thousands of people took to the streets in japan. they're protesting a special -- against a special u.s. military helicopter shipped there. the helicopters have crashed, multiple times and protesters are concerned they're not safe. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com i'm suzanne malveaux. we are focusing on the anniversary of at eseptember 11h attacks and teachers on strike in chicago and a record number of illegal immigrants deported from the u.s. want to get right to it. ♪ ♪ bagpipes and bells rang out at

ground zero today to mark the 11th anniversary of the september 11th attacks. at world trade center site the names of the people who died were echoed through the air and family members remembered those lost. one father talked about the message he hopes people will take away from this day. >> the message should be really that we survived the terrorist attack. the great country of america can never be beaten. we seem to value life more than the terrorists do and for terrorists to attack our country when people go to work, whether it's mother, father, brother, sister, whatever, they expect those people to come home at the end of the day. on that particular day, they never came home, which is sad to say. but really as a country we want our country to go forward and we want rest of the world to know

we'll never be beaten by al qaeda, by terrorists, by terrorism. >> at the pentagon, president obama lay a wreath in honor of the 184 people who died there. he says the long-term leg of 9/11 will be a safer world, a stronger nation, and people more unit united. he says this day will always bring back very painful memories. >> 11 times we have marked another september 11th come and done. 11 times we have paused in remembrance, reflection, in unity, and in purpose. this is never an easy day, but it is especially difficult for all of you. the families of nearly 3,000 innocence who lost their lives, your mothers and fathers, your husbands and wives, your sons and your daughters. >> the u.s. responded to the

9/11 attacks with the war in afghanistan. the u.s. service men and women are still on the front lines there today. u.s. troops in kabul marked the 9/11 anniversary with a ceremony. they are still in a war that is putting their lives on the line every day. a year ago i had a chance to go to afghanistan to talk with troops. some of them were on duty at the pentagon when it was hit. they shared their emotional stories. thomas carter was in room 4-d, 131 when it was hit. >> i heard a loud boom and after the boom it was like an earthquake hit the pentagon. that building actually shook. it was a feeling of surprise and shock. and then anger. >> reporter: colonel todd key inside the pentagon on the other side. he had just gotten off the phone with his wife. >> i swear i thought she was dead. i just had that feeling that she was dead. >> reporter: key realized she was alive when he reunited with

her after escaping the burning building. >> i realized that everyone that died in the pentagon has a family and it made it real to me that that's -- was a -- it was different at that moment, it was different. >> reporter: colonel david kumar thinking about his 5 and 2-year-old children when he began carrying out the toddlers at the pentagon day care. >> what was painful was the thoughts that went through my head that perhaps some of the children's parents had perished. >> reporter: for captain jason gracin the pain of 9/11 was different. he had to leave his pregnant wife to identify the pentagon bodies. >> i was one taking the x-rays on all of the victims and trying to match dental records. the toughest part at the end of the day, they would take the victims that were ready to be transported back to familiy s -

>> reporter: it's okay. take your time. >> and -- >> okay. take your time. it's okay. it's okay. >> tack a minute or two. >> take your time. you want to join him? it's okay. it's okay. >> and the hearses would come and the military escorts would line up, get ready for the final salute and you do that enough time it wear on you because that could have been -- that could have been me, it could have been one of these guys, and they all had families. and that -- that was the worst part. that was the worst part.

>> u.s. has made some progress in combatting threat for al qaeda in the years since the terror attacks. bin laden and self-other al qaeda leaders are dead but there are threats that remain. joining us to talk about that, cnn national security contributor fran townsend, homeland security adviser to george bush. fran, good to see you. obviously a lot of people, you know, a lot of pain, a lot of emotion today. a lot of concern as well. how would you assess the terrorist threat inside of this country? >> suzanne, look, we've made tremendous strides, our border security's better. we have a far greater and healthier, stronger law enforcement capability, our intelligence community is twice the size, we identify threats and able to preempt them before they arrive on our shores. we have targeted with taken out bin laden and made tremendous progress. but the threats remain, right?

and today, as we -- it is always a difficult day for many people, the families, victims, but it really is also a day to remember that in the last 11 years we have to be incredibly grateful for our military service members, some of who you interviewed in that piece just before i came on, the intelligence and law enforcement firms who have worked hard over the 11 years to keep us safe and stop from a successful attack occurring inside the united states. >> it's incredible, people never imagined that was possible and there was a lot of concern after the terrorist attack, how long it would take before we would see another major attack. that has not happened. tell us about the hot spots around the world. where are al qaeda? are they still the greatest threat? where are they actually located? >> you know, it's interesting, yeah, i think most americans associate al qaeda with the federally administrative tribal areas tweak pakistan and afghanistan along the border.

certainly the leader of al qaeda remains there as well as the haqqani network, the taliban, there are al qaeda supporters, much of al qaeda's leadership is still there threat is not limited to there. that's important for americans to remember. the second big hot spot, i think that we think about most often is yemens. of course there was al qaeda invid saudi arabin v side saudi arabia, there was ain't effort inside the saudi government, al qaeda from the -- inside the kingdom threat south to yemen. we've had a recent success in the last few weeks a saudi citizen captured along the border by coalition forces, sent to guantanamo, he serve for six years and returned to saudi, likemany of the guantanamo detainees returned to his home country. put in a rehabilitation program, we know most of them fail, and he escaped and went to yemen, back to yemen where he al qaeda

in the arabian peninsula. that's the affiliate, the single most capable, we remember somebody out of the cell was the underwear bomb that christmas threat, there was the computer carthages and the recent disruption exclusives targeting aviation assets. so, al qaeda in the arabian peninsula remains a tremendous threat. there's somalia, we've got al qaeda elements there also throughout north africa, the mali border where al qaeda elements are, continue to train and plot. >> all right. fran townsen, thank you so much. pressure your time. obviously your good work. here's what we're working on for this hour. emergency workers exposed to all sorts of toxins at ground zero. now the government says it will cover dozens of additional types of cancer caused by the debris. plus --

as chicago teachers rally on the picket lines. >> i'm teaching them math, reading, language arts. >> reporter: parents forced to take their children's education into their own hands. and -- >> these people are not in the state of arizona or america lawfully. >> the crackdown on illegal immigrants in the u.s. leads to a record number of deportations, details on how this factors into the presidential election. endless shrimp is our most popular promotion at red lobster. there's so many choices, the guests love it! [ male announcer ] don't miss endless shrimp. try as much as you like, anyway you like. like new teriyaki grilled shrimp for just $14.99! my name is angela trapp, and i sea food differently. scroll... tap... pinch...

and zoom... in your car. introducing the all-new cadillac xts with cue. ♪ don't worry. we haven't forgotten, you still like things to push. [ engine revs ] the all-new cadillac xts has arrived, and it's bringing the future forward. i was talking to my best friend. 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, see your doctor. get the inside knowledge about gynecologic cancers. knowing can make all the difference in the world. starts with arthritis pain and a choice.

take tylenol or take aleve, the #1 recommended pain reliever by orthopedic doctors. just two aleve can keep pain away all day. back to the news.

just two aleve can keep pain away all day. ffor help finding a plan that's right for you, give unitedhealthcare a call today. no school again today for chicago's 350,000 public school students. teachers and staff are on strike for a second day. casey wian, joining us by phone from chicago. explain why it is that you're by phone and not live. i understand there's a huge protest that is gathering now. >> we have to bring back casey.

we're having a hard time hearing you there. we'll try to bring you back when we can get a better sense of it. i understand there's a lot of movement and traffic and that casey and his crew had to move because of the huge protest that is going to be happening there that afternoon. it all underscores really the significance of this protest and the teachers' strike and how many students and parents are impacted by the fact there is no school and there will nobody school until this is negotiated and worked out. a strike, has parents scrambling to find proper care for kids and some parents have take off from work, some can't afford it. chris welch who spoke with one mom who is making a sacrifice. >> sound the word out. >> reporter: this woman is a single parent of six from chicago's south side. she works as a beautician but for the time be, she's trading in her paycheck for pencils and markers while the public school classrooms sit vacant

indefinitely, her front porch is at capacity. >> my biggest concern right now is my kids and vacation. i'm teaching them math, a little bit of read, language arts. they want to learn. they shouldn't be deprived of it. >> reporter: how long can you stay out of work? >> not long at all. i have bills to pay. we already can't afford to do certain things. for me to take off work, that's pushing me farther back as a parent. >> what do we want? >> reporter: generally speaking, hill supports the teachers and wants them to be happy. happier teachers mean smarter kids. nevertheless she worries about a prolonged strike. in a year where violence in chicago dominated headlines one of her biggest concerns is her kids and other neighborhood kids out on the street unsupervised. >> a lot of kids out on the streets and that's -- that's setting them up for trouble. and violence. and drugs and things like that. they need to be in school right now doing something productive.

>> reporter: for now, she's giving them the next best thing. >> providing schooling for them. that's education. >> reporter: chris welch, cnn, chicago. >> back to casey winen. i understand -- can you hear us? >> reporter: i can, are you hear me better now? >> much better connection. tell us what's going on. >> reporter: we're outside chicago public schools headquarters where striking teachers are gathering to demonstrate what they say are the failed efforts by the school board to move in their direction and settle this strike. teachers were manning picket lines outside of many schools throughout the city all morning. they are now in the process of moving and gathering out in front of chicago public school headquarters and that's why we're here and that's why we're on the phone with you we're in the process of setting up our camera and satellite truck to get a live picture out later.

we do know that negotiations are continuing. it's an encouraging sign. it's been going on since 9:30 this morn local time. they broke off last night without two major issues being resolved or even addressed in those two issues are basically revolving around job security and job reviews, which lead to salary increases for the striking teacher. so, two sides are talking. and that's what we know in terms of the negotiations right now. >> casey, as -- it's a good sign they're still talking to each other. is there any sense of when they might resolve this? do they have a time able, a goal, anybody coming out and updating you guys on where they are in all of this? >> reporter: no. our our understanding is if there's not a breakthrough by mid afternoon, we're not likely to get a breakthrough until this evening. and that's not to indicate we expect a breakthrough at any

time. we do know that both sides publicly are saying that a deal is within reach. it just seems that both sides are waiting for the other side to do the reaching. we'll have to see. what we are expecting is mayor rahm emanuel is holding a news conference any moment now and perhaps he'll have more information on the status of the negotiation. but right now no break in this impasse. >> casey, thank you. give us an update when there is one. find out more about the strike on our education blog called schools of thought. cnn.com/education and find a wide range of views, opinions about education in america. so what is it going to take to get the economy running stronger? bailout, new stimulus? see how much the launch of the iphone could be the boost we need. [ kate ] most women may not be properly absorbing

the calcium they take because they don't take it with food. switch to citracal maximum plus d. it's the only calcium supplement that can be taken with or without food. that's why my doctor recommends citracal maximum. it's all about absorption.

facebook ceo mark zuckerberg expected to speak this afternoon. parents are getting a lot of attention because it's the first major public address since facebook went public. one of the main reasons he was keeping a low profile the stock was priced at $38 when it hit

the nashmarket in may. today it's trading less than 19. he promised not sell his shares in the company for a year. apple hasn't had problems in its stock, it remains one of the most valuable public companies of all time. you heard it expects to roll out the iphone 5 this week. alison kosik at the new york stock exchange to talk about it. apple makes a big deal about everything they roll out here. but there was an economist at jpmorgan who said it's a bigger deal it could boost the u.s. economy. is that true? >> no, no, he's crunched the numbers. analysts at jpmorgan says the bump that the iphone sales could do could amount to a quarter or a half percent of economic growth. say, for example, in the second quarter of the year, we saw gdp grow by 1.7%, so sales of iphone 5 would wind up moving gdp over that 2% mark. you know what that's equal to? pumping $3.2 billion right into

the u.s. economy. all right. here's how we get to that number, though. look at this, say this is sticker price of an iphone $600. that's a guess. at this point we don't know how much it's going to cost. take off $200 off the top, for the cost of imported components of the phone, because it's not included in the gdp and come up with 3.2 billion number based on 8 million iphones sold in the u.s. suzanne? >> apple typically sells more than 8 million each quarter. why the low figure there? >> seeing this analyst kind of hedge, you know, playing both sides of the fence, cautioning to treat this estimate kind of skeptically, it is one product, many other factors go into the gdp number we get every quarter. 8 million iphones sold, that is a low estimate for a quarter but he could be playing it safe. compare to how apple did in the third quarter, it sold 26 million iphones. and that's considered disappointing.

so, those numbers were low by the way because consumers were holding off buying the older phone waiting for the iphone 5. that means there's more pent-up demand for the iphone 5. industry estimate predicting apple will sell ha milli45 mill the last three months of the year. based that on jpmorgajpmorgan's ♪ the boost could be bigger because the analyst is going low balling it now, imagine what the addition to gdp would be if apple does blowout that number. >> wow. okay. we'll see what happens. thank you. millions of smartphones, tablets out there you think there's no market for expansion. but not so. toys are us trying to carve out its own niche selling a computer tablet aimed at 5-year-olds. it comes preloaded with apps tailored for kids and a tightly controlled app store. it will keep with apple which

sells millions of ipads aimed at school kids. one of the most moving tributes on september 11th the way congress joined together in song. today they set their political differences aside. they gathered on the same steps, sang the same song 11 years ago. live to capitol hill. watch cnn live on your computer at work. cnn.com/tv.tt and i always calle. until i got a job in the big apple. becoming a fulltime indoor cat wasn't easy for atti. but he had purina cat chow indoor. he absolutely loved it. and i knew he was getting everything he needed to stay healthy indoors. and after a couple of weeks, i knew we were finally home! [ female announcer ] purina cat chow indoor. and for a delicious way to help maintain a healthy weight, try new purina cat chow healthy weight.

it was a rare moment of unity for members of congress. ♪ god bless america land that i love ♪ ♪ stand beside her and guide her ♪ >> on the steps of the capitol, democratic and republican stand together. one thing they could agree on today. dana bash is at the capitol near

the same spot where she was 11 years ago to take us back to the day and what you remember. dana, describe for us what actually happened on that day. >> reporter: let me start with what you were just talking about and showing our viewers, and that is "god bless america" the end of the day, after everybody dispersed, members of congress were sent, some were sent to undisclosed locations, some hunkering down in their staff houses around capitol hill. they came out as the very, very stressful day came to a close to just address people on the capitol steps and they just impromptu, suzanne, broke into song and broke into "god bless america" and why ever year they have come together in a bipartisan way to sing that. to answer your question what it was like really the moments when the first plane hit, the second plane hit in new york and the way that it was perceived here i

can tell you from my experience it was similar to many around capitol hill. i was coming in to the capitol through this door and i was -- they were ushering me because i understand i had a job to do because there was a big news story going on. the minute i got in, pressed the elevator button one of the ploefrs started to say you need to get out, we're evacuating. i came across the plaza, senators and their staff streaming down the steps here, the united states senate, not knowing where to go. and that is one of the many frightening, very frightening things, not only did we not know what was happening but there was no place for these incredibly important people to go, no plan at the time. so we came right here, which is across from the capitol, we trd to plug in our camera so they could get a shot of whatever was going to happen or happening here and it was really that the moment, we're talking about minutes here, suzanne, that members of the capitol

police corps started screaming, run, run for your life. i believe you were at the white house, to have somebody who is in uniform tell you to run for your life, there's probably nothing more frightening than that. and the reason is because they were hearing in their ear that a plane was missing in the air and of course it was 93 and they didn't know if it was heading for the white house or the capitol or what. so that's why they told us to leave. i want to show you the scene, people were running across towards the supreme court, towards the street up there. and running so fast, with such fear, many people lost their shoes as they were running. the whole lawn was scattered and littered with shoes from people running so fast. the lasting image, in my mind, senator robert byrd of west virginia, well into his 80s at time he was third in line to be president. he was up there, i saw him wandering around without his staff, again without a clear sense of where he was going to go, and again, third in line to be president and there was no

plan for anybody. obviously that's changed. fortunately or unfortunately dramatically since that time. >> thank you for sharing your story. memories come back for so many of us on that day, appreciate it. record numbers of illegal immigrants are being deported from the united states. how tougher immigration laws have become a heated part of the presidential campaign. today on the help deck, focusing on investment advice. take a listen to this question. >> is there something better than 401(k)s? >> this guy told me he's a few years away from retirement but frustrated, he said i don't check my 401(k) and when i do i'm getting barely anything. >> it's hard to beat the 401(k) when it comes to retirement savings for a number of reasons. it reduces taxable income, at tax time you're paying less to uncle sam. most companies will match your

contributions 4% to 6%. so that's free money that you get for participating. >> right. >> also you can sock away a lot more than you could in any other retirement savings vehicle $17,500 a year. the only thing that is important is how easy, once you sign up, automatically taken out. >> what about in an i.r.a. you have more options where to put your money. >> there's freedom with a good qualified adviser to help you navigate with different investment choices you can have more freedom to choose your own investments. i have to say the 401(k) because of the automatic deduction, people put money away, forget about. for those that a. have a 401(k), talk to the hr department to have the right one. a saw one the other day, variable annuities in the 401(k) plan, high fees and low returns. you have the right to challenge what 401(k) your benefits department is offering. >> it's small print. you might not want to take time

but it's worth it but especially with the fees on the front and back. thank you both. upload a 30-second video with your question to ireport.com. ally bank. why they're always there to talk. i love you, james. don't you love me? i'm a robot. i know. i ow you're a robot! but there's more in you than just circuits and wires! uhhh. (cries) a machine can't give you what a person can. that's why ally has knowledgeable people there for you, night and day. ally bank. your money needs an ally. but i'm still stubbed up.

[ male announcer ] truth is, nyquil doesn't unstuff your nose. what? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus liquid gels speeds relief to your worst cold symptoms plus has a decongestant for your stuffy nose. thanks. that's the cold truth! your doctor will say get smart about your weight. i tried weight loss plans... but their shakes aren't always made for people with diabetes. that's why there's glucerna hunger smart shakes. they have carb steady, with carbs that digest slowly to help minimize blood sugar spikes. and they have six grams of sugars. with fifteen grams of protein to help manage hunger... look who's getting smart about her weight. [ male announcer ] glucerna hunger smart. a smart way to help manage hunger and diabetes.

developing story out of cairo, egypt. i understand protesters are outside the u.s. embassy there. there are 1,000 of them and protesters stormed the walls of the embassy and pulled down u.s. flags. now, they have replaced them with black flags with islamic emblems. american guards are telling us that they have fired warning shots into the air. again, this is cairo, egypt.

egyptian riot police are on the scene, trying to protect the walls. protesters apparently are upset about a film that they think insults the prophet mohammed. we're just getting information and word on this. we do have several reporters on way to that scene. but there is unrest at the embassy in cairo, egypt. again, about a thousand protesters outside the walls of the embassy there. they have stormed the walls of the embassy and pulled down flags, u.s. flags, replacing them with black flags. now, we have also been told, too, that the staff that were there earlier in the day, that they were told to leave, to clear out early. we're not really certain whether or not there is anybody at the embassy right now that u.s. personnel, whether or not they heeded that advice. there was an operator at the embassy who said that the crowds are still there but she was unaware of any shooting that

might have taken place there. but again, we have a lot of questions, we'll be following this developing story. where is the embassy? is the embassy empty? is it secure. there are protesters that are there. egyptian riot police are there trying to contain the situation. this is all coming in to us. of course, as we have more details, we will be live on the ground, on the phone, talking to people who can fill us in on what is the very latest situation that is taking place in cairo. but certainly a disturbance, i think you can see just flashes of video, it's very dark right now, but flashes of video of folks who have gathered there. on to other news. alabama's governor asking an appeals court to reinstate part of the tough immigration law after three judges ruled some of the law to be unconstitutional. they let stand the part that allows local and state police to check a person's immigration

status while enforcing other laws. governor bentley says the federal government should not be dictating his policies. he says, quote, as a governor of alabama, i have a duty to uphold and defend alabama law. federal courts should not restrain state governments in a way that is contrary to the u.s. constitution. now, homeland security department is reporting an increase now in deportations, talking about 391,953 deported, the population of a city like miami or oakland, california. want to bring in raphael romo to tell us why this number and the decision. this is the highest number we've ever seen. >> iis definitely one of the highest numbers we've ever seen. if you look at the numbers in the last few years, when you look at the administration, this effort to deport people is the highest in the history of the united states. take a look at these numbers from the last three years. the highest number ever was actually recorded in 2009 at 393,457.

now the number for this year is really not too far from there. you start seeing a trend here. >> why is this happening? why is it increasing? >> it's increasing because the administration redoubled its efforts to report not only immigrants in general, undocumented immigrants, but convicted criminals. i want to show you exactly the numbers when it comes to that category. people have been convicted of crimes in the united states, the number has increased dramatically. in fiscal year 2011 it was 188,382. just compare that number to what happened only two years ago, there's a difference of more than 50,000 convicted criminals. so the numbers are rapidly increasing, suzanne. >> tell us about the breakdown in terms of countries, mexico and central america lead in the list. >> no big surprise in that category. still mexico and central america. what i want show you the sheer number of people who are being

deported from these countries, mexico, 293,966. if you add those four countries, mexico, guatemala, honduras, el salvador, the percentage of all people deported last year is 93%. so that's basically all of the people are coming from mexico and central america. yes, you still find people coming from southeast asia, but those numbers are just so minimal compared to that percentage of 39% from mexico and central america. >> thanks for breaking it down for us. what happens on wall street has a direct impact on your own home economics. we'll take a look at what president obama and mitt romney are saying about reform. doe 't . i'm done. i'm gonna read one of these. i'm gonna read one of these! [ female announcer ] unlike sprays and dust rags, swiffer 360 duster's extender gets into hard-to-reach places without the hassle. so you can get unbelievable dust pickup in less time without missing a thing.

i love that book. can you believe the twin did it? ♪ swiffer. great clean in less time. or your money back. not quite knowing what the next phase was going to be, you know, because you been, you know, this is what you had been doing. you know, working, working, working, working, working, working. and now you're talking about, well you know, i won't be, and i get the chance to spend more time with my wife and my kids. it's my world. that's my world. ♪ 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.

and two pills for a day free of pain. ♪ and get the all day pain relief of aleve in liquid gels. ♪ my name is adam frucci and i'm the i love new technology,om. so when i heard that american express and twitter were teaming up, i was pretty interested. turns out you just sync your american express card securely to your twitter account, tweet specific hashtags, and you'll get offers on things you love. this totally changes the way i think about membership.

saving money on the things you want. to me, that's the membership effect. nice boots! americans elect mitt romney or renew president barack obama's contract may depend how voters feel about what other politicians have done, chris dodd, barney frank, paul sar baines and mike oxley, a direct impact on every american's home economics. ali velshi sorts it out. >> debate over wall street regulation this election comes down to paperwork, regulation. compared to mitt romney, president obama wants a lot more of it. he says we need the rules and regulations put into place during his first term in office to keep wall street and the big banks accountable and to protect

consumers. >> after all we've been through, i don't believe that rolling back regulations on wall street will help the small businesswoman expand or the laid off construction worker keep his home. >> mitt romney wants to cut obama era and bush era regulations. he calls them red tape. >> i get rid of dodd/frank and get rid of sarbanes-oxley it didn't mean edon't want to have law or regulation, i want to make sure it's modern, updated goes after bad guys but it also encourages the good guys. >> two laws are at issue here. dodd/frank and sarbanes/oxley. the signature financial reform of president obama's first term. it set up the consumer financial protection bureau to write new rules to prevent fraud and unfair lending practices. it aims to put an end too big to fail, monitoring threats and stopping another financial

crisis. sarbanes oxley a response to a different crisis, enron accounting scandal, law set up stricter accounting rules of companies of all sizes. critics say it drives up costs for smaller businesses and restricts growth. mitt romney said this spring he wants to repeal sarbanes-oxley but since then he said he just wants to amend it. on the other hand romney wants to completely get rid of dodd/frank. he said he'd replace it with something called a streamline modern regulatory framework. what does this all mean to you, small businesses, big banks? we spoke to one banker in new york to who lens to small business and says, romney, obama, it's all the same. >> there's a lot of agreement between the two sides. it's just a question if we believe that if you don't bring back business by lending them money, it's not going to happen. the economy will not change. >> on the other hand, krause

says small businesses do need to be treated differently. >> you can't apply the same rules to a megacompany and then you apply to a small company. it can't be. has to be a balanced kind of focus which would help smaller financial institutions to save costs. >> it's true, regulations do cost time and money, and smaller businesses have less of both. under mitt romney, they might save some time and money but it's not entirely clear what romney era regulations would look like. barack obama wants time for his reform to take full effect and for the consumer financial protection bureau to continue writing rules and protecting consumers. so, will it be this or will it be this? just another one of those decisions you'll make when you step into the voting booth this november. alli velshi, cnn, new york. >> tomorrow we go in-depth on the deficit. break done how president obama and mitt romney each proposed to

reduce the defideficit. hear behind the man behind the original debt clock in new york tomorrow night on cnn in the newsroom. emergency workers at ground zero suffering 11 years later toxins that came in contact with caused severe illness, disease, maybe cancer. elizabeth cohen is joining us with details why emergency workers are finally getting help. ♪ (train horn) vo: wherever our trains go,

the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities.

[ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] if you have yet to master the quiet sneeze...

♪ [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] you may be an allergy muddler. try zyrtec®. it gives you powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because zyrtec® starts working at hour 1 on the first day you take it. claritin® doesn't start working until hour 3. [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] zyrtec®. love the air. join zyrtec® rewards. save up to $7 on zyrtec® products. today we remember those lost in the 9/11 attacks, but many of the survivors who worked amid the rubble also became very ill, some developing cancer. the government would not cover many of them until today. elizabeth cohen joins us to talk a little bit about this. what has prompted this change?

there was so many people complaining about illnesses, and nobody paid any attention to them. >> well, it is such a dramatic change because last year authorities were saying if you got cancer while you were working or after working at ground zero, we're not going to give you any money. now they're saying yes, we will give you money. a lot of it has to do with a study that came out a year ago. they looked at firefighters who worked at ground zero and those who didn't. the ones who worked at ground zero, 19% higher incidents of cancer. doesn't mean they got their cancers at ground zero, but it certainly makes for some suspicion that perhaps it was from ground zero. we can't make the link for sure, but it certainly leaves open the question. >> and you're talking 50 plus additional types of cancers that they are talking about in this report. what about that site made it so incredibly toxic? >> it was the mix of jet fuel, asbestos, other building materials, all mixing together, very high temperature because of

the jet fuel. people breathing it in. when you look at the video, these men are not wearing masks, most of them. those that are, we don't know if the masks worked against this mixture. before people went down to ground zero for help, they just went. and then tla breathe this in. it's unprecedented. we don't know what that does. we can't point to a study and says when you breathe this in day after day, here's what is going to happen. >> how many people does this potentially impact? >> approximately 950 to 2,150. so somewhere between sort of 1,000 to 2,000-ish. >> you know what is so sad, for the people who died and were not covered, that it's just happened now 11 years later. >> and we don't know exactly how many have died. i spoke to a man two years ago, and he had a very rare sarcoma after working there. he was told, sorry, we don't

know that your got your cancer from ground zero. he did not get money out of fund. he died before he could learn the news that he could have gotten money. we talked to a lawyer who works on these cases. we said, is his fame going to get money? what's going to happen? >> he sa, that's a detail that we have to see is going to be worked out. >> i'm glad finally there's some assistance now. preserving the events and history of 9/11. a dedication for those who helped and those who rushed to survive. which can withstand over three and a half tons. small in size. big on safety. [ dog ] we found itogether.: upbeat ] on a walk, walk, walk. love to walk. yeah, we found that wonderful thing. and you smiled. and threw it. and i decided i would never, ever leave it anywhere.

because that wonderful, bouncy, roll-around thing... had made you play. and that... had made you smile. [ announcer ] beneful. play. it's good for you.

[ male announcer ] gly nimble, ridiculously agile, tight turning, fun to drive 2013 smart. ♪ construction of the 9/11 museum in new york is now back on track. it's been sold for a year. they can't agree on who should pay the costs for it. it sits on land owned by new york and new jersey port authority. all authorities involved have

finally hammered out an agreement. mayor michael bloomberg says 11 years is not a long time to build something. >> we've been working on this for let's say 11 years. and the senator from hawaii said to me one time it took something like 40 years to build the museum as a memorial for wor war ii. he thought it was amazing. we got it done in this length of time. there was never question that we were going to finish the museum. governors christi and cuomo were 100% committed to it. but everybody has their responsibilities, and they want to make sure that their constituents' interests are protected, and that just takes time. >> officials are pledging to have the museum opened in time for the 12th anniversary next year. cnn "newsroom" continues right now with martin savage. >> hello. thank you very much. i'm martin savidge in if brooke

baldwin. some are storming the walls, tearing down american flags and replacing them with black flags, flags with islamic emblems. the protests apparently are over reports of a movie that is said to be in production that demonstrators consider an insult to the prophet muhammad. cnn is on the ground in that story. we'll continue to bring you developments as they occur. but first, 11 years ago today, september 11th stopped being just another date on the calendar and bake the most tragic and transforming moment in recent american history. terrorists killed 2,977 people in an attempt to bring down the united states. the massacre only gave rise to a stronger national spirit. one always remembered those lost

and one that cannot forget why and how they were killed. throughout the country people are reflecting at tributes and memorials. here now, moments from today in new york, the pentagon, and shanksville, pennsylvania. ♪ >> my father, james amada. love you dad, miss you every day. >> and my father. ♪

>> this is never an easy day. but it is especially difficult for all of you. the families of nearly 3,000 innocents who lost their lives. their mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, your sons and your daughters. they were taken from us suddenly and far too soon. >> know that the entire nation, entire nation, joins you in mourning the loss of your loved ones. we are honored by your presence, and just as your loved ones are heros forever, so are all of you. in trying to attack our strengths, the terrorist unleashed our greatest strength, the spirit and the will of americans to fight for their country.

>> i also hope it continues to give you some solis, knowing that this nation, all these people gathered here today are not family members, or your neighbors, but they've not forgotten. they've not forgotten the heroism of your husbands, wives, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers. and what they did through this country is still etched in the minds of not only you, but millions of americans. >> it is still so painful. on this day of reflection, also comes a welcome resolution, involving the national september

11th matter museum. the budget dispute that stole its opening is now settled, that according to new york mayor michael bloomberg. his predecessor, rudy giuliani, who was running the city 11 years ago is more than eager to see that site open. >> i hope it gets done. somebody has to feel a sense of urgency about this. i do. i was here. i saw what happened. i have a sense of urgency about it. i wish everybody else would have the same sense. this is not a memorial, really. pearl harbor is a memorial. this is an ongoing war against us by islamic extremist terrorists who want to come here this very day and do exactly the same thing they did 11 years ago, and what they did in 1993. >> and u.s. troops hoping to fight the enemy rudy giuliani just described there. also marked the 11th anniversary of september 11th and the attacks. they held a ceremony in kabul, afghanistan, recognizing the significance of this day. less than a month after

september 11th, the united states entered afghanistan and lunched america's longest war. it began with air strikes against taliban and al qaeda. the 19 hijackers who commandeered the airliners died with those they murdered. so who is the top threat right now? especially after the death of osama bin laden in may of last year. we're going to turn to mike baker. a former cio operations officer and president of a global intelligence and security firm. mike, thanks for being with us. >> thank you. >> who or what group do you consider now to be the greatest threat to the u.s.? >> well, i don't think it's shifted. i think that we're still facing this same multinational threat

from muslim extreecmisextremism jihadi threat. we've seen great success over the years in taking out a large number of their senior command and luieutenants. now they're a different organization than they were before. but the agenda, the motivation or the drive to create mayhem and havoc and death, that still remains the same. i think part of the problem is you get 11 years down the road from 9/11, and people get somewhat fatigued with the war on terror and so we look for ways to get it out of our mind. that's well and good. we need to move on but not forget it. there continues to be a tremendous amount of work to try to prevent similar incidents in our country. >> let me ask you real quick, 11 years into this, as we are, are we safer, and i know this is a

cliche question, but are we safer than we were in 2001? >> i think we are. and i'll tell you why. it's never going to be zero sum game. we're never going to get to the point where we're completely safe or we've completely reduced the risk to zero. and part of that is because it's a human process. it never becomes perfect. but we're safer in the sense that every year we get better at the counter terrorism effort. we get better at sharing information between the intel community and the local state and federal authority. we get better at sharing information by our intel community with our foreign liason partners. we get quicker at flying around, and getting it down to the actual intelligence to actually work on it in the field. all of those things continue to improve. but we never get to a point in counter terrorism or in any terrorist situation where you reduce it down to zero. >> this is life then.

this is life for the american public, for the american military for now and the foreseeable future, guarding against terrorism. >> well, i think so. i've got young children. and i think about those who have young children on 9/11. those kids have grown up in this world. now you have children getting ready to graduate from high school who have known nothing else but the airport security and the threat and the war on terror. and so that's become the normal in a sense for them. it would be lovely to think that at some point we do remove this threat. we somehow deal in a variety of different ways with it overseas, and that motivation to attack us to cause harm to us and our allies, that that disappears. but, you know, i think i'm too pragmatic to think that's going to happen. >> i want to stop you real quick. this is the last question i get. it's not just islamic terrorism and not just coming from overseas, correct? >> no, and that's a very important point you raise. no.

and it would be wrong to say the only threat on terror here in the u.s. is from the jihadist threat. obviously we've seen over the years random shootings. we've seen events where people have lost their lives and it has nothing to do with the jihadist threat. sometimes, and again, i think this comes from a fatigue issue of the war on terror. we want to say, okay, enough with that. but it's not just one or the other. and those people responsible for monitoring and preventing and disrupting the jihadist threat are also here in this country worried about the other types of terror that can occur. so it's not as if by looking at jihadists we're not looking at other threats. >> i don't mean to interrupt, but time. >> understood. >> vigilance is essentially what we're up to here. we appreciate the insights. >> thank you. >> and there is a lot more news developing this hour. how does one principal see the teacher strike in chicago? >> it's reprehensible.

>> you're about to hear how the picket line is responding. plus, a new study suggests america's rich are leaving the middle class in the dust. and china's next leader vanishing, just disappears. his whereabouts sparking a mystery that comes at a critical time. [ female announcer ] research suggests cell health plays a key role throughout our lives. one a day women's 50+ is a complete multivitamin

designed for women's health concerns as we age. it has more of 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day 50+. to support cell health. i i had pain in my abdomen...g. it just wouldn't go away. i was spotting, but i had already gone through menopause. these symptoms may be nothing... but they could be early warning signs of a gynecologic cancer, such as cervical, ovarian, or uterine cancer. feeling bloated for no reason. that's what i remember. seeing my doctor probably saved my life. warning signs are not the same for everyone. if you think something's wrong... see your doctor. ask about gynecologic cancer. and get the inside knowledge. to help protect your eye health as you age... would you take it? well, there is. [ male announcer ] it's called ocuvite.

a vitamin totally dedicated to your eyes, from the eye-care experts at bausch + lomb. as you age, eyes can lose vital nutrients. ocuvite helps replenish key eye nutrients. [ male announcer ] ocuvite has a unique formula not found in your multivitamin to help protect your eye health. now, that's a pill worth taking. [ male announcer ] ocuvite. help protect your eye health. [ male announcer ] ocuvite. energy is being produced to power our lives. while energy development comes with some risk, north america's natural gas producers are committed to safely and responsibly providing generations of cleaner-burning energy for our country, drilling thousands of feet below fresh water sources within self-contained well systems. and, using state-of-the-art monitoring technologies, rigorous practices help ensure our operations are safe and clean for our communities and the environment. we're america's natural gas.

ffor help finding a plan that's right for you, give unitedhealthcare a call today. that is chicago, and there are a lot of cities around the country that are following the developments of the public school strike. because it's going to have national implications. and it's tough for everyone. teachers are not getting paid. parents have to find other forms of child care and 350 students are kicked out of the classroom. casey wein is outside of the classrooms. and casey, what is the deal? could they reach on any settlement? >> unfortunately i don't have good news to report about a deal

being close. the teachers union released a statement saying it's hard to find these being close to an end, despite the fact that rahm emanuel and the chicago public school officials said a deal was very near. some members of the teachers union said the deal was very near. this statement said that there are 49 different articles in the teachers contract with the schools, and that the union has only signed off on s of those. so they say sa deal is not close despite what others are saying. behind me you can see the teachers who have gathered for a rally. the teachers have been picketing at schooling all day long. they've moved to downtown chicago, outside the chicago public school headquarters and they will be holding a rally later this afternoon. also chicago mayor rahm emanuel held a news conference where he

reiterated the position that the contract is insolvable, that this strike should never have happened, and he said the two sides are close. he called the strike again, unnecessary. >> and any chance that they're going to wichb tomorrow, or is this just a wait and see game? >> the negotiations are expected to continue through the evening. the negotiations have not stopped. just the fact that the teachers union said there's no deal at this point, we fully expect them to continue to talk. it's about the two main issues that they are talking about. one is the ability of local school principles to hire the teachers they want to hire versus union control. how closely the evaluations are tied to standardized test scores. so the two sides are still talking. >> good to know. casey wian. thank you very much. if you want more on the debate

and the impact across the nation, head to cnn.com/education. any minute mitt romney is expected to speak live in reno, nevada, before the national guard association. this after the republican faced criticism for not mentioning servicemen and women in his convention speech. we'll listen in, next. [ male announcer ] this is anna, her long day teaching the perfect swing begins with back pain and a choice. take advil, and maybe have to take up to four in a day. or take aleve, which can relieve pain all day with just two pills.

good eye. your doctor will say get smart about your weight. i tried weight loss plans... but their shakes aren't always made for people with diabetes. that's why there's glucerna hunger smart shakes. they have carb steady, with carbs that digest slowly to help minimize blood sugar spikes. and they have six grams of sugars. with fifteen grams of protein to help manage hunger... look who's getting smart about her weight. [ male announcer ] glucerna hunger smart. a smart way to help manage hunger and diabetes.

developing now. we're getting word of an intense protest against the u.s. embassy in cairo, egypt. we're told protesters have stormed the walls and torn down american flags, replacing them with black flags. we want to go to ian lee. he joins us on the telephone with more. what's the situation now? >> unfortunately now we still have hundreds of protesters from front of it have u.s. embassy. things have calmed down a little bit, but are still tense. the protesters reached the perimeter of the u.s. embassy, were able to make it into the courtyard to take down a flag, although the protesters have yet to make it inside the building. i've been inside the building

before. it's very well protected. a lot of heavy doors protecting it. we're hearing from an embassy official that the embassy is showing strength against the protesters. they don't want anything to escalate. police and military on one of of the protesters just there if anything were to escalate further. >> and what sparked the demonstration? what caused all of this? >> reporter: the cause is a video. and the protesters say there's a video that's circulating that -- [inaudible] -- it's what galvanized the protesters. we see a lot of protesters who are islamic in the crowd. just to give you an idea there's a black flag with what you normally would see with jihadis. that is on the wall of the u.s.

embassy. a lot of anger. and so they're protesting inside the embassy. >> ian is following the events happening right now. moving to politics. in this country mitt romney is talking to reno, nevada, to the national guard. let's listen in. >> the plane had hit the world trade center. i turned on the small tv on our desk there and watched in shock as the flames and smoke erupted from the north tower. i called my wife ian. she, too, watched the tragedy from her tv and wondered how a plane could fly into a building in clear daylight. and then we saw the second plane crash into the second tower. these then were purpsful attackses. these were terrorist attacks. these were evil and cowardly and heinous attacks. leaving the city, i drove

towards alexandria. the highway i was on came within a few hundred yards of the pentagon, which had been hit by then. weres were stopped where they were and people had gotten out, watching in horror. i could smell burning fuel and concrete and steel. it was a smell of war, something i never imagined i would smell in america. in our own ways we were each overwhelmed by the enormity of the loss of life. we struggled to comprehend the magnitude of what this meant for the families of those who were killed. and for our own family, for the nation, for the world. and grief and anger soon turned to action. and among those taking the lead were members of the national guard. and members of the guard began to mobilize, to deploy half a

world away. where you would become all too familiar with the mountains of the hindu kush. throughout the last 11 years guards men and women have helped keep us safe from attack, and the nation owes you a great debt of gratitude. i wish i could say the world is less dangerous now, that it's less chaotic. i wish i could predict with certainty the threats we'll face in the years ahead. but on september 10th, 2001, we had no idea that america would be at war in afghanistan some day. in december of 2010, we have no idea that a tunisian street vendor would start a revolution to stop three dictators. we live in a time of turbulence and disrups. what i can say with certainty is we need the national guard's vigilance and strength now as much as ever before.

with less than two months to go before election day, i would normally speak to a gathering like this about the differences between my and my opponent's plans for military and for our national security. there is a time and place for that. but this day is not that. it is instead a day to express gratitude for the men and women who fought, and who are still fighting to protect us and our country, including those who trace the trail of terror to that wall wall of compound and the s.e.a.l.s who delivered justice to osama bin laden. [ applause ] >> this is also a day in which all of us in this convention hall and in this campaign and in

this country can hopefully agree on important things. this century must be an american century. it began with terror, war and economic calamity. it is now our duty to steer it to the path of freedom, peace and prosperity. america must lead the free world, and the free world must lead the entire world. -- [ applause ] in the deals we have with other nations, we must demonstrate confidence in our cause. clarity in our purpose. and resolve in the application of the military might. for this to be an american sent re, we must have a military second to none, that is so

strong no one would think of testing it. american military power is vital to the preservation of our own security and for the preservation of peace around the world. time and again america's military has been the best ally of liberty and peace. american forces rescued europe twice. american forces stood up to brutal dictators and freed millions living under tyranny. america's military leads the fight against terrorism around the world and secures a global common to keep them safe for the trade and commerce. they're vital to lifting people from poverty. twhil the war in iraq is over, nearly 70,000 american troops will still remain in affection at the end of the month. our goal is to complete a successful transition to afghan

security forces by the end of 2014. we should evaluate conditions on the ground and solicit the best advice of our military commanders. we can all agree that our men and women in the field serve a clear mission, that they deserve the resources and resolute leadership they need to complete that mission and that they deserve a country that will provide for their needs when they come home. >> candidate mitt romney speaking in reno, nevada. and taking a somewhat subdued track on politics out of respect for the day, a day which we all remember well. moving on. taking a look at september 11th. copd makes it hard to breathe,

but with advair, i'm breathing better. so now i can be in the scene. advair is clinically proven to help significantly improve lung function. unlike most copd medications, advair contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator working together to help improve your lung function all day. advair won't replace fast-acting inhalers

for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking advair. if you're still having difficulty breathing, ask your doctor if including advair could help improve your lung function. get your first full prescription free and save on refills at advaircopd.com. most days you probably don't give the german supreme court much thought. trust me, you're going to care about this particular story now. tomorrow, judges seen here are expected to deliver a decision that could plunge the world's

economy into ruin. now that i have your attention, i want to bring in fred who is following the situation closely for us. fred, what's the legal question here before the court? fred, could you hear me now? >> yeah, i can, hey. >> martin savidge here. just wanted to ask you, what is the question that's before the court that has all of the attention now of the world? >> well, absolutely. the germans are getting more and more uneasy about all of this a lot of them for a very long time were thinking germany was really immune to the crisis, that it was still doing quite well in spite of the crisis. now they're seeing the economy get weaker. they're seeing jobs report gets

worse. that stirs the fear that in the end they're going to have pay for the bailout. >> so we have the german supreme court set to issue an important ruling tomorrow. and a ruling on what, though, specifically? >> tlstz going to be a big bailout fund for the entire european union, the euro zone. the european stability mechanism. now the important part of why germany is important is all that germany is the largest paymaster in this esm. and if the german constitutional court votes that this esm is not constitutional, according to germany's fundamental law, the constitution then this thing can indeed not go forward and that could mean highly detrimental effects. it could mean some european countries like spain, for instance, could get in trouble. a lot of this hinges on the

decision the constitutional court will make tomorrow, martin. >> let me see if i get this right. all these governments were working on the bailout plan. then we had the european central bank also stepping in here. now we find out it's the jer mane supreme court that will have the final say on whether all of that really works. >> well, it's interesting, isn't it? one thing that the zone has showed us is that something takes a small wheel in all of this to potentially derail everything. greece is a very small country within the eu. but many people are talking about if greece fails, maybe the euro will fail. if the pot cannot go forward, then that's going to mean a lot of trouble for players involved in this. and you're talking about the european central bank. they have decided it's going to buy government bonds from a lot of the countries that are in trouble. it's only going to do it if the

countries apply from money from the european stability mechanism that could get derailed because of the verdict in the german constitutional court. it's all part of the way that europe is. one of the big problems that europe has always had, martin, is while it is a super national body, while it is a body that tries to unite the european countries, a lot of it still hinges on national laws, and that's a big problem in the current situation, martin. >> okay, i'll give you five seconds here because we're out of time. but just so i can sleep tonight. >> okay. >> what is anticipated the ruling will be? >> okay. in the past the german constitutional court has never fully voted down a motion for further integration. many believe they will say yes it can go forward. nobody believes that it is going to fail and that the esm is not going to forward, martin. >> i hope you're right. thank you very much for joining us tonight. back here in the u.s., if you're in the middle class, the

richest americans are now 2 # 8 times richer than you are. we'll explain that. ♪ [ "the odd couple" theme playing ] humans. even when we cross our "t"s and dot our "i"s, we still run into problems -- mainly other humans. at liberty mutual insurance, we understand. that's why our auto policies come with accident forgiveness if you qualify, where your rates won't go up due to your first accident,

and new car replacement, where if you total your new car, we give you the money for a new one. call... to talk to an insurance expert about everything else that comes standard with our base auto policy. [ tires squeal ] and if you get into an accident and use one of our certified repair shops, your repairs are guaranteed for life. call... to switch, and you could save hundreds. liberty mutual insurance -- responsibility. what's your policy?

as president obama and mitt romney hit the campaign trail battling over how to fix the middle class, a new study suggests america's rich are leaving the middle class behind, in the dust, so to speak. cnn's christine romans breaks down the gap. >> martin, the wealthier 288 times richer than the middle. new analysis shows the top earning households have spent half a century adding to wealth while the middle has slipped back. a sphere representing 1983 is on the left. 2010 is on the right. household wealth for the top 10% grew from just under 10 million in '83 to 16.4 million today. for those in the middle household net worth dropped from $73,000 to $57,000 by 2010.

now income gaps have been widening for years. but accelerated during the great recession. the very hitch have more money to save and invest, but middle income and lower income class people are more vulnerable when they lose a job or the house price declines. the great recession slammed everyone, even the rich. but not equally. just looking more recently from 2007 to 2010, average wealth of the top 1% dropped just 15.6%. but median net worth for the middle sank 47.1%. if middle class household wealth had grown at the same rate, it would be twice what it is today. martin? >> christine, thanks very much. well, speaking of glitz and glamour, we take you backstage for the new york fashion week. how one designer crafted an empire. it started quite simply with a dream and a dress. [ male announcer ] the first look...is only the beginning.

♪ ♪ introducing a stunning work of technology. ♪ introducing the entirely new lexus es. and the first ever es hybrid. this is the pursuit of perfection. but between check-ups tartar builds. keep it clean with new listerine® ultraclean™. it's the only mouthwash with a new tartar control formula for a dentist clean feeling. ahhhhhhhh. [ male announcer ] new listerine® ultraclean™. power to your mouth™. [ male announcer ] new listerine® ultraclean™. i was talking to my best friend. 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,

see your doctor. get the inside knowledge about gynecologic cancers. knowing can make all the difference in the world. i'm an expert on softball. and tea parties. i'll have more awkward conversations than i'm equipped for because i'm raising two girls on my own. i'll worry about the economy more than a few times before they're grown. but it's for them, so i've found a way. who matters most to you says the most about you. massmutual is owned by our policyholders so they matter most to us. massmutual. we'll help you get there. but i'm still stubbed up. [ male announcer ] truth is, nyquil doesn't unstuff your nose. what? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus liquid gels speeds relief to your worst cold symptoms plus has a decongestant for your stuffy nose. thanks. that's the cold truth!

for more than 40 years diane von furstenberg has been a force in fashion. and it all started with a dress, the wrap dress. on the eve of new york fashion week she sat down with elena cho to talk about how she came to this the united states with a suitcase full of dresses and a dream. >> at 65 diane von furstenberg is a woman who can't sit still.

>> this idea of a dress, the simplicity. >> dvf started her business in 1970. she had just moved to the u.s., a princess, after marrying german prince ivan von furstenberg. they were the toast of new york, yet she wanted her own identity. >> i didn't know when i was young what i wanted to do, but i knew the woman i wanted to become. >> so she came up with an idea, using jersey, a stretchy fabric she loved, she created in 1974, the wrap dress. >> very, very, very practical little dresses. that look like nothing. that, you know, you can put this in your handbag, and it looks so different than anything that was available. >> it was an instant hit. by 1976, she had sold a million of them. >> you had no idea. >> no, and i was so young.

i was 26, 27, 28. >> and already on the cover of "newsweek." >> this, of course, is the very, very first print i ever did. >> you're kidding me. >> that chain link dress even made an appearance on the first family's first christmas card. >> were you surprised? >> totally. i mean, are you kidding? >> an empire that includes everything from ipad cases to perfume to a home collection she launched last year. 54 boutiques, sold in 70 countries, and a wrap dress that still flies out of the store. >> it's a classic. what can i say? every woman looks great in it. >> just this year von furstenberg was named number 33 on the forbes list of most powerful women of 2012. this mother of two and grandmother of four created the dvf award, which honors women for leadership, strength and courage. she's the president of the council of fashion designers of america. she and her husband, mogul barry

dillard donated $35,000 towards the construction of the high line, an elevated park on the west side of new york city. she also helped revitalize the city's meat packing district. >> i feel a little bit like the god mother of this neighborhood, and it's nice. >> she is a verifier. she's a bellwether. she's a risk taker. >> a verifiable fashion icon and celebrity. >> dare to be you. be true to yourself. you can design your line and be the woman you want to be. >> elena cho, cnn, new york. >> and you can catch the entire special backstage pass this saturday at 2:30 p.m. eastern right here on cnn. it's an international mystery. where in the world is x xi jinping. the chi need leader goes missing just before transferring into

power. theorys on where he is and why he's out of sight straight ahead. [ male announcer ] the freedom and spirit of malibu is an awesome place to be. introducing the all-new 2013 chevrolet malibu eco. ♪ sophisticated new styling, the fuel-saving intelligence of eassist, 37 mpg highway, and up to 580 highway miles on a single tank of gas. ♪ the all-new 2013 chevrolet malibu eco. ♪ it has everything to put you in the malibu state of mind no matter what state you live in. ♪

let's update you on syria now, where as many as 72 people have been killed. that is the chaotic scene earlier today. just one side where activists say the buildings were decemberdecembe dessimated by attacked on the syrian regime. many have sought refugee in other country. and turkey has taken in just under 80,000. actress angelina jolie visited syrian refugees in jordan today,

jolie says she's grateful to all of the countries that are offering shelter to the refugees. a full report on her visit will be in the next hour on cnn in the newsroom. okay, in china, when a leader isn't seen for a while, rumors start to fly. has he fallen out of favor. is he ill? is he in prison? is he did? that's the days right now for the heir apparent. he hasn't been seen in ten days, and that has everyone asking where in the world is xi jinping. explain to us first of all who this guy is and why his sudden absence is such a big deal in china? >> we've been looking on it at cnn international with our team in china and the region. here's the heir apparent.

the man expected to take the helm to replace president hu jintao in a matter of weeks, martin. however, as you mention, he hasn't been seen since september 1st. and also interestingly he's canceled meetings with foreign dignitaries, including the secretary of state, hillary clinton. now when asked, the officials are stagey with their answers. in some cases one foreign ministry official says, please ask a real question. this might be part of the problem. and it's feeding the rumor mill in and outside of china. nobody truly has the answer out there. i can read some of them to you that i've seen on the social media websites. has he pulled a muscle swimming? did he have a minor heart attack? did he hurt his back playing football? all these theorys are out there and in the meantime nobody knows when he will reappear, martin. >> aren't the chinese sensitive

to the shock waves this sends, not only throughout our own country, but throughout the world? the second largest economy in the united states. clearly wants to know who is going to be the next in charge. aren't they worried and ready to say something definitive? >> well, that's an interesting question. and one of the things i've been looking into as well is how are other politicians in china reacting during this period, this ten-day period where xi jinping has been awol. and it seems that they're going about their business. experts are saying if there was some giant crisis within the communist party right now and xi jinping is out of commission, then you might have seen them react differently. not leave beijing, for instance. which many of them have done. and one of the interesting theorys is look, the communist party in china is playing by very old rules. it's being secretive. it's not divulging information.

and maybe this is benign. maybe nothing that dramatic has happened to xi jinping. but their reaction is making it worse. it's archaic and not in keeping with the times with twitter and other social media websites. perhaps they'll learn ale lesso from this. >> and in the 24 hour news cycle, we want to know right away. hala gorani, thanks very much. as americans remember 9/11, there is a group of families that are worried that the memorial has become a disney land attraction. i'll speak live with the sister of a fallen firefighter about those very concerns. u define yo? the blissful pause just before that rich sweetness touches your lips. the delightful discovery, the mid-sweetening realization that you have the house all to yourself. well, almost. the sweet reward, making a delicious choice that's also a smart choice. splenda no-calorie sweetener.

with the original sugar-like taste you love and trust. splenda makes the moment yours. not quite knowing what the next phase was going to be, you know, because you been, you know, this is what you had been doing. you know, working, working, working, working, working, working. and now you're talking about, well you know, i won't be, and i get the chance to spend more time with my wife and my kids. it's my world. that's my world.

♪ begins with back pain and a choice. take advil, and maybe have to take up to four in a day. or take aleve, which can relieve pain all day with just two pills. good eye. which can relieve pain all day with just two pills. how did the nba become the hottest league on the planet? by building on the cisco intelligent network they're able to serve up live video, and instant replays, creating fans from berlin to beijing. what can we help you build? nice shot kid. the nba around the world built by the only company that could. cisco.

famu says it's not responsible for the death of a drum major that died after a hazing incident with other band members. the school presents the argument in a new 23-page motion it filed

to a wrongful death lawsuit involving drum major robert champion. champion died following a hazing incident last november. george howell is here along with sunny hostin. george, let me start with you. give us the university's stance here. >> first of all it comes down to two things. first of all the fact that these students, several band members who made sworn statements saying robert chavmpion wanted to go through the hazing to gain credibility with the band. that's first. and secondly in the stack that the university is using to make its case to dismiss the civil lawsuit, there's this page, and robert champion signed the page. it dismisses their liability saying if he sees hazing they would warn authorities whatsoever. they're using this as the claim that they have no responsibility. this is his fault, is what they're saying. >> sunny, this really infuriates me. it seems to me that the university here is essentially blaming the victim here.

and i'm going to draw a loose analogy. it's like telling a murder victim, you picked the wrong part of town to go walking through. the fact that he signed a document somehow excuses the university from their official duty to make sure that hazing does not take place. what do you take from this. >> i'm just as infuriated as you are, actually. i did read the moeg of court today. it is about 23 pages and that really is what the university is saying. they are calling him a 26-year-old grown adult in the document and they're blaming him. they're saying he knew very well that he was not supposed to participate in hazing because he signed this hazing and harassment agreement that george just talked about. and so he is to blame. the university has no responsibility. and they are definitely not only relying on that argument, but also, of course, relying on this alleged waiver. i don't think it passes the legal smell test. really the question is, did the university know that this was

going on, and of course they knew. there's evidence that they knew. >> there's a long history at the university having problems with hazing. it's not like this was a one-time incident. >> exactly. that's what i was going to say. they had to have known u this was sort of a hazing culture. and if they knew and looked the other way, then they can be found responsible. so to blame robert champion doesn't pass the test. >> what's the reaction of his family? >> first of all, i want to add one thing as far as blaming the victims. but the attorney for famu gave a new response saying if he fell on hazing then taxpayers shouldn't pay the burden. i want to give you a champion's response. he says, quote, we cannot ignore the audacity of an institution that blames students for their own deaths, yet for decades ignored the hazing epidemic occurring within its own