Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Markets Plunge on Gloomy Outlook; Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on World Stage; Death Row Inmate Troy Davis Executed
Aired September 22, 2011 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7, I'm Suzanne Malveaux.
Want to get you up to speed for Thursday, September 22nd.
Federal Reserve bankers are sounding pretty gloomy on the economy. That has world markets in a tailspin today. That is including Wall Street.
That's where our Alison Kosik -- she's at the New York Stock Exchange.
Alison, what is going on?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Suzanne.
We are tallying up the numbers, and the losses don't look pretty. The Dow, down 339; the Nasdaq, S&P 500, each off more than two percent.
And you said it. You know, the Fed started this sell-off yesterday with its gloomy economic outlook. That put pressure on overseas markets, in the European markets, in the Asian markets. Sell-offs there as well.
And now it's sort of come full circle, back to -- it went around the world and back to where it started, right here, where the sell-off continues. Not much reason to buy into the markets today -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right, Alison. Thanks for the update.
Amnesty International calls the execution of Troy Davis a catastrophic failure of the justice system. Georgia delayed the execution for four hours while the U.S. Supreme Court considered the case. Davis declared his innocence until the very end. He lifted his head from the gurney and told the victim's family they had the wrong man.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON LEWIS, JOURNALIST, EXECUTION WITNESS: Then he said to the prison staff, the ones he said, "who are going to take my life," he said to them, "May God have mercy on your souls." And his last words were to them, "May God bless your souls."
Then he put his head back down. The procedure began. And about 15 minutes later, it was over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Davis got the death penalty for killing a Savannah police officer back in 1989, and Davis' supporters felt that his guilt was thrown in doubt when a majority of prosecution witnesses recanted.
Protests outside the United Nations today. The crowd wants an Iranian opposition group taken off the State Department's list of terror groups.
The group is working to overthrow Iran's ruling ayatollahs. Well, the European Union removed the group from its terror list back in 2009.
Protesters are also angry over the annual U.N. appearance by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He is expected to speak in about an hour. We're going to bring you that speech live to see whether or not he actually makes some of those unpredictable, fiery comments that he usually does.
And Libyan rebels took a CNN team to large military warehouses. That happened today, and inside, thousands of barrels, some marked "radioactive."
CNN's Ben Wedeman saw two or three bags filled with a yellow powder. Now, he believes it could be yellow cake. That's a form of uranium which is a component of a nuclear weapon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I just had a conversation with an NTC field commander who said they are very eager for the international community to come in and help them identify this material and, they hope, take it away from here, because it's relatively close to this city of Sabha, and they're worried that it could cause an environmental disaster if there was any sort of explosion on this site.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Well, Moammar Gadhafi, he agreed to give up weapons of mass destruction back in 2004, but U.S. and U.N. officials say that he still had a stockpile of mustard gas.
The American Embassy in Libya is open for business again today. The Obama administration has pulled staffers -- had, rather, pulled them back in February when the Democratic uprising turned into a civil war.
Also today, well, they are now back. NATO announced it will extend its military mission another three months, and Libyans loyal to Moammar Gadhafi still hold several towns.
Freed Americans Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, they're expected to spend a couple of days resting in Oman. They barreled off an airplane last night into the arms of loved ones after two years in an Iranian prison. Iran convicted the men of spying, but freed them on $1 million bail. It was paid by the Omani government.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSH FATTAL, HELD BY IRAN FOR TWO YEARS: We are so happy we are free and so relieved we are free.
SHANE BAUER, HELD BY IRAN FOR TWO YEARS: Two years in prison is too long, and we sincerely hope for the freedom of other political prisoners and other unjustly imprisoned people in America and Iran.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Bauer and Fattal say they strayed into Iran while hiking. Now, a third American, Sarah Shourd, she was freed a year ago.
Typhoon Roke pushed into the Northern Pacific today as an ordinary old rainstorm, but it left a big scar across Japan's east coast. Floods and mudslides led to at least 10 deaths. This were fears that Roke would spread radiation from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, but that did not happen.
Now is your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. The definition of patriotism is love for or devotion to one's country. Well, most candidates say they are patriotic, so why has it become such a big issue in the presidential campaign?
So that brings us to today's "Talk Back" question and Carol Costello.
Carol, you know, President Obama, he didn't escape this either. He has to wear the flag pin. That became a very big deal. There are so many things that they are asked to do and expected to do to prove their patriotism.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I know. Patriotism used as a political tool, right? And that's today's "Talk Back" question.
Why do politicians keep bringing up patriotism? I mean, why do they? I ask you this because of a new Web video featuring Texas Governor Rick Perry. It is compelling.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No more manufactured crises, no more games.
We are headed in the right direction.
I love these folks who say, well, this is Obama's economy. That's fine. Give it to me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Zero jobs.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No jobs created. Zip, zero.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People are demoralized. What has happened?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Zero new jobs.
OBAMA: Change has come to America.
NARRATOR: President Zero.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: OK. So you get part of that ad, President Obama's hope and change thing is destroying America. But in about one minute into the ad, it's all about patriotism, right? When Perry says we don't need a president who apologizes for America, the ad emphatically states Rick Perry is an American.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. RICK PERRY (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The United States of America really is the last great hope of mankind. It's time to get America working again. We don't need a president who apologizes for America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: It's a tactic that's been proved quite effective. Remember the infamous Swift Boat ads by a pro-Bush group questioning Vietnam veteran John Kerry's heroism?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KERRY, VIETNAM VETERAN: Crimes committed on a day-to-day basis --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He betrayed us in the past. How could we be loyal to him now?
KERRY: -- ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He dishonored his country and, more importantly, the people he severed with. He just sold them out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: President Bush eventually denounced that ad, but the damage was done. Kerry lost the election.
Patriotism has worked for Democrats, too. During the 2008 campaign, vice presidential candidate Joe Biden said wealthy Americans should pay more taxes because it's time to be patriotic.
Now, doesn't that sound familiar?
So, the "Talk Back" question today: Why do politicians keep bringing up patriotism? Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour.
MALVEAUX: All right. Thank you, Carol.
Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we are covering.
First, we've heard his fiery, hate-filled, and unpredictable speeches before. In less than an hour, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad takes the podium at the United Nation.
And next, why it matters so much what Ahmadinejad says and what he does, from his nuclear ambitions to promises to wipe Israel off the map.
And then sadness, outrage outside a Georgia prison as Troy Davis is put to death.
And she hasn't had a full-time job in three years. I'm going to talk to this college grad and mom of two who's struggling to stay afloat.
And later, a satellite hurdles towards Earth, but where is it going?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If the thing happens to come down in the city, that would be bad. The chances of it causing extensive damage or actually injuring someone are much higher.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: One hundred and ninety-three nations meet today at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, but there is one speaker set to take the stage that is all but certain to spark a lot of controversy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX (voice-over): With Gadhafi gone, perhaps the most controversial figure at this week's United Nations General Assembly meeting is now Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He's set to take stage at the U.N., a platform he's used before to spark both outrage and fear.
In 2006, he famously denied the Holocaust. At Columbia University in 2007, he claimed there were in gays in Iran. In 2009, he denied the Holocaust again, causing many U.N. delegates to walk out. And last year, Ahmadinejad implied 9/11 could have been an inside job by the United States. But beyond Ahmadinejad's words, Iran's actions matter to the U.S., because Iran proves itself time and time again to be a dangerous wildcard in a volatile region.
Just in the past year, Iran resisted the Arab Spring, launching attacks on protesters. It was reminiscent of the violent response to Iran's Green Revolution in 2009, when Iranians came out in droves to protest Ahmadinejad's disputed election victory.
Hundreds of thousands took to the streets, and many of those were shot. Others said they were jailed, tortured.
This woman, Neda, became the face of the revolution. She died during the brutal government crackdown.
The U.S. says Iran is also a key supporter of militant groups around the region like Hamas and Hezbollah, and the country's nuclear ambitions have outraged the West, becoming a constant source of anxiety for the U.S. and American allies, especially Israel, despite Iran's claims that it is for peaceful purposes.
OBAMA: Whether it is threatening the nuclear nonproliferation regime or the human rights of its own citizens or the stability of its own neighbors by supporting terrorism, the Iranian government continues to demonstrate that its own unjust actions are a threat to justice everywhere.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Protesters are out in the streets in New York today in anticipation of Ahmadinejad's speech. There are some big names in the crowd.
Want to go to Susan Candiotti, who's there live.
Susan, set the stage for us. What is it like there and what are they protesting?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Suzanne.
We're in the plaza across from the United Nations, and this rally is just now getting under way. A relatively small crowd, but a very noisy one, numbering around 300 or so. They are here, as they are every year, to protest the regime, the repressive regime, they call it, of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who of course will be speaking this day at the United Nations.
Among the people here, they are mainly protesting not only the political prisoners that are being held and have been executed over time, roughly 120,000, at least, they say, but also they're talking about trying to recognize a group of dissidents called the MEK, and they're trying to get them removed as being labeled a terrorist organization, a foreign terrorist organization.
Speaking now, former senator Robert Torricelli. He is not the only one speaking here today on behalf of this group, but also former Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge, as well as the retired chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Henry Shelton.
There will be a number of speeches made here this day. A very vocal group trying to get their message across.
Suzanne, back to you.
MALVEAUX: All right, Susan. Thank you very much. I know it's very loud there, so we'll let you go.
A quick reminder. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is taking the stage at the U.N. in the next hour. We're going to bring that speech to you live, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM, as soon as it starts.
Well, he insisted that until the end he was innocent. Georgia inmate Troy Davis was put to death late last night for the murder of a police officer in 1989.
Now, this case attracted international attention. And since the trial, seven of nine witnesses against Davis recanted or changed their testimony. But court after court upheld his conviction, and last night, the U.S. Supreme Court said no to a last-minute appeal.
CNN's Martin Savidge, he joins us live.
And Martin, we know that Troy Davis, he spoke to the victim's family right before his life was ended. What did he say? What do we know about his final moments?
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he had a number of things to say. And this was such a dramatic night and such an emotional night on so many different ways, because this case was filled with so many emotions. And the drama that we talk of is not so much -- well, it's really two levels.
On one hand, you had the political, moral debate on the death penalty, but then the much more simpler, the much more painful point, waiting. What is it like as a condemned person to wait first for the original time of execution, then to wait while your life hangs in the balance of a court? And for most of us, that's almost an area to go that's too difficult to bear.
Davis had been scheduled to be executed around 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time, but that time just came and went as the Supreme Court was again considering the case. The drama dragged on first for minutes, then for hours, but the high court eventually denied the last-ditch effort to stop his sentence from being carried out.
Davis was pronounced dead at 11:08 p.m. by lethal injection, and witnesses say that he maintained his innocence right up to the moment he died. Afterward, witnesses described his last statements.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEWIS: He said that he was not personally responsible for what happened that night, that he did not have a gun. He said to the family that he was sorry for their loss, but also said that he did not take their son, father, brother. He said to them to dig deeper into this case, to find out the truth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So, Martin, what about the officer, MacPhail. His family, the victim in this case here, they said they wanted justice all along. Do they feel like that happened last night?
SAVIDGE: Well, again, this goes back to the waiting. They've waited in their minds 20 years to have justice carried out. They had to wait last night through, again, that ordeal. Maybe a different kind of wait, but still a painful wait.
And at one point, Anneliese MacPhail, who is the mother of the slain police officer, spoke about how she talked to her dead son in heaven. It's interesting. I mean, listen to the emotion here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNELIESE MACPHAIL, MOTHER OF MURDERED POLICE OFFICER: I've been talking to him all evening, I'll tell you that. And I said, "Please, honey, let it be over soon."
And I talked to my husband, too, because I know they're both sitting up there together. I said, "Please let it be over soon. Please let us have some peace." And I can hear him say, "Momsie (ph), don't worry about it. Everything will be fine."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So much emotion on all sides of this. And even former President Jimmy Carter got involved in this. How did he react? Because I know that he did not want to see this man be put to death.
SAVIDGE: Right. He was outspoken, as were a number of world leaders. And today, we had a statement that came from Jimmy Carter, and he said the following: "If one of our fellow citizens can be executed with so much doubt surrounding his guilt, then the death penalty system in our country is unjust and outdated." He says, "We hope that this tragedy will spur us as a nation toward the total rejection of capital punishment."
And that's really sort of the finishing point here, Suzanne, is regardless of where you stand, it has been a long time since the focus has been on capital punishment in this country as much as it was in the days leading up to this execution. And I'm sure it's going to be talked about a lot more far beyond.
MALVEAUX: I know. A lot of people are now focusing on the issue.
Thank you so much, Martin. Appreciate it.
The Troy Davis case put the death penalty debate back in the spotlight, as we mentioned. It raised a lot of legal questions. We're going to dig deeper into some of those questions. That's happening in the next hour with our CNN legal contributor Paul Callan.
Well, here's something you might want to do. Look up into the sky tomorrow. Yes, that's right.
Parts of a satellite could be raining down on the Earth. Is there any reason to panic? We're going tell you what the experts are saying.
And so, what are your chances of getting hit by a piece of that satellite compared to getting struck by lightning, say, or winning the Mega Millions Lottery? We've got the answer right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: All right. So, ahead of the break, we asked you about the odds of getting hit by a piece of a falling satellite, getting struck by lightning, or winning the Mega Millions Lottery. Here is the answer.
There's a one in 3,200 chance of getting hit by a satellite chunk; a one in 10,000 chance of getting struck by lightening; and a one in 175 million chance of winning Mega Millions.
So, yes, look up in the sky tomorrow. The satellite is expected to break up in the atmosphere tomorrow. It's the size of a bus, and some of these chunks could be pretty hefty.
So, should you panic, should you take cover? Here's CNN's John Zarrella.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The clock is ticking. Sometime after midnight tonight, if NASA's calculations are right, an old, dead satellite will re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up -- most of it, but not all of it. About half a ton will make it through.
MARK MATNEY, NASA ORBITAL DEBRIS SCIENTIST: There are some pieces that are made of stainless steel and titanium and beryllium that have very high melting temperatures and those pieces will survive. And we have a list of about 26 pieces and they range from a few tens of pounds to a few hundred pounds in size.
ZARRELLA: You heard him right. Some of the chunks of junk could be hundreds of pounds. But there's no need for you to run out and buy a hard hat. NASA scientists in Houston say there's very little risk that any of the debris from the six-ton UARS, Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, will hit you.
JONATHON MCDOWELL, HARVARD-SMITHSONIAN CENTER FOR ASTROPHYSICS: You can be hundreds of miles off in where it's coming down and that's --
ZARRELLA: Harvard University astrophysicist, Jonathon McDowell, believes the space agency is probably right because much of the Earth is water.
MCDOWELL: This is not like the old Sky Lab scare of the '70s when you had a 70-ton space station crashing out of the sky. This thing is only six or seven tons. So I agree with the folks in Houston, it's really nothing to be terribly concerned about. ZARRELLA: Parts of Sky Lab did hit western Australia in 1979. So where will this one come down? Well, no one knows. Even minutes before re-entering the atmosphere, NASA won't be able to pinpoint the exact location. The satellite is traveling so fast, it covers thousands of miles of space in just minutes. Right now, the impact swath covers portions of six continents.
MATNEY: Part of the problem is the spacecraft itself is tumbling in unpredictable ways, and it is very difficult to very precisely pinpoint where it is coming down, even right before the re- entry.
MCDOWELL: If the thing happens to come down in a city that would be bad. The chances of it causing expensive damage or actually injuring someone are much higher.
ZARRELLA: One thing is certain. Once it hits the atmosphere, 50 miles up, it will take only a few minutes before the surviving pieces hit the Earth.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: All right.
Well, John Zarrella, he joins us from Miami.
John, I know -- I heard you were wearing a hard hat earlier before. Is that right?
ZARRELLA: You know, NASA says one in 3,200, but that's of hitting somebody on the planet. The odds of hitting you is one in trillions NASA, tells me, but I'm not taking any chances.
MALVEAUX: Oh, there goes the hat.
ZARRELLA: I got one. I got it.
MALVEAUX: So, you tell us --
ZARRELLA: Pretty good look. Not a bad look.
MALVEAUX: I like it. I really do.
You say that there's no reason to panic here, I suppose. I guess we should believe that.
What are these chunks going to look like when they're coming down?
ZARRELLA: Well, if it comes down in an area where it's dark outside, nighttime, it's going to look like a meteor shower. You're going to see these pieces streaking across the night sky just like a meteor shower. And, of course, there will be those 26 pieces that will make it either in the ocean, in a sea, or on land somewhere. But if you're looking up, and it's nighttime, and it's coming down in your area, chances are it's going to be a spectacular show. One thing NASA did update, Suzanne -- oops, there goes my hard hat -- is that it will not land in North America. It's not coming down in North America, but it will come down somewhere tomorrow afternoon U.S. time -- Eastern Time.
MALVEAUX: All right. So we'll get our hats ready if need be, those of you who are in that area.
ZARRELLA: Please do.
MALVEAUX: John, thanks again. Appreciate it. It's a good look on you.
ZARRELLA: You got it.
(NEWSBREAK)
MALVEAUX: Well, the Dow taking a big hit. We're going to tell you why investors are now nervous.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Here's a run down of some of the stories that we're working on.
Next, why investors on Wall Street are so nervous today.
And then our CNN "In Depth." Faces of poverty. We'll talk to a college grad working three -- three part-time jobs just to stay afloat.
And later, all eyes are on the U.N. as Iran's leader prepares to speak.
Well, check this out. Stocks now taking a beating today. The Dow fell more than 300 points. That in the first ten minutes of trading. Asian markets took a big hit as well. European stocks way down. Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange to explain how bad it is. And what is behind the sell-off, Alison?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Suzanne, yes, the losses definitely sticking at this point. The Dow down 364 points and you know what? It was the Federal Reserve that set this sell-off into motion yesterday after it gave a weak outlook with three words, saying the U.S. economy is facing significant downside risks. And what that did is spark a sell-off in Asia and in Europe overnight.
Then, we had weak manufacturing reports come out of China and Europe. And analysts say you know what those show? Those are really the strongest signs yet Europe could be close to a recession.
We are also keeping our eye on FedEx shares. They are falling right now more than nine percent. What FedEx said was that the global economy is slowing. And FedEx is a good company to look at. It's a really good indicator of the health of the overall economy because what FedEx does is it ships products all over the world to different companies. It shows really business happening. It's a little disconcerting to see that FedEx has a weak outlook.
So yes, we've got a lot of bad news about the economy, about the U.S. economy, but it's not just us. Bad news in Europe and in China. So together, Suzanne, all of these economies really drive growth around the world, and we're just not seeing strong growth at this point. The reason why we're seeing a sell-off today. Down 370 points on the Dow.
MALVEAUX: Wow, that's amazing. Alison, Wall Street got a weak report on the labor market today. How much is that a part of factoring into this sell-off that's going on?
KOSIK: It played a role. We saw stocks take a big hit after it came out. Overseas, too. The losses at Europe are at 2 percent and suddenly when the report came out, they dropped to five percent lower because new jobless claims fell. Athat's a good sign, but the problem is, those claims numbers are still at a very high level. They're sitting at 423,000. Also, the week before, that was revised higher, too.
It just shows that companies, they continue to lay off workers and that's just the wrong direction you want to go in. So, you combine that with FedEx's weak outlook. You know, we're seeing a lot of caution in corporate America, and in corporate America is where you want to see the strength because you want to see the hiring happen. So just all this downbeat news is really weighing on the markets worldwide. Suzanne?
MALVEUAX: Weighing on the markets and also weighing on a lot of American families. Thank you, Alison.
You know, a lot of American families, they're really struggling to make ends meet. We're going to talk to a single mother of two. She is a college grad. She is working not one, not two, but three part-time jobs.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Our "In Depth" this week is the new faces of poverty. Did you know that more than one in three young families with children in America are now living in poverty? That is according to a new census analysis by Northeastern University.
So, what does that mean? Living in poverty means a family of four making less than $20,000 a year. So, you're talking about a tough job market, the recession, the housing market, all these things are playing into these numbers. So, more young families are living close to the edge.
Margaret Allstrom. She's a 27-year-old divorced mother of two. And she is college grad, lost her full-time job as an administrative assistant three years ago at the beginning of the recession. And now, she is working three - that's right, three -- part-time jobs.
Margaret, joins us now. Margaret, you're one of the hardest working people I know. And you and I talked about it. You have to do it, right? Because just to make ends meet. You're a college grad, but now, you have all kinds of things going on. Why do you need three part-time jobs now?
MARGARET ALLSTROM, WORKS THREE PART-TIME JOBS: Well, it's what you don't expect and you know, as you stated, I lost a full-time job. And when the recession hit, I kind of did what a lot of people do and I just went for what was out there. I went for what was going.
MALVEAUX: What do you actually do?
ALLSTROM: My big-bucks job is waiting tables at a French restaurant. I also teach aftercare at a private school in the Camden Park (ph) area, which is wonderful. And I do letter press, print making, which is what my degree is in, but yes, not the most recession-proof of jobs.
MALVEAUX: So, you like your jobs, but what would it mean to you to just have one full-time job as opposed to doing these three things?
ALLSTROM: It would be amazing to have a job where I could have health insurance and only one go to one place in a day. The hardest part of the three jobs thing is that I don't get -- I usually get like one or two days off in a month. And I don't get enough time to hang out with my kids. You know, I try to make the small amount of time that I get with them really good quality time. But I don't see them enough.
MALVEAUX: Do they know how hard you're working? Do they even realize what goes into making sure those two little loved ones, those darlings are taking care of?
ALLSTROM: You know, I don't think it's for them to need to know really. I'm sure they do. Julian, he likes to come to the restaurant with me and help me close, which means eating all of the mints in the tray.
(LAUGHTER)
ALLSTROM: But you know, I don't think it's necessary that they do know now. It's just -- they need to go to school. They need to learn. They need to make friends and become socially comfortable with living in two-parent households.
MALVEUAX: Do you have time to try to look for or search for a full-time job, or had you done that for a while?
ALLSTROM: I did it for a while. And now, it's just a lot of time, people will send me things they think I might like and I'll apply for them. But again, with three jobs, and I also have some side projects. I try to do my own print making stuff aside from the paid gigs, and I'm writing a book and I just --
MALVEUAX: What's your book on? Do you mind?
ALLSTROM: It's kind of an artist book. It's a time traveling book. I read a lot of nonfiction history-type stuff, so it's kind of a contemporary perspective on historical views.
MALVEUAX: All right. Well, we'll be looking out for that book.
Do you ever worry sometimes? I mean, you put all together, go to one job from the next. Do you ever worry you're just going to run out of steam and you're just not be able to pay that check, the rent, or?
ALLSTROM: Constantly.
MALVEUAX: Constantly.
ALLSTROM: Yes.
MALVEAUX: How do you have such a sunny disposition?
ALLSTROM: You know, I just look at how lucky I am by world standards. You know, I'm still kind of fabulously wealthy. I eat most - you know, I can feed my kids. I eat pretty well most of the time. There's a roof over my head.
I do have to work harder than most people around me, but you know, some thing always come up. Some things always happen at the last minute when I need it. I do have loving family who - you know, they can't always help with stuff like child care, but they're morally there for me. I know they'd support me through any of this. They already have.
So, yes, I just do what I have to do and trust and hope that things will work out. I know that it doesn't help anyone to have a poorly disposition.
MALVEUAX: Well, we appreciate your disposition, Margaret. And you're really very inspiring and we wish you the very best. Certainly, let us now how you do, how things are going. I know it's your 5-year-old, it's his first day - right -- of kindergarten?
ALLSTROM: Oh, no, he's been in for like, a month. But I'm still in shock about the kindergarten thing.
(LAUGHTER)
ALLSTROM: He's my baby.
MALVEUAX: Baby's gone. All right. Well, we appreciate you being here and obviously we hope it works out for the best, that you get that job you were looking for. We'll let out for your book as well.
ALLSTROM: Thanks so much, Suzanne.
MALVEUAX: All right. Thanks, Margaret.
Well, it is one of the big battleground states in the presidential race, so what do Florida voters think about President Obama and the GOP candidates? Well, there are new poll numbers from the state. That in our political update, up next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: All year, we have been introducing you to some truly remarkable people. We call them CNN Heroes, everyday people changing the world.
And, today, CNN is announcing the top 10 CNN Heroes for 2011. So be sure to log on CNNHeroes.com and vote for the CNN Hero who inspires you the most. Next hour in the NEWSROOM, we are going to take a look at the top 10.
It's a big battleground state in the 2012 presidential race. We are talking about Florida.
Mark Preston, part of the best political team on television, live from the political desk in Washington.
Mark, I understand you have got some new poll numbers from Florida. Florida is the place to be to look for those voters. You never know which way they're going to swing.
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, you never know which way they're going to swing. And Florida plays such an important role in helping select the president every four years.
Devastating news though from this new Quinnipiac poll that has just come out this morning, Suzanne. Let's take a quick look at the numbers. How is President Obama handling his job? Only 39 percent approve of how he's handling his job. Look at that number -- 57 percent of Floridians disapprove how he's handling his job.
Now, I have to say, we shouldn't be too surprised by this, Suzanne. We have seen the housing crisis hit the state very hard. We have seen the state get hit very hard because of these economic troubles we're faced in. So as the economy goes, so goes President Obama's election. I think we're seeing that right now down in Florida, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Those are not good numbers, Mark. What about the Republican nominees? How are they faring?
PRESTON: Well, interestingly enough, let's take a quick look at these numbers.
Governor Perry, who just got into the race at the beginning of August, is on top in this matchup right now, but it's within the margin of error, so Mitt Romney and Governor Perry are within striking distance of one another, 28 percent for Governor Perry and 22 percent for Mitt Romney. Sarah Palin is still being included on these national polls, including CNN's poll.
She polls 8 percent down in Florida as well. And until she gets out of the race, it looks like she will pull some significant support. And what's interesting, too, Suzanne, Sarah Palin's spending zero money right now as she considers running for president while everybody else is putting money out and trying to get support. We will have to see what Sarah Palin does, but for right now, not bad news for Governor Rick Perry as he just got into the race just a short time ago.
MALVEAUX: Right now, it's a two-man race, it looks like.
PRESTON: Yes.
MALVEAUX: All right, Mark, thank you. Appreciate it.
For the latest political news, you know where to go, CNNPolitics.com.
Well, we are getting a lot of responses to today's "Talkback" question. We asked, why do politicians keep bringing up patriotism?
Wesley says: "It's a way to get to our heads. And when we are in great need, we need something to feed our hearts."
Carol Costello is up more with your responses.
And hackers who want to spread computer viruses often attack celebrity Web sites and photos online, knowing that a lot of folks are going to click on them, right? So which of these CNN anchor is the, well, most dangerous on the Internet? Anderson Cooper, Piers Morgan, or Carol Costello? The answer after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Hackers, they're using some celebrity Web sites to spread viruses. So, according to McAfee -- that is the computer security company -- clicking on which of these CNN anchor sites increases your chances of getting a computer virus, Anderson Cooper, Piers Morgan or Carol Costello?
The answer, Piers Morgan. Piers Morgan. But, overall, among all celebrities, not just CNN, Piers only comes in third. Former supermodel Heidi Klum, she is first place, followed by Cameron Diaz.
Carol joins us now.
Carol, we thought you would be one of the most dangerous. How is it possible? You have like how many followers, how many people who are like following you right now?
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, I have three million page hits per month.
MALVEAUX: What? Are you serious? Three million?
COSTELLO: It's pretty good.
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: I am serious.
MALVEAUX: That's amazing. COSTELLO: That's my average.
MALVEAUX: You're kidding?
COSTELLO: I know. But I'm no Heidi Klum.
MALVEAUX: And you're not one of the most dangerous -- oh, you and Heidi are close like that, right?
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Yes, exactly. I don't think so.
MALVEAUX: I assume with your three million people following you, you have been getting a lot of responses to the question today?
COSTELLO: Yes, I have been getting a lot of responses and they're interesting ones, as always.
The question this morning was, why do politicians keep bringing up patriotism?
This from Karla: "Both parties use it as if to say that if you don't agree with them, you aren't patriotic. This really pisses me off. Since when did blindly following someone else become unpatriotic?"
This from Agnes: "It's scare tactics. Rick Perry wants to give the impression that Obama is not patriotic. This is more of the Palinisms we don't need."
This from Marcus: "I mean, don't we want our leaders to be talking about American patriotism or would we rather they completely forget about it?"
This from Jim: "Bringing up patriotism in and of itself is not a problem. Defining patriotism as a right-wing virtue and accusing everyone who doesn't subscribe to that definition as un-American, communists, weaklings, et cetera, that's a problem."
And this from Michael: "Patriotism has been lost, like compromise and forgiveness. Too many in America have drawn battle lines. Our elections are no longer about different ideas. It's now a war game."
Keep the conversation going, Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I will be back with you in about 20 minutes.
MALVEAUX: With those three million responses, I'm sure, right, Carol?
COSTELLO: No.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: No, page hits. Likes, different story, but I have pretty -- many of those, because I have good friends out there. MALVEAUX: If you could just give me a million of those, Carol. Just give me a million. That's all I'm asking for. Share the wealth.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: That's page hits, not friends, page hits.
MALVEAUX: OK. Thank you, Carol.
(CROSSTALK)
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
MALVEAUX: So, how do you have a country without borders? Well, that's just one of the many questions that's buzzing around the proposal for a Palestinian state. We're going to take you to the Holy Land for a look at the dividing lines.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: You're looking at live pictures now from the United Nations General Assembly. That is where we're waiting to hear from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Now, he has made, as you know, some provocative comments in the past from that very podium, denying the Holocaust, dismissing international sanctions. We have already seen protests in the street outside of the U.N. over his very appearance. Well, we are going to be taking that address live as soon as it begins. So stay with us.
The topic Ahmadinejad could weigh in on today is Palestinian statehood as well. It is a proposal we are expecting to hear tomorrow, when the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, addresses the United Nations. So how do you have a state without borders, right?
Our Fionnuala Sweeney, she's going to take a look at the difficulty of finding those lines, those dividing lines in Jerusalem.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More than 20 years ago, the late Yasser Arafat declared a Palestinian state. It didn't happen. So why is Israel worried now? Well, precisely because of places like this, Har Adar, a settlement on the 1967 borders and juxtapositioned between Jerusalem to my left and Ramallah behind me, just some 10 miles apart.
This hilltop at Har Adar has been the site of many a strategic battle between Israel and Arab nations, the prize, Jerusalem. Today, a different kind of battle is being played out in the valleys below.
(voice-over): The separation barrier divides Israeli from Palestinian literally and figuratively and sometimes runs beyond the 1967 borders, sometimes runs right through Palestinian villages.
Here, Palestinian workers returning from the Har Adar settlement to their village of Biddu must pass through Israeli security. Borders are one of the most contentious issues and always a potential flash point for violence.
(on camera): All this taken against the backdrop of the Arab uprisings and deteriorating relations with Egypt and Turkey makes everyone very nervous.
Fionnuala Sweeney, CNN, on the 1967 border.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
