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Disappointing Jobs Report for August; Getting America Working Again; Finding A Job Is Tough Work; Stocks Fall On Weak Jobs Report; Tuscaloosa Rallies From Tornado; Study Links Ground Zero & Cancer; The Help Desk; Twin Towers In Movie Cameos; Feds Raid Gibson Guitars
Aired September 02, 2011 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. I am Suzanne Malveaux. We want to get you up to speed.
Just a week after Hurricane Irene hit the East Coast and six years after Hurricane Katrina, the Central Gulf Coast now getting ready for a storm with flooding rains. Warnings are now in place and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has already declared a state of emergency. Now some places including New Orleans could get as much as 20 inches of rain. That is a big worry for Mayor Mitch Landrieu.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR MITCH LANDRIEU, NEW ORLEANS: What we do know is that there's high wind, there is a lot of rain and it's going slow. That's not a good prescription for the City of New Orleans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Texas and Oklahoma could really use some of the rains from that tropical system --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR MITCH LANDRIEU (D), NEW ORLEANS: That's not a good prescription for the city of New Orleans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Texas and Oklahoma could really use some of the rains from that tropical system, but that doesn't look like it's happening. Fourteen big wildfires are now burning in Texas, and there are several more in Oklahoma. Firefighters are finally making some progress against a big fire that is west of Dallas. They have got it about half contained.
The monthly jobs report, it's out. It's worst than economists expected. It shows employers added no jobs during August. Zero. The unemployment rate is unchanged at 9.1 percent.
Now, just last hour I talked with Christine Romans of our Money team about what this report means.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: We can't be talking about numbers that are this small. We need to be creating a couple of hundred thousand, 300,000 a month to start eating into the unemployment rates significantly to make sure that, you know, we're going to have a growing labor market that's going to absorb everyone that goes into it. It's just -- it's paralyzed right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: The discouraging jobs report driving stocks down across the board. The Dow fell down more than 200 points in early trading. It remains in the red. Right now it is down 171 points or so. We're going to be watching the markets throughout the day.
Today's jobs report puts even more pressure on President Obama and his jobs plan. He is headed to Camp David today. That's where he's going to work on the speech. The White House says that unemployment remains unacceptably high, and Republicans, well, they were quick to blame the president for these discouraging job numbers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON HUNTSMAN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have got folks today who are suffering, and it breaks my heart. We talked about 14 million unemployed, we talk about the millions beyond that that were so dispirited, they have totally given up. And the jobs report comes out today, zero, goose egg.
That's where this country is. We're totally stalled out and totally in neutral. We've got people suffering out there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: We're going to bring you President Obama's speech on job growth live.
Well, firefighters who say they got cancer after the September 11th attacks have more evidence today. A new study finds that those who were at Ground Zero were 19 percent more likely to get cancer than firefighters who did not go to Ground Zero. Right now the government does not cover cancer costs for those first responders.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The firefighters who are watching, who were there, the World Trade Center, and developed cancer over the last 10 years, they have the lingering question, why did they get this cancer, and was it related to the dust? And you would say what?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For most instances, it was World Trade Center related.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MALVEAUX: Libya's former leader is warning of a drawdown and a bloody fight. There is still no sign of Moammar Gadhafi, but military sources say he may be hiding somewhere between Bani Walid and Sirte.
The ruthless dictator, Gadhafi, is also known as kind of a strange guy. Listen to this as he urges his followers to keep fighting in an audio message aired on Syrian television yesterday. He seems to be almost channeling Muhammad Ali.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
MOAMMAR GADHAFI, OUSTED LIBYAN LEADER (through translator): Be like a bee, sting and fly. And fight across Libya, the whole area.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
(WEATHER REPORT)
MALVEAUX: We also want to take a closer look at today's disappointing jobs report for August. Just last month, job growth came to a screeching halt. Employers adding no new jobs for the month.
Thomas "Danny" Boston, he's professor of economics at Georgia Tech, and he joins us to help sort all of this out, the story behind the numbers.
Danny, there were no jobs created. How bad is this? What does this mean for us?
THOMAS "DANNY" BOSTON, ECONOMICS PROFESSOR, GEORGIA TECH: Well, this is much worse than expected. We expected somewhere between 50,000 to 70,000 jobs, and that didn't happen. We added 17,000 on the private sector, the government took away 17,000 on that side. And so we are at a standstill.
And it's paradoxical, because all of the fundamentals, with the exception of the housing sector, Suzanne, are actually in place, that the corporations have record profits and sitting on cash, but they're not investing. And so we're caught in this situation mainly because of the uncertainty and the unwillingness of corporates to invest, as well as consumers to spend.
MALVEAUX: Is there any light here in this report? Were all the sectors of the economy, all the areas, no growth at all, or were there some areas where there were some jobs, where we are seeing some growth?
BOSTON: There were some jobs. For example, the normal cast of characters, health care and education, but for the most part, there was a cutback across all sectors. We didn't see any jobs, broadly speaking, taking place across the economy.
And again, we are at really a crossroads, because there is panic in the market because we didn't get jobs, but there's no reason for the panic if we can simply get corporations to begin spending money. So we're not here because the corporations are experiencing bad times -- that is, negative profits -- we're here for the opposite reason. They're sitting on piles of cash, but all of the uncertainly, which is a fallout because of the downgrade of the credit ratings and the rhetoric in Washington, has actually stalled us in the economy.
MALVEAUX: OK. So releasing some of that money, we're going to have to figure out how to do that.
We're going to come back to you and a panel of experts to talk more about what needs to happen to get this economy going, turn things around, and create jobs again. In addition to Danny, we're going to go and hear from a financial expert, a business owner, and also a woman who's looking for work.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
MALVEAUX: All right. Better stories. Giving you a chance to "Choose the News." Text "22360" and vote for the story that you would like to see.
Number one, federal agents accuse a legendary guitar maker of breaking the law by smuggling a rare protected wood from India for its instruments, but the CEO is fighting back.
Number two, Russia's Vladimir Putin is thinking about running for president again. And he is showing everyone he is man enough for the job in a variety of ways.
Or number three. Talk about manly, a logger trapped beneath the trailer uses a pocket knife to free himself by cutting off his toes.
You can vote by texting "22360." Text "1" for "Feds Raid Gibson Guitars"; "2" for "Putin's Manly Moments"; or "3" for "Logger Cuts off Toes."
The winning story is going to air later this next hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: All right. Getting America working again. Next week, President Obama is going to roll out his plan to promote job growth. The White House hasn't exactly said what's in it, but here's some of the proposals that it could include.
First, an extension of the payroll tax cut. That would mean extra money in your paycheck. Business tax credits. Businesses could get a tax break for each new worker that they hire.
Job training. That might include a program that gives unemployment workers job training experiences with some companies.
And infrastructure spending. The president may propose new spending on roads, bridges, even school building and renovation. So that's what the president's plan could include. What should it include? That's a question we're going to ask our panel of experts.
Georgia Tech economist Danny Boston, he is back with us. And we have financial expert Clyde Anderson, author of the book "What Had Happened Was."
I've got to ask you about that title, Clyde. All right?
Also with us, Johanna Hill. She's been looking for work for about a year and a half.
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, Meredith Siegfried. She is CEO of the NORDAM Group, a company with about 2,400 employees.
So, thanks, everybody, for joining us.
Forty-five seconds or less -- Danny, I want to start with you -- what needs to happen? What does the president, what does Congress need to do to move this forward to create jobs? And I've got a little bell here.
BOSTON: One of the things, real quickly -- and I'll be drummed out of the economics profession for saying this, but we need to think about imposing a surcharge on corporations that are using QE2 to accumulate large sums of --
MALVEAUX: QE2? What's QE2?
BOSTON: Quantitative easing. The Federal Reserve instituted that as a way of keeping interest rates low, making money available for corporations to borrow and invest. What they're doing is borrowing it and just sitting on idle cash for precautionary reasons, but they're not spending.
So we need to encourage them to spend. Much like the New York banks did, we can impose a surcharge if they have this excess cash.
Secondly, we have to do something about small-and-mid-sized businesses, because that's where the whole engine of wealth is. So we need policies that are targeted to assist those businesses.
And then, finally, we have to address this issue of the disproportionate burden of unemployment by Hispanics and minorities.
(BELL RINGING)
MALVEAUX: All right. Thanks, Danny.
Johanna, you've been working. You've been looking for work. What are you hoping to hear from the president, from Congress to make you more hopeful that you can get a job?
JOHANNA HILL, UNEMPLOYED WORKER: Well, one thing I think with the job training and the tax incentive, that would greatly help. One of the suggestions I would have is to take the people -- make the companies register with the Department of Labor, as some do now, but make it mandatory that they all do.
Have the unemployed worker go to these companies, collect their check, but spend at least 20, 25 hours with these companies and still get their unemployment check. If that company decides to hire that person within 60 to 90 days, fine, give them a great incentive. Everybody wins.
You're still getting your check. You're getting job training/exposure to a different employer maybe, because you may have to change jobs -- things that you normally do, you may have to do something else. But at least you get the exposure. And give job employer, you know, a tax incentive.
MALVEAUX: All right.
Clyde?
CLYDE ANDERSON, FINANCIAL EXPERT: I like the tax incentive idea. I mean, that's definitely a good idea. And the training is crucial to be able to get these potential employees in here, or potential employees. You're paying them unemployment. Get them in here. Get them trained. Understand the way the company runs and all that. It definitely helps to have them in there already, so when you decide to make that hiring decision, you already have got that person who is trained and knows your system.
Now, the other thing, I think, is they can look at SBA. I mean, SBA is a great program for small businesses. And as Danny mentioned, that's the lifeblood of America when you are talking about small businesses. That's what drives our country.
And so, if we give some incentives to be able to get SBA moving, more lenders doing SBA loans, and get the Fed to buy up some of that debt, I think we could really make some good strides towards really helping people to get jobs, and also getting small businesses to feel comfortable. Right now, without the plan, they are uncomfortable about making new hire decisions.
And so they really need to feel comfortable and say, OK, I know somebody is behind me, I know I have got this additional boost of income, whether it's $250,000 to $4 million. That's going to really help me say, OK, I want to hire five new people. That's what is going to drive the economy.
MALVEAUX: OK.
Let's talk to someone who does some hiring.
Meredith, sorry you are not here with the party, the rest of us here on Atlanta, on the couch, but what are you listening for?
MEREDITH SIEGFRIED, CEO, THE NORDAM GROUP: Well, for us, in our business, it's much more simple than tax credits and things like that. It starts with demand. I mean, we need the order book to start improving and we need long-term contracts. And for that to happen, our customers have to feel that, and our customers are the airlines of the world, the business jet manufacturers, and the U.S. military. And they have a lot of uncertainty in terms of, look at the stock prices, they are all over the board, or, for the military, it's what programs is the government going to invest in? So when they feel stable, then they will start sending orders to us.
MALVEAUX: OK.
I want to go one more round again real quickly here.
What do we think is holding this back from creating jobs in the economy, Danny?
BOSTON: We have to get the housing sector going, and we've, in a sense, almost overstepped by imposing the kinds of regulations in terms of borrowing. It takes almost a near perfect credit score and cash in order to get a mortgage or refinance a home. We need to adjust that. That's a cost in this issue.
We also need -- and I mentioned before, 40 percent of the unemployed are comprised by Hispanic and African-American workers. We need to have a program that addresses that.
One way to do that is to look at supporting businesses that are organized by minorities and women, because they hire a disproportionate share of that pool of workforce. So we need to do that. And then, we have to create uncertainty in Washington, pipe down the political rhetoric, and make it a much more convenient environment for individuals to actually engage in investing.
MALVEAUX: OK.
Johanna, what do you think is the main problem here?
HILL: I totally agree with Danny. It's the bickering. I don't understand why we as a country cannot sit down at a table and talk about how to make things better for all of us. Not just this one or that one, but for all of us. And it's just, stop all this political stuff that's going on. It's crazy.
MALVEAUX: Clyde?
ANDERSON: Suzanne, I think we spent -- how many weeks on the debt ceiling debate? I mean, I think we need to spend that much time or more time talking about jobs.
I think we need to have that job taskforce really kind of come together, step up, and figure out who the people are that can help push the scoreboard forward. We need to really sit down and say, OK, we're going to spend that much time focusing on getting jobs and job creation. And is it going back to see what Dwight Eisenhower did during the Great Depression? I mean, do we have to go to the basics? We've got to do something, so I think getting some brains in the room to say, OK, this is what we need to do and this is how we're going to move forward.
MALVEAUX: Meredith, what do you think is the biggest impediment here in creating jobs?
SIEGFRIED: Well, I think that it's an unstable economy. I think the thing that would help the most is leadership that says, hey, it's going to be OK, the economy is going to improve. And then we start seeing it in the metrics, in the stock markets, and direction for the U.S. military programs.
MALVEAUX: All right.
Everybody was pretty good with that 45-second time limit there. You guys are pretty good.
Meredith, next time we'll have you here on set with us. You can join the rest of us.
SIEGFRIED: I would love that.
MALVEAUX: OK.
Meredith, Danny, Johanna, Clyde, thank you so much for joining us. We've obviously learned a lot from your panel today.
A reminder. The president's speech on job growth, that is next Thursday. You can see it here live on CNN beginning at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
And so many people out of work, pounding the pavement. It doesn't seem to matter whether or not you have a college degree, or even how much experience.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am doing a lot of odd and end jobs, doing security at a nightclub at night.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've sent out so many resumes online. Everything is online.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: We're going to highlight their stories.
CNN reporters, anchors, producers cover stories around the world. Right? So it means we also get some great tips on the best restaurants, hotels, travel spots.
Well, in this week's "Travel Insider," Patrick Oppmann takes us to a Mexican restaurant in Seattle that rents kayaks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Patrick Oppmann in Seattle, and one of the great things about living in this city is you don't have to go far to find amazing views of the water. Whether it's Puget Sound or the many rivers and lakes that are nearby, it seems like you've got incredible water views just about everywhere you look.
I'm at a restaurant called Agua Verde. It's a Mexican place.
Upstairs, they serve food. Downstairs, they actually rent out kayaks. The idea is you come here for a bite and then go out for a paddle. It's a unique way to get a different view of this city.
REY LOPEZ, AGUA VERDE PADDLE CLUB: But as you paddle along, you see the history of Seattle. You go underneath the old bridges and you understand -- pretty soon it starts to sort of dawn on you that, really, to get from that side of Seattle to this side of Seattle, you had to paddle.
And now people are a little bit more remote. You know, they see the water from afar and they think everything is great on the water, and that it looks good to have it there. But they are not really experiencing being on the water.
OPPMANN: For $15 an hour you can rent a kayak. The restaurant also organizes tours where you can go through locks that boats pass through. And on nights that there is a full moon, they actually have night paddles.
Right now I'm on Seattle's Lake Union, where you have amazing views of the Space Needle, and just a short paddle away from here you can go and see some of the houseboats made famous by the movie "Sleepless in Seattle." Really, you get views of Seattle from the water you just can't get any other way.
So, whether you live here or you're visiting Seattle, don't miss out on the experience of going out on a kayak.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Here are some of the stories ahead on the rundown.
Four months after tornadoes tore through Alabama, the university's football is trying to rally the city of Tuscaloosa.
Then, a new study gives 9/11 first responders hope that they link the toxic chemicals they breathed to the cancers they now have.
And later, a filmmaker looks back on the World Trade Center's twin towers through their appearances in several movies.
In today's tough job market, who has it easier, a college grad or a grandmother with years of experience?
Our Sandra Endo takes a look. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TONY FLETCHER, LOOKING FOR WORK: How can a young college graduate --
SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two years after graduating from college, 25-year-old Tony Fletcher has yet to put his business administration degree to use.
FLETCHER: I'm doing a lot of odd and ends jobs, doing security at a nightclub at night. So anything I can do right now to keep food on the table.
ENDO: Sixty-year-old Denise Jones is also looking for a job. She said she was laid off 16 months ago after her position as a medical clerk was outsourced to India.
DENISE JONES, LOOKING FOR WORK: I have sent out so many resumes online. Everything is online. I haven't gotten one response.
ENDO: Unable to afford living on her own, this grandmother moved in with her daughter. And being a senior citizen in this job market makes it even tougher.
JONES: I'm experienced. How many people -- how many companies really will utilize that experience and at least pay you a decent wage?
ENDO: Fletcher and Jones may be at opposite ends of their careers, but both are scouring job fairs, fighting for work in a market perhaps too small to straddle generations.
MANUEL PASTOR, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: The sweet spot of the labor market right now is probably if you are 28 to 45. You're old enough to have a record of job experience and young enough to understand some of the new technology.
ENDO: So who is more marketable, the granny or the grad?
(on camera): Energy and youth skills versus wisdom and experience. This tough job market is pitting every generation against each other, but it really comes down to what each person brings to the table.
SUSAN MILLER, CALIFORNIA CENTER SERVICES: In terms of job search, it comes down to how proactive you are in your job search.
ENDO: So don't give up?
MILLER: Don't give up, persist and be proactive.
ENDO: Good advice since experts say seniors and grads are two groups most likely to give up and drop out of the job market.
Sandra Endo, CNN, Los Angeles (END VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: The jobs report for August is out today. It is pretty bleak. The Labor Department says that employers added no -- no new jobs last month. Karina Huber is at the New York Stock Exchange.
So, Karina, how's Wall Street reacting to this?
KARINA HUBER: Well, Suzanne, as expected, stocks are selling off on the back of this disappointing jobs report. We see that the Dow is down by 189 points right now. That's a little bit better than the session lows of minus 249.
But we're seeing a really broad-based sell-off. Five stocks are falling for each one that is rising. And the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 are also sharply lower. Investors are looking for safer assets today, so Treasuries are doing well, as is gold, which is up by 2 percent.
And, of course, this all has to do with that jobs report. It was bad by all measures. Investors did expect a weak report, but they still expected to see a gain. So all of this puts more pressure on President Obama next week for his jobs speech on Thursday. You know you've been talking about different solutions that he could potentially come up with to kick-start this labor market, but analysts are saying, don't expect a silver bullet. There isn't one. The White House, yesterday, said unemployment won't get back to normal for six years.
Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Yes, they're trying to tap down expectations, the White House. Does this mean, for policymakers, the Federal Reserve, do we expect that they're not going to be doing much or do we -- might we see a stimulus in the future?
HUBER: Yes. This, of course, is the big question. I mean unlike other central banks around the world, the Federal Reserve has a dual mandate not only to tackle inflation, but also to kick-start the jobs picture here in the U.S. And this report will certainly increase the dialogue. The Fed did discuss stimulus its last meeting, but there's a lot more dissension among Fed voting members than usual.
Now, some members are pushing for another round of stimulus, which would be known as QE3. And one idea that's being floated around right now is to buy longer term bonds to keep those rates low, long term rates low, and sell short term bonds that the Fed's balance sheet isn't expanded. But analysts also say right now any talk of stimulus could be a tough sell with the current political environment. You know we're trying to tackle our deficit, so stimulus isn't very popular right now.
But we'll have more clarity in about three weeks when the Fed meets. We're looking for a two-day meeting instead of one due to the weakness in the economy. And they certainly have a lot to talk about.
Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right, Karina, thank you so much.
Well, are you ready for some football? One southern city devastated by tornados certainly is. Alabama's team trying to rally Tuscaloosa.
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MALVEAUX: Don't forget to vote for today's choose the news story. Vote by texting 22360. Vote "1" to see why the government accused a legendary guitar maker of smuggling. Vote "2" to see the prime minister of Russia strutting his stuff as he considers a run for the president. Or vote "3" for the impossible decision a logger had to make after a trailer landed on his foot. We're going to air the winning story this hour.
Well, you may recall when tornadoes ripped through Alabama in April. Unbelievable, those pictures. The University of Alabama campus, it was spared, but the community surrounding the university was not. Well, since then, students, athletes, have been determined to get the school's football team back on the field. And now that is about to happen. Our Reynolds Wolf is in Tuscaloosa.
Reynolds, I know how important this football program is to the community. My sister used to teach at University of Alabama Law School there and it is a big, big deal. You were back there in April. You're there now. How has this mood changed?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, I mean, the mood, it's kind of interesting. You know, it certainly made people realize what is important. And I mean you've got friends and families in the state of Alabama that are on both sides of this tremendous rivalry. Alabama on one side, Auburn on the other. Both came together and certainly had the sense of importance when it comes to family.
But you're right, when it comes to football here at the University of Alabama, Bryant-Denny Stadium, right behind me, is truly the epicenter of everything there is about college football. You know, college football, to those who aren't familiar with Alabama football, it's basically like rocket fuel to the space shuttle. It's something you've got to have. It is certainly something that fires up the spirit of the community.
We were actually speaking to some students just yesterday on campus and they really cannot wait to tee it up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN CHESTNUT, FRESHMAN, UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA: It's a big deal for me. It's my first game as a freshman, you know. So I'm really excited about that. But, like you said, you know, being the first one after the tornado and everyone coming together, you know, and seeing that Tuscaloosa is still here and, you know, we're still playing football and everything, I think it will be good. CAREY FOUNTAIN, SOPHOMORE, UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA: I think the game's pretty important because, you know, the team's going to have to come out and show the community that even through the tornado and through everything, that we can still come together for a good cause and play a good game of football.
LANCE LEDRETTER, (ph), UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA: I'm going to be in the stadium and I'm going to be cheering the loudest for the Crimson Tide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF: You know one of the amazing aspects about this contest, it's not really just who they're playing, they're playing Kent State, which is a good team, but they certainly aren't, say, a Notre Dame or an Auburn or certainly like a Michigan or Michigan State. They're a decent team. The thing that's amazing about Kent State, is that Kent State players actually came over here and helped rebuild part of the community. So even though they've got a contest that's going to be taking place at this stadium by tomorrow, but both sides of this contest coming together for a great cause.
Let's send it back to you.
MALVEAUX: Reynolds, talk a little bit more about why this is so important to the community? Because some folks, they might not get it. They might not link, you know, what does a football team, a football game really mean to the folks in Tuscaloosa? But it really is one in the same. I mean they really kind of need that boost, that support, the sense that they are carrying on their community after the devastation that they saw in April?
WOLF: Well, it's definitely very, very important what happens here for this university. It's very important what happens in also parts of Tuscaloosa. But you have to remember, a good part of the state of Alabama was ravaged by these tornadoes.
Living in the state of Alabama, we don't have professional sports. I can tell you this as an Alabamian. So the thing that really is most important to us when it comes to sports is college football. Doesn't matter if you're an Auburn Tiger, you pull for the Crimson Tide, college football is basically our world when it comes to sports. And that rivalry is very intense. It's almost like a knife fight inside of a phone booth. It is a -- it's a very, very bitter thing and we take it very seriously.
And one thing that has been missing, one thing that will help restore the spirit of this community, and certainly a great part of this state, is for games to start up once again. And that's really going to get underway right around noontime here in Alabama.
Let's send it back to you.
MALVEAUX: And, Reynolds, what have you seen in terms of the changes in the community? Does it look like folks have been able to rebuild their homes? I know they're getting back to school. Some of the schools have opened as well.
WOLF: You know, you bring up a really good point and it's something that a lot of people are going to be dealing with when they come back here to visit. Parts of the community, to answer your question first, yes, there have been some -- certainly some signs of progress. Things have been rebuild.
But one thing that's very important that a student mentioned the other day, is that when people return to Tuscaloosa for the games, they make their way down the freeway, they turn off on McFarland Boulevard and start heading towards campus, and as they do so, they're going to see things that look just pristine as they were just a year ago. But then you're going to come to a place where there used to be subdivisions, there used to be malls. Those places have been scrubbed clean. There's absolutely nothing there. Things have been cleaned up to the point that if you were just dropped here on earth at this exact spot, you were to go down that stretch of roadway, you would think that there were always fields, there were always blank spaces there. The tornado literally wiped that part off the earth.
You heard a roll tide there in the background. That's part of the spirit that we have here in Tuscaloosa. You're going to be hearing quite a few roll tides. And on the other sides of the state, some more eagles by tomorrow.
Let's send it back to you.
MALVEAUX: All right. Thanks. We look forward to hearing those roll tides. And we're -- it's good to know the community is getting back on its feet. Really appreciate it, Reynolds.
Well, firefighters who got cancer after working at Ground Zero, they've been struggling to prove that there is a link so that they can actually get insurance coverage. Well now a new study gives them more scientific evidence. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes a look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Many of the firefighters who rushed to Ground Zero to help on September 11th got cancer. They've been fighting to prove that it was no coincidence ever since. And now as CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports, those first responders have new ammunition for their fight.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Suzanne, the real issue here is the connection between this dust and cancer. It's been an unresolved issue for some time. Other medical problems, such as respiratory problems, have been more well studied. But people have been back and forth on the cancer issue.
Dr. David Prezant is the one who was the lead author on the study, saying there's a 19 percent increase likelihood of cancer if someone was a first responder and a member of the Fire Department of New York. I talked to him in advance of this embargo being lifted. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. DAVID PREZANT, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, FDNY: As we start seeing cancers, we want to answer their question, is cancer increased. And I will have to tell you that my initial bias was that for the first 10 or 15 years we would not see an increase. That's another reason why I think our findings are so strong, because I actually thought we would find the opposite.
GUPTA: You were surprised?
PREZANT: Very much so. Whether we can say that cancer is increased in other responders or area residents, we have no idea. This is a study about firefighters. Their exposure is so unique, all right, 85 percent of the exposed were present in the first 48 hours of the collapse when the exposure was massive. That is a very unique exposure.
GUPTA: For firefighters watching, they have the lingering question, why did I get this cancer and was it related to the dust, and you would say what?
PREZANT: For most instances, it was World Trade Center related.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUPTA: So, Suzanne, very powerful there when you listen to him saying that most of the cancers in these patients was World Trade Center related.
A couple of caveats quickly. Ten years is still a short time in the world of science. You know, it can take a while for cancers to develop. They would like to see 15, 20, even 30-year studies. And, again, as Dr. Prezant mentioned, this study was only of fire department workers who were also first responders. So you cannot generalize to other people living in lower Manhattan or even other first responders.
The theory is, the dust can get into the system, it can respiratory problems, which is well studied, but can also cause inflammation, which could potentially be the genesis of many of these different types of cancer which doctor Prezant saw.
Look, it's a controversial issue. It's still unsettled, obviously. Just in July of this year, the mantra was that there was no connection between cancer and dust. This study may change that debate. So, stay tuned to see what happens.
Suzanne, back to you.
MALVEAUX: Thank you, Sanjay.
You can see Dr. Gupta's full investigation of the health fallout from 9/11 and also rare, never before seen footage in his documentary, "Terror In The Dust." It airs this Wednesday at 11:00 p.m. Eastern.
Well, filmmakers have used the twin towers in many movies since the September 11th attacks. Our Jeanne Moos takes a look at their film cameos.
But first, here's some free money advice from the CNN "Help Desk."
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Well, time now for "The Help Desk," where we get answers to your financial questions. Joining me this hour, Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, the founder of the financial advice blog askthemoneycoach.com, and Stacy Francis. She's a certified financial planner and also president of Francis Financial.
All right, ladies, first question to you, Lynnette. This comes from Susan. Susan has $40,000 in credit card debt. Her house is under water. She makes a pretty good living but lives paycheck to paycheck. She's wondering if she could file for bankruptcy.
LYNNETTE KHALFANI-COX, FOUNDER, ASKTHEMONEYCOACH.COM: I always tell people that bankruptcy should be a last resort. First, try to negotiate with your creditors. Try to re-tweak your budget. Perhaps try credit counseling. If none of that works, then possibly look into bankruptcy.
HARLOW: Last resort because it really stays on your record.
KHALFANI-COX: Absolutely.
HARLOW: To you Stacy. Paul wrote in about his son. His son just got his masters degree and the family still has about $15,000 in their 529 savings account. They want to know if they can change the beneficiary on that to the younger brother, to the other son, without getting hit by the gift tax.
STACY FRANCIS, PRESIDENT, FRANCIS FINANCIAL: Yes, they don't have to worry about any gift tax. And not only can they change it to the other son, they could use it themselves or even give it to other family members, grandparents, nieces, nephews. So there's a lot that you can do. But kudos to them that they didn't use the whole 529 plan. That's great.
HARLOW: Right. So saving for education, obviously it passes on to family members.
FRANCIS: It does. It does.
HARLOW: All right, great to know. Thanks, guys.
And if you have a question that you want answered, just send us an e-mail any time to cnnhelpdesk@cnn.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Many filmmakers have been inspired to use images from the twin towers after the September 11th attacks. It can be seen in many movies just in the last 10 years. But as CNN's Jeanne Moos shows us, one filmmaker wants to show the towers in a different light.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After a decade of images of the twin towers gushing smoke, maybe it's time to see them in the rosy grow of the movies. Inspiring awe in "Home Alone 2," a cemetery backdrop in "Dog Day Afternoon," something to make Crocodile Dundee feel like he'd arrived, something to make you feel sad about leaving. And now a New York filmmaker has made a montage of twin tower movie cameos featuring over 75 clips. Blink and you'll miss the towers seen through the car's rear window. It took video cartoonist Dan Meth seven months working on and off to compile the montage, even using disaster movies, but mostly showing the twin towers as a compass in the background.
DAN METH, FILMMAKER: You've seen the twin towers burning and falling for 10 years now, but you never -- we don't get to think of it as just like 30 years of them standing there. So it's a celebration of that.
MOOS: Celebrated with a cast ranging from Superman to King Kong.
After 9/11, the towers were removed from "The Soprano's" open. So was a Spiderman tease showing bank robbers in a chopper ensnared by Spiderman's web spun from tower to tower. But instead of staying struck in images of destruction, Dan Meth celebrates the life of a building, that even in its absence, remains a huge presence.
Jeanne Moos, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Gives you a sense of pride to see them.
Well, almost 10 years after 9/11 and the start of the war in Afghanistan, what's going on there? Well, I'm going to be heading to Afghanistan next week to find out. I'll be investigating the training of Afghan troops, are they prepared to take over once American troops have all gone home? I'm also going to be talking with American men and women who were just kids on the days of the attacks. I'll be reporting live from Afghanistan starting on Friday, September 9th, through the weekend of September 11th.
Well, you told us what you wanted to see. Your "Choose The News" story is just moments away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: You told us what you'd like to see. We're listening. Here's your "Choose The News" winner. Federal agents raid Gibson Guitar factories looking for illegal wood. CNN's David Mattingly reports that the company's CEO insists they're not smugglers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He makes guitars that make America sound cool, but Gibson's CEO Henry Juszkiewicz is being ordered to change his tune. MATTINGLY (on camera): It sounds almost a little ironic that you're playing the blues right now.
HENRY JUSZKIEWICZ, CEO, GIBSON GUITAR: I got the blues.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): That's because in late August armed federal agents raided his Tennessee factories for the second time in two years, alleging the illegal importation of rare protected wood. In this case, ebony and rosewood from India. An affidavit filed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service alleges Gibson falsely labeled the wood shipment to make it sound legal and suspiciously omitted the company's name as the recipient. But so far, no charges have been filed.
MATTINGLY (on camera): It almost sounds like this company was engaged in smuggling these raw materials into the country.
JUSZKIEWICZ: Well, we were not engaged in smuggling. We have been buying fingerboard stock on a regular basis from India for 17 years.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): On the neck of a guitar, the tropical hardwood is prized for its look and durability, but it's subject to a law called the Lacey Act, aimed at fighting black market trade at protected animal parts and plants, and anything made from them.
MATTINGLY (on camera): But the material that came in the box from India looked just like this?
JUSZKIEWICZ: Looked very similar.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): Juszkiewicz says the fingerboards Gibson imported from India were confiscated as illegal wood by the federal government.
JUSZKIEWICZ: The law says that if a guitar or an instrument of any kind crosses a border, you have to know the specie of wood that every component is made of and where it came from.
MATTINGLY: If this is true, could hundreds of international stars like Paul McCartney and B.B. King risk seeing their Gibson's confiscated at the border.
JUSZKIEWICZ: Michelle Obama gave a Gibson Guitar to the wife of the president -- or prime minister of France just a year ago.
MATTINGLY (on camera): The first lady may have broken the law?
JUSZKIEWICZ: Uh, yes.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): The Lacey Act does give federal agents broad authority to pursue smugglers. But if you own a Gibson, don't worry. When we asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for clarification, it released this brief statement. "We target corporations and individuals who are removing protected species from the wild and making a profit by trafficking in them." And right now, in spite of Juszkiewicz's strong claim of innocence, Gibson is a target. JUSZKIEWICZ: A nightmare. It's a nightmare.
MATTINGLY (on camera): It took almost a week before Gibson got back into full operation, but the damage had already been done. Just the shutdown of that one day with the materials that were taken costs the company over $1 million.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): And now the maker of the guitars that have commanded the spotlight for over 100 years has no choice but to play on and wait for its day in court.
David Mattingly, CNN, Nashville.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: If you choice didn't win or you just want to check out the runners up, I'll have links to them on my page at facebook.com/suzannecnn.
CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Randi Kaye.
Have a great holiday weekend, Randi.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: You too as well, Suzanne. Thank you.
