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Tracking Tropical Storm Lee; Tea Party Rallies in Iowa; Places Not to Use a Debit Card; Alabama Football Team Returns; Tensions in Tripoli
Aired September 03, 2011 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, hey, there, everybody. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, this is your CNN SATURDAY MORNING for this September 3rd. I hope you're getting off to a good holiday weekend. I'm T.J. Holmes.
And this has been a slow, but strong tropical storm that is making a mess for people on this holiday weekend. Now, six years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans directly in the path of this storm. We're live for you.
Also the title of a new book generating a lot of controversy. It's called "Is Marriage for White People?" And it suggests that interracial dating may be the answer for black women. You'll be hearing from the author.
Also --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATT WILLIAMS, COMEDIAN: If there's something anti-Mexican about what I said, then I apologize for the anti-Mexicanness of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, comedian Katt Williams goes on what some are calling a racial rant. But he says he won't apologize for defending his country, even though someone put out a statement on his behalf saying he apologized. We'll work through all of that this morning.
But let's get started, shall we, with Tropical Storm Lee? Millions of people along the central Gulf Coast are on alert for heavy rain and flash floods this Labor Day weekend. This tropical storm is sloshing ashore in Louisiana and Mississippi. State of emergency in place in both places, some states could get 10 to 20 inches of rain.
Several inches already fallen in New Orleans, the city, as you know, it's below sea level. And there's concern about levees holding up. And Lee's timing could be worse really for the region's tourist industry still trying to recover from Katrina years ago and then from last year's massive oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico really hit them hard. And now this holiday weekend is going to be shot for a lot of people. Tropical Storm Lee comes now as you know six years after Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf coast. Our Ed Lavendera is in New Orleans for us.
Ed, hello to you. It has been raining there. How's it doing right now?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's actually pretty decent now. In fact some of the bars here on Bourbon Street is starting to open up already. So that gives you a sense of just how stressed out these folks are about this particular storm, T.J.
But it is interesting. I just talked to the mayor's office here in New Orleans a little while ago. That says things are holding up well, they are seeing flooding however, in the usual spots around the city.
So that's they said they expected very much normal. What's interesting, though, is as this storm moves further inland, we're seeing tornado watches in 16 parishes across Louisiana, six counties in Mississippi, those warnings lasting until 10:00 tonight.
So again, this is kind of brings home that point that this is a slow- moving tropical storm of about two to three miles per hour. And as I've been mentioning, T.J., people walk faster than that. So this will be dumping a lot of rain. And what has really helped out the situation here in New Orleans, I'm told, is that as these bands have come through New Orleans, we're kind of in between one of them right now. That the -- the period, the lull in between these bands has really given the pumps here in New Orleans time to catch up and drain away all the water.
So that has been extremely helpful here, T.J. So for the most part, we haven't had any reports of injuries or deaths because of -- because of the various flooding in various parts, but these waters are starting to rise and some of the roadways and smaller towns around the New Orleans area, and we'll continue to monitor that throughout the day as more and more rain continues to fall -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right. Ed Lavendera, thank you. We'll check in again.
We need to check in now with Alexandra Steele. She has the latest on this tropical storm. Good to have you here with us on this weekend. I know we're waiting on another update, right?
(CROSSTALK)
ALEXANDRIA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Right, we're waiting on another update.
HOLMES: And if he gets it, by all means, let him bring it all over. So what is this thing doing as of now?
STEELE: All right, we have seen an update.
HOLMES: Ok, we got it.
STEELE: And it has slowed.
HOLMES: Slowed now.
STEELE: So is that good news or bad news?
HOLMES: That's bad news.
STEELE: That's right? That's exactly right.
HOLMES: We need it to speed up. I like how you're testing me, right.
STEELE: Yes, I know, and just see we've been together for hours now and you're paying attention.
HOLMES: Yes.
STEELE: All right, let's talk about, of course, it's going slower, which is certainly exacerbating the rain even further. The two biggest problems with this the winds and the flooding rain, of which we're seeing both.
Here is just a quick snapshot of some winds we're seeing, 30, 36, 20, 25 miles per hour, gusts well higher than that. And just within the last two hours in and around New Orleans, power outages now spiking to about 30,000.
So the big-time problems just beginning to ensue. So here's a look at Tropical Storm Lee. Now, 60-mile-per-hour winds, sustained. They were at 50 earlier this morning. The winds have increased, the flooding rains have increased. Right now moving north now at 5 miles per hour.
Center of circulation, right here, still off the coast, but that center of circulation will fully move onshore later this afternoon. So it certainly will happen. But look at this. This purple and red, that's where all the heaviest rain is, and this thing really kind of lopsided, and all the precip here on the eastern side of this thing.
So we're watching that. We're going to watch all this rain move in potentially 10 to 20 inches of rain. So an astronomical amount, of course, that's being exacerbated by the slow nature of this thing.
Take a look at this white. This is where we're going to see all of this incredible amounts of rain. And we're all going to watch this track as well by Tuesday.
So really until today and tomorrow with New Orleans, the heaviest rain will be. Then we're going to watch the center of this circulation move northeast. So right now the track has been moving north- northwest. We're going to see it kind of take a right-hand turn. Again, winds 30 to 35 miles per hour.
But even Tuesday, Wednesday, into Thursday, T.J., we're looking at the center of this circulation being in Tennessee, with some rain. Again, not 10 to 20 inches, but certainly an awful lot of rain and we talked last hour. HOLMES: Yes.
STEELE: Police in New Orleans saying, you're driving on flooded roads. And again, more than 5 miles per hour, they're going to issue you a ticket.
HOLMES: That's interesting to me. What you've got to do what you've got to do to get it through to folks.
STEELE: Oh absolutely. Turn around, don't drown we've heard that for so long now and that's inland flooding kills more people in a hurricane than anything else.
HOLMES: Good point to always make. Alexandra, it's so good having you here with us this weekend.
STEELE: Thanks T.J.
HOLMES: Thanks so much.
Well, six minutes past the hour.
We are going take you to Iowa live, coming up next. Iowa politically important, Labor Day weekend, politicians are always out. Now throw in Sarah Palin. Could this be the weekend she makes an announcement and she does it there? Slow down.
Stay with us.
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HOLMES: Well, nine minutes past the hour now.
Rain or shine, you can count on parade, picnics, and a little politics this Labor Day weekend. The Republican presidential candidates making their rounds in critical early voting states and the Tea Party is rallying in Iowa. And that is where we'll find our Peter Hamby. And that is also where we'll find Sarah Palin today.
Will she or won't she? Will we or won't we find out this weekend, actually, Peter?
PETER HAMBY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: We won't find out this weekend. I can tell you that Sarah Palin will not announce a presidential bid at this Tea Party rally here in Indianola. So why do we care? Well, she is close to making a final decision and there's still a very good chance that she could make a run for the presidency. She's pointed to the end of September as kind of a deadline to make a decision about the race.
So what we're looking for today is really what she's going to say and how she's going to frame herself and kind of carve out some space within the Republican primary field.
We know she's going to kind of attack President Obama and rally the Tea Party, but she's also are going to draw some contrast potentially with Texas Governor Rick Perry and sort of attack crony capitalism, is a word that we're hearing.
So again, we're just kind of see what kind of message she puts forth today, but we won't hear an announcement -- T.J.
HOLMES: You know what, how do Republican voters feel about seeing her and having her grab headlines, but her not making a decision just yet?
HAMBY: Yes, I couldn't sorry, I couldn't quite hear you there, T.J.
HOLMES: Now, I know you've got a lot of music going back there.
HAMBY: Yes, yes, we do. You know, the does have a dedicated group of followers. There are people that have come to this event, all the way from San Diego, Dallas, the Gulf Coast. They bussed in, they got plane tickets, and they met up here last night. There's a Web site called "Conservatives for Palin", which is sort of like the online hub of all things Palin.
They met up last night in Urbandale, Iowa and Palin made a surprise appearance and greeted them. She's got this dedicated group of followers. They're walking around this event, signing people up, capturing e-mail addresses in case she does decide to run and then, they can kind of hit the ground running here in Iowa with a campaign later this month, potentially -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right, our Peter Hamby he is on it for us there. That Tea Party rally is just getting -- about to get underway. Peter, thank you.
And to our viewers don't forget a week from Monday, tune in here, CNN along with the Tea Party Express and several other Tea Party groups will co-host a debate with the Republican candidates. They'll all be in Tampa, Florida. The 2012 Republican National Convention will be there as well. The "CNN TEA PARTY REPUBLICAN DEBATE", Monday September 12th, 8:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.
Well, you're playing or paying a little more this holiday weekend for gas, $3.66, the average for a gallon of regular. That's up about a nickel over last week. It's actually a few cents less than you were paying, though, a month ago. And the higher price of gas is expected to keep more of you at home this holiday weekend. AAA reporting that close to 32 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles over Labor Day. Fewer will fly, more will drive, but overall, that represents about 2.5 percent decline in Labor Day travel compared with last year.
All right, you should not use your credit card -- excuse me, your debit card -- you shouldn't use your debit card at a restaurant or at a gas station. You also should not use your debit card on big purchases or items that need to be delivered. There's a lot of places you use your debit card, you actually shouldn't do that, at least according to Clyde Anderson. I talked to him a little earlier.
He explained that you should not use your debit card at a restaurant, because your waiter literally walks away with your card.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLYDE ANDERSON, FINANCIAL ANALYST: They're gone, they've got your number and it's gone.
HOLMES: That's why you say --
ANDERSON: Exactly. So you want to have some sort of control. And you lose some of that control when you're giving them that debit card to go ahead and go away and do what they have do.
HOLMES: Ok but when they go away with your debit card, at least you have more protections in place than --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Exactly, exactly.
HOLMES: But what about a gas station?
ANDERSON: Well, gas station and reason, I say gas station is because a lot of gas stations have these ATMs, these convenient ATM machines that a lot of people use. Those are the ones that I'm really saying stay away from. You know don't use those. Some of them look a little suspect. You don't want to do anything or use it. Go to the bank. You don't want to use it somewhere with these kinds of suspect.
HOLMES: They all threw me up, it's not a matter of buying the gas.
ANDERSON: No not a matter of buying the gas.
HOLMES: Oh.
ANDERSON: Yes. Well, now on the other side so definitely, now when you think about it when you're talking about gas, you don't any recourse as well. And a lot of them are delayed debit and that's the reason I will save, take a look of not doing, it doesn't come out immediately sometimes.
HOLMES: Ok, give me the other places. And these might surprise people as well, but these are places we should not use the debit card.
ANDERSON: Yes, well for future purchases, you know, for things that maybe you're going, you're buying something and they're going to deliver it to your home. Furniture, appliances, things like that. You don't want to use your debit card. You don't want to use your credit card, because you've got more recourse at the same.
HOLMES: Ok.
ANDERSON: Because those things are not going to come until later. What if they don't come? You know you've got to dispute it, you've only got so many days after you make the purchase really about two days to really dispute that purchase. And so if it's coming five days you really lose some of that.
HOLMES: So why get rid of your money when you're not going to get the product.
ANDERSON: Exactly, exactly.
HOLMES: All right, what else you got?
ANDERSON: ATMs, we already talked about ATMs that are a little suspect. Also hotels, hotels don't use your debit card. Use a credit card. Because again, they're going to hold that money.
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: Yes.
ANDERSON: -- they're going to put it to the side, and you definitely want to make sure, that if you cancel the hotel reservation, you don't want to have that money just gone and it takes forever for that money to come back on your card.
HOLMES: You bet. All right, do we have this list? Can we put it up. But you can keep going here but we want to be able to show it to people as well. But what else?
ANDERSON: Well, we talked about future purchases, we talked about restaurants, we talked about convenience stores as far as those ATMs that are kind of suspect. And then you really want to make sure that things that you're -- you said first-time things that you've never bought before, reoccurring payments as well.
So if you've got these auto debits, and that's really popular nowadays that people are doing auto debits, things that come out of your account automatically on a monthly basis. You don't want to use your debit card for that. You know that gives them too much power and too much control.
We've talked about it before where you can have a debit card that you actually only put a certain amount of money on, these reserve cards. It's like prepaid. You know, whether it be a Visa, or a MasterCard or Logo, you want to have more control.
You don't want to --
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: Is that the same of giving a company your routing number? You know that time you had -- that's what you taught me. You should not -- people this is very popular.
ANDERSON: Exactly. It's very popular. And a lot of people do it and it's automatic that they use a debit card so it's a lot easier. Just go ahead, I've got my debit card, the money's here, let's use that.
You should not use that -- use a credit card. You see a lot of people -- I hear it often that people say, well, it's similar. I'm using this. But really, you've got two days to dispute it.
You know, currently a lot of times it's $50, so after that, you can be liable up to $500 when you're using that debit card.
HOLMES: Last thing here, do it in 15 seconds, where can I use my debit card?
ANDERSON: There's several places. You want to go to your bank. You know, if you're using an ATM, definitely go to your bank. Places that you trust, places that you use all the time; ones you frequent all the time. If you're going to buy something, make sure it's an immediate purchase. If I'm getting something like groceries, you know, that's a great place to use your debit card. You're getting it right then.
HOLMES: All right. Well, coming up, it is a big football Saturday. But today, something a little different, something a little special is happening in Alabama.
The University of Alabama kicking off its season. That's always a big deal, no matter what year it is, but different this year, because it's the first game since that devastating tornado hit their home city of Tuscaloosa. Many are saying this new season can help heal a community.
We're going to the University of Alabama campus after the break. Stay here.
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HOLMES: Well, 19 minutes past the hour now.
The University of Alabama football team returning to the field today. It's the first major event in Tuscaloosa since a devastating tornado destroyed parts of the city back in April. Students and the players hoping the return of football will help that city heal. Our Reynolds Wolf is in Tuscaloosa for us.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, T.J., it is game day here at the University of Alabama. We're outside Bryant-Denny Stadium, which is really the epicenter of college football if you're a fan of the Crimson Tide. And there's many people that are going to be coming here. In excess of 100,000 people in the stadium alone, are going to be making their way towards the campus.
The campus was relatively unscathed in terms of the tornado, but many of the ways getting to the campus, especially McFarland Boulevard, people for the very first time since last season are going to see some of the areas of devastation, some of the places that are now completely cleared out where there used to be neighborhoods, where they used to stores, all of that is gone.
But they will get here, and for a few hours, just a few hours, they're going to get a chance to think of something else other than the devastation that was here only months ago. We spoke with some of the students and certainly some of the people that call this community home recently and they can't wait to tee it up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CAREY FOUNTAIN, STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA: I think the game's pretty important. You know, the team is 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.
ERIC FERGUSON, TUSCALOOSA RESIDENT: Everybody that usually comes in for games that hasn't seen it yet, is going to come back in and realize exactly what happened here. So they're going to see it and everybody's going to, you know, just be together once again for what this town is basically built around because I love football.
PATRICK FOWLER, TUSCALOOSA RESIDENT: I think it's going to be good because you have to stop and you know, to take our mind of what we have to see every day when we drive home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF: One of the touching things about this contest, doesn't deal just with Alabama, but with the opponent, Ken State. Ken State football players were actually in the community before the event, and helped out with Crimson Tide players, to help rebuild parts of the community. Certainly good sportsmanship, but a sign of also being good people. Let's send it back to you, T.J..
HOLMES: All right. Thanks, as always, to our Reynolds Wolf there. At 21 minutes past the hour. You know, comedians, sometimes they're supposed to stir things up, they're supposed to say things that are controversial.
Well, some are accusing one comedian, Katt Williams, of going too far in his routine about Mexicans. Accusing him of going on an anti- Mexican rant. Was it funny? Was it hate speech? You'll hear it and you'll hear from him, ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: 24 minutes past the hour now.
The search continues in Chile for an air force plane carrying 21 people that lost contact over the Pacific Ocean on Friday. At least one body has been found. The country's defense minister says the plane tried to land twice at Juan Hernandez Island Airport before it went missing. Chilean TV crew was on board, including a well-known anchor there.
We turn to Libya now where aid workers are scrambling to address a humanitarian crisis in the capital that's getting worse by the day. A United Nations team is now on the ground in Tripoli to assist with dire shortages of food, fuel, and water.
But as our Arwa Damon now explains, it's not just lack of basic supplies that is threatening the city.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDETN: Tripoli is now a city of checkpoints, guns, and no real authority. Plus the lingering threat of Gadhafi loyalists. This road block after an earlier drive-by shooting.
The new bosses in town on the lookout for anything suspicious. His license plate was changed, look, it's plastic, this fighter tells us. And there's a bullet hole through the front window. Anti-Gadhafi firefighters jittery, suspicious.
Lists were just distributed. On them, the license plate numbers of cars to be on the lookout for. Either ones that were known to belong to people who are close to the regime, are missing or suspicious for one reason or another. Those who are stationed here are telling us that they're being incredibly careful, because they've also received information that a number of vehicles are rigged to explode.
Fighters are collecting weapons and registering them at police stations, and those who were rebels just a week ago begin to work with Tripoli's police. Always plentiful in Libya, there are even more guns now. Gadhafi's armories have been empty.
CAPT. NOUR ELDEIN, LIBYAN: Gadhafi opened the weapon stores to the public at the start of the rebel revolution. Captain Nour Eldein explains. The residents are bringing back various weapons, and he's saying that this spectacular one was taken by civilians, effectively, as they were looting. A brand-new Beretta, tags still attached. But there are also more sinister discoveries.
So they found a car that was filled with weapons. These are some of the weapons that they pulled out of a vehicle that they had suspected belonged to one of Gadhafi's loyalists. Anti-Gadhafi forces are trying to stem the flood of arms, but it's all pretty haphazard. People who want to continue carrying weapons now need to be issued these ID cards, and the selection process, it's all very localized. So each neighborhood council decides who can be authorized to carry a gun.
And on top of that, a group calling itself the Tripoli revolutionary council is trying to exert its control over the city, creating the potential for conflict with the National Transitional council, in an already volatile situation.
(INAUDIBLE) one resident in his area didn't want his piano.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He said, no, no, no, no. I'm a big guy and I'm in an apartment now and Gadhafi is no here anymore, so I'm going to use my gun and shoot everywhere. He didn't shoot anybody, actually. And then, finally, he killed .
(END VIDEOTAPE)
And again, thanks to our Arwa Damon there.
Meanwhile parts of Mississippi and Louisiana under a state of emergency on a labor day weekend because of that thing. Yes, we're talking about Tropical Storm Lee. Could have some flash flooding some places expecting up to 20 inches of rain this weekend. We've got the very latest on this slow-moving storm.
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HOLMES: We're at the bottom of the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Giving you a look at some of the stories making headlines and a travel alert from Washington a week before the 10th anniversary of 9/11. State Department is warning U.S. citizens traveling or living abroad to be aware of the continuing threat posed by al Qaeda, but, they reiterate, there are no specific threats right now.
Also, the government suing 17 major banks, all for selling billions of dollars worth of mortgage-backed securities to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Federal Housing Finance Agency claims numerous financial firms, including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, all misled investors about the quality of the loans. Those investments when the housing market crashed.
Also, there's no place like home, is it? Well, you can tell that to Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, she's spending the holiday weekend at home in Tucson, Arizona, with her husband and family. She's taking a break from her rigorous rehab that's going on in Houston. She's still recovering from that gunshot wound to the head that she got back in January.
She does leave, occasionally. You remember this just wonderful moment. What a surprise. That was her surprise return to cast her vote to prevent the government from defaulting. That was last month. She got a standing ovation there.
All right. Tropical Storm Lee is going to cause a problem for people's holiday weekend plans. It's Labor Day all along the central Gulf Coast. They had big plans, but now this thing is dumping rain in Louisiana and Mississippi and other places, and some places could get up to 20 inches of rain. It won't move out for several days now.
The flooding is going to be the big issue. Louisiana and Mississippi under states of emergency. Lee comes just days after the sixth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
Now, earlier I talked with Rupert Lacy. He's the emergency management director for Gulfport and Biloxi, Mississippi. I asked him if people there are prepared to possibly evacuate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUPERT LACY, EMA DIRECTOR FOR GULFPORT & BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI: Of course they are. Be it where we are still in that process of rebuilding after Katrina, one of the misfortunes is that in some of our lower-lying areas of our county, people have not built back right there in paradise along the water. But we've had about 10 roads that have to -- we've had water over because of rivers coming up, the southeast flow.
You know, we've had a couple of homeowners that have talked to us about that standing water. And if we have to, we're ready to pull the trigger, open up a shelter, but you know, we're still trying to -- we still have a little bit of time so that people can prepare around their homes before we have to open up the shelter building for them to seek shelter from the wind, and then, of course, the higher rains.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: All right. Let's say good morning one again to Alexandra Steele. Always good to have you here with us. The latest on this storm here, though. You know, it's a tropical storm, so might not have the high winds and what not, but the problem is, it's just creeping along.
ALEXANDRA STEELE, ATS METEOROLOGIST: It is. And, you know what, its forward momentum; it has even slowed from earlier when it was at 7 miles per hour. It has slowed its speed now to 5 miles per hour. And the winds are even. So the winds up now to 60 miles per hour, that's the maximum sustained winds, up from 50 earlier this morning.
Here's the big picture. Center of circulation, kind of a naked western side of it. All the action here on the eastern side. Center of circulation has begun to come ashore. The center of circulation will completely come ashore this afternoon. And then, again, we will see the winds, once, of course, this interacts with land. The speed will go up and the winds will come down.
But still, the recipe for flooding is there. You heard T.J. just say 10 to 20 inches of rain expected in some areas. So there are the winds. There is its movement. Of course, there's the swath of rain. Also, a big worry this morning, and we've seen it especially around Mississippi, some tornado warnings. So that will be continued through today.
And also, T.J., the rain-wrapped tornadoes. So very difficult to see. So that is one additional fear to the flooding we already have and will see throughout the next 24 hours.
HOLMES: Well, we've got a lot of stuff to worry about with this storm, but we've got to deal with it throughout the weekend. It's not going anywhere anytime soon. Alexandra, a pleasure having you here this weekend.
STEELE: Thanks.
HOLMES: Thanks so much.
Well, 35 past the hour now. Paterson, New Jersey, still dealing with some issues. They're drying out from the flooding that was left by Irene. Tomorrow the president will visit and he's going to see this stuff for himself firsthand. We'll take you there live to show you what the people there want to show the president.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: It's 38 minutes past the hour. We have been talking about Tropical Storm Lee in the Gulf, but don't forget about Irene. Left a mess behind a week after it made landfall. Flooding spawned by Irene devastated Paterson, New Jersey. Look at some of this. People are still living in shelters. A lot of folks still don't have electricity. Even with the water receding, parts of the city still just a mess. The president heading to Paterson tomorrow. Our Susan Candiotti is there now.
What do we want the president to see, Susan? And what do they want him to hear?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's going to see things like this. We're on a street called Presidential Boulevard. A lot of houses here, flooded. The water came up, filled the basement, at least, I would say, 12 feet, and another 4 or 5 inches inside the house. And people here are just looking back at their homes today and shaking their heads about what lies ahead for them.
This is a business across the street also starting its cleanup. This is the Passaic River. This is how close they are to the waterfront. And the business operator here tells me that he has -- the water has overflowed at times, but never this high. It has receded now, but looking at that fence, debris is stuck nearly to the top. So that's another indication of how high up the water was.
And over here, this street is impassable. At one point, that car was submerged, no longer. So it's another sign that the water -- floodwaters are going down. We talked to a mail carrier who has lived here all his life and said he has never seen anything like it. He's looking forward to the president's visit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARNOLD PETERS, LETTER CARRIER, PATERSON RESIDENT: After the initial shock of everything, and it's like everything else, there's a grieving process that goes on when something happens, and it's just a question of how long it takes to get over it. Because I've seen a lot of people help each other out, and everybody does, because that's what we're supposed to do as human beings.
It's not -- you know, the president, it's a nice gesture, and that's what a lot of things are, moments are, to make gestures, to make the people feel more comfortable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: And you see this man over here, part of the cleanup, looks like he has perhaps a boom of some kind, trying to collect a lot of the diesel fuel, that kind of thing, that has also seeped out into the water here. The main thrust, the main message that the people hope that they hear from the president is one of hope, hope and money to help clean things up.
Back to you, T.J..
HOLMES: Yes, hope is fine. Money helps. Susan Candiotti for us there in Paterson, New Jersey. Thank you so much. And at 40 minutes past the hour now, there's a new book out there that is either going to get a conversation or an argument started, maybe in your household. The name of the book, you're seeing that right, is "Is Marriage for White People?". But don't let the title throw you out. It's actually examining how a decline in African-American marriages affects everybody. I'm talking to the author.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: About a quarter off the top of the hour. It was the topic this morning that has got a lot of you all responding. The topic and the question, "Is Marriage for White People?". That is actually the title of a new book that has some people talking. The book actually examines the state of African-American marriage. You wonder, how does it do that? Well, I'll let the Stanford Law professor and author of it, Ralph Banks, explain for himself.
I talked to him a little earlier, asked him if the marriage problem comes down to simple supply and demand. In his words, not enough eligible and marriage material black men for too many eligible marriage material black women.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RALPH BANKS, AUTHOR, "IS MARRIAGE FOR WHITE PEOPLE?": But it's not quite a simple issue. It's actually a complicated story.
HOLMES: And now, what makes it so complicated? That's the end of it. We have more black women, right, graduating from college, two to one to black men, you throw in incarceration rates, you throw in the unemployment rates, and you're saying there's just not enough black men.
BANKS: Well, there are not enough black men for all of the college- educated black women, in particular, that have the type of husbands that they want to have.
HOLMES: The type that they want to have. Now, I put this out, and we had this conversation yesterday and a lot of people were chiming in. And I decided to ask for questions from viewers. And one of the questions, simply put is, do black women deserve better than what black men have to offer? That seems like a very heavy question there, but is that essentially what it is? Do we not measure up to the quality of black women right now?
BANKS: That's really a great way to put it. And I will admit that I usually think about it from the other perspective, which is that should -- is it fair to ask black women to sacrifice their own happiness on the altar, as it were, of black men's struggles? And I think not.
HOLMES: Well, what is that...
BANKS: I think not.
HOLMES: OK. What's that the sacrifice, necessarily, when we're talking about -- and I asked you this question yesterday. Is it always marrying down if the person you're marrying doesn't make as much money or have the same level of education? Could be a good guy.
BANKS: Yes. He could be a good guy, and lots of relationships work with across classes, that's true. But it's also the case that for everyone, not simply for the women, but for the men as well, having a spouse who is matched to you educationally, in terms of your outlook, your aspirations, your experiences, that's a positive thing. So it's actually not a great thing for the wife or the husband, if they're in a mismatched relationship.
HOLMES: All right. And we know a lot of conversations we've started yesterday because of this topic, and I had one of these conversations at my house with Mrs. Holmes. And one of these things that keeps coming up is how do you, and the word, I think my wife used, was "reprogram," if you will, black women? Because you're suggesting they need to be open to dating outside of their race.
But, you know, a lot of black women just like brothers. They like a black man.
BANKS: Right, right.
HOLMES: So if you're just not attracted naturally, why have them give up on finding a black man?
BANKS: Right, that's a great question. And the issue -- the way I think of that is that women have been asked to carry a great load. Black women shoulder a lot of the burden, in short, of black men's struggles. And I am asking women to put the burden down.
Many women think that they're attracted to black men, they are attracted to black men, but attraction itself is complicated. And one of the things that I discovered in the course of writing this book is that there's a whole host of fears and desires and anxieties that animate black women's attraction to black men.
HOLMES: OK. And on that, though, I got another question from a viewer, Judy, sent in and said, it sounds like you're saying, why should black women give up the good fight? You're not telling them to take on a project of fixing a man, necessarily, but why just give up on black men?
BANKS: Right. That is another great question. I actually am asking black women to give up the good fight, because...
HOLMES: Give up the good fight?
BANKS: ... the fight has not been successful. The fight has not been successful. This is what a friend of mine, Carolyn Edgar, calls the "negro improvement project," which is what a lot of black women undertake. And often the results are not so great.
So the strategy has been counterproductive. It doesn't help African- Americans for us to have black men and black women locked in bad relationships and raising children in households where the parents quarrel and ultimately divorce. That's not a win.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Don't give up the fight. Don't give up the good fight, Alina. Just...
ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR: Your wife, Marley (ph), had some...
HOLMES: She had something to say.
CHO: Yes, she had something to say about this.
HOLMES: A spirited conversation. But, Alina Cho, my good friend, it's good to see you. It has been a while since I have seen you.
CHO: It has been a while. You celebrated a birthday, turned 21 again.
HOLMES: Isn't that something?
CHO: Amazing how that happens.
HOLMES: Boy, it's amazing how you get older, how it just kind of happens.
CHO: It does.
HOLMES: But that's not what we're here to talk about. You're in for Fredricka today.
(CROSSTALK)
CHO: I am, our other good friend, Fredricka Whitfield. Thank you very much.
HOLMES: What have you got going on?
CHO: Well, we're going to be talking to our legal eagles, Richard Herman and Avery Friedman, again, about this case out of Illinois, it's so interesting, two adult children, 20 and 23, suing their mother, saying she was a bad mother because the son didn't get Christmas presents because the mother moved in with someone and the daughter was so distraught, she gained a significant amount of weight.
Now, I understand how that might be upsetting, but is there a legal case here? So we're going to talk to Avery and Richard about that.
HOLMES: But they're saying their lives kind of just didn't turn out so well because of their mother?
CHO: Yes, emotional distress, and for their pain and suffering, they're seeking $50,000. Now if you're going to file the case, I mean, file for more than $50,000. But anyway...
HOLMES: We can do that? We can sue parents?
CHO: Apparently so. It's happening.
HOLMES: OK. Let me know how that one works out.
CHO: I will.
HOLMES: You're a great mom. I'm kidding.
CHO: Exactly. Mom, yes, love you.
We're also talking about the economy. Of course, there were those bad unemployment numbers that came out yesterday. U.S. economy didn't add any jobs. They also revised downward previous data. Unemployment remains at 9.1 percent.
So we want to know, how do you recession-proof your budget? One of the things you should do is stash cash, but how much? Should you have six months, 12 months, two years? We're going to be talking to an expert about that as well.
HOLMES: It's hard in tough economic times, and that people always say, yes, you're telling me to save, it's hard to save right now.
CHO: It is. It is hard to save. And the other thing, too is, you know, they say try to reduce your debt. But some of these people need to put food on the table. And so, you know, maybe the only way you can do it is credit. Anyway, it's sad, but we want to give people tips on that.
And finally, I was in East Haven, Connecticut, earlier this week looking at the Hurricane Irene aftermath. There was a one small beachside community that was just decimated in the storm. I was there. I was there, as you can see.
I talked to that man there, Dino Brainerd (ph). You see his home tilting at a 45-degree angle. The second floor ended up being on the first floor hugging the beach after the storm. It was just unbelievable. I could not believe my eyes. Just surreal. We'll be talking to Dino Brainerd on the phone coming up later on today.
HOLMES: All right. Alina, good stuff, as always. Just like...
CHO: You going to make some time for me this weekend?
HOLMES: I am, absolutely, as soon as I get home, about 12:20-12:30, TV is on, we're checking you out.
CHO: OK.
HOLMES: So good to see you, Alina.
CHO: I mean for dinner.
HOLMES: Oh, yes, that. I'm sorry. Fredricka only cares that I'm watching. You know? I'm sorry. Alina, good to see you.
CHO: Good to see you. HOLMES: Well, we're getting close to the top of the hour. We're laughing. But nobody was laughing at Katt Williams's comedy routine. He stirred some things up once again. Some controversial remarks, at least some are saying they were controversial, about Mexicans. Some are calling on him to apologize. He told me this morning, he ain't doing it. Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. As we get close to the top of the hour, comedian Katt Williams, no stranger to controversy. And now what some are calling an anti-Mexican rant during one of his comedy shows in Phoenix last weekend has him in maybe hot water.
Here's some of what got him into trouble. Take a look and listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATT WILLIAMS, COMEDIAN: You think I'm dissing Mexico and I'm defending America. Are you Mexican?
HECKLER: (expletive deleted) right I am!
WILLIAMS: Do you know where Mexico is?
HECKLER: This is Mexico, (expletive deleted)!
WILLIAMS: No, this ain't Mexico. It used to be Mexico, (expletive deleted)! And now it's Phoenix!
USA! USA! USA!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now you could see there in the video, he was responding to somebody in the crowd. This person was heckling him in the audience. This went on for like seven, eight minutes. Give you another little snippet of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: Do you remember when white people used to say 'go back to Africa'? We had to tell them, we don't want to. So if you love Mexico, (expletive deleted), get the (expletive deleted) over there! We were slaves, (expletive deleted)! You all just work like that as a landscaper.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now Katt Williams was here with me last hour to discuss this controversy and his alleged apology.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIAMS: If a person starts their heckling with "eff America," then that gives me the right to defend my country. I couldn't be anti- Mexican. My Mexican fan base is largely responsible for me even existing. So between them and the black community is really all I have. But I don't think I need to apologize for being pro-American.
The guy said that all of this is still Mexico. And I was just giving him geography. This is America, greatest country in the world.
HOLMES: Well, help us understand. So do you not apologize for anything? We only showed like a 50-second clip there. It's like seven or eight minutes, but...
WILLIAMS: No, sir.
HOLMES: Go ahead.
WILLIAMS: I apologize for the fact that the word "anti-Mexican" is being said to a black guy in America.
HOLMES: But you don't apologize for what you said in that stand-up?
WILLIAMS: I'm not allowed to. As a stand-up, the only thing that I sell is uncensored thought. So I'm only selling them the way I think uncensored. So I'm not allowed to then come back the next day and apologize. That's for the Tracy Morgans of the world.
I meant what I said and said what I meant. I'm apologizing if somebody thought I was trying to be anti-Mexican. Mexicans are my friends.
HOLMES: So, Katt, why is it somebody is allowed to put out a statement apologizing on your behalf, then?
WILLIAMS: Sir, they put out a DVD called "Katt Williams's Nine Lives" while I was in jail without my permission. We were in Phoenix, so this is a heavily Mexican-American crowd. I gave $5,000 out to a Mexican-American serviceman at this same show. It was nothing like that the night of the show.
This happened 19 days ago. It's just happening in the news yesterday because it's my birthday.
HOLMES: Well, help me understand. What was it? Because it's clear that you were visibly upset and you said you're a proud American, and you defended this country.
WILLIAMS: I was.
HOLMES: So is that essentially what it was? He was clearly out of line, in your opinion. But he really got you hot.
WILLIAMS: I was offended because he was making a statement that we're not allowed to make in this country. In this country, you have to pledge allegiance to America first and your country of origin second. So the fact that he was blatantly disrespecting the law that we all follow, black people worked too hard to become black Americans in this society. And we were slaves here. And we did a lot of free work. Whatever they did was in another country and we certainly applaud their history. But don't come here talking to sons of slaves about that.
And if there's something -- if there's something anti-Mexican about what I said, then I apologize for the anti-Mexican-ness of it. I was talking to one individual.
HOLMES: You understand at least some people hearing that -- and you were talking to one guy.
WILLIAMS: One guy.
HOLMES: It's clear that other people in the crowd were laughing at what you were saying to him, even as you were going off on the one guy.
WILLIAMS: If I had disrespected Mexicans, I wouldn't have been able to get out of there alive, sir, with all due respect.
HOLMES: But as people -- do you understand why people who do hear it maybe do get offended by it, who maybe didn't read or listen to the whole seven, eight minutes of it, but maybe just read a few comments? Do you think they just have the wrong impression? Or do you understand why some might think the "landscaper" comment might have been offensive, telling a Mexican, like that guy to get to stepping back to Mexico, how that comes off as being offensive?
WILLIAMS: No, no. He said that we were in Mexico. So let me just say this. Yes, I can see what you're saying, T.J. And at the end of the day, I think those people should watch more of this CNN show so they can see there are real news factors going on in this country, things we should discuss like our president versus football rather than worry about what a comedian is saying.
If you don't like me, don't come see me. If you do like me, I'm here for you, but I love Mexicans and I love Mexican-Americans. But I love America over all, let's be very clear about that.
HOLMES: Any concern about how people might view you down the road? How this could impact your career down the road? People might not want to book you in Texas or Arizona or California?
WILLIAMS: Wouldn't that be fantastic? Let's let that happen. But let the statement be that I'm a Christian, I'm straight.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: All right. And as I hand this over to my friend Alina Cho, he also -- that comment, the "landscaper" comment, he wouldn't apologize for that either. He said he apologizes for none of it. Whoever put that statement out, that was not from him. So no apology. We'll have that whole thing up for folks on cnn.com if they would like to see it.
But... CHO: Oh, I saw it, and I'll watch it again.
HOLMES: An interesting few minutes. Well, I'm going to go watch you now.
CHO: Thank you, T.J. Holmes. And I'll see you again tomorrow.
HOLMES: Yes. See you soon, thank you.
CHO: See you, friend.
