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Fallen Troops' Remains Return Home; Volatility on Wall Street; Interview With Former Interim Assistant Treasury Secretary For Financial Stability Neel Kashkari; Interview With RNC Chair Reince Priebus; Texas Polygamist Convicted for Sexually Assaulting Children; Group Wants Overweight Children Protected from Bullying; Riots Continue in London; Famine Intensifies in Somalia; Dow Up on the Day

Aired August 09, 2011 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Randi, thank you very much.

And hello to all of you.

Listen, 60 minutes to go here. Once again, I sit here and I'm watching the clock right along with you before the markets close here one day after that historic 600-point loss on Wall Street that we witnessed yesterday. Investors are right now, they're reacting to the Fed's decision to not touch your interest rates, at least for two more years. They're saying at least not until mid-2013. You can see the Big Board, though.

The Dow is down 95 points. That continues to fluctuate. Coming up in just a couple of minutes, I will speak live with Neel Kashkari, the man who ran the government's bank bailout just a couple of years ago. By the way, he agrees with the downgrading of the U.S. credit rating. Don't miss that conversation with Neel Kashkari here.

But I do want to begin with this.

The commander in chief of the U.S. armed forces is at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware right now. President Obama is attending the dignified transfer right there. That's what the military calls the movement of war fatalities from the place they died back to American soil. Those who arrive today are the 30 U.S. and eight Afghan troops who died early Saturday in the worst single-day loss for American forces in 10 years of fighting in Afghanistan.

I want to talk about what is happening there today at Dover Air Force Base, what we're seeing and also what we're not seeing.

Barbara Starr is live at the Pentagon for us.

And, Barbara, I know it is a very solemn day for the president, for the U.S. military and for so many families.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: It is indeed. But the American people, Brooke, will not see this.

News media coverage of this very sad ceremony has basically been banned by the Pentagon because they say, quite simply, the remains are unidentifiable at this point. So the families who have the right to grant permission for media coverage are unable to do that. They can't grant permission because they don't really know at this point who is in which casket, if you will.

But this -- so we're only seeing the president arrive at Dover. You're not seeing what you have seen in the past is that very somber ceremony where military pallbearers will remove the transfer case from the plane and very gently, slowly and respectfully bring it down the ramp in front of the families and then move it on for further processing prior to any funeral arrangements.

We see the faces, we see the names, so many of them right now as you see right next to me appearing. So the families in many cases have come forward to identify their loved ones to the nation. They want them remembered. But now this afternoon, another wrinkle in all of this.

The Pentagon says it might decide not for the first time, we think, to officially release the names of the fallen SEALs. They belong to a covert unit, special forces. Don't want those names out there in public. It's a little bizarre because of course so many families have put their loved ones' names out there. It will be something to watch if the Pentagon exceeds to that wish and for the first time that we know of does not publicly name its troops fallen in battle -- Brooke.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Who is there, Barbara, besides the families, besides the president?

STARR: Well, the president as you say is there, the secretary of defense, Leon Panetta. Admiral William McRaven, who just yesterday took command of the Special Operations Command -- and in fact, he led the command essentially of the Navy SEAL unit that went after Osama bin Laden a few months ago, now in charge on a much higher level.

But he knows many of these young troops. He knows what they have been through. Other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, other senior members of the United States military, but it's probably very important to remind everyone, while a lot of attention is focused on this and a lot of dismay that the pictures are not being shown, almost every day there is the return of the remains of the fallen to Dover from either the battlefields of Afghanistan, the battlefields of Iraq.

So many times, they are brought back very quietly with little public attention, other than their own families. But they come back almost every day on that final journey home -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Barbara, do we know why the remains of all 38 people who were killed early Saturday morning are being returned to Dover? That 38 number includes those eight Afghans.

STARR: Well, to be blunt about it, as the Pentagon has explained to us, they're unidentifiable at the moment. This was a catastrophic helicopter crash, to put it bluntly. So they could not make any ready visual identification on scene. They come back to Dover anyhow for that final forensic legal identification. But they just weren't able to make any kind of visual identification.

So basically, all sets of remains on board the helicopter are brought home. Those Afghans, when they are finally identified, they will be returned to Afghanistan. They will be returned to their families in Afghanistan. But all of this now could take several days while the mortuary specialists at Dover work their way through the DNA process -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: It's an important point you make. These are 38 souls today, but this happens, these dignified transfers, they happen more often than we like to talk about.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Barbara Starr, thank you so much at the Pentagon.

And neither the president nor his office actually announced today that he would make this trip to Dover Air Force Base.

CNN's White House correspondent Dan Lothian is one of those journalists who agreed to keep quiet about the president's travel until he arrived right around noon today in Delaware.

And, Dan, tell us a little bit more about that. I know we often sort of keep the president's travel plans wrapped up simply for security reasons. But I'm just curious if it was at all different today. Who asked the press to stay mum and is that unusual?

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Right. Well, you are correct. And there's a lot of times where we have information, for example on an international trip that the president will have coming up in the next few weeks or in the next few months, that we are not yet cleared to report on. But it is unusual that there's a domestic trip that we're told to hold off, not giving any details on it until the president reaches the location, other than perhaps some of these last-minute trips that the president will take here in Washington perhaps to go out to a restaurant and so forth.

And we were told not to report that information this morning and the reason we were given was for security reasons. Until the president arrived on the ground, they did not want the story to get out there. And so we chose to abide by that, because they pointed out that it was for security.

BALDWIN: He had an event today. We know that was canceled, of course, because he's at Dover for several hours, I think we should also add. He is there through this entire process.

And explain to me when was the last time that the president actually attended a dignified transfer and how often does he attend them? LOTHIAN: Not too often. The last time, what I recall was back in October of 2009. If you remember, that's when 18 Americans were killed in Afghanistan -- 15 I believe were soldiers. Three of them DEA agents, and the president did make sort of a late-night trip to Dover to pay respects to the remains as they were returned back to the United States.

And you might recall this happened during a time when the president was still deliberating whether or not to send in additional troops into Afghanistan, whether to beef up the U.S. presence in Afghanistan. It was a critical time early in the president's administration that he went there the last time, this now being the second time that the president is going or has gone to Dover.

This time we're told, at least according to the pool reports that we're getting from the scene there, that the president on the tarmac entered two C-17s that had the remains of these fallen and spending some time in both of these C-17s, and then following that, spent about 70 minutes or so with family members, about 250 family members, friends and other service members, paying respects and talking about the sacrifice that all of these fallen have made for the United States.

BALDWIN: Indeed. What a solemn day there for all those families. Thinking of them, of course. Dan Lothian, my thanks to you there at the White House.

And I would like to take just a couple of minutes and remind you of those being honored today by the president and by the Pentagon at Dover Air Force Base, servicemen who died early Saturday morning in Afghanistan.

And here now, here are the voices of the men, the women, the children who loved them, people who are grieving today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASHLEY MILLS, SISTER OF KILLED U.S. SOLDIER: He's always loved what he did. And he told me he couldn't believe he could do this for a living because he loved it so much.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just had a feeling that if anything ever did happen to him, it would be en route to something or coming back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kevin Houston met Christopher Kelly (ph) through Kelly's daughter's classmates. The Vietnam vet became a mentor and father figure to a boy who had always wanted to be a Navy SEAL.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One day, I showed him my photo album from Vietnam, and any time he came over, he asked to see it.

His best friend came over and told me. And he had his head down when I went to the door. I knew right then.

MILLS: I have never met somebody that loved to do what they did as much as he.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gave you the shirt off his back. I mean, he -- you know, he was a really great guy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're heartbroken. Brian (ph) was a remarkably gifted, thoughtful, compassionate young man. And we're incredibly proud of him. All the other SEALs and Brian are our heroes. They are the best of the best. And we can never thank them enough for the sacrifice that they have made.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: All right. Let's talk about the markets, the downgrade and the Fed which within the past hour has jumped into this fray and did not exactly help matters on Wall Street.

Let's take a look, though, now at the Big Board. Yes, I'm happy to tell you it's in positive territory, the Dow up 47 points. But as you very know, that will change. We were up about 150 points earlier until the Fed came out and released this multiple-paragraph statement, essentially warning of the risk to the economic recovery.

Let's go to Harrisburg, PA, here. My next guest, Neel Kashkari, I'm sure his name sounds familiar and perhaps his face as well. Take a good long look for me.

Neel, stand by for me.

Perhaps you now remember he was the guy, he ran the bank bailout, TARP, $700 billion, had to defend that bailout from an often hostile Congress and a skeptical American people. Knows a thing or two about high finance. He's now managing director for the investment firm PIMCO.

Neel, good to have you on. I'm sure you have seen the Fed statement. They just said about 45 minutes ago it now expects a slower recovery. And I'm quoting here part of the statement, talking about a downside risk to the economic outlook have increased, also signaling that it plans to keep interest rates very low, zero to a quarter percent at least through mid-2013.

Given the fact that the rates are already pretty much as I mentioned at rock bottom, what else and should -- what should the Fed be doing to try to jolt our economy?

NEEL KASHKARI, FORMER INTERIM ASSISTANT TREASURY SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL STABILITY: I think that the Fed's tools are limited.

For the last couple of years, they have been very aggressive in trying to flood the economy with money to try to stimulate economic growth. Part of the reason the markets are reacting so violently over the past few weeks is the market have realized that some of these short-term stimulus measures have not led to long-term economic growth. And so the Fed is doing whatever it can do. At this point now, it's up to Congress and the executive branch to make structural changes in our economy to stimulate long-term economic growth, but right now Washington has said, we're completely dysfunctional. You can't look to us for any leadership. So the markets are realizing that they're not going to get an answer from Washington. On some sense the markets are on their own.

BALDWIN: But, so quickly, you don't think another quick cash injection would really help long-term?

KASHKARI: I don't think that the Fed just simply expanding their balance sheet from here will make -- will automatically lead to long- term economic growth and bring down our terrible unemployment rate. For 30 years, our economy took on more -- go ahead.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: No, I just wanted to jump in about the downgrade, because this is all sort of, as you very well know, very interconnected, right? And from what I have read, you seem to be one of the few people out there who actually thinks S&P, the downgrade from Friday night, down to AA-plus, thinks S&P actually got it right when they lowered America's credit rating Friday. Am I reading that right? Is that essentially how you feel?

(CROSSTALK)

KASHKARI: Well, I think that if you look at our unsustainable debt and deficit situation today and it's growing, it's just going to get bigger and bigger from here and Washington has said that we're not willing, they're not willing to make tough choices to get our fiscal house in order, it's hard for me to disagree with S&P's conclusions.

For decades, we have enjoyed being the rock-solid risk-free investment that the whole global economy is built on and now we're taking that for granted. And so S&P is calling Washington to action to say you need to take this seriously. Simply kicking the can down the road is not good enough.

BALDWIN: Last month you predicted a drop in the government's credit rating. It could actually be bad, maybe even worse, as the Lehman shock, which you know all about. We all lived through it, the collapse of Lehman Brothers, which sparked the market meltdown and the great recession of 2008. Was your prediction wrong or, Neel, are we in, dare I ask, are we in for much worse?

KASHKARI: I think it will take a long time for the markets to fully digest what this downgrade means. There are short-term factors, long-term factors, direct and indirect factors.

Perhaps most importantly is what do investors around the world decide to do with their money. So the Chinese government as an example and other governments around the world have been investing in treasuries enabling the U.S. economy to borrow very cheaply. They're now on alert that their money may not be as rock-solid as they thought it was and they're likely going to continue to diversify away from dollars and away from treasuries.

That could drive up borrowing costs for the U.S. government, for homeowners, for students borrowing loans to go to college. All of that can affect our economy. It's going to take us months, if not years to fully understand what this downgrade means for our economic outlook.

BALDWIN: I think a lot of Americans probably could relate to those items you just ticked off. Parents thinking about their kids, thinking about the money they have put away for college and it's now getting whittled away. But they're also thinking, hang on a second, these corporations, they're sitting on some serious cash. You know, they have got this money stockpiled, liquidity that they're sitting on.

Do the companies, Neel Kashkari, do they have a patriotic, I don't know, a moral obligation to invest in America, invest right now and by that I mean expand and actually hire American workers, unemployment down just a smidge to 9.1 percent? Is this a patriotic obligation on behalf of these corporations?

KASHKARI: You know, to some degree, yes. But at the same time, it's hard to ask anybody, a corporation, an individual American, to invest their money when they're scared. And right now corporations are doing well; as you said they're flush with cash. But they're nervous about the economic outlook in the U.S. and around the world and they're nervous about the dysfunction in Washington.

And so we need to remove some of their uncertainty, because they want to invest. We just need to create an environment where they have the confidence to invest.

BALDWIN: How do we create that environment for the confidence? Because you know a lot of Americans would like that money back in the economy.

KASHKARI: Absolutely.

I think it's going to take real leadership coming out of Washington. Democrats and Republicans making tough choices for the first time in a couple years, actually getting control of our spending, actually restructuring our tax code and encouraging long- term economic growth.

For the last two years, we have had short term stimulative measures. It's been like a sugar high, making us feel good. But as soon as the sugar high wears off, we're back to the anemic growth. We need to structurally reform our economy to encourage long-term growth and to make us more competitive in the global marketplace.

That requires real leadership out of Washington. Right now, Washington has said there's no leadership here, you're on your own. And that's why the markets are reacting the way they are.

BALDWIN: Neel Kashkari, I thank you so much for coming on from Harrisburg, PA. Nice to meet you. Nice to see you. Thank you. And he mentioned Washington. Both parties guilty, Republicans, Democrats, playing the blame game here. We have a new poll, new numbers for you from our CNN/Opinion Research poll.

And here's what it suggests. Nearly 60 percent of Americans are not too high on Republicans right about now. So coming up next, I will ask RNC Chairman Reince Priebus about his party and the contenders challenging President Obama.

Also coming up, this. You remember this? A couple of months ago. Outrage, anger over Wisconsin's budget, the one that basically took away most negotiating rights for unions. Well, today, all eyes back on the state, back on the capital there as voters are deciding the fate of half a dozen Republicans. Find out why this recall election is unprecedented and why there's a whole lot of cash involved here. Stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Let's delve back into politics, shall we?

Joining me now from Washington, we're pleased to have Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, come on the show.

Reince, good to see you. Thank you for coming on.

I want you to take a look at some numbers with me. I don't know if you have seen these numbers. Hot off the presses, a brand-new CNN/Opinion Research poll. The approval rating of your Republican Party, sir, dropping eight points, eight points since July 20. Democrats actually up two points. Our viewers, you can see the numbers right there.

Eight points in three weeks' time, Reince Priebus, is that -- to what do we attribute this? The fallout from the debt ceiling debacle?

REINCE PRIEBUS, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: Well, first of all, I don't know -- I haven't really seen the poll or looked at it too deeply, other than the fact that I think it's true. I think people are frustrated with a lot of what goes on in Washington. I think, most of all, people are frustrated with a president who continues not to lead in the most important debate in our country.

But it's not just a matter of leadership, Brooke; it's a matter of what this president put in place when he's had the opportunities to lead. He's put a budget in place that increased -- that proposed the biggest structural deficit in the history of America. He put in Obamacare at $2.5 trillion.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Hold on a moment, Reince Priebus. Let's throw those numbers up again. I know said you hadn't seen the poll. So let me just give you an opportunity. Let's just pause, and you can see them, because you can see the numbers here. PRIEBUS: Sure.

BALDWIN: Do you think the American public is beginning to hold your party accountable? Talk about malaise and frustration at least in some measure here for the state of the economy. You see the numbers there now vs. July.

PRIEBUS: OK, Brooke, and I told you, I think people are frustrated with politics in general.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Well, you mentioned the president. I'm just asking you specifically about your party.

PRIEBUS: I think people are frustrated with a lot of people in Washington, with the whole structure, I mean, with what's happening with the negotiations in Washington. I don't deny that.

I think it's true. I think that Americans are starving for real, authentic people to lead this country, people who are not in love with speeches, fund-raisers, press conferences, like this president, somebody who is going to lead America out of this mess. And we have a president who is not a willing partner to have tough conversations like the conversation that Paul Ryan was willing to have, people who your last guest was talking about needing people in Washington to make tough choices.

BALDWIN: He was talking about the bickering.

(CROSSTALK)

PRIEBUS: The Republican Congress made some tough choices.

BALDWIN: And a lot of people are talking about bickering.

But you know what? Speaking of -- and here it is -- sort of fortuitous we have you on. Your home state, Wisconsin, talk about the leaders there. Voters are going -- as you very well know, they're going to the polls today. This is a highly unusual recall election. And today, you have six Republican state senators, they're being forced to defend their own seats. Next week, we know there are two Democrats who will be under the same gun.

Is there buyer's remorse in your home state of Wisconsin with Republican/Tea Party policy-making?

PRIEBUS: No. I don't think there's any buyer's remorse at all.

You have a leader in Scott Walker who asked state employees to pay just a little bit more in their pension and their health care benefits, which was about half of what the rest of the state pays in those benefits. And that's all he did. Now, in reaction to that, the public employee unions took $25 million, they put together a petition drive and now they're dumping millions of dollars on television trying to recall the senators for trying to balance a state budget. It's the same type of tough choices that were made in Wisconsin that the Republicans are trying to present to Americans in Washington about what are the things that we need to do in this country to get our fiscal house in order. And the Democrats haven't even passed a budget at all, no budget.

The reason, Brooke, we were having a C.R. debate over a continuing resolution -- you remember this ongoing debate -- was because the Democrats never even passed a budget. But the Republicans passed a budget.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Right. I remember it. It was the back and forth. I remember. I remember. Many people remember and we're continuing to watch.

(CROSSTALK)

PRIEBUS: But, see, but, Brooke, here's the problem.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Go ahead. Final thought. But I do want to ask you about presidential politics, Reince Priebus, while I have you, and my time is running out.

PRIEBUS: Well, just remember, Wisconsin -- Wisconsin, unlike Washington, D.C., has a AAA bond rating, because they're getting their fiscal house in order. They didn't punt the football like the folks here, the Democrats in Washington, did. And they didn't vilify people like Paul Ryan, who put together serious, intelligent plans to get our fiscal house in order.

BALDWIN: I understand. I understand. Point made.

Let's talk presidential politics, though. It's a huge week, as you know, for your party with the Iowa straw poll on Saturday. Are you disappointed at all that your party's front-runner, Governor Mitt Romney, has chosen not to take part, that he has ducked out of the Iowa straw poll?

PRIEBUS: Well, I mean, I think it's an important -- I think it's an important measure. I think the Ames straw poll has a great historical value and it also has value as well to the candidates.

But all of these presidential candidates -- and I don't think the field is even all set yet -- but they're all going to be making --

BALDWIN: You think Rick Perry is jumping in?

PRIEBUS: -- their own individual decisions to see what they want to do in Iowa.

BALDWIN: Rick Perry, is he getting in?

PRIEBUS: It sure sounds like it. But, obviously, I'm going to let Rick Perry make that decision and make his own announcements.

BALDWIN: Reince Priebus in Washington, thank you, sir.

PRIEBUS: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Developing right now, a powerful cleric sends a rare and disturbing warning to American troops, what he's threatening to do if they don't leave Iraq very soon.

Also, back home, a massive manhunt under way for this gang of siblings. Take a good long look at these three. They're on the run. The feds say they're robbing banks, shooting at police and are not afraid to die. You will hear their cryptic messages and see this dramatic dash-cam video showing this chase. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Judgment day for polygamist Warren Jeffs. He got life in prison for sexually assaulting children. The jury spent 30 minutes deliberating this one. Jeffs is a self-proclaimed prophet, claiming young girls as celestial wives. The jury convicted him last week and listened yesterday to audio recordings prosecutors say proved he had sex with underage girl.

Also today, a warning from Iraq's radical Shiite cleric Mqutada al Sadr. He issued a letter in English on his website saying American troops should, quote-unquote, "go back to your families," that "you and we as well lead a peaceful life together." Iraq's leaders have until the end of the year to decide whether to request some of the 47,000 American forces to stay in their country next year.

And listen to this -- shooting guys wrecking cars, mayhem with my siblings. Yes, these are favorite things posted online by this Florida woman who is on the run with her two brothers. The three of them being hunted by the FBI right now for an alleged crime spree that started back on Tuesday of last week when a police officer was shot at as he tried to pull over a speeding car carrying Dylan and Ryan Daugherty and their sister Lee Grace Daugherty. You're looking at this dash-cam video. Wait until you hear it. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Morris Bridge. He's now headed southbound on Morris Bridge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Chasing the car. Did you hear any of the gunshots there? A couple of hours and a couple of hundred miles later, the trio allegedly robbed a bank in Georgia. They haven't been spotted since. Next hour I will have a member of the FBI here in studio with me. We'll talk about this manhunt under way and whether hundreds of billboards, maybe you've seen them featuring these three siblings, are resulting in any leads. That's coming up. Also this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DAN RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's a very, very scary atmosphere. There's huge gangs of kids on the streets. Many of them --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: One witness says gangs in London have gone mad. Another calls this complete anarchy. But as part of this world-class city continue to burn, rioters are going nose-to-nose with police, apparently unafraid of force. Coming up next, we will take you live to the streets of London, tell you how the violence turned deadly just recently.

Also, don't forget to check out the bold new look of CNN.com's groundbreaking new video experience at CNN.com/video. It's bigger, it's brighter, and now even easier to find, CNN's most compelling video. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: The rioting in London that erupted three days ago has now claimed it's very first life. A 26-year-old man found shot in the head in south London last night has now died. And the fires, the rioting, the looting continuing here for four straight days. Dan Rivers back in the middle of it. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIVERS: As looting continued with impunity in London, for the first time British police used the armored trucks to clear roads in a number of areas. This was Peckham in south London. This is who they were up against, gangs of masked criminals who had taken over the streets.

(on camera): So you can see the police are running down here in the center trying to reestablish order. But it's a very, very scary atmosphere. There's huge gangs of kids on the streets. Many of them -- you see there's a large amount of damage here as well. So we're not going to hang around. Get out of the way.

(voice-over): Caught in the middle, terrified young families trying to get home. This was Peckham high street, normally choked with traffic, now overwhelmed with rioters who looted dozens of shops. As night fell, the gangs became even more brazen, nose to nose with the police who were outnumbered.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Those are some of the images Dan's crew shot. He is now on the phone with me from east London. Dan, I know there's something new on the incident that started all this violence. I know some of this is simply copycat violence.

Talk to me about the fatal shooting of a man from last Thursday inside that cab that was stopped by police. An independent investigation is now saying there's no evidence that that man ever actually shot at police. But the police complaints commission has not said who shot the man or why police stopped the cab. Dan, can you clear it up for me? What are you hearing?

RIVERS: Yes. I mean, what we know so far is that this man who was stopped by the police on Thursday was shot twice, once in the chest, once in the bicep, we understand. He did not discharge his weapon, as we're building a picture that he or certainly a gun was recovered at the scene.

And so that is potentially quite a problem this evening because that has been the one incident that starts this whole chain of events. Now it seems to emerge that this man had not fired at the police and yet, he was shot and killed by police marksmen.

We're in east London. That issue of that shooting was brought up again and again by the young people here. But also the wider issue of how the police treat young people in this city, and there have been fresh disturbances this evening. Nothing on the scale of last night, very low-level, but stones and bottles and rocks being thrown and the police rounding up those they think are responsible.

BALDWIN: Right. I know police are doubling efforts. It's quieter now, 16,000 members of the force out and about on the streets of London tonight. Dan Rivers, I appreciate you calling in.

Now, watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GUPTA: They walked for 30 days and 30 nights, primarily walking at night because it was cooler, carrying those three kids, sometimes carrying a kid, going back getting another kid, and just doing this over and over again in the desert, 30 nights' worth. They crossed the border, and then they get robbed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: A father's mission to save the lives of his own children. But time is running out for him and millions of others starving to death. Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes us inside this desperate race to survive and why this could have been prevented. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: The United Nations has declared famine in five areas of Somalia. Children, hungry, many too weak to eat the food that will save their lives. And according to aid workers, 12 million people in the horn of Africa need help just to survive.

Help is coming by the ton, although the ongoing civil war there prevents much of it from getting through. But the people there, they need it desperately. Thousands of them are headed to the world's largest refugee camp just across the border there in Kenya. That is where we find our Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Sanjay?

GUPTA: And, Brooke, these children are so resilient as well. But the question remains, how do you take care of so many people, hundreds of thousands of people in the largest refugee camp in the world. It is not easy, especially with war, especially with the drought, especially with the staggering poverty that we are talking about. We give you an idea through the story of a father's love for his boys.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: What you're looking at may best be described as the most desperate place on earth, vulnerable children, thick with misery.

(on camera): The other thing you can tell right away, when you see a little baby over here. If you take a look here, the baby's fontanelle, it's so sunken in, this is what happens when babies have no food or water, so dehydrated.

(voice-over): Basic, basic necessities. So hard to come by. Dust and starvation nearly everywhere you look.

(on camera): This is also what happens when you're at the world's largest refugee camp, all these folks waiting to see one doctor here.

(voice-over): As you look at these images, consider this simple fact. These are the lucky ones, lucky because they made it here at all. This family of five made it out of Somalia just yesterday.

We came out here to the middle of the desert to give you a real idea of what this family went through. They walked for 30 days and 30 nights, primarily at night because it was cooler, carrying the three kids, sometimes carrying a kid, going back and getting another kid and doing this over and over again in the desert, 30 nights' worth. They crossed the border and then they get robbed. Bandits take what little possessions they actually have.

But the bandits didn't take this father's dream, and his drive to keep his kids alive. It's not going to be easy.

(on camera): So this is another thing you see here quite a bit. This child obviously, three months old, looking very listless, not active at all. Look at this breathing specifically. He's breathing with his abdomen. Not so much with his chest. This is something that's very tiring for a baby. He also has whooping cough, pertussis, because he was never vaccinated either.

(voice-over): He will need a hospital, oxygen, antibiotics and yes, food and water. All of it may come too late.

So painful to realize that every single one of his ailments could have been prevented. Unfortunately, though, that hardly ever happens in the most desperate places on earth.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: Brooke, the numbers still continue to increase. They expect 2,000 people a day to be coming into this camp, just extraordinary numbers. There have been some signs of improvement. They had more resources in the camps. They are starting to get more of a structure to the camps as well.

But the real key, Brooke, talking to people on the ground here, they got to take some of the supplies and put them in Somalia around the people o who need them the most so they don't have to make these incredibly difficult treks.

BALDWIN: Dr. Gupta, thank you so much. We'll see you and Anderson at 8:00 eastern tonight.

Parents this one is for you. Do you have a child coming home from school saying he's getting picked on because they're too tall, too short, too skinny, maybe too fat? The government doesn't officially consider that bullying, did you know? Wait until you hear how one group is trying to change that, and why some believe Michelle Obama's let's move campaign may be making it worse for obese children. We're back in 70 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: I want to let you in on a little something about me. If you've ever met me, I'm tall. I'm actually really pretty tall, which I love now, by the way. But back in the fifth grade, I got picked on. Seventh grade, forget it. You couldn't pay me enough to go back to then. And I know I'm not alone when I say this -- bullies can be mean. But did you know federal legislation written just last year only protects kids from bullies who pick on them because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, but height and weight, they don't count? The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance says that must change.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEGGY HOWELL, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION TO ADVANCE FAT ACCEPTANCE: Studies indicate children of higher body weight are 65 percent more likely to be bullied than children of lower body weight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: The proposed legislation would require schools to adopt anti-bullying codes if they want to keep getting federal funds. I want to talk a lit bit more about this with our CNN education contributor Steve Perry who's on the phone with me. And Steve, why were weight and weight not already protected here?

STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR: I think the fact is that kids bully other kids, not because of the way the other kids look, but because of the way they feel about themselves. And we can go too far, because it's height, it's weight, it's hair color, it's anything that differentiates one child from the another that makes that -- it's being smart, it's being rich, it's being poor, it's being everything.

The point is if our objective is to protect children from bullies, what we need to do is anytime a child feels or anytime the adults who are supposed to be responsible feel that a child is being picked on, it doesn't matter why. Just that they are being picked on is enough.

BALDWIN: The group here, they're going even a step further and they're talking about first lady Michelle Obama, her whole Let's Move campaign which emphasizes weight loss among kids is actually making matters worse for obese children. Have you heard about this? What do you make of that?

PERRY: I think is that if you want to be a victim and if you want your people to be seen as a victim, you can make yourself a victim. If this group is really interested in ending the bullying, then they can participate in the development of strategies, not the development of more laws. God knows we don't need any more laws on issues such as these.

What we need is to educate children to what makes them beautiful, regardless of their size -- and yes, you are tall, Brooke -- and what makes them valuable. And it's who they are. We can't change some things about us, whether it be race or height or in some cases weight. So we need these groups, educators like me, we need these groups to come and be part of the solution. Everything cannot be solved in the courts. Some things have to be solved from people having conversations.

BALDWIN: I like what you said. It's not just teaching the teacher on how to handle the bullies, but it's teaching the parents and children themselves. Steve Perry, thanks for that. That was what was trending today. I wanted to get it in. Thank you, sir.

Now to this -- talk about trending, really over the last two weeks, let's look at the big board. Hello, in the positive territory by a whopping 340 points. That is the Dow. I love sitting here and telling you the Dow is up triple digits. The markets will close in five minutes. This is one day after that historic plunge you and I witnessed right around this time yesterday. Remember the Dow was down 634 points. We're going to see how investors react to the Fed's decision on your interest rates, that decision we learned about just an hour ago.

Also Wolf Blitzer is standing with some great new information just in from the world of politics. CNN is back in just a moment.

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BALDWIN: Let's go to Washington now to my colleague Wolf Blitzer with the latest news from the CNN Political Ticker. And Wolf Blitzer, let me just tell you, I mat interrupt you, because I know a lot of people want to hear that closing bell because finally some good news on Wall Street today.

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, CNN'S "THE SITUATION ROOM": Yes, it's about time. We need it badly.

Let me give you a couple political headlines right now. A lot of pressure mounting on what's expected to be a critical committee, this super committee, 12 members, six Democrats, six Republicans, six from the House, six from the Senate. We're going to have to come up with about $1.5 trillion in cuts by November. And given what the Standard & Poor ratings agency did as far as the U.S. government credit rating, there's going to be a lot of pressure to come up with some bold initiatives.

As you know as recently as yesterday, the president said there has to be some Medicare changes. We need some cuts in Medicare presumably. Also some increases in taxes, tax revenue. We'll see if this committee comes up with that kind of solution. We should know within a week or so who these 12 members are going to be. A lot of pressure, Brooke, on these 12 members to come up with a plan.

A CNN poll, I know you've been talking about this, right now, shows that for the first time ever that we've been conducting this poll only 41 percent of the American public believes their respective -- there's the bell.

BALDWIN: There we go, the closing bell. We hear it. Let me just let everyone know, take a look at the big board. And, of course, give the numbers a couple minutes to settle here, in the green, up 421 points. Whew.

That is some welcome news, as we know, Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Yes.

BALDWIN: We have been watching the ups and the downs, the whiplash, the historic day yesterday. It hadn't been that low, what, since December of 2008, since the very dark days during then and the recession.

Wolf, did you have one final thought before I move on?

BLITZER: Well, my final thought is that a lot of those investors, they regrouped -- 400 of that 600-point loss yesterday, they can -- when they go out and have a little nightcap or whatever after work, they can raise their glass to Ben Bernanke and the Federal Reserve.

I think at least he turned it around on this day, no guarantee what's going to happen tomorrow. But at least that 400-point recovery is a nice little boost for them.

BALDWIN: That's right. The Fed announcing today they're going to keep that interest rate zero to a quarter percent, right where it is, at least until mid-2013.

Wolf Blitzer, we will see later this hour, see what you have going on in THE SITUATION ROOM.