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CNN Saturday Morning News
Two U.S. Aid Workers Killed; Tax Credits for Film Production
Aired August 07, 2010 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In terms of the numbers, we don't know yet exactly how many. There were at least two Americans, there may have been actually more. There were German, perhaps one U.K. British civilian and a couple of Afghan civilians as well -- T.J.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Jill, tell us as much as you can as well about this organization, what their particular mission was.
DOUGHERTY: Well, they run in Afghanistan and over a number of years, back -- going back to the 1966. They have run clinics for the education and help for the Afghans in terms of eye disease and health of the eye, and also, internal medicine.
And very interesting part of this -- excuse me -- T.J., is that there is a Facebook Web site, a page on Facebook, where this organization, I should say this team, plotted out. And I think you can see it probably on your screen now, where they plotted out where they were going from Kabul up north and then east over to that very remote area where then they were killed. And as they explained what they were doing, they had some equipment, it's a very interesting site.
So, again, conflicting information. And the one thing that we cannot totally pin down yet is exactly how many Americans and people of other nationalities. But it's a very disturbing thing, of course, to hear that a civilian humanitarian organization was targeted.
HOLMES: And you just hit on the point I want to bring up next here. I mean, you have so many people in country there trying to do good work. What can this do down the road, quite frankly, to discourage some of these other groups for having their people in harm's way? And do we know if this particular group was traveling with any kind of security?
DOUGHERTY: We don't know that they were traveling with any security. Just a few minutes ago, one of our producers here was speaking with the organization and they actually said that there were 12 people total. Now, if 10 were killed, we believe that two Afghans were not. Originally, we thought one Afghan was not. But they say 12 people.
It does not appear that they had any security. It appears it was primarily people, you know, medical staff, doctors, et cetera.
And as you pointed out, the main thing, the message from all of this is that there are numerous, thousands of international organizations, humanitarian groups that are helping the people of Afghanistan. But if they cannot get securely into the areas where they want to provide that assistance, it's going to be very difficult for them to continue their mission. And that's the concern.
And especially now -- you know, the initial report was, oh, perhaps they were just stopped by people who wanted to take their possessions and kill them. But now that you have this from the Taliban, that's another very disturbing factor.
HOLMES: All right. Our Jill Dougherty on the story for us in Kabul this morning -- Jill, we appreciate you. We'll be checking in with you throughout the morning.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And we'll have much more on that and other stories that we're watching coming up, right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: All righty.
Two astronauts from the International Space Station will make the first of two spacewalks today to fix a cooling pump that failed last weekend. We talked about this.
HOLMES: Yes.
BOLDUAN: They had a rude awakening with some alarms last weekend. But NASA insists the ISS crew is not in any danger. You're looking at live -- some tape, some video that we have from up obviously in the space station. The pump failed after an electrical current spike tripped a circuit breaker.
HOLMES: Now, that sounds really serious to us. And it is serious.
BOLDUAN: I mean, anything that happens in space that goes awry --
HOLMES: Pretty critical.
BOLDUAN: Yes.
HOLMES: But it was never an emergency situation. And even when the alarms went off last weekend, some of the astronauts actually just went back to sleep when they got the alarms.
BOLDUAN: Right, they did.
HOLMES: But the problem shut down half the space station's cooling system. They tried to restart, it didn't work. The pump helps maintain the proper temperature for the space station's electrical systems and avionics. But nothing ever got too hot that it was in any danger.
And one of these people making the spacewalk today, which we're going to have a live picture soon, we hope -- it was supposed to get started about 10 minutes ago -- she is making her first ever spacewalk.
BOLDUAN: Big day for her.
HOLMES: It's going to be a huge day. That's a big deal. Your first ever spacewalk.
BOLDUAN: First ever going into space would be a big enough deal, I think. But --
HOLMES: She's been there, done that.
BOLDUAN: Big deal already.
HOLMES: They got six up there on the space station right now as we are joined by Jacqui.
This is always fascinating stuff.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It is.
HOLMES: Even though we most of the time don't understand exactly what they're doing.
(CROSSTALK)
BOLDUAN: Exactly.
JERAS: Who doesn't need a cooling system these days, right?
BOLDUAN: Right.
JERAS: Oh, my gosh.
BOLDUAN: It's been wild. I mean, we talk about how it's always relative, these weather situations. When you hear people saying, oh, but it's actually cool here, it's 80s, like in the low 90s, it's cool. It's cool.
JERAS: You kind of change your --
BOLDUAN: Exactly.
JERAS: -- criteria there.
So, a good idea of what to do today, if you're hot, looking for things to do to cool down, you know what today is?
HOLMES: Today is what?
BOLDUAN: Uh-oh.
JERAS: It's National Bowling Day.
HOLMES: Bowling day.
JERAS: National Bowling Day.
BOLDUAN: Really?
JERAS: And they're trying to set a world record.
HOLMES: It's not just me, OK? Something else is shaking their head. What is this?
BOLDUAN: What's the world record they were trying to set? How many people can bowl at one time?
JERAS: It's more than 700,000 games in a day, I think, or is it 70,000? (INAUDIBLE)
BOLDUAN: I would believe you no matter what you said. So --
JERAS: But you found it on the web. And if you go to my Facebook page, I have a little link on there and you can get a free coupon.
BOLDUAN: So, do you bowl?
JERAS: No.
BOLDUAN: What?
JERAS: I was born in the bowling capital of the world though.
BOLDUAN: Where is that?
JERAS: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
HOLMES: You're killing me right now, Jacqui. You're killing me with this info.
BOLDUAN: I actually do bowl. That was always a Christmas eve tradition for my family.
JERAS: So, you're a bowler.
BOLDUAN: Yes.
JERAS: Do you have shoes and a ball?
BOLDUAN: No. I always wanted a ball though because they looked so cool. Then I realized growing up that maybe I didn't want to waste one of my Christmas presents on asking for a bowling ball -- way too much information. I'm sure you all really wanted to know about that.
JERAS: Oh, yes. The biggest issue is the shoes, you know?
HOLMES: I'll take your words, Jacqui.
JERAS: Just wear socks. I'm just saying. Just wear socks.
HOLMES: Were we supposed to talk about weather?
JERAS: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
BOLDUAN: It's hot, everybody. Go, Jacqui.
JERAS: It is. And, you know what? And some storms, too. It's been really active along the Gulf Coast.
Take a look at these pictures that we have of water spouts. This was over Lake Okeechobee actually yesterday caught by some storm chasers. And you can see that rope tornado right there. So, it's a tornado over the water. That's what a water spout is.
And we do expect to see more showers and thunderstorms across the southeast for today and perhaps in the Gulf of Mexico, in particular. We could see more of those, possibly over Lake Okeechobee.
Let's talk about some of that heat, why you have to go out and bowl today, right? We got heat advisories again, Oklahoma City down towards Dallas and into the Houston area, feeling like 100 to 110, also over here towards Charleston. And the heat is going to start to build back in the plains.
Gorgeous today. Get outside and enjoy it before your temperatures start soaring. And this is going to build through the middle of the week next week.
As we look at the nation, as a whole, the big picture for you today, it is just gorgeous. Detroit, New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, D.C., Nashville even looking good today with lots of sunshine.
The heat confined to the south. That's where the showers and thunderstorms will be. And then we have a secondary area here of thunderstorms. And these could be severe across parts of the Upper Midwest.
And last but not least, we are watching the Tropics for today. Take a look at Colin, it was tropical storm then, it wasn't, now it is again. And it's getting close to Bermuda tonight, some wave action and some heavy showers and thunderstorms. Not a huge threat for those folks.
T.J., Kate -- I know Kate is like shining up her, you know? Do you got a bowling shirt, Kate?
BOLDUAN: I'm now going to get one because I'm going to take part in National Bowling Day.
JERAS: I'm so glad.
BOLDUAN: I will help. I will contribute.
HOLMES: Thank you. Talk to you again soon. And Lord knows what you're going to come up with then.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: All right, Jacqui, thank you so much.
About 10 minutes past the hour here now.
In cities all across the country, luring moviemakers through a generous tax credit.
BOLDUAN: And some people from directors to designers are relocating because of it. We'll tell you more about that coming up.
Nine minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right.
BOLDUAN: I really don't know if ever we're supposed to be here.
HOLMES: No, no, we are supposed to be -- we are exactly where we should be. And we are here in Georgia. And like most states, we need revenue. People are coming up with creative ways to get some of these revenues.
BOLDUAN: Creative ways and a lot of people are joining in. And so, Georgia is offering tax incentive to lure Hollywood production then and to drive up the state's own growing movie industry. Did you even know?
CNN's Michelle Wright says it's already paying off, attracting 40 films and TV productions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ADRENE ASHFORD, ADRENE BOUTIQUE FEMALE: A dream, no last name required. No joking.
MICHELLE WRIGHT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After finishing college in Atlanta, Ashford decided to stay.
ASHFORD: You know, being from L.A. everyone kind of says, you're working backwards, aren't you?
WRIGHT: After opening a bough teak, producers started giving her business.
ASHFORD: With the tax credit being in place here in Georgia, I had to re-evaluate my five-year plan.
WRIGHT: Which meant more wardrobe gigs where tax credit recipients spend their dollars.
ASHFORD: The costume designer and the key customers would usually come into the store and sort of pick out items that helped develop their characters.
WRIGHT: Across town, the tax credit helped convince a major studio to set down roots.
CHRIS COONEY, COO & PRESIDENT, EUE/SCREEN GEMS: First impression was a complex on 30 acres that went to sleep like Rip Van Winkle a long, long time ago.
WRIGHT: After signing a 50-year lease, EUE/Screen Gems got busy transforming the former fair grounds.
COONEY: A multi-studio complex for what we call a campus for film and television.
WRIGHT: And although nearly $770 million was spent on film production last year, some are concerned that the locals won't benefit.
Cooney is not one of them.
COONEY: Think about a film. It sets up shop in the middle of the night. The next morning, you see trucks, catering vehicles, vans, lumber deliveries, lighting and grip deliveries -- all spending money locally.
BEN COHEN, COHENBERG KRAMERSTEIN PRODUCTIONS: Put your arms around (INAUDIBLE). Bring it close to you. Close to you. Close to you, in center. That way. Back up.
WRIGHT: But it isn't always about the money.
COHEN: Everyone stop.
WRIGHT: Ben Cohen and Max Fisher know film and they know Atlanta.
COHEN: I think that for the most part people, for the first time in a long time really want to stay and not only work on films in Atlanta because Atlanta has been a big film safe for a long time, you know, "Driving Miss Daisy," "Scream 2."
WRIGHT: After meeting in film school, they decided to launch their production company here -- a move they say might not have been possible without the tax credit.
COHEN: We have a young generation of people that are willing to see Atlanta through.
WRIGHT: Willing to stay because of the 2,000 new entertainment jobs added since the tax credits took effect.
COHEN: I think we are going to have a unique opportunity and we already have had a unique opportunity of just developing something that people aren't quite doing. I'm very pleased with it. I think that we're just lucky to be around such creative writers and performers, actor railroads.
WRIGHT: And while 44 other states have similar tax breaks for producers, including 25 percent in North Carolina, 30 percent in Louisiana, and as high as 42 percent in Michigan, policymakers here are hoping that Georgia has something for everyone.
ASHFORD: Atlanta is a great place, it's a growing city.
COONEY: It's Georgia hospitality.
COHEN: It's our voice. This is where we're from.
He wanted (INAUDIBLE) so bad.
WRIGHT: Michelle Wright, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, have you ever made a major purchase, maybe a car, maybe even something as simple as clothes or a computer and then you were furious because it went on sale the next day after you had bought it? But believe it or not, there's a time to shop to get the best deals.
Our Clyde Anderson is along to tell you whether or not you should go make that purchase today or you should wait.
Stay here. It's quarter past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Social networking has sparked a slew of new problems. Many of us wouldn't have thought about a few years ago.
BOLDUAN: Yes.
HOLMES: Some of your so-called Facebook friends may not be up to any good.
BOLDUAN: Maybe not so friendly, I guess.
HOLMES: Yes.
BOLDUAN: If you update your status quite often, you may actually be giving out too much information. I've been saying this for a very long time.
But now, Randi Kaye will show you how an innocent status update can turn dangerous.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You're watching a burglary in progress. What the bad guys don't know is that a security camera inside this Indiana home is recording their every move. Even when they get this close, the camera's blinking red light goes unnoticed.
On the night of the break-in, Keri McMullen did what she had done hundreds of times before. She posted a Facebook status update from her cell phone. She and her fiance Kurt Pendleton were going out for the night to see the band. "Heading to the hill with Kurt to see Fire Department," she wrote at 5:46 p.m. Within hours, Keri's sense of security would be shattered.
KERI MCMULLEN, HOME BURGLARIZED: You never think it's going to happen to you. Then when it does, you know, anything can happen to you.
KAYE: At about 8:45 p.m., March 20th, about 45 minutes after Kurt locked the doors that night, these guys busted in.
(on camera): In a stroke of luck, Keri and Kurt had just set up security cameras in their home six days before the break-in. One outside and one right here in the living room. In fact, the very same camera recording me right now captured the bad guys on videotape 2.
(voice-over): When they returned home that night what they saw on their security camera tape stunned them. They watched as the burglars tore their 50-inch plasma TV right off the wall.
KURT PENDLETON, HOME BURGLARIZED: Seeing him just manhandled it and just ripped it right off the wall with all the drywall falling down.
KAYE (voice-over): That night did you watch this together?
PENDLETON: Yes, several times.
MCMULLEN: It's violating.
KAYE (voice-over): Keri and Kurt reported the break-in but did their own police work, too. They posted snapshots of the suspects from the video on Keri's Facebook page. Within hours another Facebook friend recognized one of the suspects.
PENDLETON: Someone contact Keri and said, "I know who that is and so do you. He's one of your friends."
KAYE: That's right. One of the men on the tape, Keri says, is her Facebook friend Shaun South. Police have charged him and the other suspect with a felony. Both are still on the run.
Keri says she and South were childhood friends. She's known him since he was 7.
(on camera): You didn't recognize him, or did you?
MCMULLEN: I did not. I'm not seen him in 15 -- 15 to 20 years. Once I went into his page and all of his pictures and started looking, then, I mean, the same posture, it's definitely him.
KAYE (voice-over): Floyd County Sheriff Darrell Mills says South faces criminal charges in at least 25 other cases in his county, including burglary, battery, and stolen property. He says people need to be more cautious.
SHERIFF DARRELL MILSS, FLOYD COUNTY: You don't know who all is looking at your private information there because it's really not private if you're on Facebook. You're posting it for everyone.
KAYE (on camera): One Internet security expert told me updating your status on any social networking site before you go out for the night or on vacation is as good as leaving a key behind for the burglars.
In Keri and Kurt's case, all the suspect had to do was call the bar she said she was going to and find out what time the band was coming on, then police say, they knew what time would be safe to break in.
MCMULLEN: It's kind of sad that someone I trusted enough to put on my page, you know, would take advantage of me like that.
KAYE (voice-over): Before it was over, the burglars had stolen about $11,000 worth of goods. Keri would have de-friended Shaun South, she says, but after the burglary, he deleted his Facebook profile.
Randi Kaye, CNN, New Albany, Indiana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN: Darn it. She's -- that's a childhood friend. That is -- I hate those stories.
HOLMES: Yes. It's a good cautionary tale, but it's scary out there. You say where you are and you don't think about it.
BOLDUAN: And you do get comfortable, you know, at least people try to think that everyone is a good person.
HOLMES: Yes.
BOLDUAN: Clearly not.
HOLMES: We try to give them the benefit of the doubt.
We've been giving Clyde Anderson the benefit of the doubt for quite some time.
BOLDUAN: And we're done with it.
HOLMES: Yes, he's proven us wrong time and time again.
Clyde, I'm just messing with you, young fella. Our financial analyst is here. And he's got something you need to know which might have something to do with you make that trip to the mall today.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We've all been there. You bought something and then it went on sale the next day. Price dropped. It's irritating. It can also cost you a whole lot of cash.
But there are certain times of the day or even year you can get item at a lower price?
Here, our good guy, our good friend here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, Clyde Anderson, financial analyst for us.
Wait a minute, that part said some time of the year, that's one thing.
CLYDE ANDERSON, FINANCIAL ANALYST: Yes.
HOLMES: Even certain times of the day?
ANDERSON: It depends on what you're buying. If you're talking about, for example, say we're talking about gas, for example. Prices are going up. It's better to get it before 10:00 a.m. Because, generally, they can change prices from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00.
HOLMES: OK.
ANDERSON: So, you got to in and know, if prices are going up, you want to get it in the morning. Also, don't get gas on the weekend, because that's when you've got all of your leisurely travel. And so, if you're traveling you're going to have to stop and get gas, and they know that.
HOLMES: Now, on the gas part, the 10:00 to 12:00 -- why the 10:00 to 12:00, just a matter of them getting in and getting everything changed?
ANDERSON: Things getting in and getting the idea of exactly what price it needs to be for that day, based on the oil prices as well.
HOLMES: All right.
Let's go down this list here. Groceries, which everybody has to buy. When are you supposed to buy those things?
ANDERSON: Yes. Groceries, Sundays are a great time to buy. You get the Sunday coupons in the mail or on the paper. And so, when you have those, that's the time to use them.
Most grocery stores run sales from Wednesday to Tuesday. So, it's good to go in there so you got that time. Sunday, you got your coupons. They're probably running sales. So, it's a good time to do it.
Also, if you go later in the evening because the meat and some of the baked goods, they're going to price them down because they can't sell them tomorrow. They got to get rid of it.
HOLMES: It's pretty good. That's a good one probably right there.
All right. Appliances, also on our list. What kind of stuff we're talking about here?
ANDERSON: Appliances, refrigerators, we're talking about stoves.
HOLMES: Big ticket stuff.
ANDERSON: Big ticket stuff. I mean, holidays, you always see it. And a lot of times, we don't pay attention to it. And when these things break down, we go and get them just to get them because we need them. But if you wait until holidays, that's when your biggest sales are going to be on appliances.
HOLMES: Around the holidays. Isn't just that time they try to get rid of stuff?
ANDERSON: It's time they're trying to get rid of it?
HOLMES: Wait. Any holiday, or are we talking around Christmastime and Thanksgiving time? Or are we talking about any holiday?
ANDERSON: Even some of the smaller holidays like Columbus Day and Labor Day.
HOLMES: Columbus Day?
ANDERSON: Yes. You will see sale. They try to move those items, especially right now, too, in this economy. You know, everybody is not buying. So, if they have an opportunity, they got to get rid of the old to make room for the new. And that's really what it comes down.
HOLMES: All right. Here's a big one for a lot of folks -- the computers.
ANDERSON: Yes.
HOLMES: Everybody is always in the market for a computer and other electronics. Now, when? I'm listening here. When is the time for the best buy?
ANDERSON: This is interesting because you got to think about how fast technology is changing. This is almost daily now. And, really, the key is looking when new technology comes out. If you look at Intel, you see when they come out with a new chip.
HOLMES: Yes.
ANDERSON: That new chip is going to come in. It's got to move out the old ones that are already there. They may not be that old. They may only be six months, three months old, but with that technology that's happening so rapidly that they've got to move it out and move the new stuff in.
So, if you look to see when things are being released, when new versions of things are being released. Macworld usually happens in January. And so, right after these big convention conventions, they're generally going to have sales.
HOLMES: OK. I want the new stuff though. You tell me I got to buy old stuff.
ANDERSON: Well, it depends. It's all relative. What you call new and old, we're talking about two days, we're talking about two months.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: That's a very good point there.
All right. This is another big one for folks. We ended on the big ones here -- plane tickets. This messes everybody up. When should you get them?
ANDERSON: Don't get them too far in advance. You know, don't say I'm going on a trip in 60 days, I need a ticket. Don't do that.
HOLMES: Wait. That's when we're told we're supposed to do because all the other ones, people buy up the cheaper seats first.
ANDERSON: Yes. And they're going to buy those seats. But what's going to happen is that the airline is going to get a better look 21 to 23 days to see exactly how that plane is selling.
HOLMES: OK.
ANDERSON: And so, that's a good time to buy. Or if you don't get that one, do wait though about 14 days in advance. Fourteen days in advance is a good time to buy a ticket as well.
But if you're feeling really, really lucky, two days in advance. That's when they have gone ahead and priced everything out. And if the flight is not sold out, they're going to go ahead and drop those tickets drastically.
HOLMES: So, two weeks ahead of the trip is when --
ANDERSON: Yes.
HOLMES: -- you should do it. And also, 21 --
ANDERSON: Yes, 21 to 23 days, right around that time frame. If you really want to go ahead and get good deals, that's the time to look at it.
HOLMES: All right. Tanisha (ph) is in my ear, telling me about -- what's about Wednesday? She's telling on Wednesdays.
ANDERSON: Wednesdays, Wednesdays is definitely the best day of the week if you're traveling. I mean, if you're going and buying ticket, Wednesday is the best day to do it. Get on your computer. Do it on Wednesday and make sure you're in that 14 to 21 days in advance. It's just a good day to go ahead and get those tickets.
HOLMES: You're supposed to know that. Why is Tanisha, my E.P., got to tell you?
ANDERSON: She's been buying tickets recently. Yes.
HOLMES: Clyde, good to see you as always. Thanks so much.
And to our viewers, we're going to be back at the top of the hour with more live news on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, as we continue. But we're going to hand this thing off to Dr. Sanjay Gupta here in just a second. Stay here.
