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Tormented for Being Gay; How to Stop a Bully?; Eight-year-old Snatched in California
Aired October 05, 2010 - 09:57 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And here's what we're working on for the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM, beginning with Christine Romans in New York -- Christine.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, how you use your television is changing. How would you like to watch TV and seamlessly move between television, a football game, maybe a movie, checking your e-mail, sending a Facebook message, oh yes and using your phone as a remote control? It's coming. I'll have that story in the next hour.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Severe Weather Center, a record heat, a record cold, some snow. Plus something that may become a tropical storm. All that, in the next hour.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Carol Costello in New York. How do you protect your child from bullying at school? We'll go step by step through the process and show you how you can keep your child safe. That's at the top of the hour.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks everyone.
And we'll also be talking with a man who is reaching out to bullying victims, and he's using YouTube to get out the message that things will get better. Dan Savage joins us in a few minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. We're closely monitoring a developing story out of Pakistan, where a suspected U.S. missile strike in North Waziristan yesterday is credited with killing 11 militant Jihadist.
Well, Pakistani Intelligence officials describe five of the dead as German nationals. It's not clear if any of the five were linked to any European terror plot. The missile strike comes a day after the U.S. issued a travel alert that warns Americans to be careful while in Europe.
And French authority this morning announced the arrest of 12 people suspected of having links to terrorist networks. Three have reputed ties to a French man who was arrested on terror charges last month in Italy. And the other nine are said to have links to an Islamist movement, and were trying to secure weapons and explosives. None of them have been formally charged. Meantime, rescuers drilling toward those trapped miners in Chile are now just 175 yards from reaching them. But after having the drilling -- but even after the drilling is done, rather, a critical phase of the rescue operation remains.
CNN's Patrick Oppman joins us live now from northern Chile with an update -- Patrick.
PATRICK OPPMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fredricka.
And yes, rescuers are tantalizingly close to these trapped men, expecting to (INAUDIBLE) and the drill could reach them as early as the end of this week. The Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said that his hope is the men will be above ground by the end of next week.
But the rescue officials here said that the priority is not just getting them in quickly, but as safely as possible.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDRE SOUGARRET, CHIEF RESCUE OFFICIAL (through translator): Evidently, we have to do what is necessary to avoid any risks. I understand everyone's hope, including mine, is to get them out as soon as possible. However, we cannot run any risk, so we have to do what is required to secure the mine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OPPMAN: And Fredricka, work going on behind here today to get those men out, drilling continues as it has, every day now, 61 days now since the men were trapped. You know, the rescue in and of itself will be an ordeal. Two Chilean rescue workers, one is a Navy commando, another pair medic, will be sent down to the men when they're ready to be pulled out by a capsule. The men who are the healthiest, physically and psychologically, will get to go up first. They'll require less time, so the idea is to get the men out who'll be able to get to the surface a little bit quicker, and then the men who need some more help will get to go up. Getting all 33 of these men up could be a process lasting several days.
Officials here, though, say the final order of the men who get to go first has not been finalized as of yet -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, fascinating stuff. Patrick Oppman, thanks so much.
The recent suicides of students who were gay or perceived as gay has started a national conversation on bullies and how to stop them. Bullying and harassment has had fatal consequences in several cases, just within the last month.
One example is 19-year-old Tyler Clementi. He was the Rutgers freshman who jumped off the GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE. Two students had allegedly posted a sex video of him with a man.
Seth Walsh of California was just 13 years old. He hanged himself from a tree after years of harassment. Friends say bullies targeted him because he was gay.
Billy Lucas of Indiana was 15 when he took his life last month. Friends say bullies picked on Billy for years.
And Asher Brown of Texas was only 13 when he shot himself in the head. His parents say bullies picked on him because he was small, didn't wear designer clothes, and because they thought he was gay.
Well, these are just four cases. There are, no doubt, many others. A recent school survey found that nine out of ten lesbian, gay or transgender kids are harassed at school, and that gay students are four times more likely to attempt suicide.
Now celebrities are reaching out, offering support to kids who might not get it from their parents, friends or church.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNE HATHAWAY, ACTRESS: It gets better.
JENNY MCCARTHY, ACTRESS: It gets better.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It gets better.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It gets better.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It gets better.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is hope, and there is help.
MCCARTHY: People are here for you, people who care and understand.
GREG GRUNBERG, ACTOR: It may be the darkest time in the world for you, but you need to understand that there is hope. There is always hope, and there is always help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Dan Savage is a columnist and the brain child behind that YouTube sensation, that campaign, "It gets better". He's joining us now via Skype from Chicago.
So Dan, where did this idea come from? How did you get everyone to participate like you did?
DAN SAVAGE, ITGETSBETTERPROJECT.COM: I was reading about the suicide of Justin Aber in Minnesota, and after the suicide of Billy Lucas in Greensburg, Indiana and I had the reaction that adults typically had when you hear these stories, which is I wish I could have talked to this kid for five minutes to tell them that it gets better.
But you know, in these small towns, where these suicides are taking place, rural areas, they're not going to bring openly gay adults to address a student body, we're not going to get an invitation from their church or their parents to come and give these kids hope. And then it occurred to me that I didn't have to wait for an invitation or permission anymore to talk to these kids.
And my husband and I made a video where we talked about our experience in (INAUDIBLE) high school, and that we survived and we have great, wonderful lives now. Because that's really the issue here. These kids are 13, 14, they're victims of brutal bullying, often at school, they go home to more bullying from homophobic parents all too often. They're dragged to church on Sunday for more bullying from the pulpit, and they can't picture a future for themselves that is happy. So we created these channels that gay adults can upload videos, talking about their lives now and give these kids hope for a future that is worth hanging on for.
WHITFIELD: So you convey to a lot of these young people that you can empathize because you have been there, you've been bullied as well. But do you see that the bullying is different from when you experienced it as a child in school versus what's taking place now and how do you appeal to - how do you reach out to kids who are dealing with bullying that it really is - that really is at a different level?
SAVAGE: It's at a different level now, particularly for gay and lesbian teenagers. We have been subjected for the last 15 years to an anti-gay hate campaign, demagoguery, lies, distortions, really a brutal, dehumanizing campaign with a religious right claiming that gays and lesbians are out to destroy the institution of marriage, destroy the family, destroy the military.
Even U.S. senators claiming that gay and lesbian marriage is a bigger threat to the survival of the planet than climate change. And you know, most people in these rural areas in these small towns, they can only abuse abstractions. Gays and lesbians they have never met at the ballot box. Mom and dad can go vote against gay marriage in the ballot box and then these - their children who steep in this rhetoric go to school, and there's 13-year-old Asher Brown, or Seth Andrews. 13 years old, who is gay.
And the religious rite would have us believe that Seth and Asher made a choice at 13 to be gay, a choice to be brutally bullied and they could easily have just chosen not to be gay and instead it was somehow easier for Asher to blow his brains out and easier for Seth to hang himself than just to choose to be straight. The religious rite needs to be held accountable for the climate of hate and fear and bullying that they have encouraged in the schools. And this is what we're seeing for their efforts. Dead children.
WHITFIELD: So this YouTube campaign, "It gets Better," from Hathaway to McCarthy, we see them, their messages on there, now are you also continuing to receive messages from non-celebrity types, and when and if that does happen, what are the messages, and how do you kind of police or how do you kind of absorb what's being said and make a decision about what should be posted?
The "It Gets Better Project," which is itgetsbetterproject.com, isn't a bandwagon that people are jumping on because celebrities were on it. Originally the first few hundred videos were just average everyday gays and lesbians talking about their lives. And now celebrities are jumping in and God bless them for jumping in and doing something, but most of the videos, 600 videos now. We have hundreds more to review and post, most of them are every day average gays and lesbians all over the country, rural lesbians, farmers in Vermont, professor of divinity, a great divinity school, average gay and lesbian couples and singles, young people, old people, all over the country, all over the world.
We got videos from New Zealand and Germany and the Netherlands and Canada talking about their lives. Because this is what's so important and crucial about the project. A 15-year-old kid who takes his life because he is gay is saying "I can't picture a future for myself that has any joy in it, where I have a restored relationship with my family. There's enough happiness coming my way that I can tough out this horrifying period of bullying," and gay and lesbian adults, everyday people all over the country are jumping in to say "I want to show you my life, share my life with you to give you hope."
And now celebrities are jumping in too to say we're on your side and we support you and we want to direct you. The Trevor Project, trevorproject.org, which is a 24-hour crisis line for gays and lesbians who might be thinking about committing suicide, gays and lesbian teenagers. And it's wonderful. The response has been overwhelming. And it's helping. I'm getting e-mails every day from moms of bullied 13, 14, 15-year-old gay or perceived to be gay kids who are sitting down in front of the computers with their bullied kids and watching these videos, and not just the videos of celebrities, the videos of average, everyday people, and they're now able to say to their children, you can have a happy life. Please hang in there, don't believe the lies told by the religious rite. Don't believe the things being said to you at school by bigoted children of bigoted adults.
WHITFIELD: Columnist and brain child of "It Gets Better," Dan Savage, thanks so much for your time, joining us via Skype from Chicago. Appreciate it.
SAVAGE: Thank you very much for having me.
WHITFIELD: And, of course, we'll continue this conversation later on this hour. CNN's Carol Costello will have more on other ideas on how to stop bullies and how to protect victims.
And this breaking news. Police in Fresno, California say they are working several leads in their search for an eight-year-old girl. The girl was kidnapped in front of several people, including her mother last night. Police say the suspect lured her into his pickup truck, and drove off. The girl's mother followed in another car, but the suspect still got away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (through translator): Please, whoever has her daughter, to bring her back. All she wants is her daughter back home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Police detained a man after getting a witness tip. That man has a criminal history, but police don't believe that he was involved in this little girl's abduction.
Also happening right now, at Manhattan's federal courthouse, the sentencing for the Pakistani national who admits to trying to blow up New York's Times Square with a car bomb, just five months ago, 30- year-old Faisal Shahzad was arrested a few days after the failed bombing attempt.
Prosecutors are asking for life in prison for Shahzad. They are noting the potential death and destruction that had that bomb been detonated. The hearing is set for this hour, and we'll let you know how the sentencing unfolds there right here on CNN.
All right. A special edition of "Cross-country" looking at the alleged crimes and scandals of our elected officials now. And we start in Atlanta, where a federal judge finds himself on the other side of the bench, accused of weapons and drug possession. Judge Jack Camp is accused of having cocaine and marijuana. FBI agents say Camp used drugs with an exotic dancer, and the two were having an affair. The judge's attorney says his client is innocent.
Next up, Calumet County, Wisconsin, and the resignation of district attorney Ken Kratz. He is the prosecutor embroiled in a texting scandal. Kratz had sent personal messages to a woman who was the victim of domestic abuse. He sent the text while prosecuting her former boyfriend. The D.A. had vowed not to resign, but apparently the pressure was just too strong.
And a Bell, California councilman has resigned. He is facing criminal charges following a salary scandal that allegedly cheated city taxpayers out of millions of dollars. Luis Artiga (ph) is one of eight current and former Bell City officials, including the mayor, arrested last month, and accused of paying themselves six-figure salaries and benefit packages.
And rescuers are less than two football fields away from reaching those trapped miners in Chile. But then comes the most dangerous part of the operation. We'll explain.
MARCIANO: I'm Rob Marciano at the CNN Severe Weather Center. Record breaking cold temperatures and record breaking heat. Some snow in the Sierras, lots going on. Plus something that may turn into our next tropical storm. We're going to have weather in just a little bit. Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Topping our morning passport, a developing story out of Pakistan, where we're closely monitoring a suspected U.S. missile strike in north Waziristan yesterday, is credited with killing 11 militant jihadists. Pakistani intelligence and officials describe five of the dead as German nationals. It's not clear if any of the five were linked to any European terror plot. But the missile strike comes one day after the U.S. travel alert warning Americans to be very careful while in Europe.
Meanwhile, French authorities this morning announced the arrest of 12 people suspected of having links to terrorist networks. Three have reputed ties to a French man who was arrested on terror charges last month in Italy. The other nine are said to have links to an Islamist movement and were trying to secure weapons and explosives. None of them have been formally charged.
And rescuers trying to reach those trapped miners in Chile are now about 175 yards away. But after a drill clears the way, a decision must be made about lining the mine shaft with casing, and that could mean days' more work for the rescuers. Those miners have been trapped for more than two months now.
All right. A big chill being felt this morning in the midwest. And in other parts, too. I felt it this morning, didn't you, Rob?
MARCIANO: Yes. A definite change in the seasons there, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: I like it, though. Welcoming it.
MARCIANO: You know, we'll start with this because I know you liked it last hour so much, the falling leaves.
WHITFIELD: Loved it. Loved it.
MARCIANO: 65 in L.A., that's a little bit below average for this time of year. 69 Atlanta, 61 in New York. And you know, once we get the sun up, it's the time of year where the sun is still pretty strong, but the days are shorter, so mother nature really doesn't know what to do with things. And a lot of times we get areas where we get record-breaking cold temperatures in one part of the country and record-breaking highs in another. And that's what we're seeing today or yesterday, we had all time records broken in places like Montana and then record lows in places that I'll show you in just a little second here.
First off, though, cool area and showers across parts of Arizona and Nevada yesterday. That caused some flash flooding in spots, and also some snow in spots, as well. And you know, above about 8,000 feet. And this time of year, a lot of those mountain roads at that altitude are still open, obviously, because not a lot of snow, but some may be closed from time to time, especially across the southern Sierra.
Just south of Tahoe, we got a winter storm warning that's posted, and that's south into Yosemite, and we could see six to 10 inches of snowfall there. How about that? And on the East Coast, this stubborn area of low pressure continues to sit and spin moisture into the northeast all the way back into the western great lakes. And this will continue to sit here, I think, today, and into part of tomorrow. And it's just going to make things rather unsettled for the northeast and keep it on the damp side.
Here are some of those record lows that we talked about, Gaylord, Michigan, 23. This is yesterday. We had some similar numbers this morning. Oklahoma City, 37 degrees. That blew out the old-time record and Longview, Texas seeing a temperature yesterday of 41. If you're traveling, I just want to point this out. New York, you got an hour delay right now. Newark got 30-minute delays, and Philly has got 25.
And then briefly, Fredricka, this thing could be our next tropical depression or tropical storm.
WHITFIELD: Oh boy.
MARCIANO: But at this point, we're pretty well protected with the way the atmosphere and weather pattern is set up to keep it away from the U.S., but we will keep an eye on it, nonetheless.
WHITFIELD: If it were to have an name at this point, would it be an "O"?
MARCIANO: It would be an "O," Otto, I believe.
WHITFIELD: Otto.
MARCIANO: Not necessarily that threatening but I've known some mean Ottos in my time. Little beavers with bad appetites.
WHITFIELD: That would be otter-like. All right. Thanks so much, appreciate that, Rob.
OK, shocking moments during a Ukrainian circus performance captured on camera by a CNN i-reporter. This might make you grimace. A lion tamer in the ring is suddenly mauled by two lions. Circus workers quickly tried to hose down the lions as you see right there.
According to a witness, Doug Shepard (ph) who was there with his family, they say there wasn't much to protect the crowd from the attacking animals. The lion trainer reportedly underwent emergency surgery, of course, and is said to be in stable condition this morning. Very frightening moments there.
All right. Polls suggest that one in three children in America is a bully victim. And as we have seen lately, bullying can have fatal consequences. We're looking into solutions. In the next few minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A look the at our top stories right now. Police in Gainesville, Florida say a 24-year-old man went on a shooting spree, killing his father and wounding five others before killing himself. Authorities say the man had a history of mental problems.
And riders on Amtrak Friday will be seeing a lot more police this weekend. But don't worry. It's not connected to that European alert for Americans to remain vigilant to possible terror attacks. Instead, ABC News is reporting that a security exercise is scheduled that day. ABC also reports that Amtrak's counterparts in Europe and Britain are also conducting similar exercises.
And the port of Houston, the second largest port in the country, is closed for a third day because an electrical tower is leaning over the channel. Coast Guard officials say power lines are hanging to low for ships to pass.
All right. How to stop bullies and how to help the victims. We're taking a look at solutions, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. If you have three kids in your house, chances are one of them is being bullied. Bullying is a complicated problem with no easy fix. As we have seen in the last few weeks, it's a problem with tragic consequences. CNN's Carol Costello takes a look at possible solutions to a problem millions of Americans endure every day.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am somebody. I can make a difference.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At Oklahoma City's Western Heights high school, students are pledging to protect the bullied. It's especially important to Susan Le. She knows how bullying feels.
(on camera): Is it worse with words, do you think?
SUSAN LE, OKLAHOMA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: I think it is, because when I was little, like, people always said I was, like, really ugly. And it - I never knew it affected me so much. And, like, people would ask if I was a boy or a girl. And I was hurt. I never wanted that to happen, in, like, it lowered my self esteem really bad. And I never wanted to go to school.
COSTELLO: So I see it hurts you. I see it hurts you so much. But you know you're beautiful, right? Yes.
(voice-over): It's the kind of pain that affects so many children. One in three kids are bullied or bully every year. So how do you stop it?
RACHEL SIMMONS, AUTHOR "ODD GIRL OUT": We have to take it seriously.
COSTELLO: Rachel Simmons wrote "Odd Girl Out." She is an expert on bullying.
SIMMONS: The way an adult intervenes is just as important as the fact that they're intervening at all.
COSTELLO: A good first step? Calm down.
SIMMONS: Don't communicate with anyone, another child or the school until you can calm and able to have a respectful conversation. Because it's very easy to get marginalized as the crazy parent in a school.
COSTELLO: Next, document how your child is being bullied. And then ask your child what he or she wants you to do.
SIMMONS: Remember, you are not the one who has to walk back into that school for eight hours a day. And you may want to do solution A. But if you do that solution, your child may be mercilessly retaliated against.
COSTELLO: Simmons says bullies are often popular, socially skilled kids who can enlist an army of bullies.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kids being bullied don't always tell you about it.
COSTELLO: Marissa Velasco who is also participating in Western Heights anti- bullying campaign knows exactly what Simmons is talking about. In junior high school, she was a bully. Why?
MARISSA VELASCO, OKLAHOMA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: I don't really know if there was a reason. It was just an easy target, I guess.
COSTELLO (on camera): Is it because other kids were making fun of those kids too?
VELASCO: Yes, there was a lot of others also bullying.
COSTELLO: So sort of like a mob mentality.
VELASCO: Yes.
COSTELLO: When you were calling people names, did it make you feel better?
VELASCO: It's not that it made me feel better. It's I knew they felt worse.
COSTELLO (voice-over): Which brings us to how bullies ought to be stopped. Don't humiliate them.
SIMMONS: If you humiliate a bully publicly, you are much more likely to see retaliation. If you sit down with a child and say, this is what I'm seeing, it's not acceptable, I know you're capable of more, and if it happens again, these are the consequences.
COSTELLO: Susan Le, Marissa Velasco certainly know the consequences. They're hoping to make this school year bully-free.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right. Carol now joining us from New York. So, you know, what about making bullying a crime? There's been a lot of discussion about that.
COSTELLO: I think that's the number one suggestion for most people. Why not punish the bullies criminally? Well, in the first place, can you really see a 13-year-old bully saying to himself or herself, "wow, such-and-such went to jail like way over there in Wisconsin, so I'm not going to bully anymore." I mean, experts told me, bottom line, kids really don't - they don't recognize that examples are being made of other kids. It doesn't matter to them.
And plus, it won't stop the behavior. Remember, these kids are secure kids. They're popular kids. They want to please adults in a certain way, so if you sit the bully down and you say, "you know what, you're better than this, this is what you're doing, this hurts another person, and if you don't stop it, you're going to be punished. And maybe it will be detention. Maybe it will be a call to your parents.
But that is a better way to stop the bullying behavior than to charge the kid with some kind of crime. Now, it's different if it's like assault, physical assault. But most bullying is really words and internet bullying and things that aren't physical.
WHITFIELD: All right. Carol Costello, thanks so much. So we're going to talk some more, of course, about bullying on this network all week long. We have been doing so. So bullying in our schools and now on-line. Why do kids do it, and what can be done to actually end it? Other ideas on how to end it, and "AC 360 Special Report" you don't want to miss, all this week, 10:00 Eastern on CNN.
An American shot to death on a jet ski. Now the grieving family is making a heart breaking plea to the Mexican government. That story straight ahead after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Back to this breaking story we continue to follow out of Fresno, California, where an eight-year-old girl was abducted in front of several people, including her own mother. Fresno police wrapped up a news conference just moments ago. Let's get the latest now from reporter John Thomas Kobos from our affiliate, KFSN. Any closer to finding a suspect, or more importantly, the eight-year- old girl?
JOHN-THOMAS KOBOS, KFSN-TV CORRESPONDENT: They are not. But they have issued a statewide Amber alert right now so people are aware of what's going on. They have been following our local coverage. Police are calling this a stranger abduction, it's the first one they say they have seen in years.
A lot of times it's a family member or somebody close that knows the victim. And takes them. But in this case, last night around 8:30, witnesses saw a truck drive up on eight-year-old Elisa Cardenas, she was playing with friends outside her home. And at that time, this witness ran over and yelled for these girls to get away and that's when the driver of an old '70s, '80s model pickup truck, grabbed Elisa and threw in the car and took off. The mother of Elisa actually saw this happen, as well.
She hopped in her car and chased after this driver and she lost him after a while. But as you can imagine, police have been on this since last night around 8:30. They have issued a statewide Amber alert. The FBI are on this, as well as state patrol agents.
WHITFIELD: So you say they're calling this a stranger abduction, but did any one of all the parents and other kids who were outside who witnessed this taking place, did anyone say they had actually seen this person, this suspect, before even within the past few hours casing the area, anything like that?
KOBOS: As a matter of fact, the police received a call just a minute and a half before this witness alerted them to what was going on. Somebody fitting the description of this suspect in the same car was exposing himself to children three blocks away. And I asked the police chief if anybody had seen that vehicle before, and apparently the car or truck was in the area about three days before this happened last night.
WHITFIELD: And so someone was detained earlier, at least questioned. Did police learn anything from that person, or did they feel as though there is absolutely no relation between that person they detained and questioned, and the crime that took place?
KOBOS: Yes, they found somebody in a vehicle about ten miles south of Fresno out in the town of Selma, matching that very same description. Somebody was following that person along -- saw them in a car and called it into police, but that person had no affiliation.
Police are looking for a white male or light Hispanic man in his 20s with either a shaved head or slicked back hair. They say that's the description of the person who took the 8-year-old.
WHITFIELD: All right, John-Thomas Kobos of KFSM. Thanks so much. Out of Fresno. We appreciate the update.
Also this morning, we're following a heart-wrenching story in southeastern Texas. An American is shot to death while jet skiing on a lake that separates the U.S. and Mexico. His wife says they were attacked by modern-day pirates. Well, now the man's grieving family is begging the Mexican government to help recover the body.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIFFANY HARTLEY, DAVID HARTLEY'S WIFE: I just kept hearing God tell me, you have to go, you have to go. So I had to leave him -- so I could get to safety.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: CNN's Josh Levs has been gathering all the details on this developing story. What do you have? What's the latest?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, officials are searching for David Hartley's body today in that lake. This is a heart-wrenching story.
But it's also a sign of the growing insecurity along our border as drug cartels gain more and more power, and that has all sorts of ripple effects. Let's do this first. I want you to see where this lake is. We have a Google Earth here. What you're doing is -- you're going to see it. It's right along the border. And within that lake, there are marks showing which is the U.S. side and which is the Mexican side. Now, David and Tiffany Hartley were on the Mexican side of Falcon Lake when they were ambushed by gunmen on four boats. David was hit in the back of his head, Tiffany managed to escape. And we have here part of her 911 call.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
911 DISPATCHER: Ma'am, were you shot at?
T. HARTLEY: Yes.
911 DISPATCHER: By the Mexican side --
T. HARTLEY: Yes.
911 DISPATCHER: Or the U.S. side? So, it was the Mexican side. Okay. Did you see anybody?
T. HARTLEY: There were three boats.
911 DISPATCHER: Ma'am.
T. HARTLEY: Yes.
911 DISPATCHER: Okay. Are you sure that your husband got shot?
T. HARTLEY: Yes.
911 DISPATCHER: Was he thrown out of the jet ski? He's in the water or something?
T. HARTLEY: Yes.
911 DISPATCHER: So you more or less know where he is?
T. HARTLEY: Yes, but he's -- he's on the Mexican side.
911 DISPATCHER: OK.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
LEVS: Local officials in that part of Mexico believe the gunmen were pirates linked to drug cartels. And this is not the first time that people doing recreational activities in that lake have come under fire. Apparently from bandits there are pirates. A fisherman told our "AC 360" he was on the U.S. side of the lake in May when he came under fire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD DRAKE, FISHERMAN CAME UNDER FIRE: You kind of think, oh, my gosh, what did I get myself into here? And in an instant, you think, do I pull over and take -- or take my chances and, you know, hit the gas? And fortunately, I had a faster boat than they did, so I outran them. They chased me for about a mile, mile-and-a-half and then they tailed off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: A chase and they tailed off. People in that area are living in fear now. A good Samaritan who helped Tiffany Hartley told us about it. We're not using his name for his safety.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via phone): I very much fear for my life and my family's well-being, just knowing that I'm so close to the water and to the border.
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "AC 360": So what do you think needs to happen? Do you see law enforcement down there, do you see border patrol down there a lot?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, but I think their resources are pretty much stretched out. We need more, like, government to get in there. Maybe National Guard or somebody needs to really step up.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
LEVS: Fred, authorities are looking into security at the lake. What has been a popular spot for recreation is now turning into a spot of danger and apparently death. A lot of people now staying away. You and I have talked a lot, we have done entire hours about what's going on at the border and the growing power of drug cartels. This is jus another sign. Authorities believe more danger connected to that.
WHITFIELD: Oh, frightening stuff. Thanks so much, Josh.
LEVS: You got it.
WHITFIELD: The nation's most powerful women invite just a few good men to their annual conference. We'll tell you who made the select list next in 90 seconds.
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WHITFIELD: All right. President Obama and Warren Buffett are just two of the men earning an invitation to "Fortune's" Most Powerful Women summit. That's currently under way in Washington. President Obama addresses the group later on this evening. Mr. Buffett just wrapped up his opening remarks last hour. All involved focusing on one thing: firing up America's economic engine that for the past few years has been sputtering.
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WARREN BUFFETT, CEO, BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY: So, the economy is coming back. Most people feel that it's not coming back as strongly now as it was in the first quarter and early in the second quarter. Our experience is that it's -- it's pretty much on the same trajectory, which is not -- it's not at a rapid rate of ascent, but it's definitely ascent, just about every level.
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WHITFIELD: All right. So, let's discuss this in further detail with Stephanie N. Mehta. She is the executive editor of "Fortune" magazine, which is sponsoring this week's summit. She's joining us live from the D.C. studios with more on this.
So, what's different this year, beside the fact you've got four men who were invited: President Obama, Warren Buffett, and also Lloyd Blankenfein and Admiral Mike Mullen.
STEPHANIE N. MEHTA, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Right. Well, the men are in greater attendance than they have ever been. We have really very much restricted the testosterone in the room at these events.
The other thing, though, is because we're in Washington, we have been able to attract some of the most powerful women in Washington. Everyone from Secretary Clinton, who will be our closing speaker tomorrow. Nancy Pelosi spoke yesterday, but we also have Senators Collins and -- others in attendance who make our most powerful women in D.C. List. So, there's a large contingent from the Capitol who are here since we're in their home city.
And so, we're going to be having a lot of conversations not only about business and economics, but also about policy.
WHITFIELD: And so what is the criteria? What defines a powerful woman? You know, we know some of the obvious contenders would be some of the CEOs at some of the biggest companies in this country. But there are women who represent so many different industries, professions, persuasions, et cetera, who become noted as powerful women.
MEHTA: Sure. We look for a number of things. Influence, impact, the size of the woman's business, the trajectory of her career. These are all things we factor into our decision-making when we come up with a list of the most powerful women.
Our number one woman, Indra Nooyi is the CEO of Pepsico. Giant global corporation that touches people's lives in a very direct way. But she also has the power to influence the way people eat, the way people live their lives, their health. And her career trajectory seems to go nowhere but up. She's somebody that seems like could do anything -- in the business world and but also in the world of policy and foreign affairs.
WHITFIELD: And if you don't have a ticket to be in D.C. or to be at this summit, you can be in the virtual world, can't you?
MEHTA: We have a virtual conference. People can go to our Web site and sign up. And so far, we had 10,000 people sign up. My colleague, Patty Sulers, who helps me put on the conference, joked she was curious to know what percentage of the people who signed up are actually men. They probably wonder what we actually do for three days holed up in a hotel.
WHITFIELD: And so it's gotten bigger every year. Why is that, in your view?
MEHTA: Well, I think there's a couple reasons. One, it's very self-fulfilling. It's a community now. A number of women have been coming back year after year. They come back to reconnect with old colleagues.
But it's also a business opportunity. At the end of the day, these are business women, and they see this as a chance to network. They see this as a chance to potentially create new partnerships, forge new relationships that could lead to business down the road.
And I think the last thing is that, you know, there's no shortage of powerful women anymore. We don't have to struggle to find women in had positions of authority and power and influence who want a seat at the table.
WHITFIELD: And I guess "Fortune" or even on this list you could even see the future to know that two women who were named most powerful on your list a few years back are now running for national office. I'm talking about Carly Fiorina as well as Meg Whitman.
MEHTA: That's right. Both of those women were number one on our most powerful women lists in years past. Carly, of course, when she was the CEO of Hewlett-Packard, and Meg Whitman when she was CEO of eBay. Both of those women are now in public life in California, and I wouldn't be surprised if we would see other women on the list in the future embracing politics and public life, as well.
WHITFIELD: All right. Stephanie N. Mehta, thanks. Executive editor of "Fortune" magazine. Appreciate it.
MEHTA: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: All right, and this breaking news right now. We're understanding that there is a verdict, a life in prison for the suspect who tried to attempt blowing up Times Square last May or so. We understand now that he has just received life in prison. Faisal Shahzad. That was the recommendation from prosecutors, and the judge has ac acquiesced to that. We understand life in prison for Faisal Shahzad for attempting to blow up a bomb in Times Square back in May.
All right. Now another look at our top stories right now.
The Pentagon is being tight-lipped about yesterday's drone attack in northwest Pakistan. Eleven suspected militants were confirmed killed. There's word that the dead include five German terror suspects. You may remember concerns about a German terror cell prompted that travel advisory from Washington. Over the weekend, the FBI and homeland security officials warn that terror attacks were being plotted against targets in Europe. Less than two hours from now, President Barack Obama turns his attention to education. He'll deliver remarks at the Community College Summit at the White House. President Obama wants to highlight what he says is the critical role those schools play in developing America's work force. Jill Biden, the wife of the vice president, is also hosting that event.
All right. Web giant Google says it's about to tap into the vast offerings of the Internet and create a whole new generation of television programming. CNN's Christine Romans is here to explain what it all means to you. Christine.
CHRSTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Multimillion- channel television.
WHITFIELD: Yes. And multitasking.
ROMAN: This is personalizing your television. I mean, the way you get information and use information is changing so much. And we're talking about by the middle of this month, Google TV. Google trying to transform how you use your television so you can seamlessly go from movies to checking the Internet to watching, for example, a basketball game. Online games, maybe sending a Facebook message, maybe even using your phone as a remote control. We don't know what the price is going to be yet, but it should be available this month. And it's going to allow all of these different things.
Now, Apple TV is another idea that's coming to fruition here. This price would be $99 for the equipment to do this. You would rent shows to watch on your television for 99 cents, just much like you get a song for your iPod. You can access music.
Both of these showing that your relationship with your television is changing and the television for the first time is really going to be able to be personalized. Much more, Fredricka, than just saving things on DVR that you want to watch later. But it really could become this nexus of all of the information that you use, and you actually personalize that content.
Now, the question is, Google, when it announced -- is ling up Netflix, Amazon, the NBA, many other partners so all of its content can go on the Google -- the Google platform. But how will the traditional TV satellite and cable people all respond to this? Because, you know --
WHITFIELD: They're not going to like it.
ROMANS: -- ability a la carte information. That's right. That's right.
WHITFIELD: That's right. They will not be fans of that. That we probably know. All right. It really is going to be a test of your multitasking skills. One screen and you're just, you know -- gosh, going from one thing to the next.
That's going to drive me crazy.
ROMANS: I can't even figure out my phone.
WHITFIELD: Yes, I know! Me either. Christine Romans, thanks so much.
More now on that breaking news out of Manhattan's federal courthouse. The sentencing for that Pakistani national who admits to trying to blow up the New York Times Square, and now we understand a verdict is in. Life in prison.
Deborah Feyerick is standing by outside the courthouse with more on this. Deb.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredricka, he got the maximum sentence on all of the counts. He will be serving life in prison, although the judge didn't want to make a decision on all of the counts, saying life in prison really is sufficient. She did give him the top number of years on all ten counts.
Now, very interesting to watch him in court. He was defiant. And the judge recognized that. She said the defendant has shown a total lack of remorse. That he'd shown he had had the opportunity to commit this crime again, then likelihood of that happening is great. She also said that she wanted to set the kind of sentence that would deter anyone who wanted to follow in his footsteps to commit this kind of crime.
Now, Faisal Shahzad did have an opportunity to speak during that court hearing. He was -- and he really was very defiant. He said that he was doing this in the name of Allah. When he received the life sentence, he basically smiled, continue to say God is Great, God is Great.
And in his own words -- let me get to that page where I was writing these notes -- he said, "'m happy with the deal that God has given me." So, although he will be spending life in prison, he seemed to be OK with it. The judge asked him, she said, you know, you will have lots of time in prison to think about what the Koran says about killing people. And he responded to her, "The Koran gives us the right to defend ourselves," and he said what he was doing by his act here in New York City, trying to detonate that bomb in Times Square, was defending the name of Islam and Muslim countries. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: All right, Deborah Feyerick, thanks so much. Appreciate that.
Lots of breaking stories we continue to follow. Also one out of Fresno, California. All morning long, we have told you about this eight-year-old girl who was allegedly abducted right in front of her mother and other people, about 8:30 last night out of Fresno, California.
Well, now we are learning from authorities there that the eight- year-old girl, Elise Cardanes, has been found safe. And she is with authorities, soon to be reunited with her mother and family. However, the suspect is still on the loose. More information as we get it, right after this.
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WHITFIELD: All right, countdown is on. Just four weeks from today, voters head to the polls for midterm election that could change the balance of power in Congress. And this morning, a controversial Senate candidate is releasing her first television ad of the general election. Right off the bat, Delaware Republican Christine O'Donnell references that 1999 interview where she said that she had dabbled in witchcraft.
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CHRISTINE O'DONNELL (R), DELAWARE SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not a witch. I'm nothing you've heard. I'm you.
None of us are perfect, but none of us can be happy with what we see all around us. Politicians who think spending, trading favors, and backroom deals are the ways to stay in office. I'll go to Washington and do what you would do.
I'm Christine O'Donnell, and I approve this message. I'm you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL MAHER, COMEDIAN: Wow. I think when you have to start your campaign ad with "I'm not a witch," the battle has been lost. I think she would have been much smarter to ignore that. But, you know, being much smarter is not her strong suit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: That was last night. Bill Maher was a guest on "JOHN KING USA" last night.
So, right now, our deputy political director, Paul Steinhauser, is in Washington at the CNNpolitics.com desk. So, Paul, what is being said? Besides Bill Maher's comments? What has he said about this ad, whether it was clever, gets your attention, helps move her forward, what?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, Fred, one thing for sure, this ad -- we have a story up on CNNpolitics.com. And as you can imagine, getting a lot of traffic today.
I'll say one thing about the ad. You know, of course she has to talk about the witch, and those comments and many others she made when she was an advocate for social conservative causes in the 1990s -- some on Bill Maher's show back then, generated a lot of buzz. So, I guess you've got to set the record straight.
But later in the ad, she kind of gets to the Tea Party theme there and to the the anti-Washington theme. Remember, when she scored that big upset back in the primary in Delaware over Mike Castle, the establishment Republican candidate, she did it because of Tea Party support, from many activists in the movement. So, you can see her pivoting in the ad toward that, and I guess that's what she has to do.
And also the other idea there is "I am you." She is trying to relate to the average people in any state, especially Delaware, who are suffering right now in these tough economic times. We'll see if this ad helps make any difference in the polls, which right now suggest she trails her Democratic rival, Chris Coons, who's the nominee on the Democratic side.
WHITFIELD: All right --
STEINHAUSER: A couple other things, though -
WHITFIELD: Yes?
STEINHAUSER: What's that?
WHITFIELD: Go ahead.
STEINHAUSER: A couple other things, though, Fred, going on right now in the CNN Political Ticker, CNNpolitics.com. I want to ask Dave Jenkins, our cameraman to push right into this. Another ad that's getting a lot of controversy right now. And I'm talking about Alaska --
WHITFIELD: Oh, yes.
STEINHASUER: -- Lisa Murkowski. Oh, yes. Remember the senator up there who is now running a write-in campaign to keep her seat. But she was defeated in the primary in Alaska by the guy called Joe Miller, who was backed by the Tea Party Express, one of those national Tea Party groups.
They're coming out with a new ad which really blasts her, saying she didn't earn the seat, that she got it from her father. And they also kind of say, you know what? Maybe she tampered with those primary results. She is firing back immediately, and she is saying about this ad that it is dirty politics at its worst. So, this battle up there between Murkowski and the Tea Party Express, definitely not tampering off. Only getting even more heated with just four weeks to go until the election.
One other thing I want to show you right now. Check this out also on the CNN Political Ticker. Brand-new this morning. Sharron Angle coming right here to Washington for a fundraiser after she made some critical comments about the national Republicans and leaders in party.
Fred, that's what we have right now on the Ticker. Back to you.
WHITFIELD: Yes, we know it traditionally does get nasty when it gets down to the wire, and is maybe that's an understatement as we are four weeks now away.
All right, Paul Steinhauser, appreciate it. Thanks so much. And of course, we'll have your next political update about one hour from now. And a reminder, for all the latest political news, go to our Web site, CNNpolitics.com.
And we will be right back. [
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WHITFIELD: This is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You'll see a lot of pink ribbons in October. We'll now take a look at one example of awareness that is actually upsetting some people.
It's a pink version of Mike's Hard Lemonade, which is an alcoholic beverage, to support breast cancer research. Well, critics say this is hypocritical, because alcohol can increase breast cancer risk. The president of Mike's Hard Lemonade claims the company has donated half a million dollars to breast cancer research over the past couple years, and some groups won't take the money. However, others will, but say they still won't endorse drinking as it relates to breast cancer.
All right, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Thanks for being with me the last couple of hours. I'll see you again tomorrow. Tony Harris is up next with more of the NEWSROOM.
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