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American Morning
Hillary Proposes New Health Care Plan; Iraqi Officials Stand Firm Behind Ban of Security Firm; Children Wearing Popular Shoes Getting Feet Caught in Escalators; Severe Weather Hits Florida
Aired September 18, 2007 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Her plan would require everyone to have insurance, a so-called individual mandate.
As soon as she announced the plan yesterday, critics from Karl Rove to John Edwards were ready to jump on it.
CNN political analyst John Dickerson of Slate.com joins us now.
This was a real loser for her in '93/'94, John. Could it be a winner for her this time around?
JOHN DICKERSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it's hard to say. It's an issue she can't run away from, of course. She can't hide that experience she had in 1993, and so she's trying to do it on her terms.
And obviously, also, it's the most important issue for Democratic primary voters. So we'll have to see how it plays out.
ROBERTS: You know, it's a real 180 for her, as well. Because part of the reason why the plan was killed back in 1994 were those ads that the health care industry put out there. It was the health insurance industry that was so against her plan.
And now people are saying, well, because the health insurance industry is one of the largest contributors to -- or that she is the highest recipient of health care industry funds, that she's in their pocket.
I asked her about that criticism just a little while ago. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Senator Clinton, you are the biggest recipient among all the candidates of health care dollars. What do you say to people who say this is a give-away to that -- that part of the industry that's supporting your campaign?
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, all of the critique of that, I suppose, is politics, as usual. Because the plan, of course, does have both an individual mandate and insurance reform, and I think you have to have both.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ROBERTS: So what about that, John? Could she be in the pocket of the health care industry? Or is that an industry that you have to court if you want to have a successful plan?
DICKERSON: Well, what you saw there, you couldn't see it in the chair, but she was trying to do a little Jujitsu there. She's being attacked, mostly from her Democratic rivals, as being a captive of Washington, captive of the special interests.
And she said that attack was politics as usual, an attempt to throw it back on them and say that these candidates running as outsiders are just practicing the same old politics.
Her plan -- she's pretty tough on insurance companies when she speaks out loud, and they're trying to say, well, that's just rhetoric. But her plan is that, you know -- is this kind of mix of public and private. And you know, we'll see if they can make the case that it's that much more favorable to the insurance companies than the ones that Senator Obama and Senator Edwards have put forward.
ROBERTS: She's also done a little bit of Jujitsu earlier this week, when Rudy Giuliani criticized her for not beating back against the MoveOn.org ad. I asked her about that. But what I said was, "You supported General Petraeus. What do you think of the MoveOn.org ad?" Here's what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: You were one of the senators who voted unanimously for General Petraeus' confirmation, and we saw that MoveOn.org last week calling him General Betray Us. Obviously, you didn't have that opinion when you voted for him. Do you want to distance yourself from that ad?
CLINTON: Well, I never have had that opinion. And I have said publicly on numerous occasions, including at the last hearing, how much I respect General Petraeus, his service to our country.
Obviously, I have a disagreement with Republicans and with President Bush about what direction we should be heading in Iraq.
ROBERTS: So was that MoveOn.org ad over the top?
CLINTON: Well, I certainly speak for myself, and I am a very strong admirer of General Petraeus, his record of service for our country, the dedication he has brought to a very difficult job that many of us think does not have a military solution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: So John, a piece of news there in her steadfast support for General Petraeus, but these Democrats, they just won't criticize MoveOn.org. It's like they're scared of them.
DICKERSON: Well, you appear to have moved her at least a little bit off of her previous position, which was to take questions about the Move On ad and not attack Move On but also not attack the general and say, well, this is really a discussion about the president.
There, she gave a full-throated support of the general, which if you read the Move On ad, those two things can not be consistent. But you're right: she's not going to come out and commit suicide and attack Move On.
ROBERTS: Why not? It would be so fun to watch.
All right, John, thanks very much -- Kiran.
DICKERSON: Thank you.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, John.
Well, Iraq government ministers today are backing a decision to shut down Blackwater USA, a contractor. That's a major private security contractor which protects U.S. diplomats in Iraq.
The Iraqis are angry about a firefight involving Blackwater employees on Sunday. Eight Iraqis died in that shooting.
CNN's Barbara Starr is live at the Pentagon with more on the potential fallout from this decision.
Hi, Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Kyra. And while this could not be more serious, we have to see where it all goes.
As of now, Blackwater and the State Department say they've got no official word from the Iraqis that the company's operations in Iraq are going to be shut down, but the Iraqi government saying they are revoking the license of Blackwater to operate inside Iraq.
What does this all mean? Blackwater has hundreds of employees in Iraq doing private security work for the State Department, for reconstruction sites, other facilities in Iraq. If they get pulled out of the country, someone is going to have to step in and perform those security functions. U.S. troops aren't doing it right now. They could have to step in, Kiran.
CHETRY: Are people weighing in on the circumstances surrounding that firefight? Are they allowed to protect themselves and fight back if they feel they're being attacked?
CHETRY: That is the most critical question, absolutely.
Blackwater says they came under attack. They were exercising their right, their approved right of self-defense in performing their security function. They were guarding the State Department convoy. They say they came under attack. But when the shooting was all over, some civilians were dead.
And Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, even before the investigation is complete, has called Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on the phone and expressed regret over the loss of life and regret over the incident. That may be the strongest indicator of just how much the Bush administration wants to make this all go away -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon for us. Thank you -- John.
ROBERTS: New York Knicks head coach and general manager Isaiah Thomas is being accused of sexual harassment by a former Madison Square Garden executive.
In a videotaped deposition played for the court, Thomas denied ever calling the black woman the "B" word and another word that Don Imus used that you'll remember got him fired.
But Thomas also admitted that there was a double standard and that -- that he might be OK with it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ISAIAH THOMAS, COACH/GENERAL MANAGER, NEW YORK KNICKS: A white male calling a black female a (expletive deleted) is highly offensive to me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you find it also offensive for a black male to call a black woman a (expletive deleted)?
THOMAS: Not as much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Well, later outside the court, Thomas tried to take that statement back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THOMAS: Please don't mischaracterize the video that was shown in court today. I don't think it's right for any man to ever call a woman a (expletive deleted). I didn't do it, and I wouldn't do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: The woman suing Thomas and the New York Knicks is seeking $10 million in damages.
Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers has filed a lawsuit against God. He has asked the court to issue a permanent injunction, prohibiting God from unleashing plagues and terrorist threats against the world.
And he says to show -- he did it to show that a lawsuit may be filed over anything and against anyone.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERNIE CHAMBERS, NEBRASKA STATE SENATOR: It's not a lawsuit against religion. It's a lawsuit against a defendant who is perpetrated much harm and damage on the human race.
TOM WHITE, NEBRASKA STATE SENATOR: I wanted to laugh. But you know, it's going to be kind of tough to get God to obey a court, since he is the almighty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Well, Chambers says that he could file his lawsuit in Nebraska because God is everywhere.
He also says that it was triggered by a case in which a state judge barred the words "rape" and "victim" from a sexual assault trial. Basically, he said he'd had enough -- Kiran.
CHETRY: The weird thing is in the first shot we had of him there was some sort of fan behind his head, but it looked like a halo. Maybe that was a sign. Very strange.
Well, the University of Florida's police department is investigating whether its officers were justified in tasering a student yesterday. It happened during a campus forum with Massachusetts Senator John Kerry.
The guy in question, 21-year-old Andrew Meyer, he was asking several questions of John Kerry. He refused to leave the microphone when he was asked to. And so the university eventually cut the microphone off. They say that it was -- it was cut off because he used up his allotted time.
So then officers stepped in. They tried to pull him away from the microphone. He refused to leave. He resisted, and that's when things got pretty ugly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW MEYER, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA STUDENT: Thank you for cutting my mic. Thank you. Are you going to arrest me? Excuse me, excuse me. What are you arresting me for? Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: So you see him out there, telling them to stop. He's trying to get out of their grip. The police tried to escort him out. He continued to resist, saying that he wanted to stay and hear the answer to his question, and things went downhill from there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEYER: I didn't do anything! Don't tase me, brother! Don't tase me. I didn't do anything. Ow! Ow! Ow!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: All right. Well, earlier, we spoke with the I-Reporter who shot some of the video of the incident. She said that police had Meyer on his stomach, she believes in cuffs. When you look at the video it's unclear. It does look like one arm may still be free.
And clearly on the tape, he was continuing to struggle and fight, even after they told him to stop. Well, now he's been charged with resisting an officer and disturbing the peace. He is scheduled to appear in court this morning -- John.
ROBERTS: What an incredible story.
Ten minutes after the hour. Time now to check in with our AMERICAN MORNING team of correspondents for other stories, new this morning, that we're following.
A warning going out this morning about those popular Crocs sandals. AMERICAN MORNING's Alina Cho has got more, live inside the mall here at the Time Warner Center in New York.
What's this all about? I noticed an escalator behind you there, Alina.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And escalators are key in this report, John.
You know, if you come to the mall with your kids, and they're wearing Crocs, you certainly do not want to miss this report, because there are some concerns this morning that young children who wear these rubber shoes are getting their toes caught in the teeth of escalators, and they're getting their feet mangled in the process.
Now, there are several reported cases of this, including one involving a 4-year-old boy in Virginia. His mother says that her son's foot got caught in a mall escalator in Virginia. She was eventually able to pry him free. But in the end, the big toe, the nail on big toe was actually ripped off. So you can imagine the pain that he must have felt.
Now, just a programming note. That mother, Jodi McDermott, and her young son, Rory, will be our guest on AMERICAN MORNING. That's coming up in the next couple of minutes at 8:15 Eastern Time.
Now, what's interesting about all of this is one of the biggest selling points of Crocs are their flexibility and their grip, but that's exactly the reason why these shoes are getting caught in the teeth of escalators. A parent's worst nightmare, you can imagine.
Some stores, some malls, even some subway stations like the Washington Metro are already posting warning signs.
The company, by the way, that makes Crocs told the Associated Press that these incidents are, quote, "rare." CNN has also reached out to the company but, so far, John, we have not heard a response.
ROBERTS: All right. Perhaps we will later on today. Alina Cho for us in the Time Warner Center Mall. Alina, thanks very much.
Time to turn to the weather now. Rob Marciano in the CNN weather desk, tracking extreme weather in Florida this time around. Hey, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, John.
They had big-time flooding yesterday across parts of northern Florida. It looks like the moisture plume is going to continue.
Here's a radar scope. You can see the kind of flow coming in from the east to the west, and that flow not only bringing rainfall but will bring in a high surf, especially up towards Jacksonville.
Well, yesterday in spots they had over three inches of rainfall. And also this whole area is of concern in the National Hurricane Center over the next couple of days. They'll watch it for potential development into something tropical.
Speaking of tropics, a typhoon over there in China, just north of Taiwan. The northern tip there. We're watching this super typhoon. It will decrease in intensity, but it will hit mainland China and will affect the major city of Shanghai here over the next 24 hours.
So that is a major concern, of course. And also, it will be re- curving into Korea.
Kind of chilly across the northeast again today. Temperatures into the 40s. But not nearly as chilly as it was yesterday and the day before. Across parts of the high country of Colorado, Breckenridge up there, 10, 12. The top of this chair maybe 11,000 feet.
So not even halfway up the hill, and they've already got a dusting of snowfall there. Winter, John, right around the corner.
ROBERTS: I'm sure my phone is going to ring any day now with my son saying, "Hey, Dad, could use a new pair of skis."
Rob, thanks very much.
MARCIANO: OK.
ROBERTS: Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, your health news topping your "Quick Hits" now.
And doctors say that a new vaccine that's dramatically lowered pneumonia, as well as other serious illnesses in children could come with a price: new super bugs, strains that are immune to ear infections.
Doctors say the Prevnar vaccine is resistant to all drugs that are approved to treat childhood ear infections. They say parents, though, should continue to have children under 2 get the vaccine because it can prevent serious illness.
Well, a factory that was at the center of a summer botulism outbreak is now open again. The Castleberry's food plant in August, Georgia, makes cans of hot dog chili sauce. The product had to be recalled after eight people became sick after eating it.
The FDA gave the plant permission to open last week, but not all of the production lines are up and running.
Still ahead, a boy goes swimming in a lake and dies several days later. Because of the lake? We're going to have more on that story, just ahead.
Also ahead, a warning going out about popular Crocs shoes. Up next, you'll meet a mother and son who are sounding the alarm. Rory McDermott, his mother, Jodi, they join us live with their story next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the most news morning here on CNN. Good news for diabetics topping your "Quick Hits".
Researchers say any kind of exercise is better than none when it comes to controlling Type 2 diabetes, but according to a new study, a combination of aerobic exercise and strength training helped lower blood sugar levels the best.
An osteoporosis drug given to patients with hip fractures can prevent further injuries and help patients live longer. That's according to a new study by Novartis, which happens to make the drug. About a third of the people who break a hip die within two years because of associated illnesses.
The American Cancer Society is focusing on the uninsured. The ACS will spend its entire $15 million advertising budget highlighting the dangers of being underinsured or uninsured.
Previous ads have encouraged people to get checked for certain cancers, but this ad seeks to raise awareness of the problems of millions of Americans who don't' have health insurance -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, look down, and chances are you'll see them Crocs. The sandals are everywhere. Do you have mine right under the desk? I'm sure they're under here, as well.
Well, they're popular. They're colorful. But could they also be dangerous?
A Virginia mother says that her son was hurt when an escalator grabbed hold -- hold on. I have it right here. Grabbed hold of his Crocs. These are what they look like. A lot of people have them around.
Well, Jodi and Rory McDermott join us this morning.
Thanks for being with us.
JODI MCDERMOTT, MOTHER: Nice to be here.
CHETRY: So your son, boy. You -- you were able to prevent any major injury, but he was in a lot of pain. He got his toenail ripped off after his shoe, the Croc he had on, got stuck in an escalator. What -- what happened?
J. MCDERMOTT: Well, we were at the mall. And my mother had my older son, my 6-year-old. He's a little excited about being on TV.
They were going down -- we were going down the escalator. We were going from the third to the second floor.
And I had a hold of Rory's hand. He's a hesitant escalator rider. So he stands still, and he holds my hand all the way down. But about halfway down, I felt him fall. And so my natural inclination was to pull him up. And I pulled. And he didn't come up. So I kept pulling and pulling and finally yanked him up.
And we got down to the bottom, and I looked at the toe, and I couldn't tell the extent of the damage because of all the blood. And it was just a horrifying situation.
And I'm holding him like a baby, cradled. And I could see the people coming down the escalator behind us, and the looks on their faces just sort of amplified.
CHETRY: They were horrified. Rory, were you scared when this happened?
RORY MCDERMOTT, GOT CAUGHT ON ESCALATOR: Yes.
CHETRY: How much did it hurt?
R. MCDERMOTT: Really bad.
CHETRY: Really bad? It did? Do you still wear those shoes?
R. MCDERMOTT: No.
CHETRY: No, you don't wear them anymore.
Jodi, if you could hold it up for me.
J. MCDERMOTT: Sure.
CHETRY: Will you show where they got stuck? Because apparently, you know, we do know these are very soft and spongy, but how are they different from flip-flops or other soft-soled shoes, as well?
J. MCDERMOTT: Well, most people -- the misconception they think its -- these accidents are happening down where the teeth are, down at the very bottom. He was standing still, and it was in the middle of the escalator ride.
And what it does is the way they grip, and the rubber took the bottom of the shoe. You can kind of see it. This is his other shoe. It's in pristine condition. And you can kind of see -- I hope you guys can -- where it looks like it's grabbed hold of the shoe.
And like I said, I was above him pulling, so I didn't see exactly, but it twisted his foot, and that is how it ripped his toenail. And you can see where the shoe is ripped open here. And the strap came undone, and it totally wore up the top of the shoe.
CHETRY: Yes. You can definitely see the difference with the two shoes. You know, we -- we -- the -- Crocs Inc., which is the company that makes them, they say that they're aware that there have been some of these. They cite it as very few and they said, thankfully, escalator accidents like the one in Virginia are rare. In a statement this is what they said.
Do you think they should come with warnings? Or do you think this was really just a very bizarre, rare incident?
J. MCDERMOTT: Well, we -- he took an ambulance to the E.R. room. And then we were -- in all this craziness, nurses said they'd heard this happening, of the Crocs and escalators.
So when I got home, I Googled "Croc" and "escalator" and pulled up several, several stories about this happening and shoes that looked just like this shoe, the damage to it.
So I don't think this is a freak accident. And being that he was standing still and holding my hand and not goofing around on the escalator or anything like that, that it just grabbed his shoe and twisted it and did all this with him standing still. I would have to say that it's something to do with the -- how the shoe is made.
CHETRY: It is, and it's scary, no doubt for a parent to have to go through that.
You know, there are six million of these made a month, I believe, and these are very popular shoes. And in fact, the nation's -- one of the nation's largest subway systems, the D.C. Metro, apparently will be posting warnings or have on some of the stops.
They show a photo of a Croc. They don't put the name...
J. MCDERMOTT: Right.
CHETRY: ... brand name of the shoe, telling people to be careful. But they also say to be careful for flip-flops, as well.
How is Rory going to be. Is his -- is his toenail going to grow back? Is he going to have a full recovery?
J. MCDERMOTT: Yes, he should. It did get infected. He was without a shoe for a week. And we had to limit his activity. And it got infected, so he had to take oral antibiotics.
And now we're just waiting for it, for the toenail to fall off so he's comfortable again. But he doesn't want to ride escalators anymore, and he won't be wearing his Crocs.
CHETRY: What's he going to wear when the school year starts?
J. MCDERMOTT: I think we're going to keep tennis shoes. But you know, it's -- some people think this is a summer issue, because these are little summer shoes, but kids wear them with socks and go in Crocs. They have a new fleece lined version. So I don't think this was the end of it. I don't think this is going to change the season. I think that we're going continue to see these -- these incidents.
CHETRY: Well, we're glad he's doing OK.
Rory, good job. I'm glad you're getting better. You're a brave little boy.
J. MCDERMOTT: Say thank you.
R. MCDERMOTT: Thank you.
CHETRY: And, Jodi, thanks for telling your story. We appreciate it.
J. MCDERMOTT: Thank you.
ROBERTS: A cute little kid.
Former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan weighing in on the state of the U.S. economy. Greenspan tells the Associated Press that the economy is not doing badly but that the chance of a recession has grown. He says there's a better than 1 in 3 chance of a recession this year.
Negotiators for General Motors and the United Auto Workers will be back at the bargaining table today. Marathon contract talks ended last night. Some progress was reported but still not a deal. Health care for retirees is a major issue.
GM's contract with the UAW expired last Friday, but a strike, at least for the moment, is on hold.
A Florida lake linked to the deaths of several young children. What is in the lake that's responsible? That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Twenty-six minutes after the hour. ANDERSON COOPER 360 airs weeknights at 10 p.m. Eastern. Here's Anderson now with a look at what's on his program tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER 360": Hey, John, tonight a little girl lost, her parents under suspicion. We're investigating the disappearance in Portugal of Madeleine McCann and the mystery surrounding it. We're in Madeleine's home town in Britain and in Portugal, where she disappeared, looking at the evidence, searching for answers, "Keeping Them Honest".
360 tonight, 10 p.m. Eastern -- John.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Thanks, Anderson. See you then.
A look now at a story coming up in our next half hour that you just can't miss.
CHETRY: That's right. The folks that brought us the Obama girl video. Remember? You were singing it in the break.
(singing) I've got a crush on Obama.
And I said I know you do.
ROBERTS: I don't remember that.
CHETRY: Well, a new video is released today. Obama girls. Well, many others, wives and girlfriends that are serving in Iraq...
ROBERTS: And rap star Mims.
CHETRY: Mims makes a little appearance, as well. They're sending a message to the troops. Let's take a quick look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, B, it's me. If you're there, pick up. I was just watching you on C-SPAN.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: C-SPAN? Who are they?
CHETRY: I think they meant CNN, of course.
Well, you're going to hear from Obama girl and also a couple of the other people involved in the video, coming up a little bit later on AMERICAN MORNING.
ROBERTS: All right. More when AMERICAN MORNING continues. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Oh, a shot of a rainy Minneapolis-St. Paul this morning from our friends at KARE-TV. 71 degrees there right now, only going up to a high of 74. Pretty odd when the high in the -- almost the low within a couple of degrees of each other, not going to be a nice day. Sorry about that folks. It's that much more enjoyable to spend the day indoors working, right?
It's Tuesday, September 18th. I'm John Roberts. Welcome back on this AMERICAN MORNING.
CHETRY: And I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us.
We have some new news this morning in the case of missing Madeleine McCann. There is now a new push and new support coming for her parents to prove they're innocent. Earlier this morning, they came out with their new full-time spokesman who is making their case publicly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLARENCE MITCHELL, MCCANN FAMILY SPOKESMAN: I feel so strongly that they are the innocent victims of a heinous crime that I am prepared to forego my government career to assist them. Therefore, I wish to stress most definitely that from now on, I, in no way, speak on the behalf of the British government. I will simply be representing Kate and Gerry as a private individual, one who believes utterly that they are entirely innocent of any involvement in the disappearance, let alone the death of their daughter Madeleine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Portuguese officials have of course named both parents as suspects in their 4-year-old daughter's disappearance.
ROBERTS: Senator Hillary Clinton has announced her plan for health care. The goal -- to cover the 47 million Americans without health insurance. It would require everyone to have an insurance policy. I spoke to her in the last hour in AMERICAN MORNING and asked her asked her what she says about her critics who claim her plan is a give-away to big insurers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, all of the critique of that, I suppose, is politics as usual. Because the plan, of course, does have both an individual mandate and insurance reform and I think you have to have both. I'm asking for shared responsibility. Individuals have to do our part. The drug and insurance companies have to change the way they do business. Employers have to contribute and the government has to help. I think that's the American way, to have everybody working and doing their part and taking responsibility.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: I also asked her if she wanted to distance her self from the move-on.org ad that mocked General Petraeus. Senator Clinton remembered voting in favor of his confirmation. She didn't say anything about move-on but she did say she respects General Petraeus and that she is a strong admirer of his record.
A typhoon is bearing down on the coast of China today. At least 200,000 people are moving to shelters in Shanghai. The storm is predicted to make landfall south of that city tomorrow with winds equal to about a category 1 hurricane. It's at category 4 strength right now.
He has proven time and time again that he's a survivor but hope is fading now that multimillionaire Steve Fossett will ever be found alive. Search teams say that are scaling back the search for him now. His plane disappeared over the Nevada desert more than two weeks ago. Over the weekend, the Nevada Civil Air Patrol had 20 planes and 60 people looking for him in an area twice the size of New Jersey. Now all of those flights have been suspended but the National Guard is keeping five helicopters in the air.
Well, no one thinks that a visit to the lake would result in much more than maybe a sunburn or mosquito bites. But this morning there is new concern about a much more serious threat today. CNN's John Zarrella is live in Orlando. And John, we're talking about something in the water?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF: That's exactly right, Kiran. You know, look at behind me. This beautiful, calm lake behind me. On weekends it's filled with boaters. It's filled with swimmers, wake boarders. But in this sandy bottom here lives a deadly organism that's been killing children.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA (voice-over): 11-year-old Will Sellars loved the water and being outside. So, naturally, his dad was surprised one weekend when Will didn't feel like doing much and complained of headaches.
STEVE SELLARS, WILL'S FATHER: And then that was on a Saturday. Then Sunday morning, and then Monday rushed him to the hospital and then two days later, he passed away. It's -- it's like a nightmare.
ZARRELLA: Will died a little over a week after he went swimming in this lake near Orlando. Health department officials say he's one of three boys to die here in Orlando this summer from a microscopic amoeba that has lived for eons in the sediment and muck of freshwater bodies.
DR. KEVIN SHERIN, DIRECTOR ORANGE CO. HEALTH DEPT.: So, this thing was just there. It's lurking like some deadly thing in the water which can take our children's lives and we all have to be aware.
ZARRELLA: The amoeba which attacks and kills the brain thrives in hot, summer months especially when the water goes above 80 degrees. It is rare. Only 24 cases in the U.S. in the past 20 years. It is almost always fatal. It starts innocently enough like the flu. Fever. Chills. A stiff neck.
MANDI SELLARS, WILL'S STEPMOTHER: It acted like the flu. It just -- you never would have suspected that he would pass away just a few days later.
ZARRELLA: And it's not just in Florida. Two people died this summer of it on Lake L.B.J. in Austin, Texas. In Orlando, the health department has posted signs at dozens of lakes warning people of the danger, warnings that have fallen largely on deaf ears.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We didn't see a warning? Did you see a warning?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I did not see it.
ZARRELLA: Frustrating for health officials who know in the dead of summer, the water is simply too inviting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA: Health department officials aren't sure why there have been so many cases this summer. Perhaps it's underreporting, perhaps misdiagnosis because it looks so much like the flu but they say if people are going to insist on going in the lakes and swimming during the hot summer months, they need to wear nose clips because it enters through the nose. This is the only protection there is. Kiran.
CHETRY: You know, just like they close beaches when they find unsafe levels of fecal bacteria and other things in the water, why don't they close the lake?
ZARRELLA: Well, the health department says they don't have the jurisdiction to close most of these lakes. There are 500 lakes in and around the Orlando area. Most of them are privately owned. They've checked with the police and other authorities. All they can do is put up signs and come out and hand out flyers and tell bathers you might want to take some precautions. Kiran.
CHETRY: That's unbelievable. John Karalla bringing the attention of this story. Thanks a lot.
ROBERTS: A potential setback for Louisiana's recovery tops your "Quick Hits" now. The state is going to buy out 19,000 homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina, that is the biggest post disaster buyout in the country. The sate will end up with large chunks of neighborhoods that have to be cleaned up and be redeveloped. Analyst say it would discouraged homeowners from investing in those areas in the future.
"The New York Times" website is dropping TimesSelect as of tonight. Parts of the website like op-ed columns and archives are only available to paid subscribers. After today, you will have still have to pay for some archival material but everything else is going to be free. The "Times" say the TimesSelect was successful but they're dropping it in favor of online advertising.
Everyone says they wash up after using the public restroom but for many men, one hand doesn't always wash the other. Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has got the details of a new study coming up.
And the so-called Obama girl back on youtube. Hear, who she's singing for this time when she joins us live. Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: All right. 41 minutes to the top of the hour.
Truth now. Do you wash your hands after using a public restroom? Show your hands here, come on. A new study says most women do but a third of men don't step up to the sink. Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now from Atlanta with more on the study in the dangers of dirty hands. How many of us have been in a public restroom and you see somebody come out of the stall or whatever and skip by sink and make for the door?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, and you just look at that person and you think what are you thinking? It's just basic human hygiene. Wash your hands!
ROBERTS: Note to yourself, don't shake hands with that person.
COHEN: Right, exactly if you run into them later just avoid shaking their hands. It really is amazing how many people don't shake their hands. In this new study John, it shows that fewer people are washing their hands after using the bathroom rather than more. Despite all of these messages out there telling people to wash their hands. This study, observers actually hung out in public restrooms and found, as you said, that women are more likely to wash their hands than men. Here is one result from one baseball stadium, which was really disturbing. Only 57 percent of the men washed their hands after using the restroom at the stadium. But women, 95 percent of us washed hands. I don't mean to say that women are smarter or anything like that but, you know, you look at those statistics, you come to the conclusion that you draw.
Now, washing hands after using the bathroom is important because all sorts of horrible things can lurk on your hands from E. coli to all sorts of stomach bugs and all sorts of things, cold and flu viruses. If you don't wash your hands, you go when you shake someone's hands, you get them sick or you go to work and you sit down at the keyboard at your computer and then you get up and someone else uses that computer. It's so easy not just to get yourself sick but to get someone else sick if you don't wash your hands. John.
ROBERTS: So, is there, I guess a more approved method for washing one's hands? You know, you just can't rinse them under the water; you got to use soap, right?
COHEN: Right, exactly. You got to use soap. I mean, this is so basic I can't even believe I'm saying this but apparently a lot of people don't know. You need to use soap when you wash your hands. And also you can't just do it quickly. You can't just go and kind of run your hands and be on your way. You need to sit there and really wash your hands and sing the happy birthday song twice. That's long enough.
ROBERTS: Do you really have to sing that or could you sing something else?
COHEN: Sing it to yourself. Now, time it out and make sure it's the same way. Sing it to yourself so the other people in the public restroom don't think you're crazy.
ROBERTS: Is there any particular part of the hand that germs like to lurk in most? I would think maybe under the fingernails.
COHEN: Under the fingernails, certainly between the fingers and people forget about that you really need to clean between the fingers and there is actually a place in the bathroom where germs seem to lurk and that is the floor. That's what our experts tell us. You might think that's okay, I don't crawl on bathroom floors, I'm fine. What all of us do is go in the bathroom and put down your briefcase or backpack or purse and then you go home and you put the same bag, yikes, on the dining room table. I won't even fill in the blanks from there. I think you can play figure it out but bathroom floors very bad places.
ROBERTS: All right. Elizabeth Cohen this morning with our lessons on potty training. Elizabeth, thanks very much.
COHEN: Thanks.
CHETRY: Yes, you can sing any song you want. Obama, I got a crush on Obama. You could sing whatever you want. It doesn't matter as long as it's for the right amount of time. It's 42 minutes past the hour.
Rob Marciano, ever the hand washer, joins us now with a look at extreme weather. How are you over there, clean hands?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: About as close as I become to being a surgeon, scrubbing hands is pretty good. That would be nice. We're looking at rainfall across Florida again. Eastern parts of it yesterday and the northeastern parts got serious amount of rain, upwards and over three inches. Reports of some flooding and some video for you this morning. Flagler County specifically saw the brunt of it and this landed into street flooding around the city of Jacksonville. Not only street flooding but also some pretty big waves. High surf advisories in effect through today. So not the best of beach days but that may bring you know, the surfers out, the usual suspects. It's kind of nasty out there. There they are.
All right, here we go. South Florida, Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood towards Miami Beach, a couple of showers out there. Not quite getting onshore. A little bit farther to the north towards Melbourne. The tide is fill, some more significant showers heading that way as well. Watching this typhoon, Wipha. Right now, it is a super typhoon and it is forecast to weaken but nonetheless having an effect on parts of Mainland China. Shanghai, a very populated city there will be feeling hurricane force winds at the very least over the next 24 hours. John, back up to you.
ROBERTS: Rob, thanks very much.
CNN NEWSROOM just minutes away now. Heidi Collins at the CNN Center down in Atlanta with a look at what's ahead. Good morning, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. I'm still pretty grossed out by the whole bathroom habit thing but trying to move on. I want to let you know on what's happening in the NEWSROOM. Rundown today -- O.J. Simpson is on it. A third suspect in the alleged Vegas robbery in custody now and another co-defendant now calling the memorabilia grab a setup. Let's talk about that.
Plus, a Florida college student set for court this morning. Police tasered him after he got upset at a political forum. And will the fed use a knife or a machete on the key interest rate this afternoon. A rate cut now widely anticipated. Everybody looking forward to that. Breaking news when it happens as well. You're in the NEWSROOM top of the hour on CNN. John.
ROBERTS: We will see you then. Thanks very much, Heidi.
COLLINS: You bet.
CHETRY: And we have an update now on the injured Buffalo Bills player Kevin Everett. Doctors say he is showing movement in both hands, as well as his arms, legs and toes. Everett suffered a broken neck and a life-threatening spinal cord injury in the Bills season opening game a week ago.
And a cell phone bill of rights? Well, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobershar introduced the Cell Phone Consumer Empowerment Act. It would make it easier to get out of a cell phone contract by reducing the termination fee.
Still ahead -- Does the Obama girl have a new crush? Well, she's singing someone praises in a new video out today and she is joined by some wives and girlfriends of people serving in Iraq. And she is here to tell us about it. Here she is in the studio. Coming up nest on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Now, coming up now to ten minutes before the top of the hour. Remember the folks who brought us the "Obama Girl" video? I got a crush on Obama. This time they're back and this time they're sending a message to the troops that is sure to get their attention. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Chillin' with my girls the other day, saw a group of guys happy in the driveway and big plush car...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: There it is. It's the new video called "I Like a Boy." And it keeps playing you'll see it's not the preppy guys they like. No way. It is the, there you go, the brave army men instead. This video went up on youtube this morning. A joint effort by barely political.com and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and they're calling on all military families to send in their own video as well. They've actually put up some of the hellos from some of the people who have loved ones serving overseas. So, it really neat. Amber Lee Ettinger -- she is Obama Girl and appears in the video as well as Paul Rieckhoff. He is with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Both of them join us this. Now, thanks for being with us.
ROBERTS: Where did the eye come from to do this? PAUL RIECKHOFF, IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN VETERANS ASSN.: Well, we have the largest Iraq veterans group in the country and a few months ago we heard about Obama girl. This internet sensation that had swept the world and we figured that it's great that Obama likes all this political figures but what about the men and women serving in Iraq? So, we teamed up with barely political and came up with this concept and Amber stepped up and we created this fantastic song and a great video that shows our love for the troops serving overseas.
CHETRY: Amber, did you expect the attention first of all from the Obama girl video?
AMBER LEE ETTINGER, "OBAMA GIRL": No, it still amazes me. I mean, it just reached such a diverse audience and we got so much positive feedback. It's unbelievable. Doing this video, I was so excited because I knew it would be a great thing for the troops and I really support the troops. My dad was in the military for 23 years so when I told him about it, he was thrilled.
ROBERTS: Yes, he went to Vietnam at the age of 18, right?
ETTINGER: Yes.
ROBERTS: So, he's the same age as a lot of these people who were serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And Paul you're with the third I.D. during the initial invasion and there for about a year after that. So this is something that is very close to your heart?
ETTINGER: Absolutely. Yes. It was great to work on.
CHETRY: So, you have a chance to work on this. There are some other people featured in it besides Amber, including are they wives and girlfriends of troops over there right now?
RIECKHOFF: They are, absolutely. We got a number of vets who are recently home from Iraq who are in the video and then we got a number of wives and girlfriends who put videos together to show their love for the folks serving overseas. We've also go the rap star Mims involved and he has a hit single called "This is why I'm hot," and he has contributed his effort as well. It's really a great collaboration. Everybody getting together. It doesn't matter where you come from politically, you can show your love for the troops and check out the video on youtube and iva.org and barelypolitical.com.
ROBERTS: And you can also download it from iTunes and then the proceeds from that is what 99 cents, typically iTunes. Is that what it is going to be selling for?
RIECKHOFF: That's right.
ROBERTS: Proceeds go to your organization?
RIECKHOFF: We're a nonprofit organization with member veterans in all 50 states and we're working on issues ranging from post- traumatic stress disorder to traumatic brain injuries, trying to get those family and vets to support the need they deserve. So this is really going to help tremendously. And it's a great thing. It's a great way to say thank you to all those folks who are in harm's way every day.
CHETRY: You know, I'm curious Amber, how did you get involved in the first place with the first video you did with Obama girl?
ETTINGER: Ben Relles, he's the creator of barelypolitical.com. He found me on-line on my website and approached me with the idea and Leah Kaufman is the singer of Obama girl. All the songs and of this video as well.
ROBERTS: She sings this one, too?
ETTINGER: Yes. So, I thought the video was great and the concept was great. It's silly and fun and I just...
CHETRY: Did you really have a crush on Obama?
ETTINGER: If I didn't, I definitely do now.
ROBERTS: One last question. This is going to be a living, breathing evolving thing because you're still asking people as we saw some of the people in this video to lip-sync along to the song with a picture of their loved one who is overseas in Iraq or Afghanistan and you will update the videos?
RIECKHOFF: Absolutely. This is what the interactive web is all about. It's going to be in myspace and facebook and youtube. And people can send their videos in if their overseas or here in the states and we'll have a video up in a few weeks.
CHETRY: That's very exciting. OK. Once again, it is called "I like a boy." And you can get it on iTunes or you can get it on your website as well. Thanks for both of you, for coming in and sharing it with us. Pretty neat.
ETTINGER: Thank you.
RIECKHOFF: Thank you very much
ROBERTS: It's great to be able to debut that.
CHETRY: How about it?
ROBERTS: Amber Lee Ettinger and Paul Rieckhoff from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Thanks. Good to see you.
ETTINGER: Thank you.
RIECKHOFF: Thank you both.
CHETRY: Here is a quick look at what CNN NEWSROOM is working on for the top of the hour.
COLLINS: See these stories in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Third suspect arrested. O.J. Simpson waits for a hearing on armed robbery charges.
The Goldman family in court. They hope to seize memorabilia at the center of the Simpson case.
The fed widely expected to cut a key interest rate today.
Lettuce recalled after E. coli is found.
And the guy who put a rattlesnake in his mouth. NEWSROOM top of the hour on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Well, time now to meet a CNN hero. People making a difference in their communities. Today a man with big dreams. He has dedicated his time to eradicating a disease that affects 2 billion people worldwide. Aaron Jackson is today's CNN Hero.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AARON JACKSON: Haiti is the most water poor country in the world. It's probably in the most environmentally destroyed country in the world. In Haiti, people get their water sometimes from puddles, streams. I've seen kids playing in sewage and also drinking from the same water. Haiti not having proper sanitation, a lot of people are infected with internal parasites.
You see a child with an extended belly, that's intestinal worms. The average worms eats up to about 20 of the child's nutritional intake of the day. This is a difference between life and death in a lot of situations. My name is Aaron Jackson. And it is my goal to de-worm the entire world.
I grew up in Destin, Florida playing golf every day of my life. I decided to travel and when I traveled, it really opened up my eyes to what the world is really like. In Haiti, we have four orphanages, an intestinal parasite program and also medical clinics. When we show up to a community to de-worm, we educate the people on ways to prevent to get worms again. Watching the vegetables, cooking the meat a little longer, wearing shoes when you go outside are ways to help prevent catching the worms. When we first go into an orphanage and we de-worm them, the children looked very zombie like. No livelihood in their face. And it's a scary thing because you have to tell kids that tonight, worms will be leaving your body in some shape or form. And then after we de-worm, they come back to life. Literally within weeks, you can see that they're playing again and smiling. For a pack of cigarettes, you can de-worm 250 children, a whole school.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a good person and I am so blessed to know him and work together with him. Investing in the children is investing in the country and that will make things different in the future.
JACKSON: For me and the children, we've become like family, you know? They call me Papa Jackson. These kids are my kids.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: And to nominate a hero of your own visit cnn.com/heroes. AMERICAN MORNING is back in just minutes. Stay with us.
CHETRY: And that's going to do it for us. Thanks so much for joining us on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ROBERTS: We'll see you again tomorrow. CNN NEWSROOM with Heidi Collins begins right now.
COLLINS: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Heidi Collins. Tony Harris has the day off today. Watch events come into the NEWSROOM live on Tuesday morning. It is September 18th. Here's what's on the run down - the O.J. Simpson case, a third suspect in custody today.
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