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Syria To Press Case At United Nations; Shutdown May Hurt Military Families; Militant Groups Among Syrian Rebels; Daredevil Makes "Flying Dagger" Jump

Aired September 29, 2013 - 14:00   ET

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

ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Alison Kosik in for Fredricka Whitfield. These stories are topping our news this hour.

The clock is ticking toward a government shutdown. But House Republicans back a spending plan that also guts Obamacare, and that's not going to fly with Senate Democrats. The escalating battle, just ahead.

Disturbing details remerging about how the Kenyan mall attack could have been avoided and what the terrorists did to hostages before they killed them.

A church pastor is gunned down in the middle of his service, and the suspect is no stranger to the congregation. Details of the shocking arrest this hour.

Congress might be a little quieter today than maybe you'd expect when we're about, what, 30 hours away from a government shutdown. The Senate will not vote today on a spending plan the House passed just after midnight, but that plan doesn't have much hope in the Senate anyway.

That's because of two amendments attached to it. One would delay Obamacare for a year, and the other would repeal a medical devices tax. So, here's where we stand. Just over one day left to avoid a shutdown. The deadline is midnight on Monday.

We're all over this, covering all angles of this story. Brianna Keilar is live at the White House and Erin McPike is in our Washington, D.C. bureau. Brianna, let's go ahead and start with you. House speaker John Boehner, he's already had some really strong words for the Senate. What's he saying?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. Taking aim at the Senate, Alison, because as you noted last night, the House passed this funding bill to keep the government open. Of course, it would also delay the implementation of Obamacare, which is something the White House says no way to, they've issued a veto threat on. And the Senate isn't going to be meeting today to act on that. We expect the Senate will be meeting tomorrow.

And I think part of this is, it's a game of sort of hot potato. Who really gets stuck, perhaps, holding that hot potato when the clock strikes midnight on Monday, going into Tuesday, and we begin a shutdown, as we could.

Now, House speaker John Boehner, he said, quote -- and this is in a statement. He said, "If the Senate stalls until Monday afternoon instead of working today, it would be an act of breathtaking arrogance by the Senate Democratic leadership." He says, it's deliberately bringing the nation to the brink of a government shutdown. Of course, we're also hearing that, basically, from Democrats, as well as from White House officials as they point the finger at House Republicans.

But, Alison, it's quiet on the Hill. It is eerily quiet here at the White House, as well. No events on the president's public schedule, and best we can tell, there's not a whole lot going on here today, either.

KOSIK: You know, so the burning question everyone wants an answer to is, as they pass this hot potato back and forth, how likely is it that the government will, in fact, shut down, on Monday at midnight?

KEILAR: It's seeming more and more likely. The sense that a lot of folks are getting is that it is a very real possibility, and I think they feel that it's more of a possibility than averting this. You've kind of had this ping-ponging back and forth, where the Senate is -- or I should say, the House is passing funding bills to keep the government open but that have really nonstarters for the White House and Senate Democrats. At first, it was defunding Obamacare. The Senate struck that, sent back a clean funding bill to the House. The House took that and then they added this, delaying the implementation of Obamacare. We expect that the Senate will strip that out, clean back a clean funding bill.

So, at least at this point, there's no indication that either side is really changing their tact on this, and that's why we're really keeping our eye on Monday into Tuesday. Because at the very least, this is going to be a squeaker, but I think the sense is that there very well could be a shutdown.

KOSIK: All right. Thanks, Brianna.

Let's go ahead and move on to Erin McPike. She's live in Washington. Erin, you know, House Republicans, they're clearly upset with Harry Reid, but what are we are hearing from other senators about this?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Alison, most important, Dick Durbin, the second ranking Democrat in the Senate, was on a CBS morning show this morning. And he was asked, does he think we will have a government shutdown? And he says, I'm afraid I do. He does think that there may be a government shutdown.

And Alison, as you know, Senator Ted Cruz from Texas has been the Republican really leading the charge in the upper chamber on this. Now, I asked him today if he was okay with the idea of a one-year delay on Obamacare. He, of course, has said in the past, that he wanted to kill it completely. But I asked him, would he make any other concessions? Would he be willing to negotiate with Harry Reid? And this is what he told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TED CRUZ (R), TEXAS: At this point, Harry Reid has conceded on nothing. He has said he refuses even to talk, he refuses to compromise, he refuses to budge, and he's willing to shut the federal government down rather than give one inch to the American people who are losing their jobs, who are being pushed into part-time work, who are losing their health insurance.

I think that's a mistake. I think it's unreasonable, and I think the only way it will change is if politicians in Washington start listening to the American people.

MCPIKE: And you're saying that Republicans are. We still have a Democratic president for another three years and three months or so. Are you going to run for president to continue this fight?

CRUZ: You know, my focus is on the U.S. Senate and fighting the fights that make a difference for the American people.

(END VIDEOC CLIP)

MCPIKE: Now, by and large, senators on both sides of the aisle -- and that includes some very senior Republicans -- have said that they don't think the House bill will fly in the upper chamber. They don't plan on passing that and they will be doing something else, Alison.

KOSIK: Seems like everybody's just kind of spinning their wheels, right, Erin?

MCPIKE: That's right.

KOSIK: All right. Erin McPike in Washington, D.C., thanks.

All right. So we've been saying it, and you've heard it. We're a little more than a day away from the shutdown of the U.S. government. But what does that mean for us? What does that mean for you? Well, two million civilian employees will be furloughed, causing scores of backups and slowdowns of services at agencies across the country. Also, if you were planning a trip to a national park, forget it. Parks will be closed. So will all the zoos and museums. And federally backed loans will be frozen. And what that means is that homebuyers, students, and business owners depending on a loan will have to wait.

Tuesday, Americans who need health insurance can begin shopping for policies through their state exchange. The Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, will impact almost everybody in the U.S. in some way, and you can find out more at CNN.com/healthcare.

And if you current don't have health insurance, we do want to hear your story. Log on to CNNireport.com and share your photo or share your video describing your experiences.

Now, let's head over to Israel where a suspected spy is under arrest. The Israeli government says the suspect, Ali Mansouri was spying for Iran and was carrying photos of various sites around Israel, including the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv. They said Mansouri is from Iran, but also is a Belgian citizen. Israeli officials claim Mansouri has admitted to being a spy and was promised a million dollars for setting up a spy network in Israel.

Today, another suspect has been arrested in connection with that deadly mall attack in Nairobi, Kenya. Nine people are in custody so far. Meantime, members of Kenya's parliament will begin an inquiry tomorrow into apparent intelligence failures leading up to the strike. Sixty-seven people were killed when terrorists stormed the Westgate Mall last week. David McKenzie has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A week after the deadly mall attack began here in Nairobi, many families are still wondering what happened to their love ones. Scores missing, according to the Red Cross.

Now, forensic experts picking through the rubble, and there are still many unanswered questions.

Chief among them, was the Kenyan government warned about attack? According to Kenyan intelligence and police sources, warnings of an attack on Westgate Mall was provided to senior government officials in the months leading up to the siege.

CNN has seen an electronic version of those reports. They describe threats to multiple targets over an extended period, including warnings of a major attack earlier in September that did not transpire. Kenyan members of parliament are expected to grill intelligence bosses in the coming days of the apparent intelligence failures.

And disturbing new reports about the brutal nature of the attack. Military doctors tell us that the militants tortured hostages, savoring their hands, cutting off their noses and in some cases, hanging them.

CNN has seen photographic evidence on one dead victim with an amputated hand. The viciousness and calculating nature of the terrorist operation has left many here traumatized.

There were hundreds of police and military here trying to take on the terrorists. This area was like a war zone. Now, people are trying to get back to normal here in Nairobi. U.S. intelligence officials say that there could be further attacks by al-Shabaab in East Africa, and people fear what could happen next.

David McKenzie, CNN, Nairobi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSIK: A pastor is gunned down as he stands in the pulpit preaching. But it didn't take long to find a suspect. He turned himself in, and wait until you hear who he is. Plus, look at this mess. In the Pacific Northwest, lots of rain and hurricane-force winds. It's the remnants of that typhoon that hit Japan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: Some parts of Oregon and Washington State are getting slammed by unrelenting rain plus fierce wind gusts. Rainfall records were shattered over the weekend in several cities, and more downpours are expected tonight and tomorrow. Flash flood warnings are in effect as well.

In the Northeast, though, the weather scene much, much different. Here's meteorologist Pedram Javaheri.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KOSIK: OK Pedram, thanks.

A church deacon is charged with murder after allegedly shooting a pastor during the middle of service. It happened in Lake Charles, Louisiana, about 130 miles from Baton Rouge. Woodrow Kerry turned himself in and even led police to the murder weapons. Deb Feyerick has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): People gathered outside the tabernacle of Praise Worship Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana after reports of the crime.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A telephone call from one of the members that was coming to the (INAUDIBLE) tonight (INAUDIBLE) shooting.

FEYERICK: The (INAUDIBLE) sheriff's office says Pastor Ronald Harris was killed while he was preaching. They say this man, 53-year-old Woodrow Kerry, has been charged with second-degree murder in the case, after he allegedly called dispatchers and admitted to the killing. This morning, new information about the suspect who had direct ties to the church.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been told that Mr. Kerry is a member of the church. He was a deacon of the church. It appeared as though this investigation is involving some issues that occurred with the church.

FEYERICK: Witnesses told police Kerry walked into the church, shot the pastor once then again at close range after the pastor had fallen to the floor. The gunman then fled the scene.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These people thought they were going to church to hear a message from God. Instead, they witnessed a pastor being gunned down in the middle of the service by the deacon.

FEYERICK: During his arrest, deputies say Kerry directed them to two guns: a shotgun and a pistol that were thrown in a wooded area.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSIK: The Olympic flame is lit. Now the torch begins its long journey to Russia and the 2014 Games. Along the way, it will travel by snowmobile, sled, and even hot air balloon.

And next, pointing fingers in Washington over a possible government shutdown. But who will get the blame if it happens?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAT CASH, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: John McEnroe's approach to the game hasn't changed one bit - same lefty serve, same approach to the nets and the same attitude.

Do you ever look back at your old tapes and wince?

JOHN MCENROE, PRO TENNIS PLAYER: No. I don't look back at them. I hear about it a lot. I hear they're on YouTube now. So I've sort of gotten a second wind, I guess, with the kids. They're like, man, you were crazy. But, yes, I was getting into it. But no more so to me than a lot of other sports and a lot of other situations. I think because it was tennis, it was different.

CASH: So don't be surprised if you see him questioning a call or approaching a nervous umpire. It's all part of the game that John Mac fell in love with all those years ago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: The clock is ticking down, and with the way things are going in Washington, the odds are your government could be shut down come Tuesday. CNN chief political correspondent Candy Crowley anchors "STATE OF THE UNION" and she joins me now from Washington.

All right, Candy, the Senate says it's not going to pass any budget deal that touches Obamacare. The House earlier this morning passed a plan that would delay the health care law. And the Senate says that's dead on arrival again. Speaker Boehner released a statement this afternoon and said, "If the Senate stalls until Monday afternoon instead of working today, it would be an act of breathtaking arrogance by the Senate Democratic leadership."

So let me ask you this. Are you getting any sense at all that these two sides will be able to reach a deal and keep the government open?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Not at the moment. At the moment, I think it's exactly where you sort of intimated, which is that they are at stalemate. And right now, the struggle is, who's to blame for this? The Republicans in the House or the Senate Democrats? Certainly, the Republicans would like to put it on one party and the Democrats, the other. Take a listen to one of the people in the Republican leadership along the John Boehner. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS, REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE CHAIRWOMAN: We are pushing the Senate to have the debate. Listen to the American people, which even now they refuse to have. We were there almost until midnight last night, working on the bill, passing the bill. Got even some Democrat support in the House.

And yet the Senate won't even come back today. They're the ones playing games. They need to act. They're the ones that are truly threatening a government shutdown by not being here and acting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: So there you have it. You have the Democrats saying House Republicans have put something on this spending bill they know the Senate Democrats won't pass and the president would veto. And the other Republicans saying, well, wait, we gave you a bill, answer us back. As far as we know, the Senate will not be in until Monday afternoon.

KOSIK: All right. So not only do we have, you know, the shutdown deadline happening tomorrow, but then we also have President Obama meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu tomorrow. What do you think that they could accomplish from this meeting? And what might the political ramifications be for the president dealing with Congress over the Iran issue?

CROWLEY: Well, at this point, he doesn't have to deal with Congress over the Iran issue. There's already some skepticism whether the U.S. and Iran can actually get together for negotiations about Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons, which the U.S. and Israel, obviously, both believe Iran is in pursuit of those weapons.

I think the meeting with Netanyahu comes at a really interesting time because as we know, we learned of this phone call, the first in more than 30 years, between the president of the United States and the president of Iran, it took place on Friday. And they both talked about continuing talks and, you know, coming to some kind of meeting of the minds. And here is Israel, which believes that Iran is bent on its destruction, who believes that nothing has changed, insofar as Iran is concerned, except for the faces.

So I think the president is likely to hear from Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister tomorrow, do not trust this guy. Here are the things he's done. This is still the same old Iran. And I think the president is likely to say, you know, it's worth a shot. The two have never seen eye to eye. I judge that this is probably something they won't see eye to eye on, either.

KOSIK: Okay. It should be an interesting 36 hours to come. Thanks, Candy Crowley.

CROWLEY: Thanks, Alison.

KOSIK: And CNN's "CROSSFIRE" will have the latest on the possible government shutdown. Ralph Nader and Carly Fiorina are the guests. Tune in tonight at 7:30 Eastern for special coverage.

All right, so there are a lot of claims about the president's new health care plan coming from both sides. And this is just one from the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will keep this promise to the American people. If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: So, is that true? The short answer, maybe. It is probably true that the majority of people who have insurance will not be affected by the new law. But clearly, some will. The White House says the president stands by the claim, declaring on its Web site, "Nothing in the proposal forces anyone to change the insurance they have, period." You can find all the answers you want on CNN.com/healthcare.

He's already cheated death once. Now a high-flying daredevil plunges through a ten-foot crack in a mountain. We'll show you his amazing flight, coming up.

And next, you'll definitely want to stick around for this. A warning about a deadly bacteria. It's in seawater and even some kinds of seafood.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: Bottom of the hour now. Welcome back. I'm Alison Kosik in for Fredricka Whitfield. Here are five things crossing the CNN news desk right now.

Number one, an impending government shutdown is looking more likely with the Senate not even at work today. That means a vote on the House's version of a spending plan would not even happen until tomorrow. Even then, Senate majority leader Harry Reid has already said the plan won't pass, because it would also delay Obamacare. So, it appears things are still at square one, a little over a day before the deadline.

Number two, a suspected spy is under arrest in Israel. The Israeli government says the suspect, Ali Mansouri was spying for Iran and was carrying photos of various sites around Israel, including the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv. They say Mansouri is from Iran, but also a Belgian citizen. Israeli officials have said that Mansouri has admitted to being a spy and was promised a million dollars for setting a spy network in Israel.

Number three, people in central Florida are being told to steer clear of seafood because of a deadly bacteria in the water. Nine people have died so far. This flesh-eating bacteria can get into the system through raw shellfish or through an open wound for swimmers. One man went fishing for crabs near the Halifax River and died a day later. Officials say travelers should make sure their seafood is cooked and avoid the water if they have any kind of open wounds.

Number four, we now know more about how 19 firefighters were killed in the Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona in June. Investigators have released their report and among their conclusions, investigators say there was no indication of negligence, reckless actions, or violations of policy or protocol. But the hot-shot crew had radio communication challenges. It also noted that during limited times, aircraft were not available because of bad weather and refueling needs.

Number five, the jury in the Michael Jackson wrongful death trial is back Tuesday. They're going to deliberate on 13 questions. Perhaps the biggest question on their form, did concert promoter AEG Live hire Dr. Conrad Murray? Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's Propofol overdose death. Jackson's family claims that AEG hired and supervised him. They're asking for over $1 billion.

And tonight, Dr. Conrad Murray gives his side of events leading to the pop star's death. Watch the Anderson Cooper special, "MICHAEL JACKSON: THE FINAL DAYS" at 10 p.m. Eastern on CNN.

The United Nations General Assembly begins this week with two big speeches. Syria's top diplomat takes the podium tomorrow. And then a day later, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks. Nick Paton Walsh is live in New York.

Nick, let's go ahead and start with Syria. You know, when Syrian's foreign minister addresses the U.N.G.A. tomorrow, chemical weapon inspectors will actually be heading to Damascus to begin eliminating the country's arsenal. So what picture do we expect the Syrians to paint tomorrow? Is Bashar Al-Assad going to try to win back some international support?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We'll be hearing from the foreign minister, and normally the tone they strike is defiant on some ways, they normally speak about their chemical weapons saying, if we have it, it's only because we need a deterrent from Israel's own weapons of mass destruction, their own alleged nuclear program.

But you've got to bear in mind too that Syria did, in fact, way before the Security Council resolution was agreed, they agreed to join the chemical weapons convention, which by itself disarms of their own weapon stockpiles so to speak. So they agreed to do that, but the U.N. resolution actually makes timetable faster and outlines consequences if they don't adhere to that faster timetable.

At the end of the day, I think Syria likes to paint a message that it's going along with this unilaterally, but at the same time, I think we'll hear defiance, and most of all, one thing slipped into that U.N. resolution, was the reference to a peace plan agreed to in Geneva, which suggests that Bashar Al-Assad should stand aside for a transitional government.

His foreign minister being absolutely clear in the last 24, 48 hours even though that peace plan is endorsed in the resolution, they're not going to let their man step aside -- Alison. KOSIK: And you know, it's hard to forget, Israeli Leader Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to the U.N.G.A. that happened last year, when he took off that drawing of a bomb with a red line representing the point where Israel would no longer -- or would not longer tolerate the Iran's nuclear ambitions. And this past week, Iran agreed to talk about its nuclear program. Are we going to see an equally as impassioned speech from Netanyahu on why Iran shouldn't be trusted?

WALSH: I think there's no doubt they will remind the world of what they perceive to be the motivation behind Iran's sudden flurry of diplomacy with Washington. He said on his way here, he will tell the truth amid all the smiles. They think Iran is simply paying for time. It's like North Korea in the middle of last decade, when they launched into peace talks to buy themselves. It turned out, more time to develop a nuclear weapon.

We don't know Iran's end game in this. They're hurting hard from the sanctions imposed against them, but at the same time, many also say, they're speeding ahead with lots of the technical developments they need to make nuclear weapons. I think Benjamin Netanyahu will have to be cautious, because he's had a rocky relationship with Barack Obama, ever since Obama took office on many fronts.

He won't necessarily poke a finger in his eye in the middle of all of this diplomacy, but the Israelis feel very strongly that Iran is not genuine. They're simply playing for time. I'm sure they'll use that particular podium to make that point -- Alison.

KOSIK: OK, Nick Paton Walsh, thanks.

A government shutdown looking more likely than ever, military families say they're stuck in the middle of a nasty political fight. Their paychecks could be on the line and they're not too happy about that. I'm talking to a navy veteran who is married to a lieutenant commander, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: If the government shuts down at midnight on Monday, millions of people will be affected, and while the military will still be expected to report to duty, many troops may not get paid on time. Joining us now from Washington, Vivian Greentree, she's a Navy veteran and the director of research and policy with the Blue Star Families.

Vivian, thanks for joining us. Tell me, what are you hearing from the military families with Blue Star? What are their biggest concerns?

VIVIAN GREENTREE, BLUE STAR FAMILIES: Well, we know from our research that financial health and readiness is a top concern for military families. We know that from our annual survey of military families so even the threat of the shutdown has caused added anxieties. And if it is to occur and military families don't get paid, we also know that a lot of military families live paycheck to paycheck, and are single- income families. The military spouse unemployment rate is 26 percent. So we are in a dire situation, if our military families aren't being paid. KOSIK: Your husband is deployed overseas, so how is your family being impacted?

GREENTREE: Well, when we got to talk on Face Time this morning, this was a big conversation piece for us, moving some money around in the event that he didn't get paid, what we would do to pay our own bills, and I know that's something that we're hearing from our families across the country. How they're going to pay their mortgages, their car payments, buy groceries, buy diapers.

It's a very important situation and one that our families have -- our military -- our service members that are deployed don't need to be thinking about. They need to be focused on their mission at hand and you don't want them wondering if they will get paid or having their spouses call them worried about their bank accounts.

KOSIK: Let me ask you this, how much do you really feel that maybe military families are kind of, you know, caught in the middle of this, as like a political football or a pawn going on between Republicans and Democrats. You know, how does this make you feel? They're playing these political games, but, you know, for you and countless other families, this is real life.

GREENTREE: It is real life. I think right now, in our community, on top of sequestration, on top of potential action in Syria, it's the general level of stress and anxiety and then to add to that, I think we've always considered our paychecks kind of sacrosanct. And to think that they might not be is a shock. I don't know that there's any one party or one person to blame.

It's just a general shock that it could even potentially happen and for our organization to try to walk the line between not trying to -- trying not to play into any kind of hysteria, but also to provide resources and information to families that are desperate for information and resources, should this shutdown occur.

KOSIK: So is there, maybe one side that maybe you hold more responsible, the Republicans or the Democrats or maybe even the president?

GREENTREE: No, I think at this point, we are in the, how can we respond to this should it happen mode? We just want to know, financial institutions that might provide low or no interest loans to military families, should they not get paid. It's much more tactical at our level and we just want to get our service members paid.

KOSIK: If there's something you would say to Congress or maybe even the president, what would it be?

GREENTREE: Besides the immediate financial impact, the impact to moral and readiness, trust in government, something that will last way after this crisis is over, and as you rely on an all-volunteer force, these are things that need to be thought about. We've asked 1 percent of the population to do a lot, a whole lot over these last ten years.

So to be in the middle of a government shutdown and to say your paychecks might be at risk or the medical facilities on your base might shut down, is child care open, are schools open, which we're receiving guidance from the DOD as much as they have it to give to the families. But the impact is going to last past this immediate crisis.

KOSIK: OK, Vivian Greentree, thanks so much for your time.

GREENTREE: Thanks for having me.

KOSIK: Sure. On Tuesday, open enrolment begins for Obamacare, and some people aren't too happy, because they feel they're being forced to buy health care coverage. So I want you to listen to this I-Report from William Bernstein. He's from Virginia Beach, Virginia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM BERNSTEIN, CNN I-REPORTER: Hello, everyone. I'm William. So here's the deal. I've not had health insurance since 2007. That's when I stopped working full-time. Since then, I've had many part-time jobs. Right now I do piano playing for churches and events part-time, I work at this shipping company right here part-time, and I do freelance news and storm reporting part-time.

That's the key word or words, part-time equals no health insurance. And come January, me and millions of other Americans are going to be forced to do and to pay for Obamacare? I don't think so. Obamacare is unconstitutional and needs to be overturned and maybe it's going to take my voice and millions of others to do that, and if that's what it's going to take, then so be it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: And if you currently don't have health insurance, we want to hear your story. Log on to cnnireport.com, and share your video describing your experiences.

U.S. strategy in Syria just got a lot more complicated. Militant firefighters join forces and reject the opposition. It's a new hard line. Next, can American policy make a difference?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: Weapons inspectors will arrive in Damascus tomorrow to begin the process of removing chemical weapons from Syria. In the meantime, there's growing evidence that some of the rebel fighters are linked to al Qaeda. Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has more.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Alison, the civil war in Syria just became an even bigger problem for the Obama administration.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STARR (voice-over): In Syria, 30 miles northeast of Damascus, Jihadist firefighters known as the al Nusra front shoot their way into this Christian enclave. The fighters linked to al Qaeda, along with a dozen other militant opposition groups representing thousands of firefighters, have just strengthened their hand, joining forces and rejecting any alliance with western-backed opposition. In a video statement, one of the rebel leaders made clear, they are going for a new hard line.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The fighting groups and factions call on all military and civilian organizations to unify through a clear Islamic framework.

SETH JONES, RAND CORP.: What's concerning to me is that the statement indicates that the insurgency in Syria has taken a turn towards a much more significant Islamic radicalization.

STARR: The problem, the U.S. has been trying to support select opposition groups.

JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: There is a real moderate opposition that exists.

STARR: Now, there may be fewer moderates inside Syria to get that support through a covert CIA program to supply them with weapons. Is it too late for the U.S. strategy to work?

JONES: I think there's no question, at this point, that the U.S. should have probably gotten involved earlier. The extremist elements, particularly al Nusra, which has pledged allegiance to al Qaeda in Pakistan, they're very well armed. They're very well organized. They're very well financed, and it's late in the game --

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: Defense Department officials acknowledge it may be getting tougher to find moderates to work within the Syrian opposition, but they are still looking at a plan to use U.S. troops to train and equip them somewhere in the Middle East -- Alison.

KOSIK: Thank you, Barbara.

From the birthplace of the Olympic Games, the torch has been lit and now the journey begins. The torch will travel more than 40,000 miles and even into space before the games begin. We're going to show you where it's going next.

He's back with an all-new season tonight. Anthony Bourdain "PARTS UNKNOWN" explores New Mexico. All right, so get fired up "ANTHONY BOURDAIN PARTS UNKNOW, NEW MEXICO," tonight at 9:00 Eastern and Pacific.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: All right, the Olympic torch is lit and that means we are closer to the start of the winter games in Sochi. So in the next 121 days, the torch will get some mileage on it. It will be traveling from Greece to Russia.

CNN editorial producer, Nadia Bilchik is here to tell us more about its journey and what you need to know in case you're planning a trip to the games -- Nadia. NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: Alison, let's start with the ladies. Performers dressed in white representing the ancient Greek high priestesses. One of them lights the torch using only sunlight and a parabolic, which is like a conclave dish-like mirror. This flame is then used to light the official Olympic torch. This year's torch was designed by a Russian team. It's largely chrome and red. Red is a very popular color in Russian sports.

From Olympia, the torch will travel throughout Greece and then head to Moscow by October 7th to begin the relay. This will be the longest ever relay for an Olympic torch. It will travel across nine time zones in 123 days, will go to all 23 regions in the country and be carried around 40,000 miles by 1,400 torch bearers, modes of travels that include snowmobiles and sleds and hot air balloons.

During that time, the torch will be transported to the North Pole and then head to space. Yes, for the first time ever, the Olympic torch will head to the International Space Station, which is operated by Russian astronauts. It won't actually be lit, though, for safety reasons. Then it will come back down to earth and be on its way once again.

And for those of you who are thinking about going to Russia for the games, you may want to get your travel lined up early, since these hotels will probably sell out quickly. But one good thing, the government will set a cap on how much you can charge for hotel rooms so hopefully, no price gouging this time around.

Travel expert, Mark Murphy says one fun way to stay in Russia is on a cruise line. You can get a room on a ship, just like when you take a regular cruise, and they'll stay docked for the games and you can get on and off as you please. Keep in mind that Russia also requires its visitors to have a visa, no matter how long you stay. The process can be tricky for some travelers, so Mark recommends using a visa service to help you through the process. You can find several reputable ones online. So, Alison, let the games begin.

KOSIK: Yes, Nadia Bilchik, thanks.

A daredevil takes flight, but you've never seen a trip like this one. He wears a wing suit. And he glides through a ten-foot crack in a mountain. We'll show you this death death-death death-defying flight, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: Let me ask you this. What does the government shutdown fight have in common with a football game? Christine Romans makes the connection.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It's the fourth battle of the budget battle. I'll show you why football coaches and politicians are feeling so much pressure at the podium. That's coming up on a brand-new "YOUR MONEY." That's next -- Alison.

KOSIK: Thanks, Christine. All right, so this has been one crazy weekend news, but there's one story that's managed to fly under the radar that we would like to share with you now. American daredevil Jeb Corliss uses a high-tech wing suit to fly. He was in China this week, where he pulled off a spectacular stunt. We caught up with him yesterday and here's his story in his own words.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEB CORLISS, WINGSUIT PILOT (via telephone): I didn't realize, really, what I was getting myself into until I really got here and started jumping out of a helicopter. You look at all the numbers and you're like, OK, yes, but you don't really know what you're facing until you start trying to fly it.

I saw instantly it was an incredible challenge and it would be very difficult to do. I didn't understand how nature could create such a strange formation. On stunt day, the weather literally, it was horrible weather the entire day. We weren't going to get to do it. The stunt was canceled, it was shut down, and all of a sudden somebody runs out and says, Jeb, you need to come out right now.

I stepped out of the helicopter and started flying and the feeling was so overwhelming, I never felt such a sense of joy, you know. And for me, it's not about the feelings of, you know, adrenaline or any of that, the concept is to try to push myself as far as I possibly can and you know, and to see what I'm capable of. The angles are at such a way that when you enter this crack, all of a sudden you have to actually do a side slip.

So you're inside and you're actually side slipping as you're falling in, otherwise you're going to impact the wall. And my hands came within, you know, feet of contact at over, you know, I'm doing 120 miles an hour. When you're jumping out of a helicopter and you know, just wearing a wing suit, you're flying your body, and it gives you the sensation of flying.

The feeling is so absolutely unbelievable, and it's something that human beings have dreamed about since we've had the ability to dream. Jumping off of cliffs and throwing through mountains isn't everyone's dream, but it is mine. And I hope that people out there, you know, have the courage to go out there and chase their dream, whatever it is.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSIK: And Jeb says he already knows what his next stunt is going to be, but he's not ready to make that public just yet. He does say he will share that news with CNN when he's ready to reveal it.

Here are some of the top stories we're following today.

The Spacex Falcon lifted off this morning from California. The unmanned rocket is testing upgrades for its upcoming launches. The rocket is 22 stories tall. Spacex has contracts for more than 50 launches. The Senate is not meeting today on one of the last days until a government shutdown. The House passed a spending plan yesterday that would fund the government until mid-December, but it would also delay the health care law by a year, and the Senate is not likely to pass that.

You know the drill. You're on a plane and the flight attendants tell you, turn off all your electronic devices, but that could be about to change. We have details in the 4:00 p.m. hour of NEWSROOM. "YOUR MONEY" starts right now.