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Richer Rich, Poorer Poor; Al Qaeda Terror Plot Revealed; What Students Choose to Eat; Cracking Down on Iran; Giannoulias Role in Family Bank Questioned; Strickland Re-energizes Campaign for Governor; Britney Reigns on Glee; Von Trapp Family Date with Oprah

Aired September 29, 2010 - 12:01   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello there, everybody. I'm T.J. Holmes, in today for my dear friend Tony Harris.

Top of the hour here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Now here are some of the people behind today's top stories.

President Obama, he's one of them. He's meeting with Americans in their own back yards, still taking place right now. We're taking a look at how the economy is going to impact the incomes of the very people he's talking to.

Also, a U.S. soldier talking about unspeakable acts in Afghanistan, events that his family tried to bring to the military's attention.

And you're online right now. We're online as well. Josh Levs follows "What's Hot."

Hey there, Josh.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, T.J.

It's just hit. The List of 50 Most Powerful women is out from "Fortune," naming the female business leaders shaping major industries. You can see the whole list right here at CNNMoney.com.

HOLMES: All right. Josh, we appreciate you, as always. Thanks so much. We'll be checking in with you again here shortly.

But first, 33 days to Election Day. "CNN Equals Politics."

President Obama trying to reassure Americans on the economic recovery today. He's taking questions right now. This still live in Des Moines, Iowa, at a back yard of a family there.

He's talking to about 70 neighbors there. The president is at the home of Jeff and Sandy Clubb (ph). They're gathered there to try to get some answers. Take listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When you look at the choice we face in this election coming up, the other side, what it's really offering, is the same policies that from 2001 to 2009 put off hard problems and didn't really speak honestly to the American people about how we're going to get this country on track over the long term. And I just want to use, as an example, the proposal that they put forward with respect to tax policy.

They want to borrow $700 billion to provide tax cuts for the top two percent of Americans, people making more than $250,000 a year. It would mean an average of $100,000 check to millionaires and billionaires. That's $700 billion we don't have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, the president going to be holding a similar backyard get-together. This will happen this afternoon in Richmond, Virginia.

The White House says the president enjoys talking with ordinary Americans in this casual format. We've seen this for the past couple of days, the president on that four-state campaign-style tour touting the economy.

Well, Republicans turning up the heat on Democrats over Bush-era tax cuts. You heard the president just talking about that there in that sound bite.

Those tax cuts are set to expire December 31st. The GOP wants them all renewed. The president, as you heard there, says not for everybody, not for those making over $250,000. He doesn't want to extend those tax breaks to all the highest earners.

Here now is the Republican's top man in the House just a couple of hours ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R), MINORITY LEADER: And I believe there's a bipartisan majority in both the House and the Senate who want to extend all of the current tax rates. But as Democrat leaders leave town without stopping these tax increases, they're turning their backs on the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, meanwhile, the income gap between rich Americans and poor Americans is the widest on record now. That is according to new Census Bureau figures.

Our Christine Romans from the CNN Money team is in New York to tell us all about it.

Christine, hello to you. And this is more bad news from a lot of these Census numbers we've been getting lately.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It is. You know, but I think what it is for many people, it's validation of what they've already been telling us they feel out there. Right? The haves have more. The have-nots have less. And the people in the middle are slipping backwards. That's according to those new Census numbers.

You look at the top 20 percent of earners in this country, they accounted last year for about 49 percent of the overall income. You can see that yellow part of the shaded dollar. That's the top-earning 20 percent took home 49 percent of the income generated. The bottom took home just 3.4 percent.

And we know that the safety net with all of these jobs lost, eight million in the recession, the safety net is widening. We know there are a record number of people who are on food stamps. One in 10 American families is not only not earning money, but is actually helping to put food on the table by taxpayers.

We know that marriage is at a record low. People are choosing not to get married. We know that homeownership fell again.

We know that people are working a little bit less, 36 minutes a week less. Not necessarily because they're taking a vacation, but because there's less work to go around.

So we have a lot of details from the Census Bureau about what life looks like for the American working family right now and American kitchen table economics. And even though on paper the recession ended, T.J., sometime last year, the numbers show it was still a pretty tough year for folks on the money front.

HOLMES: OK. A lot of people just found that ridiculous. I know they have their complicated equation for how they figure out when a recession ended, but to say it ended last year and things should have been hunky-dory, a lot of people are scratching their heads at that.

ROMANS: There is a recovery under way, many people say, T.J. But I'm telling you, there are a lot of people who are left out of that recovery, a record number of people who are left out of that recovery.

And that's why the president is standing there in Des Moines today trying to tell people what he's accomplished and what he's trying to do, addressing those concerns, because you look at poll after poll -- you've reported them -- poll after poll show us that people feel very uncertain and uneasy about their financial prospects, even if they have a job. They're worried about the future. And that's something they're going to take with them into the polling places in November.

HOLMES: That has a lot to do with just how people feel.

And, Christine Romans, let me just say, the first time I've had a chance to talk to you on the air here since your return. So, it's a pleasure to see you, as always --

ROMANS: Thank you.

HOLMES: -- even though you sometimes have to report some bad news. But good to see you. Thanks so much.

ROMANS: It's nice to see you, T.J. Thanks.

HOLMES: All right.

We also have some brand-new information on how the economy is impacting each and every city.

Bring in Josh Levs here again.

Josh, you were telling me last hour only one state saw an increase in salaries. Now you're telling me there's only one major metropolitan area that saw an increase as well.

LEVS: Yes, it's interesting. Yes, there's one state in the whole nation. That was North Dakota, where incomes have gone up.

Now we're going to show you that there's only one major city where incomes have gone up. You know, the Census study is packed with information. And our CNN Money team dug into it to see what's happening in major cities around the country. So check this out here.

Of the 52 major metro areas in this country, incomes are down in 51 of them. Now, that might not shock you. We know it's about the economy, but we talk a lot about people wanting jobs, not having jobs. The fact is, people working are working for less. Here are some of the biggest jobs.

Incomes are down 10 percent. Median income, down 10 percent in Detroit. Down 9.4 percent in Orlando. Down 8.5 percent in Cleveland.

So, this is the kind of thing you see around the country, and then you see this, the one place where it's gone up. San Antonio, Texas, where incomes have gone up a little bit, a half of one percent there, to nearly $48,000.

So, what's the deal? Why are they going up in San Antonio?

Well, we have reported about some good things going on in San Antonio. The city has made some great strides in diversifying its economy. Some key components of the strength there, tourism, biomedical and finance services. There's also a center of higher education and a major military center, 75,000 service members there.

Jobs have been relatively available as jobs go in this economy, and costs have stayed pretty low. So they've actually had a lot of people flocking into the city. So, good piece of news there for the one metro area in this country that's actually seen incomes go up at all.

And there's one other city that has something I can point to on this list. The highest incomes in the country, for any major city, Washington, D.C., way up there at $85,000.

Now, keep in mind, we're not talking about inside the city. We're talking about metropolitan areas. So that includes suburbs like Maryland and Virginia, those suburbs right there.

I posted a whole list for you up on my pages, Facebook and Twitter, JoshLevsCNN. You can see the state breakdowns and you can see the city breakdowns all right there for you, see how it's impacting you and share your story.

So, T.J., amid all the bad news, we've got one state today, one city today that have a little bit they can point to and say, hey, things looking up a bit.

HOLMES: Yes. I'm torn. I don't know whether to move to North Dakota or San Antonio. All right.

LEVS: I don't think you're going anywhere.

HOLMES: Josh, we appreciate you, as always. Thanks so much.

LEVS: You got it.

HOLMES: Well, you've been hearing about this plot, this terrorist plot, a commando-style raid it's being described as, that Osama bin Laden himself signed off on. The information coming to us from an Afghan native who is now in custody. We have a live report.

First, though, our "Random Moment" coming your way in 90 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Time for our "Random Moment of the Day" now.

Do you remember your 3rd birthday party? Well, one little girl in Cincinnati, in the Cincinnati area, she is never going to forget her 3rd birthday party.

You see that cake? A beautiful cake, isn't it? Well, that princess cake is pretty much the only thing left standing, left untouched, after this toddler's birthday party turned into a drunken free-for-all.

We're not talking about other 3-year-olds got drunk and started fighting. We're talking about 75 grownups threw beer bottles after the birthday girl's dad got into an argument.

Police had to be called in from seven different jurisdictions. Look at that. The police had to come, showed up at 1:00 in the morning. Three years old, kicking it until 1:00 in the morning.

That, folks, is our "Random Moment" for this Wednesday. Can't wait to cover her 4th birthday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: We've got some new details that are starting to emerge about a terror plot in Europe. A German counterterrorism official says al Qaeda may be plotting commando-style raids on so-called soft targets. Our homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve, is on this story for us. She joins us live from Washington.

And Jeanne, help everybody. They might not think they know what commando-style raids are, but we remember this back in 2008, the type of threat we're talking about here.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. We're talking about the sort of thing we saw in Mumbai.

You remember that attack that involved multiple teams against multiple targets. It causes a lot of destruction and death, it causes a lot of chaos. It gets a lot of publicity, which is exactly what these groups want. And according to multiple sources in Europe and the U.S., this current intelligence concerns a possible Mumbai-style attack of that sort.

Law enforcement officials say the potential targets could include institutions like banks and stock exchanges and other soft, relatively unprotected targets. The possible perpetrator, sources say, are a mix of people with western passports who can travel easily throughout Europe.

U.S. law enforcement officials say at this point in time they see no indications that the plot include targets in the U.S., but officials are being very circumspect in their comments. Here's what Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano had to say this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANET NAPOLITANO, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: I'm neither going to confirm nor deny, because by going either direction, I think we go down a treacherous path. What I will say is that there are constantly threats of all types that we need to be able to be proactive against, and be proactive even when there aren't specific threats.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: The source for much of the intelligence on this plot is identified by a German counterterrorism official as a German citizen of Afghan descent by the name of Ahmed Sadiki (ph). He is one of about 200 Germans who are believed to have undergone jihadist training in the Afghan/Pakistan border area.

According to the German official, he was detained in Kabul last summer, is currently in U.S. custody, and is talking a lot. Sources say Sadiki (ph) lived and worked in Hamburg, where he attended the mosque which was a meeting place for the men behind the September 11th attack. That mosque has since been shut down.

T.J., back to you.

HOLMES: And Jeanne, Secretary Napolitano wouldn't confirm a whole lot. I watched that interview this morning. But are U.S. officials confirming whether or not -- confirming or denying whether or not the latest series of drone attacks in Pakistan, that at all related to this latest possible threat in Europe?

MESERVE: Well, we have talked to some U.S. officials who told us that there is a link. There has been a recent uptick in the number of these attacks, and they say this intelligence was one factor. Not the only factor, by any means, but one factor in that uptick. When they have good intelligence, obviously, they try to act on it.

Back to you.

HOLMES: Jeanne, we appreciate you, as always. Thanks so much.

We turn next to the 14th tropical storm of the Atlantic season. Coming up next, we will introduce you to Nicole.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(NEWSBREAK)

HOLMES: Well, CNN is taking a cross-country food journey all this week. We have sent our reporting teams all over the place this week, and our mission is 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. We've teamed up with the new CNN.com food destination Eatocracy.com to bring you "Eatocracy: Mind, Body and Wallet."

Well, children's eating habits are shaped at their parents' dinner table, of course. And CNN's Carl Azuz asked how home cooking affects what kids choose to eat in the school cafeteria.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARL AZUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If you were to ask students, by and large, at the middle school level, at the high school level, whether they would choose a grilled chicken salad or fried chicken tenders, what would most of them say?

ANNA FULLER, GRADY HIGH SCHOOL: Fried chicken tenders.

KOYA SIEBIE, GRADY HIGH SCHOOL: Fried chicken tenders.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fried chicken tenders.

AZUZ: OK. Why is that?

FULLER: I think mostly because when you're a child, I guess you're raised on that friend chicken tenders. And it's, like, the crunch in your mouth and the grease.

SIEBIE: Most people may eat that every night. And that's what they know, that's what they love, that's what they're raised on.

MARILYN HUGHES, ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS: These students have fresh fruit, fresh vegetable choices daily. I believe that offering items such as vegetables, carrot sticks and sliced cucumbers, and those items to young children, and as they progress and want after- school snacks, then they become items that children will naturally want.

FULLER: I used to be overweight. I recently lost that weight through better eating.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like, when you don't eat a healthy meal, you are tired all the time and you lose a lot of energy. But when you do eat a healthy meal, it's like, oh, I have this type of energy that is like the best energy ever because I ate that healthy meal.

HUGHES: Well, healthier choices is part of the education that starts in our classroom. We toy with how to meet the nutritional needs of the student, but yet bring the healthiest and best food items. And to that end, we've been able to meet that particular mark by looking at our locally grown produce. They don't have to travel as far, so we can get a better price.

AZUZ: And let's say you have a friend and you see that person constantly choosing unhealthy foods. How do you encourage that person to change his ways?

FULLER: Just eat less calories and make sure you know what's in the food.

CARMEN BOOKER, GRADY HIGH SCHOOL: I would say you probably need to watch your food intake of fried foods or whatever it is. They need to try to, like, balance their nutrition plus their indulgences.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't want to say they don't care about their life, but they don't really care how they are affected by what they eat. And they don't know what they're eating.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. And Carl Azuz joining me here now, a friend of mine, a friend of our show on CNN Saturday and Sunday morning.

Always good to see you, buddy.

But I guess it makes perfect sense. If they eat this stuff at home, they're used to eating it, that influences what they pick up when they go through the lunch line at school.

AZUZ: Absolutely. And that's what the nutritionists we talked to said, is that pretty much starts in the home with students.

What they're brought up eating is what they get a taste for. So, she had said that with her kids, she worked with giving options that you don't typically see at fast-food restaurants like celery sticks, strawberries, things like that. And as they got older, those were the choices they made.

HOLMES: All right. And we're under the impression that healthier food costs more money. So is that pretty much what schools are facing, the cheaper stuff is the stuff that's kind of bad for you?

AZUZ: And that's something they have to deal with all the time, T.J. That is the big challenge, especially in a recession, is how do you bring in healthier foods that traditionally cost more?

And the advice that Dr. Hughes had regarding this was to look locally. Look at local farms. Find out what they're offering. And a lot of times because they're local, they'll be able to give discounts, to give deals to schools. They'll be able to serve these healthier, fresher and more closely grown foods to the students.

And in addition, she suggested menu forecasting. Take a look at what's popular among students and then bring those foods in, because if you're selling more of what you buy, you're in better shape.

HOLMES: Makes perfect sense. This all makes perfect sense. Why didn't we think of this before?

But the other thing, we talked about what kids eat at home, influencing their choices at school. What else kind of influences what a kid might pick up when they go through the line at school?

AZUZ: Really, I would say it starts in the home. It starts with what they're used to eating.

Now, there were some students who talked to us about how -- why it's important for them to eat, that they had an awareness that they should be eating healthier foods. That awareness doesn't always translate to healthy choices. But usually what they're growing up eating is what they tend to go for later on, and so that's why everybody's pretty much telling us, start them young on the healthy stuff. When they get older, things will get better.

HOLMES: Carl Azuz, we appreciate you, as always.

AZUZ: Thank you, T.J.

HOLMES: It's good to see you, buddy. See you this weekend?

AZUZ: Yes, sir. Look forward to it.

HOLMES: All right. Thanks so much.

And remember, CNN.com/etocracy, you can get more stories on healthy eating. It's also where you can learn more about help to unlock the "CNN Healthy Eater Badge on Foursquare.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, some disturbing new revelations about U.S. soldiers accused of killing Afghan civilians for sport. It turns out the Army may have known months ago about one of the alleged "thrill kills," but failed to act. It's also coming to light from interrogation tapes that we here at CNN have now obtained.

Our Drew Griffin of our Special Investigations Unit reports. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT (voice-over): Specialist Adam Winfield is seen in this interrogation video obtained by CNN. At the beginning of the tape, he describes a killing he did not see, only heard about, how members of his platoon bragged on how they killed a man and made it look like self-defense.

SPC. ADAM WINFIELD, U.S. ARMY: They threw the grenade. They said that the guy threw a grenade at them, and that's how the grenade went off. And then they shot him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. And what was the story, how you understood, what really happened?

WINFIELD: That was -- that's -- as soon as it happened, I was in the truck. I was at V.C., but I knew about it already. They -- Morlock and (NAME DELETED) were planning it probably for like a week or so. Sergeant Gibbs sort of, you know, put it into his head that they can get away with doing these things.

GRIFFIN: Sergeant Gibbs is described in these U.S. Army charging papers as the ringleader of a band of rogue and high-on-hash U.S. Army infantrymen.

CNN has reached out to Staff Sergeant Gibbs' attorney, but has yet to receive a return call. Gibbs, according to the statements of the men accused, liked to kill things and people. He encouraged his men to kill with him, threatening them not to tell a soul.

WINFIELD: I take that man very seriously. He is -- he likes to kill things. He is pretty much evil incarnate. Like, I have never met a man that just can go from one minute just joking around, and then mindless killing the next. He likes to kill things.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, what do you think would have happened if you weren't on board with this stuff?

WINFIELD: I think, one, he would not have kept me in the loop on things, and if they had thought I had ratted or something, they would have come after me. And that's -- I almost -- after the first killing, I called my parents and told them about it.

GRIFFIN (on camera): According to Winfield's attorney, when Adam Winfield's father heard about all of this in a phone call, he decided to call the Army, himself, even calling an investigative unit at the Army.

The Army's response, according to the attorney, was this: Not interested. Can't do anything. Tell your son to lay low.

When we called the Army to ask about those calls, an Army spokesman would only tell us an investigation is now under way.

(voice-over): Adam Winfield, 21 years old, is now charged with premeditated murder, accused of participating in the killing of another Afghan civilian last May. According to Winfield's attorney, Eric Montalvo, his client is not guilty of premeditated murder, despite this Army interrogation tape where Winfield describes how he and other members of his platoon, including Corporal Jeremy Morlock and the staff sergeant, Calvin Gibbs, set up an Afghan civilian.

WINFIELD: He seemed friendly. He didn't seem to have any sort of animosity towards us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

WINFIELD: Brought him out. He was sitting in a ditch,. Me and Morlock were behind the berm. And he said, this is how is going to go down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who said?

WINFIELD: Sergeant Gibbs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

WINFIELD: Sergeant Gibbs said: "This is how is it going to go down. You going to shoot your weapons, yell grenade. And then I'm going to throw this grenade. After it goes off, I'm going to drop this grenade next to him."

So, then, that's it. He had two grenades on him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

WINFIELD: Well, we're laying there, and Morlock told me to shoot. Started shooting, yelled grenade. The grenade blew up. That was that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry. Who gave you the order to shoot?

WINFIELD: Morlock.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

WINFIELD: And we fired once he said, shoot. Grenade blew up. Sergeant Gibbs threw -- Sergeant Gibbs threw the grenade. It blew up. Then he came over, shot the man probably about two more times in the head.

GRIFFIN: After that, Specialist Winfield says, Staff Sergeant Gibbs told him he was part of the group.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did he also use the fact that he acknowledged that Morlock killed a guy as well? Did he use that against you as well?

WINFIELD: No, he never used that against me. He just told me that I was a made man afterwards.

GRIFFIN: The attorney for Corporal Jeremy Morlock told CNN his client suffers from brain injuries suffered in two IED attacks and was on strong Army-prescribed drugs that impaired his judgment. According to Winfield's attorney, had the Army just listened to the elder Winfield, it never had to get this far.

Drew Griffin, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Coming up, unemployed and over 50. Some workers now worry they will never be able to find work again.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: For older Americans, finding a job can be a challenge at the best of times. Of the roughly 15 million unemployed in this country right now, more than 2.2 million are over the age of 55. Some fear they may never find a job again.

Patricia Reid is one of them. She's over 50. She has two decades of experience as an internal auditor of a large corporation. She's been out of work now for four years. She joins me now from Seattle. And Maggie Mistle. She says if you're over 50 and our of work, it's time to re-invent yourself. She's a career coach, the former director of learning at Martha Stewart Omnimedia, and host of "Making a Living with Maggie" on XM-Sirius satellite radio. She is in New York for us.

Ladies, welcome to you both. And Patricia, do you really think it's possible, you may never work again?

PATRICIA REID, JOB SEEKER: I try not to think that way.

HOLMES: But are you discouraged after four years, certainly -- and I say not work, I guess you could go find any type of job. Something a lot simpler. Minimum wage, not necessarily a career, if you will, and nothing in the line of work that you're doing now. But is that the fear, you might not be able to use your skills?

REID: Well, I guess there is that possibility.

HOLMES: Four years you've been looking now. Have you had any actual job offer in the past four years?

REID: Oh, a couple of times, it almost happened, and then it seemed like something always happens. A merger or something else would happen to stop it.

HOLMES: And Patricia, what was your circumstance in the first place that you ended up losing your job four years ago?

REID: I was laid off from Boeing during a downsizing.

HOLMES: All right. Now, how have you been able to hold on, if you will, for four years without that steady stream of income?

REID: Well, I haven't had a steady stream of income, but I have found work here and there. HOLMES: Okay.

REID: Casual-type jobs. Setting up networks for people, or -- things like that.

HOLMES: OK. Maggie, let me bring you in here now. You're hearing her story. Viewers are hearing it as well. You say to re- invent yourself. That certainly sounds easier said than done. What does that mean?

MAGGIE MISTAL, RADIO SHOW HOST, "MAKING A LIVING WITH MAGGIE": Well, I'll tell you, T.J. I have heard this issue. I work with clients just like Patricia in this situation. Actually, people of all age groups are suffering through this kind of challenge, because I see it as much of a mind-set issue as an economic one.

I got to read Patricia's story in "The New York Times" article, and one of the things that struck me not only with her but with people struggling to find work, is that they tend to focus more on finding a job than on following their passion. I see this as a challenge for a lot of folks because employers are saying, yes, we do need someone to do the job, but we're not interested in someone who just needs the paycheck or is looking to pay for retirement.

And again, this isn't a testament against Patricia. I know people do need money to live, but when they follow their passion, they tend to have more enthusiasm, more excitement for the job. More energy to do it. And when I read Patricia's story and saw how exhausted she was by her last job, I actually wasn't that surprised that that job went away. People now need to really focus on following their passion and doing work they love now. Not waiting to put taht of to retirement.

HOLMES: Now, Patricia, Patricia - does that resonate with you and make some sense to you in that you think you need to flip it up a bit and follow your passion, whatever it may be?

REID: Well -- I could get passionate about a lot of things. I -- I could get passionate about work. Many types of work. As long as I'm learning new things and in a problem-solving mode, I'm fine.

HOLMES: Well, I'll ask you both this question. I'll start with you, though, first, Patricia. How much of your difficulty do you think lately has been your age and your experience versus the economic downturn? I mean, sometimes people just won't want to hire someone who has that much experience, yes, you're going to have to pay you a certain amount.

REID: Yes. That's definitely a factor, I think. People seem to -- think it's easier to work with a younger person.

HOLMES: Maggie, how much of a difficulty is a for her? Maggie?

MISTAL: T.J., it's only a difficulty -- and Patricia, really listen to this, because your experience is valuable. The challenge I also see with people in the 50 to 60 age range they look at traditional jobs as the only option.

What I was excited to hear talking about what you've been up to in the last four years you've been open to consulting, providing your services in other ways. That experience is still valuable to employers. They may not want to pay for it full-time, but that doesn't mean you can't get paid for your talents and get paid for that experience.

In fact, you know, I was wondering if you've actually considered consulting and putting yourself out there as an expert, even teaching other internal auditors how to do their job. Because you did say you love the tweaking processes. That's a talent and the interest. Have you explored that?

REID: Well, I've put applications in with a few consulting firms but haven't heard anything back from them. But I think that would be --

MISTAL: OK. Let me -- can I jump in on that point?

HOLMES: Do it for me quickly, Maggie. Do it for me quickly.

MISTAL: Okay. Applying for jobs, it's a black hole for a lot of people. You got to make this personal, right? You've got to find people in your network who can connect you with folks in the areas and in the companies you want to work. That personal introduction is what's going to land you a job.

HOLMES: Well, Patricia, I know and a lot of folks listening, that probably sounds easier said than done. It sounds great and wonderful. Right now, a lot of folks are hurting, it's hard to just -- something she's been doing her whole life, to just flip it up and re-invent and become a new person at the age of 50-plus, if you will, Patricia.

But Patricia good luck to you. Four years you've been at it. We hope to touch base with you and talk to you again when you finally have landed that job. And Maggie, we, as always, appreciate you as well. You ladies have a good rest of the day.

REID: Thank you.

HOLMES: Well, 40 minutes past the hour here now. We've got word on some new sanctions now against Iran. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: I want to turn right to CNN foreign affairs correspondent Jill Dougherty, standing by for us now. Jill, we're hearing the Obama administration once again trying to come down on Iran with some new sanctions?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Right, T.J. This is going on right now. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the Treasury secretary Tim Geithner here at the State Department, announcing that President Obama is going to be issuing an executive order. And that will put new sanctions on eight top Iranian government officials who they say are tied to serious human rights abuses against the people of Iran. Secretary Clinton just a few minutes ago calling this a new approach and a new tool. Let's listen to what she said.

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HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: This is a different approach, as both Tim and I have said. We are using this new tool that the Congress has just given us to basically publicize and connect to the human rights abuses that are ongoing in Iran. Those officials about whom we have credible evidence who are responsible for either ordering or implementing these abuses, because we've always said that we not only cared about the nuclear program in Iran. We cared about the people of Iran.

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DOUGHERTY: And, T.J., the secretary there saying that these will be targeted against people who they say -- the U.S. says -- were directly involved in ordering and being involved in those, that violent crackdown against demonstrators in Iran -- around the time of and right after the presidential elections in 2009.

An important point, the secretary also saying that these sanctions will not -- are not, aimed at hurting the people of Iran but only those eight people, and they could add more names as more information becomes available. T.J.?

HOLMES: And, Jill, what kind of people are we talking about there? Even if you don't have specific names there? Are we talking about revolutionary guard --

DOUGHERTY: We do actually. We do have some names. It's really a top list. I was just looking at it. The Revolutionary Guard Corps, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, prosecutor general, minister of intelligence, people like this, they really want to hit them.

And Treasury Secretary Geithner defending, some people saying these are in effect, he says they are in fact the Iranian leadership are very concerned about these, that they are biting, he says.

HOLMES: Any idea what kind of reaction we're going to get from Iran, haven't gotten one yet, since this is just happening, but I guess --

DOUGHERTY: No, but you know, just last week, T.J., President Ahmadinejad was saying that these are not having an effect. They're not really doing anything. You can probably expect that they could say that. That's the debate.

But the treasury secretary and the U.S. government saying it is having an effect that it is harder and harder for Iran to carry out some of these financial transactions, and that by taking this new approach, which is tying individuals, top individuals, to these human rights abuses, that this is a new approach, and they are claiming that this will have some effect.

HOLMES: All right. Jill Dougherty. We appreciate you on the story for us, new sanctions out. Specific targeted sanctions for Iran now. Thank so much, Jill, as always.

Coming up, what's been called explosive allegations against California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman, a CNNPolitics.com update coming your way.

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HOLMES: Time now for your CNNPolitics.com update. And for that, we turn to our senior White House correspondent, Ed Henry, part of the Best Political Team on Television live in D.C. Ed, good to see you, buddy. What do you got?

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: T.J. love how you say that, your "best." President's out on the campaign trail, as you know, my friend. He's been out in the Midwest, but some bad news for Democrats in the Midwest.

The president's home state of Illinois specifically, some new questions being raised about the Democratic candidate Alexi Giannoulias, specifically the role that he had played in his family's bank, which collapsed.

He had told voters this is in the "Chicago Tribune" told voters he ended, stopped working with the bank in 2005. Now it appears he might have told the IRS a different story. He claimed a tax deduction of almost $3 million for his work with the bank in 2006.

Even though he had said earlier, he had stopped working there. If he's denying any wrongdoing, but bottom line is, Democrats never thought they were going to be struggling this hard to keep President Obama's Senate seat in the Democratic column.

Next item, in Ohio, we've heard a lot, of course, about angry voters taking out that anger on Democrats. Interesting, the Democratic Governor Strickland, is trying to sort of turn the tables here and tap into some of that anger.

He's out on a bus tour basically saying, look, I'm just as angry as voters are about this economy which, but I'm a fighter. I'm trying to fix it and the significance is that as he's launching this, he's had a little bit of a surge in the polls.

Now just about even with Republican John Kasich in the Ohio governor's race. A lot of Democrats nationwide will be watching that to see whether maybe that kind of strategy can work in other races.

Finally, in California, what could make that gubernatorial battle between Democrat Jerry Brown, a Republican Meg Whitman any nastier? Any wilder?

How about if we thrown in Attorney Gloria Allred? All of a sudden she has surfaced in this campaign. She's going to be holding a news conference 2 p.m. Eastern with a woman, apparently, a Hispanic woman who had been, for about nine years, on the household staff of Meg Whitman.

Gloria Allred, who we've seen in so many tabloid stories, is now saying that she's going to reveal some explosive allegations about Meg Whitman.

Meg Whitman's camp is already telling our own Jessica Yellin that this is just part of the sleaze machine of politics of personal destruction, going to backfire, et cetera.

But we all be waiting to see exactly what Gloria Allred has to say about the California governor's race.

HOLMES: Yes, if Gloria Allred's name is involved, boy, boy, boy, just hold on. All right, Ed Henry, good to see you as always, buddy. Talk to you soon.

Your next political update coming up in one hour. For the latest political news you know where to find CNNPolitics.com.

Coming up, the entire cast of the "Sound of Music" has a date with Oprah. Josh Levs looking at what's hot on the internet.

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HOLMES: Why is he here?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ali thinks that I should put on T.J.'s tie.

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: I'm not taking too much of your time. I'm just saying your shirt, his tie. That would be hot. You say, what's hot? Getting ready for my show. Just think about it.

HOLMES: You have your own two hours and have to come into this hour as well. What is hot?

LEVS: What is hot? Number one on Twitter, talking about Britney and "Glee." Because there was this "Glee" episode last night, look at this video.

This girl, by the way, pretty amazing Britney testament dancing. This actress, amazing stuff, got close to the screen. It's really impressive. Britney showed up as well. You'll see her. She seemed happy to be there. See?

They had a little moment, of the actual -- actual Britney there. Everyone's talking about it. Broke records for "Glee." More than the Madonna episode, more than - they had apparently Lady Gaga episode, more than their premiere.

And on another musical note, the "Sound of Music" family, the Von Trapps, they're all getting back together. Every single one of them, reuniting on "Oprah." They're all getting together.

HOLMES: Where else would it be? Well, that's something, to go from the "Sound of Music" after Britney.

LEVS: Everyone out there has something that they can like.

HOLMES: Let's all roll out on this. Be right back.

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HOLMES: Well, getting more now on the sexual coercion civil case against New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Bishop Eddie Long. One of the young men now accusing him spoke to an Atlanta television station WAGA. Here is how he described the leader of the church.

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JAMAL PARRIS, ACCUSING BISHOP LONG: They making not look me in the eye and tell me we did not live this pain. How you can be in the front of the church and tell them you categorically deny it, you can't say this to our face. You are not a man. You are a monster.

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HOLMES: Well, Long's attorney responded with a statement, here it is, says, quote, "Unfortunately the plaintiffs in counsel are attempting to try their lawsuits in the media. The appropriate place to try lawsuits is in the courtroom. There are rules on how civil litigation is to take place and how counsel should conduct themselves we intend to follow those rules."

We'll keep you updated on this story, but for now, my goodness, look what the network dragged in!

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HOLMES: Ali Velshi!

VELSHI: T.J., I have such fun watching you do the show that I don't feel like coming back some days. T.J. Holmes, you have a fantastic afternoon.