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Don't Ask, Don't Tell Politics; Bermuda Hit by Igor; Abuse Victims Want Action, Not Pope's Apology
Aired September 20, 2010 - 09:58 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now Lady Gaga is bound for Portland, Maine to lead a rally against the "don't ask, don't tell policy". Her goal: getting the two undecided Republican senators there to support her cause.
CNN senior Congressional correspondent, Dana Bash -- Lady Gaga fan, maybe -- she's joining us this morning from our Washington D.C. studio.
Hey, I understand you cancelled your breakfast to talk about this. So you know, I'm starting to wonder what you were playing on the radio this morning.
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I have a poker face.
PHILLIPS: Well, "don't ask, don't tell"; the showdown is definitely looming, right.
BASH: There's no question. It is looming. There's a vote scheduled for 2:15 tomorrow afternoon. And like everything in the Senate, nothing is straightforward. So what we're talking about here, Kyra, is a vote to proceed to a broader defense bill. In that defense bill is this authorization for the Pentagon to, after a review, repeal the "don't ask don't tell" policy.
But the issue -- again nothing is ever easy in the Senate -- the issue is Republicans, pretty much all of them, say that they're angry at the way the process in which the Senate Majority Leader is bringing it to the floor. They say that they want to have chances to amend or change this bill once it is on the Senate floor. And Reid is not allowing them to do that.
So that's the primary reason why even some Republican supporters of the repeal are saying that they're going to stick with their party likely and block this from coming to the floor.
PHILLIPS: Do we know how influential Lady Gaga is on this, and what, you know, what do the senators think of her? Do we know anything about this? To us it sort of came out of nowhere, and all of a sudden where learning about all this attention she's gaining.
BASH: No question. Look, the reality is that the senators that she is targeting today in particular, the two Republican senators from Maine, at least one we know because she's on the record, Susan Collins, she agrees with the pop star that this policy should be repealed, but the problem that Lady Ga Ga and more specifically the whole gay rights community that she's working with, the problem that they're running into is the process and procedure in the Senate, and that this is the gridlock that we've been looking at. This is the latest example of the gridlock we've been looking at for various reasons for a long time.
How influential will she be on Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe? Who both say they're undecided. It's really hard to tell. I think the bigger question is going to be whether or not inside the halls of Congress, the two leaders are going to come up with a plan that allows this bill to go forward. Right now, my sources are saying that's not looking very good.
PHILLIPS: Got it. All right. Dana Bash, thanks so much.
Let's go ahead and talk more about today's rally and the Lady Ga Ga's star power. Aubrey Sarvis is the executive director of the Service Member's Legal Defense Network which is organizing today's event up in Portland and he's joining us by phone now. I understand Lady Ga Ga is sleeping on the bus, is that right? We tried to get you to wake her up and call in. We want to hear from her.
AUBREY SARVIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SLDN: Good morning from Portland. She is sleeping on the bus. She should be here by mid or late afternoon for this don't ask don't tell repeal rally. I agree that the two senators from Maine are critical here. They have been a bridge for bipartisanship before, and we think that they can be that bridge again to break the deadlock that was just referred to. We do need a vote, and we need for it to be bipartisanship.
PHILLIPS: Now, Aubrey, way Lady Ga Ga? Why this voice?
SARVIS: Well, because she cares passionately about this issue. She was with some of our clients, service members who were discharged under don't ask don't tell about two and a half weeks ago in Washington. She heard their stories. She was moved by those stories, and she wanted to become even more active in being a proponent to repeal don't ask don't tell.
In fact, she invited those clients to go with her to Los Angeles to the video awards, which you may have seen about 10 days ago, and within the last two or three days, she decided she wanted to come here to Maine to take the story to Senator Collins and to Senator Snowe, and, indeed, to not only all of the New England senators, but to all 100 senators, and her message is pretty straightforward.
Let's find a way to break through the posturing, the spinning. Let's find a bipartisan way to get a vote tomorrow.
PHILLIPS: So, Aubrey, I took a look at the Youtube video that she posted, already more than a million hits. Is it affecting the switchboards there in the offices of these senators, and have people taken to the web to take action?
SARVIS: Well, we hear that from Capitol Hill. In fact, we heard that the switchboard was overloaded on the capitol and that, indeed, callers were having trouble getting through. They've been texting the senators and they've been calling. I think it is having an impact in Senate offices, but as was noted earlier, at the end of the day this will have to be worked but between the minority leader, Senator Mitch McConnell, and Senator Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader.
I think Senator Collins and Senator Snowe and some other key Republicans are the link to breaking through this stalemate, reaching an agreement to ensure a vote tomorrow. I think that can happen. It is too close to call at the moment. I think we would all agree with that. As we speak, I don't think Senator Reid or Senator Mitch McConnell knows how this is going to turn out tomorrow, so that makes it vital for people who care about repeal to weigh in now.
PHILLIPS: And we're following it. Aubrey Sarvis there, executive director of Service Member's Legal Defense Network. We'll follow also the bus trip into Maine. Aubrey, thanks so much.
SARVIS: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Ferocious waves and high winds whipping Bermuda even as Hurricane Igor spins away. The storm brushed past the island over night (INAUDIBLE) about 40 miles off the West Coast but enormous, still a big deal. Igor is enormous. Hurricane force winds clocked some 90 miles away from its center. You can actually see our Reynolds Wolf trying to fight against the gusts that left beached pummeled, trees and power lines splintered. He's actually live in Bermuda for us. We just saw what it was like last night, what's it like right now, Reynolds?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I tell you what. It's a different world, so to speak. We've had a bit of a transformation to say in the very least, especially in the past couple of hours. A lot of the storm clouds pushing farther into the north around the center of circulation, leaving behind some cobalt blue skies and a few mixed clouds here and there. But surely the action of what we've experienced just 24 hours ago.
Let's go right to the video and show you the story. Kyra, it was unbelievable. Pounding surf and at the same time, some very heavy rainfall and the winds, they were just amazing. We're talking tropical storm force with hurricane force winds of the center that came closer especially by late afternoon and into the evening hours and then overnight as when it really reached its full furry.
The storm did not make direct impact. In fact, direct landfall, past just to the west, southwest of the island and then skirted farther to the north but we still caught the northeast quadrant. The full brunt of the storm was certainly felt here. We had, of course, the heavy winds which caused all kinds of power outages. This morning those conditions are better. We actually spoke a short while ago to the Elbow Beach Resort management. The general manager actually went around and so far he likes what he sees.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) FRANK STOCEK, RESORT MANAGER: I'm happy. On a quick (INAUDIBLE) inspection, it looks like minimal damage, a couple little dividers down here and there. The beach erosion is a little intense down there, but as you can see, we still got lots of beach. Compared to Fabian, this a good outcome.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF: Now, Fabian, which he's referring to, struck back in 2003, that was a devastating storm, actually smaller in size to Igor but we had much stronger winds. With it, it caused all kinds of damage around the island, killed four people, widespread damage. In fact, parts of the island, parts of Bermuda were actually without power for up to three weeks. So the situation is getting a little bit better. Of course, the storm moves north. Now, it's time to assess the damage across the island. Two-thirds of the population without power. Thankfully though no injuries, no deaths to report. Back to you, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Reynolds, thanks. And nearly five months after a deadly explosion triggered the worst oil spill in U.S. history, BP's ruptured well is permanently sealed. Pressure tests over the weekend confirmed that the concrete is holding. The broken well spewed more than 200 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The leak was temporarily capped more than two months ago. But gulf residents say that tar balls can still be found in ankle- deep water.
Earlier on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING, we heard from the government's point man on the crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADM. THAD ALLEN (RET.), NATIONAL INCIDENT COMMANDER: It's going to go on as long as it takes to get the marshes and the beaches clean. We have detailed plans that we have negotiated with the states and the parishes in Louisiana to determine, if you will, how clean is clean, and in some areas, we're going to stay with this for quite a while.
The marsh areas in Barataria Bay, for instance, (INAUDIBLE) by south pass, still have oil on them and we still need to work on it. Some of these places that we just have to negotiate and when we agree nothing further can be done, and then we'll say that's it but right now we're still at it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Allen says that much of the focus is on the sea floor where some tests have shown concentrations of oil.
Sarah Shourd back at home and speaking out about her long ordeal in Iranian prison. Shourd and her two hiking companions were taken into custody after allegedly crossing over into that country while hiking in northern Iraq in the summer of last year.
Shourd joined by her mother and the moms of her two hiking companions spoke to the media yesterday after arriving back in the states.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH SHOURD, FREED HIKER: Shane and Josh do not deserve to be in prison one day longer than I was. We committed no crime and we are not spies. We in no way intended any harm to the Iranian government or its people and believe a huge misunderstanding led to our detention and prolonged imprisonment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: CNN Wednesday night, our Larry King will ask the Iranian president about the case against Sarah Shourd's hiking companions plus Iran's nuclear program and much more. Don't miss that. "Larry King Live" Wednesday night, 9:00 Eastern.
The Roman Colosseum in flames but it's just for art's sake and that illusion is definitely making Italians make a double take.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Let's go to our "Morning Passport."
First stamp, London, victims of the church sex abuse scandal are calling on Pope Benedict to take action and not just apologize. Before wrapping up his four day trip to the U.K., Benedict met with five sex abuse victims and he also talked about the scandal at mass in Britain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE BENEDICT XVI, HEAD OF CATHOLIC CHURCH: ... to think of the immense abuse of children, especially within the church and by her ministers, above all, I express my deep sorrow to the innocent victims of this despicable crimes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Thousands of protesters demonstrated against the Pope's visit. One sign seen in the crowd accused Benedict of being the boss of the world's largest sex gang.
In Vatican City, the Vatican's library reopening to the public after being closed for three years. Work is completed with the library floors which has been a safety concern. The library's collection includes 1.6 million books and hundred of thousands of manuscripts.
Next door, In Rome, where one of the seven wonders of the world, the Colosseum, is on fire. Well, not really. It's an illusion. A couple of conceptual artists have actually it. They burn other landmarks around the world. Italians love it. 20,000 people have driven by to see it.
And crossing the English Channel, a quadruple amputee has successfully completed the marathon swim. The Frenchman used special flippers to do it. He actually lost his legs from the knees down and arms from the elbows down, in an electrical accident. He says that he made the channel crossing to inspire those who think life is nothing but suffering.
A Texas high school quarterback and an entire community desperate for answers about how he falls to his death in the middle of a Friday night game.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Checking top stories, Karl Rove calls on Republican Senate nominee to explain her comments on witchcraft. In a 1999 interview, Delaware's Christine O'Donnell said she dabbled into witchcraft.
A wildfire has forced the evacuation of more than 5,000 people in Harriman, Utah. The fire has burned about 10,000 acres and destroyed four homes. Utah's governor, just back from an aerial tour this morning, he praised the work of firefighters for saving many other homes.
Hurricane Igor moving away from Bermuda after battering the island with high wind and heavy rain. Igor is not expected to hit the U.S. but could cause life-threatening rip currents on East Coast beaches.
Your money and taxes: Right now they are at the center of the most bitter fights in Washington. In 110 days, the Bush tax cuts are set to expire. Democrats want to extend them for most Americans, but not for the wealthy. That raises some big concerns among economists surveyed by CNNMoney.com. Paul LaMonica, editor-at-large.
Paul, you actually did this survey. You wrote about. Why do some economists say this may not be the best idea?
PAUL LAMONICA, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, CNNMONEY.COM: Yes, it's very interesting what 18 of the 31 economists surveyed by our team at CNNMoney indicated that they think the number one priority from Washington should be to extend all of the tax cuts. The economy is just so fragile right now, the consensus, or the majority at least, of the economists we surveyed seemed to think that extending tax cuts for everyone would be the most beneficial for short-term health of the economy. Really trying to get it back on track again.
PHILLIPS: So, Paul, let's take an example. What does this mean for a family of four making $75,000 a year?
LAMONICA: According to the tax policy center estimates it would increase their tax bill by about $2,600 a year. Which is obviously a very significant amount for a middle-class family, in any time, let alone right now where people are still wondering whether or not the economy is going to recover to the levels it was before the financial crisis hit few years ago.
So that's why really there is this urgency in Washington to get something done, to at the very least extend the tax cuts for the middle class, if not everyone.
PHILLIPS: All right. So what happens on January 1 if Congress doesn't do anything?
LAMONICA: If nothing is done, which is probably a long shot. Hopefully something will get done, because of the political brouhaha would result from no action whatsoever, you would have taxes raised for the vast majority of tax paying Americans, because you would have taxes revert back to the pre-tax cut levels from 2001.
PHILLIPS: All right. We will follow it. Paul LaMonica, thanks so much.
LAMONICA: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: More from the CNN NEWSROOM strait ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, the small community of West Orange, Texas is trying to come to grips today with the death of a star high school athlete and scholar. Play was actually halted on Friday night after Reggie Garrett threw a touchdown pass and then collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital, but it was too late. Several colleges had actually shown interest in this straight-A student, and his coach, Dan Hooks, spoke to us about this young man's death and the reaction from all his fans and friends.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAN HOOKS, FOOTBALL COACH: It's devastating. I mean, it's just hard to talk about it. They were all crying and falling out. Well, you couldn't say anything to comfort them. What are you going to say? You lost a 17-year-old child and nobody knew what the circumstances were or nothing. It's really bad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Garrett's car remained parked at the school over the weekend, and it's quickly become a memorial covered in flowers and notes. No word yet on what caused his death.
The pressure of being a college head football coach can definitely take its toll. Michigan State celebrated a 34-31 overtime victory over Notre Dame on Saturday. After the game, Spartan Head Coach Mark Antonio was admitted to a hospital with symptoms of a heart attack. Antonio won't be at next week's game but he is expected to make a full recovery.
Who said baseball wasn't a contact sport. Check out yesterday's highlight reel between the Chicago Cubs and Florida Marlins. Here's Kevin Ozebek from Miami affiliate WSVN.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ouch! Oh, Lord! KEVIN OZEBEK, WSVN MIAMI TV: A baseball bat breaks and a piece plows into the player.
ADAM SCHNEIDER, WITNESSED INJURY: The bat shattered and the big barrel part of the bat hit him right in the side.
OZEBEK: Miami Dade Fire Rescue rushes Sunday to Sun Life Stadium.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Baseball is shifting. The drive down the leftfield line on a broken bat is going to bounce over the fence. That's a double.
OZEBEK: During the second inning of the Marlins versus Cubs game, a fast-flying chunk of wood pierces Chicago outfielder d Tyler Colvin.
KEVIN FOY, WITNESS: He was coming in from third on a hit, and the bat just boom right into his chest, right here. The pointy end of it, too. He stopped for a few seconds and kept trotting in but he was stunned.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we saw Colvin go down to his knees, like he was out of breath, you know, when he was crossing home, you knew something was wrong.
OZEBEK: Colvin came off the field and then was air-lifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital. The Cubs say Colvin is stable and only suffered from a little external bleeding.
MIKE QUADE, CUBS MANAGER: He's a strong guy up here. Maybe that had something to do with it, and I more importantly, he dodged a bullet.
OZEBEK: Colvin's wound will heal but after getting hit, he may not hit the diamond for a while. His team says he could be out for the rest of the season.
QUADE: It's a dangerous game. The ball is being thrown hard and that's just part of it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Once again, that's WSVN's Kevin Ozebek reporting. We're told that Tyler Colvin is being treated with a chest tube in hopes of preventing a collapsed lung.
Tens of thousands of U.S. troops have a check from Uncle Sam waiting for them, no strings attached. But they are not cashing in. Why the commander in chief is getting involved now to convince them it's not a scam.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Federal government is trying to hand out free, no strings attached, money to about 145,000 troops who were forced to stay on duty after the 9/11 attacks. But the Pentagon is having a really tough time convincing troops and vets that it is not a scam. Last year Congress set aside more than $500 million in retroactive pay for troops who were stop lossed. That is a controversial emergency measure used by the Pentagon to keep deployed units in the field. Critics have compared it to a backdoor draft. One soldier says his recruitment officer made is it seem like a long shot.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STUART MCKENZIE, STOP LOSSED SOLDIER: He basically made is sound like if World War III popped off it would be activated, but he says there's no chance. Don't worry about it. Just sign right here.
I think it's dishonest. I really don't feel -- if somebody wants to be at war, and somebody wants to go, then let them go. But if they have done their four years, and they're like OK, I signed a contract for four years, I'm done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: But soldiers are now eligible for back payments of $500 each for each month of involuntary service. That comes out to an average lump sum of between $3,500 and 3,800. But to get the cash the application has to be submitted by October 21. That is one month form tomorrow. As of the end of August more than $324 million was unclaimed. The Pentagon is scrambling to track down about tens of thousands of eligible veterans. They have even asked for help from the commander in chief.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know there's been some confusion and skepticism out there. Some veterans think this is some sort of gimmick or scam, or that it's a way for the government to call you back to service. Nothing could be further from the truth.
As your commander in chief, I'm here to tell you this is no gimmick or trick. You worked hard. You earned this money. It doesn't matter whether you were active or reserve, whether you are a veteran who experienced stop loss or the survivor of a service member who did. If your service was extended, you are eligible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, the military has mailed letters, flooded FaceBook and sent out Twitters alerts. But the message doesn't seem to be getting through. Tom Tarantino is an Iraq veteran and a legislative associate for Iraq and Afghanistan vets. He's joining me from D.C.
So, Tom, why is it so hard to get these thousands of vets to apply for this money?
TOM TARANTINO, LEGISLATIVE ASSOCIATE, IRAQ & AFGHAN VETERANS OF AMERICA: Well, it's hard to reach out to vets. Vets don't all live in one town or one community. They're all over the place. We have gotten a little under half who are eligible to apply, but we really have to push to get that other half.
As you said, this is free money and this is their hard-earned overtime pay, at a time when the economy is bad, and veteran unemployment is very low -- or very high, I'm sorry.
PHILLIPS: Yes, very high. Why do so many of these men and women think that this is a scam?
TARANTINO: Well, I don't know if they actually think this is a scam. You're always going to have those outliers, but it does seem a little too good to be true. This is something our government has not done very well before. But Congress and the veterans' community came together a couple of years ago and decided, you know what, veterans and military service members deserve their overtime pay.
Being deployed is a hardship. Being held past your contract is even more of a hardship. Let's give them their overtime pay. You get paid when you work overtime. So should they, and like I said before, in a tough economic time, this is something we can do to help our service members battle high unemployment. We can help them. We can get them their stop-loss pay. So, you need to go to defense.gov/stoploss and apply before October 21.
PHILLIPS: You know, there's something psychological definitely going on here. There's a huge mistrust, because that's a lot of money, and as you pointed out, vets are out of work. It's a horrible economy. You would think wow, they would be right in there getting this nice lump sum of cash. Where -- what happened? Where was the mistrust built?
TARANTINO: Well, especially if you have been stop-lost, some vets feel like they were a little bit cheated, even though, you know what? they sucked it up. They drove on, they did their duty. So, obviously, when you leave service, you're going to feel like you want to stay away. You just don't want to be bothered, so you may not be paying attention to the normal avenues that the Department of Defense or the veterans' community would be using to get to you.
So, that's why it was so important that the commander-in-chief stepped up and really tried to hit it hard, hit it home --
PHILLIPS: Tom, what happens to the money if they don't claim it?
TARANTINO: It goes away. It was written in for only one year, and you have one year to apply for this allowance.
So, there's a couple things that everyone out there can do. First of all, if you know a vet or if know anyone who has been in the military, ask them if they have been stop-lost, and if they say yes, tell them to go to the Web site. Tell them to apply before October 21st.
PHILLIPS: Got it. And what exactly is the government doing to try and re -- you say it's really tough to track down a lot of these vets. So, what's being done to track down these troopers that deserve this money?
TARANTINO: Well, the DoD has been pretty comprehensive over the last year. They've sent out postcards to everyone in their records who they think were held under a stop-loss order. They've sent out mass e-mails. They've been on Facebook and Twitter; they've reached out to organizes like IAVA to reach out to our members. They've done live chats on our social network community of veterans. They've talked to the American Legion and the VFW and everyone just to get the word out that if you have been stop-lost, you might have some money coming to you.
PHILLIPS: Got it. Tom Tarantino, thanks so much for your time. We want those men and women to get the money they deserve. Thanks, Tom.
TARANTINO: Thanks, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Creating wealth and passing it on to future generations. It's the American dream, but it's rarely the reality for African-Americans.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: How many times have we debated this? Are we in a recession? Is the recession over? Were we ever in a recession? Poppy Harlow joining us now with some breaking news on this subject matter. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the recession has been over to a while, but how powerful is this statement?
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: For more than a year. I mean, this is the official statement that the economists around the world -- that really all of us, are waiting for. It comes to the us from the National Bureau of Economic Research. These are the folks and the only people that can say when this economy is in a recession and when it has emerged from a recession.
I want to read you the statement. Just came out. They had a meeting yesterday and what they decided is that the U.S. economy came out of a recession in June 2009. So, more than a year ago, they said it was an 18-month cycle. You remember, they said the recession began in December 2007, lasted until June 2009.
What's important to note here is this is an 18-month long recession, they're calling it, which is longest of any recession we've seen since World War II. Before that, we had the 16-month recession in '81-'82 and also '73, '75.
Now, the big question is, well, haven't we had a downturn continuing? The housing market doesn't look much stronger, the job market certainly has actually gotten weaker, some would say, since the official end of the recession. And what they say to that is we will determine whether a new recession has begun rather than continuing that previous recession.
So, this is an official end to the recession, but Kyra, as you said, we have been debating over it time and time again whether American families feel the recession ended more than a year ago. That's the big question.
PHILLIPS: It is all so confusing. So, what type of -- how do they determine that this, I guess we're saying, first recession, because we could be in another recession, actually ended in 2009? What evidence led to that?
HARLOW: It's a great question. I'm poring through the report here. But what they say here is that what the committee decided, all of these people coming together, they said 2009, it looked as though business activity picked up again across the U.S., whether you're looking at manufacturing, finance. They say business activity picked up again in - across the U.S. So, whether you're looking at manufacturing, finance, you have it. They say business activity picked up.
What they do say, and I think this is really important, this is near the beginning of their release. They say, "The committee did not conclude that economic conditions since that month have been favorable to the economy." So, they said that's when the turn happened. So, business could look stronger for a month or two months, and that's what they call it the official end of the recession. They make sure to point out here that it doesn't look as though conditions since have been favorable. That's what's very important.
What is also important, and you will see it throughout our reporting here on CNNmoney, obviously. Breaking news for us. What's really important is the fact that, well, why don't we feel like the recession is over? And that's why you have more and more economists saying it feels like there could be a double-dip, and we'll bring you more on that throughout the day.
But interesting note here. I guess officially an end to the recession more than a year ago. Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Yes. It was just about a month ago we were debating whether we were going to see a double-dip. So, here we go. Poppy, thanks
When it comes to making and saving money in this country, there's a huge gap between blacks and whites.
Stephanie Elam joining us now from New York. So, Stephanie, blacks typically have less than one-fourth of the wealth enjoyed by the average American family. Why?
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's a huge problem, Kyra. If you take a look at black families, you'll also find money is a taboo subject to broach. It's almost probably - it's up there with sex. It's just something families do not talk about it, and because of that, it is leading to a really, really dismal rate of saving and preparing wealth.
But we found one family who's actually doing something about it to make sure they don't fall into the same pattern. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAM (voice-over): Chris Rock has joked about black people and their money.
CHRIS ROCK, ACTOR: Shaq is rich. The white man that signs his check is wealthy. Wealth is passed down from generation to generation.
ELAM: There's a sad truth in his humor. Studies show black people tend to chronically make less, save less and pass less money on to the next generation than their white counterparts. And if you don't have assets, you can't pass them on.
FAMILY: God bless lord our daily bread, Amen.
ELAM: Marvin and Kathy Dickerson are making sure their family doesn't follow the same pattern.
KATHY DICKERSON, PLANNING FINANCES: One or two bad moves and it's going to follow you.
ELAM: Married for nine years the couple started planning their finances well before welcoming 6-year-old Kaylin and 3-year-old Miles.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And how is this a fair fight?
MARVIN DICKERSON, IT CONSULTANT: We knew we had to invest because we knew one day we were going to have kids. And we wanted our kids to have more than what we have.
ELAM: The Dickersons developed a budget, paid off their debt, began investing and set up a will, a trust and 529 Plans to pay for their kids' college educations.
M. DICKERSON: We can pass that wealth or those assets on to our kids with a $1.5 million tax exemption.
ELAM: But this family is the exception. According to the Brookings Institution, the median net worth of black Americans is about $28,000 compare that to $140,000 for the median household nationwide.
ELAM (on camera): What were your parents saying to you to make sure that it was so important that you knew it?
K. DICKERSON: You work, you save.
ELAM: While Marvin is a spender, Kathy is a saver so the couple makes all big financial decisions together.
M. DICKERSON: Kathy had this guiding principle. If she spent $100 she got a headache. As we got married and had more resources you can add another zero. It was like a few thousand dollars.
Valerie Coleman Morris who focuses on financial literacy for women, young people and people of color points to a couple of reasons black Americans are so behind in creating wealth and passing it on.
VALERIE COLEMAN MORRIS, AUTHOR, "MIND OVER MONEY MATTERS": Money is still a very much off limits topic in the average family. But in African-American families it's almost taboo. The second thing is 401(k). We are not participating. When we do participate, we're contributing far less than most other people.
But in addition to that, there is this overwhelming need for becoming more financially literate. And we aren't.
ROCK: I'm not talking about rich, I'm talking about wealth.
ELAM: But it's more than just talk for the Dickersons. It's a way of life.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ELAM: So, you know, when you hear Chris Rock joking like that, Kyra, it is really funny. I love Chris Rock because he goes straight to the jugular about what we're thinking out there.
But it's a true problem. And there area a few reasons why. When you take a look at the unemployment rate among blacks, it is always at recessionary levels, whether we are in a recession or not. We just heard from Poppy that we are officially out of a recession, but it doesn't matter. It is 50 percent higher than it is white Americans at all education levels. So, that shows you how much of a problem that is.
Also, there's a lot more part-time workers in the black population. So with that, that means they don't have access to 401(k) and when they do, there are issues of actually going ahead and using those services to prepare for retirement.
So, it's a huge problem there. When you take a look at that, you have lower earnings and lower savings rates. But obviously, something that really has to change.
And just one note about the Dickersons. It's really interesting to see that Kathy grew up talking about finances with her family. That was the way it was done. But in Marvin's side, they didn't talk about it as much when he was growing up. So, he learned a lot from her. They've been together for, like, 22 year, college sweethearts. And so, they are making sure that they pass this information on to their kids so they are fortified to take it on to the next generation after that, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: I love it. They've invested in their love as well.
ELAM: Oh, definitely. They have been together for a while, so they know how each one is going to respond to things. And so because of that, they're a unified team and they have all of these discussions together. And it's something that, whether you are white or black or Hispanic, you need to talk about your finances with each other.
You need to figure out how you're going to address what happens if something happens to someone. And families are really not doing that across this country. And we need to see more of it because it just gets worse. As Valerie Coleman Moore says, you can talk about your finances now or your can fight about them later.
PHILLIPS: Yes. Rather talk versus fight. Steph, thanks.
ELAM: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Well, fighting a financial crisis from the pulpit. The black church has fought for civil and human rights. And now its waging a war on debt, "ALMIGHTY DEBT," a "Black in America" special coming Thursday, October 21, 9 p.m. Eastern. Only on CNN.
Checking top stories now. Hurricane Igor moving away from Bermuda, but strong winds are still causing concerns. There's been lots of rain and power knocked out for about two-thirds of the island now, but no reports of serious damage.
And it's finally over. BP announced yesterday that it has cemented shut the well that caused the worst oil spill in American history. The well began spewing oil five months ago after a deadly rig fire.
And the Food and Drug Administration is holding a public hearing right now on genetically engineered salmon. The FD says the salmon are safe for eating, but lots of other people aren't so sure.
That brings us to today's blog question. We want to get your reaction to genetically modified salmon. Would you eat it? Alex says, "Why not? There is no reason to believe these fish are harmful. People hear 'genetically modified' and they panic. I'm far more concerned about man-made toxins in our food, overfishing, and other threatening issues than I am about a single gene modification in a salmon."
Katherine says, "A big fat NO to genetically engineered anything! The FDA is being irresponsible in allowing any of these foods to market without extensive testing."
And TMK. "What happens when the genetically modified salmon mate with normal salmon? Genetically modified foods are a danger to our bodies, especially our children. The FDA needs to rethink and modify their stance on many genetically modified decisions."
Remember, we always want to hear from you. Just log on to cnn.com/kyra and share your comments. Thanks for writing in.
Just over six weeks until midterm elections. And The Best Political Team on Television is digging up all the information for you. We have a story just in to the CNN NEWSROOM, and we're going to bring you the details in just a couple of minutes.
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PHILLIPS: Time now for some stories from The Best Political Team on Television. Joining us from the Politics.com desk, senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash. What's crossing, Dana?
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what's crossing is news that we just posted, Kyra. CNN has learned that House Republicans on Thursday will unveil their much-anticipated agenda for governing should they actually get the majority back in November.
This is going to be quite different from what happened in 1994. We all remember the Contract With America, all of the Republicans on the steps of the Capitol, and it was a very highly public event. This is going to be different because as you see here, it's posted here from myself and our intrepid congressional producer, Jo-Joe Walsh. This is a going to be a smaller event. It's going to be at a hardware store in Sterling, Virginia. Republican leaders are going to meet with small business owners and come out and have a press conference.
And it's going to be very different from the contract, also, because that was a very specific list of 20 agenda items. This is going to be about 20. That was 10. This is going to be about 20. And it is going to be really focused on things that voters care about this year, Kyra, like small businesses, like jobs and things like that. They're also going to talk about how they would run the House of Representatives differently if they were in charge.
So, this is brand new. CNN has learned first. It is on the Ticker right now. And for the rest of what's crossing on the Ticker, I turn it over to our senior political editor, Mark Preston.
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: Hey, Kyra. Some other stories crossing right now. While they might be unified over that agenda they'll release on Thursday, where there are not unified Republicans that is, is in Alaska. Lisa Murkowski has decided to run as a write-in candidate. She was actually on "STATE OF THE UNION" yesterday with Candy Crowley. She claims she was a victim of a smear campaign. She is going to run, even though she does not have the backing of the Republican establishment, who has now switched their allegiance to the Tea Party-barked candidate.
In addition to that, Christine O'Donnell - that's right. You'll hear a lot about Christine O'Donnell over the next couple of days. Christine O'Donnell, of course, is the Republican Senate nominee up in Delaware. Well, she said some interesting things over the past week or so.
And, in fact, there's been something unearthed from 1999. She talked about how she dabbled in witchcraft, of all things. And, of course, Karl Rove, the famed Republican strategist, is asking her to explain it. Well, just within the last 12 hours or so, she has actually responded to that Karl Rove comment and used a little humor. She says, "I did comment if I were a witch, Rove would be a supporter. I would have turned him into a Newt because Gingrich says we'll win." Of course, she's talking about House speaker Newt Gingrich. So, expect to hear a lot about Christine O'Donnell in the coming week. Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Mark. Thanks. And we'll have your next political update in one hour. A reminder, for all the latest political news, you can either check in with Dana and Mark with us, or just go to the Web site, CNNpolitics.com.
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PHILLIPS: Time for "Home and Away," our daily tribute to our men and women in uniform who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq or Afghanistan. Today, we're lifting up Captain Darryl Lewis from Washington. He was killed in an insurgent attack in Afghanistan in June 2007.
Michael Gallagher served with Captain Lewis and sent us this memory. "We lived across the hall from each other in our barracks, went on a few missions together, and served on the same embedded training team. He was killed a few days after I shipped out. I hope he's remembered for his leadership and sacrifice that came without a thought for his own wellbeing and for his devotion to his family and country."
If you have a comrade or loved one would you like us to honor, this is all you have to do. Just go to CNN.com/homeandaway, type in your service member's name in the upper right-hand search field, pull up the profile, send us your thought us, your pictures, we promise to keep the memory of your hero alive.
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PHILLIPS: Going "Cross Country." We're going to start in Sanford, Florida, where an angry father storms onto a school bus to confront some kids he believed bullied his daughter. James Jones thought somebody threw a condom on his daughter who has cerebral palsy. After his tirade on the bus, he was charged with disorderly conduct. Jones later explained his anger.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES JONES, WENT ON A SCHOOL BUS TIRADE: My daughter is not going to be hazed and beat up and touched on and like -- the way they have done, OK? I'm very sorry. I apologize. This is not just to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And heading east to New York City, don't plan any trips to Nike's flagship store on Manhattan East 57th Street. Bedbugs have actually taken over Niketown, and Nike has closed its doors. It's unclear when that store will reopen.
Well, let's talk about fixing our schools. The power of positive thinking being credited for helping an inner city school in Florida turn the tables on dismal test scores. David Bowden from CNN affiliate WINK in Fort Myers has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID BOWDEN, WINK-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a strip mall on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, there's a battle going on.
STUDENTS: We are waging war on ignorance.
BOWDEN: The weapons of choice: pencils, paper, and positive attitudes.
STUDENTS: We believe anything worth doing is worth doing well.
BOWDEN: And if these young students of the Lee Charter Academy are the soldiers, this is their general, Dr. Shirley Chapman.
DR. SHIRLEY CHAPMAN, PRINCIPAL, LEE CHARTER SCHOOL: I'm making a difference for children that many others have given up on.
BOWDEN: The veteran educator and her staff dress in fatigues every Monday to remind the children of their most important mission.
CHAPMAN: You can go to kindergarten, clean through eighth grade, and they will explain to you ignorance means without knowledge, and we're here to learn.
BOWDEN: And learning is exactly what they've been doing. But it hasn't been easy. Back in 2004, the school had a state rating of F, but Chapman was determined to defy stereotypes of inner city schools, not allowing kids or staff to feel sorry or discouraged with their financial or social surroundings. She just told them to believe that they could succeed, and it worked.
CHAPMAN: We have high expectations for children. It doesn't matter what you look like, it doesn't matter what you bring when you come. What matters is what you receive once you get here.
BOWDEN: A disciplined, intense learning atmosphere where Chapman says learning is based on mutual respect.
CHAPMAN: I like my teacher and my classmates, and I like everything about my school.
TERESA FURLOW, EDUCATOR: I believe in the students here. I believe that the children here are just as bright, just as talented and gifted as every other student in Lee County, as every other student in the state of Florida, as every other student in this country.
BOWDEN: The plan of attack seems to be working. For the last three years, the school has maintained an A grade from state officials. Their work even acknowledged by governor Charlie Crist.
And while Chapman applauds her staff and students for beating the odds, she says the war against ignorance is far from over.
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PHILLIPS: Once again, that's from David Bowden from our CNN affiliate WINK in Fort Myers, Florida.
That does it for us. We'll be back here tomorrow morning. Thanks for joining us. Tony Harris takes it from here.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Aww, Kyra, have a great day.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Tony.
HARRIS: See you tomorrow.
