on bill o'reilly's show. >> look, bill, i'm not a bigot, you know the kind of books i've written about civil rights in this country. but when i get on a plane. if i see people in muslim garb and i think they're identifying themselves first and foremost as muslims, i get nervous. >> npr says his remarks were inconsistent with our editorial standards and undermine his credibility. williams fired back saying now that i no longer work for npr, let me give you my opini. this is an outrageous violation of journalistic standards and ethics by management. i was the only black male on the air. >> now, whether williams wanted it or not, the republican party is rallying behind him and calling for congress to pull funding for npr. mike huckabee saying it's time for the taxpayers to start making cut to federal spending and i encourage the new congress to start with npr. and sarah palin tweeting npr defends first amendment right but will fire you if you exercise it. all three of those people work for fox, by the way. >> the whole thing has touched off a debate about free speech and the first amendment. coming up, we'll be talking with frank sesno about it. only five senior officials at the pentagon now have the authority to discharge an openly gay member of the military. that order coming straight from defense secretary robert gates. some people calling it a moratorium on don't ask, don't tell while the future of the policy remains tangled up in the courts. chris lawrence live at the pentagon this morning. and i guess this is a response to all the openly gay recruits who came forward during the one day they were allowed to who now face the possibility of getting kicked out. >> and it's really in response to this legal limbo that everyone seems to be in where the policy seems to be -- in this memo from defense secretary gates to the heads of the services, he writes, effective immediately and until further notice, no military member shall be separated without the personal approval of the secretary of the military department concern. that basically means secretary of the army, secretary of the navy, secretary of the air force. another thing, the pentagon leadership has been outspoken about wanting to see don't ask, don't tell repealed through congress. now there's a possibility that might not come down that way. saying we are exploring multiple options. obviously, don't ask, don't tell could be changed to the u.s. court system, john. >> what's been the initial reaction to all of this, chris? >> well, some of the gay rights groups that support gay service members say this is a big deal because it slows down the process for moving someone out of the military, it adds another layer, and it really fine-tunes exactly that only a very, very select few people will be able to do it. one senior defense attorney told us that basically this decision used to be in the hands of lots of people, now it's in the hands of the few. but others say it really doesn't do anything to allow service members who are gay to come out and live their lives openly. i spoke to one sailor who was discharged under don't ask, don't tell, tried to go back and reenlist during the past week when the law was gone, and he is very, very disappointed with president obama for allowing the justice department to go back to court to block don't ask, don't tell's repeal. >> i'm truly disappointed because, you know, when he was running and campaigning, i was, you know, pro-obama and everything like that. now, this is not a bill clinton administration law. now it's turned into his law because he's pushing against it, you know. lifting it and taking his sweet time. >> now, obviously, the voice you don't hear are the troops who want don't ask don't tell to stay. knowing that the secretary of defense, the chairman of the the joint chiefs, and the president himself all want to repeal it, you're not going to get a lot of troops standing up on national tv saying i want don't ask, don't tell to stay. but i've spoken with a lot of them. they will tell you, you know, that they believe it will hurt morale and unit cohesion. and a lot of them say they resent being called a bigot because they do support this policy. >> chris lawrence for us at the pentagon. chris, we'll see where all this goes. thanks. five minutes past the the hour. we'll get you caught up on what's going on in france. demonstrators are still out there, still upset about the possible vote today. police have been called in to break up a picket line. protesters are angry over a plan in the french senate that would raise the retirement age from 60 to 62. strikes at all 12 of france's refineries have forced a nationwide fuel shortage. unions say those strikes will continue. police in california still do not know why a 23-year-old suspect allegedly set fire to a mall in suburban sacramento. at least a dozen stores were destroyed and many more were damaged in the westfield galleria mall in roseville. the unidentified suspect was captured after barricading himself in a back room of an electronics store. 1 in 10 american adults has diabetes. but those numbers could triple and as many as 1 in 3 americans could have diabetes by the year 2050 if obesity trends remain the same. researchers cite two factors in the expected rise. people living longer, people being diagnosed earlier. they also say minority adults are twice as likely as whites to have diabetes. the federal government is requiring communities across the country to change every street sign that has all capital letters and replace it with a sign that has upper and lower-cased letters. officials claim that makes them easier to read. the feds are offering no financial help to cover the cost of replacement signs. plenty of mayors are screaming about the unplanned hits to their records. during the 23rd of hour of his live cococam online. there was a poll asking fans who should be on the fan first. it's still up. so who knows, it could change. choices include vladimir putin, the pope, the cast of the "fat albert movie." conan premieres november 8th on our sister station tbs. >> and we're all looking forward to that. let's get a quick check of this morning's headlines. reynolds wolf for us this morning. good morning, reynolds. great to see you. >> it is going to be a rough awakening for people across the central plains this morning. the rain is coming down like a sack of jackhammers. we're going to zoom in where from oklahoma city southward to dallas, here comes the rain. there's a possibility of flash flooding and poor drainage in spots. we can expect more of of that rain to intensify back to lubbock. we've got a little bit of a break in the action, but more rain on the way for you. it's also going to be in that area in oklahoma city where we may see a few delays this morning. 72 the expected high for oklahoma city, new york, sunny with 54 degrees, atlanta, 78, sunny, dry, enjoy it while you can. we'll have a slight warm-up into the weekend. and for san diego, sunny with a high of 66. that is a quick snapshot on your forecast. a lot more coming up. plus we'll take a look at the tropics. the 17th named storm of the season, richard. more about that in a few moments. back to you in new york. >> speaking of richard. richard branstad is joining us this morning. he'll be talking to us about the space program. >> yeah, getting closer and closer to being able to go up there if you've got the green. >> if you've got the green. that's the key. >> thanks, reynolds. well, a retired marine is making headlines for rescuing a man who fell on the tracks in a metro station outside of d.c. just as the train was approaching. it happened back in august. all of it caught on tape. he hopped off the opposite platform there. there you see it. he's basically hurdling these charged rails, the lelectrified rails to help the commuter back up to safety. >> just so you know how dangerous it is. watch there where he steps on it -- >> he's already over there. >> he's already over there. another guy jumps in there. that third rail carries 750 volts of electricity. and that's plenty of electricity to kill him if he'd made a slip. metro officials say no one should do what he did. we're going to talk to him about his dangerous act of heroism. >> he didn't consider it heroism. he hopped up and gathered his work. the increasingly bitter battle for senate in kentucky. rand paul and jack conway going at it before the election. more right after the break. welcome back to the most news in the morning. 13 minutes past the hour. it's a horse race in kentucky. we're not talking about the derby, we're talking about the senate race. rand paul and jack conway. this is a campaign that's gotten increasingly personal and ugly in many cases. much of the anger stemming from a democratic attack ad questioning rand paul's religious beliefs. jim acosta went one-on-one with both candidates. and it got to the point where you had the candidate's wife weighing in about how upset she was about that ad. >> reporter: that's true. rand paul's wife said she was disgusted with this ad. and we had a few moments to catch up with both of the candidates in this case. rand paul and jack conway. and after a brutal campaign, kiran, we found out both of these candidates have something in common. they're both tired of talking about it. rand paul stopped at this factory to talk taxes, but the issue in this kentucky horse race this week can be summed up in two words. aqua buddha. >> why was rand paul a member of a secret society that called the holy bible a hoax that was banned for mocking christianity and christ? >> reporter: it accuses paul of belonging to a group in college that mocked christianity. the ad cites an anonymous woman who told the washington post that paul's group had her pray to a false god named aqua buddha. paul denies it all. >> i've never written or said anything un-christian in my life. and for him to accuse me of that is inappropriate and he ought to be ashamed of himself. >> you're saying what was said in that ad is untrue? all of it? >> absolutely. >> reporter: but paul's not the only candidate who is finished with aqua buddha. >> i'm not questioning his faith, his action. >> reporter: as we tried to press conway on the add and other issues, the democratic contender fired back. >> i was told we were going to have an interview with you and that's not happening. >> i'm happy to sit here and answer your questions. >> reporter: is it because of the ad? >> have i failed to answer any questions about the ad? have i failed to go on matt lauer. >> reporter: conway who opposes the bailout but supports the health care law is determined to fight in a state where president obama is deeply unpopular. no surprise then that he prefers former president bill clinton. >> i'll quote bill clinton -- >> reporter: -- instead of mr. obama on the trail. >> do you want the president to campaign with you here between now and election day? his latest line of attack is paul scrapped the tax in favor of the fair tax. paul told cnn he's open to it but not sold on it. >> i've always said that i support any tax reform that lowers taxes on everyone and so that's sort of the rule of thumb that would have to be. and that simplifies the tax code. there are various ways to do that. that might be one of the alternatives. >> reporter: and back to that aqua buddha ad, rand paul says he's so fired up over that spot, he may drop out of a candidate debate with jack conway scheduled for this monday. and dr. paul says he will have an answer on that question later today. kiran? >> and just remind us, how is the polling right now? >> reporter: the latest poll here in kentucky shows paul with a five-point edge. that comes just a few days after a different poll in the state show conway with a two-point lead. that caught everybody by surprise in this state. some people are saying that's an outlier. but this is a down-to-the-wire kentucky horse race everybody's going to be watching, kiran. in the fight against bullying, president obama is joining the fray. the white house blog posted a message from the president overnight as part of the "it gets better" project. here it is. >> what i want to say is this. you are not alone. you didn't do anything wrong. you didn't do anything to deserve being bullied. and there is a whole world waiting for you filled with possibilities. there are people out there who love you and care about you just the way you are. >> the whole message is about three minutes long. in it, the president also said the the recent suicides as a result of bullying are shocking and heart breaking tragedies. columnist dan savage was the person who started the "it gets better" campaign. and we're going to talk to him live about the president joining in. there's a new book claiming a card containing launch codes went missing for months during bill clinton's presidency. the author, former joint chiefs chairman general hugh shelton says that a clinton aide lost that card known as the "biscuit",which is supposed to be with the president at all times. shelton calls it a big deal and says we dodged a bullet. it's so unbelievably important, which it clearly is, why would you have it on a card in the pocket of your blazer? >> we have a guy carrying the football, which is a way of launching nuclear weapons too. that's just carried around not chained to his wrist, as well. if you plan to buy coffee this morning, you might have some sticker shock. it's 18 minutes after the hour. . lord of the carry-on. sovereign of the security line. you never take an upgrade for granted. and you rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle. and go. you can even take a full-size or above. and still pay the mid-size price. i deserve this. [ male announcer ] you do, business pro. you do. go national. go like a pro. my professor at berkeley asked me if i wanted to change the world. i said "sure." "well, let's grow some algae." and that's what started it. exxonmobil and synthetic genomics have built a new facility to identify the most productive strains of algae. algae are amazing little critters. they secrete oil, which we could turn into biofuels. they also absorb co2. we're hoping to supplement the fuels that we use in our vehicles, and to do this at a large enough scale to someday help meet the world's energy demands. how smart is the new ford edge? well, it can show you the most fuel-efficient route to where you're going. it can find the best price on gas. show fuel prices. and now its v6 gets the best highway fuel economy in its class. say hello to the new ford edge. quite possibly the world's smartest crossover. 22 1/2 minutes after the hour. >> that song was called "black coffee in bed." >> it's a segue. because this is something we seem to talk about every six months or so, but yes, the price of coffee is going up again. your little cup of java in the morning -- >> we drink red bull, we can't afford -- >> so far they've been stuck in the bagged coffee, but you're going to see it. >> at 3:00 in the morning, coffee upsets my stomach. >> remember when it wasn't the first thing in the morning, but the last thing at night? >> we are getting older. >> we are getting older. coffee prices are going up and we've been watching it on the exchanges and it's been an amazing rally. here's why, it was wet in the caribbean earlier this year, and that means the quality of some of the beans isn't as good, the crop isn't as good. and that means the producers are having to dip into their old stores of their perfect beans and try to mix those in with some of the new beans and means the supply isn't what they'd like to be. we've shown we're above $2 a pound for coffee for the first time in 13 years. coffee is hot. whoever wrote the headline deserves a star. >> you can also go to mcdonald's and get a cheap cup. >> mcdonald's says they'll be raising prices. they won't say what they're going to raise prices on. but meat prices are the highest in 30 years. >> because of corn. >> corn. >> yep, corn is up sharply. there's a big rally in corn prices was the fastest rally in corn prices in some 40 years this summer. you've got a drought in russia, all of these different things happening. and because the dollar has been weak, people are rushing into commodities as a safe haven for your money has been an amazing story too because of what's happening in the international economy. so you're going to see prices rise at mcdonald's. they're making a lot of money on the smoothies if you're interested. >> just teasing about your peeps in iowa -- >> they're working hard to bring you that corn. >> it's just, you know, it's nature. >> christine, great to see you. well, in 11 days, california voters will decide whether or not to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. there's a lot of talk about the medicinal use. one neighborhood says we're not waiting for election day, we've embraced the pot culture already. we're going to take you to a place called oaksterdam. in ever. find lowest prices for your yard and home. and lowest prices on fall's hottest styles. plus an instant $10 off your apparel purchase. lowest prices are here! sears. this chicken tortilla soup has such a wonderful zesty quality. that's the chipotle and cilantro. it's one of our new mexican soups. it reminds me of guadalajara. a special man. his delicious soups. sheila? [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. it's a belief in everything we do. it's a 5 year, 50,000 mile promise. with complimentary scheduled maintenance. no-cost replacement ofear and tear items. and 24/7 roadside assistance. because when you create the most beautiful, fast cars on earth, you create an ownership experience to match. special lease and finance offers available for a limited time. see your local jaguar dealer for details. 27 minutes after the hour. to an a.m. original now and a story you'll see only on "american morning." if california's prop 19 passes in november, the recreational use of marijuana will become legal in non-public places. and local governments would be allowed to collect fees and taxes from the sale of pot, which would probably make all of those revenues from casinos look like nickel slots. but one city in california already has that infrastructure in place. oakland, in fact, one section of oakland has embraced the marijuana culture so whole heartedly it has earned the nickname oaksterdam. and here's a look. >> reporter: marijuana pipes for sale, a coffee shop selling pot, it may feel like amsterdam, but this is oakland, california. and this five-block area is is known as oaksterdam. a neighborhood built around marijuana. this is coffee shop blue skies, one of four dispensary that's licensed with the city of oakland. and you can see it in the front here. looks like any other coffee shop. the marijuana is sold in the back. mitch here stands at the door. he checks people's medical marijuana cards. if he says it's okay, you can go on back. behind the curtain is jen, the bud-tender. >> welcome to blue sky. this is our menu. >> reporter: customers select what type of marijuana they want. it varies in price depending on potency. high grade goes for $44 1/8 ounce. the city of oakland has embraced oaksterdam and the medical marijuana dispensaries because the city is getting a cut in the form of tax revenue. and officials say there have been no major problems. >> actually been some of the best businesses to deal with. they've been responsive, they've dealt with nuisance issues. they've responded to any concerns the city's had. >> reporter: there's even a university where students learn how to grow and sell marijuana. >> marijuana for federal purposes is codified in the controlled substances act and is completely schedule one prohibited. >> reporter: on a recent tuesday night, students learned about the differences between federal and state drug laws. more than 13,000 students have taken classes here since the school opened three years ago. >> i would like to be able to grow high-quality marijuana in the comfort of my own home. and use it at my discretion. and give it to people i know thateed some relief. >> reporter: local business owners say that oaksterdam helped revitalize what was a dying part of downtown oakland. the owners of the lunchbox say their business is is booming. >> people are coming to take classes there. people are coming to have their prescriptions filled. people are in and out. so yes, there's definitely an increase of foot traffic. and it does benefit us. they do have munchies. they really do. >> reporter: if californians vote on november 2nd to legalize marijuana for non-medicinal purposes, oaksterdam is one place it'll be quickly and readily available. >> i'm so amazed whenever we see stories like this. how much the world has changed in the last 20 years. >> i love the university. people copiously taking notes, everyone studying. well, it's 30 minutes past the hour. time to look at the top stories this morning. one of the big issues is the big controversy over free speech issues. juan williams signing a new multi-year deal with fox news after comments he made about muslims on the network cost him his job at npr. many leading republicans are now calling on congress to pull npr's funding after the move. a threat that the fbi is looking into to try to figure out who mailed a toxic powder to arizona congressman's office in tucson. also on the envelope, swastikas that were drawn on two sheets of paper. about a dozen staffers in the room at the time. no one was injured in any way. no effects from the toxic powder. agents are analyzing the substance to figure out what it is. how about this one? a mystery donor left $10,000 cash in a 9/11 donation box at the world trade center site in new york. the money helped pay for a memorial at ground zero. usually people flip in singles and coins. well, this person left 99 $100 bills and twenties. well, one minute you're the leader of the free world and the next you're living in seclusion in a ranch in the heart of texas. that's former president bush. well, not anymore. he's on youtube talking up his forthcoming book called "talking points." and then, there's the new museum. ed lavandera live for us in dallas this morning. good morning, ed. what's this all about? >> reporter: well, john, as you mentioned, president bush has kept a relatively low profile. mostly here in dallas. it's been interesting over the last couple of years, the most we've heard is people posting pictures on the internet saying they've seen him at restaurants around town and that sort of thing. but all of that is about to change dramatically as his book comes out early in november. he'll be doing rounds of interviews, talking about the memoir, as well. and also the the ground breaking on his presidential library here on the campus of smu. and this exhibit you see here is part of the big effort to promote this over the next two years. >> i can hear you! the rest of the world hears you, and the people -- and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon! >> that was the bull horn that president bush used when he first visited the world trade center site on september 14th, 2001. >> reporter: our guide is allen loe. >> not get lost in the commotion. >> the folks that day luckily kept it with him. and it was transferred to the office. >> when he makes his first public statement, he made notes on what to say. so in the heat of the moment on that amazing day. >> today we had a national tragedy. >> two airplanes have crashed into the world trade center. in an apparent terrorist attack on our country. >> goose bumps, you know, as you think about what was going on, what he was in the middle of right at that moment. >> the other great one. the baseball. >> the president threw out the pitch game three at the 2001 series in yankee stadium not long after the attacks. >> reporter: the george w. bush presidential center is scheduled to open in 2013. friends say you might see more of the former president here soon, but not much more. >> i think you'll see him and laura active in things here at the center. but they enjoy their private life too. >> reporter: the exhibit also offers a small glimpse into that life. a painting given to laura bush by senator ted kennedy. the dress worn by mrs. bush to the first ever white tie state dinner with the queen of england. and more impressively, this necklace. >> a sapphire and diamond set from the king of saudi arabia that was given to mrs. bush. absolutely stunning. >> and there's also saddam hussein's gun from the day he was captured. we're told it's one of the president's prized possessions. >> a very historic piece. >> reporter: this exhibit showcases the greatest highlights of the president bush years. don't expect to find the low lights of a controversial presidency. >> reporter: and john, the best we have we can show you right now. what the presidential library will look like in the spring of 2013. one of the interesting things here, as well, the hundreds of thousands of documents. this is obviously a small sampling of everything they have. but one of the interesting things is is, really one of the first presidents to have so much e-mail that they will have to display. and hundreds of thousands of e-mails they will put on display. it increased dramatically from the president clinton years to the president bush years. >> i'm sure it's increased tenfold again to the obama presidency. it's interesting to see, though, the way the president -- former president bush is flying below the radar compared to his predecessor who got right out there on the speaking circuit almost immediately. >> reporter: well, president bush has done speeches like that and obviously making good money doing that over the last two years, but those have been very low profile. and as i mentioned off the top, living here in dallas, the vast majority of what we've heard around town are the sightings people like to post on the internet. hey, i saw them at a restaurant around town. that's been the extent of what we've seen. even pictures of him going to a hardware store early on after he left the presidency, as well. >> he likes private life, no question about that. so does she. ed lavandera this morning. thanks so much for that, ed. we're following the juan williams controversy this morning. now that he has a new job, he's firing back at npr for dumping him over comments he made about muslims. up next, we're talk about what's going on. 37 minutes past the hour. interesting grooming. thanks. i got the idea from general mills big g cereals. they put a white check on the top of every box to let people know that their cereals have healthy whole grain, and they're the right choice... (announcer) general mills makes getting whole grain an easy choice. just look for the white check. ♪ 40 minutes past the the hour. welcome back to the most news in the morning. fired for comments he made on fox news, juan williams is firing back today. williams feels he's been branded a "psycho" and mentally unstable after his former boss at national public radio said the thoughts he shared on the o'reilly factor should have been been between him and his psychiatrist. if you haven't heard what he originally said, here's a look. >> i mean, look, bill. i'm not a bigot. the kind of books i've written about the civil rights movement in this country. but when i get on a plane, i've got to tell you, if i see people in muslim garb and think they're identifying themselves first and foremost as muslims, i get worried, i get nervous. >> those comments touched off a fiery debate about the freedom of speech and the first amendment because of his firing. here to break it down in washington, frank sesno. welcome, frank. he also used to be cnn's washington bureau chief. also bill mcgowan. great to see you, as well. >> good morning, kiran. >> frank, let me start with you. i know you are friends with juan williams. what did you think about all of this? first of all, should he have been fired? >> oh, gosh. first of all, let me say that what i think about it is it's terribly sad. i know juan, i respect juan, i think he's terrific. the fact of the matter is, kiran, he and npr were on a collision course and have been for a long time. he knew that, they've documented that. forget the comments about the psychiatrist, those were unfortunate and wrong. but fundamentally, npr says in its publicly published ethics code the following. npr journalists "should not participate in shows, electronic forums, or blogs that encourage punditry and speculation rather than fact-based analysis." they're very explicit about this. they've been on a collision course for a long time. and just as cnn fired rick sanchez when he stepped over the line. >> and bill, you disagree, though, that this was a fireable offense. that he should've lost his job. >> profoundly. i don't think it's any breach of their policy. o'reilly is not just a punditry show. o'reilly has a news content there. what juan said was maybe perhaps not as phrased as delicately or diplomatically as it could be, but what he said is not what a lot of people in america say. and if he had said it through that prism instead of saying it through his personal feelings, he'd be fine. the other thing is, npr has a lot of people making, you know, opinions, daniel shord for a long time, his opinions were obvious. and they let juan williams going on for years without doing anything. >> you know, this is the problem. the fact of the matter is, this is in some ways a larger issue of how the media wars are being played out. and juan williams is both a participant in them and now a victim of them. npr's trying to hold some kind of line about you're not going to do opinion when you go some place else, you're supposed to be this detached journalist. it may be quaint and may be wrong, but that's what they're trying to do in the voice they've got. and they say you shouldn't be doing this. >> however, in response, the ceo of npr went on to say that he should've kept what he thought between himself and his publicist and seemed to chuckle. >> absolutely disgraceful. absolutely disgraceful, and i think it's probably going to provide another set of grounds for a lawsuit against npr that juan williams has going for him. >> yeah, that was really -- that was really an unfortunate comment. >> the other question -- and this is what happens when you take a full conversation and then break down parts or extract parts that are maybe more controversial than others. juan williams says if you went on to see the entire thing that he warned against generalizing and blaming members of a certain religion. and yesterday he went back on "the o'reilly factor" to talk more about what happened to him. he's obviously still very upset. let's listen. >> they take something totally out of context like one word or one line and forget that here i am engaging you, and we're having an honest discussion. this is what america should be. people having a real debate and telling you -- you pointed out rightly in the talking points memo. this is what i felt. >> he's saying that he was just saying what he felt. and this speaks to the the blurring of the lines as you talked about, frank. between objective reporting and providing analysis and more and more journalists are being expected to sort of give an opinion, you know, in the onset of blogging and twitter and everything else that goes on. >> it's what i'm doing here. i guess i can't work for npr. this is the problem we've got now. the coin of the realm. what television and radio and the blogs are all about is opinion. and there's this quaint notion that reporters can be detached and separate and they have no opinion and they're not going to express it, it's in the "new york times" ethics code, it's in the "washington post" code at some level. and you had a "washington post" executive editor who says i don't vote, that's how out of it i am. this is this gigantic collision between what npr is trying to hold up and what's actually happening out there and juan's a victim of it. >> and bill, what is your take on the collision course? people wanting to hear analysis and opinion versus playing it completely objective and straight? >> i think it has a lot of dangers ahead. i am a believer in objectivity and detached neutral professionalism. and i think frank's reporting has always shown the capacity to do that. absorbing opinion into that, okay, i don't like the way our news culture is clefting one side to another and becoming ideological and partisan. and i think that's something we really need to think about. we need to attach neutral, professional observers. >> kiran, if i can make a distinction. what npr is trying to say, they're trying to make the distinction between news analysis and news commentary. the point they make is what happens on fox and what you just saw juan doing is commentary, over the edge, they want analysis. is it a distinction without a difference? no, it actually does matter, but the line is getting harder and harder to identify. >> all right. food for thought this morning. thanks for being with us. >> thank you. >> thanks. >> and you'll see where all this goes too because juan's got powerful friends behind him now. wolf is going to have this morning's travel forecast ahead after the break. and black in america, why debt is a bigger problem than racism in the african-american community. 13 minutes now after the top of the hour. sy man. his day starts with his arthritis pain. that's breakfast with two pills. the morning is over, it's time for two more pills. the day marches on, back to more pills. and when he's finally home... but hang on; just two aleve can keep arthritis pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is steven, who chose aleve and 2 pills for a day free of pain. and get the all day pain relief of aleve in liquid gels. since our beginning, we've been there for clients through good times and bad, when our clients' needs changed we changed to meet them. through the years, when some lost their way, we led the way with new ideas for the financial challenges we knew would lie ahead. this rock has never stood still. and there's one thing that will never change. we are, the rock you can rely on. prudential. pancakes! ♪ from dawn 'til sunset, i'll never walk away ♪ ♪ blueberry pancakes are so good ♪ [ male announcer ] bisquick. pancake lovers unite. it's a belief in everything we do. it's a 5 year, 50,000 mile promise. with complimentary scheduled maintenance. no-cost replacement ofear and tear items. and 24/7 roadside assistance. because when you create the most beautiful, fast cars on earth, you create an ownership experience to match. special lease and finance offers available for a limited time. see your local jaguar dealer for details. welcome back. we are going to show you a tower cam. but then we decided, no, look at us. >> weather's right there. we can tell them, even though we can't see it. >> washington, d.c. is who we were going to reach out to this morning, where right now it's 53 degrees. but we have no idea what the weather's like there. later on, 62, sunny this afternoon. >> reynolds wolf in the extreme weather center for us this morning. hi, reynolds. >> looks like a nice day for much of the eastern sea board. 70s and 60s and some 50s. 54 degrees your expected high in new york city. san diego, beautiful, 66, but the big trouble spot we're going to see nationwide is smack dab in the middle of the u.s. oklahoma city, chances of storms, you might have delays there. also southward into texas, into dallas-ft. worth, some delays into the midday and afternoon hours. a bit farther to the south in the caribbean. see all this purple and red popping up on the map? deep tropical convection due to tropical storm richard. sustained gusts up to about 50 or so. the storm stationary, very little movement for the time being. however, it's not expected to stay that way. it is expected to pick up speed and veer its way to the east -- west rather and it should increase in power too as we fast forward into sunday and then into monday. the storm possibly a category one storm according to this latest forecast, the national hurricane center. and it is then expected as we trail out the weekend into early next week across the yucatan peninsula. and it's going to be away from the primary power source, that warm ocean water. so it should weaken a little bit and the forecast carries it back into 2:00 a.m. wednesday as a very weak tropical depression. but you see that line, storms don't move just in the linear fashion, they tend to wobble a bit. you also look at this wild field that we have all covered in white. that is your cone of uncertainty. there's a chance the storm could veer to the north, perhaps, back to the west. a lot of uncertainty with it over the next 12 to 24 to 48 hours. we'll have the latest for you, back to you in new york. >> they've been hit a number of times. >> absolutely, no question about it. >> thanks, reynolds. this morning's top stories minutes away now. including, we're talking to the d.c. metro subway hero. he jumped two rails to save a man who fell on to the tracks. also, too hot for "glee," stars of the hit show in naughty schoolgirl pictures. even though the actresses themselves are adults. we'll debate whether or not this went too far. those stories and much more at the top of the the hour. 55 minutes past the hour. a new documentary on cnn "almighty" debt takes a look at how the church is trying to help african-americans cope with the economic crisis. >> debts is a bigger problem than racism in america. soledad o'brien tells us about one of the pastor's congregates who lost his job but not his faith. >> as soon as i opened the door, i knew something was amiss because i saw a strange face sitting in the room. the lady proceeded to tell me her company was undergoing further reorganization and my job had been eliminated. >> that was a year and a half ago. after 25 years working up his way up the ladder to vice president at a large brokerage firm carl fields was let go. it was four days before his 58th birthday. >> i must tell you, there were a number of grown people who when i told them what had happened to me literally stood there crying. and i said to every one of them, don't cry for me, rejoice for what god is about to do. and that's what keeps me going. >> hallelujah. hallelujah, thank you, lord. >> reporter: keeps him going still. >> oh, boy. amen. my day starts with prayer and meditation. very seldom do i miss that. >> now i can face the day, lord. >> reporter: has your faith diminished at all? >> no. it was not a question to god about why did you let this happen to me? never. >> tough times. soledad o'brien's special documentary "almighty debt" airs sunday night here on cnn. >> he seems like such a positive person. well, it's two minutes till the top of the hour. we have your top stories after a quick break. 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(announcer) icy hot patches. targeted no-mess relief. icy to dull pain. hot to relax it away. pain's no match for the icy hot patch. good morning, thanks so much for joining us on this "american morning." it's a friday, 22nd of october, i'm john roberts. >> i'm kiran chetry. thanks for being with us this morning. a retired marine leaps off the subway platform on to the tracks to rescue a commuter who had a medical emergency and could not get off the tracks. they came within feet of disaster. we're going to find what was going through his mind when he talks to us live in less than five minutes. thousands of people showing up for president obama's rallies in the west as democrats try to hang on to their senate seats. just 11 days left now. is it too late to make a difference? the best political team in television breaking down the stretch to the polls this morning. "glee" gone wild. they're adults but they play high schoolers. well, now the cast of "glee" is taking heat for a naughty schoolgirl spread in "gq" magazine. we talk about whether they went too far or whether it's on the parents to draw the line. >> one of the questions, what are 9-year-olds and 10-year-olds doing watching that program? up first, the most politics in the morning. 11 days until america votes. all out stumping and struggling to get or hang on to power in washington. >> yeah, the power is what it's all about here. right now as many as six senate seats are considered a tossup, 45 in the house of representatives and 13 governor races up for grabs, as well. the best political team on tv has every corner of the country covered this morning. we have jim acosta in louisville, brianna keilarn chicago, t.j. holmes on the election express in tampa, florida, this morning. and ed henry traveling with the president out in california. >> we begin with the president on a long campaign swing right now. five stes in four days through oregon, washington, california nevada, and minnesota. stumping across the st for many senateincumbents including barbara boxer and harry reid. critics say these races will be a referendum on his leadership. but the message has been the same. it's not the democrats' fault. >> the republicans took america's car and drove it into the ditch. and it was a really deep ditch. and we had a whole bunch of folks like joe sestak helping us push that car out of the ditch. and we're down there pushing, pushing, pushing on the car. and so we pushed and we pushed and every once in a while we'd look up and up on the road you'd see the republicans standing there, fanning themselves, sipping on a slurpy. >> ed henry joins us live from the campaign trail in california. oh, my goodness, an interesting theme the president has got going there. but an indication this whirlwind trip of his, just how dire the situation is for democrats? >> reporter: no doubt the democrats are on the defensive. now that we have a calendar of where the president is going to be going that final weekend in addition to this swing, we now know the president is going to be going all out that final weekend, halloween weekend, couple days before the november 2nd election. first of all, sunday we should point out october 31st he'll actually be going to cleveland, ohio. this is going to be his 12th trip to ohio. a big senate race there. but also a much closer gubernatorial battle there. the president trying to pull out the stops there. but saturday, what's fascinating, that final saturday of this midterm election season, the president's going to be hitting philadelphia, significant because joe sestak had been given up for dead by pundit a couple weeks back. all of a sudden he's in a dead heat with pat toomey, the republican there. pennsylvania, a critical one the democrats want to have. the president also going that saturday bridgeport, connecticut, trying to help dick blumenthal. and finally, worth noting, the president is going to his home of chicago that final saturday. this is a city they never wanted to be going to so late. they thought they'd have even the president's home state locked up by now, but with the democratic candidate having a hard time beating mark kirk, the republican, even the president has to go to his hometown that final weekend. it shows how much they're on the defensive in the final days, john. >> and in these final days, the democratic national committee is throwing lots of money into hispanic media, more than $1 million invested so far. that's the largest in a non-presidential election year. president obama doing hispanic radio interview in los angeles this afternoon. really going after the hispanic vote. do they -- do democrats think that's -- solid ground for them to get some votes out of it? a lot of hispanic community not too happy with the republican party these days. >> reporter: yeah. they think they're going to try to capitalize on that. it's significant. the president is going to be speaking spanish in some of those ads they've been running on univision. but also, they believe here in this state of california, those kinds of ads. that will be important with the hispanic population. but also, nevada, senate ma your ci majority leader harry reid. to give you a sense of how worried the white house is about harry reid. not only is the president going there today, vice president biden was in nevada a couple of days ago. we now know first lady michelle obama on november 1st, the day before the election, she's going to las vegas, as well. they're very nervous about harry reid. >> all right. ed henry for us this morning. we'll see if the president locks up the seven-eleven vote, as well. our election coverage continues this morning, ten minutes after the hour. jim acosta covering one of the nastiest senate races. meanwhile, new this morning, a new full-time job for juan williams. fox news now signing him to a two-year -- reportedly -- multimillion dollar deal. his role will now be expanded. williams' contract with npr was terminated tuesday. and effective immediately, only five senior officials at the pentagon now have the power to discharge an openly gay member of the military. that order coming in a memo from defense secretary robert gates. some people are calling it a moratorium on don't ask, don't tell until the future of the policy is decided in court. well, what would you do if a stranger fell off a train platform on to the the tracks right into the path of an oncoming train? would you jump in and help? >> well, it wasn't even a question for this 57-year-old. he didn't hesitate, jumped over a fully electrified third rail and dashed across a set of tracks to help save the victim. he joins us on the phone from rosalind, virginia this morning. congratulations on this act that many are saying is really heroic. you saved this guy's life. what were you thinking when you saw him fall? >> that's a good question. you know, things happen so fast. you have no time to really think. you're -- you're just not thinking, you're just reacting. >> you reacted and reacted quickly. we pointed out that you're a retired marine. did combat training have anything to do with this? have you ever seen action? >> actually, i have not seen action. i've been close to it, but i have not actually been in a fire fight. but -- in actuality, the training that you get in the marine corps does prepare you for situations like this where you have an instinctive reaction to a situation. >> right. and let's show the video again so we can walk people through what was happening as this happened. we see the guy fall on the other side. there he is, apparently, there's reporting that he may have had an epileptic seizure. you knew those tracks were electrified, right? >> oh, yes, yes. my father was a -- was a third rail man at a power distribution supervisor up in new york city subway system. and when i was -- when i was a kid back in the '50s, my father used to take me on the job and take us down into the subway system and taught me all about what to touch, what not to touch. so i attribute all my knowledge and experience of the subway system to him. >> wow, even so, dimas, you leapt on to two of those third rails with such confidence. and there's either -- i know in new york city there's a piece of wood on top, there's a piece of wood or concrete in d.c., but there's a guy who follows behind you, he gets close to doing what you did and thinks better of it. but, my goodness, if one little slip there and that would have been it for you. >> well, thank god i had pretty good footing. but i think that -- i knew where i was stepping. i stepped on the second rail, jumped up on to the center platform, and i knew where the third rail was on the other side. and i jumped -- jumped very clear of that. and my next -- my next position was right behind that gentleman that, you know, we helped up on to the platform. >> just amazing. you were certainly the guardian angel for the man that was injured. because you were supposed to be in california. your travel plans were canceled. and there you were and you knew exactly what to do. congratulations. thanks so much for joining us this morning. we appreciate it. >> thank you, i appreciate. >> guy doing the right thing. >> he's a marine, his dad -- he grew up knowing what to do when it comes to the third rail. >> it's interesting the way he said the military training, the instincts kicked right in and off he went. >> congrats. he saved a life, most likely. ten minutes past the hour right now. time to get a check of this morning's weather headlines. reynolds wolf in atlanta. >> we're going to get started in parts of the northeast. we'll show you what's happening on the radar. we're seeing what appears to be light to moderate precipitation, especially back towards the finger lakes. we see some blues, pinks across much of the radar. some of that frozen precipitation, but so light it's going to evaporate before it hits the ground. however, what we could be dealing with could be delays in regional airports, syracuse, perhaps even towards buffalo due to cross winds. you can expect delays there. as we wrap things up, we'll check out the central plains, strong storms there, the thunderstorms could keep it in the plains for a period of time. 72 your high in oklahoma city, 78, no problems in atlanta, 66 in san diego, and your high with plenty of sunshine in new york city, 54 degrees. that's a snapshot at your forecast. coming up, we're going to take that look at the tropics. we still have tropical storm richard out there. could it become a hurricane? we'll let you know coming up. >> and that's a tropical-looking tie you're wearing this morning too. >> it's a little bit interesting. >> and you've got a pocket square there, as well, huh? >> we've got all the accoutrements today. coming up, the kentucky senate race is heating up. jim acosta goes one-on-one with both candidates, rand paul and jack conway. do you have problems reading street signs when you're driving? now the federal government rules say you do and now your state and city is going to have to figure out a way at the cost of the taxpayer to make those signs more readable. tell us what you think. it's 12 minutes past the hour. jaguar platinum coverage is not just a warranty. it's a belief in everything we do. it's a 5 year, 50,000 mile promise. with complimentary scheduled maintenance. no-cost replacement ofear and tear items. and 24/7 roadside assistance. because when you create the most beautiful, fast cars on earth, you create an ownership experience to match. special lease and finance offers available for a limited time. see your local jaguar dealer for details. we asked people all over america where the best potatoes come the best potatoes? 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(sighs) not all potatoes come from idaho. so if you want the best, you have to do one important thing. always look for the grown in idaho seal. i knew that. i knew that. look for the grown in idaho seal. welcome back. we're covering the most politics in the morning now at 14 minutes after the hour. 11 days and counting until the all-important midterm elections. one of the country's nastiest races is is in kentucky. republican candidate and tea party favorite rand paul has five-point lead over jack conway in the latest poll. >> the senate race is getting a lot of attention. because of a democratic attack ad that questions paul's religious beliefs and suggests that he worshipped a false god. jim acosta is live in louisville for us this morning. what's been the reaction to that ad? >> reporter: well, you talk to people on the street here in kentucky, they will tell you they've seen this ad running over and over again. and frankly, they're a little sick of it. and they're not alone after catching up with both of these candidates, rand paul and jack conway on the campaign trail, we found out that they do have something in common, they're both tired of talking about aqua buddha. kentucky republican senate candidate rand paul stopped at this factory to talk taxes. but the issue in this kentucky horse race this week can be summed up in two words, aqua buddha. >> do we want to have a religious test in our country? >> why was rand paul a member of a secret society that called the holy bible a hoax that was banned from mocking christianity and christ? >> reporter: the ad run by democrat jack conway accuses paul of belonging to a group in college that mocked christianity. the ad cites an anonymous woman who told the "washington post" paul's group had her praise to a false god named aqua buddha. >> i've never said something un-christian in my life. and for him to accuse me of that is inappropriate and he ought to be ashamed of himself. >> reporter: you're saying what was said in that ad was untrue? all of it? >> absolutely. >> reporter: but paul's not the only candidate who is finished with aqua buddha. >> i'm not questioning rand paul's faith, i'm questioning his actions. >> reporter: as we tried to press conway on the ad and other issues, the democratic contender fired back. >> i was told we were going to have an interview with you. >> i'm happy to sit here and answer your questions. >> reporter: is it because of the ad? you feel maybe i shouldn't have done this? >> have i failed to answer any questions about this? >> reporter: conway who opposes the bailout is fighting to win in a state where president obama is deeply unpopular. no surprise, then, that he prefers former president bill clinton. >> i'll wrap up by quoting bill clinton who was in last week and probably coming back. >> reporter: -- instead of mr. obama on the trail. do you want the president campaigning with you? >> this campaign is is about me versus rand paul. >> reporter: the latest line of attack is paul once supported scrapping the income tax in something called the fair tax. it's essentially a 23% national sales tax on all purchases. paul told cnn he's open to it but not sold on it. >> i've always said i support any tax reform that lowers taxes on everyone. and so that's sort of the rule of thumb that would have to be and that simplifies the tax code. there are various ways to do that. that might be one of the alternatives. >> reporter: and getting back to that aqua buddha ad, rand paul says he's so fired up over it he may drop out of the upcoming debate that's scheduled for monday. and he is supposed to have a definitive answer on that later today. john and kiran? >> jim acosta for us this morning. thanks so much. also coming up at 7:30 eastern, the illinois senate race, also a major battleground for democrats trying to preserve the majority. brianna keilar live in chicago with the latest. and a toxic delivery, white powder in an envelope and that's not it. 19 minutes after the hour. [ female announcer ] kids who don't eat breakfast may not be getting the nutrition they need to keep their bodies strong. carnation instant breakfast essentials supplies the nutrients of a balanced breakfast to help build strong muscles and healthy bones. carnation instant breakfast essentials. good nutrition from the start. ♪ 21 1/2 minutes after the hour. we're back with some of the stories that got us talking in the newsroom this morning. first up, mel gibson dropped his cameo role in "the hangover." too many members of the cast and crew did not want to work with him. >> should've figured that out before they actually told people and publicized it. >> i know how much you're looking forward to the "hangover 2." >> number one was such a masterpiece. >> it was. talk about an expense that no one needs in these tough economic times. the the federal government is now ordering communities or all communities across the country to tear down every street sign that has all caps. i think they have to exempt stop signs, correct? >> that's probably got to be in all caps. >> they want them to be replaced with signs with upper and lower case lettering claiming it's easier to read. some in the city say it's going to cost millions. where is this money coming from? >> they claim there'll be fewer accidents and the whole thing will pay for itself. we're asking the question, what's hotter than adriana lima? how about adriana in a $2 million bra? it will be seen on a victoria's secret fashion show on cbs next month. it's set in 18 karat gold, totaling -- >> can we look at her for a second? you know what's even more not fair? this is her first big modelling big debut post baby. that's what she looks like after being with child. >> that's another reason to hate her, huh? another big bunch of money -- that's not natural, i just mean like the whole bra, the whole -- defying of gravity. anyway, everyone is wondering who stuffed -- $10,000 into the box, what did you think i was talking about? into the donation box at the 9/11 world trade center memorial site. and usually they fill it with coins, you know, $1, $10, this was jammed with 99 $100 and twenties. they want to say thanks. >> i guess the donor does want to remain anonymous. you rarely see a bike rider without a helmet these days and if you do, you should ask them to put one on. would you wear this on your head? a new high-tech helmet from our pals in sweden. it rapidly inflates into an air-filled cushion when it detects an impact. yes, that's how they test these things. goes on sale next year for $50. as a person who has fallen on his head off of a bicycle with a helmet on, it's probably a great idea. >> is that video of you in central park? you never know when you're biking and the taxis are racing through there. >> i didn't get hit by a car, i got cut off by a car. they're taking no prisoners in the illinois senate seat. now we're going to be live in chicago where this race is getting heated. brianna keilar's there just ahead. 25 minutes past the hour. i used to see the puddles, but now i see the splash. ♪ i wanted love, i needed love ♪ ♪ most of all, most of all... ♪ i just wish that all of the important information was gathered together in one place. [ printer whirs ] done. ♪ thanks. do you work here? not yet. from tax info to debunking myths, the field guide to evolving your workforce has everything you need. download it now at thinkbeyondthelabel.com. 27 minutes past the hour. welcome back to the most politics in the morning where in the final days of the midterm election campaign, cnn has it covered like no one else. the election express rolling coast to coast taking america's political pulse. and the big bus is making a stop in tampa, florida. our t.j. holmes is talking to young people about their job search in this tough economic climate about the state that has been hit especially hard. hi, t.j. >> good morning. the big bus? that sounds so offensive. you have to be sensitive, kiran. >> it was totally in control of the road. we had a great shot of it rolling down the road. >> reporter: that's what you mean? the big bus. okay. that's all right. good morning to you, kiran. i fear you guys put me in the wrong block. i heard you talking last block about, you know, the hangover, a masterpiece of american film making and also bras i heard you guys talking about. but i will take this block here, nonetheless. we're here on the campus of the university of south florida. home of the bulls here. this is our second campus in two days. but again, this is day five, stop number six on this bus tour. we landed here and ended up here in tampa because it's going to be a big weekend in politics here in the state of florida. big senate race going on, also gubernatorial race going on. and cnn going to be playing a role on sunday and monday. we're next to the marshall student center where she is going to be moderating the senate debate on sunday and then on monday, john king is actually going to be doing the gubernatorial debate here. so a big weekend. we made our way down, we have been hitting college campuses. a couple, certainly being talking to college students along the way about what their concerns are. everybody talking about these young kids coming out. are they going to support the president this time around? you take a listen to the theme now what we found on our road trip this week. >> i think most of the people at the university right now are worried about jobs. >> i'm a little concerned about when i get out of college. >> you start off in january and you get kind of nervous because you're immediately thinking you don't know what you're going to do soon. >> and it's because we're all going to graduate and enter that job market. and if there's nothing available, suddenly that's a wake-up call. >> reporter: so, kiran, you hear the theme there. and they know there's a lot on the line. they know there's a lot going on. but quite frankly, kiran, a lot of them we found are busy looking for jobs, working jobs now to pay for tuition increases, 15% increase in tuition just this year. they know what's going on. they know what's at stake, they know what's happening out there, but just not engaged in the midterms because unlike last time as we know, they don't have that transformational figure at the top of the ballot. someone that can click his name. not engaged, necessarily, even though they have a whole lot on the line. >> yeah. it's interesting. these dashed expectations. a lot of young people not knowing if they can solve it. it is a tough situation. the t.j. holmes for us on the election express. the tiny little compact wonderful bus. thanks, t.j. well, this sunday morning on "state of the union," candy crowley will be moderating a debate between the candidates in the senate florida race sunday at 9:00 a.m. meanwhile, we're crossing the half hour. 1 out of 3 kids born today will develop diabetes at some point in their lifetime. these are troubling new projections from the centers for disease control and prevention. over the next four decade. right now they say it's 1 in 10. the report says obesity is a big factor. >> supersizing of america, no question. the fbi trying to figure out who mailed a toxic powder to arizona congressman's office in tucson. also inside the envelope, swastikas that were drawn on two sheets of paper. agents are analyzing the powder, trying to figure out what was mailed to the congressman. part of the shopping mall in ruins. police say the man who claimed to have a gun barricaded himself inside of a video game store just north of sacramento and set a fire. he was arrested, no one was hurt. now to the race to the senate chicago style. the seat once held by president obama has been a rough and tumble affair. the polls show the republican candidate mark kirk leading his democratic opponent by four points now. brianna keilar is tracking this one for us and live in chicago. this one rough and tumble, brianna. >> reporter: certainly, john. and it just goes to show you really what a tough election season it is to be a democrat when for this senate seat, a republican really has a shot. and this is a race that has become a down and dirty fight. the race for the illinois senate seat once held by president obama is getting nasty. illinois's young state treasurer, the democratic candidate has been billed by republicans as a "mob banker." >> he'd make tony soprano proud. >> reporter: they point to the years he spent as an executive in his family's bank, that was seized by the government in april. ginnouilis is hitting back against allegations of wrong doing. >> that's shameful. no one has ever even suggested the bank has ever done anything illegal, elicit, or improper, and i'm proud of the bank my father started. >> mark kirk has his own achilles heel, multiple misstatements about his service in the navy reserves. service he highlights on his official website. >> mark kirk lied about serving in iraq and a lot else. >> reporter: kirk said he was shot at in iraq, that he served in the gulf war, and that he won the navy's intelligence officer of the year award. all of which are not true. >> were you careless in your remarks? >> absolutely. and you correct that. that's right. and i misstated parts of my military record. but in the navy, we're trained to take responsibility and be accountable for your people, for your unit, and for your mission. >> reporter: something else that really makes this race here unique, it's one of three senate races where the winner doesn't wait until the new congress in january to be seated. they will actually take their seats some time after the november 2nd election because they are being elected to fill a vacancy. immediately and perhaps no coincidence, the president will be campaigning here next weekend. >> all right. certainly could, you know, put more of a dent in that majority they once had that was filibuster-proof. brianna keilar for us this morning, thanks. for a number of reasons, we're upset that coffee getting more expensive. prices are taking off with coffee futures breaking through to $2 a pound. this is the first time it's been that high in 13 years. they're blaming wet weather in parts of the caribbean, also heavy rains which hurt crops there. engineers in south carolina are wrecking homes on purpose. check out this $40 million state-of-the-art hurricane simulator. dozens of gigantic fans blow gusts close to 100 miles an hour. two homes tested side by side, one of them designed to withstand hurricanes. >> and the other one clearly not. >> clearly not. >> like the big, bad wolf. do you want the house of sticks or straw? >> don't want the one on the left. >> should've nailed that one down. >> maybe. an ul ugly free for all. a team visiting from montreal rushed the grand stand. they started fighting, the brawl began with just seconds left to play. the players claim a fan behind the bench hit one of them with a beer can. montreal coach has now resigned. the league is investigating. so far, though, no one's been charged. >> oh, yeah. >> oh, canada. >> there's my peeps. >> proud moment. >> diplomacy, canadian style. the "glee" girls strip down for "gq." all the actors are in their mid-20s. they play teens, but the parents television council says the shoot borders on pedophilia. 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(sighs) not all potatoes come from idaho. so if you want the best, you have to do one important thing. always look for the grown in idaho seal. i knew that. i knew that. look for the grown in idaho seal. ♪ he's a philly fan and i told him he can't watch it because of the cable vision fox dispute, we can't see the the game. >> you haven't gone with a different, directv? >> yeah, they'll get back to us in six months. >> they may get back to you in about 30 seconds now they we mentioned it on television. >> i said don't watch the game, they'll stay alive. that was my prediction. the phillies do stay alive. they were playing the san francisco giants and they beat them last night 4-2. and that means the nlcs goes back home to philadelphia for game six. philly fans hoping for a game seven, as well. the giants, though, still lead the series. >> i have nothing against either philadelphia or texas, but i think that a yankees/giants series would be a great cross-country battle. that's just me. >> in interest of harmony the home front. let's get a quick check of this morning's weather headlines. good morning, reynolds. >> this is interesting. that'd be a great match-up. the yankees and the giants. now you have an east and west coast thing. the yankees and the rangers, going to get started around 8:00 p.m. chance of storms, yes, very likely. in fact, by the first pitch, could have temperatures in the 80s. that rain cool air moves in, it could be in the 70s at this time. and speaking of that game which will be taking place in arlington, probably just a little further out to the west, there was rough weather near lubbock. in fact, in texas, we have video of some intense hail. we could see more of that develop in parts of west and central texas. but it's all due to this frontal boundary we have zooming through there. 72 degrees would be your expected high. let's go back to the maps. a lot of impulses here on parts out of i-40, i-35 also. and we're also going to zoom in on parts of the northeast where we're seeing a little bit of light precipitation from rochester back to syracuse, along 81 and down towards binghamton. much of the precipitation very, very light. not much on the ground in the low, but any regional flights in rochester, buffalo, syracuse, might have delays due to winds. more on your forecast in mere moments, plus we'll take a look at the tropics. very active with tropical storm richard. >> looking forward to that. thanks so much, reynolds. well, the show is about teenagers in high school. but the actors and actresses are all in their 20s. so the new spread for "gq." is it too much for gleeks? 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>> well, absolutely you're right. the actresses that play these characters are in their 20s, but they are fetishizing high school girls in a way thing is very damaging not only to the adult male readers of "gq" magazine but also to the teenage fans of "glee." you know the young girls that watch the show and admire the actors and actresses on that show are going to walk away with the impression that this is acceptable, that this was even desirable behavior. this is what's expected of them. >> what do you say, robert, to that argument? and also, you know, when you look at the show, the show itself is not exactly tame. >> that's right. i think there's two claims made by the parents television council that have to be examined. first, this bordering on pedophilia. this is not bordering on pedophilia. there's nothing close here. these actors as you point out are in their mid-20s and, i think that's a pretty serious charge that might be bordering on litigatable. i mean, it minimizes what real pedophilia is. it's also not near pornography. those are racy photographs, but i get unsolicited catalogs in the mail weekly with similar kinds of things and any trip to the beach would show that, as well. the second claim they make -- >> go ahead. >> the second claim they make, though, is this masquerades as a family show. this has never been masqueraded as a family show. the pilot episode has the teacher, the main character buying pot from a former teacher who's no longer a teacher because of inappropriate touching. he then plants that pot on the or main character so he gets kicked off the football team so he can join the glee club. this never masqueraded as being appropriate for young children. it's been a racy show from the very first episode. >> and the the point being made is "gq" is not a magazine for kids or kids who are younger. diana agron said this. she said if you are hurt or these photos make you uncomfortable, it was never our intention. and if your 8-year-old has a copy of our "gq" cover at hand, i'm sorry, but i would have to ask, how on earth did it get there? what do you say? >> the concern really isn't the likelihood that 8-year-olds are going to wind up with copies of "gq." however, these images have been now spread all over the internet. so they are very easily accessible to young fans of the show. but beyond that, it is, again, the issue of fetishizing the high school-aged girls. these women are wearing as you said at the beginning of the segment, naughty schoolgirl outfits, they are posed in a high school-like setting. they are known only for their roles as high school-aged characters. they are promoting the image of sexualizing of young girls, which i think as i said before is a very dangerous message to be sending to the adult male readers of "gq" and a damaging message for young girl who is are fans of the show. to the point the show's appropriateness for young viewers, i absolutely agree, it is completely inappropriate for young viewers, but that does not mean it has not been aggressively marketed to the young viewers. it was nominated for the teen choice awards after one episode. that was not enough for it to have built a substantial following. it's obvious that fox was intentionally trying to market it to young viewers by getting it in the nominees list. >> what do you say to the argument this is fetishizing teenagers even if the actresses and actors aren't teenagers. do they bear some responsibility? and does the show bear some responsibility to their teen audience even though this really is a show by adults for adults? >> well, do we -- do we sexualize young women in this culture? absolutely. "glee," commercials, everywhere it has been for a long time. absolutely. "glee." commercials. it is within thing if we're talking about actual human beings who aren't teenagers. we have to distinguish by what we mean by a young viewer. the story talked about how many people loved the show at 8 and 9 years old which i think parents shouldn't be letting 8 and 9-year-olds watch it though they do. let's remember. it comes on with a big tv 14 rating on it at the very beginning. to simply say okay, parents aren't keeping them from wearing it. we have to quit doing it. i suppose you have to make the argument we shouldn't let anybody with the little kids in the house have a gun or a liquor cabinet or a car. if they're such incompetent pictures, that's more dangerous than pretty girls in the panty ice well certainly, the whole thing is getting a whole lot more buzz than it maybe the "glee" would have gotten and will draw more people of more ages to watch it. robert, melissa, thank you for being with us this morning. appreciate it. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> the other problem -- i'm sorry. i mean, my kids are not watching "glee." >> i hope not. they're 2 and 4. >> i know. i'm just saying the billboard hits, "glee," the songs, out there and the kids hear it whether it's pop radio or not. why are their friends talking about it? it's difficult. >> and i'm sure that a lot of teenagers really get involved, too, in the risque storyline. >> you're a father of a now older teen but daughter. >> yeah. she is 19. >> yeah. when she was 14, would you want you -- >> no, i wouldn't. >> wearing the sport socks and pink heels. >> no. she went to a britney spears show. one of the most famous episodes of "glee" is the the britney spears and it was called an endorsement of narcotics use and burlesque. they went to a concert dressed in various incarnations of britney spears and i know that it was just fun but i was a little uncomfortable with it. >> to say the least. >> i won't show you the photograph. i was uncomfortable with it. >> all right. well, anyway, we'd like to hear your opinion, as well. a lot of good thoughts out there this morning. he spoke his mind about muslims on planes. he lost his job because of it. juan williams has an in gig as fox news and a bunch of allies in the republican party. the latest on a growing free speech controversy at the top of the hour. that while you may come from the same family... you know, son, you should take up something more strenuous. you have different needs and desires. - i'm reading a book. - what's a book? so we tailor plans for individuals, featuring a range of integrated solutions. you at your usual restaurant? son: maybe. see you tomorrow. stairs? elevator. to see how our multi-faceted approach... can benefit your multi-generational wealth, look ahead with us at northerntrust.com. 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>> i'm going with positive thoughts. bringing a positive spirit. positive vibe. >> reporter: doug jeffreys is a luxury car salesman. >> with the big family? >> reporter: his wife mary is a high end real estate broker but they haven't paid their own mortgage in two years and now they could lose it all. today, they're headed to a meeting with the housing counselor who's working to save their home. do you remember did day you moved in? >> october 12th, 2002. it was rainy, cold. >> oh no. >> just a messiest day. >> reporter: that's terrible. >> but it was sunshine in our hearts. >> reporter: they lived in a 3,500-square foot four bedroom home with a three-car garage for the bmws. >> this is the living room. i'm a girl from newark, new jersey. we grew up in a one-bedroom apartment and four girls and one boy and i would say, i can't wait until i get grown and buy the biggest house. i'm going to do this. the pool probably would have been back there. the deck, the pool and a tennis court. you don't know what the next person is doing but there's some psychology in the african-american community around spending that's connected with having felt less than and wanting to feel as good as. ♪ >> let's give god some praise. >> reporter: the jeffries are drowning in the kind of debt their pastor buster sories preaches about just about every sunday. >> live within your means. people that don't manage their money wisely are not managing our lives wisely. >> so do they keep their house? soledad o'brien's special documentary saturday and sunday 8:00 eastern on cnn. we'll take a quick break. good morning. thanks so much for being with us on this friday. it is the 22nd of october. awfully glad to have you with us this morning. i'm john roberts. >> i'm kiran chetry. the democrats have been waiting for. thousands showing up for president obama's rallies in the west as democrats try to hang on to their senate seats. there's 11 days left. can they do it? we're live with the president just ahead. a retired marine after leaping off a platform and on to the tracks to rescue a fallen commuter with a train bearing down on him. he stepped over the third rail. two of them coming within inches of disaster. more on the incredible video just ahead. a milestone for the first commercial spaceport this morning. we'll be joining by sir richard branson of his vision of space tourism, very cool, in the near future. >> 11 days until america votes. the president stumping with key democrats struggling for power in washington. >> right now, as many as six senate seats are considered tossups. 45 tossup races in the house of represent fs and 13 governorships up for grabs. >> the president on a long campaign right now. through oregon, washington, california, nevada and minnesota. stumping across the west for many senate incumbents including barbara boxer and majority leader harry reid. critics say the referendum -- these races will be a referendum on the leadership but the message at every stop has been the same it's not the democrats' fault. >> the republicans took america's car and drove it into the ditch. and it was a really deep ditch. and we had a whole bunch of folks like joe sestak helping us push that car out of the ditch. we're down there pushing, pushing, pushing on the car. and so, we pushed and we pushed and every once in a while we'd look up and up on the road you would see the republicans standing there fanning themselves. sipping on a slurpee. >> ed henry joins us live from the campaign trailing in burlingame, california, this morning. i'm sure 7-eleven is happy for the shout-out. but where the president is going in the coming days indicative of how dire the situation could end up for democrats. >> reporter: you're right, kiran. it is very revealing. we have the new details on where the president spends the final weekend of this long campaign and the bottom line, it's a lot of states that democrats hope to wrap up a long time ago. he is in pennsylvania. specifically philadelphia. it's a state he won in 2008. joe sestak, the senate candidate, way behind and now in a dead heat so that shows they think maybe they can win that. connecticut, a state he had in 2008 and trying to bail out dick blumenthal and also on the final saturday, going to his home of chicago. and that's really pretty stunning because democrats probably should have locked up barack obama's old senate seat a long time ago. they have not done that. and then finally on the sunday before the election will be going to cleveland, ohio. the 12th time this president will be going to ohio since he took office. it shows how pivotal that state is, kiran. >> ed, in the final days, the democrats trying to fire up hispanics and women? >> reporter: oh, yeah, absolutely. i mean, there's a million dollar ad buy on hispanic radio basically by the democratic national committee. the president speaking in spanish. today, he is doing hispanic radio interview here. they believe it could be pivotal like california and president going to las vegas today. big hispanic population there and the president going and we're learning new details. november 1st, day before the election, first lady michelle obama going to vegas. they 'm deeply worried of harry reid to be spending the attention on him in the final days. john, kiran? >> ed henry up early for us in california this morning. thanks. new developments of a controversy that's a rallying cry for republicans 11 days from election day. npr analyst juan williams signed a deal with fox. national public radio fired him after being there a decade over these communities of muslims on "the bill o'reilly show." >> i mean, look, bill. the books i have written about the civil rights movement in this country. when i get on a plane, if i see people in muslim garb and think they're identifies first and foremost as muslims, i get nervous. i get worried. >> npr says, quote, the remarks were inconsistent with the editorial standards and practices and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with npr. williams said, quote, now that i no longer work for npr, this is an outrageous violation of journalistic standards and ethics by management that has no use for diversity of staff. i was the only black male on the air. >> now whether williams wanted it or not, the gop rallying behind him and calling for congress to pull funding for npr. newt gingrich saying this is sensorship. mike huckabee saying it's time for the taxpayers to make cuts to federal spending and i encourage the new congress to start with npr. sarah palin tweeting npr defends 1st amendment right but will fire you if you exercise it. they work for fox. new this morning, effective immediately, five senior officials at the pentagon now have the power to discharge an openly gay member of the military. that order comes in a memo of defense secretary robert gaets. some call it a moratorium until the future of the policy is decided in court. one out of three kids born today will develop diabetes at some point in their lifetime. yeah. that's a stunning figure. the centers for disease control says that's what likely will happen by 2050 until there's a significant change in obesity rates. right now one in ten american adults has dibt. a judge will decide whether to keep lindsay lohan in drug rehab or go to jail for violating the probation. lindsay lohan voluntarily checked into the betty ford center in california after her arrest last month. they will try to convince a judge she needs to stay there. they say everything is bigger in texas. that explains the tennis ball-sized hail near lubbock last night. ice balls up to a half inch in diameter damaged at least one car and you can bet with that much hail and that large, it was not an army of one. probably more out there. >> one car damaged. that would be a news story in itself after all that. people still driving. yikes. well, it's 7 1/2 minutes after the hour. hail seems to come from nowhere and driving around and then suddenly battered with it. >> absolutely. those strong storms that caused the heavy hail yesterday are actually going to cause a chance of not only hail but flash flooding in parts of texas. that same rainfall could cause delays in tonight's game. look at the forecast. expecting 80 degrees for the first pitch in arlington. the chance of storms. a delay or two for the yankees and rangers game. the storms we have there may also cause a few delays at dallas and further to oklahoma city. 72 degrees the expected high. back to new york, 54 degrees. cross winds may cause a few delays at the major airports in new york and the regional airports out to the western half of the empire state back to atlanta, 78 degrees. beautiful day there. and san diego, no probables whatsoever. beautiful with 66. plenty of sunshine and marine layer early and should not be an issue by 11:00 local time. now back to you in new york. >> reynolds, thanks so much. here's a question a lot of people that use the subway system might have asked themselves. what would you do if a stranger fell off a train platform and on to the tracks right into the path of an oncoming train? 57-year-old former marine didn't hesitate. >> he was on the complete other side of the platform. he ran over a fully electrified third rail and helped the victim to safety. earlier, he told us he never thought what he was doing and just reacted. >> yeah, thank god i had pretty good footing. but i think that i knew where i was stepping. i stepped on the second rail. jumped up on to the second center platform and i knew where the third rail was on the other side and i jumped very clear of that. and my next position was right behind that gentleman, you know, we helped up on to the platform. >> and pinzon said he knew where he was stepping and said because his dad used to work for the new york city subway system and taught him about rail system when he was a kid. >> took him to work in the subway tunnels. >> amazing. the train did -- people waving down the train so it did stop in time. but the man apparently had a medical emergency that originally fell. weighed about 200 pounds and they needed help on the platform to get him up. >> remember that story in new york, i think a couple of years ago, the guy jumped on top of him, the train did -- >> go over top of him. that was unbelievable. because he really was putting his own -- he could have -- one or two inches and they both could have been killed. >> missed him by that much. taking no prisoners for the illinois seat. we'll go live to chicago and brianna keeler just ahead. 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[ male announcer ] if you have gout, ask your doctor about uloric. my professor at berkeley asked me if i wanted to change the world. i said "sure." "well, let's grow some algae." and that's what started it. exxonmobil and synthetic genomics have built a new facility to identify the most productive strains of algae. algae are amazing little critters. they secrete oil, which we could turn into biofuels. they also absorb co2. we're hoping to supplement the fuels that we use in our vehicles, and to do this at a large enough scale to someday help meet the world's energy demands. the most politics in the morning now this friday morning. in illinois, the race for president obama's former senate seat is too close for comfort and that has both candidates in attack mode. >> yeah, the latest poll showing republican mark kirk leading democrat gentleman giannoulias. down to the wire and very tight race there. >> reporter: down to the wire f. you want to know what a tough election cycle this is for democrats, guys, look here to illinois. it's a democratic-leaning state and yet a republican really has a shot here in this race that's just become a down and dirty fight. the race for the illinois senate seat once held by president obama is getting nasty. illinois' young state treasurer alexi giannoulias is billed by republicans as a quote mob banker. >> he'd make tony soprano proud. >> reporter: they point to the years he spent as an executive in the family's bank which lent money to a convicted bookie and was seized by the government in april. gentlemiannoulias is hitting ba >> i say that's offensive, hurtful, wrong, inaccurate and shameful. never even suggested the bank did anything illegal or improper and i'm very proud of the business that my father started, community bank my father started 30 years ago. >> reporter: the republican in the race, five-term congressman mark kirk has his own akill les heel. the navy reserves, service he highlights on the official website. >> mark kirk lied about serving in iraq and a lot else. >> reporter: kirk said he was shot at in iraq, he served in the gulf war and won the navy's intelligence officer of the year award. all of which are not true. were you careless in your remarks? >> absolutely. you correct that. that's right. and i misstated parts of my military record but in the navy we are trained to take responsibility and be accountable for your people, for your unit and for your mission. i am accountable. >> reporter: so how critical is this seat for democrats? well, president obama will be coming home, if you will, here next weekend campaigning for alexx giannoulias. the democrats want the seat bad and they could stand to lose it. >> i never understood the idea of misremembering your military record. but on another point, it's interesting thing about this, this race, too, is that the winner is not going to have to wait until january to take office. >> reporter: yeah. and john, that's one of three senate seats where this is the case and it's because whoever wins the race replacing a senator who was appointed to fill a vacancy and that would be rollin burris, of course. he was appointed by a then embattled endieted governor rod blagojevich and you can see the drama continues here. but yeah. this is why it's so important because if a republican is to win here, there could be an immediate affect on president obama's agenda as it would continue to just chip away even more at that really precarious democratic majority in the senate. >> all right. we'll see what happens. thanks for watching it for us. president obama gets involved in the it gets better campaign. up next, we'll talk with a columnist that started the movement about what this means. 17 minutes after the hour. 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[ male announcer ] ducati knows it's better for xerox to manage their global publications. so they can focus on building amazing bikes. with xerox, you're ready for real business. 20 minutes past the hour right now. president obama's joining the fight against gay bullying. the president's message is part of the "it gets better" project. here's a look. >> but what i want to say is this. you are not alone. you didn't do anything wrong. you didn't do anything to deserve being bullied. and there is a whole world waiting for you filled with possibilities. there are people out there who love you and care about you just the way you are. >> columnist dan savage that started the "it gets better" project joins us now on skype from bloomingdale, illinois. you have high profiled, high powered help from the president. what do you think it means? >> i think it helps the lbgt kids and i think it's a wake-up call to the bulliers. high school students on facebook saying gay and lesbian and kids bullied in their school deserve it because they chose to be gay. and here you have the president of the united states saying that you didn't choose it, to be gay. and you don't deserve to be bullied. no one deserves to be bullied and people love and support you, including the president of the united states. that said, the president of the united states has the power to do more than assure the kids it gets better. the president of the united states and the administration have the power to make it better, stop defending court and make the changes that president obama promised when he was candidate obama to the lgbt community. >> do you think that the words have matched the actions of this administration, dan? >> you know, i don't want to discount the symbolic importance of this or of the president's receptions or pride month and all of the administration does say all the right things. but we don't see actions that back up these words. not that we are not grateful for the words, particularly that the time, particularly the president of the united states reaching out to bullied lgbt kids and letting them know there's something wrong with the bullies. it's hugely powerful. and extremely important and we're extremely grateful and we're looking forward to the president matching these words with actions on behalf of this administration to actually make it better for lgbt adults and children. >> dan, over the years we have seen so many tragedies with young, gay teenagers or even some preteens. killing themselves because they couldn't deal with the criticism and, of course, extraordinarily high profile event with the rutgers teen jumped off of the george washington bridge. has all of that -- i mean, this is a new if focus to it. has that helped your campaign, as well? what's the reaction been? >> i wish there wasn't a need for the campaign and i wish the suicide helped the campaigns if it's the point. it exists to help the teenagers. not the other way around. this is a -- >> i guess -- maybe i phrased it poorly. i meant the renewed focus and the intense focus on this now, is that really served to bring this to a much greater national perspective? >> yes, it has. and we're finally having a reckoning about the hate rhetoric that sloshing around in the culture directed at lgbt people. a poll shows two thirds of americans believe that the anti-gay rhetoric that's used by the religious right, that emanates from the pulpits in this country is contributing to gay teen suicides. teerchs are four to six times more likely to commit suicide than straight teenagers an that's because they have no one. the president said to gay teenagers yesterday, in his video, that you can go to an adult, you can go to a parent, a teacher. with a we know and many of the videos gets better project.com show is gay teenagers don't have an adult to go to. their parents often bullying them and teachers bully them and why they need the messages of hope from every day average gay and lesbian americans an the president of the united states. >> yeah. you bring up a lot of good points, dan. and the aptly named project "it gets better." hopefully as you said there will be actions behind the words. thank you so much for joining us. >> thank you for having me. 11 days' time, california voters decide whether to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. but one neighborhood in oakland isn't waiting for election day. long time ago they embraced the pot culture. we'll take you to a place you might not have heard of. watch this. ♪ it's a pretty big deal. style that lasts a lifetime. what do you say we get the look we want, the softness we need, and an unbeatable lifetime stain warranty for whatever life throws at it. then let's save big on the installation. ♪ we're lowering the cost of going barefoot. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. get exclusive martha stewart living and platinum plus installed in your whole house for only 37 bucks. 2 minutes after the hour. a "a.m. original" story now only on "american morning." if california's prop is the passes in november the recreational use of marijuana will become legal in non-public places. and local governments would be allowed to collect fees and taxes from the sale of pot. but one city in california has long had that infrastructure in place. oakland. in fact, one section of oakland embraced the marijuana culture so passionately it ended it the name oaksterdam. here's ted rowlands. >> reporter: marijuana pipes for sale. a quaff fee shop selling pot. this is oakland, california. and this five-block area is known as oaksterdam. a neighborhood that's been built around marijuana. this is coffeeshop blue sky. it's licensed with the city of oakland. you can see in the front here, looks like any other coffee shop. the marijuana is sold in the back. mitch here stands at the door. he checks people's medical marijuana cards. if he says it is okay, you can go on back. behind the curtain is jen, the bud-tender. >> hi, welcome to blue sky. this is the menu. >> reporter: customers select what type of marijuana they want. it varies in price. high grade for $44 an eighth ounce. >> grand daddy, cheese and lemon skunk are high grades today. >> reporter: the city of oakland embraced the neighborhood and the dispensaries because the city is getting a cut. in the form of tax revenue and officials say there have been no major problems. >> actually been some of the best businesses to deal with. they've been responsive. they have dealt with nuisance issues and really responded to any concern of the city. >> reporter: there's even oaksterdam university where students learn to grow and sell medical marijuana. >> marijuana for federal purposes is codified in the controlled substances act and is completely schedule 1 prohibited. >> reporter: on a recent tuesday night, students learned about the differences between state and federal drug laws, more than 13,000 students have taken classes here since the school opened three years ago. >> i would like to be able to grow high-quality marijuana in the comfort of my own home and use it at my discretion. and give it to people that i know that need some relief. >> reporter: local business owners say it helped revitalize what was a dying part of downtown oakland. the owners of the lunchbox say their business is booming. >> people are coming to take classes there. people are coming to have their prescriptions filled. people are in and out. so yes, there's definitely an increase of foot traffic and it does benefit us. they do have the munchies. they really do. >> reporter: if the california vote on november 2 bd to legalize marijuana for non-me lisal purposes, oaksterdam is where it is quickly and readily available. ted rowlands, cnn, oakland, california. crossing the half hour now. time for the top stories this friday morning. one out of three children born today will develop diabetes in their lifetime. that's a staggering statistic. the centers for disease control says that's likely happening by 2050 unless there's a significant change in obesity rates. right now, just one in ten american adults has diabetes. the fbi's trying to figure out who mailed a toxic powder to arizona congressman's office in tucson and inside the envelope, swastikas on two sheets of paper. now agents are analyzing this powder at a lab. a bomb scare at a california shopping mall north of sacramento. shoppers forced out after a man started a fire and then barricaded himself inside a video game store about lunchtime yesterday. s.w.a.t. team was called out. there were no bombs in the backpack. one minute you're a leader of the free world and then on a ranch in texas. that's george w. bush flying you should the radar since leaving the white house 21 months ago. not anymore. he's talking now on youtube about his forthcoming book "decision books" called an untraditional memoir and a new museum. our ed lavandera is live in dallas with more on that. good morning, ed. >> reporter: good morning, kiran. well, as you mentioned, the president kept a low profile living here in dallas and as we mentioned earlier, kind of the extent 0 of what people have seen him around town, restaurants and that sort of thing. many people posted sightings over the last couple of years but that's about to change. he has a new book in early november. the ground breaking of the presidential library scheduled for mid-november here on the smu campus. this exhibit is part of an effort to promote that library over the next couple of years. >> i can hear you. the rest of the world hears you. and the people who -- and the people who knocked need buildings down will hear all of us soon. >> that is the bull horn that president bush used when he first visited the world trade center site on september 14th, twoun. >> reporter: our guide is alan lowe, the director of the george w. bush presidential library. didn't get lost in the commotion? >> the folks within that day luckily kept it with them and transferred through the white house office. >> reporter: september 11th takes center stage at this exhibit. >> right over here. going to make the first public statement, he made notes to himself on what to say. the heat of the moment on that amazing day -- says today we have had a tragedy. two airplanes have crashed into the world trade center in an apparent terrorist attack on our country. >> good bumps as you think about what was going on, what he was in the middle of at that moment. >> reporter: the other great one, the baseball. >> the president threw out the pitch on game three of the 2001 world series at yankee stadium not long after the attacks. >> reporter: the george w. bush presidential center is scheduled to open in the spring of 2013. friends of the bush family say you might see more of the former president here soon but not much more. >> i think that you'll see him and laura active of things here at the center but they enjoy their private life, too. >> reporter: it's a small glimpse into that life, a painting to laura bush of senator ted kennedy. the dress worn by mrs. bush to the first ever white tie state din we are the queen of england and more impressively, this necklace. >> a sapphire and diamond set of saudi arabia given to mrs. bush. absolutely stunning oo. >> reporter: there's saddam hussein's gun from the day he was captured. we're told one of the president's prized possessions. >> very historic piece. >> reporter: it showcases the greatest highlights of the president bush years. don't expect to find the low lights of a controversial presidency. and that library scheduled to open in the spring of 2013. this is a model of what the building will look like and the grounds here on the smu campus. this exhibit through the super bowl which is here in dallas next year has fun things. one of the -- i think i got a kick out of the water bowls the dogs had on air force one. i guess not bad to be a presidential dog. >> not bad. when you're flying for long periods of time, you can have dehydrated. >> reporter: yeah. right. better than the bowls i have in my own house right now. >> i hear you. very cute. thanks. >> barney never had the insult of little bags on air force one. had the run of the place. you ever wonder what's up there? if you have $200,000, you can stop wondering. space tourism. one step closer to reality this morning. in fact, it's just around the corner. we're going to check in with sir richard branson at spaceport america in new mexico right after the break. (announcer) everything you need to stretch out on long trips. residence inn. this is power with efficiency. this is an interior that exceeds even the promise of the exterior. this is the all-new jaguar xj. the stunning result of taking a very different road. ♪ when it's planes in the sky ♪ ♪ for a chain of supply, that's logistics ♪ ♪ when the parts for the line ♪ ♪ come precisely on time ♪ that's logistics ♪ ♪ a continuous link, that is always in sync ♪ ♪ that's logistics ♪ ♪ there will be no more stress ♪ ♪ cause you've called ups, that's logistics ♪ four, three, two, one. release, release, release. >> the final frontier now accepting deposits. history was made earlier this month when the first commercial spaceship in history made the first solo test flight and today another giant leap for the space program. they're christining a runway in the new mexico desert this morning, literally paving the pay to send paying customers into sub orbital space. joining us from new mexico now, virgin galactic founder sir richard branson. thanks so much for being with us. >> good morning, john. always good to talk. >> so, what's on tap for today in terms of commemorating this runway, and how far away does that put us from the first people up in space commercially? >> well, it is another historic day for virgin galactic. the people of new mexico decided to build a spaceport out in the desert. governor bill richardson oversaw that and he'll be there today, as well. and the runway's now finished. the spaceport itself is about halfway completed. and our spaceship and mother ship will fly in from the mojave desert and do a fly past to commemorating the opening of the runway. >> in terms of sending people up into space, at $200,000 a pop, we should add, how far away are you from that now? >> we're getting close. i mean, the mother ship has been finished and flying for a while now. as you say, the spaceship did the glide flight and is entering the test program. the next big test flights will be with the rocket working. and what we'll do many, many, many test flights over the next 12 months to maybe 18 months before we actually send people up into space. but we're entering the last stages of the test program and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. >> on the subject of sending people into space, is there any question who's going to be the first one on board that spacecraft? >> i suppose one of the privileges of owning the spaceship company is i'm able to take my family up so my father and mother keep saying hurry up because they're entering their 90s now. and my children are happy to wait but they're both in their 20s and longing to go. and obviously, the engineering genius behind this will be on board, as well. >> you will take your 90-year-old parents on that flight? >> they very much want to go. and obviously, been waitlist with the aches and pains. they won't have to worry about. they'll be floetding about. >> but just the getting there that might be the difficult part, too. i mean, to be taken up to 45,000 feet and then launched on the end of a rocket. although, you know, we see former president bush still sky diving into his 90s. heck, why not space at the age of 90? so far my understanding is you have 350, 330 deposits at $200,000. a total of $50 million in deposits already for the rides into space. one might ask, sir richard, in this economy, who's paying $200,000 for a ride? >> the people who are paying it are literally the pioneers of commercial spaceship travel. paying the equivalent of the same price it cost in the '20s. 1920s to fly across the atlantic and it's beginning being quite expensive. a lot expensive in a russian spaceship which is $25 million. but so the price has come down. they're the pioneers. obviously, they're relatively well off people. but i think they would be the people that will enable, you know, the moms and dads and their children who are watching this show one day to go up and when, you know, we can start to drive the price down and down and down which we hope to do so hundreds of thousands of people one day will be able to experience the wonders of spaceship travel. >> i know i'm a person that would certainly love to do that. paying the $25 million with the russians you stay in the space station for a while. where do you see this going? you sort of have been toying with the idea of hotels in space? >> yes. i mean, initially we are going to be doing sub orbital flights. there people have the experience of space and experiencing spaceship travel. in time we'll go to orbital flights. and, you know, one day obviously, you know, it's important to dream. we hope to build a hotel in space. >> yeah. >> and we're also thinking about intercontinental travel at a fraction of the time that it currently takes to go from, you know, say america to australia. >> yeah. and i guess one of the things that people pointing to is once you're up there you could do new mexico to tokyo in about 45 minutes' time and you have talked about potentially creating a spaceport east in the orlando area? >> well, look. today we're celebrating the first spaceport in new mexico. and it's going to be absolutely magnificent. and -- but if that works really well then, obviously, it would be great to have a base on the east coast, as well. and, you know, maybe sometime in the future in one or two other continents, as well. so, you know, today is really exciting. i mean, the new mexicans have the forsight to be the first spaceport and stunning there. >> don't put one in new york. the skies are crowded enough already. sir richard, greet talk to you this morning. >> we'll spare new york. >> all right. thanks so much. good luck and we'll be watching later on today for the ceremonies. appreciate it. >> such a pioneer. >> oh, yeah. >> such a pioneer. >> if you could come back as anybody in your next life, you know, coming back as him wouldn't be too bad. just for the fun that he has. >> settle for dinner with you, richard. that will be fun. >> he's in a spaceship, the boat the next. wow. >> i know. >> interesting life. >> just the possibility is -- as you and he said, to cross continents in the amount of time it takes to cross countries. cities. amazing. >> to think he was a dropout that sold records out of his bedroom. >> always hope for everyone. >> getting a little late in life for that. a quick break and then a disturbing outbreak in california. whooping cough. thousands of cases reported. ten infant deaths. how do you protect your child and yourself? we'll talk to a pediatrician about it coming up. also, the weekend is here! i just wanted to pause for effect. if you're getting ready to go out of town, reynolds wolf is joining us with the travel forecast. it's 46 minutes past the hour. in 1968, as whaling continued worldwide, the first recordings of humpback songs were released. public reaction led to international bans, and whale populations began to recover. at pacific life, the whale symbolizes what is possible when people stop and think about the future. help protect your future, with pacific life. the power to help you succeed. let's get a check of the weather headlines with reynolds wolf in atlanta for us this morning. good morning. >> good morning, guys. let's get started with the center of the u.s. we have intense thunderstorms this morning right along parts of i-40 and i-35. west texas, lubbock to shamrock, texas. very heavy thunderstorms. there's the chance we might be dealing with a little bit of flash flooding, too, as the storms pull through. some of the heaviest may have a little bit of hail generation with them and into the afternoon. again, certainly expect delays of oklahoma city, even into dallas. yeah, major airports there might have some stoppages. in terms of our temperatures, the very comfortable day. temperatureweiss. oklahoma city with 72 degrees. san diego, plenty of sunshine, marine layer early in the day. by issue, no issue for you. sunny and 78 in atlanta. we round up in new york with 54 degrees and plenty of sunshine. that's a wrap on the forecast. let's kick it back to you in new york. >> all right. reynolds wolf for us, thanks so much. the worst outbreak of whooping cough in 60 years in california. newborn babies in many cases dying of this. we're going to talk to a pediatrician about why we're seeing a resurgence and what you can do to protect yourself and your child. until one day, my daughter showed me a designer handbag. and like that, we had a new side to our business. 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[ female announcer ] splenda® granulated with fiber. ten babies in california have died from whooping cough or pertussis as it's known. health officials say it's the worst outbreak in 60 years and nearly 6,000 cases reported this year. why are so many children getting sick and what can you do to protect your zmild joining us is dr. laura jana, she is a ped trirn and author. thank you for joining us. >> thank you. >> we see it more every three to five years, i guess. is this part of the cycle or something else at play here? >> it is in that the last outbreak to this extent and this is actually probably the worst in almost 60 years was in 2005. so we knew this was coming but per stussis is always a risk. it's one of the most contagious bacteri bacteria. >> we get a vaccine. dtap? >> part of the standard schedule and the best thing people can do is get their kids immunized on time to protect them against the infection. >> the problem i guess is that you don't really get that until eight weeks old. so newborn that is are then exposed to it usually through family members or other people then contract it. it's much harder for a newborn to fight it. >> absolutely. those under 2 or 3 months are vulnerable and the ones we can't vaccinate. this important message for people is that not only do we need to get our children immunized by teenagers and adults need to make sure they get the booster sthot protect our infants. >> so if i'm a mom and i know that both of the kids, they're 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 and vaccinated. can they not get it? >> it takes the first three at least vaccines to get some sort of immunity so understand 67 months of age, babies very much at age. your children on schedule with the vaccines would mean they're protected but we lose the protection over time. so if we got the full childhood schedule, we still could be at rikts right now because we don't have that immunity anymore. anybody who doesn't know the last time that they got a booster shot for pertussis, adults need to get their booster shot because, again, you want to protect the infants most at risk and they're the ones who are n old enough to get the protection of the vaccine themselves. >> there's rules about this. if you're going -- if you're pregnant and getting prenatal care, they recommend a booster, right? >> the recommendation's changed depending on an area of an outbreak. in california, they expanded the recommendation. pregnant women can get the booster shot to protect because the risk of them or then their newborn getting the infection is much greater than the risk of getting it. in ordinary times without an outbreak, you may wait until right after you're pregnant to get the vaccine. >> i got you. let's listen to an audio and it's very sad to hear. this is a little baby and this is what they sound like when they have whooping cough. i guess it's how it got its name. gasping for breath between the cough. >> people in medpediatrics said it's the last sound you want to hear. for very small infants, they may not make the whoop sound and where they can stop breathing and die from pertussis. >> how do you treat it? >> antibiotic haves a useful purpose to a useful extent. very early in the infection. it can seem like the common cold and then only left with supportive care. then they're hospital idesed and support the heart rates and we have to protect against it altogether. that's getting the children immunized on schedule. the first day it's recommended for your child, get the vaccine. also for adults, make sure that you've been vaccinated because it's us. we need to roll up our sleeves to protect the infant that is can't protect themselves. >> it's 100% safe for kids? >> vaccines are the best thing we have to protect against pertuss pertussis. it is certainly the recommendation. >> thanks for your input this morning. we learned a lot. appreciate it. >> my pleasure. >> we'll be right back. interesting grooming. thanks. i got the idea from general mills big g cereals. they put a white check on the top of every box to let people know that their cereals have healthy whole grain, and they're the right choice... 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