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American Morning
Tropical Storm Heads for Louisiana; Earthquake Near Bering Straits Triggers Tsunami Warnings for Alaska; ABC Criticized for Inviting Transgendered Contestant on "Dancing with the Stars"; Defiant Message Reportedly From Gadhafi; Wildfire 50 Percent Contained; Increased Cancer Risk for 9/11 Firefighters; Report: 16,000 Guns "Missing" Since 2009; GOP In Giffords' District Raffles Gun; Murder Charge Against Van Der Sloot; No Tea for Romney?; Which GOP Presidential Candidate Appeals to Tea Party; Perry Under Fire for Education Cuts; Undergrads Earn More than Those Without College
Aired September 02, 2011 - 06:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The Gulf Coast is on alert this morning, bracing for as much as 20 inches of rain. Louisiana already under a state of emergency.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): From North Carolina to New England, finally some relief after Hurricane Irene left its devastating mark on both people and property.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Texas fire crews appear to be getting the upper hand in their battle against a major wildfire that's now burned dozens of homes near Dallas.
VELSHI: And it's taken ten years to confirm what many 9/11 New York City firefighters say they already knew. America's heroes facing a higher risk of getting cancer on this AMERICAN MORNING.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS : All right. Good morning. It's Friday, September 2nd, 2011. And, welcome to AMERICAN MORNING. It's Friday.
COSTELLO: Yes. That's the best thing about this day, it's Friday. Yes. Up first, we have to talk about the weather. New Orleans and the Gulf Coast bracing for big trouble this weekend. Tropical depression 13 in the Gulf of Mexico could become tropical storm Lee. It could dump up to 20 inches of rain in the area. A state of emergency already in effect in Louisiana. Flooding, the biggest concern there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITCH LANDRIEU, MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS: What I want to tell folks here, though, is what we do know is that there's high wind, there is a lot of rain, and it's going slow. That's not a good prescription for the city of New Orleans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Oil giants like Exxon have already evacuated their workers sending choppers out to those big oil rigs in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico to bring everyone home just in case.
Meteorologist, Jennifer Delgado, is tracking the storm. She is in the Extreme Weather Center in Atlanta. So, 20 inches of rain, really?
JENNIFER DELGADO, METEOROLOGIST: Yes, isolated areas, we could see that much rainfall. And that will cause problems with flooding, certainly through southern parts of Louisiana as well as even for areas including Mississippi.
Here's the satellite imagery. You're seeing a little bit of an increased convection over the last several hours. You can see the rain working into southern parts of Louisiana. As I show you the winds, the winds right now sustained at 35 miles per hour, gusts up to 45. And right now it's located about 240 kilometers to the south of the mouth of the Mississippi.
You can't pick out a center of circulation, so getting its act together, very likely to become a tropical storm as we head later into the day.
Now, as I show you this track, want to point out to you, getting close to that southern coastline of Louisiana, Sunday, right around 2:00 a.m. with winds at 60 miles per hour. And then if you notice, even on Monday, still winds at 60 miles per hour. And then it starts to exit out of Louisiana area as we head through Tuesday morning. The system is moving slow and there's nothing really going to steer it out of there.
But the other problem, too, there's a lot of uncertainty with the track. This is a spaghetti model and showing you the different forecast potential tracks. You can see -- all over the place. So really focusing on the track is not the big deal right now. You really want to worry about the potential for heavy rainfall.
We're talking rain is going to continue to climb as we go over the next five days. You can see the scattered showers and thunderstorms working into lower parts of Louisiana and it's going to continue to increase.
Watch this clock we go from Friday into Sunday into Monday. We're talking 10 inches of rainfall. Look at this bull's eye for areas down toward the south. We're talking potentially 15 to 20 inches of rainfall. This is going to be a big problem with the flooding. And then you add in the storm surge, certainly Louisiana needs to be paying close attention to tropical depression number 13.
Now again, I want to update you on tropical storm Katia. If you notice on the satellite imagery, it is starting to look a little bit better. Right now it's a tropical storm. It looks like it's going to become a major hurricane as we head into the middle of the week. So we will continue to follow those storms. Right now, tropical depression number 13 is our main priority, and rightfully so with all the rain that's going to be heading in that direction. Keep in mind, you know, it's Labor Day weekend. A lot of people wanted to go to the beach, and it's going to affect parts of Texas to Florida.
COSTELLO: Although Texas probably will welcome the rain, but we'll keep an eye on that tropical storm. Thanks so much, Jennifer.
DELGADO: You're welcome.
VELSHI: Nearly a week after hurricane Irene President Obama has issued a disaster declaration for Vermont where landlocked towns like Rochester suddenly became islands after floodwaters washed away roads. Rescue crews are now getting supplies to people who have been without food, water, and electricity for days.
In North Carolina residents of Hatteras Island will be allowed to return to their homes beginning Sunday. Utilities and other infrastructure that took a major hit from Irene are still being restored.
And in New Jersey, the storm swollen Passaic River is finally beginning to recede. The president will get a firsthand look at the flooding in New Jersey when he visits on Sunday.
And a number of people were wondering why it's taken so long for that disaster declaration in Vermont. Something to remember is that these states do have to file a certain amount of paperwork in order to get that. And that is sometimes to fend off critics who say, you know, people take advantage of disasters. The governor told us the other day they were filing those reports and expected to get --
COSTELLO: The good part about that is that FEMA people were in Vermont already pre-storm ready to help.
VELSHI: And then it helps them justify getting the aid.
ROMANS: I read in the "L.A. Times" there are only 3,600 flood insurance contracts in the entire state of Vermont. Think of that.
COSTELLO: it never floods there like that.
ROMANS: People -- so there's going to be a coverage issue. And taxpayers through different vehicles of government, emergency vehicles, will be the one who is foot the bill for the storm. If you were not hit by this storm, you were hit by this storm.
VELSHI: One guy in New Jersey was in his house when the floodwaters reached his living room. What happened next is quite a story. CNN's Susan Candiotti is live in Cranford, New Jersey, with the details. Good morning, Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Ali. In fact, this area still hundreds and hundreds of people are without power. And so many people are trying to clean up after the mess. The floodwaters are gone here, but look at the stuff lined up along nearly every sidewalk here. Some people even lost the foundations of their homes, and one man, as you indicated, could have lost his life.
Now he flat out panicked when the river started to rise. He defied an evacuation order and stayed inside his house. And he could have gone up and stayed on the second floor and could have ridden out the storm. But instead he decided he was going to take a chance. Because he couldn't take it anymore, he went downstairs, opened the front door in chest high water and decided to swim to escape.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI: The river is right in your backyard. You're watching the water go up and then you see your kids' play set in the back of the tree. What are you thinking?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm thinking it's very dangerous and time to leave this place.
CANDIOTTI: As you're looking outside, what is the storm looking like and what's going on in your head?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The house is surrounded by water and I thought about eventually leaving, 3:30, 4:00 in the afternoon on Sunday. I grabbed my credit card and my keys. I literally opened the door, the water rushed in.
CANDIOTTI: Show me where you went.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I started walking down here did one of these, I got here and the water is up to here. I walked, I walked. Literally the water is splashing in my face. So I walk up here. I know this is the lowest point to come up. So I literally walk up and it goes to higher ground and I literally grabbed on to the railing here and my neighbor pumping the water out very well.
CANDIOTTI: What did you say to him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I said, I got to get the heck out of here. He said are you nuts? I said I'm swimming out of here.
CANDIOTTI: Are you walking or sort of swimming?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. I'm swimming. I hold on to branches. I get pushed over here. I grab on to the pole here, let go, and get thrown all the way over here.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I lost sight of him at the front door and so I decided to come over here. He said keep an eye on me. So this is a great view. I walked over here, looked out the window, and I saw him rest on top of that wooden fence. And he started doing a back stroke.
CANDIOTTI: Back swam to the bushes over there. And then I see him in the window and gave him a thumbs-up.
CANDIOTTI: Did you think your life was on the line? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. I thought I would be out in the street and literally done and be dead. And I guess an angel or somebody was watching me get to where I had to go. But it was not a point of -- I just had to do it. I have four kids and I'm on my own and I have to get out.
CANDIOTTI: You made the decision and you were going for it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. I brought my credit card and car keys.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI: So he swam away with the credit card stuck between his teeth. He is one very lucky man. Ali?
VELSHI: All right, Susan Candiotti, thanks very much. As we reported the rivers -- the Passaic River in particular starting to -- it's crested and starting to recede. So that's great.
ROMANS: All right, but it's drought in Texas. Texas and Oklahoma starved for rain these days. Right now they're dealing with wildfires that have burned dozens of homes, the biggest of the fires in north Texas near Dallas. It's 50 percent contained. Authorities say some residents who were forced to leave their homes may be allowed to return today. And for that they are certainly grateful.
CNN's Jim Spellman is following developments for live in the resort area of Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas. What will they find when they come home?
JIM SPELLMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the people who lost their homes, it's utter devastation. I mean there's sometimes just a chimney standing. These are large substantial brick resort homes, very nice places. Those areas are devastated. But a lot of the areas around this lake are fine. Already yesterday some people were getting their boats into the water. Overnight firefighters here got just the kind of conditions they like.
It's very cool and there's no wind at all. That's the two things they really need to get ahead of this fire. All morning, they're going to really go at it, use helicopters and big air tankers to try to get this really under control before the midday heat and wind picks up.
Their goal is to finish everything up today and even get the mop up down so that this area can be opened for the tourists to come back through labor day weekend, Christine.
ROMANS: All right, Jim Spellman in Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas, thank you, Jim.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.
VELSHI: A lot of earthquakes going on. We've got brand new news about an earthquake, 7.1 striking the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska. It does appear the epicenter of this was on Fox Island. Now Fox Island, just to give you a sense of it, at its closest point to Alaska to the mainland is about 120 miles. It's closer to 1,700 miles from Anchorage. So it's right out between -- it's in the Bering Strait right out between Alaska and Russia. Jennifer Delgado is following this in our weather center. Jennifer, what are you hearing about this?
DELGADO: Yes. We do know that right now we do actually have a tsunami warning in effect, and that includes the coastal areas of Alaska. It looks like it's an area about 80 miles northeast of Dutch Harbor, and it's also -- you're going to have to forgive me, I don't know how to pronounce this, looks like Amchitka Pass Alaska, and that is about 125 miles west of Adak.
Again, we do know it is a 7.1. I want to point out, it looks like it's shallow. We're getting in the initial reports, but the depth is actually at 24.2 miles. Now you have to keep in mind, when you have a tsunami warning out there, these waves can actually wrap around islands. So certainly this is an area that we're going to be paying close attention to.
With a 7.1, you keep in mind, the earthquake and the strength of the one in Japan, roughly back in March, so this is rightfully something to be certainly aware of. And there is a possibility, certainly, with the tsunami warning out there, we're trying to get this information in. Of course this can travel at speeds and areas quite far away. We will try to pull more information up and hopefully have a graphic up for you as we go over to our Google Earth.
Over here with a producer right now with Monica. I'm going to click on this for you. Maybe you might be able to zoom into the area. It looks like actually I might have --
VELSHI: Jennifer, how far did you say it was from Dutch Harbor?
DELGADO: It looks like it is roughly 80 miles northeast of Dutch Harbor.
VELSHI: So while you're checking what you're checking there, I just want to remind our viewers, for anybody who watches "The Deadliest Catch," Dutch Harbor is the starting point. And these are fishing communities. The Aleutian Islands were what some think was the old land bridge over the Bering strait between the United States and Russia. And a number of the people who live there are indigenous. They are what a lot of people think of people who came over. And it is a very lucrative fishing area. You can see how it stretches out from mainland Alaska. Look where the dot is, almost halfway between Russia and mainland Alaska.
DELGADO: Absolutely.
VELSHI: Dutch Harbor, vicious waters. These are hearty people to start with, but an earthquake is devastating.
DELGADO: Yes. And with that tsunami warning in place, as I kind of go over the graphic for you, maybe I might be able to show this to you. We know it's a 7.1. But anywhere along this area we're talking north of the epicenter or to the south, the waves could actually wrap around this. So that's going to be a problem.
And, of course, we're worried about the western coastline of possibly the northwestern part of the U.S., of course, the southern part of Alaska, and even the possibility if you spread it all the way over towards the west if you cross over the pacific there. Certainly this is something that we're going to need to dig a little farther into, and we're going to try to get more information.
Again, I can tell you, a very shallow earthquake. It is quite strong, 7.1. If memory serves me correct, I think the one in Japan back in March was a 7.0. I have to go back and look and see for more information. But this one not quite as shallow, but you do know when we have that, there are reports, of course, of high waves spreading all the way across the Pacific even became deadly along the coastline, western coastline of the U.S.
VELSHI: Jennifer, thank you for that. And stay on it. If you have anything new let us know we'll get it on TV. Jennifer Delgado in our weather center reporting on a 7.1 earthquake in the Aleutian Islands off -- between Russia and Alaska.
COSTELLO: In other news this morning, in less than 90 minutes the jobs report for August will be released. This is about whether people are finding work so they can spend money and keep the recovery going. And President Obama will speak about his jobs plan before a joint session of Congress on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. eastern. You can see that speech live right here on CNN.
VELSHI: And according to a new CNN/ORC poll, the president will be speaking to the nation that is nervous about the economy. When asked if we are in a recession, 82 percent said yes, 18 percent said no. And when asked what the most important issue is for the administration, 68 percent said creating jobs, 30 percent said reducing the deficit.
ROMANS: There's a technical definition of a recession and there's also how people feel in their instincts.
COSTELLO: Nobody believed the recession was over even though economists said it was.
ROMANS: Way before it was named that there was a recession people knew they were in a recession.
And a rupture in the once close relationship with Israel and Turkey. Earlier this morning, Turkey announced it's expelling the Israeli ambassador and cutting military ties with the Jewish state. The move follows Israel's refusal to apologize for last year's deadly raid on a flotilla headed to Gaza last year.
COSTELLO: Now is your chance to talk back on one of the stories of the day. The question for you this morning, is the criticism against Chaz Bono and ABC fair? Even if you're not a fan of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," I'm sure you've heard hundreds of viewers are not happy about Chaz Bono's invite.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHAZ BONO, "DANCING WITH THE STARS": I hope that, you know, fair, open-minded people take the opportunity to get to know me week by week and realize that, you know, there's nothing scary about me and transgender people are, you know, just people like everybody else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: But the hopes of acceptance are not apparent yet. On ABC's message board there were hundreds of angry comments like this one, and I'll quote it, "I'm sick and tired of the homosexual agenda being shoved in my face. What's next? Will Carson be dancing in a dress? I will not be watching and will also be boycotting "Dancing with the Stars" sponsors."
This isn't the first time a TV show has been accused of pushing an agenda. In 1992 vice presidential candidate Dan Quayle blasted the values of the single and pregnant Murphy Brown.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAN QUAYLE, (R) FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: It doesn't help matters when primetime TV has Murphy Brown, a character who supposedly epitomizes today's intelligent, highly paid professional women, mocking the importance of fathers by bearing a child alone and calling it just another lifestyle choice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Today, there are more than 11 million single mom - single mothers in America. I mean, can you even imagine an outcry about Murphy Brown today?
Granted, transgender is depicted on mainstream television are more controversial, but "Dancing With The Stars" executive producer Conrad Green told "The Hollywood Reporter," "We don't have an agenda of any sorts. I think the 100 - 120 celebrities we put on the show, we've had I think now three transgender or gay contestants. If that's a homosexual agenda, we're not doing very well at it."
So the "Talkback" question this morning, is the criticism against Chaz Bono and ABC fair? Facebook.com/AmericanMorning, Facebook.com/AmericanMorning. I'll read your comments later this hour.
VELSHI: All right. Still to come, Moammar Gadhafi is on the run, but still defiant as ever. Vowing to fight. We are going live to Tripoli with a new message that is believed to be from the ousted Libyan leader.
ROMANS: And Dr. Sanjay Gupta on a new study that says firefighters at Ground Zero on 9/11 they face an increased risk of cancer. COSTELLO: And does Rick Perry make the grade when it comes to education? Critics accuse him of under funding Texas schools, but supporters say Texas schools are improving. We'll have the facts for you in a live report, that's just ahead.
It's 16 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Eighteen minutes past the hour.
New and defiant rants there apparently from Libya's former leader Moammar Gadhafi. They were broadcast on a Syrian TV network.
ROMANS: And in that message among other things the voice declares that Libya's capital has been moved from Tripoli to Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte.
Dan Rivers is live in Tripoli, the former capital of Libya. I'm just kidding, Dan. It's the voice of Moammar Gadhafi we think?
DAN RIVERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We think so. I mean, it's pretty difficult to tell, but sounds like it could be him. And as you say, a message of defiance that he was broadcasting. We don't know when that message was - was taped, if it was taped or live. I mean, it gave the impression of being live, but frankly it's difficult to say.
And we don't know where he was crucially when he made that message, whether he was in Libya somewhere, was he in neighboring Algeria, was he in Sirte or he's still somewhere in Tripoli? We just don't know.
But the message was the same, you know, carry on fighting, urging his loyalists to go on the offensive against the rebels, who now have the vast majority of the coastal strip here, that crucial coastal area including of course the former capital Tripoli or what they say it is still the capital Tripoli.
ROMANS: Dan, I'm wondering. For the people in Tripoli, for the people of Libya, are these messages from Gadhafi resonating or they've moved on and they know that he's no longer the leader of this country?
RIVERS: Well, I think it depends which town and which people. I mean, there are still significant pockets of loyalism to Colonel Gadhafi and this will be a great boost to them to hear the voice of the man that they are fighting for, saying, you know, clearly saying that he's still alive to keep fighting, to keep on the struggle.
For the people that are behind the rebels, I think they will kind of shrug this off. They're trying to play this down. Trying to sort of suggest he's - he's yesterday's man, you know, they're moving ahead with drawing up constitutions, with looking at trying to organize elections and so on and so forth.
The timing of this message was interesting as well, coming exactly as world leaders were gathering with leading members of the NTC in Paris, almost just as soon as Hillary Clinton was shaking hands with Chairman Galil this came out.
ROMANS: Yes. Certainly, the international diplomatic optics now are of embracing the new leadership -
VELSHI: Right.
ROMANS: -- of this country and trying to minimize even the fact that Moammar Gadhafi has not been found.
Dan Rivers, thank you so much, Dan in Tripoli.
VELSHI: I would say given the story we saw from Dan a little while ago about the people lining up for gas -
ROMANS: Yes.
VELSHI: -- the issue on most Libyan's minds isn't whether the new capital is in Sirte or -
ROMANS: That's right.
VELSHI: -- is in Libya - or is it in Tripoli.
Still to come this morning, 9/11 firefighters at risk, a new study says they are a lot more likely to develop cancer if they were at Ground Zero. Dr. Sanjay Gupta with the details after this.
COSTELLO: And check out the 12 GOP contender Rick Perry under fire for slashing education spending. Critics say he's under funding education. Supporters say he's just being efficient. Are Texas children being left behind or have his just critics not done their homework?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Twenty-five minutes after the hour. "Minding Your Business" this morning.
The big jobs report comes out in about an hour from now. Economists forecast the unemployment rate to remain unchanged, 9.1 percent. They're calling for 75,000 jobs to have been added to the economy in August. But a lot are wondering whether it will be that high.
The White House forecasting sluggish economic growth next year and a slower recovery than first thought. In its latest Budget Office report, the administration says unemployment will remain high, not coming down to pre-recession levels until at least 2017.
That White House report helped push U.S. markets lower yesterday. The Dow, S&P 500 and NASDAQ all closed about a percent lower. This morning, stock futures are down as well. Everyone waiting for that big job - big jobs report I was telling you about. The U.S. government is reportedly set to sue at least a dozen of the nation's largest banks. According to the "New York Times" the agency that oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is looking to recoup billions of dollars lost after the height of the housing bubble. Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Deutsch are some of the banks that are named in the suit according to the "New York Times." Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan declined comments. And the other banks have not responded to our call so far.
Don't forget for the very latest news about your money, check out the all new CNNMoney.com.
AMERICAN MORNING back right after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: About to cross the half hour, which means it's time to bring you top stories this morning.
New Orleans is under a tropical storm warning. A tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico could drop up to 20 inches of rain on the big easy over the next few days. The governor of Louisiana already declared a state of emergency with New Orleans facing the threat of catastrophic flooding on the sixth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
ROMANS: We're following breaking news in Alaska right now, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake hitting the Aleutian Islands. The area is home to major commercial fishing enterprises.
Our meteorologist Jennifer Delgado says a tsunami warning has just lifted a short time ago. We'll watch that for you.
COSTELLO: And the crews may have the upper hand on a major wildfire in north Texas. Officials say it is now 50 percent contained and some of the people who had to evacuate may be allowed to return to their homes today.
VELSHI: Firefighters who are exposed to toxic dust after the World Trade Center towers collapsed 10 years ago are much more likely to develop cancer. That is the finding of a new study headed by the chief medical officer of the New York City Fire Department.
So here's the headline, firefighters at ground zero face a 19 percent greater chance of cancer, risk of getting cancer, than firefighters who weren't there.
Our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us live with more on this study. Sanjay, this would seem to indicate that dust produced by the collapse of the twin towers is responsible for making some of the first responders sick.
This falls, you know, against some other research that was done that isn't allowing them to collect health benefits. Give us a sense of what's going on here. DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the real issue here, Ali, is the cancer connection. They've known for some time that there are various other maladies that are connected to the deaths, mainly respiratory illnesses as you know, Ali.
But, you know, with regard to the connection to cancer it's been a back and forth, a contentious controversial issue, even this last summer it came up again where there was a study that showed no connection.
This is a large study, nearly 10,000 firefighters studied over the seven years immediately following 9/11 and what they found as you said, Ali, exactly what you said, 19 percent increased risk of getting cancer if you were a first responder, a fire department worker, working on the pile.
Now, they also said that, you know, as part of this study they were going to exclude cancers that seemed to appear too soon after 9/11, could they have already been brewing before 9/11/2001. They excluded those.
But if you added those cancers back in, the increased risk was 32 percent. So this is a big study. It had significant findings. Dr. David Prezant is the chief medical officer of the Fire Department of New York. I spoke to him in advance of the embargo being lifted on the study. Take a listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. DAVID PREZANT, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, FIRE DEPARTMENT, NEW YORK: As we start seeing cancers, we want to answer their questions, is cancer increased? I will have to tell you my initial buy bias was for the first ten or 15 years we would not see an increase. That's another reason why I think our findings are so strong, because I actually thought we would find the opposite.
GUPTA: You were surprised?
PREZANT: Very much so. Whether we can say that cancer is increased in other responders or area residents we have no idea. This is a study about firefighters. Their exposure is so unique. The 85 percent of the exposed were present in the first 48 hours of the collapse when the exposure was massive. That is a very unique exposure.
GUPTA: Firefighters watching, they have the lingering question, why did I get this cancer and was it related to the dust? And you would say what?
PREZANT: For most instances it was World Trade Center related.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: Very strong statement there as you listen to that, Ali. A couple caveats quickly. First of all, you know, he said he was surprised even at these findings in part because even though it's been 10 years since 9/11 that's still considered early, Ali, as far as cancer studies go.
Sometimes it takes 15, 20, 30 years for cancers to develop. Also again, he just is talking about fire workers, you know, first responders. He's not generalizing to the population of lower Manhattan or even other first responders. He makes some specific caveats there with the study.
VELSHI: The congressional bill that deals with that, that extends to more workers at ground zero and they have said that they'll re-evaluate this in 2012. So it doesn't help in terms of the benefits for those people.
But tell me what -- I listen to him and he said the exposure of firefighters was unique and that 85 percent of the ones that they were studying had been there within 48 hours when the dust was at its most severe. Talk to me about the dust. There's a question about whether it's carcinogenic or toxic, but what is it? How does it hurt people who inhaled it?
GUPTA: Well, it was a wholly unique situation, Ali and that you had amalgamation of chemicals that you've never seen sort of thrust together before. So Benzene, asbestos, put together and then sort of clinging to dust that hung like a mist over the city.
So people were sort of breathing in these chemicals, strange combinations of chemicals, over time and particularly in that 48-hour period as he talked about. The other thing I found interesting and significant, there were a lot of volatile compounds in the air right after 9/11.
So for the first couple of days, these gaseous mixtures was something being breathed in by people but then it just sort of evaporated into the atmosphere. It was never able to be collected, never able to be analyzed like the dust was.
The point is there are things that people were breathing in at the time that we'll never know exactly what it was. When you get the dust into your system as you see there, the obvious concern it can cause respiratory problems.
But we know it set of an inflammation in some people's bodies, Ali, and could have been the genesis of these cancers that Dr. Prezant is talking about.
VELSHI: All right, so for the rest of the 9/11, the people who are trying to get covered for their cancers, as a result of the 9/11 bill that was passed in Congress, they were denied earlier this year. They said that commission will look at it again next year. Does this offer any hope of change in their ruling?
GUPTA: You know, it's interesting. I asked the same question, Dr. Prezant, he knows the process and they have to wait another year for this study to be a part of the consideration. I mean, I think a lot of people think this study should be evaluated sooner.
This is at odds with what was decided in July of this year that there was no connection. This study suggests there is a connection and that connection we're just seeing the beginning, 15, 20 years it could be worse and the doctor and others think that, you know, this study should be looked at sooner.
VELSHI: All right, Sanjay, thanks very much. We're going to talk to you in a little over an hour about your special, "The Last Heart Attack" and some of that food you've been making me ingest to try to make me a healthier guy.
GUPTA: You already look better.
VELSHI: Our friendship is on shaky ground right now, Sanjay, but I'll talk to you in a little over an hour. By the way, Sanjay, check out his full investigation of the health fallout from 9/11 and also some rare never-before-seen footage in his documentary, "Terror in the Dust." It's this Wednesday, which I guess is next Wednesday, at 11:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
ROMANS: Never collect that first gaseous moments after the first couple days and everyone in Manhattan, there was a smell.
VELSHI: Right. Nobody could tell what it was.
ROMANS: Nobody ever smelled it again. That is that unique combination, I'm sure, of all of these chemicals and toxins.
All right, new this morning scary stat, 16,000 guns have gone missing, just missing, from their manufacturers, 16,000 of them since 2009. That's according to a new report from the Brady Center, an anti-gun violence group.
It claims that some of these missing guns don't have a serial number. That means they're impossible to trace. Some gun industry advocates are disputing the findings, but you know, a gun with no serial number, that is the wholly grail for organized crime.
COSTELLO: Although the ATF has its ways of looking for those things.
A local fund-raiser causing some big time controversy. The Pima County Republican Party is raffling off a handgun to raise money. They're located in the district represented by Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords who not even eight months ago was the victim of a mass shooting.
The gun is being raffled same make as the one allegedly used in the shooting. Local Democrats say the raffle will upset the community. Republicans say it's a long-standing tradition.
VELSHI: Authorities in Peru bringing murder charges against joran Van Der Sloot. Prosecutors are seeking a 30-year sentence for the death of Stephany Flores, a Peruvian woman found dead in Van Der Sloot's Lima hotel room in May of last year.
COSTELLO: Still to come this morning, no tea for Mitt Romney. A major Tea Party group is protesting the Republican Party candidate's appearance at a Tea Party rally. We'll find out why.
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COSTELLO: It is 40 minutes past the hour. For the first time Mitt Romney will headline a major national Tea Party rally that will happen this Sunday in New Hampshire.
While the Republican presidential candidate is trying to embrace this powerful voting block, not everyone in the Tea Party is ready to embrace Mitt Romney. Joining me now is Matt Kibbe, he's president and CEO of Freedom Works. Welcome, Matt.
MATT KIBBE, PRESIDENT AND CEO, FREEDOM WORKS: Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: Your group Freedom Works is angry that Mitt Romney is speaking at this Tea Party Express tour stop and some of your members are protesting. Why?
KIBBE: Well, we really object to the false perception that Mitt Romney on the issues that really matter to the Tea Party is good with the men and women of the Tea Party Movement. I think he's been standoffish up until now and suddenly he's in trouble with the polls and wants to create this perception.
This is not a dispute about Mitt Romney, it's about Mitt Romney's record, particularly on health care, on regulation of carbon, on Wall Street bailouts. He's been wrong on the key issues that Tea Partiers care about.
COSTELLO: So while Mitt Romney is speaking at this rally, what do your members propose to do?
KIBBE: Well, the protests in New Hampshire is really being organized by Andrew Hemingway, one of the Tea Party leaders from the state, and we're going to be talking about Mitt Romney's record. We're going to be talking about Romney care. We're going to be talking about his report for individual mandate.
COSTELLO: Will they allow Mr. Romney to speak or will they be very vocal during the speech he's giving?
KIBBE: I don't think -- there's a misperception about Tea Partiers. We're not disruptive, but we are going to set the record straight. We would love to hear him take a stand on some of the issues, but make sure that people know showing up a Tea Party rally is not the same thing as being right on the issues.
COSTELLO: This is from the Tea Party Express, the organization that's hosting Mitt Romney. I just want to read you a statement from them. They say we've been very clear that this presidential tour is open to presidential candidates who want to speak to the Tea Party.
We don't think it's right to tell the Tea Party who they can and can't listen to. A top down isolationist approach isn't constructive to the political process. Why not invite Mitt Romney to speak and let Tea Party members decide for themselves? KIBBE: Well, of course, we've been in this debate for quite some time now, listening to Governor Romney, hoping to hear him step away from his support for government run health care, hoping to hear where he's going to be on some of our key issues. He hasn't been there yet and again, this is about policy and if Governor Romney wants to step up on some of these key issues I think we are willing to listen.
But again, this is about the perception that just showing up at a Tea Party rally makes it OK that Mitt Romney is good with the Tea Party and he's not. I've talked to Tea Partiers all over the country.
COSTELLO: Some people might perceive that you don't even want to listen to Mitt Romney to see if he's changed his positions or to see if some of your members would embrace what he says?
KIBBE: Well, I don't think that's what's going on here. I think this is a photo op and what we're looking for is substance and if we hear that from Governor Romney, we'll give him credit where credit is due.
COSTELLO: OK. I would like to move on to Michele Bachmann. You know, she won Iowa's straw poll. She's the face -- the head of the Tea Party caucus. She's been the face of the Tea Party caucus. Yet she's slipping badly in the polls. Why do you think that is?
KIBBE: Well, I don't think there's any single candidate that represents the Tea Party Movement. I think we're looking at all of the candidates on these same issues we're looking at Governor Romney on.
And what we hope to see is a -- an alternative to Mitt Romney emerge, someone that stands tall on spending, on the budget, on opposition to over EPA regulation. All of these issues that we care about so much -
COSTELLO: -- like Michele Bachmann's agenda. I just find it interesting that Fox News did this poll and 10 percent of Tea Party members felt that Michele Bachmann's views were extreme. What are they talking about?
KIBBE: Well, I think there's two criteria that Tea Partiers look at for any candidate. One is where they stand on the issues. The other is their electability. And I've heard some Tea Partiers tell me they don't think Michele Bachmann is electable. Keep in mind, the goal here is to defeat Barack Obama. That's our goal. And we're looking for that candidate that can do that.
COSTELLO: Well, that brings me back to Mitt Romney, because if you look at -- and depends on which poll you're looking at, I understand that. But most Republican voters seem to think that Mitt Romney still has the best chance of beating Barack Obama.
KIBBE: Yes. There's a tradition in the Republican establishment to simply choose the next guy in line. We did that with Bob Dole. We did that with John McCain. These guys hardly succeeded in their bids for the presidency. And I believe that the reason that establishment Republicans like Mitt Romney will not win is that they turn off Independent voters like Tea Partiers that care about issues. They're not going to vote on a partisan basis. They're going to vote on things like health care, on things like the federal budget, on things like tax reform, and that's where Mitt Romney falls short.
COSTELLO: Matt, thanks so much for joining us this morning. We appreciate it.
KIBBE: Thank you.
COSTELLO: And don't forget on Monday, September 12th, CNN along with the Tea Party Express and several other Tea Party groups will co- host a debate with Republican candidates in Tampa, Florida. And, course, AMERICAN MORNING will be live in Tampa the day after the debate for all the morning-after analysis.
VELSHI: I'm going to be there. I'm going to be there the day before too.
COSTELLO: Awesome.
VELSHI: We can talk about it the day before, the day after.
ROMANS: It'll be a lot of fun.
VELSHI: It's going to be fun.
ROMANS: It's going to be a lot of fun in New Hampshire.
VELSHI: Yes.
ROMANS: It'll be a lot of fun in Florida.
Time for today's "Romans' Numeral." The number today, $1,038.
VELSHI: The price of gold.
(LAUGHTER)
ROMANS: Here's the hint. It's not the price of gold.
VELSHI: Oh.
ROMANS: And it's not how much you'll be spending on gas this labor day. $1,038.
VELSHI: I wonder what it is.
ROMANS: "AMERICAN MORNING" back after this break.
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ROMANS: A lot going on this morning. Here's what you need to know to start your day. Preparing for a tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico. Could trigger massive flooding in New Orleans this weekend. Up to 20 inches of rain in the forecast. The governor of Louisiana has already declared a state of emergency.
This weekend, President Obama will survey the flood damage in New Jersey from Hurricane Irene. He plans to visit the state on Sunday. The president has issued disaster declarations for New Jersey, for New York, North Carolina and now Vermont.
Firefighters in Texas now getting the upper hand on a wildfire that's destroyed dozens of homes. Some of the people evacuated, they are now returning to their homes. Officials say the fire is 50 percent contained.
Crews are racing to get the National Cathedral back open in time for 9/11 prayer services. It was partially damaged during last week's earthquake. It's been closed ever since. President Barack Obama is scheduled to give an address at the National Cathedral on 9/11.
Did you know, in Florida, it's illegal for couples to live together if they're not married? One Florida congressman is trying to repeal that law. Right now, more than 540,000 Floridians are in violation.
You're caught up on the day's headlines. AMERICAN MORNING is back in 60 seconds.
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VELSHI: 2012 GOP contender Rick Perry is under fire, this time, from critics who say the Texas governor is underfunding schools. Perry signed off on $4 billion in education cuts. His supporters say he is spending less while improving the quality of education. Which is it?
CNN's Ed Lavandera joins us with the facts -- Ed?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ali, this is actually a really interesting time, because Rick Perry's announcement he is running for governor (ph) came after a very contentious legislative session here in Texas and it's putting his education record right in the spotlight.
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(SINGING)
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Texas educators have the country time blues, "Hee-Haw" style.
(LAUGHTER)
(SINGING)
(LAUGHTER) LAVANDERA: These Dallas-area school officials are lampooning Perry for approves $4 billion in education cuts, almost 10 percent of the state's education budget.
Critics, like Allen Weeks, head of a grass-roots group called Save Texas Schools, say the governor is gutting education.
ALLEN WEEKS, SAVE TEXAS SCHOOLS: He is talking about doing things on the cheap and cutting and cutting and cutting. And again, we are going to face another round of perhaps $5 to $10 billion in cuts two years from now. So, you know, I think, yes, we do feel abandoned and I think we feel shocked.
LAVANDERA: Rick Perry's aides say the fear over education budget cuts are overblown.
(on camera): Are you saying essentially it's not going to be as bad as people think it is?
ROBERT SCOTT, TEXAS COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION: I do think it's not going to be as bad as people think it is.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Robert Scott is the man Perry appointed to lead the Texas Education Agency. He argues education is a top priority and says the governor created programs to improve math, science and engineering teaching. And tht during Perry's 11 years as governor, Texas students score right around the national average on national assessment tests in math, science, reading and writing.
Perry's administration says it's spending less and getting better results than many states.
SCOTT: I think a strong sentiment across the state that we need to live within our means and keeping some money in the bank for the future seemed like a pretty wise idea for many folks.
LAVANDERA (on camera): What is most troubling for education experts is that national assessment scores for fourth and eighth graders have been stagnant the last five years. At the same time, Texas ranks 44th in the country on the amount of education money it spends on each child.
(voice-over): Texas also has one of the worst high school dropout rates in the country.
WEEKS: So we are going to have lots and lots of children in this state left behind. And if that is what happens, if that is the model for America, I don't think we will be able to compete globally. This is not something I think America wants.
RICK PERRY, (R), GOVERNOR OF TEXAS & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We will get our country working.
LAVANDERA: Rick Perry's critics say he is out of tune on education and the debate will only intensify on the campaign trail.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA: Ali, one of the other debates, and I think most people around the country with when they hear of Texas education, really with the little they have heard, are these debates about how evolution and -- should be taught in science classes and intelligent design. Some people think it's a code word for creationism. Those are the kind of debates that some people here in Texas say have made the state a laughing stock. The Perry administration has always welcomed these debates and they say, look, everyone deserves a seat at the table. They say that all of the -- everyone's point of view should be debated. But obviously, the governor's critics say this isn't the kind of debate you want to take to a national level.
VELSHI: You bring up the fact that while we tend to see that stuff on the news, those debates about the things you mentioned, in fact, Texas has a very large influential and contentious education system.
LAVANDERA: Of course.
VELSHI: And they've made some strides that other states haven't made, so this is a complex issue.
Thanks for that, Ed. Good to talk to you.
LAVANDERA: You got it. Thanks.
COSTELLO: We asked you to talk back on one of the stories of the day. We asked you this question this morning: Is the criticism against Chaz Bono and ABC fair?
Becca says, "Our country is moving from the foundational godly values on which it was built. The many nations who do this have crashed and burned eventually. It will do us well to respect the god who created us and follow his commands. We will much better off that way."
This from Linda. "How many LGBT people does God have to make before people figure out that he likes them"?
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: "In all of nature, not one organism is the same as any other. God obviously loves diversity. How is it an agenda to invite a person such as Chaz Bono to dance? No other contestant has been vetted for their character or questioned about their sexual orientation."
This from Gary. "This is just more proof that anything is becoming acceptable. Shame."
And this from Mary. "For heaven sake, how silly is all of this fuss. My Christian values say you accept everyone for who they are. By being so critical of people who are different, you could be missing out on a great friend. Good luck to Chaz. I hope he has a great time on the show. End of story." Keep the conversation going on Facebook.com/AMERICANMORNING.
ROMANS: God obviously loves diversity. That was great.
VELSHI: Not according to the first person who wrote in.
COSTELLO: Well, yes.
VELSHI: The nation is going to crash and burn. I'm a little worried now.
ROMANS: OK, well, speaking of crashing and burning. The fall of Rome. Of course, I'm just kidding.
"Romans' Numeral," "Romans' Numeral," here it is. It's $1038.
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: I say price of gold.
ROMANS: It's not the price of gold. Bruce, on the floor, our director, he did guess it correctly. It's a college graduate's median weekly earnings in 2010.
OK, why does this matter? It's 40 percent more than someone with just a high school diploma. We keep hearing all of this stuff does the education count, does it matter? I can't afford all of this debt. There you go. You'll earn 40 percent more than by getting that bachelor's degree, $1,038.
By the way, the unemployment rate for people who do have a bachelor's degree is half of the people who don't. So there you go.
VELSHI: Of course, this is all a precursor to the fact that in about half an hour, we will get the unemployment number for July. And as I -- for August.
And I heard you saying it is really one of the most important economic numbers in the world right now while we are waiting for a recovery.
ROMANS: And do you know why it's the most important economic number in the world or always is? Because the American middle class is the most important consumer and the most important economic driver in the world. The American middle class is hurting and that's why the whole world wants to know what --
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: We know that the world markets are crashing because of it and it's not even out yet.
ROMANS: All right, coming up, a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico, heading towards New Orleans. A state of emergency has been declared there. We're going to have the latest forecast for you, coming up. They're expected to have a lot of rain there, folks. You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. 57 minutes after the hour.
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