Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

President Obama's New Economic Plan; Jobs Bill Authorizes $30 Billion Lending Fund; 'Alive' Survivors Visit Chile Mine; Craigslist Blocks "Adult" Services; Free Speech and the Internet; New High-Tech Products Unveiled; Rip Currents along East Coast; The Rage Against Muslims

Aired September 05, 2010 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Craigslist censors itself. This hour we look at the controversy behind the headline.

And coming up at 4:00 Eastern Time, there is nothing fishy about this story, a shark in the Potomac River.

And at 5:00 Eastern Time, a closer look at the food in your refrigerator. Is it ever safe to fudge on those expiration dates?

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM on this Labor Day Weekend. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And this week the economy remains issue number one. For voters it's liking to be a driving force in the midterm elections.

In an attempt to perhaps ease America's economic worries, President Barack Obama will reveal his new economic plan this Wednesday, and then Friday hold his first full-scale news conference in nearly four months. All this with just 58 days to critical November political races.

CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser is on the road with the CNN Election Express bus, and the bus tour kicks off tomorrow.

So, Paul, is this Wednesday an opportunity for the president not just to help clear the air about the White House plan, but for Democrats facing midterms?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Fred, you are absolutely right. There is policy, of course, on Wednesday, but there is also a lot of politics in play. And look where the president is going to be doing it -- Ohio, next door to where we are in Pennsylvania. The Democrats are trying to hold on there to the governorship and a bunch of House seats.

Right here, we're in neighboring Pennsylvania. That's Pittsburgh right behind me, of course, the beautiful skyline. The Express bus is just right off to the camera here.

The president is coming to Pennsylvania in about two weeks, Fred. He's going to campaign with Joe Sestak, a congressman from this state who is running for the Senate. Here in Pennsylvania, just like in Ohio, the Democrats are trying to hold on to the governor's office, that Senate seat, and a bunch of House seats as well.

Why the problem? The economy, of course.

Take a look at this, Fred, our brand new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation national poll. We put it out this morning.

And you can see 44 percent of the people we questioned say the economic conditions right now are very poor. That is up seven points from July, and that is the trouble. It's going the wrong way. More and more people more pessimistic about the economy -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: And so who exactly is getting the blame for this economy, the state of affairs currently?

STEINHAUSER: Yes, we asked that in the poll, and you know what? Republicans more than Democrats, still.

Forty-seven percent of those we questioned said the Republicans were more responsible for the current economic conditions, 35 percent saying the Democrats. And 16 percent, they're blaming both parties.

So, Republicans still getting more of the blame because people think that this all started back under President Bush. But how about President Obama? Do they think he is doing a good job on the economy?

Check this number out. Only four in 10 approve of how the president is handling the economy. That is the lowest number for the president on the economy in CNN polling -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Paul Steinhauser, thanks so much, joining us from Pittsburgh. And we'll see the Election Express bus in Pennsylvania all week long. Thanks so much. Appreciate that.

So, the CNN Election Express kicking off this new tour in Pittsburgh on Monday. The best political team on television is focusing on the important midterm races, and of course the issues that are likely to impact those races.

So, President Obama's small business jobs bill has won the backing of a key group, the National Small Business Association. Well, today, on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION," NSBA head Tom McCracken said the bill "will free up a lot of credit for small companies at a very low cost to the government." But McCracken criticized President Obama for not acting earlier.

The president of the AFL-CIO doesn't agree.

Candy Crowley asked both men to weigh in on how the president is handling the economy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CANDY CROWLEY, HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": What has the president, from your point of view, done right and what has he done wrong?

TODD MCCRACKEN, PRESIDENT, NSBA: He really has focused on the lending for small companies, and I think that's a really productive thing. He seemed to sort of get the need to really inject credit and capital into small companies and how it's really the lifeblood of what they do.

What is wrong I think it not really focus on that nearly early enough. And we're talking about a small business lending fund now, in September, into the end of a recession. This should have been on the table a year and a half ago, and things like this should have been on the table a year and a half ago.

And now they're also talking about a payroll tax holiday of some substance. We were talking about that also a year and a half ago. We think something like that should have been in the first stimulus package, and we would have been in better shape than we are in right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD TRUMKA, PRESIDENT, AFL-CIO: Let's remember what he inherited. He inherited a banking industry or an economy that was about to fall off the end of a cliff. He inherited a recession.

So he's brought us back. He's brought sanity back to the financial system here. He's brought the economy back somewhat. He's created more jobs in this recession than George Bush did in eight years as president with a surplus.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. CNN's Kate Bolduan joining us live now from Washington.

So, Kate, exactly how will the president's jobs bill affect small businesses?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, be it coming from the small business jobs bill or somewhere else, what small businesses are hoping for really is some breathing room, some breathing room to give consumers confidence to spend, as well as give them some confidence to hire again. Small business has been hurting, and President Obama has called it the heart of the American economy and is urging Congress to help.

But as we checked back with one small business owner, she fears they've heard it all before.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DENISE D'AMOUR, OWNER, CAPITOL HILL BIKES: My second floor was a showroom for the high-end bikes.

BOLDUAN (voice-over): We met Denise D'Amour nine months ago as she was closing down Capitol Hill Bikes in Washington. After nine years in business, a victim of the recession. D'AMOUR: The lack of cash, we couldn't support this real estate anymore.

BOLDUAN: That was then. This is now.

D'Amour has reopened what she describes as a leaner, meaner operation in a much smaller space. The good news: customers are starting to come back. But D'Amour says she, like other small businesses, is still facing the same challenges that got her in a tough spot to begin with -- access to cash and credit.

(on camera): The last time that we spoke, you said, "We need ready access."

D'AMOUR: Easy access to cash, to cash, to support some cash flow through the hard times.

BOLDUAN: Is your message the same today?

D'AMOUR: Absolutely. Absolutely.

BOLDUAN (voice-over): It's something President Obama is trying to show he's tackling, urging Congress Friday to move forward on a bill designed to help small business, including a $30 billion lending fund to help ease credit and $12 billion in tax breaks.

OBAMA: One thing we have a responsibility to do right now is to lift up our small businesses, which accounted for over 60 percent of job losses in the final months of last year.

BOLDUAN: Economic-policy analyst Anne Mathias says the measure will help but it's no silver bullet.

ANNE MATHIAS, DIR. OF POLICY RESEARCH, CONCEPT CAPITAL: It's not going to bring rush -- you know, a rush of people into - into stores to buy whatever it is these different small businesses have to offer. But it will help. It'll help kind of at the back end.

D'AMOUR: Perfect. You look like a cyclist.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

BOLDUAN: In the meantime, Denise D'Amour says she has adapted to tough times and is looking forward to making it through another bicycle season.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: But another thing to remember here, we -- she talks about bicycle season -- we are heading into election season here in Washington. Congress is set to return in about a week. And even if the small business bill passes quickly, midterm elections are fast- approaching, leaving little time for the measure's impact to be felt before voters head to the polls -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kate Bolduan in Washington. Thanks so much. Appreciate that.

Of course while everyone is also thinking about the economy, they're also trying to enjoy what's left of this Labor Day Weekend. But our Jacqui Jeras, she's been warning us all weeklong, you've still got to be careful. Even if you've got a tropical storm kind of out of the picture, along the East Coast still dangerous.

We see that case and point, a rescue off the Charleston, South Carolina, coast. A boat seemed to get in trouble, rescue of seven people. We're still trying to reach out to the U.S. Coast Guard to find out a little bit more about this story.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: All right. A famous group of survivors takes their message of hope to the miners trapped underground in Chile.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In Iraq, insurgents launched another coordinated attack at a military base in Baghdad. Iraqi officials report the attack was carried out by at least five suicide bombers. Up to 12 people were killed and dozens more wounded. So far, no group is claiming responsibility. Forty-eight people were killed in a suicide bomb attack at that same base nearly three weeks ago.

So it has now been a month -- can you believe it? -- since 33 Chilean miners became trapped deep underground. This weekend they received a message of hope from a fairly famous group of guys who know a little bit about surviving against all odds.

CNN's Karl Penhaul joins us now from Copiapo, Chile.

So, Karl, when it comes to survival stories, pretty hard to beat the Uruguayan rugby team. And they're the ones who have descended upon that town, right?

KARL PENHAUL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. It was 1972, Fredricka, a Uruguayan rugby team heading to Chile to play a series of rugby matches, and that plane crashed into the snow-capped Andes Mountains.

They were up there for 72 days. Nobody found them for 72 days. Of the 45 aboard that plane, 29 died, 16 survived.

And in order to survive, 16 of those men had to eat the remains of those that died. A tremendous story of life and death and of survival. And those survivors were here at the mine head yesterday, bringing messages of support to the families.

They said in the case of that plane crash in 1972, it was really destiny that made them survive. It was destiny that decided those who lived and those who died. And they said that they were bringing a message of love and of hope for the families of 33 Chilean miners now trapped half a mile underground. As you say, they've been there now for exactly one month.

But the Uruguayans, on the hope side, said that maybe the Chilean miners were in better shape. They've now been discovered. They're getting some of the best help medically, the best psychological support, and the best nutritional support to help them through this. And all systems now seem to be pointing to the fact that the Chilean miners will come home alive, even though it will take a long time -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So I understand, Karl, you actually had a chance to talk to a lot of family members of some of the miners. And what did they have to say about this?

PENHAUL: Well, I think that now being a month since the mine caved in -- and, in fact, just a few moments ago, before we came on air, the Chilean minister led a very emotive ceremony up hill on a barren hillside overlooking the mine. He did a roll call of each of the 33 names of the miners down there, and on that hillside have been planted 33 flags, 32 Chilean flags, one Bolivian flag. We can't forget that one of the miners down there is Bolivian.

But also took the chance to talk to the family members and asked them to recall the moments when they first heard that the mine had caved in and their loved ones were lost.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRISTINA NUNEZ, WIFE OF CLAUDIO YANEZ (through translator): A friend phoned and said the San Esteban mine has just collapsed and the miners are trapped inside. I said, "What? That can't be true." And I began crying.

I was crying and I couldn't talk. I was just crying and crying. I said, "My Claudio can't leave me like this. Claudio has to be alive."

LILA RAMIREZ, WIFE OF MARIO GOMEZ (through translator): I felt a lot of rage and pain, and I felt powerless because I knew this was an accident waiting to happen. A lot of the miners said that they had heard the mountain groaning.

I never doubted, and I had a lot of faith that they were alive and that they were all together. And that's how they found them, all together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PENHAUL: These are 33 hard-as-rock miners who survived the first 17 days with no contact with the outside world, eating just two spoonfuls of tuna every second day. And the Chilean government says they've given them all the help they can get, but insists this is still a life-and-death struggle -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Pretty extraordinary.

Karl Penhaul, thanks so much. Appreciate that.

CNN has been looking at inventive ways to fix our schools. Our mission was simple -- document the education crisis in America and then spotlight the success stories.

This past week, CNN Student News anchor Carl Azuz sat down with students to get their perspective.

So what were some of the lessons learned?

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: There were a lot of things that I learned from them. I mean, one thing I'm grateful for is I went to school when I did, because they're in an environment that is so competitive for scholarship money, competitive in some cases for college admissions with more people going back to school, that I don't envy the positions today's high school students are in.

I had a very wide-raging interview. I've got highlights of it for you right here, right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: What makes a school good?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The teachers, the ones that push you harder.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would also include a caring administrative staff, because I think, like, good schools start at the top and then they work themselves down.

AZUZ: What's more important to you, the school or the people in it?

GROUP: The people in it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Without good teachers, without that education, what is a school?

AZUZ: Think of your best teacher. Tell me what he or she is like.

Go ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She had a way of adding humor to the class.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If it weren't for the dedication and the passion that my teachers have, we would all probably be failing in those classes.

AZUZ: What do you think students can do to make sure they get a better education?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have to push yourself to learn as much as you can in whatever class you're in.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think just simply raising your hand in class and saying something, and taking an active role in just a single class helps you stay more involved.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't just put your education in a little box at school. Go above and beyond that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My mom pushes me to do my best because I like to get good grades, but sometimes if I'm feeling lazy, I'll be lazy. But my mom is the one that really keeps me straight.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's great when parents are involved, but they have to realize that they need to let us spread our wings.

AZUZ: What one thing could help best fix American schools?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At my school, they lessened (ph) up the teachers. I think that was the worst idea ever. I know we need to send money, but we definitely need to pay attention to education, because I think that's what comes first.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I also think if you cut education, you're really cutting from the future generation. I think it's a very selfish move to do in the first place.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: You could hear some of the frustration in their voices, and this was a group that genuinely cared about their education. They wanted more out of their education, so obviously they were kind of upset when they saw budget cuts happening in their schools where they could get prepared for the future.

WHITFIELD: Was there anything that particularly surprised you about what they said?

AZUZ: There was one thing I would say that bothered me.

WHITFIELD: What's that?

AZUZ: And because this group, they're so competitive, and there's so many things they're working on, one girl told me that a friend of her had taken on so many extracurricular activities and AP classes, that she felt like she had lost part of her childhood. A time in high school is probably the last time you and I can remember having that little responsibility.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

AZUZ: And this student had said that her friend had so much responsibility, that she felt like these years were not her best, that they were kind of slipping away.

WHITFIELD: Responsibilities all on the academic level, or are we talking about outside of going to school, but family responsibilities? Just strictly just trying to achieve in school?

AZUZ: Yes. Trying to achieve in school and trying to take on those extracurricular activities so that she would have an edge when it came time for college interviews.

WHITFIELD: Right, so she would stand out. Boy, a lot of pressure. And it's tough.

Carl Azuz, thanks so much. Appreciate it for bringing the perspective of so many kids.

AZUZ: Thank you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Censoring adult ads. A major change for Craigslist coming up. The Web site bows to pressure over online prostitution but opens the door on a free speech debate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A major change for Craigslist. Users looking for adult encounters on the Web site are instead encountering the word "censored" in its place. Craigslist isn't explaining the move just yet, but said that it would release a statement later.

It has been under a lot of pressure to make the change, and Craigslist has faced allegations that it's promoting prostitution and child sex trafficking. Attorneys general in 17 states challenged Craigslist to act. One commended this latest move but warned that there is much more to do.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, CONNECTICUT ATTORNEY GENERAL: There have been a series of assaults, even more serious crime, evidence of human trafficking, tragedies resulting directly from these prostitution ads on Craigslist. But Craigslist is simply the biggest by far in scale and scope and others should follow its example. We will monitor them, we will pursue them if they fail to follow this lead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Craigslist executives had said that they would be keeping a closer eye on that adult services section.

CNN's Amber Lyon took a closer look to see if they were indeed living up to their promises. She even asked Craigslist's founder -- the founder for his take on what she found.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AMBER LYON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So I want to show you how easy it is for these pimps to use Craigslist to sell their girls. So we're actually going to post an ad for a fictional prostitute right now.

Don't try this at home, OK?

It says right now that it will cost $10 per ad, $5 to repost. One of the big things going on with Craigslist right now is they say they're monitoring these ads that come through on adult services to check if any of these girls are underage or young. We put some words in here, sweet, innocent, new girl. We're going to see what happens. We'll see if Craigslist is going to let our ad post and we'll also see what kind of calls we get.

CALLER: I saw your ad on Craigslist.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello?

CALLER: Yes, what's your destination for your ad?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are you looking for? What type?

CALLER: Just a quick half-hour the question-together.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, what's your me?

CALLER: John.

LYON: So what's that now, we've had 15 calls and the ad has only been up for three hours, 15 calls in three hours. We're on the main page of the Washington, D.C. Craigslist section right now, ask to get down to the adult services section, you scroll past the sales section. Right underneath pet services is adult services.

(voice-over): Craigslist says its staff manually screens the adult ads and will reject any that sounds like you're selling sex. That may not be easy, but when we looked through the ads, most of them were pretty blatant.

On a single day last week, we counted 7,000 adult services ads in the major metropolitan areas where Craigslist is most active. Dozens had photos with young-looking females. Dozens more had words to use as a selling point.

The FAIR Fund investigates juvenile trafficking.

ANDREA POWELL, FAIR FUND: And most of the young people that we work with who has been exploited online talk about Craigslist. They don't talk about the other sites. Craigslist is like the Walmart of online sex trafficking right now in this country.

"M", FORMER UNDERAGE PROSTITUTE: We post ads like around 4:00 or 5:00 and wait to get a call.

POWELL: From everything that we understand, when they are being exploited by a pimp or a trafficker more accurately described, the trafficker is keeping the money.

"M": And if I didn't get it, he would beat me.

LYON (on camera): So we're here at George Washington University, and we just found out Craig Newmar. He's the founder of Craigslist, is going to be speaking here today at a tech conference.

He doesn't know we're coming. He's been very media shy lately about all these allegations against him. This guy is decraiging Craigslist. It's his list.

So can people trust that children are not being sex trafficked on Craigslist?

CRAIG NEWMARK, FOUNDER, CRAIGSLIST: I think we explain that pretty thoroughly in our blog.

LYON: That's where Jim Buckmaster says that you will immediately contact law enforcement if you suspect any ads that are explicit?

NEWMARK: Jim does a great job showing that we do more than anyone in this area. Pretty good for a community of 50 million people.

LYON: This is Inspector Brian Bray with D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. He's also in charge of the Prostitution Enforcement Unit. In Craigslist's blog they say that they're going to immediately contact law enforcement anytime they see a suspicious ad, and you're saying you've never been contacted by them.

BRIAN BRAY, METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT: That's correct. It does bother us from a law enforcement perspective because the problem is so rampant that, you know, to get a handle on it, we need all the assistance we can get. If they're notifying, I'm not sure if they're notifying the right people because we're not getting a call.

LYON: What are you guys doing to protect these girls? You guys say in the blog that you will remove any ad that looks like the person might be suggesting they're going to offer sex.

Look at this ad. It says, young, sexy, sweet and bubbly. Clearly here she writes $250 an hour. What do you think she's selling in her bra and underwear, a dinner date?

She's in her bra and underwear. What are you guys doing? But you guys say you screen all these ads manually in your blog.

NEWMARK: I don't know what this is. Have you reported this to us?

LYON: Why do I have the responsibility to report this to you when it's your web site? You're the one posting this online. I just want to know -- I mean -- OK. We've run into a lot of victims and a lot of advocates that pretty much call your site the Walmart of child sex trafficking.

(voice-over): In 2008, Craigslist agreed to report any suspicious ads to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which works with police to find and rescue trafficking victims. A few years and hundreds of thousands of sketchy ads later, the center says Craigslist has reported fewer than 100.

(on camera): Thank you for your time, Craig.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Amber Lyon filed that piece the beginning of August. Meantime, Craigslist representative say they will be issuing a statement.

We'll bring that statement to you as soon as they do. So can you hold web sites accountable for the postings of people? It's an interesting free speech debate.

Evan Brown is an attorney who focuses on internet law. He's joining us now from Chicago. Good to see you.

EVAN BROWN, TECHNOLOGY AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ATTORNEY: Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: So give me an idea. What kind of responsibility does Craigslist have to police the content that is posted on their web site?

BROWN: Well, Craigslist is in a very difficult spot, not unlike many other intermediaries, as we call them, these service providers who aggregate content that's put up by users and allowed to be viewed by people all around the world.

So it would be a very difficult task to ask Craigslist to monitor every bit of content that goes through its system. And what we do know is that they enjoy a fairly robust amount of immunity under federal law for the bad content that some of its users may put to the site.

WHITFIELD: So that Craigslist has put up the word "censored" on the adult section of Craigslist. Are they essentially saying that this is the road toward a free speech -- an argument or legal case that's brewing?

BROWN: Right now, Craigslist's motives in doing this, the way it has done it, is unclear. From one perspective, you could interpret this as them sieving to the demands that law enforcement has made.

The attorneys general from around the country are calling on Craigslist to take this down. But on the other hand, the fact they've put in black letters the word "censored" on this might indicate they're being a bit defiant.

But at the end of the day, what we're seeing here is that for whatever reason, they're allowing there to be a little bit of a cooling off period, perhaps to let the dust settle and see what public reactions is going to be.

And so it's anybody game as to or anybody guess as to how Craigslist is playing its game and what the motives may be in this situation.

WHITFIELD: So if Craigslist does remove the word "censored" at some point, whether it's days from now or even weeks from now and is defiant and allows the adult web site to go on, or the section of this web site to go on just as it was before, what will be Craigslist' argument if indeed they are brought to court by anyone of these 17 state attorneys general? BROWN: Well, Craigslist will make the argument that it's incredibly burdensome for it to be responsible for all of these stuff. If there is a civil lawsuit brought by these attorneys general, it would, of course, argue that immunity.

And it would also argue that immunity that's provided under the Communications Decency Act if it were having to answer to state criminal prosecution.

There is an exception to this immunity that Craigslist would enjoy under the Communications Decency Act if there is a cause of action under federal law.

So with what's been brewing so far, and the grumblings that we've been hearing and the saber rattling from the various attorney general, it's hard to imagine what that may look like, but fundamentally, Craigslist is going --

WHITFIELD: One of the prosecutors then, if they're able to pursue this, they would say we know that word "censored" that you put on your adult section of this web site is almost an admission that perhaps they do bear some responsibility by now turning off the light switch.

BROWN: Right. Well, actually in addition to this immunity that providers like Craigslist have, the law treats them by saying that they cannot be treated as the publisher or speaker of information that's provided by third parties.

Also, along with that immunity is a protection for the efforts that they do take to actually screen offensive content. So I don't think it's going to do us much good to look too much into the meaning of the word "censored" there.

If anything, it looks like they may be intending to do the right thing and we've just kind of got to wait a little while to see what their true motives are.

WHITFIELD: Interesting stuff. Evan Brown joining us from Chicago. Thanks you very much. Have a great rest of the Labor Day weekend as well.

BROWN: My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, there is a slew of new high-tech gadgets out there hitting the market. I know that really gets a lot of folks very excited. We'll show you what they are and if they're worth your hard-earned dollars coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, this was a huge week for technology with several companies launching an array of new products that could affect how you watch television, listen to music or get your e-mail.

Let's start with Apple's exclusive product unveiling that took place in San Francisco. Technology expert Marc Saltzman was there, but right now you're joining us via Skype from Toronto, right? So what are the new gadgets?

MARC SALTZMAN, SYNDICATED TECHNOLOGY WRITER: Hi, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Hi, what do you like? What are the gadgets?

SALTZMAN: Well, this Apple event was built as a music event, and we will get to the new iPods in a moment. I think the product that stole the show was that Apple TV. The crowd went wild.

I mean, this is gadget that's no bigger than a deck of cards and it's about 80 percent smaller than the existing Apple TV, which I think was a little out of its time.

So when this comes out this month, you attach this to your HD TV and then you can stream high-definition movies and TV shows right from the internet. So it's a great bridge between the internet and your television. No hard drive this time. It's not big.

You can also, by the way, wirelessly access content on your computer say in another room, your music, your photos, your videos, and it also supports services like Netflix and YouTube and things like that.

So a great little product that I think - I'm not alone to say that is one of the most exciting of the Apple announcements and then, of course, you alluded to the new iPod. All of the iPod, the Nano, the Shuffle and the Touch, all were shown.

They're all refreshed as of Tuesday, you'll be able to buy them. I think the iPod Touch is the most exciting. It's not only thinner, but it has a camera that let you take photos, shoot high definition video as well as a forward facing camera much like the iPhone 4 so you can in face time video chats over a wireless network.

WHITFIELD: Wow, that's incredible stuff. I know that was an exciting event. Meantime, let's talk about Google launching a mind reading kind of inbox feature to help kind of help you navigate all that e- mail you get inundated with.

SALTZMAN: That's right, it's a new feature for G-mail users called priority inbox. As the name suggests, it uses an algorithm to prioritize your messages.

Basically G-mail or Google rather is trying to guess what you - what deemed as the most important e-mail and put that front and center.

So it looks for things like keywords such as the word important or immediately. It looks like who you write to and receive e-mail from the most, as well as long e-mail chains.

If you're in the middle of a lengthy discussion, it might prioritize that as well. The initial feedback is that it works quite well and it's a welcome feature. You could in and turn that off or you could go in and add an extra keyword like the word airport or flight change and that will flag those messages as well so a neat little new feature for the free G-mail.

WHITFIELD: Wow, and then Playstation 3 is kind of reinventing itself again, I guess, this time it just might be 3D and that's going to get a whole lot of folks very excited come October.

SALTZMAN: Sir Howard Stringer, Apple - Sony Corp CEO finally confirmed last week in Berlin that this free downloadable update for the Playstation 3 will be available next month in October that will allow 3D movies to be seen on the Playstation 3, if you have a 3D TV, of course.

Already there is 3D gaining support for the Playstation 3 and then again about a month from now, you'll be able to download a small update directly to the Playstation 3 over the internet that will enable the support the 3D Blu-ray disk.

There aren't too many at this point so there isn't, I guess, a huge rush even though this announcement or feather rather has been delayed, but it looks like beginning in October, Playstation 3 owners will not need to buy a special Blu-ray disk player that supports 3D, it will be built in.

WHITFIELD: Wow, that's fantastic. Lots of incredible things. I'm hearing the scratching of the Christmas lists and holiday lists already. People are getting pumped up.

SALTZMAN: You know (inaudible).

WHITFIELD: Yes, they are and spend me. All right, Mark Saltzman, thanks so much. I appreciate it. Good to see you. Have a great rest of the weekend.

SALTZMAN: Bye, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: OK, appreciate it.

Along the U.S. east coast, a great time to be at the beach, right, on Labor Day weekend, but maybe not a great time to be in the water right now.

Yes, lots of rescues taking place, still. Still very treacherous along the coastal waterways there as a result of some pretty powerful storms that swept through. We'll get the latest from Jacqui Jeras.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, this is Labor Day weekend. Of course, you want to know what's going on outside your window so you know the best way to take advantage of this holiday.

Jacqui Jeras in the Weather Center and if you're along the east coast, you need a little more instructions from Jacqui to stay safe.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's one of those things where it's so tempting, right? It it's so beautiful. WHITFIELD: It's gorgeous.

JERAS: It is and you know, little waves mean a little fun, perhaps, as well, right, for a whole lot of people, but it is a dangerous threat.

Here you can see Daytona Beach, Florida from our affiliate WKMG. Looks a little hazy there. They've got most of the cloudy skies, 89 degrees is the temperature. Overall it's a beautiful day, but Velucia County, you had over 100 rescues yesterday afternoon because of rip currents.

And that threat continues to be high to moderate today and you can see all those people in the water. I literally can't imagine being a lifeguard having to make all those rescues in one day.

WHITFIELD: I do not envy him or her.

JERAS: Not at all. It's a very serious job and you do need to heed the warnings. You know, the threat is going to start to be reduced a little bit as we head throughout the rest of today and into tomorrow.

However, I just want to advise you, pay attention. Don't swim at a beach that doesn't have a lifeguard for sure, and certainly swim by yourself, and then see the warnings.

You know look at the flags, are the flags are red? Yes, maybe not get in above your ankles, right? If they're yellow or green, depending on your level of swimming ability and if you do get caught in one of these things, remember swim parallel to the shore, right? If there's a lifeguard, don't you try and go out there and save somebody else.

The tropical development in the gulf so the Gulf waters is a little choppy here, too, as we have the remnants of a cold front that's kind of lay in there. We have showers and thundershowers in the Miami areas, so we've got some delays at the airport.

This is leaving Miami, about 30 minutes so that's not too bad. The only report that we can tell you in terms of delays today for those of you may be trying to come back a little bit earlier maybe get somewhere for tomorrow really, really fast, right?

Tomorrow's forecast about the same along the east coast. It will be the upper Midwest that will be the focus of the worst weather in the country where we have the slight risk of seeing severe thunderstorms, large hail, damaging winds and even isolated tornadoes.

It includes Minneapolis down towards Des Moines and even Kansas City, so keep that in mind for your afternoon barbecue plans.

WHITFIELD: Yes, that, too. All right, got to squeeze it all in the next couple of days.

JERAS: Get those burgers going.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks, Jacqui. Appreciate it.

JERAS: Sure.

WHITFIELD: All right, American Muslims say they're under attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What changed the game, 19 people changed the game? How did that happen? Because we've been your doctor, we've been your x-ray tech, we've been your accountant, we've been serving you Slushies for a long time. So what tipped the scales?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Islam anger and U.S. politics will take a closer look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Arson caused that fire last weekend at the construction site of a Tennessee mosque. That's the conclusion of investigators who say they found evidence of accelerant.

The fire last weekend destroyed an earth mover and three other vehicles at the future site of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro.

Investigators are still trying to figure out who is responsible. Leaders of the mosque have decided to hire private security guards to patrol that site.

So is there a new wave of hate sweeping across the U.S.? People across the country say yes. They say Islamophobia is alive and all too well. CNN's Deb Feyerick takes a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Islamic Center and mosque to be built near Ground Zero is not the only mosque drawing fire. About a dozen others across the country are also under attack.

From angry protests and suspended arson in Murfreesboro, Tennessee to Tamecula, California, American mosques in some cases being portrayed as monuments to terror or terror training centers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's open season on hate towards Muslims and Islam.

FEYERICK (on camera): Why now, especially since the majority of Americans have resisted the urge to stake Muslims in the years since 9/11, the site's negative images in the movies and on the news.

John Esposito is a religion and Islamic professor of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

JOHN ESPOSITO, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: People feel under siege. They feel threatened by the economy, by terrorism, et cetera. The risk is that Islamophobia will become the kind of new form of discrimination, you know, like anti-Semitism, like racism towards blacks.

FEYERICK: Conservatively, figures show an estimated 5 million Muslims in American and the intensifying hostility and rise in hate speech is alarming to many like this clerics who we met at a recent Islamic summit in Houston.

YASIR QADHI, AIMAGHRIB INSTITUTE: You would never hear any mainstream comments saying, do you think another Christian sec could open a mosque? Do you think Jewish should be allowed to open their synagogues anywhere they want, but we have mainstream news presenters just asking the question bluntly, do you think Muslims should be allowed to open a mosque anywhere they want?

WISAM SHARIEFF, BAYYINAH INSTITUTE: What changed the game, 19 people changed the game? How did that happen? We've been your doctor. We've been your x-ray tech. We've been your accountant. We've been serving you Slushies for a long time. So what tipped the scales?

FEYERICK: Wisam Sharieff, Yasir Qahdi and other prominent American clerics say American Muslims are under siege both by Islamic extremists and some U.S. conservatives.

QADHI: You have radical Islamic clerics, right, preaching from abroad saying you cannot be an American and a Muslim at the same time. Well, lo and behold, on the far right, you have quite a number of famous prominent Islamophobes who saying the exact same message.

FEYERICK: The Ground Zero mosque has some call it has whipped up national debate fueled in part by misinformation and fear mongering. Yet, anti-Muslim feelings had been simmering. Since last year, this YouTube video has been viewed more than 12 million times.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The world is changing. It's time to wake up.

FEYERICK: Islam has become a political wedge issue with politicians like Newt Gingrich comparing Muslims to Nazis.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, Nazis don't have the right to put up a sign next to the Holocaust Museum in Washington. There is no reason for us to accept a mosque next to the World Trade Center.

FEYERICK: In fact, a Duke University study finds rather than fuel terrorism in America, contemporary mosque prevents it. National Security experts and American Muslims like Siraaj Mohammed fear there is a lot at stake.

SIRAAJ MOHAMMED: The more they speak and the more they incite people, they themselves are a concern to be dealt with and they have to be told you have to stop this rhetoric. It's hurting American security.

FEYERICK: Right, because it's creating hatred.

MOHAMMED: Yes, it's creating a lot of hatred.

FEYERICK (on camera): The latest 2008 FBI statistic on hate crimes against Muslims don't reflect what's going on now, but experts believe despite that happened after 9/11 could repeat itself.

(voice-over): Several mosques have recently been targeted for violence. Security videos capturing an attempted pipe bombing in Florida, and in New York, a cab driver stabbed after allegedly being asked if he was Muslim.

QADHI: Slowly but surely, we will counter this Islamophobia. Everybody had it. The Irish had it. The Catholics had it. The Italians had it, now it's time for the Muslims.

FEYERICK: How long it will take to counter is anyone's guess. Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And in the nation's capitol, they are calling this shark week. Two huge bull sharks were found in the Potomac River coming at 4:00 Eastern time. A marine expert joins us live to tell us why the sharks are in that river and if people need to be worried. But first, time now for "YOUR MONEY."