Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Plane Splits Apart in Colombia While Landing; China Sprints to Number 2 Economy; President Obama on Green Energy, Jobs
Aired August 16, 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: And hello again, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
Top of the hour in the CNN NEWSROOM, where anything can happen. Here are some of the people behind today's top stories.
Almost 30 percent of Americans are obese. A new food rating system aims to help you make healthy choices. But how well does it work when ice cream gets a better rating than Raisin Bran?
And losing the American dream, one of the last days in the life of a small business closing its doors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I worry about, as all people do right now, how we're going to make it to the next month. How will we make it? But we will survive, like everybody else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: You are online right now, and we are, too.
Ines Ferre is following what's hot -- Ines.
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, if you follow "Jersey Shore," you may be following this: Ronnie arrested for not paying his parking ticket.
And this one from mashable.com. If you see this little button, the dislike button on Facebook, well, they're saying that it's fake -- Tony.
HARRIS: All right. I need my Snooki update.
Let's get started with our lead story: clean energy and new jobs. That's -- well, that promising combination is what brings President Obama this hour to Wisconsin.
The president is about to deliver a speech any minute now at ZBB Energy Corporation. And the company is using a $1.3 million loan from the Recovery Act state energy program to help fund a factory renovation.
We will bring you the president's comments live as soon as he begins speaking. Right now to Colombia.
A passenger plane splits apart while trying to land. Lightning strikes being blamed for the crash of that Boeing 737. Authorities on the island of San Andres say one person was killed.
CNN's Karl Penhaul on the phone with me now from the Colombian capital of Bogota.
And Karl, if you would, give us the update on information you're learning about this crash.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we do know is that air crash investigators are now on the ground, and they will be the ones who are in charge of now putting together the pieces and figuring out exactly what did happen.
Now, yes, a possible lightning strike is one of the early theories that investigators are working on. Civil aviation in Bogota said at the time of the accident it was raining at that airport and there were tropical storms in the vicinity. But so far, not confirmed that a lightning strike was to blame.
What we do know, though, was that when the accident occurred, the plane broke into three sections and slid hundreds of yards along the runway. Miraculously, according to police and to civil aviation authorities, only one person was killed, 124 others were taken to hospitals for injuries. And we do know that two, at least, have serious head traumas, and we're expecting a 12-year-old to be evacuated from that island to the Colombian mainland by air ambulance shortly.
Now, San Andres is a holiday island, and among the passengers were, in fact, six Americans and a number of Europeans as well -- Tony.
HARRIS: OK.
Karl Penhaul with that update for us.
Karl, appreciate it. Thank you.
Meteorologist Chad Myers is joining us with a bit more on lightning strikes.
And I've got to tell you, Chad, we know that planes fly through weather all the time.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
HARRIS: I'm a bit surprised that we don't hear more about strikes. Not the impact that we're seeing here, but certainly the impacts of -- the potential impacts of lightning strikes on planes.
MYERS: Would you believe that on average, every plane in the air gets hit by lightning at least once a year?
HARRIS: I can believe that.
MYERS: It happens. I've seen it. I have looked out the wing, and I have seen it hit the little winglet on my plane that I was sitting in, row -- I don't know, 12 or 13, so I could see straight out.
But the problem was not so much that it got hit by lightning, because it happens all the time. Where it happened.
It happened when they were on approach. And even if there was a downdraft pushing this plane down -- because there could be multiple things. If you have lightning and you have a thunderstorm, a thunderstorm could make the downdraft, could make the wind sheer, could make all kinds of other things. But if you only lose control, or even lose your sight for a second, and that's the second that you need to get the plane on the ground, then all of a sudden, that's the wrong second.
You're at 30,000 feet, the lightning hits the plane. OK, you have plenty of time to recover.
Lightning typically will not put a plane on the ground. It will maybe blind the pilot, it will maybe make some of the instruments go out for seconds at a time. Not for minutes. They could be recovered.
And there's so many redundancies on these airplanes. And the skin of an airplane allows the lightning to go in and go out, and typically this is not a problem.
I believe this was more of where the plane was, how close he was to the runway, did he lose control for a number of seconds. And there were lightning strikes around.
There's the island. These are the lightning strikes here in the 30 minutes right before and during the aircraft landing, so it certainly could have been lightning. And I'm going to believe the pilot, if that's what he saw, that's what he saw.
HARRIS: Yes. OK. That's a good explainer. Chad, appreciate it, as always. Thank you, sir.
MYERS: Sure.
HARRIS: China sprints ahead of Japan to become the world's second largest economy during the last quarter. If projections pan out, China might be the number two for all of 2010.
CNN's chief business correspondent Ali Velshi is in New York to talk us through this.
Ali, great to see you, sir.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, my friend.
HARRIS: Hey, let's talk about the bottom line on this. Why does this matter to the United States, and what does it mean really for our bottom line?
VELSHI: Well, it matters on about three different levels.
One is that China, as you know, is a big, big holder of American debt. And there is this constant concern that as we get more and more indebted -- imagine it's just a regular person or a business getting more and more indebted -- there becomes a fear from your lender about whether you'll be able to pay.
So China, to some people, could hold the answer to whether or not we are able to borrow money in the future. That's always a concern with China.
Then there is the second issue, and that is China continues to make those inexpensive goods that we buy everywhere we go. So that's a big role that China plays in our lives. But in making all of those inexpensive goods, Tony, what have we seen over the last decade or 15 years? We have seen a lot of our basic manufacturing jobs disappearing.
HARRIS: That's right.
VELSHI: So the dynamic between the U.S. and China is that we are two countries that need each other. And the shift in power is important to keep in mind.
I think the way you have to look at this is in terms of opportunities and in terms of challenges. We know -- I just named what the challenges are with China, but there are opportunities.
I'm a big believer in the fact that if you see this coming -- and today is real evidence that you see it coming -- China could, over the next 10 to 15 years or maybe 20 years, come into balance with the U.S. as the world's largest economies. And how do we actually prosper out of that? How do we make money?
Look at it there. It's still a third of the size of the U.S. economy, Tony, but it could get bigger.
I think to think that if we think about this long and hard, we can find the things that America can make and the services America can provide that the Chinese are going to want to buy. Look, just one example, Tony.
What do prosperous cultures do? They do what Americans do, they travel. Chinese want to travel to America. That's an opportunities for American restaurateurs, for America hotel operators or resort operators.
We have to start thinking about what we can sell the Chinese.
HARRIS: You know, you look at those figures, and you wonder, is there something we should be learning about manufacturing? I mean, is there something more that we could be doing in that sector? We still want to make things in this country, don't we? VELSHI: Yes. And we still do, and we still look at the peak in 1979. We employed a little better than 19 million people in manufacturing. Today there are still close to 12 million Americans in manufacturing. So we do make stuff, but what's the kind of stuff we're going to make?
We can't compete with low-cost labor, where benefits and working conditions are not as good in China. But we can make higher-value goods. And that's what we should think about.
The other thing, let's think about this -- as oil prices go up and it gets expensive to ship heavy items like steel around the world, there may not be that much of an advantage to manufacturing steel in China. Maybe our Rust Belt will start building those heavy items. There are things that America can do.
We probably want the Chinese to become more like us in terms of what our factory floors look and feel like in terms of the guarantees for workers and better health care and better environment than we want to become like the Chinese.
HARRIS: Yes. At some point, I want to talk to you about Japan. That's the other side of the story, what's going on with Japan.
Ali, good to see you.
Ali will be at the top of the hour, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
VELSHI: All right.
HARRIS: Good to see you, sir.
Got to tell you, a large percentage of Americans who do have jobs hate them so much, they are actually thinking of quitting. That's according to a new survey of 15,000 American workers.
The survey on job dissatisfaction says two out of five U.S. professionals are considering quitting their jobs this fall. Here are some of the top reasons cited: lack of communication and involvement by top management, and no promotions despite good work results. Also, workers cite being overworked and a lack of company vision.
Recent Labor Department figures show those who do have jobs are putting in more work hours. Hours rose 3.6 percent over last quarter. That is the largest jump in four years.
The president and comments on a proposal to build an Islamic center and mosque two blocks from New York's Ground Zero. We will hear from the president and from you.
First, though, our "Random Moment" in 90 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: All right. Are you ready for our "Random Moment?"
They war stripes, but these escapees didn't break out of jail. Check our the "Random Moment of the Day."
A pair of zebras dash for freedom in Carmichael, California, Saturday evening. Their handlers were loading the animals on a truck when a couple of dogs thought it would be a good time to speak up. Yes, they spooked the zebras.
One zebra was found cooling its heels in a swimming pool. The other kept running for about four hours before it was finally corralled.
It is a real jungle in the suburbs, our "Random Moment of the Day." Have some!
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The president is about to deliver a speech any minute now on clean energy and new jobs at ZBB Energy corporation in Wisconsin. The company is using a $1.3 million loan from the Recovery Act state energy program to help fund the factory renovation.
We will bring you the president's remarks, live.
Well, President Obama will be talking about the economy, as we mentioned, any moment now, but he is likely to keep hearing questions about the proposed Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero in New York. He walked into a bit of a hornets' nest with his comments at a White House dinner marking the start of Ramadan on Friday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Recently, attention has been focused on the construction of mosques in certain communities, particularly New York. Now, we must all recognize and respect the sensitivities surrounding the development of Lower Manhattan. The 9/11 attacks were a deeply traumatic event for our country, and the pain and the experience of suffering by those who lost loved ones is just unimaginable.
So I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. And Ground Zero is indeed hallowed ground. But let me be clear.
As a citizen and as president, I believe that Muslims have the right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in Lower Manhattan in accordance with local laws and ordinances.
This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country and that they will not be treated differently by their government is essential to who we are. The writ of the founders must endure.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: And let's get you to the president now in Wisconsin.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
OBAMA: We've got somebody who is fighting on behalf of Wisconsin families each and every day, Russ Feingold, running for U.S. senator.
(APPLAUSE)
A great friend and somebody who has been really doing great work over the first couple years in Congress, Congresswoman Gwen Moore. Please give her a big round of applause.
(APPLAUSE)
And thank you, Eric, for the wonderful tour that you provided to us. Please give Eric Apfelbach a big round of applause.
(APPLAUSE)
CEO of ZBB.
Now, it is great to be here. I just had a chance to see some of the batteries that you're manufacturing, and talked to a few of the men and women who are building them. And the reason I'm here today is because at this plant, you're doing more than just making high-tech batteries. You're pointing the country towards a brighter economic future.
Now, that's not easy. We've been through a terrible recession, the worst that we have seen since the Great Depression. And this recession was the culmination of a decade that felt like a sledgehammer on middle class families.
For the better part of 10 years, people were seeing stagnant incomes and sluggish growth and skyrocketing health care costs and skyrocketing tuition bills, and people were feeling less secure, economically. And few parts of the economy were hit harder than manufacturing.
Over the last 10 years, the number of people working in manufacturing shrank by a third. And that left millions of skilled, hard-working Americans sitting idle, just like their plants were sitting idle. And that was before the recession hit. Obviously, once the recession took hold, millions more were struggling in ways that they never imagined.
And there is nobody here who hasn't been touched in some way by this recession. And certainly, a state like Wisconsin, or my home state of Illinois, can tell a lot of stories about how badly hit manufacturing was, particularly in the Midwest.
Now, there are some who suggest this decline is inevitable, but I don't see it that way. And I know neither do you.
Yes, times are tough, but we have been through tough times before. And we have made it through because we are resilient. Americans are resilient.
We don't give in to pessimism, we don't give in to cynicism. We fight for our future. We work to shape our own destiny as a country, and that's what we have been trying to do since I took office.
We have been fighting on all fronts, inch by inch, foot by foot, mile by mile, to get this country moving forward again, and going after every single job we can create right here in the United States of America. So we're investing in 21st century infrastructure: roads and bridges, faster Internet access, high-speed railroads, projects that will lead to hundreds of thousands of private sector jobs, but will also lay the groundwork so that our kids and our grandkids can keep prospering.
We have cut taxes for small businesses that hire unemployed workers. In fact, I've signed seven other small business tax cuts so that entrepreneurs can help expand, buy new equipment, and add more employees.
We've taken emergency steps to prevent layoffs of hundreds of thousands of teachers and firefighters and police officers and other critical public servants in our communities. And I think that Governor Doyle will testify that we have made progress in part because everybody is pulling together. There was a great danger of even greater layoffs all across this state for vital services that would affect our kids and our families.
These folks would have otherwise lost their jobs because of state and local budget cuts. And at the same time, what we have been trying to do -- and that's why I'm here at ZBB -- is to jump-start a homegrown, clean energy industry building on the good work of your governor and others in this state.
That's why I'm here today. Because of the steps we have taken to strengthen the economy, ZBB received a loan that's helping to fund an expansion of your operations.
Already, it's allowed ZBB to retain nearly a dozen workers. And over time, the company expects to hire about 80 new workers.
This is leading to new business for your suppliers, including MGS Plastics and other manufacturers here in Wisconsin. And ZBB is also planning to take advantage of a special tax credit to build another factory in southeastern Wisconsin so we can create even more jobs and more opportunity.
And Eric's confident that you can expand because you're seeing rising demand for advanced batteries. And all this is part of steps we have taken in clean energy, steps that have led to jobs manufacturing wind turbines and solar panels, building hybrid and electric vehicles, modernizing our electric grid so that we have more sources of renewable energy, but we can also use it more effectively.
We expect our commitment to clean energy to lead to more than 800,000 jobs by 2012. And that's not just creating work in the short term. That's going to help lay the foundation for lasting economic growth. I just want everybody to understand, just a few years ago, American businesses could only make two percent of the world's advanced batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles. Two percent. In just a few years, we'll have up to 40 percent of the world's capacity.
Here at ZBB, you're building batteries to store electricity from solar cells and wind turbines, and you've been able to export batteries around the globe, and that's helping lead this new industry.
For years, we have heard about manufacturing jobs disappearing overseas. Well, companies like this are showing us how manufacturing can come back right here in the United States of America, right back here to Wisconsin.
(APPLAUSE)
Now, obviously, we have got a lot more work to do. The damage that was done by this recession was enormous.
Eight million people lost their jobs, 750,000 lost jobs the month I was sworn into office. Three million had lost their jobs by the time we took office, and several more million those first few months of 2009.
So, too many of our family members and our friends and our neighbors are still having a tough time finding work. And some of them have been out of work a long time.
And I've said before and I'll say again, my administration will not rest until every American who is willing to work can find a job, and a job that pays decent wages and decent benefits to support a family. But what's clear is that we're headed in the right direction.
A year-and-a-half ago, this economy was shrinking rapidly. The economy is now growing.
A year-and-a-half ago, we were losing jobs every month in the private sector. We have now added private sector jobs for seven months in a row. And that means the worst mistake we could make is to go back to doing what we were doing that got us into the mess that we were in.
We can't turn back. We've got to keep going forward. We've got to keep going forward.
(APPLAUSE)
Now, I'll be honest with you, there is going to be a big debate about where we go. There are folks in Washington right now who think we should abandon our efforts to support clean energy.
They've made the political calculation that it's better to stand on the sidelines than work as a team to help American businesses and American workers. So they said no to the small business tax cuts I talked about. They said no to rebuilding infrastructure. And they said no to clean energy projects. They even voted against getting rid of tax breaks for shipping jobs overseas so we could give those tax breaks to companies that are investing right here in Wisconsin.
And my answer to people who have been playing politics the past year and a half is, they should come to this plant. They should go to any of the dozen new battery factories, or the new electric vehicle manufacturers, or the new wind turbine makers, or the solar plants that are popping up all over this country, and they should have to explain why they think these clean energy jobs are better off being made in Germany or China or Spain, instead of right here in the United States.
HARRIS: All right. There you have it, the president in Wisconsin for remarks on clean energy and new jobs. The president making remarks from ZBB Energy after touring the facility a little earlier.
As the president mentioned, the company is using a $1.3 million loan from the Recovery Act state energy program to help fund a factory renovation. Twelve workers received so far, and if the project -- if the work goes as planned, another 80 people will be hired at ZBB as that company builds batteries to store energy. And as you know, storing energy, particularly solar energy, is vital to the emerging green economy.
Let's take a break. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So, as we have mentioned a few times today, President Obama walked into a bit of a hornet's nest with his comments supporting a proposed Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero in New York. He made his remarks at a White House dinner marking the start of Ramadan on Friday.
Senior White House correspondent Ed Henry was one of the first to ask the president about that comment.
Here's how the president clarified it in a CNN exclusive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: What do you think about the reaction to your speech about the mosque? What about the reaction to the speech?
OBAMA: Well, my intention was to simply let people know what I thought, which was that in this country, we treat everybody equally in accordance with the law, regardless of race, regardless of religion. I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there. I was commenting very specifically on the right that people have that dates back to our founding.
That's what our country's about. And I think it's very important that, you know, as difficult as some of these issues are, that we stay focused on who we are as a people and what our values are all about.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: You might be curious about the language in the Constitution regarding freedom of religion. Here's the exact wording of the First Amendment.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
I asked you earlier what you thought of the president weighing in on this issue, and a lot of you are responding.
Ines Ferre has been reading all of your comments -- Ines.
FERRE: Tony, let's get started.
We have got Hogie, that says, "I believe in the right to express one's religion, but the mosque at Ground Zero is too sensitive, a reminder of 9/11."
Also on CNN.com, we've got Southgate, that says, "This is one of those days where I am proud to be an American. President Obama did the only thing he could do, he acted like a true American. This is freedom."
And also, we've got Debbie, that said, "If we were to interfere with the free exercise of religion, then we're not the country we claim to be."
And Aryan saying, "Do you think the president should worry about these things when the world has bigger issues to deal with?"
These are some of the comments that we've been receiving. And people can still leave comments on CNN.com/Tony.
HARRIS: Terrific. All right, Ines. Thank you.
A deadly accident in the California desert now calls for a safety crackdown after a truck goes out of control -- look at this -- and mows down race fans.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So when will the bad guys learn? Those high-speed chases, they never really work out. Los Angeles police cruisers literally -- and look, look. Take a look for yourself -- swarmed a white pickup truck on the I-10 today, just as the sun was rising. A couple of armed robbery suspects led L.A. County deputies on a freeway chase. Police say the man and woman stole high-powered rifles from a shooting range. The duo had little choice but to give up after a blowout left them riding on a rim.
No criminal charges for a California man after a deadly accident at a desert race this weekend. Twenty-eight-year-old Brett Sloppy's truck lurched out of control Saturday night rolling on top of race fans. Look how close they all are. Gosh. Sloppy writes on his FaceBook page, he is so incredibly devastated. The desert races are largely, as you would imagine, unregulated. As you can see, spectators just standing right alongside the track. That's not even a track. What is that? No barricades to be found. I guess that would take away some of the sport of it. Josh Levs is here to talk more about it. And some are calling this kind of a Mad Max type of scene. If you think of the movies, I guess that makes sense.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony, and I was covering this on breaking news over the weekend when we first got the pictures. I mean, yes, you're right, people are standing right next to it.
HARRIS: Yes.
LEVS: It's the 200 race, 50 miles, but they do four times. It takes hours and hours. And what I want people to understand here is that this isn't just a bunch of random people that get together and kind of start doing this on their own. There's actually an organization behind it.
Let's go ahead and take this video full and I'm going to talk to you about some of the written rules that actually surround what's supposed to be done here. There's an organization behind this that announced it. MDR Racing, Mojave Desert Racing. And what they say in writing is, and it's on their website, you can see, it says spectators are supposed to stand 100 feet away from the course. Now, clearly, you look there and you see that they're not. And that's one of the big questions now, why is that? It also says spectators only on the pit side of the course. Well, it looks to us like they're on both sides. Do not stand or drive on the course. A few of the rules that go along with it. Another one, do not spectate on the outside of a curve or a turn.
So these are some of the rules that are written about how spectators are supposed to handle this. And one of the big questions now is, who is supposed to be enforcing this?
HARRIS: Yes.
LEVS: We had an expert on the air with us yesterday afternoon, Sunday afternoon, talking about the inherent dangers in this kind of race.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY WEBSTER, POPULAR MECHANICS: Very few open races are left in this -- in the world, precisely for this problem. And it's just very difficult to control the spectators. You can give all the warnings you want, but then, at the end of the day, they're out there, they're on their own and they do what they want.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: And, Tony, he also pointed out, there's not a ton of money in these kinds of races, so they probably can't afford people to go around and check the entire track all of time.
Let's do this. I'm going to show you where this takes place, because it's considered a mecca for this kind of racing. We just zoomed into California here. It's in this Mojave Desert area that's east of L.A., east of San Bernardino. This accident took place in this area, Soggy Dry Lake. This is part of that 50 miles that they were driving around in these trucks. And, obviously, a lot of questions raised now about what needs to be done to provide more security and to protect people more in the future. If it's just that spectators get the idea, stand farther away, that in and of itself would be something, Tony, to hopefully prevent a recurrence.
HARRIS: You know, we were just talking earlier about this in our morning meeting, and I'm wondering if this is where all the street racers have gone. I remember 15 years ago doing a report on, you know, just how dangerous street racing was and is, continues to be for those who participate in it. And I'm just wondering, there's been a bit of a crackdown on that and I'm just wondering if these folks have just taken it to the desert, because there are groups of people who just love the open road, who just love and have that need, pardon the cliche, for speed and they will take their cars, they will soup them up, and they will just find a piece of asphalt somewhere or in this case the desert, to run and gun it.
LEVS: Well, millions of people do take part to this day in all sorts of kinds of off-road racing. What's important to understand here is that it's not just a bunch of random people --
HARRIS: Right. Right.
LEVS: On their owner or illegally got together and said, we're just going to do this. There's an organization behind it.
HARRIS: Right.
LEVS: It has rules and clearly they weren't being followed.
HARRIS: Yes, as is the case with the street racers, they were just -- they were just acting outside of the law.
All right, Josh, appreciate it. Thank you.
Just because it's low-fat and sugar-free doesn't mean it is necessarily healthy. Separating slogans from real food facts. A new way to measure the nutritional value of what we eat.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Let's get you caught up here. Checking our top stories now.
Desperation and despair growing by the hour in flood-stricken Pakistan. About 20 million people are in need of food, shelter and medical attention. The country and the United Nations are appealing for the world's help.
An autopsy is being performed today in the death of Philip Markoff. Boston authorities say the one time medical student apparently killed himself in his jail cell on Saturday. Markoff was awaiting trial in the killing of a masseuse who advertised on Craigslist. And the road to recovery begins today for many Gulf fisherman. It is the opening of a new shrimping season in Louisiana. Recent tests show no signs of oil on Gulf seafood.
Another check of our top stories coming your way in 20 minutes.
All right, let's check the big board. New York Stock Exchange. First of all, we'd love to get you to cnnmoney.com. Our Money team doing a fantastic job there, as always. So you can see the lead story for yourself. Check in any time you'd like at cnnmoney.com.
Let's look at the big board. About three hours into the trading day now. And we are trading in positive territory. Stocks up 29 points. We will follow these numbers for you throughout the day.
Got to tell you, many of us want to eat healthier, but the food industry doesn't always make it easy. How do we know if something is really good for us? Cnnmoney.com's Poppy Harlow introduces us to a new rating system.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Food companies inundate us with healthy- sounding slogans -- reduced fat, whole grain, no sugar added. That means healthier, right? Not necessarily.
DR. DAVID KATZ, NUVAL FOUNDER: The packages all have claims. The claims are often misleading and deceptive.
HARLOW: Yale scientist Dr. David Katz created NuVal. It's a nutrition rating system he claims cuts through the food industry's marketing machine.
KATZ: The higher the number, the more nutritious the food. It's GPS for the food supply.
HARLOW: NuVal ranks food from one to 100 using a complex algorithm, weighing unhealthy things like trans fat against nutrients like fiber.
KATZ: Almost everything in the produce aisle, almost everything will be above 90. Between 90 and 100.
We have reduced fat Jif peanut butter. It gets a seven. And the regular Jif peanut butter gets a 20.
HARLOW (on camera): So higher fat is actually better for you here according to NuVal?
KATZ: Well -- well, no, not because it's higher fat. The reduced fat version is considerably higher in sodium. It's also higher in sugar.
HARLOW: Let's grab Raisin Bran.
KATZ: Raisin Bran's pretty good. Yes.
HARLOW: This one I ate growing up. KATZ: Sure. OK.
HARLOW: Twenty-six.
KATZ: Yes.
HARLOW: That's what this gets.
No way. Look at this. This neopolitan ice cream says it's a 91.
LISA SASSON, NYU NUTRITION AND FOOD STUDIES: To me, that is the flaw of the system. Something such as the ice cream, which is all probably chemicals and all these additives, I don't think really adds to the diet. And people shouldn't be getting their nutrients through that ice cream. And something like Raisin Bran, yes, the raisins may be sugar coated, but at least it's a good source of fiber.
HARLOW (voice-over): Dr. Katz says the real value isn't to compare ice cream to cereal, but to see how similar products stack up against one another.
KATZ: OK. So let's find Cheerios and Fruit Loops.
HARLOW: None of the major food companies we contacted would go on camera to discuss NuVal. But in a statement, Pepsi told us, quote, "consumers can make more informed choices through fact-based front of package labeling." General Mills said, "criteria for NuVal are not available to the public, making any informed discussion of it very difficult."
HARLOW (on camera): Why do you think it is that there seems to be this pushback from the big food manufacturers?
KATZ: Not everybody making and selling food really wants people to know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. NuVal tells that truth.
HARLOW: Junk food is big business for these big American food companies.
KATZ: Right.
HARLOW: If the NuVal system is adopted all across the nation, will it be the end of salty, fatty snack food?
KATZ: You know, I certainly hope it would be the end of junk food, but --
HARLOW: That's billions in revenue for these companies.
KATZ: Well, but it could be billions in revenue by making better versions of these same foods.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Yes, yes, that makes sense. All right, Poppy's in New York with us.
Poppy, what are the -- I've got a two-parter here. What are the implications for the food industry here and how does ice cream score higher than Raisin Bran?
HARLOW: Let's start with that one. It was amazing to us. We found ice cream with a 91 score, Raisin Bran with 26. I asked the doctor, and even he who developed the system was a little confused. He said, well, you know, this is new to me seeing this. Ice cream has the calcium. It was the sugar-free ice cream, no sodium. Maybe some added nutrients to that. So it's a math algorithm that judges these foods. It gave it a 91. And Raisin Bran has a lot of sodium and a lot of sugar on the raisins. So that has people questioning just how valid this system is.
As for what this could mean for the food industry, you noticed in the piece, Tony, no one would go on camera to talk to us despite our repeated requests. It is a $26 billion snack food industry in this country. If you have different items, junk food, with a rating of one or two, that's not good for those big businesses, Tony.
HARRIS: Yes, it makes sense. All right, Poppy, and more at cnnmoney.com?
HARLOW: More right here, cnnmoney.com. yes.
HARRIS: Perfect. Thank you, Poppy.
You've seen the signs in your hometown, "going out of business." And for every one of those signs, there is a story. We are bringing you one of them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID MADDLONE, PIZZA PARLOR OWNER: There's nothing left to put in the business. I've liquidated IRAs that I've had for over 20 years. We basically have nothing left.
RASHAO CHAPMAN, CUSTOMER: Sad, because I'm going to miss -- miss the food.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know, every day except Sunday for the past five years the lunch crowd in Littleburn (ph), Georgia, could count on a great slice of New York pizza. But now the Slice Rama pizza parlor is closed for good. The bad economy wrecked the American dream for owners David Maddlone and Terry Odom.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MADDLONE, PIZZA PARLOR OWNER: I like making pizza. We all do.
TERRY ODOM, PIZZA PARLOR OWNER: I can't even imagine how many pizzas I've made in my life. I don't know.
Our goal was to start it out, learn the business, get settled, get a client base, and then spread. You know, open a second location. We learned a lot. We went -- I took some classes. We went to trade shows. We learned the business. And we thought, you know, we're going to make it work. Who doesn't like pizza, you know? It's an American staple.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: New York pizza is the best.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The economy is something else.
ODOM: It is. It is. We are going through some tough times, so --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's been just a lot of little things, you know? But if you go up and down the street, you can also see that. How many businesses are out of business through here? Just look and see how many businesses.
ODOM: We're a small little pea in the pod. You know, but when we close our doors, they're going to lose their tax that we pay, all the permits that we pay. Then they've got another eight employees who are now unemployed.
MADDLONE: Increased government fees. A lot of our fees have doubled. I can't -- I can't charge you $10 for a pizza today, you come in tomorrow and say, well, it's $20 now and you just have to pay it.
ODOM: David and (INAUDIBLE) are like family to me. And I stayed and was hoping to get it -- you know, we could get it turned around, but sometimes things work against you.
MADDLONE: There's nothing left to put in the business. I've liquidated IRAs that I've had for over 20 years. We basically have nothing left.
ODOM: We did try to apply for a small loan to possibly move or expand. And we could not get financing in the market right now. And that was about a year ago. You know, even though our credit is great, there was just nobody wanting to take that risk on a small business.
MADDLONE: We definitely do not see any kind of stimulus money or TARP money coming in to help us directly.
ODOM: There's a point where you have to cut your losses and move on.
RASHAO CHAPMAN, CUSTOMER: It's sad because I'm going to miss -- miss the food.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To me, there shouldn't be a reason for it to close. It should stay open.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's one of the worst summers we've ever had. And it was -- it was inevitable. That's all I can say.
MADDLONE: Certainly if I knew then when I made the decision to jump into this what I know now, I would not have done it. My grandfather came to this country as an Italian immigrant in the early 1900s with the hope of starting a new life. When he died, he wasn't a wealthy man, but he certainly had a better life than what he left behind in Italy. And I think that is what's diminishing in this country, is that as more people go through and they try some venture like this, you know, word spreads, you know. People ask me, I'm going to say, no, it was a nightmare.
ODOM: So I'm looking to go back into the corporate world. What worries me is, even though I've been in the business and that was my history for 20 years, I'm older, you know, so now I'm competing with these 22, 23, 25-year-olds. And, you know, they're not going to expect as much of a salary.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm 59 years old, so it's -- just got a few more years. So -- actually, a lot more years. Take that back.
MADDLONE: I guess it's the loss of hope when you get to this point. We're going to have a wake.
ODOM: I worry about, as all people do right now, how we're going to make it through the next month. How will we make it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But we will survive, like everybody else.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: There is a story like that behind every going out of business sign you see. Slice Rama owner, David Maddlone, remains hopeful. He is keeping the pizza ovens in his garage in hopes he might be able to try again when the economy improves. Let's hope. Fingers crossed here.
I don't know if I can get here fast enough.
Ines Ferre, how are you, lady?
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good, good. Good running, Tony.
HARRIS: "What's Hot." "What's Hot," right? And you've got a Snooki up -- no, I asked for a Snooki update, but it's a Ron story, right?
FERRE: Yes, yes.
HARRIS: From "Jersey Shore."
FERRE: Yes. Well, let's start with this one. This one's gone viral right now. And this one's Jon Foreman. He had been -- he's from Switchfoot. It's this band that was performing in Tampa, Florida.
HARRIS: Switchfoot?
FERRE: Yes, and after his concert, Foreman, you know, he tweets and says, hey, everybody, let's get together and let's play some music, acoustic style.
HARRIS: Right.
FERRE: And, well, a cop came up and said, "hey, OK, break it up, everybody. Out of here." This was outside the (INAUDIBLE) theater in Tampa. And Foreman, he extends a hand at the cop and says -- I mean the cop says no, no, no, get out of here, everybody.
HARRIS: Did it get a little wild? Did it get --
FERRE: No, no, I mean he was very --
HARRIS: No, all right.
FERRE: But everybody was just like, oh, come on.
HARRIS: Right.
FERRE: And so Foreman --
HARRIS: Let the music play (INAUDIBLE).
FERRE: Yes, let the music play. CNN contacted the Tampa Police and they said -- their spokesperson said they didn't know about this incident.
HARRIS: Yes.
FERRE: And Foreman said, next time we'll get the cops to sing along.
HARRIS: Well, it didn't get out of control, so that's a good sign.
FERRE: No, that's right.
And this one -- this next one is --
HARRIS: Is this my guy?
FERRE: That's right, Ronnie from "Jersey Shore."
HARRIS: That's my boy, Ronnie. Look at those guns.
FERRE: So he was arrested yesterday for some outstanding parking tickets.
HARRIS: I don't know Ronnie at all.
FERRE: Which then -- then he paid, and then he was released.
HARRIS: Oh, really?
FERRE: But, you know, these guys have been in the news of late.
HARRIS: Look at this. We've got clips from the show?
FERRE: Yes. That's right.
HARRIS: OK.
FERRE: And, you know, it wasn't too long ago when Snooki had -- she was arrested for -- HARRIS: Did you say Snooki? It's Snooki, isn't it?
FERRE: Oh, Snooki.
HARRIS: I -- I -- I know. I know. Who can't keep up.
FERRE: Sorry, Tony, you're too cool for me on this one.
HARRIS: Too cool for summer school. Appreciate it.
FERRE: Yes, too cool, yes.
HARRIS: That's what I'm talking about. That's right. And everybody's all right. No one's in jail? He's --
FERRE: No, he's released.
HARRIS: Everybody's all right. OK. Well, we'll come back tomorrow.
FERRE: Parking tickets. But, you know, in New Jersey, they're tough. My friend got arrested for that, too. Didn't pay a parking ticket, gets arrested.
HARRIS: You need to be careful the company you keep.
Ines Ferre with "What's Hot."
They fought and they survived. But coming home presents a whole new set of challenges.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD WILKS, UNEMPLOYED NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIER: I was putting out resume after resume. I'd have some interviews and you just -- I just didn't get hired.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Got to tell you, this hero's struggle is like so many others. They fight to find work after war.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know, they answered a call to serve their country. When they come home, they naturally want to pick up where they left off. But CNN's Kate Bolduan reports, that's becoming another battle.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD WILKS, UNEMPLOYED NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIER: I'm looking up security and law enforcement type jobs that they might be offering.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Forty-five-year-old Richard Wilks has served with the Army Natural Guard for five years, fighting eight months in Iraq, only to return home in 2008 to a new battle he never expected -- the fight to find a job. WILKS: I was putting out resume after resume. I'd have some interviews. And you just -- I just didn't get hired.
BOLDUAN: Frustrated and running out of money, Wilks turned to the only place he knew would hire.
WILKS: I opted to go back overseas, because I couldn't find work. And it -- I wanted -- I volunteered to go back to Iraq.
BOLDUAN: Employers are required by law to hold jobs for reservists called to duty and are banned from discriminating against a job applicant because of their military service. But soldiers like Wilks fear their guard service makes employers reluctant to take them on.
WILKS: They don't want to take the time to hire someone and then have them deployed and then have to rehire someone.
BOLDUAN (on camera): Wilks is back home once again, and again facing the same transition to civilian life without work. He's not alone. The jobless rate among veterans who've served since 9/11 rose to 11.8 percent last month. Compare that to the national rate of 9.5 percent. The Army National Guard says this problem is especially troubling among their ranks.
CPT. BRIAN ZDUNOWSKI, U.S. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: They have skills and they have training that should, in a good economy, give them an edge over their peers.
BOLDUAN: But what's the reality that you're seeing?
ZDUNOWSKI: The edge is gone because they're getting lost in the volume of people.
BOLDUAN (voice-over): Unemployment is such a big issue for the Army National Guard that some states are testing out programs to help their part time soldiers. Captain Brian Zdunowski runs one program in Maryland.
ZDUNOWSKI: In the sea of employers that are out there, what I'm in essence doing is, into the sea, throwing a life ring for them and pulling that life ring until one of these employers picks them up.
BOLDUAN: The help includes resume tips, interview coaching, also a database of military-friendly employers and job openings.
ZDUNOWSKI: They deserve the assistance, because they have stepped forward for their country.
BOLDUAN: Richard Wilks continues his search. A tough economy, another tough battle ahead. Any regrets?
WILKS: I don't have any regrets at all. I loved serving in the military, and I love serving my country.
Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: So let's push it forward right now. CNN NEWSROOM continues with Ali Velshi from New York City.
