Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Three People Killed in Midwest Flash Floods; Striking Verizon Workers Get New Contract; American Hikers Sentenced to Eight Years In Iranian Prison; Pope Visits Madrid for World Youth Day; Congressional Black Caucus Holds Job Fair; Congressional Black Caucus Calls on President to Help Black Community; How Deadly is Yosemite National Park?

Aired August 20, 2011 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM where the news unfolds live this Saturday, August 20th. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Three people were killed as flash floods swept through Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, last night. A car with a mother and two children inside was swept away. Flooding was so bad rescuers couldn't see the vehicle until the water receded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAY DEMICHIEI, PITTSBURGH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: We were right over top of the vehicle that unfortunately the victims were in and never knew they were there. I mean, the bottom of the boat would scrape against the top of the car.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And another person is still missing. Police say 11 people climbed trees to escape rushing water that was nine feet deep in some places.

In Wisconsin, strong winds flipped cars and big trucks and cars onto their sides. The high winds damaged buildings and snapped dozens of trees in half. One man died when the roof of his trailer collapsed. The National Weather Service is sending crews to determine if a tornado touched down. More storms are expected today. We'll check in with Jacqui Jeras at the half hour.

And striking Verizon workers head back to work on Monday night without a new contract. But the company and unions have agreed to keep negotiating until a new agreement is reached. Negotiators say they have made headway on a number of issues holding up the deal. Among them, benefits, work flexibility, and job security. The contract that expired earlier this month will be in effect until those issues are resolved.

And Vice President Joe Biden wraps up an official visit to China this weekend. This is his arrival in Shanghai earlier today. Most of his meetings so far have focused on the U.S. debt crisis and business issues. But he says it is important for officials at the highest levels to keep relations open and honest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: Only friends and equals can serve each other by being straightforward and honest with them about the perceived injustices, the perceived tilting of a playing field.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Vice President Biden arrived in China on Wednesday. He departs tomorrow.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is on a trip to eastern Russia. He and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev are scheduled to sit down for talks. There's no word on what the talks will be about. Ahead of the visit Russia announced it is sending 50,000 tons of wheat to North Korea to help with that country's food shortage.

And dramatic new security camera video shows a different perspective on the riots in the U.K. earlier this month. British police say the footage shows masked, hooded troublemakers firing at unarmed officers. It was filmed in Birmingham, England. Police believe the group intended to set fire to a local pub there. At least 11 shots were fired at police.

And another major story we're following today, the fate of two American hikers detained in Iran. Iran state run television says Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer have been sentenced to eight years in prison. The men were charged with spying and illegal entry.

CNN's Susan Candiotti has been covering this story for many months now and joins us live from New York. What more can you tell us about this?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, certainly that this has been a grueling ordeal for the families of the hikers as they are learning this news today. Again, this is being reported by state run media, and specifically a judiciary source talking with them, telling them that the two hikers that remain in prison now, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal have been sensed, as you said to eight years. It is five years for spying, as they put it, the words, cooperating with the American intelligence service, and three years each for illegally crossing the border into Iran.

Now, this information, according to the lawyer for the hikers, they have not officially -- he's not officially been told this yet. So he's still waiting for that. Until then he's withholding comment. Same thing goes for the families.

We have been reaching out to them consistently since this morning and they're remaining silent.

It is not unusual for them to not say anything at first when there is a major development. First they like to get their ducks lined up, certainly try to confirm the information before saying anything. Now, we also have this from the State Department, a spokesperson issued a statement saying, we are working to confirm these reports and are in contact with the Swiss protecting power to obtain more information. We have repeatedly called for the release of Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal. Remember, the Swiss ambassador is the intermediary between the United States with Iran since the U.S. has no diplomatic relations with that country.

You know, the last time, Fred, we saw the families publicly was just a few week ago at the end of July at the end of the trial. They came to New York to stage a rally in front of the Iranian mission and told people that they wanted the world to know that the hikers have their full support, of course. But this is devastating news for them today.

WHITFIELD: It is indeed. Thanks so much, Susan Candiotti in New York.

Other news overseas, rebel forces in Libya say they are now in control of the city of Zawiya as well as the strategic oil refinery there. It could be a matter of days before they advance on Tripoli. That's where our senior international correspondent Matthew Chance is.

So, Matthew, with night falling, are people fearful of what potentially may come next?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think if they're fearful of anything at the moment, it is the intensive nature of air strikes that continue to hit at various targets around Libya today. NATO said it hit radar installations, other military installations, antiaircraft guns as well.

But the truth is when these targets are struck they're often placed in residential areas. So the residents of the local area are also affected, subject to those terrifying noises as well as, of course, the obvious dangers. So that's the main fear on the minds of people in Tripoli tonight.

In terms of will the rebels advance on Tripoli, they're still a way off. They're still battling for control. It is now more or less under the control of the rebel forces, but there are still skirmishes under way we understand in the east of the city. And so the battle is somewhere with the rebels. It is somewhere else, not in Tripoli tonight.

WHITFIELD: And what about Colonel Moammar Gadhafi? His whereabouts?

CHANCE: Well, I don't know in short. We haven't seen him for quite a while for at least a couple of weeks. But he does make regular addresses to his supporters who regularly gather in the main square in central Tripoli.

The assumption is that he is in the city, in hiding somewhere, in a bunker, who knows. Perhaps he moves around. But certainly we haven't seen him. There are all these rumors, of course, Fredricka, that he's planning to leave Libya as the situation deteriorates in terms of the military campaign.

But officials that we have spoken to here in Tripoli, they categorically deny that. They say that Colonel Gadhafi intends to stay here, he's got no intention of fleeing to an Arab country as many of the rumors have suggested.

But, you know, who knows what negotiations are going on behind closed doors? Certainly the country's foreign minister spoke to us a few days ago saying he believed there would be some kind of peaceful solution to this crisis. And whether or not that means that Colonel Gadhafi's exile will be part of any bargain with the rebels, we just don't know, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Matthew Chance in Tripoli, thank you.

World Youth Day is happening right now in Madrid, Spain. Hundreds of thousands of young people are taking this pilgrimage. Do you know when the first World Youth Day actually took place? We'll tell you right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A sea of pilgrims greets Pope Benedict XVI for today's mass at Madrid's cathedral. It's the final weekend of World Youth Day. The first official youth day was in 1986 in Rome. The Catholic festival brings together nearly one million pilgrims.

CNN's Al Goodman is in Madrid -- Al.

AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka.

In the recent minutes, the Pope in his Pope-mobile has been heading from Madrid city to a military air base on the west side of the city where most of those people you just referred to, up to a million people, hundreds of thousands according to the aerial pictures, of pilgrims in for World Youth Day and many other Spaniards who congregated there are waiting for a prayer vigil this night due to start in just about 20 minutes.

The heat here has been intense and reports say 700 of those people at the air base have need medical attention. There is a lot of need for water right now. But the high point of this weekend is having -- happening just about now. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Al, how did the crowds compare?

GOODMAN: Well, each of these World Youth Days, the last one was in Sydney, and before that in cologne, they seem to have gathered more and more steam as more and more young people, fervent young Catholics, they raise money from their parishes, friends and families to make this trip. And there is a whole week long of activities, nine speeches alone by the Pope himself and three homilies or sermons at masses. So they're hearing a lot from the holy father. They're really getting a pep talk, if you will, on the Catholic religion.

WHITFIELD: All right, Al Goodman, thanks so much, from Madrid, Spain.

Combing writing, acting, and learning in one classroom -- it is happening in one San Francisco school. CNN educator -- education contributor Steve Perry takes us inside in this week's Perry's principles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR: 826 National is a literacy organization with eight chapters across the country. Today we're at the original location in San Francisco called 826 Valencia. Here kids get tutoring, attend creative writing workshops, and watch their own books get published.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What you doing there?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There you go.

PERRY: And did I also mentioned its housed in a pirates supply store? These kids are writing a story for a grumpy pirate named Mr. Blue.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We promised them they could write a story. Can we please try?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It better be a good story. It better be exciting and suspenseful.

PERRY: 826 Valencia also offers one-on-one tutoring in any subject students need help with, host fieldtrips, and has a special focus on working with students with parents who don't speak English at home. Today, they're all about creative writing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Or it could be a crocodile mixed with an iguana.

PERRY: And you are helping kids in this community use writing to do what?

GERALD RICHARDS, CEO, 826 NATIONAL: It all begins with writing. And so you have to build from that sort of basis. And so the students that we work with, if their writing is great, it follows that everything else they would do from English to math to science.

PERRY: And how much are they paying for this?

RICHARDS: It is all free.

PERRY: Wow. How do you pay for that?

RICHARDS: A lost fundraising.

PERRY: Yes.

RICHARDS: A lot of the goodwill of the community. We work with a lot of foundations, corporations. PERRY: 826 Valencia has nearly 1,700 active volunteers from all different types of careers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You think that's going to be a good story so far?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think there is a lost potential there. I like what I'm hearing so far.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Excellent. All right, let's get back to work, guys.

PERRY: Steve Perry, San Francisco.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Whether you've lost your job or lost your 401(k) in the recent market plunge, we have the information on rebuilding your finances. That's next in our financial fix.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: It is the number one issue in American homes, getting your financial house in order. Well, today in our weekly financial fix, rebuilding your finances after losing a job. Joining us from Dallas is Eric Amado, the CEO of Amado consulting. So Eric slowly people are returning to work if they can find that job. So what is that first thing they need to do after they may have exhausted all their credit card, all their savings because they have been out of work?

ERIC AMADO, CEO, AMADO CONSULTING: Absolutely. If you can find a new job in this economy, congratulations. But let's talk about a couple of things you want to do to get your financial footing back on track.

First of all, you want to redo the family budget. You want to look at your income, look at your expenses. Don't look at what you made in the past, look at what you're making now.

And don't overspend. You're excited about a new job, you want to do well, but you can also be in a situation where you might overspend. So don't do that. Also look at enrolling in your 401(k) plan if your company offers one.

WHITFIELD: Right away.

AMADO: Maybe you can't do 15 percent to 10 percent but you can do one percent and if you can do the match, that's money you're leaving on the table if you don't do that. And of course you want to look at starting your emergency fund, which is very, very important.

WHITFIELD: You want to do that right off the bat, start saving for that rainy day even though you're happy about getting the new job. Is the recommendation still trying to save eight months? AMADO: Yes, six to eight months. It is very, very tough to do. For example, if your expenses are $1,000 a month, you want to save between $6,000 and $8,000. You want to put it in a checking account, saving account or money market fund. You don't want to put it in the stock market because it goes up and down. Basically you want that money to be liquid.

WHITFIELD: OK. So when you're out of work and a lot of folks who are working but just not getting enough money and enough cash, they have been maxing out those credit cards. So now you're looking at a little stability with that new job or new paycheck. How do you try and crackdown on that credit card debt? Where do you begin? It can be so overwhelming when you're looking at all these maxed out cards.

AMADO: Absolutely. That's a great question. What I like to tell people to do is start from the smallest balance to the largest balance.

WHITFIELD: Why?

AMADO: For example, if you have $100, $200, $300, you start with the $10 balance, you get that knocked out, then go to the $200, then to the $300. The reason why I like to start that way is because you build momentum and you don't get frustrated. Sometimes you start with the biggest balance, you might get frustrated. Do it that way and you will be successful.

WHITFIELD: OK. So now what about, you know, making a little time for fun. Folks get a new job, they're getting serious, paying all the bills and they feel like, gosh, I got to reward the family after having been through so much. How do you do that? How do you get a little fun, squeeze a little fun in there without, again, breaking the bank?

AMADO: Absolutely. Well, if you just got a new job and been off for a while, you don't want to take a Mediterranean cruise. But you can do a stay-cation somewhere closer around your house. You can go on a small trip, maybe you want to drive instead of flying. But do some things, be creative, but also don't splurge, because, remember, you try to get your financial footing back on track.

And do something fun with the family, and, you know, since you got a new job, it is a great thing and good luck to you.

WHITFIELD: Eric Amado, always great advice, thanks so much, coming to us from the big D today. Have a great rest of the weekend.

And you can get more information from Eric by going to his Web site at AmadoConsultingllc.com.

After serving nearly two decades behind bars, three Arkansas men finally taste freedom. Were they wrongly convicted or wrongly freed? The case of the West Memphis Three next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: They spent nearly two decades behind bars, convicted of brutal murders they say they didn't commit. Now after a tricky legal maneuver, the so-called West Memphis Three finally have their freedom back. But it didn't come without a cost.

CNN's David Mattingly reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: After more than 18 years behind bars, the men known as the West Memphis Three find that freedom has a bitter taste.

JASON BALDWIN, WEST MEMPHIS THREE DEFENDANT: This is not justice. In the beginning, we told them we were innocent and they sent us to prison for the rest of our lives. And we had to come here. The only thing that was safe was, hey, we'll let you go if you admit guilt. And that's not justice no matter how you look at it.

MATTINGLY: In a complicated deal, Jason Misskelley, Jr. Damien Echols, and Jason Baldwin get out of prison to proclaim their innocence, but only after admitting that the prosecution has evidence that could convict them. The West Memphis Three go free, but not free of the word "murderer."

DAMIEN ECHOLS, WEST MEMPHIS THREE DEFENDANT: It is not perfect. It is not perfect by any means. But at least it brings closure to some areas and some aspects. We can still bring up new evidence and continue the investigations we have been doing. We can still try to clear our names. The only difference is now we can do it from the outside instead of having to sit in prison and do it.

MATTINGLY: And after their entire young adult lives spent in prison, what next? They have the support of celebrities, like Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, who was inside the courtroom when they were set free. They also have the relentless hatred of some of the families of the murdered children. In this outburst a father yells out to the judge he is opening a Pandora's Box.

JUDGE DAVID LASER, CRAIGHEAD COUNTY, ARKANSAS: I don't think it will make the pain go away to the victims' families. I don't think it will make the pain go away to the defendant families. I don't think it will take away a minute of the 18 years that these three young men served in the Arkansas department of corrections.

MATTINGLY: Prosecutors say the case is closed. They have their killers and their guilty pleas. But others, including the father of one of the murdered boys, say they still want answers.

JOHN MARK BYERS, FATHER: I've been on their side and I've been fighting for them hard since 2007 when I realized I was wrong. And I had to make many amends to people. But I'm still standing and fighting for justice, because they're innocent. They did not kill my son.

MATTINGLY: The West Memphis Three, saved from a lifetime behind bars, now facing a lifetime of questions.

David Mattingly, CNN, Jonesboro, Arkansas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Uncertainty is swirling this weekend about the near future plans for Moammar Gadhafi. A government spokesman says a long time Libyan leader isn't going anywhere despite rebel claims that Gadhafi is asking the governments of several other countries for refuge.

CNN's Sara Sidner is in Libya today where she saw rebels fighting for the last large city before reaching Tripoli.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP))

SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There was quite a bit of celebrating going on in the city today. But what you see when you go into the city square is destruction everywhere. There is a hotel that was quite a nice hotel. It is completely bombed out inside. All the windows are missing. Pieces of building have been blown away. There is an administration center which is collapsed. And so we saw a lot of damage. It was very similar to what we saw in Misrata though on a much smaller scale because this battle only went on for a few days as opposed to a couple of months.

U.S. officials say Gadhafi may be preparing for a last stand in Tripoli.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Two Americans locked up in Iran on spying charges learned today that they have each been sentenced to eight years in prison. Iranian officials say the two men crossed the border from Iraq illegally.

CNN's Reza Sayah is watching developments in this case for us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is obviously a very bad news for the parents of Joshua Fattal and Shane Bauer who were hoping the ordeal for their sons would be over. And I think it is a verdict that would surprise a lot of people outside the U.S. who were expecting the two individuals to be released after they spent more than two years in prison in Iran for waiting for this very lengthy case to be completed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A third American was arrested along with Fattal and Bauer. The Iranians released her last year due to medical reasons.

And more than 1,800 motorcyclists are riding up the northeast coast this weekend honoring 9/11 victims. The convoy started in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, yesterday. It will end at Ground Zero in New York tomorrow. The 10th annual ride passed the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. on its tour of all three 9/11 crash sites.

In Indiana, a community is saying goodbye to a hero. Funeral services were held today for 49-year-old Glen Goodrich, one of the six victims to die in last week's stage collapse at the Indiana state fair. Goodrich's mother says her son saved the lives of a woman and child who were near the stage when it fell. Goodrich leaves behind a wife and two sons himself.

Three people were killed at flash floods swept through Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, last night. A car with a mother and two children inside was swept away. Flooding was so bad rescuers couldn't see the vehicle until the water receded. And one other person is still missing. Jacqui Jeras in the weather center now. This takes flash flooding to a whole new level.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I know. It's so sad to hear about that. You never want to get too close to that water. You never know --

WHITFIELD: Nine feet of water, some nine feet deep in some places?

JERAS: Right. It is hard to tell how deep it is when you approach it. You might think there is only this much on the road, right? You don't know if the road is washed out beneath it or how deep it could be. So you never, never drive through it.

And flash flooding will continue to be a problem throughout the weekend across parts of the Midwest and into the northeast. We have a really strong storm system that is moving through here. It is bringing in some great refreshing weather behind it, but first we have got to get through the nasty stuff. And that's heavy downpours in addition to a lot of lightning and some wind damage as well.

These are the storms that we're keeping our eye on right now. They move through the Chicago land area earlier this morning. We'll take you into that area and show you that we have now got a severe thunderstorm watch. Most of these storms have been producing as much as an inch of rain at a time as it comes down and in addition to maybe a little bit of small hail.

Now Chicago has a big outdoor venue event going on this weekend, the air and water show. And that has been a concern because more than a million people are expected to show up for that. The weather that moved through did cause them to delay the show, and Megan Carlow has more details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MEGAN CARLOW, JOURNALIST: As quickly as the air and water show began, it was delayed. As the U.S. Army Golden Knight Parachute team was landing, weather was moving in.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They told us to wait half an hour and find shelters.

CARLOW: Thousands huddled under tents, umbrellas, and castaways awnings, waiting for the rain and lightning to stop.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lightning, raining pretty hard now. So hopefully it stops.

CARLOW: But it didn't stop. The weather turned severe, a downpour with wind gusts and lots of lightning. People were soaked from head to toe. Many chose to go home, planning to come back Sunday. But some were determined to stick it out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, go home. We're going to wait it out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JERAS: Dangerous situation unfolding this morning in Chicago. And joining us on the phone is John Trick, the director of operations for the Chicago Air and Water Show.

John, thanks for joining us.

Tell us what kind of measures did you take to help keep people safe during this situation this morning?

JOHN TRICK, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, CHICAGO AIR AND WATER SHOW (via telephone): We're putting on right now the weather is clearing up. We're about to start our show back up. But we did go into a shutdown for a while on site here at the Air and Water Show. We have all of our city agencies. We have a full command support unit here with police, fire, OEMC, the Coast Guard, a lot of our federal partners also.

And as soon as the front started to develop, we started warning the crowd that the approaching front was coming in. And then we knew it would get heavy and hit us directly, we evacuated the area. We have got our beach house and we have got a large viaduct area and we moved the public into those various areas until the storm passed.

JERAS: Do you feel the people were there responded to that call for evacuation?

TRICK: You're breaking up. You're coming in very soft right now.

JERAS: Sorry. Do you think people heeded your warning? Did they take cover and a lot of people got out of harm's way?

TRICK: Yes. The public did. We have a system that covers the whole area here. And they did seek shelter. And they cleared the beach house and the viewing areas. And they went into the beach house and the boathouse and this is our viaduct area. Everyone was safe. And everyone was sound. And most people are back on the beach right now and we're going to start flying planes in a few minutes here.

JERAS: And you guys had plans in place ahead of time, being this is one of the largest and oldest free events of its kind in the world.

TRICK: That's correct. We are the oldest free air and water show in the country. And with the city of Chicago we have emergency plans and contingency plans for all of the events that we produce here. We work hand and hand from day one with all of our agencies. And they're all on site. We have a whole command center here on site that monitors everything from weather to traffic, everything going on around here. And they're all part of the actual planning and decision-making here.

So when we do run into a situation like the weather today, we have all of our main agencies with us, police, fire, OEMC, the FAA, so forth. And we make sure we move in one decision all the way through.

JERAS: Great. It sounds like everybody made it safe and you guys --

TRICK: -- they're flowing back in right now and it is time to start the show.

JERAS: The show goes on. Tomorrow, don't worry about storms. You have another show tomorrow, right?

TRICK: It will be a great day for us, yes.

JERAS: All right, thanks very much, John Trick, director of operations with the air and water show there in Chicago, Illinois. Things looking a lot better. So many people concerned and a lot of people have outdoor venues, concert, air show, all kinds of stuff this time of year. And what happened in Indiana, so tragic last week, it's great to hear a good story where people made it out safe.

WHITFIELD: It is. Weather pretty volatile there. Apparently the weather is quite nice in the west coast where, did you hear, there is a big old wedding planned?

JERAS: Yes, Kim.

WHITFIELD: That's right. One word, Kim. That's it. You know all about it. Kim Kardashian, a "celebutante," as some like to refer to her, big old wedding taking place. The "Keeping up with the Kardashians" reality star is expected to marry NBA player Chris Humphries right there. A little kiss there. The lavish nuptials will take place in Santa Barbara, California, where, as we understand, the weather is good, right? A four hour special is planned to air on E! in October because some folks feel like they can't get enough. They want to see it from start to finish.

Even through the weekend, hundreds of people are working to get a job.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the Web, you're sitting in front of the computer, four, five hours, trying to find out the jobs that are available.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After like a month or so you start to feel like, you know, is there any hope? Is anybody even looking at your profile online? And there are not many responses you get back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is my job to get a job. And I'm going to get one. I'm going to find one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The long search for a new career next in the Newsroom.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: As the economy remains flat and there is talk of another recession, thousands of people are searching for jobs. On Thursday, many job seekers braved the southern heat and stood in line for hours at a job fair in Atlanta. The event was sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus.

California Representative Maxine Waters, a member of the caucus, says the president needs to do more to help the African-American community since the unemployment rate for African-American men is in the double digits. Here's what some job seekers had to say about the president's efforts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He had to give the money to Wall Street as opposed to giving it to jobs. And now that that has happened, the rich have gotten richer and the poor have gotten poorer, now we see the backlash of that, what we see here today.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the president has a lot on his hands. I understand a lot of people have that thing, since he's black, he should be helping out his people. But just because he's the president doesn't mean he can always be there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think his priorities are to make sure that we -- he tackles all the issues that are facing America and not just black America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Earlier this week I spoke to Representative Waters about her comments, asking the president to show more commitment to blacks. Here's part of our conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REP. MAXINE WATERS (D), CALIFORNIA: What I said is this -- we love the president. The people love the president. They are reticent to confront the president or to do anything that would make it appear that they don't support him.

And so you have seen African-Americans be extremely patient as they have tried to find jobs and to deal with this misery. And so what I was saying to them is we have got to put a face on it, we have got to not only talk about what we're doing in the Congressional Black Caucus, but we've got to let the president know that we're behind him.

Don't back up from the Tea Party. Stand up and fight them. Don't give in to them. Don't make deals with them because you're trying to get along. We want the president to know that he's got a lot of people behind him, and we want him to be strong, we want him to fight. And they're saying increasingly, yes, we're hurting. We are even are getting angry. Let the president know that we want him to be tough.

WHITFIELD: Just a moment ago, we spoke with the job seeker who was there at that job fair, Johanna Hill (ph), she said what frustrates her most is this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This job thing is affecting all of us. It doesn't matter, white, black, Republican, democrat, Tea Party, I mean, come on, guys, we're all adults here. I don't understand where all the bickering -- if we can't sit at a table and make a decision, I mean, there is a lot of things that can be done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And she elaborated further, talking about the kind of bickering that is taking place in Congress. So she is among those who are saying that there are a lot of people here who are standing in the way of some progress and she points to government, congressional members as well.

WATERS: Well, first of all, let me say this, a lot of people are hurting. We want everybody to be helped. It just so happens that the African-American community has the highest unemployment in the nation. It is the worst since the great depression -- 16 percent, 35 percent to 40 percent in some communities where unemployment has been bad for a long time. So we are unique in terms of the pain that we're feeling in our community.

And yes we want the president to help everybody just as he's helping the rural community. When he rolled out in the past few days he went to small towns and rural communities and he went with plan, and that is to invest money in those rural communities and to develop jobs. We like that, and we want the rural poor to be attended to. But we also want the urban poor to be attended to. That's all we're saying.

WHITFIELD: So when the president is to unveil more extensively his plan for the economy come mid-September, and apparently in that plan there may be some tax incentives to employers who would hire, how does the congressional black caucus or how about you personally, congresswoman, want to help the president craft a plan that would include everyone at the table?

WATERS: Well, we absolutely are going to have our input and to try and give the president some advice based on our experiences about what he can do for unemployment in this country. And, again, as I told you, just as the president focuses on the rural unemployment, or any other kind of special efforts that are made or whether it is with efforts such as dealing with gay and lesbian community, efforts such as dealing with Latino community, we want, in addition to the over you'll plan, to direct some effort toward the worst off communities.

If you have communities such as the black community where you have 16 percent unemployment translating into 35 percent and 40 percent, I think it is all right to ask that some special attention be given in addition to what you're doing in the rural communities and other places.

So, yes, we support an infrastructure bank that will create jobs, repair the roads and bridges and water systems. We support stimulating the economy with another stimulus plan. We support using the bully pulpit to call the banks in and tell them we bailed them out. And now they have got to put money back out to small businesses so they can create jobs. We're comprehensive in our approach. And we are speaking for all of the people that we represent and we're bringing attention to the people who are hardest hit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Congresswoman Maxine Waters.

Another member of the Congressional Black Caucus is John Lewis who says the president's focus should be on every unemployed American.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN LEWIS (D), GEORGIA: We must convince the president and urge the president, come to the large urban cities, not just in the northeast, but also in the heart of the American south. But also visit the southwest where hundreds and thousands of our brown brothers and sisters, Latinos cannot find work. Go and visit with Native Americans. We are all in the same boat, black, white, Latino, Asian- American, and Native American. We're one people, we're one family. We're one house. And we want to work with this president to create jobs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: He is not afraid to be a little different from his Republican rivals, and presidential candidate Jon Huntsman's not afraid to call them out either. Up next, what he's calling lunacy in the rest of the pack.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Now for a CNN Equals Politics update. Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman is taking some of his opponents to task. In an interview with CNN Huntsman ripped his rivals who spoke of risking a default in the nation's debt debate last month, saying they acted like lunatics.

Meantime, another member of Huntsman's campaign team resigned Friday.

And Texas Governor Rick Perry is running for president on a message of smaller government. But when it comes to immigration, he says Washington is not doing enough. At a campaign stop on Friday, he said it is a shame that his state has had to spend so much on border security.

And it is the TV walk-off everyone is talking about now. Now a conservative media critic is weighing in as well. Brent Bozell says Christine O'Donnell had no right to reject Piers Morgan's questions Wednesday night. O'Donnell walked off after refusing her views on gay marriage. Bozell says conservatives only hurt themselves by defending her.

And for the latest political news, you know exactly where to go, CNNpolitics.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Jacqui Jeras with me now. Seeing is believing, right?

JERAS: Usually.

WHITFIELD: Usually.

JERAS: You'd think that.

WHITFIELD: Except when you know something's out there to play a little trick on the eye. Let's take a look. This has gone viral. People love to try to --

JERAS: They put the marble down there and they appear to be going up and just stopping at the top. So I saw this.

WHITFIELD: They're magnetic device? Or something like that?

JERAS: Yes. I was thinking magnets.

WHITFIELD: So now what happens when the camera angle changes and, uh-huh, maybe it is not right side up but it is upside down.

JERAS: Isn't that amazing. It does go down. It went with gravity.

WHITFIELD: That's is what you call an optical illusion.

JERAS: When they go back, it still looks up to me. I went pack and looked at it after the fact, thinking, OK, if I'm going to catch it this time.

There is a little slant there.

JERAS: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Interesting. Well, apparently this is so fascinating to a whole lot of people that it has gone viral per usual. This time, a million hits on this optical illusion alone. Play it over and over again.

JERAS: There is a link next to it you can click on to tell you how you can do that at home.

WHITFIELD: Really? That's a lot of work. It looks like it is going up.

JERAS: It does.

WHITFIELD: That's fun. All right, good. We love the viral video moments, something to play a little trick on the eyes.

JERAS: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: See you in a little bit at the weather wall.

JERAS: OK.

WHITFIELD: And later, many of you are just now heading out for your summer vacation. One favorite vacation spot, Yosemite Park -- here is a quiz for you. Which month has the most visitors? Could it be June, July, how about August or September? We'll have an answer after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: It is vacation month for many of you. In which month do people visit Yosemite National Park the most? August, with nearly 600,000 tourists. If you do go, you need to follow the rules says our Casey Wian.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A record number of people came to Yosemite Park last month. Unfortunately, too many of those visitors are unaware of the hidden dangers amongst all that beauty. Yosemite National park is known for its spectacular beauty, waterfalls, El Capitan and half-dome, the might Merced River. It's a place you can get as close to a bear as you dare. But the real problem is elsewhere arriving daily by car and busload.

KARI COBB, PARK RANGER: Those people who are living in those cities don't necessarily experience nature on a daily basis and don't quite understand the power of what nature can bring.

WIAN: So far this year, 16 people have died in Yosemite, about twice as many as normal.

SCOTT GEDIMAN, PARK RANGER: This is the most popular trail in Yosemite National Park. We have up to 2,000 a day going on this trial.

WIAN (on camera): This is known as the miss trail. Just 10 days ago, a 17-year-old hiker slipped and fell on these granite steps and died four days later at a hospital. A little bit further up the trail is the Vernal Fall. Just last month three people were swept over that massive waterfall to their death.

GEDIMAN: When literally 20 feet from the precipice, the group was up here. One of the males in the group basically lost his footing in the river and started to go down. One of the females in the group went to grab him. She lost her footing too. The third one went in after them. All three of them went over here and went right over Vernal Fall.

WIAN: Imagine the terror that the hikers felt and the people who were standing here watching them slide down this river and drop 317 feet straight down Vernal Fall.

(voice-over) A month later, search and rescue teams are still looking for two of the bodies. While five visitors have died this year from natural causes, the others were accidental and often entirely preventable. Rangers say visitors who hike slippery steep trails in flip-flops, climb over safety rails to get better pictures, or swim in water above a waterfall are a constant problem.

BILL OTT, HIKER: We saw a number of people just waiting there, and they're probably steps away from going into the faster water, and it's crazy.

TIM TIMMERMAN: We aren't worried because we think if you stay where you're supposed to stay, you're safe. It's exciting. It will be exciting for them and a little scary for them but because it's steep, but it's not dangerous if you do it what you're supposed to do.

WIAN: Too many people don't and ignore safety briefing from rangers and warning signs all over the park.

COBB: We can't and we don't station a ranger at every possible dangerous location that's out there. People just have to come here and realize what they are getting into and realize that Yosemite is nature and it is a very wild place.

WIAN: Perhaps the biggest surprise then is that four million people visit here every year, and all but a very few of them go home very much alive.

Casey Wian, CNN, Yosemite National Park, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)