>> merz is a short timer. he's leaving this month. i guess he's no longer worried about how the crucial dried beef constituency will vote in the "next" election. the correct answer was of course d, kim skwropjong-eun. go to our website for more information. i'll see you next week. a new alert for americans in europe warns of potential terror attacks. we'll tell you what's behind the alert and what you need to do and what you need to know if you are heading overseas. at 4:00 eastern time, battling cancer before you're ever diagnosed. people with certain cancer genes are doing it. we'll hear from two women who took dramatic action to save their lives. and then at 5:00 eastern time, he's made us laugh for decades on television and in comedy clubs. comic george wallace is in the house with me today talking

about his unique act in las vegas. you're in the "cnn newsroom." i'm fredricka whitfield. if you are traveling to europe or you have loved ones there, the u.s. state department wants you to be particularly vigilant. an alert issued by the u.s. state department says information indicates that al qaeda and its affiliates continue to plan terrorist attacks. it urges americans to be aware of their surroundings and to be aware of the potential for terrorist who attack public transportation systems and other tourist relate locations. what do you do to keep your family safe if in europe? does this alert mean that americans at this juncture should cancel or avoid plans to travel to europe all-together? >> reporter: no not at all. the state department is emphasizing that it is not saying don't visit europe or even that favorite tourist

attraction in europe but avoid large crowds, demonstrations. terrorists are like car thieves looking for the easiest target. don't frequent areas americans are known to congregate. if there's a hotel or famous for american tourist going there, this would be a good time to try to check out some of the places that locals go. don't make yourself an easy target. >> the recommendation that you need to register with the u.s. embassy going to places in europe you don't usually need a visa. >> this is something the state department always recommends because it helps you receive the most current information the state department has about where you're going. you can get updates about important travel or other info the embassy sends to americans live organiing or traveling in countries and the embassy can better assist news an emergency if you lose your passport or its stolen or a earthquake in haiti

they helped americans get evacuated so it makes it eyes for embassy officials to contact you and your loved ones in an emergency including a situation where your family and friends are having a hard time contacting you. >> there are other things the state department is recommending. what are they? you mentioned that americans shouldn't necessarily go to places where westerners congregate while in europe. what are some of the other things? >> these are things that fall into the category of being street smart and aware of your surroundings which we should do any way. be cautious about what you discuss with strangers or what others might overhear. don't talk about your travel plans with people you don't know. don't speak loudly about them in a public place. avoid luggage tags and dress that draw attention. we hear the joke about americans sticking out like a sore thumb but don't do anything to draw extra attention to yourself. keep an eye out for abandoned packages or briefcases. if you see something weird,

don't pick it up. report it to the police. when you look for a taxi cab, don't go to cab drivers sitting outside of the airport trying to hit you up when you walk outside. go to the taxi lane and find one that is clearly identified as taxi. and lastly this is what our parents taught us. don't open the door for strangers. know the identity of visitors before opening the door of your hotel room and if you meet strangers during your trip, don't take them to your hotel room or a location you're not familiar with. meet in a public place. these are things travelers should always be aware of but in this threat environment the state department is saying it's good to remind ourselves to travel smartly. >> don't tell strangers where you're staying. don't boast of where you can be be located. okay. thanks so much for that update. appreciate that. there are precautions that are particularly unusual and now britain is changing its travel

advisory for citizens in france and germany from a substantial threat of terrorism to a high threat. cnn's senior international correspondent is in germany. why is this happening on such a grand scale? >> reporter: well, some of it appears to be because of a german afghan captured in afghanistan recently. he attended this mosque here behind me here and he told people questioning him that there's a possibility this mumbai style attack across europe and this seems to be the reason. it's not what we're being told specifically but it's adding up to this general picture. what we hear from the europeans here is the spanish are going to keep their threat warning as it is right now. the french same. germans saying they are not seeing the threat level going up at the moment and not seeing an

imminent threat here so they're not going to change their threat warning level and britain inside britain is not changing its terror threat level. not ramping it up from severe but i'm joined here by a cnn terrorism analyst. paul, we heard about the state department warning. there aren't specifics in it but what are you learning? >> there is a plot involving german nationals that went over there in march of 2009 and joined up with al qaeda and some became part of this plot. that's what we hear from officials. he was interrogated by americans. germans had not had direct access so they can't independently verify what he's say bug they're concerned about it. counterterrorism sources on both sides of the atlantic are worried about this mumbai style attack. >> very interesting that while germany, france, britain keep their threat level the same, the

u.s. citizens here are warned while in europe. what examples in the past have there been when u.s. citizens are under threat for al qaeda terror inside europe? >> americans are the greatest enemy of these guys. back in 2007 we saw a plot in germany by germans that went to pakistan to get trained and they wanted to target americans here. american servicemen, gis so we have seen this before in germany. >> we also understand that bin laden signed off on this attack. what does that tell us about al qaeda? we know they always want to go after american citizens if they can. >> al qaeda is still there and can still plot these attacks. it also shows bin laden is very invested in this plot and it was an ambitious plot from al qaeda. >> paul, what else are you learning from your sources across europe as they look at this threat level? we know they are not changing it. what else are you learning? >> the big unknown here is this

thing imminent or a long range plan? we're not getting very good answers on that at this point. i think all of the european counterterrorism agencies are cooperating with americans but they don't want to alarm the public. we have to remember here that there are only two successful attacks in europe since 9/11. that's very important to remember. >> one of the other things is this mosque here and we talk about the questioning going on in afghanistan right now. there were several other members from this mosque that went with him. what's known by the people you speak to about what they're doing and where they are? >> other people went with him from this mosque in 2009. they seemed to have joined al qaeda. some have got involved in this plot. we're told by european counterterrorism officials that some are now at large now in pakistan. >> thank you very much indeed. fredricka, we'll continue to work our sources tonight and the coming days. >> nic, you were talking about the military and the history of

them being threatened in certain regions particularly there in germany. i understand now there's even a curfew in place for a number of u.s. military personnel stationed there in various parts of germany, right? >> reporter: that's right. on friday night at the base a couple miles from here, servicemen told to stay on base and also instructed anyone going off base when the curfew was li lifted not to do so in uniform. this seems to take on board the german threat from three years ago that american service men here in germany could be the target for al qaeda. >> okay. that curfew has since been lifted. nic robertson, appreciate that. we'll find out how passengers here in the u.s. who have plans to head overseas how they are reacting to these new travel alerts in place. that's coming up next.

>> so, ah, your seat good?

got the mirrors all adjusted? you can see everything ok? just stay off the freeways, all right? i don't want you going out on those yet. and leave your phone in your purse, i don't want you texting. >> daddy... ok! ok, here you go. be careful. >> thanks dad. >> and call me--but not while you're driving. we knew this day was coming. that's why we bought a subaru.

this is why we do this! freedom! the open road! no doubt! and progressive has great coverage and policies starting at just $95 a year. i dig that! most bikers do -- that's why progressive is number one! whoo! whoo! let's renew up. yeah, that sounds good, man. do i have any bugs in my teeth?

no, you're good. number one in motorcycle insurance. now, that's progressive. bags packed, passports in hand, will the new security alert put a wrench in place for americans traveling to europe. there is word of this advisory from the u.s. state department. what are they saying? >> reporter: you know, we asked a few people. we've been here since way early this morning. got here in the 6:00 hour eastern time. and the one thing that we've seen as a common thread are people are like, you know what, sometimes you have to go ahead and fortunatege along with your. you spend hundreds to take the trip and why not finish it? i spoke to three people in the airport who are on their way to germany and italy and here's what they had to say.

>> i think it's just normal for me. we're just cautious when we're in an unusual area to begin with. air travel is so common we're either traveling by small plane because we don't have a lot of small roads or jet to get out of the united states. we take it for granted. we pay attention but not necessarily uncomfortable. if they came back and said we prefer you not traveling or something more than just being diligent to saying we have a lot more activity. >> i made the arrangements six months ago. it would probably take an incident of some sort where there was real danger. >> you only live once. what are you going to do? i can't let those people terrorize me.

>> reporter: and it's interesting to note on this one as well. the first woman we spoke to said i hadn't heard anything about it in the last three hours while on facebook. she traveled from alaska so she wasn't hearing anything while she was en route. the next woman was from berkeley saying they have been in their travels already. the last man coming here from new jersey saying, you know what? i have to continue to live my life and continue on with it. regardless of what happens. they've had their trips booked for at least a month. some of them six months. looking at that angle of it, it's one thing. we also got a statement from the new york police department and they are saying they are taking this seriously saying the new york police department monitors intelligence from around the world every day and while there's nothing specific regarding an attack on new york city we adjust our counterterrorism posture daily with over 1,000 officers assigned to counterterrorism duties on a daily basis. what time people are still traveling, at the same time the

officials are taking it seriously and staying on alert even if everyone feels like i just got to take my trip. >> even like the woman who was on flight for the last three hours coming from alaska, how are passengers getting their information about some of these recommended tips from the state department when traveling abroad? is anything being handed out at the airport just prior to getting on overseas flights? what are they equipped with? what kind of knowledge? >> reporter: at this point we talked to all three of the people while they were outside of security. while they were in line to check their bags and go through that procedure. one of the women -- the woman coming from berkeley found out on the radio last night when she was about to board her flight to come here. the woman coming from alaska left yesterday to get here so it wasn't really even out then. and the man that lives in new jersey, sure i heard about it. i just don't care. i'm going live my life. there's no real push for it inside the airport and i think for a lot of these travelers they see it and they hear it as

an alert but they don't see it as a reason to stop going ahead with their plans. they say in this world we live in after 9/11, this is just how you have to live. no different than before. you travel. you pay attention to what's around you. you don't talk to strangers and don't speak openly about where you're going to go and what you're going to do. keep your americanism to yourself when you're in europe so you don't seem like a target. >> hopefully at least if folks aren't able to get the information in written form at the airport when they get a chance to get to a computer perhaps they can at least check the state department's website to get some tips because there are key things we talked about at the top of the hour that travelers really need to know. thanks so much, stephanie elam. appreciate that from newark airport. there has been some increase in tension between pakistan and the u.s. over recent drone attacks and nato helicopters crossing the border from afghanistan. this morning on cnn's "state of the union" pakistan's ambassador to the u.s. made two critical

points. he told candy crowley that pakistan does not want u.s. troops on its soil and that his country will find terrorists on its schedule and not the sunshine. >> pakistan is an american ally. we can't and do everything the americans think we should do because sometimes we don't have the capacity and sometime we don't have the means. we work those things out and that's exactly what we are doing right now. minus all of the political noise, the fact remains that we are working together. pakistan will go after all terrorist groups and we have done it over the last 2 1/2 years and the few groups that are remaining we'll target them. we've targeted them with american help but it will be technical help and not personnel on ground. >> this development from one of pakistan's volatile tribal regions. officials say three bullet riddled bodies were found along

a road in north waziristan. there was a note attached to each body saying the men were killed for being spies for the u.s. and pakistani militaries. the area has been the target of recent u.s. drone attacks. back to this country, bullying is still a big problem across america. how do you stop it? we'll check in with cnn's student news anchor whos has been listening to a lot of kids across the country and their concerns.

discertot now, allov cntry are getting ve perce cashba bonus at restaurants. it pay switch, its to dr.

plenty of chat from the sunday morning talk shows as it pertains to public now. two senators appeared on "state of the union" and one predicted

a gop tsunami come november. >> this will be a referendum on the unpopular policies coming out of washington, d.c. during the last year and a half. and of course we've seen where the president has chosen to lecture people and tell them he knows better than they do what's good for them and democratic leadership has gone along and now we find the american people pushing back very hard and that's what i mean by a tsunami. we have 11 or as many as 12 senate races in very close contests. none of our republican incumbents are in any trouble. the only question is how many seats we're going to pick up. i think we'll have a good day on november 2nd. i don't know how high or how wide that tsunami will be but i think it will be significant. >> who would have thought that mitch mcconnell's handpick candidate in kentucky would have lost.

who 32 days ago before that election would have been asking who is christine o'donnell? this is a very volatile reality. >> the two also clashed over the impact of the tea party. mendendez said many tea party candidates are out of the mainstream. cornyn countered that the tea party movement has been "constructive and helpful". the state department is advising americans to be aware of their surroundings and protect themselves at tourist sites at airports when they use public transportation overall. the department says the alert is based on information suggesting that al qaeda and affiliated groups continue to plan terror attacks in europe. the trapped miners in chile could be home with their families sooner than expected. rescuers say they could reach the men by the middle of this month. they've been trapped under ground since early august.

the first test of the rescue capsule was carried out successfully on thursday. rutgers university will hold a vigil tonight for a freshman who committed suicide after a video of his sexual encounter with another man was posted online. tyler clemente killed himself by jumping from a bridge into the hudson river. his roommate and another student are charged with invasion of privacy. police say they taped the sexual encounter without his knowledge and broadcast it on a website. bullying these days has reached a whole new level. that's why this week cnn is focusing on the issue of bullying and what can be done to stop it. our student news anchor joins us live to give us perspective on what a lot of students are going through and how they describe it and it certainly seems bullying today is so different from just 15 years ago, 25 years ago, it's a whole other level. >> there's a new dimension to it and that's cyberbullying. one thing that we really found

from our audience was that it is widespread. we remember a few months back about 87% of our middle and high school student audience telling us they witnessed bullying in some form and part of the reason for that is because you can define it so loosely. listen to what this first student has to say. a student from ohio. >> i think if you think about it, everybody has bullied someone at some point in time whether it is shoving someone into a locker or calling someone a name. yes. i have bullied someone. >> and as far as victims are concerned, there are a lot of different ways they react. helplessness is a feeling i heard a lot about. you can hear a cord of helplessness in what this student says. listen to this. >> to me it makes you feel like you have a bottomless pit in your stomach and you're always worried about when the bull y i going to come and pick on you and it feels like no one wants to help you and want to laugh along with the bully. >> there's a new dimension relatively new that you and i

didn't have when we were in school and that is cyberbullying and it got us talking about different types and asking what is the worst kind of bullying you have seen? this is a survey we took. it's not scientific. as you can see from our graphic a third think physical is the worst. 40% say verbal is the worst and then 27% talking about cyberbullying. we had a student named jonathan talk to us about how cyberbullying seems the worst to him because you don't know who is saying the things on the other end. jonathan is saying this is something that you can't tell someone. you can't report it. we had a couple kids talk about facebook site that was built. a bullying site for them. they didn't know who to talk to about that. >> you went home to what you think is a safe place. you encountered bullying at school. now you go home and you turn on your computer doing your homework checking facebook, it's there. it's followed you at home. >> and there's a concern about

them that it's going to follow them into later life. that's when this becomes very, very serious. other students are still saying, look, verbal is still the worst. they say that whoever said sticks and stones can break my bones, words can never hate me, one student said whoever said that has never been to middle school. you can see is right there. grason's words there. i mean, it's widespread. >> verbal bleeds into cyber. >> it's a form of verbal bully and it's a fear that it will stay with them. >> hopefully there are a lot of locations, resources for students and parents can go to. we'll learn about that throughout the week to try to get help and assistance here and to end it. thanks so much. good to see you. >> appreciate it. >> all week long a bullying in our schools and online. why do kids do it? what's the motivation? what can be done to end it? bullying no escape.

ac 360 special report you don't want to miss coming up tomorrow night at 10:00 eastern only on cnn. and other programs throughout the week where we profile this very topic as well. find out what american police learned from a 60-hour siege by terrorists in india and how they are using it to keep you safe next. my nasal allergies are ruining our camping trip. i know who works differently than many other allergy medications. hoo? omnaris. [ men ] omnaris -- to the nose! [ man ] did you know nasal symptoms like congestion

can be caused by allergic inflammation? omnaris relieves your symptoms by fighting inflammation. side effects may include headache, nosebleed, and sore throat. [ inhales deeply ] i told my allergy symptoms to take a hike. omnaris. ask your doctor. battling nasal allergy symptoms? omnaris combats the cause. get omnaris for $11 at omnaris.com.

personal pricing now on brakes. tell us what you want to pay. we do our best to make that work. deal!

my money. my choice. my meineke. the u.s. is issuing a new travel alert for americans in europe citing information suggesting al qaeda and other terror groups continue to plan attacks. the alert urges americans to be aware of their surroundings and reminds them of the potential for terror attacks at tourist sites and public transportation systems. the u.s. state department says it's not telling americans to avoid traveling to europe but rather advising them to take "common sense precautions."

intelligence chatter about the possibility of new terror attacks in europe has been growing for days. one of several threads of intel concerns a mumbai style commando attack. that attack prompted the u.s. police department to examine their own level of readiness and led to changes. jeanne meserve explains. >> reporter: mumbai was a low tech high impact attack. terrorists armed with only semiautomatic weapons and bombs hit multiple targets in quick succession. some u.s. police officials had this thought after watching. >> we're not ready for that specific type of attack especially on soft targets. >> reporter: los angeles and new york immediately dispatched personnel to india to learn all they could. there was one big take away. >> you have to put the threat down immediately and you have to run toward the fire and not away

from it. >> reporter: now every police recruit in new york is given some heavy weapons instruction and 250 officers have been trained and equipped to reinforce the department's emergency team. the nypd knowing the mumbai attackers moved by boat, identified 170 locations in the harbor to identify suspicious people and vessels. >> we know how to take control of certain ships and where fuel turnoffs are. >> reporter: in new york and washington, the layouts of hotels, transit hubs and other targets have been mapped in case police have to get in or hostages have to get out. police are also learning how to harness technologies like surveillance cameras and cell phones so they can use them and attackers cannot. >> making sure that these persons, these terrorists don't

have access to each other and making sure they're not getting information from public sources that they can use to our detriment. >> reporter: some police now exercise how to counter the tactic used in mumbai. >> you have to be careful not to fight yesterday's war. you have to look over the horizon. >> reporter: if mumbai is the template for an attack here, at least new york, washington and los angeles feel better prepared. >> i hope it wouldn't last more than 30 minutes before we contain it and neutralize it. >> reporter: making preparations like this is expensive. not every city can afford to do it. not every city is ready for an attack like mumbai. jeanne meserve, cnn, new york. >> let's talk nasty weather that we experienced latter part of last week and into the weekend along the eastern u.s. the main worry right now flooding. the historic town of windsor, north carolina, is still under water. and under a state of emergency.

governor beverly purdue goes there today to see the damage done by days of rain from tropical storm nicole. a state emergency official says it will be several more days before the water actually recedes. what a nightmare for the folks there. >> unfortunately we have more rain with another low developing off the coastline of north carolina and that's not something folks in north carolina want to see. look at this. we have rain coming off the eastern seaboard. there's north carolina. notice it's traveling all of the way up about to hit new york city. it's hitting the jersey shore right now into delaware and into maryland. we're watching for that. as you can see the flood threat continues. we have warnings posted up from vermont down through the carolinas and those will continue straight through the night because we have a lot of runoff that will cause problems for those of you had heading out and about for this evening. take a look at some of the rain as it continues to work toward the north and east. we're watching that. we're also looking at cool weather. big ridge of high pressure coming in across much of the

midwest and that is making for some cooler temperatures across the board. it will be so cool out there that we are anticipating some big changes. that's right. there's a chill in the air. frost and freeze warnings in place for tomorrow. now a lot of this starts at 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, in springfield, missouri, it will be cold. temperatures dropping into the upper 30s. bring in potted plants and protect your pets and cover up any gardens you have out there that are tender vegetation because it will frost there and look at this. jackson, tennessee, just to the east of memphis. not memphis itself but not too far away it will be cold enough for frost. it's october. >> that's right. it's supposed to happen. when you go out and pick those pumpkins and get ready for halloween, you want a little chill in the air. feels good. all right. thanks so much. see you again later on. >> definitely. protecting those important files on your computer. it's a nightmare for everybody. we'll have five easy ways next in tech time for you. my nasal allergies are ruining our camping trip.

i know who works differently than many other allergy medications. hoo? omnaris. [ men ] omnaris -- to the nose! [ man ] did you know nasal symptoms like congestion can be caused by allergic inflammation? omnaris relieves your symptoms by fighting inflammation. side effects may include headache, nosebleed, and sore throat. [ inhales deeply ] i told my allergy symptoms to take a hike. omnaris. ask your doctor. battling nasal allergy symptoms? omnaris combats the cause. get omnaris for $11 at omnaris.com. with pringles cracker stix. ♪ crackers turned into tasty, crunchy sticks!

♪ pringles cracker stix. ♪ so delicious... your mouth will be strangely attracted to them. ♪ everything pops with pringles cracker stix.

a look at our top stories. if you're headed to europe, the government wants you to be extra vigilant.

the u.s. state department issued a travel alert because of rising concerns over possible terror threats. when you are in public places like airport and tourists sites, be aware of what's going on around you. the u.s. military is also taking precautions. military sources tell cnn security measures have been allall altered at the air force base including a curfew order. >> member of the high court attended red mass. it is celebrated every year for members of the legal profession. it's held the day before the u.s. supreme court begins its new term. critics say it is an unhealthy mix of politics, law and religion. let's talk about you and your computer and the nightmare of losing important documents on your computer. it doesn't have to haunt you especially this time of year

around halloween. there are some new products out there that can help protect your files. here to review some of them right now technology expert mark saltsman is joining us from toronto. let's begin with this click free wireless automatic backup. there it is. looks interesting. >> sure thing. so this is one of five cool solutions we'll look at today. in fact, this click free drive is the world's first wireless drive that can automatically back up from multiple pcs or macs in the home. you schedule a backup time say 2:00 in the morning, 3:00 in the morning and then automatically over the air it will back up everything to this drive. it stores 500 gigabytes of data. it retails for $210. go to clickfree.com to learn more. >> that sounds so convenient and easy especially for computer

dumb dumbs like me. so what's the flash drive all about? >> this is one of the guys you would attach to your key chain. this is ideal for transferring files between computers. you can use it as a backup solution if you don't need too much information. this one goes up to 16 gigabytes for $78. so this is a neat little one about the size of a paper clip and about the weight of a penny. they are getting smaller and can store more and more files and are ideal for bringing one laptop at home to a desk top at work and vice versa. this is a great one that has software that lets you encrypt it in case you lose it no one can access those files. this is 15 pounds worth. this is a virtual indestructible file. if you need a waterproof and

fireproof solution, this is the granddaddy of all durable hard drives. it's about 15 pounds. i'll put it down before i get a hernia. the idea is you can keep this in your home and god forbid you have a flood or fire it can withstand the elements and if you want to check out entertaining youtube videos you'll see the folks at iosafe lighting it on fire and dropping it. sells for $250. >> wow. that's for some really important documents and maybe images especially photographers might love that because their whole life is in there. how about the ultraportable 1.5 drive. it's a mouthful. what's that? >> just remember seagate. this is the go flex. what's cool about it is two things. it's my favorite drive out of all of these. this is the world's smallest

drive. a bit bigger than a deck of cards but it can store 1,500 gigabytes of data. that's many, millions of photos and documents all on this one drive. what's also cool about it is that it has an interchangeable interface here. if you prefer usb, great. otherwise, you can pick up an adapter for another technology that is also popular. it snaps in like this. it has a different connector type. you can learn about the goflex at seagate.com. they retail for 250 for the one i showed there. the last drive i'll talk about is from verbatim. this is a drive that has a screen on it that tells you how much content is left and how much space or storage capacity is left. you can at a glance know what is on there. you give it a name like photos

or music or games and tells you how much space is left. without having to plug it in to read it. it sells for 190. you can go to verbatim.com for 500 gigabytes. >> always some great cool stuff. my favorite is circled to put on santa's list. good to see you from toronto. thanks so much. >> thanks, fredricka. >> all right. let's talk politics soon midterm election just 30 days away now. and the top democrat is reaching out again to one group in particular. >> it's like you go out on a really great first date, right? and it was awesome. and you sat there and waited for the text message back and two years later it comes and you think to yourself, where have you been? >> that's how she sees it. we'll look at whether the president can win over young voters.

jpmorgan chase set up new offices to work one-on-one with homeowners. since 2009, we've helped over 200,000 americans keep their homes. and we're reaching out to small businesses too, increasing our lending commitment this year to $10 billion... and giving businesses the opportunity to ask for a second review if they feel their loan should have been approved. this is how recoveries happen. everyone doing their part. this is the way forward.

>> time for a cnn equals politics update. here's what's crossing the desk right now. a warning to republicans do not ignore the concerns of the tea party movement. republican senator john thune says if the gop does the group could form a third party as early as 2012 and president obama was a main topic in a televised debate between

kentucky's top candidates wean rand paul vowing to stand up against the president's agenda and jack conway says he'll look out for what's best for kentucky. and the president's former right-hand man has a new website. it promises a special announcement soon. rahm emanuel stepped down as white house chief of staff on friday. speculation is he'll run for mayor of chicago. so two years ago young voters played a crucial role in getting president obama elected and the white house is pushing hard to energize them again. but as cnn's dan lothian reports, it's not a sure bet. >> reporter: this hip energy filled loud music craving crowd is once again feeling the love from president obama. >> hello, wisconsin! >> reporter: this week a massive rally at the university of wisconsin.

a conference call with college journalists and 40 and other dnc event to pump them up for the midterm elections. >> the biggest mistake we could let is let impatience or frustration led to apathy and indifference. that guarantees the other side wins. >> reporter: some of the frustrated young voters wonder why it took a midterm election to get the president's undivided attention again. >> it's like you go out on a really great first date, right, and it was awesome. and you sat there and waited for the text message back and two years later it comes and you think to yourself, where have you been? you still go out the second time but maybe this time there's more skepticism and a little less sexy. >> reporter: the sales job was much easier during the presidential campaign when young people like then college student matt miller were flushed with

enthusia enthusiasm. >> reporter: during rally miller was studying to enter the medical profession and thought the future looked bright but two years later he's working a part-time job outside of his field in a still struggling economy and so many promises he says are stuck on capitol hill. >> i personally voted for obama hoping that he would help alleviate some of those situations but it almost seems that the partisan battles are increasing in intensity within congress and a lot of progress is being halted because of that. >> heather smith, president of rock the vote, says while some young people might be cynical, most are optimistic. matt miller isn't ready to throw out the democrats despite his frustration. >> i'm not really feeling as strongly as i was before about the current administration but to say the same on the other side of the aisle it's getting more extreme away from the direction that i want to go as a

voter. >> reporter: a new poll shows democrats are making gains among those 18 to 29 up nine points from august but down from earlier in the summer. the big hope for democrats is to get young voters excited and they'll end up going to the polls on election day. dan lothian, cnn, washington. >> all right. you know, not every state nor every city is in the midst of a shaky economy. news flash there. want to know where the bright spots are? josh levs is looking at incomes across the country. >> all right. kind of a little quiz question for you. name the one state and the one major city in which incomes have actually gone up in this recession. how they manage this and what they're doing right. i'll have the answers just after this. i used to see the puddles,

but now i see the splash. ♪ i wanted love, i needed love ♪ ♪ most of all, most of all... ♪ good gravy, bill. our insurance company doesn't have anything like it. magnificent, isn't it? with progressive, it's easy to cover all of your favorite rides. progressive has truck insurance? number one in truck and motorcycle. is that a golf cart? yep. we also cover rvs, boats, atvs.

anything else i can help you with? can i take a ride? you need a ticket -- i'm first! and that's by the water slide. okay. no running. oh, dear. save on all your rides. now, that's progressive. call or click today.

the federal financial

bailout plan known as t.a.r.p. winds down today and it's not costing taxpayers as much as earlier estimates. congress authorized the treasury department to spend up to $7 billion to prop up troubled financial firms including citigroup and bank of america and prevent a financial collapse. authorities say they expect the total cost of the troubled asset relief program to end below with $50 billion with loans being repaid at a steady clip. t.a.r.p. will collect repayments but it will not be extended and it won't extend any new loans. tough to find bright spots in this economy but josh levs found two. the state of north carolina and the city of san antonio. right now are lone symbols of success. why? josh levs explains. >> the census bureau came out with brand new figures breaking down how the economy has been

affecting individual states and cities all over the country. i'll show you something striking here. look at this. the first part is what would you expect. income is down almost everywhere. it's dropped in 34 states and in basically all of the rest of the country it has stayed flat. one giant exception that stands out, the only state with incomes up north dakota. it's up substantially. gone up 5%. that's from 2008 to 2009. the median household income. why north dakota? what are they doing right? our john king spoke with some folks in that state last year. >> because of the industry mix here, are you shielded from some of the national dynamics sometimes? >> an economy here is more influenced by agriculture than any other single source. while there's manufacturing here, it's not to the extent of a michigan or an ohio and agriculture continues to roll on. >> some of it is that. agriculture has done relatively well. that's part of it.

also other things. labor experts point to diverse range of industries there. oil, mining, health care, forestry, hunting and fishing. state officials say they have not been focusing on industries with big booms. north dakota was staying steady throughout the whole time ultimately a payoff in the last couple years. and meanwhile, let's look at cities. something very similar here. again, the census bureau game of the numbers and our folks looked at the top metro areas and broke down the top 52 metro areas in the country. in 51 of the 52 biggest metro areas income is down except one. what's that one? san antonio, texas. you have an increase up half of 1% there. what is it? what is san antonio doing right? we have reported that the city made a lot of strides in diversifying its economy and key components of strength, tourism, biomedical and financial services and center of higher education and