live in this tension between struggle and victory. but because of my faith, i believe joy comes in the morning. [ applause ] >> thank you. bishop t. did. jakes, and our panelists as well and our guests this evening, you can hear more from our guests right now at cnn.com/blackinamerica, also chime in as well on twitter and facebook. i'm soledad o'brien. thanks for watching us tonight. the news continues now on cnn. this hour, everything you need to know for your week ahead including the next big international crisis unfolding right now in haiti. a fast-moving and fast-killing infectious disease has already killed hundreds of people. it is expected to get worse. and uncovering a growing and disturbing trend -- drunken moms. mothers taking to the bottle when their kids, the job, and

the husband become too much to handle. and young american swimming champion cut down in the prime of his life right in the middle of an overseas competition, found dead in the ocean. his coach tonight with an emotional interview about what went wrong. hello, everyone, i'm don lemon. thanks for joining us tonight. just nine days until election day, and the entire momentum this campaign could be turning. democrats are now claiming the polls are tightening in their favor, including in nevada for the senate majority leader, harry reid. also, the head of the dnc made this pitch on abc this morning. >> we saved the auto industry. we saved the financial sector. we have passed a bill enabling women to get equal pay for equal work and done historic health care reform among many other bills. we feel good about the accomplishment. that's why you see the polls closing. people understand that. >> well, this week the president, the first lady, and the vice president all making

their final appeals, including in illinois where mr. obama's former senate seat could go to a republican. so my question now to cnn's senior political editor, mark preston, is -- has the president's appeal being underestimated, and is he closing the gap here, mark? >> reporter: clearly the white house, don, is careful about where they have sent him in these closing weeks. he's going into states where they think he can be helpful. as you said, he was this nevada for the senate majority leader, harry reid. he was in california for barbara boxer and jerry brown, in washington state for patty murray. as you said, he will be in illinois at the end of the week to try to ensure that the seat that he once held does not fall into republican hands. now when you talk in generalities in the macro sense, are things turning in a great way for democrats? not necessarily, don. we are seeing the polls tighten in some states, but we would expect that. we are only nine days out before election day. really the question is, not how many seats will republicans necessarily pick upon but wi

will -- pick up, but will they potentially take back the senate majority. >> it has been a contentious and long campaign season. showed in florida. >> any time we get into the issues, the governor wants to turn it into something else because he's wrong on the issues. >> that's correct -- >> the reason -- >> why won't you release your -- [ all talking at once ] >> why is there a federal investigate into your reportsing snk. >> this is just one litany of false -- >> maybe he would -- why don't you -- can you answer this question -- >> across the state of florida for the past year. >> why not release the full irs records, full credit card statements from what -- >> these questions have been answered since february. this is public disclosure. this country has a $13.5 trillion debt -- >> he doesn't want to release it because he doesn't believe in transparency. i created open government in the governor's office for the first time in the history of our state.

>> i've never had a heckler at the debate. i've always had them in the audience. >> mark, cnn hosted that debate. i said, you know, candy hosted a debate and then a wrestling match broke out between what -- what gives with those guys? >> yeah, very long campaign season. and a lot of personal animosity. you have charlie crist frustrated that mark row rubio pushed him out of the primary. the government running as an independent now. you're seeing that kendrick meek, the democrat, frustrated that charlie crist is running as an independent because by doing so he is siphoning away important votes this kendrick meek would need for this race. of course, social security we look at the cnn opinion research corporation poll in the last couple of weeks, it shows that marco rubio has a 14-point lead over charlie crist, a 26-point lead over kendrick meek. when we're seeing is a long campaign season. very frayed nerves, don. >> yeah. and just nine days away. it's not over yet, thank you, mark preston. remember, the spotlight stays on florida, and be sure to watch cnn tomorrow night, 7:00 p.m.

eastern. it is a special john king usa, the florida gubernatorial candidates' debate. john king moderates the showdown here on cnn. next week i'll be traveling across the to cover the elections, starting monday in chicago and heading east. check out my election roadtrip all week. still reeling from last january's massive killer quake, a new killer is stalking the impoverished island nation of haiti. cholera had already killed 253 people. it is moving quickly, and it has sickened thousands more. now it's in the crowded capital of port-au-prince. and our paula newton is at the hospital in the center this outbreak. >> reporter: don, officials are gratified that they feel that the situation is under control. now it doesn't feel like that here in the hospital at times. or even out the hospital, for patients who are coming here gravely ill. i can tell you that the kind of help that they have been getting the last few days had been incredibly basic care. a lot of this has been relatives

trying to help them. what do they need for rehydration. they need a timed antibiotic. but they need that kind of care that just hasn't been here for the last few days. aid organization, the u.s. government, the u.n. all trying to help the haitian government get back together. in the meantime what they're trying to do is talk about prevention, we heard it on the loud speakers here. people being told to make sure they wash their hand. make sure the water year drinking is clean. watch where you're actually going to the washroom, make sure that you stay away from the rivers here that are now almost certain to be contaminated with cholera. in the meantime, in port-au-prince, they are also putting in measures in place just in case the outbreak reaches port-au-prince. so far, five confirmed cases there, but they were actually from this region. so don, you know, cautious o optimism today that they will have more people die from cholera. they expect the numbers to go up. they will have more confirmed cases of cholera. but they're hoping that they've

been able to mitigate some of the worst effects this outbreak and keep it from spreading to the capital. don? >> all right. thank you, paula newton. stay tuned to cnn. our dr. sanjay gupt on is on his way to haiti with the team. we'll follow this story next week, as well. ahead, an american swimmer training for the olympics dies suddenly during an open-water race. check out video we got from an ireporter in from texas where several tornadoes have touched down and caused significant damage. and then in what city do kids stand the best chance of getting the most halloween candy? well, no, it's not hershey, pennsylvania. we'll tell you straight ahead. don't injure sit there, we want -- don't just sit there, we want you to check out our blog. look for us on foursquare.com, as well. mmmm.

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another check of top stories on cnn. a 26-year-old american swim star died today during the 10 kilometer marathon swimming world cup in the united arab emirates. fran krippen died during the last leg of the race. his body was recovered two hours later. the university of virginia graduate, crippen was a former ncaa champion. i sboek one of his coaches about his tragic death. >> not only was he a world-class athlete, national champion numerous times, he got in the pool and helped the little kids as a volunteer coach. they loved him. i love him. i'm just -- try to remember that. i love him. also tonight, an elderly man

is accused of trying to get a fully loaded gun on to a plane flying out of chicago's o'hare airport. chicago police say a tsa agent found a 380 semiautomatic pistol in the carry-on bag of francis cook yesterday. the 67-year-old from michigan was headed to dallas. our affiliate, wls, reports cook is in custody under $25,000 bail. an attempted copper theft ends in an explosion. police in south gate, california, say a man and his wife were trying to steel copper wire at a vacant construction site when a transformer blew up. the man was killed, and his wife severely burned trying to save him. two children, believed to belong to the couple, were found in a truck near the scene. they were unharmed and taken into protective custody. a terrifying day under the texas skies with multiple tornadoes touching down. take a look. [ siren ] >> this is from one of our

ireporters, they caught this scary sight about 45 minutes south of dallas in rice, which saw some of the worst of it. there are reports of injuries and significant property damage, with we're still learning just how bad it is. this is part of a strong system heading off to the east right now. what's left of typhoon megi is soaking southeastern china tonight with torrential rains. the storm had been downgraded to a tropical depression, but the damage is done already. 13 inch of rain fell on coastal villages forcing the evacuation of more than 300,000 people. no deaths have been reported in china, but the same storm killed nearly 60 people in the philippines and taiwan. ups and downs in the housing market, job opportunities for the holidays, and you ever wonder where kids get the most candy for halloween? here's cnn's stephanie ellum with "getting down to business." >> reporter: another week, another roller coaster ride for

the hard-hit housing sector. new home construction rose 4% in september compared to a year ago, lifting the number of new starts to a five-month high. recent investigates into possibly mishandle -- investigations into possibly mishandled foreclosures across the nation could further impact an already struggling housing markets. look for new and existing home sales numbers later this week. employers are gearing up for the holiday season, and that could make job seekers happy. u.p.s. says it will hire 50,000 extra employees starting this month, and retail stores like toys 'r' us and best buy plan to add tens of thousands of extra workers to help cover the holiday rush. the initial jobless claims report is due out on thursday. speaking of holidays, this time your next question week you'll probably be knee deep? sugary snacks. zillow.com ranked the 20 best cities for trick-or-treat force get the most candy. the winner is -- seattle. no word on what city spend the most when it comes to fixing children's cavities. that's this week's "getting down to business," stephanie elam, new york. it's a growing trend and a

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next month "working mother" magazine will focus on a dirty, big secrets that many families face. mom works, she cooks, she cleans, and when the kids go to bed, she drinks. the november issue reveals how common alcohol and drug addiction is among working moms. author and mom blogger stephanie wilder-taylor told me she discovered how -- how she discovered she was an alcoholic, and "working mother's" editor-in-chief said the magazine started looking into the issue after the story of diane sholler broke last year. she's the mom who had pot and alcohol in her system when she crashed her car, killing herself and seven others. >> there was a disconnect between this cable executive who was raising two kids, seemingly had it all together, and then according to police reports, was drunk and high when she crashed her car. when we looked into addicts in general, what we learned is that

many addicts hide a secret. >> uh-huh. >> they seem like they have it all together, but actually inside they're die, and they're also in trouble because they are responsible for kids. >> how prevalent is this? how -- how many families, how many kids come this contact with moms who are facing alcoholism? >> there are one in four kids whose parent is an alcoholic. and the problem is actually on the rise in terms of women twice as many women are turning to alcohol over the past decade. and we see the use -- boss of prescription medication quadrew petersonling. so these are both on the rise. >> according to your -- one in four, that's interesting. you have formed an online group for moms who are alcoholic because it's such a big dole. >> yes. >> what's been the response? are women realizing that they are sick, & they have had some suspicion all along?

are they getting help by your web site? >> i -- well, i think that one of the biggest problems is that so many women are ashamed because i think we all have to be disabused of this notion that alcoholics are, you know, living under a bridge, down in bush mills, or crying in their bathroom, drinking mouthwash. there are so many people who are just like me and like many other women who just, you know, nightly turn to too much wine. and it becomes a problem at a certain point. you can't stop. so i think that by me coming out and talking about this and then blogging about it, it allowed a lot of women to them says in my story, which is not so extreme. and those women really needed the support to quit. and they found in my blog a why hoo group, andye, it's way more women than i ever thought possible. >> stephanie, i want our audience to be clear about this. you talked about it a little bit. but you used to write books that sort of made light of the fact that you drank. later you had to admit that you

had a serious problem with alcohol. there is a big difference. >> yes, yes. >> most moms, especially these days, if you have kids and you're married and have a job, you're an overachiever so you know how to hide it. give us wisdom from someone who knows. >> will, it's really difficult because it's something only you know if you're suffering from. for me, i didn't know i was an alcoholic. i really thought i was, you know, an alcohol enthusiast. i thought i really liked to drink. i wouldn't imagine that people didn't like it the way i did. at a certain point, i had a lot of extra stressors in my life and one thing led to another, and i realized, wow, i'm drinking way too much. so i think for the mom at home, if you're really wondering if you have a drinking problem, chances are good that you to. there was one mom who had a rule, she would drink after her kids were in bed. when she did the housecloning. she went to her job all day, fed her kids, put them to sleep, and then she would drink until 1:00

or 2:00 in the morning while she was folding laundry. and she was able to continue with that except it got progressively worse, and then she started drinking earlier in the day and people found out. so this is something that women can hide for a long time, until it gets so intense it progresses so much that the secret's out. >> and make sure you look for the november issue of "working mother" and its in-depth report on working moms who are addicts. national protect your identity week is just wrapping up. but safeguarding your personal information is really something you could be concerned about or you should be concerned about year around. our christine romans is in new york mastering your money tonight. >> reporter: hey, do not, we always have the best intentions. the truth is sometimes we get lazy. here are survive steps you can take now to protect your identity. first, shred all statements, invoices, receipts, your return address stickers, envelopes, catalogs, and especially those preapproved credit offers and credit card checks.

get rid of them. encrypt your e-mail and other fiems that contain any personal account information. you got to use fire its walls, an i fire us and anti-spyware programs. keep your technology current with the latest security updates. don't just keep clicking later. identity thieves can't steal your information if they can't get to it. keep your bank, credit card statements, passports, social security card, birth srkts. review your credit reports from the throw reporting agency, that's uquifax, transunion and esperion. go to annualcreditreport.com, i'll say it again, annualcreditreport.com. it takes surprisingly little to set up a fraudulent account and establish false credit in someone else's name. you should never carry your social security card in your wallet or purse and give the not in to anyone you don't know or trust.

and you can learn much more about mastering your mind on the show that saves you money, your bottom line, every saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. eastern. right here on cnn. don? >> thank you, christine. up next, a look at what's making news this week including don't ask, don't tell back in the courts. plus, a jury is seated in the trial beginning tomorrow. we'll take a closer look at the murder of chandra levy. etfs? exchange traded funds? don't give me just ten or twenty to choose from. come on. td ameritrade introduces commission-free etfs with a difference-- more choice. over a hundred etfs.... ...chosen by the unbiased experts at morningstar associates. let me pick what works for me. for me. for me. the etf market center at td ameritrade. before investing, carefully consider the fund's investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. contact td ameritrade for a prospectus containing this and other information.

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president obama is back on the stump for democrats this week. and that is just one of the stories that we'll be covering in the days ahead. we begin tonight at the white house. >> reporter: i'm dan lothian at the white house. after campaigning hard out west for democrats, the president hits the campaign trail on the east coast, starting out monday in rhode island where he will be attending a fundraiser for the democratic congressional campaign committee. there's not a hotly contested senate race in rhode island, but democrats there very much want to hang on to that house seat being vacated by the retiring patrick kennedy. then on saturday, the president campaigns in pennsylvania, connecticut, and back to chicago. >> reporter: i'm chris lawrence. coming up this week at the pentagon, military leaders will still be dealing with the fallout from the wikileaks release of nearly 400,000 documents from the iraq war. they're also going to be keeping

a close eye on the ninth circuit court in california as it rules on whether don't ask, don't tell stays or goes for the next few months while that court is considering an appeal. for that matter, pentagon leader will -- leaders will be keeping an eye on the leadup to the election. there's a spending bill and congress' handling of don't ask, don't tell that could hinge on the how the next election plays out. >> reporter: a big week for the economy and wall street, we'll be watching all of it. at the beginning of the week, new and existing home sales will be released. we'll get the latest reading on home prices across 20 major u.s. cities. we'll see if there's been any improvement in the housing market. and corporate earnings season rolls on. we'll hear from oil joints conocophillips and exxon mobil, along with visa and microsoft. at the end of the week we'll get the jobless claims and also get the first reading on third-quarter gdp. that's critical to see how the u.s. economy is faring.

we'll track it all for you on cnn "money." >> reporter: i'm "showbiz tonight's" a.j. hammer. janet jackson is sitting down with the lady of "the view." everyone is wondering how is she doing after michael's deaths. will bristol palin survive yet another round of "dancing with the stars"? we'll be there on the set of the show. "showbiz tonight" is live at 5:00 p.m. eastern on hln. we are still tv's most provocative tv news show at 11:00 a.m. eastern and pacific. >> make sure you stay tuned for the week ahead. we'll be covering haiti a lot. that devastating outbreak of cholera that's going on right now that's killed hundreds of people. and sickened thousands. make sure you stay tuned. "american morning" at 6:00 a.m. alsoa, stude, stay tuned fo election roadtrip. monday we're in chicago, then heading east. i'll be all over the midwest, chicago, elk hard, indiana, flint, all of those areas.