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U.S. Troops Killed In Afghanistan; Sikhs Repair And Reclaim; Bond Set For Alleged Movie Gunman Copycat; Optimism on Economy Drops; Reality Check on The Economy; Curiosity's 360 Degree View;

Aired August 10, 2012 - 13:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in for Suzanne Malveaux. This hour in the CNN NEWSROOM, we're focusing on the economy, why more Americans say, we're not in a recovery. Plus, new pictures from Mars.

But first, a Tennessee mosque that opponents have tried to keep closed is opening for the first time today. The Islamic center in Murfreesboro has endured two years of court challenges, protests, even a bomb threat and arson attack. Opponents claim mosque leaders are trying to spread radical Islam. The leaders deny that and say they're ready to put the battle behind them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SALEH SBENATV: From now on, we are going to look for a brighter future. We are going to look for a united community, a prosperous community, and the negativity over the last two years will go away in no time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: In Afghanistan today, three American service members were killed by a gunman wearing an Afghan military uniform. It happened here in the unstable Helmand province. We've learned a few details about the shooting and about a couple of other attacks on coalition forces this week alone. Chris Lawrence is at the Pentagon. So, Chris, what happened today in the Helmand province?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, basically, Fred, our sources are telling us that these soldiers were all part of a special operations' force that was going there working on a village stability mission there in Helmand province. They were going to meet some of their local Afghan contacts when they were shot and killed. Right now, the ISAF, the U.S. Military, is looking for the gunman, the man who shot and killed these troops. The Taliban claims that the troops were lured in by an Afghan police commander under the ruse of having dinner and being friendly when he turned on them, killed them, and then went on the run and joined the insurgency -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: So, Chris, is there some acknowledgement that it appears as that there are more so-called green-on-blue attacks happening more frequently right there in Afghanistan? What are the commanders there saying about how they can continue to handle this? LAWRENCE: Well, in just the last hour or so, White House spokesman Jay Carney said that although he doesn't know at this point if this is part of some stepped up offensive by the Taliban, he did say that the military commanders believe that this won't have any operational effect on overall missions there. But you can't deny that the green-on-blue attacks have drastically increased. This is the third one just this week. And, in fact, we've had more already this year than we had all of last year, and we're just now about halfway through the summer.

So, it has a really tough effect on the morale of American troops. Even commanders have admitted that, that even though these incidents don't occur very much, when they do occur, they have a disproportionate effect on the morale of those U.S. troops who are working with the Afghans.

WHITFIELD: And, Chris, it seems as though it's just one thing after another, a bombing on Wednesday, killing three U.S. Troops, a land mine exploding today and killing several Afghan civilians. So, is there an explanation behind this spike in violence right now?

LAWRENCE: Not to be flip, but it is the season. In Afghanistan, you have what's called a fighting season. In the wintertime when a lot of the Taliban are holed up in areas that are inaccessible because of the mountain ranges and the snow, it becomes much harder to fight. And then, you've about got the time that they plant a lot of the poppy, that goes -- the drugs that fuel the insurgency. So, you've got window of a fighting season and we're smack dab in the middle of it right now, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Who are the attackers?

LAWRENCE: What did you say?

WHITFIELD: Who are the attackers, do they know?

LAWRENCE: They don't know The Taliban are claiming responsibility for it. In fact ,ISAF says, you know, about 50 percent of the time, when you have these green-on-blue attacks, it is Taliban infiltrators. The other times, it is simply Afghan forces with personal beefs against the Americans or perhaps an Afghan who got caught into debt and was paid off to do something.

WHITFIELD: Chris Lawrence at the Pentagon. Thanks so much.

LAWRENCE: Yes.

WHITFIELD: All right. Relatives and members of the community are coming together in Oak Creek, Wisconsin today to remember the six people killed in the Sikh Temple shooting. Sikh Temple members broke with tradition to hold a public wake and memorial service. They say they wanted to give the community a chance to share in their grief. Just moments ago, Attorney General Eric Holder spoke at that service.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE.)

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WHITFIELD: We're going to try and bring you the comments of Eric Holder later.

After the public memorial, families are gathering for private services. They are being held at the temple where that shooting took place. Our Ted Rowlands got an exclusive look inside as members worked to kind of reclaim the temple and change it from a crime scene to a place of worship again.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS (voice-over): A bullet hole is still in the door of the main prayer room inside the oak tree temple. The plan is not to fix it but to keep it forever as a reminder of what happened. Everything else was quickly cleaned by volunteers who showed up almost immediately after the crime scene was cleared.

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KANWARDEEP SINGH KALEEKA: It takes its toll when you're think of the lives are lost and that our temple is never going to be the same again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS: Of the four people who were killed inside, the only female victim, Paramjit Kaur, died here in the prayer room. The three others were all shot and killed in the room down this hall, whereas you can see the carpet has been replaced. This tiny pantry just off the kitchen area is where more than 15 women and children hid for more than two hours, some of them injured, none of them knowing if the gunman would return to kill them. Several of the victims' family members were there to help clean and pray. Some of them joined Reverend Jesse Jackson on the floor where Paramjit Kaur passed away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANARDEEP KALEAK: Simply put, our families, his mother who left behind two beautiful boys and was the only mother -- imagine losing your mother. Our father, the four other victims, the people who were shot are in the hospital, the police officer that did his job, they are heroes. They are living the American dream. The other person was a coward. And at the end of the day, he should always be remembered as a coward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS: The hope here is that these six lives will be remembered as a reason to change the way people treat each other.

(BEGIN VIDCEO CLIP)

KANWARDEEP SINGH KALEEKA: I think that's really what this message is. We're all God's creation no matter how we look, no matter where we come from, no matter what we believe. We're all joined together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And Ted Rowlands, joining us live now from Oak Creek, Wisconsin. And Ted, you know, Eric Holder speaking just moments ago right there at the temple, offering his words of comfort. This is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: We've been brought together by an unspeakable and devastating tragedy. We are bound together by much more. We are united today not only by a shared sense of loss but also by a common belief in the healing power of faith.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Ted, so, how impactful, how important was it for Eric Holder to be there to speak one on one with people?

ROWLANDS: Well, I think it was very important, Fredricka, because one of the things the Sikh community really wants to do is break down barriers between them and the country, and having someone from the U.S. government here does help. One of the questions they've asked in the wake of these shootings is what's being done about these hate groups? Are they really being monitored? Is the federal government really taking things seriously? And I think that this was a good gesture by the United States to send him. And I do think their overall goal of having this event here, which is a complete break from the Sikh tradition, is making an impact. We've seen thousands of people from around the world descend on this tiny town in Wisconsin, and people were very, very moved inside throughout the day.

WHITFIELD: And now, what -- for members of this temple, how are they seeing them coming together as a community? How are they seeing the healing process unfolding?

ROWLANDS: Well, they think that if this is going to be a situation where these lives weren't lost in vain, then there does need to be a barrier change because they do feel discriminated against and they do feel that they were targeted by someone who had so much hate in him. And so, they're hoping that these lives will help people see that the Sikh people are who they are and they want to share their religion, they want to share who they are with the rest of the United States and the world. Anyone who's willing to listen, they're more than happy to engage them, and they're hoping the one thing that is positive out of this will be that those barriers will be broken down.

WHITFIELD: All right. In Oak Creek, Wisconsin, Ted Rowlands. Thanks so much.

A bond has been set for the man accused of taking weapons to a theater in northern Ohio. Authorities believe Scott Smith was planning a copycat movie massacre on Saturday night. He allegedly had a loaded nine millimeter semiautomatic handgun, two loaded magazine clips and three knives in a bag he carried to the theater where the latest batman movie was showing. Smith pleaded not guilty to 21 counts, including carrying a concealed weapon and having weapons under disability. He says he has been carrying the weapons for protection. A judge set bond at $250,000 and ordered Scott to stay away from the Regal cinemas. A preliminary hearing is scheduled next week.

And here's what we're working on for this hour.

(voice-over): Despite some recent good news on the economy, more Americans think things are getting worse. Is that perception or reality? We have a fact check.

A photographer in Philadelphia doesn't think people know the full extent of how homicides are hurting communities, so he started a project to show us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want them to see what I'm seeing every night in this city, the children watching crime scene investigations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And unbelievable new photos of the surface of Mars. It's the red planet in all its glory.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The presidential election just 88 days away. And, of course, the economy is the number one issue on Americans' minds. So, a new poll on how Americans feel about the economy could spell trouble for President Barack Obama. Political Editor Paul Steinhauser joining us from Washington. So, Paul, you know, the number of people who say the economy is getting better had been rising slowly but steady, but now a poll shows that's not necessarily the case. What changed?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Exactly. Take a look at the numbers and then we'll talk about it. This is our CNN ORC poll, a national survey, Fred, and we did on Tuesday and Wednesday. And you can look right here, we asked, how are things going in the country today? And the number of people who say, well, look at that, it was 43 percent in April, now down to 36 percent. And on the opposite side right there at the bottom, 63 percent say things are going poorly in the country today. That's a six point gain since April.

Now, how does this play on the presidential campaign? Go to -- go to the next screen. And this is interesting. We asked people in our new poll, well, will the economy get better if Barack Obama is re- elected? Thirty-one percent said that. About an equal amount said, things will only get better with the economy if either Mitt Romney was in, look at the bottom there, about one in five, just over, say, you know? Things will not get better if either guy wins in November -- Fred. WHITFIELD: So, big concern for either camp?

STEINHAUSER: Yes, a big concern for the president, because as you mentioned right off the bat, this is the top issue on the minds of Americans. It's been that way since 2011. And who gets blamed for the economy? Well, the guy in the Oval Office, right? That's the -- that's the way it is. So it is a concern for the president. You've seen those unemployment levels creep up over the last couple of months and that may be one of the reasons why you're seeing the perceptions of the economy, at least in our poll, go this way. And that can be a concern for the president. The question for Mitt Romney is, he needs to be effective in saying, I can do a better job on the economy than the president. And our polling, it doesn't indicate whether that's really happening right now.

We've got three months to go, though, until the election. So anything can happen.

WHITFIELD: That's true. Anything can. And so far the president, you know, points to the months of private sector job growth as evidence the economy is improving. But then you look at the poll numbers and you wonder whether, you know, the voting electorate thinks differently.

STEINHAUSER: Yes. And that is -- and sometimes they're not in sync, right, and the president and his campaign pointing out that number. But the unemployment level, the overall level, has been creeping up. Regardless of the reason, it creeps up and people see that.

Also, you know, while the national numbers are important, it's also important to look at the state numbers because this is a battle -- the race for the White House is a battle for the states and their elective votes. So it's also very good to look at the battleground states and how the numbers are doing in those states, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, very good. Keep us posted. Eight-eight days. Can't believe that. Boy, it's right around the corner. It's going to go just like that.

All right, thanks so much, Paul Steinhauser in Washington.

All right, despite the pessimistic views about the economy, we have seen some encouraging signs lately. But the recovery is still struggling to take hold. Alison Kosik joining us now from the New York Stock Exchange with an economic reality check.

So, Alison, you know, what are some of the positive developments that everyone can agree on?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: OK, Fredricka. So, yes, I mean the economy certainly has been sending a lot of mixed signals and let's start with sort of a temperature check on some key readings.

You know, for one, housing. It is one of the biggest cornerstones of an economic recovery. It is what drove us into this recession in the first place. And many say it's really what we need for a true comeback to take hold. And believe it or not, it has been one of the few bright spots recently. You look at foreclosures. A number of them have been slowing. Prices have been going up. And those sales have been kind of bumpy. The general trend has been upward.

As for jobs, ah, yes, that isn't so straightforward. It's more of a mixed picture. But on the plus side, employers did add 163,000 positions in July. That rebounded from a few weak months. But the unemployment rate went up and the sectors that added positions were lower paying areas. And this is a problem because you really want to see job gains in these more higher paying areas. So those people can really go out and pump more money into the economy.

Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, we have seen this before, haven't we? You know, the economy seems to be gaining some traction, but then it hits a rough patch. So what are some of the factors that will determine which things -- which way things ultimately do go?

KOSIK: Yes, there are two big wild cards in the mix. And one for sure is Europe. There's still a lot of issues out there. The European Central Bank isn't meeting again until September. Investors are hoping that they will take some concrete action to get the debt crisis under control in a meaningful way.

You know, issues overseas can really have a huge ripple effect. Just as our recession drove so many European economies into their own downturn, the opposite can also hold true because the European Union is our biggest trading partner.

The other wildcard, the looming fiscal cliff here in the U.S. That's when a variety of tax increases and spending cuts go into effect on January 1st. And, really, Congress needs to figure out how it's going to keep us from falling off this so-called cliff. But here's the thing. Nothing is likely to be done about it until after the presidential election. So it really leave as very small window for Congress, you know, to get off its you-know-what and do something.

Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Alison Kosik, thanks so much, New York Stock Exchange.

All right, meantime, we're also getting new pictures of the martian surface from NASA. And we'll show you some of them.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The rover Curiosity on the surface of Mars, day five. NASA scientists just spoke to reporter John Zarrella, who's staying on top of everything at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. So, John, the JPL guys talked a lot about the landing today. The seven minutes of terror, so to speak. Why are they going over that again?

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fredricka, we had not heard from the entry, decent and landing team and they're still talking now at this briefing. And, of course, they're all jazzed up because of just how well Curiosity performed, and by extension how well all of their calculations worked. And, in fact, they started off the press briefing by saying, you know what, we traveled more than 350 million miles to get to Mars and we missed the entry target by less than one mile. That's pretty phenomenal when you think about it. So they were, for all intents and purposes, right on track.

Then they began ticking off all of the different time lines throughout that descent and they actually brought up an enhanced image that was taken from the Mars reconnaissance orbiter which showed Curiosity on the end of the parachute. And they talked about just how the parachute deployment took place right within the time line when they thought it would take place. How the parachute slowed them to just exactly what they thought it would slow their speed to, how the heat shield deployed and then they showed some new enhanced imagery taken from that decent camera showing the heat shield falling away as well.

And they continued on ticking off all of the different events during the course of that seven minutes of terror that took place right within the windows of the times that they thought they would take place, which ultimately led to the incredible safe landing of Curiosity on the surface.

Now, one thing we did not see yet today, and probably won't now, is that full resolution color panorama of the surface of Mars. They're doing a lot of data now, getting a lot of data dumps. And that picture just has to take a back seat to some of the science now.

Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So, I wonder, all that's taken place, you know, did all of these things kind of meet expectations, what NASA thought might happen, or did they observe or learn anything new? Was there the unexpected?

ZARRELLA: Well, I think they're -- what they're learning, at least right now, is that they were able to pull this off quite successfully beyond their expectations. And all the scientists and engineers that I've have, you know, the opportunity to speak with the last six -- five, six days here have said the same thing, Curiosity has performed well beyond our expectations. Everything worked perfectly. And, of course, that sets the bar very high for down the road and the rest of the mission once they get going, starting to do the science, which is going to be a couple of weeks. But they could not be happier. They are tickled pink at how things have worked so far.

WHITFIELD: OK. What's next for curiosity?

ZARRELLA: Well, what's next is they're going to take a couple of days to upload some new software to the vehicle. So we probably won't see any more new pictures for at least a few days, a couple of days. And once they get through with that, they're going to continue the checking out of the systems. And then after all of that is done, it will be another week or two, then they'll actually start to perform the real science. And Curiosity will start moving out across the landscape. And they will start looking for those signs of water, looking for the signs of carbon, all of those things that could be, you know, the building blocks of life, which, of course, is the primary focus of the Curiosity mission, looking for those building blocks of life. But as one scientist told me, Fredricka, this is not a sprint. This is a marathon. It's a two-year mission. So we're taking our time.

WHITFIELD: Ah, OK. Patience is a virtue.

ZARRELLA: Yes.

WHITFIELD: John Zarrella, thank you so much. Appreciate that.

ZARRELLA: Sure.

WHITFIELD: All right, we are heading into the final weekend of competitions at the Olympic (INAUDIBLE). And we're going to reflect on some of your and some of my favorite moments during the games, especially since I got a chance to tag along with that guy right there about to cross that tape. 1948 gold medalist. His name happens to be Whitfield, Mal Whitfield.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Besides medals being won, this Olympic games had other historical significance. It comes 64 years after the last time London hosted the summer games. And many of those Olympians made a return trip to the city, including that man right there, my dad, Mal Whitfield, gold medalist in 800, 4x4 relay and the bronze in the 400 meters. And there we are getting a chance to enjoy it as a family there in the stands. Well, being with him while watching Jamaican Usain Bolt win the 100-meter race is one of my favorite moments. That along with my brother, Lonnie Whitfield, and bronze long jumper Herb Douglas there.

So, Alex Thomas, well, you've been there from day one reporting on the giant scope of the Olympic games, joining me right now from across the pond. Alex, do you have a favorite moment or two as we head into this final weekend there of competition?

ALEX THOMAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, I can't compete with an Olympic dad. You got me on that one.

But I do like the way family connections can really enliven the Olympic experience. And, you know, they carried the Olympic torch on a tour of the U.K. before it lit the flame during the opening ceremony and it came within a 10-minute walk of where I live in West London.

So my wife dragged me out there. I was a bit reluctant. It was quite fun.

WHITFIELD: Dragged you?

THOMAS: Yes, she did. She did drag me. I was like, hey, I've got to work this for two weeks. I don't want to get (inaudible) on the torch, but then there was the road race cycling event was right at the bottom of my road. I got to take my 13-month-old daughter to see that. She'll never remember, but at least I've got a photo of her watching.

So that was fun.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

THOMAS: And talking of cycling, of course, it's been one of the real high points for Great Britain, for Team GB and being British myself, you know, you worry about the host making a good impression. The people I've spoken to have had a very positive experience.

You think about Sir Chris Hoy (ph), who was knighted for his achievement in Beijing four years ago, and he went out with (inaudible) gold medal-winning experience here. The Velodrome's one of my favorite buildings here on the Olympic Park. I don't think we've got a camera to cut away --

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Yes, I like that. They also call it -- they kind of nicknamed it, too, the Pringle, right, because it looks like a Pringle potato chip.

THOMAS: Yes.

WHITFIELD: I like that.

THOMAS: I think it's a bit harsh.

WHITFIELD: You do?

THOMAS: Yes, I don't know whether it's supposed to be a compliment or a criticism. But anyway --

WHITFIELD: OK. I thought it was cool.

THOMAS: Looking on the positive side of life, Fredericka, so if it's a compliment, we'll take that as well.

But yes, Usain Bolt is certainly (inaudible) the Olympics as well. It's all about the star performances, Michael Phelps in the pool and Bolt again on the track, like they both did four years ago.

We've seen other names emerge as well, but those two have been outstanding yet again, and for all the criticisms and the douses to see such a flamboyant Jamaican thrill us all again with two sprint victories, the first double-double Olympic golds in those events in Olympic history, it's great to say I was here when history was made.

WHITFIELD: Of course. I mean, that is the best part about the Olympics, because you never know what's going to happen. You can go into it thinking you can pinpoint where the medals are going to be won, who's going to clinch it, et cetera, but that is the beauty and the curse by some points of view of the Olympic Games.

Lots of surprises. And I really love that stadium behind you. To me it looks like a crown, which is so fitting for Great Britain. Was that the intent or was that just me coming up with it?

(CROSSTALK)

THOMAS: (Inaudible), Fredericka, and I was in Beijing, too, and I thought Bird's Nest Stadium was better.

WHITFIELD: Well, yes, no one can compete with that bird's nest. I won't compare them, but I do kind of like the look there of the kind of points. It's very -- ooh, and I heard the crowd behind you, too. I like the look of it, kind of crown-like. Well, beautiful venues, beautiful memories, and you've done a great job along the way, bringing us the most immediacy of these Olympic games, Alex.

THOMAS: Thanks, Fredericka. That's very sweet of you to say so. It is the events and the atmosphere that make any Games, more than the venues. And I think that's what's been the key thing this time.

WHITFIELD: So, so true. Well, thanks so much for sharing your great memories and listening to mine.

All right, Alex.

So from the Olympic stars of the past to one of today's luminaries, Lolo Jones may have finished without clinching one a medal in the 100 hurdles, but she is still one of the best known athletes at the Games.

Her athleticism, her great looks and big personality have brought her endorsements and fame, but like other athletes, she feels pressure from coaches, other Olympians and even herself. I asked her earlier today where the toughest pressure comes from.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LOLO JONES, U.S. OLYMPIAN: Well, you have the corporate sponsors that invest in you, and, you know, they actually make the dream financially possible because, without them, I mean, you can't train, you can't travel. So you have a lot of pressure to help make sure that you're making their effort into you worth it all.

And then your family -- just seeing my family afterwards, they're going to say they were proud regardless, but I feel like I just let them down.

And then also just everybody, even people you don't know, like you're representing a country, and I represented Team USA and I just felt like I let them down when I didn't get the medal but I was pleased because my other two teammates, they both got second and third.

So it was like it's a team effort but at the same time you're like, man, did I like -- I don't know. Like I feel like I didn't do my part. So it's just a total effect.

WHITFIELD: And we talked more about the heartbreak that she felt there on the track, and we also talked about the influences, and with the advent of social media, how that's offered a whole new set of pressures that come with being an Olympian at that level.

More of my entire interview with Lolo Jones tomorrow at 12:30 Eastern time right here on CNN on "CNN NEWSROOM WEEKEND."

All right. Philadelphia's mayor says he has had enough of the violence in his city this year.

MICHAEL A. NUTTER, PHILADELPHIA MAYOR: You want to act like an idiot? If you want to be an (inaudible), if you want to be a lowlife in this town, we will track you down like the dog that you are.

All right. One man's unusual way to stop gun violence, actually taking pictures at crime scenes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Philadelphia's already seen at least 210 murders this year. Some veteran photojournalists are hoping to reverse the trend. Sarah Hoye reports they're taking aim with cameras.

SARAH HOYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (VOICE-OVER): Joe Kaczmarek's police scanner crackles to life just before midnight. Moments later, KAZI: , as his friend's call him, is rushing to a scene of a robbery gone bad.

Along for the ride is fellow veteran photojournalist, Jim MacMillan. The 20-year-old robbery victim has already been taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the back. Police take away two men in handcuffs.

Kaz and MacMillan co-founded guncrisis.org to help curb gun violence plaguing what is supposed to be the City of Brotherly Love.

JOE KACZMAREK, GUNCRISIS.ORG: I want to put the audience out there in the streets. And I want them to see what I'm seeing every night in the city, the children watching crime scene investigations night after night, day after day, anything to disrupt this. Marginally disrupt it, I would consider it a success.

HOYE: Since the shooting rampage in Aurora, Colorado, GunCrisis estimates at least 55 gunshot victims in Philadelphia alone. So far this year more than 210 murders, a rate approaching 2007, when the city saw more than a murder a day and earned its nickname Killadelphia.

JIM MACMILLAN, GUNCRISIS.ORG: Turning around the gun violence epidemic is a tall order. It's going to take heroic action, but our cities are full of heroes. We've done this before. We can do it again. It's not going to go on forever, and the harder we work, the sooner we'll bring an end to this violence. HOYE: The small volunteer team at GunCrisis wants to shake things up by chronicling the daily gunfire. Another radio call, and the pair races across town. On this residential block a man was shot at least 12 times. Police rushed him to the hospital, where he died moments later. The crime lab is documenting the evidence. At least four people were shot in separate incidents in just two hours.

KACZMAREK: This is a project that I believe in. The city gives us no break. There's an abundance of opportunities to report, unfortunately.

HOYE: Philadelphia had 324 homicides last year, with blacks making up 85 percent of the victims.

KACZMAREK: It's costing all of us, whether it's immediately in front of your face or it's several miles away in another community. We are all connected and it's affecting all of us and it's costing all of us.

HOYE: While the mayor and other city officials introduce new measures, cash rewards for tips and more police on the streets, the mayhem didn't slow down, Mayor Michael Nutter more than frustrated.

NUTTER: You want to act like an idiot, if you want to be an (inaudible), if you want to be a lowlife in this town, we will track you down like the dog that you are.

HOYE: MacMillan, who works with the city officials, says they are committed because lives depend on finding a solution.

MACMILLAN: What happens next? We elevate the discourse. We bring people together. We build a movement. We stop the killing.

HOYE: A major challenge for a city where murder has become routine -- Sarah Hoye, CNN, Philadelphia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: You can see more of the dramatic photos at CNN.com or you can go directly to guncrisis.org and check out their website.

A man who plotted to kill soldiers at Ft. Hood has been sentenced to two life terms. The U.S. attorney's office in Texas says Naser Jason Abdo was sentenced today. Abdo was arrested last July after authorities found bomb-making materials in his hotel room.

Officials say he was plotting to attack a restaurant filled with Ft. Hood soldiers. The base was the scene of a shooting rampage back in 2009, as you recall, and that left 13 soldiers dead.

All right. If you're doing a little grocery shopping this weekend, the prices may look higher and, guess what, you can blame the drought for that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: America's worst drought in over 50 years is devastating crops across the country. A report released today shows just how bad it is and how much worse it's going get. Alison Kosik joins me now.

So Alison, we're seeing the pictures, we know the state of the U.S. corn and soybean crops really isn't very good. How severe is it?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It's pretty darn severe. You know what the USDA is saying. It's saying expect the corn harvest this year to be the worst in 17 years and, in fact, it's forecasting that corn prices are going to hit a record high this season.

For you and me, what does that mean? It means higher prices at the checkout. In fact, United Nations actually released a report yesterday showing that food prices jumped 6 percent last month and those higher prices are expected to continue to climb as this drought continues to wear on.

Where are you going to see this the most at the grocery store? You're going to see it in the meat aisle, since corn is the key ingredient that's fed to chicken and cattle. So it's going to be more expensive to feed them, it's going to be more expensive to bring what they give us to market.

And it's not just corn that the dry weather is affecting. Soybean crops, they're also being hit. They're used in a lot of our foods too, like margarine, cooking oil and peanut butter. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: OK. Let's switch gears a little bit. I want to ask you about news out today. It's been decided that neither Goldman Sachs nor its employees will be prosecuted for that role in the financial crisis.

KOSIK: exactly. So this is coming at the end of a year-long review of this case after a two-year congressional investigation.

Senators Carl Levin and Tom Coburn allege that Goldman Sachs made huge profits by marketing securities backed by subprime mortgages as safe investments to clients while at the same time betting against them. So it was essentially alleged to have played both sides of the fence to make sure the firm wouldn't lose money.

Now we know now that those subprime mortgages were not safe. And in fact, we're at the core of the housing collapse that drove the U.S. economy into a recession. The Justice Department, though, found that there wasn't enough evidence to charge Goldman, but the DOJ did add that if any other information comes out, it doesn't prevent the department from making a different determination.

So, Fredricka, the department could go ahead and revisit this all over again at some other point.

WHITFIELD: OK. And the Dow snapped its four-day winning streak yesterday. Now how are things looking today? KOSIK: It looks like that's returning to the downside, pretty flat, though, mostly because of issues outside our borders. Investors are disappointed with some export numbers that came out of China. It's raising worries of a global slowdown.

Also there are new concerns that Spain is going to need a full government bailout. The Dow is only down about 10 points right now. We've got a few hours to go before the end of the day. Fred?

WHITFIELD: OK. Alison Kosik, thanks so much for the update.

All right. Down in the bayou, there's a giant -- I mean giant -- that's huge -- sinkhole, and it's actually swallowing up cypress trees. We'll take you to this 50-foot hole in the ground.

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WHITFIELD: All right. So many people are getting West Nile virus. In one part of Texas officials there have actually declared a public health emergency.

It's happening in Dallas County, an area that includes Dallas and two dozen surrounding community; 175 people have been diagnosed with the virus which is spread by mosquitoes. There have been nine deaths. Officials have scheduled a news conference for later on today.

Here is something that you don't see every day, a huge sinkhole prompting evacuations now in Louisiana and even swallowing a 100-foot tree. Officials in Louisiana want to know if an underground salt cavern is responsible.

The sinkhole, located in a bayou in Assumption Parish, measures 324 feet in diameter and is 50 feet deep. But on one corner it goes down even deeper than that, 420 feet. Oh, my gosh. That's astounding.

So things are not looking good in the Atlantic. Predictions for this hurricane season have been actually been revised upwards. Forecasters now say they expect more named storms this season. Chad Myers is here to break down all the numbers. So right now we're at F.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We've already had Florence. It was the shortest storm of all time.

WHITFIELD: It's a faster pace that most summers?

MYERS: It really is. It truly is. We're way ahead. September 10th is the peak. So we're not even there yet. We're a month away from the peak. And so we have many more storms. And that's the reason why they raised the number. Basically, if we're already on Florence, Florence died an ugly death after a big dry dust storm rolled off Africa.

Hurricanes don't like dry air. So a big dust storm rolled off Africa and literally smashed Florence to bits. Now, you know, we obviously still have had Ernesto. It made and is still making a lot of flooding in Mexico. And then the next storm coming up, that could be already in the water. So here we go so far, 12 to 17 named storms.

Average per name storms, 12. That's the minimum right there would be the normal season. They are predicting now an above normal season. Alberto, Beryl, we had Chris, Debby, Ernesto and Florence. So there you go there.

Moving you ahead to the number of hurricanes that we're expecting -- if this'll go ahead and move. Maybe it won't. The number of hurricanes we're expecting now, about normal to above normal.

And some of these will be -- here we go. Now somebody moved it for me; thank you. Two so far, Chris and also Ernesto, both were hurricanes. Five to eight hurricanes, that is above the normal thing and two to three majors, that is about where we should be. A major hurricane, 111 miles per hour or more. That becomes a very big storm.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. That's something else. We'll keep an eye on things and you'll be keeping us posted. Thanks so much, Chad, appreciate it.

MYERS: You bet.

WHITFIELD: All right. When we come back, music hitting some high notes around the world.

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WHITFIELD: All right. Play along with me. Topping the music charts around the world, a group from Ukraine called Potap and Nastya.

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WHITFIELD: All right. Guess the title of that song. (Inaudible). It translates into "Crazy Spring." The pop duo has numerous number one hits throughout Ukraine and Russia.

And now to most certainly well liked.

Free money advice from the CNN "Help Desk."

KOSIK: Hi there. Here on the "Help Desk" today, we're talking about student loans. And with me, Doug Flynn and Liz Miller.

Doug, this question is for you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With my student loan debt, if it's better to just pay the minimum balance every month and spread it out over 10 years or if it's more beneficial to pay off as much as possible as soon as possible.

KOSIK: Something a lot of us can relate to. What do you think?

DOUG FLYNN, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER: Well, the big important issue is whether or not you have a good cash reserve in place -- three to six months; I would go with six months. Then if you do, I would -- obviously you want to pay down debt as quickly as you can. However, if it's a lower interest debt and you don't have enough cash saved up, the last thing you want to have happen is you lose your job and now you don't have anything to fall back on; you can't make any student loan payments. So it really depends on what situation you're in. If you have a good cash reserve, absolutely, you want to pay it down as quickly as you can.

KOSIK: But what's considered a good cash reserve?

LIZ MILLER, CHARTERED FINANCIAL ANALYST: You know, at different points in life that can change. But certainly when you're starting out and you're saddled with all this debt, after you meet your monthly expenses you really want to start putting a little something away each month. And if you can achieve three months, that's a great starting point for a young adult, as we just heard from.

KOSIK: But trying to pay down, Doug, everything all at once when you're at that age, you shouldn't really try to do that? I mean, everything all at once, it seems like a big burden.

FLYNN: It is. And especially if the interest rate is low and you have other goals. Like I want to save for a house or a car or something, you don't want to put everything down on your student loans, especially at a low rate when you can save and invest for other goals.

So it's -- you have to really know where you are. It's a good idea to pay down debt. We want to do that, but not at the expense of not being able to do anything else.

KOSIK: OK. Good advice. Now if you want an issue that you want our experts to tackle, upload a 30-second video with your "Help Desk" question to iReport.com.

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WHITFIELD: OK. We got much more of the NEWSROOM straight ahead with my colleague, Don Lemon. Don?

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Fred, good to see you back. Welcome back to the States.