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New Fighting Occurs in Benghazi, Libya; In Canada, Parents of a 2-year-old Girl are Mourning her Death; Police Pull over 19 Cars Looking for a Bank Robbery Suspect; Mitt Romney's 2011 Tax Return was Released Today;

Aired September 22, 2012 - 15:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We start in Libya where new fighting in Benghazi has left the city in chaos there. But, it's not the Libyans who support the U.S. who are under siege. It's the radical Islamic group Ansar al-Sharia which is tied to the attack that killed the U.S. ambassador and three others ten days ago. Yesterday, hundreds of pro U.S. Libyans marched and took over the extremist headquarters.

CNN's Arwa Damon is on the ground in Benghazi and shows us how these citizen militias have gone on the offense and have the radicals on the run. But the battle isn't over yet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There was an initial sense of euphoria, people saying that this is the real Libya. Cleansed of extremists by its own people. But the situation quickly turned sinister.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boom, boom, boom.

DAMON: There's gunfire.

Just on the other side of this wall is the second location that we're told is being struck tonight. But contrary to what we witnessed at the first place, here, there seems to be something of a gun battle going on. We are hearing sporadic gun fire as well as other small explosions. The location, it would turn out, is actually the headquarters of a battalion backed by the government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Arwa Damon now joining us live from Benghazi. So you know, Arwa, give us an idea, how powerful are these demonstrations now that are kind of more pro U.S. and trying to push extremists out?

DAMON: Well, the very essence of these demonstrations, these pro democracy demonstrations, is to demand that the government bring about an end to these extremist militias, but also to other militias that exist outside of the government's umbrella, outside of the government's authority in and of itself. What we saw last night was these pro democracy demonstrators taking over the (INAUDIBLE) headquarters. They still have it under their control. The group itself saying it has withdrawn from the city, but then somehow the situation becoming manipulated and then these very same individuals going and attacking the headquarters of one of these battalions that are yes, a militia, but at the same time, endorsed by the government itself, and therein lies one of the main challenges for this nation at this point in time.

Because their security forces, the police and army, are effectively nonexistent, and security is still in the hands of these various militias that are the by-product of the revolution. Many of them formed during the revolution, and at times they do have competing agendas.

WHITFIELD: So might this be kind of a turning point?

DAMON: Well, this most certainly is Libya at a cross roads. That's what the prime minister was telling us during interviews that we did with him a few days ago. On the one hand, you do have the vast majority of the population as far as we can tell, demanding an end to these extremists, demanding an end to the impunity with which they can offer and wanting to see the government taking a firmer stance, Establishing a nationalistic army and police force. But at the same time, when it comes to the extremist entities, the government is approaching it very softly and very carefully because they want to first take the political track because they say if they try to confront them militarily; it's going to create bloodshed and even more chaos.

WHITFIELD: Arwa Damon. Thanks so much for that update.

In just the last hour, President Barack Obama arrived in Wisconsin taking his campaign to Paul Ryan's home state. It is the first time in the state for the president since February. And with only a month to go before early voting starts, it is a state that could play a role in deciding this election.

Athena Jones is with us now. She is traveling with the president.

So, the president there, likely to have two fund-raisers, is he feeling like he has the advantage given that he won that state back in 2008 and still seems to be in the lead with recent polls?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, the campaign would say the only poll that matters is the poll on Election Day, but it is certainly got to be heartening that the three recent polls have the president up, one of them with a 14-point advantage.

CNN averages those polls for our poll of polls and that poll of polls shows that the president is leading Romney 52 percent to 43 percent. But you know, Wisconsin has been a traditionally blue state. It last voted for a Republican in a presidential election nearly 30 years ago for Ronald Reagan. And so, -- the president won here in 2008 by 14 points, but of course, Mitt Romney chose Paul Ryan, a Wisconsinite as his running mate. That kind a changed the game a little bit, and of course a couple years ago, we began to see a Republican surge here. You'll remember those efforts to recall Governor Scott. He survived those. That involved a lot of money from Republican groups both inside and outside of the state that could help put it in play.

But certainly right now, the president seems to be leading and they want to make sure they can keep the state's ten electoral votes in the blue column, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And here, this is Paul Ryan's home state, Wisconsin, but the Republicans have a strategy, how to kind of counter Obama's advantage there?

JONES: Well, it's interesting. I mean, part of it seems to be certainly today they are trying to call attention to the fact this is the president's first campaign event in this state. That earlier than February, an official event. The RNC is saying the president has ignored Wisconsin for 220 days. They put out a web video hitting him and talking about what the Republicans have been doing in terms of door knocking and voter contact here in the state. And the Romney campaign says the fact that the president is here raising money and here talking, holding this rally shows he has a, quote, "Wisconsin problem." So, they are certainly trying to play on this idea that this has been a reliably blue state and now the president is being forced to defend it. So, that's a little bit of their tactic today, Fred.

WHITFIELD: OK, and some potentially big money at stake at the fund- raiser this evening, I'm particularly talking about the one that will involve hall of famer Hank Aaron, right?

JONES: That's right. So he has arrived, we know, at that location, that theater, and so these events should be getting under way soon. One of the lower, I should say, dollar fund-raiser, about 550 people expected who are donating $250. The other is much, much smaller, about 20 people expected at a cost of $25,000 a ticket. So if you add up all the numbers, he's likely to raise more than $600,000 today. And that, of course, is going to be very important as we head into these last 45 days, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, thanks so much. Athena Jones, traveling with the president.

All right, Paul Ryan brings his campaign to Florida today. He's already made a stop in Miami's little Havana neighborhood. Ryan attacked Obama's policy toward Cuban leader Fidel Castro and promised tougher action.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PAUL RYAN (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In a Mitt Romney administration, we will not keep practicing this policy of appeasement. We will be tough on this brutal dictator. All it has done is rewarded more despotism. It is (INAUDIBLE) and we will help this pro democracy group. We will be tough on Castro, tough on Chavez. And it is because we know that that is the right policy for our country. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, that was in Miami earlier today. Right now, Paul Ryan in Orlando, Florida, making his rounds in that swing state. Ryan is there this afternoon for a town hall at the University of Central Florida.

While Paul Ryan is in Florida, Mitt Romney is focusing on fund- raising, but it's his personal finances that are creating the buzz this weekend. Yesterday, the Republican presidential candidate released some of his tax documents including his full 2011 tax return. It shows he made $13.7 million last year and paid nearly $2 million in federal income taxes. Because Romney's income came largely from investments, he's taxed at a lower rate, 14.1 percent. We will have more on the debate surrounding Romney's taxes later on in the hour.

Mitt Romney may not think his presidential campaign needs a turnaround, but Sarah Palin sure thinks he does. She is the latest conservative to voice her frustration with the direction of the Romney campaign.

The former vice presidential nominee told the "Weekly Standard" quote, "with so much at stake in this election, both Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan should go rogue and not hold back from telling the American people the true state of our economy and national security," end quote.

She went on to say, there's more, quote, "America desperately needs to have a come to Jesus moment in discussing our big dysfunctional, disconnected, and debt-ridden federal government," end quote. That was from former Alaska governor Sarah Palin.

All right, guns pointed at mothers and young children as police search for a bank robbery suspect. They arrested their suspect, but will the aggressive manhunt end up jeopardizing that case?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Making news overseas now, activists say another 166 people died today in Syria's civil war, and the violence is spreading. There are reports of fighting between government forces and rebels near the Syrian/Lebanese border and the U.S. is on alert as fresh anti-American protests erupt overseas.

In a rare sight, hundreds of women and children take part in peaceful protests in Islamabad, Pakistan chanting we love our holy process. The demonstrations are over the independently produced film mocking the prophet Muhammad. But demonstrations over the same film in Bangladesh's capital city turned violent today as several protesters were arrested. Protests are planned in at least four other countries today.

On to Canada now, the parents of a 2-year-old girl are mourning her death. Canada's highest court overruled her parents and pulled the child off life support at an Edmonton hospital. The baby who was brain dead died Thursday. The parents had applied for an emergency stay after doctors recommended ending the girl's life.

Jonathan Mann with us now.

So John, how unusual was it for the court to have this ruling that really defied the parents' wishes?

JONATHAN MANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is a precedent setting case in Canada. It would be here in the United States. It would be practically anywhere because Of course, the care of the child is the responsibility of the child's parent. In this case, the doctors treating baby M decided she was so sick that damage to her brain was so profound and permanent that there was no point taking extensive and invasive measures to prolong her life. The parents said that it was a matter of love. It was a matter of faith, as you mentioned, that the child should be kept alive. And they went to court. They went to court in Edmonton, Alberta. They went to court, to the Supreme Court of Canada, and ultimately the court decided the child's interest was not in having her life artificially prolonged. The judges heard the case and decided against the parents. It is a strange case. All the stranger, because the reason that baby was so sick was because of the parents themselves.

WHITFIELD: And so these parents, 34 years old, they are charged with assault and negligence for failing to provide the necessities of life. Might there be other charges that are going to be more severe that are down the line?

MANN: That is what this case really turns on. The child was not sick because of natural causes. Paramedics arrived at the home back in May and found this baby girl and her twin sister, 2 1/2 years old, one weighing in at 13 pounds, the other 16 pounds. The smaller of the two was already unconscious. Both children were badly beaten about the face, arm and their older brother was malnourished and unwell.

The parents are charged with leaving the children in that kind of state. They told the paramedics, oh, the girls had fallen down the stairs when they were playing. But essentially what we are seeing is a terrible case of child abuse. And the parents have been charged with child abuse, neglect, endangering the life of a child. So much so that the courts say they can no longer speak for their children.

And so baby M is now dead and the expectation is even though she died while outside of the parents' care, even though she died as a result of the authorities' decision, they may be charged with second degree murder.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. Sad, very tragic. All right, thanks so much. John Mann, appreciate that.

All right, police pull over 19 cars looking for a bank robbery suspect, all the adults are handcuffed and some children have guns pointed at them. Did law enforcement go too far to nab their guy?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A bank robbery case in Colorado is raising serious questions about how far police can go to catch the bad guy. In the process, finding and arresting an alleged bank robbery, police also held innocent civilians at gunpoint, handcuffing teenagers and then pointing rifles at moms.

Ted Rowlands reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Marci Strandberg stopped at a light on her way home from shopping near Denver, Colorado. The next thing she knew, police had her at gunpoint.

MARCI STRANDBERG, CAUGHT IN POLICE BLOCKADE: I said I have kids in my car. They had rifles pointed right at me.

ROWLANDS: Nineteen cars were held at this intersection that Saturday afternoon. Everyone was ordered out of their cars at gunpoint, including children. The boy in the green shirt is 16-year-old Michael Hance.

MICHAEL HANCE, CAUGHT IN POLICE BLOCKADE: They had rifles, guns and everything pointed everywhere, shields and canine dogs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A robbery just occurred with a gun at Wells Fargo.

ROWLANDS: Police were looking for this bank robber seen here wearing a beekeeper's mask and armed with an air horn and loaded gun. He had just made off with $25,000 from a Wells Fargo a few miles away.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Seen wearing a beehive mask.

ROWLANDS: Police thought the bank robber was at this intersection because there was a GPS tracking device hidden in with the money. The problem was they had no idea what car he could be in and because of the beekeeper's mask, they didn't know what he looked like. So, everyone was treated as an armed and dangerous suspect.

STRANDBERG: We all had to have our arms showing and our arms out the window and we had to keep our arms like this.

ROWLANDS: One by one, police approached each car with guns and shields. Nearly everyone was handcuffed. Marci's 4-year-old daughter, whom you can see she was carrying, was asleep for most of the ordeal. Her 8-year-old son, however, was awake.

STRANDBERG: My son was crying and I kept telling him to keep his head down between his legs because I didn't know if open fire was going to happen.

ROWLANDS: That's Crystal De Guzman in handcuff, moments after she watched police take her 16-year-old son away, Michael, away at gunpoint.

CRYSTAL DE GUZMAN, MICHAEL HANCE'S MOTHER: I think any mom would be upset, not knowing what is going to happen to your kid.

ROWLANDS: Police eventually searched this white expedition. Inside, they found two loaded guns, the money, and the beekeeper's mask.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have the suspect in custody.

ROWLANDS: 45-year-old Christian Taesh (ph), a school teacher with no record was arrested and charged with armed robbery. He has pled not guilty. Was this a case of good police work or did they go too far? Federal law gives police some leeway to detain citizens for a reasonable period of time as part of a criminal investigation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A little bit of inconvenience, you know, getting cuffed for a minute to see if you're armed. Getting detained very briefly to see if there is some probable cause to believe you have done something, you have to put up with that. But two hours at rifle point, I think that's excessive.

CHIEF DAN OATES, AURORA, COLORADO POLICE: No question we inconvenienced citizens. We feel badly about that. We apologize to them, but we made a tough choice here and arrested a very dangerous armed bank robber.

ROWLANDS: But what police did may have put the entire case in jeopardy. The accused robber's attorney said there was no probable cause to search the vehicle and that police violated his client's rights by pressuring him to agree to a search after he initially refused. If the judge agrees, all of the evidence, guns, the money, the beekeeper's mask could be thrown out because of the way it was collected.

And as crazy as that sounds, some legal experts say they have an argument. Tim Olson, who was among those handcuffed at the intersection, says that would send a message to police.

TIM OLSON, CAUGHT IN POLICE BLOCKADE: If the bank robber gets away with it, that says you didn't do your job properly.

ROWLANDS: The judge's ruling in the case should indicate whether police were doing their job or if they crossed the line.

Ted Rowlands, CNN. Aurora, Colorado.

WHITFIELD: After months of criticism, presidential nominee Mitt Romney releases some tax records. And it reveal that he actually paid more in taxes than he had to. What's that all about?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: President Barack Obama is in Milwaukee at this hour. It is his first trip to Wisconsin since February. He has got a fund- raiser just over an hour from now, and then he moves on to a campaign rally at a Downtown Park. The president is leading his opponent, Mitt Romney, in state polls there.

Mitt Romney is fund-raising himself, but on the west coast this weekend. But it's his owned money that's getting all of the attention. The Republican presidential nominee released some tax records, but critics say it's still not enough. CNN's national political correspondent Jim Acosta has that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mitt Romney came to Las Vegas and rolled the dice, releasing new tax information in the hopes of putting a lingering campaign issue to rest. According to Romney's 2011 return released by the campaign, the GOP nominee paid nearly $2 million in taxes on almost $14 million in income, an effective rate of 14 percent.

But Romney had to make some adjustments to get to that figure. According to that 2011 return, Romney donated $4 million to charity but only claimed a deduction of $2.25 million. He reduced his deduction and in essence paid more in taxes, the campaign said, to conform to the earlier estimate that he paid a 13 percent rate in 2011. That's despite what he told ABC News earlier this summer on whether he had ever paid less than 13 percent in taxes.

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't pay more than are legally due. Frankly, if I had paid more than are legally due, I don't think I would be qualified to become president.

ACOSTA: The campaign also posted this letter from Romney's tax preparer stating the Republican candidate had indeed paid federal and state income taxes for more than 20 years. That appeared to be a direct response to Senate majority leader Harry Reid who claimed without any evidence that Romney had paid no income taxes for a decade.

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NY), MAJORITY LEADER: The word's out that he hasn't paid any taxes for ten years. Let him prove that he has paid taxes because he hasn't.

ACOSTA: Despite the flood of new information, Romney is still refusing to release more than two years of tax returns. Standing by what he told CNN.

ROMNEY: Those are the two years that people are going to have, and that's all that's necessary for people to understand something about my finances.

ACOSTA: The document dump comes after a week of attacks over the candidate's perceived gaffes. President Obama, on the hidden video of Romney talking about the 47 percent of Americans who he said all dependent on the government.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't see a lot of victims in this crowd today.

ACOSTA: And Romney on the president's statement this week on changing Washington.

ROMNEY: The president today threw in the white flag of surrender again. He said he can't change Washington from the inside. He can only change it from outside. ACOSTA: Also released were letters from the physicians of both Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan declaring both candidates in good health and ready for the rigors of the rest of this campaign.

Jim Acosta, CNN, Las Vegas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So what impact if any might those tax records have on Mitt Romney's campaign? Here's A.B. Stoddard, associate editor of "the Hill."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

A.B. STODDARD, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, THE HILL: It is really puzzling to people that it happened at all. This is something that the press had asked for, Democrats had taunted the Romney campaign over for a long time, even Republicans have said just get it out so it's not a subject anymore, no longer a distraction.

So it comes so close to the debate, so close to the election, and actually continues to withhold, the campaign is continuing to withhold information so the release of the 2011 summary and the summarization of the tax rates from the last ten or so years just raises more questions about what is in those returns and what the details actually are.

And as you pointed out, it's great that he gives so much money to charity, but it is true that he had to forego deductions in order to stay true to the rate of 13 percent or more that he had previously said he paid. So, if he had taken advantage of those deductions, he would have paid less. So, it continues to remind people he makes a lot of money. He doesn't really want to provide information about too many years going back. And it is puzzling to even Republicans about why it even came out now?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Romney released the tax records on Friday. Stoddard told me it's typical for a campaign to release information on Friday that they really don't want to talk about, she says.

All right, we could ditch our credit cards for our phones soon. We will show you mobile payment technology. It may make our wallet seem useless.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The days of carrying credit cards or money may soon be over. Our CNN money tech reporter, Laurie Segall, goes shopping in New York City with no purse, cash, or credit cards, just her phone in hand.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAURIE SEGALL, CNN MONEY TECHNOLOGY REPORTER: Many people are saying one day your Smartphone could completely replace your wallet. Well, how close are we to that actually happening? So today, I'm officially ditching my wallet and using my Smartphone to pay.

So we're starting our day out with cereal here at Dwayne Reed. And if I want to pay with my mobile here, I can use Google wallet. Let's test it out.

All right, so selected my card here and I just hold it against --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Slide it backwards.

SEGALL: Oh. No card enabled. I'm enabling it. So, now I just can hold it against here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It took.

SEGALL: All right. Thank you very much.

Google wallet only works on sprint, virgin mobile devices and the nexus seven tablet.

Next up, morning coffee. And here, they use a service called level up that's going to allow me to pay with my Smartphone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You put your phone right here and then, level up will scan the bar code.

SEGALL: So, I just bought a coffee.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

SEGALL: Great, thank you.

The mobile payment space is projected to be $171 billion business this year and it's on the rise. So what does the future look like? We asked one of the major players.

JACK DORSEY, CEO, SQUARE: If you're paying with your name, you don't need your phone or wallet at all.

SEGALL: So, I should be able to pay using Square just by telling you my name, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

SEGALL: OK. I would like to get a scone, please. And my name is Laurie.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Your name is Laurie. OK, I see you right there.

SEGALL: My picture just shows up?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. You're all set.

SEGALL: I learned ahead of time you have to have a tab already open on the square app, so it's not totally phone free tech just yet. Last stop of the day, home depot. The store recently launched a partnership with PayPal. With the new system, all I need is my mobile phone number. I don't actually need my physical phone to pay for the plan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're going to be paying for this with your PayPal?

SEGALL: Yes. So, this is a pin I set up beforehand.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It has been accepted.

SEGALL: So, I just paid for this plan and I didn't have a Smartphone, didn't have a wallet. All I had was my mobile number and a pin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: OK, so let's find out if Laurie really likes this. She's joining us from the Time Warner Center there in New York. Did you like this? And then also let me know what were the apps you thought were the best to work with.

SEGALL: Yes, look, this is all new technology. It took me a little bit to set up. You know, it is not like I can actually walk into any store around New York City and just pay with my phone. I would be very hungry if I tried to do that for lunch.

WHITFIELD: Right.

SEGALL: But you know, Fredricka, the one that really kind of stuck out to me was Square. So you know, it's the idea that maybe one day I don't even need my phone. I mean, you have your phone in your back pocket. You can walk into a place and it will know you're there using GPS. So, I walked up to the barista, he said, hi, Laurie. My face tap up on the Ipad and I paid just using my name. So, that one that was kind of like, yes, this is the future. This could be really cool. It could also be a little bit creepy if there are a lot of pictures popping up and they're not sure if I'm Laurie, if I'm not. But, you know, that's the one I can get stuck out to me right, said OK, this guy might be on to something.

WHITFIELD: OK, so now, what about that kind of feeling of being very vulnerable when you're using your phone? Being a little concerned about whether there are some huge security risks?

SEGALL: Think about this, Fredricka. Let's say you have your phone and you're putting all your credit card information into your mobile phone. What if someone walks off with it, OK? So, you have to think to yourself, this could pose some security risks, but a lot of these apps have safeguards so one of them, you have to enter in a pin. Another, I would say if you're going to do this, always password protect your phone, that's really important. Google wallet which was the first one you saw in that video, you have the opportunity to go online and just completely wipe out your account without even having your Smartphone in case you lose it.

So, like any new technology, I always say, just be very careful. Know where you are putting your information and don't lose your Smartphone.

WHITFIELD: Yes. But like you said, for now, a little limiting because you can't really be spontaneous about your shopping and purchasing with your phone. You have to know that certain stores correspondent with those apps you have, right?

SEGALL: Yes. People say, you know, your phone is going to become your wallet, but we are not there yet. I learned that, but we are on our way there.

WHITFIELD: Maybe on the flip side to that though is that, you are going to spend less money because not everybody is going to take your phone. Cost cutting measure. All right, Laurie. Thanks so much.

SEGALL: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: For more in depth looks at all other ways this kind of technology is changing our world, check out CNN.com/mobilesociety.

All right, a police dash cam captures some pretty frightening moments. Take a look at this.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

WHITFIELD: Oh, boy. Close call there. We will have details on exactly how that all unfolded.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A police officer in Lubbock, Texas, is being called a hero. His name is Philip Standafor. Standafor and his partner were assisting a woman at an accident scene when right there he noticed the van barreling toward them. Standafor then grabbed the woman and moved her out of harm's way just in the nick of time, as you see. The impact of the van sent the police car crashing into the woman's vehicle. The driver of the van was arrested and charged with intoxication assault.

And we have just announced the top ten CNN heroes of 2012. Each of them will receive $50,000 and a shot at the top honor, CNN's hero of the year. The winner will receive an additional $250,000. And you get to help decide who will be that person.

Here's Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: COOPER 360: Now, that we have announced the top ten CNN heroes of 2012, I want to show you how you can vote for CNN hero of the year. It is very easy. This is the main page of CNNheroes.com. Now, down here you will see all of our top 10 CNN heroes. Each one will receive $50,000 plus a shot of becoming the CNN hero of the year. And that's where you come in.

Here is how you can vote for your favorite hero. As an example, I'm going to randomly click on Razia Jan over here. You can read the story about her work, providing free education to girls in rural Afghanistan. Now, the same kind of information will come up if you pick any of the top ten heroes. Now once you're ready to pick the person who inspires you the most, click vote in red right over here. A new page then comes up here. It shows you all top ten CNN heroes. You choose the person you want to vote for. I'm going to say here. This is an example Leo McCarthy. His photo will show up down here under your selection. Then, you just enter your e-mail over here in step two, you enter the security code, and you click on the red box right down here that says vote.

You can vote up to ten times every day with your e-mail address and through facebook, and then rally your friends by sharing your choice on facebook over here or on twitter. And remember, you can vote from your computer, your phone, your tablet, pretty much any mobile device with a browser. Just go to CNNheroes.com. We will reveal your 2012 hero of the year in CNN heroes an all-star tribute in a CNN tradition that promised you will inspire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much. Meet all of the top ten CNN heroes for 2012 and vote for the one who inspires you the most at CNNheroes.com. And you can vote up to ten times a day if you want every day and be sure to share your vote on facebook and twitter.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: After a spectacular cross country journey, the shuttle Endeavour is officially retired. Over the last few days, people across the U.S. got a chance to see Endeavour flying piggy back on a 747 as it made its way to the west coast. The fourth and final space shuttle landed at Los Angeles international airport this afternoon. It will go on display at the California Science Center.

It's the first day of fall, and marked the occasion. And we got a challenge for you. Go outside. Use your Smartphone to take a picture then, upload it to CNN ireport by using one of CNN's mobile apps, the only requirement, that the photo be horizontal and unfiltered. We will be showing the best one later on today and tomorrow, so check back to see if yours is chosen.

Dirt bikes are dangerous enough, but when you add a muddy track and 40 other riders going at top speeds it can be quite scary. Now imagine being on that track and not being able to hear a thing.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta has this week's human factor.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

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

ASHLEY FIOLEK, CHAMPION MOTOCROSS RIDER (through sign language translator): 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 was something different about Ashley, she can't hear a thing. Ashley was born completely deaf. She speaks to us through a sign language translator, and her friend, Natalie.

FIOLEK: I don't know how would it be riding here. I grew up, and I was born deaf.

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

FIOLEK: She really has a hold of my lines when I'm riding, because it is really hard to see when somebody is coming up behind me.

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

FIOLEK: I felt really good. You can every jump and in the big double, I hope you can win and hope to be the champion.

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

FIOLEK: I think it is really cool to be a role model to the deaf community. And it is a cool feeling to have people look up to you.

GUPTA: And for Natalie, her friend's impact is important, as well.

NATALIE SIMMONS, ASHLEY FIOLEK'S FRIEND: She is very important woman to motocross. She is an idol for motocross, and idol for all these young girls, whether she is deaf or not, you know, she is like a smaller than I am and she can ride a dirt bike like that. It is crazy.

GUPTA: Proof that anything is possible.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN. Reporting.

WHITFIELD: Wow. That takes incredible courage. Be sure to watch Dr. Sanjay Gupta MD today, at 4:30, Eastern time and then Sunday, 7:30 a.m. Eastern time.

All right, up close and personal with the world's fastest land animal, and an unforgettable encounter, next.

And if you have to go out today, just a reminder, you can continue watching from your mobile phone. You can also watch CNN live from your desk top, just go to CNN.com/TV.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Three people wounded in the Colorado shooting are suing the theater owner. They say the theater didn't have proper security and alarm systems. They want to be compensated for their injuries, 12 people were killed, and 58 wounded in the July 20th shooting at the Aurora Multiplex.

The good vibration is maybe a thing of the past. The Beach Boys are splitting up after reuniting earlier this year. Mike Love and Bruce Johnston released a statement saying after the 50th anniversary reunion tour, the ban will not include the other three members. But Brian Wilson responded saying he was disappointed and had hoped to keep making music with the whole group.

And a 25-year-old man who jumped into a tiger pit at the Bronx zoo is now in stable condition. The man was riding the zoo's mono rail yesterday afternoon when he jumped out of it and right into the pit. A tiger bit him a few times. Emergency crews had used a fire extinguisher to scare the tiger away. The zoo S director says the tiger will not be put down, because it did nothing wrong.

And safari is a chance to glimpse Africa's wildlife, but one group of tourist got much more than that.

Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was just another safari in Kenya when cheetah of the tour has decided to hitch a ride. Or at least a seat, and thus began 45 minutes of eye to eye contact, only a foot or two from a creature one person called?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rita. Rita, the cheetah.

MOOS: Her husband was the one shooting the video.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you feeling there, Girskis?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God. My heart is going to beat out of my chest.

MOOS: Although not known for being vicious, they easily kill their prey.

CATE GIRSKIS, SAFARI TOURIST: I am not sure, I was breathing, and my knees were buckling, my whole body was shaking. So, she was stunning.

MOOS: When the cheetah leaped up, the safari guide told the tourist exactly what not to do.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't move, don't talk. Hakuna matata.

MOOS: The expression made famous by "the Lion King."

GIRSKIS: She was not interested in us, at all.

MOOS: For her, the vehicle was just a perch with a view so she could scan for prey. After 45 minutes and with the guide, started the engine. And seconds later, Rita, the cheetah stood up. Soon she presented a new threat. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't spray us now.

MOOS: Not at all far-fetched as the famous animal planet video in which the cheetah answering the call of nature.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

MOOS: Through the sun roof into the napkin of a zoologist trapped below. But Rita behaved. The tourists realized later that the license plate on their vehicle began with the letters KAT, those spelling cat with a K is cheetah A. Finally?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, thank goodness, oh, man.

GIRSKIS: I can breathe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, good-bye!

GIRSKIS: It was elation and relief.

MOOS: They had but one request of their guide.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Edward, if we could get a line out there, next.

MOOS: Actually, cheetahs parking themselves on cars and sun roofs are pretty common on you tube. It is almost as if it is raining cats.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)