Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Megachurch Leader Accused of Sexual Coercion; Wisconsin Levee Failing; Pentagon Destroys Book's First Print; Life in the Shadows; CNN-FourSqure at the Market; The Black Wealth Gap; Making Money on YouTube
Aired September 26, 2010 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: This hour, everything you need to know for your week ahead, including developing weather news. It's bad in much of the country, and there will be travel delays at this hour in the Midwest. Swollen rivers are pushing levees to the brink. One is in imminent danger of collapsing.
New horrifying video to show you of a crash landing last night of a Delta Airlines flight. If you're flying any time soon, you should definitely see this. Passenger reaction as it unfolded.
Before you eat another bite, you have to see our in-depth reporting on food. It can change your life. It will definitely change the way you think about eating. Tonight we kick off a week of special programming. It's called "Eatocracy."
Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon. Thanks for joining us. We start with this developing story. Bishop Eddie Long went before his congregation this morning to address for the first time allegations of sexual misconduct with young men in his congregation.
Never before has Long faced such salacious and disturbing charges made by four men who said their pastor coerced them into sexual situations when they were teenagers. Now after a lengthy wait, Bishop Long finally spoke the words many in his congregation were waiting to hear, and CNN's Martin Savidge was there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Standing before an overflowing crowd of congregants in the mega church he built, Bishop Eddie Long was in no mood to back down.
BISHOP EDDIE LONG, NEW BIRTH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH: There have been allegations and attacks made on me. I have never in my life portrayed myself as a perfect man. But I am not the man that's being portrayed on the television. That's not me. That is not me.
SAVIDGE: It was Long's first public comments since four young men filed lawsuits accusing him of using his spiritual position and the church as well to coerce them into sex.
So many came to hear what Long had to say, traffic was still snarled as the service began. (on camera): What do you hope to hear today?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The truth. The truth.
SAVIDGE (voice-over): Inside, parishioners waited an hour for their embattled pastor to appear. When he finally did walking hand-in-hand with his wife, the crowd came into its feet. Clearly feeling at home, Long acknowledged those listening went far beyond his usual Sunday morning crowd.
LONG: Good morning New Birth --
PEOPLE: Good morning.
LONG: And good morning to all our other guests.
SAVIDGE: When Long event eventually turned to the scandal itself, the levity was gone.
LONG: I've been accused. I'm under attack.
SAVIDGE: And his intentions became clear, describing a legal battle of biblical proportions.
LONG: I am not a perfect man, but this thing, I'm going to fight. And I want you to know one other thing. I feel like David against Goliath, but I got five rocks and I haven't thrown one yet.
SAVIDGE: Afterwards, a much more subdued Long appeared before the news media.
LONG: As an advice of counsel, I am not going to address the allegations and the attack that's been levied upon me at this moment.
SAVIDGE: Then left without taking questions, leaving parishioners with mixed impressions of whether the truth they had sought was what they actually heard.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's innocent. And he didn't do anything. I believe him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He really didn't say anything, he seemed like he avoided the subject. He just said what he wanted to say.
SAVIDGE: Martin Savidge, CNN, Lithonia, Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: And coming up in ten minutes here on CNN, the legal merits of this case. Will it hold water in court? We'll delve into that.
Now it's going to be a sleepiness night for a lot of people in the upper Midwest, especially in central Wisconsin because happening right now a levee on the Wisconsin river is failing causing emergency officials to issue a mandatory evacuation order. Checking on all of this and all the developing weather news, our Jacqui Jeras, our meteorologist here.
Jacqui, what's going on?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, it's hard to believe, because the sun was shining. There was a gorgeous day across parts of Wisconsin, but the heavy rain that fell on Thursday finally caught up with them. We're talking about areas in central Wisconsin near a town called Portage, where a very old levee system is now failing. This is the Caledonia levee near the town of Portage, Wisconsin, on the south side of the river. This is a 14-mile long levee basically made out of sand, and it started deteriorating today. It's about a third of the way gone, and they are concerned that 60 to 100 homes could be threatened if the levee fails all the way, and they think it's pretty imminent. That's what we're being told by Columbia county officials here.
There you can see homes downstream which have already been flooded and the river has reached record levels. Here you can see the river gauged now on the Wisconsin River at Portage. It's just within inches of that record height. Unfortunately, that pressure will stay on the levee for at least a day and a half before it starts to recede so a very dangerous situation, and many rivers remain out of their banks, all across parts of the Midwest.
We've got renewed flood concerns tonight, Don, across parts of the southeast. I'll have more details on that with your travel conditions coming up later in the show.
LEMON: Jacqui Jeras, thank you so much.
The Pentagon says it burned nearly 10,000 books this week. What is it trying to hide?
President Obama hits the campaign trail ahead of mid-term elections, but will it help Democrats at the polls? That's ahead, and our Political Ticker.
Don't just sit there. Be a part of our conversation. Sent us a message on Twitter or Facebook, or check out our blog, CNN.com/Don. Or you can check in on Four Square, which is part of our "Eatocracy" project. We'll explain that coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: It is time right now for a "CNN Equals Politics" update. We're keeping an eye on the latest headlines on the CNN.com Political Ticker, and we're previewing the week ahead for you.
Let's join CNN's senior political editor Mark Preston from The Best Political Team on Television.
Mark, what's crossing right now, sir?
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, Don, as you said, we've got some real interesting new poll numbers on the Tea Party, and we'll get to those in a moment. But let's talk a little bit about what's happening this week. A very, very busy day. The days ahead on the campaign trail.
Let's start with Monday. Vice President Biden is in New Hampshire, and he's campaigning for Democrats Kyle Shay Porter and Carl Hodes. Not to be out down, the Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour will also be in New Hampshire. He's campaigning on behalf of John Steven who is running for governor up there. The Republican running for governor.
On Tuesday, President Obama holds the first of four major campaign rallies before Election Day. He'll be in Madison, Wisconsin. Skipping ahead to Thursday, Vice President Al Gore will be in Tampa, Florida, campaigning on behalf of Kendrick Meek, the Democratic Senate nominee in that state.
On Friday, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney goes to Florida. He'll be campaigning for the Republican gubernatorial nominee down there, Mr. Rick Scott.
And then moving on to Saturday, Indiana Republican Congressman Mike Pence is in Iowa. He is going to deliver a speech to the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition not to be out down. We point out as well that Tim Pawlenty this week. The Minnesota governor will also be in New Hampshire for John Steven. So by my count, Don, you're talking about four potential Republican presidential candidates going to some very important states campaigning as we head into the 2010 mid-terms.
LEMON: Hey, Mark, I hear you have some poll numbers. And it's about how Americans view the Tea Party. I'm interested in that. What did they show?
PRESTON: Sure. We talk a lot about the Tea Party and its effect on American politics. But let's look at these numbers right here. This is from the most recent CNN Opinion Research Corporation Poll released on Friday and over the weekend.
We asked, "Do you think the Tea Party is too extreme, mainstream or you're just unsure about the Tea Party? Look at these numbers. It shows that the country is actually split, 43 percent say the Tea Party is too extreme. Forty-one percent say the Tea Party is mainstream. But let's cast that forward a little bit. How influential is the Tea Party?
Let's look at this number. Are you more likely to vote for a congressional candidate who the Tea Party supports or who the Tea Party opposes? Fifty percent of Americans, half of Americans say that they would support the candidate that the Tea Party supports. So the Tea Party, clearly a very influential political force, Don, as we head into the mid-term elections.
LEMON: So what can we expect to see from the Tea Party in the next few weeks, Mark?
PRESTON: Well, Don, we've seen it already. So far in the primaries, they have been able to knock off several Republicans that they didn't think were conservative enough, but heading into the final weeks into Election Day, let's look at three specific contests -- Alaska, Joe Miller, the candidate that they backed, that defeated Lisa Murkowski, who was the senator, the Republican senator from that state. Murkowski is running as a write-in candidate so expect the Tea Party to try to pour as much money and resources in to make sure Miller wins that race.
Let's shift down to Nevada, with Sharron Angle, the Tea Party candidate, beat back a crowded field including a Republican establishment candidate in that race. She's taking on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Expect the Tea Party to pour a lot of money into Nevada, continue to pour a lot of money in Nevada. If the Tea Party wins that race, the symbolic victory would be huge. And let's end up with Delaware. We spent a lot of time talking about Delaware, about Christine O'Donnell.
Again, another candidate would be nowhere if it wasn't for the tea party. With the tea party's help, Don, Christine O'Donnell was able to defeat the Republican establishment candidate Mike Castle in that state. Polls show including our own that Christine O'Donnell will have a difficult time trying to win this election come November. However, the tea party is expected to put a lot of money into that race. Again, if they win that race, that seat was held by Vice President Joe Biden for 36 years. It would be another huge symbolic victory.
Don?
LEMON: All right. Great report. Thank you, Mark Preston. And for the latest political news, go to CNNPolitics.com.
Bishop Eddie Long speaking publicly for the first time about allegations that he molested four young men. How did his message, his morning message, play with church members? And when we come back, we're going to hear from someone who was there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Gabrielle Richards has been a member of Bishop Long's New Birth Baptist church for eight years. She was in church this morning to hear him address the allegations, and tonight I spoke with her about her minister's message to the congregation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GABRIELLE RICHARDS, NEW BIRTH BAPTIST CHURCH: Well, after hearing Bishop Long this morning, I was so proud of him, the way that he came out with his head up and with his fabulous wife and he showed the strength that I'm accustomed to, and this is the Bishop Long that I know.
LEMON: Yes. Did you want to hear it earlier? I mean, be honest. It's good, you said, it's good. But did you want to hear that earlier?
RICHARDS: Earlier, you mean as soon as the allegations came out?
LEMON: Well, sooner, didn't have to be as soon. But did you want to hear from him earlier than from today? RICHARDS: I respected his decision to wait and speak to his family, his New Birth family, and that's a very respectable thing.
LEMON: What was it like being the congregation this morning? Which service did you go to?
RICHARDS: I went to the 8:00 service.
LEMON: And it was packed -- I think it was like 10,000 people you said there?
RICHARDS: It was packed. It was awesome. And everyone was there to hear bishop say what he had to say. And Bishop Long did a great job assuring us that he's still -- he's still Bishop Long.
LEMON: When he spoke to some of his members and he said what his members may be going through. So, let's listen to that and then we'll talk about it.
RICHARDS: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LONG: It's extremely difficult time for you because many who have called you and asked you questions and all of these kind of things, you ain't they have got this many phone calls in your life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Are you getting phone calls besides from CNN? Are people calling you?
RICHARDS: Definitely. People want to know. They want to know what's going on with the bishop and I say, you can wait until Sunday and hear, and they heard today.
LEMON: Yes. Anything changed for you about the bishop, about the church, or whatever, you can -- can you continue to be a member of the church? Has anything changed for you at all?
RICHARDS: Nothing has changed. My love for the ministry, my love for bishop and his family has not changed.
LEMON: Gabrielle, thank you. It's, again, very brave to come on. We had two other members who were supposed to come and they didn't. But I applaud you for coming on and taking on for the bishop because no one is -- we don't hear his side.
RICHARDS: And thank you. And I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to come on and show the positive side and our point of view.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Bishop Long has a high-powered legal team to defend him, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Gillam. Earlier tonight, Marc Lamont Hill of Columbia University and Sunny Hostin, legal contributor and our sister channel "In Session," on TruTV joined me to discuss the merits of the case and the charges.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUNNY HOSTIN, CONTRIBUTOR, TRUTV (via telephone): A lot of these cases, Don, usually do end up in a financial settlement because it's embarrassing for the person who the case has been brought against. But oftentimes they do end in financial settlement.
LEMON: OK.
HOSTIN: One thing I'm slightly concerned about for him is the possibility of criminal charges.
MARK LAMONT HILL, PROFESSOR, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: The one thing we did not hear from Eddie Long this morning was, "I did not do it." And so I think one of the things you might see is extremely aggressive strategy that turns the mirror on the victims as opposed to on himself. I think it will be very interesting to see how things play out.
But I think B.J. Bernstein has also mounted a very interesting strategy. When you look at the complaint itself, she's also sort of preparing a strategy that I think will help potential jurors lean on her side.
LEMON: What do you mean by that? Can you explain real quick?
HILL: I'll give you an example. If you look at the complaint, one of the things in the complaint in addition to like failure to intervene and failure to supervise, she talks about how these boys were ordinary, straight boys who tried to have girlfriends and Eddie Long wouldn't let them.
So for a jury when they see these ordinary, you know, straight 16- year-old boys who are being preyed upon by a gay minister -- that's going to be the way this is going to be spun as opposed to them being, for example, gay church members who had some inappropriate relationship above the age of consent.
LEMON: OK.
HILL: So, even though it's above the age of consent, there are always other issues that may not be legally germane in the court of public opinion and in an actual jury pool, I think they're going to have some -- Eddie Long's people are going to have some problems.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Mark Lamont Hill and Sunny Hostin.
The Pentagon admits to destroying thousands of books. It says it is protecting national security, but is it really repressing free speech? "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," is being challenge on several fronts. Ahead we meet a retired Air Force master sergeant who is gay. He served honorably, but lived a life in the shadows.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: The Pentagon says it destroyed 9,500 copies of a new book in the name of national security. Defense officials say the first version of "Operation Dark Heart" by Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Schaeffer contained classified information, including names of American intelligence officers. That's according to the "New York Times." But the author who serves in the army reserves says his book was fully vetted before printing. It's his memoir about his time leading a covert operation in Afghanistan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LT. COL. ANTHONY SHAFFER, AUTHOR, "OPERATION DARK HEART": We did go through a very lengthy review process and that process included interviews by a researcher to make sure that we had information from original sources as well as research from public sources which put it all together into the thing.
And, keep in mind, Don, this is not simply a memoir. We wanted to make this a lessons learned and a path forward. So, the idea was, here, to give the reader an idea of what it's like to be on the ground running this stuff and, at the same time, learn what happened regarding the tipping point from when we went winning to losing in Afghanistan and there are certain areas we completely stayed away from -- technology, any names that we thought were undercover were changed. As a matter of fact --
LEMON: But, Colonel, I go back to my original question to you -- what's going on here?
SHAFFER: Look, I would be speculating. I've heard rumor. There's a lot of things out there about why and, you know, they've cited regulations. But I used a process given to me. My lawyer, Mark Zaid, consulted a lot with me at the beginning of this project. We walked through it. We got the clearance in January.
And, you know, rumor -- one of the rumors is that the WikiLeaks thing had an effect.
LEMON: Yes.
SHAFFER: The fact that everything -- I connect the dots and I think the WikiLeaks thing was a bit of a blur. And if you -- if you -- and my information predates some of the WikiLeaks stuff related to ISI, the problems with the Taliban resurging, the Iranians, by a full year, and I think there maybe some issues there that people were a bit uncomfortable about coming out of this point in time.
LEMON: Colonel Shaffer, I'm glad you said that about WikiLeaks because I had a hard time putting my arms around exactly what it was and if it really meant anything. I think they probably think this is more detrimental to national security than the WikiLeaks thing was.
All right. So, listen, I guess you should probably thank the Pentagon for destroying your first edition because a redacted version last -- when we last checked, was number two on Amazon. It's a bestseller.
SHAFFER: Yes. Don, and I feel -- look, the Army received notification from Defense Intelligence Agency on the 13th of August saying that, you know, essentially, if this book is published, the free world will fall.
And when I received it, I looked at it. And as a soldier I said, you don't want to give me this. I mean, if you give me this, this is not going to have the effect you want it to have. And I asked them to not do it. They gave me the memo and next, the rest is history.
So, we -- I really, I said, there's another way of doing this. If there's real security concerns, let's get this offline, let's not make it public. And the fact they'd done it, you know, look, I'm grateful to the Pentagon for the amount of free publicity I've gotten over it, but I think it could have been done differently. I really do.
LEMON: I have to ask you this though, because -- as a man in uniform, you're speaking out against the destruction of your book. Could you get in trouble for this? I mean, it's a Code of Military Justice. It has rules against officers speaking out against superiors.
SHAFFER: I'm -- no, I'm not speaking out against the destruction. I think it was done for the wrong reasons is what I'm saying.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: We did get a response. CNN did receive a response about "Operation Dark Heart." It is from Lieutenant General Ronald Burgess with the Pentagon's defense intelligence agency. Here's what he says. He says, "The DIA's investigation identified significant classified information. The release of which I have determined could reasonably be expected to cause serious damage to national security. The manuscript contains secret activities of the U.S. Special Operations Command, CIA and national security agency."
An attempt to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" failed in the Senate last week. The policy refuses to let gay people serve openly in the military. CNN photojournalist Ken Toohey (ph) has the story of a gay Air Force master sergeant who retired after hiring -- after hiding his sexual orientation for 21 years.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANIEL ZABOROWSKI, U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.): My name is Dan Zaborowski. I joined the air force in '85. I was in the Air Force for 21 years and retired in 206. What was different about me being in the Air Force was being gay and having a partner.
MARK BYRD: You've got to make sure you don't get too much on your brush. My name is Mark Byrd. I'm originally from Ellisville, Mississippi. We've been together 19 years. Every time Dan's had orders for permanent change of station, PCS, I've gone with him. And I was happy to do so because I love him and that's what a spouse or a partner would do. When Dan had functions of work, I would not attend.
ZABOROWSKI: If it was a gathering of friends, it would be easier to go to than Air Force function.
BYRD: If we were to slip up and someone found out we were guy, that could have cost Dan his career.
ZABOROWSKI: I retired from the Air Force four years ago. Mark was there.
BYRD: Before the ceremony, we went into a room and sat down with his colonel.
ZABOROWSKI: I had asked my colonel if I could recognize Mark on my certificate the way they recognize other spouses.
BYRD: And you could see the colonel, he got very uncomfortable. He's like, oh, we can't do that.
ZABOROWSKI: So I wasn't able to give Mark a certificate, but during my speech I was able to present Mark with a shadow box that represented the years we were together while I was in the Air Force, and I recognized him as my best friend who had been behind me most of the time.
If the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" bill had passed, the 21 years I served will not have been in vain. Something good will have come out of it. Maybe I had to conceal who I was, but you know, in the future men and women will be able to serve openly and not conceal who they are. It would have been really great to have had seen this pass.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: OK. Imagine this. Your plane is coming in for a landing and then you hear this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Brace for impact.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Heads down. Stay down. Heads down. Stay down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The drama on a Delta Airlines flight late last night is all caught on tape.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK. Imagine being on an airplane and then you hear this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Brace for impact.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Heads down. Stay down. Heads down. Stay down. Heads down. Stay down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: You'd have to pull me off the floor. Scary moments for passengers aboard Delta Airlines flight 4951. This is video from inside the plane. The pilot had to make an emergency landing at New York's JFK airport last night after one of the plane's wheels got stuck in the up position. The plane slammed on to the runway and slid to a stop in a shower of sparks. You could see the sparks there in the video. Everyone, luckily, is OK.
Let's check your top stories right now. An Israeli moratorium on Jewish settlement building in the West Bank came to an end four hours ago. Some construction started before the official freeze ended. Diplomats are scrambling to try to keep the moratorium's end from scuttling the Middle East peace talks.
Investigators are trying to figure out what caused a water taxi to slam into a pier on Seattle's waterfront today. Five people were hospitalized with minor injuries. The coast guard said one person was thrown into the water, but was rescued. About 78 people were aboard the vessel.
And there is an auto recall to tell you about. Hyundai is recalling some -- some nearly 140,000 of its 2011 Sonatas because of a potentially faulty steering column. The worst case scenario, a driver could lose the ability to steer the car. Hyundai dealerships will inspect the vehicles and update the power steering software.
A Chinese company with a possible stake in General Motors and a group of pot growers coming together. Alison Kosik has this week's "Getting Down to Business."
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A group of economists that make the official ruling say the great recession is over, but consumers still aren't spending like it. Stores like Wal-Mart are now offering smaller packages of items for lower prices, much like what "Dollar Stores" offer which have seen growth, even in this tough economy. Look for the latest consumer confidence report on Tuesday.
And while it seems Americans aren't looking to buy right now, some in China are. China's biggest automaker has shown interest in buying a stake in General Motors. This could create a pretty sticky situation for the U.S. government which used taxpayer money to help bail out the auto giant. GM officials plan to start wooing major investors in October, but it could be years before the government sells its entire stake in the company. We'll get an industry update when sales reports come out this week. And finally a teamsters union in Oakland, California, has some new members from a medical marijuana growing company. The 40 employees will get a negotiated salary, health benefits and even a pension. Ah, but no word on whether there's going to be any drug testing going on. That's this week's "Getting Down to Business."
Alison Kosik, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right, Alison, thank you very much.
Healthy living begins with healthy eating, and we're taking you on a cross-country food journey. And we're starting you off at farmers' market.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Severe weather causing travel delays in the southeast and mid-Atlantic states. Jacqui Jeras here to tell you what's going on with that.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Oh wow, so much rain. You know, it's coming in waves, Don. It's been a real ugly mess across much of the southeast and mid-Atlantic today. And its whole weather system is making its way up to the east coast so we're going to have a lot of problems all over the place.
Flood watch is in effect from Virginia down across parts of Georgia, including Atlanta, where we could see three to six inches of rain easy. So a real concern about that flood threat, not to mention those travel delays. Look at that -- Boston, New York City, Metros, Philadelphia, looking for 30 to 60-minute delays tomorrow. Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington, D.C. could reach over an hour, and then some minor delays in Miami, Orlando and Tampa.
Here's a look at Atlanta, where it's been raining pretty much all day long. A live picture downtown where it continues to be wet and you are under that flood watches. So we do expect to see some standing water on roadways in addition to smaller rivers and creeks which go out of their banks. We're also concerned across the Appalachians, too, Don, that we could see some mudslides. So big weather news tomorrow in the southeast.
LEMON: Really. All right, Jacqui, thank you very much.
JERAS: OK.
LEMON: Let's check the stories that will be grabbing the headlines in the week ahead, from the word of politics to Wall Street to show business. We start tonight at the White House.
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ed Henry at the White House where the president, no surprise, is planning a big campaign swing this week. First New Mexico where there's a hot governor's race, then he's on to Wisconsin, a big gubernatorial battle but also Democratic Senator Russ Feingold finds himself in an unusually tough re-election battle. Then he's on to Iowa where there are big races this year, but also some major presidential caucuses a couple years down the road.
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dana Bash on Capitol Hill where Congress will return for one more week in session before going home for good for the election. Democrats especially are so eager to leave Washington, they decided to adjourn one week earlier than planned. They say they will use the remaining days to focus on issues that will help Democrats at the poll, outsourcing, and legislation intended to stop American jobs from going overseas.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. A lot ahead for Wall Street this week as investors awaits the final revisions of second-quarter GDP which is expected to show pretty slow growth in this country.
Also ahead, the auto industry will be in focus. We'll get September car and truck sales this week. And Wall Street will really focus on the nation's capital. President Obama set to sign a $42 billion bill aimed at helping small businesses hoping to get them to hire. That bill is expected to create half a million jobs in this country. And finally the new Wall Street reform team this week will hold its first meeting in Washington. We'll track it all for you on CNN Money.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: I'm "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT's" Brooke Anderson. Here's what we're watching this week. The next steps in Michael Douglas' brave battle in cancer at his "Wall Street" sequel opens.
"SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" is live at 5:00 p.m. Eastern on HLN, and still TV's most provocative entertainment news show at 11:00 p.m.
LEMON: So all this week CNN is taking a cross-country food journey. We have sent reporting teams to every corner of America and beyond. Here's what our mission is. It's to get fresh answers about how our food is grown. How the choices we make impact our health, our state of mind, our budgets and the pure joy of eating, of course. It's called "Eatocracy: Mind, Body, Wallet."
Earlier tonight, CNN digital producer Derek Dodge showed us how CNN and FourSquare have teamed up to make a trip to the farmers market a little more fun, healthy and even rewarding.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEREK DODGE, CNN DIGITAL PRODUCER: I checked in yesterday at a farmers market. There's over 6,000 in the country. And the USDA has a searchable directory, at farmersmarket.usda.gov, where you can search for the one nearest you.
LEMON: All right.
DODGE: Then, follow CNN on FourSquare, foursquare.com/CNN, and you can unlock the CNN healthy eater badge when you check in at one of over 6,000 in the United States. If you go to Google Earth -- yesterday, I went to the Peach Tree Road farmers market in Atlanta --
LEMON: There you go.
DODGE: Yes. And I demonstrated the process for you.
LEMON: That's the number of farmers markets where you can check in throughout the country. They're all in red.
DODGE: I went yesterday to check in at the Peach Tree Road farmers market just down the street.
LEMON: OK. Cool. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DODGE: We're at Peach Tree Road farmers market in Atlanta, Georgia, where I'm going to demonstrate for you how we're using FourSquare to promote healthy eating.
We want people to go out, eat local, farm-fresh foods and support their local farmers markets. So you can check in at one of over 6,000 farmers markets in the United States on your phone when you go to FourSquare. You find your location, check in and download the CNN healthy eater badge.
And you said these are a little spicier, right? A little bit?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Sometimes, around the seeds, there might be more heat to them.
DODGE: Seed. Let's try the sun-dried tomato. That sounds good.
On your mobile phone, you come to a place like a farmers market and check in. It lets your friends know online where you are. What we did is, if you check in a farmers market like this one, you'll get a special CNN healthy eater badge. It's a fun way for people to come out to farmers markets.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you checked in on FourSquare?
DODGE: I have. I have checked in. There's my healthy eater badge.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Excellent. And with your healthy eater badge, you get your choice of several prizes today. We have a box of whole wheat pasta, some leafy mustard green, a pumpkin, some pesto, or honey.
DODGE: Thank you so much.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DODGE: Have you checked into the CNN NEWSROOM?
LEMON: I checked into the CNN NEWSROOM. So who is the mayor? You get mayorships when you're on FourSquare. Who's the mayor at the farmers market, do you know?
DODGE: I think her name is Julie. I tried looking for her but I couldn't find here. Are you the mayor of the "NEWSROOM"?
LEMON: No, I'm not the mayor of the NEWSROOM yet. I am the mayor of Acme Seafood House in New Orleans, Ervin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse, Oceana Grill and the Royal Sonesta Hotel. And I've got all kinds of badges, but not the healthy eating badge yet.
DODGE: Go to farmers market and get that badge.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Our thanks to Derek Dodge. He's our digital producer here at CNN. So what we choose to eat, where we buy our food and how much we spend on it, it really says a lot more about who we are than we might think. So make sure you catch our series. It's called "Eatocracy: Mind, Body and Wallet," all this week on the CNN NEWSROOM.
The black wealth gap. African-Americans earn less and save less on average than their white counterparts. And we'll show you how one family is trying to reverse that trend.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Some astonishing numbers to tell you about now. And in just the past two decades, the wealth gap between white and African- Americans families has more than quadrupled, and that got us to wondering, why are black Americans earning less and saving less?
CNN's Stephanie Elam talked to one couple who hopes to pass on their wealth to their kids.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chris Rock has joked about black people and their money.
CHRIS ROCK, COMEDIAN/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. Stephanie Elam, CNN, Montgomery County, Maryland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Fighting a financial crisis from the pulpit. The black church has fought for civil and human rights, and now it is waging a war on debt. "Almighty Debt: A Black in America" special is coming, Thursday, October 21st, 9:00 p.m. Eastern, only here on CNN.
They are what you might called unknown celebrities.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought that I would be majoring in business and probably get a crappy desk job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK. So they are not household names, but they have such a huge following on YouTube that they can quit their day jobs, imagine that, and work from home. Learn the secrets of their success.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: In this economy, quitting your day job can be a dangerous proposition, but some YouTube users are turning their popularity into a living. Many a musician or two are now able to pursue their talent full time because of YouTube.
Singer/songwriter and recent college grad Julia Nunes is a YouTube success story with more than 37 million page views.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIA NUNES, SINGER/SONGWRITER: I think the first one that got a lot of views like that was "Into the Sunshine," which was a guitar song. And one of the first ones that I did harmonies and multi- tracking.
I have no idea. Maybe over a million. I think over a million by now.
But I'll just put my --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And it's not just musicians making money on YouTube, from Korean chefs to quirky film-makers, these YouTube stars have legions of followers online. Among the most popular, Mr. Guitar man whose one-of-a-kind videos have drawn more than 140 million views and advertisers willing to pay to be on his page. His real name, Joe Pena. He is what's called a YouTube partner, a program-run for YouTube's Chris Maxcy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS MAXCY, DIRECTOR OF PARTNER DEV. YOUTUBE.COM: The key is to really find your niche, be authentic, have fun with it. And then what we do find is folks like Joe are masters in marketing themselves, whether that's asking people to subscribe to their videos, engaging with the YouTube community and also leveraging other social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
LEMON: So, Joe, "Mystery Guitar Man," how did you start out? Did it start out as just something fun on YouTube and you putting your videos up and then you figured, hey, wait a minute, I can make money on this? Tell us how it started.
JOE PENNA, "MYSTERY GUITAR MAN" ON YOUTUBE: Yes. Basically that's how it started for everybody who is making money on YouTube, that's how it has to start because you have to work on for so long before making money. Like for me, I've been doing videos for three years before I even became a partner, before there even existed a chance of becoming a partner on YouTube.
So, yes, I mean, if you put a lot of hard work into it. I mean, I work 80 hours a week. There are plenty of other people who work plenty of time on YouTube. If you put hard work into it, you're able to become a partner.
LEMON: Can you give us a ballpark how much money you're making? Are you in the upper income bracket because of this now?
PENNA: Well, we have a nondisclosure agreement with YouTube and each company that we work with so we can't say exactly how much --
LEMON: But you have started your own 401K because you've done so well?
PENNA: No. Basically, that's like a thing just for my retirement afterwards, but, basically, no. I pay all my bills. You know, I pay my taxes and I'm able to just do YouTube full-time now because of the partner program. Yes, I'm quite glad that it's now my full-time job.
LEMON: So, listen, Chris, you called Joe -- is it a YouTube partner that you called him? Explain to our viewers what that means, to become a YouTube partner, how do you do it?
MAXCY: Sure, sure. Well, the first thing you need to do, as I mentioned before, is gain a certain level of popularity on the site. So what we do is, we'll look he cross the site based on things like the number of videos, views that someone like Joe is creating, and the number of subscribers and their channel. Then we'll invite the top creators to become partners on YouTube. And that really involves YouTube going out and selling advertising, placing that advertising next to or within videos. And then we actually split that money.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right. Before we go tonight, I have a programming note for you. Make sure you tune in tomorrow night to "RICK'S LIST" at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Rick is going to have an exclusive interview with Ingrid Betancourt who spent more than six years as a captive of Columbia rebels. So make sure you tune in tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
I'm Don Lemon. Thanks for watching. Have a great evening.
