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Texas Fire Kills At Least Four; Nevada Police Look For Motive; Paying For Obama's Plan; Mubarak Trail; Teen Gunned Down In Class; Republican Debate Tonight; Toxins in Ground Zero Dust

Aired September 07, 2011 - 13:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: If your choice did not win we will have links to them on Suzanne Malveaux's page at Facebook.com/SuzanneCNN.

All right, the CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with the lovely Randi Kaye.

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello there, Fred, and thank you very much.

It is a horrible thing to lose one's home and possessions to a wildfire, but again and again, the newly homeless in fire ravaged Texas has echoed the view of Nichelle Bielinski.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICHELLE BIELINSKI, TEXAS: I am the luckiest person in the world. My family is safe, now I need to check on my neighbors.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Michelle's home burned in the Steiner Ranch community northwest of Austin. Today though, we're reminded not all fire victims were lucky and we may not know all the dead. We know the biggest fire among the dozens that have claimed hundreds of homes has killed at least two people, two others, a mother and toddler died elsewhere in the state on Sunday.

Today, a 100-member search team from Texas Task Force One plans to fan out across Bastrop County, southeast of Austin, where authorities fear not everybody fled when the flames approached. Take a look here, this is an interactive map that you can link to from the Web site of the Texas Forest Service. The Bastrop fire has burned more than 33,000 acres and is 30 percent contained, that's the good news. This time yesterday, it was zero percent contained.

A fire northwest of Houston has burned some 5,000 acres in Grimes County, up from 3,000 acres yesterday, that one has torched 75 homes and threatens many more.

My colleague, Jim Spellman, is watching the battle in Bastrop. And Jim, I understand that evacuees who don't know whether their homes burned or not and may now be actually getting some answers? JIM SPELLMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, authorities here, just within the last hour, posted a list and taped it at the walls at the command center here of homes that they know have burned, 243 so far. Unfortunately, that number's going to be more than doubled. Excuse me, Randi, the smoke has been a little heavier today. And in one sense, it's good because people are starting to absorb it, but the shock of facing the reality of what they had feared is really hitting a lot of people hard.

I spoke with one woman, Linda Arebalos, she was sent some photos on her iPhone of her destroyed house, and it's really hitting her hard. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SPELLMAN: Where did you get the pictures?

LINDA AREBALOS, BASTROP COUNTY, TEXAS: My step brother, he rides a motorcycle, and he was able to get in the day after -- well, get in -- sneak in the area, and --

SPELLMAN: Is that your van?

AREBALOS: Yes. It's no longer -- it's there, but it's not there.

SPELLMAN: Wow. When you see these pictures, it must be heartbreaking?

AREBALOS: It is. It's extremely heartbreaking. So yes, it is.

SPELLMAN: It's a mess there.

AREBALOS: Yes, it is.

SPELLMAN: And this is where your house used to stand?

AREBALOS: Yes. It's where my house was, it's no longer there.

SPELLMAN: Wow, it's shocking to see that.

AREBALOS: It is.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SPELLMAN: And you know, we're going to just see that hundreds of times, Randi. People are going to have to realize that is the case. They're going to have to start rebuilding their lives.

Just today, something happened that really impacted people a lot. They announced they were moving people from the temporary shelter in a middle school to a long-term shelter. And that has hit a lot of people really hard to realize that it's going to be a long time, this is not just a day or two, it's going to be weeks, months, years possibly before these people can rebuild their lives -- Randi. KAYE: Yes, this cannot be easy for those folks. Jim, I wanted to ask you, I mean, this fire has gone from uncontained, zero percent contained, to 30 percent contained. Is the weather behind this? Is that what's helping?

SPELLMAN: Well, the weather is certainly helping this for the firefighters. When the winds are -- die down, it doesn't feed the fire as much and it doesn't send embers flying around that can start a new fire, sometimes miles away from the base of the fire. But these firefighters, my god, they are working so hard overnight, and they have really taken advantage of it.

I was astounded that they were able to get that much containment on a fire that was so intense. They told us today that they hoped by the end of the day shift today around sundown that they will have this fire to the point where it will not expand any more. It's amazing the work the they're doing and in these conditions. You know, Randi, it's unbelievable these guys -- INAUDIBLE work in these conditions, but they are taking advantage of this weather. They have another calm day today. Tomorrow the weather might not be as good so they need everything they can today -- Randi.

KAYE: And you mentioned the shelters folks are still not in their homes. Do we have an idea how many people actually are actually homeless right now?

SPELLMAN: Right now there's about 2,500 or so people that have registered as evacuees. A lot of those people will be able to go back, their homes weren't destroyed. But it's well over 500 homes that they know have been destroyed and that they're sorting out, trying to confirm individual addresses. But it's a lot of people -- you know, 500 families without homes. I'm not sure how and what a community does to even begin to rebound from something like that -- Randi.

KAYE: Yes. Jim Spellman in Bastrop, Texas. Jim, thank you very much for that update.

I want to go now to Chad Myers, who is watching the winds, the humidity, and the gulf, all factors in the Texas fires. So Chad, is the weather going to help or hurt today do you think?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: The weather helps today -- the weather helps firefighters. The weather is not helping the breathing, even our Jim almost lost his voice there for a minute just trying to talk because the smoke, when not being blown around, just settles around. There's smoke on this haze all the way from Austin now, all the way back into Houston as far south as Corpus Christi. Significant smoke in the air. I don't think you can really imagine what this looks like.

This is from DeannaRoy.com. This is from the 360 loop west of Austin. About six miles to the buildings and about another 30 miles to the fires. But look at that -- look at that choking smoke coming from the fire. That's when it was blowing to the south and headed down to Corpus Christi. That's when the winds were quite strong, now the winds have really died off quite a bit.

We are watching this potential system in the Gulf of Mexico, as you said. It may come into Texas and bring some rain, but right now the forecast, at least the track is taking almost the same that Lee did. And all that Lee did was make more fire, because Lee didn't make any rain in Texas whatsoever.

Look at the drought from Texas and Oklahoma into Kansas, it is so significant. It hasn't rained there for days and months and sometimes hundreds of days without a drop of rain. The only thing I can tell you, Randi, is that if you are in the area, you need to get the stuff that you need out of your house in a box, right now. I don't care if you're in Bastrop County or any county across parts of Texas. It is so dry there, one spark could automatically get you not being able to get you back into your neighborhood. Get things in the boxes, get them in your car, take them with you when you leave, just in case you can't even get back. It's that serious.

KAYE: Yes. Get that to go bag ready to go.

MYERS: You bet.

KAYE: So, is there any big relief? Any significant relief at all in the horizon?

MYERS: No, not at all. And people were even asking me -- even tweeting me now, why don't they just -- well, and what about -- so what about seeding the clouds. I mean, we used to do that, right? That experimental seeding? There's nothing to seed, there's no humidity in the sky. There's -- all you would do is maybe you would make a cloud, but the seeding would never be able to make rain drops. There's just not enough humidity anywhere. The ground has not given up any evaporation, there's low transpiration from the crops because there are no crops. Texas has lost now $5.5 billion in livestock and crop damage from this drought. This is as bad, if not worse, than the Dust Bowl.

KAYE: Wow. All right, Chad Myers, we'll be checking back with you over the next couple hours. Thank you.

MYERS: You're welcome.

KAYE: And now to Nevada where police hope to figure out why a man with an assault rifle opened fire yesterday in a Carson City IHOP. The man killed four people, three of them National Guard troops, then turned his gun on himself.

CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is following this story from our bureau in Los Angeles. Thelma, if you can, bring us up to date.

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Randi, the Carson sheriff's department just held a news conference a short time ago, and the pressing question is, were the five National Guard's troops specifically targeted? The sheriff says there was concern initially because the victims were in uniform, and while they are trying to establish a motive, the sheriff says there is no evidence of that at this time because six civilians were also shot.

Now, two of the National Guard's troops were veterans. One had served in Iraq, the other in Afghanistan. He was a husband and father of three.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF KEN FURLONG, CARSON CITY, NEVADA: This is unquestionably the most devastating attack on our community in Carson City's history. In fact, we have not suffered from a homicide here in this community in over three years. Yesterday, our town was shocked to the core.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTIERREZ: CNN has also learned that a cabdriver who drove the gunman, the 32-year-old Eduardo Sencion, the night before the shooting, told a law enforcement official that Sencion had expressed suicidal thoughts. And family members told authorities that since Sencion, a resident of Carson City, had a history of mental illness that goes way back to when he was just 16 years old. An official also told CNN that there is no terrorism connection in the case, and that Sencion was not the radar with federal law enforcement prior to the shooting -- Randi.

KAYE: So Thelma, was -- do they think -- I mean, obviously they're looking for a motive, or do they think it was a mental health issue or do they really think that a motive really does exists out there?

GUTIERREZ: Well you know, that is exactly how it's appearing, Randi. They have been searching for a motive, again because the National Guardsmen were in uniform at the time that they were targeted or at the time that he came in and started shooting at them. But then they said six other people also became victims and they were civilians, and so they say, at this point, they have no reason to believe that he was acting on behalf of any group or organization, that he was acting alone. And again, he had a history of mental illness that came from his family, they say he had been dealing with this since he was 16 years old.

KAYE: Yes. Of course, you have to wonder how a guy with a history of mental illness gets his hands on an assault rifle? But that's another question.

GUTIERREZ: Yes, exactly, Randi. And that is exactly what ATF is looking into. How did he get a hold of that AK-47?

KAYE: All right. Thelma Gutierrez, thank you for the update.

Tomorrow is the day President Obama lays out his jobs plan, but his ideas to boost the economy don't come cheap. We'll take a closer look at the price tag, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAYE: President Obama is preparing to roll out his jobs speech tomorrow. In his speech to Congress, the plan aims to strengthen the shaky economy and stimulate new jobs, but we're hearing that it is going to cost roughly $300 billion to pull this off. CNN's Alison Kosik joins us now live from the New York Stock Exchange with more on this.

Hi there, Alison. So, I guess the question is, where will the money for this plan come from?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: And that's really -- the really big question here. And you know, when you think about it, there are only two ways to offset new spending whether you cut other spending, or you raise taxes. And the administration is reportedly going to be calling for a mix of the two, and the president will lay out all the details later next week.

Now, one of the centerpieces of this plan, that is expected, is to be a $10 billion infrastructure bank. And essentially, what this is is it's designed to pay for itself by giving loans to the private sector to pay for projects instead of having the government pay for them. And if the plan achieves its goals and gets people back to work together, getting the economy moving again, as the president I expect will argue, then the boost to the economy will pay for the plan as well, at least in theory -- Randi.

KAYE: So, when you hear this plan, and you look at the numbers, I bet a lot of folks are wondering, well, how does this differ from the 2009 stimulus plan?

KOSIK: And that's another good question. I mean, this plan that's expected to be proposed is much smaller, it's a lot less money. But as far as what's different, you know, that's really all -- that's really all that's different, because everything else that's expected really sounds very familiar. The payroll tax holiday, more infrastructure projects, and extension of unemployment benefits, we've all heard that stuff before.

And critics say those efforts have done little or nothing to stimulate job growth so far. And as high as expectations are for this speech, traders that I've been talking here at the New York Stock Exchange, they have no expectation that they'll hear anything different. And even if they do, there are big concerns about whether it can get through Congress. You have to remember, Republicans are most likely going to be fighting back big time on what the president proposes -- Randi.

KAYE: Yes, it's going to be a long road, I got a feeling. All right, Alison Kosik, thank you very much.

And of course, be sure to watch President Obama's address to the nation on the jobs crisis Thursday. CNN's special live coverage begins at 6:00 Eastern, followed by the president's speech at 7:00, and then analysis at 8:00. That is tomorrow tonight, 6:00 Eastern right here on CNN. Up next, our new segment, the most Undercovered Story of the day. Want to know what it is? Well, you'll have to stay with us. I'll tell you right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Today we are launching a new segment that we're calling "Under Covered." This will be the place in our show where we get to tell you and dig deeper on the stories that aren't getting enough attention. The stories that we think are under covered. Like this one, today, the trial of ousted Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak. Remember back in January scenes like this. Thousands of people protesting in the streets of Cairo. And then scenes like this at night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, again, just repeatedly, more and more Molotov cocktails, incendiary devices being thrown, attempting to throw them into the anti-Mubarak crowd.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: And then remember Anderson Cooper broadcasting his show from the center of it all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Good evening, everyone. We are coming to you live from Cairo tonight from an undisclosed location. I cannot tell you where we are, frankly, for our own safety. There's a lot of journalists now who have kind of gone underground here in Cairo. And that's the situation we're facing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: It was such a dramatic and historic time. The Egyptian people literally toppling a dictator who had been in power for decades. But did you know this week witnesses have been testifying in the case against Mubarak. Mohammed Jamjoom is in Abu Dhabi right now, but he's been following the case closely.

Mohammed, first, remind us what Mubarak is charged with exactly and what's happening in court this week.

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Randi, the former Egyptian president has been charged with ordering the killing of the protesters and all the people who were killed during the revolution in Egypt earlier this year. He's also been charged with corruption.

Now, this week we've seen the third and fourth sessions in this trial. The first two sessions were respectively August 1st and August 15th. But we should also remember, it's not just the former president who's on trial. Also his sons are there, as well as the former interior minister of Egypt.

Randi.

KAYE: And cameras are no longer allowed in the courtroom. Before we were able to see him sort of behind this cage a couple of times. But now no cameras, yet it still sounds like it's a bit of a circus.

JAMJOOM: Well, that's the real irony of this, Randi. The judge, Ahmad Derfat (ph), he had ruled on August 15th that cameras would no longer be allowed. One was to protect the testimony of witnesses who have begun testifying this week. The other was to make it less of a circus-like atmosphere. There's over 100 attorneys in that court room all really playing to the cameras. So he wanted to make it less of a chaotic atmosphere.

And, in fact, in the past two days, by all accounts of the people we've heard in the courtroom, including lawyers and other witnesses, it's been more chaotic. Not only have there been clashes outside the courthouse there, there have been clashes between lawyers from different camps inside the courtroom. And it's really causing a lot of question in Egypt as to how streamlined this process is and if the judge there can really get it under control to make sure this thing is as expedited as the government there had promised the Egyptians.

Randi.

KAYE: And what about this witness who's accused of perjury already?

JAMJOOM: Well, Randi, this is one of the most interesting twists in this case so far. There's frustration that there have been delays, that it's not going as fast as it should be, this trial. But we saw on Monday four witnesses that seem to have changed their testimony. People that were there expected them to be witnesses for the prosecution. These were police officials. They expected these officials to testify that possibly the former president had ordered the killing of these protesters, or at least link him to the killing of these protesters.

In fact, they did not testify to that. They testified that police in Egypt were only given the order to use tear-gas on protesters. Today, there was another police official who the judge seemed to think had changed his testimony because of that. This official, we've been told, has been changed with perjury, has been detained.

And again, just another twist in a case that's already has a lot of twists. There's a lot of frustration there in Egypt right now, number one, because the cameras have been banned from the courtroom, people ware wondering if the case will be as transparent as they've been promised by the government. But, number two, because the witnesses for the prosecution don't seem to be telling the story that the prosecution had promised they would tell, and people are wondering if the prosecution is really up to the task in this trial.

Randi.

KAYE: Mohammed Jamjoom in Abu Dhabi. Mohammed, thank you so much for that update. Ahead in "Crime & Consequence," an openly gay teen shot dead in his classroom. Why his alleged gunman could go free despite a confession and despite dozens of eyewitnesses.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: In today's "Crime & Consequence," a teenager named Lawrence King, gunned down in his southern California classroom. Two dozen students and their teacher watched in horror as it happened. The accused gunman, who was 14 at the time, is named Brandon McInerney, and he was brought to trial, but last week a judge declared a mistrial. Police say McInerney shot Larry King in the back of the head in 2008. McInerney was tried as an adult. He faced charges on first- degree murder, use of a handgun and a hate crime. But after an eight week trial, the jury deadlocked. Despite dozen of eye-witness counts, they were torn. Seven of the 12 jurors voted for manslaughter. And with no hope of a unanimous decision, the judge adjourned the case Thursday. Now an inside look at the crime that has left a jury and a community divided.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE (voice-over): In a sea of students at E.O. Junior High School outside Malibu, California, this eighth grader stood out. A boy who came to school dressed like a girl. Fifteen-year-old Larry King wore jewelry and make up, even lipstick and mascara. Most days he showed up in high-heeled boots. He asked his teachers to call him Leticia instead of Larry. Friends say Larry was proud of who he was. These photos are from his family's website.

Larry was gay. He'd come out at age 10. Teachers and students say he frequently acted out, making clear his sexual preference. That made some students so uncomfortable, they bullied him. His friend, Alexis Chavez, was one of the few who stuck up for him.

ALEXIS CHAVEZ, VICTIM'S FRIEND: They just mocked him and every time he came around, they ran and just painful things. They said painful things about him.

KAYE: More than two years ago, in February 2008, the bullying suddenly stopped. Not because Larry was finally accepted, but because he was dead. Murdered, police say, by a fellow student.

KAYE (on camera): That awful day began just like any other Tuesday for Larry King, in English class, along with two dozen students and his teacher. They were in the computer lab so the students could type up their papers. Larry was seated in the middle of the room. His classmate, Brandon McInerney, behind him. When suddenly, police say, Brandon stood up and pulled out a gun that he'd managed to bring into school that day. They say he pointed the gun at the back of Larry's head and fired.

KAYE (voice-over): According to some accounts, Brandon dropped the gun and calmly left the classroom. Someone called 911.

911 DISPATCHER: OK. Do you know where the person with the gun is? SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR: No. Joel, who is the victim? Is there a victim? I'm on the phone with dispatch. Larry?

KAYE: Larry was rushed to the hospital. Cops picked up Brandon within minutes, just blocks from school.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's over. It's over.

KAYE: The next day Larry was pronounced brain dead, but kept alive for two days so his organs could be harvested. Brandon, who turned 14, just weeks before the shooting, is being tried as an adult, charged with first-degree murder and a hate crime, and stands to get more than 50 years in prison. But, he says, he's not guilty.

KAYE (on camera): In court, police testify that Brandon may have been bullied, too, by Larry, in fact. Larry had reportedly told people the two were dating but had broken up. And just a couple of days before the shooting, classmates say Larry had asked Brandon to be his valentine. And Brandon's friends joked the two would make gay babies together.

KAYE (voice-over): On Larry's final day, he left his make-up and high heels at home and went to school wearing his uniform, just like everyone else. It's unclear why, but if he had decided to try and blend in, he never had a chance.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: The local district attorney is vowing to retry Brandon McInerney as soon as possible, though this time he may face charges in a juvenile court.

And now an update on a murder case from New Haven, Connecticut. The family of Annie Le has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Yale University alleging the school did little to protect women on campus from aggressive male behavior. Le was killed by a technician in a research lab back in 2009. The university says the lawsuit has no merit. Stay tuned to "Crime & Consequences" every day for updates on these and other breaking legal cases.

The government sending millions of dollars to dead people. We'll explain, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: It is about half past the hour. Here's a look at the stories you may have missed.

Four people have now died in Texas wildfires. More than 1,000 homes have been destroyed since Sunday. The biggest fire right now is in Bastrop County. A hundred-member search team is there to look for people who may not have evacuated the area. Fires have been burning in Texas now for nearly 30 days.

A major development in the Kelly Thomas case -- a story we have been following closely here. You may remember Thomas is the homeless man in Fullerton, California, who was allegedly beaten to death by Fullerton police officers. The family and the attorney are set to have a news conference in just about 30 minutes to release some of Thomas' medical records and reveal new graphic details about what may have killed Thomas. We're watching it all and we'll bring you a live update at the top of the hour.

A legal victory for Italy for American exchange student, Amanda Knox. The judge today turned down a prosecution request for new DNA testing in the case. Knox is fighting to have her conviction overturned in the death of her British housemate Meredith Kercher. The judge also rejected prosecution efforts to introduce newly found records about the original testing. Knox's attorneys have been working to cast doubt on the DNA evidence found on the knife used to kill Kercher.

In Mexico, a tweet could put two people behind bars for up to 30 years. The tweet prosecutor say the two posted false rumors about a school attack on Twitter and Facebook causing chaos on the streets of Vera Cruz. One of the post claimed five children have been kidnapped, another mentioned bomb threat. Panicked parents raced to schools to pick up their kids sparking car crashes. The two tweeters now face charges of terrorism.

Millions of dollars in Social Security checks are being sent out to dead people. An estimate $40 million has been doled out to deceased beneficiaries, based on the agency's most recent audit in 2008. And in North Carolina, more than 100 Social Security checks were to be delivered to the town of Trinity have apparently just disappeared. The Postal Service has been working to track down those missing checks.

One of the most American cars is now, well, being made in America. Toyota says it is phasing out imports of Camrys from Japan to the U.S., and all new 2012 Camrys are due out later this month. And Toyota says most of them were built in Georgetown, Kentucky, and a plant in Lafayette, Indiana.

And now this, to the dismay of my executive producer, Kelly Frank, and women everywhere, singer Neil Diamond is off the market. He tweeted to his 280,000 followers, including Kelly, this morning that he and his girlfriend are engaged.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome to the segment where everyone is fair game. Each day at about this same time, we are going to tackle a hot button political topic and hold Washington accountable. We're all about cutting the spin at the knees right now.

Today's hot topic. Are you ready for the first fall face-off? Tonight, eight Republican presidential hopefuls square off in California. It is the first of three debates in the next two weeks. Five of the GOP contenders took part in a forum in South Carolina Monday; three others join them at tonight's debate, including new frontrunner, Texas Governor Rick Perry.

You may remember -- Perry skipped the forum to return to Texas because of the wildfires. This will be Perry's first time going up against the other Republican candidates. So, what's at stake here for Perry and the others?

Joining me to hash it all out is Democratic strategist Kiki McLean and Republican strategist Mary Matalin.

First, let's talk about Governor Perry. He tends to dodge debates. Perry has only participated in, what, four debates in his 10 years of being Texas governor. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RICK PERRY (R), TEXAS: We are creating jobs in October and November. There was not a state in the nation -- name me one state in the nation, Senator, or Mrs. Medina, that were creating jobs. I mean, it really wears me out that we've got two people on the stage here that want to tear Texas down when the fact is everybody understands, this is a state you want to live in. We want to come here.

This state is growing by 1,000 people a day, and it's not because we're overtaxing them, over-regulating them, or over- litigating them. They're coming here because they know this is the place to be, the land of opportunity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Mary, to you first, does Governor Perry purposely avoid debates because it may show his critics are right? Because they are saying it doesn't seem so bright.

MARY MATALIN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, I don't know what wasn't picture perfect about that appearance. That was what you need to show in debates is passion, commitment, statistic. He was statistically right here. He has the best record on the issue that voters care about most, and that's jobs. And he made that case there. He made it with passion, and it was a very good appearance.

If his appearance tonight is as good as that clip, he will have solidified his front-runner status.

KAYE: Kiki, do you want to weigh in on that?

KIKI MCLEAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, you know, it's really interesting, because I think that what happens in a debate is you want to make sure you don't change your overall campaign strategy for one night. Now, the press will be looking heavy at Perry because they have not had a chance to see him in this format a lot.

But there's also an issue here for making sure that Mitt Romney stays on the strategy. And by the way, he's demonstrated quite a disciplined candidacy all through the summer, not taking the bait from the press and other candidates or even the current events that are driving it.

The other thing that's interesting to watch for is, really, Democrats -- it shouldn't just be Republicans watching tonight, Democrats and independents -- every American should be watching tonight because one of these people will be the Republican nominee. And you need to understand what the men and women are saying from day one.

Will they be in lock step with the Tea Party? Will they be in lockstep with the Ryan budget that there has been so much controversy behind? Will one of them, by the way, when you look at where Americans are, look up and say, no, I think there's chance to be had by having bipartisan solutions?

So, there's a lot to watch for tonight. Rick Perry is just one piece of that.

KAYE: Sure. But what about Perry's tough Texas talk, Mary? How do you think that's going to play out in the debate?

MATALIN: Well, Kiki -- this is why Kiki is a great strategist. And we've been against each other many times. I got a great respect for her.

She's 100 percent right. Nobody should be changing their strategy tonight and no one should change their personality.

One thing that is absolutely imperative for candidates is authenticity. If Rick Perry isn't Rick Perry and Mitt Romney isn't Mitt Romney, and if Michele Bachmann isn't Michele Bachmann, the audience will see that, particularly Republican primary voters who are anxious to get going.

They know how vulnerable this president is, a very good pollster, Peter Hart, said Obama is no longer considered the favorite. This is a big debate, a big contest between two governing philosophies, and a guy who has the record on it and can articulate it the most, in the most authentic voice, that's the whole campaign strategy, going all the way to the general election. Not just the night stand at the debate. Kiki is right on that.

KAYE: Kiki, you mention -- go ahead.

MCLEAN: Well, let me add to that. I am a person who grew up in south Texas. And so, there's a difference between tough talk and extreme talk. And it's important that people recognize and that the press recognize the difference.

I think people want to see our leaders lead with some level of decisive conviction. But there is a difference between that and extreme moments. I think where Perry or any of the rest of them get in trouble is when they engage in extremism. I think there will probably be some of that on display tonight as well.

KAYE: Let's talk about Mitt Romney. Kiki, do you think that Romney will go after Perry by name, and should he?

MCLEAN: Well, you know, the Mitt Romney in the last presidential campaign, it looks like he's learned a lot about the art and tactical skills of campaigning, because I think through this very tumultuous summer, he's shown a lot of discipline to his own message -- sometimes that can be hard because your supporters are dismayed that you are not swinging at everything. I do think it will be interesting to watch if he decides to begin to isolate the other candidates by picking a fight with one or two of them. But that's a real strategic decision is going to have to make.

And, you know, one of the things that will be interesting to watch: does he do that to keep play in the top tier or does he have a fear that he becomes a Michele Bachmann? So far in the back now that it was great day but not a great campaign.

KAYE: I'm glad you brought up Michele Bachmann: Mary, I want to ask you: what does Bachmann actually have to do tonight to break through because she is slipping a bit in the polls?

MATALIN: She's got to stay on her game. She can't -- going back to the strategy of staying on your strategy, she was right to take the swing that she did at Pawlenty, because Pawlenty had a vulnerability which proved to be his undoing of not showing strong enough leadership to -- I am not saying he isn't, because he is. But in that forum he wasn't and she got that vulnerability.

If she strikes too hard at anybody that isn't -- does not have that vulnerability, then that will backfire on her. She needs to stay on her game. There are more debates. There's more things to unfold here.

She's -- the polls do not matter right now. So, I would just say stay on your game and don't try to smack anybody around. Try to be -- try to hone your message on how you would create jobs.

And I see Kiki used the Democratic word, she's also a good Democratic extreme, extreme, extreme. Don't give them any more ammo. There's nothing that any of these guys have said that is extreme, but there is, this template that the press and the Democrats are going to apply to every syllable that they use.

KAYE: It's sure going to be interesting.

Mary Matalin, Kiki McLean -- thank you both. Pleasure to have you on.

MCLEAN: Thanks.

KAYE: And remember, every one is fair game. So, thanks for playing.

The unseen threat at Ground Zero. What exactly were the people on the frontlines exposed of 9/11 exposed to? The connection to a growing number of sick first responders. We'll talk with Dr. Sanjay Gupta in just 90 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: They were among the brave men and women who ran into danger to save others on September 11th. But 10 years later, an increasing number of those first responders are grabbling with what they may have been exposed to on 9/11. The possible health effects of their heroic acts are troubling, particularly when it comes to cancer.

Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta joining me now from New York.

Hi there, Sanjay.

So, you spent the last year investigating the health of these first responders. How big of a problem really has this cancer become for them?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think over the last few weeks, we certainly learned a lot more specifically about the relationship between this dust and cancer. You know, it's been a controversial issue, Randy. As you know, there have not been a lot of studies actually showing cause and effect relationship here. And now, at the 10-year point, we have more knowledge about this than ever before.

I will tell you one of the things as I have been investigating this, that you see is that there are so many young people, as you mentioned who people who were there at the time, on the pile, working, who subsequently developed cancer -- so many of them that they had these things called cancer clubs, people getting together to talk about their cancer diagnosis. It's become that ubiquitous.

Take a listen to what we found.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERNIE VALLEBUONA, FIRST RESPONDER TO GROUND ZERO: One of my friends, he's a captain, he had multiple lymphoma. Another lieutenant who worked in vice with me, he has the same lymphoma I have.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And he goes, wait a second, let me take a look at your case.

GUPTA: How many people just off the top of your head right now can you think of that fall into the pattern that developed cancer?

VALLEBUONA: There are many I hear of. Every month, there's a couple more.

GUPTA: Every month?

VALLEBUONA: Yes.

DR. JACQUELINE MOLINE, WORLD TRADE CENTER MEDICAL MONITORING PROGRAM: We do know there were carcinogens in there, even in the dust there were carcinogens. The question is: how long does it take for people to develop cancers after they have exposed to these compounds?

GUPTA (voice-over): It's a question that science has struggled to answer. But Ernie Vallebuona has no doubt. He believes there is a connection between his cancer and the dust.

VALLEBOUNA: I firmly believe that.

GUPTA (on camera): It's a tough thing to prove, isn't it?

VALLEBUONA: Oh, sure.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: And what they believe is that the science is going to catch up ultimately. But, again, at the 10-year mark, Randi, just might be early. They are seeing increase of the cancer, it's about a 19 percent increased risk, but what about 15 years? What about 20? What about 30? That's what the scientists are looking at now.

KAYE: And, Sanjay, I know that you actually have a jar of these dust with you. Is that really what they think is behind this illness?

GUPTA: Yes. You know, I think that this dust which researchers have been collecting for sometime, this is Dr. Paul Lioy's lab. Thankfully, one of the few reminders, Randi, of the attacks of 9/11, but they analyze this and find a really, wholly unique chemical structure.

You know, you have benzene mixed with asbestos, mixed with titanium, mixed with cement, and all these various chemicals that were just thrown together at the time of these attacks, and they believe that people were breathing this dust in, that had a lot of these chemicals attached to it.

And I will add this as well, and I thought this was striking, Randi, that, if you think about the immediate aftermath of the attacks, there was that acrid smell that people talked about for sometime.

KAYE: Yes.

GUPTA: But so many of these compounds, these volatile compounds that simply evaporated into the air and could not be collected like this dust. So, despite all that we know at this point, there are still some things that are unknowable about what exactly got into peoples' bodies at that time.

KAYE: So sad. They were so brake. And to see them struggling now really breaks your heart.

Sanjay Gupta, thank you so much.

And Sanjay's entire documentary, "Terror in the Dust" airs tonight at 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time. And tune in this Sunday for CNN's special live coverage on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. That coverage starts at 8:00 a.m. Eastern.

Up next, gym equipment that turns your hard workout into -- listen to this -- electricity? Get in shape and power a building. We'll explain and show you how it works, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Hello. My name is Randi Kaye and I'm a gym rat. Yes, it's true. My producer wrote that. But that's OK because it's true. I love to work out, which is why I think the "Big I" is actually pretty cool.

It's about a company called ReRev, which retrofits gym equipment to -- get this -- generate electricity. They say a typical 30-minute workout with ReRev could produce 50 watt hours of clean carbon-free of electricity. And a kilowatt of electricity in 10 hours.

It doesn't sound like much but with dozens of machines in military and university gyms across the country, it can add up.

Joining me now, Hudson Harr, the president of ReRev. Laurie Klein who installed these in her gym at the University of North Texas.

Hudson, let me start with you. How does this technology actually work?

HUDSON W. HARR, REREV: Well, I'll give you the basic fundamentals here. You've got the kinetics of the people working out on the equipment and they're creating motion which is then fed back into the building via the gym equipment and your system. And so, basically what we're doing is just taking kinetics, harnessing that, similar to wind, and then sending that electricity back into the building.

KAYE: And how many gyms is this in around the country?

HARR: At this point, I think we're in close to 30 facilities across the U.S. And the higher ed market has really been a first mover. So, a lot of their facilities are doing lead buildings, doing sustainable project projects. And so, this has really lined up with a lot of their goals and initiatives.

And now, we're just starting to see the military gyms coming on- line and more and more facilities are looking into it and the commercial space as well.

KAYE: Laurie, what made you want to put this in your gym? And what's been the reaction to the folks -- do the folks understand that they're all about power?

LAURIE KLEIN, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS: They do. One of the things that kind of got us interested is just the ability to give back, and our students have been very, very receptive. One of our students indicated that it was a great way to be a part of a green initiative. She was going to work out anyway at the gym. So, it's great that she was giving back as well.

KAYE: And correct me if I'm wrong, but are you actually now one of the largest human power plants in the country?

KLEIN: Yes, we are. We have 36 ellipticals connected to ReRev right now.

KAYE: Wow, that's pretty cool. So, Hudson, what is this really about? I mean, what's the goal? Is this about going green or is it saving the gyms money?

HARR: You know, I think there are a lot of different reasons that people are interested in the technology. I think there's a few different, you know, points here. And one would be education.

For me, I didn't know what a kilowatt hour really represented. And then you get on a machine and try to produce just one-tenth of that, I think you have much better realization of this is what power is, this is how it affects my life. Maybe people leaving a room will think twice before leaving a light switch on. And you look at a power bill and see all these kilowatt hours. But what does really that mean and how does it relate back?

I think you are seeing different people picking up different messages from the system. And my thing is, I like to see more people interested in renewable energy and thinking about how the equation works in society.

KAYE: And is this just for cardio equipment or can this work with weightlifting as well?

HARR: You know, we thought about weightlifting. You don't have the kind of consistency and the kind of time that we need. You know, it's just a burst of energy. Kind of more like lightning.

What we're trying to harness is like the consistency of motion. Cardio equipment is really the low hanging fruit and that's the place to start with.

KAYE: Well, it sounds pretty cool. Hudson Harr, Laurie Klein, appreciate your time. Very cool technology, thank you.

And for much more about this technology, you can check out my Facebook page. Facebook.com/RandiKayeCNN.

Coming up: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie may not be running for president, but he is stepping up his political activity on the national stage. Find out more, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Mark Preston is watching all things politics in Washington for us.

And let's talk about Chris Christie raising his profile, Mark.

MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: Yes. You know, Randi, he's not going to run for president but he's certainly going to be a player in 2012. He just became the vice chairman of the Republican Governors Association. This is a very important slot because he's going to be traveling the country, raising money, and trying to help elect governors in 2012.

But what this could do is help him in 2016 if he decides to run for president then. Of course, he's told us many times he's not running in 2012. But being the vice chairman of the RGA will help him build a national network of donors and supporters -- not that he doesn't have a lot of support right now, Randi.

KAYE: And what about Tim Pawlenty? He's making some comments about the GOP debate tonight.

PRESTON: He is. You know, he's not going to be on stage out in California. But he was on the stage of "Colbert Report" last night. I guess, what's better? Maybe the "Colbert Report" is better.

Certainly, Tim pawlenty got to have fun with the fact that he's not in the presidential race anymore. In fact, listen to what he had to say about that poor showing he had in the Iowa straw poll that forced him out of the race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIM PAWLENTY (R), FORMER MINNESOTA GOVERNOR: I was out of money, and came in third place behind Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul. I think that's enough for any one person to endure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PRESTON: And then you have Tim Pawlenty on the "Colbert Report" just basically making fun of his candidacy, having some lightheartedness, saying he wasn't able to move from 1 percent to 1 percent. That's why he got out.

But I will tell you very quickly, Randi, he will try to be a player in 2012. I know people close to him, and he wants to stay in the game -- Randi.

KAYE: All right. Mark Preston, thank you for that.