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CNN Saturday Morning News
Obama Set To Address Frustrated Gay Supporters; Big Donors, Big Earmarks Lead to Big Questions for Senators; CNN.com Page Spotlights Key People, Places, Events in Afghanistan Conflict
Aired October 10, 2009 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is October 10. Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Drew Griffin. T.J. is off today. It's 6 a.m. in Atlanta; 5 a.m. in Minneapolis; 3 in Los Angeles.
NGUYEN: A little early.
GRIFFIN: I don't think (ph) anybody's awake in Los Angeles (INAUDIBLE).
NGUYEN: They're either just coming home, or for some reason they're getting up awfully early.
GRIFFIN: Well, we thank them for joining us.
NGUYEN: Yes. All right. Let's get to the top stories this morning, because overnight -- just in a minute, we're going to have a preview of President Obama's big night, in fact. Yes, he may be a Nobel Prize winner, but the gay community says, 'You need to make good on your promises.' And he's going to be making peace with members of that community -- he'll try at least in a major speech in Washington. We're going to preview that for you.
GRIFFIN: Some wild weather stories, both involving water. A daycare center in a dangerous flood zone, and the firefighters that had gone to actually rescue these kids. And plus, we've got video of a tsunami -- there's the kids being rescued in Arkansas -- but want to show you this. is a -- on American Samoa, Pago Pago, second-story...
NGUYEN: Look at that.
GRIFFIN: ...security camera at the FBI office. Look at the cars just getting bounced around. That is what happened in the tsunami of a couple of weeks ago.
NGUYEN: And one marine biologist sets out to improve the image of predators of the sea before they are lost forever.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll see the demise of the shark at that rate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Our own Reynolds Wolf swims with the sharks on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
All right. First, let's get us a look at the developing stories overnight that we have been following for you. First up, gunmen attack the Pakistani army headquarters checkpoint in Rawalpindi today. Four gunmen, six army guards, were killed. Two gunmen escaped. A military official says the Taliban is claiming responsibility for that attack. It was the third major attack this week. A suicide car bomber killed at least 49 people yesterday in Peshawar. On Monday, five workers were killed in an attack on a U.N. Food Program office in Islamabad.
GRIFFIN: At the White House, discussion is what to do about Afghanistan. We've got a photo taken during a three-hour meeting that happened yesterday. The president apparently telling his top advisers, he now wants to identify objectives in Afghanistan before deciding on whether to commit thousands more troops there.
NGUYEN: Bones found at the California home of Phillip Garrido were probably buried long before he moved there. In fact, an expert says they may have belonged to American Indians, according the Associated Press. Now, investigators found the bone fragments while searching for evidence in the case of Jaycee Dugard.
Garrido is accused of kidnapping her 18 years ago when she was just 11 years old.
GRIFFIN: Well, he got the big peace prize, but he's going to need to make -- make peace back home with the gay community. The president could be addressing a tough crowd when he speaks at the annual Human Rights dinner tonight in Washington.
NGUYEN: Yes, you know within the gay-rights advocacy group are skeptical about his commitment to equality for gays.
CNN's senior White House correspondent Ed Henry checks in on the president's record.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED GRIFFIN, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Betty and Drew, tonight, the president becomes only the second commander-in-chief to ever address the Human Rights Campaign. And he has a lot of work to do.
Many in the gay-rights community are disappointed that he has not yet fulfilled some key campaign promises.
You must start to think, (INAUDIBLE)
STEVE ELMENDORF, DEMOCRATIC LOBBYIST: (INAUDIBLE).
HENRY (voice-over): The wall in Steve Elmendorf's office is a reminder of how much influence he carries as one of Washington's Democratic power players. A lobbyist for clients like insurance giant United Health, someone who is smack in the middle of negotiations over the president's health-reform push.
ELMENDORF: It's a big, important battle with a lot of different people with equities in it. And I think, you know, Obama sent though a very clear message, and the Democratic Party sent a very clear message that we have to get this done.
HENRY: Elmendorf, who also happens to be gay, could be describing the president's agenda on gay rights. Very little has gotten done so far, despite high hopes after the inaugural.
ELMENDORF: I think there was a lot of excitement that things were going to change. And I think there is impatience that things haven't changed fast enough. He hasn't done all of it, but he's only been president for 10 months. And, you know, I -- a lot of us hope he's going to be president for eight years.
HENRY: The president just nominated an openly gay ambassador to New Zealand. And with his strong support, Congress is making progress on a hate-crimes bill that would make violent attacks on the gay community a federal crime.
But the gay community expected much more radical change, especially Mr. Obama's campaign promise to push Congress to pass legislation repealing the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy that bans homosexuals from serving openly in the military.
KEVIN NAFF, "WASHINGTON BLADE": We need him to -- to -- to put a timetable, to be aggressive, to be outspoken. This is where I'm disappointed. He has not taken a leadership role. He has not been outspoken. He is not using that bully pulpit to push our issues the way he could.
HENRY: Kevin Naff of "The Washington Blade" notes that as a candidate, Mr. Obama made other bold promises.
While the president does not support same-sex marriage, he does not want to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as exclusively between a man and woman.
NAFF: It's time for him to deliver.
HENRY: This is why the president's words will be watched very closely this week, though Steve Elmendorf reminds his friends in the community that they also have to hold congressional Democrats' feet to the fire.
ELMENDORF: He's the president but he's not the dictator, and Congress is involved in all this.
HENRY (on camera): Elmendorf says the worst thing the president can do right now is rush issues like "don't ask, don't tell" without first building a consensus, only to see the vote fail and see some momentum lost.
But the legislative clock is ticking right now, especially with so much time spent on health reform -- Betty, Drew. (END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: All right. So while some people waited in long lines at health clinics for that new H1N1 swine-flu vaccine, there is still a lot of skepticism even though health officials say it is safe.
Results from a recent Harvard study show that 40 percent of adults say they're not absolutely sure they'll get the vaccine. About half of the parents surveyed say they don't know if they'll give it to their kids.
GRIFFIN: Why? Two big reasons. Safety -- people concerned about a mercury preservative found in some of the vaccines. Critics say it may cause autism, although that's never been proven. And other people say they don't really think they're going to get sick.
NGUYEN: Yes, well, there is more proof though of just how dangerous the H1N1 flu really is. Seventy-six children have died from the H1N1 since April, 19 of them in the last week, and that's according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Now, health officials say the H1N1 virus is now widespread in 37 states, and young children are the most at risk.
Well, we also want to know what you think about it. Are you going to be getting the swine-flu vaccine? Let us know, will you be giving it to your children, make sure that they get it? Hit us up on Facebook, also our Twitter pages. You just saw a little bit earlier, my blog, CNN.com/Betty. You can also reach us at weekends@CNN. Lots of ways to reach out to us this morning. We will be reading your responses on the air, so let us know if you're going to be getting the swine-flu vaccine or making sure that your children will be get it -- getting it. And we'll be reading those shortly -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: A key moment for health-care reform Tuesday. That's when the Senate Finance Committee finally votes on its bill. It's the only version without that public option. But it also has the best shot at Republican support.
Well, after Tuesday's vote, the debate moves into both of the chambers, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says any bill that passes the House is going to have that public option. And more examples of the same old, same old in Washington this week: The earmarks are back.
Lawmakers from both parties asking for your federal money to be sent -- where? To the very companies that have given them campaign contributions. Is it legal? Of course, they write the laws.
But our senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash is asking, Is it right?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN SR. CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A promotional video for Infinia Corporation, developing a solar-powered engine to produce hot water and electricity for troops in the field. Infinia is headquartered in Washington state.
Washington Senator, Democrat Patty Murray, got a $3 million earmark to fund Infinia's project. It turns out Infinia executives have given more than $10,000 in campaign contributions to Murray in the last two years.
BASH (on camera): People looking at this might say, 'Quid pro quo?'
SEN. PATTY MURRAY (D), WASHINGTON: Absolutely not. I work hard for my state, for everyone who comes to me. We work hard to make sure that the appropriations requests we ask for create jobs and are good for the people in -- in our community.
BASH (voice-over): But the watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense says it's a problem.
RYAN ALEXANDER, PRESIDENT, TAXPAYERS FOR COMMON SENSE: And when we see big contracts, big earmarks going to private companies that have also happened to have made large campaign contributions, it raises real questions in the mind of the public.
BASH: Ryan Alexander's group looked at senators on the powerful committee in charge of defense spending and compiled a lengthy list linking hundreds of millions of dollars in pet projects to campaign contributions.
Republican Richard Shelby topped that list. For example, $3.2 million for Radiance Technologies in his state of Alabama to develop new sensors for unmanned aerial vehicles. That company's employees donated $38,500 in campaign cash to Shelby since 2007.
The senator refused an on-camera interview, and when CNN caught up with him in a Capitol hallway, he said this:
SEN. RICHARD SHELBY (R), ALABAMA: I -- I don't even know who I get earmarks for, and I don't know who gives me money.
BASH: But Shelby's spokesman did give us a statement, saying he does know and defends it, saying, "He secures appropriations based on merit, not contributions, and provides a full justification for his request on his Senate Web site."
Shelby's office also said his projects contribute to national security.
(on camera): Hi, Senator.
(voice-over): That's what Maine Republican Susan Collins said when we asked about $10 million she got for Maine's General Dynamics to make lightweight machine guns and grenade launchers
She says the Pentagon needs them.
SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R), MAINE: My motivation is to help fill the gaps -- the gaps in weapons and equipment that our troops need. BASH: Collins got nearly $60,000 in campaign contributions from General Dynamics' employees. No quid pro quo, she insists, and no apologies.
COLLINS: The workers and executives who have contributed to my campaign have done so because they feel that I represent the state of Maine well. They have never, ever implied any kind of condition.
BASH (on camera): A spokesman for General Dynamics tells us they give campaign contributions to Senator Collins because she's a -- quote -- "strong backer of national defense."
I also spoke with a top executive at Infinia in Washington state, who's contributed the maximum amount to Senator Murray's campaign. He says he only does it because of her -- quote -- "commitment to green jobs," not because of an earmark.
Dana Bash, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Talk about severe weather a lot. We're going to show you some, and this really is some severe weather.
This is Pago Pago, American Samoa. Reynolds, you've been watching as this tsunami took place over there, just wiping out a parking lot, all right? This is some security-camera footage. You're watching it. Watch it just for -- for just a second.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: My gosh.
NGUYEN: Hopefully, that's not your car there, because it -- they are about to be washed completely away. That is amazing. Look at the power and the force of that water. This security camera actually from a nearby FBI office.
To give you an idea how strong this was, this tsunami was formed after an 8.0-magnitude earthquake, and more than 165 people died in that.
And just, you know, it just shows you the force of nature and -- and how if you are not in -- out of its way, you're definitely going to see some kind of damage.
WOLF: Yes, to me, the most terrifying aspect of a tsunami is -- think about it, when you have a tornado outbreak...
NGUYEN: Mm-hmm.
WOLF: ...or you have some kind of flooding situation, we're going to see signs from nature. You're going to have the dark skies...
NGUYEN: Right.
WOLF: ...you know, you're going to hear the boom of thunder. You're going to have an idea. Same with a hurricane. But that took place in -- in broad daylight.
NGUYEN: Right.
WOLF: Really, no warning other than...
NGUYEN: But -- but doesn't the shore -- like, the water at the shoreline...
WOLF: Recedes rapidly.
NGUYEN: There, and you see...
WOLF: You see it.
NGUYEN: But hey, if you're in your office or you're working...
WOLF: Absolutely.
NGUYEN: ...you're not going to see that.
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: And of course, then, you know, it can affect people, you know, miles inland...
NGUYEN: Right.
WOLF: ...who have no idea whatsoever.
NGUYEN: Wow.
WOLF: It just happens so quickly.
NGUYEN: And it's so frightening.
WOLF: Oh, absolutely.
(WEATHER REPORT)
GRIFFIN: And Josh Levs is going to be keeping track of stories all through the morning.
Josh, the topic is Afghanistan, and I understand we've got a really great Web site to track this. We'll -- we'll get to Josh when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. So everyday, we're reporting on the latest twists and turns in the war on Afghanistan. Well, now CNN is bringing you the inside story in a whole new way.
GRIFFIN: Yes, it's hard to follow.
Josh Levs, you're here to show us how it's going to made a lot easier.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is. I'll tell you, of everything we have at all of CNN.com, this is my favorite spread. I think it's pretty amazing. And it's CNN.com/Afghanistan. Easy to remember. We've got all sorts of photos and videos that will bring you the images from the ground, along with often, you hear the voices along the way explaining what you're seeing, where these images came from and what happened.
Let me start off showing you now CNN.com/Afghanistan, the main page right here. It has more than 100 links on it. And what it does is, it traces you through maps, the people, the key players and all of the latest news coming to you from that region.
This right here is one thing I check often when we do news coverage of Afghanistan. This is a list of key players. And you can actually scroll through alphabetically. And anytime you hear someone named, learn about him, learn what his role, how he came to be in that place.
This here traces you through the war year by year, some of the biggest events of each year, going all the way back to 2001, including up to today. This is 2008. Then we have a different page bringing you up to 2009.
Check out this as well: This tells you about the different peoples that make up Afghanistan. You can actually click on the various ethnicities. It'll tell you about them, show you where they largely are. So when you hear these terms thrown around in the news, this brings you inside, helps you understand.
Plus, what you see here are all sorts of images of Afghanistan that you almost never get to see anywhere else. This is "Polo on steroids"; it's about the game of buzkashi -- I think I'm saying it right, buzkashi. We trace you through how that works, the role it plays in Afghanistan's culture.
Quickly, this -- I want to end on this, because one thing we hear often about are the U.S. troops who are giving their lives in Afghanistan. And what we have, a lot of people don't realize, is a rundown of every single coalition soldier, whether from the United States or another part of the coalition, that has given his or her life in Afghanistan. You can learn what happened, their background, where they're from, the unit, et cetera.
All that right there at this one place, CNN.com/Afghanistan, a place I check, guys, every time we've got new Afghanistan news and see how it all fits into that big picture.
NGUYEN: Well, yes, it's a great way to find the latest information. All right, thank you so much. Drew is apparently on there looking at it right now.
GRIFFIN: I was just trying to find it. Yes, she just -- I mean, the easy way is to go to CNN.com and go to the international version?
LEVS: Well, if you do CNN.com/Afghanistan and hit return, it'll get you right there.
NGUYEN: Straight there.
GRIFFIN: All right.
LEVS: Yes.
NGUYEN: All right. Well, you know...
GRIFFIN: (INAUDIBLE)
NGUYEN: ...within the hours of wining the Nobel Peace Prize, President Obama, he huddled with top advisers to discuss Afghanistan.
GRIFFIN: Will he send more troops? Retired Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt is going to join us in just a few hours to weigh in on a apparently changing U.S. strategy that's under fire.
NGUYEN: Yes, and today at 5:00, the challenges that face the United States, including the war in Afghanistan and nuclear tension with Iran. Christiane Amanpour and George Washington University's Frank Sesno host a roundtable discussion with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. This is on "AMANPOUR," today, 5 Eastern, only on CNN.
GRIFFIN: Here's our top stories now:
New info in the case against Afghan national Najibullah Zazi. CNN has learned two more people are being questioned in the alleged terror plot involving this 24-year-old New Yorker. Police have searched the apartment of a Bosnian immigrant in Queens, New York. They've also questioned a taxi driver living in the same apartment.
NGUYEN: United Nations Secretary Ban Ki-moon says President Obama's wining of the Nobel Peace Prize is "great news." But reaction worldwide, it's kind of mixed. As they are here, some scholars in England called the award "premature."
Over in Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai praised the committee's decision, while others in Afghanistan are critical, saying many civilians have killed in airstrikes by the U.S.
GRIFFIN: A United Nations plane crashes in Haiti, 11 people dead. Now they are trying to recover those bodies. It's in a remote area there. It's near the Dominican Republic border. The victims, part of a peacekeeping force that had been in the country since 2004. The cause of the crash, obviously, still under investigation.
A deadly attack in Pakistan overnight. Witnesses call it "a raging gun battle," with rifles blazing.
NGUYEN: Yes, we'll go there to find out exactly how it ended.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WOLF: It's me, and it is oddly disturbing. But then so... NGUYEN: He's a multitalented man. Can you tell?
WOLF: It is.
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: No, really.
NGUYEN: It's your first time seeing it, Drew.
GRIFFIN: Really? That's you?
NGUYEN: Apparently, you don't get up early enough to watch the show. What's up with that?
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: But yes. I mean, it -- look, he can play the guitar and shake his legs.
WOLF: Yes. Look at those tight pants. (INAUDIBLE) pants.
GRIFFIN: I don't know. I got to get my glasses on.
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: Oh no, no, no. It's -- it's -- it's making fun of Reynolds.
And we've got a lot of things to share with you around the country that are taking place...
NGUYEN: OK.
WOLF: ...and great events.
The Arkansas State Fair is going to be held today. Take a look at the great map that we have. We're going to do a little tour around the nation, show you what's happening.
Arkansas State Fair is wonderful. We're going to go from that point to the Apple Butter Making Days in Mount Vernon, Missouri. Also a -- a hike (INAUDIBLE)...
NGUYEN: Oh my.
WOLF: I know, and they're within driving distance of each other. Imagine that.
The Iron Man Triathalon World Championship -- probably need a plane to get there, usually. You know, going across the ocean, that usually makes a little bit of a difference.
The World Magic Awards are going to take place in Santa Monica, California. Abracadabra.
(LAUGHTER)
WOLF: The BET Hip-Hop Awards here in Atlanta.
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: I know, Mike Epps is going to be hosting. Imagine that. And it's going to air, actually, on October 27.
NGUYEN: Mm-hmm.
WOLF: And the -- it's the 10th annual North American Wife Carrying Championships. And this -- got to say something about this.
NGUYEN: Wait, wait. What is -- it's the Wife Carrying Champion...
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: Well, I -- I think the Wife Carrying Championships. And I think the great thing about it is, is it has to be said, that the -- the way this thing works is -- is however is able to carry their wife and win this race, they win the -- they win -- the prize is beer, the amount of beer -- like, say, if your wife is, say, 100 pounds, well guess what? You win 100 pounds of peer.
NGUYEN: A hundred pounds of beer.
WOLF: Isn't that great?
So I'm sure there's a conversation going around tables around the country. 'Honey, I finished mine. Here, why don't you eat a little bit more.'
NGUYEN: Exactly. Or, they could be saying, 'Mmm, we might actually win if you wouldn't eat as much.'
WOLF: It -- it's a...
NGUYEN: But then you don't get as much beer. It's -- you know, it's a Catch-22.
WOLF: It's a very complex strategy.
NGUYEN: It is.
WOLF: I mean, it really is. And we'll really have to tackle that.
Hey, and last but not least, we got two more.
NGUYEN: OK.
WOLF: The Kite Fliers Convention in Rochester, Minnesota. One contestant, 79 years old, and he's actually flown -- flown kites in all states and all continents. I mean, the guy's been around quite a bit. He know something about air currents; he knows about cool kites. And he can do it all.
NGUYEN: Hey. Look at that.
WOLF: Sometimes you just let the video tell the story.
NGUYEN: That is the craziest-looking kite I've ever seen.
WOLF: Good gosh almighty.
And we finish up with the Solar Decathlon Houses. That is going to be in the National Mall in Washington. There are 20 teams of college students. They compete to build the most attractive, efficient, effective, energy-efficient house.
NGUYEN: Wow.
WOLF: Just an amazing thing to see.
NGUYEN: Well, that's something that is really productive going on this weekend.
WOLF: It is productive. And you know...
NGUYEN: Not that these others aren't. You know, the wife- carrying is -- is really important, to...
WOLF: Yes.
NGUYEN: ...the future of our nation. I -- I understand that.
WOLF: Absolutely. Of course.
(LAUGHTER)
WOLF: There's the method to getting (INAUDIBLE).
NGUYEN: All right. Well, you know, something else that's really important to the future of our nation is that Reynolds Wolf was able to make it out of this last assignment with all of his limbs intact.
WOLF: Yes, I got to be chum (ph). I got to go swim in the Georgia Aquarium. I got a chance to get up close and personal with some sharks and experience a great shark exhibit.
And here's the story.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, you just (INAUDIBLE).
WOLF: Oh, I guess we're not tossing the story.
GRIFFIN: Oh wait, (INAUDIBLE)
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: ...just tease everybody. So were you scared?
NGUYEN: Well I'll tell you what, they'll stick around.
WOLF: To tell you the truth, I think there's, like, a little segment of your brain, in every person's brain, that little reptilian thing that's going on where, I think we're terrified of things that are bigger than we are.
NGUYEN: Mm-hmm.
WOLF: And seeing a whale shark that's about 20 feet long with a mouth this big swimming towards you -- I know they're plankton feeders, but there's still something a little alarming about that.
NGUYEN: Right.
GRIFFIN: Do they know they're plankton feeders, basically is the question you ask, and hope so.
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: Or, do I look like plankton? I think so. So, yes.
NGUYEN: Well, you smell like it. But, you know, that's a whole 'nother story.
WOLF: Ain't that the truth.
NGUYEN: All right, thank you. Look at part of that piece though.
In the meantime though, a controversial spit on television has guest judge Harry Connick Jr. giving them a thumbs-down.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Hello, welcome back to CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It's October 10th. I'm Betty Nguyen.
GRIFFIN: I'm Drew Griffin.
NGUYEN: Good to have you here this morning.
GRIFFIN: It's good to be had.
NGUYEN: T.J. taking a little time off. You had to get up early. Lucky man.
Since we're all up early, let's look at the top stories that we're working on.
Discussions at the White House on the strategy for Afghanistan; this photo taken during a three-hour meeting yesterday. We'll get that that photo in just a minute. There it is.
President tells his top advisers he wants to identify objectives in Afghanistan before deciding on whether to commit more troops.
GRIFFIN: In Los Angeles police found a knife they think was used in a brutal attack used in the UCLA campus. The 20-year-old victim hospitalized with multiple stab wounds, after Thursday's attack. It happened in a chemistry lab. Police have arrested another student, charged him with attempted murder. Again, no word on why this happened.
NGUYEN: Well, after an Olympic defeat in Europe just a week ago, President Obama heads back in a couple of months a big winner. He is scheduled to arrive in Norway in December to pick up his Nobel peace prize, and also pick up a check for $1.4 million the White House says is going to charity. The president says he'll accept the award as a call to action.
GRIFFIN: What is happening in Pakistan? The third major militant attack in just a week. The latest attack really brazen, at a checkpoint at the army headquarters in Rawalpindi. CNN's Reza Sayah is in Islamabad.
Reza, six gunmen attacked this checkpoint. Four killed. Any word on the search for the other two? What was this all about?
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the other two, according to army officials are still missing. According to the spokesperson for the military they are outside of the compound and the search operation is under way to find them.
When it comes to militant attacks, they don't get any more audacious and brazen as this one did today targeting the military headquarters in Rawalpindi. Militants, according to officials, all wearing camouflage uniforms carrying automatic weapons, tried to penetrate the army headquarters. They drove up to a first check post with a mini van. They opened fire. They killed several security guards. They managed to race past that first check post.
It was the second check post where they engaged security guards in another fierce gun fight that lasted at least 45 minutes. That's where they were stopped, four of the militants killed according to army officials. A total of six security guards also killed. Again, a search operation under way for two of the militants who are missing.
This attack comes 24 hours after one of deadliest attacks ever in Pakistan. It took place in Peshawar. And 52 people killed in Peshawar after a suicide attacker detonated explosives at the busy market. Then of course, earlier this week in the federal capital of Islamabad, you had another suicide attacker again wearing a military uniform target the offices of the U.N.'s World Food Program.
You see these attacks where militants are getting more sophisticated with their strategies, more determined trying to make headlines with these spectacular attacks and they are certainly going to do that again today, targeting the heart of Pakistan security apparatus.
GRIFFIN: Reza, what is concerning to me, they all seem like they are suicide attacks. Are they connected in any way? And this latest one, even though two guys got away, what could possibly be the end goal if not suicide attacks? Six guys targeting, basically, an army post.
SAYAH: Yes, Drew, that illustrates the dilemma you're faced when you're fighting this type of insurgency. When you have militants willing to die, when you have militants welcoming death, it's very difficult to stop them without them inflicting some sort of damage.
Keep in mind, this wasn't a suicide attack when you have the explosives detonate and it's over. Once again, you have militants engaging, taking on security personnel for an extended period of time. Again an indication that these militants are getting more sophisticated. There's a higher degree of planning and determination.
The Pakistani government continues to be determined in going after these militants. They have had some degree of success in parts of northwestern Pakistan, but the dilemma is the suicide attackers, the militants continue to hit back inflicting damage, and it's a vicious cycle that continues to go on, Drew.
GRIFFIN: Reza, thanks for keeping us up to date on that. Appreciate it.
NGUYEN: All right. We have some really compelling video to show you. Flash flooding in parts of Little Rock, Arkansas. You can see some firefighters here rescuing some children. In fact nine children, two adults had to be rescued by those firefighters.
GRIFFIN: Can you believe this? Imagine your kid was at this day care center and they are being carried out. Look at these little guys. Oh, my goodness gracious. Very scary sight especially when the parents arrived and are trying to find their children. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it scared me to death when I pulled up and saw the rescue personnel here. I didn't know what to think. And then they took me to the ambulance and my little girl was in there. But she was safe and sound.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: Three inches fell in just an hour. Much of Arkansas under a flash flood warning, I guess, still today.
NGUYEN: Yes, it is going to be raining this weekend and some areas still cold. Reynolds Wolf has a look at the nation this morning and where that severe weather will be popping up.
Hey there, Reynolds.
WOLF: Hey, what Drew just mentioned about the three inches of rainfall.
NGUYEN: In an hour.
WOLF: Yes, to me for viewers, though, it doesn't seem like it's going to add up, only three inches of rainfall. But see, folks, the key it is that it falls in that quick rate.
NGUYEN: Right.
WOLF: Three inches per hour. So, when that really falls quickly, it doesn't really have time to soak in. Of course you have the runoff and the widespread flooding.
I'll tell you, people here in Atlanta area certainly know that very, very well.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: We're in the final days of the health care reform debate. At least according to President Obama in his weekly address.
GRIFFIN: Says he's confident. New reports showing the bill in the Senate Finance Committee could, eventually, cut the deficit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: After evaluating the Finance Committee's bill, the Congressional Budget Office, an office that provides independent, nonpartisan analysis, concluded that the legislation would make coverage affordable for millions of Americans who don't have it today. It will bring greater security to Americans who have coverage, with new insurance protections. And by attacking waste and fraud within the system, it will slow the growth in health care costs without adding a dime to our deficits.
This is another milestone on what's been a long, hard road towards health insurance reform. In recent months we've heard ever side of every argument, from both sides of the aisle, and rightly so. Health insurance reform is a complex and critical issue that deserves a vigorous national debate and we've had one.
The approach that is emerging includes the best ideas from Republicans and Democrats and people across the political spectrum. In fact, what's remarkable is not that we've had a spirited debate about health insurance reform, but the unprecedented consensus that has come together behind it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: Well, the Finance Committee is set to vote on that version of the bill on Tuesday.
NGUYEN: Projections may show that the Finance Committee's bill would cut the deficit further down the line but Republicans say not so simple in their weekly address.
Florida Senator George Lemieux warns of more taxes and program cuts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEN. GEORGE LEMIEUX, (R) FLORIDA: Unlike the federal government our states have to balance their budgets and they can't print more money to pay for programs they can't afford. Piling on additional obligations would mean even more severe cuts to roads, schools, law enforcement and other essential state services.
"Budget neutral" doesn't mean forcing states to cut vital programs to make up what the federal government isn't willing to pay. That is why America's governors, both Democrat and Republican alike, have voiced their opposition to this plan.
The plan being pushed by Democrats in Congress also adds a new tax burden to our families. President Obama said families earning less than $250,000 a year would not be subject to any tax increases. This proposal contains a mandate for families to buy insurance. Failing to comply would mean every adult would have to pay a $750 penalty. The president says this isn't a tax. I don't buy it. The penalty is paid directly to the IRS when you pay the taxes and it is certainly not optional.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Senator Lemieux has been in office for a month. And he was appointed to replace Mel Martinez, who resigned.
GRIFFIN: There is a controversy cal skit on television that guest judge Harry Connick Jr., the singer, gave the act a thumb's down. It's a way to handle something that I thought was really classy. I'm going to tell you about it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: This morning, there is new information in the case against Afghan national Najibullah Zazi. CNN has learned that two more people are being questioned in the alleged terror plot involving the 24-year-old. And police have searched the apartment of a Bosnian immigrant in Queens, New York. They have also questioned the taxi driver living in that same apartment.
GRIFFIN: Police say the shooting death of a Pennsylvania soccer mom may have been recorded on a web cam. You remember this woman; 31- year-old Meleanie Hain. She made headlines last year when she brought a handgun to her five-year-old daughter's soccer game. Well, police say she was talking to a friend via web cam when her husband allegedly shot her several times. Authorities say Hain's husband then took his own life.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton now on a six-day trip in Europe, including a stop in Russia. Today she'll attend a signing ceremony normalizing relations between Turkey and Armenia. The centerpiece of this trip will be her visit to Moscow, though, where she is going to discuss nuclear disarmament.
NGUYEN: Well, a lot of people discussing this, this morning, and throughout the week, in fact. Some people were very shocked by it. We'll start out by telling you this was the skit in Australia. It was a live skit show. A group sang Michael Jackson's "Can You Feel It". Well, the group was in black face and then they had -- I believe one of them, who was portraying Michael Jackson, may have been in a white face.
Again, Harry Connick, Jr. was one of judges on this. He said if this would have happened in the U.S. there would not have been another show.
GRIFFIN: I think he handled it really well. He basically took the time to lecture the Australian people on how this is seen horribly in the United States and they really should be more careful in how they represent black people.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRY CONNICK, JR., SINGER/SONGWRITER, CONTEST JUDGE We've spent so much time trying to not make black people look like buffoons, that when we see something like that, we take it really to heart.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a tribute to Michael Jackson and I think from an Australian audience point of view, they would see the lightness of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: You know, besides the lightness of it. It was just dumb, it was just bad ...
NGUYEN: Really bad. It was in poor taste.
GRIFFIN: As far as I know, this was like a bunch of doctors. This is like an amateur show.
NGUYEN: Yes, but how could you do something like that and not know that it's going to have some kind of effect? I mean, you had to have known when you put the makeup on, right?
Anyways, Harry Connick, Jr. gave the group a goose egg, an absolute zero for that skit and he's not calling anyone a racist on the show. But as we heard, pretty much giving them a lecture that this is really not the right protocol in any situation, even if it is a skit show. We want to know you're reaction from it, this morning. What do you think about it?
Check out my Facebook page or go to my Twitter page. You can also reach me at the blog CNN.com/betty. And we'll be reading some of your replies a little later today.
GRIFFIN: You think that was bad, Marge Simpson is posing for "Playboy".
NGUYEN: Gonna do what?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WOLF: Yeah, you hear the music. That's right we're talking about sharks this morning. And believe it or not, one third, one third of the shark population could be headed towards extinction. And some conservations say that within a few years certain species could be wiped out all together. Question is, why should you care?
Well, after all, some people fear sharks and a few actually view them as man-eating predators. There is a new exhibit that has a very different take. One that brought me face to face with more than 70 of these animals and from that view I got a very different perspective.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF (voice over): The majestic whale shark, the endangered saw- toothed shark, great hammer heads. The Georgia Aquarium is home to 14 species of shark. More than 70 of the animals, in all. They are untouched by time, the same now as millions of years ago. Marine biologist Greg Thorburn has studied them for a lifetime. He is eager to share what he's learned.
(On camera): It is essentially like seeing a dinosaur, swimming in the ocean.
CRAIG THORBURN, MARINE BIOLOGIST: The sharks have been around over 400 million years and there's nothing swimming in the ocean today that is not there, or has not survived, predation for the shark. They really are responsible for what we see in the ocean today.
WOLF (voice over): But the ocean has changed and so has the shark population. Many species are said to be near extinction, millions killed each year. Some hunted for their fins but others scooped up as a prize. Just this week, in Florida, anglers drew sharp criticism for an attack and accused in killing this 750 pound mako shark.
(On camera): What is the biggest threat for these sharks?
THORBURN: The biggest threat for sharks today is overfishing. They are slow to reproduce. They have relatively few young and we're taking more than 60 or 70 million animals a year out of the environment. And it is not sustainable and will see the demise of the shark at that rate.
WOLF: Thorburn wanted me to experience the other side, the grace and majesty of the shark without glass or boundary. And most of the sharks are not dangerous. We went snorkeling in the world's largest fish tank. Home of the Georgia Aquarium.
(On camera): That -- that was cool. Wow!
(Voice over): Thorburn just opened a new exhibit there called Planet Shark. His goal is for the world to see sharks as something other than the man eater portrayed in the movie "Jaws".
THORBURN: There are story that's we cannot tell in aquaria, but as a compliment to a live exhibit, Planet Shark brings you stories of the sea that cannot be told in any other way.
WOLF: The exhibit includes Rodney Fox's story. Fox survived a great white attack in 1963 and that is the jacket he was wearing. It took 465 stitches to sew up his left side. Yet Fox is now one of the shark's biggest advocates.
RODNEY FOX, SURVIVED SHARK ATTACK: After I learned about the sharks at little bit, I found out that people have far more fear and gave them credibility of far more aggressiveness than they should.
WOLF: Fox invented the first underwater shark observation cage. He hopes that the Planet Shark exhibit will teach people what he's come to learn. That sharks can be amazing.
JUSTIN HALL, STUDENT: I learned that some sharks mostly attack on their senses and not on sight.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF: Betty, we were talking. You had the opportunity to be in the ocean and actually see these sharks.
NGUYEN: Yes, I went great white shark diving in Africa, South Africa, in fact. The thing about these sharks is, one, they'll jump out of the water, which is amazing. And you just see the huge teeth coming at you, it is almost like out of a movie. But it is not even the length of them, it's the girth. These things are gigantic. And like he says, it's like watching a Volkswagen just leap out of the water.
WOLF: And, Drew, I know you have some experience diving, but I have to tell you, when you are diving into them like this, at the Georgia Aquarium, and you have the sensory overload of seeing all of these fish, then all of a sudden you look down and you see parts of the bottom of the floor of the aquarium move, it's a shark. It's an amazing thing.
As I mentioned earlier, they are plankton feeders. We are talking about the whale sharks, but it's a breathtaking thing to see something this big be so nimble and move so gracefully through the water.
That thing right there doesn't move gracefully at all, that being me.
(LAUGHTER)
WOLF: Totally feel out of place in their environment. They are amazing animals. They are the apex predators of the sea. They are so important to the environment. You think of the Serengeti, if someone were to take the lion away. How things would be out of sync. Sharks do have an incredible purpose. They really and truly do. I certainly think the good they provide to the ocean far outweighs the incidents between shark and man.
But amazing, if you have the opportunity, by all means, go over and check out the exhibit. Just a fascinating thing to see. Great for kids of all ages and great way to spend the afternoon.
NGUYEN: That's for bringing that to us. It's very cool. You've got all the best assignments. I don't know how you are swinging that, but we need to talk.
WOLF: It takes money -- and bribing. It's all bribing. That's what it comes to.
NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, Reynolds.
WOLF: Anytime.
NGUYEN: From that to this, Taliban kidnapped victim, now a Nobel prize nominee. Yes, our Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour talks to a man now helping educating Afghan's young students.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Hot chocolate singing, "You Sexy Thing". Some may find this sexy, who knows.
GRIFFIN: Not me.
NGUYEN: Check it out. Marge Simpson poses for "Playboy"? Really? Marge actually has an interview and a centerfold. In the footsteps of Marilyn Monroe, Farrah Fawcett, Hugh Heffner picked these Marge Simpson shots, by homework, they say. The issue is out October 16th.
Drew, what, you're not going to rush out to buy this one?
GRIFFIN: No.
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: Apparently the aim is to attract younger "Playboy" readers ...
GRIFFIN: Of what, like eight? Of six-years old.
NGUYEN: Exactly. You can't even buy a copy of it. Yes, anyways, we're moving right along.
GRIFFIN: Yes, let's do that. OK?
Nearly 24 hours later many are still shocked about President Obama getting the Nobel peace prize.
NGUYEN: Yes, there's been a lot of talk about President Obama getting that. And, huh, now, really? But should we be surprised? Still ahead, we'll look at why critics have turned out in force against what is supposed to be a major honor.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Hello, everybody. From CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is October 10th. Good morning to you. I'm Betty Nguyen.
GRIFFIN: I'm Drew Griffin. T.J. Holmes is off today. It's 7:00 a.m. here in Atlanta, 4:00 a.m. in my little hometown Seattle. Thanks for starting your day with us wherever you are.
NGUYEN: All right. Let's gets right to it.
President Obama mulling over his options in Afghanistan and considering troops strength and whether to reduce focus on the Taliban -- and some insights from Christiane Amanpour, we've got those bases cover for you this morning.
GRIFFIN: Proof of the power of a tsunami -- fresh images of waves crashing in American Samoa. We'll have details coming up. It's something you want to see.
NGUYEN: You have to see this video.
But, in the meantime, let's get to our top stories today, starting with President Obama. He is scheduled to speak tonight at the Human Rights Campaign dinner in Washington, and he becomes only the second president to address the group, the largest gay rights organization in the country.
Now, some gay rights supporters have criticized his first months in office, most notably on the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
GRIFFIN: News in that terror plot in New York. CNN has learned: two more people being questioned in the plot involving Afghan national Najibullah Zazi. Police have searched the apartment of a Bosnian immigrant in Queens, New York. They've also questioned a taxi driver also living in Queens. Zazi charged with conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction.
NGUYEN: Well, President Obama is discussing the strategy for Afghanistan. He met for three hours yesterday at the White House with his top advisers. The president says he wants to identify objectives in Afghanistan before deciding whether to commit more troops.
Well, after owning his life -- or owing his life to a group of Pakistani villagers who saved him when he nearly died scaling the K2, Nobel shortlister Greg Mortenson is now dedicating it to children and women in Pakistan.
GRIFFIN: He's trying to make sure that they have the right tools against extremism and violence, here's CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Greg Mortenson's career has been all about war and peace.
(on camera): How are you?
AMANPOUR: We met him surrounded by guns and guards. He's been kidnapped by the Taliban and frequently receives death threats. Yet, despite the danger, Greg Mortenson remains undaunted. He's committed to giving an education to children in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, to give them an alternative to violence and extremism.
GREG MORTENSON, CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE: We don't need guns. We don't need bombs. But what we need is education.
AMANPOUR: His mission began 15 years ago when he attempted to scale the world's second highest peak, Pakistan's treacherous K2. Mortenson failed and he nearly died. He was nursed back to health in a remote Pakistani village.
MORTENSON: I saw 84 children sitting in the dirt during school lessons. They asked for help to build a school.
AMANPOUR (on camera): And did you?
MORTENSON: I built a school, and 78 more, and still doing it today.
AMANPOUR (voice-over): Mortenson's schools now educate about 30,000 students, mostly girls. Thirteen-year-old Zaida (ph) is one of them.
(on camera): Zaida, do you like learning? Are you glad you're being educated?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Yes, I'm happy to learn so I can have a good future.
AMANPOUR (voice-over): Not only does this improve the lives of their families and communities, but Greg Mortenson has also found that educated women can be a fire wall against extremism.
MORTENSON: When someone goes on jihad they first should get permission and blessings from their mother. If they don't, it's very shameful or disgraceful. I saw that happen after 9/11. They are primarily targeting illiterate, impoverished society because many educated women were refusing to allow their sons to join the Taliban.
AMANPOUR: Mortenson's philosophy has attracted the attention of the Pentagon.
MIKE MULLEN, CHAIRMAN OF JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: I thought his approach was exactly right. He's at the heart of the right example for all of us.
AMANPOUR: The people he's helped agree. When Greg Mortenson arrives at the schools he helped build, he receives a hero's welcome.
(on camera): Guys, what has Dr. Greg mean to you? What has he done for you?
UNIDENTIFIED BOY (through translator): Now, we'll be educated and our future will be good.
AMANPOUR: Christiane Amanpour, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE) GRIFFIN: Today at 5:00, the challenges that face the United States including the war in Afghanistan and nuclear tension with Iran. Christiane Amanpour and George Washington University's Frank Sesno who's hosting a roundtable discussion with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. That's "AMANPOUR" -- today at 5:00 Eastern, only on CNN.
NGUYEN: All right. We're going to talk about severe weather because you've got to check out this video in Pago Pago, American Samoa less than two weeks ago. Water just rushed into a parking lot. This is from security camera footages.
See it right there, top left hand corner, you can see a little bit of water coming in. And then it just floods it. Why? Because of a tsunami that formed after a magnitude eight earthquake, which is such a powerful one.
Look at this. These cars really just do not stand a chance. In fact, 165 people did not stand a chance either. They were killed in that earthquake and following tsunami.
WOLF: Unreal.
NGUYEN: I mean, Reynolds, you know, we talk about just a little bit of water can wash a vehicle away. I mean, this is water that came in with a force.
WOLF: Absolutely. And I mean, like we were talking about earlier, if you don't know, you haven't heard warnings of a tsunami warning, you'd never know by looking outside and seeing the sunshine that you see in that picture. I mean, the waves just coming through the water, and unbelievable force when that fluid comes through moving everything in its path. And this is caused by just a buckling of the undersea floor. You were talking about an 8.0 magnitude quake.
NGUYEN: That's huge, right?
WOLF: Yes. So when you have that buckling, you have a displacement of the water. The water retreats along the beach and then comes back and...
NGUYEN: But if you're not near the beach and you don't see it do that, you're on your office...
WOLF: Exactly.
NGUYEN: ... you know, you have no idea what is coming until boom, it's already there.
WOLF: Absolutely. A terrifying prospect, no question about it.
NGUYEN: But they did have a tsunami warning in effect, right?
WOLF: They did indeed. But still, I mean, how quickly can people react to?
NGUYEN: Right.
WOLF: We have some video that we're going to show of some flooding of a different variety.
NGUYEN: OK.
WOLF: This is actually in parts of the Midwest. This is actually took place in parts of Indiana where they had some heavy rainfall, enough to close 10 miles of U.S. Highway in the southern part of the state. One man actually gave his shoes to his stepdaughter so that she could stay dry. Certainly, some rough things to say at very least.
Now, that same area has been flooded in August. And I'll tell you, any spots around the country where you happen to have a heavy rain that falls at the quick rate and falls over the same again and again, the ground gets saturated and everything else has runoff and that's the problem we've seen in parts of the country, especially in spots like Arkansas.
But today in Arkansas, you're going to get a bit of a break. The heavy rain that you had in parts of Arkansas is now moving off towards the east and the southeast. We're going to have this frontal boundary, this area of low pressure, that's going to pull moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic. And with that in mind, what we're going to be seeing is some heavy rainfall.
Further back in parts of the Midwest and into the Central Plains, it's not rain we're talking about, it's snowfall. We've got a secondary frontal boundary that's going to be coming in from north to south and then shot of cold air. You see the effects of that. Lyons is currently 17 degrees, Tyndall with 29. And then right here in this particular area, you have snow that's beginning to pile up, some places up to a half foot of snow. Visibility is very poor because you're going to have some wind gusts topping 30 to 40 miles an hour.
Now, your temperatures are going to be topping out into the 90s for parts of Florida. I know you're waiting for that frontal boundary to come through. It always seems to stop for you in central Florida. People are always watching the weather. They can't wait for the first boundary front to move on through and to give them a blast of somewhat cooler air. It's not going to be today.
Ninety-two degrees in Tampa, 91 in Miami. Making a drive along Alligator Alley, the air conditioner is going to be at full blast for you. In Memphis, 63 degrees, 37 in Denver, 50 in Salt Lake City, 59 in Seattle, back to Phoenix with 88 degrees, cool day for the Valley of the Sun, 38 in Minneapolis. We're going to wrap it up in Chicago with 55.
That is a look at your forecast. We've got more coming up straight ahead. Let's send it back to the news desk.
NGUYEN: All right. Looking forward to it. See you shortly. Thank you.
WOLF: You bet.
GRIFFIN: Switch gears here to the Nobel Peace Prize. U.S. presidents have, of course, won it, but Barack Obama is fighting two wars. He's the only nine -- only nine months into his first term in office, and yet, some say he was an obvious choice, others shocked. We're interested in what this could mean on the diplomatic front.
Well, Walter Russell Mead is a Henry Kissinger senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and the author of several books on U.S. diplomacy, including this one, "Special Providence: American Foreign Policy and How It Has Changed the World."
Thanks for joining us.
You know, at the end of the day, this is five people in Norway who award this. Obviously, not for anything that President Obama has done yet. Is this five people in Norway trying to influence our president on what he's going to do in the future?
WALTER RUSSELL MEAD, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Well, I certainly think they are hoping to send a signal. It's not quite fair to say the president hasn't done anything yet. I think his speech in Cairo, for example, really did set a new tone between the U.S. and the Islamic world, and that's a very positive thing. But I think most people would agree with you that maybe the prize is a little premature.
GRIFFIN: Is it baggage that the president doesn't need that right now? He's got to try to fulfill what a lot of people -- a lot of people do believe that he didn't deserve this award but he could earn it.
MEAD: Well, let's hope he earns it. But, you know, it's not a bad thing when you win a famous international prize, really. It's certainly better than losing.
And one thing that this has done is driven the Olympics and Copenhagen story right off the airwaves, instead of talking about why isn't Obama more popular internationally, we're talking about is he too popular internationally. That's probably, on balance, a good conversation for him.
GRIFFIN: Jimmy Carter won this in 2002. That brought a lot of controversy as well. Did that change anything?
MEAD: No. At that point, Jimmy Carter was who he was and his career was what it was. I think other Nobel Peace prizes have had a lot more impact. Martin Luther King got in 1964, and I think that was both richly deserved and did have an impact on King's standing.
GRIFFIN: Yes. That particular prize, it did elevate his stature not only in this country but worldwide. Is that the kind of cache you're thinking that this prize could bring to President Obama?
MEAD: I think President Obama already has a lot of cache. I think this is more a tribute to the cache he's got. I think, if anything, the Nobel Prize is a peace prize that's hoping to grasp on to his coattails. He is giving prestige to the prize rather than receiving it.
But still, it's a real testimony to the degree to which people around the world think that the United States of America remains the number one country. That when our president changes his tone and changes his policy, the whole world changes. There's no other head of state that you could say that about.
GRIFFIN: You know, the change -- just one more question -- the change was, we got rid of in the world's eyes, President George Bush, and there had been some critics that say this was the anybody but Bush award. Do you buy into that?
MEAD: Well, it is interesting that the Nobel Peace prizes to Americans have gone to Jimmy Carter, to Al Gore, and now, to Barack Obama. So, my guess is, if the members of the prize committee were registered voters in the U.S., they wouldn't be registered Republicans.
But I don't think it's just a cheap and cynical move on their part. I really do think there is some hope and some optimism about the course that President Obama is trying to set. I hope they are right. I think it's much too soon to tell, myself.
GRIFFIN: Walter Russell Mead -- thanks for getting up this morning. Thanks for sharing your views this morning.
MEAD: Good to be here, Drew.
NGUYEN: Well, for the first time in years, bank overdraft fees -- well, they're down. And can we expect more protection for consumers down the road? Our finance expert joins us in just a few with some answers.
GRIFFIN: Yes. And speaking of possible changes to come, the November issue of "Glamour" magazine celebrates women with curves. Supermodel Beverly Johnson and her daughter -- one of the featured models -- and they're going to join us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. Well, chances are, you have overdraft protection on your checking account and you never signed up for it. Well, if you want to opt out, you probably cannot. Do you know that? The bank will not let you.
This morning, Clyde Anderson, author of "What Had Happened Was" -- I love that title -- joins us to talk about banks and what they are and are not doing.
Let's first get these overdraft fees.
CLYDE ANDERSON, FINANCE EXPERT: Yes.
NGUYEN: OK. You didn't opt for it. You didn't want to be in it.
ANDERSON: Right.
NGUYEN: Some reason, you write a check and you -- it goes into overdraft, you're going to be charged for that, right?
ANDERSON: Right. A lot of times, they automatically enroll you. So, you have to really read the fine print. We talked about this several times. You got to read it.
NGUYEN: I just think you can get out of it if you weren't signing up for it to begin with?
ANDERSON: Well, a lot of times, they pull you in because this is a big moneymaker for the bank. Last year, they made almost $36 billion on overdraft.
NGUYEN: Thirty-six billion.
ANDERSON: Overdrafts. Now, that's all we're talking about from that end. So, it's a big business and they're making a lot of money from it.
NGUYEN: All right. Well, so, what are they doing now? Because they're trying to make amends in a way.
ANDERSON: Right.
NGUYEN: They're capping -- some banks are capping these fees, correct?
ANDERSON: Right. Well, Congress is coming down and saying they want to get legislation in place to kind of, you know, take control and make sure that...
NGUYEN: So, banks are saying, wait, let me take control of this myself...
ANDERSON: Exactly.
NGUYEN: ... before you come in and run it. And they're capping the fees, how so?
ANDERSON: Well, what they're trying to is -- right now, they can charge up to 10 fees a day. Now, they are trying to cap it down to four.
NGUYEN: OK.
ANDERSON: So, 10 is pretty excessive, in my opinion. So, four is a lot better to cap it if you go over. You know, if you go below zero, then they'll give, you know, four times where they can hit you with those $35, $45, in some cases, fees.
NGUYEN: Is this the first of many more changes that we're going to see? ANDERSON: I would hope so. I'm not sure. You know, some say this is coming down right now because what Congress is doing. I would like to see many changes come in the future. But again, banks make so much money. This is a business at the same time.
NGUYEN: Right.
ANDERSON: So, you got to protect yourself as well and know what you're getting into when you have this overdraft protection.
NGUYEN: But is it enough to stave off legislation? I mean, just to cap some fees? Is that going to be enough?
ANDERSON: I don't think so. I don't think so and I hope not. I think there need to be more things put in place. And I don't think this is the end-all, you know?
NGUYEN: Got you.
ANDERSON: I don't think this is the main solution.
NGUYEN: There's more to come.
ANDERSON: I would hope.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. All right. Clyde, as always, we appreciate your insight and your time this morning. Thank you.
ANDERSON: My pleasure, Betty.
NGUYEN: Your appearances are not capped here.
ANDERSON: OK. Thank you.
NGUYEN: Not yet.
ANDERSON: I appreciate that.
NGUYEN: OK. Drew?
GRIFFIN: All right. You two guys -- which is the smartest city in America? Do you know? Oh, they're getting up, they're not even answering. The list is in and there is an answer. And our Josh Levs has it.
LEVS: Hey, Drew. Do you got a guess?
GRIFFIN: It's got to be the city I live in.
LEVS: Nice. You're third person to say that to me wherever I asked.
GRIFFIN: Oh, yes.
LEVS: Well, here's the thing. I'm going to tell you which one came in first... GRIFFIN: OK.
LEVS: ... and which one last, and I'm going to show how that list was decided.
GRIFFIN: Yes, that's what I want to know.
LEVS: All right.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right, everybody, welcome back. We want to take a look at some of the stories that we're working on for you.
After an Olympic defeat in Europe just a week ago, President Obama heads back in just a couple of months -- as a big winner this time around as he is scheduled a trip to Norway in December to pick up his Nobel Peace Prize. He will also pick up a check for $1.4 million that the White House says will go to charity. The president says he will accept the award as a, quote, "call to action."
GRIFFIN: In Los Angeles, police have found the knife they think was used in this brutal attack on the UCLA campus. A 20-year-old in the hospital with multiple stab wounds -- she was attacked Thursday in a chemistry lab. Police arrested another student, charging him with attempted murder. But we don't know the motive.
NGUYEN: Well, bones found at the California home of Phillip Garrido were probably buried there long before he moved there. This is what we're being told. In fact, experts say they may even belong to American Indians according to the "Associated Press." Investigators found those bone fragments while searching for evidence in the case of Jaycee Dugard. Garrido is accused of kidnapping her 18 years ago when she was just 11 years old.
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LEVS: We have been getting so many responses to that animation. I got a note from someone saying he wants to see me take on "Rocky and Bullwinkle." But it is just a set up for me to tell you about something else, which right now is the smartest cities in America.
Take a look at this list. It's got everybody talking online from DailyBeast.com. And they've decided that the smartest city in America is actually in metropolitan areas is Raleigh-Durham, and then they go on to explain what's so great Raleigh-Durham.
Let's go straight to this top 10 list we have on the graphic for you. It's really again, top metro areas over a million people. This is the top 10: Raleigh-Durham, the Bay Area in California, Boston, then Minneapolis-St. Paul. Then at five, you got Denver.
Six is Hartford-New Haven. And then seven, you have a tie, Seattle-Tacoma over on the west and then Washington, D.C. over in the east. That brings us down to nine, Portland, Oregon. And number 10 smartest city in America, according to DailyBeast.com is Baltimore. So, how did they decide this stuff? Well, here's how. Let's show the next screen. This is what they did. They weighted a whole bunch of factors. And that's what's interesting here. It gets you looking at these aspects of cities people don't often look at.
How many residents have bachelors and graduate degrees; nonfiction book sales -- which is interesting; higher education institutions; and also, percentage of electorate that takes part in elections there.
So, Betty and Drew, that is how they decided what the top 10 smartest cities in America are. Some people agree, some people disagree, but that's how they got that list.
NGUYEN: And Drew wants to know which cities came in last.
GRIFFIN: DailyBeast, I mean, come on...
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LEVS: I know, really. I'll tell you, they are backing up their figures but that's exactly what a lot of people are saying. They're like, come on. How much credence should you give this?
Here's what came in at the bottom.
NGUYEN: OK.
LEVS: Some people saying they are the ones that are on the bottom -- over here, take a look. All the way down at number 55, of the top 55 areas: Fresno, California. They say when they looked at it, it came in way at the bottom, and Las Vegas, Nevada, also came in way at the bottom.
Now, like I said, a lot of people not believing in this, but some are. Let's show how you can weigh in. I got a graphic for you.
Already, we've gotten a couple of hundred responses, the blogs, CNN.com/Josh. I'm also hearing from you at Facebook and Twitter, JoshLevsCNN. Maybe you agree or maybe you disagree, maybe this list gives you a lot of pride, but we've also put links there to the DailyBeast and how they crunch these figures so you can say if it's legit or in your view, like maybe what Drew is thinking right now.
GRIFFIN: You know, I'm just skeptical, you know, we have more higher degrees, we read more books...
LEVS: All right.
GRIFFIN: Usually those people -- I'm sorry some kind of common sense lacking.
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NGUYEN: How do you really feel this morning, Drew?
GRIFFIN: Usually.
LEVS: Well, you know what? Some people are saying that. There's this thing called street smarts that's not being measured right there.
NGUYEN: Yes.
LEVS: Who knows, maybe they're going to do that.
NGUYEN: All right. Thank you.
GRIFFIN: I love that animation. Where is your animation, Betty?
NGUYEN: We don't have one. We're not as cool as Josh apparently.
GRIFFIN: Josh has it and Reynolds has his skipping around town with a cowboy hat on.
NGUYEN: I know, we'll have to work on ours.
Coming up though in the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING, we don't have an animation but we will have this -- the battle of the sexes in health care reform.
GRIFFIN: And guess who's losing?
NGUYEN: Folks like me.
GRIFFIN: Women, yes. We're going to look why they are paying more and sometimes a lot more, and whether any reform plans are going to level that playing field.
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NGUYEN: Well, you know, while some people wait in long lines at health clinics for the new H1N1 flu vaccine, there's a lot of skepticism even though health officials say it is safe.
We want to get you some results from a recent Harvard study. And they show that 40 percent of adults say that they are not absolutely sure they'll get the vaccine.
GRIFFIN: I tried to get free vaccine shots this morning, by the way, Betty.
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GRIFFIN: About half of the parents surveyed say they don't know if they're going to give it to their kids and here's why. Two reasons, safety. People are concerned about mercury preservative found in some of the vaccines. You may have heard that critics say that may cause autism. There's never been any proof of it.
The other is, they don't think they're actually going to get sick. So, why get the vaccine. NGUYEN: And we're hearing a lot of that. In fact, we're asking you earlier today, this is our Facebook and Twitter and all these other social media sites question for you.
Question of the day: Swine flu vaccine, will you get it, will you make sure your kids get? If you are going to get it, tell us why. If not, do the same.
Let me go to my Twitter page first up. NDCohen49 (ph) says, "I don't think I'll get the H1N1 vaccine. It's just too new." But then you see, CarlDulope (ph) here saying, "I don't normally get flu shots, but I'm considering getting the H1N1 because of all the hype."
And let me get you one more on my Facebook site. Let's see -- here -- this one right here. New York physician, Atul Gupta. "I'm required by law to get the swine flu vaccine."
So people getting it because they have to, others say no way. I just don't know enough about it just yet.
So, we still want to hear from you this morning. Hit us up on our Facebook, Twitter sites. Also go to my blog, CNN.com/BettyNguyen. And we will be reading your responses on the air.
All right. There's much more to come right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
GRIFFIN: Yes. Sanjay Gupta coming up right next -- right next.
