and on their back. >> reporter: police believe the victims were drugged without their knowledge. >> we said, don't drink out of the red cups. and i know i had saw someone drink out of the red cup. i took one sip and threw up without even a single drink. >> reporter: for police, the night started in this grocery store parking lot. a girl was unconscious in a car. officers traced her condition back to the party. he had to break down the door because nobody would answer. >> i would hate to think what could have occurred had there been 15 or 20 minutes more passed. >> reporter: plea detained a man having sex with a semiconscious female. he was released after it was determined they were dating. bloods and urine samples were taken from the victims to figure out what they consumed. police plan to interview everybody who attended the party to try to figure out who drugged the students.

that does it for us. we'll be back tomorrow. tony harris picks it up from here. >> kyra, have a great day. good morning to you, everyone, live from studio 7 at cnn world headquarters. the big stories for monday, october 11th -- this is columbus day. marijuana a special focus this week. the drug a potent issue this election cycle. california wants to make marijuana legal and tax it to line the state's empty coffers. >> governments, it they become promoters of legalized marijuana, it's clearly for in most cases revenue reasons. a drill finally reaches chile's trapped miners, giving light at the end of tunnel. the men are expected to begin resurfacing as earlies a wednesday. good morning, everyone, i'm tony harris, those stories and your comments right here right now in the cnn newsroom.

just 22 days until the midterm elections, and president obama is focusing on perhaps the most critical issue, jobs. the president making a push for a new infrastructure plan designed to build up the job market by building roads and bridges. so we begin with politics and the economy from your job and the unemployment problem to your home and the latest foreclosure crisis, issues that could affect your vote. we are breaking down the politics with without correspondent suzanne malveaux and christine romans of our money team updates us on where we stand on jobs and foreclosures. let's start with suzanne. we are minutes away from the president making remarks this morning. what do we expect to hear from him? >> reporter: it's a beautiful day here in the rose garden. we expect the president in moments. he's meeting with several governors as well as mayors, democrats and republicans, a few members of the cabinet to unveil what he first talked about on

labor day, $50 million worth of infrastructure projects, building roadways, railways, and the big push it to try to make the pitch here that he is doing everything he can, the administration, everything they can, to create more jobs specifically for the middle class. they are talking about three segments, manufacturing, retail and construction. these three areas have lost tremendous jobs. if they were able to create the numbers, the kinds of jobs in those sectors, they believe it would make a big difference for the middle class. the president hopes to convey that today and hopes that the voters will come out and support democrats in the midterm elections. he is making the case across the country at large rallies, and at the white house he will be emphasizing this is a different kind of approach than the republicans, but to make clear this is important for the presidents to get republican support as well as democratic support because he is asking

members of congress to put this legislation on the table to consider spending more money to create the jobs, and that is something so far that republicans have been saying is not a good idea, tony. >> suzanne, we have to ask about the timing, certainly the labor day announcement of the initiative, and the remarks this morning, the midterms just a few weeks away. what are the chances of congress signing off on anything? congress is not in session, not in washington right now. >> reporter: well, there's very little chance at all or little hope that there is any of this kind of legislation that's going to be introduced any time soon. the white house in some ways recognizes that. if you talk to white house officials as i have, they understand it's a lame duck session. after the midterm elections, unlikely this will be put on the floor, but this sets the political stage for next year. this is is a high priority of the administration and hoping that some members of congress, if they lay this out in a

convincing way, will at the very least take it on, but you know there are democrats that are trying to keep their distance here from the white house. they're going to let all of that work itself out, the dust settle, see if, in fact, the democrats can hold their majors in the house and senate and figure out where to go from there. >> suzanne malveaux, we will check in with you after we hear from the president. let's keep that picture of the rose garden and the door from the white house in the box while we talk to christine romans. the white house says the infrastructure plan would put middle-class back to work. let's bring in christine romans joining us from new york. christine, two things here. give us a bit of a reset on the jobs picture as it stands right now, and then i guess the follow-up would be how much of an impact would the latest proposal have on the numbers? >> first, clearly the president wants to stimulate the labor market and clearly wants to show

the american people that he's at least trying, if, indeed as suzanne pointed out, you won't see legislation until next year. you have 9.5 million working part time who want full time and 15 million who aren't working at all and millions more who dropped out of the labor market. this is an untenable situation. we have spent a great deal of money on infrastructure spending through the stimulus, you might recall. some 48 billion on road-type projects. of that 38 billion is in the works, has been allocated and is working on projects as we speak. so 48 billion is already in the reinvestment act, and 39 billion has gone out the door, and this would be 50 billion on top of that. the white house at recovery.gov says 39 billion was spent and

supported 62,000 jobs and will continue to support jobs. that's a picture of how much money when you talk about the rubber meeting the road. they're trying to get out the door and working on america's roads and railroads and runway improvements. >> christine, there is also a lot of news out that started on friday and more over the weekend on homes, peoples homes, foreclosures, and that process. bring us up to speed. >> it's a total and utter chaotic mess, and people in the process know it and have been complaining about it for years, and now you've got judges in these 23 states first where a court has to approve a foreclosure. they were beginning to notice something called robosigning where banks were not reviewing foreclosure documents and signing off on them and that is something that many courts were starting to become concerned with and people going through the foreclosure process. now you have the big banks, bank of america, suspending

foreclosure, sales in all 50 states. that means if you're somebody who has been waiting to buy a foreclosed home and you're on the cut. of a deal, that deal is on a hold. it's a national time-out on foreclosure sales and unparalleled in the housing market. it raises uncertaintity about when the bad loans will go through the system so the housing market can heal, and it just raises a lot of questions about the shoddy paper work on the way in the mortgage process and the way out. >> there you go. good to see you. we are waiting for the president at the rose garden of the white house. he's going to make additional announcements about the infrastructure program that he wants congress to work on. likely, in the lame duck session of congress after the november midterm elections. so we'll keep that picture squeezed there as we go to other news. okay. a big time ballot issue in november. let's do this.

let's get you to the rose garden now. we're just moments away from the ped of the united states. >> good morning, everybody. i just had a meeting with treasury secretary tim nighter in, secretary of transportation ra la who and governors like ed rendell, mayors like antonio vera goes is a, and economists and engineers from across the country to discuss one of america's greatest challenges, our crumbling infrastructure and the urgent need to put americans back to work upgrading it for the 21st century. we are also join dad by two former transportation secretaries of both political parties, sam skinner, who served under president george h.w. bush, and norman net that, they're here today because they are passionate about this task.

their cooperation and, indeed, this country's very history proves that this is something for which there has traditionally been broad by partisan support. sam and norm have been leading a group of 80 experts who just last week released a call to action, demanding a fundamental overhaul of how america approaches funding and building our infrastructure and today my treasury department and council of economic advisers have released our own study. these reports confirm what any american can already tell you, our infrastructure is woefully inefficient, and it is outdated. for years, we have deferred tough decisions, and today our aging system of highways and byways hind our economic growth. the average american house hold

is forced to spend more on transportation each year than food. our roads, clogged with traffic, cost us $80 billion a year in lost productivity and wasted fuel. our airports, choked with passengers, cost nearly $10 billion a year in productivity losses from flight delays, and in some cases, our crumbling infrastructure costs american lives. it should not take another collapsing bridge or failing levee to shock us into action. so we're already paying for our failure to act. and what's more, the longer our infrastructure erodes, the deeper our competitive edge ero erodes. other nations understand this. they are going all-in. today as a percentage of gdp, we invest less than half of what russia does in their infrastructure. less than one-third of what western europe does. right now, china's building hundreds of thousands of new

roads. over the next ten years, it plans to build dozens of new airports. over the next 20, it could build as many as 170 new mass transit systems. everywhere else, they're thinking big, creating jobs today but they're also playing to win tomorrow. so the bottom line is our short-sightedness has come due. we can no longer afford to sit still. what we need is a smart system of infrastructure equal to the needs of the 21st century, a system that encourages sustainable communities with easier access to our jobs, to our schools, to our homes, a system that decreases travel time and increases mobility, a system that cuts congestion and ups productivity, system that reduces harmful emissions over time and creates jobs right now. so we've already begun on this

task. the recovery act included the most serious investment in our infrastructure since president eisenhower but the interstate highway system in the 1950s. we're not just talking new and restored roads and bridges and dams and levees. we're also talking a smart electric g electric grid and high speed internet for america to compete in the 21st century economy. tense of thousands of projects employing hundreds of thousands of workers are already under way across america. we're improving 40,000 miles of road. and rebuilding water and sewer systems. we're implementing a smarter, more stable, more secure electric grid across 46 states that will increase access to renewable sources of energy and cut costs for customers. we're moving forward with projects that connects communities across the country to broadband internet and

connect 31 states via a true high speed rail network, and what's more, a great number of these projects are coming in under budget. by investing in these projects, we have created hundreds of thousands of jobs but the fact remains that nearly one in five construction workers is still unemployed and needs a job, and that makes absolutely no sense at a time when there's so much of america that needs rebuilding. so that's why last month i announced a new plan for upgrading america's road, rails and runways for the long term. over the next six year, we will rebuild 150,000 miles of our roads, enough to circle the world six times. we will lay and maintain 4,000 miles of our railways, enough to stretch from coast to coast and we will restore 150 miles of runways and advance a next-generation air traffic control system that reduces delays for the american people. this plan will be fully paid

for. it will not add to our deficit over time and we are going to work with congress to see to that. it will establish an infrastructure bank to leverage federal dollars and focus on the smartest investments. we want to cut waste and bureaucracy by consolidating and collapsing more than 100 different often duplicative programs, and it will change the way washington works by reforming the federal government's patch work approach to funding and maintaining our infrastructure. we've got to focus less on wasteful earmarks, outdated formulas. we've got to focus more on competition and innovation, less on short-sighted political policies and more on economic priorities. investing in the infrastructure is something that members of both political parties have always supported, something that groups ranging from the chamber of commerce to the afl-cio support today. by making these investments across the country, we won't just make our economy run better

over the long haul, we will create good, middle-class jobs right w. there's no reason why we can't do this. there's no reason why the world's best infrastructure should lie beyond our borders. this is america. we've always had the best sfaur. -- sfaur. this is work that needs to be done and there are workers trod do it. all we 92 is political will. this is the season of choice between decline and pros spurts and the past and the future. our futures that never been redestined. it has been built on the hard work and sacrifices of previous generations. they invested yesterday for what we have today. that's how we built the canals and roadways and highways and ports that allowed our economy to grow by leaps and bounds. that's how we led the world in the pursuit of new technologies and innovations and lead the

global economy in the 20th century, and if we're going to lead it in the 21st, that's the vision we can't afford to lose sight of right now. that's the challenge that's fallen to this generation, that's the challenge that this country is going to meet, and with the help of these gentlemen men behind me, and, i hope, strong bipartisan support, i have no down that we will meet these challenges. thank you very much, everybody. >> there you have it. the president wants to continue to investment in infrastructure repairs and improvements around the country and wants congress to sign off on legislation to do that, to spend more money on rooteds and bridges and in the process streamlining procurement and adding new technologies, the president making comments from the rose garden. their escape route is red, and the families are more than ready. the miners are preparing for the ride of their lives. we will take to you chile. let's look at the big board and see where we are to start the day. the dow -- where are my numbers?

there we go. a little closer there. it's flat. it's a flat morning so far. unchanged. back in a moment. sure i'd like to diversify my workforce, i just wish that all of the important information was gathered together in one place. [ printer whirs ] done. ♪ thanks. do you work here? not yet. from tax info to debunking myths, the field guide to evolving your workforce has everything you need. download it now at thinkbeyondthelabel.com. climate protection. challenges as vast as the space race a generation ago. and vital to global security. to reach this destination,

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what seemed impossible 67 days ago could now be less than 48 hours away. the rescue of 33 chilean miners. the big breakthrough came on saturday morning. lift ton t.j. holmes on the air with patrick oppmann. the folks in chile are celebrating. let me show you. at the site where 33 miners have been trapped since august the 5th, some two months down there under ground, 2300 feet below, but it was just a couple of hours ago when rescuers were finally able to cut through. they have been literally

drilling a 2300 foot hole, if you will, down to the mine. >> reporter: at exactly 8:01, the drill team broke through. there was much celebration among the drillers and family members. the miners, we have been told are taking this very calm. they're preparing for what comes next. >> we understand there is testing going on of the rescue shaft and we're hearing it is looking pretty promising right now. patrick oppmann joining us now. i'm checking the monitoring here in the studio, and i can see there is an update going on right now. have you been able to learn anything from this briefing? >> reporter: yes. the updates continue to happen here. there was celebration over the weekend but rescuers got back to work quickly. the latest this morning, they finished the casing about 300 meters or so. that's going to create a buffer and fortify the mine shaft.

they are getting ready to the point to put a rescue capsule down into the mine shaft. they are hoping to have the men coming up on wednesday. despite the long hours, rescuers have put in, they are up to the final challenge. >> this is the most important task that we ever had in our life, so i think the group, the human group, easier to motivate than i ever faced in my life. >> reporter: officials concede the rescue will be an ordeal for the miners. one man at a time, they will be hoisted to the surface by the phoenix capsule and rescuers will watch them ascend over a live video feed to deal with possible medical marriages at that the capsule has an escape hatch and oxygen. it will have to gently raise it with the human cargo. when the winch lowers the

phoenix capsule, that's when the rescue begins. there is a debate in the order in which they will leave. >> they were fighting yesterday because every one of them wanted to be at the end of the line, not at the beginning. >> reporter: above ground, miners' families make their own final preparations. this lady sends a last encouraging letter to her brother awaiting rescue. >> translator: i write him to have faith and trust in god and for toefrg turn out well, he needs to be strong. >> reporter: and strength is what all of the miners need to end an eternity hundreds of meters beneath the earth's surface. and as you heard there, strength is what's going to be required. we had an amazing site of seeing the plan b drill leaving the site. it was the hero of the story. given a hero's departure.

they sent the drill off in incredible style, the drill that managed to break through, and managed, they hope torque get their family members back to them. >> patrick oppmann, anticipation really peaking here. we can't wait for that. peesht it. think that. searching for a job, you could actually catch a break from uncle sam if you follow sh tips from our own christine romans. [ male announcer ] this is rachel, a busy mom. she starts at dawn and so does her back pain.

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the jobs market too another blow, another 95,000 people lost jobs. if you're looking for a job, christine romans has some tax writeoff tips. i'm all ears. >> you want to save every job hunting receipt, tony. you might be able to write off some of the expenses come tax season. some you can and some you can't, grab publication 529 from the irs website. last year's was about 24 pages long, called miscellaneous deductions, and tells you if you can write off your gambling winnings. you can deduct the resumé and cover letter printing and preparation. you can deduct travel to another city to research companies, not a family vacation for five days in hawaii.

no, no, no. but if you can prove you are researching companies and traveling to another state with lower unemployment rate, you can deduct that. you can deduct fees to an employment agency. you need baby-sitter and travel expenses to the interview, you can deduct the cost of the baby-sitter to get you to an interview. that surprised me. >> i understand that you are out of luck if you are a recent college grad. explain this, christine. >> if you just graduated from college, you are not a member of the labor market but initial job search for college graduates, you can not deduct that. also, you can not deduct, say, your clothes, a new outfit. i want to get a laptop, technology to surf the web boards, you can't do that. if you are out of work to a long time and looking for a new career, there are no deductions there.

so people who are stay at home parents, retired or unemployed for a period of years, you cannot write off the jobs expenses, and you cannot write off costs, tony, if they're related to a new kind of field. say you were in manufacturing and now you are looking for a job in nursing, you can't write off the expenses of that job switch. interesting. >> let me ask you a question before you move on. if you were a student right out of college and you establish a shingle as a new online media company, right, and you got yourself a tax i.d., you become a corporation, can you then potentially write off job expenses, search expenses? >> if you fire yourself and you are out of work. you have to be out of work. if you put your shingle up, i don't think i would trust myself. i would consult a tax preparation professional before i did something like that.

>> you're smart. >> you are not going to get a ton of cash. remember, every little bit helps, and if you are out there looking for a job and recently unemployed, i would say, really, keep every single receipt. it's just a little something, i guess, at the end of the year to get back. >> speaking of smart, you've got a whole book about smart. >> i know. i put this all in "smart is the new rich" and there are about 100 pages about how to get the job, keep it and how to excel at it. the experts are saying now is the time to be moving up at work as well, and there's tricks to the trade on how to do it. it's all in there. >> everyone there it is. christine romans, the new book. a look at marijuana initiatives that are coming to a ballot near you soon. ♪

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marijuana is on four state ballots this november, and california voters will decide on prop 19, which would allow small amounts of marijuana on a person to be legal and taxable. in south dakota and arizona, the issue is legalizing marijuana to treat various medical conditions, and in oregon, where medical marijuana has been legal for sometime, the question before 54s, should the sale of medical marijuana be available through dispensaries. over the next few days, cnn newsroom will take a look at the marijuana argument as it stands today and ask what yes votes

could mean for americans in the future. joe johns looks at a few states that want to turn marijuana sbo a major cash crop. >> reporter: not one, not two, not three, but four states have initiatives on the ballot this fall that would change their marijuana laws in big ways. and one of those initiatives, the one in call, proposition 19 it's called, would pretty much legalize retail sales of the drug for recreational use. that's right, if the voters go for it, what once was called the gateway drug, the so-called evil weed that led to cocaine, heroin, ruined lives and sent thousands upon thousands to jail, could suddenly become okay to do for fun in california. the three other states with pending legislation, oregon, south dakota and arizona are looking to either legalize marijuana more medical purposes or modify the medical marijuana laws they already have in place.

it turns out, coast to coast, 14 states and the district of columbia already allow medical use, which is something a former national anti-drug czar sees as a problem. to him, the stuff is like booze and if legalized, it will have the same negative effect on society. >> an intoxicant makes people feel euphoric, part of the pathway to addiction. that doesn't mean there's medical jack daniels or meth or crack or heroin. this is a sham. >> reporter: so how did we get here anyway, especially considering all of the reminders we've had about the evils of marijuana, the old black and white movie "reefer madness" or nancy reagan's just say no to drugs campaign in the 1980s. peter reuter says attitudes have changed about marijuana, especially since medical marijuana, though controversial, has become a legal reality. >> it does give an aura of

usefulness to this drug which previously in every public presentation by any official agency was always very negative. >> reporter: use of the drug hasn't exactly skyrocketed recently, but the one thing that has changed is the economy. money-hungry states are looking for new sours of revenue and already wondering whether pot is the next cash crop. >> governments certainly, if they become promoters of legalized marijuana, legislatures, it's clearly for in most cases revenue reasons. >> reporter: still, some predict legalization in california could cause chaos starting in the courts. such a state law, if passed, would clash with federal law, launching a big battle that could end up in the supreme court. but at least for now, it's all just a pipe dream with a lot of speculation, though the world of drug enforcement could look a

lot different when the smoke clears on election day. and at noon, elizabeth cohen will join me with a look at what medical marijuana is used for. me morning pain slow you down? ♪ introducing bayer am, an extra strength pain reliever with alertness aid, specially formulated to fight morning pain and fatigue. ♪ so get up and get goin'! with new bayer am. the morning pain reliever. ♪ [ upbeat instrumental ] [ rattling ] [ gasps ] [ rattling ] [ laughing ] [ announcer ] close enough just isn't good enough. - if your car is in an accident, - [ laughing continues ] make sure it's repaired with the right replacement parts.

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you are watching cnn, the place for applications, and that is the big talker this morning. in just 22 days, millions of voters will cast ballots in the hotly contested midterm elections. voting is already under way in ten states. come november, americans will decide the fate of all 435 house seats and 37 senate seats. at the same time 37 states will elect governors. they say all applications is local, but ultimately, it comes down to the balance of power. republicans help to take back enough seats to regain control of the house and nate from the democrats. the house is the most contentious battleground. republicans must win 39 seats to become the majority. difficult but not impossible. in the senate, the gop needs to

take back 10 seats to take back the majority. got to tell you, the midterm season is known for big, bic time turnovers. the biggest in recent memory was 1994 when republicans flipped 54 seats. in 2006, the democrats rallied to snap up 31 seats in house taking back control from the gop after a 12 year reign. republicans have a seven point lead go sboogt election but even more telling is what both sides of the aisle are calling the enthusiasm gap. 54% of registered republicans say they are pumped about going to the polls november 2nd, but only one-third of democrats are feeling the same mow joe. how about that for a recap this morning? stay with cnn for all of your political coverage. 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!

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the u.s. centers for disease control say 1 in every 16 black men will contract hiv in lifetimes, for black women, 1 in 30. even though the virus is common in the black community it is considered a stigma to even talk about it. soledad o'brien talks with one man daring to try. >> reporter: two illnesses threaten jeffrey gavin. his church knows only about one.

>> i have what's called morfhan syndrome. that makes me tall. i am constantly in pain. i don't have the gene that produces connective tissue. >> reporter: he feels compelled to tell his pastor the rest of his story. >> no longer am i dying from morfans, but i'm dying from hiv. >> reporter: he found out he was hiv positive four years ago. he's never mentioned it in church. keeping that kind of secret is common in the african-american community. >> the average person in this church knew how many people they interacted with in this church who were hiv positive, it would be scandalous. >> reporter: the pastor doesn't know gavin's hiv status yet. gavin's going to tell him today.

gavin knows he's not alone. statistically in his church of 7,000 people, there should be about 100 other members with the disease. the cdc says it's the stigma in the african-american community that's putting many blacks at higher risk of contracting the disease. nearly half of the people living with hiv in the united states are african-american. >> hi, how are you? >> jeffrey gavin for the pastor. i have a 4:00 meeting with him. >> reporter: he's gay and contracted hiv from sex but the message he wants to send to his community is everyone can get it. >> how are you doing, man? >> thank you so much for this. >> how are you doing? >> reporter: after an hour-long meeting, they finally emerge. >> man. >> thank you so much. >> reporter: you look so relieved. >> i am. i want to shout for joy because i see the avenue that this is

leading to. >> reporter: gavin sees himself as an ambassador leading open discussions, but his pastor has a more tempered response. >> whether or not he is a symbol of something that can be healthy for the church and inspiring for people who are hiv positive, i think that remains to be seen. >> reporter: regardless of the outcome, gavin says he'll keep pushing. reporting for "in america" soledad, o'brian. >> the black church has fought for civil and human rights and now is waging a war on debt and fighting a financial crisis from the pulpit. check out "almighty debt" a black in america special only on cnn. sorry i'm late fellas.

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after 2 starter doses it's stelara®. counting down and keeping you updated on the latest news. hot off the political ticker, it is just 22 days until the midterm elections. paul steinhauser, joining us now from washington, d.c. paul, good morning to you. what is crossing right now, sir? >> tony, in fact, this is so

brand-new, you get it first. it's not even up online. >> love it. >> you got it. our brand-new poll numbers. cnn research corporation, this is a national survey. and check this out. we asked whether you americans approve or disapprove how democrats or republicans are doing in congress. check these numbers out. it's interesting. 34% of the people questioned say they would give the democrats in congress a thumb's up. a low number, but even lower is the -- you can see right there -- that actually should be 31% for the gop, tony, not 64. so 34%, give the democrats a thumbs up. only 31% give the republicans. take a look at the next number, though, and this is also interesting. we asked economic policies who would do better, like would the democrats if they keep control of congress with their popgss be bett better, or republicans? 47% say republicans, 41% say the democrats. you can see it right there in that board, tony. so while they don't think highly of either party in congress, they think the republican policies would be slightly

better. heart attacks let's go to live pictures right now. lexington, kentucky, the university of kentucky, and who is there? the former president bill clinton hanging out today, the headliner at a rally for jack conway, the attorney general down there, running for the senate seat. i tell you, this is a really busy day for the former president. starts in kentucky, you see him right there, and then going to west virginia to campaign. tony, he ends his day in upstate new york near syracuse where he'll be campaigning with a democrat in the house facing a tough re-election. what do they have in common? areas with more conservative and moderate voters, areas where former president clinton may be popular than the current guy, barack obama, and that's why you see bill clinton in these places. and talking about barack obama, how about the war of words between him and karl rove, former adviser to president bush. karl rove, associated with american crossroads, a new group this year, raising a lot of money and spending a lot of money for republican candidates. the president calling him out and his organization out

yesterday and the democrats doing the same thing in a new ad. and can karl rove firing right back. heated stuff, you can see it all on the cnn political ticker, tony. >> the president of the united states. why do you -- all right, paul. good to see you. see you next hour, thank you, sir. your next political update in an hour and for the latest political news, you know where to go. cnn politics.com. [ j. weissman ] it was 1975. my professor at berkeley asked me if i wanted to change the world. i said "sure." "well, let's grow some algae." and that's what started it. exxonmobil and synthetic genomics have built a new facility to identify the most productive strains of algae. algae are amazing little critters. they secrete oil, which we could turn into biofuels. they also absorb co2. we're hoping to supplement the fuels that we use in our vehicles, and to do this at a large enough scale

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spitzer of our new prime time show "parker-spitzer" talked about spending more while the nation has such an enormous budget deficit. >> you're a big fan of deficits spending. you say to get something we have to spend more. but for the average american at home who may already be in debt, the spending when you don't have money doesn't make sense. can you explain why that's a good economic model? >> yeah. now, it's not at all times, right? when the economy has recovered, once we're back at a point where we have a self-sustaining expansion, where businesses are spending because they're using their capacity, then you want to try and pay down the debt. certainly stop borrowing so much. but right now, nobody wants to spend. businesses don't want to spend, consumers don't want to spend, and the economy is deeply depressed. and the only player out there who can get this economy moving is the government. so now is the time for the government to go ahead and borrow, spend, get this economy moving, and then be responsible, then pull back, but only after we have got this thing going.

>> and for more opinions, ideas and analysis, don't miss cnn's newest show, "parker spitzer," weeknights 8:00 p.m. eastern time. hello again, everyone, i'm tony harris, top of the hour in the cnn "newsroom," where anything can happen. here are some of the people behind top stories, just 22 days until election day. we are your source for politics, including comments that some are calling stunning homophobia in a candidate running for governor. and marijuana. this hour, special reports on the relish use and exactly what medical marijuana is used for. you are online right now, we are too. chad myers is following what's hot. chad. >> hey, buddy, if you think microsoft is happy that you have one of these blackberries, you can forget about it. they -- three to one we have blackberries. microsoft 7, the new operating system, is going to be amazing, according to all of the operators so far, bigger buttons, bigger things, and it's

going to be, could you believe it or not, self-explanatory? >> yeah, i don't believe that. all right, chad, let's get started with our lead story. so here we are. 22 days to election day. and the tea party-backed candidate for new york governor is standing by his anti gay language today. republican carl paladino said in brooklyn children should not be brainwashed into thinking homosexuality is an option. his prepared text went on to call homosexuality dysfunctional. he did not read that line. watch as paladino goes after democrat opponent, andrew cuomo. >> i didn't march in a gay parade this year, gay pride parade this year. my opponent did. and that's not setting the example we should be showing our children. and certainly not in our schools.

and don't misquote me as wanting to hurt homosexual people in it any way. that would be a dastardly lie. my approach is live and let live. i just think my children and your children will be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family. and i don't want them to be brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid or successful option. it isn't. >> okay. there you have paladino's comments. let's get some context and analysis for you. cnn senior political director mark press ton joining us from washington. mark, good to see you. a few questions here. how does the paladino campaign explain that the candidate is essentially reading a text that was written for him? >> well, tony, they have offered several explanations over the last 12 or 14 hours. first explanation was, from his campaign manager, who said that

clearly all he was doing was reciting the theology of the catholic church. overnight, we saw another statement that came out from mr. paladino, backtracking a little bit off those remarks, saying they weren't necessarily anti gay. and then, of course, on the "today" show today, just this morning, he came out and he said that he has no problem with homosexuality, his only reservation has to do with marriage. so he's offering a number of different explanations for why he said these remarks. but look, they're on camera, be tony. >> yeah. >> pictures and sound. you know, don't lie. that's for sure. >> well, when you offer a number of explanations, it's difficult for anyone to know what you really believe here. so -- but this isn't the first time this candidate has raised eyebrows, is it? >> no. you know, mr. paladino certainly has a penchant for saying pretty bottom bass particular things, and a week ago accused a new york post reporter of sending

newspaper photographers to the house of his daughter, his daughter who he had had out of wedlock to take pictures. he threatened him. that was caught on camera, as well, so mr. paladino certainly not afraid to step up and be himself, i guess, tony. >> so mr. paladino ran and won in a primary election to get this right to run for governor in the upcoming november election. okay. so he ran with support from the tea party, is my understanding. is the tea party standing behind him in the aftermath of this most recent flare up? >> we haven't seen anything from the tea party yet as far as any statements. we should note, the tea party really is this decentralized organization, so there is really no one organization. they don't have a headquarters here in d.c., they're not a political party. haven't seen anything from them. what we have seen so far, though, we have seen gay republican groups, gay conservative groups, that have come out and condemned mr.

paladino. of course, democrats have come out and condemned him, including andrew como, the democratic come knee, who is running against him in new york for governor. >> speaking of which, what is the latest polling on that race? >> 14 points, if you look at the new cnn corporation "time" magazine poll from last week. so mr. cuomo has a commanding lead, so a tough fight to win the governorship in new york, which is traditionally a democratic state, tony. >> the ultimate bit of context. good to see you, thank you, sir. thanks for your help on this. president obama pushes an infrastructure plan, the administration says will create badly needed jobs and put americans back to work. the president is trying to convince congress to approve $50 billion to rebuild roads, bridges and railways. he unveiled the plan last month, made another pitch for today after meeting with mayors and governors. the president says the infrastructure is outdated and in need of repair. >> our future has never been

predestined. it has been built on the hard work and sacrifices of previous generations. they invested yesterday for what we have today. that's how we built canals and railroads and highways and ports that allowed our economy to grow by leaps and bounds. that's how we led the world in the pursuit of new technologies and innovations. it's what allowed us to build the middle class and lead the global economy in the 20th century. and if we're going to lead it in the 21st. that's the vision we can't afford to lose sight of right now. >> the economy is a big-time ballot issue this november. and voters will be faced with some tough decisions at the polls when it comes to hiking state taxes. across the country, there are 44 measures that could drastically change the way states fund themselves or make decisions on their budgets, and those are decisions that could affect your pocketbook. here's a look at a few states dealing with funding reform during these difficult economic times. washington state is looking at a projected $3 billion budget shortfall this year.

that's prompted state lawmakers to add a sales tax to candy and bottled water sales. voters, however, could repeal that new tax, but it would come at a cost. if approved, shooting down the new tax would cost the state $352 million over the next five years. and in california, conservists are looking to impose an $18 annual vehicle surcharge to fund state parks and wildlife conservation programs. the measure could save the state $200 million, but that won't dig california out of a staggering $19 billion deficit. another budget balancing measure, getting a lot of buzz, is, of course, prop 19. we will have much more on that proposal to legalize and regulate marijuana a little later in the hour. we are looking at 48 hours, maybe less, to when the first of the trapped miners will be brought to safety. we will take you live to the site of this incredible rescue

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in chile, everyone is getting ready for the big rescue of 33 trapped miners. it could start on wednesday. more equipment is being brought in, so are doctors, nurses and more rescuers. cnn's patrick opposeman. this man has been there for much of these 67 days. patrick, good to see you again. what are those in charge saying today? >> reporter: they're saying that all is going not only according to plan, but much better in this rescue operation happening, even hours earlier than we had thought. could happen in the overnight hours of tuesday, wednesday morning. casing that was placed today in

that newly drilled mine shaft is working, they say. they've got about 55 meters, about 160 feet down into that initial shaft, and that will help protect the rescue capsule as it makes its journey down to the men. that journey will take about ten minutes down, probably another ten minutes up to hoist each one of those men out. so that can stretch this rescue into a day, perhaps more, depending on how long it takes to get those men in and out of the capsule. tony, as we have been reporting, it's not going to be very pleasant arrival for these men. they're going to need oxygen. they're already on a liquid diet to help combat any nausea. as they are sent upwards, the capsule could spin 10 to 12 times. there will be communications equipment so they can talk with the rescuers. they will have a live video feed on each man's face to monitor how he is doing. but if there are any hang-ups, the men are essentially on their own. that's why the first five men they send up, they want to be most technically solid men. they want them to be very

strong, cool under pressure. men who can troubleshoot any of the those initial problems. they will have to be, tony, for them and these other men to make the rescue possible. >> well, patrick, on the rescue shaft, we understand the workers have been testing that rescue shaft. they finished on saturday. how is that going, and how much of that shaft will be actually lined? >> only about the initial 160 feet of it. they talked at one point about lining the entire shaft, and that can stretch this rescue and delay this rescue by days more and they said it's not necessary. they lined this morning everything they need to line, tested out the shaft already, already loaded the capsule, almost all the way down, by itself, empty. down to the men. only about 40, 50 feet shy of the path of the men, later on this week, though, possibly overnight tuesday, possibly early wednesday, the initial two rescuers will be sent down.

they are special forces. paramedic man, described as a skilled mine rescuer. this is mine country, they have done many of these mine rescues before in the past. never a mine rescue quite like this one. never so many men to send up to the surface. initials say they have everything in order, but it's going to be quite an effort. every resource is being thrown at rescuing these men, and all fingers here are crossed. >> okay, so patrick, one more for you. what are the miners doing? you talked about how it's going to be a difficult ride to the surface. but what are they doing to prepare themselves for the rescue? are they on, for example, a special diet right now? >> reporter: absolutely. and we're -- the miners have been described as calm, serene. obviously they're probably not getting a lot of sleep right now, the minister told us yesterday. they are starting a special die he, all liquid diet. as they go up in the capsule, it's going to spin around. there could be nausea. they don't the want them having too heavy meals in case they do

come down with nausea. nasa has helped design that liquid die he. it's been coordinating efforts with the chileans and had isolation experts down here last month at the end, it will come down to each man how he can deal with the ordeal, the pressure and the stress of this rescue. we're told these men are ready, though. and is they're resolute. they obviously are very egg ear to get back that to their families and the surface. >> so patrick, i want to ask you one more. i know i'm running long in the segment, but we're looking at these pictures and i want you to describe them. obviously, we're looking at pictures of the breakthrough moment. you were there. can you describe what that moment was like on saturday morning? the moment of breakthrough? >> reporter: it was an incredible moment for all the wives of the rescue worker, obviously for the familieses, miners, and frankly all lives. there is this thick mist that comes in and covers the mine

site. we were in touch with one of the drillers giving us an update and gave us a last update. moments later we heard these loud sirens of family members, and immediately knew what it was. they ran to this hill here, off to my right. that's where all the flags are. each flag with 33 flags, each flag with a miner's name on it. and they started ringing bells. it was just pandemonium here. even the rescue workers lost their composure. i mean, this has been such a big part of their lives, they put so much into this, but very quickly afterwards, tony, we're told they got back down to work and we're seeing fruits of their labor. they're getting everything ready, every i checked, every t crossed, getting ready for this final part of the rescue operation. >> i'm excited. i am ready to see this. actually transpire. patrick has been there most of the 67 days of this. good to see you. a british aide worker kidnapped last month in afghanistan has died. linda norgrove was killed during an operation to rescue her.

britain's prime minister says she may have been killed by an american grenade. early reports indicated she died in a blast is he off by her captors. the top u.s. commander in afghanistan, general david petraeus, is launching an investigation into what went wrong. we're back in a moment. you're in the cnn "newsroom."

let's get you caught up with top stories right now. crews in hung arrestee are shoring up a dam held up by toxic sludge. there is concern it will break, sending a second wave of contaminated mud over the countryside. police sthose in charge of the disaster have been taken in for

questioning. kim jong-il turns up with his son, kim jong-un. the younger kim has been shown off in recent works and has been shown numerous government appointments, fueling the belief he is his father's chosen successor. and the royal swedish academy announced today, three men will share the nobel prize in economics. they are researchers at m.i.t., northwestern and the london school of economics. their work is timely. how government policy affects unemployment. millions of americans rely on their social security checks to make it through the month, and today we learn that when it comes to an increase, we'll get the official word later this week. but the in meantime, cnnmoney.com has a preview for you. alison kosik is at the stock exchange with the details. what are we going to hear from the social security administrator? >> exactly, tony, we are going to hear from them on friday and we do know what they're going to be saying.

analysts saying congressional budget office, both of them expect no change up for next year, meaning there won't be any cost of living adjustment, as far as the benefits that people get for social security. now, keep in mind, social security checks, they didn't increase this year, either, so that makes it two years in a row. if you're wondering how this decision is made, people who crunch these numbers, they look at inflation, and they look at inflation in this most previous quarter, the third quarter, the months from july through september, compared to july through september of 2008. and during that time, tony, prices are down, so it's really hard to justify any cost of living increase for these social security benefits. tony? >> well, wait a minute here, then. if the cost of living adjustment is based on inflation, and inflation is cooling off, we you didn't hear this question from me, but can social security checks actually decrease? >> well, this is the good news. social security checks, tony, can never decrease. it's really the one saving grace.

you know, for the 58 million people who get these checks. and the average social security check is going to stay the at around $1,170 a month. and the bad news is, though, it could limit spending. the fact that they're not going to get this cost of living increase. now, the reason why this could limit spending is kind of obvious. you know, if people don't feel like they're getting any richer, they're not going to spend as much. and that could also hurt the economy overall. but remember, social security checks, they got a big boost in 2009. there was actually an almost 6% cost of living adjustment, because of an increase in oil prices. oh, don't expect any 6% moves in the stock market today. we've got a slow day for stocks. light volume because of the columbus day holiday. but the dow is holding around 11,000. we could get more guidance this week, as we hear from companies reporting their earnings. you know, those company report cards. right now, the dow industrials are up 9. the nasdaq is higher by 7. and even the s&p is just barely up. about 2 points, tony, barely

moving today on wall street. back to you. >> now, that is a market check. i don't know what i'm doing half the time, but that's -- that's a professional market check. good to see you, allison. thank you. >> you got it. americans are voting on american in several states. and elizabeth cohen joins me live with a look at which illnesses marijuana can be used to help treat. back in a moment. tdd# 1-800-3450 are still talking about retirement tdd# 1-800-345-2550 like it's some kind of dream. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 it's either this magic number i'm supposed to reach, or... tdd# 1-800-345-2550 it's beach homes or it's starting a vineyard. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 come on! tdd# 1-800-345-2550 just help me figure it out in a practical, tdd# 1-800-345-2550 let's-make-this-happen kind of way. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 a vineyard? give me a break. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 [ male announcer ] looking for real-life answers tdd# 1-800-345-2550 to your retirement questions? tdd# 1-800-345-2550 get real. get started. talk to chuck. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 tdd# 1-800-345-2550 [ malhis day starts thwith his arthritis pain.. get real. get started. talk to chuck. that's breakfast with two pills. the morning is over, it's time for two more pills. the day marches on, back to more pills.

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marijuana is on four state ballots this november, and california voters will decide on prop 1, 19 which would allow small amounts of marijuana on a person to be legal and taxable. in south dakota, they're legalizing marijuana to treat various conditions. and in oregon where medical marijuana has been legal for some time, the question for voters, should the sale be available through dispensaries? over the next few days, cnn "newsroom" will take a close look at the marijuana argument, as it stands today. and ask, what yes votes could mean for americans in the future. the official position on marijuana has been changing gradually over the years. josh levs takes a look at a website with a detailed time line on how we went from reefer madness to proposition 19. >> here is a striking way to look at the marijuana laws in this country, and how they have changed. i'm going to show you a website

here called state line.org. and what they have done, they have shown you what goes on every year, basically, in the last several decades of american history. green will mean that a state was dee criminalizing marijuana. we're going to start off with the 1970s, and you can see some changes beginning there. those changes starting to happen. and then once we enter the 1980s here t pretty much stops. and if you think about it, that was a different decade in america. a different time. and then it's in the mid 1990s that you're going to see coming up next, when things start to change again. you'll see some light green appear, and the light green is when states began to legalize medical marijuana. and as that pops up in more and more states, you see that comes up all the way to today. all right. up to 2010 here. now i'm going to give you the big picture and show you how many states stand in different places on these laws. take a look at this. right now, 14 states and d.c. allow for medical marijuana. now, if you take a look at where it's been decriminalized, and this is different in each state, people generally don't face jail

time or criminal records for possession of some amount of marijuana, you have 13 states there that have thos laws. but these laws do vary in different states and so do the penalties. many states have been considering potential changes to their laws, as well. and you can actually find some of those changes, and where things stand in every state in the whole country by accessing this map. let's zoom back in here. this is from a website called normals, an advocacy group normal, which opposes marijuana prohibition in this country. and what you can do is look at any state here, click on it, and it will give you details of what is going on in that state and how things have changed. i have posted links for you on my facebook and twitter pages, josh levs cnn so you can check this out for yourself and while you're there, you can weigh in on the idea of basically legalizing marijuana as is being considered and debated hotly all over the country. back to you. >> okay, josh, thank you. so some states will vote to change marijuana laws. and for years now, doctors have confirmed the benefits of

medical marijuana. our senior medical correspondent, elizabeth cohen, is here with more on how marijuana is used to help people. all right, good to see you, elizabeth. medical marijuana, already legal in several states. which ones? >> all right. let's take a look at the map, because you might want to know. >> yeah. >> all right. in these 14 states, it is legal to use marijuana if it is medically prescribed by a doctor. and the district of columbia, as well. you might wonder if i live in this sort of great expanse of gray here, can i perhaps take a trip to new mexico or michigan or something like that, and get some medical marijuana and bring it back. and the answer to that is no. you have to live in these states, get -- i'm sorry. you have to get treated in these states, you cannot buy it in that state and then take it back to one of these gray states. that's a no-no. >> yeah. what kind of medical conditions are we talking about where medical marijuana is used? >> you know, it's a pretty long list. and what these diseases have in common is that there is pain associated with these diseases and also lack of appetite.

so medical marijuana doesn't cure cancer or cure anorexia or anything like that. but what it does do is, it can stimulate your appetite if you feel like you don't have one. and it also can help people deal with chronic pain. >> that's it. so that's what cannibis can do in the body. what's the active ingredient in this? >> the active ingredient is thc, and so what happens is the thc actually acts on cannabanoid receptors in the brain, so there are hunger areas, if you will, like command centers and also pain command centers, and the ingredient in pot actually links up with the receptors here, and makes you hungry when you have cancer and you aren't hungry, works very well for some people, and also can help people with pain. they can actually see it acting on the brain. >> wow. with that last slide there, you took me to school. but it was okay. i understood. thank you, elizabeth. appreciate it, thank you. it's a common complaint from

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does your breakfast make you amazing? so you've got a great idea for a business, but you can't get the money to make it happen. got to tell you, financing a new business is no easy task. in this economic climate. but people with good ideas are

finding money in some unusual places. christine romans of our money team and author of the book, "smart is the new rich," has the story. >> he isn't your grandmother's butcher. >> hang pork. >> more than 200 people showed up on a wednesday night to watch fadim and a handful of boston area chefs demonstrate,000 break down a pig. >> it's always good to get the name out there. it's keeping up the buzz, keeping up anticipation. >> the anticipation is over the butcher shap he hopes to open by the end of the year, featuring all locally-raised sustainable meats. but raising money has been a challenge. >> financing has been very hard right now. >> after liquidating a 401(k) in the spring, he connected with a site called kickstarter.com. the concept is simple. send the site an idea. if it's approved, you set up a page with a fund-raising goal. then backers, everyday internet

users, they donate cash, and receive rewards in return. nancy strickler is co founder. >> so it's not chaerd. >> it's not charity, it's somewhere between patronage and commerce. >> more than 200,000 people from all over the world have given $20 million to projects in the year-and-a-half kickstarter has been around. >> sure. well, there's another one right now going really crazy. it's called gliff and it's basically a really clever iphone stand. >> the makers of the stand raised 36,000 the first day online. >> wow. and so what do people get in return? >> so here they get the stand for 20 bucks. >> in cambridge, massachusetts, he raised $1600, enough to secue a five-year lease for his shop. >> we have people as far away as finland have donated. >> sights like kik starter, and

the so-called peer to peer lenders like prosper, virgin money and lending club are intriguing alternatives when banks and private investors aren't handing much out. >> this can be great. that was never available before, because you were spending most of your time wandering down dark alleys trying to find someone who would give you money. >> it's not for everyone, and both borrowers and lenders should do their homework. he still needs a few more investors to open shop by december, but he hopes drawing crowds like this one will help. christine romans, cnn. ♪ [ indistinct shouting ] ♪ another day ♪ another dollar ♪ daylight comes [ dogs barking ] ♪ i'm on my way

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afghan president hamid karzai confirms what cnn told you last week. his government is in talks with the taliban to end the nine-year war. on cnn's "larry king live," contacts have been informal, but that may change. >> we have been talking to the taliban as countryman to countryman talk. not as a regular official contact with the taliban, but rather unofficial personal

contacts have been going on for quite some time. now that the peace council has come into existence, these talks will go on and will go on officially and more rigorously. i hope. there has also been the peace and stability council that has been working under -- that has been a part of talks as well. >> afghan president hamid karzai discusses war and peace in afghanistan with larry king tonight in cnn prime time, 9:00 eastern. let's get you caught up on our top stories. experts head to hungary after a toxic spill from an aluminum plant. one village covered in sludge now practically deserted, and crews fear another wall of the plant's reservoir will collapse. in chile, rescuers are getting ready to bring out the first of the trapped 33 miners possibly wednesday. they say tests are going well.

the miners have been trapped half a mile underground for 67 days now. and near central washington university, police are trying to figure out who spiked drinks at an off-campus party on friday. 11 female students were taken to hospitals, all since released. police suspect someone spiked the drinks with a date rape drug known as rufees. voters at the polls three weeks from tomorrow. the best political team on television has a fresh new cnn survey to show you when we come back. uh, they don't really think you're an exchange student. what? they think you're a businessman, using our house to meet new clients in china. for reals, player? [ woman speaks chinese ] they overheard a phone call. [ speaks chinese ] something about shipping with fedex to shanghai. and then you opened a bottle of champagne. that was for a science project. [ man and woman speaking chinese ] i'm late for...soccer... rehearsal. [ man speaks chinese ] you and i are cool? i'll be home by curfew. [ male announcer ] we understand.® you need a partner who can help you go global. fedex.

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that new healthcare law sure sounds good for all of us on medicare. starting next year, we'll get free check-ups, cancer screenings, lower prescription costs. and better ways to protect us and medicare from fraud, so it will stay strong for our kids and grandkids. now, that's music to my ears. ♪

counting down and keeping you updated on the latest election news hot off the political ticker. just 22 days until the midterm

elections. paul steinhauser with the best political team on television, joining us live from washington. and paul, good to see you again, sir. what is crossing right now? >> let me tell you about barack obama, tony. what am i doing tonight? i'm going to go home, have dinner, maybe drink a beer? what about the president? he's going to south florida tonight. in fact, he's hanging out at the home of alonzo mourning, former nba star. he's going to be holding a fund-raiser there, and a reception, as well, for congressional candidates down in florida. and some of the money at this fund-raiser that will be raised is going to florida's 22nd congressional district, tony, where congressman ron clikline, fight to go win that seat. so while the president is doing his thing, also, the house minority leader, john boehner, who, if the republicans win back congress, he would become house speaker, he was down in the district this morning, hanging out with the condition candidates. so tony, all these races really add up and matter and that's why you see the president and house minority leader down there in florida. reggie, our cameraman, zoom in,

i'll ask you to take a look at this. also brand-new on the cnn political ticker this morning, north carolina, the candidate down there, the challenger putting up an ad saying that the -- that she is running as an anti washington message. she says washington is broken, senator burr helped break it, time to get him out of there. sounds like a republican, but no, she's a democrat. but she is running against a republican senator, senator burr, and she is running as the outsider, talking about how washington is broken. so this anti washington theme, mostly republicans, but it can work for democrats, as well. and you teased it. let's check it out. let's check out our poll numbers. check this out. we put this number out on friday, asked them to battle for congress. would you vote for the generic democrat or republican in your district? 52% say the republican, 45% say the democrat. so the republicans obviously have a 7-point advantage. but go to the next number. brand-new. we talked about it last hour, these just came out. we asked specifically, who do you think is doing a better job?

do you approve of the democrats in congress or the republicans? democrats, 34, and republicans 31. so americans don't think highly of either party, but it's not like they think the republicans are doing a better job. that is an interesting number and we'll see how that equates come november 2nd, tony. thanc thanchs. >> that is hot. paul, good to see you. let's see if i can match your energy here. in just 22 days, millions of voters will cast ballots in the hotly contested midterm elections. voting is already under way in ten states. let's get you up to speed. come november, americans will decide the fate of all 435 house seats and 37 senate seats. at the same time, 37 states will elect governors. they say all politics is local. you have heard that, right? but ultimately t comes down to the balance of power. republicans hope to take back enough seats to regain control over the house and the senate. from democrats. the house is the most contentious battle ground. republicans must win 39 seats to become the majority. difficult? but not impossible.

in the senate, the gop needs to take back ten seats to become the majority. got to tell you, the midterm season is known for big-time turnovers. the biggest and recent memory was 1994 when republicans flipped 54 seats under the guidance of newt gingrich. in had 2006, the democrats rallied to snap up 31 seats in the house, taking back control from the gop after a 12-year rein. among likely voters, cnn shows republicans with a 7-point lead going into the election. but even more telling is what both sides of the aisle are calling the enthusiasm gap. 54% of registered republicans say they are pumped about going to the polls november 2nd. but only a third of democrats are feeling the same mojo. kathleen parker and eliot spitzer of our new prime time show, "parker spitzer," talked with economist paul krugman about spending more while the nation has such an enormous spending deficit. >> you're a big fan of deficit

spending. you say to get something we have to spend more. but for the average american at home who may already be in debt, the idea of spending when you don't have money doesn't make a whole lot of accepts. can you explain why that's a good economic model? >> yeah, it's not at all times, right? when the economy has recovered, once we're back at a point where we have a self-sustaining expansion, when businesses are spending because they're using their capacity, then you actually want to try and pay down the debt. certainly stop borrowing so much. but right now, nobody wants to spend. businesses don't want to spend, consumers don't want to spend, and the economy is deeply depressed. and the only player out there who can get this economy moving is the government. so now is the time for the government to go ahead and borrow, spend, get this economy moving, and then be responsible and pull back, but only after we have got this thing going. >> for more opinions, ideas and, of course, analysis, don't miss cnn's newest show, "parker spitzer," weeknights 8:00 p.m.,

eastern only on cnn. google in the driver's seat? reinvented and reinventing the wheel? is it is one of the most talked about stories today on the internet. we're back in a moment. you're in the cnn "newsroom."

oh, man. we are having too much fun for a monday. >> i am. >> it's like spillover from the weekend for me. it's just spill over from the weekend. >> what did you do this weekend? >> craziness. the great chad myers is in with what's hot. good to see you, doctor. >> i bet you didn't do this. drive without your hands on the wheel. >> no this is insanity. this is the goggle thing. >> prius. there it is. this is -- i don't know. it scares me a lot. >> yeah. >> he's there, there's a driver in there, doing -- >> in there? >> in there. google, a car, driving. that's the prius right there, 140,000 miles, not like through a set at mgm, on the real highways in california. only one accident. >> really? >> it was somebody else's fault. >> sensors all around the vehicle, and -- >> it knows where to go, it knows when to stop. it sees things. it scares me a lot. >> me, too. okay. that's where we are. chbls there you go. and do you know the old spice commercial?

>> yes. >> didn't they put your head on the old spice commercial with that really buff guy? >> i was really hoping -- >> okay. what do they want to smell like now? >> oh, this is crazy. >> but if you listen to grover, you will know all about the word on, just as the smith master does. look down, back up. where am i? >> that's good. that's good. >> what is in your hand? i have it. it is a clam with two tickets to the thing you love. on my nose. ah! >> smell like a muppet. have you seen the viral dancing video? >> no. >> oh, look at this. >> yeah, this is good stuff. in the wet. >> yeah. >> it was raining all last week, right? >> so these are what, kids, just dancing on the street corner, and it's gone viral? whoa, that's good. okay.

♪ >> okay. there you go. >> acrobat, ballet. all kinds of good stuff. >> and that's what's hot for a monday. he's chad, i'm tony. back in a moment in the cnn "newsroom." ♪ i used to see the puddles,

but now i see the splash. ♪ i wanted love, i needed love ♪ ♪ most of all, most of all... ♪

you know what, tell me,sume. thanwhat makes peter, peter ? well, i'm an avid catamaran sailor. i can my own homemade jam, apricot. and i really love my bank's raise your rate cd. i'm sorry, did you say you'd love a pay raise asap ? uh, actually, i said i love my bank's raise your rate cd. you spent 8 days lost at sea ? no, uh... you love watching your neighbors watch tv ? at ally, you'll love our raise your rate cd that offers a one-time rate increase if our current rates go up. ally. do you love your bank ? a new queen beginning her reign on the high seas. britain's queen elizabeth names the new queen elizabeth liner today in an elaborate royal

ceremony. we toured the luxury liner, and even dined like royalty. >> reporter: welcome aboard the queen elizabeth. and look at this, isn't it magnificent? this ship is about 12 stories high, and if you think about placing four big planes side by side, that is the less than of the queen elizabeth. 2,092 guests will set sail to the canary islands, and then steam through the mediterranean. the final price tag, $634 million, and made in italy. this is the grand lobby entrance. and if you take a look, you can see how it's done in kind of an art deco style. look at the chandelier. a special portrait of the queen hangs in the grand lobby. the chef tells me there are six kitchens, 140 chefs to make 10,000 meals a day. >> it looks one-and-a-half years for chef zimmerman to source all

the produce that we're seeing in this kitchenful. >> as you can see, we place this at your table. >> and voila. >> over here we've got veal. >> i've never had a potato souffle. >> there you are, dear, wonderful. >> tres bonne. ooh la la. for evening entertainment, theater and ballroom dancing. some guests can retire into this $24,000 a person suite on this trip. >> has it been hard to sell these rooms? >> surprisingly not, because we've got a royal. the maiden voyage yourself, as you're aware, sold in 29 minutes and 14 seconds. >> and 14 seconds. the bedroom suite leads to something special. >> jacuzzi bath. you can see out of the window to watch the world go by. >> let's try it. bye! >> hot dog, zane, joining us live from south hampton, england, where the ship is

docked. zane, first of all, i haven't seen you in forever. great to see you. and you look really comfortable. >> thank you. >> aboard that majestic vessel. tell us what's going on today. >> well, you know, i could get used to it pretty easily, tony. is very loouxurious, loads of f. today was pretty exciting. a short while ago, it was enough porch and package entry fit for a queen. actually, the big highlight of the day is about what i will show you which is when the queen pressed a button and cracked own a bottle of white wine on the lovely ship. >> yeah. >> i name this ship "queen elizabe elizabeth. "may god bless her and all who sail in her. >> so that basically, tony, makes it visual. the queen elizabeth is going to head out from south hampton on tuesday. she is going to go to the canary islands and then steam around

the mediterranean a little bit and really get a feel of the high seas. and basically the 2,092 people on board are going to have quite the wonderful time. when the queen left she got three cheers, hip, hip, hooray. everyone was excited, and so was the captain. >> zain, you look so comfortable aboard that vessel. what was the highlight for you, please? >> oh, gosh. i could be here a while, tony. to be honest, i think what i found the most interesting was the fact that this is the third queen elizabeth ship. there was one in 1938, and then there was another one in 1967. both those ships were either sold and burned or sold and retired. one is actually in dubai and might become a hotel. so there is only one queen elizabeth and that's this one. and what i found most interesting is that the queen was present at today's ceremonies, and she was present at all the other ceremonies that