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Fighting the Flames in Colorado; Crowd Jeers L.A. Police Chief; Talking Economy and Politics; Paying to Ride School Bus; Cuba's Economy; 3 Million Job Openings; Sick Ground-Zero Workers
Aired September 09, 2010 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: What a silly start for me. And good morning, everyone.
Live from Studio 7 at CNN world headquarters, the big stories for Thursday, September 9th.
A CNN exclusive. The man behind an Islamic center near New York's Ground Zero says he regrets the pain the project has caused, but that he won't change his plan.
A candid Fidel Castro. The Cuban revolutionary tells an American journalist his country's economic model isn't working.
And nine years after terrorists attacked the United States, rescuers and workers from the World Trade Center site are still getting very sick.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MADELINE WIEBICKE, 9/11 FIREFIGHTER'S WIFE: I just thought that it was over with. You know, we went through 9/11, we went through six months of crying and funerals, and I thought it was over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
Those stories and your comments right here, right now in the CNN NEWSROOM.
So, crews are making some progress against a wildfire raging in Colorado, but thousands of people still don't know when they'll get to go home or whether their homes will be there when they do return. No injuries reported so far, but four people are unaccounted for.
The fire has scorched more than 6,300 acres. Officials will reopen three subdivisions today where the fire threat has, at least for now, died down. Flames have destroyed about 140 structures, including homes and other buildings. Another 24 were damaged.
And we are awaiting an update from fire officials. A news conference expected to get under way any moment now.
Our Jim Spellman is waiting for that news conference in Boulder, Colorado, to begin, and he is on the phone with us.
And Jim, if you would, give us a sense of the scene there at this hour.
JIM SPELLMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure. Here at the incident command center for the Four Mile Fire, Tony, people are really apprehensive, honestly, for the weather today.
Yesterday, a firefighter called it a gift. It was humid, cool, calm winds, and even rain for about an hour. Today, not so lucky, dry and a real chance the winds could pick up later this afternoon. They are trying to make as much progress as they can to try to contain this before that happens.
Like you mentioned, several subdivisions opening, the areas that were evacuated but not burned. But the real heart of where the fire is, they're still not letting anybody back there. People are really restless for information and wanting to get back, but as you can imagine, authorities don't want anybody going up there until they really feel it's safe -- Tony.
HARRIS: Yes. And Jim, any word on the unaccounted for at this point and how the officials will go about searching for the unaccounted for?
SPELLMAN: Well, searching is really difficult because people evacuated from their canyons and they've scattered around. Some are staying with friends and family, some in hotels, some have even sort of left the metropolitan area. They're asking people to check in let them know.
They are sort of optimistic right now that nobody has actually been hurt and people just have gone off with family and haven't checked in, but it's going to be difficult. I mean, these houses that have burned, it's just the foundation that's left -- Tony.
HARRIS: OK. Well, Jim, give us a heads up when that news conference begins, when we get that update, and if there's any news in that update, and we'll pop you back up.
Jim Spellman for us.
Clouds and cooler temperatures helped firefighters, as Jim mentioned, yesterday gain a bit of ground. What about today's conditions?
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Now to the emotional debate over plans to build an Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero. The man behind the project says the way the U.S. handles the controversy is a matter of national security.
On CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE," Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf told our Soledad O'Brien moving the center would empower radicals.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, HOST: Something like 71 percent of Americans think that even though there's a right to build there, a center that will include a mosque and other things, which we'll talk about in a minute, the wisdom of it may not be there.
IMAM FEISAL ABDUL RAUF, FOUNDER, THE CORDOBA INITIATIVE: Well, here's the --
O'BRIEN: Is that political --
RAUF: Well, here --
O'BRIEN: -- or is that just people saying it's -- sensitivity- wise, it's the wrong thing to do?
RAUF: I am extremely concerned about sensitivity, but I also have a responsibility. If we move from that location, the story will be that the radicals have taken over the discourse. The headlines in the Muslim world will be that Islam is under attack. And I'm less concerned about the radicals in America than I'm concerned about the radicals in the Muslim world.
O'BRIEN: But isn't that also saying you're less concerned about the voices of opposition here?
RAUF: And if we do -- no, no, no, no. I'm sorry, I don't mean it that way. I meant it, the danger from the radicals in the Muslim world to our national security, to the national security of our troops.
I have a niece who works in the Army and served in Iraq. The concern for American citizens who live and work and travel overseas will increasingly be compromised if the radicals are strengthened. And if we do move, it will strengthen the argument of the radicals to recruit, their ability to recruit, and their increasing aggression and violence against our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK. Other big stories we're following for you in the NEWSROOM.
President Obama calls a Koran burning a stunt and says it would be a recruitment bonanza for al Qaeda. The event is planned for Saturday, the anniversary of 9/11, at a small Gainesville, Florida, church.
Condemnation of the church and the pastor, Terry Jones, is global now. A Pakistani minister calls it a crime against humanity and says Interpol should step in.
Here's the president on ABC.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As a very practical matter, as commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the United States, I just want him to understand that this stunt that he is talking about pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women in uniform who are in Iraq, who are in Afghanistan. We're already seeing protests against Americans just by the mere threat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And last hour, the Council on American Islamic Relations announced it will distribute 200,000 Korans this weekend.
The Los Angeles police chief jeered and booed at a community meeting.
Yes, that was the scene. Chief Charlie Beck tried to calm people after two nights of ugly street scenes. The crowd angry over the death of a Guatemalan day laborer by a Los Angeles police officer. Police say the man lunged at the officer with a knife, and witnesses support that.
More on this story with Ines Ferre in just a couple of minutes.
Three days before the season opener, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in an early morning car accident in Boston. "The Boston Globe" reports Brady's Audi hit a van. Brady walked away from the crash, and according to a CNN source, on to practice. A passenger in the van had to be pulled out of the van with the jaws of life and is at a hospital right now for treatment.
Rough weather in Texas. Tornadoes and floodwaters in parts of that state. Rob is back -- Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Double whammy for those guys yesterday, a tremendous amount of rainfall and several reports of tornadoes, one touching down pretty much in downtown Dallas.
We'll talk weather in just a little bit. Stay there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: In Los Angeles, police are trying to calm the community after an officer shot and killed a Guatemalan day laborer. But four days after it happened, anger is still boiling hot.
CNN's Ines Ferre is here.
We're talking about the chief of police getting booed and heckled, and street scenes and protests. This is really hot.
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, definitely. Charlie Beck, he was booed last night at the town hall meeting in Los Angeles. Hundreds of people attended this gathering.
Their angry over the fatal shoots of Manuel Jamines. He's a day laborer and a father of three. They're saying it was not justified. Now, police say that Jamines was threatening people with a knife on Sunday, and when they ordered him to drop the knife both in English and Spanish, police say that he raised it over his head and started going towards them. That's when an officer fired two rounds and killed him.
And Chief Beck described the reaction from a woman who felt threatened by Jamines. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF CHARLIE BECK, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPT.: She referred to the officers as her "angels that descended from heaven," and she said that the officers saved her life.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know Mr. Jamines should not have had a knife, but Gobarde (ph) Hernandez should not have had a gun and should never have one again. Why haven't you even suspended him?
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FERRE: Now, Jamines's cousin says his relative had been drinking that day. A lot of folks are wondering why the suspect wasn't shot in the leg or disarmed some other way. And the chief responds that, look, these were officers that are on bicycles and they don't have other devices that maybe can harm them but not kill them, like, for example, tasers, or something like that. They're not armed with all these things that cops in patrol cars are.
HARRIS: Well, it's tough for the chief, but the only way to sort of work through this is to do what he did last night, is to go out in the community and continue to talk about this. That will help over time. No time soon though.
All right. Ines, appreciate it. Thank you.
Out of a job but not giving up, it is one story from our T.J. Holmes in Indianapolis. T.J. is on the road with the CNN Election Express.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The CNN Election Express is on the road talking politics and the economy and listening to your concerns. Today's stop -- Indianapolis.
CNN's T.J. Holmes joins us live.
T.J., look, if you want to talk about 2008 election night surprises, none bigger than Indiana, right, going for candidate Barack Obama? No Democrat since Lyndon Johnson had carried Indiana, and yet the economy could see that state turn red again in November. Correct?
T.J. HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that was a long time ago. You've got to go way back.
And you talk about election night surprises, yes, President Obama, then candidate Obama, he won this state by one percentage point. But the surprise was also two weeks before the election, when candidate Obama came here to where I am, Indianapolis, to this very place where I'm standing.
This is called the American Legion Mall, just a big open, grassy, park-like area. Well, he came here two weeks before the election. You'll see these pictures and you might remember this, but 35,000 people, according to police estimates, showed up to be here.
It wasn't a surprise that all those people showed up, Tony. A lot of people thought it was a surprise that he would even waste his time here. Of course a Democrat is going to lose Indiana. That was the attitude a lot of people had, and sure enough, he came here, it was a much different time in this state, 6.7 percent unemployment.
Well, let's fast-forward now, Tony, two years. I'm back in the same spot. Unemployment here is now 10.2 percent.
Also different from then to now is that Amy Rinringer actually had a job. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMY RINRINGER, LOST JOB AS FINANCIAL ANALYST: Even though I was willing to accept a lot less money than what I used to make, many companies either weren't hiring, or they were hiring and were concerned that if they hired me, I would jump ship once the economy got better for something that paid similar to what I was getting paid prior to. It's just kind of natural for a lot of people to just point fingers at what's happening, but I think you just have to adapt to the environment that you're in.
I don't know that they should, you know, just blame the government or what have you. They should do what they can do within their means.
HOLMES: And, yes, Tony, true story. Ran into Amy and a group of her friends yesterday, just said hello. They were all nursing students, and most of them, I think just about all of them actually, had gone back into that from another field they were in, were going to get more education.
One construction worker even who had been laid off months ago, he had gone into nursing. So a lot of people, some of them extending their education, staying in school longer. Some people changing their career path altogether.
And one last note. You mentioned this state possibly going red again. Well, we talk about Republicans taking back the Senate. A big task, yes, but the possibilities lie in places like this were where there is an open seat left by Evan Bayh, a Democrat, and now a Democrat and Republican are vying for it. And the Republican, Dan Coats, in the race, by all intents and purposes and all accounts, has some 20-point lead in the poll.
HARRIS: Wow.
HOLMES: So Republicans feel pretty good this is at least one seat they're going to pick up here in Indiana.
HARRIS: T.J., good to see you, my friend. Talk to you again next hour.
HOLMES: Always good to see you, Tony. All right.
HARRIS: Still to come, getting the economy moving by giving small businesses tax breaks, why the administration and Republicans don't see eye to eye.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Still to come, Fidel Castro says the Cuban economic model -- have you heard this? -- doesn't work. Is he backtracking?
We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: We have some new numbers from the Labor Department for you this morning.
First time unemployment claims fell for the third straight week last week, down 27,000 to 451,000. That's still a pretty big number. That figure is lower than expected and the lowest in almost two months.
And with midterm elections just a few weeks away, it is all about the economy, and this time it is personal. President Obama is ramping up his rhetoric, going after the GOP and House Republican Leader John Boehner in particular for stalling a small business tax cut.
Here is the president earlier on "Good Morning America."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: We've got to make some decisions now that are going to have huge ramifications over the long term.
Now, if Mr. Boehner and the Republicans want to help small businesses right now, which is the rationale that they provided for trying to extend tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, if they want to help them right now, we've got a small jobs bill, bipartisan bill written by Democrats and Republicans, that provides tax cuts to small businesses, eliminates capital gains for small businesses, provides loan assistance to small businesses. And we could vote on that immediately.
The reason it's been held up is because we haven't seen compromise from the other side. When you look at what the Republicans are offering, it is exactly the same as what landed us in this mess in the first place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Meanwhile, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell appeared on CNN's "JOHN KING USA," offering a somewhat tepid olive branch before slamming the president's proposal to let tax cuts for the wealthy expire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), MINORITY LEADER: We're certainly willing to talk to the president about anything that might help get us out of this economic trough we're in, but at the same time, he is recommending that we continue to pursue higher taxes in the middle of what most Americans think is a recession. I don't think these targeted efforts are going to have nearly the stimulating effect they might have if you were not depressing the economy with things like raising taxes.
And this particular tax increase that he has in mind that he will characterize as a tax on wealthy in fact impacts 50 percent of small business income, 25 percent of the workforce, and our friends on the other side say, oh, it's only three percent of small businesses. I had my staff check to find out how many businesses that is. It's 750,000 businesses, the most productive small businesses in the country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Got to tell you, this difficult economy is being felt everywhere, even, as you know, in school districts. And we have watched creative and in some cases disheartening methods to cut back. A district in Framingham, Massachusetts, is considering a plan to charge parents hundreds of dollars to bus their kids to school. Some parents are outraged. Jonathan Hall of our affiliate WHDH reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JONATHAN HALL, WHDH (voice-over): Just look at this traffic jam outside Barbieri Elementary School as parents who find themselves without school bus service wait to pick up their young kids.
Cars back up outside with some impatient drivers zipping into the wrong lane just to get by, and there's not a cop nor crossing guard anywhere in sight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wait until winter comes.
HALL: In an effort to cut cost, Framingham announced over the summer, school bus service would be severely cut.
(on camera): The original plan was to do away with 10 buses saving $500,000, but that would mean no student who lives within two miles of his or her school would get bus transportation free or otherwise.
(voice-over): Outraged parents call their opposition a safety issue.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think two miles is far to ask young children to walk.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's horrible. I think it's terrible and given the fact that Framingham, a lot of streets of Framingham don't have sidewalks. I think that's another huge issue and they didn't hire any extra crossing guards so, you know, not - not a good plan.
HALL: Now it could be a money issue, the school committee looking at restoring bus service, but at a cost of $400 to $500 per student depending on how people sign up. This woman has two kids.
(on camera): Can you afford a thousand bucks?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's outrageous what they're charging. I don't think it shouldn't be that much. You are really penalizing the parents and it's not fair.
HALL: School officials say they're looking at reality, $6 million worth of cuts that have to come from somewhere.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're trying to do the best we can. You know, the biggest issue is how do we get better funding for schools so that we're not put in the situation of making a series of really bad decisions.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: So the superintendent adds that the current budget is set in stone, so if more services are added, the parents will just simply have to pay for it.
An unexpected outcome for a would-be bank robber. He didn't get the cash he was demanding. A customer steps in just in the nick of time. We will watch it all unfold.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: In Cuba, a stunning admission from former President Fidel Castro, the architect of the country's communist revolution now says the Cuban economic model, quote, "doesn't work anymore."
Shasta Darlington is in Havana for us. And Shasta, isn't this the older Castro following the lead of his younger brother, the current President Raul Castro? Hasn't Raul signaled in the past that the current economic system needed to change?
SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Tony. That's exactly the way we're looking at this. It was a pretty short comment. Fidel Castro basically told a visiting American journalist that the Cuban model no longer works.
He said it doesn't work for us anymore, apparently admitting that the Soviet-style economic model that he introduced with communism about 50 years ago after his revolution, was failing the country.
It sounds surprising, but as you said, his younger brother and successor has said as much himself on repeated occasions saying structural changes need to be made to the economy.
But at the same time, he has insisted that that in no way means we are going to throw the socialist system or the communist government out the window instead he says these changes will help strengthen the government and that because the government right now runs more than 90 percent of businesses in this country.
We're talking about everything from ice cream parlors and five- star hotels to factories, and they're recognizing this isn't a really sane way to run an economy, that they've got to pull back, that some 1 million state jobs could be redundant.
But what is surprising here is that a lot of people had thought Fidel Castro wasn't on board with these changes. They thought that there was some kind of internal feud that he wasn't standing behind his brother. So with this one small comment, he might help put some of that speculation to rest, Tony.
HARRIS: Well, Shasta, I want to know what comes next. Are we talking about opening up Cuba to more private companies?
DARLINGTON: Well, Tony, that could be a next step, but what we've seen so far has been really very modest. We've got to put this in context.
For the past four years that Raul Castro has been in power, he's introduced some pretty minor changes, modest reforms in areas like agriculture. He's letting farmers work for themselves and sell their produce.
He's letting barbers cut hair for themselves and letting taxis charge their customers. These are not sweeping, Vietnam style reforms, Chinese style reforms. These are very small experiments.
But with the apparent backing of Fidel Castro, what we could see is some more changes along these lines, and in fact, Raul Castro has indicated that's what we should expect. But again, I would emphasize baby steps here, Tony.
HARRIS: Yes, yes - all right, Shasta. Good to see you. Thank you.
A Wisconsin bank robber probably wishes he never thought about attempting his crime. Check this out. He rushes up to the teller, opens a bag, demands money and then waits for the cash, right.
Bank customers notice the ruckus going on and then one of them -- I'm trying to watch this with you. There you go. Decides to do something about it, he rushes in and tackles the suspect, takes him down. Robbery foiled, but the suspect, I don't know how, got away, and police are looking for him.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Let's get you caught up on top stories now. An American-Muslim leader says there will be no Koran burnings Saturday in Florida. Imam Mahdi Bray has returned from Gainesville where a minister to burn Islam's holy book Saturday, the 9th anniversary of 9/11.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IMAM MAHDI BRAY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MAS FREEDOM: This will not be a bonfire burning of any kind. He may attempt to do it, but number one there will be a fire truck there. We have been assured that, and they will dowse ought any type of fire that he tries to ignite, and if he persists, he's in violation of the law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK, in Colorado, another day on the front lines for hundreds of firefighters. The big wildfire near boulder has damaged at least 169 homes, and 70 neighborhoods have been evacuated, three of those reopening today. Right now, the fire is about 30 percent contained.
And love is in the air big time in Taiwan, 163 couples tied the knot in a mass wedding. The event was called "Love 99" Happiness Forever. Today is the ninth day of a ninth month of the 99th year since Taiwan's founding. Kisses all around.
Time now for your "CNN Equals Politics" update. CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser joining us from Washington, part of the best political team on television. Paul, what is crossing right now?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Tony, I got something brand new. I haven't finished writing it online so you're getting it first right here, and I'm talking about the battle for the governorships.
We have learned that the Republican Governors Association is putting up ads today in five states, states where the Democrats control the governorships, and I just confirmed that that organization, Republican Governors Association, is going to transfer $500,000 to their candidate in New Mexico.
Tony, that's another state where they think they can win back the governorship from the Democrats. Meanwhile, the Democrats aren't sitting still, the Democratic Governors Association up with new ads as well.
You know, the battle for the Congress, control of Congress steals all the headlines, but the battle for the governorships is important. Here's why. The governors, whoever is sitting in the governor's office next year, will have a big say, Tony, in how those new census numbers will be used for redistricting for Congress.
All right, number two, also on the CNN political ticker, President Barack Obama fund-raiser in chief, later this month he's going to New York City. He'll team up with Nancy Pelosi and will team with Harry Reid, great big fund-raiser for congressional Democrats running in those House and Senate races.
I just confirmed this morning, Tony, that the president is also going to Florida next month for another big fund-raiser for House Democrats down there, that's another state where the Republicans think they can win back some House seats.
Check this out, also on the CNN political ticker this morning, Barack Obama may have helped John Boehner and how, why? Here's why. Listen, Boehner, we got a brand new poll out yesterday, Tony, that suggested that more than half of Americans aren't familiar enough with Boehner who's the House Minority Leader.
They're not even familiar enough with him to form an opinion of him. Now, of course, if Boehner and the Republicans win back control of the House, he could well become the next House speaker.
Tony, yesterday, when the president was in Ohio, he mentioned Boehner eight times going after the minority leader. That may up Boehner's numbers when it comes to familiarity, Tony.
HARRIS: A lot of stuff on the ticker. Good to see you, Paul. Thank you.
Your next political update in an hour and for the latest political news, cnnpolitics.com. We are bringing you news, of course, from around the world. We're also watching what's hot online. Ines Ferre surfing the web for us.
Ines, good morning.
FERRE: Good morning, Tony. This one's from CNN.com. Check this out. Aviation officials in China saying that nearly 200 commercial pilots faked their flying experience.
You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: How about we get you to the best financial news website on the web, CNNMoney.com. "Teachers: No longer recession-proof" boy, that has really been the case in this most recent downturn.
Let's try to find some other headlines here at CNNMoney.com, "25 Best Places to Retire" that's pretty good, and "Closing Tax Loopholes to Boost Jobs."
All right, let's get you to the numbers. Big Board, New York Stock exchange, looking pretty good. We are in positive territory, of course, up 70 points today on the jobless claims report and the Nasdaq, as you can see here, is up 17. Stocks really rallying on that number.
The lines, the unemployment lines a bit shorter, but for people who are out of work, the new jobless claims, first-time claims for unemployment number, well it's little consolation. But would you believe that there are millions of job openings across the country?
Alison Kosik is on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with the information. And, Alison, I guess the question is, we're talking about millions of jobs, we know there are millions of people who out of work, why does one plus one not equal jobs for millions of people?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that is the most obvious question, and there are reasons for this. For one, when you are looking for a job, all of the job openings aren't necessarily exactly where you live and not many people can just pick up and move at will. Think about it, the housing market is pretty much doing pretty bad these days. People are having a hard time selling their homes, so they're trapped.
Another reason why we're not seeing the job positions being filled so quickly, recruiters are saying they're having a hard time finding the right person. It seems that people are going out and applying for positions, any positions, even if they're not qualified.
But the good news is we're seeing that there are 3 million advertised open positions on the market right now. I want you to look at this chart right now, it shows job posters are rising ever so slowly since last summer. We're going in the right direction, it is really far from the normal, though, for the normal amount of postings we are supposed to see, which is supposed to be at 5 million. Still, we are taking right step forward -- Tony.
HARRIS: Yes, what kind of jobs are we talking about here, Alison?
KOSIK: Well lots of these are for mostly skilled workers, highly-skilled workers that require extra training, extra education. Some of the fields we're seeing these job openings are a half a million opened in health care and education.
Professional services, also seeing half a million open there. I'm talking about positions for architect, engineers, veterinarians and lawyers.
The trade transportation and utility sector is also hiring. It has about a half million job opening there. These are for manufacturing positions, you know, publishing, retailers.
So a lot of positions open. And, Tony, this is kind of interesting, a lot of lot of the openings seem to be in the south.
Now one thing to keep in mind, if you're one of these people who can't pick up and move, the holidays, they're just around the corner and seasonal hiring is expected to pick up more than it did last year. Because consumer spending is expected to pick up, everyone is being more hopeful than last year -- Tony. HARRIS: OK. And, Alison, for everyone who is watching us now and hearing you talking about these jobs that are available, the sourcing on this is the Labor Department, correct?
KOSIK: Exactly. And if you want to find these positions here, they're being advertised in the newspaper, on the Internet, you know, want ads. The best thing to do is think about the companies you want to work for, go online, look to see their job postings, you know, scour the newspaper. Really actively look for that job because a lot of people say to get a job is like a job itself just to find one.
HARRIS: So start locally and certainly go to the Labor Department website for more information on this.
KOSIK: Exactly.
HARRIS: Alison, that's terrific, see you next hour. Thank you.
Speaking of next hour, here are some of the stories we're working on.
A bright spot shining through in the economy today. Weekly jobless claims are out and they look a lot better than expected. We will tell you what may be behind the improved -- improving jobs picture.
And worldwide reaction to a Florida preacher's plan to burn the Koran. We will show you what groups are doing both here and abroad to counter it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Nine years after terrorists brought down the World Trade Center towers, rescuers who rushed to Ground Zero and those who worked to clear the site are still getting sick.
CNN's Deborah Feyerick has one man's story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDY WIEBICKE, NEW YORK CITY FIREFIGHTER: It was a little rough.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Randy Wiebicke's story is that of many first responders who thought they had dodged a bullet and escaped the illnesses so many developed soon after 9/11, until last summer when the bullet hit.
RANDY WIEBICKE: My kidneys shut down. And when your kidneys shut down, you know it.
FEYERICK: It wasn't just kidney failure, but a rare and for Randy, very aggressive blood cancer known as multiple myeloma, which he and his wife are convinced came from exposure to toxins at Ground Zero.
MADELINE WIEBICKE, RANDY'S WIFE: I just thought it was over with. You know, we went through 9/11. We went through six months of crying and funerals, and I thought it was over. I didn't expect to have to go through it all again.
FEYERICK: Hundreds of first responders have died post 9/11 from various cancers, yet there's no proof exposure to Ground Zero toxins are to blame.
Doctors say most cancers take longer than nine years to develop. Randy's cancer, though, is different, and the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation says one study suggests a link is possible.
Dr. Jacqueline Moline, who wrote the study, has been tracking 9/11 responders from the beginning.
DR. JACQUELINE MOLINE, NORTH SHORE LIJ HEALTH SYSTEM: We found a predominance of multiple myeloma in younger folks than we would have expected. When we looked at the numbers, it was about four times more than we would have expected in the age group.
FEYERICK (on camera): Your gut tells you what?
MOLINE: That I think we are going to find that myeloma is in some fashion associated with the World Trade Center.
FEYERICK (voice-over): So what happened to Randy Wiebicke this summer? In August, he chose to have an experimental type of stem cell transplant using his brother's healthy stem cells to replace his immune system. Wife Madeline captured some of it on camera.
MADELINE WIEBICKE: Hi, Ran, how you feeling?
RANDY WIEBICKE: Not so good.
FEYERICK: The chemo, three different kinds, every six hours, eight days straight, killed Randy's bone marrow and residual cancer cells.
RANDY WIEBICKE: It was pretty rough. They have to beat you down to build you up.
FEYERICK: There's no cure for multiple myeloma, but Randy's doctor, Guenther Koehne, is optimistic the new procedure will lead to a longer remission.
DR. GUENTHER KOEHNE, MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER: My hope obviously is that the outcome will be better with the transplantation rather than without the transplantation.
FEYERICK: Days before the ninth anniversary of 9/11, Randy leaves the hospital, but he and Madeline are not thinking about the past, only about the year of healing ahead.
MADELINE WIEBICKE: He made it through and I think he's going to be well. I think that -- I think he's going to be cured.
FEYERICK (on camera): And I see your lip quivering a little. It's hard to talk about.
RANDY WIEBICKE: Sure. I guess, you know, you do what you have to do.
MADELINE WIEBICKE: Right. And you'll dance at your children's weddings and hold your grandchildren.
FEYERICK (voice-over): Grandchildren who may one day hear the story of that day from a firefighter who lived through it.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
