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Troops Come Home From Iraq; Gulf Coast Tourism; President Obama on Economy; Finding Work After War; The Help Desk
Aired August 19, 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: Hello, again, everyone. I'm Tony Harris. Top of the hour for you here in the CNN NEWSROOM, where, of course -- we say it all the time, anything can happen. Here are some of the people behind today's top stories.
U.S. troops leaving Iraq. Some are already arriving home. What will they find when they get settled?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE; I volunteered to go back to Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And an anonymous blogger is bringing images of Mexico's drug war to the world. You're online right now. We are, too. Ines Ferre is following "What's Hot." Ines?
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, a lot of people are talking about this new feature that Facebook has called Places, letting your friends know exactly where you are at all times.
And also, check this out. Unearthing artifacts from a Civil War prison in Georgia. Unbelievable.
HARRIS: Yes. Okay, Ines, we'll see you in a little bit.
Let's get started with our lead story. New dawn in Iraq. That's the name of the next operation starting up after the last full U.S. combat brigade exited this morning. Fifty-six thousand troops remain in Iraq. Six thousand of them are combat forces and should be out by the first of September.
Troops of the Fourth Stryker Brigade, Second Infantry Division, are now resting up after crossing the border into Kuwait in a massive convoy. This pullout is in line with a pledge from President Obama to end the combat mission.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel happy. I feel happy that we're here in a non-combat zone anymore. And here in Kuwait and not over there in Iraq. We've got a bond between the people in Iraq and the troops that we work with. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we've given them this last final step that they needed. And that's pretty much what this has been all about the whole time, was just to give it -- giving them the breathing room to develop their skills to be able to control their own destiny. And that's what they've gotten to that point.
When we left the Iraqi battalion that was responsible for the A.O. that we were at, out of total control. It had tremendously improved their relationship with the Iraqi populous, which again was one of their issues in the beginning.
That had come around full turn. They were dealing in a very professional manner, from the soldier, all the way up to the senior chain of command.
It's good to finally get to this point. Of course everybody is excited. It means that we're finished with this current mission.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it feels good, yes I'm glad I'm here. I'm glad we're done with Iraq. Hopefully I never come back to Iraq.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A whole bunch of stress is off my soldiers. It feels good to be in Kuwait, about to head home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: How many times have we heard that, "It feels good"? Yes. Yes. It looks good.
Those guys in Kuwait now as those troops tip their journey home. Some of their comrades already are arriving back on U.S. soil. Members of the 4th Stryker Brigade right now reuniting with loved ones.
Let's see that picture of Lewis-McChord Air Force Base in Washington. Ah, these were the pictures from moments ago when the soldiers were actually entering the gymnasium. There was a short ceremony, and then the moment we have been waiting for.
Let's get to Casey Wian, who can describe it all for us.
Casey, good to see you again.
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony, good to see you, too.
And for the Lee family, Sergeant Robert Lee and his wife Doris, it's good to see each other, I bet.
Tell me what it was like when you first met eyes with your wife after being overseas for so long.
SGT. ROBERT LEE (ph), JUST RETURNED FROM IRAQ: I was very excited about it. And more than anything, I'm just so happy to see my wife.
WIAN: What's it like seeing your husband? DORIS LEE (ph), WIFE OF SOLDIER: I'm very excited.
WIAN: And you say you've been married for 15 years? And so these deployments are probably not new to you guys. Does it get any easier over time?
R. LEE: Well it's not easy to be separated, but we know it comes with the job. We're willing to make that sacrifice, but the reunions are great.
WIAN: What are your thoughts about the time you spent over there and the value of what you and your fellow soldiers accomplished? How do you feel about the mission?
R. LEE: Well I think we did our job over there. We helped the Iraqi people, helped the Iraqi security forces, and we made history. I think we really made a difference over there. And it's an historic event for our brigade, being the last combat brigade coming back.
WIAN: A lot of folks very happy that their loved ones are home. And you know, hate to use this term, but these folks say it's "mission accomplished" -- Tony.
HARRIS: Oh, yes. Yes, I get it. Yes, absolutely.
All right, Casey. Thank you.
Got to tell you, one Army wife has been tweeting about her husband being in the last full combat brigade out of Iraq. She spoke to our Brooke Baldwin on "RICK'S LIST" with CNN's Rick Sanchez.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is amazing for you, I know. So your husband Matt, who you just got engaged to and may even the last year, he's been in Iraq for 11 months. And tonight -- when I talk to you, you're almost out of breath. You are excited, but also relieved.
Tell me about that.
JACQUELINE MURMAN, HUSBAND LEAVING IRAQ NOW: Yes. You know, it's hard to even describe what I feel. I've never felt so much relief in my whole life.
I think I'm going to go home and just start sobbing. But just happy and, you know, every night it's like you dream of this moment for the last 11 months.
It's like, OK, you know, it's three more months, two more months, one more month. And then when I found out, like, they're crossing right now, I'm just speechless. It's the best feeling I've ever had.
BALDWIN: How did you find out? How did you find out that his brigade would be that final brigade? When did he tell you and what exactly did he say? MURMAN: Actually, he just told me a couple of weeks ago. I don't know when he found out, but we discussed it a few weeks ago, and he talked about he's lost a few friends, and just the people who had given their life.
Like, he -- what an honor it was for him to be such a part of history, you know, and --
BALDWIN: You said it's been humbling. He said it was humbling.
MURMAN: Yes. He said it was humbling, and he just seemed almost at a loss for words. You know, when we talked about it, it was an honor for him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Boy, good stuff.
It has been more than seven years since the United States went into Iraq. The lives of more than 4,400 U.S. troops and as many as 106,000 Iraqi civilians were lost.
Was it worth it? It's a tough question, isn't it? A lot of folks are asking it today.
Ines Ferre is here with what some of you are telling us on the Facebook, Twitter and the CNN NEWSROOM blog -- Ines.
FERRE: Tony, and a lot of people weighing in on this from CNN.com.
We've got Michael, that says, "American freedom is priceless. Our country is still free. So it was worth it."
And then you've got Alex saying, "No, it was not worth our soldiers' lives and time. It never is."
And then there's a tweet from this, saying, "Yes, for all the combat troops leaving Iraq. Now let's work on getting all the rest home, too" -- Tony.
HARRIS: Yes. All right, Ines. Appreciate it. Thank you.
Switching gears here, let's talk about gorgeous beaches, great restaurants, and a ton of fun things to do. The Gulf Coast has all of that and more. But are the visitors returning since the oil leak stopped?
We will check in live with two of our tourism experts in Biloxi, Mississippi, and Orange Beach, Alabama.
Fist, though, our "Random Moment" in 90 seconds. Hang on. Hang on.
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HARRIS: You know it's the truth. Nature can be warm and cuddly or it can be one mean dude. Check out the "Random Moment of the Day."
A raging bull charges the grand stand. You ready for this in Spain? Take a look. Ready?
Hello. The animal mows down dozens of fans at a bullfight. Right? Spectators eventually -- it took a while, but eventually they were able to get on top of the bull long enough to get him roped.
Man, that's scary.
And then -- are you ready? Are you ready? And then there is this enchanted scene, bliss at the Philadelphia Zoo.
A CNN iReporter captured a group of puzzled penguins chasing a butterfly. After a few seconds, the butterfly floats away, leaving the penguins to gaze at the sky in wonderment.
A "Random Moment" for a Thursday.
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HARRIS: Seafood from the Gulf Coast, a lot of folks aren't buying government claims that it is safe to eat, even though the blown-out well has been capped for weeks now.
On Capitol Hill today, a congressional committee is hearing what scientists, professors and seafood groups have to say about all of this. Congressman Edward Markey is one of the biggest critics of BP's response to the oil disaster.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. EDWARD MARKEY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: -- created a system to cap and seal the well. Oil has not come from the Macondo well for about a month. We are no longer at the bleeding stage. A tourniquet has been applied to the well. And now we are told we may need to wait for the final procedure, the relief well, until September.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: So, the government's point man on the oil disaster, Thad Allen, is holding a news conference right now. We are monitoring it, and we will bring you any new information.
Allen says if all goes as planned, the bottom kill operation to permanently plug the ruptured well should be complete the week after Labor Day. But how much oil is still out there in the Gulf?
Allen tells CNN about one-quarter of the oil that leaked is still in the water, and it will have to be dealt with.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADM. THAD ALLEN (RET.), NATIONAL INCIDENT COMMANDER: It's pretty clear when the recovery's going to be done. We've got to kill the well. There can't be any more oil on the water. And there's going to be some times when oil shows up on the beaches or in the marshes. We have to have a clear way ahead of how we're going to continue to account for oil when it does show up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Tourism clearly another key component of the Gulf Coast economy, and the oil disaster has really done a number on some popular destinations.
So, are things any better since the leak stopped?
Joining us now, two folks we've checked in on several times during the disaster. Emily Gonzalez is back. She is a sales marketing manager with Kaiser Realty in Orange Beach, Alabama. And Kenny Glavan is the general manager of the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Good to see you both.
And let me see -- Kenny, let me start with you.
We've got another big holiday weekend coming up. It is Labor Day.
Any special plans to get folks off the couches and get them down to your hotel and into the area?
KENNY GALVAN, GENERAL MANAGER, FOUR POINTS SHERATON, BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI: Well, thank you, Tony. Absolutely.
We're real excited about this Labor Day weekend coming up. There seems to be a little bit of a renewed confidence from the traveler. We're starting to get calls. They're happy that the oil is not leaking in the Gulf anymore. And we're just trying to renew that confidence.
You know, it's really two things -- making sure there's no oil out in the Gulf, or minimizing that. And more importantly, there's no oil in the minds of the traveler to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
HARRIS: Yes. OK.
And Emily, how about you? Again, same question. Big Labor Day weekend coming. We'd like to see folks get down there and visit your area and rent some spots.
So, what are you planning? And what's coming up?
EMILY GONZALEZ, SALES MARKETING MANAGER, KAISER REALTY, ORANGE BEACH, ALABAMA: We have a lot of exciting things happening on the Gulf Coast. And what we've seen since the oil stopped, we've actually seen that the discounts aren't really pulling people back.
They're seeing the pictures every day on our Web sites and on social media. They know that the beaches are clean. We're hoping that they understand that these pictures are very accurate. But what we're seeing is that people are coming when we have big events like the Jimmy Buffett concert. So what we're doing is we're going to have another big concert on the beach this weekend and our upcoming Labor Day weekend. It hasn't been announced, who it is yet, but rumor has it the contracts are signed and we're excited to find out who it is. And on Monday night, Labor Day night, we'll have John Mayer down here, playing at the wharf in a nice 10,000-seat amphitheater.
So the events are what's bringing people in. Later in September, we're going to have the Rowdy Friends Tour with Hank Williams, Jr., Gretchen Wilson and Lee Brice. We have the Shrimp Festival, and then we have the world championship of Thunder on the Gulf, which is the high-speed boat races that happen all along the Gulf Coast.
HARRIS: Work it. Work it. Work it, Emily.
Sell it. Sell it. Work it. Very good.
GONZALEZ: I'm sales and marketing.
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: That's good.
So, Emily, how much of a hit did the hotels and your business take after the spill? I mean, maybe you can give us a sense with the numbers, sort of. Let's take July, year to year.
GONZALEZ: July, year to year, we were down about 44 percent. It's a big hit. But we're looking at that being our peak of the entire year.
That's the peak in the 10 to 12 weeks that actually helps us survive our entire year. That big hit, both in occupancy and revenue, right around the 44 percent mark, is going to be detrimental to not only us, but the economy as a whole.
HARRIS: And Kenny, look, tell us about your beaches. I mean, is there a webcam or something? Can folks see the beaches? And how are they looking right now?
GLAVAN: You know, they're perfect. They're sugar-white, and we're really excited.
All the events that Emily mentioned, you know, we're kind of mirroring that in Biloxi. And I think right now, for the months of August and September, this region, Biloxi, Orange Beach, and other areas, is the best value you can find anywhere.
I want to mention one more thing. In September, it's going to be announced that if you stay two nights in a hotel in the Biloxi area, you get a $100 gift card that you can spend at a gas station or towards your hotel, or buy, you know, something that you want to take home as a memento.
HARRIS: You've got folks coming if all over, or from particular areas? Where are you seeing your visitors come from?
(CROSSTALK)
GLAVAN: Go ahead, Emily.
GONZALEZ: No, Kenny can have that one.
GLAVAN: Well, you know, we have our feeder markets. We have our fly-in markets from Atlanta. Of course, the Louisiana area, this has always been a vacation place for them. And we are seeing a return of some corporate business, and that's really key, because we didn't see that during the summer months.
HARRIS: Yes.
Emily, how about you? Where are you folks coming from?
GONZALEZ: We're seeing our primary feeder markets pretty much the same. We have a lot of business from Mississippi and Louisiana. Texas has always been a strong market for us. They're continuing to come over.
Of course, people vacationing in their own state, and Alabama is great. And now we're starting to look at the future, the fall and winter months, and we're trying to invite our snowbirds back.
So, snowbirds, the beaches are beautiful. Come on down. We'd love to see you come home again.
HARRIS: Are you concerned about, Emily, these questions about seafood safety?
GONZALEZ: Not right now. I totally trust in every day when we look at the food that we eat. When things like the eggs that we're all being made aware of right now, when things happen, they pull them off the shelves.
People are constantly -- the FDA, the EPA, they're constantly looking at food across the world and country. And when they say it's safe, we're going to go ahead and consume it. And we're happy with it.
HARRIS: So, Kenny, what's that big special you've got coming up here?
GLAVAN: Well, you know, you stay two nights in the month of September at any of the hotels, including Four Points by Sheraton Biloxi, and you get a $100 gift card. It's a prepaid card, and you can use it toward any of your travel expenses or anything.
HARRIS: Perfect. So, Kenny, stop there, because --
Emily, did you hear that big announcement that Kenny just made on our air here?
GONZALEZ: I did. I heard it. Big news. HARRIS: You've got pretty big news, too, that you're sitting on right now. But we're going to get it out of you.
GONZALEZ: It will be announced Monday, who our big beach concert is going to be -- 40,000 people on the sand for a free concert. It's going to be fantastic.
You come down. You can get your tickets with any of your accommodations. That's the only way you can get tickets, and it's going to be someone everyone is going to want to fly in to see.
HARRIS: All right. I get to work you over on this thing. I'll get it out of you before the weekend is over.
All right. Good to see you both.
Kenny, thank you.
Emily, good to see you as well.
(LAUGHTER)
GONZALEZ: Good to see you.
HARRIS: Still to come in the NEWSROOM, the controversial Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero. New York's governor tells CNN about his potential compromise.
We're back in a moment.
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(NEWSBREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: All right. Let's take a break. We're going to hear from the president shortly.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Let's get you to the president making some comments about the economy. The president, before he takes his leave to head to Martha's Vineyard.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- that will do two big things for small businesses: cut their taxes and make loans more available.
I have been adamant about this, because small businesses are the backbone of our economy. They create two out of every three new jobs in this country. And while a lot of big businesses and big banks have started recovering from this recession, small businesses and community banks that loan to small businesses have been lagging behind.
They need help. And if we want this economy to create more jobs more quickly, we need to help them. A report yesterday from the Labor Department underscores why this is so critical.
In the final few months of last year, small businesses with fewer than 50 employees accounted for more than 60 percent of the job losses in America. More than 60 percent. These are the businesses that usually create most of the jobs in this country.
And this report, combined with this morning's news that unemployment claims rose again, compels us to act. It compels us to stand with the small businessmen and women who are trying to grow their companies and make payroll and hire new workers.
The jobs bill that is stalled in Congress would completely eliminate taxes on key investments in small businesses. It would allow small business owners to write off more expenses, and it would make it easier for community banks to do more lending to small businesses, while allowing small firms to take out larger SBA loans with fewer fees, which countless entrepreneurs have told me would make a big difference in their companies.
I'd also like to point out that this legislation is fully paid for and will not add one single dime to our deficit. So, this is a bill that makes sense, and normally we would expect Democrats and Republicans to join together.
Unfortunately, a partisan minority in the Senate so far has refused to allow this jobs bill to come up for a vote. Now, I recognize that there are times when Democrats and Republicans have legitimate differences, rooted in different views about what's best for this country. There are times when good people disagree in good faith. But this is not one of those times.
This small business jobs bill is based on ideas, both Democrat and Republican. In fact, many provisions in the bill were actually authored by Republican senators.
It has been praised as being good for small business by groups like the Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Businesses. A majority of senators are in favor of the bill. And yet, the obstruction continues.
It's obstruction that stands in the way of small business owners getting the loans and the tax cuts that they need to prosper. It's obstruction that defies common sense.
So let me just make this simple point. There will be plenty of time between now and November to play politics, but the small business owners I met with this week, the ones that I've met with across the country this year, they don't have time for political games. They're not interested in what's best for a political party, they're interested in what's best for the country.
When Congress reconvenes, this jobs bill will be the first business out of the gate. And the Senate Republican leadership needs to stop its efforts to block it.
Let's put aside the partisanship for a while and work together for small businesses, for employees, and the communities that depend upon them across this great country.
Thank you very much.
HARRIS: OK. There you go. The president pushing Congress when Congress returns from its summer recess to get to work on legislation on another jobs bill. And provisions in that bill offer incentives, we understand, for small community banks to loan to small businesses.
Carter Evans is starting by with us from the New York Stock Exchange.
And that ends up being key, Carter, that we get small businesses the dollars that they need to continue their work, to save jobs, but also in some cases to expand.
CARTER EVANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's been said that small businesses are some of the biggest employers in our country, the biggest provider of jobs in our country. So it's very important that they're able to expand and start hiring.
But, see, here's the problem -- and this is just what we keep running into -- people aren't spending money. They aren't demanding the products right now.
So, even if they had the money to buy more product, they can't sell it. And that's the problem.
That's why these businesses aren't growing, they aren't hiring, they aren't expanding. It is a vicious cycle that we're caught in right now, and it looks like the president is basically trying to say, hey, we're on top of this, we're working on this. It's moving along slowly, but surely.
He was at a family's house in Ohio yesterday. He was in the back yard. It was a small gathering.
He was asked about unemployment and those types of situations as well. And basically, his response is that, hey, this recovery is moving along slowly. Slowly but surely, but slowly.
HARRIS: But Carter, what's the disconnect here? Because we keep hearing stories, and the president talked about it yesterday, and we know about it from the reporting of the Money team, CNN Money team, that big corporations are making a lot of money.
We are even reporting that they're sitting on as much as $1.8 trillion in cash. Some are suggesting that big corporations are actually hoarding catch. So, we've got big corporations making money and we've got small businesses not able to get money.
What's the disconnect here? EVANS: Well, it is a tough situation. And yes, you know, I've heard those same reports as well, big corporations sitting on a lot of money. But again, if they don't have the business out there, why go out and blow a whole bunch of cash that really isn't going to add to your bottom line?
That could be what some of these large corporations are thinking. I mean, when it comes to the smaller businesses, though, they really need the activity, they need people in the stores buying stuff before they can hire new people.
Now, one thing. There is a little bright spot.
We got some news earlier this week that bank-lending to small businesses is beginning to ease, finally. Remember during the recession we were talking about how lending was frozen and small businesses needed money and they couldn't get access do it? These businesses need short-term loans with big cash.
HARRIS: Yes.
EVANS: Because say they spend all their money on a bunch of inventory, they still need to pay employees that week. And that's what these businesses need these types of loans for. That's to keep them going on a day-to-day basis. We need to see them growing again.
HARRIS: Yes, that's commercial paper. We need that sector really operating so that you can make your payrolls from week to week.
Carter, good stuff, as always. Good to see you.
EVANS: Sure.
HARRIS: Thank you, sir.
Let's take a break.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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HARRIS: A blog depicting the violent drug war in Mexico is fast becoming an internet sensation. The Narco Blog also known as Blog del Narco shows video and images mainstream media does not. So, who is the blogger and what are the risks?
Senior Latin American affairs editor Rafael Romo reports -- and a warning here - there is some disturbing video in this particular piece.
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RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice- over): It was the video that allowed authorities to crack a prison corruption case open. A police officer kidnapped and interrogated by alleged drug traffickers accused prison officials in Durango, Mexico, of being complicit with the rival drug cartel.
After the video went viral in Mexico, authorities launched an investigation and arrested four prison officials. What was significant about this case, was that the evidence was not obtained by police or news organizations, but a blog.
El Blog del Narco, or the Narco Blog, has recently gained notoriety in Mexico and abroad for posting shockingly violent videos and pictures. From shootouts to savage beatings, from drugs and weapon seizures to bodies of drug trafficking victims; it's all there at the click of a mouse.
This is the beginning of a video that later shows a beheading. The blog chronicles daily the drug war that has claimed more than 28,000 lives in the last four years in Mexico.
(on camera): The blog was launched six months ago and it has become increasingly popular as violence in Mexico gets worse and worse. Its creator says it gets about three million hits a week. The videos and pictures are all sent anonymously.
(voice-over): But who's behind the blog and what are his intentions? we requested an interview with the site's creator but he would only answer questions by email. He describes himself as a 20- something-year-old college student from northern Mexico who majors in computer science.
The media and the government would like to make it look as if nothing is happening, he says, referring to the war on drug cartels. The media keeps silent because they're threatened and the government has apparently been bought.
A national TV news show went dark for a night last month, after two of its journalists were apparently kidnapped by drug traffickers. Anchor Denise Maerker said that to air a show under the circumstances was a great risk for all involved. The show airs on Televisa, Latin America's largest media conglomerate.
El Blog del Narco is increasingly filling the void left by self- censorship, also posting on social media web sites like Twitter and Facebook. It goes beyond posting violent pictures and videos, it also alerts people about drug cartels' movement, areas to avoid and it gives tips to police, as well. The blog has been criticized for being in essence, a medium that allows cartels to sent messages to each other. Our main goal, the blog's creator says, is to inform people in Mexico, so that they take steps to improve security.
Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Rafael, let's do this. My understanding is that the blog is going beyond just showing these shocking images, it is actually helping to bust open some cases. There's this one, this jail corruption?
ROMO: Exactly. Exactly.
Last month, there was a jail corruption case that nobody really knew about. And because of one of the videos that was included in the blog, authorities started an investigation and eventually four prison officials were arrested and are now facing charges.
HARRIS: How has the blogger remained anonymous, which is a great thing, a terrific thing. And I'm wondering if at this point the blogger is facing any threats? I would imagine the answer is yes but --
ROMO: Actually he said no. What I try to do is not take any position. I don't speak against the cartels or in favor of them. I don't speak against the government or in favor of them. He says, what I do is I just show reality as it is, as shocking as it may be, that's all what I do.
And he goes to great lengths to remain anonymous. He pays by depositing cash in a bank for the blog. Nobody really knows his name. And he says he's 20-something, but we don't really know. He could be 60.
HARRIS: He could be creating this.
ROMO: Exactly.
HARRIS: Wow, what a terrific story. Thank you, sir.
Rafael Romo for us.
Some eye-popping findings today about gangs, drugs and America's children. A survey conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. 27 percent of middle and high school students in public schools call their school a hotbed for gangs and drugs. In raw numbers, that's roughly six million children exposed to gangs and drugs daily.
The Columbia survey also shows kids at schools where gangs and drugs thrive are five times more likely to use marijuana. Most get pot from other kids, and many say their parents know. Columbia survey says those teens are also five times more likely to have a friend who uses harder drugs like acid, ecstasy, meth, cocaine, or heroin.
They served their country and now they are looking for work. We're back in a moment.
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HARRIS: So let's do this. Let's get you caught up on our top stories right now. The last complete American combat brigade in Iraq arrived in Kuwait today. The withdrawal comes seven years and five months since Military action began in Iraq.
The CDC estimates hundreds of Americans are likely to become ill from tainted eggs, 380 million eggs have been recalled because of salmonella concerns so far. A new survey finds a growing number of Americans - listen to this -- one in five -- believe President Obama is a Muslim. Only one-third are aware that he is Christian.
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HARRIS: Want to get you to CNNMoney.com, your source for financial news. A terrific job done by our money team every day. You heard from Carter Evans just a short time ago. And here's the latest story, right? A real bad trend, not just a bad trend, a real bad trend -- 500,000 new jobless claims last week. Haven't seen that level since November. And it is really driving down the markets today.
Let's take you to the big board, the New York Stock Exchange. We're three hours into the trading day and you can see we're in negative territory, big-time, down 157 points. But, we're actually, with this number off of session lows. Nasdaq - the tech-heavy Nasdaq is down 30 points. We're following these numbers throughout the day for you.
Want to tell you about a new battle facing this country's veterans trying to find a job after completing their enlistment. CNN's Kate Bolduan reports it is tougher for vets compared to civilian job-seekers.
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RICHARD WILKS, UNEMPLOYED NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIER: I'm looking up security and law enforcement type of jobs that they might be offering.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: 45-year-old Richard Wilkes has served with the Army National 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 I just didn't get hired.
BOLDUAN: Frustrated and running out of money, Wilkes turned to the only place he knew would hire.
WILKS: I opted to go back overseas, because I couldn't find work. This is -- 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 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.
CAPTAIN BRAIN ZDUNOWSKI, 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 the 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, they've 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 love serving in the Military and I love serving my country.
BOLDUAN: Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And when we come we'll look at vets helping vets. Troops disabled by war get a chance to own their own small business.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Now that the last full combat brigade has left Iraq, many of the soldiers will have another battle when they get home, and that's finding a job. And with unemployment lines growing, it has become even more difficult.
But one program is helping disabled veterans start their own businesses so that they can be their own boss. CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN IGLESIAS, IRAQ WAR VETERAN: It blew up, it felt like someone hit me in the face with a 2x4. POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM (voice-over): It was an IED explosion in Iraq that nearly killed Brian Iglesias. In total, 40,000 American men and women have been injured fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
MIKE HAYNIE, ENTREPRENEURSHIP BOOTCAMP FOR VETERANS WITH DISABILITIES: Brian's story has been phenomenal.
HARLOW: Mike Haynie and Brian Iglesias were brought together by war, both veterans and now both entrepreneurs.
HAYNIE: What is entrepreneurship? What are the fundamentals of entrepreneurship?
HARLOW: After serving 14 years in the Air Force, Haynie became a professor of entrepreneurship. But he saw his fellow veterans struggling to find work after returning from war.
HAYNIE: Self-employment, entrepreneurship, going out and starting a business, has been a vocational path that the government has virtually ignored when it comes to the transition process for veterans.
HARLOW (on camera): So what was it like for you looking for work after serving for so long?
IGLESIAS: It was probably the toughest thing I had to go through. Because then when you don't get a job it's like, rejection after rejection, it gets pretty tough.
HARLOW (voice-over): So Haynie set out to change that, founding the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans With Disabilities, or EBV. It's a free training program for vets who want to start their own businesses.
The competition is steep, but vets that make the cut take 40 days of online classes and then a summer course at one of six universities that have signed on.
HAYNIE: The most American dream possible, I think, business ownership. That's the aim of this program. Passion is the number one criteria.
HARLOW: Brian's passion was film and he set out to make movies, starting his own production company.
IGLESIAS: It was that purpose, it was that mission. It was, we will do it no matter how tired you are, no matter how hungry you are, you don't have an option to quit or stop.
I don't want to owe anybody any money, right? So I found another veteran, got together, so let's do it.
HAYNIE: Brian had no resources. He bootstrapped, you know, that's what we call it in entrepreneurship. He bootstrapped, found a way to get his movie made. HARLOW: The result was a documentary about the brutal Korean War battle at Chosin and it's now being turned into a $100 million feature film, and Brian will be an executive producer.
IGLESIAS: So with the military what we're really, really good at is managing chaos and we thrive in chaos. And in small business, that's what it's all about.
As hard and as difficult as it was, it will never, ever be as hard and as difficult as combat. That's the beauty of perspective.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARLOW: Isn't he right? It's all about perspective.
But, you know, we have all of these vets now coming home, they'll be looking for work, just like Brian.
This program, Tony, has been so successful, 300 vets will have graduated by the end of the year, a hundred new businesses started. Tony, some of them even generating more than a million dollars a year in revenue. Can you believe it?
HARRIS: That is great to hear. So, as you mentioned, this program targets disabled veterans, but who does that include, Poppy? And can these new returning vets even qualify?
HARLOW: It's a great question. Yes, absolutely, they can. We've reached out to the program today, he said absolutely.
You know, Brian was hurt in an IED explosion, he's the person we profiled, but this program is for anyone that has psychological or physical disabilities. And you know, what Brian said to me is everyone that comes back from war, especially in Iraq or Afghanistan, has PTSD, is dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. So they can all qualify for this.
So we wanted to get the word out there, the VA is looking into possibly funding this program. We've got a lot of vets coming home, they're going to be looking for jobs. This is a program that's working, Tony.
HARRIS: Terrific. All right, Poppy, had to get that one going again this week. Poppy Harlow in New York focus.
You know, we've been reporting today, a half-million people have filed first-time unemployment claims and CNN's Stephanie Elam is getting some advice for some who are out of work and deep in debt.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Time now for "The Help Desk," where we get answers to your financial questions.
Joining me this hour, Carmen Wong Ulrich, she's a personal finance author, and Ryan Mack is the president of Optimum Capital Management.
Thanks very much for joining us today, guys.
All right, our first question comes from an anonymous writer, but they write, "I lost my job where I made $80,000 a year and have been unemployed for three years. I also lost my retirement savings of $300,000. I'm 56 and if I get a job now, what's the best way for me to recover my losses, and where should I invest?"
That's a tough situation, Ryan.
RYAN MACK, PRESIDENT, OPTIMUM CAPITAL MANAGEMENT: There's been a tough situation. We're at a decade-long high in terms of individuals who are over 50 and unemployed. There's over 170,000 individuals who fit that category, that's up over 50 percent in just the last year alone. So a lot of individuals find themselves in that situation.
The first place to invest is actually in yourself, making sure you're getting back in education. Two billion dollars went into this Stafford (ph) legislation to improve community colleges. We can start investing in ourselves and get inexpensive or even free education start developing trades and skills to improve yourself and your career.
And just know that you do have value. I know they're trying to find the younger individuals who go out there and can find a cheaper labor, but you do have value. Colonel Sanders started KFC when he was 65 years old with a $105 Social Security check. So you can get out there and get some stuff going today right now.
ELAM: OK, that will get a lot of people feeling pretty positive.
All right, next question coming in, also an anonymous writer says, "I have over $30,000 in credit card debt and $110,000 upside- down in my mortgage, and am in school with $40,000 in student loans. However, my credit score is 746. I want to go to grad school and would like to cut my work schedule in half to do so. Should I file bankruptcy in and how would it affect my ability to get future student loans?"
Good question, Carmen.
CARMEN WONG ULRICH, PERSONAL FINANCE AUTHOR: Stephanie, no wonder this person is anonymous, because he's been living someone else's life with $30,000 of credit card debt. That's just way, way, way too much, something is out of hand. If there's not a medical issue or family issue, you've got to take care of that first.
Here's the thing about bankruptcy with student loans, you cannot escape student loans in bankruptcy at all. So even if he declares bankruptcy, that $40,000 is going to stick with you. And then if you go on top of that and add on more student loans -- what I really think this person needs to do is reassess, get a job, keep the job that he has instead of going part-time and try to whittle down the debt.
Go to nfcc.org, get someone to help you, non-profit to work on this. But there needs to be another system before you get even deeper in the hole.
ELAM: Maybe postponing full-time school.
WONG: Maybe put it off a little bit.
ELAM: All right, good information here.
Well, "The Help Desk" is all about getting you answers, so send us an email to CNNhelpdesk@CNN.com or you can log on to CNN.com/helpdesk to see more of our financial solutions.
You know what else? You can also pick up the latest issue of "Money" magazine, it's on newsstands right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: We really do have to create more time. The producers are telling us we don't have a lot time for "What's Hot," but we've got to create more time because folks want to see "What's Hot." They want to see Ines and "What's Hot," and we got to roll right to it.
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, this is from forbes.com and it's the most stressful cities in the U.S., and this is based on high unemployment, on long commute.
Let's put the cities right up there for you.
HARRIS: Most stressful cities, OK.
FERRE: Most stressful cities, starting with Las Vegas. Then Los Angeles, Houston, Tampa, Florida, and Riverside, California. And this is also based on long work hours, the whole thing.
HARRIS: How about commute?
FERRE: And then this next one is from break.com and it is so funny. Just check it out, let's roll it for you. It's a dog that goes to fetch a beer. He opens up the fridge. And he -- takes a beer out. In his mouth, brings the beer right over to the owner.
HARRIS: And there you have it.
FERRE: Is that cool? Or what. Some comments were, oh, come on, you can go get your own beer.
HARRIS: No, that's why the dog is man's best friend. Right there.
We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And let's get you to New York City now. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Ali Velshi -- Ali. ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Tony, my friend, you have a great afternoon. We'll see you again tomorrow.
