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CNN Saturday Morning News
GOP Rides Wave of Enthusiasm Into Midterm Elections; More Dads Take to Web for Parenting Advice
Aired September 25, 2010 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: On this SATURDAY MORNING, FBI agents raid homes in the Midwest, homes of anti-war activists. But could they be linked to terror?
Plus, 38 days until midterm elections. Also, 38 days and two years away from the 2012 presidential election. Already, potential candidates are vying for New Hampshire. We're going to tell you who's headed there today.
From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It's 6 a.m. here in Atlanta; 5 a.m. in Minneapolis. Good morning. I'm Drew Griffin, in for T.J. Holmes this morning. We certainly thank you for starting your day right here.
Also coming up over the next 90 minutes, keeping a closer watch on New York and the potential for terrorist attacks there. The city ramping up its effort in the city's subway system. Five hundred new cameras are watching 5 million riders every day.
Also, the role of dads in America. It's changing, and the Internet playing a major part. Josh Levs is going to take a look at a changing generation of fathers in a special report.
And just how do you get dairy cows to produce more milk? Well, apparently the same way you get guys to do nothing: you put a color plasma television in the barn. We'll going to tell you about an experiment in the making.
The critical midterm elections coming up in 38 days, and presidential hopefuls are already looking at ways to gain support in a very important state. Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts and a 2008 presidential candidate, gives the keynote address this morning at the New Hampshire Republican Party state convention. New Hampshire holds the nation's first presidential primary, which is still 16 months away.
Romney is the first of three potential Republican presidential candidates targeting New Hampshire. Former (sic) Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, who is also a former Republican National Committee chairman, will be in Manchester Monday for a plant tour and fundraiser with gubernatorial nominee John Stephen.
And former (sic) Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty will be in New Hampshire Thursday. He'll also be campaigning for Stephen. Nearly all the predictions point to a dramatic shift in political power after the midterm elections. Republicans could take control of the House, maybe the Senate as well. But that's fueling - what's fueling the drive toward that change?
Here's Brian Todd with a report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It looks like a brawl in Taiwan's Parliament. But this was a political throw-down in suburban Las Vegas.
After heckling got to a boil at a Senate campaign event, supporters of Republican "tea party" favorite Sharron Angle and backers of Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hauled off and hit each other.
An isolated incident?
(on camera): What do you make of this event, voters in Nevada kind of at a boil here?
REID WILSON, EDITOR IN CHIEF, "THE HOTLINE": Yes, voters -- this is happening all over the country. We've seen it for more than a year now. People are upset with politics. People are upset with the way the economy is going and the simple fact that Washington, D.C., hasn't fixed anything.
TODD (voice-over): Reid Wilson, editor of the political tip sheet "The Hotline," says when so many Americans have friends and relatives who have lost jobs during this recession, fears for their own well- being can lead to angry outbursts.
One new poll from the Associated Press and GFK/Roper shows Republicans and independents are angrier about politics than Democrats. Politicians are popular targets, but they're also brushing back.
Take this smackdown from New Jersey's Republican Governor Chris Christie, when a heckler shouted at California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman.
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: Hey, listen. Hey, listen. You -- hey, listen. You know what? You want to yell, yell at me/ But don't give her a hard time.
We're here. We're here talking about the future of the state of California and the future of our country. And you know what? And you know what? And you know what? Let me tell you -- let me tell you this.
You know what? It's people who raise their voices and yell and scream like you that are dividing this country. We're here to bring this country together, not to divide it.
TODD (on camera): How does this all this anger between voters and politicians translate really into the vote this November?
WILSON: Well, I think it's going to play out very well for the Republican Party. We've seen poll after poll that shows that Republican voters are animated; they're excited, they're ready to get out, largely because they are angry at what is going on in Washington, D.C. The midterm elections are really their opportunity to change the direction of the country.
TODD (on camera): Analysts say the equation is pretty simple: Angry voters turn out at the polls. Reid Wilson says this year, the Republicans, the angriest voters out there right now, seem to be successful in mobilizing independent voters, just like the Democrats did in 2006 and 2008.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN: Well, something happened on Capitol Hill yesterday that a lot of people thought wasn't funny. But it was supposed to be.
Migrant workers were the topic, and Stephen Colbert was testifying. Colbert spent a day in the fields working alongside immigrant workers. He taped it for his Comedy Central show, which deals with political satire.
But he was testifying about his experience before Congress yesterday in character. The chairwoman of the subcommittee said she wanted to call attention to the problem, saying, "celebrities add pizzazz and controversy."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN COLBERT, SATIRIST: Picking beans, packing corn for hours on end, side by side, in the unforgiving sun, I have to say - and I do mean this sincerely - please don't make me do this again. It is really, really hard.
For one thing, when you're picking beans, you have to spend all day bending over. It turns out - and I did not know this - most soil is at ground level. If we can put a man on the moon, why can't we make the earth waist-high? Come on. Where is the funding?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: Well, Republicans on the committee criticized Colbert's appearance as a stunt. Lamar Smith of Texas said, "Undocumented workers drive down wages, take away jobs from those who are here legally."
As always, a reminder, you can get all your political headlines at our ticker, CNNpolitics.com.
Well, you heard of mommy bloggers: new mothers sharing information about raising a child. Now, daddies are getting involved.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This role is being completely reinvented, and lots of men are out there wanting to talk about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: From changing diapers to sex after pregnancy, these daddy bloggers don't leave any topic uncovered. Hear their unique information for other fathers.
Plus, we get our weather information from Reynolds Wolf.
Good morning, Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Drew.
We got all kinds of things happening weather-wise. The tropics are still very active. We're watching two different tropical systems. At the same time, it is the first full weekend of fall. I'll let you know what to expect as the leaves slowly begin to change.
We got more coming up. You're watching CNN SUNDAY MORNING. See you in a little bit.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf back in the studio after covering Hurricane - Igor was it?
WOLF: Igor, there you go.
GRIFFIN: In beautiful, beautiful, but expensive, Bermuda.
WOLF: Very much so. Very much so.
Not - not quite the best time to go there. If one were to go to Bermuda, I would say try to pick a time where you're not dealing with a storm that's about 1,000 miles wide.
GRIFFIN: Yes.
WOLF: Yes, timing is everything.
GRIFFIN: Because you get a tee time, the wind just knocks your drive.
WOLF: It - it has a way of on those par fives, making it into a par 20 very quickly. No question about it. But certainly some interesting times.
I think we got some video to share with you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF: Three, two - I'm coming to you from Astwood Cove, Bermuda (INAUDIBLE). (MUSIC)
WOLF: (INAUDIBLE)
(MUSIC)
WOLF: (INAUDIBLE)
(MUSIC)
WOLF: (INAUDIBLE)
(MUSIC)
WOLF: And then, as you see them come onshore, and you notice these things get.
(MUSIC)
WOLF: Fabian, back in 2003, that was a system that caused all kinds of damage around the island.
(MUSIC)
WOLF: Much of this was (INAUDIBLE) about 12 hours ago. (INAUDIBLE)
And we're feeling the effects of this storm. Hard to believe we've been following this hurricane since Sept. 8 off the coast of Africa. It's (INAUDIBLE)
As this storm gets closer, the damage becomes far worse. (INAUDIBLE)
(MUSIC)
WOLF: I don't know. I don't know if it'll work.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN: (INAUDIBLE)
WOLF: (INAUDIBLE)
GRIFFIN: Just as I remembered it, the beautiful pink-sand beaches of Bermuda.
WOLF: We had a couple of small waves that came on the beach that were just crossing over the ankles. I mean, they were shooting what we refer to in the business as a "look live." And I had my iPhone right about here.
GRIFFIN: Where was your iPhone?
WOLF: IPhone right here in my chest pocket. And then the waves just came up, and ba-boom, and the rest is history, from my iPhone - died.
GRIFFIN: Now a shell.
WOLF: It is now a shell.
(WEATHER REPORT)
GRIFFIN: Christian concerts scheduled for today getting a lot of attention, not because of who's playing. Why are some are protesting the location of this concert.
But first, "Forbes" magazine annual list of the 400 richest Americans is out, and we're going to have a little fun with it with a quiz for you. Who is at the top of that list? Warren Buffett, Christy Walton of the Wal-Mart chain, or Bill Gates?
You take your pick. We'll tell you who it is after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: Well, which one was it, right? We asked you: Who is the top on the "Forbes" magazine list of rich Americans? Warren Buffett, Christy Walton, Bill Gates? The answer is, Bill Gates. The founder of Microsoft. His net worth listed as $64 billion.
Checking our top stories now, more problems for the pastor of an Atlanta-area megachurch. A fourth teenager accuses Pastor Eddie Long of coercing him into a sexual relationship. This guy says it happened in 2005 during a trip to Africa and continued for four years.
Long is a bishop of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. That congregation has more than 25,000 members. He is denying the allegations. A group of Atlanta-area pastors says it will rally around Long and they will pray for him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THE REV. JASPER W. WILLIAMS JR., SALEM BAPTIST BIBLE CHURCH: I don't know what the outcome is. (INAUDIBLE) I just don't know.
But I do know the church, and I do know the impact and I do know that as a believer, that somebody needs to make a stand and to say something. And that's all I'm doing. I'm just calling for the church to come together with the pastor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: Eddie Long, by the way, will say something tomorrow morning at church. You'll see here it live here at CNN, 8 a.m.
Some political and anti-war activists accuse the FBI of harassment. Agents searched homes and offices in Minneapolis and Chicago yesterday. This is part of an investigation of groups allegedly supporting terrorism.
Well, the FBI confiscated computer hard drives and a cell phone. No arrests. One of the activists, Tom Burke (ph), says the groups have done nothing wrong. They're part of an umbrella organization called Fight Back.
Freed American hiker Sarah Shourd finally got a meeting with the president of Iran. It came hours after she requested it on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" yesterday. She thanked him for the meeting, telling President Ahmadinejad that she has no animosity toward him or the Iranian government but - quote - "wants it to be finished."
Her fiance, Shane Bauer, and friend Josh Fattal are still in prison in Iran. Iran charged them all with spying. They insist they accidentally crossed the border while hiking. That was more than a year ago.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: I feel like we should be talking football.
But here we go. For the first time ever, dads from across the country came together for a summit. What are they talking about? How the Internet can help make them better dads.
Our Josh Levs met up with the group.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Hey, give them a shot. You know, look - they're all dads. We're all dads here, right? And what I found that I didn't know is that this is a new burgeoning business. That more and more guys are actually focusing on these blogs that are about being fathers.
And they had this summit, the first-ever summit, where lots of them came together. So I got a group of them together, and I asked them: What are guys looking for online?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERIC ELKINS, DATINGDAD.COM: They're really looking for other dads who are going through the same things they are and looking for some support, looking for some funny stories and - and really wanting to share the magic that it is - that is being a father.
PAUL BANAS, GREATDAD.COM: Guys are responding the same way that a lot of women have traditionally responded. They look for articles on - on potty training, on how to get the baby to sleep, how to name their baby. And - and then they end being a lot on - on relationship issues. Because there are a lot of things that guys just don't talk about with anybody after the baby is born. And we get the fair amount of traffic of - is on articles about sex after - after pregnancy, because the relationships change with that first baby.
LEVS: And you don't hear about this stuff a lot, right? They - these issues don't come up a lot. Yes, go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This role is being completely reinvented. And lots of men are out there wanting to talk about it, because there's not a previous generation you can go to. You can't go to your dad, because his form of fatherhood was completely different than what we see today.
And so it's new media; it's new fatherhood. And that's what we're talking about here.
LEVS: So on your blog, you find that this is a place where you can present information about it, ideas about it, have a conversation with other dads about it, where they're sharing their experiences. Because they need that - what? - that sense of community? They need to know there's other guys out there going through the same thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we're not the Peter Griffin or the Homer Simpson that we're often portrayed as. We're involved in our family; we're working; we're trying to provide, or we're working at home in a lot of cases.
And our role in the family is be - being real men.
LEVS: And what "real men" means, right? I mean, that's part of - what it - what it means to be a real man now.
You know, guys who get together and have poker night and can talk. Guys can just, like, call each other.
What is it specifically about being online that is offering dads something? What do they want from the Web?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not out, you know, going to the PTA meetings necessarily or going - you know, we're not meeting the other guys in - in the neighborhood as often as - as we should, you know? The nights of poker night are not that easy and they don't happen as much. And that's a - one core group of guys.
But with the Web, you get to talk to guys all around the world that you may never actually meet in person. And you can share these ideas and have this conversation.
LEVS: When are they getting on blogs? Because my day is so busy. And if you have a job, and then you get home and you have your kids, are they - are they getting - are they staying up late, at 2 in the morning because they couldn't have sex?
(LAUGHTER)
LEVS: (INAUDIBLE)
When are they getting online?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're finding that they're saying, you know, I'm on - in the computer at work. But they're also saying, there's a huge segment of time between 30 minutes and two and a half to three hours when they get back home where they're actually going online.
LEVS: What are the biggest things that you think in general people in society don't understand about dads?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, dads are so active in their kids' lives, whether it's - I mean, I work for home. I've worked from home for four years. My kids come home; I have to help them with their homework. You know, it - I'm the one doing it. I'm the one going -- signing their forms and going to the play, and I love it. I - I would have it no other way.
And I think that's the biggest thing people seem to miss, is that it's not - you still all the advertisements, all the - the literature. Anything, it's always with the mom slant on it. And it - it - it is a slight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not only are we active, but we're confident. We're really good fathers, you know?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like changing my - my baby's diaper. And I like getting the milk at night or whatever, because there's a - it's a very human thing, whether you're a woman or a man, caring for a - a little baby is a very human emotion. So we wanted to promote that same feeling or that acceptance of that to other men, to promote men being involved dads who felt uncomfortable as well, but also to the, you know, larger society to see us that way.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: And just to give you guys a sense of how fast this is growing, a couple of these guys have dropped their jobs, their other jobs, and they're doing these blogs full time. And they're getting enough traffic, enough advertising on it, that it's keeping them more than busy enough for a full-time job.
They're doing really well. I've posted all the links for you at the page, up at Facebook and Twitter. I got my page here for you. You can check them out. You can post ideas. And you can tell us what you think about this.
But I know - I mean, Reynolds, you were just saying --
WOLF: (INAUDIBLE) - have we ever seen a greater transformation in American life than what's happened over the last 20 to 30 years? I mean, maybe this happened with your dads; but my dad and my grandfather would come home from work with a martini and a pipe and would expect a freshly laundered baby to be presented on their lap.
(LAUGHTER)
WOLF: And then you fast-forward to the Wolf house --
LEVS: I know.
WOLF: --my life, and it's Dora the Explorer. It's - it's - we've got Sesame Street full blast. The - the - the place looks like a hurricane aftermath. That's how our place looks like - you know, with the kids all over the place.
LEVS: There's no exposed rug on the floor because there's toys everywhere.
WOLF: Because we both have little kids, yes.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVS: No, look - I mean, my - a friend of mine the other day, he's my age. So - and his - his dad is - well, my - around my dad's age. And never changed a diaper in his life.
WOLF: Wow.
LEVS: His dad has never changed a diaper in his life.
And this is a reminder of how much things has changed. And it's also a reason why, as you're seeing in these blogs, why dads are reaching out to each other.
WOLF: Mm-hmm.
LEVS: Because they need ideas, because they want advice.
And you look like you're just completely in shock.
GRIFFIN: Well, I guess I had different experience. Because, I mean, my father was there. My father changed the diapers. You know, I grew up with three boys; we all learned how to cook and do the laundry. So I had a - kind of a different experience.
LEVS: Did you grow up cooking in your house?
GRIFFIN: Oh yes.
LEVS: Wow.
GRIFFIN: But what - what - I - I just want to know who actually is visiting this site? Because as I'm looking at it, I'm thinking, Mmm, I bet there's more women checking up on what guys are doing --
LEVS: There are.
GRIFFIN: --on what guys are doing, than guys checking up on what other guys are doing to raise their kids.
LEVS: There are. And that's actually something interesting. I asked them about that. I said, how much of the time is it really women wanting to know, like, 'Hey, what should I be expecting out of my husband?'
GRIFFIN: What's the secret here?
LEVS: Or, how did - how did you guys out there start doing these things when I can't get my husband to do that?
They do get a lot of traffic there. But they also do know in a lot of cases who they're talking to, whether it's over Skype or people who otherwise have a presence online. And there are guys who have - for some reason, have not felt comfortable going other places. But maybe, secretly, are comfortable - they're more comfortable when they're on their own in a room with a computer, reaching out to these guys online saying, 'Look, I need help. I want to maximize my bonding time with my kids while I'm here. What do I do?'
And it's every situation. It's divorcing; it's dating - all of this stuff. And they're reaching out to the Web.
(CROSSTALK)
GRIFFIN: And my advice would be: Get off the Web and go see your dang kids.
LEVS: Hopefully, they're asleep by that hour.
(LAUGHTER)
GRIFFIN: All right. Well, that was great.
WOLF: Good stuff, man.
GRIFFIN: Certainly interesting.
LEVS: Hey, it's all a window into our world.
GRIFFIN: Brought us something new. That's for sure. Thanks, Josh.
LEVS: You got it.
GRIFFIN: We'll have the top stories coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: Welcome back. I'm Drew Griffin. Thanks for starting your day with us this Saturday. Here are some of the top stories.
There are new details on yesterday's dramatic bank robbery. This happened in South Florida. It began as a home invasion the night before. What you are seeing there are robbers. They strapped a bomb to a bank teller, drove him to his workplace. The employee did take out some money and gave it to the bad guys. They fled. The tellers-a co-worker called police and a bomb squad did disarmed the explosive. They are still looking for the thieves.
New developments today in the deepening sex scandal at one of the largest churches in the United States. A fourth man has filed a lawsuit accusing that man, Bishop Eddie Long of coercing him into sex as a teenager. Long is denying the accusation. He says he will speak to his 25,000 followers tomorrow from the pulpit at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.
Three astronauts back on Earth today after spending six months aboard the International Space Station. The American and her two Russian comrades landed safely in Kazakhstan this morning. The return came a day later than scheduled because of a technical glitch during undocking.
Critics say a Christian outreach concert scheduled for tonight for soldiers and their families at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina is crossing the line. General David Petraeus has said many times that he worries Muslims overseas may believe the military, the U.S. military, represents the Christian faith. He has called it a sensitive issue and says the perception alone could put the lives of U.S. troops in danger.
He's talking about people who insult Islam. For example, calling it evil and a wicked religion. Well, here is the controversy. That event at Ft. Bragg is being held by Evangelist Billy Graham and his son Franklin Graham. Franklin Graham is the one who said that Islam is evil and wicked. Given his record, how will this play in the Muslim world? Will it be a problem for the commanders overseas? Here is a special report from Pentagon Correspondent Chris Lawrence.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The Christian concert is called, "Rock The Fort." It's living up to its name.
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is bringing Christian rock bands to worship to Ft. Bragg. Some say it's crossing a line.
MIKEY WEINSTEIN, MILITARY RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FOUNDATION: The express purpose of this event is to evangelize and spread the Gospel to all those who are lost. Soldiers are being given pieces of paper with seven blank names on it, to bring seven more people so they will come to Christ.
LAWRENCE: Ft Bragg advertised the concert on its website. And Mikey Weinstein says more than 100 soldiers there have complained to his group, Military Religious Freedom sending e-mails like, "Please help us, MRFF, this is wrong."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here in a few minutes I'm going to give you a chance to make a decision. It's your choice.
LAWRENCE: "Rock the Fort" has been to several other bases including recruit training at Ft. Jackson.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We pray not only that they become soldiers, here in boot camp, but we pray that they'll come into God's army in the sense of giving their life over to Jesus Christ.
LAWRENCE: Critics say that's a dangerous message for the military to bring right into basic training.
WEINSTEIN: We are not supposed to be using the U.S. Army to develop, engender an, you know, new soldiers for Christ.
CHAPLAIN (COL.) DAVID HILLIS: Our goal is, again, not to proselytize anyone from either their particular faith, that they are a part of, and our goal is not to coerce anyone. LAWRENCE: Ft. Bragg's chaplain says the event on his base is open to the public. No one has to come, except the thousands of soldiers and their families who are excited to do so.
HILLIS: Really, it's up to the individual. People like any message or any faith can choose to accept or reject. We are offering an invitation. But that invitation is only voluntary and of the free choice of that particular individual.
LAWRENCE: The chaplain wrote to North Carolina churches on Ft. Bragg letterhead promoting the event. And Billy Graham's Web site states right up front: "The Rock the Fort outreach is designed to channel new believers into your church."
Americans United for Separation of Church and State wrote the secretary of the Army urging him to stop the military's endorsement of the event. They argue proselytizing is prohibited and the Army is breaking the law by endorsing religion.
The chaplain says the base is merely a host, for anyone who wants to come.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God bless America!
LAWRENCE (on camera): The chaplain also told me that sharing the faith is part of the Christian tradition. He's not only obligated but happy to provide the same kind of support to other faiths on base if they wanted to put on a similar event. Critics say, when it comes to religion, all the Army is to do is officiate religious events, and provide a place for soldiers to worship. These concerts go way beyond that. Chris Lawrence, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN: Other military news, a federal judge reinstated an openly gay Air Force major. She was dismissed under the military's "don't ask, don't tell policy". Major Margaret Witt sued to get her job back with the Reserves. The Air Force honorably discharged her in 2007 over a relationship with another woman. Witt spent 20 years as a decorated Air Force flight nurse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARGARET WITT, MILITARY NURSE REINSTATED: I'm absolutely thrilled. All I have ever wanted to do is go back to my unit and do my job. So, just for that chance, I'm really excited.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: As for the Air Force, their called Witt's discharge fully consistent with the law.
She was held in prison in Iran for more than a year. American Sarah Shourd got a chance to meet the country's leader yesterday. She thanked him.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: How about a good game of dodge ball. Check out this game. University of California, Irvine, 1,725 players taking part hurtling these rubber balls at each other. They set a record doing this. The previous record for the number of dodge ballplayers, according to the folks at Guinness, was almost 1,200. That was at the University of Alberta, Canada. Hard to tell who is winning and who is losing there.
WOLF: It looks like some of these people were drinking Guinness before they went out there.
GRIFFIN: Yes, they just needed to throw a rubber ball.
We don't know who won. Somebody won, look it, holding up a trophy.
QUEST: Dreams do come true.
GRIFFIN: So, this is fall?
WOLF: It is.
GRIFFIN: It's 90-something degrees here.
WOLF: I'm telling you in some places the temperatures are going to drop like a hammer. Other places, looks like we have to wait a bit; like in the Southeast, it is not quite feeling like fall just yet. It hasn't really broken through. It will that cold air will punch through as we get into Sunday and to Monday. But today, it's definitely going to feel like summer.
Let's get to the forecast.
(WEATHER REPORT)
GRIFFIN: We are going to up New York City now. They are adding 100s of cameras to increase surveillance in the subway system. Some argue whether this is Big Brother taking over the Big Apple.
First, another quick quiz from the "Forbes" magazine list. The 400 richest in Americans. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is No. 10 on that list. What is his net worth? Here are your options, $20 billion, $18 billion or $25.5 billion. You make the call. We'll have the answer after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: All right. Before the break, we asked you how much New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is worth. $20, $18 or $2.5 billion. If you guessed B, $18 billion, you are correct. Michael Bloomberg is the founder of the financial information service, which bears his name, Bloomberg, L.P.
Checking our top stories. More problems for the pastor of the Atlanta area mega church. A fourth person is accusing Pastor Eddie Long of coercing him into a sexual relationship when he was a teenager. He says this started in 2005 while on a trip to Africa. It continued for four years after that. Long is bishop of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church; a congregation of 25,000 people. He is denying the allegations and a group of Atlanta-area pastors says it is going to rally around Long and pray for him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. JASPER W. WILLIAMS, JR., SALEM BAPTIST BIBLE CHURCH: I don't know what the outcome is. I just don't know. But, I do know the church, and I do know the impact. And I do know that, as a believer, that somebody needs to make a stand. And to say something. That's all I'm doing. I'm calling for the church to come together with the pastor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: A scary ride for airline passengers. A bomb threat forced a Pakistan Airlines flight to make an emergency landing in Stockholm, Sweden. The plane had 260 people on board. It was heading from Toronto, Canada, to Karachi, when a caller said one of the passengers was carrying explosives. Police report that everybody is safe. The bomb squad is still investigating. That plane is sitting on the tarmac in Sweden.
Freed American hiker Sarah Shroud finally got to meet with the president of Iran. It came hours after she requested that meeting on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING". She wound up thanking the president of Iran for the meeting, telling President Ahmadinejad that she has no animosity toward him or the Iranian government but, quote, "Wants it to be finished". What? Finished? Her fiance, Shane Bauer and friend Josh Fatale are still over in Iran in prison. Iran charged all of them with spying. They insist they were just hiking and accidentally crossed the border more than a year ago.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: We're back. These are stories so bizarre, that I have to have somebody with me to tell them to you. Reynolds is here. You are going to be my sounding board.
WOLF: Heavens help us.
GRIFFIN: You are going to love this story. A dairy farm outside Moscow trying a new approach to get more milk from the herd. You probably have heard of experiments using music to increase production of milk? How about a plasma TV in the barn? This farm put up six screens for a month-long experiment with 10 cows. They are watching scenes of alpine pastures. Ten other dairy cows had to go without. The TV-watching cows had produced, on average, just a little bit more milk. Just over five pints. The farm's general manager says over a year's time, the investment in the screens could pay off.
WOLF: Alpine scenes?
GRIFFIN: Yeah, I'm thinking they need something -- WOLF: Like mooovies? Cows? Mooovies or moosicals?
GRIFFIN: Hot cows.
WOLF: Absolutely. Something a little bit different. Something that would stimulate. Alpine scenes? I'm not sensing it.
GRIFFIN: Why don't they just let the cows roam around in the alpine?
WOLF: I know, that's what I'm thinking. That's a good idea.
GRIFFIN: Maybe that would work.
OK, check this one out. You are never too late to go to high school class. Were you ever late to go to high school class?
WOLF: Every day.
GRIFFIN: Everyday? That would cost you if you were at the East Salt Lake City High. A new policy went into effect this week. If you show up late, you are fined five bucks. If you don't want to pony up the money, you can instead serve a half hour in detention. The principal says he has seen a change in behavior already. More students are showing up on time. Pretty good idea. I don't know why kids are coming to school late, anyway.
Take a look at this video. This is for all you dads out there. This video making the rounds on the web. This guy has got to be dying. Don't you love a dad that gets involved in his daughter's lives?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(YOUNG GIRLS SINGING, DAD DANCING IN BACKGROUND)
GRIFFIN: Are you kidding me, dude? You have got to be crazy.
WOLF: It seems we haven't really evolved that much, have we? I mean, you look at this wonderful dance he's got. It's amazing. There was time we were living in caves and dads were hunting for saber toothed tigers to save their children, and now they are dancing to Justin Bieber.
(LAUGHTER)
GRIFFIN: It's not just the dance.
WOLF: The gyrations?
GRIFFIN: Look at the outfit.
WOLF: Unbelievable.
GRIFFIN: You know, the low-button shirt. I think I even saw a gold chain. His two daughter's apparently did not inherit his boogie- woogie genes.
WOLF: It is Barry Manilow's worst nightmare. Look at this guy. I mean it is unbelievable.
(LAUGHTER)
GRIFFIN: Look as these girls. I feel sorry for these girls. They have to be so embarrassed. Dad, dude, turn the camera off.
Well, you guys can check that out on YouTube. Probably our Web site, too. Maybe it's on the daddy blog thing Josh had.
WOLF: Maybe so. Why not this is a parent clearly in need of help.
GRIFFIN: Enjoy this playing out. We'll be right back after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: New York's police commissioner says roughly 40 percent of terrorist attacks target transportation systems. Now, the city is going to ramp up coverage of the subway there trying to prevent just that sort of attack. Here is Mary Snow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Underground at New York Times Square or Penn Station, two of the city's largest subway stations, cameras are now watching you. Police may be as well.
RAY KELLY, POLICE COMMISSIONER, NYPD: This is a coordination of, in Lower Manhattan, where we bring in thousands, literally, of video feeds.
SNOW: This hub is where we met up with New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. The goal here prevent terrorist attacks and crime. Police and private companies monitor these surveillance cameras 24/7. And 500 new cameras have recently been added, watching subway stations in a system which has an estimated 5 million riders per day.
KELLY: Roughly 40 percent of terrorist attacks around the world are focused on transportation systems. It's something, given the size and scope of the transit network we have here, we have to make it high priority.
SNOW: That priority has the NYPD learning lessons from cities like London, where Mayor Bloomberg inspected the 1,000s of cameras that make up its so-called, Ring of Steel. Surveillance cameras there proved crucial in identifying bombers in the July 7, 2005 bombings. The NYPD had detectives in London at the time. One result is the this recreation of the bombers' homes.
MICHAEL RIGGIO, COUNTERTERRORISM DIVISION, NYPD: And the rooms adjoining here are the two rooms in their apartment that they used to make their explosives.
SNOW: Michael Riggio is with NYPD's counter-terrorism unit. And explains officers are trained to look for ordinary items that can be used to make bombs.
RIGGIO: You may think this is a narcotics lab. But, in fact, you may be right in the middle of an explosives lab.
SNOW: But as officers look to past attacks for clues, they hope technology will help prevent future attacks. One sergeant explained how analytical software is programmed to seek out specifics.
RIGGIO: If this gentleman here were to drop his backpack, and leave it against this pole. After a predetermined period of time, the system would automatically alert users, bring this camera up for them, and the we get a little box and say hey, this is new.
SNOW: But the city's civil liberties union is raising concerns about privacy. The police commissioner tells us all the tapes are purged after 30 days unless they are part of an investigation.
KELLY: We are not looking at private spaces. We are looking in places where the public has no reasonable expectation of privacy.
That doesn't satisfy Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.
DONNA LIEBERMANN, EXEC. DIR., NEW YORK CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION: You don't expect, and you shouldn't have to expect, that every move you make, when you are in Times Square or Penn Station or Grand Central will be recorded, perhaps forever by the government, and distributed to who knows who.
SNOW: Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN: And that surveillance in New York only expected to expand. The city's goal is to have 3,000 close-circuit cameras streaming live pictures into the NYPD command center.
FBI agents raided several homes in the Midwest; homes of antiwar activists that could be linked to terror. 38 days until midterm elections. And 38 days, and two years, from the 2012 presidential election. Already some potential candidates for president vying for New Hampshire. We are going to tell you who is headed there today.
