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Veteran Injured in Protest; Europe Debt Deal & Your Finances; World Population About to Hit 7 Billion; Big Oil Changes Small Town Life; Comics Parody Herman Cain Ad; Stunning Rise in Spy Attacks

Aired October 27, 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. I want to get you up to speed for Thursday, October 27th.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SCREAMING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What happened? What happened?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He got shot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Dramatic video. This Iraq War veteran is reported to be fighting for his life in Oakland, California, today. Scott Olsen's skull was fractured when police forced Occupy Wall Street protesters from a plaza at City Hall.

Now, police fired tear gas canisters and beanbags. It is not clear if that's what caused his wound. Olsen's injury prompted Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York to rally in his support.

The movement continues to show life around the world. Occupy protesters in Pakistan marched on the World Bank's offices in Islamabad, chanting, "Down with capitalism!"

Well, a deal made in Europe is putting money in your pocket this morning. Stocks jumped at the open after European leaders agreed on a plan to end their debt crisis.

The Dow Jones, up right now. We are looking at about 240 is the latest there. The deal hammered out in Brussels aims to stabilize European banks and the European bailout fund.

Well, the U.S. economy picked up speed during the third quarter. More good news. The government says gross domestic product grew 2.5 percent between July and September, so that's almost double second quarter growth. Now, GDP, it's a broad gauge of goods and services that are produced by American workers.

A grim revelation from the wife of the man behind the biggest Ponzi scheme in history.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUTH MADOFF, WIFE OF BERNIE MADOFF: I don't know whose idea it was, but we decided to kill ourselves, because it was so horrendous, what was happening. We had terrible phone calls, hate mail, just beyond anything. And I said, "I just can't go on anymore."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Bernie Madoff's wife told "60 Minutes" that the couple swallowed a handful of pills on Christmas Eve in 2008. It was 13 days after Madoff was arrested, and his scheme cost investors billions, got him 150 years in prison.

Well, Tropical Storm Rina is on track now to hit Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. That's going to happen tonight or early Friday. Now, Rina was a Category 1 hurricane, but just a few minutes ago, forecasters said that winds had fallen below hurricane strength. So, that's some good news, but still, tourists, not taking any chances..

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOANNE ANDREWS, TOURIST IN CANCUN: We were upset. We waited a long time to come here, and we thought we were going to have fun. And the first thing they told us is we have to evacuate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEATHER BARBER, TOURIST IN CANCUN: Just enjoying the last bit of sun we can get on the beach. So we'll be all right. They took real good care of us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Forecasters think that Rina will loop around and die out over Cuba.

Well, thousands of folks are rushing to get out of Bangkok today. The river that runs through the heart of the Thai capital is expected to put much of the city under water over the next couple of days. Monsoon floods have killed 373 people this season.

An opposition group reports another 17 people have been killed in Syria's crackdown on protests against the government. A separate opposition group based in London claims that Syrian troops are attacking protesters with nail bombs. Nail bombs are banned by international law.

Here's your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. Today's question: Are there to many presidential debates?

Well, Carol Costello, she joins us from New York.

Carol, I don't think so. I moderated a few. I say the more, the merrier. Let's see what they're made of here. Right? CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, Suzanne, you are a political nerd.

MALVEAUX: Well, that's true. But what do you think, Carol?

COSTELLO: Well, I do think this -- every time you turn around, there seems to be another Republican debate. Eight so far, and at least another dozen or so to go. It's fair to say there are more debates this election cycle than ever before.

One candidate, Rick Perry, appears to be saying enough is enough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RICK PERRY (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: These debates are set up for nothing more than to tear down the candidates. It's pretty hard to be able to sit and lay out your ideas and your concepts with a one-minute response.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Coincidentally, Perry's campaign spokesman says his guy may be skipping some future debates and prefers answering questions directly from the voters, or maybe Perry just prefers not to have debate moments like this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PERRY: Is it the Mitt Romney that was on the side of -- against the Second Amendment before he was for the Second Amendment? Was it before he was -- before the social programs from the standpoint of he was far standing up for Roe vs. Wade, before he was against Roe vs. Wade? He was for Race to the Top. He's for Obamacare, and now he's against it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That was so painful. Lots of voters witnessed that unfortunate moment. And I'm talking lots of viewers, lots of voters.

And that's the thing. Lots of viewers equal eager networks hungry to host more and more debates.

So, the question is, with so many debates on tap, when will voter fatigue set in? And is Rick Perry right? Are voters really learning anything new in these debates?

So, the "Talk Back" question today: Are there too many presidential debates?

Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour.

MALVEAUX: All right, Carol. I guess it depends, too, if viewers can weigh in and ask questions. I love the YouTube debate that happened last go-around that we did. I thought that was great.

You know, folks get to ask their own questions. Maybe they'll learn something. Yes?

COSTELLO: Well, maybe those kinds of questions will be inserted in the, what, 12 or so debates to come? I mean, there may be as many as 18 -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Even I might get tired of it. OK. We'll see what folks think.

Thanks, Carol.

So how does a peaceful protest get so ugly? This is video of Scott Olsen being carried away by his fellow demonstrators after a clash with police in Oakland on Tuesday night.

Now, Olsen is a former Marine. He served two tours in Iraq.

I want to bring in Amber Lyon in Oakland with the very latest.

So, Amber, tell us about this. Essentially, what are we seeing here? Do we have any clear sense of what actually happened to this guy, Olsen?

AMBER LYON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I spoke with Olsen's mother and friends, and they say that they believe some type of a police projectile actually hit him in the head late Tuesday night, fracturing his skull, sending him to the hospital in critical condition. Some people say it may have been tear gas. There's a lot of speculation going on right now. We have no confirmation as to exactly what object hit Scott Olsen.

But one thing is for sure, Suzanne. This area of downtown Oakland looked like almost a war zone late Tuesday night, as it was filled with tear gas. Also, some protesters say they were hit with rubber bullets.

We spoke with one protester who says he was actually trying to help carry away Scott Olsen when he saw him lying in the road with blood coming out of his head. And he said that's when he was hit by a rubber bullet. He lifted up his shirt and showed us the welt the size of a baseball on his side.

We spoke with Scott's mom, as I was saying earlier. She says that her son served two tours in Iraq as a Marine. She says he was never injured. She was absolutely shocked that it happened here in the U.S.

And one thing's for sure. This has not caused this movement to kind of fade away. It's really galvanized the movement across the country.

We saw protests and marches in honor of Scott Olsen all across the country. Last night, protesters filled this street.

And what caused the protest, what sparked everything on Tuesday, was police had come out here in front of City Hall and removed the occupation camp. And that led to some violence, some frustration.

But we're already seeing people this morning re-post their tents and kind of retake this area in front of City Hall. And we spoke with Oakland P.D. As of now, they say they are investigating the situation as to what happened to this 24-year-old Marine. But he is still in the hospital, in critical condition, with a fractured skull -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And Amber, did the police department say anything else? Did they release a statement or try to explain how this actually occurred? Are they saying that that didn't happen, what Olsen is claiming?

LYON: We contacted Oakland P.D. for some type of a comment, and all they told us is that they are currently investigating and cannot comment on that particular case.

But we did speak with some witnesses out here. They say what really escalated the violence was that some types of objects were initially thrown at police, and then that's what caused the response with tear gas and rubber bullets.

MALVEAUX: All right.

Amber Lyon.

Thank you very much, Amber.

Here's a look at the rundown, what's ahead.

We're going to walk you through a deal that could help the U.S. from falling into a new recession.

Also, a 12-story dam is destroyed on purpose.

And, can we get just one more person squeezed in there? Just one more? All seven billion and counting.

Then, the Pentagon says other nations are trying to get their hands on the latest drone technology.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They glide deep under water, no crew on board. Sensors gather intelligence about everything, from the movement of warships to port security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And the peace and quiet of a small North Dakota town interrupted by oil and money.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: A late season tropical storm is bearing down on Mexico now.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MALVEAUX: Well, you might not think the debt deal in Europe has much to do to impact your own finances, but it does. Just take a look at the markets today. Stocks, shooting up about two percent at the opening bell after European leaders approved a plan to deal with their debt and their banking crisis.

Want to bring in Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange with more -- Alison -- on what this means for all of us. What would happen, first of all, if these negotiations had fallen apart? What would it mean for the U.S. economy?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Suzanne, the best way to explain it is it's sort of an old saying. When one country has a cold, the other one, the U.S., can start sneezing. And that's kind of the thinking with Europe as well.

That is, if Greece were to default, you would see Europe fall into a recession. And then it could also bring down the U.S. economy as well. It's because we're all so interconnected.

Think about what happened in 2008. The U.S. housing crisis essentially caused a global recession. Now, the reality is, is that Europe, it could still fall into a recession. And it could be in a recession right now.

But the reality is, is that this deal that gets a handle on the European debt crisis, it's really lessening the severity of a recession. And for the U.S., it puts talk of a recession on the back burner -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: So, Alison, how closely are we tied to Europe when it comes to the economy?

KOSIK: Well, for one, we trade an awful lot with Europe. The Brookings Institute said just last year we had $400 billion of U.S. exports go there. So, if Europe were to fall into a recession because it couldn't a handle on its debt issues, it means that they're buying less stuff here in the U.S., and that would wind up hurting U.S. manufacturing and jobs right here at home.

Also, U.S. businesses and banks, they are heavily invested in the European Union. They could also take a hit. So, the fact is that the fact that Europe came to this deal, it is definitely helping economies worldwide -- Suzanne.

And how are the markets looking today, Alison?

KOSIK: We've got the Dow up 250 points, Suzanne. There's kind of a "The coast is clear" mentality going on here at the New York stock Exchange.

Investors are kind of dipping their toes and their entire bodies, actually, at this point, back into the water, putting their money back into stocks. This is really what investors have been waiting for.

You know, these European debt problems have been years in the making. Investors have been waiting for some solid deal to come out of it. There is some skepticism. There is sort of a need to see more details, to see this sort of move forward in concrete steps. But at this point, you're seeing this rally because, finally, a deal has been done -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. A little bit of good news there. Thank you, Alison.

Well, tensions over economic reforms in Europe are so high now, that two Italian politicians got into a fistfight in parliament. Yes, that's right.

A photographer captured this picture of the two men from opposing parties grabbing each other by the throat. They came to blows because of a debate over changing Italy's pension system as part of the reforms that European leaders demanded.

Lawmakers in Congress are under the gun to deal with the debt crisis here in the United States. The deadline for the so-called super committee to come up with spending cuts, just one month away. We're going to talk about what's at stake if they don't reach a deal.

And population explosion. Do you know how many people are in the world today? Well, the global population is about to hit a milestone. Find out what's behind the spike and what it means for you personally.

And you've heard a lot about corporate greed, CEO salaries lately from the Occupy Wall Street protests. So, here's the question: How much money do you think that Fortune 500 corporate board directors were making per hour last year?

Are we talking $154 -- I'm sorry, are we talking $934 per hour; $154; or $313? We're going to have the answer for you in just a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: So we asked you how much money you thought Fortune 500 board directors made per hour last year. Was it $154 per hour; $313; or $934 per hour?

The answer is C, $934 per hour. Unbelievable. Amazing. That's a lot of money.

Well, thousands of people have left some of Mexico's most popular beach areas as a powerful tropical storm is getting closer.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MALVEAUX: Well, Colorado's first snow of the season. Top stories making news across the country.

It's a thick blanket of white covering autumn leaves in Denver. About five inches of snow came down Wednesday, just yesterday, knocking out power to thousands of folks. Believe it or not, Denver had a record high of 80 degrees on Monday. In Washington State, a power supplier decided it was easier to demolish this dam than to install a passageway for fish to get around it. It was about $70 million cheaper, as a matter of fact. The 12- story Condit Dam on the White Salmon River was built back in 1913.

And in North Carolina, archaeologists have raised another cannon from the sunken wreck of pirate Blackbeard's ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge. The cannon weighs, believe it or not, about a ton. It's been on the ocean floor for almost 300 years.

Pretty cool.

And here's something you might find a little bit a alarming. This Halloween, the world's population expected to hit seven billion. So what does that mean? The population explosion, likely to put strain on the Earth's resources.

And what does that mean for all of us? Well, our CNN's Errol Barnett joins us.

So, Errol, good to see you, first of all.

Our planet getting a little bit crowded here, and kind of fast. What's behind this, first of all?

ERROL BARNETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, Suzanne.

Well, lots of kids are being born, simply, in the developing world. And here in the U.S., people are living longer.

All of this information is coming out of a new population report released by the U.N. And like you mentioned, it includes some stunning sums.

On Monday, the world's population will hit seven billion people. And in just 40 years, there will be more than nine billion of us. And the fear is that scenes like this could become common.

Take a look at what they have to do in Tokyo on the metro there. These individuals are called oshiya (ph), or pushers. And it's their job to stuff people into the trains during rush hours. So this could be coming to a town near you.

All right. So why is the world getting so packed? Here's a breakdown for you.

First, as I mentioned, people are living longer. In the U.N. report, they said rapid global population growth began back in 1950. That was when people lived to be 48 years old. Now people make it to 68.

Another big factor though is the number of young people in the world. The U.N. says about 43 percent of the world's population is people who are under 25.

So where exactly is this growth? Well, I can tell you that in developed countries like the U.S., women are having fewer kids than they did 50 years ago. But it's the high fertility rates in poorer and developing countries that's fueling this surge, specifically on the African continent. Niger has the world's highest fertility rate.

But the good news in this U.N. report is that this record growth actually reflects a sign of better living conditions, economic opportunities, and education, for example. But the problem is that there are great disparities still in the world between countries as far as how they use their resources. So, in the U.S., they use much more energy and fuel per person, while in the developing countries, people still struggle.

And according to the Global Footprint Network, "If everyone lived a lifestyle of the average American, we would need five planets."

MALVEAUX: Wow.

Do they have any information about how much it would cost to get birth rates down or under control?

BARNETT: Yes, it's all about family planning resources. And they say in the developing world, getting access to those resources, to women who don't have it, would cost about $6.7 billion a year. That's just one estimate.

But to put this number in perspective, Americans will spend $6.9 billion on Halloween this year. So, the cost to get birth rates under control isn't astronomical when you think of it in this way.

And meanwhile, let's go back to Japan. The aging population there is growing. Over the past 20 years, people over the age of 65 have doubled.

So, you have got all these things happening. People are live longer in the developed world, as the developing world has its own baby boom. And the cost to get it under control is less than we're going to spend on candy and costumes this weekend -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Wow. I'm glad we don't have that in our country, the oshiya (ph), where they cram everybody into the subway.

BARNETT: Could you imagine? That would not work on the New York Metro line, I can tell you right now. They'd push back.

MALVEAUX: I know some people feel like it's that way, but God, that's amazing.

BARNETT: Yes.

MALVEAUX: All right. Well, thank you, Errol. Appreciate it.

BARNETT: Sure.

MALVEAUX: Really insightful.

Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we're working on. They move through the water sleek and stealthy. They are underwater drones. We're going to tell you why so many want to steal this American technology.

Then, why one drag on a cigarette is causing Herman Cain's chief of staff so much pain.

And later, they're reeling in big cash from an oil boom, but some in North Dakota say the big money isn't worth losing their small-town feel.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: More than $1 billion a year, that is how much North Dakota is collecting from oil companies in drilling taxes. Well, North Dakota is experiencing an oil boom. People live living in small towns admit money is great, but they're also worried they may be losing something you can't put a price tag on, and that is their way of life.

Reporter Blake Ellis, he filed this report from Watford City, North Dakota, for CNNMoney.com.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEONE LAWLAR, WATFORD CITY, NORTH DAKOTA, NATIVE: A year ago we were excited. We took pictures of the stake (ph), and we took a picture of the rig, our first oil well. We were excited because, OK, this will free up money that we didn't have. We can do thing for the our kids and grand kids.

Knowing what we know now, we would have given it up. I know my husband would have in a heartbeat. To have the way that we used to live back, we would have.

After the rigs got done and they started developing the oil, then everything else started moving out there. So this has just been within a year that all this has been going on. And before it was just all farmland. Our little peaceful existence is pretty much gone.

Oh, see, I'm not used to having my door locked. We just got keys a year ago.

OK. All right.

I mean, we are blessed to be in this economic area where there's jobs galore, money. And we don't always realize that until people come in and tell us how bad it is out there. And so sometimes I feel selfish feeling that way, but yet, a way of life is gone.

I mean, yes, they broke in last Sunday. Nobody was home. And my husband came home. So he went over there, and yes, they kicked the door open and broke the doorknob. But he said nothing was missing. Just like it was going to the pharmacy. Totally violated.

Around $16,000 worth of narcotics were taken. No money was taken. Every dollar was in the store. But they cut a hole with a torch. That's how they got in.

It's just a small variety store. We carry -- we try and carry everything. We've noticed an increase like in sheets, pillows, towels, personal items, just the roughnecks and the people need. Just when they come to town, they come with nothing. So they stop here and that's what we try and carry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

LAWLAR: Well, the positive is business has been wonderful. I mean, our increase in sales has probably tripled or quadrupled in the last year.

My sons are in the oil field. They're company hands, but they are in charge of the whole rig. And they're making phenomenal money. They both just graduated from high school. That's it. But they're making hundreds of thousands of dollars. And it just blows my mind.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN HOST: Wow. For more on how the oil boom is changing small towns in North Dakota, I want to bring in Neal Shipman. He's editor and publisher of the "McKenzie County Farmer Newspaper." He joins us on the phone from Watford City, North Dakota.

And, first of all, Neil, I never knew there were places in the country still where you wouldn't need a key to your house. Is that really the way it is there?

NEAL SHIPMAN, MCKENZIE COUNTY FARMER NEWSPAPER (via telephone): Well, that's the way it was. Yes, Watford City, for a long time, I mean, you left your keys in your car if you went downtown in the winter. You left your keys in your car with your car running. Your home was unlocked. But, yes, that's the way it was. That is not the way it is anymore.

MALVEAUX: Tell us what the biggest change is that you've seen because of the oil boom, and all these new folks that are just pouring in for these jobs?

SHIPMAN: Yes, the biggest thing is I guess, overall, you know, our community has completely changed. I'll go back 18 months ago, we were a beautiful little town of 1500 people. We were right sized. Everything about our community was right. Right number of gas stations, right number of restaurants, right number of motel rooms. Right number of everything. Today, we're 6500 people going through the roof as far as new growth.

MALVEAUX: Are there places, Neal, where people can live? Is there housing? Adequate housing?

SHIPMAN: No. All the apartments are taken. Everything is now is what we would refer to as temporary housing. They become trailers, you know, that you would normally think of what you would camp in in the summer. That's what the bulk of the men that are here for the oil field are living in. But so are families. And they're going out at, you know, like $2500 a month to rent. Apartments are pushing $1,000 a month for rent, which is 18 months ago was unheard of. Absolutely unheard of.

MALVEAUX: Is there a sense of community here, Neal? I know that there's kind of a longing for the way it used to be. Is there a new kind of community that's emerging here?

SHIPMAN: The new community is growing, yes. There's -- a lot of the companies that are coming in here, they're wonderful companies. Their people are great. They're trying to get involved in our churches, in our school groups and all the other things.

But no, the community has forever changed. You know, we have those of us that were here and we're one community. And I would have to say the oil field community is a separate community. Now they move back and forth, but they're two separate entities.

MALVEAUX: Is there tension between these groups? How does that work?

No tension whatsoever. Everybody is really working as well as they can to get along to make things right. I mean, when oil companies are coming in and trying to set up man camps, they're working as closely as they can with all the city officials to make sure that they do it right and they have as small of an imprint or a footprint on our community as they can. But realistically it's huge. Their impact on our town is huge.

MALVEAUX: Neal, it's just a fascinating look at a slice of life there where you live and where the community is working and living and in some ways struggling to make a new kind of identity, a new kind of community. But at the same time doing well, because of the oil boom and the jobs that are there.

Thank you so much for just kind of bringing us to your home and to your community, and painting a picture for us, if you will.

Thanks again, Neal.

SHIPMAN: You bet, thank you. Bye-bye.

MALVEAUX: Herman Cain's new Internet ad, it is turning some heads.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Herman Cain's smile that takes eight seconds to develop prompted Stephen Colbert to challenge Cain to a slow smile contest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go!

(END VIDEOCLIP)

MALVEAUX: The smile isn't the only thing that comedians are spoofing.

But first, what's the germiest thing we touch every day? I don't know if that's a word, but germiest, I'm going to use that word. A, a toilet seat, B, a gas pump handle, or C, a crosswalk button. That answer in just a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: This just in.

According to Reuters, I want to take you to Turkey. This is where an earthquake of a 7.2 on the Richter scale that hit turkey on Sunday killing 500 people in the eastern part of that country. Well, Reuters reporting now that rescue workers actually pulled out a man alive from the rubble more than 100 hours after that earthquake hit. Unbelievable. That has been a painful process.

A lot of people looking, combing through the rubble trying to search for survivors. It was two days ago that they actually rescued a two- week old infant from the rubble two days ago. But we are now looking at pictures here that are just in. The man pulled alive from the quake rubble.

This is just rather unbelievable when you think about the amount of time. A 100 hours beneath the rubble, finding a survivor at this point, after 500 died from that earthquake that hit turkey on Sunday. Just a miracle.

Well, before the break, we asked you what was the germiest thing we touch every day, right?

A, a toilet seat, B, a gas pump handle, or C, a crosswalk button? Well, believe it or not, the answer, B, a gas pump handle.

That is according to a new study by the University of Arizona. The study says that 71 percent, right, of gas pump handles are highly contaminated with the kinds of germs associated with a high risk of illness. Only 35 percent of crosswalk buttons were this germy. And toilet seats didn't even make the list.

I'm really surprised.

Well, a lot of folks scratching their heads over Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain's new ad on the Internet. At the end of the ad, his chief of staff takes a puff on a cigarette. Well, it has triggered a lot of parodies.

Jeanne Moos, she is handing out the silvery smoke ring awards to some of the best.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOOS (voice-over): Suddenly, everybody is pretending to smoke. And it's all because this man, Herman Cain's chief of staff.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can take this country back.

(SINGING)

MOOS: Took one little drag in a campaign ad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Weird, right?

MARK BLOCK, HERMAN CAIN'S CHIEF OF STAFF: You know, I'm not the only one that smokes in America, for God sake.

MOOS: Now, everyone is inhaling his smoke, one parody even paraphrases Charlie Sheen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm on a drug, and it's called Herman Cain. Herman Cain has tiger blood.

MOOS: That's from a left-leaning political group in South Carolina asking Herman Cain, what are you smoking? Not since the famous witch ad --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not a witch

MOOS: Have we seen a political spot so parodied? So, we thought we'd hand out the silvery smoke ring award to some of our favorites.

(on-camera) We award one measly smoke ring to the Letterman show for its video parody.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rich Lowry here, chief economic adviser for Herman Cain.

(SINGING)

MOOS: And for all those who replaced the cigarette with booze, we award two smoke rings.

(SINGING)

MOOS: Our three smoke ring award goes to Conan's show for most imaginative prop.

(SINGING)

MOOS: We award Jimmy Kimmel and his crew four smoke rings for inventive voiceover.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm Herman Cain, and I approve cigarettes, and if that doesn't make me sound crazy, check out this smile.

MOOS (voice-over): Herman Cain's smile that takes eight seconds to develop prompted Stephen Colbert to challenge Cain to a slow smile contest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go!

(SINGING)

MOOS: Colbert managed to stretch his smile 25 seconds.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll be right back. MOOS (on-camera): The coveted five smoke rings award goes to "The Colbert Report" for replacing smoking with sniffing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm Herman Cain's personal assistant. We hope you share our vision.

(SINGING)

MOOS (voice-over): By the way, we'd like to bestow a shortened lifetime achievement award to the human smoke machine who provided us with our smoke screen.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Oh, it's unbelievable.

The race for the Republican nomination, everything comes down to location, location, location, right? We're going to take a look at how the candidates stack up in all those all important early primary states.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: They say politics all local. That's absolutely true when it comes to the race for the Republican nomination.

We want to bring in our own Mark Preston from the political desk with some interesting new poll numbers for the early primary states.

And Mark, this is all about momentum here. Who can actually build it? Stack it where it counts. Let's start with Florida.

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Yes, you know, Suzanne, we talk a lot about national polls. But this race for the Republican presidential nomination is really going to be win or lost probably in these four early states.

Looking quickly at Florida right now, this new CNN-ORC Poll shows that Mitt Romney is the clear frontrunner down there at 30 percent, followed by Herman Cain who has come on in the past few weeks. After that, everyone else drops off into single digits. So Mitt Romney, very strong right now in Florida.

Let's move out to the Midwest out to Iowa with Mitt Romney is not even campaigning right now.

Look at these numbers right now at 24 percent. He has been out there a couple times. His campaign would say that in fact they are spending some money and resources in Iowa, but certainly not what they did back in 2008 where they spent millions of dollars only to lose the Iowa caucus. But he's doing pretty well out there, followed by Herman Cain and then a few others as we keep ticking through that.

Let's go up to New Hampshire, the first in the nation primary state. Let's take a quick look at those numbers up in New Hampshire. It shows that Mitt Romney with a commanding lead at 40 percent. No one even close. Herman Cain at 13 percent. Ron Paul at 12 percent.

What's interesting about these numbers? Look at Jon Huntsman at six percent. Jon Huntsman which has staked his entire campaign in New Hampshire. Moved his national campaign headquarters out of Florida into New Hampshire. He's only at six percent. And let's close it out with South Carolina, the first in the nation primary contest for Republicans down in South Carolina. And again, Mitt Romney at 25 percent, followed by Herman Cain, Ron Paul and Rick Perry.

So if you were to say anything right now, clearly, Mitt Romney is the front runner, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Wow.

What do the numbers mean for Perry? Because just a little while ago, he was the frontrunner, now he doesn't even crack the top three for some of these critical states?

PRESTON: It means he's got a lot of work to do. But let's not forget that what Rick Perry has that a lot of these other candidates do not have is money. He had about $17 million raised in a short period of time when he entered into the race.

There are also going to be these independent groups, we call them Super PACs. They will be spending millions of dollars. Some of them will be supporting Rick Perry's candidacy.

So Rick Perry is not dead. Don't believe what people are saying right now. He has dropped in the polls, but Rick Perry, many think it's going to be a one-two race between Perry and Romney. Suzanne?

MALVEAUX: Really?

All right, I guess the money certainly counts.

PRESTON: No doubt.

MALVEAUX: All right, thanks, Mark.

For the latest political news, you know where to go -- CNNPolitics.com.

So are you the kind of person, at Halloween, buys whatever candy, cheapest candy to hand out? Well, you might want to rethink that strategy. We're going to tell you why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: All right, so Carol, you ever notice how kids, they always know which houses to hand out the best candy on Halloween?

So did you know that the candy you give away actually says something about the kind of person you are? That is according to Gawker.com. So if you give out sweet tarts or anything that's not chocolate, they say you're into Halloween. You want folks to think you're a little bit wacky or crazy, right.

So candy corn. They say you're way into Halloween. Too much. Not very smart? Why? It gets -- but not very smart because it gets all sticky, clumps at the bottom of the bag, all right.

And there's Tootsie Rolls, simple, classic candy. Probably very cool, stylish person.

And full size candy bars, not the mini ones, you're -- they say you're annoying like a show off, you need everybody's approval. I don't know how they come up with all this stuff.

But, Carol, what are you giving away for Halloween?

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Snickers. Snickers bars, but the little mini ones. So I guess I'm not showing off.

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: Understated but classy, right?

COSTELLO: That does describe me, doesn't it? What are you giving out?

MALVEAUX: Well, you know, I think it is going to be like typical lollipops and stuff like that, you know. I was always the one who would switch with -- and trade with all my brothers and sisters because I didn't like chocolate so I got all the other stuff and I gave away all my chocolate. So I did really well during Halloween.

COSTELLO: You don't like chocolate?

MALVEAUX: I'm not a big chocolate fan, actually. Can you believe that?

COSTELLO: That's un-American.

MALVEAUX: But debates, those are all-American right, carol? You got your question ready?

COSTELLO: I do have my question ready. The talk back question this morning -- are there too many presidential debates?

You know, there may be as many as 18 this political season, or more once we get into the presidential debate when we're down to like a Democrat and a Republican.

Anyway, are there too many presidential debates?

This from John, "Since we have yet to have an actual debate, I'd have to say, no."

This from Kim, "I love how people want to change things when a particular forum doesn't agree with them. These debates weed out the crazies. Just so happens that appears to be the entire field. I do have my popcorn and snacks, though. Carry on!"

This from William, "Too many with the same people. We learn nothing really new, just the same information over and over again."

And this from Rob, "No way. People need to see who they're throwing their votes at. There's not too many debates. There are too many messed-up politics."

Keep the conversation flowing. Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll be back with you in about 15 minutes or so.

MALVEAUX: Yes. You can eat that Halloween candy while you're watching debates. I bet you'll have that much. You'll still be eating that stuff.

COSTELLO: All that melted candy corn. Yum.

MALVEAUX: All right. Thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: Sure.

MALVEAUX: Well, the next generation of American drones operates now underwater. A new report suggests a lot of countries are trying to get their hand on that technology.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Underwater unman drones are among the U.S. military's most critical classified technology. But according to a new Pentagon report, that technology is under constant attack by foreign spies.

Our CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: They glide deep underwater, no crew on board. Sensors gather intelligence about everything from the movement of warships to port security. The U.S. military leads the world in developing these classified, unmanned underwater vehicles. Other nations, especially in Asia, are urgently trying to get their hands on them according to a new Pentagon report.

Targeting the U.S. with industrial espionage is a global problem. In 2010 the Pentagon witnessed a stunning increase of over 140 percent in attempts to get military information of all types. Industry reports everything from phone calls, asking for pricing and technical information, to cyber-attacks aimed at outright stealing.

JOHN PIKE, GLOBALSECURITY.ORG: If it's a choice between stealing our technology and developing your own, it's a lot cheaper to try to steal our good stuff than to try to develop it with your own money.

STARR: Weapons expert John Pike says China is most likely behind most of the efforts to steal the U.S.'s underwater secrets. PIKE: The Chinese are interested in underwater drones for the same reason that everybody else is. And over the last decade, we've seen this explosion of activity in aerial drones, and everybody believes that underwater drones will be the next great thing.

STARR: The Pentagon found more than 70 percent of all attempts to get access to this technology came from east Asian and Pacific nations, but the report does not name countries. It's a region getting increased military attention. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, now in Asia, promises stronger ties in the face of growing Chinese military power and an unstable North Korea.

LEON PANETTA, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We're going to maintain our presence. We're going to not only maintain our presence, but we're going to strengthen our presence in the Pacific region.

STARR (on camera): And, of course, there are commercial uses for this type of underwater technology as well -- monitoring fisheries, offshore oil drilling, and even looking for old shipwrecks.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)