electronic shovel. then our inevitable heart attacks can come even sooner. a cherry thought to leave you with. good night. from cnn headquarters in atlanta, this is "early start weekend." >> huge amount of debris flying all over the place. scared the living hell out of me. >> out of the sea and into the city, new york city. a rare twister strikes the big apple causing a big scare for bystanders. chicago schools bracing for a blackout. all classes could be canceled tomorrow if teachers don't get what they want today. will a last-minute deal avert the largest u.s. labor strike in a year? two hawaiians walk in a bar, the president takes a crack at birther critics by cracking a joke of his own.

it is sunday, september 9. good morning, everyone. glad you're with us. i'm randi kaye. we begin with a huge teacher strike looming in chicago. if they don't get what they want today, there will be no classes tomorrow in the nation's third largest school district. the issues are working conditions, pay, job securit and how to deal with new, longer school days. some parents say the school board and mayor rahm emanuel are playing hardball with teachers who deserve what they're asking for. others are not so sympathetic. >> more days off, more vacations than any other profession that i know of. >> rahm emanuel told cnn in a statement that leaders on both sides need to stay at the negotiating table and finish a job finding a solution that is fair for our teachers and keeps our students in school. negotiations resume in less than five hours. both sides vowing to prevent a monday strike. if they fail, the school year will come to an immediate end.

some 700 schools and 400,000 students will be affected. next hour i'll talk to karen lewis, president of the chicago teachers union, about where today's negotiations stand and where they're going. first, i want to hear from you. what do you think about chicago teachers possibly going on strike? you can tweet me, @randikayecnn. another story we're following is the weather. people will be cleaning up today after two tornadoes touched down in new york city. one witness said it looked like a scene out of "the wizard of oz". this is video from a beachfront neighborhood in queens. the twister started as a water spout and then came ashore. winds topped around 70 miles per hour, knocking down trees, power lines, and damaging buildings. no one was hurt. it sure did scare a whole lot of

folks. >> huge amount of debris flying all over the place. scared the living hell out of me. we didn't know which way it was going to move. i put it 60 feet across. >> how did you stay out of the way or take cover? >> i stood still -- to be honest, the first instinct is people. you're not thinking of yourself, you're thinking, my god, people might have got hurt. >> look at the damage the second tornado caused in brooklyn, mine miles away. this one was even stronger. 110 mile-per-hour winds. the storm that spawned the tornadoes caused damage up and down the east coast. more than 26,000 homes are still without power this morning. meteorologist alexandria steele is in the weather center for us. are we expecting any more severe today? >> no. that's the good news. yesterday, an ef0 and ef1 tornado in new york. before this they only had ten tornadoes totally in the new york metro area since 1950, adding these two making 12. here's the scenario.

all the severe weather has pushed eastward. you see the lightning, everything now offshore. that is the good news. what's behind it, we'll talk about that. certainly it will feel much differe differently. southeast of charleston, still showers and thunderstorms. around tampa, as well. this is all with this pretty powerful cold front for this time of year firing off the showers and storms. the big picture will be the temperature change. really the air mass change. so it's a strong cold front. it moved in to this warm, moist, humid air. yesterday, temperatures near 90 in philadelphia. let's move this forward. the front moves through. with that, we're going to drop about 20 degrees. as you walk outside, it hasn't felt like this. kind of the first real cool fall shot with two points which is a measure of how much moisture is in the air. the higher it is, the stickier it seems. only in the 50s and 60s. so temperatures throughout today in the 70s, same scenario. here's the three-day forecast.

look at places like buffalo, 60s next couple of days. then 80 by wednesday. new york, boston, all staying in the 70s. so air mass change and certainly much more comfortable. one quick note on tropical storm leslie. it is now not a hurricane. a tropical storm. maximum sustained winds at 65. it will make its closest pass to bermuda between now and about 2:00 this afternoon. right now they're getting 45 mile-per-hour wind gusts, expecting two to four inches of rain. so really kind of the brunt of it and the worst of it as well to the east. that is good news. >> i have to tell you it the cool temperatures. i left my house this morning and i could smell a fire burning in someone's chimney. i thought, wow, cooling down. >> 60s in the southeast as opposed to the 70s. >> thank you. we'll check pack with you later on. the nasty weather caused delays at the u.s. open tournament in queens. look at the tennis court, it is sopping wet. several matches were pushed back to today.

that includes not only the women's final but also the much-anticipated match between novak djokovic in the semifinals for the men. the match was suspended after a half-hour of playing yesterday. the wind was insane. the finals match has been moved to monday for the men. women will play today. this is the fifth consecutive year the tournament has failed to finish on time because of lousy weather. also in sports, a tulane football player is in stable condition after fracturing his spine. dammon walker collided head-on with a teammate in the game against tulsa. trainers and doctors rushed to his side. a tulane doctor says the plan is for walker to have surgery in the next day or two. walker's coach called saturday one of the most difficult days ever. to politics now. mitt romney returns to his new hampshire home today after a few days out on the campaign trail. among his stops, the battleground state of virginia which president obama won in 2008 and where he holds a slim

four-point lead over his republican rival. romney's visit to virginia comes on the heels of another disappointing jobs report which missed forecasts and showed a decline in the unemployment rate largely because more americans have stopped looking for work. it prompted the republican nominee to take aim at the president's record on job creation. >> with the unemployment level having stuck above 8% for 43 straight months, we remembered that the president promised that if we let him borrow almost $1 trillion, he'd never let it reach 8%. it's been above 8% ever since. this president has not fulfilled him promises. then he spoke at great length and had wonderful things to say at the democrat convention but didn't say what he would do to help people get jobs, come out of unemployment, or get people who are poor back to the middle class. he doesn't have a plan or ideas. we've got to make sure he doesn't have any more days in the white house after january. >> despite slow growth in the job market, president obama has

widened his lead nationally over the man who wants to replace him in the white house according to a newly released reuters poll which shows that if the election were held today, likely voters would choose president obama over mitt romney by a 47% to 43% margin. a slight increase from the previous day. and when it comes to voters in florida, president obama is doing his best to ensure they cast their ballots for him again in 2012. the president visiting the critical state this weekend where he mingled with the crowd at a local sports bar. while, there the president met a 7-year-old boy who, like obama, hails from hawaii. >> you were born in hawaii? >> hawaii. >> okay. do you have a birth certificate? >> yes, sir. [ laughter ] >> that's good. >> might have been tough for you to hear. he was asking the little boy if he had a birth certificate. president obama having fun with that issue, of course. just won't seem to go away, whether or not he was born in

the u.s. a little ray of hope for the nation's unemployed. the numbers are still staggering, especially for minorities. we'll take a look at the uphill battle to find work. the milita, and commitment is not limited to one's military oath. the same set of values that drive our nation's military are the ones we used to build usaa bank. with our award winning apps that allow you to transfer funds, pay bills or manage your finances anywhere, anytime. so that wherever your duty takes you, usaa bank goes with you. visit us online to learn what makes our bank so different. from tests like this. ♪ and even more from real families who use them like this. we think there's another test to consider. it's based on one simple question. after living with your van, would you buy it again? more town & country owners do than the owners of any other minivan.

it's called the test of ownership, and to us, it's the most important test there is. with 58 days until election day, the focus for both campaigns is jobs and how to create more of them. obama and mitt romney are trying to drive home their plans for

getting more americans back to work. in st. petersburg, florida, the president reminded americans of the jobs already created during his administration. >> i've got a plan to export more products and outsource fewer jobs. [ cheers ] >> after a decade of decline, this country has created over half a million jobs in the last 2.5 years alone just in manufacturing. [ applause ] >> you see, the president has promises, and i have promises. the difference is that i have a plan to fulfill my promises. [ cheers ] >> so i have a plan to get america working again. and i know it's going to work because for me this is not something i studied in school. it's something i did for 25 years, all right? [ applause ] >> finding work is even tougher for minorities who face a widening job gap. one group in philadelphia is trying to help close the gap. our national correspondent, susan candiotti, has a look.

what's at the end of the sentence? >> career? >> right. >> reporter: sabrina young, a former i.t. manager and single mom, used to look at the victims of the recession and feel lucky she wasn't one of them. >> i felt so blessed. i was glad that i knew what was going on. i was aware of it. and i felt fortunate to have my job. >> reporter: that was before she became one of the nation's millions who are unemployed. >> right now, we're just -- i can't even say making ends meet. like we're just staying above water. >> reporter: it's been nine long months since young lost her job. she dropped her salary requirements and expandeher search to outside of philadelphia where she lives with her two sons. but even with two college degrees and 20 years of experience, the former air force vet is still part of a grim reality. according to the bureau of labor statistics, a whopping 14% of blacks are unemployed. that's almost twice the 7.2% of

unemployed whites. >> getting shot down for job interviews takes a toll. it takes a toll to get up, brush yourself off, hold your chin up, and -- okay, you know, put my best face on and let's do this again. >> reporter: young comes here to the philadelphia unemployment project, a nonprofit group that helps philadelphia's burgeoning population of unemployed. john dodds has been with the advocacy group since 1975. >> we are in a very difficult time for people who are unemployed. work is still very hard to find. you know, it's -- it's a terrible situation. it's one that we've got to really continue to work at to get people back to work. >> reporter: dodds says it's frustrating to face the fact there's no quick fix. >> this one is very, very severe. we're used to recession and it ends and people go back to work. there time it's ended, and we

still have 8% unemployment. it's an ongoing problem, and it's getting better way too slow. >> reporter: way too slow for young and so many others who cannot wait to get back to work. susan candiotti, cnn, new york. >> for more on the philadelphia unemployment project including a list of free services for the unemployed, you can go to their web site at thephiladelphiaproject.com. a tinge of remorse from a suspect accused of holding a man hostage for hours. you'll hear his jailhouse interview. [ male announcer ] this is rudy. his morning starts with arthritis pain. and two pills. afternoon's overhaul starts with more pain. more pills. triple checking hydraulics. the evening brings more pain. so, back to more pills. almost done, when... hang on. stan's doctor recommended aleve. it can keep pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is rudy. who switched to aleve.

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try capzasin-hp. it penetrates deep to block pain signals for hours of relief. capzasin-hp. take the pain out of arthritis. 16 minutes past the hour on this sunday morning. checking stories across country, we start in california. the oldest living member of the tuskegee airmen, cloud a. roe, was honored yesterday in an emotion-filled ceremony for his participation in the armed forces. he served during world war ii and the korean war and said he was humbled by the recognition. >> unbelievable, fantastic. i never dreamed that something like this would happen. all i did was do my duty and be

in the service. the -- i'm getting such recognition when so many others in my outfit really deserved it more. >> the tuskegee airmen are famous for being the first african-american military aviators in the u.s. armed forces. also, in california, sergeant james bennett was presented the soldiers medal for exceptional heroism during an awards ceremony during l.a. on saturday. bennett and his father were recognized for pulling two children from a burning van after a horrible accident on a california highway in january, saving their lives. he says he was just doing his civic duty. >> me and my dad, you know, it's a natural reaction. we see somebody struggling and you help out. that's what you're supposed to do, you know. anybody should do it. that's what we did that night. >> and luckily no one was seriously injured. in colorado, a surprise ending to a horrific standoff at a denver radio shack. a man accused of holding a

hostage during a robbery now says he's sorry. we get more from megan fitzgerald from affiliate kusa. one thing lead up to another and life spiralled. >> reporter: life is about choices. >> two suspects, black males, just down at the end of the row. one hostage. you clear? >> reporter: the decisions we make -- >> i was in a bad situation. everything went through my head definitely. >> reporter: friday morning, tavon williams says that he and michael annan walked into a radio shack. >> i don't know if i was desperate for money -- >> reporter: police said they had guns and went to rob it. it quickly turned into a six-hour standoff with police. the manager was caught inside. >> and i put him in a bad situation, too. and i'm sorry that he had to even experience that. >> reporter: now in jail, tavon says he's sorry things went as they did. the two walk into a courtroom to

hear charge they face because police say they put a lot of people's lives in danger. >> i lived my life and have to deal with the consequences. >> reporter: a decision he says will change his life and the lives of many others who were impacted. >> that was megan fitzgerald of affiliate kusa. a judge set bond for the two suspects at $200,000 apiece. he is probably best known for his moves on the gridiron. now, one pro football player is making news off the football field, and i'll tell you why. ally bank. why they have a raise your rate cd. tonight our guest, thomas sargent. nobel laureate in economics, and one of the most cited economists in the world. professor sargent, can you tell me what cd rates will be in two years? no. if he can't, no one can. that's why ally has a raise your rate cd. ally bank. your money needs an ally.

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the economy. it is front and center in the race for the white house. still, social issues like same-sex marriage and birth control also have found a place in that national conversation. when a reporter at an iowa tv station tried to ask ann romney about those topics, the wife of republican presidential nominee mor mitt romney, referred any talk of them to her husband. >> i'm not going to talk about the specific issues. i'm going to let my husband speak on issues. i'm here to talk about my husband and what kind of husband and father he is. >> do you believe that employer-covered health insurance should be provided to cover birth control? >> again, you're asking me questions about not what this is going to be about. if you want to pull me off of the other messages, it's not going to work. i know because i've been out there. >> i don't want to pull you off any message. you just told a reporter who questioned you in cleveland that

you want women to have a secure and stable future. i asked you about marriage and whether lesbian mothers should be allowed to marry. isn't marriage a part of creating a stable future? >> you know, again, i'm going to talk to you about the economy and about job creation. and about how my husband is the right person for the right time. >> and the issue of same-sex marriage has even found its way on to the football field where this man, baltimore ravens linebacker brendan iambadjo, is speaking out in favor of marriage equality. that caught the attention of a maryland state lawmaker who slammed the player for his views and asked the ravens to order him to be quiet. he responded on twitter saying, "football is just my job. it's not who i am. i am an american before anything. and just like every american, i have the right to speak!" and brendan is getting support from other nfl players including vikings' chris clue. he wrote a scathing public

letter to the same maryland politician. half of it we can't tell you what it said on the air. saying among other things that the lawmaker is mind-bogglingly stupid. meanwhile, mitt romney is staking his claim as a defender of the nation's armed forces. a role he says president obama is not fulfilling. speaking to an audience comprised of mostly military families in virginia, romney said he will be an advocate for our men and women in uniform. >> with liberty and justice for all. with liberty. i will not forget that for us to have liberty here, for us to be able to protect ourselves from the most evil around the world, for us to share liberty with our friends around the world, we must have a military second to none, so strong no one would think of testing it. >> romney criticized the president for congressionally mandated military cuts which could kick in next year as part of a deal on the national debt. if elected, romney says he will eliminate those cuts and "rebuild america's military

might." for his part, president obama has said he opposes planned cuts in defense. it's not cuts to the military that president obama is focusing on. it is tax cuts, and the republicans who say that's what will turn the u.s. economy around. out on the stump, the president continues to hammer his opponents on their plan. >> they want your vote, but they don't want to show you their plan. that's because all they've got to offer is the same prescriptions that they've had for the last 30 years. tax cuts, tax cuts, cut some regulations -- oh, and more tax cuts. tax cuts when times are good, tax cuts when times are bad. tax cuts to help you lose a few extra pounds. [ laughter ] >> tax cuts to improve your love life. it will cure anything, according to them. >> priorities usa, an

independent group supporting obama, has taken the message directly to voters in an ad that says tax proposals from the romney/ryan team would hurt the middle-class. middle cl the ads will run in six battleground states. you can get a look at the two men vowing to household the country's future in their hands beginning tonight at 8:00 when cnn profiles romney revealed and followed by 9:30 at obama revealed. if you're going to be president, you really never get a day off. we'll tell you what obama and romney are up to today. ♪ [ male announcer ] how could a luminous protein in jellyfish, impact life expectancy n the u.s., real estate in hong kong,

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welcome back. thanks for starting your morning with us. i'm randi kaye. it is half past the hour. here's a check of stories we're watching this morning including how the men who want to be president are spending their sunday. mitt romney is taking a break from the campaign trail today. instead, spending the day at home in new hampshire. both he and his running mate, paul ryan, will make appearances on the sunday talk shows. meanwhile, president obama and vice president biden will hit swing states in a two-pronged approach. obama continues his tour of florida while biden heads to ohio. you are watching a tornado rip through a beachfront neighborhood in queens, new york. it was one of two to hit in the

area. another hit in brooklyn. part of a powerful storm system that caused damage all along the east coast. some people in washington were outside for an event when that storm hit. >> next thing you know, bam, it just hit. they told us to pack up. next thing we know -- >> three minutes literally the tent started blowing. tables falling. chairs, merchandise, people running. >> scary moment. the storm knocked out power for more than 25,000 people. moving to iraq where the military and police were the targets in a number of attacks this morning. at least 22 people are dead. you're seeing kirkuk where a car bomb exploded at a recruitment center. two other explosions hit the headquarters of the iraqi intelligence service there. secretary of state hillary clinton standing in for president obama at the apec economic summit in russia. besides economic issues, clinton is talking about syria. she sat down with russian president putin but said they

remain deeply divide good what to do about the situation in syria. >> first, voice your moral support the way that ronald reagan did for the people behind the iron curtain. this president won't even do that. get them the weapons so as to fair fight. establish a sanctuary, free zone where they can organize. look, everything that we worried about if we intervened would happen is now -- happened because we didn't. there's a rise of al qaeda. there's a rise of extremism. there's greater -- now greater threat of the use of chemical weapons. this president unbelievably announced the only thing he said is that if bashar al assad use says chemical weapons that would cross a line. isn't that also telling him he can do anything up to that? that's disgraceful. >> senator john mccain speaking out again on syria. he says president obama should follow the model used in last year's uprising in libya.

members of congress are getting back to work tomorrow after a five-week recess. they have a laundry list of critical issues to tackle. many wonder if they'll really get anything done. athena jones has more. [ cheers ] >> reporter: as election season enters the homestretch, lawmakers return to capitol hill this week, facing big issues. but given their recent record of accomplishment or lack thereof, the question is whether any of it will get done. >> voters want to know when congress is going to stop kicking the can down the road. they're sort of out of road. >> reporter: the only must-pass item is a short-term measure to keep the government running and avoid the kind of costly shutdowns we saw twice in the 1990s. it's expected to pass. congress could also pass measures to help people hit hard by the drought and by hurricane isaac. perhaps the biggest challenge, the so-called fiscal cliff. a series of tax increases and spending cuts that experts warn taken together could plunge the economy back into recession. >> they'll have about four weeks after the election to deal with

some of the largest tax increases and spending cuts that the country has ever seen at one time. >> reporter: $110 billion in cuts to everything from defense to education to food inspections next year alone will take effect in january unless lawmakers reach agreement on reducing the deficit. one problem -- republicans and democrats disagree on the bush tax cuts due to expire at the end of this year. republicans want them extended for everyone. >> americans know what works. low taxes. reasonable regulations and living within our means. >> reporter: democrats, led by president obama, support extending them just for people making less than $200,000 a year. >> i don't believe and you don't believe that another round of tax breaks for millionaires is going to bring good jobs back to our shores or pay down our deficit. >> reporter: uncertainty about just what congress will do is already weighing on the economy. >> it's going to be a bumpy ride. businesses are slower to hire. government agencies are slower to give out contracts. so it is sort of creeping into

the economy now, and that will just get worse the longer congress waits to deal with this. >> reporter: but wait is what congress is almost certain to do. >> both the senate and the house are expected to adjourn again in october for nearly a month of campaigning leading up to the election. that has some senators worried that not much will get done in this short session. it was a day that transformed the nation and the lives of thousands of first responders. we'll take a closer look at how those who worked at ground zero are fighting for their health and the medical fund that's helping them.

the recent financial crisis hasn't just been tarrying at americans' wallets, but their hearts, too, as many pet owners risk losing their furry friends because of the economic downturn. this week's cnn hero is helping hundreds of families keep their dogs healthy, out of shelters, and at their sides as they struggle to get back to their feet. meet marlo manning. good boy. charlie means everything to us. he was diagnosed with cancer about two years ago. we went with the amputation, and he's been doing great.

a couple of days ago, he had this other growth on his chest. >> given the fact that he had an aggressive type of tumor, things like this should really come off. >> i recently got laid off, and we're expecting our first baby. we were faced with this huge vet bill and were at a loss. >> i think we definitely will be able it help you out. i know how much you love your dog. with the economy being what it is, people are faced with the choice of having to give up their dogs because they can't afford them anymore. they're doing their best to get back on track. then a crisis happens with their dog. and it's just one more thing. i'm marlo manning, and i lost a beloved puppy named ladybug. now i provide temporary aid to dog owners, keeping dogs healthy, out of shelters, and with loving families. dogs live in the moment. they bring you to their place of happiness no matter where you are in your life. if we can help with food, medical visits, even surgery to

keep this family together, they're able to take that burden away. >> hey, sweetie. >> we're going to put our maximum amount on charlie, $800. >> it was such a blessing, and we'll be forever grateful that charlie gets this second chance. it means so much to us. >> what we do is a tribute to ladybug. if i had to get through the grief to find this path, then we were meant to lose her to be inspired to help others. >> marlo has helped nearly 400 dogs in massachusetts remain with their families. to learn more about her work, you can visit cnnheroes.com. and in two weeks, we'll be announcing the top ten cnn heroes for 2012. the clock is ticking for the nation's third largest middle school system. the chicago teachers union is threatening to go on strike if they don't get what they want today. at issue for teachers, working conditions, pay, job security, and longer school days.

negotiations resume later today. both say they want a deal. if they fail, the school year will come to an immediate end. some 700 schools, 400,000 students will be affected. all morning i've been asking what you thought about this possible strike. and you've all been tweeting in. shirley says -- i think they both should try to work it out. everyone would like extra on their paycheck. paul wrote in -- the people at that negotiating table are the problem, they run the system inefficiently and then go to the taxpayers for help. and phil tweeted ts -- this strike proves that the teachers union is out of date and out of touch with what really matters, education. lots of good thoughts and comments coming in. keep sending me your thoughts. i'll try to read them later this morning, as well. they were the first people on the scene in the minutes after the september 11 terror attacks. for more than a decade, they have been trying to get financial help to cover illnesses resulting from their work at ground zero. athena jones explains why their wait may soon be over.

i lived on staten island at the time. i could see the smoke. >> reporter: ernie rushed to the world trade center site on september 11, 2001, to help with rescue and recovery efforts. >> a lot of confusion. a lot of smoke. you couldn't -- you couldn't see -- when you were trying to walk to search for survivors, you know, you could barely see your hand in front of you. >> reporter: then a new york city police detective, he spent six months at the site. a few years later he was diagnosed with cance >> 2004 is when i was sdieg nosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma. >> reporter: now in remission, he had to use retirement savings to pay bills his insurance didn't cover and is hoping to recoup some of the money. >> it's been something that they've been talking about for ten years now. >> reporter: valabona and other first responders made sick by the chemicals and dust are still waiting for compensation by the government. payments to some who developed respiratory, digestive, and

other conditions begin in the next couple of months under a law that president obama signed in january, 2011. the zadroga act, named after a police detective who died of a respiratory illness after working at the world trade center site. it sets aside some $2.8 billion to cover their claims. the government will announce soon which of more than 50 types of cancer and illness left off the original list of ailments will now be covered under the act. attorney nora kashlevsky represents those who became ill. >> people are sick, can't support their families. this program is in a very real sense a lifeline that is going to help people who put their lives back together after they stepped up and did things that nobody else was willing to do. >> reporter: for those just now getting sick, valabona hopes the fund will ultimately send this message -- >> fight your cancer, man. don't worry about money, don't worry about co-payments or medications. we got your back.

>> reporter: athena jones, cnn, washington. >> tuesday marks the 11th anniversary of 9/11. president obama and his staff will abserve a moment of silence on the white house lawn before heading to the memorial at the pentagon. both the obama and romney campaigns have agreed to suspend all of their political ads on that day of 9/11. they are a staple of the political campaigns. but have you ever wondered where the term "stump speech" comes from? how about keynote speech and political spin? we'll sort through the origins of modern day political jargon.

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with the presidential election less than two months away, politics is everywhere and so is the political jargon. i'm sure you've been listening to. you probably know the term like stump speech and spin. do you know where the terms came from? nadia bilchik joining you to shed lighted on the real -- to shed some light on the real terms and jargon. good morning. let's start with the gop which we know stands for the republican party or grand old party, right? >> right. in 1875, it was called the gallant old party.

so the original name was gallant, brave, courageous, heroic. it only became the grand old party later. you'll appreciate this, randi, when automobiles first came on the scene, gop stood for something entirely different. it stood for, and i'll have to show you, get out and push. and we've made both cars and voters -- >> pretty funny. who knew? all right. we talk a lot about the stump speech. i've said it already this morning several times. the president is out on the stump. mitt romney on the stump. where does that come from? >> stump and stumping. literally being on a tree stump to stand in a -- >> there was an actual snump. >> slick, so people could see you. now as you said, it's the same basic speech, what to do if elected, the core principles known as stumping. it dates back to the 1800s or earlier. >> all right. keynote speaker, we mentioned that. chris christie at the rnc, julian castro at the dnc.

keynote, where does that come from? >> the note that a cappella serngs used to sing. came -- singers used to sing. it came from barber shop quartets. they used to sing it before the actual song. the idea of the keynote is the main speaker literally setting the tone for the event. >> that's -- they're not singing, thank goodness, right? >> maybe sometimes we wish they were, right? >> that's true. true. >> some of them can sing. >> yeah? >> some of our -- obama sings beautifully. >> true. >> and romney may have a voice, too. maybe they should keynote before the keynote. doing voice exercises -- that's my keynote -- >> you'll have to teach me those. the term spin as in political spin? >> political spin, well, the late william sapphire of "the new york times" says that it comes from slang to deceive or spin a yarn. thinking about it, when a piece of yarn is spun, it twists as it is spun. the first political use of the word spin came from the

mondale/reagan 1984 debate. from a wonderful web site that i found called word spy, the actual definition of spin is the following, and we will see and hear a lot of it -- to convey information or cast another person's remarks or actions in a biased or slanted way so as to favor or influence public opinion. >> love it. >> not that any of us would ever do that, right? >> never, never, never. certainly not here on cnn. all right. that was fun. thank you. i feel much smarter now. i learned something there. >> i did learn something. >> that was great. thank you. it's going to be a big week in washington. we'll look at the calendar and show you what to watch for. lkin. i told her i wasn't feeling like myself... i had pain in my pelvic area... and bleeding that wasn't normal for me. she said i had to go to the doctor. turned out i had uterine cancer, a type of gynecologic cancer. i received treatment and we're confident i'll be fine. please listen to your body. if something doesn't feel right for two weeks or longer,

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good morning, atlanta. wow. if you are not watching your television screen right now, you certainly should be. are you missing a gorgeous shot of downtown atlanta this morning. incredible. clouds, cities waking up with us, glad you're with us here on "early start weekend" this sunday morning. let's get you caught up and see what's happening in your week ahead. on monday, congress is going to be back in session. they've been out for about five weeks. the 2013 budget negotiations will be in the spotlight. if there isn't an agreement, the government will shut down, could shut down certainly on october 1. on tuesday, the anniversary of 9/11, all of the talk will be about 9/11. ceremonies in new york and across the country are being planned. the president will be having a moment of silence at the white house. and there are ceremonies also planned at the pentagon. on wednesday, it is all about the numbers. the latest government census

will be released. we'll talk about the 2011 population, income, poverty rates, that will come out in the census. and the big thing on wednesday, of course, a lot of folks waiting for the new iphone rumored to be unveiled this coming wednesday. we're sure we're going to see long lines across the country. a lot of folks excited to see what it's going to look like and the features it might have. and on thursday, a somber day regarding neil armstrong. there will be a memorial in washington honoring the life of the first man to walk on the moon. you may recall, he died august 25. his remains will be puryed at sea. also on monday, tomorrow, teachers in the nation's third largest school system could be walking off the job, putting a stop to the school year for hundreds of thousands of students. we'll tell you where and why. ♪ home of the brave. ♪ it's where fear goes unwelcomed... ♪ and certain men... find a way to rise above.

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♪ welcome back. now a quick look at some of the stories making headlines around the world. we start in nicaragua. the volcano caused evacuations saturday after spewing ash three miles into the air. the government says more eruptions are expected, and they anticipate evacuating as many as 3,000 people in surrounding towns. in vietnam, heavy rains are soaking northern and central areas causing landslides and flooding. at least 29 people are dead. in one incident, a single landslide killed 16 people who were going to a tin mine in the mountains. more rain is in the forecast. in pakistan, a 14-year-old girl was released on bail in a

case that touches on heightened religious tensions. that was her in the green you saw there. the christian girl was being held for allegedly burning pages of the koran. a group representing religious minorities paid the $10,000 bail. after her release, she was flown to an undisclosed location. and finally, in india, fast food giant mcdonald's has announced plans to open two location serving an all-vegetarian men we. it will be at the most visited pilgrimage sites. the chain subway also announced plans to open its first all-vegetarian store in punjab. thanks for starting your day with us. we have so much more ahead on cnn "sunday morning" which starts right now. from cnn headquarters in atlanta, this is cnn "sunday morning." >> huge amount of debris flying ov