Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
No Bail for Anti-Islam Filmmaker; New Search for Jimmy Hoffa to Start; Candidates Downplay Debate Expectations; Apple's CEO Issues Apology; Abbas: Israel Rejects 2-State Solution; The Politics of Health Care; Standing Ovation for Returning Refs
Aired September 28, 2012 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Soledad. Thank you.
Stories we're watching right now in the NEWSROOM: The filmmaker who sparked the international protests is arrested and held without bond, but prosecutors say it has nothing at all to do with that controversial YouTube movie trailer.
NFL referees return to relieved fans who showed their appreciation. It was a standing ovation but it did not take long for fans to return to their booing ways.
And even before New Orleans Saints' coaches and players were accused of a bounty program offering payouts for big hits on opponents another team may have to beat them to the -- may have -- actually beat them to the punch: a peewee football team. Now a former assistant coach is blowing the whistle.
Combining religion with technology. We're talking live to the man who invented a Bible app aimed at bringing the Good Book into the 21st century.
NEWSROOM starts now.
And good morning to you. Happy, happy Friday. I'm Carol Costello. We begin this hour with the man believed to be behind the film that ignited so much violence and bloodshed around the Muslim world. That is, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula. Now these are pictures from earlier this month.
Even he couldn't decide which name to tell the judge in yesterday's bail hearing. There he is. Those are the pictures I was talking about. According to these court documents, he has used at least 17 fake names. And it's that web of lies, not the incendiary film that has him sitting in jail this morning.
CNN's Kyung Lah joins us from Los Angeles with all the latest details. Good morning.
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. Let me -- we should be very clear about that. This is a federal probation violation which has him sitting in jail, as you say. There are two terms of his probation violation for a 2010 bank fraud conviction. He was not supposed to use any computer devices without the consent, without prior knowledge of his probation officer.
He also was not supposed to use any fictitious name. So the great span of the hearing yesterday dealt with his identity. In fact, when the judge asked him, "What is your name?", he identified himself not as Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, which we have been working on. He identified himself as Mark Basseley Youseff. And then when she said, "What's your name?" again, he said, "Mark Basseley."
So a lot of identities being thrown out there. That's why so much of the hearing was dealt with who exactly this man is, what is the name he has been working on. So, again, not specifically about the film, but on the federal probation violation. His attorney said that he needed to be released with bond because he felt that his risk -- his safety was at risk sitting in jail because of the prison population and the percentage of Muslims who make up the prison population.
He -- but the prosecutor said he will be isolated, that he will not be in the general population, and the prosecutor also said that if he's released, he poses a flight risk -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Kyung Lah, reporting live for us this morning.
If you will remember, it was that anti-Islam film that was first blamed for the consulate attack in Libya that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. It took the White House nearly a week to back away from that claim and finally concede it was likely the work of terrorists. Now the administration says there is no doubt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEON PANETTA, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: As we determine the details of what took place there and how that attack took place, that it became clear that there were terrorists who had planned that attack. And that's when I came to that conclusion. Again, as to who was involved, what specific groups were involved, I think the investigation that is ongoing hopefully will determine that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The Obama administration is facing serious questions over whether the deaths of the four men could have been prevented because of ongoing security concerns. A senior State Department official says the U.S. is drawing down its staff and its embassy in Libya's capital.
We just got word Governor Mitt Romney will have a phone call conversation today with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and so will President Obama. Those conversations come just two days after President Obama stood before the United Nations and warned against a nuclear Iran. Yesterday, Mr. Netanyahu dramatically underscored the threat of Tehran having a nuclear bomb and he seemingly shrugged off earlier tensions over the U.S.'s refusal to set an ultimatum. Netanyahu thanked the President for his support but says the world may be just months away from the point of no return.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Where should a red line be drawn? A red line should be drawn right here. Before, before Iran completes the second stage of nuclear enrichment necessary to make a bomb. Before Iran gets to a point where it's a few months away or a few weeks away from amassing enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Netanyahu also traded taunts with the President of the Palestinian Authority. Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of carrying out a campaign of ethnic cleansing. Netanyahu fired back saying the fight over Palestinian statehood cannot be resolved with, quote, "libelous speeches."
It's been 37 years since former Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa went missing and now there's a possibility that his body may be found. In less than an hour, crews will begin digging at this house in suburban Detroit. This is a live picture of that area.
Investigators will draw underneath that driveway and take a coarse sample to determine if any human remains are down there. The home is in Roseville, Michigan. That's northeast of Detroit. Police say they got a credible tip that a body was buried there around the time Hoffa went missing.
Hoffa's disappearance is one of those bizarre mysteries in U.S. history and years later he remains firmly planted in pop culture.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO (voice-over): Jimmy Hoffa, the mafia-backed union guy, remained un-vowed despite the efforts of then Attorney General Robert Kennedy. "Hoffa" the movie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Justice Department has plenty on you, Mr. Hoffa.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't impress me. I don't need $3 million and my brother elected president will whoop your (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
COSTELLO: But in 1975, Hoffa disappeared and an American anti-hero was born. Many believed the mafia killed Hoffa and buried his body under the former Giants' stadium until they eventually dug it up and built a new stadium. No body, no Hoffa.
In 2004, authorities removed floorboards from a Detroit home to look for traces of Hoffa's blood. No go. In 2006, the FBI raised a Michigan horse barn. No Hoffa. And today in Roseville, Michigan, police will dig up a driveway.
Hoffa's son, James, is now President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, without connections to organized crime. Still, he can't escape his father's notoriety. Last year, he urged fellow union members to defeat Tea Party candidates. But it was the way he said it that caused a firestorm. JAMES HOFFA, TEAMSTER PRESIDENT: And you know what, everybody here has got to vote. If we go back and we keep the eye on the prize, let's take these son of a bitches out and get America back to America where we belong.
COSTELLO: Hoffa refused to apologize and his union is equally tough when it comes to the latest clue in Jimmy Hoffa's death. Quote: "The Hoffa family does not respond every time a tip is received by authorities. They will have no comment until there is a reason to comment."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: OK. So what about this tip? This credible tip. It comes from this man who had this information for 37 years and didn't share. On "EARLY START" this morning, some insight to who this man is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAN MOLDEA, AUTHOR, "THE HOFFA WARS": He is a gambler who had a -- had an affiliation, a connection with a bookmaker in Detroit, who was working with Tony Giacalone. What was interesting to me was that Tony Giacalone was one of two people that Jimmy Hoffa was supposed to meet at the time of his disappearance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Police say the tipster was too afraid to come forward, supposedly, he's on his death bed today. The dig, it will begin in just about an hour and of course we'll take you live there when that dig begins.
Fans at last night's Browns-Ravens game showered returning referees with something they've never gotten before. That would be a standing ovation. And, yes, the refs acknowledged the crowd as they walked on the field for their first game of the season. Of course, the home crowd later booed during the game when a couple of calls went against the Ravens.
The NFL lifted the lockout Wednesday night after the union and the league agreed on a new contract. Both teams agreed, though, the game went smoothly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN HARBAUGH, RAVENS' HEAD COACH: Welcome back to the officials. It's good to have you back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you notice the difference?
HARBAUGH: Sure. Yes. These guys are pros. These guys are really good. These guys -- the communication was good. Didn't agree with every call. Love to know what happened on the last one there that gave them the extra play. Haven't seen that yet. Heard about it. But they were excellent. Gene Steratore does a great job communicating. The guys on our sideline did a great job communicating. And I think now, I think we're all kind of on the same page as, you know, from a consistency standpoint.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Of course that doesn't mean the refs didn't get the fans' wrath at all. We'll have more on the cheers and boos later this hour.
With 39 days to go until the election, both campaigns are running at full steam trying to convince America they're the best candidate for president. So it's kind of odd they would actually be lowering expectations for the first presidential debate next week.
In a memo sent to, quote, "interested parties," Romney campaign senior adviser, Beth Myers, said, quote, "President Obama is a uniquely gifted speaker and is widely regarded as one of the most talented communicators in modern history. This will be the eighth one-on-one presidential debate of his political career. For Mitt Romney, it will be his first," end quote.
Really? Obama is a more gifted speaker than oh, Ronald Reagan?
CNN's political editor Paul Steinhauser joins me now. You've got the memo. Read us more, we want to know.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Yes, you know, Carol, this is interesting. It's not just the campaign that's doing this, it's also the candidate who is lowering expectations. Take a listen to Mitt Romney himself on the campaign trail over the last couple of days.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I mean he's President of the United States. He's a very effective speaker. Now, he's a very eloquent speaker and so, I'm sure, in the debates, as last time in his debates with Senator McCain, he'll be very eloquent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: So what's going on here, Carol? What they're trying to do is lowering the bar, lowering expectations, so if Mitt Romney does better in those debates starting next Wednesday in Denver, Colorado, then they'll say it was a great victory for him. This is what campaigns do. It's part of the strategy. I don't know if most Americans really care but it's definitely what the campaigns do -- Carol.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Well, I was just curious that they're saying that Mitt Romney has absolutely no experience. I mean, he participated in 20 debates during the primaries. Don't those count?
(LAUGHTER)
STEINHAUSER: Yes. Bingo. And that's what the Obama campaign is doing because, Carol, they're doing the same thing, they're trying to lower the bar as well. A lot of their surrogates have been out there saying similar things. Take a listen to Robert Gibbs on the Sunday talk shows.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GIBBS, SENIOR OBAMA CAMPAIGN ADVISER: Look, Mitt Romney, I think, has an advantage because he's been through 20 of these debates in the primaries over the last year. He even bragged that he was declared the winner in 16 of those debates. And so I think in that sense having been through this much more recently than President Obama, I think he starts with an advantage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: And, Carol, if you listen to these campaigns, I guess neither of these guys is going to be any good on Wednesday night in Denver. Right? Who do you believe here, right?
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: I don't know. I do remember like, you know, I think there have been some polls that say people mostly think that President Obama is going to win the debates. But remember back in 2008, Obama's debate performance when he said this?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's very likable. I agree with that. I don't think I'm that bad.
BARACK OBAMA, THEN-SENATOR (D-IL): You're likable enough, Hillary.
CLINTON: Thank you.
OBAMA: No doubt about it.
CLINTON: I appreciate that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: OK. So he said, "You're likable enough." That didn't go over too well with the voting public.
STEINHAUSER: Thanks for that trip down memory lane there. Yes, that was from the primaries back in '08. But it is true, listen, it is true the President hasn't debated since 2008. But you brought up a point -- one of the polls show, well, our poll, CNN/ORC, we did it earlier this month. Take a look at this. Almost 6 in 10 said the President was more likely to win the debates and only 34 percent said Mitt Romney.
But either way you look at it, regardless of who's going to win or who's going to lose, who you think is going to win or lose, the key is what they say, what they talk about on policy. The debates, Carol, could be the last thing that maybe moves that needle when it comes to the election.
COSTELLO: We'll see. Paul Steinhauser, many thanks. The presidential debates, by the way, will be of course critical for each candidate. First one is Wednesday night. Watch it live at 7:00 Eastern on CNN and CNN.com.
Apple's CEO is apologizing this morning to millions of people who use the company's product. We'll tell you why.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Sixteen minutes past the hour.
Surprise move by Apple this morning. Tim Cook, the CEO, he's issuing a public apology over Apple's new version of maps. The application for the iPhone and iPad gotten terrible reviews.
Alison Kosik joins us now from the New York Stock Exchange. I think customers want more than an apology, Alison.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know what? It seems that Apple is working on a solution. So let me go through what the apology says.
So yes, Apple's CEO, Tim Cook coming out today, saying, you know what? We're really sorry for this map application, you know the one that replaced Google Maps. Customers have been very, very vocal how frustrated they are how this thing is working or not working in the latest version of its mobile operating system, you know, the one on the iPhone 5 that just came out.
Now, Apple does say in its apology that it strives to make world class products that delivered the best experience possible to our customers. But Tim Cook says, "With a launch of our new maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make maps better."
Now, Apple says that more people use the app, the better it will get. So in the meantime, while Apple tries to make this thing ready for primetime and make these tweaks on this map application, Tim Cook says, you know what? You can try some other alternatives like downloading other map applications like Map Quest, Ways, and good old Google Maps, the one it had in the first place -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Alison Kosik, reporting live from the New York Stock Exchange.
A power assistant football coach says his players were offered cash for big hits. The players were 10 years old.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Now is your chance to talk back on one of the stories of the day. The question for you this morning, "Is there such a thing as economic patriotism?" Time to pull out the flag pin and slap it on your lapel. It turns out it is not only patriotic to salute the military, but the economy, too. Because according to President Obama, there is such a thing as economic patriotism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: During campaign season you always hear a lot about patriotism. Well, you know what? It's time for a new economic patriotism. An economic patriotism rooted in the belief that growing our economy begins with a strong and thriving middle class.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: It's become sort of a Democratic mantra. In 2008, Joe Biden said wealthy Americans should pay more taxes because, quote, "It's time to be patriotic." But no one said it better really than former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FMR. GOVERNOR TED STRICKLAND, (D) OHIO: Mitt has so little economic patriotism that even his money needs a passport. It summers on the beaches of the Cayman Islands and winters on the slopes of the Swiss Alps.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Ouch. The Romney campaign is firing back. Governor Romney using the patriotic card himself as in, hey, a humongous deficit is not patriotic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMNEY: This is a land where economic freedom has allowed people to pursue their dreams and in doing so and achieving success, they lift us as a nation, they give us jobs. I will not apologize for success here and I will never apologize for America abroad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: How's that for economic patriotism, whatever that is? So the talk back question for you this morning, is there such a thing as economic patriotism?
Facebook.com/CarolCNN, Facebook.com/CarolCNN, your responses later this hour.
When we think of bounties in football now, we think of the New Orleans Saints. Saints' head coach, Sean Payton is on the golf course instead of the football field this season after the NFL suspended him for his role in bounty-gate.
Well, a former assistant of another team, a former assistant coach of another team says his players were offered cash for big hits on opponents. These weren't NFL players. They were 10 year-olds. Here's Casey Wian.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The 2011 Tustin Red Cobra's Pop Warner football team went undefeated in the regular season.
FRANK MICKADEIT, "ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER": This was a team that knew it was on the verge of greatness, and indeed, it went to the Pop Warner Super Bowl in Florida, and because it knew that it had the players in place to get that far, it was probably willing to push the boundaries of what was acceptable and they got carried away.
WIAN: John Zanelli, then an assistant coach for the team of 10and 11- year-olds now says other coaches on the team offered the boys $20 cash bounties for big hits on opposing players. Zanelli declined to speak on camera with CNN, but off camera confirmed details of the alleged bounty program first reported by Keith Sharon and Frank Mickadeit of "The Orange County Register".
MICKADEIT: All and all, we now have six parents and players saying that this happened six out of a team of about 22 confirming this happened. So there's a little doubt -- there's no doubt in my mind that this happened.
WIAN (on-camera): We spoke with one player from the 2011 Tustin Red Cobras team whose parents did not want him identified, because they feared retaliation. The player told us coaches did discuss cash incentives for big hits, and that after games, players would vote on which player would receive the money. He also said he saw a coach give a player cash.
(voice-over) Darren Crawford, head coach of the Cobras call those claims non-sense.
REPORTER: Did you ever suggest or pay for a player to hurt a player on other team?
DARREN CRAWFORD, COACH, TUSTIN RED COBRAS: Absolutely not.
I think that they're trumped up charges. I think John Zanelli made these charges up in his head and wrote them down on paper and submitted them. I believe to National Pop Warner. Nothing like that ever happened on my team.
ELIZABETH CHILDS, TEAM MOM, TUSTIN RED COBRAS: I've been a team mom for him for two of those four years, so I'm not what you consider a casual bystander on the sidelines. I'm always at practices. I was at the games. And I've never once heard anything mentioned in the nature of any kind of bounty.
WIAN: The local conference initially investigated the claims and called them unfounded or overstated. Late Thursday, the National Pop Warner Organization suspended Crawford and the Tustin League president saying, "In light of new information and players coming forward who did not participate in the league investigation, National Pop Warner will intervene to further investigate."
Crawford and other parents with boys still on the team say Zanelli's claims are the result of a vendetta stemming from long running disputes with the local Pop Warner conference. Zanelli has since left informed his own team in another league.
The Cobra's 2011 season ended with a loss in the national semifinals.
A successful season tarnished by a bitter rift among team's coaches, parents and players among allegations players were paid to play hard.
Casey Wian, CNN, Tustin, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Talk about awkward, the leader of Palestine speaks up in front of the United Nations accusing Israel of racism and ethnic cleansing and a few minutes later, the Israel prime minister, he fires back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Good morning. Happy Friday. I'm Carol Costello.
Stories we're watching in THE NEWSROOM at just about 30 minutes past the hour. The third quarter ends today and investors hope it will end on a high note. For the quarter, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up almost 5 percent and 3 percent for the month.
Ringing the bell this morning, Chairman and CEO of MacKay Shields and President of Mainstay Funds.
Investigators now outside a suburban Detroit home resuming it's 37- year search for Jimmy Hoffa. The former Teamsters leader disappeared in 1975. Crews are drilling a core sample today in search of human remains. The search comes after police received a credible tip about a possible burial around the time Hoffa disappeared.
The man believed to be behind the controversial anti-Muslim film is being held without bail this morning. Prosecutors say Nakoula Basseley Nakoula violated his provision by using aliases without permission. They say one of the times was in connection with his film "Innocence of Muslims." Nakoula was on probation following a prison sentence for bank fraud.
It was the battle of the speeches at the U.N. General Assembly. The President of the Palestinian Authority and Israel Prime Minister slamming each other in speeches just 10 minutes apart. Mahmoud Abbas claiming that Israel rejects the two-state solution and waging a war on ethnic cleansing on Palestinians, which Benjamin Netanyahu denies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (through translator): Israel refuses to end the occupation and refuses to allow the Palestinian people to obtain their rights and freedom and rejects the establishment of the state of Palestine.
NETANYAHU: We won't solve our conflict with libelous speeches at the U.N. We have to sit together, negotiate together and reach a mutual compromise in which a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes the one and only Jewish state.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Remember, it's all about Palestine and whether it should become a state alongside Israel. Throw in Jerusalem and who should claim that city as their capital, you have centuries-long tension.
Joining us is Arsalan Iftikhar. He's an international human rights lawyer, founder of the MuslimGuide.com, and author of the book, "Islamic Pacifism: Global Muslims in the Post-Osama Era."
Wow. Are you working on anything else?
ARSALAN IFTIKHAR, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "ISLAMICA MAGAZINE": Good morning, Carol. Good to see you.
COSTELLO: Good to see you, too. We're glad to have you back actually.
It takes guts to accuse a Jewish guy of ethnic cleansing.
IFTIKHAR: Well, I think -- you know, Carol, I think what most viewers need to understand is that General Assembly speeches traditionally speaking are -- you know, when world leaders get their 15 seconds in the limelight to basically give out some bombastic blaster.
So you know, whether it's Benjamin Netanyahu, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hugo Chavez, you know, General Assembly speeches are not known for their nuance and objectivity.
COSTELLO: Yes, really, they're speaking to the home crowd, not necessarily to world leaders.
IFTIKHAR: Right.
COSTELLO: You know, we most often hear about what will happen to Israel if Iran acquires nuclear weapons. But Palestinians enter in this, too, if Iran bombs Israel, won't the fallout kill Palestinians, too?
IFTIKHAR: Yes, it will pretty much kill everyone in the region. And, you know, again, here -- it shows that we're just playing some, you know, three-dimensional geopolitical chats there.
You know, it was interesting to note that Benjamin Netanyahu's speech, you know, primarily focused on Iran and didn't address any sort of comprehensive lasting peaceful resolution to decades long Israeli- Palestinian conflict. What was interesting to observers like myself was when Netanyahu pulled out a cartoon image of a bomb in what Jeffrey Goldberg in "The Atlantic" called his Wile E. Coyote moment. Basically, you know, kind of left us all scratching our heads. You know, some people as Mr. Goldberg observed found it condescending. I was waiting for a picture of an anvil and roadrunner to come up next or maybe one of the angry bird bombs. But it definitely was one of the most humorous moments at the U.N. general session.
COSTELLO: I know, it was a humorous moment and important topic that could affect all of us. I want to ask you about this too, the new Egyptian president, Mohammed Morsi. He's part of the Muslim Brotherhood. He said that unless the United States pushes for Palestinian statehood, it will be difficult for the United States to have any kind of workable relationship with the wider Middle East. Not many people believe the two-party state will ever happen.
So in the end, what does this mean?
IFTIKHAR: Well, I know, what it means there's a changing landscape within the greater Middle East and North Africa today, obviously after the Arab Spring of last year after we saw the dictatorships of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, Moammar Gadhafi in Libya and Ben Ali in Tunisia fall in one calendar year.
You know, whereas Bibi Netanyahu would have the world think Iran this is greatest problem in the world. For many in the Muslim world and the Middle East, finding a lasting, durable solution to the Palestinian-Israel conflict is actually at the root of all issues.
And, you know, it is an important to note that, you know, Egypt has said that they were going to honor the peace treaties with Israel and I think at the end of the day, you know, when it comes to Palestinians and Israelis, with Abbas and Netanyahu, it's kind of like the hat fields and McCoys going to the United Nations and in this case, Wyle E. Coyote and we need Yosemite Sam, like, you know, the U.S. play arbitrary between the two parties.
COSTELLO: And it goes. Arsalan Iftikhar, thank you so much for joining us.
IFTIKAR: Any time, Carol.
COSTELO: Looking for a cool new app for your smartphone or tablet? How about one getting about 3 million downloads every month. It's not Angry Birds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Used to be, the only tablets allowed in church were the ones that had the 10 commandments written on them. Well, times are changing. A new Bible app called YouVersion designed for smartphones and tablets, taking congregation by storm. It's making it's easier for people to take the word of God with them, wherever they go. So now when you se someone playing on their phone in church, they might be reading scripture, not playing Angry Birds or checking Facebook.
Bobby Gruenewald created the app and he joins me now. Welcome.
BOBBY GRUENEWALD, FOUNDER OF YOUVERSION, THE BIBLE APP: Hey, thank you for having me.
COSTELLO: So your app is incredibly popular. Did you expect that?
GRUENEWALD: No. We've been blown away by the result and the people who have downloaded it.
COSTELLO: Not only that, people bring it to church, I'm sure to the chagrin, I'm sure, of some pastors and priests giving their sermons.
GRUENEWALD: You know, there's -- it definitely is disruptive in the sense that it's a change and something different. We found a lot of pastors and priests that have really embraced it because they recognize if people have the bible on their mobile device, their tablet or their phone, they're much more likely to read it during the week.
So we have a lot of pastors and priests will actually promote the use of the bible app within church and it's really changing the way people view using your phone in church.
COSTELLO: Is it also changing the way the service itself is conducted in church?
GRUENEWALD: We definitely see pastors, when they preach, a lot of times, many of them are starting to use the app to preach from. We have features built into the bible app that allow people to follow along with the message or notes, if pastors have that.
So yes, there are some ways people are interacting with the services in church. But the main thing is that now, there's many millions of people that are in the congregation that bring their bible with them to church and engage with it not just on Sunday but throughout the week.
COSTELLO: And a final question for you -- polls show many young people aren't so religious any more. Is it your hope this app will make the bible more readable for them?
GRUENEWALD: Absolutely. What we've found is that there's actually a really strong desire for people to want to read the bible. It's just we had to get it in a format that can intersect people in their daily lives. And so, that's why we made the app and get people excited to reading the bible to the tune of 2 billion minutes spend every month reading the bible app, using the bible app. So we do believe and we do hope that that does change it.
We feel like it's disruptive. It's a counter trend break through-type phenomenon how people are leveraging technology with their faith.
COSTELLO: Fascinating, Bobby. Bobby Gruenewald, thank you so for joining us this morning.
GRUENEWALD: Thank you.
COSTELLO: From education to health, and business, mobile technology is changing our world. CNN's Our Mobile Society initiative is taking an in-depth look at these changes. For more, go to CNN,com/ourmobilesociety, or visit our mobile society section on the CNN mobile apps. Got all that? I hope so.
Candidates are busy prepping for next week's debate on CNN. We take a look at their competing plans for health care and what it means for you.
(COMEMRCIA BREAK)
COSTELLO: Just about 45 minutes past the hour.
Just 39 days until the election. And one of the biggest issues -- health care. It's back in the spotlight this week after Governor Romney said people without insurance can always go to an emergency room to get care. As the presidential candidates prepare to debate next week, chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta zeros in on what's at stake.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Since President Obama's health care law was enacted 3.1 million people under the age of 26 are now covered by their parents' plans and preventive care is covered 100 percent by insurance companies. Seniors in particular have benefitted on prescription drugs.
OBAMA: Seniors who fall in the coverage gap known as the donut hole will start getting some help. They'll receive $250 dollars to help pay for prescriptions and that will, over time, fill in the donut hole.
GUPTA: Five and a half million seniors have saved a total of nearly $4.5 billion on prescription drugs since the law was enacted, according to the Health and Human Services Department. He also plans to slow spending on Medicare.
OBAMA: -- I have strengthened Medicare. We've added years to the life of Medicare. We did it by getting rid of taxpayer subsidies to insurance companies that weren't making people healthier.
GUPTA: By 2014, the law requires everyone to have health insurance whether they purchase it themselves or through their employers. And insurers can't deny you if you have a pre-existing condition or increase your rates. The law has become a cornerstone of the Obama campaign.
OBAMA: I refuse to eliminate health insurance for millions of Americans who are poor and elderly or disabled, also those with the most can pay less.
GUPTA: But Romney says the Affordable Care Act is unaffordable.
ROMNEY: We know that health care is too expensive. Obamacare doesn't make it less expensive.
GUPTA: He wants Obamacare gone, including the prescription drug benefit for seniors. But he does want to keep one of the most popular pieces of Obamacare although he doesn't say exactly how his plan would work.
ROMNEY: We have to make sure that people who have pre-existing conditions are able to get insured and that -- and that folks that -- that get sick don't get dropped by their insurance company.
GUPTA: Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan propose to cap malpractice insurance, cut Medicaid by $810 billion over the next ten years, give states more control over their Medicaid funds, overhaul Medicare. The overhaul, people now younger than 55 when they reach retirement would have the option of getting a voucher to purchase private insurance or they could stick with traditional Medicare.
REP. PAUL RYAN, (R-WI) VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: This financial support system is designed to guarantee that seniors can always afford Medicare coverage, no exceptions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Those are some major differences between the candidates. Perhaps -- perhaps the biggest split though is over Medicaid, not Medicare, but Medicaid, what most people consider to be the safety net for America's poorest.
So let's bring in our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. So -- so what are the major differences in the way the candidates deal with Medicaid?
GUPTA: Well you know I think that if you look at the Obamacare plan overall, one of the ways that he's insuring, you know, plans to insure a lot more people was to expand Medicaid. And the way they do that, is they raise the poverty level at which people can qualify. The states don't have to do this. That was part of this whole decision. The states can opt in or opt out of this program.
But as part of Obamacare they were going to give more federal dollars and have the states pitch in more money and hopefully get more people. So that was -- that was one of the tenets. With -- with Romney care I think -- I think it has more to do with the fact that they want to give block grants of money to states and then the states purely decide ultimately what they want to do with that money.
And the concern that some people have is what -- might they drop some of the Medicaid programs, would you actually cover fewer people. And they say there are going to be less federal dollars going to it. So those are sort of the two basic differences.
COSTELLO: It's interesting because Mitt Romney at times appears to be softening on Obamacare I mean, and embracing his plan in Massachusetts strongly and people are kind of confused about that. I mean has -- has his, you know, posture changed? Shifted? What?
GUPTA: I think -- you know that's fair. And I've talked to, you know, Governor Romney about this in the past. And it's interesting because certainly one of the things he said about Massachusetts was that in order to get universal health care done one of the benefits would be that, you know, patients wouldn't have to go to the emergency room for example where it's the most expensive to get health care.
Then you probably heard Carol just the other day, where he said Americans do have health care, they can just go to an emergency room.
So that clearly was a bit of a shift and you know I think a little bit hard, a tough one to explain. But I think overall, I think he's still -- if you ask him, he still believes that people should get health care insurance. I think the strategy on how they want to get there is just very different.
COSTELLO: Yes, and he always adds, "And I will repeal Obamacare on day one."
GUPTA: He's very clear about that.
COSTELLO: That's true. Sanjay, thanks so much.
GUPTA: Have a good weekend.
COSTELLO: For more of what's at stake for health care, watch "Sanjay Gupta MD" this weekend. He'll also share part two of this exclusive access to the largest cancer center in the world. "Sanjay Gupta MD", Saturday 4:30 Eastern and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Eastern here on CNN.
NFL fans do something totally out of character. They give the referees a standing ovation. The regular refs came back on the field last night. We'll talk about how they did.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Honeymoon time in the NFL, at least for a little while. Yes, the fans gave the returning refs a standing ovation before the Baltimore Ravens took to the field to play the Cleveland Browns last night.
Carlos Diaz from HLN Sports was lucky enough to be at the game. Good morning, Carlos. And you survived.
CARLOS DIAZ, HLN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes and by the way, you mentioned the honeymoon stage. This is all out blind love that's going on right now, Carol. Because let me just tell you one thing. What I've learned by talking to Ravens fans, they hate two things, they hate Pittsburgh Steelers fans and they hate refs.
Let me just say it. Last night when Jean Saratori, the lead official walked out on the field and got a standing ovation they cheered a referee who is from Pittsburgh. What is going on in the NFL right now? He made the three and a half hour drive from Pittsburgh and he gets cheered when he walks out.
And I've got to tell you by the way, you couldn't have scripted it better than a Hollywood movie. Look as he tipped that cap right there. He is looking great. He's fit. Good head of hair and the crowd cheering referees now that they're back and the replacements referees are gone.
COSTELLO: Well what makes it even stranger Ray Lewis came out and hugged a referee.
DIAZ: Oh yes. You know the funny thing is, I talked to so many fans before the game. I said when is this love fest going to stop? They said the first bad holding penalty that's called and it actually lasted until the third quarter when a flag was thrown on an unnecessary roughness penalty but as you can see here in the first quarter there was a really physical play that went on. And the referee stepped in immediately and took control of this situation and that's what the fans missed, control of the situations in games and that's what we saw last night.
COSTELLO: Oh definitely. And these two teams really don't like each other either. So usually there is a lot of -- there's a lot of physicality in games between the ravens and Browns, so the referees really need to do that.
Oddly, the end of the game was a Hail Mary like Monday night. How did that crowd react?
DIAZ: Well, Ironically, it wasn't a call that was made after the Hail Mary, it was a call that was made before the Hail Mary because on a fourth downplay there was a call for unnecessary roughness which allowed the Browns to have one more play. The fans, of course, hated that. They booed although it was the right call.
It was the correct call and we got set up for another Hail Mary pass. Thankfully for possibly Roger Goodell -- he was pulling out his hair -- the pass sailed wide, it went out of the end zone. And the Ravens won by seven as you see right here. So now more controversy like we had on Monday night in Seattle. Much to the delight of NFL officials.
COSTELLO: Awesome. Well, thanks for sharing. That was really fun. I wish I could have been there.
DIAZ: It was a great time. I learned several things including crab cake sandwiches are delicious here in Baltimore.
COSTELLO: I bet you learned many new curse words, too, from the fans.
DIAZ: Yes, there you go.
COSTELLO: They're passionate and the crab cakes are the greatest in Baltimore. Thanks, Carlos. Appreciate it.
DIAZ: All right.
OK. Let's go live for a second to Detroit, Michigan -- actually a suburb of Detroit. This is Roseville, Michigan. The drilling has begun. Police are now drilling underneath what used to be a driveway. They say a credible witness told them they saw a body being buried there. Police suspect that body may have been Jimmy Hoffa's.
We're going to tell you much more about this story at the top of the next hour of NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
