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Job Market: The Big Picture; Countdown to Election Day; NFL Cracks Down on Violent Hits; Biker Turns Air Cartwheel; Willow Smith Whips Her Hair; Legalizing Marijuana in California; Protecting Against Identity Theft
Aired October 20, 2010 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone.
Live from Studio 7 at CNN world headquarters, the big stories for Wednesday, October 20th.
Marijuana on the ballot in several states now. Should smoking weed be as legal as cigarettes? Thirteen days until the big vote, I will talk to the head of the nation's drug policy.
Plus, President Obama sitting down this hour with his national security team. Their focus, Afghanistan and Pakistan, as U.S. troops face stiff resistance trying to win over villagers in key combat zones.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At least here in our villages that we're responsible for, a big theme seems to that be they just want to be left alone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And the video you must see. Chimp on the loose. Hard to beat that.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
Those stories and your comments right here, right now in the CNN NEWSROOM.
We begin with an economic story we don't hear much of these days, companies hiring and creating new jobs. The announcement by Bank of America and Intel are hopeful signs in a bleak job market.
Bank of America says it will hire 1,000 new small business bankers. Lenders, including Bank of America, slashed loans to small businesses during the recession. Many tell us it is still tough to get a loan.
Intel plans to invest $6 billion to $8 billion to build and upgrade plants in Oregon and Arizona. Wow. The investment is expected to create up to 1,000 permanent high-tech jobs. The company also says it will generate 6,000 to 8,000 construction jobs. Our chief business correspondent, Ali Velshi, spoke with Intel's CEO about the decision to invest within the United States instead of abroad, where it's cheaper.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL OTELLINI, CEO, INTEL: It's a very significant investment. It does cost a bit more to build one of these factories from scratch in the U.S. It's not labor costs, as one might thing. It has to do with the kinds of grants that other countries would give you, tax credits, and those kinds of things.
And what I have been calling on the administration to do is to consider doing those kinds of things for anyone who wants to invest in the U.S., whether it's a foreign company or a domestic company, to create an incentive to put jobs here, to retool manufacturing in this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK. So we see some bright spots in the market, but a lot of companies are still hesitant about hiring. And an estimated 15 million Americans are out of work.
Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange with a look at the big picture here.
Good morning, Alison.
And let's do this -- let's start with the positive. OK? Companies hiring and adding jobs. Why? And is this a sign things might actually be getting better?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: You know, I don't know about you, but I feel like Debbie Downer half the time when we talk about the jobs market. So, sure, I mean, the fact remains that many companies, they do have the cash to hire people, Tony.
And we happen to be in the middle of earnings season right now. And that's pretty much corporate America's way of telling us how they're doing financially. They do it four times a year. And positive earnings are typically a precursor to hiring.
So, I've got good news here. As of Monday, 83 percent of the S&P 500 companies that have reported, they beat estimates, and we are seeing some hiring. Look at this.
The Labor Department says that the private sector has actually added jobs every month this year. You total that up, that's almost 900,000 positions added so far this year.
Now, we have still got a long way to go, but this is really where we want to see gains. We want to see the private sector roll up their sleeves and get in there and hire people, because that's ultimately a sign of confidence and investment in the economy, especially when you invest in people -- Tony. HARRIS: Yes. OK. All right, Debbie Downer, let's get to the downside. We understand a lot of companies are still pretty skittish about this economy, correct?
KOSIK: They are. You know, and I hear it all the time here at the New York Stock Exchange. We hear a lot of nervousness during earnings season, and it especially comes through when these CEOs come out in their reports, in their conference calls.
I mean, look at this -- Morgan Stanley's CEO saying today, "I'm not satisfied with our overall performance." Goldman Sachs CEO yesterday, "Economic conditions, they're still challenging." Intel's CEO, he sees slow growth for the next year or two.
You know, it's really just a confidence issue. And I talked to some traders a few minutes ago, Tony. They're saying that they think 90 percent of corporate America is sitting on trillions of dollars of cash.
They just don't know what to do with it. They're really afraid to hire. Like us, companies don't spend unless they're confident in where things are going.
So we're only seeing these sort of small signs, these baby signs of hiring. Nothing major. But you've got start somewhere.
HARRIS: Yes. Yes.
KOSIK: You know, after the worst recession of our lifetime, Tony, these small steps, they're all we can hope for -- Tony.
HARRIS: Oh. Debbie Downer, you redeemed yourself nicely there.
KOSIK: I did.
HARRIS: Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange.
KOSIK: Thanks. Any time.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Thirteen days and counting until midterm elections. What's at stake is control of Congress.
Republicans battling to take over. Democrats fighting to hold on.
Republicans actually have the best chance in the House. Here's where things stand right now.
The GOP needs a net gain of 39 seats to take control. This is the current breakdown in the Senate -- Republicans need 10 seats there to take charge.
One of the races to watch is in Florida, where the candidates sparred over health care during a debate last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA SENATE CANDIDATE: What I propose and I said from the beginning is that the health insurance industry in America is upside down. The health care consumer, the people that buy health insurance in America, they have no choices. You usually get your insurance if you're lucky from your employer, and the only choice you have is a doctor's name out of a book.
What I would propose is to change that around, to allow every individual in America to buy health insurance from any company in America that will sell it to you, even if they're in another state, by allowing every individual in America that buys health insurance for themselves to have the same tax benefit that their employer has when their employer buys it for them.
GOV. CHARLIE CRIST (I), FLORIDA SENATE CANDIDATE: We passed a plan that you referred to called Cover Florida. And you talk about the fact that only 6,200 or so people have signed up for it. It took health insurance during a month period from an average of about $700 a month for the uninsured, or those who have recently lost their job, and reduced it to about $150 a month.
REP. KENDRICK MEEK (D), FLORIDA SENATE CANDIDATE: The real issue here is that Floridians are uninsured. A number of them, 3,500 a week, lose their insurance.
I think it's very important to note that something needed to be done about health care. The last election cycle was all about health care. Republicans and Democrats had a plan. The plan was followed through on.
The governor calls it "Obamacare." I see messaging. You're calling it "Obamacare." I'm pretty sure Marco is going to call it "Obamacare."
The real issue is that it's health care. And when it comes down to it, we have people right now that have rights that they did not have before the passage of that health care plan.
Now, folks can act like everything was fine, because the reason why it was an issue in the last election is because businesses were going out of business, small and large businesses. And something needed to be done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: The CNN Election Express is on the road in the Southeast listening to you and hearing from local politicians after stops in North and South Carolina. T.J. Holmes and the Election Express are in Macon, Georgia, today.
T.J., good to see you. And I know you've got a guest, so let me toss it to you, and let's talk politics. T.J. HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, Tony, you talked about how Republicans are supposed to take back the House, out of those 435 seats with people like this, Republican Austin Scott, state legislator, who is here trying to unseat a four-term Democrat in this district, this 8th District.
Thank you for coming out and being with the Election Express.
AUSTIN SCOTT (R), GEORGIA CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: Absolutely. Thanks for having me.
HOLMES: You're up against a Democrat who didn't vote for the health care bill, he supports extending the Bush tax cuts. He's also against overturning the ban on gays in the military. He doesn't sound too much like a Democrat.
How do you run against that guy?
SCOTT: Well, I'll tell you, he is a fiscal liberal, is all there is to it. And he's come out recently in an act of desperation and said that he won't vote for Nancy Pelosi again to be the Speaker of the House.
HOLMES: You're going to take him at his word?
SCOTT: Absolutely not. He voted for her four times to be the Speaker of the House. He's on TV right now saying that he's for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, when the fact is, he's the only member of the Balanced Budget Caucus to increase the national debt level to $14 trillion.
He cosponsored and voted to give the unions more control of the economy. So he's saying a lot of things in the campaign to try to protect his position.
HOLMES: Now, what about you? What are you saying besides what he has done, what he is for, and what he is against? What are you saying?
SCOTT: I'm talking a lot about a national debt. And as a 40- year-old with a wife and a son, the mortality tables don't allow me to outrun that $14 trillion. And for us, as the younger generation of Americans, we've got a right to enjoy the beauty of this country as well.
And so, as a small business owner and someone whose business has suffered through this recession, we have made the cuts in our business, and our business is going to come out stronger than it ever was before. I made the cuts as a member of the state legislature, and the state of Georgia has got a balanced budget and a AAA bond rating. And the families who have controlled their debt and their spending limits and the countries who control their debt and their spending limits are going to come out of the recession the strongest.
HOLMES: Do you feel some pressure to deliver for the GOP right now? You had Minority Leader Boehner down in your district. Clearly, he thinks this is important.
SCOTT: Absolutely. We feel pressure to deliver this seat, but not only for the GOP, but for America. And again, we need to leave this country better off for the next generation than it is right now. And we've got to get up there and control the national debt.
And so if you look at the two positions, a lot of the things that my opponent says are the same things that I'm saying about balancing the budget. But the fact of the matter is, he is the only member of the Balanced Budget Caucus to vote to raise that national debt limit to $14 trillion, and there's a disconnect between his statements when he's in Georgia and what he's actually voting for when he's in Washington.
HOLMES: All right. Last thing. You want to repeal the health care law?
SCOTT: Absolutely, I want to repeal the health care law. Look, the American public does not want federal control over their health care. And even people who wanted expanded benefits for the uninsured did not want a federal takeover of their health care.
HOLMES: There is some good in there. Would you say you want to keep the good that's in there, letting young adults stay on until 26 with their parents?
SCOTT: There you go. Yes.
HOLMES: Kids with pre-existing conditions?
SCOTT: Yes.
HOLMES: Would you be OK with keeping those things?
SCOTT: I would like to start over completely. I think those things should be left up to the individual states. And I think that the states should determine --
HOLMES: But not the federal government? You don't think those are good enough that the federal government should keep those in place?
SCOTT: I do not believe that the federal government should have control over the health care system. I think that the states should determine whether or not they want those issues in their health insurance at a state level.
HOLMES: OK.
Well, this might be one of the ones, Tony.
HARRIS: Yes.
HOLMES: Remember the name. You might be seeing him up on Capitol Hill. But this is one of the districts the GOP has targeted.
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: T.J. -- absolutely. We don't have time for it right now, but put the double box back up.
T.J., you still there? OK.
HOLMES: I'm still with you.
HARRIS: We don't have time for the answer right now, but I would love for you to ask Austin Scott what he specifically wants to do in terms of balancing the budget with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and defense spending. And maybe you can send that sound along the line and we can throw it on the air next hour.
HOLMES: We will 100 percent get it for you -- Tony.
HARRIS: All right, T.J. Appreciate it. Thank you, sir.
HOLMES: All right.
HARRIS: And we should add here that T.J. will be talking to Representative Jim Marshall in the 3:00 p.m. Eastern hour of CNN NEWSROOM.
All right. Thirteen days until the midterm election, and amid all the mudslinging and political promises, strategists, pundits, talking points, got to tell you, it is easy to lose sight of what elections are really about. They are about shaping what this country is and setting a course for the future.
On this program, in these two hours, we want to get you back to the basics. So we're asking for your help. We want you to answer a simple question: What does America mean to you?
It is a segment we're calling "My America Is..." Your personal experiences, your vantage point. What does this country look like from where you're standing right now?
Here's what some of you are saying.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
SAM: My America is, sadly, at the moment not what I would like it to be. I think the president has the right idea. I think people need to go out there and support him. He can't do all this by himself and he can't take the blame for things not getting passed that we want.
That's that. And I'm Sam from Houston.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
ANTHONY: My name is Anthony from Chelsea, Manhattan, and Cape May, New Jersey, USA. My America is the America that lost its real meaning that I grew up and was born and bred in.
America to me is, we're all created equally, black, white, gay, straight, and otherwise. With all of these issues going on with religion, races, sexual orientation, my America has lost its real meaning.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HARRIS: How about that, huh? Send us your thoughts. And if you would, start your answer with "My America is..."
OK. I'm on Facebook and on Twitter at TonyHarrisCNN. You can also go to my blog page, CNN.com/Tony, or my favorite -- give us a call. The number, 877-742-5760.
We will share more of your comments right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Rules, penalties, fines. When the hits get too hard, the NFL says it's time for suspension. Former Atlanta Falcon Jamal Anderson, the leader of the Dirty Birds, too legit to quit, joining us next in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Let's see here. Dangerous and flagrant hits no longer being tolerated in the NFL? Players are on notice. The league is ramping up punishment for violent hits on the field.
Former Atlanta falcons superstar running back Jamal Anderson joining me to discuss what's going on here.
Hey, you know what, Jamal, let's do this -- let's -- good to see you.
Ow, man.
JAMAL ANDERSON, FMR. ATLANTA FALCONS RUNNING BACK: I mean, I work out. I've got kids. I got to stay in shape.
HARRIS: Steel in that gun.
Let's look at the hits here in particular. So let's start with the hit from Steeler linebacker James Harrison, right? And he was fined $75,000 for this hit on Mohamed Massaquoi, right, of the Browns?
ANDERSON: Yes.
HARRIS: He also leveled Joshua Cribbs in this game as well, and Joshua Cribbs ended up with a concussion.
All right. Let's go forward here to the Patriots' safety, Brandon Meriweather. He was fined $50,000 -- you're going to see it here in a second -- for this hit on Baltimore Ravens tight end Todd Heap. And I don't know what that's about.
ANDERSON: Right.
HARRIS: That's a deliberate head butt, right?
ANDERSON: Well, what the NFL is trying to say right now, Tony, is defenseless receivers, when you leave your feet and you go after a football player, and you lead with your helmet, your forearm, or your shoulder towards the neck, helmet, or the helmet of the player who is defenseless, then it is a penalty.
HARRIS: From here? All right.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: What you don't want to do -- you have a wide receiver coming down the middle of the football field. Obviously, they're looking back for the ball, and you have a safety in that situation who comes up, and he dives, he leaves his feet, leads with his forearm, or he leads with his helmet towards a defenseless player's neck or their helmet, then it is a surefire penalty and something that the league has got to protect.
HARRIS: Let's see this last hit here. OK. Let's see this. This is the Falcons' quarterback or safety?
ANDERSON: Dunta Robinson is our quarterback.
HARRIS: Dunta Robinson, right?
ANDERSON: Yes.
HARRIS: On DeSean Jackson.
ANDERSON: DeSean Jackson, right.
HARRIS: Of the Eagles.
ANDERSON: Here's the problem that most people were having with this hit. You see right there, Dunta Robinson, he puts his head down. He does lead with his shoulder, but the problem is, when you lead with your shoulder on a receiver who's not looking back, a defenseless wide receiver, but you lead with your helmet, or you lead with your shoulder towards the helmet or the neck area of the other player, the NFL is going to try to protect you.
I mean, here's my thing. It's the number one sport, football, Tony. We are the most popular sport.
HARRIS: Yes, in the country.
ANDERSON: The number one sport in America.
HARRIS: Outside of soccer, you're probably tops around the world.
ANDERSON: Exactly. The true gladiator sport.
And for purists -- I'm a purist. I was a physical runner. You love the contact.
You want to see people -- I mean, this is what it's all about. People always talk about the highlights and everything, watching guys get knocked out.
But you've got to protect people. This is not you're NFL or my NFL. These guys are bigger, stronger, faster.
HARRIS: Jamal -- yes. Today's NFL is more a passing league than we've ever seen at any other time, right? I mean, balls are flying around the field --
ANDERSON: True.
HARRIS: Right? Linebackers, which means you have got linebackers, receivers, quarterbacks, safeties, flying all over the field. You have got to protect these defenseless receivers.
ANDERSON: You have to. Well, the tough part is, again, for football purists, this is not the NFL that you grew up with or the NFL that I grew up with.
HARRIS: Which is we'll grind it out.
ANDERSON: Totally. I mean, you're not going to see -- you see the (INAUDIBLE), you see some of the old pictures when you look at NFL films, guys' noses are bleeding, they're bloody coming off the football field. You are not going to see any of that stuff anymore.
HARRIS: Yes.
ANDERSON: Right now, again, with the fact that these guys are really, really bigger, stronger and faster, you've got to protect these football players, particularly in a defenseless situation.
HARRIS: Does it go too far to talk about not just fines but suspensions?
ANDERSON: It's tough. And I think Rodney Harrison was on NBC the other day, and he said something that definitely resonated with the league office when he said, hey, fining guys are one things, but you're talking about guys who are making millions of dollars. When you actually pull them off of a game or suspend them, totally different ball of wax.
HARRIS: But you're talking about going to an 18-game season now, and you have got to have your stars on the field.
ANDERSON: You do. You have to have your stars on the field. And the big thing about the 18-game season, there's a lot of people who are upset with it.
I truly don't know where I am with this. I think it's going to happen. I think it's something that's going to be a foregone conclusion here in a little while. But you have three or four preseason games, and everybody's flipping about the 18-game season. But you've got to protect these guys. I think it's going to happen.
HARRIS: Right. Yes. I don't want to go see a game if I don't see my stars. I'm just --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: I agree. I agree.
HARRIS: All right.
ANDERSON: I mean, if you want to go a Falcons game, you want to see the "Dirty Bird," right?
HOLMES: You know, you're the man, the leader of the "Dirty Birds."
Jamal Anderson, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Good to see you, baby.
ANDERSON: Always a pleasure.
HARRIS: Ow, man.
We're back in a moment.
Lighten that grip, baby.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Here we go. Will Smith's little girl -- Will Smith's little girl has a pretty big hit record out there right now.
SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, she does.
HARRIS: The great Sandra Endo is here, and she's handling "What's Hot" for us.
OK. Are we going to hear a little bit of it?
ENDO: Yes. There's a lot that's hot today, and I'll first start with this video that's getting a lot of play. Check it out.
A 300-pound chimpanzee on the loose. Her name is Sue, ,and she may be thinking she is playing around in the Kansas City neighborhood where she's walking around, but look at her go.
There she is.
HARRIS: What is she doing here?
ENDO: Takes this trash bin, rams it over to this police car. Look, the officer goes back inside, and the 300-pound chimp starts playing on the car, jumping on it. It actually bashed the officer's window.
HARRIS: Yes, that's 300 pounds of chimp.
ENDO: So, after this 40-minute spree on the loose, the chimp finally gets back to its owner, and the owner actually was ticketed for not being allowed to own a pet chimp. And the chimp was sent back to an animal park.
So, you wouldn't want to see that in your neighborhood, right?
HARRIS: No, no, no. Not on the hood of my car, no. The windshield, the hood, nowhere. OK.
ENDO: We've got another amazing video to check out. This is "What's Hot" also on YouTube. There you see it.
HARRIS: What is this?
ENDO: A guy on a motorbike in China rams into a truck. But did you see that? He did a 360, flipped over the truck, flies out of the screen, but amazingly -- watch this --
HARRIS: Sandra, you've got to warn people.
ENDO: Yes. I'm sorry.
HARRIS: Well, warn me.
ENDO: I know. I know you're sensitive.
HARRIS: Thank you. I am.
ENDO: Well, check this out. The guy just walks back to the scene of the crime and accident. He's serving the scene. All of the other cars don't really care. They just drive on by. He's brushing himself off there a little dazed and confused. Look at that, traffic just passes on by.
HARRIS: It sounds like New York. It didn't happen in New York?
ENDO: In China. People did stop. I know you love this one because you like to dance, Tony.
HARRIS: Well, I got some moves.
ENDO: All right, check this out. First the song.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HARRIS: My daughter loves this song.
ENDO: The song is great, and the video was actually viewed more than 100,000 times the first day online. But look, who it is? It's 9-year-old Willow Smith, who is a spitting image of other father Will Smith, right. Her first single "Whip Your Hair" is hip and age appropriate. HARRIS: How old is she again?
ENDO: Nine years old.
HARRIS: Nine years old?
ENDO: We want to see you whip your hair like that.
HARRIS: There was a time. It's not that I can't grow it. I choose to wear it this way.
ENDO: OK, you can still whip it around, right?
HARRIS: All right, the great Sandra Endo. Thank you, Sandra. We are back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Marijuana is on four state ballots this November. In California, voters will decide on Prop 19, which would legalize marijuana for personal use and make it taxable.
In South Dakota and Arizona, the issue is legalizing marijuana to treat various medical conditions and in Oregon, where medical marijuana was legal for some time now, the question is should the sale of medical marijuana be available through dispensaries.
CNN NEWSROOM is taking a close look at the marijuana debate and asking what yes votes could mean for Americans in the future. Got to tell you polls in California showed the vote on marijuana will be close there.
Joining us now from Los Angeles is Gil Kerlikowske. He is the National Drug Control policy director. Gil, good to see you again. Thanks for your time this morning.
GIL KERLIKOWSKE, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY: Good to see you.
HARRIS: Yes, what would you tell voters in California about the impact of legalizing marijuana as they consider their votes coming up in just a couple of weeks?
KERLIKOWSKE: Well, I think it's important that voters have all of the facts, and one of the reasons I'm out here today is that we looked at the number of people going into treatment in California.
And it is for marijuana, and it is much higher than in the rest of the nation. The other important fact is that it's a younger age. Younger people are using marijuana in California, and, again, that's higher than the rest of the nation.
So I think voters need to know all of the facts. Of course, as you know, this administration is opposed to legalization. HARRIS: Yes. That is exactly what I was about to ask you. California's already approved the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Is that something that you are opposed to?
KERLIKOWSKE: Well, what we believe is that medicine should be determined by the process that already exists in this country. The United States has a world-renowned process for medicines to be put on shelves and given to patients. It really doesn't involve a popular vote.
HARRIS: So here's where it gets a little tricky. Right now, my understanding is that the federal law is such that it gives the government the right to raid medical marijuana dispensaries in the 13 states where it is now legal. Have those raids been stopped?
KERLIKOWSKE: Well, the attorney general's office issued several months ago, a number of months ago, guidelines, and I thought that was very appropriate because you have all of these different states, and you have U.S. attorneys involved in the drug enforcement administration.
And the guidelines essentially say if you're operating very clearly within the confines of state law, that it's not an appropriate use of resources. It doesn't mean that they can't be used, but it also does not say that this is carte blanche.
Remember, I was a police chief for nine years in Seattle. We tried to use our resources the best way possible. It wasn't chasing around every adult for a small amount of marijuana, but it was using them to go after the distributors, those people clearly acting not in the best interest of the public.
HARRIS: Well, we've got a very specific case shaping up in California now. So what would you believe the law enforcement, federal law enforcement stance would be, should California voters legalize, right? It's on the ballot. Should California voters legalize small amounts of marijuana for recreational use?
KERLIKOWSKE: I think that the attorney general in the letter that was addressed to all of the former administrators of the drug enforcement administration just over a week ago made it very clear that federal resources would be used to enforce the Federal Controlled Substances Act.
And, remember, that marijuana is illegal under that federal law. I think that makes a lot of sense. Other options are certainly being explored by the Justice Department, but those are really questions best addressed to them.
HARRIS: The president and you want to end this idea that the country is fighting a war on drugs. Let me give you another opportunity. You did it pretty well the last time you were here. Let me give you another opportunity to explain the administration's position on this.
KERLIKOWSKE: Sure. For 40 years, we've talked about it as a war on drugs, and I tried to end using that phrase a long time ago. People get frustrated. They think of war as a war on people.
This is a really, complex, difficult problem that we have wrestled with in this country for a long time and it's not just a public safety or criminal justice problem. It is also very much a public health problem.
We know that prevention works. We know that treatment works, and we know that if we combine all of our resources just as we have done to reduce crime in this country that we have a much better opportunity to reduce our own drug problem, and, of course, that would be a great help to other countries if we consumed less.
HARRIS: Gil, good to see you again. Thanks for your time. We appreciate it.
KERLIKOWSKE: Good to see you. Thanks.
HARRIS: We will take you to Afghanistan where U.S. troops are trying to get the trust of locals to help drive out the Taliban.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Let's get you caught up on top stories right now. Chip maker giant Intel says it plans to invest as much as $8 billion in plants in Arizona and Oregon. How about that for some good news? That could create up to 1,000 permanent high tech jobs. Intel says construction alone will create 6,000 to 8,000 jobs.
And Express Jet pilot says nobody should be subjected to a virtual strip surge and Michael Roberts refused to go through a new body scanning machine or be patted down at Memphis Airport last week. He says he knows he put his job on the line, but his protest is about protecting civil liberties.
And in Texas, this sign with these four words is doing exactly what the church in Mansfield wants it to do, drive people to its web site. It is raising a lot of eyebrows along the way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PASTOR BRIAN SWIGGART, COMMUNITY AT LAKE RIDGE: Some people have been unhappy with it because they see the phrase itself and they don't look past the phrase because it is true. Jesus doesn't care about a lot of things. We were hoping to stir the pot a little bit and maybe wake us up to what he really does care about ultimately is what we want to get the message across.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Thirteen days to go until one of the most important midterm elections in recent memory and some new polls are out in crucial Senate battles. Paul Steinhauser, part of "The Best Political Team on Television," joining us live now from the Political Desk in Washington. Paul, good to see you. What's crossing right now?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Good morning, Tony. Brand new stuff on the Political Ticker you just alluded to it. Let's talk about it. Brand new polls in Washington state and Pennsylvania.
Let's start with Pennsylvania. You have Joe Sestak, the Democratic Congressman, going against Pat Toomey, the Republican former congressman. New polls there suggests this race is dead even, so expect a lot of focus on Pennsylvania over the next two weeks.
Also Washington state, you have Senator Patty Murray, three-term Democratic senator, new poll suggests that race is dead even as well between her and Dino Rossi, the Republican challenger. Remember, Vice President Biden was there yesterday, you're going to have President Obama teaming up with Murray tomorrow.
And CNN/"Time" magazine/Opinion Research Corporation, we've got a bunch of new polls coming out later today -- Florida, Ohio, Alaska, and Arkansas. So stay tuned for those, they'll be online and on TV this afternoon.
Hey, Tony, I want to talk about something else, and this is the battle for governorships. You know, the battle for Congress has been stealing the spotlight, but the battle for governorships is crucial. I'm going to ask Dave Jenkins (ph), our cameraman, to zoom right in here. This is brand new on the CNN Political Ticker and on CNNPolitics.com, our cover story this week, Jessica Yellin, our national political correspondent, looking at the battle for governorships, 37 states voting for governor this year and why it's so crucial.
The headline here, of course, governors are going to have a huge say in how the Census numbers are used for redistricting Congress, Tony. So really a good read, check it out, just went up online moments ago.
Also, I just confirmed this a little while ago, Tony. This is interesting. We're talking about this year's election, but what about the next one? I just confirmed that Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who ran for the Republican nomination in 2008, where is he going to be next month? Iowa, the crucial early voting state of Iowa in the presidential primaries. He's going to be there to give a keynote speech at the Iowa Family Policy Centers, celebrate the family event. But anytime one of these possible contenders for the GOP nomination in 2012 goes Iowa, rings a bell.
HARRIS: You know, I'm not sure where Mike Huckabee stands in terms of Tea Party support, but I'm looking ahead to the next election cycle, the general election cycle, 2012, presidential cycle. Do you expect that there will be a Tea Party-supported candidate running for the presidency?
STEINHAUSER: Yes, that's a very -- great question, and very likely that that could happen. Tony, we saw in the Republican primaries this year for Senate, for governor, for House races, Tea Party movement was very, very influential. A lot of candidates backed by the Tea Party knocked off more establishment Republicans. We could see the same thing at play in the Republican presidential primaries coming up just over a year from now, Tony.
HARRIS: All right, Paul. Thank you, sir.
And of course, your next political update in an hour. For the latest political news, you know where to go, that's CNNpolitics.com.
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HARRIS: Protecting yourself from identity theft, the threat is huge and widespread. CNN business news correspondent Stephanie Elam -- morning, Stephanie -- joining us from New York with top tips how you can avoid being a victim.
Stephanie, where do you want to start here?
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, let's start here, Tony, with taking a look at just how much of a problem identity theft is. It's become the number one complaint of consumers, according to the Federal Trade Commission, for the past five years.
And here's another shocking stat for you. How about the average victim of ID theft loses about $18,000 in goods and services and spends about 30 hours and around $370 repairing damage to both their name and credit score.
So, Tony, obviously it does not pay to be lazy about your identity. Got to stay on it.
HARRIS: Yes. So the first step you tell us is to shred away?
ELAM: Do you own a shredder?
HARRIS: I do, actually.
ELAM: Good. That's the right answer. You definitely need to own a shredder, because you've got to shred all the statements, the invoices, the receipts, the return addresses, the stickers, the envelopes, the catalogs and especially, this is the main one, those pre-approved credit offers that you get in mail and those credit card checks. Get those in the shredder immediately. The folks at credit.com say try to use a crosscheck shredder. And they're actually pretty cheap. They start about $30 to $40.
And there's also really, also, some free shredding events going on around the country this week. You can head to protectyourid.org to find a shredding event near you, but to put that shredder right next to your mailbox and, you know.
HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes. The shredding events around country. Let's organize, people.
What about online? We are all on e-mail, social media sites. What's your advice there?
ELAM: True. You know, the main thing is, you got to rock those passwords. I know it can get annoying, but password protecting your email and other files containing personal account info is imperative. Make sure everything from your computer, your iPhone, your BlackBerry, all of them have the current and latest security updates.
And when it comes to your Facebook or your Twitter page, Gayle Cunningham (ph) from the NFCC says, look at everything you post like a crook. And if you can figure where you live and who you are even with the most clever screen names, then get selective and limit who can see your personal info with privacy settings. And also talk to your family, especially those kiddies, about what they should not be sharing online, Tony.
HARRIS: Yes, yes, good advice. And what about credit reports? Is that a good free checkup on your ID? Is that --
ELAM: Got to do it.
HARRIS: Got to do it?
ELAM: You got to do it. It's free. You can do it once a year and keep it free. Review your credit reports. There's three reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian and Transunion. And you can do that by going to annualcreditreport.com, that's the one where it's free.
And finally, if you feel your identify has been stolen, go ahead and contact all of your creditors from the banks to the credit card companies and file a complaint with the FTC, and you can do that at ftccomplaintassistant.gov -- you see it right there on your screen. Or call their identity theft hotline at 877-438-4338, Tony.
But definitely, don't get taken advantage of. You got some help out there.
HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes. That's so good. I think we should put that up on the blog page. Thank you, Stephanie. Appreciate it.
ELAM: Sure, anytime.
HARRIS: And now that the Pentagon has begun advising recruiters they can accept openly gay and lesbian candidates, what can those candidates expect in recruiting offices today and how will this affect gays and lesbians already serving? We will find out in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM.
Got to tell you, it is a much different story for gays in Uganda. An already marginalized group now terrified by a newspaper story that calls for their hanging. It lists the names and addresses of 100 people.
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HARRIS: Got to tell you, this doesn't come as much of a surprise, but the Obama administration has filed a request with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to stay a lower court injunction stopping the military policy regarding openly gay troops serving "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
The Pentagon now accepting openly gay and lesbian recruits citing a recent federal court decision has struck down the controversial policy on gays in the military. And more on this story in just a couple of minutes.
