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Moscow Subway Bombing; 'A Soldier's Story'; Reaction to Health Care Law
Aired March 29, 2010 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: All right, let's get going here, time for your top-of-the-hour reset. I'm Tony Harris in the CNN NEWSROOM.
It is 8:00 p.m. in Moscow, a city reeling from double suicide bombings on the subway system with dozens dead and wounded. We will take you there live.
It is noon in south Florida, whipped today by powerful wind, rain, and even a tornado. Our meteorologist has your storm watch.
And it is time to get the real deal on health care reform. Now that it's passed, you need to know what it will cost you. We've got some answers for you.
Let's go, let's go, let's go. Let's get started here.
The attacks in Moscow causing a chain reaction across major cities here in the United States. Officials simply aren't taking chances on the same thing happening here. In New York, transit authority security personnel have stepped up checkpoints at many MTA stations, metro stations in Washington, as well as MARTA stations in Atlanta, also on alert and stepping up security here in the Atlanta area.
Russian authorities suspect Chechen separatists were behind the deadly attacks on the Moscow subway. Suicide bombers struck during the morning rush hour. The attack killed dozens and injured dozens more.
Senior International Correspondent Matthew Chance is outside one of the stations that was targeted, and he joins us live now.
And I've got to tell you, Matthew, I was struck by your comments last hour on just how quickly the city has bounced back and gone back to work today after these attacks.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's incredible. The president of the country, Dmitry Medvedev, said that he wanted the security services to do everything they could, and the emergency workers as well, to make sure the transport system was operating by the end of the day to cause minimum inconvenience, or to reduce the inconvenience, rather, that these attacks have caused.
It's an extremely busy metro system. In fact, it's the second busiest in the world after the Tokyo system. Hundreds of millions of people every year -- or millions of people every year, rather, using it.
At the time the attacks took place, Tony, there were 500,000 people, Muscovites, traveling on the metro system when those two bomb attacks took place, suicide bombers, according to the authorities, from the North Caucasus region. Latest casualty figures, 38 people killed, more than 60 people laid up in hospital a short distance from here. Some of them with very critical, very grave injuries, indeed, as you can imagine.
HARRIS: And Matthew, any claim of responsibility that is credible at this point?
CHANCE: No, there hasn't been. We had some information earlier which were reported that there had been a claim of responsibility, but that was incorrect. There has been no claim of responsibility for these attacks.
But let me be clear, the authorities are absolutely certain, they say, that this is the work of separatists from Chechnya, from the North Caucasus. And those are the people that they're looking for now. They say there could be accomplices around the city right now and possibly more attacks in the future -- Tony.
HARRIS: OK. CNN's Matthew Chance for us.
Matthew, appreciate it. Thank you.
Russia's conflict with Chechnya is a long-standing one. Chechens have laid claim to land in the Caucasus mountains for more than 5,000 years. In 1991, Chechnya formally announced its fight for independence after a series of rebel attacks.
Then Russian president Boris Yeltsin sent in 40,000 Russian troops. That was in 1994.
Two years later, the forces withdrew after heavy losses on both sides. Russia and Chechnya declared a cease-fire, but rebel attacks continued. A second war followed from 1999 to 2009, killing an estimated 15,000 Russian soldiers and 300,000 Chechens.
We are also getting reaction from iReporters out of Moscow. Many of them moved quickly after the attacks.
Streaming pictures and video over the Internet. This iReporter arrived on the scene minutes after the blasts.
CNN I's Kristie Lu Stout also put together some images and filed this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Reaction to the Moscow subway attacks is firing up social media. Go to Twitter. The top trending topic still is Moscow.
And if we bring up Trends map, a tool that overlays top Twitter topics on where they're being discussed, the top words from the Russian capital are still "explosions," "metro," "Moscow," "subway." The list goes on.
Now, I have some tweets that I want to share with you. One from Becky Thatcher in Moscow. She worked at one of the stations that was bombed, and she writes, "I am alive. Thank you, God."
And earlier, she tweeted just two words: "So scared." Right here.
Now, another Twitter user, D. Pasmonte (ph), writes, "A tragedy hits one of the best subway systems I've ever ridden. God be with all of you."
Now, some pictures have also surfaced through social media, like this one apparently showing first responders arriving at a metro station. You can see quite clearly emergency workers there in yellow hats and uniform. And a second picture, let's bring it up for you. It shows a wide corridor with what looks like some kind of debris on the ground.
Now, we can't confirm the authenticity of these images, but both are being widely circulated online.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Boy. All right.
President Obama was quick to condemn the Moscow bombings and extend condolences, saying, "The American people stand united with the people of Russia in opposition to violent extremism and heinous terrorist attacks that demonstrate such disregard for human life."
Three people injured in North Carolina. Lots of property damage to show you here in a second.
Violent thunderstorms slammed the state last night. At least eight tornadoes were reported. No confirmation on that so far.
Here is the scene right now. That's from last night, I believe.
Are we going to get some dayside pictures from Spencer?
But you can see from these pictures, the damage was extensive. Witnesses say the whole thing was simply terrifying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And the whole place got dark. And we, heard, like a train. And we ran to the cooler. And the customers --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The customers that were in the dining room, we just told them, "Come on. Let's go in the freezer. And we got in the freezer and this girl says, "We've got to start praying.".
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The whole building was shaking. It was awful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: But here's the thing -- North Carolina not the only place slammed with severe weather this weekend.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: As President Obama settles back in at the White House after a trip to Afghanistan, U.S. soldiers are training to carry out their commander-in-chief's orders.
We are going to show you what that's like in "A Soldier's Story."
First, though, our "Random Moment" in 85 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Got to tell you, we've been talking recently about the loss of public civility. Case and point, wow, a hockey coach in Canada, our "Random Moment of the Day."
You know, sometimes words just aren't enough. Sometimes it takes a stick. It takes, yes, that stick, really big stick bashed over and over and over again.
Wow. Wait a minute. Where is he going with this? To protest the penalty given to one of your players, right?
Have you noticed the players around him aren't even fazed, obviously? Obviously, this is not a "Random Moment" for this group. They've seen this show before.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The commander-in-chief's message to troops in Afghanistan: the U.S. does not quit, you do not quit, we will prevail. President Obama slipped into Bagram Air Force Base near Kabul under the cover of darkness to personally deliver that message yesterday. It was his first trip to that war zone as president.
He met with his Afghan counterpart, then went on to address some 2,000 troops.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There is no visit that I considered more important than this visit I'm making right now, because I have no greater honor than serving as your commander-in- chief. And it is a privilege to look out and see the extraordinary efforts of America's sons and daughters here in Afghanistan. So my main job here today is to say thank you on behalf of the entire American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: From enlistment to basic training, joining the military can be a difficult decision that comes with a lot of worry for loved ones.
CNN's Jason Carroll has an update on a young soldier named Will McLain. We have been following him for months since he enlisted with the U.S. Army.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go, go, go, go! Get down faster!
CARROLL (voice-over): Urban warfare training --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, what your shooting at?
CARROLL: -- one of a series of crucial exercises soldiers like Will McLain undergo at Ft. Lindenwold, Missouri, to become Army combat engineers. Learning how to secure buildings and hostile regions is key.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on son. Get in the fight.
CARROLL: Nearly 13 weeks into his training, Will is beginning to learn how to become a leader.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Brother is coming out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go, go, go, go!
CARROLL: But on this day, it's hard for all of them to stay on top of their game.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get from behind this corner, son. You can't shoot around corners. You're not superman.
CARROLL: Why is this day a distraction?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One. Go, go.
CARROLL: Now that will has completed basic and is wrapping up specialized training, he and the others will get orders for their first station. It's where the Army will send new soldiers for more training before many are deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq.
(on camera): We're actually talking to Will now before he's actually gotten his orders. How are you feeling about that?
WILL MCLAIN, U.S. ARMY RECRUIT: It's kind of like I'm anxious to see what I'm going to get because I know of so many places.
CARROLL (voice-over): Thousands of miles away, back home in Rosamond, California, his mother Lori is anxious, too.
LORI MCLAIN, MOTHER: So that's I'm waiting for his call. I can't be tough. And discuss that because that just pulls my strings right now the.
CARROLL: Lori McLain has seen dramatic changes in Will in the three months he has been gone. He dropped 54 pounds and more.
L. MCLAIN: It was kind of a symbol of him growing up and doing his thing. More like I'm not your baby anymore, tough stuff. He's always my baby.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: First group, Hamburg, Germany.
CARROLL: Now second away from another major change in Will's life. Ft. Stewart, Lewis, McLain.
W. MCLAIN: Ft. Stewart, Georgia. That's all right. I can do it. It's Down south. A good drive to Texas.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm living it up in Hawaii.
CARROLL: New assignments always come with a few jokes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get yourself a Georgia girl. Good, home cooking.
CARROLL: McLain will have a familiar face with him at Ft. Stewart. His battle buddy Demetrius Daniels. The recruit assigned to be his partner during basic training.
W. MCLAIN: Just knowing he's in my same unit will make it easier when I get there. So at least I know somebody, there's somebody I can avoid getting in trouble with. You know all that fun stuff.
DEMETRIUS DANIEL, BATTLE BUDDY: We were prepared to part ways. But I think it's still good we're together.
CARROLL: Welcome news for his mother back home.
W. MCLAIN: I was calling to let you know we got our orders in today. (INAUDIBLE)
L. MCLAIN: And?
W. MCLAIN: Yes, I'm stationed in Ft. Stewart, Georgia.
L. MCLAIN: He's not going to be put into a war immediately. Thank you, Lord.
CARROLL: Not immediately, but for soldiers like Will, war is still a very real possibility.
W. MCLAIN: Fire in the hole!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Man, oh man.
All right. CNN's Jason Carroll joining me now from New York. And Jason, let's keep the updates going here. Great story, by the way.
What's next for Will?
CARROLL: Well, next is graduation, Tony. And once he completes that, he'll, as you heard in the story, be headed off to Fort Stewart.
That's where he and the others will receive months of intensive combat engineer training, which is what he wants to do. And after that, Tony, in all likelihood, he will be deployed to either Afghanistan or Iraq.
HARRIS: Boy, we will follow his progress.
Good stuff, Jason. Appreciate it. Thank you, sir.
CARROLL: All right, Tony.
HARRIS: Jason Carroll in New York.
Anger, happiness and everything in between. We have some brand- spanking-new poll numbers asking you how you feel about health care reform, now law.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
HARRIS: Health care reform. President Obama has been aggressively promoting the new law. What do you think about it?
CNN Senior Political Analyst Gloria Borger joining me live from Washington with brand-new poll numbers.
Gloria, good to see you on a Monday.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Good to see you. Happy Monday.
HARRIS: Yes, Happy Monday.
Let's start here -- who's angry, and who's not? First, who's angry about the new law?
BORGER: Well, let's just take a look at the numbers of just generally how people feel about it before we get to their anger.
HARRIS: Oh, great. Yes. Yes.
BORGER: OK? Because what we look is that most people still don't like it, Tony.
Approval rating, 42 percent. Disapproval rating, 56 percent. But what's interesting about these numbers, let me show you this. When we asked people whether it should be repealed, given the fact that 56 percent of the folks disapprove of it, look at that. Fifty percent say no, only 47 percent say yes.
So, some folks say, look, I still don't like it, but Congress did its work, let's move on. Right?
HARRIS: Yes, absolutely.
BORGER: So, still, most people want it repealed, but 47 percent say no.
HARRIS: So maybe it will grow on them overtime. Who knows? Maybe they'll like it more, maybe they won't like it.
BORGER: Right.
HARRIS: But when it comes to people and how they feel about it, what is the polling showing us here?
BORGER: Well, there are folks who are really, really angry about it. You won't be surprised to learn, Tony, that most of them are Republicans. And when we broke this down, take a look at this.
We asked whether people were enthusiastic, pleased, displeased or angry. And you see there on the anger side, 50 percent of Republicans are angry about it, 38 percent are displeased. That's 88 percent of Republicans who don't like this very much.
Look at Democrats, though. Twenty-nine percent are enthusiastic. That really is not the kind of enthusiasm that the Democratic Party wants as it's heading into the midterm elections, because that enthusiasm usually translates into people going out there and voting and getting to the polls if you're all stoked, right?
Well, they're not. They're pleased, OK, but they're not really enthusiastic. So that's not fired up -- as much fired up as the Democrats would like.
HARRIS: You know, a lot of the commentary -- of course you know this -- was touting this as a big win for the president. Do Americans see this as a big victory for President Obama?
BORGER: Yes, they do. They do.
HARRIS: OK.
BORGER: You know, as we say, nothing succeeds like success, Tony. The president won and people are saying, you won. If you look at our poll, 47 percent say it's a major victory; 20 percent, minor accomplishment; 33 percent, not a positive achievement. But the president does get a big one under his belt.
He clearly gets a lot of credit from the American public for being a leader and for pushing it through. Whether or not they agree with him or they disagree with him, they know that he was the fellow pushing it through. And they'll judge him eventually on the results.
HARRIS: Yes, I think you're right.
BORGER: But right now, they think he did what he said he was going to do, which is push a health care bill through Congress.
HARRIS: There she is, CNN Senior Political Analyst Gloria Borger.
Good to see you, Gloria. Thanks for your time.
BORGER: Good to see you, Tony.
HARRIS: Now that health care is now law, what does it mean if you get insurance through your job? CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow is in New York.
And Poppy, here's the question everybody wants an answer to right now. Is this going to cost me more money?
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Yes, and it's a good question.
The answer is probably yes, because a lot of these reforms, some that we're seeing taking place in the next few months, some that will take place in a few years, are going to cost employers more. And that's likely going to get passed down to you.
I want to go through some examples here. Let's pull up one of the first.
This is a big thing that takes effect in just a matter of months. Dependents can be covered by their parents' insurance up to the age now of 26. That means that the parents who get that insurance through their employers, it's going to cost those employers more. That is likely going to be passed on to you.
That's something to keep in mind for kids as they graduate from college, as they are looking for a job, et cetera. The parents may bear the burden on that one.
The next one is, there will be no more limits, no more lifetime maximums. And what this is, is typically now your company caps off the amount of health care, insurance that they're going to give you, at $1 million or $2 million. Now, most of us don't need that. However, if you have a catastrophic accident, a serious disease that goes on and on and on, your medical bills can surpass that.
That was a cap that was in place. Now it will not be in place, Tony. So those are two places where employers are going to have to pay more out, and that's likely going to be carried on to you, to the employee.
HARRIS: Yes. Got you.
A quick question for you, Poppy. What about other tax breaks we get thanks to our employer? Are they going to go away? HARLOW: Some of them. This is one. I brought my little health savings account card.
(CROSSTALK)
HARLOW: A lot of us have these. And right now we can buy aspirin with them, Robitussin, over-the-counter drugs.
Well, because of this new bill, you're not going to be able to use this card to buy over-the-counter medicine tax-free like you can right now. You're going to have to get a doctor's note, specifically -- I'm not kidding -- even if you want to buy aspirin with this. So they're trying to bring down health care costs that way, but it's going to cost you more.
And also, the contributions that you make to this account, right now they're typically capped at about $5,000 a year. That cap is going to be cut in half. So you will only be able to put in $2,500 a year that is tax-free to spend on your medications, your doctors' visits, et cetera, Tony. I should note, that doesn't kick in until 2013, but these are all ways, bottom line, we're paying a little bit more.
If you're honestly lucky enough to get insurance through an employer, then you're going to have to pay a little bit more. The bottom line here, so millions of Americans who don't have health care can be covered. But this is a way that you're going to have to pay more.
One good example is, if you're in the 28 percent tax bracket, what we found from Consumer Reports is that this is going to take away about $700 in tax savings that you had before. So we're talking about hundreds of dollars. Some of those changes take effect pretty soon.
A lot more changes you need to know about, more than we can go through today, all right here on our latest story on CNN.com.
HARRIS: Boy, that's good. That's nuts and bolts stuff there at CNNMoney.com.
Poppy, appreciate it. Thank you.
You know, we asked you earlier, what do you think the administration should make its top priority now? Well, now that health care reform is law? And why?
Some of you are sending in your comments. This one is from Janet.
She writes, "Jobs, jobs and more jobs. It's the economy. If you can't work and take care of yourself, nothing else really matters."
This one is a no-brainer. Jon writes, "Obama already got his liberal agenda covered with health care. If he goes after immigration, he is going to have even more Americans angry with him. It is his responsibility to take care of Americans, not would-be Americans."
All right. We want to hear from you, much more from you. Just go to CNN.com/Tony and send us your comments. There it is. There's the blog page, there's the address: CNN.com/Tony.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. Let's get you to CNNMoney.com, because, of course, CNN is your source for money news and the outstanding work of the CNN Money team.
If you would like the latest financial news and analysis, just get to CNNMoney.com.
We're three hours into the trading day. Let's look at stocks, New York Stock Exchange, right now.
I think we're in positive territory. I know that the Nasdaq is up 10 points. And we are trading positively with the Dow up 46 points. Following these numbers throughout the day for you right here in the NEWSROOM. A quick break and we're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know, it could be the next big initiative on the president's domestic agenda. Some top Democrats are pushing for immigration reform. You're looking here at pictures from rallies set up by activists in four states over the last two weeks. Ines Ferre joining me now to talk about this.
And, Ines, this movement -- we take a look at that picture over the last couple of weeks and the rallies and the big rallies over the weekend seems to be picking up some steam.
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and, you know, the latest rallies that went on were in Los Angeles. Thousands of people marched for immigration reform there this weekend.
Now, activists hope that now that the health care bill was passed, President Obama will focus on immigration reform. And you'll recall, Tony, that the same day that the health care bill was passed, some 200,000 people showed up at an immigration rally in Washington, D.C. President Obama addressed the folks there by video saying he'll try to reach a bipartisan consensus this year.
The concern though is, can the administration pull off immigration reform now that the midterm elections are so close. I mean the last time that there was an amnesty in this country was in '86, correct, under President Reagan. And the last big proposal for a path to legalization for illegal immigrants was the McCain/Kennedy bill during the Bush administration. You had 14 Democrats who voted against it. So they really -- they know that they need Republican support.
HARRIS: Right.
FERRE: They need a bipartisan support here.
HARRIS: I don't know how you get that in this environment.
FERRE: And that's the question.
HARRIS: And that's the question.
OK. Stand by. You've got some questions for our next segment, for our next guest who's joining us just a second. Just don't hesitate to jump in. Just tap me on the shoulder or something. OK.
The people rallying want immigration reform on the agenda, but what are the chances, the real chances of reform actually happening given the atmosphere in Washington?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: If a moderate Democrat got a phone call from the president, he wants you to come down to the White House and help him with immigration now, most of them would jump out the window. That's just the truth.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: So the system is broken. It lets the wrong people in, excludes the wrong people. And so we need to fix it.
Now, Lindsey and I have worked for a year. We've put out a framework that goes by what we think most Americans believe. Most Americans are anti-illegal immigration and pro-legal immigration. And we're real close. We're real close.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: So immigration reform close? Not so close? We are talking about it with Brent Wilkes, the national executive director of the League United Latin American Citizens or LULAC for shot.
Brent, good to see you. Thanks for your time.
BRENT WILKES, LULAC: Thanks, Tony.
HARRIS: Well, let's get started here. Do you believe the administration candidly here is slow walking reform to avoid dealing with the politically hot-button issue and you know it is to avoid, let's be frank here, riling up the Tea Party activists, other conservative groups, as well as conservative talk TV and conservative radio?
WILKES: Oh, I think they're definitely not putting the time and the effort into it that they are into other priorities. We take a look at the education initiative, for example. They have their own blueprint on education reform. They've had town halls across the country. They've been having rallies. The president's spoken out about it on his Saturday radio address. So they've put a lot of effort into that, even though that's not necessarily on the front burner either. So I think that they haven't put into this issue the type of attention that they need to in order to get the ball rolling.
HARRIS: Why?
WILKES: Well, we think that it's complicated, but we think the president is working on some other key issues this year. I think he wants to focus on jobs. I think he wants to focus on the economy. And we think he also wants to focus on financial reform and perhaps even some of the political reform in terms of corporations being able to put so much money into campaigns this year because of the Supreme Court decision. So those tend to be getting a lot of focus by the White House. But we think immigration could be an issue if the president just would invest a little time into it and push it. We think it could get done this year because we think there is bipartisan support for the bill. And as soon as the president says, I want to move on this, I think there will be some people who will say, OK, let's get it done.
HARRIS: OK. I want to come back to that point that you believe that there's bipartisan support for this. I really want to understand your rationale for that. But here's what the president promised as Candidate Obama in July of 2008, I believe talking to your organization about the importance of immigration reform.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We need a president who isn't going to walk away from something as important as comprehensive reform when it becomes politically unpopular.
And I will make it a top priority in my first year as president, not only because we have an obligation to secure our borders and get control of who comes in and out of our country, not only because we have to crack down on employers who are abusing undocumented immigrants instead of hiring citizens, but because we have to finally bring undocumented immigrants out of the shadows.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK. Brent, so that was the president as Candidate Obama in 2008 talking to your organization. Where do you believe -- you believe there is a bipartisan support for immigration reform? Where do you -- what tea leaves are you reading?
WILKES: Well, I look at the 2006 vote in the Senate in which 23 Republicans joined Democrats in passing a comprehensive immigration bill that was put forward by President Bush. We think that that support is still there. There's a strong interest by Democrats who want to help the undocumented population and want to help immigrant communities to finally have a chance at the American dream.
And on the Republican side, business is really clamoring for a bill as well, because they understand that the system is broken and that they'll be helped if they pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill. And even folks who believe that we really do need to fix the problem and stop undocumented immigrants from coming into the country, they also understand the system's broken. And if you're going to have a chance at fixing it, you've got to have a legal avenue for folks to come in the first place.
So I think the folks that really are stopping this, honestly, are the very few minor folks who are really focused on this as a race issue or an ethnic issue and they don't want to see people that are different than they are coming into the country. They're very loud, but they're very small in number and I think the majority of the American people and the majority of both members of Congress, both houses, will support this legislation if the president pushes it forward and says it's a priority for them.
FERRE: And, Brent, how much of this do you think has to do with public perception and how much of it do you guys have to do as far as perception is concerned that this is important, these jobs, the economy, everything else?
HARRIS: Yes.
WILKES: Well, it's very critical. I think that there is some members of Congress who are afraid to take a tough stand. They know that there are those anti-immigrants out there that will come forward and try to make a big fuss. And so they want to see a general support from the American public to move forward on a bill.
But the truth is, the polls are out there that show the vast majority of Americans, they do want to have a legal system. They do want -- they don't want undocumented immigrants coming into the country. But they also realize that those that are already here, as long as they pay their back taxes and they undergo a certain test and they're obeying the law otherwise, that they should have a chance and a shot at the American dream. They get in the back of the line. They have no problem giving those folks a chance at the American dream as well. And they certainly want to fix the system so in the future that there's a legal avenue and that people don't come in undocumented.
HARRIS: Well, let's see where this goes. Brent Wilkes.
Brent, appreciate it. Thanks for your time.
And, Ines, thanks for the help.
WILKES: Thanks, Tony.
HARRIS: Let's get you caught up now on our top stories.
Militias in the Midwest? Nine people in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana were charged today with conspiracy in an alleged plot to kill a Michigan law enforcement officer and then attack other officers at a funeral.
Subway security beefed up in New York, Washington, Atlanta and Los Angeles. It is a response to a pair of rush hour bombings targeting Moscow's metro system. Dozens of people were killed and scores more injured in packed underground stations today by female suicide bombers.
You know, we're all used to hearing about earthquakes in California and when the big one will hit. We will explore the possibility of an earthquake in the United States where you might not expect it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: A developing story we want to bring to you now. We're getting word that a 33-year-old Pennsylvania man has been arrested for threatening that man. Threatening to kill Virginia Representative Eric Cantor. As you know, he is the number three Republican in the House of Representatives.
Let me get a little more information from -- a statement from his office. Over the weekend, Congressman Cantor was notified by law enforcement that a threat was made against his life. Law enforcement officials informed the congressman that the threat was determined to be credible and that they were responding accordingly.
And now news today that a 33-year-old Pennsylvania man has been arrested for threatening to kill Virginia Representative Eric Cantor. We will continue to follow developments on this story and, of course, get you additional information as soon as we get it for you right here in the NEWSROOM.
You know, first it was Haiti. Then Chile. Oh, hi, Jacqui.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hello.
HARRIS: You know, we've been hearing about devastating earthquakes for months now and we all know that there is a quake threat here in the United States. But you might be a bit surprised to know that there is a real threat in other areas of the country.
Jacqui, walk us through that because we are well aware of the threat in California.
JERAS: Absolutely. Yes, I mean, if you ask any person, where is the next big one going to happen, they'll probably tell you California.
HARRIS: Yes.
JERAS: But, believe it or not, some of the most powerful earthquakes that have happened in the U.S. were in the Midwest, as well as in the South.
HARRIS: I did not know that.
JERAS: I know. So we're going to take you to Charleston, South Carolina, where a very complex system of faults exists there and it could actually trigger a powerful earthquake as strong as the one that we had in Haiti in January.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD COTE, AUTHOR, "CITY OF HEROES": It was the most catastrophic earthquake ever to hit anyplace east of the Mississippi, in all of U.S. history. Struck Charleston with a ferocious roar.
JERAS (voice-over): Author and researcher Richard Cote describes the horror that filled the steamy Charleston air on August 31, 1886. An estimated 7.3 magnitude earthquake devastated this charming southern city.
COTE: Two-thirds of all the brick structures in Charleston were either destroyed or severely damaged.
JERAS: And it was felt from Montreal to Nebraska, Cuba to Bermuda.
JERAS (on camera): So this is the church building. And this was severely damaged in the earthquake?
COTE: Yes. This is one of the most magnificent churches in Charleston, St. Michael's Episcopal Church. The entire bell tower separated with a huge crack through the side of the building.
JERAS (voice-over): Amazingly, the church was put back together with earthquake bolts, as were many other buildings in town.
JERAS (on camera): So these are the earthquake bolts?
COTE: These are Charleston's legendary earthquake bolts. What you see on the side of this building is not actually the earthquake bolt itself. That's the long iron rod that runs all the way through the building.
JERAS: And what are we going to see at the fort?
PRADEEP TALWANI, GEO PHYSICIST: And at the fort we are going to be seeing the effects of the earthquake.
JERAS (voice-over): Retired geology professor Pradeep Talwani has spent decades researching the 1886 quake. He says the fault zone is deep and runs right through nearby historical Fort Dorchester.
TALWANI: So you can get some idea of the force of the earthquake which caused this to break and moved this one towards in a right lateral sense I'm sorry, in a left lateral sense. So this sense
JERAS (on camera): So this comes out and this is pushing back.
TALWANI: Right.
JERAS: It goes like this right here.
TALWANI: Exactly. Exactly. So we have -- and here, the displacement is about four inches or 10 centimeters. So to have the earthquake be so strong that it breaks this and moves it, gives you some clue what was going on.
JERAS: Ninety-five percent of all earthquakes happen where two plates come together and shift, like what happened with the earthquake in Chile. However, South Carolina sits right in the middle of the North American Plate. Now, there can be some weaknesses within that plate. And there is one just north and west of Charleston. When pressure builds upon that area, stress builds and the earth moves.
JERAS (voice-over): Talwani's research has shown the 1886 earthquake was one of at least seven quakes to happen here.
TALWANI: The frequency of earthquakes we're getting is about every 500 years on an average.
JERAS (on camera): So it's not a matter of if another powerful quake will rattle Charleston, but when. And is the city prepared.
JERAS (voice-over): Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley says earthquakes are fused into Charleston's history and future.
MAYOR JOSEPH RILEY, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA: We've made our buildings stronger so they would more well withstand an earthquake than they did 144 years ago. And then we're in place and ready to get through it and to recover.
JERAS: The South Carolina Emergency Management Division released the results of a study that outlines what could happen today if a 7.3 magnitude earthquake were to strike the same area. The report estimates that 900 people would be killed, 800 bridges would be damaged beyond use, 36 million tons of debris would be generated and total economic losses would reach $20 billion.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Are you kidding me?
JERAS: Yes, those are some staggering numbers, aren't they?
HARRIS: Yes.
JERAS: And, you know, it's hard to really prepare for these things. Like Mayor Riley was telling us, you know, if a hurricane comes, like Hugo, he was mayor during that time, you've got days to plan ahead. But an earthquake, you know, it's instantaneous. So they're doing things like retrofitting some of the major buildings in town, like the city hall, as well as the theater, with reinforced steel so that it doesn't crumble down. Because, you know, earthquakes don't kill people, it's buildings that kill people.
HARRIS: Yes, exactly. Well, that sounds like a plan. How long to make all of that happen?
JERAS: Well, you know, nobody knows when that earthquake will come. You know, Pradeep Talwani, the geologist in the piece, tells us that this would happen every 500 years on average. But you can't set your clock to that exactly, now, can you. So in reality, this could happen tomorrow, this could happen in a month, this could happen in 300 years. Nobody really knows.
HARRIS: What do you have behind us here?
JERAS: This is a hazard map from the USGS.
HARRIS: Let me get out of the way here.
JERAS: It shows some of the most vulnerable places across the U.S.
HARRIS: Right.
JERAS: And so you can see that big red area is what you want to look at the map. So, Charleston, you see the big bull's-eye. Here's another one. This is the new Madrid fault zone. Some people I think know about this one in the Midwest, from Illinois down towards Arkansas. But this one could have some major impact across the globe. And we're going to go to Memphis, Tennessee, two weeks from today and have a report from there.
HARRIS: Are you? OK. That's good stuff. Thank you, Jacqui. I think I'll hang out with you here a little more often.
JERAS: Any time.
HARRIS: How's the lighting?
JERAS: You look good.
HARRIS: All right. We'll get you to a break. We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. So time now for a look at the topics, right, generating some buzz on the Internet?
FERRE: That's right.
HARRIS: What's hot?
FERRE: Yes, the buzz. All right. Well, Tony, first let's start out with this one from CNN.com. A new study suggesting that binging on junk food produces the same highs as cocaine and heroin. The study out from a research center in Florida found rats who consumed a diet of bacon, sausage and cheesecake not only liked that food, but -- no, I'm just kidding, but became obese, but their brain chemistry changed. They say that overeating leads to an overload of the brain's pleasure sensors, just like doing drugs. That's unbelievable.
HARRIS: Right. Right. Yes, no surprises in that finding.
FERRE: No.
HARRIS: What is this story about Facebook and Bulgarian lawmakers?
FERRE: Yes, it's this case of a guilty pleasure driving city hall to distraction. Members of the city council in Bulgaria's send largest city did become addicted to a computer game called Farmville. HARRIS: Oh, yes. Yes.
FERRE: And, in fact, they were playing the Facebook game so much, that one budget committee member was removed because he wouldn't stop playing during council meetings. And before he -- you know, you can -- before you say, OK, well who would actually waste time harvesting virtual eggs, plants, or milking computerized cows, OK, ponder this one. More than 82 million people pick up their virtual hoes every month and go to work in Farmville.
HARRIS: Oh, come on.
FERRE: Yes. While the number of actual honest to goodness farmers in the U.S. is just under 1 million. That's amazing.
HARRIS: That is. I hear it's an addictive game. All right, so there it is, what's trending, what's hot right now.
We're going to take a break. We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So we're talking about teenagers on a rampage in Philadelphia and using social media to coordinate their meetings. Now the mayor takes to the streets to say, stop the madness. But as CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti tells us, children aren't the only ones to blame here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Philadelphia's mayor goes for a nighttime stroll on South Street to prove a point. His city, he says, is safe. Yet four times in the last year, so-called flash mobs, mainly teens, used texting and the Internet to state impromptu gatherings that turned ugly around downtown Philly.
DEP. COMM. RICHARD ROSS, PHILADELPHIA POLICE DEPARTMENT: I think they take advantage of the large group and then from that all kind of mayhem results.
CANDIOTTI: Mayhem like teens running through stores, including this Macy's, merchandise destroyed, fights breaking out. In all, nearly 30 juveniles are convicted in the incidents.
CANDIOTTI (on camera): Are the kids down there all just a bunch of troublemakers?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of course not.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Sixteen-year-old Sharnell (ph) was there last Saturday night, but says she wasn't involved in any trouble. She's part of a citywide student association that advocates positive activities.
CANDIOTTI (on camera): And what do you want people to know about Philadelphia and the kids in Philadelphia?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That we are not a flash mob.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Community activists blame state budget cuts that have slashed youth programs and poor parenting as part of the problem.
SHELLY YANOFF, PUBLIC CITIZEN FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH EXEC. DIR.: The fact that kids have nothing to do is our fault, not theirs, because we haven't developed the programming. And, of course, it is our fault if they're not being adequately parented either.
CANDIOTTI (on camera): Some are saying there are racial overtones. And that had the flash mobs been made up of mostly white students, there wouldn't have been such a huge uproar. The mayor denies it.
MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER, PHILADELPHIA: There is no racial component to stupidity. You want to go out after school or even at night as a young person, there's a way to conduct yourself. And when you exercise bad judgment, bad things are going to happen to you.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): On this night, quiet. But in the summer nights to come, police expect more flash mobs, with no way to tell where or when they'll pop up next.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, Philadelphia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: It is go time. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with T.J. Holmes in for Ali Velshi.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: That's a heck of an intro there.
HARRIS: Come on, man.
HOLMES: Tony, thank you kind sir.
