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Religious Violence in Egypt; 20 Hours in the Sea; Vietnam Vet Exposes Medicaid Fraud; The Truth-O-Meter; Talk Back Question; Pop-Up Video Is Back; World's Cheapest Computer
Aired October 10, 2011 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. I'm Suzanne Malveaux. Want to get you up to speed.
It is day 24 for Occupy Wall Street. Protesters against the corporate and political machine are calling on parents to bring their kids to the rallies today for a firsthand look at activism. Demonstrators are angry about a lot of things, including the pay difference between corporate executives and everyday American workers.
The Occupy Wall Street movement, it is gaining traction. Protests have spread from lower Manhattan to cities coast to coast. Politicians are now taking notice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HERMAN CAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's class warfare. Some of them are there because they don't have a job, yes. But the fact of the matter is, why aren't there jobs? Go and picket the White House. Demonstrate in front of the White House.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: When we said everyone should pay their fair share, the other side said that's class warfare. No, it's not. It's the most endearing American value, fairness. It is about everyone paying their fair share.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: The hackers who call themselves "Anonymous" say that they're going to erase the New York Stock Exchange from the Internet today. "Anonymous" says that this move is in retaliation for the mass arrests of Wall Street protesters.
Well, a new poll shows that Occupy Wall Street has more work to do to get the public in their corner. The survey from ORC, and International CARAVAN, shows that barely half of Americans have heard of the movement. Just 27 percent say they agree with the goals of the protesters, 19 percent say they don't. More than half say they just don't know enough about Occupy Wall Street to have an opinion.
Crisis talks are happening in Egypt today to head off new violence. Fighting between Muslims and Christians left at least 25 people dead over the weekend. Christians say they were peacefully protesting a church burning when they were attacked by people they describe as thugs. Christians say Egypt's military rulers aren't doing enough to protect them.
A live report from Cairo is right ahead.
And the Senate is expected to take up President Obama's jobs bill this week, more than a month after he proposed the $447 billion emergency package. Republicans, they plan to filibuster. And even if passed in the Senate, Republican leaders in the House have already pronounced the bill dead on arrival.
A weak economy means weak demand. That is why it keeps getting cheaper to fill up your tank. The Lundberg Survey says that gas costs 25 cents a gallon less than just a month ago. The national average for regular now, $3.42 a gallon.
Well, almost a slam-dunk that now there is going to be no NBA games come November 1st. Commissioner Dave Stern says that if there's no deal to end the lockout today, he's going to cancel the first two weeks of the season. Owners and players are deadlocked over salaries and revenue sharing. The NBA claims most team owners lost money last season.
Now back to the religious violence in Egypt. The capital is reeling from the deadliest protest since President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown.
Our Senior International Correspondent Ben Wedeman, he is joining us live from Cairo.
Ben, you just got back from the hospital. Tell us about what you are seeing regarding those who have been wounded or even those who have been killed at this point.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we saw was the morgue in the hospital, the Coptic hospital of Cairo, was absolutely crammed with dead bodies. They had so many bodies, they didn't have enough room in the freezer for them, so they were laid out on the ground covered with ice. People were spraying them with perfume to keep the stench under control. Now, they were supposed to hand over the bodies to the authorities for an official autopsy, but because of the high level of mistrust between the Coptic Christians in Cairo and the authorities, they refused to do it.
Now, these clashes that took place Sunday evening obviously have sent shock waves throughout the country. As you said, they are the worst violence since the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in February.
What's interesting is what we also saw at the hospital, that there were Muslims there -- in fact, one Muslim woman was holding the hand of a Christian woman who had had a relative killed in the clashes, and she was condoling and apologizing for the violence. One of the Muslim women saying, yes, there are Muslim fanatics, Christian fanatics. This is the result of the policy of the old regime and they, the Muslim women, had gone there to try to heal the wounds that are obviously quite open at the moment -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: What are people doing to make sure that this violence doesn't continue?
WEDEMAN: Well, some people say not enough is being done. Now, the government has deployed a lot of security forces around downtown Cairo. They've imposed a 2:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. curfew.
They're saying they will conduct an investigation into the violence to find out who is responsible. But the worry is, in this city of 18 million people, where people are very easily whipped up into an emotional state, that it will be very difficult to bring things back to normal.
One of the main accusations is against state-run TV, which last night called upon what they called honest Egyptians to come and protect the army and the security forces from Coptic Christian protesters. So it's a very electric atmosphere. Tensions are very high in Cairo this evening -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right. Well, Ben, if there's anything that happens, we will definitely get back to you, but we'll see if that calm remains. But as you say, tension is very high there in Cairo. Thank you, Ben.
Well, he called Mormonism a cult, said Mitt Romney shouldn't be the Republican presidential nominee. Baptist pastor Robert Jeffress' controversial comments, they came at the Values Voter Summit in Washington. That happened over the weekend. It got a lot of folks talking about this.
So, today's "Talk Back" question: Should a candidate's religion matter?
Carol Costello, she's joining us from New York.
And Carol, you know, we saw this with President Obama. People had a lot of questions about his faith, what he believed, who his pastor was, how he actually celebrated or did not exercise his faith, whether it was private or public. I suppose this is what all candidates go through.
Yes?
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You're right, Suzanne. I mean, you expected this, didn't you?
Mitt Romney's Mormon faith may now sink his campaign. Conservative Christians, important in a Republican primary, never did quite embrace Romney or his faith. Listen to what evangelical preacher Robert Jeffress said at the Values Voter Summit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. ROBERT JEFFRESS, SR. PASTOR, FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF DALLAS: The Southern Baptist Convention, which is the largest Protestant denomination in the world, has officially labeled Mormonism as a cult. I think Mitt Romney is a good, moral man, but I think those of us who are born again followers of Christ should always prefer a competent Christian to a competent non-Christian.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Pastor Jeffress was largely criticized for that remark, even kind of sort of by Herman Cain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HERMAN CAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not running for theologian-in-chief. I'm a lifelong Christian, and what that means is one of my guiding principles for the decisions I make is I start with, do the right thing. I'm not getting into that controversy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And this from a candidate who said he wants to add gospel beats to "Hail to the Chief."
Let's face it, religion has always been a factor in presidential campaigns. John F. Kennedy delivered a speech in 1960 insisting his Catholic faith would not interfere in his presidency. And, oh, wait a minute, Mitt Romney delivered a similar speech back in 2007. The last time he ran for president, Romney said, "I do not define my candidacy by my religion."
Imagine if a Jewish or Muslim candidate goes for the gold. Wow.
So, the "Talk Back" question today: Should a candidate's religion matter?
Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour.
MALVEAUX: All right. Looking forward to seeing it, Carol. Thanks.
Here's a rundown of some of the stories up ahead.
First, capsized off the Florida Keys. We're going to tell you how people managed to stay afloat for 20-something hours, agonizing hours.
And then this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were getting paid for eight hours and I was just getting sicker and sicker.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Yes, that mission never ends. A Vietnam vet exposing corruption in the health care industry. And plus, tanning beds in California now about to be off limits for kids under 18. And we're going to take a look at why and when they're actually being outlawed.
And then, the Truth-o-Meter always listening. We're going to separate fact from fiction from the comments from prominent Americans.
And remember this? After lying low for the last 10 years, OK, there you go. Pop-up videos are making a comment on the music scene.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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So you can vote by texting "22360." Text "1" for "Top Secret iPad"; "2" for "World's Cheapest Computer"; or "3" for "Mile on the Moon."
The winning story is going to air later this hour.
A fishing trip turns into a nightmare for eight people in the Florida Keys. They ended up spending Saturday afternoon and all night in the water, about 20 hours total, after their boat capsized off the coast of Marathon.
Most but not all had life jackets. Sadly, an 80-year-old woman drowned before the rescuers could reach her.
Jacqui Jeras, she's going to be along in a minute to explain more about the conditions there.
But first, I want to bring in Officer Robert Dube. He's with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
You are investigating this boating accident. Tell us what you know so far. There had been reports early that folks had actually been treading water. We're now learning that's not true. Some had life vests, some did not.
What do we know about what they were faced with when that boat went over? ROBERT DUBE, FLORIDA FISH & WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION: When the boat capsized and flipped over, three of the male subjects clung to the vessel. They were uprighted underneath the water.
The son on the vessel tried to hold on to his 80-year-old mother. With the sea conditions and the current, could no longer hold on to him, and she went underneath the water.
Fortunately enough, the three female victims and the 4-year-old girl already had their life jackets on, which pretty much saved their lives. They were out on the water in the sea conditions, and the storms and everything, over 20 hours. So that definitely saved their lives. It could have been a lot worse situation down here in the Keys.
MALVEAUX: Do we know about the 4-year-old, how that 4-year-old managed to get through 20 hours in the water? We know that the 4- year-old had a life preserver, the jacket on. Were they able to hold on to anything or --
DUBE: They were clinging to a cooler, thank goodness. And the three females, along with the child -- actually, the child was in very good spirits.
She was a little exhausted after the whole ordeal, but according to our investigator that took all the witness statements, said the daughter was actually the positive little one out of the group. And they kept trading her around among the other three women holding her, but she was actually in very good spirits. But she did receive some treatment at Fishermen's Hospital in Marathon for mild hypothermia, some exhaustion, and some bites from the jellyfish that they encountered over there, their night out on the rough seas.
MALVEAUX: So you say they encountered jellyfish. They had been bitten by jellyfish?
DUBE: Yes. Yes. All four of them were treated and released there at Fishermen's, had a lot of jellyfish stings, which are common this time of year down in the Keys.
MALVEAUX: And the three men you talked about, were they treading water? Were they able to tread water for those 20 --
DUBE: No, they weren't treading water. Fortunate for them, they were able to cling on to the portion of the vessel that was sticking out of the water after it sank, which we advocate to stay with the boat at all times. And it pretty much probably saved their lives staying with the boat when a good Samaritan, one of the local commercial fishermen guides, spotted the vessel, returned with the three men clinging to the vessel, which sent everything in motion to get more rescuers out there. And that's when the U.S. Coast Guard rescued the female victims, the three ladies and the small child.
MALVEAUX: All right, Robert. Hang with us, if you will. Want to go to Jacqui Jeras in the Weather Center. Jacqui, first of all of, were there any warnings that this was actually going to happen, that this was going to come? And what kind of conditions were they dealing with in the water?
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, we knew conditions were bad. In fact, we've been watching this area for a couple of days. We actually thought there was a potential for a tropical storm to develop, and conditions were just terrible for these folks.
This is the radar image. And we'll take you through the 20 hours.
And there you can see, here's Marathon. And they were looking at showers and thundershowers on and off the entire time.
So there were lightning strikes. There were wind gusts easily around 50 miles per hour.
And as these strong winds moved in as well, that created some very tremendous waves. We saw some reports of seas anywhere between about eight and 10 feet throughout the area.
Now, water temperature is a big issue. And we just heard that they had some mild hypothermia.
OK. What is hypothermia? Hypothermia is when your body temperature drops below 95 degrees.
And you think to yourself, well, this is the Florida Keys. Even this time of year that water's very warm.
Well, it is. It's roughly somewhere just below 80 degrees, is what we think. But when your body's in water for that amount of time, it starts to cool down quite a bit.
So when the water temperature is between 70 and 80 degrees, hypothermia exhaustion and unconsciousness can set in within just three to 12 hours. So when you look at all those things together, Suzanne, it really is amazing that these people made it out of there alive.
MALVEAUX: Unbelievable. All right, Jacqui. Thank you very much.
JERAS: Sure.
MALVEAUX: Really appreciate it.
Federal prosecutors are now cracking down on what has been called a culture of corruption in the health care industry. Medicare and Medicaid patients are being overbilled or billed for treatment that they never even received.
Our Deb Feyerick, she has got the story of a Vietnam vet who exposed a major case of fraud.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Going through his Medicaid statements one day, Richard West realized he was being billed for nursing care he wasn't getting.
(on camera): You weren't even here on some of the days that the company alleged they provided services for you.
RICHARD WEST, VIETNAM VETERAN: I wasn't here. I got no service.
FEYERICK: And yet, here it is. It's billed.
(voice-over): The 63-year-old Vietnam veteran suffers from muscular dystrophy and requires nurses seven days a week just to shower, dress, and replace the oxygen tank he needs to breathe. Yet, when he called the Medicaid hotline to report Maxim Healthcare Services and complain that his nurses were either leaving early or not showing up at all, he was told he was wrong.
WEST: They were getting paid for eight hours and I was just getting sicker and sicker. And they did nothing.
FEYERICK: His spirit intact, the former U.S. infantryman hired a lawyer and filed a whistle-blower lawsuit in 2004, triggering a six- year criminal investigation.
(on camera): Are you surprised at just what people will try to do to rip off the Medicaid system?
THOMAS O'DONNELL, NEW YORK OFFICE OF INVESTIGATIONS, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: Yes. I'm surprised every day.
FEYERICK (voice-over): Tom O'Donnell heads New York's Office of Investigations for Health and Human Services. It turns out Maxim, with hundreds of offices, wasn't just overbilling Richard West, but Medicaid recipients across the country.
O'DONNELL: Probably the most egregious thing that they did is they were overbilling, and they were fraudulently altering the time cards.
FEYERICK (on camera): How much money were they essentially ripping off?
O'DONNELL: I think the actual amount was about $61 million.
FEYERICK (voice-over): Prosecutors recently announced they had reached a deal with Maxim Healthcare Services, which cooperated with investigators and has now restructured under new management.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: None of us can afford our government's coffers to be bled by fraud.
FEYERICK: The company will pay $150 million, half of it to reimburse 41 states that were overcharged. Nine Maxim executives and employees have pleaded guilty to various charges. Others were fired for misconduct.
In a statement to CNN, Maxim's new CEO praises Richard West for uncovering the fraud, saying the company takes full responsibility and has established a new infrastructure "including an entirely new senior management team and an unrelenting commitment to strict compliance with all laws."
Although prosecutors did not accuse Maxim of compromising patient care, West says he almost died twice because of life-threatening infections he got when nurses failed to show.
WEST: There were nights I didn't know if I would wake up, and that's the reality.
FEYERICK (on camera): Because West exposed the scheme, he's set to get $15 million under the Whistle-Blower's Act. That means he could end up paying for his own health care and likely lose the Medicare benefits for which he was initially fighting.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Inside the world of fashion and fantasy. For almost three decades, Karl Lagerfeld has been the r creative force behind the world famous Chanel brand.
Our Alina Cho snagged an all-access backstage pass to Paris' Fashion Week and met the man behind the logo.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Paris, the birthplace of fashion and Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld, one of the high fashion's biggest names.
Our Alina Cho was back stage at Paris' Fashion Week and has a rare conversation with the elusive icon.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Not just in France, but around the world, Karl Lagerfeld is mobbed wherever he goes. He's not just a celebrity designer. He's a celebrity.
(on camera): What do you think it is that people are so fascinated by?
KARL LAGERFELD, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, CHANEL: That's a very good question. I don't know what it is. It's a strange scene.
I think it's flattering. I don't sing. I'm not an actor. I have no scandals.
CHO (voice-over): He does do this -- Lagerfeld's Chanel show is arguably the most anticipated fashion spectacle of the Paris collections, something he's been doing at Chanel since 1983, when he was hired as artistic director.
LAGERFELD: You know, when I was asked to do it, Chanel wasn't trendy at all. The owner said, like this, "I'm not part of the business. If you can make something, OK. If not, I'll sell it." And we made something out of it because he gave me total freedom.
CHO: Lagerfeld answers to no one, rare for a company the size of Chanel, a nearly $2 billion privately-owned business that sells not just those iconic quilted handbags and ballerina flats, but clothes, jewelry, makeup, and perfume. You know, Chanel Number 5, the one Marilyn Monroe famously said she went to bed with.
An icon, just like the company's founder, Coco Chanel.
LAGERFELD: The label has an image. It's up to me to update it. What I did, she never did, she would have hated.
CHO: Lagerfeld made Chanel cool again, and it can happen at any time. In addition to his duties at Chanel, he is the creative director of Fendi, has his own label, and this season launched a line at Macy's. He's an avid photographer, an author, and owns a bookstore.
Outside of fashion, Lagerfeld has designed bottles for Coca-Cola. And here he is in an ad for a washer and dryer.
LAGERFELD: I'm a working laborer. My name is Laborfeld, not Lagerfeld.
CHO: How does he do it all?
LAGERFELD: I have a kind of Alzheimer's for my own work, you see.
CHO: Alzheimer's for your own work?
LAGERFELD: For my own work, and I do that on purpose. I think it's a very good thing. Too many people remember what they did. Forget it all and start again.
CHO: Even at twice the age of his competitors, it's an attitude that has served him well, made him rich and virtually irreplaceable at Chanel.
LAGERFELD: So, in fact, it's a good thing for him. It's a good thing for me. And it's not such a bad thing for fashion.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: For the best lost look at what Fashion Week had to offer this year in Paris, don't miss Alina's special, "Fashion: Backstage Pass From Paris." It airs this Saturday, October 15th, at 2:30 p.m. Eastern.
Well, no more tanning beds for Californians under 18. But is it even a good idea for adults? Information on your odds of getting skin cancer from fake bakes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Here's a rundown of some of the stories we're working on. Next, California becomes the first state to ban tanning beds for those under 18.
Then, Fox host Bill O'Reilly criticized the federal government for serving what he says are $16 muffins. Did that really happen? The Truth-O-Meter puts his statement to the test.
And later, any child of the '90s will remember, right? Pop-Up Video. Those thought-bubbles with those fun facts? Well, they're back again.
Don't expect to see as many folks, young people, in Hollywood with those fake tans. Some of them overdo it, some in the movies we see. Remember this scene from "There's Something About Mary?" Actress Lynne Shea, totally over the top. Nearly burned. Reality TV star Snooki is known for her constant tan. And now California has a new law that makes it illegal for anyone under 18 to use tanning beds. The concern is the health risks that tanning beds pose.
So, we've asked our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen to weigh in on this, to investigate how dangerous they can be.
And well, first of all, are they dangerous? And are there differences here?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I mean, this is a no-brainer. Every dermatologist, the National Cancer Institute, everyone says stay away from tanning beds. So when it comes to kids, which is who California is acting -- is telling to stay away from these right now - if for a kid, if you start using tanning beds before the able of 30, you increase your risk of skin cancer by 75 percent. Just starting to use it before the age of 30.
MALVEAUX: It is more dangerous than just being out in the sun?
COHEN: You know, not necessarily. It sort of depend where are you when you're out in the sun and how much time you spend in each place. But you have to be out in the sun. Right? I mean, you have to be out in the sun at some point in your life and you can use sunscreen. There's no reason to be inserting yourself into this kind of cancer-causing device. There's just no reason to do it.
MALVEUAX: Cancer causing device! Are kids at any more risk of greater risk of getting skin cancer by using these beds?
COHEN: They are. You may have seen kids who get these like blistering sun burns. A blistering sunburn as a kid more than doubles your risk of getting melanoma later in life. So, these blistering sunburns that you know, your mom puts on some lotion, "oh, you'll be OK," well, you might not be okay. Those stay with you for life.
MALVEUAX: What about tanning for adults? COHEN: Tanning for adults, also not safe. The NCI, National Cancer Institute, is very clear -- avoid tanning beds. We're even told that Snooki is now going for tanning spray instead of beds. She's not using the tanning beds anymore, we're told.
MALVEAUX: So, the spray-on is probably the best thing.
COHEN: Yes. Spray-on is - you know, not going to cause you any harm.
MALVEUAX: OK. Thank you. Appreciate it, Elizabeth.
Reminder to vote for today's "Choose the News" winner. Text 22360 for the story you'd like to see. Text 1 for top-secret iPad. It's the U.S. military's weapon of the future. So, what are the secrets inside? Text 2 for world's cheapest computer. Why it is only $50 where you can score one. Or text 3 for mile on the moon. This guy has a dream. He's making it a reality. CNN is jogging along with him as he trains to run on the moon. That's right.
Vote now. Winning story is going to air later this hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Each year, about 30,000 kids leave foster care after they come of age, and they're forced to make it on their own. But "Smart is the New Rich" author Christine Romans says there are new programs to help them meet that challenge.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Raven Profit was 15 when she entered foster care after her mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia. She knows how difficult it can be for foster children to think about the future, let alone a career.
RAVEN PROFIT, YOUTH AMBASSADOR, NEW YORKERS FOR CHILDREN: They really don't have, you know, role models and parents to look up to, and actually, you know, gain advice from, you know, how to put together a resume or how to conduct themselves in an interview.
ROMANS: She's now a student at the University of Albany, studying biology and women's studies. She wants to be a role models for other foster children. She's a youth ambassador for career workshops like this one.
PROFIT: I learned how to be punctual, I learned how to be professional.
ROMANS: A three state study found former foster care youth are more than three times as likely not to have a high school diploma or a GED. Foster kids are even less likely to earn a college degree and are more likely to end up on the government rolls. Three quarters of women and one third of men who have aged-out of foster care received benefits like food stamps and housing assistant. It's a tough cycle to break. GARY STANGLER, JIM CASEY YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES INITIATIVE: Veterans and young people leaving foster care are the two largest pipelines to homelessness among young adults in this country.
ROMANS: For those young adults who aged-out of the system, suddenly being on their own can be difficult.
PEDRO RODRIGUEZ, JOB SEEKER: Right now, I'm looking for any job that's hiring at the moment. I just need to be financially stable at the moment.
ROMANS: Tom Hilliard is the author of a new study on employment and former foster children. These kids, he says, need mentoring and jobs programs.
TOM HILLIARD, AUTHOR: Any teenager who gets into a difficult work situation could just say, the heck with this, and then walk out. But what if you knew that you were going to be taken care of and nobody was going to say a word to you about -- well, then, you're a lot more likely to walk out, aren't you?
ROMANS: Raven Profit says mentors she met in her early teens put her on the right track and that's why she wants to help others.
RAVEN PROFIT, YOUTH AMBASSADOR, NEW YORKERS FOR CHILDREN: I was blessed to have a great support system and a lot of programs. So I feel like that's important and a vital to youth foster care.
Christine Romans, CNN, New York
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Filmmaker Michael Moore takes on corporate CEOs. We're going to fact check some of his comments after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Text 2 for world's cheapest computer. Looking for a great deal? This is it. But does it have all the bells and whistles? Bang for your buck? We'll see.
And text 3 for mile on the moon. He's run more than 10,000 miles already raising money for some great causes. So why does the moon now on his radar?
Vote now. Winning story airs in just a few minutes.
Well, protests, gas prices, CEOs and the economy, a $16 muffin? Well, with the help of Bill Adair, we'll check out these comments, whether or not they are true. He's the Washington bureau chief for the "St. Petersburg Times" and editor of PolitiFact.com. Bill, let's start with this one. This one from President Obama. In his news conference last Thursday, he said, "The Arab spring drove up gas prices." What do we know?
BILL ADAIR, EDITOR, POLITIFACT.COM: We gave that a half true on our Truth-o-Meter. His point is that the democratization movement in many Arab countries played a factor in reducing supplies and therefore driving up prices.
And there's some truth to this. We talked to some experts who said, yes, it was a factor. But it was just a factor and in fact, the gas prices had been going up before Arab spring. So we rated this half-true on our Truth-o-Meter.
MALVEAUX: All right. Let's talk about Michael Moore, independent filmmaker. He was asked about protesters at wall street being arrested. He said, "not a single banker, a CEO from Wall Street, anyone from corporate America, nobody there -- was not one arrest of any of these people who brought down the economy in 2008." what did you find?
ADAIR: We gave that one a mostly true. He's right. If you look at all the major Wall Street firms, we could find no evidence that there were any arrests or charges filed against the major Wall Street firms.
We did, however, find a few arrests, particularly one mortgage company in Florida. So, we ended up giving that a mostly true. His underlying point was correct, but there were some arrests.
MALVEUAX: Okay. And this one was from Fox host Bill O'Reilly on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" last Wednesday. He said the federal government hosted a conference, and, quote, "ordered 250 muffins at 16 bucks a piece." Is that true or false?
ADAIR: This one gets a mostly false. This, of course, is a talking point many of us have heard a lot --
MALVEAUX: Yes.
ADAIR: That the government is overspending for things like muffins. $16? Well, when you read the report, it's true that the report does refer to $16 muffins. But if you dig into it, you can see that the report refers to the actual event that there were some other things purchased. There was tea and coffee and some other things, as well as the cost of the meeting space at the Capitol Hilton. So it's misleading to say that the muffin cost $16. It was invoiced that way, but the muffin itself didn't cost that much. So mostly false.
MALVEAUX: The muffin -- OK, so the muffin came with a lot of other things, right?
ADAIR: Exactly. Exactly. Of course, that's what the Truth-O- Meter's all about, putting things in context.
MALVEAUX: All right, Bill, thanks. We appreciate it, as always, Bill.
Well, don't forget, we'd like to hear from you. Today's "Talk Back" question, should a candidate's religion matter? Tyler says, "look up the definition of a cult, Dr. Jeffress. And as a leader of a Christian faith, you should not be judging others. Practice what you preach." More of your responses coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: You've been sounding off on today's "Talk Back" question, should a candidate's religion matter? Carol Costello with your responses.
Hey, Carol, what are folks saying?
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Varying responses, Suzanne.
This from Nick. "No, no, no! I would much rather see a candidate who didn't have a religion than one who bases their political views off their religious commitments. Our founding fathers didn't have this problem, therefore no political candidate should ever have this problem."
This from Julia. "Yes, a candidate's religion does matter. I believe it always has given voters a perspective on that candidate's morals and values, that should definitely be taken into consideration for the elections."
This from Irene. "Some politicians proudly point out that religion gives them a moral compass. Funny because their compass seems to navigate them toward bigotry and hate."
This from Cylinda. "If freedom of religion is truly protected in this country, then it should not matter at all. I'm a Christian, but personally I'm a lot more worried about how our next president will handle the economy, jobs and the government debt than where they worship."
And this from Owen. "If a candidate's religion matters to you, look to other countries like Iran or Afghanistan where the hard lessons are to be learned from religion in politics."
Keep the conversation going, facebook.com/carolcnn. And thanks, as always, for your comments.
MALVEAUX: All right, great, great comments. Great feedback there.
Carol, we got another story here from -- did you watch a lot of TV in the '90s?
COSTELLO: "Pop-up Video."
MALVEAUX: Oh, you already knew. Somebody told you about that. Yes, "Pop-up Videos."
All right, so for a while they weren't around and, you know, those little factoids that come up with the music video on VH1. Well, Christine Romans, she has a report about the 10 year break and now they're back. So I want you to watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bieber's love life, Kinks middle school smoking spot, and a rejuvenated theme song. After a 10-year hiatus, "Pop-up Video" is back. Debuting in 1996, "Pop-up Video" offers nuggets of trivia and behind the scenes information on top of music videos. It was an instant hit. And now with 10 years' worth of new music videos to pop, it's creators have a lot to work with.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is plenty to mine. We haven't hit o-town (ph), we haven't hit every "American Idol" contestant, winner, loser. So the time is now.
ROMANS: Slotted for 60 new episodes, "Pop-up Video" has mined 300 fresh music videos from Amy Winehouse to Cold Play. When word got out, music industry types were lining up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody wants to be on this show. Even though they may take a few hits. I think everybody knows it's like being on "Saturday Night Live" or being a guest on "South Park" or "Simpsons."
ROMANS: The landscape has changed a lot since pop-up video went off the air. FaceBook, Twitter, we almost live in a pop-up world. With information on demand, audiences' attention span is not the same and "Pop-up" plans to play to that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we're at an age right now where hopefully that this is more of a jumping-off point where we tell a story on top of a popular video and then we throw it out to the community and the community pops it themselves.
ROMANS: Christine Romans, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Carol, I think that's why we're multi-taskers. Why we're so good at that, right, because you can watch things and follow things and then start reading stuff, all those little factoids, right?
COSTELLO: Oh, Suzanne is a twin. I knew that!
MALVEAUX: Well, I don't know, Carol, maybe --
COSTELLO: I hope that's none on me.
MALVEAUX: Oh, oh, wait a minute. Oh, what's that one? What does -- we worked together at competing D.C. stations. I like that one.
COSTELLO: We did!
MALVEAUX: We did, yes. COSTELLO: We did. You at WRC. Me at WJLA.
MALVEAUX: Yes. I don't know.
COSTELLO: Suzanne always won.
MALVEAUX: I was going to say, I always won.
COSTELLO: In the '90s.
MALVEAUX: And then you beat me to it. I think -- you know, they're probably going to have to speed these things up like a lot faster now that we're used to them. You know, popping up.
COSTELLO: Yes.
MALVEAUX: What was that last one? Did I miss one? Carol loves the Detroit --
COSTELLO: Carl has --
MALVEAUX: Carol loves the Detroit Tigers.
COSTELLO: Yes, and they play tonight, 4:00 p.m. Eastern.
MALVEAUX: Oh, I see it. I see it. I got that one. I got that one. Yes. When are they playing?
COSTELLO: What's that one say? I can't see that far. My eyes are getting --
MALVEAUX: Suzanne doesn't even know Detroit has a baseball team. Oh, they totally dissed me, Carol. I like this. I like this.
COSTELLO: That is so true.
MALVEAUX: That is so true. It's actually -- they really called me out on that. But, well, let's see, you know. Let's see if this catches on. We might do this like for each one of your segments and see what happens. People will be FaceBooking and tweeting you all the time.
COSTELLO: Yes, I'll try that.
MALVEAUX: You'll double your viewers, I'm sure.
COSTELLO: I would love that.
MALVEAUX: All right, Carol.
COSTELLO: See you tomorrow.
MALVEAUX: You told us what you'd like to see -- I'll see you -- your "Choose The News" story is coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: We're keeping a close eye on the town hall meeting that is taking place in Milford, New Hampshire. Mitt Romney, we're going to see if he is getting any comments at all about a comment that was made by an evangelical pastor that Mormonism is a cult. We're going to listen in on that and bring that to you if he responds on that issue.
Also, now for stories from affiliates across the country.
San Francisco's water front packed over the weekend. Everybody trying to get a glimpse of some of the Navy's biggest ships under the Golden Gate Bridge.
Also, take a look at this video. They're pretty cool. Famed Blue Angels also there to help celebrate fleet week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ah, go! Go away!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Oh, I feel sorry for her. This news producer got a little more than she bargained for when she decided to investigate reports of turkeys chasing people in a Sacramento neighborhood. So, yes, they started chasing her. The only thing the birds don't seem to chase are the mail trucks. Going to save that for the dogs.
And check out what a homeowner in Manchester, New Hampshire, found. This in his swimming pool. It took nine police, some firefighters, wildlife officials to pull out -- yes, that's right, you're looking at it -- it's a moose. A big moose in the pool. No harm done.
So you voted for today's "Choose The News." We've got the winner. Cheapest computer in the world. Small. Why so cheap? Here's CNN's Sara Sidner.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Now computers are getting cheaper and cheaper, but this is crazy cheap. India's Ministry of Education has announced it has come up with the world's cheapest computer. And this is it.
Now, we got a sneak peek at this little gadget here. It's about seven inches. So it's smaller than an iPad. It has two USB ports here. It also has an HD screen so you can watch videos, for example.
What the ministry has done, because obviously it's the education ministry, it has uploaded some applications in here so that you can actually watch, for example, a lecture. Now, this is a lecture from one of India's very prestigious schools, one of their IITs.
And so students can use it for all sorts of things. Basically anything that you can do on a computer, typing your notes, sending an e-mail, you can do on this little gadget. The HD screen is nice because you can, again, watch different things, including movies if you so like, on this computer.
One of the things with this is that basically you have to have wi-fi in order for it to get a signal, in order for you to be able to get online. So that's one thing that people might have a bit of an issue with. The other thing is that some of the touch screen technology is a little bit difficult. You have to be a bit forceful to try and make it work. It's not as sensitive, for example, as an iPad.
However, we're talking about a device that does just about everything you could imagine a computer does, except for the fact that it's only about $50. So a lot more people could afford this.
Now, initially, the ministry says that it will be handed out to students, given as a textbook would be given. And so this will be something that students can access and have a hold of, especially if they don't have much of an access, for example, in their dorm rooms to computers. They will now have one that can fit in their bag, for example. Eventually, though, as you might imagine, with technology that is so inexpensive, you will imagine that private companies will pick this technology up and try to go out there and sell it.
All in all, this is a pretty cool gadget and it's a fraction of the cost of a small phone, never mind a computer. Now the question is this -- with such an inexpensive device, will it force other computer companies to start slashing their prices so that more and more people can have access to something like this.
Sara Sidner, CNN, New Delhi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: That's pretty cool. If your choice didn't win today or you just want to check out the runners up, we'll have the links to them on my page at facebook.com/suzannecnn.
The CNN NEWSROOM continues with Randi Kaye.
Hey, Randi.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Suzanne, thank you. Have a great day.
MALVEAUX: You too.
