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American Morning
World Markets Plunge; Davis Executed for Officer's Murder; American Hikers Headed Home; Ahmadinejad to Address U.N.; Obama on Iran; Looking to Libya's Future; House Spending Bill Rejected; Tacoma Teachers Strike Deal; Storms Pound Japan; Should Patriotism Be a Political Tool?; Texas Executes White Supremacist; Ahmadinejad To Address U.N.; Falling Satellite; Free at Last
Aired September 22, 2011 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Christine Romans. Here's what you need to know to start your day. Defiant until the very end. The state of Georgia executes Troy Davis for the murder of an off-duty police officer. The questions remain after his last breath.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Carol Costello. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad preparing to address the U.N. General Assembly one day after his country freed two jailed American hikers. Leaving some observers wondering if he's about to extend the olive branch on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ROMANS: Good morning, everyone. It is Thursday, September 22. Ali is off today. Welcome to AMERICAN MORNING.
COSTELLO: Good morning to you.
ROMANS: The reason why Carol didn't want to go to the Nasdaq is because the breaking news there right now is world markets are plunging overnight. Financials taking the biggest beating after the fed said the U.S. economy is facing significant downside risks and announced another stimulus measure to boost the economy.
Look at the reaction around the world. Hongkong's Hang Seng index is off nearly 5 percent. That's a big move for one day for a stock index. Japan's Nikkei is down 2 percent. In Europe, it's more of the same.
The French, German, London markets all plunging by more than 4 percent. You have you gold down. You have oil down. You have selling basically across the board. It is those words significant downside risk. This is an economy in the U.S. and worldwide that's not out of the woods and markets are responding accordingly.
COSTELLO: We're going to talk a lot more later about this.
ROMANS: Sure.
COSTELLO: Cries of injustice and closure for one family after 20 years. The state of Georgia executing by lethal injection death-row inmate Troy Davis late last night. Davis was convicted of shooting and killing off-duty Savannah Police Officer Mark McPhail, a father of two children.
But during his two decades on death row, several witnesses who helped put him away changed their stories and Davis even while strapped to the gurney insisted he did not have a gun. A crowd of hundreds of peaceful supporters held a vigil last night.
Hundreds of thousands of people around the world were convinced that the state was killing an innocent man, but no court was ever convinced. The Supreme Court refused to last-minute stay as Davis' final minutes ticked away. His attorney witnessed the execution.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON EWART, TROY DAVIS' DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I had the unfortunate opportunity tonight to witness a tragedy, to witness Georgia execute an innocent man. Troy Davis died tonight at approximately 11:00, 11:08 p.m. and with him died his quest for justice in the truth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: But the victim's mother believes what so many others doubt -- that Troy Davis is guilty.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Has justice been served?
ANNALIESE MACPHAIL, MOTHER OF MURDERED POLICEMAN: In my mind, yes. In my mind, it has. It took a long time to get some, but it really does in my mind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Davis drew support from around the world from Pope Benedict to former President Jimmy Carter. But President Obama, he has remained silent on this case.
ROMANS: For the first time in more than two years, two American hikers convicted of spies in Iran, they are tasting freedom this morning. Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer were released from an Iranian prison yesterday, not long after taking their first steps toward home. They bounded off a plane and into the arms of relatives after arriving in Oman.
CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom witnessed this emotional reunion. He's live in Muscat, Oman. Good morning.
MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine. The long 26-month ordeal finally came to an end. We were on the tarmac last night as the plane arrived, the Omani plane arrived, carrying Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer.
As the doors open, the family cheering wildly. Josh and Shane came running down the stairs, leaping into the arms of their family members and loved ones. Tears of joy streaming down the faces of everybody we could see, a very, very emotional moment.
And one thing that made it even more poignant was the reunion not just with the families, but the reunion of Shane Bauer with Sarah Shourd. Sarah Shourd, the third American hiker who had been detained along with Josh and Shane.
While they are in Evan prison, Sarah and Shane actually got engaged. So that reunion, a very emotional one. They were hugging and kissing there on the tarmac. Shane actually gave a rose to Sarah shourd, very, very emotional moment.
Now a little later there was a very brief press conference in which Josh and Shane spoke to the press. Here is more of what they had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are so happy we are free and so relieved we are free.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two years in prison is too long. We sincerely hope for the freedom of other political prisoners and other unjustly imprisoned people in America and Iran.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JAMJOOM: A very, very emotional night. As the family said in a statement released earlier yesterday evening, it was the best day of their lives. Christine --
ROMANS: Do we know this morning what, Mohammed, Josh and Shane and their families are doing today?
JAMJOOM: Well, officials tell us they believe they are getting medical tests. The families aren't speaking to the media. Josh and Shane aren't speaking to the media this morning.
We are told by some people here that they are basically taking a day to catch up with their families. They're probably getting some medical tests done. Deciding exactly what they want to do.
Last year when Sarah Shourd was released and she came here, one of the first things she did she was taken on a tour of the grand mosque here. That's one of the main tourist destinations.
She had told the press last year that when Josh and Shane are released she would like to take them to the grand mosque. So we wonder if they'll be going there although we are not hearing from the families yet just exactly what they'll do and when exactly they will depart Oman.
Although Omani officials did tell us they believed that Josh and Shane and their families and Sarah Shourd will be here at least 24 hours. Christine --
ROMANS: It is interesting he said political prisoners in America, too. That kind of surprised me that his first comment was about political prisoners in America.
JAMJOOM: It was interesting. It really struck a chord. It seemed to echo some of the statements we were hearing earlier in the week. You know, there was a statement last night by the Omani foreign ministry thanking the Iranians for answering this call for a humanitarian release of the two hikers.
In that statement they also said that it would be good if the U.S. would make similar considerations. Last week the Iranians, different Iranian officials were speaking about this, they were saying, yes, it is clear that the Iranian judiciary was contemplating releasing Josh and Shane.
But it would be good for the U.S. to try to possibly release Iranian political prisoners that were in American jails. U.S. hasn't commented on that, but this seems to be a refrain right now. This implication that political prisoners shouldn't just be released from Iran, but also the U.S. and it was very interesting that that statement was made last night at the press conference. Christine --
ROMANS: All right, Mohammed Jamjoom, thank you so much.
COSTELLO: That is interesting because in just about six hours, the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will take the stage and address the world at the United Nations General Assembly. There is a lot on the line.
The Iranian leader's tone will be very telling because his grip on power is kind of shaky these days. Many observers believe he needs to ease tensions with the United States.
Senior U.N. correspondent, Richard Roth is with us this morning. Let's go first to that political prisoner in the United States thing. What do you suppose that means?
ROMANS: I wasn't aware there were a lot of Iranians in the mountains who got picked up --
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: But there are Iranians in jail in different capacities that I think over the years Iranians have asked for a quid pro quo release. We have to see until the American hikers are back on U.S. soil to see just what these statements really mean.
Whether it is political niceties to thank Oman and to reflect on their experiences in Iran, until they come back, probably they will be on the set and you can ask them. But as for the hikers' situation it also played out this drama at the United Nations, you can't mistake the timing. President Obama, President Ahmadinejad, different areas of the U.N. while President Obama was speaking, President Ahmadinejad came in through the U.N. entrance.
Here he is leaving at the end of the day. They were back and forth, same doors, never really meeting. That's certainly planned. The U.S. was never going to let that happen. As for the hikers' release, the U.S. leader who normally doesn't comment upon exiting the United Nations on his big day there, praise their freedom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Wonderful news about the hikers. We are thrilled. I could not feel better for their families. It's a wonderful day for them and for us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: President Obama saying wonderful day for the families and for the U.S. and he was very happy that they are free. The timing, though, very interesting. A lot of trouble back home for President Ahmadinejad between the religious sect and political authorities.
A lot of people did want him to get an image boost here in the United States. The timing, though, can't be misguided there, that they were freed just as he's here at the U.N.
As for other aspects of Ahmadinejad's speech, well the nuclear issue does not go away. It seems like it has been running five, six years. President Obama said a lot more has to be done to pressure Iran to stop its growing nuclear program.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The Iranian government cannot demonstrate that its program is peaceful. It has not met its obligations and it rejects offers that would provide it with peaceful nuclear power. If they continue down a path that's outside international law, they must be met greater pressure and isolation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: There have been four rounds of U.N. Security Council sanctions against Iran and it hasn't done that much. It seems it is hard to know, but the International Atomic Energy Agency holding a meet this week on nuclear issues in Vienna.
And over the last few months and years, same story, can't verify, just what's going on there, cannot be -- dual use. Iran says strictly peaceful. It's nuclear program.
COSTELLO: Yes. What about this notion of softening his tone? Ahmadinejad softening his tone towards the United States?
ROTH: I don't know. We will have to see today. I mean, as you mentioned earlier on the program, that the Iranian leader has said that 9/11 was in effect a hoax.
Whether the holocaust was a lie and people walked out, many countries, it has been planned, let's see. I think we will see today if there is a change after vehement rhetoric after in the last few years in the U.N. and in Geneva where there was larger walkout. It was like a bad Broadway show. You should have seen it.
ROMANS: Richard Roth, thank you so much.
Libya's National Transitional Council laying out plans for a new government this morning. But officials say they first need to control the borders and pro-Gadhafi strong holds.
Three cities remained the control of Gadhafi loyalists, Bani Walid, Sirte and Sabha. Officials say it could take up to a month to liberate those cities. After that, the NTC plans to appoint a prime minister to create an interim government and have Libyans vote on a new constitution.
COSTELLO: A fleet of U.S. Air Force fighter jet cleared to fly again. The F-22 rafters were grounded back in May over concerns that fighter pilots were not getting proper oxygen. Officials say the return to flight plan includes daily inspections of the rafters life support systems.
ROMANS: You know, we are still facing the possibility this morning of a government shutdown by the end of the month. The House voting down a temporary spending bill to keep the government operating into November.
It is a big setback for Republicans. The measure calls for spending cuts to offset additional funds for disaster relief efforts. Forty eight Republicans broke ranks and voted against the measure.
COSTELLO: Looks like 1,900 teachers in Tacoma, Washington, will be going back to work. Teachers and district reached a tentative agreement last night. The deal coming after the state's governor sat in on talks for most of a seven-hour bargaining session. Strike shut down school for over a week. Teachers even ignored a court order to go back to class.
ROMANS: All right, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, Japan's new disaster. A powerful storm bringing heavy rains to the tsunami- ravaged coastline. Nearly a dozen people have died. We're live in Tokyo.
COSTELLO: And our "Talk Back" question this morning, should patriotism be a political tool? Is one Republican candidate already trying to swift vote President Obama? We will show you his new ad and you decide.
ROMANS: A woman demanding an apology from the TSA after they deemed her afro suspicious. It is 12 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Welcome back.
The former Typhoon Roke has weakened, but the death toll in Japan is rising. The storm now blamed for at least 10 deaths, four people are still missing. There has been torrential rain and widespread flooding in an area still reeling from that devastating earthquake and tsunami earlier this year. CNN's Paula Hancocks is live in Tokyo. Good morning, Paula.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Christine.
Well, as you say, the death toll has been slowly creeping higher this Thursday. The hope is now, though, that in the past couple of hours there has been no one else found so maybe that's it. Maybe the worst is over and the - the fears of devastating typhoon like we saw just a few weeks ago, which killed more than a hundred people and many missing. Those fears have not been realized, the hope is.
But certainly the flooding is widespread. There are many mud slides. The one area of Japan that desperately did not need to be hit by typhoon was the northeastern part, the Tohoku Region. The exact same area that was devastated by the tsunami just six months ago, but that area was hit once again.
Some of the evacuees who had lost their home in the tsunami were in temporary housing when the heavy rain was dumped there. And they actually have their temporary housing flooded. So once again they are homeless. It's just incredible the amount of Mother Nature is throwing at the people in this particular area.
Here in Tokyo, it's more transport chaos that we saw. Hundreds of flights were canceled, many trains as well. So thousands of people took many hours on Wednesday night to try and get home - Christine.
ROMANS: Now, there are early concerns, Paula, that the typhoon could cause more damage at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant. Workers there, you know, they're still working to contain the damage from what happened back in March. Was there any damage there? Do we know yet?
HANCOCKS: Yes. We've spoken to the operator. They say there has been no major damage, which is a big relief obviously to TEPCO and a big relief to many Japanese people. Many people I have spoken to was seriously concerned that this was going to - to set back the recovery of this particular nuclear power plant.
Now, we did hear from TEPCO, though, that the water levels did rise slightly. Obviously because there was so much rain that fell in that area. Remember, that's radioactive water that's in the building around the reactors but no major calamity, we are being told.
ROMANS: Paula Hancocks from Tokyo. Thank you, Paula.
And so Rob Marciano is in the Extreme Weather Center now with all of that. Hi, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, guys.
Yes, they saw about eight, in some cases over 10 inches of rainfall around the Sendai area. Now that storm has moved off into the Northern Pacific. Next stop may very well be British Columbia or the Pacific Northwest the beginning of next week, but it will obviously be transformed into something very, very different. Tropical Storm Ophelia trying to transform itself into a hurricane, strengthening the 65 mile an hour winds here, so almost there. Even though it's got some head winds to fight against. Westerly moving at about 14 miles an hour. Heading towards Leeward Islands, about a thousand miles from that location.
And we still think it will probably not become a hurricane, or if it does, not be very long lived. It's got a lot of odds against it. And likely wouldn't make it to the United States at this point. This time of year, it's just tough (INAUDIBLE).
One of the reasons is we get this cold front that kind of protected the East Coast. And we've got one right now that's going to be a slow mover and that willing bring on and off rain showers across the East Coast. We're seeing some across Atlanta right now and through parts of South Carolina, across the northeast as well. Some rainfall there where flood watches have been posted for parts of Jersey.
This radar will begin to fill in over the next couple of days and looks to be a fairly wet scenario. So guys, keep the umbrella handy -
ROMANS: All right.
MARCIANO: -- really, through the weekend.
ROMANS: Keeping the umbrella handy.
COSTELLO: Bummer.
ROMANS: Noted.
MARCIANO: All right.
ROMANS: Duly noted. Thanks, Rob.
MARCIANO: All right, guys.
COSTELLO: Thanks, Rob.
Now is your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. The question for you this morning, should patriotism be a political tool?
I ask you this because of Texas Governor Rick Perry's brand-new web ad. It's compelling.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: No more manufactured crises. No more games. We are headed in the right direction.
I love these folks who say (INAUDIBLE). Well, that's fine. Give it to me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Zero jobs. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not a single job has been added.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No jobs created. Zero.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People are demoralized. What has happened?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Zero
OBAMA: Change has come to America -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Zero.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: So you get that part of it, right? President Obama is hoping (INAUDIBLE) is destroying America. But at about one minute into the ad, the ad is all about patriotism right when Perry says we don't need a president who apologizes for America. The ad emphatically states Rick Perry is an American.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. RICK PERRY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The United States really is the last great hope of mankind. It's time to get America working again. You don't need a president who apologizes for America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: It's a tactic that's been proved quite effective. Remember the infamous swift boat ads by a pro-Bush group questioning Vietnam veteran John Kerry's heroism?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Crimes committed on a day-to-day basis. He'd betrayed us in the past. How could we be loyal to him now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He dishonors his country and more importantly the people he served with. He just sold them out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: President Bush eventually denounced the ads, but the damage was done. Kerry lost the election.
Patriotism has worked for Democrats, too, during the 2008 campaign. Vice Presidential Candidate Joe Biden said wealthy Americans should pay more taxes because it's time to be patriotic. Doesn't that sound familiar?
So the "Talk Back" question today - should patriotism be a political tool? Facebook.com/AmericanMorning, Facebook.com/AmericanMorning. I'll read your comments later this hour. ROMANS: Can't wait to read those.
All right. Ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, Houston, do we have a problem? Chunks of space junk from a decommissioned satellite are about to crash land back on earth. Hey, I should - should we be worried? We'll tell what you NASA is saying that is if we're here after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Welcome back. "Minding Your Business" this morning.
Right now, stocks and commodities, oil and gold, these markets worldwide are plunging. The Fed said the U.S. economy is facing, quote, "significant downside risks" when it announced another stimulus measure yesterday to boost the economy. Also yesterday Moody's downgraded three banks and this morning U.S. stock futures are trading sharply lower ahead of the opening bell.
Greece is still in the spotlight. The government announced more budget cuts to secure aid promised by the European Union. A nationwide strike, more protests are expected there today.
Another potential market mover, the Labor Department's initial jobless claims report. That comes out in about two hours. We'll get those numbers to you as soon as they are available. It's the latest weekly read on how many people are collecting unemployment benefits.
In another blow to the financial sector, Moody's downgraded Bank of America, also Wells Fargo, Citigroup, two of those stocks managed to close slightly higher yesterday.
What's next at Facebook? We'll find out today. CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be the keynote speaker at the Facebook's annual F-8 Developer Conference in San Francisco. New features and a peek at plans for the company are usually announced at this event.
AMERICAN MORNING will be right back after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Thirty minutes past the hour. Good morning to you. Here are this morning's top stories.
World markets freefalling overnight after the pessimistic forecast for the U.S. economy. In Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell nearly five percent. Markets in London, France and Germany all falling by more than four percent.
ROMANS: The State of Georgia executing by lethal injection death-row inmate Troy Davis late last night after the Supreme Court refused a last-second stay. Davis was convicted of murdering an off- duty police officer over 20 years ago.
Witnesses to the execution, some of them say he -- witnesses to execution he insisted he was innocent until the very end.
COSTELLO: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad takes the stage this afternoon to address the U.N. General Assembly, one day after his country freed two jailed American hikers. President Obama's been threatening to isolate and punish Iran for operating outside international law with its nuclear program.
ROMANS: It's the size of a city bus, weighing in at about six tons and headed for a crash landing here on earth. NASA expects more than two dozen pieces of a defunct satellite to survive re-entry into the earth's atmosphere sometime tomorrow. Exactly when and where is still up for debate.
CNN's John Zarrella is following development. He's live in Miami. You know, Rob just told me I need an umbrella. But I mean, do I need a --
COSTELLO: A hard hat.
ROMANS: -- hard hat, too?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the umbrella will not do any good, that's for sure. And, you know, Christine and Carol, what NASA is saying that they probably won't know exactly where it's going to hit and exactly when it's going to come down until it happens.
But this morning, they have been able to narrow a little bit the window and they are saying it will be tomorrow afternoon and it will not, not be over North America.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA (voice-over): The clock is ticking. Sometime after midnight tonight if NASA's calculations are right, an old dead satellite will re-enter the earth's atmosphere and burn up -- most of it but not all of it. About half a ton will make it through.
MARK MATNEY, NASA ORBITAL DEBRIS SCIENTIST: There are some pieces made of stainless steel and titanium and beryllium that have very high melting temperatures. And those pieces will survive. And we have a list of 26 pieces that range from a few tenths of pounds to a few hundred pounds in size.
ZARRELLA: You heard him right. Some of the chunks of junk could be hundreds of pounds. But there's no need for to you run out and buy hard hat. NASA's scientists in Houston say there 'very little risk that any debris from the six-ton UARS, upper atmosphere research satellite, will hit you.
JONATHAN MCDOWELL, HARVARD-SMITHSONIAN CENTER FOR ASTROPHYSICS: It could be hundreds of miles off in where it is coming down.
ZARRELLA: Harvard University astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell believes the space agency is probably right, because much of the earth is water.
MCDOWELL: This is not like the old Skylab scare of the '07s when had you a 70-ton space station crashing to the sky. This thing is only six or seven tons. So I agree with the folks in Houston that it's really nothing to be terribly concerned about.
ZARRELLA: Parts of Skylab did hit Western Australia in 1979. So, where will this one come down? Well, no one knows. Even minutes before re-entering the atmosphere, NASA won't be able to pinpoint the exact location. The satellite is traveling so fast that it covers thousands of miles of space in just minutes. Right now, the impact swath covers portions of six continents.
MATNEY: Part of the problem is the spacecraft itself is tumbling and in unpredictable ways, and it is very difficult to very precisely pinpoint where it's coming down, even right before the re- entry.
MCDOWELL: If the thing happens to come down in the city, that would be bad. The chances of it causing expensive damage or actually injuring someone are much higher.
ZARRELLA: One thing is certain: once it hurts the atmosphere 50 miles up, it will take only a few minutes before the surviving pieces hit the earth.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA: Well, if it happens to come down in an area where it is nighttime when it's coming down, the experts say it will be a spectacular meteor show because you are going to have all those pieces burning up as they re-enter the atmosphere. And as I have mentioned in the piece, about 26 pieces that won't burn up -- Christine, Carol.
COSTELLO: But not in North America. I'm kind of disappointed.
ZARRELLA: No.
ROMANS: All right.
ZARRELLA: I'm not.
(LAUGHTER)
ROMANS: John Zarrella, thanks.
COSTELLO: An airline passenger is demanding an apology after she says agents chased her down after the security checkpoint and demanded a pat-down.
ROMANS: Why? Tell us why.
COSTELLO: They patted her really big afro. Isis Brantley is a Dallas hairdresser that specializes in the natural look, naturally. She says screeners came running after her asking to check her hair for explosives and then started feeling around her afro. This was in public on a train platform at the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ISIS BRANTLEYE, AFRO SEARCHED BY AIRPORT SECURITY: I saw these people running, hey lady, stop, stop. You, you, you with the big hair.
And she started digging around in my hair several times, just touching it and digging and I said, "Find the explosives. Do you see any?"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: This was after she went through the metal detector. She -- she said she left the security checkpoint before they were -- TSA agents actually said that we weren't finished. You left before we were finished even though she had gone through the metal detector. And she had turned down a more private screening. So, that's why they were running after her.
ROMANS: All right. Ahead on AMERICAN MORNING: the timing hard to ignore after more than two years, Iran releases two jailed American hikers just as its president is set to appear before the United Nations and the world.
We'll tell you about that. It's 35 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Welcome back.
A long international nightmare is over. Americans Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer reunited with families after more than two years in prison in Iran. They were released yesterday just in time for Iranian President Ahmadinejad's speech to the U.N. General Assembly today.
Our next guest was part of a delegation that traveled to Iran, appealing for the hikers' release. Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, joins us from Washington.
Welcome to the program.
NIHAD AWAD, EXEC. DIR., COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: Thank you. Good morning.
ROMANS: Tell me about your trip and your meetings in Iran. Clearly, the hikers was top of the agenda.
AWAD: Definitely. We have been working with the Iranian officials behind the scenes for the past three years to convince and to release of the two hikers, Josh and Shane Bauer. And last week, we were invited to meet with the Iranian officials, including clergy to make a case for the release on humanitarian ground and we are happy to see that, finally, they made it to Oman and they should be on their way home soon.
ROMANS: In your discussion was them and behind-the-scenes diplomacy with them, you say that you could tell that there were strains or at least politics between the president's office and judiciary. It seems as if that's something we saw play out over the past week or so when the Iranian president told NBC that the hikers would be released in a couple of days and took much longer than that.
AWAD: Yes. We felt it. And it was obvious that there was tension between judiciary and office of the presidency. We tried to visit the two hikers while we were there, of course, hoping that they would come back with us.
But we realized that (INAUDIBLE) made to release them by the president's office. But the judiciary as an independent branch, they wanted to feel their authority and probably that tension manifested itself when, as you said, the president announced the release but the judiciary objected and stalled, you know, for a few days when the judge, one of the judges was on vacation and just came back two days ago.
ROMANS: Why do you think Ahmadinejad wanted this release? Is this part of a P.R. strategy? Is this part of Iranian theatrics? Is it timed? Many say it's timed to this U.N. General Assembly. What does Ahmadinejad gain?
AWAD: Well, I'm sure it helps his image. It helps Iran's image to release two people who have now higher profile. Everybody is talking about them.
It has added to the strained relation between the United States and Iran. And sometimes both governments, they need a third party, their own people, to do religious and civic diplomacy to help ease the tension.
But the timing definitely, he's coming to the United Nations. But for us, whether today, yesterday, or two months ago, it was needed to release them on humanitarian grounds. Definitely the timing has a political effect and he's utilizing it. No doubt.
ROMANS: You know, relations between U.S. in this country are anything but warm. Yes, you have a delegation that included a cardinal and Episcopal bishop out of Washington. You met with Ahmadinejad and several ayatollahs.
What's the religious connection? How can that perhaps bridge this gap between the two countries in your view?
AWAD: Well, the religious establishment is strong in Iran. And it has an influence. But also the fact that the Iranian government invited myself, former Senator Larry Shaw, the Cardinal McCarrick and Bishop Chane was important because our counterparts also had influence in their countries.
I believe that the visit was important because we strengthened ties. We met with ayatollahs. And contrary to the stereotype about them, they have very good understanding on the political reality. We talk about shared values of compassion and mercy and forgiveness.
On those grounds, we asked and made a case for the release of these two hikers. And at the same time, we met with families, Iranian families who have Iranian citizens detained in the United States. We heard about their stories.
And we promised that when we come back, we will raise their issues with relevant American officials to see if the United States can reciprocate, to look at those cases with the same compassion. We asked the Iranian government to look at the case of Josh and Shane.
ROMANS: All right. Nihad Awad, thank you so much for joining us -- executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations.
AWAD: Thank you.
ROMANS: Thank you.
COSTELLO: We'll have a check of the morning's top stories next, including the big-time rock band studded band that's breaking up.
ROMANS: Say it ain't so.
And CNN goes in depth, examining the new face of poverty in America. Mothers going without food so their children can eat. Witnesses to hunger in five minutes on this AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It's 45 minutes past the hour. Here's what you need to know to start your day.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO (voice-over): World markets freefalling overnight after the fed's pessimistic forecast for the U.S. economy. In Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell nearly five percent. Markets in London, France, and Germany all falling by more than four percent.
State of Georgia executing by lethal injection death-row inmate, Troy Davis. It happened late last night after the U.S. Supreme Court refused a last-minute stay. Davis was convicted of murdering an off- duty officer more than 20 years ago.
Davis was not the only inmate put to death last night. In Texas, white supremacist gang member, Lawrence Russell Brewer, was executed for the dragging death of a black man back in 1998, one of the most notorious hate crimes in recent U.S. history.
Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, preparing to address the U.N. General Assembly today. With his grip on power weakening, some observers wonder if he'll be seeking to ease tension toward the United States.
Typhoon Roke has now weakened, but the typhoon caused at least ten deaths in Japan. Officials say the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant managed to weather the storm without major incidents.
Teaches in Tacoma, Washington reaching a tentative deal with the district last night that could put 1,900 teachers back in the classrooms.
And it's the end of the world as we know it, but they feel fine. R.E.M. announcing they are breaking up after 30 years together. The band saying they are walking away as great friends.
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COSTELLO (on-camera): That's news you need to start your day. AMERICAN MORNING back after a break.
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ROMANS: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. A special in-depth look now at the new face of poverty in America.
COSTELLO: And it's pretty depressing, too. Our focus this morning, group of low-income mothers in Pennsylvania who find themselves witnesses to hunger. Deb Feyerick is with us now. So, this is just sad.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It really is. And you know, I think, one of the most difficult things is the uncertainty, the hardest thing not knowing if you're going to have enough food, wondering if the items you bought at the beginning of the week are actually going to stretch through the end of the week. And hunger -- persistent hunger, certainly, like a low-grade fever that simply won't go away.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: God is good. God is great. Let me thank you for our food. Amen.
FEYERICK (voice-over): If you want to know what hunger looks like --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You want some more of my grits?
FEYERICK: Look at it through the eyes of Tianna Gaines and her young family.
(on-camera) Do you know pretty much what time of the month the food is going to go on clearance?
TIANNA GAINES, WITNESS TO HUNGER: Oh, I know by the time of day it goes on clearance. Have some fresh vegetables down here.
FEYERICK (voice-over): She buys on sales, in bulk, with coupons, and always with purpose.
GAINES: I keep a lot of oatmeal because, sometime, if things get tough, you can always eat oatmeal for dinner or for lunch or something like that.
FEYERICK: Gaines who works two jobs is among the nearly 49 million Americans struggling to put enough food on the table. GAINES: Do you know how that feels as a parent to tell your kids that there's not enough to eat?
FEYERICK (on-camera): What is the hungriest you've ever been in your life, and how do you describe that?
GAINES: Horrible. Degrading. Miserable. Stressful. Disrespected.
FEYERICK (voice-over): The scientific term for hunger is food and security, and since the U.S. Department of Agriculture began keeping track in the mid 1990s, it has now reached an all-time high.
MARIANA CHILTON, DREXEL UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: When someone is food insecure, you're getting the worry and the anxiety of not being able to afford enough food. You may have enough food for the day, but you're worried about tomorrow or you're worried about next week.
FEYERICK: Mariana Chilton created the project, "Witness to Hunger." Gaines is one of more than 40 women who photographed their struggles hoping to expose hunger and poverty. There's also Jean Culver, a single mother of two young boys from Pennsylvania.
(on-camera) Are your boys aware that you may not be eating because you --
JEAN CULVER, WITNESS TO HUNGER: They're not aware of that, but they do get the fact that mommy doesn't have enough money to get them what they want.
FEYERICK (voice-over): She snapped this photo at the end of the month.
CULVER: That was all I had and so many things that need to be done with that change. And I -- it's just overbearing. I couldn't -- it's hard to handle. It's really hard to handle.
FEYERICK: This picture of a dilapidated kitchen was taken by 24- year-old Barbara Izquierdo, a mother of two.
BARBARA IZQUIERDO, WITNESS TO HUNGER: I sent the picture because I wanted to prove that regardless of what you see on the outside, you never really know what's going on behind closed doors.
FEYERICK: Even families receiving the maximum amount of food stamps will need about $206 more a month to buy the minimum amount of food as defined by the USDA. Izquierdo like the others never thought she'd have to choose between paying bills or buying food.
IZQUIERDO: For a long time, I felt like food was a privilege. I had -- I've been to the point where it's like oh, my God, I ate today. That's great. And no one should feel like that.
(END VIDEOTAPE) FEYERICK (on-camera): And one of the goals of these women is to help lawmakers better understand the challenges not only in hunger but also poverty. And I asked Tianna Gaines really the impact of the recession on her family because so many have been added to the food stamp roams because of the recession.
She said, you know, for all intents and purposes, her mom lived through a recession. She is living through a recession and her kids will, too, and that's really what she's trying to change.
ROMANS: The cycle of poverty, though, there's two things happening in this poverty statistics is the cycle of poverty, people again and again who lived in poverty, and then, their children live in poverty, it -- this is something even in a roaring economy we haven't been able to fix in this country.
FEYERICK: Absolutely.
ROMANS: And then, there's this new face of poverty which is people who are working a job with middle schools, high school education, maybe an associate's degree, maybe even another degree, and now, they find themselves on food stamps. And that's the new face of the great recession.
COSTELLO: Right. And all of the people you interviewed have jobs. They were working.
FEYERICK: They did. They did.
COSTELLO: Mrs. Gaines had two jobs.
FEYERICK: She had two jobs. The other lady had a job. So, they want to work.
COSTELLO: Some people might look at Mrs. Gaines and says she doesn't look like she is going hungry.
FEYERICK: You know, what's very interesting also is when you don't have a lot of food, what -- when you don't have a lot of money for food, what ends up happening is you feed children things -- and you yourself are fed things that are not necessarily good for you. So, one doctor that we spoke to actually said that she's had patients come in and the mother is giving the kids French fries and soda because while it is terrible nutrition wise, it's what fill their bellies.
ROMANS: Cheapest food is the worst for you, right?
FEYERICK: And it fills their bellies, and that's the whole thing. They're just trying to keep their kids from going hungry.
ROMANS: if you're working two jobs, it's a little hard to sit down and figure out how to, you know, do -- you know, you're working and you're trying to feed -- I can see how hard that would be.
FEYERICK: Yes. Yes. So, it's tricky, it's challenging, and they're hoping that things will change. But -- these are some of the programs that now are at risk. And for those who really, really need it and who rely on it, and the more you work, the less money you get for food stamps.
ROMANS: Just think of it, 46 million people, I think, are getting food stamps right now. Think of what percentage that is. Never has our government paid to feed so many people in the richest economy in the world.
FEYERICK: That's exactly right.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Deb.
Time now read your "Talk Back" responses. The question this morning, should patriotism be used as a political tool?
This from Drew, "Yes. A patriot in America is for our constitution and for what America is built upon. Those that seek to destroys from within are not."
This from Philip, "Patriotism is a successful campaign tool because most Americans are either ignorant or apathetic when it comes to actually knowing politicians. American patriotism is belief in our constitution. When politicians start to use patriotism as a campaign tool, I start to look at their voting record. Everyone comes up short in that analysis." Well, except," he says, "for Ron Paul."
This from Albert, "Yes. That reminds me of the Samuel Johnson quote. "Patriotism is the last vestige of a scoundrel." So, good thing Perry is letting us know that he's an American patriot, otherwise, I might think his heart was with, let's say, Kenya."
Please, continue the conversation. Facebook.com/americanmorning. I'll read more in the next hour of AMERICAN MORNING.
ROMANS: All right. Put every world leader in New York at once and what do you get? You get late night funnies. Take a look.
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DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN: You know who I ran into out on Broadway? The guy, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Remember, he came to New York City last year and went nuts. And then, he -- but he's here. I saw him on Broadway. There, I guess -- look at him. There he is.
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CRAIG FERGUSON, HOST, THE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON: The American hikers that were being held in Iran were freed today. They were on captivity for two years, and the first thing they said to reporters was what's Ashton Kutcher doing on "Two and a Half Men"?
(LAUGHTER) JIMMY FALLON, HOST, LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON: Yesterday, President Obama put his hand up and accidentally blocked a U.N. member's face during a group photo. Look at this. This is a real photo.
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FALLON: Why is he doing that? Why is he doing that? If you think that's bad, check out what Biden was doing. Look at that. He's not paying attention.
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COSTELLO: Somehow, I can actually see Joe Biden doing that. That was real of President Obama, though, and it looks fake.
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COSTELLO: It's a real picture. He was waving to someone.
Just ahead in the next hour of AMERICAN MORNING, a Senate hearing on Muffin-Gate, looking into the DOJ's expensive taste that included $16 muffins, $5 Swedish meatballs -- that's $5 for a meatball.
ROMANS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Senator Chuck Grassley is on the committee, and he will join us live.
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