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U.S., U.K. Issue Travel Advisories for Europe; West Virginia Senate Race: A Cliffhanger; Selling Ad Space on School Notices; Changing of the Guard at the White House: What it Means; Interview with "Hustler" Publisher Larry Flynt; Rallying Black Missionaries in America

Aired October 03, 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 a sign of just how intense this upcoming election is. A first for this president, appearing in a local campaign ad to unseat the only Republican who supported his health care reform bill. We'll show you the ad.

Rahm's reign is done. A new White House chief of staff takes over. David Gergen is here to talk about the first week on the job for the man who needs to help this president win back the American voter.

It's a new day at the Supreme Court, too. Its session starts up tomorrow. Porn publisher Larry Flynn is part of it. I'll talk to him about his role in a very controversial case.

And it's a sign of these tough economic times. A new way to make money for businesses and schools, and they are using your children to do it. A controversy likely to spread to your neighborhood. We'll talk this hour with parents and school board members already in the thick of it.

But we start tonight with this. It's a major travel alert. Both the U.S. and Britain are warning citizens to be extra careful when traveling in Europe, especially France and Germany. The U.S. State Department urges Americans to use, quote, "common sense" precautions, but some national security experts say the advisories are way too vague and hold little value.

Former FBI Assistant Director Tom Fuentes and Homeland Security Director Frances Townsend say it would have been better to say nothing at all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANCES TOWNSEND, FORMER HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISER: I'm a real believer. If these warnings -- these public warnings and alerts that get put out don't tell people specifics about either locations, timing or what they can do to protect themselves, then we shouldn't bother. We shouldn't scare them about something that they can't protect themselves from.

THOMAS FUENTES, FORMER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, FBI: I agree with Fran. Maybe even a little stronger than Fran that issuing a warning like this is on the verge of just being completely ridiculous. There are thousands and thousands of Americans in Europe. They are in another country. They are Americans. Everybody is going to look different to them. Everybody is going to be carrying a backpack and looking strange compared to what they might be look like if they were walking down the street in Peoria, Illinois, for example.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So here's what U.S. officials are saying. They are saying the travel alerts were issued because of growing concerns that terrorists may be planning a commando-style attack in Europe like the one that happened in Mumbai, India, in 2008. That incident lasted three days. One hundred and sixty-six people were killed. CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is in Hamburg, Germany tonight.

Nic, you've been covering this story for a very long time. How serious is this threat?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's been taken very seriously. What's interesting in Europe, however, is that European governments are not changing that threat level at the moment.

Spanish government is saying that their threat level is in number 2 on a scale 1 to 4. They're going to keep it there.

The French saying that theirs is red level. It could go to scarlet, but right now they are keeping it at the red level. It's been there since 2005.

The Germans here are saying that they are not seeing an imminent threat, and they are not changing their threat level.

The British government is saying that their threat level is at severe, meaning an -- meaning an attack is highly likely. They are not going to change it or move it any higher, but the British home secretary did say that the threat level that they have does correlate with the information being given by the U.S. State Department in this travel advisory.

So there is an agreement there that -- that there is a threat in Europe, a very real threat. Indeed, the British have said their nationals traveling to France and Germany that the threat level there has gone up to high. So, it's being taken very, very seriously, Don. However, the notion here that something is imminent or something has changed isn't there. That's the perception that we're getting here right now, Don.

LEMON: That's for civilians. Let's talk about the military. U.S. military bases in Europe have also ramped up security, Nic. What can you tell us about that?

ROBERTSON: Well, in Germany in the Ramstein Air Base a couple hundred miles from here, there was a higher security alert for troops there, told to stay on the base, a curfew on Friday night and then a warning as well following that if you go off base, don't wear your uniform.

There is perhaps a reason for that. We're not being told explicitly, but it could be -- it could be part of this heightened threat warning in the -- in the travel advisory.

Back in 2007 here in Germany, an al Qaeda-linked group planned to -- planned a series of terrorist attacks using massive amounts of explosives, and the targets they chose back then in Germany were U.S. servicemen and Americans in Germany at discos, at restaurants, night clubs, places where they might gather.

So, there seems to be a history here in Germany and possibly elsewhere in Europe, but specifically in Germany, where U.S. citizens would be the target and specifically service personnel. That plot was thwarted here three years ago, but if al Qaeda has tried that before, we've seen from al Qaeda they like to target American interests, and so possibly that also is in the background but not being made public here, Don.

LEMON: Nic Robertson in Hamburg, Germany. Thank you, Nic.

U.S. travelers on their way to Europe seem to be taking the travel alert in stride. CNN spoke to some of them as they were preparing to depart from Newark International Airport in New Jersey.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUTH PAYNE, TRAVELING TO GERMANY: I made the arrangements six months ago. It would probably take an incident of some sort where there was real danger.

TOM MELCHORRE, TRAVELING TO ITALY: Because you only live once. I mean, what are you going to do? I can't let those people terrorize me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And in other news tonight here on CNN, a cash-strapped school district plans to sell ads on notices sent to parents to bring in some extra money. But will it work? Hear from two school committee members at the center of this debate.

And it could come down to the wire in the West Virginia Senate race, a seat held by the Democrats for more than half a century. We'll take a look at the political ticker with CNN senior political editor Mark Preston on that and other stories.

And don't just sit there. Be a part of the conversation tonight. Make sure you send us a message on any of the social networking sites. Also, check out our blog, cnn.com/don, and look for us on Foursquare.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: The Senate race in West Virginia has become a cliffhanger. Legendary Democrat Robert Byrd held the seat for 52 years until his death this summer. And Democrats didn't think they would have much trouble holding on to that seat, but the polls have tightened and some pundits are now saying the race is a tossup. Our Dana Bash joins us now live from Charleston, West Virginia.

Now, Dana, why is this race so tight now?

DANA BASH, CNN SR. CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Don, it is such a fascinating race, and it really is an illustration of how mad people are at Washington right now.

How many times do you hear people say they love politicians? Not very often, right? Well, we went on the parade route today with the governor who is a Democratic candidate for Senate, and people say they love him. They absolutely love him in that job.

For many of those voters when we asked, do you want him to be your senator, because he is a Democrat, we got a very different answer. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVE RIDEL, WEST VIRGINIA VOTER: I'm afraid he's going to be a rubber stamp for Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi. I think he does a great job here, and I voted for him both times he's ran here in West Virginia. But going to Washington, it scares me to death that he's just going to be a rubber stamp.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, Dana, here's the question. How is Governor Manchin handling this? What does he say when he hears that people like him but they don't want him in Washington?

BASH: He knows that because he hears it. He knows that. That's according to Democratic strategists I talked to, because they are seeing that in the polls. It is why things are tightening up.

What he does is he tries to remind people that things are actually in pretty good shape in this state. Deficits are lower since he took office. The unemployment rate is actually lower than it is on the national level. But he says that he understands that there is a difference between how people think of him and how people think of Democrats in Washington. Listen to what he told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BASH (on camera): Is it just a very toxic, frankly, anti-Democratic environment that you're running on?

GOV. JOE MANCHIN (D), W. VA SENATE CANDIDATE: You know what? It's a toxic anti-government and the Democrats in Washington are in control. So absolutely it resonates to that. The bottom line is -- is that people don't want governments on their back, and they want them out of their pocket. Get off my back and out of my pocket. That's what we did in West Virginia six years ago, and our economy has really done much better than most nationwide states have done. We can do the same thing. (END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: All right. That was a good question, good answer from Joe Manchin, but tell us about Manchin's opponent, John Raese. Who is he and how is he exploiting this dynamic? Is he?

BASH: He is trying to do it every which way he possibly can. John Raese is a wealthy businessman. He is somebody who has run many times. This is actually the third time he's run for the Senate, the fourth statewide race. He's never won.

He's actually somebody who you could say maybe he was a Tea Party-like candidate before the Tea Party was cool. He is somebody who is very anti-government, so much so that he says that the government shouldn't say that there is a minimum wage. There should not be a minimum wage. He says that you should abolish the Department of Education, the Department of Energy, but he is running ads, and he is telling anybody who will listen to him, that he believes that Joe Manchin, despite the fact that he's popular, that he is somebody who will be a rubber stamp for Barack Obama. That is what you hear. That is the mantra in his ads.

And also, Don, interestingly, in the ads from the National Republican Party. They have decided to pour a lot of money into this state. They are running ads, and we're told that they are going to spend about $3 million here because they are so hopeful that this will actually go their way and that they can take the seat out of the Democratic column. $3 million is a lot of money in the state of West Virginia to spend on a campaign.

LEMON: It certainly is, and that's where our Dana Bash is reporting from. Dana, thank you very much.

All right. So, let's keep this conversation going about West Virginia with our senior political editor Mark Preston. Mark is keeping an eye on the latest headlines on the cnn.com political ticker.

So, Mark, West Virginia, the seat that the late Robert Byrd held for 51 years, whoever thought that Republicans would ever be in this spot.

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: You know, Don, if we were talking and having this conversation back in February of 2009, we would be talking the other way. We'd be talking about how many seats are Democrats going to add to the majority in the House, how many seats are they going to add to the majority in the Senate.

But right now, Don, by my count, there are probably about 10 seats right now, Democratic seats, that could go Republican if this huge wave sweeps across the nation. If that were the case, then Republicans would take back control of the Senate. There's obviously a lot of talk that they will take back the House, but they could take back control of the Senate, and West Virginia is one of those key races that they need to win.

But you know, Don, talking about West Virginia and Manchin and how the governor there, the Democrat, is really running against Washington, kind of running against President Obama in some ways.

Well, down in New Orleans, we have a Democrat who is actually embracing President Obama, and just a few hours ago during the football game down there, during the Saints' game, we saw a commercial air from the Democrat who is running for the House seat of that New Orleans district, a gentleman by the name of Cedric Richmond, is running -- he's trying to take back the Republican seat that is held by a gentleman by the name of Joseph Gao. Now, Gao is not supposed to win this race just a few years -- rather, just about a year back, Don, but he came out. He won it. We saw President Obama in his first general election commercial television up here...

LEMON: Hey, Mark, let's take a look at that ad real quickly and then we'll talk a bit more about it.

PRESTON: Sure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The city of New Orleans has had its trials, but you've also had great champions, fighting to see you through the tough times. Cedric Richmond is one of those champions. From coaching and mentoring kids who grew up like he did, to passing tax credits to help New Orleans' businesses get back on their feet after Katrina.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And, Mark, the president has said, you heard him even talk about Adrian Fenty right there in Washington, D.C., saying I can't get involved in every race. This one is particularly important to him and the Democrats.

PRESTON: This one is particularly important because this is one of the few House races, Don, that Democrats think they can actually take back, this New Orleans seat which is overwhelmingly Democrat. Again, Republicans won it in a special election, and some would say they shouldn't have won it but William Jefferson, some of our viewers will remember, he was a Democrat who was indicted for some bribery issues up here, and, of course, lost that seat.

But even moving on to that, Don, you know, we talk about Democrats and their problems. Well, the Tea Party could pose a problem for Republicans. Let's assume that Republicans take back control of the House, take back control of the Senate.

Well, John Thune, who is a leader here in the Senate, he oversees the policy committee on C-SPAN this week, and he said that if Republicans do in fact, Don, take back Congress and they do not move quick enough to enact a lot of these policy promises that they have issued over the past couple of months, the Tea Party could break off and become a third party. And if that were the case, Don, how disastrous that would be for the Republican Party heading into the 2012 presidential election.

LEMON: All right. Our thanks to Mark Preston. And for the latest political news, make sure you go to cnnpolitics.com.

Coming up, a Massachusetts school district is hoping business will buy into a new plan. Administrators are launching a pilot program to sell ad space on notices schools send home to parents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have eight elementary schools, eight little laboratories to try to work the bugs out of this, and I suspect there will be some that will embrace it and some that maybe will not do quite as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, here's what the goal is here. It's to raise $24,000, but will it work? We'll talk to them.

And some major shuffling at the White House. Rahm Emanuel has stepped down and Peter Rouse is stepping up as the new Chief of Staff. We'll look at what that means for the Obama administration and you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Mixing the classroom with the classifieds. It's happening in Peabody, Massachusetts. This week, the school committee voted to let its elementary schools sell ad space on the back of school notices. Parents know just how much paperwork comes home with their kids.

Now in Peabody, the back of those notices and permission slips will look like this -- that's on your screen right there -- covered with ads the size of business cards.

Dave McGeney is a committee member, and he told me the schools need money. But his fellow board member, Beverly Griffin Dunne, is worried about what ads in school could lead to.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEVERLY GRIFFIN DUNNE, PEABODY, MASS. SCHOOL COMMITTEE: My biggest fear was an overall fear of over-commercialization for the students, especially at the elementary level. And we had been going through several different proposals about advertising. Some of the things were advertising signs in the athletic complex, and this came up. Dave brought this suggestion in, and it did seem to be a better compromise compared to some of the other ideas that we were being presented with.

LEMON: But Beverly, you're not the only one who feels this way. The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood gave us this response. Here it is.

It says, "It is not hard to imagine that students who serve as couriers for ads for pizza parlors and ice cream shops will lobby their parents to go to these locations the second they get home. Participating in this advertising scheme may actually cause a backlash against businesses, since parents may view them as exploiters instead of community partners."

Dave, do you -- do you -- why do you say that -- what do you say to that?

DAVE MCGENEY, PEABODY, MASS. SCHOOL COMMITTEE: Well, if -- if their concerns are that the children are already being bomb boarded with advertisement, I'm afraid that horse has already left the barn. What we are trying to do is take advantage of a blank piece of paper that is the back side of a notice that would already be entering the home and try to utilize that in a way that's beneficial to business owners and in turn beneficial to our school system and take some burden away, again, from the taxpayers and the parents with the tough fees they are already incurred.

LEMON: So speaking of the parents, they...

DUNNE: I actually agree with Dave.

LEMON: Go ahead, go ahead, Beverly, sorry.

DUNNE: I'm sorry. I actually agree with Dave. I don't think it's going to create a backlash. I think most people that have spoken with us see it as a way for the businesses to further support the schools. And I think that the parents in turn will support those businesses.

LEMON: But what have parents been saying already? What's been their response?

DUNNE: Very positive so far.

MCGENEY: I've heard positive responses from the parents. Certainly, their concerns are not unlike the concerns that Beverly and I have, that the ads be appropriate. But other than that, I think they are in favor of it. They need some relief.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Our thanks to Beverly and Dave.

Retirees are still working, the pay is growing, and the NFL is going heavy into fashion. Our Alison Kosik has this week's "Getting Down to Business."

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The national unemployment rate may be near 10 percent, but one group of people is still working, the older crowd. 18 percent of workers 65 and older say they will continue working this year, some because they have to, but many because they want to. That's up 6 percent from the same poll taken more than a decade ago. We'll get September's unemployment numbers this Friday.

The age of workers is increasing and so is the pay gap. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the top-earning 20 percent of Americans take home almost half of all income made in the U.S. That group makes more than $100,000 per year. Compare that to those below the poverty line. They only earned 3.4 percent of all income.

Finally this week, the NFL is looking to score with a new group of fans, women. The league will spend $10 million to market clothing, accessories and even a website to try to get female fans in on the action.

That's this week's "Getting Down to Business." Alison Kosik, CNN, New York.

LEMON: A changing of the guard at the White House. Pete Rouse is replacing Rahm Emanuel as chief of staff, and the switch made for really some pretty good laughs last night on "S&L" -- "Saturday Night Live." In case you missed it, we've got you covered. David Gergen and Ed Rollins will tell us what it means for the Obama administration.

Plus, the publisher of "Hustler" magazine has a stake in a major case going before the Supreme Court this week, but that's not all that's on his mind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know we've got a gay senator, you know. We just like to see him come out of the closet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Potentially explosive secrets from Larry Flynt.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Rahm Emanuel has posted a video on a new campaign website saying he plans to run for mayor of Chicago. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAHM EMANUEL, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: Chicago is a world-class city today because of Mayor Daley's leadership. He deserves our appreciation, but we are facing tremendous challenges. From attracting jobs to improving our schools, to making all our neighborhoods safer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, Emanuel stepped down as White House chief of staff on Friday. Emanuel says he plans to spend the next few weeks visiting Chicago neighborhoods. He says he wants to hear in blunt Chicago terms what people think about the city.

Well, Pete Rouse takes Emanuel's place as White House chief of staff starting tomorrow, and by all accounts, Rouse and Emanuel have totally different styles. "Saturday Night Live" played that up for big laughs last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rahm will be replaced as White House chief of staff by Peter Rouse.

(LAUGHTER)

Pete hails from Connecticut and is a lover of cats. Come on back, Pete, give a wink, buddy. Nothing to be afraid of.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, early tonight, I spoke with two former White House insiders, Ed Rollins and David Gergen, for their take on the changing of the guard in the Obama White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED ROLLINS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Everything I know about Pete Rouse, he's worked for over 30 years on the Senate side of the House -- of the Congress. He's a good behind-the-scenes guy. What Emanuel did very effectively is he was the enforcer. He could make things happen, and has as good political instincts as anybody I've known in a long time. I've been around the game.

And so with a month to go, everything starts coming apart in an election like this, and you need someone to make sure, as candidates start running away from the president, meaning incumbents, or fundraisers don't want to do the things or the labor unions don't want to back somebody, you need somebody to be the enforcer. Gergen had that role on our White House and at the end of the day, Ron will be terribly missed.

LEMON: Hey, David, how much of a difference does it make who is -- who is sitting in -- you can say that seat, who has the president's ear, who speaks for the president? Is it noticeable when a presidency or when an administration changes a chief of staff in the middle of the administration?

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: It can be extremely important who is in that job. As Ed will remember, many often thought that there were three presidencies during President Reagan's eight years in office. The first was a Jim Baker chief of staff period when things went well. He got a major legislative accomplishments. The second came under Don Regan as chief of staff as a former CEO. Things went way off the track. They had the Iran-Contra scandal and Regan basically got fired. And then the third was when they brought back in a new team, the Howard Baker and Ken Duberstein as chief of staff. That was a much more productive team. It varies a lot.

LEMON: So, what do you think the noticeable difference is going to be here?

GERGEN: Well, I think there's going to be a huge change in style in the office. Clearly, the trust level is high for both Rahm -- on the president's part -- for both Rahm and Pete Rouse. But the change in style -- I don't think there's any doubt that Pete Rouse is going to be a superb manager. People in the staff love him. I've gotten to know him over the last couple of years. He's a heck of a nice guy. I think the big questions are the ones -- a substantive question, is there going to be a pivot to the center by President Obama in the next couple of years? I think that's pretty vital to his governing. People on the left thinks he needs to pivot more to the left, but so far the appointment suggests continuity, not a change.

LEMON: Ed, do you agree with that? Do you think there's going to be more of a pivot to the center and do you think that's important? Should this administration move one way?

ROLLINS: It's very important. I don't think that Nancy Pelosi and if Harry Reid survives, which I don't believe he will, that they are going to basically let this president move. They are not going to encourage him to move to the left. They are going to argue that he wasn't progressive enough. There are a lot of things he should have done.

And, unfortunately, the members of Congress who lose in this election cycle are going to be the more conservatives, the ones that Rahm Emanuel recruited when he was chairman of the House Congressional Committee, and they are more conservative members who won Republican districts. The battleground here is the 52 Republican districts we lost in 2006 and 2008 and if we won a majority again in those same seats...

LEMON: I'm wondering - obviously, it's his job to sort of carry out the president's mission, the president's agenda, but it's also going to be his job to help the president win back the American voter, David, and that's something the president -- the poll numbers now are showing the president definitely needs some help on that end. Do you agree?

GERGEN: I do, and that's why I think that the shakeup at the White House is not complete yet. The president is going to need some new people in there. David Axelrod is leaving in the next few months. We don't know quite when, and David Plouffe is coming in. David Plouffe is an excellent strategist, as is Pete Rouse.

But who is going to be the tough enforcer? As Ed said -- as Ed Rollins said, who is going to be the person who really puts together the communications plan? Who is going to be the person that rebuilds trust with the business community, which is shattered at the moment? How do you do all those things?

I think you need some new people in there. I think you need a couple of people, frankly, who have not been part of the inner circle, who are heavyweights in their own right and can really I think send messages to the public as well as to the Congress that the president is going to have a new presidency.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And our coverage on Pete Rouse's first day starts tomorrow morning, 6:00 a.m. on "AMERICAN MORNING."

"Hustler Magazine" publisher Larry Flynt has ties to a Supreme Court case involving the military. I'll talk with him about his role in that very controversial case.

Plus, an emotional night for students at Rutgers University as they honor a student who took his own life.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: A new Supreme Court term starts tomorrow, and a case that makes many people furious is among the first on the docket. It involves a Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas, infamous for staging anti-gay protests during military funerals.

At first glance, it probably makes no sense that "Hustler Magazine" publisher Larry Flynt is connected to all of this, but his landmark case against the late Jerry Falwell is being cited by the defense for church leader Fred Phelps. Flynt isn't happy about that but he says he can't oppose it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY FLYNT, PUBLISHER, HUSTLER MAGAZINE: What the reverend was doing in terms of protesting the funeral of someone burying their dead, coming home from the war, I can't think of anything more despicable, more insensitive to do. You know, but Justice Rehnquist, in my case, he was a senior Supreme Court justice, and he wrote the majority opinion. And he said often things are done under the guise of the First Amendment with less than admirable intentions but the government had no right to suppress it.

So while we have the great basic freedoms like the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to assemble and to petition our government for redress, you know, we really can't get caught in a position, whether it's the mosque in New York or what the issue is or burning the Koran, where we are compromising the basic freedoms that our nation was founded on. And it's difficult cases like this one involving the protests of the funerals that the Supreme Court has to weigh in on.

I regret that they are using my precedent-setting case with the Reverend Jerry Falwell. I think it was slightly different in one respect, but in another respect it wasn't.

LEMON: Hey, let's talk about the Senate race in my home state of Louisiana. We're talking about David Vitter and Charlie Melancon. Of course, they're running -- Charlie Melancon is taking on David Vitter. How did a "Hustler" interview end up in a campaign ad for Melancon?

FLYNT" Well, we were the ones who really outed Vitter on this, and it wasn't a question of an indiscretion with a prostitute in Washington. But we concluded a case with the investigation in New Orleans as well. This guy was like the energizer bunny at the same time he was going around (INAUDIBLE), you know.

I mean, he was probably one of the biggest philanderers in the Senate. So, I'm often accused when I expose people like him, just doing it to expose his sex life. Nothing can be further from the truth. What I'm exposing is the hypocrisy. I don't want... LEMON: Well, let me ask you. You have offered $1 million for anyone who can come forward to your magazine to say that they have had sex with a high-ranking official. Are you still doing that and do you have any tips yet?

FLYNT: We're still doing it. We always got ongoing investigations, but they take a while.

LEMON: So no tips?

FLYNT: Pardon?

LEMON: No tips yet?

FLYNT: I'll give you a couple of clues. We know we've got a gay senator, you know. We just like to see him come out of the closet. And I think we'll be exposing that in the next few months if he doesn't.

And I've got a really great story, a very high-ranking Republican talking to a woman on a cell phone, and we have the tape where he said -- oh, she mentioned family values to him. He said, "Oh, family values, that crap, I just talk about that on television." Well, we felt, boy, this is a real doozie.

LEMON: You want to give us an idea of either one of these guys? The senator?

FLYNT: I can't do that. My attorney says you can't use the tape because it was taped in Pennsylvania, which requires two-party consent so you can't use it. So, I mean, those are the kind of things that we're up against. But we constantly have interesting investigations going on at all times. We were ready to expose the senator at one time, but then the guy who is really his lover was actually married and that produced a kind of conflict that we didn't want to -- that we didn't want to go to. We wanted better evidence.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Larry Flynt.

Still ahead here on CNN, a vigil wrapping up at Rutgers University for the freshman who took his own life.

Plus, welcome news for 33 miners who have been trapped for almost two months in Chile. They may be freed sooner than expected.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Let's check your top stories on CNN. American and British travelers in Europe are being urged to use extra caution, especially in France and Germany. Both the U.S. and UK today issued the travel alert because of growing concerns a terrorist attack could be in the works. CNN has also learned that U.S. troops in Germany were under a curfew Friday night and forbidden from wearing their uniforms off base. New trouble in Pakistan. Gunmen attacked a fuel tanker convoy bound for NATO forces in Afghanistan. More than 20 tankers caught fire and three people were killed. The attack comes just days after the Pakistani government closed a supply route into Afghanistan being used by coalition troops.

Good news for those 33 trapped miners in Chile. Rescuers say they could reach them by the middle or end of this month. Earlier, they said it wouldn't happen until November. Last week, a rescue capsule that will be used to pull them into safety was tested successfully.

Firefighters in Colorado are battling this blaze in the Sheep Mountains west of Fraser. More than 200 acres are on fire. Emergency notifications went out to nearby residents, but no evacuations have been ordered. Fire officials are mobilizing three heavy air tankers and one helicopter to help battle the blaze.

Verizon Wireless says it will refund about 15 million of its customers for overbilling. The customers were charged for data sessions on their phones that they did not initiate. Verizon says customers will be notified of credits to their accounts on their October and November bills. In most cases, the refunds range from $2 to $6. Some former customers will get refund checks.

Tonight, hundreds of students gather at Rutgers University to hold a candlelight vigil in memory of an 18-year-old freshman who committed suicide. Tyler Clementi killed himself after video of a sexual encounter with another young man was secretly recorded on a webcam and posted online. Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge. His body was recovered from the Hudson River. Two Rutgers students, including Clementi's roommate, have been charged with invasion of privacy.

You know, this case has hit a national nerve and once again reminds us of the real problem of bullying in this country. This week, CNN, Cartoon Network, "People Magazine" and the entire Time Warner family is taking a closer look at this problem and what can be done to end the violence. As part of our coverage, tomorrow night on "AC360," a special report, "Bullying: No Escape." That's at 10:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

Missionaries try to help the poor overseas, but in these tough economic times, why aren't there more missionaries serving in America and why aren't more African-Americans taking part? Our Soledad O'Brien has a special "BLACK IN AMERICA" report.

And here's something very interesting. Did you know World War I didn't officially end until today? How is that?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Now, we want to take a look at what will grab the headlines in the week ahead from Washington to Hollywood. Our correspondents have the stories to watch for. We begin with the White House. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm Suzanne Malveaux at the White House. This week, President Obama will be focusing on the economy. Monday, he's meeting with his Economic Recovery Advisory Board. He then will also highlight the critical role that community colleges play in training and educating American workers. The president will also recognize "Fortune Magazine's" 50 most powerful women.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: I'm Chris Lawrence at the Pentagon. And the big news next week is October 7th. It is the anniversary of the date in which the U.S. launched the first military action into Afghanistan, sort of kicking off the war in Afghanistan there. The secretary of defense, Robert Gates, is going to posthumously award the Medal of Honor to a soldier's family. We're also going to be taking a look back at the arc of the war, how the war there has changed the military and how it's changed the lives of some of the soldiers who fought in it.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. Ahead on Wall Street this week, investors will get the latest factory orders readings on Monday and another key manufacturing report on Tuesday, and retailers across the country will report their September sales on Thursday. We'll see if consumers are picking up their spending at all or not.

Also ahead, Costco and Pepsi, those two major corporations slated to report their quarterly earnings mid-week.

And finally on Friday, the all-important September jobs report. We'll get that before the market opens Friday morning, and Wall Street is hoping to see any improvement in the unemployment rate.

We'll track it all for you on CNNMoney.

BROOKE ANDERSON, HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": I'm "Showbiz Tonight's" Brooke Anderson. Here's what we're watching. Closing arguments begin Monday in the trial of Anna Nicole Smith's doctors and her ex-boyfriend on charges they contributed to her death by funneling her drugs.

And Facebook alert. We are bracing for big fallout from the opening this weekend of the Facebook movie, "The Social Network."

"Showbiz Tonight" is live at 5:00 p.m. Eastern and still TV's most provocative entertainment news show at 11:00 p.m. That's on HLN.

LEMON: All right. Thank you, guys. That's around the country domestically.

Azadeh Ansari is here. Azadeh is going to take all of us to Rio, to Brazil. It's not carnival.

AZADEH ANSARI, CNN INTERNATIONAL DESK EDITOR: No.

LEMON: But there may be a reason to celebrate. There could be.

ANSARI: Exactly. So, voters went out to cast their ballots today and election results are going to be tallied in the Brazilian elections. Now, if Dilma Rousseff, a political contender -- a presidential contender, wins 50 percent or more of the vote, she could be Brazil's first president -- female president. Not only the next president but the first female president. That is a big deal.

LEMON: That is a very big deal. Just ask her. She'll probably tell you it's a very big deal. So, we're going to be watching that closely. Do you know what the chances are? Is it -- is it really a tossup right now?

ANSARI: Well, it's a close call. It's a very close race, so, again, we're just going to have to wait to see what happens tomorrow.

LEMON: OK.

You remember -- was it last year when we were announcing the Nobel Peace Prize and it was President Barack Obama?

ANSARI: Right.

LEMON: Now you're going to take us to Stockholm, Sweden because next week...

ANSARI: Right. So all of next week, they're going to announce the awards starting off with the medicine award, starting Monday, and then going into physics, chemistry, literature, economics, and, again, the prestigious Peace Prize Award.

And this year, there's a lot of speculation as to who could get it. Now a lot of eyes -- a lot of people are actually saying it could be a Chinese dissident, Liu Xiaobo is his name. And should that happen, him and along with the other laureates who win awards, the award money that they get is about $1.49 million.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Our thanks to Azadeh Ansari.

You know, when you think of missionaries, you think of advocates working in Third World countries. But in the midst of a recession, the need for missionaries right here in the United States is growing. CNN's Soledad O'Brien introduces us to one man who is rallying black Americans to answer the call.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEROY BARBER, PRESIDENT, MISSION YEAR: I'm the Jackie Robinson of missions, you know.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Leroy Barber is a man with a calling, and he's the president of Mission Year.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We do not see through our eyes or hear through our ears.

O'BRIEN: It's a year-long ministry and volunteer program for Christian young adults in the United States.

BARBER: There is a goal for people to come to know Jesus. There is probably another strong goal of things are not right in the world, and I want to be a part of making them right.

O'BRIEN (on camera): How many African-Americans are involved in Mission Year's mission work?

BARBER: Generally about 5 percent a year or less sometimes.

O'BRIEN: Why does it matter?

BARBER: I don't think it's good for a kid growing up in an urban neighborhood to only see white faces coming to serve.

HAROLD BOYD, MISSION YEAR PARTICIPANT: This is where I'm staying right now.

O'BRIEN (voice over): Twenty-two-year-old Harold Boyd left his Chicago home to spend the year in Atlanta. He lives on $12,000 that he has to raise himself.

Boyd: I do believe that with every relationship that I build, that I'll be showing people that I'm in the same struggle as you are.

Again, I don't have all the answers.

O'BRIEN: He's the only minority on his team. It's not surprising when you consider the vast majority of missionaries are white.

JIM SUTHERLAND, RECONCILIATION MINISTRIES NETWORK, INC.: In terms of the missionary percentage of African-Americans, it's less -- it's far less than 1 percent.

O'BRIEN: Jim Sutherland studies missionary work and the black church.

SUTHERLAND: Many black churches are -- do a fairly good job of taking care of their own local communities, but the vocation of missionary in the African-American church is essentially off the radar. It's basically not there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, sir.

SUTHERLAND: A missionary is more cross-cultural. You have evangelists in this city. They may be on the street corner, for example, and that would be evangelism but it might not necessarily be missionary work as I would define it.

O'BRIEN: Reporting for "IN AMERICA," Soledad O'Brien, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE) LEMON: All right, Soledad.

Fighting a financial crisis from the pulpit. The black church has fought for civil and human rights, and now it's waging a war on debt. Be sure to join Soledad O'Brien for "Almighty Debt," a "BLACK IN AMERICA" special, Thursday, October 21st, 9:00 p.m. Eastern only here on CNN.

World War I ended more than 80 years ago, right? Well, not really. The war officially ended today, at least one part did. We'll explain right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Every weekend, we like to bring you some interesting news items you might have missed during the week. Here's one.

The brand new Vdara Hotel's unique curve and reflective windows have made it an instant Las Vegas landmark. It's nice to look at, but those same features have also turned it into a hazard to guests out by the pool. For about 90 minutes a day, sunlight is reflected down to the pool area as an intense concentrated beam that is much hotter than normal. Just like a magnifying glass, the beam can melt plastic and quickly burn unprotected skin.

The hotel says it is aware of the problem and is working on a permanent solution. Right now, though, they are providing umbrellas to try to shield the guests against those intense reflected sun rays.

The last shot was fired more than 80 years ago, but World War I officially comes to an end today. That's when Germany pays off its financial debt from the conflict. The final $94 million installment will wipe out the $35 billion debt imposed when the war ended in 1919. Britain, France and the U.S. set the reparations in the Treaty of Versailles as compensation and punishment for the Germans waging the four-year war. Most of the money though goes to private individuals, pension funds and corporations holding the bonds.

Interesting. I did not know that. Now you're up to date.

I'm Don Lemon at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. Thank you so much for joining us. I'll see you back here soon. Have a great night and a great week. Thanks for watching.