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American Missing in Syria; Obama Campaigns in Colorado; Record Gas Prices for Labor Day Weekend; Risking Lives in Syria; College Football Opens; The Return of the Chef

Aired September 02, 2012 - 18:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: That's going to do it for me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Gary Tuchman in for Don Lemon.

We're both like singing a little "Free Bird" there.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Our viewers should have been in the studio with us.

WHITFIELD: We had the imaginary lighters going.

TUCHMAN: That's right. Fred, hope you have a nice weekend.

WHITFIELD: All right. Go right ahead. Thanks so much, Gary.

TUCHMAN: We'll help everyone in. Thank you very much for joining us. I am Gary Tuchman in tonight for Don Lemon.

Let's get you up to speed with today's top story.

The Reverend Sun Myung Moon has died. He's the founder and leader of the controversial Unification Church, best known outside of church circles for conducting mass weddings, sometimes with thousands of couples saying "I do" at once. Moon died today in a South Korean hospital. He was 92.

Effective immediately, U.S. Special Operations forces have suspended the training of Afghan police recruits. The move follows reports that more than 40 NATO members have been killed this year by insurgents dressed as police or Afghan soldiers. Fourteen were killed in August alone. U.S. forces will re-vet all current members before reinstating the training.

No murder charges for now against 270 miners accused in a mass killing in South Africa, in which video shows police officers opening fire on the victims. The national prosecuting authority stepped in after public outrage over a regional prosecutor's decision to charge the miners. The authority says charges will come only after all investigations are complete. Thirty-four miners died August 16th during a clash linked to a labor estate.

The entertainment turned frightening in a monster truck show in Harrisburg, Oregon. Three people at monster air 2010 were hurt when the 48-inch tires of this out of control Ford landed on them. Our affiliate KGAL reports.

A sheriff's sergeant says the victims will survive their injuries. An eyewitness said the driver lost control after he hit a mud pit.

Across Syria, more than 100 people were killed just today. About half of them in Damascus and the suburbs.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

TUCHMAN: Add that number to the staggering 1,600 people killed over the past few days, and you've got the single deadliest week in Syria since the civil war began.

Opposition forces say government forces massacred 35 people in a village near Hama today, and a bomb went off next to government building in Damascus, wounding several bystanders. Nearly 5,000 people died in Syria in the month of August alone -- street fighting, shelling, and Syrian military air strikes.

We at CNN have to rely on opposition reports of these casualties. CNN cameras and reporters are not allowed in the country right now.

Also in Syria today, an American journalist is missing. His name, Austin Tice. He's 31 years old, a freelance writer from Texas.

He went to Syria to cover the civil war from the perspective of the uprising rebels. Three weeks ago he went quiet, nothing, no more dispatches, no more pictures, no more tweets, nothing at all.

Nick Valencia is here with us now.

Nick, you're following this story. The hunt for answers about Austin Tice. Nick, I just reported 5,000 people were killed in Syria the last month alone.

Could he have been one of them?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's a lot of people hoping that that's not the case, especially in Huston where he's from, Gary. A lot of rumors and that's one of them.

But what we're hearing from one of the media organizations, he was a freelance correspondent for them acting in that role in Syria. "The Washington Post" citing a senior diplomat, as well as other people close to this matter, saying that Austin Tice is being held by the Syrian government in Damascus.

TUCHMAN: How are we in this country getting any credible information out of Syria?

VALENCIA: That's a great question. You just mentioned information flowing out of Syria is very tough to authenticate and verify. Since we removed our U.S. embassy there in February, the Czech Republic has been acting in an official capacity for the U.S. government.

And it's important to note, Gary, that the lion's share of this information that he is being held by the Syrian government is coming from one source, and that's the ambassador for the Czech Republic to Syria. She gave an interview with Czech Republic TV where she said embassy sources are saying that Austin Tice is being held and was taken captive by the Syrian government.

TUCHMAN: What kind of work was Austin Tice doing in Syria?

VALENCIA: Incredibly dangerous, incredibly risky, incredibly gutsy reporting. He's gone so far as to embed himself with the Free Syrian Army. He spent a lot of time there filing dispatches from the perspective of the rebels.

Now, he was in places like Daraya, which is the suburb of Damascus, incredibly dangerous, as well as Homs.

We heard from the State Department earlier, as far as what the Czech Republic is reporting, and they told our State Department correspondent Jill Dougherty that "we are working through our Czech protecting power in Syria to get information on his welfare and whereabouts, and we appreciate the efforts of the Czech mission on behalf of our citizens."

They follow by saying, "We have seen news reports that Mr. Tice is in Syrian custody. However, the Syrian government has yet to confirm these reports with our protecting power." They are urging the Syrian government to respond, of course.

TUCHMAN: So, Nick, tell me now in Houston where Austin Tice is from, how his family is handling all this? Do you know?

VALENCIA: His family, his mom tweeted earlier today, as you mentioned, Gary, into the lead in. This is the start of the third week that no one has heard from him, his whereabouts unknown. Of course, that one source, as we mentioned, saying that he's in Syrian government captivity.

But the family released a statement to us earlier this week as well, saying "Austin is our precious son and we beseech the Syrian government to treat him well and return him safely to us as soon as possible."

As you know, the ongoing conflict in Syria one of the most violent. The Committee to Protect Journalists saying at least 19 journalists have been killed in the conflict, Gary, since November 2011.

TUCHMAN: I think, Nic, that's something we have to remember, he's a journalist. But more importantly he's a son.

VALENCIA: That's right.

TUCHMAN: Thank you, Nick Valencia.

VALENCIA: Thank you.

TUCHMAN: Well, President Obama, we're talking about politics now, and he's on the road and making his case for re-election. He spoke today in Boulder, Colorado, rallying up the crowd at the University of Colorado.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have come too far to turn back now. We've got more good jobs to create. We've got more homegrown energy to generate.

We've got more young people to send to college. We've got more good teachers to hire. We've got more good schools to build. We've got one more war to end. We've got more troops we've got to bring home.

We've got more veterans we've got to take care of. We've got more doors of opportunity that we have to open for every single person who is willing to work hard and walk through them. That's why I'm asking you for a second term.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: The president did well in Colorado four years ago. He won the state in 2008.

CNN's Athena Jones is in Boulder today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On day two of the president's "Road to Charlotte" tour, he spoke before a large crowd here, about 13,000, at the University of Colorado-Boulder. His message was part a rebuttal of what we've heard from the Republican National Convention last week and part an effort to rev up the crowd of these mostly young voters, make sure they're registered to vote and make sure they actually do vote.

Let's listen to a little bit of what he had to say.

OBAMA: Just over two months from now for the first time in many of your lives, you will get a chance to pick a president, and by doing so, you'll get a chance to choose the path that we take from here.

Now, last week the other party gave their pitch at their convention down in Florida. Don't boo, vote.

JONES: Colorado is an important swing state, nine electoral votes and the president won this state back in 2008. They're certainly hoping they can do so again. He's been to Colorado 11 times as president and eight of those times this year alone, which shows you how important it is.

One other push that they've been making both here in Colorado and in Iowa yesterday was this focus on early voting and voting by mail. Campaign officials tell us here in the state of Colorado, 77 percent of the votes came in either early or by mail last time around. So, it's something that could prove pivotal in this state.

The president's next stop is Toledo, Ohio, on Monday, and then he also goes to visit hurricane victims, the victims of hurricane Isaac in Louisiana later that day.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUCHMAN: What is Barack Obama really like? CNN's Jessica Yellin reveals the man through the people who know him best. Watch "Obama Revealed: The Man, the President." That's tomorrow night 8:00 Eastern Time and Pacific Time here on CNN.

Charlotte is far from quiet in the days leading up to the Democratic National Convention.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's going on? What's going on?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: We'll look at what has brought out hundreds of protesters. They are there in full force.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TUCHMAN: As all eyes now turn to the Democratic National Convention, at least the political eyes, protesters are gathering already in Charlotte to make their voices heard.

The march led by Occupy Wall Street South drew hundreds of protesters today shouting calls for reform. According to our CNN affiliate WCNC, two people were arrested. Protesters are just blocks from the convention site.

President Obama is trying to build momentum ahead of the Democratic National Convention. He spoke earlier at the University of Colorado campus in Boulder, like we were saying recently, making his case for re-election.

CNN's Mark Preston is in Charlotte, North Carolina, site of the convention.

Mark, it's great seeing you.

It's no secret that the president is courting the student vote. It's important for him. How can he get them to stick with him for another four years?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, you know, Gary, it's not just the student vote but also African-Americans, and it's also those blue collar voters in Ohio where we'll see him tomorrow. The election is very much at least Republicans are saying at referendum on President Obama's first term in office.

And this morning, on the talk shows, we've heard two different tones being sung. Let's first from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who served as President Obama's first chief of staff in the White House. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL (D), CHICAGO: People want to know about the first term? Very simple -- General Motors is alive and well and Osama bin Laden is not. And that's what got done. Because the president did deal and they know, in fact, what he inherited and what he is trying to fix. And the question before the American people, will we go back to the policies that actually took the middle class, gave us the recession, gave us an auto industry about to implode, gave us a financial meltdown of historic proportion? Or the person that led the country during those troubled times to get its feet back on the ground?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PRESTON: And there you have Rahm Emanuel, the Chicago mayor, President Obama's first chief of staff, defending his first term in office, his first four years in office. He made those comments on "Meet the Press".

But we shouldn't be too surprised. Eric Fehrnstrom, a senior adviser for Mitt Romney on "STATE OF THE UNION", had a different take on it.

Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC FEHRNSTROM, SENIOR ADVISER, ROMNEY CAMPAIGN: I think next week in Charlotte, the president needs to explain why he didn't do what he said he was going to do. When he took office shortly after his inauguration, he said in an interview if he didn't have this economy turned around in three years, his presidency would be a one-term proposition.

Well, the economy hasn't turned around. In fact, I think the biggest news next week, Candy, will not be the three nights of the Democratic convention, but it will be on Friday when we hear again about the monthly jobs report for the month of August.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PRESTON: And that is Eric Fehrnstrom, the senior adviser for Mitt Romney on "STATE OF THE UNION" this morning. What he's talking about there, Gary, is really the all-important national jobs report. We will get that on Friday. That tells us basically all across the nation what the unemployment rate is, and it is really the topic of conversation in this presidential campaign -- Gary.

TUCHMAN: That's right. The day after the convention ends getting that unemployment report will be very interesting.

Tell us what to expect this week. We know at the Democratic National Convention, they will not have a hurricane, so that's good news for the Democrats. But tell us some of the big speakers this week.

PRESTON: I've got to tell you what, Gary, we won't have a hurricane but the weather here is reminiscent of what we saw in Tampa. In fact, we've got a major storm coming in this way right now, although we are very used to it.

But unlike what we saw down in Tampa for the Republican National Convention, this will be a truncated convention. It will be over three days, two of the days will be right behind me at the Time Warner Cable Arena.

But the big night is going to be on Thursday night. President Obama will be in the big arena just down the street from me, the Bank of America Arena. It will be gigantic -- very reminiscent of what we saw back in 2008. Thirty-five thousand people, Gary, expected to be here, 6,000 delegates.

And I will tell you, on Thursday night, it will be the final turn as we head into the general election. It will all be about the economy and jobs -- Gary.

TUCHMAN: Mark, keep that umbrella close and it's nice seeing you and talking to you. Mark Preston, everybody.

TUCHMAN: Thanks, Gary.

But you can take part in the DNC in CNN's election roundtable Tuesday. Join Wolf Blitzer, our political team, for this live virtual chat. Just go to CNN.com/roundtable and submit your questions. You'll get answers in real time.

The CNN election roundtable is at 12:00 noon Eastern on Tuesday.

Of course, CNN teams are in Charlotte for the start of the Democratic convention and CNN's live coverage of the convention will begin Tuesday evening, two days from now, 7:00 Eastern Time.

So, let's talk about what we can expect from President Obama at this week's convention. L..Z Granderson and Will Cain are here. They are both CNN contributors. L.Z. s also a senior writer for ESPN.

They are sitting next to each other in New York City. So no arguing, no fighting when we are done, guys.

WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Right.

TUCHMAN: Keep it cool, keep it calm.

L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Right. Note to self.

TUCHMAN: Note to self.

Well, we can assume the president won't ask delegates if they're better off now than they were four years ago. That could cause some problems.

So, what do you expect him to say and what do you think he ought to say?

CAIN: You want me to take this first?

TUCHMAN: First Will.

CAIN: Here is what I expect, Gary. I expect to be a week of divisions to be honest. I think we're going to hear about dividing Americans along the lines of age. I think we're going to hear about it along the lines of gender.

I think most of the heavy lifting of that will be done from the speakers leading up to President Obama. I think that's obvious in the booking of people like Sandra Fluke, Lilly Ledbetter, speakers from Planned Parenthood.

But I do think there's one division that will be saved for President Obama and that will be the division of class. About nine months ago I'd say, he gave a speech in Kansas where he talked about the middle class and he posited the status of the middle class against those of the very wealthy. I think those are themes we'll probably hear from him again. Now, I said nine months ago, so that's not going to be a new message.

And I'll say quickly what I think he should do would be to say something along the lines of what you suggest you shouldn't, Gary, this -- are you better than you were four years ago? I think he should say I inherited a very, very difficult situation. It's on the right track. I've turned it around slightly.

I think you can try to make that very difficult message similar to what Rahm Emanuel started to say in the clips you played a little earlier.

TUCHMAN: L.Z., what do you think the president should say?

GRANDERSON: Well, you know, it's really funny listening to the way that Will characterized the way President Obama and the DNC platform is going to be. I don't see it as a division. I see it as a pointing out of different ideas about what's good for the American people.

Yes, there are a litany of characters who could be characterized by Republicans as being divisive. But it's simply the matter of fact is, that the RNC, the Republican's platform says things specifically like we want to abolish abortion regardless of the circumstances. That's not division. That's pointing out the differences.

Same thing when it comes to class and the middle class in particular. There is no division when you point out the numbers. And the numbers in the last 40 years have said one thing explicitly, and that is the fact that income has left the middle class and the lower class and at a number that's disproportionate to the growth of rich people have all gone to richer Americans.

And we've seen that gap for the last 40 years, not the last 3 1/2 of the Obama administration. Not even during W's administration, but the last 40 years.

And so, again, that's not division, that's pointing out the trends. And once he does that, then he's able to talk about why he made the decisions he did. Why he instituted Obamacare for instance. I thought it was really interesting to hear John McCain give a foreign affairs speech and somehow forgot to mention Osama bin Laden and that entire conversation. So I would talk about the fact that even though I have been doing good things, they refuse to even acknowledge those good things. We can acknowledge the good things, how are we going to get beyond that as a unified country.

TUCHMAN: L.Z., let's talk about for a second, the last Democratic president. Wednesday, the second night of the convention will be Bill Clinton time, and he's remembered for a lot of things, but one of them is a good economy, a surplus. The last surplus this country has had. Any risk that Bill Clinton could upstage the president?

GRANDERSON: You know, when I saw that question, I just sort of laughed because in order to be afraid of that, the person who follows Bill Clinton would have to be insecure and President Obama is not insecure. In fact, I think it says a lot about him as well as Democrats to the fact that they're not even going to bring out President Clinton but also President Carter.

I think you noticed W was absent during the RNC and that reason why is because they're embarrassed by him. The Democrats are not embarrassed by the previous president, it's because they're actually quite proud of a lot of the good things they've done when they were in office, but also more importantly after office, they're getting more insight into the characters of the men.

So, no, I do not believe having Clinton on the bill is going to upstage him. I think what it does is further illustrate just how unified they are in trying to help the country.

TUCHMAN: In all fairness, what I've seen in many decades in this business, after a president loses, for example, Jimmy Carter didn't come to the convention either. And eventually, they become elder statesmen and they show up and everyone's very proud of them.

So, we've seen this story before. But either way, Will, what do you think about that? Is Bill Clinton's secret weapon or could his presence highlight some problems we're having with the economy right now?

CAIN: I think Bill Clinton is a wonderful speaker for liberal ideology and the Democratic Party. So, I think he's nothing but a plus for them taking the stage.

Do I think he'll remind people of a time when they had a Democratic president and the economy was singing better? You know, I don't know. You know what's going to be more impactful than that, Gary, is the fact that during this week while the Democratic National Convention is taking place, the United States' total debt is going to eclipse $16 trillion.

That speaks louder than any kind of reminiscing to when Bill Clinton was president. He's a net plus for the Democrats.

TUCHMAN: Will Cain and L.Z. Granderson, I don't think we'll see any fighting when we're done with this segment. And it's nice seeing both of you sitting next to each other. Thanks for joining us.

GRANDERSON: If I could point out one thing, W didn't lose, he won re- election, they still didn't invite him back.

TUCHMAN: That's a valid point, but like I said we certainly have seen that over past decades when parties don't want to be reminded of the most recent past. They show up again -- my guess is four years from now, eight years from now, you may see George W. Bush at the GOP convention. We'll wait and see. I'm not a fortune teller.

Gentlemen, thank you very much.

CAIN: Thanks, Gary.

GRANDERSON: Thank you.

TUCHMAN: Still not a good idea to go home. That mandatory evacuation in Louisiana has been lifted, but it's still very touch and go. We'll have an update from the storm zone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Don't forget. You can stay connected. You can watch CNN live on your computer. You can do it from work. Just go to CNN.com/TV.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TUCHMAN: You don't have to leave, but it's not a good idea to come back yet.

Authorities dropped a mandatory evacuation order for hundreds of Louisiana residents near the Pearl River in St. Tammany Parish north of New Orleans, but they're still urging people to stay away. They're worried about a strained lock on the Pearl River diversion canal.

Remember, officials warned yesterday that a lock failure was imminent. Then crews relieved pressure by releasing water. But it's still touch and go. The Pearl River is expected to crest tomorrow in more than 19 feet, a very high level.

President Obama will visit storm-damaged areas of Louisiana on Monday, which is tomorrow. He canceled a planned campaign stop to Ohio to make the trip. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano toured storm damage in Mississippi today.

Let's go to meteorologist Karen Maginnis now in the weather center. Karen has more on the rain from the remnants of Isaac and the Pearl River cresting tomorrow -- Karen.

KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Here we are a week after Isaac or just about a week after Isaac made landfall, and it is still wreaking havoc.

All right. Gary, this is the area we're looking at. Here's New Orleans, here's Slidell. It is in St. Tammany Parish. We'll zoom in and show you the town of Pearl River but also this Pearl River watershed.

Here is the gauge, and this is the watershed that's going to be affected. Primarily it is this region where the residents are most in danger.

But farther to the south, they will be threatened as well as the water continues to rise, and as we mentioned going into tomorrow afternoon right around 2:00, they're saying the river could crest at just about 19 1/2 feet. Well, minor flooding occurs at about 14 feet. So we've got a ways to go, and those folks definitely are going to be watching those river gauges very carefully.

The other big news for today has been the eruption of some thunderstorms and tornado watches issued for portions of northern Alabama and into Tennessee, extending through Kentucky. And, Gary, we'll be watching some of these cells. They have the potential to produce damaging storms and possibly tornadoes.

TUCHMAN: Karen, thank you very much. Some tough holiday weather.

And the hard labor this holiday weekend will be paying to fill the tank in your car. Gas prices on this holiday hitting a high. But guess what? Some say it's all about to change.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What inspired me to jump into a nonprofit world was really Nicholas Negroponte, and he described to me his vision for technology being available to all.

NICHOLAS NEGROPONTE, FOUNDER, MIT MEDIA LAB: My name is Nicholas Negroponte. I'm the founder of the MIT Media Lab.

Just look at the antennas, what they do. It is very cleverly designed. He's the best designer of his vintage by a long shot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TUCHMAN: It's 31 minutes past the hour right now. Let's take a look at some of the headlines.

On outbreak of Legionnaires' disease has hit Quebec City. It's killed 10 people sick and 165 more and health officials don't know how people are getting it. The Canadian government has ordered for some buildings to clean their cooling systems, a common source of the disease. Legionnaires is a severe form of pneumonia that spreads when people breathe in droplets or mist with Legionella bacteria.

A Muslim cleric is under arrest for allegedly planting evidence against a girl accused of blasphemy in Pakistan. Pakistani police will also charge the imam with blasphemy himself for allegedly tearing out two pages of a Quran to place on the girl's bag. The girl who is 14 and Christian is accused of burning not the holy book itself but pages containing verses from the Quran. The imam has denied that he tampered with evidence.

Back in the U.S. closing arguments are set to happen after Labor Day in the trial of Drew Peterson. He is the ex cop from Illinois accused of murdering his third wife. He's a prime suspect in his fourth wife's disappearance. The third wife, Kathleen Savio, was divorced from Peterson, and her body was found in a dry bathtub in 2004. The defense says her death was an accident.

Protesters hit the streets of Charlotte, North Carolina, today ahead of the Democratic convention. Hundreds of people marched by Charlotte's Banks. Some chanted, "We got sold out." The protest was called "March on Wall Street South." The number of demonstrators at the Republican convention fell short of expectations in part because of the weather.

We're just two days away from the start of the Democratic convention. And Charlotte organizers are putting the final touches on the venue. They'll do in fast motion, it looks like. And a security perimeter has been set up.

CNN's live coverage of the Democratic National Convention begins Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

Gas prices are setting records this Labor Day weekend. Let's bring in business correspondent Alison Kosik in New York.

Alison, thanks for joining us. You know, here in Atlanta I feel -- I see a lot of stations that are $3.99 a gallon. They don't want to scare motorists by putting it at $4 and over. But it's over $4 in lots of states around the United States. Why are the prices so high?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, talk about sticker shock, we're certainly getting it this weekend, Gary. You know, gas prices are higher than they've ever been on record for a Labor Day weekend but believe it or not they're not as high as they were back in April. And guess what? We could all blame Hurricane Isaac for this recent spike in gas prices.

This is because, you know, Hurricane Isaac hit the Gulf Coast. That's really a key oil production area in this country. You look at, you know, 40 percent of the nation's petroleum refining capacity. It's right there located along the Gulf Coast. And that's why you're seeing gas prices really spike, and -- there you're looking at the difference there between the previous Labor Day record and we're certainly beating that.

But what happened with Hurricane Isaac was that these refineries, they weren't damaged, but they had to shut down or they had to cut back production during the storm. And what that did is knock out hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil production a day. Oil that would go into gasoline. That sent prices higher because, you know, it's the law of supply and demand. It -- that oil wasn't able to be made or refined into gas and there's less gas on the market so prices are going higher.

You can also pile on a -- pile on a couple of other things making prices higher as well. There was a deadly refinery fire at a major facility in Venezuela about a week -- two weeks ago. That's another factor that could crimp supply and drive up oil prices. Also a refinery fire at a Chevron facility in California and then you throw in one more thing, it's more expensive to make a summer blend of gasoline, so you pile all of that together and you get those high prices at the pump -- Gary.

TUCHMAN: Alison, this summer in June I'm driving in South Carolina for a story. I paid $2.92 a gallon for gasoline. Now the prices are expected to drop, I understand. Any chance they'll be going to those levels where people in some parts of the country could be paying under $3 again?

KOSIK: You know, if I knew I'd be a rich woman right now.

(LAUGHTER)

KOSIK: You know, I certainly can't crystal ball it for you but analysts are saying that you are going to see prices go lower right after the -- you know, the heavy driving season. Labor Day is officially the end of heavy driving season. We're getting sort of into the fall and winter months. And what also happens is these refineries switch from making the more expensive summer blend of gasoline to a winter blend that's cheaper to make. Hopefully you'll see some relief at the pump with that.

Also refineries are going back online on the Gulf Coast. It takes time for those refineries to ramp back up but you should see prices go lower. The problem is, as one analyst puts it, Gary, prices tend to rise faster on the way up than they fall on the way down. That's not good news for consumers, but they shouldn't stay this high for too much longer -- Gary.

TUCHMAN: Well, it helps to be a rich woman or a rich man to pay for the gasoline right now.

(LAUGHTER)

TUCHMAN: Alison Kosik, it's nice talking to you. Thank you very much.

Now to the big stories in the week ahead. President Obama gearing up for the Democratic convention, Wall Street eyes some key economic figures, and a reality TV show pledges to be, quote, "kinder and gentler."

Our correspondents tell you what you need to know. We begin with the president's plans for the week.

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Athena Jones in Ft. Bliss, Texas. President Obama speaks at a Labor Day event in Toledo, Ohio, on Monday before heading down to Louisiana to meet with people affected by Hurricane Isaac. On Tuesday he travels to Norfolk, Virginia, and on Wednesday he goes to Charlotte, North Carolina, for the Democratic National Convention. He officially accepts his party's nomination for president on Thursday night. POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. It will be a shortened trading week with the markets closed for Labor Day but when trading kicks off on Tuesday morning, Wall Street will be all eyes on the August jobs report. That is set to be released on Friday morning, and it will be critical for consumer confidence and also in the race for the White House.

Also on tap this week, the August car and truck sales data. That comes out, as well as a look at how much folks are spending on construction. A pretty good sign of how they're feeling about the economy. We'll track all of that on CNN Money.

I'm "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT's" A.J. Hammer. Here's what we are watching this week. "Basketball Wives 2.0." Is the show really going to cut out all of the violent drama this season? Well, I'll speak with Jackie Christie, one of the stars of the L.A. franchise.

TUCHMAN: A gruesome task for one man in the nation of Syria, documenting the dead. Victims of a brutal and bloody civil war, a terrifying thought. But wait until you see what one activist is seeing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TUCHMAN: For journalists, describing the war in Syria would not be possible without the videos posted online. But these activists see in their villagers and towns goes beyond horror. Dead men, women, children, their neighbors. And in some cases their own siblings.

CNN's Arwa Damon takes us to the town of Qusayr, not far from the border with Lebanon. The video you'll see was obtained by a freelance journalist. We must warn you many images in this story are disturbing and may not be appropriate for all viewers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Every night Trad scrolls through the videos he shot that day reviewing scenes he wishes he'd never witnessed. It's a macabre routine but one he's addicted to. He simply can't stop, can't let go, can't give up.

For the past 18 months he's documented nearly every single death in Qusayr, a town of some 50,000 before the violence started. Name, date, location. More than 400 victims and counting. Often they are his neighbors, friends, relatives, people he would see around town, and once he pointed the camera at his brother's corpse.

TRAD, MEDIA ACTIVIST: The first one my brother, I didn't know my brother is the first one. After I come also I take some photo as other one. Suddenly I remember of this one my brother. The start I shout, my brother, my brother, my brother, doctor, my brother. But after normal, I am sad also at first and then angry. But after normal.

DAMON: The 37-year-old once owned a furniture shop. Now he's part of a small team of media activists. Filming and posting online the horrific videos that have come to symbolize the Syrian uprising. Most of the residents of Qusayr have fled, but the indiscriminate shelling still takes its toll on the few who remain. Those who have nowhere else to go.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUCHMAN: More of Trad's story, the grim end for a fellow activist, and what he plans to do with his camera when the revolution ends. That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TUCHMAN: Before the break you heard Trad's story. It's risky documenting the violence in the Syrian town of Qusayr. The fate of a fellow activist showed just how dangerous it can be.

CNN's Arwa Damon filed this report with video from a freelance journalist. Again, we must remind you images in this story may not be appropriate for all viewers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAMON (voice-over): In the last few weeks this 8-year-old girl was killed by a mortar round that hit her home. There was nothing the medical team could do but try to hide the wound to spare her mother the anguish. She collapses when she hears the news. At times Trad tries to console families, reassuring this woman that her son is going to be OK, that he will survive the wounds to his leg. Occasionally he hands over the camera so he can help, but too often there is nothing he can do but film.

Much of Qusayr lies in ruins similar to most of what we see from across Syria. Its people resigned to their fate knowing that they are on their own. The hospital regularly targeted is trying to build up its defenses. This man, who works in construction, is building a bunker for his family. His children take a quick peek into the darkness below. Perhaps this will save them. Perhaps it will be their grave.

Trad's younger brother is now a rebel fighter. He was a mechanic who wanted to be a deejay. He plays music as Trad recalls the fate of one of their media activist friends. Detained by Syrian security forces and returned to them with his eyes gouged out.

TRAD: And they take the eyes. The same, my job. Why? I can go down Bashar. I throw Bashar by this one. Too much dangerous here in Syria the camera. But when I finish with revolution, I catch the camera like this, and I throw it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUCHMAN: Difficult to watch but also important to watch. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) TUCHMAN: On college football's first weekend, three teams are making a case for why they will win it all. Defending champ Alabama wants a third title in four years. LSU aims to return to the top and finally free of sanctions. USC is ready to roll.

Carlos Diaz from HLN's "MORNING EXPRESS" joins me now.

I must disclose.

CARLOS DIAZ, "HLN'S MORNING EXPRESS": Yes.

TUCHMAN: That I have two kids at USC, so I'm rooting for the Trojans.

DIAZ: Well, University of Second Choice is a good college.

(LAUGHTER)

DIAZ: I didn't -- that's what they say out. That what people UCLA say.

TUCHMAN: Yes. The rivalry is something else.

DIAZ: I went to Indiana University. We barely have a football team. But, you know, the thing is, it's tough to know who the haves are on the opening weekend. But after the Michigan Alabama game, we know who the havesnots are. And it's tough because Michigan fans really thought they had a shot, but when this game was at 31-0, halfway into the second quarter, it was all but over. And Alabama's victory had to be the most impressive victory at the opening weekend.

Just, you knew USC, they looked great. USC scores on the opening drive. They look great. LSU looks amazing against North Texas.

TUCHMAN: Right.

DIAZ: But North Texas, Hawaii, these are not big opponents. Alabama's domination of Michigan proved that Alabama is a team to be reckoned with and the fact that it wasn't even close. That 41-14 final score wasn't even that close. Alabama's the team to watch.

TUCHMAN: And SEC was tough.

DIAZ: It's going to be one team from the SEC, then you'll probably going to have a PAC 12 team like USC or of course, Oregon, you know, could sneak in there as well.

TUCHMAN: Well, speaking of power houses at one time, the Penn State Nittany Lions, all kinds of problems obviously. They play Ohio University, a fine institution, but not exactly a football power house. I was stunned by that upset. Despite what Penn State is going through I'd never imagined that would happen.

DIAZ: Right. The first time a -- major conference has beaten Penn State in an opener since the the 1960s, you know, but big props to the crowd at Penn State, at Beaver Stadium, they stayed to the very end chanting, you know, Penn State chants, chanting Bill O'Brien, the new coach. They were backing their team, but I got to tell you, you can talk all you want about tradition and how, you know, it's as -- you'll can see the players coming out right there, but if this team continues to lose, the top recruits that they're used to getting automatically are going to go elsewhere.

When they know that they can't go to a bowl for another four years, these top recruits, they've got to look out for themselves.

TUCHMAN: Yes. Their great running back ended up at USC.

DIAZ: Yes. Silas Redd was the runner for USC this weekend and doing well for USC. So that's the thing. I mean, this team here has got so much weight on its shoulders because we all know what the season means, but they have got to win to keep that recruiting class alive for seasons to come.

TUCHMAN: Now this is the best time of the sporting year because we -- the NFL season is starting next week with the end of the baseball season. Great things are happening.

DIAZ: Yes.

TUCHMAN: We got Wednesday, opening night of the season, Sunday, full slate, and we don't have the regular referees.

DIAZ: This is unbelievable to me. I'm so fired up about this because, you know, I get it. I get what the leagues wanted to do. They want to add more referees so they can pick and choose the best referees to give us a better ball game, but when you have Joe Q public out there spending top dollar, and I mean top dollar, to go to these games, isn't it the responsibility of the NFL to put on the field the best product possible?

Let me just pull this out to you real quick. What if in week one, you have the players playing it fast and loose. They know what they can go away with. And what if Peyton Manning goes down in week one because the officiating is not where it should be. Is that worth not giving a $40,000 raise to a referee? That's what I cannot understand. When you're talking about hundred million dollar athletes, when you're talking about stressing safety in NFL, why would you not want the guys officiating that safety to be at the top of their games. I don't understand.

TUCHMAN: Commissioner's office is really not aware of --

DIAZ: I just -- I just think -- I think that this is a negotiation and I applaud Commissioner Roger Goodell for his -- him stressing safety, but I think you're spitting out of both sides of your mouth when you're saying safety, safety, safety, and you're not willing to -- it's less than, less than 1 percent of your $9 billion revenue that you bring in. You're talking about just paying these guys what they need to get them back out on the field.

TUCHMAN: We'll see what happens after the first week of this regular season.

Carlos Diaz, thank you very much. Good seeing you.

DIAZ: Good seeing you.

TUCHMAN: Well, Kim Jong-Il, sushi and a surprise reunion. It will all make sense in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TUCHMAN: A sushi chef who fled North Korea under the late Kim Jung-Il has returned to the open arms of the dictator's son. Kenji Fujimoto, the author of a book about Kim Jong-Un, says he was close to the leader when Kim, the current president, was a child. Now as an adult, North Korea's ruler has invited the servant back after 11 years.

CNN's Paula Hancocks has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This was the reunion after 11 years. Kim Jong-Il's former sushi chef who had fled North Korea believing his life was in danger was invited back recently by his son and new leader Kim Jong-Un.

"I jumped up to hug him," says Kenji Fujimoto, shouting, "comrade general," and instantly burst into tears. Fujimoto says he used to play with Kim Jong-Un when he was younger and was a trusted chef of his father traveling around the world for him to buy exclusive and expensive ingredients.

Since fleeing to his native Japan in 2001, he has written best-selling books about the family. He claims Kim Jong-Un has forgiven for his betrayal. Fujimoto also met the the first lady, Ri Sol-ju. The wife the world only learned about a couple of months ago.

"She is just so charming," he says. "I cannot describe her voice. It is so soft."

Fujimoto has nothing but glowing praise for the leader, talking of the aura surrounding him and the great man he has turned into. At times, almost sounding like a spokesman for Kim and country.

"I went window shopping," he says. "There are plenty of goods in the shops. That's already a big difference. There was nothing a decade ago. It was totally different. I guess it changed drastically since the Kim Jong-Un era started."

Pyongyang has changed over the years, but it's the city for the elite and chosen. In the countryside that few visitors are allowed to see, it is very different. Aged groups say food is scarce and malnutrition high. Fujimoto was also reunited with his North Korean wife and children who he claims wants to stay in North Korea.

There's no way to know if that's true, but his family's presence in Pyongyang is likely a reason the former chef is saying nothing negative. (on camera): Fujimoto says that Kim Jong-Un had organized a party for him, although he doesn't quite remember how it ended after having a few drinks. He does remember though that the North Korean leader invited him back whenever he wants, claiming that kind of invitation from Pyongyang is unprecedented.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: Sushi for all.