Democratic 2020 Hopefuls in New Hampshire
MARQUARDT: About ten minutes from now, presidential hopefuls in the Democratic Party will be taking to the stage at the New Hampshire democratic state convention. There's the stage right there and voters in the audience will be taking their first to the nation responsibilities very seriously and giving the candidates a good listening to. Of course, the big draws today are going to be the top three candidates, former Vice President Joe Biden, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. But it's also an opportunity for those lower-polling candidates to stand out.</s>PAUL: CNN political reporter -- sorry -- Arlette Saenz, joining us now from New Hampshire. Is this make or break for some candidates, Arlette?</s>ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christi and Alex, this is certainly a very critical weekend here in the first in the nation primary state. You're going to see 19 of the 2020 democrats take the stage taking their pitch directly to New Hampshire voters. This convention is coming just after the Labor Day weekend after folks are starting to tune in a little bit more to the democratic primary race. So for lesser-known candidates, it gives them a chance to kind of showcase their message to these voters who've maybe not heard of them and then you have more established candidates like the neighboring candidates, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren bringing their pitch here to New Hampshire. Bernie Sanders, you'll remember, won the 2016 primary here in the state against Hillary Clinton. He's hoping he can try to capitalize on some of that support that he's had for a long time here in the state. Then there's also Joe Biden who is currently running at the top of most polls across the country, as well in states like Iowa and New Hampshire. And earlier this week, his campaign said that Iowa is not necessarily a must-win state for him and said that that's the same in New Hampshire, but saying both of those states bringing a dog fight; these candidates taking the stage here soon to take their pitch to voters. Alex and Christi.</s>MARQUARDT: All right, Arlette Saenz in New Hampshire. Big day up there; thanks very much. Well an American Airlines mechanic accused of trying to sabotage a plane says that he did it, get this, to get overtime pay. Investigators say that he tried to disable the system that reports the speeds and other critical data. I can't imagine why. He reportedly was upset over a contract dispute between union workers and the airlines and tampered with the plane using superglue, so he could work more hours. Thankfully, pilots in Miami noticed a problem before takeoff. This happened back in July.</s>PAUL: Now, the man claims he didn't want to hurt anybody just to be clear there. In the meantime, there's an 8-year-old boy from Colorado recovering after he was attacked by a mountain lion. Look at this.</s>PIKE CARLSON, ATTACKED BY  A MOUNTAIN LION: I just see this mountain lion jump on it and then it kind of kind of pounces on to me and he kind of rolled on the hill to a tree. And it tries to push me under the tree. I pick up a stick, trying to jab it in the eye. But then the stick breaks.</s>PAUL: And his dad says when he found his son, the mountain lion was lying on top of him and his son's head was in that animal's mouth. Pike Carlson has undergone two surgeries. He has more than 60 staples in his head and he had to have his eyeball reattached. That mountain lion, by the way, has been euthanized.</s>MARQUARDT: Unbelievable. Thank you so much for starting your morning with us. We will be back at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time for "CNN Newsroom." "Smerconish" is up after a quick break.