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Coffee Party Movement Holds Multiple Events; Some Districts Shutting Down Schools; Personal Finance Expert Gives Advice; Woman Accused of Aiding Terrorists, Tied to Muslim Web Site; Coast Guard Protecting U.S. Borders
Aired March 13, 2010 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Here is what you'll see on CNN over the next three hours.
A shopping cart full of groceries for just 89 cents? This hour we hit the supermarket with the coupon mom. And coming up at 3:00 eastern time, living life upside down -- meet people who go to work when the sun goes down. CNN's Tom Foreman will put the night shift in focus.
And at the 4:00 eastern hour, a swanky hotel invites the senior class to party on the house. Their prom canceled all because a same- sex couple planned to attend.
It is Saturday, March 13th. I'm Fredricka Whitfield and you are in the CNN newsroom.
So we've been talking all day about a new movement that's brewing across the country. It's called the Coffee Party. Some people see it as an alternative to the tea party movement that's gained so much attention lately.
The Coffee Party started on Facebook just two months ago. It's aimed at voters who want more cooperation and less rhetoric in Washington. There are over 350 coffee party events planned for today. Our Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser just came back from one right there in the nation's capital.
So what kind of people were there -- young, old, liberal, conservative, what?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTE POLITICAL DIRECTOR: A mix of young and old. There were people out of college and people in their 50s and 60s, Fred. As for political persuasion, you definitely got a sense it was a much more liberal or progressive crowd than conservative crowd.
The Coffee Party movement, which is brand-new just this year, they have some of the same grievances that the more conservative tea party is, Fred, and that is the federal government isn't working for average Americans.
But I think where they differ is in the solution. The tea party calls for more limited federal government. The coffee party doesn't want to downsize Washington but make it work better for average Americans.
WHITFIELD: How does this group hope to accomplish their goals of say, for instance, civility?
STEINHAUSER: "Civility" is a word that came up a lot when we were talking to these people. They say these coffee parties, just by having them that is the first step. They plan another round of coffee parties in two weeks. Take a listen to what they told us about civility.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People are more civil here. Of course, everybody wants their issues to be heard, and everybody wants their voices to be heard, but I also think you can do it in a forum that is not being uncivil.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would like to see us be able to have disagreements without being so demeaning in terms of people's character. I think that's very important. I think it's important we are able to have disagreements about fundamental issues without flinging mud.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: There was also frustration by the people at this coffee party that I attended that Washington wasn't getting the job done. Congress not passing the things they think that need to be passed, like health care and jobs.
WHITFIELD: This coffee party, are they putting forth candidates that subscribe to their same philosophies? Are they saying anything about what they are going to do come the November midterm elections?
STEINHAUSER: Like the tea party movement, the coffee party movement is not trying to form a third political party. That's what a lot of people we met with and talked with today are telling us. So no, they don't want to form their own political party. They want to alter government, make it work better for Americans.
Two criticisms we have heard from the tea party about the coffee party, one, that it isn't grassroots, and it wasn't organic. The coffee people told us it is very organic, that they came on their own and nobody told them to come.
The tea party also criticizes the coffee party Annabel Park. They say that she was a volunteer for the Barack Obama campaign. She admits to that, but she says the coffee party, we aren't Democrats or Republicans, just average Americans. Fred?
WHITFIELD: Paul Steinhauser, thanks so much. Coffee talk all over today.
Republicans on the Hill are still lashing out at the Democrats' health care reform bill today. They turn to their newly minted Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown to slam on the brakes. In the GOP's weekly address Brown called the Democrats' bill a distraction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Well, I haven't been here very long, but I can tell you this much already -- nothing has distracted the attention and energy of the nation's capital more than this disastrous detour.
And the surest way to return to the people's business is listen to the people themselves. We need to drop this whole scheme of federally-controlled health care, start over, and work together on real reforms at the state level that will contain costs and won't leave America trillions of dollars deeper in debt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: President Obama chose to take the focus off health care and place it on education today. The White House will send the blueprint to Congress that will overhaul the No Child Left Behind act and set new requirements for high school graduates.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Through this plan we are setting an ambitious goal. All students should graduate from high school prepared for college and a career, no matter who you are or where you come from.
Achieving this goal will be difficult. It will take time. It will require the skills, talents and dedication of many, principals, teachers, parents, and students. This effort is essential for our children and for our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Making tough choices on education -- across the country we are hearing the same story, communities forced to make big cuts. This week the Kansas City, Missouri school board voted to close almost half of the 61 schools in its city district.
It's all designed to address a huge budget shortfall and declining enrollment. I spoke with Jeannie Allen, president of the Center for Education Reform earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Is this appropriate or extreme when we talk about closing half of the public schools in a single district?
JEANNE ALLEN, PRESIDENT, CENTER FOR EDUCATION: It is actually one of the best things we could be doing for kids in our country today.
WHITFIELD: Why?
ALLEN: Because we for far too long tolerated, not just mediocrity but failure. The reason you have fewer than half the schools of Kansas City at capacity is because the schools have been bad for so long, not because of the kids, but the quality of education just hasn't been good.
WHITFIELD: But then do you worry about the kids, the fate of the kids? Where do they go to school if half the schools are closed? Doesn't that mean putting them in the remaining schools, crowded classrooms? How is that a solution?
ALLEN: No. It's an opportunity to rethink education and we can do it right now today. What the superintendents have to do is they've got to rethink who goes to what school. Why do we send kids to school based on zip code?
Maybe we need to give parents an opportunity to engage in the process, Fredricka, by choosing schools that best meet the needs of their kids.
That is actually one of the reasons half the schools in traditional public schools in Kansas City have to close, because 29 percent of public school students went to places like charter schools. Some went to private schools. Others left the city in search of better education. And those who couldn't or didn't know about their choices stayed stuck in those schools not working.
So what's education about? It's not about jobs, not about staff, it's about kids. We can do this right, right now today in Kansas City, in Rhode Island, and Atlanta. If we don't do it, we'll be facing even a higher dropout rate than we have, which is bumping up against 40 percent nationwide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: At 4:00 eastern time today, a focus on Detroit schools. Short on cash, students, and graduates, a private coalition steps up with a plan. Step one, do away with the school board. I'll talk with Chastity Pratt Dawsey who covers education for "Detroit Free Press."
And we want to know what you think about these radical steps? Do you see them as reasonable? Are they over the top, or just what the school system needs? Post your comments and we'll get some of them on the air.
Melting snow and heavy rain -- a dangerous combination in the northeast. We'll get the latest on the threat of flooding in Pennsylvania and other parts of the region as well.
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WHITFIELD: Too broke to retire? You wouldn't be alone. We've got some tips to help build up your nest egg.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: So how big is your nest egg? A new survey shows that some people's nests need a big upgrade -- 43 percent of workers have less than $10,000 in savings according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute.
So what can you do to help fund those golden years? Joining us now from New York is Ryan Mack, president of Optimum Capital Management. Good to see you.
RYAN MACK, OPTIMUM CAPITAL MANAGEMENT: Thank you for having me.
WHITFIELD: What's at the root of the problem here? Why are so few people prepared for retirement?
MACK: You know what, if we look at our spending patterns and if you look at someone's checkbook, you can see where their values lie. There is only three things we can do with money -- spend it, give it, or use it to build, whether it's investing, starting a business, paying it forward and trying to see if we can create legacy for future generations.
And at the end of the day our spending pattern, as much as 70 percent of discretionary income is being spent on things we don't need. And most of that is being funded with credit card debt.
So we have to figure out what our values lie and figure out how we can invest and start putting money away before retirement.
WHITFIELD: You say that it's as simple as spending less. Turn away from the sales, those stores marking up prices and then telling you they are marked down. You're getting ripped off in the first place, you say. There are real practical things you ought to be doing to avoid unnecessary spending.
MACK: Essentially, you know, if you look at black Friday. Black Friday is essentially a sale. The sale was created so individuals could go out and purchase things. We have stores that might buy things from suppliers to $10, mark it up to $100, then mark down to $50 because they know people are going to come running to have a 50 percent blowout sale even though they are making a 500 percent possible.
Why do you think stores where you can walk in will let you try on as many shoes as possible? It's because they know the more shoes you try on, you might be a little bit guilty.
WHITFIELD: That is a weakness so many of us have.
These seven steps to freedom -- number one, make sure your credit is 750 or higher.
MACK: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Make sure you budget. You're reading your benefit package, estate plans are in place. And what else? MACK: Exactly. We have to make 750 or higher, our Fico score, avoid predatory insurance but have enough to cover our family's needs. Then make sure we put away enough for six to nine months of living expenses.
People say six to nine months is too much for me to try to save. If $2,000 is your living expense for the month and $12,000 is six months, don't try to save $12,000. Save $1,000 12 times and make mole hills from your mountains.
And then start putting money away. People don't know what their final number is. How much will it really cost for you to be able to be financially independent the rest of your life? Is it $1 million, $500,000? Figure out what that number is and start working towards that number, and that way you can have a goal.
If you don't try to have a goal, you're trying to run a race and you don't know the finish line. So people get discouraged.
WHITFIELD: I'm sure a lot of people don't realize they are getting themselves in trouble until it's too late. When we hear that one in five people between 18 and 34 have been refused credit in the last year, we are talking about people who have gotten onto a situation where it is too late to try and salvage. But they've got to start somewhere, right?
MACK: Definitely. As far as credit cards are concerned, a lot more than young folks and individuals are being refused credit. You have recently divorced individuals that have been dependent upon their spouse for their financial decisions, a lot of elderly individuals who haven't established credit in over seven or ten years.
So we have to start doing things like using secured credit cards. Making sure we open up just a simple checking and savings account. It doesn't count towards your credit, but at least lenders will have a history and say they do have a savings account. They do have some sort of stability.
A lot of times our phone bills, people don't understand your phone bill does not necessarily regularly report to your credit agency. What you should do is call your credit bureau to see if you can get a letter of reference from that phone bill if you've been paying it on time so you can have then state you have been establishing a good credit history for yourself.
WHITFIELD: We hear a lot about people in the middle class being squeezed -- the rich are getting richer, poor are getting poorer. How do you make sense of this? Do you see the middle class really is finding itself in as much trouble, if not more so than those who consider themselves poor?
MACK: From 1992 to 2007, the average income increased for the medium household was 12.3 percent. The top 400 income earners in the country during that same time period had about a 476 percent increase in income. So it's definitely -- it seems there is a big squeeze going on. But try to look at things optimistically and what we should start doing right now. The middle class says there is no opportunity for me. We have to learn how to create opportunity.
If you look at CNN, Facebook, "Sports Illustrated," MTV, Trader Joe's, all these are companies that stemmed out of a recession. Now is the time for the entrepreneur, for that teacher to start a side business or that individual to start going back to school to go to that not for profit to get their free nurse's license or medical technician assistant.
WHITFIELD: And Ryan, real quick, we're going to have some e-mail questions coming your way. Some people see this as a racial wealth gap, in particular, be. You have some pretty strong thoughts which says a single black woman had a median net worth of $5 to a single white woman of $42,000. I'll ask you to elaborate that after the break.
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WHITFIELD: A look on the our top stories right now.
Deadly explosions rocked Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan. At least 35 people were killed, dozens more hurt. The blast hit four different locations, and one of them was near a police headquarters. Allied forces are expanding their operations against the Taliban in that area.
Former U.S. secretary of state Henry Kissinger is in a hospital in Seoul, South Korea, where he is being treated for a stomach virus. A doctor tells CNN all of Kissinger's signs are normal and he could be released tomorrow. The 86-year-old Kissinger is in South Korea for a security forum.
And stern words from Hillary Clinton after Israel announced new settlement construction in the West Bank. The secretary of state calls the move "an insult to the United States" and says that it is counterproductive to the peace process.
Israel announced the plans during Vice President Joe Biden's visit to the region earlier in the week.
We are back with Ryan Mack, president of Optimum Capital Management. He is answering a lot of your questions you've been sending to us all day long about saving for retirement, being prepared.
But before we went to a break, an interesting stat. A single black woman had a median net worth of $5 to a single white woman of $42,000. And at first it looked like a typo, but you're telling me no, this is really true. Why?
MACK: That's not a type. If you look at your wealth or net worth, it's your assets minus your liabilities. The single black woman is probably hardest hit by the subprime lending crisis. So if you look at your average renter or you look at someone who might be underwater in their mortgage and they may have a lot of debt, they probably have a negative net worth. That number is not a typo.
WHITFIELD: How do you recover?
MACK: Just as we talked about before, we have to start saving. We have to start learning how to save, start learning about where to put our money at and where our values are. Spending a little bit less and trying to make sure we are squeezing that budget.
Right now 60 percent of America is operating their household on a deficit, spending more than they earn every month. These are things we have to start doing to say if I'm going to retire, I have to start planning for it and putting the goal down.
WHITFIELD: Josh Levs has been fielding a lot of questions coming from people, and we're going to pose them to you now, Ryan. Hey there, Josh.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Ryan, thanks so much for doing this. Thanks Fred.
Let's start out with this, because we get this question often. We can't even hit it enough. It showed up on Facebook today. "Is it better to get a traditional IRA or a Roth?" What is your take on the different types of IRAs?
MACK: The difference between traditional IRA and a Roth is whether you're going to pay Uncle Sam now or later. Uncle Sam is going to get his money one way or another.
A traditional IRA, let's say you are earning $50,000 this year, you can put up to $5,000. You're only taxed on $45,000. Once you turn 59.5 you are eligible to take that money out. But again, Uncle Sam will come in and say I need my money in form of ordinary income taxes.
With a Roth IRA, if you have $105,000 income or less you're eligible. Essentially, if you're earning $50,000, you put $5,000 into it but after-tax money. You're paying from your net. Uncle Sam already gets his money. So then you can keep that money and it can grow in there, and when you take your money out when you're 59.5 it's tax-free.
LEVS: Is there a rule of thumb for which way to go?
MACK: I actually like the Roth. You know exactly what you're getting out of it when you retire. If you're eligible for it -- again, there are income restraints. You don't know what your tax bracket is, you might be in a higher tax bracket when you're 59.5 and end up paying more taxes than what you were originally under the traditional IRA.
LEVS: I want to toss one at you. This question is from Amman who says it's my dream to have my own business. Please give me any advice. Do you have a few pointers for starting your own business? MACK: I've going to give you four steps to success. First thing you have to find your passion. If you're not operating your passion, your business might fail because you're not going to love it. So find skills, talents or hobbies you do.
Secondly, create a vision. Where are you going to be one, five, ten years or 20 years from today? Thirdly, make sure you acquire resources. People and knowledge are the two most valuable resources you can have. How many connections of people can you create? And knowledge, how many books can you read about business?
When I was starting my business I read a book on how to start a financial planning company. Amazon.com was my best friend.
And then fourthly you have to start a plan of action. That business plan was the most precious thing I could have ever done because it really gave me an overview of what I had and didn't have.
These are four steps you can have. We need you to be successful, because small businesses are generating 70 percent of every new job, and we need more new jobs in this economy.
LEVS: And we talked about this before. People are saying this is a great time to start your own business.
MACK: This is absolute best time. In America right now, we need more business owners we need more entrepreneurs. We need those ideas to come to fruition, because this is what will lead us out of recession. We need to make things more.
WHITFIELD: Ryan Mack, president of Optimum Capital Management, thanks so much. Josh Levs, appreciate that as well, and you at home for sending in your inquiries. Appreciate it.
Federal authorities say she plotted online to assassinate a Swedish cartoonist who portrayed the Prophet Muhammad as a dog and also placed on a radical Muslim website. We'll talk to the man who runs the website that "Jihad Jane" is accused of using to try to recruit a killer.
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WHITFIELD: New developments in an alleged plot to kill a Swedish cartoonist. Police in Ireland released three people arrested earlier this week. Four others are still in custody. We don't know who they are.
They were taken into custody Tuesday in connection with a plot said to involve Lars Wilkes, the cartoonist who drew the head of the Muslim prophet Muhammad on a dog's body.
And one of the people tied to the assassination plot of the cartoonist is an American born woman who went by the online screen name "Jihad Jane." U.S. officials say Colleen Larose of Pennsylvania was that woman. She is accused of using the Internet to recruit others to kill the artist.
CNN's Drew Griffin learned one of the websites Larose visited and subscribed to was first exposed on CNN last November.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is the Web site Revolution Muslim run by this man, Younes Abdullah Mohammed who told us just this past fall terrorizing and intimidating non-Muslims was part of his religion.
YOUNES ABDULLAH MOHAMMED, REVOLUTIONMUSLIM.COM: The Koran says very clearly in Arabic language, "terrorize them." It's a command from Allah. To says prepare against them what you can to intimidate the disbelievers so they don't attack you. It is precautionary measures, like 9/11.
GRIFFIN: A spokesperson for Revolution Muslim says the group was unaware Colleen Larose had been posting on the site and doubted whether she linked up with any co-conspirators through the site's social networking.
Soon after her arrest was announced, Revolution Muslim posted this, a letter asking for support for Colleen Larose, declaring "Another sister has been targeted," and asking letters of encouragement be sent to the federal detention center in Philadelphia where Larose is being held.
Law enforcement sources tell CNN they are troubled that the Web site and YouTube site have turned more radical and seen a jump in subscribers. One of the subscribers -- Colleen Larose.
PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: That's certainly the most visible face of pro Al Qaeda extremism here in the United States.
GRIFFIN: CNN terrorism expert Paul Cruickshank says the fear that counterterrorism officials have is websites like Revolution Muslim act as go-betweens for those who support terrorism and those willing to carry it out.
CRUICKSHANK: They don't have to organize all the logistics or hook them up with people necessarily. They can whip them up in a frenzy and then sit back and watch what happens.
GRIFFIN: The FBI has told CNN the leaders of Revolution Muslim are under close watch but agents say its leaders play a game, extending their hatred of America in support of religious violence to certain limits, cleverly using the guarantee of free speech in America as a shield.
In October, Younes Abdullah Mohammad told us Americans will always be a legitimate target, that the attacks of 9/11 were justified, but then insisted nothing he said should encourage anyone to commit a violent act.
MOHAMMED: It's a word game.
GRIFFIN: Are you afraid of the police?
MOHAMMED: I'm not inciting violence. I'm really not calling for violence. I'm calling for Islamic identity.
GRIFFIN: One week after this interview, a Muslim named Major Nidal Hasan walked into a troop processing center in Ft. Hood, Texas, and is accused of opening fire, killing 13. Within hours Revolution Muslim was using its Web site to praise Hasan as an officer and gentleman.
Drew Griffin, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Our CNN hero of the week gives back. Get ready to meet a man helping wounded warriors put a roof over their heads.
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WHITFIELD: The more than 30,000 U.S. troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan leaving one fight to take on another, adapting to their new lives. One expert builder, our CNN hero of the week, is helping. Dan Wallrath spends his retirement giving wounded soldiers a place to call home.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Baghdad ended up being the ahead on the right. I sustained a very severe blast injury. My life came to a halt.
DAN WALLRATH, COMMUNITY CRUSADER: You look sharp today.
I've been doing custom homes for 30 years. One of the most important things for a family is a home.
WALLRATH: I want you to read the sign for me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Future home of Sergeant Alexander Reyes, United States army.
(APPLAUSE)
WALLRATH: Giving these folk as new home means the world.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. That's all I can say.
WALLRATH: My name is Dan Wallrath. Five years ago I had a friend of mine call me. A friend of his son had been injured in Iraq.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the day after he graduated from boot camp.
WALLRATH: He showed me pictures. His son was a big, strapping marine. Then he showed me pictures of Stephen in the hospital. It just broke my heart.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stephen was wheelchair bound. We would have to remodel. Dan says, we are going to take care of it.
WALLRATH: I realized, this is not an isolated case. So went back to my builder buddies and said we've got to do something. We build homes for returning heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan. The houses are mortgage-free. It changes the whole families lives, gives them a new start so they can move forward.
These young men and women are doing this for you and me. How can I not help them?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Pretty remarkable. So far Dan and his organization have completed homes for four veterans and begun construction on five more. To see how Dan found his inspiration or nominate someone you think is changing the world, go to CNN.com/heroes.
Guarding the seas when the sun goes down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We operate at night historically. That's when migrants and any drug smugglers are trying to get into the United States.
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WHITFIELD: We are putting the night shift in focus in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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WHITFIELD: Checking out top stories right now. A new movement is percolating across the country. It's called the coffee party and is aimed at people who say they want a bit more civility and action in Washington. Some call it an alternative to the tea party movement. This one began brewing on Facebook two months ago.
"A disastrous detour," that's what the newest U.S. senator calls the Democrats push to overhaul health care. Scott Brown said lawmakers should focus their attention on the economy and leave health care to the states. We could see a final vote on the matter later on next week.
And people across Pennsylvania are keeping a close eye on the rivers. They've been rising from all the melting snow. Here comes the rain now. Flood warnings are out for much of the state, and In Pittsburgh, a state of emergency is already in effect.
So while most of us are sleeping, there is a whole world out there working in the shadows. Border patrol officers, for instance, tracking down illegal entries into the country long after sundown. If you think their job on land is tough, imagine what it's like at sea. In this segment of our "Night Shift in Focus" series, photo journalist Greg Kaines went for a starlit ride of the coast of San Diego.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We picked up a contact on our radar. It's a small vessel.
CHIEF PETTY OFFICER BRIAN HENNESSY, U.S. COAST GUARD: This is the coast guard patrol boat. Patrol is to counter narcotics. We operate at night because that's when migrants and drug smugglers are trying to get into the United States.
The ocean is very efficient at moving a lot of drugs at one time, tens of thousands of pounds in some cases and get into the United States with relative ease. That's why we're out here, to prevent the easy portion.
We are about three miles from the U.S.-Mexican border, about three miles offshore right now. Our concerns are you just don't know who is trying to come into the United States. It could be terrorists.
The challenges are that the boats we are looking for are unlighted. They are hard to see. They travel high rates of speed, so they will try to elude us or run us from. They are small.
This is our marine forward-looking infrared radar. It sees heat. We can see small crafts unlighted because the heat signature is given off.
SEAMAN BLAYNE GLASS, U.S. COAST GUARD: I like night patrols more because there's more chances of meeting these contacts or migrants or drugs, and passes the time faster.
HENNESSY: The best part of night patrol, you get to know your crew better. That's kind of the only enjoyable part, I would say. There is nothing fun about being up at 3:00 in the morning, 4:00 in the morning.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: To meet more people who work late to keep society moving, tune into our hour-long photo journalist special hosted by Tom Foreman coming up at the top of the hour right here on CNN, or go to CNN.com/nightshift.
We are stopping by the CNN water cooler for a bit of culture. Art from the barnyard, seriously, we're not horsing around, but they certainly are.
Josh, that's cute. I was intrigued. I want to see more, but you'll have to wait for that.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I've got other cool stuff for you, too. You have to see what we have coming up today in viral video rewind. This is one of them. You've got this snowmobile driver. He is in Iceland. He keeps going up, up, up, completely vertical. I don't know how he survives this thing.
That is just one of the stunning videos coming up for you at 4:15 p.m. eastern in your viral video rewind.
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WHITFIELD: I think it's time for water cooler action, don't you? Let's start in New Hampshire with a high school hockey game that went pretty bad here. With just 30 seconds left, a scuffle between a couple of players exploded into an all-out brawl.
Kenney High was leading Portsmouth High They were leading 6-0 at a time. And this is a rarity for high schoolers. Two Portsmouth players were disqualified and more punishments are possible.
Don't try this at home. James Holt is a professional, as you see here, showing off his skills to promote a freestyle gator wrestling contest. It's happening later today and tomorrow in Hollywood, Florida. He is nuts. First prize is a mere $5,000 for that move right there?
Holt's gator expertise and training allow him outsmart and manipulate the deadly reptile despite its superior strength there. Not only do you have to have a lot of guts, but gumption, maybe, and a really good grip.
And if you can lead a horse to canvas, can you make it paint, like this one here? Cheryl Ward has figured it out. The horse owner says she is only an assistant to the artist. She actually has four horses that enjoy painting and she calls their artistic style abstract expressionistic.
And I know you're digging those painting. In fact, they fetch in some cases upwards of $3,000.
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WHITFIELD: We would like you to meet the coupon mom. She makes saving looks like stealing.
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STEPHANIE NIELSON, COUPONMOM.COM: This says ten for $10. You don't have to buy ten. You can buy one for $1. What I'm trying to do today is save the most in coupon, and I have a coupon for $2 off two. I can get two absolutely free.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: This supersaver hits the stores with her coupons and walks out with her food and her money.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: A shopping cart full of groceries for next to nothing. We didn't believe it either until we went to the supermarket with the coupon mom. CNN's Rafer Weigel met up with a smart shopper who deals in discounts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFER WEIGEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Stephanie? I'm Rafer, nice to meet you.
NIELSON: Are you ready to save a lot of money?
WEIGEL: I am. I'm excited
NIELSON: Good. Let's go.
It's all about strategic shopping. Strategic shopping is when you combine promotions with coupons and sales. This is a good example of understanding how your store works. This says ten for $10. You don't have to buy ten. You can just buy one for $1.
And what I'm trying to save the most with coupons. I have a coupon for $2 off two, so I can get two absolutely free.
Here we are. We are at all the baby products. I got the item that is pictured, I would get $1 off and pay $2.19.
WEIGEL: Which would seem like a good deal to most people.
NIELSON: You know what I like? Nine cents. Here is a bar of soap that is the same brand, and it applies. It's usually $1.09. You take the coupon and I'm getting it for nine cents. Most people are going by the picture. When it comes to coupons, go by the words.
WEIGEL: She's like the coupon ninja.
(LAUGHTER)
NIELSON: I buy three copies of the newspaper because if you are a coupon user, if you have three sets of coupons, you'll save a lot more. You'll get a lot more free stuff.
WEIGEL: A whole $1.19.
NIELSON: No we are looking for free.
WEIGEL: You've got high standards or low ones. I'm very impressed.
(LAUGHTER)
NIELSON: Here is a great example of what I call stacking the savings. That's when you combine more than one savings program. In this case there is a special promotion. So this item, instead of $3.79 is $2.29. I also have a coupon I printed for $1. That brings it to $1.29. But I can use that along with an electronic coupon. I'll pay 29 cents instead of $3.79.
I think we got everything on the list.
So before any savings at all we are at $130.21.
WEIGEL: Which is an average week at the grocery store.
NIELSON: For some people. Not for us.
WEIGEL: Yes.
NELSON: But I start out by doing the store card, which gives us all the sale price - all the sale price savings.
That brought us down to $72.87.
WEIGEL: So right now the computer is in disbelief.
NELSON: Right, although you didn't do anything wrong. It's just -
WEIGEL: As am I.
NELSON: OK. Good. I'm happy. For a varsity shopper, this is the kind of number we want to see.
WEIGEL: Look at that, 89 cents. That is insane. That's insane. That's crazy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: I concur. That is crazy. I want to do that.
Get more tips on the deals and the savings. Log on to Coupon Mom's website, couponmom.com.
All right, coming up, before we get to our top stories, a special look at the men and women who work while most of us are sleeping. But first, here are the top headlines.
At least 35 people are dead after a series of explosions in the Southern Afghan city of Kandahar. Police say there were four attacks, two apparent mortar strikes and two suicide bombings.
Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is in a South Korean hospital, being treated for a stomach virus. Kissinger was in Seoul for a security conference. Doctors hope to release him tomorrow.
And organizers of a new group called the Coffee Party say they are holding hundreds of meetings at coffee houses across the country today. They say they're not aligned with either major political party, but they're billing themselves as an alternative to the conservative Tea Party Movement.
And daylight saving time begins at 2:00 A.M. tomorrow. Remember to turn your clocks forward an hour before you go to bed tonight. And, of course, for millions of Americans, 2:00 A.M. is actually the middle of the work day. It's time to continue our special look now at life during the overnight hours. "Night Shift in Focus" starts right now.
