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Sex Sting: U.S. Senator Caught in the Men's Room; Bridge Reopens in Memphis; Help Wanted at Justice Department

Aired August 28, 2007 - 11:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: You are with CNN, and you are informed.
Hello, everybody. I'm T.J. Holmes.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Brianna Keilar.

Tony and Heidi are on assignment.

Developments keep coming in now to the CNN NEWSROOM on August 28th.

Here is what's on the rundown.

Washington's new sex scandal. A U.S. senator caught in a men's room sex sting. His explanation ahead.

HOLMES: Also, New Orleans schools two years ar the storm. This one thrives. And our guests are going to be talking about it. They'll be talking about their lessons as well from Katrina.

KEILAR: Americans, they get bigger and bigger, but who is the biggest of them all? Researchers diagnose the fattest state in the NEWSROOM.

HOLMES: Well, a men's room sting. A Republican senator is stung, and now his political future is in limbo. Staunch Idaho conservative Larry Craig arrested.

CNN Congressional Correspondent Jessica Yellin live, of course, from Washington.

And please explain this one to our viewers.

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: T.J., according to this arrest report back on June 11th of this year, Senator Larry Craig was in a bathroom at the Minneapolis airport, and he was seated next to -- he was in a stall next to an officer who was investigating alleged sexual activity in this bathroom. Now, according to this police report, the officer says that Senator Larry Craig started tapping his foot up and down and then took his hand and ran it along the bottom of the bathroom stall.

Now, according to the officer, he said he recognizes this as a signal used by persons wishing to engage in lewd conduct. At that time, the officer indicated to Senator Craig that he was under arrest. He brought him out of the bathroom quietly, without putting him in handcuffs, and we're told, at least according to this police report, the senator gave him his business card and said, "I'm a U.S. senator. What do you think of that?"

Now, it was about two months after this report was filed that Senator Craig pled guilty to charges of disorderly conduct. He paid a fine of more than $500, and got a 10-day sentence that has been stayed for now.

According to Craig's office, this is the statement they released. "At the time of this incident," he says, "I complained to the police that they were misconstruing my actions. I was not involved in any inappropriate conduct. In hindsight, I should not have pled guilty."

Now, Senator Larry Craig has served in Congress for more than 25 years and is a respected, very conservative Republican. He has a wife and three adopted children. Yesterday, he resigned from the Mitt Romney for President campaign, where he was a chair of their Idaho campaign -- T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Jessica Yellin for us with this story up on Capitol Hill.

Thank you so much.

KEILAR: And just into the CNN NEWSROOM, a federal judge has approved the extradition of former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega to France. France is where Noriega is facing 10 years in prison possibly for laundering millions in drug money through French banks there.

The Associated Press reporting that this judge's decision means that another -- there will be another hearing before another judge today on the extradition request for Noriega. So, again, at this point, in essence, this judge approving the extradition of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega to France.

HOLMES: All right. We're keeping an eye on the markets. And the markets, oh, not making a lot of folks happy right now.

The Dow down 103 points. Of course, the past few weeks it's been a little topsy-turvy down there on the markets.

And Tiger Woods actually helped ring the bell there on Wall Street today. In his business, it's good to be, you know, in negative scores, but it's not so good for the Dow.

But right now we're keeping an eye on it -- 104 points down on the Dow.

Nasdaq, say it to me again. What's it down 30 points?

Crews are not answering. That's OK. I believe the Nasdaq is down a bit as well.

We're keeping an eye on it for you.

KEILAR: All right.

Also now word coming in that a suicide bomb has killed three U.S. troops serving with NATO in Afghanistan. That's according to the military.

This happened today in Gardez, which is in the east. And NATO says the bomber self-detonated while the troops were working on a bridge project. Six other NATO troops were wounded.

Four hundred thirty U.S. troops have died since Operating Enduring Freedom began back in October of 2001.

HOLMES: Some serious new concerns right now in waterlogged southwestern Wisconsin. People living near four earthen dams have gotten evacuation orders. Those dams held during last week's downpours, but authorities have spotted erosion at one of them.

Rain traveled across the region yesterday. Forecasters say more wet weather could be on the way today.

KEILAR: A scramble now under way this hour in Idaho. Crews there, they're trying to contain several big wildfires. The flames are creeping closer to some popular tourist spots, including Sun Valley. The situation is so uncertain, that the town of Ketchum has called off one of its biggest events, the annual Labor Day party.

HOLMES: Well, not a party for a whole lot of folks across the Midwest for the past few days. It seems like it's been going on almost a week now, but...

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, about a week and a half, actually.

HOLMES: About a week and a half it is now. All right.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: Well, a major bridge reopens this morning between Tennessee and Arkansas. You're looking at it there.

It's called the Hernando DeSoto Bridge. It was closed because of safety concerns.

A pier under the approached spans to Interstate 40. It had settled several inches, and that was discovered yesterday.

Engineers shut the bridge down for about nine hours while crews checked the structural -- structural concerns, rather. Traffic now flowing again in both directions over one half of that bridge.

We do want to get the latest on this from Pamela Marshall, joining us on the phone now. She's with Tennessee's Department of Transportation.

Ma'am, thank you for being with us.

If you can, give us -- I guess just tell us exactly what was discovered. What happened?

PAMELA MARSHALL, TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION: T.J., yesterday morning, our construction inspectors discovered that a bridge pier on the approach bridge west of the river had settled overnight. That's one of the approach bridges leading to the Hernando DeSoto Bridge that crosses the Mississippi. This bridge is on the west side of the river, actually in Arkansas.

When they discovered that, it was determined that the best thing to do was to shut the bridge down completely, until we could determine exactly what was going on and what would be our next plan of action. That bridge is under a seismic retrofitting project, getting it ready in the event of an earthquake that would measure an 8 on the Richter scale.

Half of that bridge had already been completed. So, what was decided was that, let's just switch traffic over to the half that's been completed. We were planning to do that next week, and we just moved that timetable up. So people are actually driving, as you said earlier, on the side of the bridge that's already been seismic retrofitted, and traffic went -- flowed well this morning, and motorists are to and fro to their destinations.

HOLMES: And ma'am, you said you shut it down to figure out exactly what had happened. And why, I guess, is the question. Why -- or what was the reason? Or what answer do you have for why it settled several inches? Why did that happen?

MARSHALL: Well, it's under a seismic retrofitting project, as I said. They were driving steel pilings to increase the footing of that bridge.

These are 24 inch in diameter steel pilings that they were driving. So as a result of that motion of driving the pilings in the ground, that's what we feel like caused that settling to take place.

HOLMES: Well, I assume that wasn't supposed to happen. So do you have assurances? I guess you feel pretty good that it's safe now?

MARSHALL: Well, it's not uncommon, because you're moving earth around the existing footing. So you're moving the earth so that, you know, it caused some shifting. And we decided to, you know, err on the side of caution. Let's just close it down, we have another option that's already ready to go, and switch traffic over.

So, from our engineers, I understand, it's not as uncommon as you might think. But in light of what has happened in Minnesota, we just decided, let's just shut it down. Better safe than sorry.

HOLMES: Of course that Minnesota tragedy on everybody's mine, still.

Well, Pamela Marshall, of the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

Ma'am, we appreciate you giving us some time and explaining what happened there. Thank you so much, ma'am.

MARSHALL: You're welcome. Bye-bye.

KEILAR: Safety inspections have been ordered for all newer Boeing 737 aircraft. This FAA directive follows last week's fire on a plane that had just landed in Japan, a really spectacular fire. Investigators believe in this case, that a bolt from the right wing slat pierced the fuel tank of that plane. Luckily, all on board managed to escape before the plane was engulfed in flames.

Wing slats on Boeing 737s in service in the U.S. since 1998 will be checked, and then FAA officials say inspections will likely expand soon to include nearly all Boeing 737s worldwide.

HOLMES: Another toy recall to tell you about today. Six thousand Robbie Ducky Kids Watering Cans sold in the U.S. are being recalled. Yes, they were made in China.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says the beaks on the cans contain lead paint. It sounds like a familiar story here.

The watering cans have been sold at Jo-Ann Fabrics stores since February. No injuries have been reported in connection with these toys.

Of course, lead can be dangerous if swallowed by young kids. If your child has one of these watering cans, return it to any Jo-Ann store for a full refund.

KEILAR: Help wanted at the Justice Department. Gonzales is out, so who will be the next attorney general?

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ed Henry, in Reno, where the president will call for more time to let the surge in Iraq work. But is the patience of some senior Republicans running out?

That story coming up in the NEWSROOM.

HOLMES: Also coming up, in a city down on its luck after Hurricane Katrina, got a big success story to tell you about. We'll hear from two people who have been instrumental in saving the oldest high school in New Orleans.

KEILAR: Soaps that kill bacteria, more bacteria, do the claims wash? Dr. Sanjay Gupta will have all the dirt, ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Thousands of religious pilgrims are being ordered to leave the Iraqi city of Karbala. That follows last night's deadly shootings during a holy festival. At least 26 people are dead, more than 30 others are wounded. One Interior Ministry official said the fighting appeared to be between members of the armed wings of Shiite militias. Thousands of Shiite Muslims traveled to Karbala to mark the birthday of a revered imam.

Meanwhile, President Bush talks to veterans this afternoon, urging more patience on Iraq.

Let's go now to CNN's Ed Henry. He is joining us live from Reno, Nevada, where he is following the president.

Hi, Ed.

HENRY: Hello, Brianna.

The president facing escalating pressure from within his own party to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq. You have senior Republican Senator John Warner saying he wants to see the president start bringing some troops home by Christmas, but in a speech here to the American Legion, Mr. Bush will argue that the surge is starting to work and that it needs more time to bring victory in Iraq and broader stability in the Mideast.

It's interesting, though, while the president keeps urging lawmakers not to prejudge next month's progress report on Iraq, Mr. Bush clearly seems to have already made up his mind about forging ahead based on the preview he gave last night at a Republican fund- raiser.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will not be intimidated by thugs and murders. The United States of America will stand strong.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: I'm confident we can succeed. I really am. I could not look at mother whose child was in combat if I didn't believe, one, it was necessary, and, two, we could succeed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now, this effort to reshape the debate over Iraq shows in part why the president accepted the resignation of his attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, even though he did it reluctantly, as he said. There are massive challenges that lie ahead for this president. The clock is ticking, obviously, on his time in office.

Even he yesterday acknowledged for the first time that this controversy was starting to become a distraction. He clearly gave in to the political pressure, ultimately, after digging in for so long and defending Gonzales, but not before a blast at his critics who drove Gonzales out of office, saying that they had dragged his friend through the mud -- Brianna. KEILAR: And Ed, we heard him make those comments yesterday in Waco, Texas. He didn't talk about any replacements for Gonzales yesterday, but are we hearing anything else from the White House?

HENRY: Yes. They say the president's not in a rush to get this done, but obviously, he's got to get it done soon, because Congress will be coming back from recess. They're expecting what could be a tough confirmation battle.

Some of the names out there include Ted Olson, the former solicitor general. He could be the nominee.

You also have Michael Chertoff, the current Homeland Security secretary. His stock was high early yesterday. It waned somewhat throughout the day, in part because of his role in Hurricane Katrina. Also, because it would set up two confirmation battles, his own job at Homeland Security, as well as attorney general.

You also have George Terwilliger. He was the deputy attorney general, as you know, under Bush 41. Some people see him as a potential gray beard, almost like how Robert Gates came in, former with the Bush 41 administration, now over at the Pentagon, replacing Donald Rumsfeld.

And finally, Larry Thompson. We've heard his name a lot, former deputy attorney general at the beginning of this Bush administration, also would be the first African-American attorney general. But the administration doesn't expect to be able to lure him away from a very lucrative job at PepsiCo -- Brianna.

KEILAR: All right. Thanks, Ed.

Ed Henry for us following the president there in Reno, Nevada.

HOLMES: Battered, but not broken. The oldest public high school in New Orleans gets a new lease on life after Hurricane Katrina.

Warren Easton High was badly damaged in the storm, it wasn't going to reopen. But now it's a successful charter school.

And with us now from New Orleans, two people who helped make it a success, Arthur Hardy, vice president of the Charter Foundation, and one Chante Carey, one of the students who we got out of class today for a little bit to chat with us.

Thank you both for being here.

And Chante, part of your story is that your family had to move after Katrina to Baton Rouge, but you wanted to go to this school. You had to travel 70 miles, I believe it is, one way to get to school every single day.

Now, explain to people watching this what was so special about this school that it made you want to go through that effort day in, day out? CHANTE CAREY, STUDENT: Well, I attended Warren Easton my freshman year. And it's been such -- when I first went there, it was a good experience and I wanted to continue. And it was a determination for me to catch the bus 4:00 in the morning, because Warren Easton brought so much to me. They taught me that I could have fun and learn at the same time.

HOLMES: Now, what did your parents think about that idea? Were they OK with it? Of course, they had to be OK eventually, but at first, how did that receive the idea of you doing that every day?

CAREY: They were behind me 100 percent, but they were also concerned, because it was very tiresome, and it was a very long way. But they stood by me all the way.

HOLMES: So I assume you got a lot of homework done to and from school every day?

CAREY: Oh, yes. Yes, I did.

HOLMES: All right. Now, any other of your classmates do the same thing, that you know of?

CAREY: There was -- not really, but there was a boy from (INAUDIBLE). He caught it with me and he really pushed me forward, because me and him did it together for a very long time. And sort of down the line towards the end of me catching the bus, there was a girl in my school. She started catching it.

HOLMES: Well, Mr. Hardy, it sounds like a special place, and apparently you were aware of this.

So, tell us, were you disappointed after Hurricane Katrina that maybe a lot of folks didn't see it the way you saw it, and didn't realize how special the place was, and that there weren't more people stepping forward to try to save this school?

ARTHUR HARDY, WARREN EASTON CHARTER FOUNDATION: Well, T.J., we went from being brokenhearted, to being sad, to angry, and then swung into action and said, this school has to open because of its history. And we just said, no matter what, we're going to get it open, and I think it's a real example of what can happen.

And it's part of the recovery of New Orleans. You know, if you don't wait for people to help you and just do it yourself, good things happen. And then, guess what? People from outside came and said, if you're going to do this, we're going to pitch in.

It's been a great story.

HOLMES: Well, just quickly here, explain to folks just how bad of shape this school was in after the storm.

HARDY: We had about anywhere from eight to 10 feet of water, several million dollars worth of damage. I mean, it was just awful. But thanks to a lot of good help from people like the New Orleans Rotary, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sandra Bullock, FCO (ph) Construction helped rebuild us rebuild on their own nickel. We've had hundreds of thousands of dollars come in, and we need more.

We're not there yet, but it's been -- it's just been great to see the amount of support from within and without for this wonderful school.

HOLMES: And sir, this was a heck of an undertaking, no doubt about it, for a lot of reasons, but, also, the initial group that you were with to put this thing together and try to save this school was a group of 10 white guys trying to save pretty much an all black school, among other things. So how did you go in to this? You couldn't go into this lightly.

HARDY: Well, the only colors we care about are purple and gold. That's our Warren Easton colors.

We've got a saying in New Orleans that there are only two kind of people in New Orleans, those who went to Warren Easton and those that wish they had. And we're so glad to be a part of it, and I don't think we'll ever do anything more important than to get this school open.

We graduated 97 percent of the senior class. The president and the first lady honored us with a visit last year on the anniversary of Katrina. So, it's been a lot of good news. We're not there yet, but we're back on our feet.

HOLMES: What else do you need right now at that school?

HARDY: Oh, money.

HOLMES: Money. I mean, that's the bottom line, you need money.

HARDY: As every school does. Yes, we do. And all schools do.

And we tell people, hey, if you're not going to give to our high school, give to another one. And that's the answer to crime, to poverty, to housing, everything, public education in New Orleans.

And we actually turned down some donations because we didn't need any more trombones, but we'd call another school and say, hey, we've got somebody who can help you.

HOLMES: Yes.

HARDY: We're all about the same thing, is helping the children get back on its feet.

HOLMES: Chante, I'll turn back to you now.

Obviously, you maybe not understand the whole history -- I wouldn't say understand, but of course Mr. Hardy has a deep appreciation for that school and its history. He went to school there, was class president even, I believe, during his day. But did you and your classmates really have as much of a deep understanding and appreciation of the history of this school, you think, before the storm, as you do now?

CAREY: Yes, because before the storm, you know, it was only a week and I didn't get the full information about it. But now, since '06 to '07, they really broke it down to me how it all began. And I am very thankful for Warren Easton (INAUDIBLE).

HOLMES: And finally here, the last question for you, Chante, is, how was it going to school there before, compared to going to school there now?

CAREY: There were more people. It was more hectic. And I didn't really get the full effect of it, because it was only for one week, but I know I really enjoyed it. And now, it's like, it's my home. It's where I want to be and it's where I want to graduate in 2009.

HOLMES: And finally here for you now, Mr. Hardy, the school has managed to survive Hurricane Katrina. The school is still going, thanks to you and your efforts.

Can the school survive what it's up against now? Like you said, there's money. People still aren't coming back in droves, really, to New Orleans.

You've got another battle here on your hands after the storm. Weather's not the problem. Money is the problem. You've got other problems.

Can the school, you think, survive now?

HARDY: Absolutely. And it's been a team effort, and I think we'd like to think of ourselves as kind of the beacon of hope in our mid-city neighborhood and for all of New Orleans.

And the message is, if we can do it, everybody can do it. There's no possible way we will let this thing fail. And with all outside help, you know, things are only going to get better. And I'm just proud to be a small part of this effort.

It's a great story.

HOLMES: Sir, you are absolutely right. It is a great story, and one of many coming out of New Orleans.

We certainly need to hear a whole lot more of them. That school's been there since 1865. You graduated some years later, sir, I know. But really a great...

HARDY: No. I was from 1865.

HOLMES: Vice president, too, as well, I believe.

Well, sir, Mr. Arthur Hardy, those efforts put together to help save that school, and a graduate here in the next couple of years, Chante Carey, who sacrificed to go to that school even when she was displaced from New Orleans.

Thank you both for being here. Congratulations on what you've been able to accomplish. And we will see you for sure down the road.

HARDY: Thank you, T.J.

CAREY: Thank you.

KEILAR: Statin drugs lower cholesterol. Could they be a critical piece of the Alzheimer's puzzle as well? Citing new medical findings ahead.

HOLMES: Well, it keeps a dropping right now. Dow down about 135, 136 points.

We are keeping an eye on this. Nasdaq down today as well, about 32 points, as I speak to you.

Our Susan Lisovicz is keeping an eye on things there and she'll have an update for us a little later.

Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(INSERT 11:30)

HOLMES: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on his way out. Who will replace him? Mum's the word right now from the White House, but some candidates could face a tough Senate confirmation. Political insiders see a possible standoff between the White House and the Democratic-led Congress.

KEILAR: Well, from day one Gonzales has been a lightning rod for the Bush administration, right from the very beginning.

CNN's Kelli Arena reports on his troubled tenure.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It all started with his nomination in late 2004 with charges that Alberto Gonzales was just too chummy with the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, NOVEMBER 17, 2004) SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D), VERMONT: I have no objection to presidents appointing close friends, but will he keep the kind of independence that a attorney general has to keep from the president?

ARENA: Then, at his confirmation hearings in 2005, Gonzales faced sharp criticism for a memo he approved as White House counsel which some say legitimized torture and may have set the foundation for the abuses at Abu Ghraib.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, JANUARY 6, 2005)

SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: You were warned that ignoring our longstanding traditions and rules would lead to abuse and undermine military culture, and that is what has happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: The Republican Congress let Gonzales coast for a bit, but, when Democrats took over, they seized on a new controversy over the firings of eight U.S. attorneys late last year.

(on camera): Gonzales just couldn't keep his story straight, contradicting other Justice officials and sometimes even himself.

(voice-over): Top-level resignations followed, but the attorney general stuck it out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, MARCH 30, 2007)

GONZALES: I don't recall being involved in deliberations involving the question of whether or not a U.S. attorney should or should not be asked to resign.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: It got testy. Then it got ugly. Former Deputy Attorney General James Comey testified in May that Gonzales, as White House counsel, tried to bully his predecessor, John Ashcroft, into approving a controversial domestic wiretap program wile Ashcroft lay sick in a hospital bed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, MAY 15, 2007)

JAMES COMEY, FORMER DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: I was very upset. I was angry. I thought I had just witnessed an effort to take advantage of a very sick man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: Comey testified that both he and the FBI director had threatened to quit over the program, contradicting the attorney general.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, FEBRUARY 6, 2006)

GONZALES: There's not been any serious disagreement about the -- the program that the president has confirmed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: It came down to who to believe. And, in the end, almost no one believed the attorney general. Democrats even pushed for a perjury investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, JULY 24, 2007)

SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R-PA), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE RANKING MEMBER: It's just decimating, Mr. Attorney General, as to both your judgment and your credibility.

ARENA: Although controversies over the war on terror dominated his tenure, Gonzales also presided over a bad spike in violent crime, and:

JOE RICH, FORMER JUSTICE SECTION CHIEF: To put it bluntly, I think he was the worst attorney general I served under.

ARENA: He leaves behind a department that many say is disorganized and demoralized, a legacy that poses especially big challenges for whoever succeeds him.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

HOLMES: Well, YOUR WORLD TODAY coming up in a couple minutes. Time for us to turn to Jim Clancy for a preview of what's happening today.

Hello to you, sir.

JIM CLANCY, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, T.J., and good morning to you, Brianna. We're really following closely those Greek fires. They're just tearing right across the country. Greeks themselves stunned, not by the scope of the blazes as much as the number of people that have died in the flames while trying to flee their homes and villages. More on that.

Plus, Iran's President Ahmadinejad had a lot to say. He says the U.S. occupation of Iraq is collapsing. He says there is going to be a power vacuum, and Tehran stands ready to jump in, and in his words, fill the gap.

Plus -- zombies, the walking dead, come back with a vengeance. There's actually a reason that they converged on London, and we're going to explain that coming up at the top of the hour.

But, Brianna and T.J., you'll just have to tune in to find out.

HOLMES: Yes, I wish you would explain that one. We will tune in for that. We'll see you in a couple minutes.

KEILAR: Thanks, Jim.

If you missed today's space show, you can see it here. The moon does a slow fade to black.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, today CNN Hero, a man making the lives of injured American troops just a little better. Bob Kunkel is using lessons from his own struggle to help them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How did this start?

BOB KUNKEL, COMMUNITY CRUSADER: The newly injured had no idea how dramatic their lives have been impacted. And I have experience in that area. And I knew I had to do something.

I was with the 9th Infantry Division. My knee joint was blown out. So they took the bottom part and welded it to the top. I did not cope well. You name the self-destructive behavior, I did it, times 10. Now I view all that experiences as training for what I'm doing now.

My name is Bob Kunkel. I have the privilege and honor of being allowed to interact with the new injured at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. I function as a friend. I teach jujitsu, so that an injured person can become empowered in protecting themselves.

He went that way, so you step here.

There's a connection. They've been in combat, I've been in combat.

You're laughing, they know.

My purpose is to steer someone to make better choices in life.

If you're injured, you're still the same person.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For me, I feel fortunate to have met somebody like Bob. You know, someone that can kind of understand the disability, but that can also teach me a skill that I can pass on to other people.

KUNKEL: I've taken soldiers out for coffee, out for a drive, and dinner.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you?

KUNKEL: And you can just see how people relaxing. It's my way of showing my true appreciation for their sacrifice.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HARRIS: Bob Kunkel continues to help troop it's any way he can. This week he begins another service, paying for Niagara Falls getaways for amputees and their spouses, and yes, he does this all on his own dime. If you'd like to learn more about Bob Kunkel or his program you can logon to CNN.com/heroes. There you can also nominate a hero of your own. But you only until September 30th to do it. Selected winners will be honored during a special live broadcast in December.

KEILAR: You know that saying that everything's bigger in Texas? well, it's not the Lone Star State that's the fattest in the nation. Look east for that distinction. We'll tell you more, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, we've got an arraignment gone wrong to show you here. Two families squaring off in a Vermont courtroom after a murder suspect is ordered held without bail. Michael Christmas, accused of shooting his former brother-in-law in front of the victim's three children. The courtroom melee started when the victim's girlfriend began screaming at Christmas. Some pushing and some shoving ensued, and this is the scene. Sheriff deputies were able to break all this up. No further charges have been filed in this case. Just a lot of emotion surrounding just a horrible, horrible killing.

KEILAR: Deep fried, deep trouble in the Deep South. According to a new study, Mississippi is the first state ever where more than 30 percent of the adults there are obese. Experts blame the long southern tradition of fried foods. Alabama and West Virginia were just behind. And in all, 31 states showed an increase in obesity rates last year. Colorado continued to rank as the nation's leanest state.

HOLMES: And your state actually was 35 on the list, pretty well, California.

KEILAR: California. Not too bad.

HOLMES: Arkansas, we're in the top 10. We're number eight.

KEILAR: All right.

HOLMES: Yes, all right.

"YOUR WORLD TODAY" coming up next. We'll see you.

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