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Alert for Americans in Europe; Students Talk About Bullying; Lessons from the Mumbai Attacks; Historic Town Under Water; Five Ways to Protect Computer Files; Courting Young Voters; Lone Bastions of Success

Aired October 03, 2010 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A new alert for Americans in Europe warns of potential terror attacks. We'll tell you what's behind the alert and what you need to do and what you need to know if you are heading overseas.

Then at 4:00 Eastern Time, battling cancer before you're ever diagnosed. People with certain cancer genes are doing it. We'll hear from two women who took dramatic action to save their lives.

And then at 5:00 Eastern Time, he's made us laugh for decades on television and in comedy clubs. Comic George Wallace is in the house with me today talking about his unique act in Las Vegas.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. And I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Our top story, if you are traveling to Europe or you have loved ones there, the U.S. State Department wants you to be particularly vigilant. An alert issued today by the U.S. State Department says information indicates that al Qaeda and its affiliates continue to plan terrorist attacks. It urges Americans to be aware of their surroundings and to be aware of the potential for terrorists who attack public transportation systems and other tourist-related locations.

So what do you do to keep yourself and your family safe if in Europe? Senior State Department Producer Elise Labott joins me now by phone.

So, Elise, does this alert mean that Americans at this juncture should really just cancel or avoid plans to travel to Europe altogether?

ELISE LABOTT, CNN SR. STATE DEPT. PRODUCER: No Fred, not at all. The State Department is emphasizing that it is not saying don't visit Europe, or even that favorite tourist attraction in Europe. But at the same time, just avoid large crowds, demonstrations.

Terrorists are like car thieves. They're looking for the easiest target, which is an unmarked car. So the State Department is saying don't frequent areas Americans are known to congregate.

For instance, if there's a hotel or famous for American tourists going there, this would be a good time to try and check out some of the places that the locals go. Don't make yourself an easy target, is what they're saying. WHITFIELD: And the recommendation also from the State Department, that you need to register with the U.S. Embassy. We're talking about going to places in Europe you don't usually need a visa. So what does this mean exactly?

LABOTT: Well, this is something that the State Department always recommends you do when you travel, because it helps you receive the most current information the State Department has about where you're going. You can get updates about important travel or other info the embassy sends to Americans living or traveling in various countries.

And also, if something happens, Fred, the embassy can better assist us in an emergency, if you lose your passport or it's stolen, or in the case of a natural disaster like the earthquake in Haiti. They helped Americans that they registered get evacuated.

And so it makes it easier for embassy officials to contact you and your loved ones during an emergency, including situations where your family and friends are having problems contacting you. It just helps the State Department reach out to you better.

WHITFIELD: There are some other things that the State Department is recommending. What are they?

You already mentioned that Americans shouldn't necessarily go to places where westerners congregate while in Europe. What are some of the other things?

LABOTT: Fred, these are things that fall into the category of being street smart and being aware of your surroundings, which we should always do any way. For instance, be cautious about what you discuss with strangers or what others might overhear. Don't talk about your travel plans with people you don't know or speak loudly about them in a public place.

Avoid luggage tags and dress and behavior that may draw attention. You know, we've all heard the joke about Americans sticking out like a sore thumb, but don't do anything to draw extra attention to yourself.

Keep an eye out for abandoned packages or briefcases or other items. If you see something weird, don't go pick it up. Report it to the police.

And when you're looking for a taxi cab, just select it at random. Don't go to the cab drivers sitting outside of the airport trying to hit you up when you're walking outside. Go to the taxi lane and find one that is clearly identified as a taxi.

And lastly, Fred, this is what our parents taught us -- don't open the door for strangers. Know the identity of visitors before opening the door of your hotel room. And if you happen to meet some strangers during your trip and you want to hang out with them, don't take them to your hotel room or to a location that you're not familiar with. Meet them in a public place. You know, Fred, these are things travelers should always be aware of, but in this threat environment the State Department is saying it's good to remind ourselves to travel smartly.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And don't tell strangers where you're staying. Don't boast of where you can be located.

LABOTT: Exactly.

WHITFIELD: All right. Elise Labott, State Department producer, thanks so much for that update. Appreciate that.

Well, of course there are precautions, but it is particularly unusual. And now Britain is changing its travel advisory for its citizens in France and Germany from a substantial threat of terrorism to a high threat.

CNN Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson is in Hamburg, Germany, and he joins us now live.

So why is this happening on such a grand scale?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, some of it appears to be because of a German-Afghan who was captured in Afghanistan recently. He attended this mosque here behind me here in Hamburg, and he's the one that's been telling the people questioning him at Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan that there's a possibility of this Mumbai-style attack across Europe, and this seems to be the reason. It's not what we're being told specifically, but it all seems to add up to this very general picture.

What we're hearing from the Europeans here is the Spanish are going to keep their threat warning in Spain as it is right now. The French, the same. The Germans here saying that they are not seeing the threat level going up at the moment, they're not seeing an imminent threat here, so they're not going to change their threat level warning. And Britain, inside Britain, is not changing its terror threat level, not ramping it up from severe.

But I'm joined here by CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank.

Paul, we've heard about the State Department warning. There are not many specifics in it, but what are you learning from your sources right here?

PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Well, there seems to be a real plot involving some German nationals from the city of Hamburg who went over there in March of 2009, joined up with al Qaeda, and some of them became part of this plot. That's what we're hearing from officials.

Siddiqui was interrogated by Americans. Now, the Germans here have not had direct access to Siddiqui, so they cannot independently verify what he is saying, but they're very concerned about it. Counterterrorism sources on both sides of the Atlantic are worried about this Mumbai-style attack, Nic. ROBERTSON: Very interesting as well that while Germany, France, Britain keep their threat level the same, the U.S. citizens here are warned while they're in Europe. What examples have there been in the past when U.S. citizens have been under threat from al Qaeda terror inside Europe?

CRUICKSHANK: Americans are the greatest enemy of these guys. The United States is the big enemy.

Back in 2007, we saw a plot here in Germany by Germans who went off to tribal areas of Pakistan to get trained, and they very specifically wanted to target Americans here, American servicemen, GIs here in German three years ago, Nic. So we have seen this before.

ROBERTSON: We also understand that bin Laden, Osama bin Laden, signed off on this attack. What does that tell us about al Qaeda? We know that they always want to go after American citizens if they can.

CRUICKSHANK: It shows us al Qaeda is still resilient, they're still there. They can still plot these sorts of attacks. It also shows bin Laden is very invested in this plot, that it was a very ambitious plot from al Qaeda, Nic.

ROBERTSON: Paul, what else are you learning from your sort of sources across Europe as they look at this threat level? We know that they are not changing it, but what else are you learning?

CRUICKSHANK: Well, the big unknown here is, is this thing imminent or is this a long-range plan? Have the people left Pakistan?

We're not getting very good answers on that at this point, Nic, and I think all the European counterterrorism agencies are cooperating with Americans, but they don't want to alarm the public. And we have to remember here that there has only been two successful attacks in Europe since 9/11. That's very important to remember.

ROBERTSON: One of the other things by this mosque here -- and we talked about Ahmed Siddiqui under questioning in Afghanistan right now -- there were several other members from this mosque who went with him. What's known by the people you're speak to about where they are and what they're doing now?

CRUICKSHANK: Some other people went with him from this mosque back in 2009. They seemed to have joined al Qaeda. And some of them have got involved in this plot. We're told by European counterterrorism officials that some of them are now at large still in Pakistan, Nic.

ROBERTSON: Paul Cruickshank, thank you very much indeed.

Fredricka, we'll be continuing to work our sources tonight and the coming days -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: OK. And Nic, quickly, you all were talking about the military and the history of them being threatened in certain regions, particularly there in Germany. So I understand now there's even a curfew in place for a number of U.S. military personnel stationed there in various parts of Germany, right?

ROBERTSON: That's right. On Friday night, at the Ramstein Air Base, a couple of hundred miles from here, servicemen told to stay on base, and also instructed anyone going off base, when the overnight curfew is lifted, not to do so in uniform. So this seems to take on board that German threat from three years ago here that American servicemen here in Germany could be the target for al Qaeda.

WHITFIELD: OK. And that curfew since has been lifted, I understand.

Nic Robertson, thanks so much. Appreciate that, joining us from Hamburg, Germany.

All right. We'll find out how passengers here in the U.S. who have plans to head overseas, how they are reacting to these new travel alerts in place, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Their bags are packed, passports in hand. Will the new travel alert throw a monkey wrench into the plans of so many Americans heading abroad to Europe?

Our Stephanie Elam is at Newark International Airport talking to passengers who are getting word of this alert, this advisory coming from the U.S. State Department.

What are they saying?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, you know, we asked a few people. We've been here since way early this morning, got here in the 6:00 hour Eastern Time.

And the one thing that we've seen as a common thread are people are like, you know what? Sometimes you have just to go ahead and forge along with your plans. In this economy, you spent how many hundreds of dollars to get your plane ticket? Why should you then not follow through and finish your trip that you planned to take on to Europe?

In fact, I got to speak with three people in the airport who were on their way to Germany and Italy, and here's what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's just normal for me. We're just cautious when we're in an unusual area to begin with.

And air travel is so common, we're either -- where we're from, we're either traveling by small plane because we don't have a lot of roads, or we're traveling by jet to get out of the states. So it's just a mode of transportation we take it for granted.

And we're still -- I think pay attention, but not necessarily uncomfortable. If they came back and said we prefer you not traveling, or something more than just being diligent to saying we have a lot more activity --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I made the arrangements six months ago. It would probably take an incident of some sort where there was real danger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because you only live once. I mean, what are you going to do? I can't let those people terrorize me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM: And it's interesting to note on this one as well, Fredricka, that the first woman we spoke to, she said, "You know what? I hadn't heard anything about it in the last three hours while I was on Facebook." She had traveled from Alaska, so she wasn't hearing anything while she was en route. The next woman was from Berkeley, saying thanks.

So they have been in their travels already. The last man coming here from New Jersey.

They're saying, you know what? I've got to continue to live my life and continue on with it regardless of what happens. And they've had their trips booked for at least a month, some of them six months.

So, looking at that angle of it is one thing. We also got a statement from the New York Police Department, and they're basically saying they are taking it seriously.

I want to go ahead and read it to you, saying, "The New York Police Department monitors intelligence from around the world every day, and while there's nothing specific regarding an attack on New York City, we adjust our counterterrorism posture daily with over 1,000 officers assigned to counterterrorism duties on a daily basis." This coming from Paul Browne, the deputy commissioner of the New York Police Department.

So, while people are still traveling, at the same time the officials are still taking it seriously and staying on alert, even if everyone feels like, you know what? I've just got to take my trip.

WHITFIELD: Yes. So, Stephanie, I wonder -- even like the woman who was on flight I guess for the last three hours coming from Alaska -- how are passengers getting their information about some of these recommended tips from the State Department when traveling abroad? Is anything being handed out at the airport just prior to getting on overseas flights?

What are they equipped with? What kind of knowledge? ELAM: You know, at this point we talked to all three of the people while they were outside of security, while they were in line to check their bags and go through that procedure. One of the women -- the woman coming from Berkeley was able to find out on the radio, she said, last night when she was about to board her flight to come here.

The woman coming from Alaska, she left yesterday to get here. So it wasn't really even out then. And the man that lives here in New Jersey, he's like, "Sure I heard about it. I just don't care. I'm going live my life."

So there's no real push for it inside the airport. And I think for a lot of these travelers, they see it and they hear it as an alert, but they also don't see it as a reason to stop going ahead with their plans.

They're saying in this world that we live in after 9/11, this is just how you have to live. It's no different than before. You travel. You pay attention to what's around you. You don't talk to strangers and you don't speak openly about where you're going to go and what you're going to do, because someone may be listening to that.

Just kind of keep your Americanism to yourself when you're in Europe so you don't seem like a target.

WHITFIELD: OK. Well, hopefully at least if folks aren't able to get the information in written form there at the airport, when they get a chance to get to a computer perhaps they can at least check the State Department's Web site to get some tips --

ELAM: Yes, definitely.

WHITFIELD: -- because there are some very key things that we talked about at the top of the hour that travelers really need to know.

All right. Thanks so much, Stephanie Elam. Appreciate that from Newark Airport.

All right. Well, there has been some increase in tension between Pakistan and the U.S. over recent drone attacks and NATO helicopters crossing the border from Afghanistan.

This morning, on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION," Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S. made two critical points. Husain Haqqani told Candy Crowley that Pakistan does not want U.S. troops on its soil and that his country will fight terrorists on its schedule, not that of the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUSAIN HAQQANI, PAKISTANI AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: Pakistan is an American ally. America depends on Pakistan.

We can't and do not do everything that the Americans think we should do because sometimes we don't have the capacity, sometime we don't have the means. We work those things out, and that is exactly what we are doing right now. Minus all the political noise, the fact remains that we are working together. Pakistan will go after all terrorist groups that are on our soil, and we have done it over the last two and a half years, and the few groups that are remaining, we will target them. We will target them with American help, but it will be technical help, it will not be personnel on ground.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And this development from one of Pakistan's volatile tribal regions. Officials say three bullet-riddled bodies were found along a road in north Waziristan. There was a note attached to each body saying that the men had been killed for being spies for the U.S. and Pakistani militaries. The area has been the target of recent U.S. drone attacks.

All right. Back to this country now.

Bullying is still a big problem across America. So how do you stop it? We'll check in with CNN's Student News anchor who has been listening to a lot of kids across the country and their concerns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

WHITFIELD: So, bullying these days has reached a whole new level. And that's why this week, CNN is focusing on the issue of bullying and what can be done to stop it.

CNN Student News anchor Carl Azuz joins us live to give us some perspective on exactly what a lot of students are going through, how they're describing it. And it certainly seems bullying today is so different from just 15 years ago, 25 years ago. It's a whole other level.

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: There's a new dimension to it, Fredricka, and that's cyber bullying. And I'm going to give you some student perspective on that in just a second, but one thing that we really found from our audience was that it's widespread.

We remember a few months back, about 87 percent of our middle and high school student audience telling us they had witnessed bullying in some form. And part of the reason for that is because you can define it so loosely.

Listen to what this first student has to say, a student from Ohio.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think if you think about it, everybody has bullied someone at some point in time, whether it's shoving someone into a locker or calling someone a name. So, yes, I have bullied someone.

(END VIDEO CLIP) AZUZ: And as far as the victims are concerned, there are a lot of different ways they react. Helplessness is a feeling that I heard a lot about. But you can certainly hear a chord of helplessness in what this student says.

Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To me, it makes you feel like you have a bottomless pit in your stomach, like you're always worried about when the bully is going to come and pick on you and stuff. And it feels like no one wants to help you and want to laugh along with the bully.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: Now, as I mentioned, Fredricka, there is a new dimension, a relatively new dimension that you and I didn't have in school, and that was cyber bullying.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

AZUZ: And it got us talking about the different types and asking our student audience, "What do you think is the worst kind of bullying you have seen?" This is a survey we took at CNNStudentNews.com. It's not scientific.

But as you can see from our graphic here, about a third think physical is the worst. Forty percent saying verbal is the worst. And then 27 percent talking about cyber bullying.

We had a student named Jonathan talk to us about how cyber bullying seems the worst to him because you don't know who is saying the things on the other end. Jonathan is saying this is something that you can't tell someone, you can't report it.

We had a couple kids talk about a Facebook site that was built, a bullying site specifically for them. And they didn't know who to talk to about it.

WHITFIELD: And it follows you. So you've gone home to what you think is a safe place. You encountered some bullying at school, maybe the pushing into a locker like the one young girl described. Now you go home and you turn on your computer, whether you're doing your homework or checking Facebook, it's there. It has followed you at home.

AZUZ: And there's a concern among them, too, that it's going to follow them into later life. And that's when this becomes very, very serious.

And other students are still saying, look, verbal is still the worst. I mean, they're saying that whoever said "Sticks and stones can break my bones, words can never hurt me," one student told us, "Hey, whoever said that has obviously never been to middle school." And you can see is right there, Grason's words there, the part I quoted at the end.

So, I mean, it's widespread.

WHITFIELD: I think the verbal kind of bleeds into the cyber because these are written words.

AZUZ: Yes, it's a form of verbal bullying.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Verbal --

(CROSSTALK)

AZUZ: And as you said, it's a fear that it's going to stay with them.

We'll be following this all week long, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Yes, we look forward to it. And hopefully there are a lot of locations, resources that students, parents can go to. We're going to learn about that throughout the week as well to try and get some help, some real assistance here, and to end it.

All right. Thanks so much.

AZUZ: Thank you very much.

WHITFIELD: Carl Azuz, good to see you.

AZUZ: Appreciate it, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. So all week long, bullying in our schools and online. Why do kids do it? What's the motivation? What can be done to actually end it?

"Bullying: No Escape," an "AC 360" special report that you don't want to miss. That's coming up tomorrow night, 10:00 Eastern, only on CNN. And of course in other programs throughout the week we'll be profiling this very topic as well.

So find out what American police learned from a 60-hour siege by terrorists in India and how they are using it to keep you safe, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The U.S. is issuing a new travel alert for Americans in Europe citing information suggesting al Qaeda and other terror groups continue to plan attacks.

The alert urges Americans to be aware of their surroundings and reminds them of the potential for terror attacks at tourist sites and on public transportation systems.

The U.S. State Department says it's not telling Americans to avoid traveling to Europe, but rather advising them to take, quote, "common sense precautions."

So intelligence chatter about the possibility of new terror attacks in Europe has been growing for days. One of several threads of intel concerns a Mumbai style commando attack.

That attack prompted the U.S. police departments to reexamine their own level of readiness and led to changes. CNN's Jeanne Meserve explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mumbai was a low tech high impact attack. Terrorists armed with only semiautomatic weapons, grenades and bombs hit multiple civilian targets in quick succession.

Back in 2008, as they watched the carnage, the chaos, the 60- hour siege, some U.S. police officials had this thought.

ASST. CHIEF PATRICK BURKE, WASHINGTON METRO POLICE: We're not ready for that specific type of attack especially on soft targets.

MESERVE: Los Angeles and New York immediately dispatched personnel to India to learn all they could. There was one big take away.

DEP. CHIEF MICHAEL DOWNING, LOS ANGELES POLICE: You have to put the threat down immediately and you have to run toward the fire and not away from it.

MESERVE: Now every police recruit in New York is given some heavy weapons instruction and 250 officers have been trained and equipped to reinforce the department's emergency team.

The NYPD knowing the Mumbai attackers moved by boat has identified 100 sensitive locations in the harbor. New technologies help to identify suspicious people and vessels, and schematics have been reviewed in case a boat is taken over.

DEP. INSP. DAVID DRISCOLL, NEW YORK POLICE: We know how to take control of certain ships and where fuel turnoffs are.

MESERVE: In New York and in Washington, the layouts of hotels, transit hubs and other potential targets have been mapped in case police have to get in or hostages have to get out.

Police are also learning how to harness technologies like surveillance cameras and cell phones so they can use them and attackers cannot.

BURKE: Making sure that these persons, these terrorists potentially don't have access to each other and making sure that they're not getting information from public sources that they can use to our detriment.

MESERVE: Some police now exercise how to counter the tactics used in Mumbai even as they watch toward new innovations in the terrorist playbook.

RAY KELLY, NEW YORK POLICE COMMISSIONER: You have to be careful not to fight yesterday's war. You have to look over the horizon.

MESERVE: But if Mumbai is the template for an attack here, at least New York, Washington and Los Angeles feel better prepared.

DOWNING: I hope it wouldn't last more than 30 minutes before we contain it and neutralize it.

MESERVE (on camera): Making preparations like this is expensive. Not every city can afford to do it. Not every city is ready for an attack like Mumbai. Jeanne Meserve, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, let's talk some nasty weather that we experienced latter part of last week and into the weekend along the eastern U.S. the main worry right now flooding.

The historic town of Windsor, North Carolina, is still under water and under a state of emergency. Governor Beverly Purdue goes there today to see the damage done by days of rain from Tropical Storm Nicole.

A state emergency official says it will be several more days before the water actually recedes. What a nightmare for the folks there.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Unfortunately, Fredricka, we have more rain with another low developing off the coastline of North Carolina and that's not something folks in North Carolina want to see.

In fact, look at this. You can see that we have rain coming off the eastern seaboard. There's North Carolina, but notice it's traveling all of the way up about to hit New York City.

It's hitting the Jersey shore right now into Delaware and into Maryland so we're watching for that as well. As you can see here the flood threat continues. We have warnings posted all the way up from Vermont down through the Carolinas and those will continue straight through the night because we do have a lot of runoff and that's going to cause some problems for those of you that are heading out and about for this evening.

Take a look at some of the rain as it continues to work toward the north and east. We're watching that. We're also looking at cool weather. Big ridge of high pressure coming in across much of the Midwest and that is making for some cooler temperatures across the board.

In fact, it's going to be so cool out there that we are anticipating some big changes. That's right. There's a chill in the air, frost and freeze warnings in place for tomorrow. Now a lot of this starts at 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, but when you wake up in Springfield, Missouri, it's going to be cold out there.

Temperatures will drop into the upper 30s so bring in potted plants and protect your pets and cover up any gardens you have out there that are tender vegetation because it will frost there.

And look at this, Jackson, Tennessee, just to the east of Memphis. Not Memphis itself, but not too far away, it will be cold enough for frost. It's October, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: That's right. It's supposed to happen and you know, when you go out and pick those pumpkins and get ready for Halloween, you want a little chill in the air. Feels good. All right. Thanks so much. See you again later on.

SCHNEIDER: Definitely.

WHITFIELD: All right, protecting those important files on your computer. It's a nightmare for everybody, isn't it? But we'll have five easy ways next in "Tech Time" for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories right now. If you're heading to Europe, the government wants you to be extra vigilant. The U.S. State Department has issued a travel alert because of rising concerns over possible terror threats.

So when you are in public places like airports and tourists sites, be cautious and aware of what's going on around you. That's a recommendation from the U.S. State Department.

All right, the U.S. military meantime is also taking precautions. Military sources tell CNN security measures have been altered at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany and other nearby housing areas that includes a curfew order that kept thousand of U.S. military personnel in Germany in their homes Friday night.

And for the 57th year in a row, lawmakers and members of the High Court attended Red Mass. It is celebrated every year for members of the legal profession. It's held the day before the U.S. Supreme Court begins its new term. Critics say it is an unhealthy mix of politics, law and religion.

All right, let's talk about you and your computer and the nightmare of losing important documents on your computer. Well, it doesn't have to haunt you especially this time of year around Halloween.

There are some new products out there that can help protect your files. Here to review some of them, right now technology expert Mark Saltzman is joining us via Skype from Toronto.

All right, let's begin with this click free wireless automatic backup. There it is. Looks interesting.

MARC SALTZMAN, SYNDICATED TECHNOLOGY WRITER: Sure thing, yes. So this is one of five cool solutions we're going to look at today.

In fact, this click free drive is the world's first wireless drive that can automatically back up from multiple PCs or Macs in the home.

So as long as you have wireless network, you simply keep this anywhere in your home and you schedule a backup time say 2:00 in the morning, 3:00 in the morning and then automatically over the air it will back up everything to this drive.

It stores 500 gigabytes of data or a half of terabyte in other words and it retails for $210. You can go to clickfree.com to learn more about that.

WHITFIELD: OK, that's pricey, but my Gosh, that sounds so convenient and easy especially for computer dumb-dumbs like me. All right, so SanDisk Cruzer Blade USB flash drive, what's that all about?

SALTZMAN: Right, so this is one of those little guys that you would attach to your key chain. This is ideal for transferring files between computers. You can also use it as a backup solution if you don't need too much information.

This one, by the way, goes up to 16 gigabytes and for $78. So this is a neat little one just about the size of a paper clip and about the weight of a penny. They are getting smaller and can store more and more files and again, they're really ideal for, say, bringing work between one laptop at home to a desktop at work and vice versa.

So this is a good one from SanDisk. It also has software that lets you encrypt it in case you lose it, nobody can access those files.

WHITFIELD: That's good. OK, so now is this ioSafe SoloPRO? What's that all about?

SALTZMAN: This is it, 15 pounds worth. This is a virtual indestructible file. Yes, this is a lot. If you need a waterproof and fireproof solution, this is the granddaddy of all durable hard drives.

Again, it is about 15 pounds. I'll put it down before I get a hernia, but the idea is you can keep this in your home and God forbid you have a flood or fire it can withstand the elements.

And if you want to check out some of the entertaining YouTube videos, you'll see the folks at ioSafe lighting it on fire and dropping it. It's a virtually indestructible drive. It sells for $250 per one terabyte drive.

WHITFIELD: Wow. OK, that's for some really important documents and maybe images especially photographers might really love that because their whole life is in there. All right, how about the Seagate GoFlex ultraportable 1.5 drive. It's a mouthful. What in the world is that?

SALTZMAN: Just remember Seagate. That's all, you know, this is called the GoFlex. What's cool about it, Fredricka, is that two things.

It's actually my favorite drive out of all of these. This is the world's smallest 1.5 terabyte drive so a little bit bigger than a deck of cards, but it can store 1,500 gigabytes of data.

In plain English, that is many, millions of photos and documents all on this one drive. What's also cool about it is that it has an interchangeable interface here so if you prefer USB, great.

Otherwise, you can pick up an adapter for another technology like eSATA, which is also popular now. It just snaps in like this. It has a different connector type. So you can learn about the GoFlexs at seagate.com. They retail for $250 for the one I showed there.

WHITFIELD: Wow! And what's this Verbatim Insight all about?

SALTZMAN: Right, the last drive we're going to look at quickly is from Verbatim. You probably know them from recordable media like DVDs and blank CDs. This is a drive that has a screen on it that tells you how much content is left and how much space or storage capacity is left.

So you can at a glance know what is on there because you can give it a name like photos or music or games and tells you how much space is left -- without having to plug it in to read it. This one sells for $190 and you can go to verbatim.com and that's for 500 gigabytes as well.

WHITFIELD: Wow! Always some great cool stuff. My favorite is circled that I'll have to put on my little Santa's list. Mark Saltzman, good to see you from Toronto. Thanks so much.

SALTZMAN: Thanks, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's talk politics soon midterm election just 30 days away now. And the top Democrat is reaching out again to one group in particular.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's like you go out on a really great first date, right? And it was awesome and you sat there and waited for the text message back and two years later it comes and you think to yourself, where have you been?

(END VID7EO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: That's how she sees it. We'll look at whether the president can win over young voters.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, time for a "CNN Equals Politics" update. Here's what's crossing CNNPolitics.com desk right now, a warning to Republicans do not ignore the concerns of the Tea Party Movement.

Republican Senator John Thune says if the GOP does the group could form a third party as early as 2012 and President Obama was the main topic in a televised debate between Kentucky's two U.S. Senate candidates Rand Paul, a Tea Party backed Republican vowed to stand up against the president's agenda.

Democrat Jack Conway said, while he support some of the President's policies, he will be looking out for what's best for Kentucky.

And the president's former right-hand man has a new website. It promises a special announcement soon. Rahm Emanuel stepped down as White House chief of staff on Friday. Speculation is he will run for mayor of Chicago.

So two years ago, young voters played a crucial role in getting President Obama elected and the White House is pushing hard to energize them again. But as CNN's Dan Lothian reports, it's not a sure bet.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This hip energy filled loud music craving crowd is once again feeling the love from President Obama.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Hello, Wisconsin!

LOTHIAN: This week a massive rally at the University of Wisconsin, a conference call with college journalists and a 40 and other DNC event to pump them up for the midterm elections.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: The biggest mistake we could let is let impatience or frustration led to apathy and indifference. That guarantees the other side wins.

LOTHIAN: But some of those frustrated young voters wonder why it took a midterm election to get the president's undivided attention again.

HEATHER SMITH, PRESIDENT, ROCK THE VOTE: It's like you go out on a really great first date, right, and it was awesome. And you sat there and waited for the text message back and two years later it comes and you think to yourself, where have you been? You still go out the second time, but maybe this time there's more skepticism and a little less sexy.

LOTHIAN: The sales job was much easier during the presidential campaign when young people like then college student Matt Miller were flushed with hope and enthusiasm.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He seemed very passionate and energetic.

LOTHIAN: During an Obama rally at his University of Maryland campus in 2008, Miller who was studying to enter the medical profession thought the future looked bright, but two years later he's working a part-time job outside of his field in a still struggling economy and so many promises he says are stuck on Capitol Hill.

MATT MILLER, YOUNG VOTER: I personally voted for Obama hoping that he would help alleviate some of those situations, but it almost seems that the partisan battles are increasing in intensity within Congress and a lot of progress is being halted because of that.

LOTHIAN: Heather Smith, president of "Rock the Vote," says while some young people might be cynical, most are optimistic. Matt Miller isn't ready to throw out the Democrats despite his frustration.

MILLER: But I'm not really feeling as strongly as I was before about the current administration, but to say the same on the other side of the aisle it's getting more extreme away from the direction that I want to go as a voter.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LOTHIAN: A Gallup poll shows Democrats are making some gains among those 18 to 29 up nine points from August, but down slightly from earlier in the summer. The big hope for Democrats is that if they can get these young voters excited and they'll end up going to the polls on Election Day. Dan Lothian, CNN, Washington.

WHITFIELD: All right. You know, not every state nor every city is in the midst of a shaky economy. News flash there. Want to know where the bright spots are? Josh Levs is looking at incomes across the country.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right. Kind of a little quiz question for you. Name the one state and the one major city in which incomes have actually gone up in this recession.

How they manage this and what they're doing right. I'll have the answers just after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The federal financial bailout plan known as TARP winds down today and it's not costing taxpayers nearly as much as earlier estimates.

Congress authorized the Treasury Department to spend up to $700 billion to prop up troubled financial firms including Citigroup and Bank of America and prevent a financial collapse.

Well, now authorities say they expect the total cost of the Troubled Asset Relief Program to end below with $50 billion with loans being repaid at a steady clip.

TARP was passed just two years ago and it will continue to collect dividends and repayments, but it will not be extended and it won't extend any new loans that is.

All right, it's been tough to find bright spots in this economy, but Josh Levs found two, the state of North Dakota and the city of San Antonio. Right now are lone symbols of success. Why? Josh Levs explains.

LEVS: The Census Bureau came out with brand new figures breaking down how the economy has been impacting individual states and individual cities all over the country.

I'm going to show you something striking really here. Take a look at this. The first part is what you'd expect. Income is pretty much down almost everywhere. It's dropped in 34 states and in basically all of the rest of the country it has stayed relatively flat.

But one giant exception that really stands out, the only state with incomes up North Dakota. It's up substantially. It's gone up 5 percent that's from 2008 to 2009, the median household income.

So why North Dakota? What are they doing right? Well, our John King spoke with some folks in that state last year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Because of the industry mix here, are you shielded from some of the national dynamics sometimes?

JOHN STRATMAN, WORKS IN INSURANCE: Well, certainly an economy here is more influenced by agriculture than any other single source. While there's manufacturing here, it's not to the extent of a Michigan or an Ohio and agriculture continues to roll on.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: So some of it is that, but agriculture has done relatively well. That's part of it, but it's also some other things. Labor experts point to diverse range of industries there, oil, mining, health care, forestry, hunting and fishing.

State officials say they really have not been focusing on industries that have had big booms either so instead while some places were celebrating this big booms, North Dakota was staying steady throughout the whole time ultimately a payoff in the last couple years.

And meanwhile, let's take a look now at cities because it's something very similar here. Again, the Census Bureau gave these numbers. Our folks looked at these top metro areas. We broke down the top 52 metro areas in the country and check this out.

In 51 of the 52 biggest metro areas income is down except one. What's that one? San Antonio, Texas where you this little bit of an increase up half of 1 percent there. What is it? What is San Antonio doing right?

Well, we have reported that the city has made a lot of strides in diversifying its economy and some key components of its strength, tourism, biomedical and financial services and center of higher education. It's also a major military center, 75,000 service members there.

You know, as things go in this economy, jobs have been relatively available in San Antonio and costs have stayed relatively low so people have been moving into the city. You want to know how the economy has impacted your city and your state? Take a look.

I've posted links for you at my Facebook and Twitter pages at joshlevscnn and hopefully it will give you some new insight on what is going on around you and elsewhere in the country. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: Fantastic. Love that. OK, well, maybe you'll also want to know where all the smart people live or at least a lot of them. In our 4:00 Eastern hour, we'll list five of the brainiest cities in the U.S. On the flipside, we'll tell you which cities are the least educated.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield. See you again in an hour.

Meantime, right now, "YOUR MONEY" begins.