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Worst Fire Season Gets Worse; Hurricane Irene Could Be A Budget Buster; Illinois May Lay Off Workers; GOP Hopefuls At Freedom Forum; Romney Unveils Jobs Plan; Bring Us Your Food Stamps; Debating Immigrant Driver's Licenses
Aired September 06, 2011 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: It is 1:00 p.m. in the east, high noon in Texas where the worst fire season in history gets worse by the hour. This is the worst of the worst. Bastrop County, southeast of Austin, 30,000 acres consumed, hundreds of homes destroyed, zero containment.
This fire started Sunday, barely 48 hours ago, and already Governor Rick Perry calls it as mean a fire as he has ever seen, and he's seen a whole lot of wildfires this year.
The Texas forest service counts 294 consecutive days of wildfires somewhere in the state, you see the numbers here behind me, not coincidentally, it's also been a year of historic drought. So far this year, more than three-and-half million acres have burned, that's about as much land as the entire state of Connecticut.
In the past 48 hours, more than 700 homes have been lost, many, many more are now in danger. Now, we don't have room, of course, to list all the fires that are burning right now or even all of the biggest ones, actually, so here's just a sampling for you. There's the Bastrop fire, and right next door of course, in Travis county, a fire has burned 6,500 acres and 67 homes. You may also recall the Palo Pinto fire in the community of Possum Kingdom Lake, almost 40 homes have been lost there. But that one, finally, is actually almost contained.
That's not the case in Cass County. At last word, this fire covered 7,000 acres and was spreading at will. This 3,000 acre Grimes county fire broke out yesterday. The forest service says that it's showing extreme behavior, at least 20 homes lost so far.
CNN's Jim Spellman joining us now from the Bastrop blaze. And Jim, maybe, I guess, we should start with some good news. I understand it's not a windy day there today?
JIM SPELLMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, it's not, Randi. There's a lot more smoke around us right now than there has been previously, but that's actually good news. That means the wind is not blowing and clearing the smoke out. So, while the smoke is sitting down here and everything's calm, firefighters have a chance to try to get ahead of this on the ground and in the air with helicopters and choppers. Twenty-five hundred people here are registered as evacuees, a lot of them had literally minutes to get out with nothing more than the clothes on their back. We got a chance to catch up with one family, the Johnson family. Here's what they had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLAIRE JOHNSON, BASTROP COUNTY: At a time like this when everybody is in the same situation, you really can't think of yourself. You have to think of the town as a whole and really just try to help whoever you can, because there are a lot of people that have absolutely no idea what's going on. I think it's better for us that we know at least what happened to our house.
SHARAH JOHNSON, BASTROP COUNTY: You think what would I take if I had five minutes, and look around, what's irreplaceable? The kids and the dog, everything else is stuff.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everyone says that you lose the memories from your house when it burns down, but that's the one thing that I think we still have.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is the memories, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I will really believe it until -- I mean, I do believe it. I know our house is gone but --
CLAIRE JOHNSON: It won't register until we really see it in person because we haven't had -- you know, we haven't -- I don't think it's registered in our brains that our house is gone and that really, half of Bastrop is gone.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The most heartbreaking thing --
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SPELLMAN: So Randi, it's going to take a long time for them to rebuild their personal lives and for these towns to come back. And with so many more wildfires breaking out all the time, it's hard for anybody here to even get their breath and think about the future until this drought is behind them and this fire season is as well -- Randi.
KAYE: Yes. Jim, with all the fires still burning, I understand that some evacuees, at least some of them, are being allowed back into their homes, back into their neighborhoods?
SPELLMAN: Yes, a community called Steiner Ranch, that's on the other side, the west side of Austin, 24 homes there lost. They are allowing residents back in there 1:00 local time here today, but they're telling everybody to be so careful because all the same conditions exist. The severe drought, the heat and if the winds pick up, whatever parts of that fire are still burning could reignite.
So, they're telling people, look, if you have to -- if you can come back, come back, but be ready to leave again at a moment's notice. And that's going to go for all of these fires. It's really hard to say definitively that any area is safe when so much of Texas is under these severe drought conditions -- Randi.
KAYE: And let's talk about this Bastrop fire. Is it still -- I mean this is a massive fire, is it still zero percent contained? And if so, what are firefighters doing exactly to attack it?
SPELLMAN: Yes. So, they have the two-pronged approach here. It is still zero percent contained, and they hope that by the end of the day, they get some containment. On the ground, they have to build a fire line, they have to create a barrier between the active fire and the fuel of the trees around it. So, they're out here with chainsaws, bulldozers, trying to knock down and create that line so they can starve the fire of more fuel. From the air, it's helicopters, airplanes trying to drop water and fire retardant as much as they can to slow it down and to do sort of spot impacts around structures and stuff. They've added about 120 some firefighters today, they may even add more to try to get to this. They know that when these winds are calm like this, they have to make every minute count out there trying to get some control over it -- Randi.
KAYE: Yes. And how thick is the air there, Jim, for these folks? And I've covered wildfires before just like you, and usually it's pretty difficult to breathe out there. So, I'm just curious for the residents and for the firefighters.
SPELLMAN: Well, until just literally about an hour or two ago, it was very clear because there was a strong wind knocking everything south which is away from town and away from Austin. But as the wind is dying down, it's all just seeping into town here. Really, it's -- I would say pretty soon it's going to be the point where people will want to put on masks or a bandana or something. It's starting to get that where you feel it in the back of your throat.
KAYE: Jim Spellman there on the lines of that Bastrop fire. Jim, thank you very much.
And Chad Myers joins me now from the Weather Center. Chad, the folks in Texas certainly didn't get the rain that they wanted from Tropical Storm Lee, but at least those winds have died down.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: They only got the wind yesterday and Saturday, that's it. The storm just kind of came in very close to New Orleans, kind of headed on up toward the northeast. And all that was back on this side was the wind, and the winds were gusting to 30 miles per hour. They were also gusting to 30 and 45 miles per hour on the east side of the storm, but bringing in very beneficial rains for parts of the east, and even into the southeast. There are still at least 60 fires burning from Texarkana, back even -- back toward just to the south of San Antonio, that little blob right there. That's that fire, the fire that's completely still out of control.
When we talk about containment, how many miles -- how many miles around actually has the fire stopped? That's so far zero. The wind will continue to come out of the north at about five miles per hour today, but by the end of tomorrow and into Thursday, we will see the winds coming in from the east and that will blow this smoke back into Georgetown, back into Austin, and into Round Rock itself, and that could be more of a problem. Here's where the wind is going now, there's Austin, Texas, there's the smoke from the fire blowing down toward Corpus Christi. Corpus Christi, if you have an amazing sunset tonight, that's because of the smoke particles that are in the air right now. That's at the cost of the people up there in Bastrop county.
Now, when the winds start to come in from the east, Austin, you will be in much more danger for that smoke. Now, I'm not saying there's going to be winds and embers blowing back into Austin because the winds will only be ten miles per hour, but it will be more -- as you talked about it, it'll be more of a smoke problem than anything else.
KAYE: All right, Chad, we'll check back with you later on as well.
Other stories developing this hour. In addition to being a natural disaster, Hurricane Irene could be a disaster for the federal budget. The White House now believes relief efforts will cost taxpayers $1.5 billion, that is on top of more than $5 billion needed for other recent disasters and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has only about $800 million left in its reserves for the current fiscal year.
Republican House majority leader Eric Cantor says any increase in disaster relief funding should be offset by cutting other parts of the federal budget, that could touch off a new Congressional spending fight.
Illinois may become the next state to lay off workers. The Chicago tribune reports that governor Pat Quinn will issue thousands of layoff notices this week. It also says he'll announce plans to close a number of state facilities, including a prison. State workers are expected to oppose any layoffs. A union spokesman says layoffs would violate collective bargaining agreements, a lawsuit is likely. Quinn's budget office says the state faces a multi-million dollar shortfall and unless action is taken, several agencies may run out of money by the spring.
Michele Bachmann's presidential campaign is in flux today. Campaign manager, Ed Rollins, will move into an advisory role, and deputy campaign manager, David Polyansky, is leaving. Rollins, who had a stroke a year and a half ago, says he no longer has the endurance to work 12 or 14 hours a day. Politico.com reports that Polyansky had strategic differences with Bachmann.
With Rick Perry's entry into the Republican presidential race, a recent CNN ORC poll showed Bachmann slipping to fourth place among possible GOP contenders. Campaign strategist, Keith Nahigian, is taking over as Bachmann's interim campaign manager.
Michele Bachmann was among five Republican presidential candidates in the conservative spotlight in South Carolina last night. Bachmann, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich fielded questions at the Palmetto Freedom Forum. Here's a quick look at what they said starting with a Newt Gingrich zinger about President Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's the most effective food stamp president in American history. And if you think about it, that's actually a tragedy.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: On day one of my administration, I will direct the secretary of health and human services to grant a waiver from Obama Care to all 50 states.
REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The constitution does not specifically enumerate, nor does it give to the federal government the role and duty to superintend over education.
REP. RON PAUL (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I would bring the troops home. It would be a big boon to the economy. I believe we would have a stronger national defense not a weaker national defense.
HERMAN CAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I happen to believe that this administration is weakening America militarily. This is not what Americans want.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Rick Perry was a last minute scratch from the forum, he had to go home to deal with those Texas wildfires.
Your taxes, labor unions and oil, we'll explain how all these point to one word, jobs, according to Mitt Romney. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Jobs and the economy. Those, undoubtedly, will be two pivotal campaign issues in the 2012 election. President Barack Obama will lay out his plans on Thursday. He gave us a little preview yesterday in Detroit.
Next up, Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, will reveal his big jobs plan in Nevada in just a couple of hours. Romney gave a sneak peek of his plan in a "USA Today" op-ed. Here's a breakdown of his plan that consists of 59 specific proposals. The big thing is taxes, Romney wants to lower personal and corporate tax rates. He wants to cut back on federal regulations. He also plans to push for more trade deals which President Obama is expected to address as well.
On the energy front, Romney pledges to increase energy production in the U.S., he also suggests limiting the role of labor unions, but that's just actually scratching the surface. I want to bring in Dianne Brady, the senior editor of "Bloomberg Business Week" to give us a better perspective on Romney's plan. Diane, based on what details we do know, what stood out most about Romney's plan for you?
DIANE BRADY, SENIOR EDITOR AND CONTENT CHIEF, "BLOOMBERG BUSINESS WEEK": Well, I think obviously he's very much hitting on some of the key conservative points which is lower tax rates, less regulation. I think the issue is that he's doing this in isolation of the bigger picture which is the conservatives also want to see the debt go down. So, I think they're going to have to, at some point, address both those issues, much in the same way that Obama's going to have to address it. There's very limited tools that people have at the moment.
KAYE: I want to share with you some words from DNC chair, Debbie Wassermann Schultz. She spoke this morning with our "American Morning" here on CNN, and she was really quick to hit Romney on job creation. So, let's listen to that, and then I want to get your reaction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DEBBIE WASSERMANN SCHULTZ (D), FLORIDA: The state was 47th in job creation, his state never recovered the jobs that they lost in the 2001 recession. In the private sector, he touts his private sector experience, yet he was involved in actually helping companies shed jobs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Now, his fellow GOP presidential candidate, Jon Huntsman, is also saying quote, that "Romney's record was sadly similar to that of Obama's." So, how could that play in terms of the campaign and job plan? Will that play big?
BRADY: Well, obviously, we're in the middle of the silly season in terms of rhetoric going back and forth, and so they're attacking the man and not the plan. I think clearly there are many reasons why Massachusetts lagged. No doubt his role as governor played part of it. But it was also the mix of businesses as well.
I think that Romney does have to talk about his own issues with regard to outsourcing jobs and the like, but ultimately Americans are going to be looking at the plans and which ones make most sense. And the reality is, a lot of what he's talking about, as I'm sure a lot of what the president will talk about, are things that have already been tried, whether it's the green jobs, whether it's the tax breaks.
So the question is, what's really going to move the ball. One thing to look at, I think, are some of these free trade plans, which Romney does bring up, and I think will be of more importance in the coming weeks.
KAYE: What do you see that's actually new in Mitt Romney's plan?
BRADY: Well, I do think it's important to be stressing what's happening with these free trade plans, because there's a lot of rhetoric going back and forth as to whether or not this destroys jobs or creates them. There are three major plans right now that are being held up, have not been presented to Congress, so I think that's something that hopefully will put this on the agenda again.
But, otherwise, there's not a lot there that is new. Perhaps something along the lines of the tax breaks. But the reality is, this has been tried. There are certainly tax breaks out there right now and everybody knows that some of the levers we have, have already been tried and just haven't proven effective so far.
KAYE: What do you think in the plan could actually go forward, could actually be implemented and make a difference?
BRADY: Well, I think the emphasis on energy jobs. We're going to be seeing that, I'm sure, from the president's speech as well. There's no question that business needs more incentive to hire. But what's really holding them up right now I think is the economy itself and the lack of predictability. So it's not for want of tax breaks. But, clearly, that could encourage -- that could possibly encourage more job growth. And getting some of these -- getting freer trade and basically encouraging Americans not to take a protectionist point of view, especially as we come into the election, I think is going to be critical.
KAYE: You know we have Huntsman, he's released his plan. Jon Huntsman. Now we have Mitt Romney releasing his plan. President Obama is going to talk Thursday night and release his jobs plan. At what point do Americans' eyes just begin to glaze over, as critical of an issue as this is, at what point does it just become noise in a way?
BRADY: Well, I think that's an excellent point. I think the economy, to some extent, has become noise and there's a real fatigue factor where people have given up. One thing about Huntsman's plan, and I think one thing Americans would like to see, is simplicity. There is this sense that there are too many loopholes, there's too much confusion in the tax system. They would like a very clear road ahead as to what the tax base is going to be and what taxes companies and individuals are going to pay.
So I think one of the things that we need to see is some real predictability in the system. That's what gets people hiring again. It's what gets people investing again. And I think that would be something that would perhaps rouse some of us from our eyes glazing over is just understanding what the path forward's going to be.
KAYE: Yes. We could all use a little help understanding that. Diane Brady, senior editor, Bloomberg Businessweek. Thank you so much for your insight. Appreciate that.
BRADY: Thank you.
KAYE: And we will bring you Mitt Romney live from Nevada when he begins to outline his plan at 3:30 Eastern Time.
Millions more people are using food stamps now to help make ends meet. And where you can use those food stamps may be expanding. We'll have all the details for you straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: More retailers want to get a piece of the food stamp pie. Traditionally, food stamps are used mainly at grocery stores and you can't use them to buy prepared foods. But now a report in the "USA Today" says some restaurants are pushing states to allow people to use them at their businesses, too. CNN's Karina Huber joins us from the New York Stock Exchange with much more on this.
So, Karina, what do you know about these latest food stamp push?
KARINA HUBER, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we know, Randi, is that restaurants are trying to get in on what's becoming a very big business. They are reportedly lobbying to allow more restaurants to accept food stamps.
Now, you can already use food stamps at some Yum Brand locations. Of course Yum Brand owns Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Long John Silver. So, Yum Brands is reportedly trying to get other restaurants involved to create a sort of momentum. It wants more acceptance of the idea that people should be able to use food stamps not only at grocery stores, but also to get prepared meals.
But there are a lot of caveats. Currently, only the elderly, the homeless and the disabled can use food stamps at restaurants in certain states. So this could be an uphill battle.
Randi.
KAYE: So what is this really about? I mean is this about raising more revenue or is this just about a greater need?
HUBER: No, this is really about the bottom line. More revenue. There's a lot of money on the table because a record number of Americans are getting food stamps right now. In fact, if you take a look at this chart, we're seeing $65 billion in food stamps were spent last year. If you take a look at what's happened historically, that's up from $30 billion in 2006. That's almost double. Actually, that's more than double the amount.
Now, the Department of Agriculture calls it a historic growth. So, yes, it's another possible revenue source for the eateries. And it does give people more food options, but critics say letting people use food stamps at restaurants isn't always good for their health and not the most cost-effective way to get food.
Randi.
KAYE: All right, Karina Huber, thank you very much. Appreciate that.
Time right now, about 23 minutes past the hour, let's check our top stories.
Honda is announcing another major worldwide recall of around a million cars. In the U.S., there are concerns with power window switches in some CRV models from 2006. Some 2011 CRZ hybrids are being recalled as well. This is Honda's second major recall in just a month. In early August, Honda recalled 1.5 million cars in the U.S. alone.
Now let's take a quick look at the big board. Stocks are down big today. You can see it there, down 174 points. The problem is the continuing stress over the European debt crisis. Fears over the U.S. economy aren't helping a whole lot either. A lot of people are waiting to hear what President Obama has to say about jobs Thursday night. We will, of course, bring you that address live.
But while stocks are down, gold is up yet again. The price of gold inching awfully close to $2,000 an ounce. To check the rising value of gold and other precious metals, you can just simply log on to cnnmoney.com.
Two states currently allow undocumented immigrants to get drivers' licenses, but now, one is actually reconsidering. We'll have that story for you next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: New Mexico, one of two states that allow undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers' licenses, is debating whether to change that practice. Today, the state's lawmakers are scheduled to take up the issue in a special session. The time was originally scheduled to focus on redistricting for statewide elections, but Republican Susanna Martinez, the nation's first Latina governor, put the issue on the docket. CNN Espanol Gustavo Valdes joins me right now.
So, welcome, first of all.
GUSTAVO VALDES, CNN ESPANOL: Thanks, Randi.
KAYE: Why is New Mexico thinking about changing the rules when it comes to immigrant licenses?
VALDES: In 2003, the legislature passed this law that allows undocumented immigrants to get a driver's license. They have to prove nothing else but the fact they are residents of the state and they get a driver's license. Washington state has a similar law. Utah has a more restrictive permit that is valid only in the state, it's not recognized by any other state.
The officials now tell me that they think that this law has created a magnet in the state where people from all over the state and from all over the world, really, immigrants have come into the United States, can go to New Mexico, get this driver's license and they leave. They never have established residence in the state and then they can use this driver's license in whatever other state they want to go to.
KAYE: So are they looking to actually stop this from happening, or are they just looking to toughen maybe some of the laws and the restrictions?
VALDES: The governor wants it repealed. The people who advocate for these kind of laws want the legislation to tweak the law a little bit. The state tried a program in July where they sent 10,000 letters to the more than 84,000 people who have gotten a driver's license through this law. Out of those 10,000, the state tells me that only a third were returned as a valid address. The other two-thirds were either not returned or returned by people who said these people have never lived in this address. So some people want to tweak it to prevent people from out of state to come and get the license. The governor wants it repealed completely.
KAYE: Now I would imagine the governor, the first Latina governor, as we said, is probably taking some heat about this.
VALDES: It is. Her ethnicity is coming into play. They say that she's part of a broader anti-immigrant agenda. But she says that being the daughter -- the granddaughter of immigrants that she admits came into the country illegally doesn't mean that you have to keep giving licenses to the newcomers or new illegal immigrants who live in the state. Let's hear what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. SUSANA MARTINEZ (R), NEW MEXICO: I'm an American of Mexican descent. What my agenda is, is to make sure New Mexicans are safe. That our borders is safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: So, that is interesting, her stance on this. But how easy is it, really? Did you try this to try and get a driver's license there?
VALDES: We actually found two phone numbers here in Georgia for people who promise to help us to navigate the process. They were charging $1,500 (ph). And they said, all we needed was a passport, phone number, date of birth and if we had a valid driver's license from whatever country of origin we were from.
This was part of a CNN investigation. When we tried to meet them, the one person that was here in Georgia said that he feared for his life. The other one, who was out of state, he said that he could no longer help us. Maybe because of these letters, the state has been trying to tighten the requirements.
And I have to say that a judge last week blocked these efforts by the governor to send out these letters to re-verify their addresses.
KAYE: So, are these licenses even trusted, then, in other states? Is there a problem with that?
VALDES: That's part of the big argument.
The proponents of the law said, look, when you give an undocumented form of I.D., then they are going to feel safer in their state. They can talk to the police. They have a form of I.D. to have access to many places.
The critics said, like the governor, said, look, we don't have the safeguards in place for people to go to other states and the police officers to recognize these as a valid, secure driver's license. They can go to another state and perhaps exchange it for a driver's license in that state. They can board a plane. They can get into federal businesses because this is a valid government issued I.D. that, as you know, opens the doors to many other places.
KAYE: Yes. It's going to be interesting to see how this plays out.
Gustavo, thank you very much. Appreciate that.
VALDES: Thank you, Randi.
Hurricane Katia and jellyfish attacks, we will explain the connection just ahead. Keep it here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back. It is about half past the hour. Let's check on the top headlines and other news that you may have missed.
In Texas, wildfires have forced hundreds to evacuate their homes near Austin and Houston. Firefighters are struggling to contain the fires which the Forest Service says have killed two people and destroyed more than 700 homes since Sunday.
You're looking at pictures of the Bastrop Complex, the largest fire firefighters are battling near Austin. Governor Rick Perry took an aerial tour of the damage in Central Texas just west of Austin. Perry is urging Texans to follow all warnings. Just in the past week, the Texas Forest Service has responded to 181 fires that have burned more than 118,000 acres.
The California Supreme Court is hearing arguments today on Proposition 8. These are live pictures of those arguments, Proposition 8, as you know, the state's ban on same-sex marriage. This is video from inside the court. The legal question before the court is whether or not the sponsors of Prop 8 have a right to appeal last year's federal ruling that overturned the ban.
Their legal standing to appeal was called into question after former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and then-Attorney General Jerry Brown, who is now governor, both refused to defend the ban on same-sex marriage. The court will make a ruling within 90 days.
The family of a Mississippi man allegedly killed in a hate crime has filed a wrongful death lawsuit today against the suspects. James Anderson was allegedly beaten by a group of white teenagers and then run down by a pickup truck in June. The lawsuit alleges the seven teens -- quote -- "set out on a mission to find and harass African- Americans."
But the family's attorney who spoke with CNN earlier says the community has embraced the Anderson family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINSTON J. THOMPSON III, ATTORNEY: The family has been very encouraged with the outpouring of support from the community. And we just hope that it continues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The family is seeking a jury trial and damages.
New York City is reeling from a string of violent shootings. Authorities say three people were shot dead and two New York police officers were wounded Monday night. This is just the latest gun battle that caps off a violent Labor Day weekend. City authorities say at least 48 were wounded by guns over the holiday weekend.
The White House now believes relief efforts will cost taxpayers $1.5 billion. That's on top of more than $5 billion needed for other recent disasters. And the Federal Emergency Management Agency has only about $800 million left in its reserves for the current fiscal year.
Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor says any increase in disaster relief funding should be offset by cutting other parts of the federal budget. That could touch off a new congressional spending fight.
Illinois may become the next state to lay off workers. "The Chicago Tribune" reports that Governor Pat Quinn will issue thousands of layoff notices this week. It also says he will announce plans to close a number of state facilities, including a prison. State workers are expected to oppose any layoffs. A union spokesman says layoffs would violate collective bargaining agreements. A lawsuit is likely.
Quinn's budget office says the state faces a multimillion-dollar shortfall and unless action is taken, several agencies may run out of money by spring.
Floridians are already feeling the impact of Hurricane Katia. You're looking at a satellite image of the storm. Lifeguards in the state are warning people of dangerous rip currents and, yes, attacks by jellyfish.
CNN affiliate WKMG reports jellyfish stung almost 300 swimmers in Florida on Labor Day alone and dangerous rip currents prompted 20 rescues in just one county.
In one minute, the unbelievable story of a fighter pilot who tried to intercept one of the hijacked planes headed to the World Trade Center on 9/11.
Don't go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: All this week, CNN is telling stories of front-line witnesses to the worst terrorist attack in the United States, those who woke up on 9/11, went to work and had their lives changed forever.
Drew Griffin's interview with Tim Duffy, a fighter pilot who tried to intercept one of the hijacked airplanes over the skies of New York City.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 8:46 a.m., Otis Air Base, Cape Cod, Tim Duffy, a commercial airline pilot for United, was working his second job, on alert as a fighter pilot with the Massachusetts Air National Guard. Duffy, footnote 117, is given the order to scramble his F-15. There is a confirmed hijacking. The order for Duffy and his wingman, take off from this now deserted airfield.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's Otis Tower. I have an active air defense scramble, F-15s, climbing to flight level 290.
GRIFFIN: Under orders to find and intercept American Flight 11.
(on camera): So these were the two hangars.
TIM DUFFY, FIGHTER PILOT, AIR NATIONAL GUARD: Yes, these are cells 3 and 4. They would have jets in all of them, just depending on what jets you're going to need that day. And these were the ones that were armed up, and so we had hot missiles and a hot gun, so they were all armed up.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): By the end of this morning, Duffy will be asked if he's prepared to use those missiles to bring down U.S. passenger jets. And that meant he might be shooting down a plane carrying his United Airlines colleagues.
DUFFY: And they just said, "Be prepared to shoot down the next hijack track. And I screamed back -- I said, "Roger." And then they came back right after that and said, "Do you have a problem with that?"
That kind of ticked me off. That what kind of sticks in my memory for that call, being in that situation, if I wasn't ready to do whatever I was called for, I was the wrong person in that seat.
GRIFFIN: Breaking the sound barrier, Tim Duffy is barreling towards Manhattan, still under orders to intercept a plane. But which plane? His conversation with air travel control shows how fast events were moving that chaotic morning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. I understand you are going to look for American 11. Is that correct?
DUFFY: Affirmative.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. I just got information that the aircraft has been crashed into the World Trade Center, so I'm not quite sure what your intentions are, if you're still going to head that way, or you may want to talk to your operations.
GRIFFIN: Then, 17 minutes after American Airlines Flight 11 slams into the World Trade Center's north tower, at 9:03 a.m., United 175 hits the south tower.
DUFFY: We're about 60 miles from Kennedy, and probably about 80 miles or so from Manhattan. That's when they told me the second aircraft just hit the World Trade Center. Obviously, some confusion in my cockpit -- I thought I was still chasing American Flight 11. They told me a second aircraft, which I didn't even know about.
So, I looked up right away and I could see the smoke coming out of both towers. As I saw the towers burning, you know, with two airliners in them, we're obviously under attack.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And Drew Griffin joins us now.
Wow. That is -- brings back a lot of memories, certainly. I'm struck by how calm that person was on the radio to Tim, saying, we're just getting word that it had struck the tower. That was really something.
GRIFFIN: We listened to a lot of tapes. And there's a lot of calmness. You would think that it would just be so chaotic. But part of our coverage also deals with how air traffic controllers handled that day. And they are an incredibly calm bunch.
KAYE: Once the planes did hit and the towers fell, what was Tim's mission after that?
GRIFFIN: You know, he immediately switched into, OK, we're at war, we're under attack. And for the next five hours, he patrolled Manhattan and his job was to literally intercept any plane that was going awry and potentially take it down.
So, for five hours, he flew above Manhattan just making sure that there were no planes coming, more planes coming, that could do harm.
KAYE: And do you think he's still haunted by all of this today? Many of us are, but he was in the hot seat there, really being faced with having to shoot down an airplane carrying fellow Americans.
GRIFFIN: Yes.
Well, he's a trained fighter pilot, and his training did very well in this interview. He was very calm during the interview. You have got to imagine there was some, you know, nervous moments underneath. But he is a very, very calm guy.
He very calmly describes the scene as he saw the last -- he was flying overhead as the last tower collapsed beneath him. He didn't really realize what was happening. It was just dropping from the sky. And it took him a few seconds to realize what had happened.
That moment, he said, shook hi, but then shook right back into that, you know, fighter pilot mode.
KAYE: Right.
GRIFFIN: I have to protect what I'm protecting here.
KAYE: And what's he doing today?
GRIFFIN: Retired from United. He now works with the Air Reserves and he helps the military respond to disasters. So he's still in a military role, a support military role.
KAYE: Well, I know that's just one of many stories that you will be bringing us in your special on 9/11.
So, Drew, thank you. Appreciate that.
GRIFFIN: You bet.
KAYE: And be sure to watch "Footnotes of 9/11" tonight at 11:00 p.m. Eastern time for many more stories that you have never heard before.
There is potentially damaging new testimony about James Murdoch in the U.K. phone hacking scandal. Details are next in "Globe Trekking."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Time now to go "Globe Trekking."
The British Parliament heard more testimony today about the "News of the World" phone hacking scandal and a key witness questioned earlier testimony by James Murdoch, the son of News Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch.
Atika Shubert joins us now from London.
Hi there, Atika.
What can you tell us about today's testimony?
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, basically, they really wanted to know -- lawmakers are trying to figure out just how much News International executives knew about how widespread the phone hacking was and when did they know it, particularly James Murdoch.
And they grilled basically a former lawyer of News International, Tom Crone, and a former editor for "News of the World," Colin Myler, and both of them said they had a 15-minute conversation with James Murdoch several years ago, informing him about a particular e-mail that suggested the phone hacking was not restricted to simply one reporter, but, in fact, may have been a wider problem.
There were quite a few heated exchanges between lawmakers and Tom Crone, that lawyer, in particular. Here's an exchange between Tom Watson, the former -- a labor M.P., and Tom Crone.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The truth is, you didn't see it as gross misconduct, did you? You just thought it was a reporter's job at "News of the World."
TOM CRONE, FORMER NEWS INTERNATIONAL ATTORNEY: That is absolute nonsense.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As far as you're concerned, the only problem was he got caught.
CRONE: That is nonsense.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And so now you had to conceal that crime.
CRONE: That is nonsense.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You were desperate to ensure that it didn't become known that hacking was standard practice at "News of the World," weren't you?
CRONE: That's not true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHUBERT: As you can tell by that exchange, the allegations from lawmakers are essentially that News International executives knew there was a wider-spread problem, but wanted to cover it up and for that reason basically paid off a victim of the phone hacking more than $1 million in order to keep it under wraps. But eventually it came out.
KAYE: So, how is this going to be viewed? Do you think this will be looked at as a blow to News Corp.?
SHUBERT: Well, it's definitely damaging to James Murdoch. In fact, he just came out with a statement. News International put out a statement saying he stands by the testimony he had before, that he did not know about that e-mail at the time, that this was not discussed with him. But clearly lawmakers are not impressed with that testimony and they may be recalling him to testify again.
KAYE: And what did David Cameron have to say about it?
SHUBERT: Well, David Cameron fielded a number of questions, but specifically updated lawmakers on the number of phone hacking investigations under way. Remember, there's also police investigations and a judicial inquiry.
That inquiry had their preliminary hearing today. It's probably going to go for about a year, so we basically have a long way to go before we get to the end of this hacking scandal.
KAYE: Atika Shubert in London, thank you for the update.
And time now to check some top stories. U.S. State Department officials are downplaying reports about a Libyan convoy seen passing through Niger in East Africa. The convoy is believed to have been carrying former Gadhafi regime officials, but State Department sources tell CNN they doubt Moammar Gadhafi himself was actually aboard. Reports about the convoy had sparked speculation the ousted Libyan leader might be on his way to nearby Burkina Faso, but government officials in that country deny Gadhafi is there. If he did turn up, they say Burkina Faso would respect its obligations to the International Criminal Court, which is seeking Gadhafi's arrest.
In Italy today, an Italian police forensics expert defended the DNA evidence used to convict Amanda Knox of murder. She rejected defense arguments that the bra clasp it came from had been allowed to rust and should not have been used. Knox, an American college student, was convicted of murdering her housemate British student Meredith Kercher. Knox's attorneys are trying to get that conviction overturned.
The death toll in a Japanese typhoon now 47. Dozens more people are still missing. The storm known as Talas brought record rainfall to western Japan, triggering floods and landslides. One local official there says it was the worst storm it's the worst storm he's seen in over 40 years. The Japanese government has set up an emergency task force to oversee search-and-rescues operations.
Want the coolest new ring tone? Well, there's an app for that. Want to watch CNN live on the go? Yes, there is an app for that too.
Lose your pet? Yes, good news, there's now an app for that as well. We will much more on that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back.
It is time for today's "Big I."
And as a pet owner, I love this next story, a segment that is all about -- of course, we're talking about "Big I" firsts, the segment that is all about the big ideas and the innovations and solutions to problems.
But for animal lovers, as you know, losing a pet can be like losing a family member. So today's "Big I" could lots of us a whole lot of stress and heartache. PetHub has created special collars with unique Q.R. codes, you know, those small matrix bar codes that look like television static, basically.
And if your pet gets lost, anyone with a smartphone can scan the collar at not cost for its name, address, and more. It pulls up what is almost like an interactive Facebook or Wikipedia page of your pet that your friends, your family, even your veterinarian can update online.
PetHub founder Tom Arnold -- no, not that Tom Arnold -- explains.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM ARNOLD, FOUNDER, PETHUB: You use the camera on the phone to hover over this code. The idea there is if I have a dog walker, a pet sitter, even my vet, where everybody can contribute to this single record.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Among its benefits, the collar could be a great alternative for anyone who doesn't want to implant a microchip in their dog or their cat. One drawback, someone could easily remove your pet's collar, rendering it useless, of course.
But for much more information about PetHub, you can check out my Facebook page at Facebook/RandiKayeCNN.
Up next, Michele Bachmann entering the next phase of her campaign, but she will have to do it with a new person in charge. Your CNN political update coming your way next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Let's check in with our friend Paul Steinhauser, talk a little politics.
Paul, big changes at the Bachmann campaign.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Oh, yes, very big changes.
Let's go ahead and talk about it right off the bat. And this is Ed Rollins. You guys know Ed Rollins. He's been on CNN a lot. Here's a man who was -- he ran the 1984 Ronald Reagan reelection campaign. He was the mastermind between -- Mike Huckabee's victory in the Iowa caucuses back in 2008. And he was the guy who was running the Bachmann campaign. He signed up with her earlier this year.
They had that big victory at the Iowa Ames straw poll just last month. But since then, you know what? Since then, she's been overshadowed by Rick Perry and is starting to slip in the polls. So he's out as campaign manager. He now will have a senior advisory role.
He says part of this, though -- him and the campaign both say that, you know what, he's 68 years old, health concerns, he couldn't deal with the stress, and that he will still have a role in the campaign.
Here's what he said on Anderson Cooper last night about where Bachmann stands in the race right now. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ED ROLLINS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I think, legitimately, it's a Romney-Perry race with the leaders in the polls leading the money.
I think she's the third candidate at this point in time, which is way different and better than we thought when we started this thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP) STEINHAUSER: You know what else is interesting, Randi? His number two, who was the deputy campaign manager, is also out, so, two Rollins guys out.
So maybe this isn't just health concerns here. Again, they did great. They peaked. And now, over the last couple weeks, they have been overshadowed by Rick Perry. So, we will see what happens next -- a bunch of debate coming up starting tomorrow, of course.
KAYE: And, Paul, before we let you go, let's talk about Mitt Romney and his jobs plan. He is going to be unveiling that today, a couple of days before the president is going to give out the details on his plan. What do you make of that?
STEINHAUSER: Yes, the timing is interesting.
I know, earlier this hour, you broke down what's in the plan. But let's talk about the politics. It comes just two days before the president goes before Congress, a major address to lay out his plans. Here's Mitt Romney kind of stealing the spotlight first and one day before a presidential debate.
He's going to do it at 3:30 Eastern. We will have some live coverage of that at a trucking company in north Las Vegas, Nevada. Of course, Nevada also interesting -- it's one of those crucial early voting states in the primary and caucus calendars. He's already getting some criticism, Randi, not only from Democrats -- you would expect that -- but from fellow Republicans.
This is Tim Miller, the spokesman for the Huntsman campaign, a rival presidential campaign. He says: "Governor Huntsman's free market, pro-growth policies took Utah to number one in job creation, while Governor Romney's policies brought about the opposite. We already have one president with a dismal record on jobs. Americans aren't looking for another one."
So a rival campaign already going after Mitt Romney. Politics is rough, Randi, no doubt about it.
(LAUGHTER)
KAYE: Yes, and getting rougher as we get closer to 2012, it seems.
All right, Paul, nice to see you. Thank you.
STEINHAUSER: Yes.
KAYE: And CNN, of course, will have live coverage of President Obama's jobs speech Thursday night. And then on Sunday, be sure to tune in for the CNN Tea Party Express GOP presidential debate. That is live from Tampa, Florida. Our coverage with the best political team on television starts at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
