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Countdown to Midterm Elections; Cholera in Haiti; Hormone Therapy Linked to Breast Cancer; Toasting to Bed Bugs

Aired October 24, 2010 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: For a thief in California, a tragic way to learn a lesson. He pays the ultimate price for his crime.

Just nine days before the mid-term elections the candidates are pulling no punches going toe-to-toe in one key race today. The big Senate showdown in Florida, and this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was dating a guy and he asked me, he said, "do you have bed bugs in your apartment because if you do, you won't be seeing me. I love you, but I miss (INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: If dating in New York wasn't always tough enough, there's a teensy factor creeping into the romance mix, bed bugs.

Hello, everyone. I'm Fredericka Whitfield at the CNN World headquarters in Atlanta.

We start with politics and the Florida Senate race. Just over a week left before the mid-term election and three men taking on the issues and each other in a debate today right here on CNN. The contentious back and forth from the campaign trail spilled over into that debate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, FLORIDA SENATE CANDIDATE: Any time we get into the issues. the governor wants to turn it into something else because he's wrong on the issue so the bottom line is - let me say on the ideologue part.

CHARLIE CRIST, FLORIDA SENATE CANDIDATE: UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why won't you release your IPO credit card and clear this up.

RUBIO: On the IPO issue --

CRIST: And why is there a federal investigation into your reporting income.

RUBIO This is just one litany of falsehoods after another.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN HOST: Can you answer this question?

(CROSSTALK)

CRIST: (INAUDIBLE) across the state of Florida for the past year.

RUBIO: Why won't you release the full IRS records, the full credit card statements (INAUDIBLE)

My tax returns are public and I've gone well beyond the point of disclosure. The bottom line is people want to focus on these issues because they are wrong on the important issues. This country has $13.5 trillion debt.

CRIST: He doesn't want to release them because he doesn't believe in transparency. I created the office of open government in the governor's office for the first time in the history of our state.

RUBIO: I never had a heckler at a debate. Always had them in the audience.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Did you get that? Marco Rubio, Charlie Crist right there. Going at it right there on the debate floors. So CNN's senior political editor Mark Preston is in Tampa, Florida, right now. So we talk about heckling, like you said, usually from the audience but this time, the heckling, as it was described right there. How contentious has this gotten?

MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: It's gotten very contentious. Look, this is a spillover from the Republican primary. Charlie Crist was supposed to walk into this seat, Fred. He was supposed to move from the governor's mansion and move up to Washington, D.C.. However, Marco Rubio came out of nowhere. He was this tea party favorite. He refused to get out of the race and he built momentum and built momentum up to the point to earlier this year that Charlie Crist decided to leave the Republican party and run as an independent.

So Marco Rubio was hoping to get rid of Charlie Crist in the primary but guess what, he has nipping on his heels as we're heading into November 2nd. Now the CNN Opinion Research Corporation-"Time" polls show that in fact Marco Rubio has a 14-point lead over Charlie Christ and a 26-point lead over the Democrat, Kendrick Meek but it just goes to show you there, Fred, that things have just gotten very contentious in the Senate race down here in Florida.

WHITFIELD: And in fact, each side is calling the other side extreme. Republicans saying Democrats are too extreme. Democrats saying the Republicans are being too extreme so how is this going to affect and impact people who are supposed to show up to the polls on November 2nd?

PRESTON: Well, you know, it all comes down to, getting us to the enthusiasm gap. You know, our viewers have heard this over and over again from us, and the idea is Democrats are trying to get their base fired up. We've heard President Obama talked about it over and over again over the past couple of weeks and in fact we've seen Republicans such as Sarah Palin who is just in the west of me in Orlando yesterday doing the same thing.

What they are trying to do is say, "look, Republicans are saying Democrats are too far out there. Their policies haven't worked. The economy is still in tatters. We have a 9.6 percent unemployment rate." Meanwhile, President Obama and Democrats are saying "look at what I was handed. The fact is the economy was a disaster when it was handed to me and we had to make tough decisions."

So when voters head to the polls now on November 2nd, Fred, it's going to come down to this. Can Democrats convince enough Democrats to show up to vote in order to really try to stem what's expected to be some pretty tough losses for them? Fred.

WHITFIELD: Mark Preston, thanks so much from Tampa. Appreciate that.

All right. Well, it is indeed crunch time for the candidates with this last week looming, so it will be a whirlwind on the campaign trail as well. CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser is at the CNN politics desk in Washington. So what are we expecting this week? Who is going to be where?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: All the candidates, Fred, are going to be out. You got eight days left now, obviously, nine days actually today. So everybody is going to be out this week. Let's talk about some top surrogates because they often grab a lot of attention. We got a little map here that we made up of some of the democrats.

Let's start with the President, Barack Obama, of course, in Rhode Island tomorrow, helping Democrats there and then he's down for a couple of days here at the White House in Washington, but at the end of the week going back on the campaign trail with some crucial states. You're going to see the president in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Illinois and Ohio over next weekend. Some crucial races there, not only for the House and Senate but also governor's races.

What about the vice president. Well, Joe Biden is in Florida and New Hampshire tomorrow and for the vice president it will be his 100th campaign event of this midterm election season so he has been extremely busy, Fred. Later in the week the vice president is going to be all across the country as well and into next weekend and through probably election day on the 2nd.

Michelle Obama, the first lady, also very busy heading out west this week. Seattle, Washington and then San Francisco and L.A. in California, helping out with Barbara Boxer, the senator from Washington facing a tough race for re-election, as is Patty Murray in Washington, Barbara Boxer in California. Both of them facing tough re-elections. And then Michelle Obama will end up in Nevada today before the election.

And also it's not on the map but you can bet your bottom dollar that former President Bill Clinton will be everywhere he can be over the next week. He has been tireless on behalf of democratic candidates in the last couple of months, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And how about the Republicans?

STEINHAUSER: Oh, yes. There are some big names on the Republican side as well, and this is interesting. Starting on Tuesday, Haley Barbour, the Mississippi governor and also the head of the Republican Governors' Association, he is going to kick off a five-day 13-state tour. That's some serious travel. 13 states in five days. He's also going to be joined by some other top Republican governors out there, and let's keep our eyes on Sarah Palin. We may see her again. I'm pretty sure before this is all over.

WHITFIELD: That's probably an understatement. She travels a lot.

STEINHAUSER: Yes.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much. Appreciate it. Paul Steinhauser.

OK. Also, you can still catch a little bit of time this weekend before it's all over to catch a flick, how about Clint Eastwood's latest film, starring Matt Damon taking on the topic of life after death.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hate to bother you. I'm Mr. Andrews' neighbor. The great guy, mid-50s, who lost his life. I believe you recently did a reading for him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Our movie critics grades this weekend's new releases and Yoko Ono reveals the inspiration behind the beetles' hit "Strawberry Fields."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. No doubt about it. Feels like fall, very much in the air and on the trees there. Isn't that beautiful. Check out these photos from some of our iReporters. Leaves turning a brilliant red, orange, yellow. How gorgeous. Of course, when they do fall to the ground, that means it's going to be a little bit of extra work for all of us.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Pull out the rake, right?

WHITFIELD: Yes. So enjoy it while they are attached to the leaves.

JERAS: I love those I-reports.

WHITFIELD: It's kind of fun to run through all the leaves, isn't it?

JERAS: Oh, my gosh, yes. My kids could do it all day, rake them up, jump in it. Rake them up.

WHITFIELD: Jump in. That's fun. Hi, Jacqui.

JERAS: Hi Fred.

WHITFIELD: How are you?

JERAS: I'm good.

Speaking of leaves, awkward transition, kind of. We've got a big storm system out west, right, and one of the concerns with this storm system is that our winds are going to be really, really strong and there are still a lot of leaves on the trees out there and so that could mean that power outages are going to be a little more widespread because it adds that extra little weight, a little surface on those trees and that could help bring a little bit more down. So that's something we're going to be watching.

This is a really vigorous storm system. The strongest one we've seen so far this season. The first significant snowfall of the season for many people and it's kind of got a subtropical connection and look at how the cloud cover in this just river of moisture that's been making its way up towards the West Coast. This extends well beyond Hawaii. This extends well into the western parts of the Pacific Ocean.

So today we're getting heavy rain and we're getting heavy snow into the higher elevations. Winter storm warnings are in effect here, and we could see several inches of rain into the foothills which could be a little bit of problematic so we'll be watching that. The peak of those winds are going to be coming we think late tonight and into tomorrow morning and I think widespread 50-mile-per-hour winds in the valleys are going to be a real possibility with higher amounts, maybe even gusts up to 100 plus miles per hour in the ridge tops especially across the Sierras behind this system.

The snow looks beautiful. Are you ready for it? This is my happy spot of the day. I was dying for this picture. So thank you, KUSA, for providing this for us. This is the Loveland ski area just outside Denver and they opened up today, yes, the first ones in the country, so they say to open up. So that's some great news for a lot of people who are wanting to ski. So that's the bright side of this storm system.

Now we've got another storm system that we're watching, too, across parts of the (INAUDIBLE) region. There you can see a tornado watch has been issued. No warnings right now but we got some discreet super cells that looks like it may be developing in the area. So if there are any warnings, anything for you to be concerned about, of course, we'll pass that along to you. That system moves towards the east for tomorrow and we'll still be dealing with that windy wet weather, and by the way, that storm system is going to make its way all the way across the country and it will be affecting really everybody at one point or time.

I want to show you the latest on Richard which is now a hurricane, if you haven't been paying attention. Category 1 with 85-mile-per-hour winds, slamming into Belize and moving across the Yucatan peninsula, and that is going to be staying well clear, we think, of the United States and there you can see the forecast path. I also want to show you a couple of pictures. Remember Megi, the typhoon that slammed into the Philippines and Taiwan and caused massive flooding, well, hit China yesterday. Take a look at some of these incredible pictures. Dumped 13 inches of rain. You can see the huge waves in that area. At least 48 people now have been killed from this typhoon.

WHITFIELD: Beautiful image.

JERAS: It's inland now. So just bringing some rain but it's weakened rather significantly.

WHITFIELD: Those images are gorgeous even as frightening as the forces of nature are, and damaging, too. all right. Thanks, Jacqui, appreciate it. We'll see you again in the "chat room."

JERAS: "Chat room" is coming up.

WHITFIELD: Right around the corner. Good stuff coming up.

All right. Meantime, Yoko Ono, well, she's speaking out about her late husband John Lennon during what would have been a milestone month for the legendary singer. The former Beatle would have celebrated his 70th birthday October 9th. In an exclusive interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, Ono reflected on the impact of Lennon's life, legacy and his tragic death.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Can you talk a little bit about remembering how John lived as opposed to how he lost his life? Do you think about the day he died?

YOKO ONO, JOHN LENNON'S WIDOW: The day he died. Not always, no. That's one thing that I don't really want to know about. I mean, at the time, when I went to the hospital, and I was waiting and then the doctor came, and - and he was carrying something of John's, you know, like the rings, and that's when I thought ah, what is that, what is that, you know, just funny feeling about it and when he said, you know, he passed away I said "no, he didn't. He's alive," you know, and I was very, very upset about it, you know, and I just refused to think that he died.

COOPER: Do you still come here to Strawberry Fields often?

ONO; Well, you know, when I take a walk, I walk a lot because, you know, it's very good for your health and everything, so when I take a walk in the morning, of course, I pass here just checking, you know. Everything is all right, you know, that kind of thing, yes.

COOPER: What's your feeling when you come here?

ONO: Well, I feel good that I made this tribute to John. I mean this is a tribute to John, and I realized that it was very important to do it.

COOPER: I think a lot of people don't realize Strawberry Fields is actually a real place that John used to go to as a child.

ONO: You see, the thing is, John was raised by his aunt, Aunt Mimi, and his mother was somewhere else and his father was somewhere else and so Strawberry Fields was the orphanage right next to it and whenever, you know, he was a bad boy, Mimi would say, well, you better be there. I'm going to send you there.

COOPER: To the orphanage.

ONO: To the orphanage, and he so was really frightened by it.

COOPER: We all remember the day, the night he died and people coming spontaneously and thousands of people outside singing. Did you hear those songs?

ONO: Of course. Because I was - my bedroom was right in front of it. I'm right next to it and so all night I'm listening to them singing or sometimes they play the radio, and when John was singing, and when John is singing, it just made me feel strange because he's supposed to be in bed with me and then, you know, it wasn't very easy.

COOPER: Was it helpful? Did it make it harder.

ONO: It made it very hard, yes.

COOPER: And now, I mean, on his 70th birthday, what - what do you want people to celebrate? What do you want people to -

ONO: His spirit and the fact that there's so much that he gave to us and to sort of thank him and I know that people love him for what he has given them, you see, because he did give a lot.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Ono also predicted that had Lennon would be a social activist if he were alive today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can I ask you a question?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would it be OK if I told you the answer is no?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You don't even know what I was going to ask.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I do. You can ask me if I can do a reading for you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: OK. Now we're going to talk movies. That one right there, that clip from "Hereafter," the new film starring Matt Damon and directed by Clint Eastwood. A lot of buzz on this one and it's one of two releases that I'll be asking movie reviewer Pete Hammond about. He's joining us right now, actually from Los Angeles. Good to see you, Pete. PETE HAMMOND, MOVIE REVIEWER: Hi.

WHITFIELD: OK. "Hereafter," Clint Eastwood seems to have a Midas touch, does he not? I don't think he's had a bad movie, it seems that he's directed and here we go with another one. And already there's a lot of buzz. Why?

HAMMOND: Well, you know, Clint Eastwood, he is 80 years old and he's just cooking on all the front burners still. I think it's because he's got great taste. "Hereafter" is a really interesting look about what might happen after death but it's not a movie that necessarily is interested in giving us those answers.

It's just interested in asking the questions and it does it in a very unique way with a unique structure of three distinct stories that don't seem related for most of the film and they are all really fascinating, and they all deal with death or near death experiences here, and I think that Clint has touched on something that people are very interested in, and it's a very tasteful, very beautifully crafted film.

WHITFIELD: And so what's your grade?

HAMMOND: My grade is an "A" on this. You know, I have to give it to Clint. He's really become a master. Look, he was a great actor all those years, and then became an even greater director, and I think you have to give the guy a lot of credit.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

HAMMOND: This is a move for adults and something worth seeing.

WHITFIELD: Oh, fantastic. All right. Everybody loves Clint Eastwood. Let's look at now a sequel. "Paranormal Activity 2," let's take a quick peek. This might be my only look at it because I'm not going to see this one, no matter what you say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Camera on. My girlfriend Katie. She thinks there's something in the house.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You believe me, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we're going to have a very interesting time capturing whatever paranormal phenomenon is occurring or is not occurring.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And the only reason why I wouldn't see it is because I don't like scary movies that much but it might be great. What did you think? Did you like this one?

HAMMOND: You know, surprisingly, considering it's a sequel to the one that came out last year, I thought this was going to be like "Blair Witch 2," you know, a disaster. It actually is scarier than the first one and it takes off on the whole ghostly goings on and it's very primal, very visceral experience. It's all sort of seen through security cameras, and we feel like we're just sort of peeking into this home, this natural family home and seeing all these scary things that are happening, and I'll tell you. There are a lot of, a lot of scary moments. I will never look at a kitchen cabinet again the same way.

WHITFIELD: Oh, see, this is why I will not be seeing this movie. It's going to run it for me for everyday life. What was your grade on this?

HAMMOND: You know, it's a "B." It's a decent movie, and it's good, so I had fun.

WHITFIELD: That's impressive.

WHITFIELD: OK. All right. Let's talk about the next movie, and, of course, this, too, just in time for Halloween, but we have another movie that is actually opening on Halloween, and, well, the word alone conjures up, you know, those nasty grisly images. We're talking about "Saw," "Saw 3," right?

HAMMOND: Right. "Saw 3."

WHITFIELD: OK. Let's take a peek, sort of.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fear, suffering, death. You haven't seen anything yet. All of my work has been leading to this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And this has to make you scream because this is in 3-D.

HAMMOND: That's right. It's in 3-D, and, of course, they are not showing it to people like me, film critics. They don't want us to ruin the box office for next weekend, but you can't. You cannot possibly hurt a "Saw" movie. This is the seventh run in a row and they say it's the last one so I don't know what's going to happen to Jigsaw, the main character there. I suspect it may not be the last one if it makes a lot of money and of course, with those hyped box office prices for 3-D they will probably do very well on Halloween.

WHITFIELD: So wait a minute. 3-D costs you a little bit more? How much?

HAMMOND: Yes, yes. By about $2 or $3 per theater. Yes. They charge for those glasses. It's a way that the 3-D movies have made a lot more money than other movies coming out and it's totally because of those hiked box office prices.

WHITFIELD: Wow, even though this is the seventh one for "Saw," it's "Saw 3" because of the 3-D.

HAMMOND: Yes.

WHITFIELD: What was your grade on this one?

HAMMOND: Exactly. It's actually "Saw 7," you know, since I haven't seen it yet I will hold off and I won't grade it. We'll go in there with a fresh way.

WHITFIELD: OK. Makes sense. Yes, can't grade what you can't see but the trailer -

HAMMOND: That's right.

WHITFIELD: - is a thriller. Pete Hammond.

HAMMOND: Scary.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much. Good to see you.

HAMMOND: Happy Halloween.

WHITFIELD: Happy Halloween. Appreciate it, from L.A..

OK. So paying with cash at the grocery stores. That's something you do. Well, guess what? It may actually be good for your health. We'll tell you why in the "Chat room" right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: OK. What are the best cities for trick-or-treating? Talk about that in our "Chat room" in just one minute from now but first a look at our top stories.

Police in Southern California say a man was killed and his female partner is in critical condition after they tried to steal a copper wire from an electrical vault on a vacant property. The man was electrocuted and the woman severely burned when the vault exploited. Police say the couple apparently thought the power was turned off.

And health officials in Haiti are scrambling to keep an outbreak of cholera from spreading. The death toll is at least 253 and more than 3,000 are sick. The outbreak started north of Port-au-Prince, but several cases have already been confirmed now in the capital city.

Belize and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula are in the line of fire as Hurricane Richard churns in the Caribbean. The storm is getting stronger, and right now the chief concern, heavy rain, that could trigger flash floods and mud slides.

And now time for the "Chat room." Jacqui Jeras and I here on the sofa.

JERAS: A kind of our therapy.

WHITFIELD: It is. And now apparently there's some new information that gives new inspiration to trying to acquire wealth.

JERAS: Yes.

WHITFIELD: You know, and it sounds very superficial, but really apparently it might promote some longevity in your life. It also might mean that you are perhaps surrounded. You have more time and more freedom to eat well and be surrounded well by your friends and family and there's a real correlation between the wealth and your longevity because of a hormone that is produced in your body.

JERAS: Right. So it may be genetic. It's not your fault.

WHITFIELD: Well, it's genetic, and it also depends on the activity. The time that you have for activity like exercise and eating well. It helps produce this hormone called DHEAS.

JERAS: It's a natural steroid that's produced in your body, and people who have more of it tend to be wealthier. They tend to exercise more, have more hobbies, have closer relationships, like everything, right?

WHITFIELD: Yes.

JERAS: Almost all the important things.

WHITFIELD: Exactly, but you've got to have, I guess the financial wherewithal to have the time for all these things, according to this study.

JERAS: Right.

WHITFIELD: But there are recommendations, according to this study, to try to improve your own life if wealth is not a factor. You just simply have to make more time for exercise and make more time to spend with people important to you so that you, too, can have benefit of this hormone produced in your body.

JERAS: Yes, it really is all about that, isn't? If you have time to exercise, you'll do it.

WHITFIELD: I know.

JERAS: And have time to do fun things, you'll do it, relax and get rid of the stress.

WHITFIELD: Look for those Zen moments that Josh always try to help us find in our viral videos. And that's coming up a little bit later.

JERAS: Yes.

WHITFIELD: And then speaking of your health and your wealth, do you ever try to grocery shop with cash?

JERAS: I don't think I ever have.

WHITFIELD: Really ever?

JERAS: Almost never. Almost never. Maybe I'm just picking up one thing or two things, you know.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

JERAS: If it's under 10 bucks.

WHITFIELD: It is quite the challenge, but apparently there's another study out and its conclusion is when you grocery shop with cash, you're more apt to buy healthier things for your body because you're less likely to I guess get that kind of boost, unlimited spending that you might -

(CROSSTALK)

JERAS: Impulse buy or the Twinkies on the shelf.

WHITFIELD: Exactly. You were going to start calculating, OK, get this pound of apples here, you know and you start counting down with the kind of money that you have, and so you're more apt to buy more healthy for you. Isn't that interesting?

JERAS: It is.

WHITFIELD: I don't know if it's true.

JERAS: Well, it kind of surprises me, well, maybe grocery store is different than like say if I'm going out to lunch or if I'm really having a busy day and if I have five bucks I'm going to McDonald's. If I have a credit card I'm going to Panera, you know?

WHITFIELD: That's interesting, too, true. You may think you're going to stretch your dollar more by going for the cheap and the cheap might not necessarily mean the healthiest.

JERAS: Yes, I don't know.

WHITFIELD: I think they were talking about grocery shopping. That's a bigger thing.

JERAS: Yes, yes.

WHITFIELD: I think I can see where they are coming from.

JERAS: Yes, you only have $5 you're going to get the vegetables that you need as opposed to grabbing the vegetables and some granola bars.

WHITFIELD: It's a personal test. Maybe we should test it all. Take some cash, $50, $100, whatever you use to grocery shop, and see if you spend your money differently.

JERAS: I bet you do. I bet you spend less.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: We can test out that effective and see if they know what they are talking about.

JERAS: Yes, I love that. Bring all the coupons this time of year.

WHITFIELD: Halloween season.

JERAS: Love it, Zillow.com, I don't know if you've been on their web site but they came out with a list of the top 20 Halloween trick or treat cities.

WHITFIELD: Where?

JERAS: And there was actually a little science involved in here, it had to do with things like the wealthier neighborhoods. It had to do with the distance between houses, right, which impacts.

WHITFIELD: The density.

JERAS: How much loot you're going to get and the crime rate too.

WHITFIELD: And how hard you have to work for candy.

JERAS: Safety is key. Number one city, Seattle.

WHITFIELD: Interesting.

JERAS: Seattle, Washington.

WHITFIELD: They are densely populated. Talking about Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Milwaukee.

JERAS: San Francisco is number two and Portland is number three and San Jose four and Denver five and then you get into the Midwest, Chicago seven, Boston eight, Vegas nine and D.C. is ten so you can go to zillo.com if you want to know where your city rates. But the key to me is not the city, it's the neighborhood.

WHITFIELD: It's all about the chocolate.

JERAS: It is all about the chocolate. I tell my kids every year, forget the Smarties. Don't go for the Jolly ranchers, it is all about the chocolate. Bring it home to momma.

WHITFIELD: Has it ever happen to you where you are at the door and you are handing out the candy and the kids are like that's not what I want. The kids get choosey and picky and I'm like are you kidding me?

JERAS: Yes, they do it. Some of them do it, or if you just say take a few, they are like --

WHITFIELD: Yes, yes.

JERAS: Have you had that?

WHITFIELD: Usually I'll say just take three. I got to give a number because I've had that experience where I'll just, you know, hold the whole bowl and these fists come in and I'm all about giving but got to have something for the other kids that come.

JERAS: You do, and you need to have like one Butterfinger left over.

WHITFIELD: Maybe next week we'll talk about the etiquette of Halloween trick-or-treating because there is etiquette.

JERAS: Nobody has a trick anymore, do they?

WHITFIELD: No, not really.

Maybe the trick was they were getting the fistfuls into the bowl.

JERAS: There you go.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jacqui thanks so much.

JERAS: Being in the "Chat Room," always a joy.

WHITFIELD: All right, African-American church leaders have fought for civil and human rights. Well, now they are waging war on debt. That story is straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. People are still dying from cholera in Haiti. Many more are getting sick, and now five cases have been confirmed in Port-au-Prince, the capital, a city still recovering from that massive earthquake. CNN's Paula Newton is about an hour north of there in Saint Marc. Paula, you are at ground zero, so to speak. What are you seeing?

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Just to give you a snapshot of what's going on here, I mean, it's later in the day but people continue to arrive at the entrance of this hospital. Fred, behind me they are supposed to be staying in an isolation area but the kind of medical help that they are getting is still quite crude but improving, we should stress. We've seen many, many children, you know, lying very weak desperately with their parents trying to rehydrate them with those kits and with some IVs.

Now what they are trying to do on the larger scale is to be able to prepare the country just to make sure that they are prepared if there is a cholera outbreak in other areas. That means upgrading sanitation and telling people how important it is for them to wash their hands and make sure they are drinking clean water and not to go into, some of the rivers around here which perhaps are now contaminated with cholera. Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Paula Newton thanks so much from Saint Marc there.

And now new worries about the link between hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer. We'll talk about the latest study's lead author.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Fighting the financial crisis from the pulpit. CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O'Brien examines personal debt in her new "Black in America" special, "Almighty Debt."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. DEFOREST "BUSTER" SOARIES, SR. PASTOR, FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH: Live within your means. People that don't manage their money wisely are not managing our lives wisely.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Soaries is the senior pastor at First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in central New Jersey, and he's on a crusade. He thinks black America has a new enemy. Is debt a bigger problem than racism?

SOARIES: Yes. Debt is a bigger problem than racism.

O'BRIEN: You didn't even hesitate?

SOARIES: There's no question to me that debt is a bigger problem than racism.

O'BRIEN: It's a provocative theory but Soaries stands by his claim.

SOARIES: One out of five of us has no bank account. We still do pay day loans. We still do rent to own, but, you see, we'll drive shiny cars and we will wear designer clothes and we have all of the appearances of doing well, but we won't admit that we're broke. Being in debt is slavery. When I'm paying last month's bills with next month's check, that's slavery. When I'm writing a check hoping that it doesn't bounce or when I pull up my credit card praying that it's not rejected, then I'm living in financial bondage.

O'BRIEN: It's a problem exacerbated in today's economy, the worst since the depression.

SOARIES: Bow our heads.

O'BRIEN: These longtime church members Doug and Mary Jeffries feel like they are living in financial bondage. They have refinanced their home twice and are now on the verge of foreclosure. They have turned to their pastor for help.

DOUG JEFFRIES, MEMBER, FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH: One day I just broke down. We were at a funeral at the church and then the Soaries in his unnamable style pulls up and said how you doing? I said I ain't doing so well today and he said what's going on and that's when I had to tell him what the deal was.

MARY JEFFRIES, MEMBER, FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH: Douglas kind of convinced me that he was going to ask anyway and I said well OK but I was reluctant.

O'BRIEN: Was it embarrassing?

M. JEFFRIES: Oh, yes, quite.

O'BRIEN: Why help Doug and Mary Jeffries? Super nice people, in a way they make enough money, they could just move to another place. SOARIES: You can't assume that a person is middle income and has problems; it is less impacted by their problems than a person of lower income that has problems.

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WHITFIELD: All right. Watch the rest of the Soledad O'Brien's "Black in America" special tonight "Almighty Debt" airs at 8:00 pm Eastern only on CNN.

All right. Millions of women still get hormone replacement therapy despite the long-standing evidence of a link to breast cancer. Well now there is a new study showing the procedure it is even riskier than we thought. Dr. Rowan Chlebowski, is the lead author of that study he joins us now from Los Angeles. Good to see you.

DR. ROWAN CHLEBOWSKI, ONCOLOGIST: Happy to be here.

WHITFIELD: Doctor, I'm wondering. Are you now saying that under no circumstances should any woman take this hormone replacement therapy because of these risks?

CHLEBOWSKI: Yes. Really can't go that far. I think there's a number of women who certainly have really limiting symptoms. I mean, they can't function unless they have these symptoms associated with menopause, hot flashes, night sweats controlled. Now what we did show, though, was that with additional follow up of the woman's health initiative trial, where we treated a large number of patients with estrogen plus progestin, we showed the breast cancers were increases and there were aggressive types of breast cancer also were increased and deaths from breast cancer were nearly doubled, so this is a very concerning thing. I think women who are on hormone therapy should consider talking to their doctors about stopping to see if they still need to take that therapy.

WHITFIELD: So if you are on it and your initial thought when you hear this information, you are saying forget it, I'm going to my doctor and I'm telling him or her I want to get off this completely, is it an issue of I guess the combination, the formula of this estrogen and progestin that you're taking?

CHLEBOWSKI: Yes. We tested only one combination which was estrogen plus progestin. Probably the progestin is the bad actor. Unfortunately, women who have a uterus must take the progestin to protect their uterus from endometrial cancer. So this only applies to women taking combined hormone therapy, now some have suggested other preparations of combined estrogen plus progestin would be safer but we don't have evidence that that's the case.

WHITFIELD: So what are the options then?

CHLEBOWSKI: Well, I think for -- the question is how severe should the symptoms be before you take therapy? About 15 to 20 percent of post-menopausal women in the United States are using hormone therapy whereas in Spain only 5 percent of the women are using hormone therapy so the threshold for the initiating therapy really differs as people make the individual judgments.

WHITFIELD: So this is a discussion you end up having with your doctor about how much can you handle the hot flashes or, you know, what these symptoms are that usually come with menopause, what your personal threshold, is and that means you're saying that really is up to the individual.

CHLEBOWSKI: Well, that's right. I think the women should really consider whether they want to start it, and if they are on it they should really consider stopping after a period of time, one year, two years, go to their doctor and say I'd like to stop the only consequence of stopping is if the symptoms may come back. We know over time that many, many women the symptoms abate and get less over time so I think it's good to test that out.

WHITFIELD: It's really an issue of comfort over degrees of cancer because there have been so many other studies that say there's already the link between this hormone replacement therapy and cancer but now you're saying it's the degree of cancer, and I need to weigh that with your personal comfort.

CHLEBOWSKI: Yes. I think the other way to look at it is we've previously shown that this same preparation increases deaths from lung cancer so when you say taking estrogen plus progestin for five and a half years increased death from the two leading cause of cancer deaths in women it sounds like one should give serious consider before initiating such therapy.

WHITFIELD: Dr. Rowan Chlebowski thank you so much from Los Angeles, appreciate that. It's already been confusing for a lot of women, and do you have a sense as to whether this offers more clarity, or does it make it even that much more difficult of a choice for women?

CHLEBOWSKI: Well, I think it raises the bar and makes it a more difficult choice, but I think it will also engage the medical community to take some of these issues more seriously perhaps than they had been previously in the past.

WHITFIELD: Doctor, thanks so much from Los Angeles.

CHLEBOWSKI: You're more than welcome.

WHITFIELD: All right. Politics up next. Harry Reid is locked in a tight battle for his Senate seat but he's still talking tough. Your CNN political update next.

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WHITFIELD: All right. Count them, just nine days until the mid-term elections so we want to get you caught up with the developing stories from the campaign trail. Here's what's crossing now on the CNN political ticker. Harry Reid says he's confident heading into the final week of campaigning in Nevada. He told CNN's senior White House correspondent Ed Henry that he's happy friends like President Obama and Vice President Biden have been in Nevada to lend their support. He says their interest is not a sign that he is in trouble. First Lady Michelle Obama will also be in that state on election eve.

And Jerry Brown is widening his lead in the race for California governor. A new poll from USC and the "L.A. Times" shows Brown sporting a 13-point lead over Republican Meg Whitman. His biggest boost may be coming from Hispanic voters who favor Brown over Whitman by 36 percent.

And Alaskans will get to hear from their Senate candidates during a debate tonight. Right now it looks like a battle between Republicans Joe Miller and Lisa Murkowski. The incumbent Murkowski is running as a write-in candidate after losing in the primary to Miller. Miller is backed by the Tea Party Movement.

The bedbug outbreak in New York claims an unexpected casualty.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know somebody that broke up?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why? Can you tell me more about the story?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because they are scared to death about bugs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And they broke up why?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She wouldn't date him because he had bedbugs.

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WHITFIELD: Singer Celine Dion is a mother again. She gave birth to twin boys by caesarean section at a Florida hospital. Doctors say the babies were healthy even though they were premature.

And forget the fear of sexually transmitted disease. There's a new romance killer in town, at least if the town is New York City. As Richard Roth reports, bedbugs are killing sex in the city.

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RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Stacie Handwerker is always on the lookout for a good man.

STACIE HANDWERKER, REAL ESTATE ATTORNEY: Cheers.

ROTH: But for Stacie and millions of other singles in New York looking for love, there's a new fear to add to romance anxieties.

HANDWERKER: I was dating a guy, and he asked me, he said do you have bedbugs in your apartment because if you do you won't be seeing me. I love you, but I miss you.

ROTH: Love now means never having to itch.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know someone who broke up. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why, can you tell more about the story?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because they are scared to death of bugs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And they broke up why?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She wouldn't date him because he had bedbugs and she freaked out and she's like I'm out.

DONNA BARNES, LIFE & DATING COACH: Bedbugs are definitely a very creepy aspect to dating at this point.

ROTH: Relationship coach Donna Barnes saw one client who admitted to having bedbugs.

BARNES: She was horrified and if that's the case then you're better off to not date for a little while and to clean out the problem before you then go out.

TIMOTHY WONG, M&M ENVIRONMENTAL: I have here some samples of bedbugs, dead bedbugs.

ROTH: Tim Wong is the exterminator. His company is getting more calls.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, I know it's a shot when you first have bedbugs but half the city does so you're not alone.

ROTH: Calls with a boy versus girl blame game. You exterminated that had relationship.

WONG: I did not exterminate that relationship. I got rid of the bedbugs but I wasn't able to salvage that relationship.

ROTH: So I guess it is bedbugs are now given a new meaning when a woman might say to a man you are really starting to bug me.

For some the prospect of bedbugs is even scarier than a sexually transmitted disease.

HANDWERKER: Condoms can't protect you from bedbugs. That I think is for sure.

ROTH: With couples of all kinds embedded at night it's the female bedbug who seems to have the most fun.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Chase me. Mate with me. Seduce me. Actress Isabella Rossellini captured bedbug sex in her Sundance channel film series.

WONG: And they can go on to this whole cycle of to about 100 to 150 eggs before they need to mate again so it's actually not fun being male bedbugs because they don't get to mate for at least another six more months.

ROTH: Does the female at least get to have a cigarette after? It is love and fear at first bite warns another bug company. Who is worried more then when you get under the sheets?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Men and women are different. A woman would care if a man had bedbugs but a man if he met a hot girl probably wouldn't care if she had bed bugs.

ROTH: Confirmed further down the bar.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come back to my place.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right. Let's toast to bed burgs.

ROTH: Richard Roth, CNN, New York.

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