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Romney Tweaks Strategy, Message; Fast and Furious Sparring; What the Future Holds for Jobs; U.S. Casualties Honored in Libya; Mitt Romney Courts Latio Voters; Romney Courts Latinos In Florida; Revisiting Past CNN Heroes; Drug Addiction Cripples Many Afghans; Cop Saves Woman From Oncoming Car; Motocross Champ Beats The Odds; Space Shuttle "Endeavour's" Last Voyage

Aired September 20, 2012 - 14:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Fred, thank you so much.

WHITFIELD: All right.

BALDWIN: Good to see all of you. Top of the hour and continuing on here at the CNN NEWSROOM, I'm Brooke Baldwin. In fact we have just gotten word of what the government plans to do in response to the killing of our U.S. ambassador to Libya. That happening in the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi just last week.

We have Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, she will be right there on Capitol Hill today taking some pretty tough questions. We are going to turn that around for you. So definitely stay tuned for that. We'll take you live to Washington.

But now, this. Strap in. We have a lot to report on the Obama and Romney campaigns today. First, though, this. FOX News has released this new poll that shows the president having built a lead of seven points. Seven, seven points here in the state of Ohio. This is big news because it's not exactly good news for Mitt Romney. It is, obviously, good news for the president.

To that end, the Romney campaign now has announced plans to mount a bus tour of Ohio and that's happening next week. Remember this. No Republican has ever won the White House without winning the state of Ohio.

That poll we talked about it, it also shows a seven-point Obama lead in Virginia. Another large electoral state that's been considered a toss-up and may be tipping here. You can see the numbers. May be tipping toward the president for now.

Here's another one for you. And this is what we're going to really focus on today. This state, the state of Florida. You see the 29 electoral votes there. Obama up 49 percent. Mitt Romney is sitting at 44.

So the president now has opened up leads in the three different swing states. What then do you do if you are Mitt Romney? Well, we told you about the bus tour next week in Ohio but we're also learning he'll be doing fewer fundraisers and more events with real live voters. He is also riding this new line of attack against the president. Listen to this. This is from yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He said some years ago something which we're hearing about today on the Internet. He said that he believes in redistribution. All right? I mean, there are people -- there are people who believe that you can create a stronger economy and a brighter future if you take from some people and give to other people. Now this --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So, more tweaks to Mitt Romney's message and to his strategy.

I want to bring in Jim Acosta. He is live for us in Sarasota, Florida, where Romney is speaking next hour.

And let's begin with the new tactics here, Jim, because we're hearing -- I think the headline was more Mitt. Right? This new tactic sort of shifting gears, doing fewer of the closed-door fundraisers, you know, more rallies in which he's speaking to the American people. What does he gain by doing that? And what does he also potentially lose?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, let's talk about what he gains. I mean, obviously, he's had a light schedule over the last week, Brooke. He's only held two or three rallies if you count today in the past six days. So that is a light schedule when you consider that we're less than 50 days to go before the election.

But he is going to be picking up the pace. Campaign aides say he'll be basically hitting battleground states like here in Florida and then next week in Ohio. He and Paul Ryan will be doing a bus tour across that state and obviously what they want to do is raise his visibility. Get him out there talking to voters more, talking about his economic plan. There are -- there's some grumbling up on Capitol Hill if you listen to the -- those Republicans saying that Mitt Romney has not really done a very good job of explaining his economic plan, that he needs to boil it down.

Well, you know, I guess those folks should understand that Mitt Romney has been boiling it down. He's been trying to explain his economic plan in five points or less over the last several days and so he's going to get a chance to do more of that. That's the upside.

The downside of it is, obviously, Brooke, that he could have one of those off message moments and that is basically what this campaign has been grappling with all this week ever since those videos were leaked by "Mother Jones." They've been having to explain that.

We heard Mitt Romney last night at a Candidate's Forum with Univision saying that he wants to support 100 percent of all Americans. He used that phrase and then talked last night, it was very striking, Brooke, at this event in Miami about how his father received government assistance after he crossed the border from Mexico in the -- into the United States when he was a young boy.

So it's interesting to see that the Romney campaign recalibrate on this. And so that is the pro and the con, the upside and the downside of getting more Mitt, as you put it, over the coming days.

BALDWIN: Yes. You know, you mentioned something I want to go back to, this Univision forum. So we heard this new line.

ACOSTA: Right.

BALDWIN: You just alluded to. And this was actually a line we heard five times. Five times the first couple of minutes of this televised forum. Not so much a line, it's a figure. One hundred percent. Here he was.

ACOSTA: Sure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMNEY: This is a campaign about the 100 percent. So my campaign is about the 100 percent of America. I know that I'm not going to get 100 percent of the vote. I've demonstrated my capacity to help the 100 percent. Because I care about the 100 percent people in America are going to have a better future if they elect me the next president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: One hundred percent, 100 percent. We hear him. What's that all about, Jim?

ACOSTA: Right. Well, obviously, you know, there are a lot of Americans out there and a lot of people within his own party who were uncomfortable with the fact that he talked about those 47 percent of Americans in that "Mother Jones" video who he wrote off as Obama supporters that are dependent on government who will never support him.

Obviously, the Romney campaign and Mitt Romney himself have decided that they need to use a more inclusive tone, try to sound more inclusive when talking about the voters out there because after all they're going to need them on Election Day.

But, Brooke, there was another moment during that forum last night that also raised some eyebrows when Mitt Romney was talking about the similarities between the president's health care law and his own. Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMNEY: I have experience in health care reform. Now and then the president says I'm the grandfather of Obamacare. I don't think he meant that as a compliment but I'll take it. This was during my primary. We thought it might not be helpful. But -- (END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: So there you heard Mitt Romney say that it was a compliment to be called the grandfather of Obamacare and that he would take it. We should note, Brooke, in the last few minutes the Romney campaign just wrapped up a conference call featuring one of its top surrogates, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, reiterating when asked this question about Mitt Romney being the grandfather of Obamacare, Bobby Jindal said that Mitt Romney has made it very clear that he will seek to repeal and replace the president's health care law on day one of his administration.

BALDWIN: Yes.

ACOSTA: So they're moving back to what he had been saying all along.

BALDWIN: Yes.

ACOSTA: And perhaps trying to clean up what he said last night at that forum, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Let me also then, because yes, we've heard that multiple times from him but I want to take you back also to this new line of attack that Romney has opened up. And just to be clear, this goes back to 1998. This is based on these remarks by then an obscure politician by the name of Barack Obama and then Republicans, they've been circulating it, this 14-year-old audio clip. Here's part of it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think the trick is figuring out how do we structure government systems that pool resources and hence facilitate some redistribution because I actually believe in redistribution, at least at a certain level to make sure that everybody's got a shot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Now that was Illinois State Senator Barack Obama actually believe in redistribution, presumably wealth distribution. But now we're learning there's much more to those remarks. Tell me about that.

ACOSTA: Well, if you -- if you listen to the full remarks and a lot of this out -- is out online right now, you can read about it. I believe, NBC News obtained the full audiotape of those remarks and if you see those remarks and listen to those remarks he also goes on to say that the days of having government programs that redistribute wealth -- redistribute wealth may be coming to an end and a more market-oriented solutions might be needed.

So the Obama campaign and I think advocates for the president have been pointing to this, and saying, hey, wait a minute. There was a larger context here.

But, Brooke, keep in mind, this is a presidential campaign where out- of-context moments have been sort of the rule of the day and both sides have been doing this to each other. And so the president can expect to hear Mitt Romney talk about redistribution for the next several days. He did it last night. I would be very surprised if he doesn't do it later on this afternoon.

BALDWIN: Yes. And on either side, if they are taken out of context, it is our job to call them out. Both sides.

ACOSTA: To put it in context. Definitely.

BALDWIN: To put it in context.

ACOSTA: That's right.

BALDWIN: Jim Acosta, thank you so much.

A lot more news this hour. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: The economy is recovering. Or is it? With today's news of job losses, coupled with seasonal hiring reports, we'll sort out all these mixed signals.

I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.

The ultimate swing states and the ultimate prize. President Obama and Mitt Romney chase Florida's Latino vote.

Was America's slain ambassador on a terrorist hit list? And were his warnings in Libya ignored?

And heroin addicts. Children, mothers and fathers who leave their families. The true faces of the world's worst opium problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: A new development on "Fast and Furious." Just one day after delivering the long-awaited report on the flawed gun running probe Inspector General Michael Horowitz appeared before the House Oversight Committee. That is the very same committee that earlier this year found Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt.

And the inspector general had to tread very, very carefully between Republicans looking to blame and Democrats defending the attorney general. Take a listen to this exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. STEPHEN LYNCH (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Do you believe that this report vindicates Attorney General Holder and fair enough Attorney General Casey given the -- their lack of information about what was going on? MICHAEL HOROWITZ, JUSTICE DEPARTMENT INSPECTOR GENERAL: I think the report speaks to what we found and found in our conclusions and I'll stand by the very lengthy, I agree with you, report. But -- and not trying to re-characterize or characterize it today myself.

LYNCH: OK.

(CROSSTALK)

REP. DARRELL ISSA (R), CALIFORNIA: The gentleman yield?

LYNCH: Sure.

ISSA: I think from the chair's standpoint I think your point is extremely good that nowhere in this report did we find specific incrimination of they knew either one of these attorneys general and I think that's an important point and it's one that I think for the record the committee should be aware of, is that I don't think anyone should have assumed that they knew.

We certainly would all wish that any attorney general would ask to know more and would have known more and I think the inspector general's report does cast blame for high-ranking people not asking more questions but I agree with the gentleman that neither attorney general was found to know it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: As we reported yesterday, this review calls for disciplinary action against 14 ATF and Justice Department officials and then within minutes of the report's release the DOJ announced that former acting ATF chief, Kenneth Melson, was retiring and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jason Weinstein resigned.

This is something that affects every single one of us. The economy. Obviously, we have our fingers crossed that it is, in fact, recovering. We hope so. But experts, you know, they keep telling us it is. But very, very slowly. But if you're still skeptical, guess what? You're not alone. It seems that, you know, we will get some good news here it comes with a bit of a buzzkill. Take today's report on unemployment.

The good news. Fewer jobless people got in line for benefits last week. That number, 382,000. The buzzkill, the experts thought the line would be even shorter. So are we better off or are we not?

Alison Kosik, I am turning to you as always to help me sort through sort of the good and the bad. What's the story behind the jobless benefits?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Let me tell you what we learned today. We learned that first-time claims for unemployment claims, Brooke, they dipped by 3,000 last week to 382,000 and sure, you know, any decline in the number of people laid off, that's good thing but we really want to see the level of filings closer to the 350,000 or under mark to really start signaling we've got a solid rebound in the labor market.

You know what's really frustrating is that there had been that sign back in July but the problem is those claims numbers have slowly been going back up lately and to make matters worse, we keep finding out every month that employers not hiring on a large scale. But I want to give a little bit of a caveat in this reading that we got today though, that was partly the number that you saw of claims. It was partly inflated because of hurricane Isaac. There were several states that were impacted by the hurricane that had to close their businesses. In fact they had 8,000 claims but the problem is if you discount the number of claims filed because of those businesses closing because of the storm the level, yes, the level is still too high, Brooke.

BALDWIN: But the, you know, you wake up. I woke up reading the papers. Saw the head lines with Bank of America and American Airlines, I mean we're talking thousands of layoffs is what's being reported. Is that because we're just heading into that, you know, final bit of the year and typically companies do that?

KOSIK: Not really. I know it seems that way because everything's happening at once but the latest monthly reading that came from Challenger Gray & Christmas, what it showed was that these planned layoffs were actually at a 20-month low. Not the case at Bank of America, though. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that B of A is going to be eliminating 16,000 positions by the end of the year. But the things is this isn't a big surprise because this is part of the 30,000 job cuts that the bank announced last year. They're just doing a little earlier than expected.

Now, as for American, the carrier is trying to get out of bankruptcy. It did warn that 11,000 workers this week that they could be laid off. But they said that the number may fall to 4, 400. Now, it is a big reason that American airlines went in to bankruptcy in the first place was because of the labor costs. And these job cuts, they're unfortunate an unfortunate reality but they're trying to make the company viable again. Brooke?

BALDWIN: What about finally heading in to the end of the year, holidays, holiday season, retailers. Any good news there?

KOSIK: Yes. And you make a good point because how much hiring retailers do for the holidays is a good indicator of the type of season that stores are expecting. Kohl's this week it would bring on about 53,000 employees. That's more than 10 percent more than it hired last year and that's a lot of people. Target is planning to hire 80,000 to 90,000 seasonal workers, that's a huge number but it's actually down from last year and while I'm giving you mixed messages, here these surveys have shown that most retailers, they're expecting the sales over the holidays to be a bit higher than that last year so that's a good sign for the economy but it's temporary because a majority of the temporary jobs, yeah you're probably going to see them fall off the payrolls after the new year. It never hurts to get a little temporary employment to get you through the holidays.

BALDWIN: Hopefully it is good for the holiday season now as hopefully people are able to buy, buy, buy. Alison Kosik, thank you very much.

KOSIK: Sure.

BALDWIN: Still ahead, months before his death was Ambassador Chris Stevens targeted in Libya? Details about what he said about being on an al Qaeda hit list, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: We have some new information for you but at the same time there are a lot of questions about how four Americans were killed nine days ago in Libya. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in the hot seat today briefing lawmakers about those deaths and there is this new information about what exactly Ambassador Chris Stevens knew days in advance. But first, just hours ago the nation of Libya paused to recognize these men who lost their lives in Benghazi on September 11.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MUSTAFA A.G. ABUSHAGUR, LIBYAN PRIME MINISTER: Our blood is spilt for the sake of our country. And your blood has been spilt for our cause. Welcome to you all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Libya's Prime Minister attended a memorial that honored the men killed. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, foreign service officer Sean Smith and security officers Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, a program today began with Libya's national anthem followed by the American anthem. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns also was there to pay tribute to the victims.

Now, though, to what exactly it was that the Ambassador knew and when. An unnamed source tells CNN that Christopher Stevens feared he was on an al Qaeda hit list. The source also says Stevens worried about what he called never ending security threats in Benghazi and specifically spoke about the growing presence of al Qaeda in Libya.

Yesterday, the head of the U.S. national counter terrorism center confirmed the incident on 9/11 was, indeed, a terrorist attack. But he says it's still unclear if it was planned or if terrorists seized an opportunity that all those protesters angered by that anti-Muslim film and then opened up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW OLSEN, DIRECTOR COUNTERTERRORISM CENTER: We do know that a number of militants in the area as I mentioned are well armed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.

OLSEN: And maintain those arms. What we don't have at this point is specific intelligence that there was a significant advanced planning or coordination for this attack.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BALDWIN: However, one of the senators on the Homeland Security Committee challenged the director. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS, ( R ) RANKING MEMBER, HOMELAND SECUROTY CMTE: The attack in Benghazi was not a black swan. But rather, an attack that should have been anticipated based on the previous attacks against western targets, the proliferation of dangerous weapons in Libya, the presence of al Qaeda in that country and the overall threat environment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: The president of Libya's general and national Congress said that the violence at the consulate was part of a plot.

Back to politics, it was a big, big night for Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney as he addressed a crowd of Latino voters there is in Miami. So, did he wow voters in Florida? let's find out, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: On to presidential politics. We talked to you about the new swing state polls showing President Obama opening up leads in both Ohio, Virginia and Florida. Now, Romney is campaigning for day number 2 in Florida. In fact, just last night he appeared on the network Univision from a forum in Miami and we're going to play a clip. He's talking here first about the children of undocumented immigrants.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMNEY: By the way, if a student does so well they get an advanced degree, I'd staple the green card to their diploma. We're not going to round up people around the country and deport them, that's not, I said during my primary campaign time and again, we're not going ot round up 12 million people that includes the kids and the parents and have everyone deported. Our system isn't to deport people. We need to provide a long-term solution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: I want to bring in Ed Lavandera. There he is live for us at Poncho's Spanish Bakery and Deli in Orlando. And Ed, I know you've been talking to a lot of people today, and we're going to hear from them in a moment, but, just quickly, what are they saying? How did what Mitt Romney said last night resonate with Latinos?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN ANCHOR: Well, you know, that the immigration issue when you look at Latino voters across the country, immigration ranks up there. More so than perhaps the rest of the population in the country. So, people around here paying close attention. I'm not sure if Romney did a lot to sway a lot of people with his appearance yesterday. A lot of people we have spoken to have already made up their minds for Obama or for Mitt Romney. So, but for across the board, though, Brooke we keep hearing is: it's education, it's immigration, it's the economy. Is the top three issues that they care most about. And it's a Florida's an interesting place. Across the country President Obama enjoying a large lead in the polls among Latino voters across the country by some 40 points. In the state of Florida, it's actually a little bit closer from some of the recent polling that I have seen, and a lot of that has to do with the differences in Latinos here in the state of Florida. Down south in Miami, you have a large Cuban population. Tend to vote Republican. Here in the Orlando area, for example, you have a large Puerto Rican population, they've tended to vote Democratic. But you can hear, listen to some of the voters we talked to here today about just what it is that attracting them to each candidate, Obama and Romney.

BALDWIN: yes. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: What issues do you want to hear these candidates talk about?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fairness. I guess that's the biggest thing. I'm going to say I'm a middle class and like my mom was a single mother. She worked very hard to get what we have. I'm from originally from Puerto Rico. Like I came over here and got a lot of opportunities so I want to make sure there's fairness for everybody just like me.

LILLY VALERON, LATINO VOTER: Everyone can say change. Everyone says, you know, we need a new face, but, you know, you have to be specific because Obama won the last election on being vague, with change.

But he did towards the end start specifying exactly what his Obama care, you know, welfare reform and went through and he actually, whether he followed through with it or not that's another issue but he did start honing in on the issues so Romney needs to step it up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: Brooke, I thought that was really interesting there at the end. All of the Romney supporters that we've spoken here today said they thought that Mitt Romney needs to communicate more with the Latino voters here in the state.

But he hasn't done a good enough job of introducing himself to them. So the Latino voting population here in Florida about 13 percent of the population so in this swing state, that could very well make a huge difference.

BALDWIN: Ed, I have one more question for you. But I just want to let all our viewers know this is sort of a two-parter with Univision.

So they had Mitt Romney as part of a big town hall for half an hour yesterday and so right now this hour, President Obama is there and he is speaking, as well. I want to let everyone know, we're monitoring that. As well as maybe news is made we'll play a chunk of what the president is saying. Back to you, Ed Lavandera because you know, as you talk about both of these men trying to grab that key, key voting block of Hispanics, I bet you have seen a commercial airing in Florida.

I don't know how long you've been watching TV, but is there not a new Spanish language only ad from the Obama campaign touting Sonja Sotomayor?

LAVANDERA: I thought that was interesting. One of the first things I saw last night when I got here to Orlando and turning on the TV in my hotel room and one of the first commercials that popped up was that ad.

And it was simple and just one issue and it talked about President Obama picked the first Hispanic-American Supreme Court Justice Sonja Sotomayor and that ad playing here in Orlando where you have such a large Puerto Rican population.

And the ad points out simply Mitt Romney have said that he would not have supported that pick for the Supreme Court and that's all it says. They leave it at that.

And, you know, that's a hard politics clearly going for that Puerto Rican vote here in the Orlando area, which they hope will make a big difference.

BALDWIN: Ed Lavandera for us in Orlando. Ed, thank you. We should also point out the Romney camp also had a Spanish language ad many of which are airing basically criticizing the president over his health care -- health care policies so on both sides.

Every day, people doing extraordinary things. Who are they? They're our "CNN Heroes" and we'll introduce you to a man who's very much so making a difference right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Today at noon we revealed the top ten "CNN Heroes" of 2012. Every day folks making efforts to improve the world and so each Top Ten Hero gets a $50,000 grant to further their work and a chance for more.

This is the sixth year of the "CNN Heroes" campaign and so we want to just, you know, check back in with some of our "CNN Heroes" to see how their efforts have bloomed.

My next guest just told me in commercial his work has been phenomenal. Former bartender Doc Hendley provides clean water to people all around the world. He was a "CNN Hero" back in 2009 and he joins me right now from Istanbul.

Doc, it is wonderful to see you. So you say your work is phenomenal. Remind us all about the wine to water program and how you've just really bloomed. DOC HENDLEY, CNN HERO 2009: Yes, so we've been providing clean water now for over eight years, but nothing has come even close to what we have been able to accomplish since the "CNN Heroes" program in 2009.

We doubled in size as an organization in 2010 because of the exposure that came from "CNN Heroes" so I'm probably one of the biggest fans and advocates of the show ever.

Because I've been able to see firsthand just how many lives we've been able to save thanks to the exposure of the program and gave us a voice that we didn't have before.

BALDWIN: Help us understand because you know today you know the deal. We are rolling out basically and explaining it next hour to the folks watching how it is you vote for these top ten heroes. If you can, just doc, hit home for us why it's so important for people to vote.

HENDLEY: Well, you got to get out there and vote because the whole concept of this is that you got ten awesome people with passions for an individual thing and they've really believe that thing is changing the world and it is.

So the great thing about this is that viewers get to actually get involved themselves and, you know what? Not only I call it close to my heart, but I really love this individual and the story and the way approach.

So it's almost like not just giving and get involved, but it's people being able to connect with their favorite charity, a person representing that charity. So it's really an awesome thing that we have as an international community to get behind the folks we feel like have the greatest impact in the community.

So you got to get on there, look at all of the videos, find your favorite one and vote as many times as you're able to.

BALDWIN: Final question to you. I'm curious. We do so much at CNN with you all with the heroes. Have you been out on the street and somebody says, are you that guy, that "CNN Hero" guy? What's that like?

HENDLEY: It has happened a couple times. Not a lot by any means, but it actually happened in New York City at one time. I was coming actually to visit some folks at the CNN office there. Just and they had an event and somebody stopped me in the middle of the street.

I'm looking over my shoulder like, who, me? Yes. It's a little strange and but it's so great because this is a group of people that never in their mind thought people would know their story one day.

They didn't get to it so that people know their story and then all of a sudden it's so special because they are such genuine, amazing people and then their story is told and the world embraces them.

And it's such an exciting time for all of us past, present, you know, and hopefully the future ones, as well. BALDWIN: Doc Hendley, we are so proud of you. Please keep kicking tail. Your program is wine to water. We can always keep up with you and a quick reminder for everyone, the question is, you know, who will be the 2012 "CNN Hero of The Year?" You get to decide.

All you have to do is go to CNNheroes.com right now it's up live. You can vote and we'll explain exactly that whole process next hour. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Dangerous drugs are cheap and easy to get in the country that grows 90 percent of the world's opium, main ingredient of heroine. So many Afghans addicted including little children and there's not much in the way of treatment.

CNN's Anna Coren talked with desperate drug addicts in the capital city of Kabul.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a park in downtown Kabul huddled under trees are a group of Afghans ignored by society. With the syringe in one hand, a vile of heroine in the other, this 28- year-old man begins a ritual that's been part of his life for the past seven years.

He draws the liquid out, what's left over he drinks and then he gets in to position. Health workers give him swabs to clean the skin. He doesn't use the crook of the arm because the veins collapsed. Instead he chooses the back of his hand.

For the next 5 minutes, he slowly pumped heroine in to his veins. He then collapses with the needle still sticking out of his hand. This is a tragic scene repeated throughout the country with up a million Afghans addicted to drugs.

That's 8 percent of the population, double the world average. With Afghanistan producing 90 percent of the world's opium, the main ingredient of heroine, drugs here are pure in quality and very cheap.

The 28-year-old Reza injects half a gram a day, which cost around $4. He started a year ago after being introduced to it by a bad friend. He says he'd like to give up, but at the moment he can't.

Using drugs made me leave my home, my family he tells me. If I didn't use drugs, I would have a family, a good life. Ernst Wisse runs a preventive drug program in Kabul. It's the only clinic with methadone, a substitute of heroine, but can only legally cater for 71 drug users.

ERNST WISSE, MEDECINS DU MONDE: I would describe the drug addiction problem in Afghanistan as enormous and growing.

COREN: The clinic also helps addicts that walk in off the street.

WISSE: This is the first day he's not used any other drugs normally.

COREN: He introduces me to a 38-year-old who's been an addict for 14 years. The father of four says the family had enough. I want to use methadone until I forget drugs completely, he says. I want to be a healthy person to find a good way to start a normal life.

(on camera): Two years ago, there was a real sign the Afghan government and the international community were serious about tackling drug addiction in this country.

Methadone program started, but two months later it was shut down. Officials saying they're still trying to work out the best form of treatment.

(voice-over): According to the U.N., it is, but that means, little to the countless number of desperate Afghans who can't access the methadone program.

The 25-year-old Mesoma is willing to try a more basic form of treatment. She and her entire family including her two young boys are addicted to opium.

I started to use the drug like a medicine for pain relief after my husband died, but when I became an addict, I had to search for a way to stop this. They're staying at Mother Camp, an organization founded by a local Afghan woman, which tackles drug abuse through counseling.

I feel shame and say to myself, why did I do this? Why didn't I think of my children, my future? A powerful motive that for now is keeping the addiction at bay, but for so many other Afghans that battle is already lost.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: We bring in Anna for us in Kabul. Anna, if you say, they're trying to work out the best form of treatment, but access is such a problem. Why is this such a low priority in Afghanistan?

COREN: Yes, Brooke, there just is no access to any form of treatment other than what we showed you in the piece. It's just such a low priority. They're really the forgotten people of this world.

It just is not a priority for this government. You got to remember there are so many other problems in Afghanistan. You know, this war's been going on for 11 years. It's about to enter its 12th year.

Brooke, just to give you an idea, these people, they used to congregate under a bridge near the university until police came along and dispersed them. Well, then now scattered all throughout the city, which is a huge problem for the health workers who are trying to treat them.

And, you know, there were people literally in the median strip of a major highway and police walking past and completely oblivious because it absolutely is everywhere. And Brooke, if it is not addressed and not treated, the people of HIV is very real. It is spreading. It is growing and health professionals say if they don't get on top of it, it will become a crisis in Afghanistan.

BALDWIN: It is stunning. It is sad and to see little boys addicted, as well, it's just heart breaking. Anna Coren in Kabul. Anna, thank you so much for your reporting there.

Their job is to serve and protect and a Texas policeman did precisely that and he had only seconds to live up to his oath. You have to see this video play out next.

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BALDWIN: Want to share some dash cam video with you that really shows exactly how far a policeman went to quote/unquote "serve and protect." It happens fast. You have to watch very carefully here.

Focus on the officer actually behind the car in the clip, the 23-year- old officer pulls a woman out of the path of his own out of control squad car. Watch this, there it goes.

Right into this dash cam area, this reported drunk driver hit Officer Phillip Standafer's patrol unit sending it toward the woman who got away with cuts and bruises. The officer was seriously hurt, but he's going to be OK.

Dirt bikes are dangerous enough, but adding in muddy track and 40 other riders going at top speeds, it can be pretty frightening. Now imagine being on that track and not being able to hear anything at all. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has this week's "Human Factor."

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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For Ashley Fiolek, motocross racing is in her blood.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My dad used to race and he brought me to watch one race and I was 3 years old and I fell in love.

GUPTA: But there's something different about Ashley when she hits the course. She can't hear a thing. Ashley was born completely deaf. She speaks to us through a sign language translator and a friend Natalie.

ASHLEY FIOLEK, CHAMPION MOTOCROSS RIDER (through translator): I don't know it would be riding hearing. I grew up and I was born deaf.

GUPTA: In a sport that prides itself on making noise, where hearing your opponents coming is the difference between winning and losing, Ashley is alone.

FIOLEK: It's hard to see if someone's coming up behind me.

GUPTA: She also uses the vibrations of the engine to make sure she's in the right gear. At this race, Ashley who is the only deaf rider ever to compete in Motocross was trying for the fourth championship title.

FIOLEK: I feel really good. I hit every jump and the big double. I hope I can win and hope to be the champion.

GUPTA: And she achieved just that, beating out her closest rival for the national championship. But for Ashley, it's about more than just winning.

FIOLEK: I think it's really cool to be a role model for the deaf community and it's cool feeling to have people look up to you.

GUPTA: For Natalie, her friend's impact is obvious, as well.

NATALIE SIMMONS, FRIEND OF ASHLEY FIOLEK: She is very important to women's motocross. As a role model, deaf or not, you know, she is like smaller than I am and she can ride like that. It's crazy.

GUPTA: Proof that anything is possible. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN reporting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Sanjay, thank you. What a story. Sanjay has all these wonderful stories. You can watch him "SANJAY GUPTA M.D." Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Eastern and Sunday at 7:30 in the morning Eastern Time.

All right, space geeks, space shuttle "Endeavour" drawing crowds across the country as it is flying around touring the nation piggyback style for one final goodbye. So how is it to pilot a plane with a spacecraft on top?

We're going to talk to a former pilot who has done precisely this. We're also going to talk to Chad Myers. That is next.

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BALDWIN: We are witnessing just a little sliver of history today, the space shuttle "Endeavour" in the air right now flying piggyback atop the modified 747 jumbo jet. It's historic because this is "Endeavour's" final voyage.

Tomorrow was really the big final day, but we've been telling you for weeks "Endeavour" got this new home as a museum attraction in the Los Angeles area, at the California Science Center.

So as we watch this very closely, I just want to bring in my fellow space geek Chad Myers who can tell us a little bit more about where "Endeavour" is and when "Endeavour" is supposed to land.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It went by Tucson about 20, 30 minutes ago and now on the way to known as Edwards Air Force Base and it will land there. It will spend the night there and then it will do a tour of California, air tour.

It doesn't land until it gets back to LAX tomorrow afternoon. Flies over the capital in Sacramento, great little tour all the way over San Francisco at 1,500 feet, you will be able to see it there.

BALDWIN: And on October 12th is the big parade and the big -- we'll go big on that, I'm sure. I do want to bring in someone looking at the pictures, Chad, you stay with me.

As we've been pointing out, "Endeavour" is mounted on top of the jumbo jet, the modified Boeing 747. I want to bring in Ace Beal. Ace, you have quite the impressive resume.

Flight hours total 12,000, you worked with NASA, worked part of the U.S. Air Force. You've flown one of these things. What the heck is it like having a space shuttle on top of your plane?

ARTHUR "ACE" BEAL, FORMER NASA 747 PILOT (via telephone): Well, I'll tell you. It actually flies surprisingly well. The difference is, of course, there's more drag. You need more power. It can't climb real high maybe 15,000 feet, 16,000 feet at the most. It's somewhat top heavy as you can imagine having --

BALDWIN: You think?

BEAL: Yes, because we can carry a shuttle up to 240,000 pounds so we have to be concerned about our vertical center of gravity. Plus the fuel burn is ridiculously high and flying at a slower speed and the range is limited. There are a lot of restrictions but the airplane does fly surprisingly well with the orbiter on top.

MYERS: Ace, it's Chad Myers. I want to talk a little bit about that not being to bank very much because of that orbiter on top and also describe to me the extra turbulence that thing creates.

BEAL: That's interesting. That's exactly right, Chad. It's -- you need to watch your bank angle because as you can imagine with that high vertical center of gravity, you could get in to a position of not enough control authority to roll out of a bank.

We never get close to that. We generally limit our bank to 20 to 25 degrees of bank. So as far as the turbulence, there's a vibration that constant vibration on the airplane mainly with the attached fittings, it feels like you're flying in light turbulence the whole time.

BALDWIN: Ace, I have one more for you. As a former NASA guy and I know you've been in touch with some of the folks involved with "Endeavour" and I hate to use this word because it seems cliche by now, but I'm going to use it because it seems fitting.