as lingering frustration over the federal government. They were supposed to send FEMA trailers down to help people who had been punished so much by this storm; in essence, you know that whole program was a disaster, the day the trailers began showing up.
But I think conversely, people have been overwhelmed by the amounts of volunteers that have poured into this area.
WHITFIELD: And are still pouring through. I saw that a few weeks ago. You still had a number of college-aged kids and other young folks who were there volunteering their time trying to rebuild.
CALLEBS: Yeah not only that, they don't just volunteer their time, a lot of people come and they are so touched, they either want to stay here; vacation here or they make donations. Clearly, those people giving back, those are the ones really helping the city that is the real positive out of all of this.
WHITFIELD: So, Sean all week long this network is devoting a lot of time, a lot of air time to rebuilding, the recovery of New Orleans and other coastal cities four years after Katrina, you mentioned the entrepreneurs row, which is headed by Sean Cummings who is also in the piece that we just saw of the reinventing the Crescent. That is one of the pieces that you will be focusing on, how business minds are being recruited to New Orleans to help revitalize the business end of it. What other stories should we look for from you?
CALLEBS: Education. Katrina washed away so much but it also washed away just an endless nightmare for this city the public education system was simply a disaster and there is no other way to phrase it. So many of the schools were failing, so many students were failing, the state had taken over about 85 percent of the public schools here in the city. Well they brought in this new energetic man, Paul Balance, what the head of the recovery school district. Since then, things have turned around to a huge degree. Right now, test scores have been going up over the past couple of years, the bar's set pretty high.
WHITFIELD: Pretty remarkable, there was a lot of criticism of the New Orleans School District and a lot of other neighboring school districts before Katrina hit.
CALLEBS: Right, exactly. They have hired a small army of teachers from Teach for America, these are people from all over the country and Balanhe (ph) has given autonomy to every single schools. Now this is somewhat controversial, because the heads of those schools, the principals can hire and fire, you don't have to go through a long process. A lot of teachers who were considered underperforming were just forced out, some lingering bitterness over that but overall, for the kids, look you can't argue, test scores are going up and more students are graduating. Here is one stat I want to point out, Fred. WHITFIELD: OK.
CALLEBS: Do you the percentage of kids that go through public schools and graduate into college is only 7 percent.
WHITFIELD: Wow. Give me the number.
CALLEBS: That was it, only 7 percent.
WHITFIELD: I'm sorry, somebody else was talking the same time you were. OK. Sean, I'm sorry, we are running out of time. But great job and I know we are going to hear a lot more from you and your reports throughout the week out of New Orleans, Sean Callebs, thanks so much. Appreciate that.
All right. Well, maybe you're thinking of squeezing in Sundays before the summer end, I know you all heard it before but there really are a few new things you can do to get that healthy glow and not damage your skin.
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WHITFIELD: Despite all the warnings about the danger of too much sun, people don't feel like it is summer without a tan so there are safe ways to actually get that healthy glow, senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here with today's health for her segment.
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ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Armed with SPF 70 sun block and a hat, Stephanie White is going outside to walk her dog. She is not taking any chances because just in her 40s, she has had all three types of skin cancer, including the deadliest, melanoma.
STEPHANIE WHITE, SKIN CANCER PATIENT: I thought I was too young to have melanoma skin cancer. I didn't know anything about melanoma.
COHEN: Too much sun exposure can cause burning which destroys our skin cells that damage can lead to skin cancer.
DR. GEORGE VERGHESE, DERMATOLOGIST: You are accumulating all these sun burns, all these mutations in your skin cells and a lot of these changes don't express themselves until you are 30, 40, 50.
COHEN: First step toward safe sun exposure, use sun block no matter what season of the year is.
VERGHESE: At least SPF 15. Make sure it has like a broadband UVA and UVB protection.
COHEN: If you won't be outdoors, pick your time of day wisely.
VERGHESE: The times you should actually avoid the sun is almost like from 12 to like 3 p.m., especially if you are going to the beach. COHEN: And be wary of tanning beds a recent report by the World Health Organization announced it has moved ultra violent tanning beds to the highest category along with arsenic and cigarettes.
VERGHESE: Concentrated ultraviolet radiation, like the skin cancer effect, a combination so almost accelerates that total UV radiation that you're getting so people manifest the skin cancers at a much younger age.
COHEN: As for Stephanie White she hopes taking the precautions keeps her from developing more skin problems.
Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.
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WHITFIELD: An update on the search in Maine, right after this.
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WHITFIELD: Breaking story we are following out of Maine. Coast Guard is searching for two people swept into the Atlantic Ocean by a so- called rogue wave, this as hurricane Bill churned in the area. We will continue to update you on this story. I'm Fredricks Whitfield.
Meantime, "GPS" with Fareed Zakaria starts right now.
