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Russia's Power Play; Mexico's Call to Action
Aired August 15, 2008 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: At least on paper, the week-old war between Russia and Georgia is basically over, but not so the outrage for many in Georgia that Russian troops invaded in the first place. We are live in Tbilisi.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: What injured this U.S. Army Corporal Charlie Messer (ph)? Well, the truth could mean a Purple Heart and peace for two heartsick parents.
Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live here at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.
KEILAR: And I'm Brianna Keilar, in for Kyra Phillips. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived today in Georgia, and one agreement on a cease-fire Russia is expected to sign. The deal includes concessions to Moscow, along with the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops. With Rice at his side, Georgia's president lashed out at the West for failing to heed warnings about the Russian invasion.
President Bush is accusing Moscow of bullying. Earlier today, he said Russia has damaged its ties to the West. The U.N. estimating the fighting in Georgia has displaced almost 120,000 civilians. Looting and a food shortage are reported in the Georgian city of Gori. Also today, a top Russian general threatened Poland over a deal to place a U.S. defense missile battery on Polish soil, Russia's in Georgia clearly on Poland's mind.
LEMON: We will go live in a moment to the Georgian capital and see Frederik Pleitgen. He is in Tbilisi.
But first off, CNN's Barbara Starr. She's live in Washington.
And, Barbara, tell us about the sudden agreement with Poland on missile defense and how it might relate to what's happened in Georgia.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Don, this agreement had been in the works for some time, but now it is signed on the dotted line, the latest implication from the fighting in Georgia.
Poland and the United States have now signed an agreement that will put a missile defense base on Polish soil. And we are now beginning to see the shape of the U.S. relationship with Eastern Europe in the wake of all this violence. The U.S. taking a very assertive role with Russia's former allies, putting that U.S. military presence front and center.
This new agreement will put 10 interceptor missiles in Poland, missiles capable of shooting down incoming ballistic missile threats. Russia has of course long objected to this type of U.S. presence in Poland right on its borders. But Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is making it pretty clear she's done worrying about what the Russians think.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The arrangements, therefore, that the United States makes with its Polish allies to make sure that Poland is capable of defending itself and capable of being an active ally are frankly between Poland and the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: But here's what's going to happen next and perhaps more interesting even. Poland and the United States are going to sit down in about two weeks and discuss further upgrades to the Polish military. And that is including a U.S. Army Patriot missile battery that will deploy to Poland and could wind up putting about 100 U.S. troops on Polish soil temporarily.
That Patriot missile battery will be pointed at the possibility of a Russian threat, not that anybody thinks Russia is about to send missiles into Poland, but a lot of message-sending across all those east European borders at this point -- Don.
LEMON: CNN's Barbara Starr -- thank you, Barbara.
KEILAR: And let's get now to Frederik Pleitgen. He is in Tbilisi with the very latest there -- Frederik.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Brianna.
We were watching that press conference, of course, today with the Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili, and also with Condoleezza Rice. After Mikheil Saakashvili had signed that cease-fire agreement between him and the Russians, he was making it very clear that, yes, he did sign that cease-fire agreement, but, no, he was not happy about it.
He was blaming the international community, especially the Europeans, whom he said he warned many times that something like this conflict was coming, that the Russians were building up forces close to his border. He said no one wanted to listen to him. Let's listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI, PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA: As we speak now, significant parts of territories of Georgia.
So, who invited the trouble here? Who invited this arrogance here? Who invited these innocent deaths here? Who is -- not only those people who perpetrate them are responsible, and also those people who fail to stop them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: Now, one thing that the U.S. has made very clear it's very concerned about is the humanitarian situation on the ground here in Georgia.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, after meeting with Georgian President Saakashvili, visited a hospital here in Tbilisi, visited some of the wounded Georgians who are here, who of course are suffering a lot from this conflict.
And what we're hearing from international aid organizations is that there are still many places here in this country of Georgia and also into that breakaway republic of South Ossetia that they simply cannot get to and they simply don't know what the situation is like there on the ground.
We have pictures from Tskhinvali, which was absolutely devastated. And one thing that the aid organizations are telling us is, they say they don't even have an assessment on the ground of what the people need there. The U.N. was telling us that they're trying to get aid convoys going into those areas. But they say it's very, very difficult.
The U.S., of course, is ramping up its aid for Georgia dramatically, sending in C-17 Globemaster cargo planes with humanitarian aid. And that, of course, is going to increase over the next couple of weeks and months -- Brianna.
KEILAR: Frederik Pleitgen for us in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi -- thanks, Frederik.
And a little later, some harrowing moments on Georgia's front lines. This is unbelievable. We will show you what happened to a broadcast crew in the wrong place at the wrong time.
LEMON: It is a rare day on the campaign trail. Neither John McCain nor Barack Obama has any public rallies or speeches on their schedules. McCain is in Aspen, Colorado, where he had breakfast this morning with Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens, after that, a private campaign meeting.
Obama is wrapping up his vacation in Hawaii and heading home to Chicago. The Democratic candidate soaked up the sun, caught a few waves and saw a few sights, including the USS Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor.
You will want to be right here on CNN tomorrow night for the McCain-Obama faith forum. Our live coverage begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. And, tonight, you can find out how the running mate race is shaping up. A special report, "Crucial Choice," is coming up at 10:00 Eastern on CNN's "A.C. 360."
KEILAR: Well, remember, Don, last month's scare aboard Obama's campaign jet, that unscheduled landing in Saint Louis? Well, at the time, Midwest Airlines said there wasn't an emergency.
But now we hear the pilot felt otherwise. FAA tapes released to ABC News reveal conversations between the flight crew and the tower.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
PILOT: At this time, we would like to declare this is an emergency and also have CFR standing by in Saint Louis.
TOWER: I will show that. And would you -- do you have a preference on runways? Would you like runway 3-0 right or runway 3-0 left?
PILOT: Well, which one is the longest?
TOWER: Runway 3-0 left.
PILOT: OK. We would like 3-0 left. And just for informational purposes, we have Senator Obama on board the aircraft and his campaign.
TOWER: Roger that.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
KEILAR: The crew was having trouble controlling the aircraft's pitch, but they did land safely, of course. And an FAA spokeswoman tells CNN the preliminary information is often incomplete or incorrect. The National Transportation Safety Board said last month it found no evidence of tampering with the plane.
LEMON: George Feigley walked out of a Pennsylvania prison today, 33 years after he walked in. But there's no warm welcome home. Feigley was locked up for sexually abusing children. And a loophole means he won't have to register as a sex offender. You think his soon-to-be neighbors are heavy happy? No way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNETTE ANTOUN, CONCERNED RESIDENT: I was outraged. Frankly, I'm not sure that that's sealed in stone.
The federal statute, I think it's Jacob-Willoughby (ph) statute, says that they -- if they abused children, upon release -- it doesn't say anything about when the crime was committed -- it says, upon release, they must register, because I think the jury is out on this.
They have scars that they say will never go away, and that they have trouble relating to men. They have trouble relating to women. They have trouble relating to anybody. And they're frightened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, Feigley was convicted of crimes that occurred in the 1970s and is grandfathered out of a Megan's Law to register.
Some people in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, are circulating a petition to prevent his return to their neighborhood.
KEILAR: A jury in Idaho is hearing some really heartbreaking testimony as it decides whether to send Joseph Edward Duncan III to prison for life or to death row.
He is the man who kidnapped and sexually abused a young brother and sister and then killed the boy. Duncan shot 9-year-old Dylan Groene to death while his younger sister watched. Shasta Groene's tape-recorded account of her brother's killing was played yesterday in the courtroom. Shasta survived the 2005 ordeal. Duncan has also pleaded guilty to killing the children's mother, their older brother, the their mother's fiance. He pleaded guilty to 10 federal charges.
Back before a judge today, the mayor of Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick. This is his third day in court this week, this time, a hearing to determine whether Kilpatrick should stand trial on felony assault charges.
A sheriff's detective says the mayor shoved him into another person and made profane and racial comments. Kilpatrick also is charged in a separate and ongoing perjury case.
LEMON: We have developments for you today from an incident dating back to last September. A federal judge has sentenced a Louisiana teenager to four months in prison.
Amateur video here of a truck belonging to Jeremiah Munsen with a rope tied into a noose hanging from the back. Well, prosecutors save Munsen drove past a mostly African-American crowd of people attending the massive Jena Six civil rights march. Munsen pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of interfering with the marchers' federally protected right to travel. He could have received a one-year sentence.
Another prison sentence today, this one much more severe, 22 years. That's for Michael Gorbey, the man arrested near the U.S. Capitol back in January carrying a loaded gun and a Samurai sword. Now, this video was shot several weeks later, when police discovered a homemade bomb in the truck Gorbey reportedly drove to the Capitol that day. When he was arrested, the heavily armed Gorbey police he had a meeting with the chief justice of the Supreme Court. Gorbey represented himself at trial.
Nightmare on a New York City street -- a pregnant traffic officer struck by a van and pinned under a bus. It took nothing short of a superhuman effort to save her unborn baby's life.
LEMON: Well, they have had enough and they're doing something about it. People band together to stop a wave of violence in Mexico.
KEILAR: And the mouse with the big ears, oh, yes, arrested by police. Other cartoon characters getting the same treatment here. What's going on at Disneyland?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: You're in the CNN. I'm Don Lemon.
Attend a funeral from almost anywhere.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whether it's on the golf course, whether it's in a church, whether it's over in a motel in a conference room.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Grieving while golfing?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We have two deadly bus crashes to tell you about, one in China, the other half a world away.
The head of transportation in the Dominican Republic says two buses collided on a highway in the easternmost province. At least 20 people are reported dead, including Italian tourists. Survivors say one bus was trying to pass a parked car on a curve before that collision.
And, in central China, the official news agency reports 15 dead after a bus veered off a mountain road and down ravine. What caused the wreck? It's not clear right now.
KEILAR: A heroic rescue effort in New York, sadly, though, it was not enough to save the life of a pregnant woman. But her unborn baby did survive. The woman was a New York City traffic officer. A van hit her and threw her into the path of an oncoming school bus. And that is when some everyday heroes sprang into action.
Josh Levs joining us now with the details.
Just an amazing story of good samaritans here.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is. It's a really moving story.
It's incredible, what these people did. And I actually have a brand-new detail for you guys this hour. Let's go in on the screen behind me to CNN.com. Apparently, we have a name for this child. And it's right here, Sean Michael. The victim's sister is telling the Associated Press that they already knew what they planned to name this child, Sean Michael.
And I will go back to here, because we have been getting great information today from our affiliate New York One. So, thanks to them. Here's the basic idea behind what happened. This woman was a traffic agent in the Bronx and was apparently heading to lunch when a van came along and hit her, threw her in front of a bus, which then hit her and ended up on top of her.
We have some video from the crime scene. Let's see if we can put this on the screen behind me. And you will see that this whole area in the Bronx, around 188th Street, right near Fordham University, became a crime scene. They're still trying to figure out some things about what happened, but we do know about the rescue from an eyewitness.
Let's listen to him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARY BURGESS, EYEWITNESS: I seen that somebody was trapped under that bus there. Now we didn't know the person or, you know, at that moment, I didn't know what it was. All we knew that somebody was under there and they was bent like fold -- I could see her feet, but she was underneath and you could see she was like bent over.
So what we did -- there's a garage right here is -- a car garage right here, and the guy went to get his pump jack, but we knew -- somebody was saying it was a lady, it was a lady, so what we did, it was like 30 to 40 of us, we lifted -- actually lifted that bus off of her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: They physically lifted a five-ton bus off this woman. And I will tell you, we spoke with the doctors at the hospital last hour. What we are told right now is, the baby seems to be doing better, no longer in critical condition, now in guarded condition.
Meanwhile, there are charges against the 72-year-old driver of the van, charged with criminally negligent homicide and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
And I will tell you, Brianna, we are going to stay on this story today and throughout the weekend, bringing you all the details as we get them.
KEILAR: Yes, we heard he had several suspensions or something. Is that right?
LEVS: Twenty previous suspensions to this man's driver's license. There are a lot of conditions about why he was driving, what condition he was driving in, exactly what happened. We have not heard a public statement from him or an attorney. So obviously we want to hear that too.
KEILAR: Yes, but the good news, that baby in guarded condition.
Thanks for bringing that to us, Josh. Good news there.
Well, the flames could be seen for miles. This retirement home in Vallejo, California, caught fire before dawn. More than 100 residents got out safely, but three were hurt and we have to tell you that one is still missing. Several police officers also suffered smoke inhalation. No word yet on how this fire started.
(WEATHER UPDATE) LEMON: Paper or plastic? Either way, pay up. One city's tax on grocery bags has citizens fuming mad and fighting city hall to bag it, permanently.
And the Donald swoops in to save Ed McMahon's home from foreclosure. We will explain why Donald Trump -- about his art of the deal.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: The self-proclaimed happiest place on earth, well, it didn't look so happy yesterday. A cast of characters was arrested outside Disneyland as a labor dispute between Disney and roughly 2,300 hotel workers went public.
Protesters, some dressed as Disney favorites, there you see one there, cuffed and tossed in the paddy wagon. Some have been working for months without a contract. They say Disney's latest offer falls short in terms of salary and benefits. The company says that talks are continuing.
The Donald comes to the rescue of Johnny Carson's former sidekick. The real estate mogul says he's buying Ed McMahon's Beverly Hills mansion, so that McMahon can lease it back and keep living there. The 85-year-old McMahon ran into money trouble when he broke his neck months ago. And he has since defaulted on his mortgage and was facing foreclosure. Trump says he doesn't know McMahon personally, but just wanted to help.
(BUSINESS REPORT)
LEMON: OK, back to where it all began now. The CNN Election Express -- there it is -- it rolls right through Iowa as it heads to the Democratic National Convention. We will find out what's on the minds of voters at the Iowa State Fair.
And in the wake of a tragedy, one father says, enough -- his fight to end the violence that has a stranglehold on Mexico.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: Hi there. I'm Brianna Keilar at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
All right, we have some new information to tell you about a story. It just happened just a few minutes ago. The mayor of Detroit is going to trial. That's right, I said the mayor of Detroit is going to trial. A judge today decided there is sufficient evidence to try Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick on two counts of felony assault. The charge stems from an incident last month, when a police investigators says an angry Kilpatrick shoved him into another person and made profane and racial comments. The mayor is scheduled to be arraigned August 22nd. He's free on bond until then and he has to wear an electronic monitoring device. KEILAR: Let's get you the latest on the Russian aggression in Georgia. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived today in Tbilisi and won agreement on a cease-fire that Russia is expected to sign. The deal calls for an immediate withdrawal of Russian troops, but includes some concessions to Moscow.
With Rice at his side, Georgia's president lashed out at the West. He says no one heeded the warnings about the Russian invasion. President Bush is accusing Moscow of bullying.
Earlier today, he said Russia's ties to the West are now damaged.
A Turkish broadcast crew got dangerously close to this story. The camera was rolling as their vehicle came under intense fire.
Let's take a listen.
This is a team from Turkey's NTV. NTV says the incident happened last Sunday as the crew entered South Ossetia, which is the scene of brutal fighting. NTV says the crew was apprehended by Russians, taken into Southern Russia, interrogated and released after negotiations. None of the crew was seriously wounded.
LEMON: All right, the CNN Election Express rolls into Iowa, as it heads toward the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Today's stop -- Des Moines. Look at that. That's a nice bus, isn't it?
Our senior political analyst, Mr. Bill Schneider, joins us now from Iowa state and the Iowa State Fair -- Bill, what are voters telling you there?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, we spoke to a number of voters earlier this morning and we asked them what they thought about the economy and whether the candidates had anything to say to them about solving the nation's economic problems.
Listen to what they said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's hard it say. I don't like the way things are going right now. It looks to me like McCain is kind of on the same track. Obama wants change, but he hasn't really defined what change is all about.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean they both have good ideas.
But from what it seems like to me, nobody is really clear exactly what they want to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHNEIDER: And that's what we heard from voter after voter. They weren't too clear on what the candidates were proposing. The one thing they seemed to understand was that McCain is a Republican. The president of the United States has been a Republican for the last eight years. The economy is bad. They want change, but they're not entirely sure exactly what kind of change Senator Obama is proposing.
LEMON: All right. Got that part, Bill. What can we expect tomorrow night, though? There's that Faith Forum that we've been telling you about Barack Obama and John McCain will attend at the mega church in Southern California.
What can we expect from that?
SCHNEIDER: Well, it could be a new message and a new face of the Evangelical movement. Rick Warren, someone that a lot of Americans are not really familiar with -- they know about his book, "A Purpose Driven Life." it's a best-seller. Both candidates have agreed to a forum. They're not going to be together. They're going to be interviewed one after the other. But it's a different kind of Evangelicalism. It's more inclusive.
You know, people associate the Evangelical movement of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson of the last 15 or 20 years as being very divisive -- issues like abortion and evolution that divide people.
What Rick Warren is trying to do is define their agenda in terms of not just faith and sin, but good works -- poverty, human rights, global warming -- things that most Americans -- almost all Americans agree on.
So the candidates will have a chance both to demonstrate their values and their faith, and also to talk about what they can do to advance this agenda.
LEMON: All right. Senior political analyst, Mr. Bill Schneider. We appreciate that.
On the Election Express for us today.
And you want to be right here on CNN tomorrow night for the Obama/McCain Faith Forum. Our live coverage begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. And tonight, you can find out how the running mate race is shaping up. A special report, Crucial Choice, coming up at 10:00 Eastern on CNN's "A.C. 360."
And make sure to check out our Political Ticker for all the latest campaign news. Just log onto CNNPolitics.com -- your source for all things politics.
KEILAR: Iran is training Iraqi fighters to be assassins -- that is the word from U.S. forces in Baghdad. A military spokesman tells CNN these death squads involve Shia fighters who fled Iraq earlier this year. Their potential targets include Iraqi government leaders and judged, as well as Iraqi and U.S. troops. The spokesman says the details are being publicized in part to pressure Iran to stop the training.
Pervez Musharraf -- a different story here -- still president of Pakistan. But the pressure is mounting for him to step aside. All four provincial assemblies have passed resolutions against him -- nonbinding resolutions. And his closest allies concede there's little chance he'll survive an impeachment vote in parliament if it's called. There are reports that talks are underway to find a way to ease him out.
LEMON: And a grim toll in Mexico -- 23 people killed in 24 hours in a single city, Juarez. Closer to the capital, kidnappings for ransom are all too common. And one distraught father has had enough.
CNN's Harris Whitbeck with his story and his mission.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The saddest task a father can face -- saying goodbye to a son who has been murdered. But then, Alejandro Marti went on the offensive, calling a news conference and demanding a stop to kidnappings like the one that ended in the murder of 14-year-old Fernando Marti, whose bullet- riddled body was found weeks after he was abducted. He also wants an end to what he calls the rampant impunity of the kidnappers.
ALEJANDRO MARTI, FATHER OF KIDNAP VICTIM (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We don't want any Mexican from any walk of life to have to suffer what we have gone through. We've decided to join civil society in pressuring the authorities in making concrete proposals.
WHITBECK: Marti joined Mexicans United Against Crime. On Wednesday, the group called for a summit with Mexican officials to find ways to fight the kidnapping wave.
MARIA ELENA MORERA, MEXICANS UNITED AGAINST CRIME: Our leaders must meet and take a political decision to work together in security matters. Security can no longer be subject to politics. The authorities must work together.
WHITBECK: President Felipe Calderon has already agreed to the summit. Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard wants several topics to be discussed. Among them, the construction of new maximum security prisons, the installation of surveillance cameras on federal highways and tighter regulation of the mobile phone industry, since many kidnappers use anonymous, hard to trace cell phone accounts to communicate with their victims' families.
(on camera): The proposed summit is just one of several measures on the table. Several citizens groups have announced plans to stage a massive street protest here in Mexico City next week. They say citizens must keep pressure on the authorities to ensure they respond effectively to the crime wave.
(voice-over): The march would be a repeat of this one, which occurred in 2004. At that time, kidnapping levels had reached the same levels of today -- nearly 800 reported abductions in a 12-month period. With kidnappings once again on the rise, the victims and their families are saying enough.
Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Mexico City.
(END VIDEOTAPE) KEILAR: Paper or plastic?
Well, either way, you pay up. One city's tax on grocery bags has citizens fuming and fighting city hall.
LEMON: And the family of a dead U.S. soldier takes on military brass over an honor they say their son deserves.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, he made Aretha Franklin the queen of soul, put the back beat in Wilson's Pickett's "Midnight Hour" and signed Led Zeppelin to Atlantic Records. Legendary record producer Jerry Wexler died of congenital heart disease today at the age of 91. Wexler coined the phrase "rhythm and blues" back in the 1940s as a "Billboard" magazine reporter. He later produced stars from Ray Charles and Bob Dylan, to Carlos Santana and George Michael. Wexler was once asked what he'd like engraved on his tombstone. His answer -- more bass.
KEILAR: Conflicting opinions on a soldier's cause of death creating more heartache for his family, who are now taking on the U.S. military to grant him what they say he deserves.
From CNN affiliate WSOC in Charlotte, here's Ben Thompson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN THOMPSON, WSOC CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Right in the middle of this flag, Doug and Shelby Messer were planning to put their son's Purple Heart. But they learned that won't happen.
SHELBY MESSER, SOLDIER'S MOTHER: I don't have no faith in them whatsoever.
THOMPSON: After a month's long investigation, a letter they got explained Charlie Messer's wounds from when he was stationed in Iraq were from a mechanical accident -- not from an attack, which means he didn't qualify for the Purple Heart. But after Charlie's death, his sergeant told a local newspaper and his family that Charlie was hit by a roadside bomb. The letter said the sergeant's statement was totally false.
DOUG MESSER, SOLDIER'S FATHER: You know, one part of the Army tells us one thing and another branch tells us something else.
THOMPSON: And it doesn't end there. Charlie's medical records from overseas even say he suffered an injury from battle. And his Army commissioned grave marker says: Purple Heart.
S. MESSER: I feel like if my son deserved it, I'm going to fight for it.
THOMPSON: More frustrating than the letter, the length of time it took to get it. Charlie's fatal wreck was last December and his mom says she's gotten the runaround ever since and she's not about to give up now. S. MESSER: And I'm very numb. I just want some closure and I want the truth.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: That was WSOC's Ben Thompson reporting, who adds that Charlie had been recovering from those injuries in Texas, when on the way to the airport he died in a traffic accident.
LEMON: Well, going green in Seattle -- by no means is it an easy -- as easy as it might sound. As grocery shoppers try to get leaders to bag the city's latest environmentally friendly initiative -- a 20 cent fee on paper and plastic grocery bags. Now, petition organizers are predicting success, as they try gathering some 14,000 plus signatures to force a vote on it. Now, if that doesn't work, one lawmaker says he's willing to take it to the state attorney general for a legal opinion and, if need be, to the state legislature to have the fee repealed.
KEILAR: Delivering a diet to your door -- Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks at one food service to see how it can fight the battle of the bulge and make for a more Fit Nation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Drive-thrus and take out -- for busy young professional Tiffany Hoffine and her husband, eating was all about convenience.
TIFFANY HOFFINE, JOINED MEAL SERVICE: We're going nonstop. I did not have wonderful eating habits before, because I was always going for what was convenient. And what's convenient is not generally healthy and it's not generally inexpensive.
GUPTA: They were desperate for change. So Tiffany signed up for a new service in Atlanta called Fresh and Fit that drops off ready made, healthy meals right in her neighborhood.
BRENT MCINTIRE, EXECUTIVE CHEF: This is the kitchen, where we make everything here at Fresh and Fit Cuisine.
GUPTA: Executive chef Brent McIntire oversees about 20 line cooks in the Fresh and Fit kitchen and makes sure the food tastes good.
MCINTIRE: There's sandwiches, there's wraps, everything from Caesar salad on to burgers and pastas.
GUPTA: Registered dietitian Ashley Owings makes sure it's all healthy.
ASHLEY OWINGS, REGISTERED DIETITIAN: We have two meal plans -- the 1,200 and the 2,000 calories. I would say it's not necessarily a diet plan. It's more of a lifestyle. And it also teaches you how to incorporate the right portions. GUPTA: Eight months into the program, Tiffany says it has become a lifestyle change. She's eating better, understands what a true portion size looks like and she's lost weight.
HOFFINE: I did not start doing this to lose weight. But just as a side fringe benefit, I've lost about 10 pounds since the beginning of the year without feeling that I've deprived myself of anything.
GUPTA: In case you're curious, Fresh and Fit menu plans start at $18 a day.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Attend a funeral from almost anywhere.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LANCE PECK, DOWNARD FUNERAL HOME: Whether it's on a golf course, whether it's in a church, whether it's over in a motel in a conference room.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Grieving while golfing?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: The Olympics are all about the spirit of competition, but let's face it, we're all interested in who's winning the most medals. Through today's events, the U.S. is on top, with 46 medals; followed by China with 41; Australia with 20. But we should tell you, China has the most gold -- 26 so far, and the most of any country.
He is the only thing, really, that anyone's talking about in Beijing. And now CNN.com will be talking to him. Multiple Gold Medal winner Michael Phelps joining CNN.com live this Tuesday. And the coolest thing is you can go to iReport.com right now and submit your own video question for him. Don't miss him. Michael Phelps live Tuesday morning, 8:30 Eastern, only on CNN.com/live, answering your questions.
LEMON: Can't travel to a distant relative's funeral? One funeral home wants to bring the service to you. Wes Horrocks of our affiliate, KIDK, reports from Pocatello, Idaho.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WES HORROCKS, KIDK REPORTER (voice-over): The Downard Funeral Home started looking into Web casting after owner Lance Peck missed his daughter's play.
PECK: I thought wouldn't it be nice for a parent or a grandparent who couldn't go to the school and watch their child's play could still see that? HORROCKS: And it's a fairly simple process. Peck just sets up a camera connected to his laptop. From there, he can record a funeral or a memorial service and broadcast it live on the internet. He's already used it a few times.
PECK: Whether it's on the golf course, whether it's in a church, whether it's over in a motel in a conference room.
HORROCKS: To access the broadcast, family members are sent an e- mail with a link to the event by wire Web site. After they enter a password, they're in. And after each broadcast is shown live, it's stored on the Web site for 90 days, so someone could go back and watch them multiple times.
PECK: And at any time during those 90 days, they could actually request a DVD copy of the event.
HORROCKS: Even though the technology will normally be used for funeral services, the Downard Funeral Home wants to use it to help people in the community capture other events, too.
PECK: And I thought of piano concerts or any musical concert. Maybe there's an athletic event. Maybe there's a birthday or whatnot.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Well, for now, the funeral home is offering this service free of charge.
KEILAR: Meet Apache. This is a pooch here with a very adventurous appetite. His owners say that the 10-year-old -- you see a scar there, we're going to tell you about that -- somehow swiped a fork -- this fork -- from the kitchen sink earlier this month. He swallowed it.
They didn't know anything had happened until Apache started coughing and then he collapsed. Now, the fork -- can you believe it -- it pierced a vein in his chest. Veterinarians rushed him into surgery. They removed the fork, they patched up Apache. As you can see, he's doing great -- still begging for treats, hopefully not forks.
LEMON: Oh. Good for him. All right, Apache.
Well, that dollar in your pocket -- it's worth more today than yesterday. And we'll take a look at why the greenback is bucking the trend of the world's major currencies.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: What a difference a month has made for the sickly U.S. dollar -- now looking more like a strapping buck compared to other currencies. Like the British pound, now ebbing at a 22-month low.
What's up with the dollar and why?
Here's CNN's Jim Boulden. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM BOULDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hark back just a month and oil and gold were soaring, in part because the U.S. dollar was the sick man of the currency pits. It's all changed, to the relief of the dollar bulls, who have been mocked for months.
DAVID BLOOM, HSBC: I've endured a lot of pain looking for this dollar rally. And now that it's happening, I'm not going to say it's -- it's a phantom. This is real. People have been found themselves short of U.S. assets, believing all the hype and nonsense about the end of the U.S.
BOULDEN: Maybe you would not call 17-year high inflation nonsense. But analysts note that inflation numbers only give a snapshot about the past -- a lagging indicator in economic speak.
With oil prices now falling, that could help bring food prices back to earth, as well. And the U.S. economy looks in better shape than Europe. Some credit the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates and bailing out their key financial institutions.
KEITH MILLER, CORPORATEFX: They reacted, as the Americans do, extremely quickly. And, as a result, they're further through this economic cycle. Europe and the U.K. , they were slightly slower in their reaction.
BOULDEN: When the dollar was hitting lows to the British pound, it was at the height of the collapse of the U.S. housing market. Though now the greenback is at a 22-month high to sterling, as it's all doom and gloom for the U.K. economy at the moment. And as the U.S. economy is still growing, if just barely, the Eurozone is now in negative growth and there are worries about a global slowdown giving back the dollar some of it safe haven status.
This reversal has come quickly.
BLOOM: What it really tells me is the market loves trends. When it sees the trend of commodity prices going up, it jumps on it. And now it's seeing a trend of a stronger dollar. It's jumping on it. That's how we're going to try and make money this year, is jumping on trends.
BOULDEN: Now investors have to decide whether to jump on this trend and risk putting their money back into the markets.
Jim Bolden, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: The closing bell is about to ring on Wall Street and our Stephanie Elam is standing by.
KEILAR: Yes. She's got a final look at the trading day.
LEMON: A final look at the trading -- but before you get to that, Stephanie, I'm going to embarrass you, my friend.
You know where I was a couple of weekends ago?
ELAM: I think I recall where you were.
LEMON: You recall?
ELAM: Yes.
LEMON: Where was I?
ELAM: You were in California.
LEMON: Where was this picture taken?
KEILAR: At a very important moment.
ELAM: You've got a picture?
LEMON: Yes, look at the -- can you see the monitor?
ELAM: Oh, there it -- yes. Look at my sweetie. He was so emotional.
LEMON: That is...
ELAM: That's my Jeff (ph).
LEMON: ...Jeff Rush (ph).
Are you going to be Stephanie Rush now or is it ?
ELAM: Socially. Socially. I can't change my name on TV.
Elam -- I'm kind of attached to my Elam. But I like Rush, too.
LEMON: Well, it was a beautiful wedding, Stephanie. And congratulations to you and Jeff (ph).
ELAM: Thank you so much.
LEMON: And thanks for inviting me.
ELAM: I had a ball. It was a perfect day. I couldn't be happier with everything. It was like not even a cloud in the sky.
LEMON: I know.
ELAM: So that's a good sign.
LEMON: Fabulous. And you looked great. We could see there. We couldn't see your face.
KEILAR: Yes, both of you looked so beautiful.
ELAM: Thank you so much. Yes, it's been a good ride here for us. No doubt about it. We're pretty happy.
(STOCKMARKET REPORT)
LEMON: Congratulations again, Steph.
ELAM: Thanks so much.
KEILAR: Have a good one, Stephanie.
I'm Brianna. That will do it for us.
LEMON: All right. Now let's turn it over to "THE SITUATION ROOM" and --
KEILAR: Tom Foreman in today for Wolf Blitzer.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks so much.
