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Suicide Attack Kills 16; Arrest in Yale Killing; Terror Probe Moves West; ACORN Under Pressure; Defense Shield Scrapped
Aired September 17, 2009 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN HOST: Breaking news to report this morning. That's right, an arrest has been made in the killing of a Yale graduate student. In fact, the man police had been watching and watching closely is now in custody and charged in the death.
Also, CNN's Mary Snow, as you can see here, has been covering the story. She's got the details that have come out, out of a police news conference that happened just a few minutes ago. So we're going to give you the very, very latest.
It is Thursday, September 17th. Hi, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Want to begin with this this morning. A suicide bomber targeting international soldiers in Afghanistan's capital city. At least 16 people are dead, dozens more are injured. Some of the victims are soldiers who were on the road to the military airport.
CNN's Atia Abawi has been watching this story. She's joining us now live from Kabul, Afghanistan.
Atia, what can you tell us at this point?
ATIA ABAWI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, 16 people are dead because of this suicide car bomb in Kabul. Among the dead, six Italian soldiers, an ISAF convoy that was targeted, and 10 civilians. We're being told by the Ministry of Interior that the suicide car bomber ripped through this main road in Kabul, Afghanistan, targeting this convoy. And in the end, also injuring around 60 people together, four other Italian soldiers also injured and at least 55 civilians. Heidi?
COLLINS: As far as the circumstances here, I know that we are just learning, as we go, obviously, is it possible that this death toll could change, or do we know everything that we can know at this point?
ABAWI: This seems to be the final number that we're getting from the Ministry of Interior as well as from the Italian government. They're the ones who actually came out with the statistics on the Italian soldiers who were killed.
Let's remember that this is the holy month of Ramadan and it's the 27th day of Ramadan, which has a special meaning to the Muslims around the world. It's supposed to be a peaceful day. But for the fanatics out there, many of them feel if they do attack, if they do strike on this holy day, that for some reason that they will benefit more. But if anyone really knows Islam, this isn't the case, and in fact, Islam does not condone suicide killings, let alone attacks. Heidi?
COLLINS: All right, Atia, let us know if anything develops here. Of course, we'll stay on top of it alongside you. Atia Abawi, this morning, live from Kabul, Afghanistan.
Now we want to get to this breaking news that we've been reporting this morning in the killing of a Yale graduate student. Just a few minutes ago, police in New Haven, Connecticut announced an arrest.
And CNN's Mary Snow has been following the case. She joins us now outside of the police station.
So we do have an arrest. We do have a man in custody?
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We do, Heidi, it is Raymond Clark. And we have just gotten word that he was brought here to the New Haven Police Department. He was arrested within the last hour. He was about 40 miles outside of New Haven in a hotel and police have been keeping him under surveillance throughout the night.
Police say that he is being charged with murder, but that they are sealing the arrest warrant so that much of the information, they would not talk about. Police say what they will confirm is that they made this arrest based on interviews, forensic evidence, and information that they learned from video surveillance.
Raymond Clark is a lab technician here at Yale. He was taken into custody a few days ago, was held for about five hours as police obtained DNA samples from him. Now, Yale University has just sent out a message from its president, Richard Levin, and he says that Raymond Clark has been an employee as a lab technician since December of 2004 here at Yale.
He says his supervisor reports that nothing in his history of his employment at the university gave an indication that his involvement in such a crime might be possible. Also, Heidi, while officials weren't giving details about what exactly led them to this arrest.
COLLINS: Right.
SNOW: One of the representatives from the FBI also pointed out that the polygraph unit and the behavioral analysis unit participated in this investigation, which can give you some insight into how this investigation went down.
COLLINS: Yes.
SNOW: Also, one thing I just also wanted to mention is that the New Haven Police chief said, this is not an urban crime. This is a crime about workplace violence. But he really refused to talk about any kind of relationship or interaction that this suspect had with Annie Le, the graduate student who was murdered. And she disappeared last Tuesday, her body, of course, found on Sunday.
COLLINS: Yes. The same day that she was supposed to get married. I did hear him say that.
Mary, listen, I have a couple other questions, but you may not know the answers to because I know that they are keeping things pretty close to the vest at this point. Something like, I heard the police chief say 300 items collected as evidence. And earlier, they, of course, had been saying, that if we find someone whose DNA matches in this crime, we're going to bring charges about. But there is no reference at this point to a match in DNA?
SNOW: Correct. The chief said that there was forensic evidence. Also, he pointed out that there are no other suspects. He did say yesterday, when there was a DNA match, that an arrest would be made.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. Mary, staying on top of the story for us and we will love to talk to you again should we learn any more here as the morning goes on.
Mary Snow, thanks so much, New Haven, Connecticut, this morning.
Also, new searches to tell you about being carried out in Colorado as part of an ongoing investigation into a possible terror threat in New York. The man at the center of the alleged operation now forced to give a DNA sample to federal agents.
CNN's Deborah Feyerick has been following this story for us this week in New York.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, this investigation started in Denver and took federal agents to New York. Where it goes next is anyone's guess.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK (voice-over): With some New York City residents on edge, an investigation into a possible terror strike ongoing this morning. FBI agents searched the Denver home of an Afghan man who recently traveled across the country. He's 24-year-old Najibullah Zazi, an airport limo driver who moved from New York to Denver six months ago.
This as FBI director Robert Mueller answered questions on Capitol Hill about Monday's predawn rains on two apartments in Queens, New York.
SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: Could you ensure New Yorkers and the American public that the situation is under sufficient control and there is no imminent danger to their safety?
ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: I can say that I do not believe there's an imminent danger from that particular investigation.
FEYERICK: So far, no one has been arrested. CNN affiliate KUSA in Denver spoke to Zazi and his lawyer. He says Zazi went to New York to resolve an issue related to a vending cart business and denied that Zazi has any ties to terrorism.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the main thing he wants people to understand is that he had absolutely nothing to do with this. He loves this country. He loves living here. That's why he brought his family over here.
FEYERICK: During the trip, Zazi was stopped by police before crossing the George Washington Bridge for what he was told was a random drug stop. Later, his rental car was towed for alleged parking violations. Police asked if they could search the car and examine a laptop while it was impounded. Zazi agreed.
Zazi's return visit to New York prompted FBI agents to raid the two homes of people he contacted. One of the men questioned by agents spoke to us on conditions we not use his name. The man said, while not close, he has known Zazi for about seven years. He ran into him at a Queens mosque and agreed to let him stay at his place for the night.
Quote, "He's Pashtun. You can't turn away a fellow Pashtun,' said the acquaintance, who did not see Zazi leave the next day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: His lawyer says Zazi was interviewed by federal agents and gave fingerprint, DNA, and handwriting samples. New York has been on heightened security because of the 9/11 anniversary, presidential visit, and upcoming United Nations general assembly when world leaders will gather next week.
Whether New York is the end point or just a stopping point in the investigation with more raids to come is an open question. Heidi?
COLLINS: All right, Deb, thanks so much for that.
ACORN has been in the news a lot lately. Now they're striking back as new video shows what appears to be shady dealings by the organizing group's employees. ACORN CEO has some explaining to do. Wait until you hear what she told CNN.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We are looking at more flooding across the south. Good morning, everybody. I'm meteorologist Rob Marciano in the CNN Severe Weather Center. We'll talk about that and that super typhoon when the CNN NEWSROOM comes right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: ACORN in the hot seat this morning. More calls for investigations as several undercover videos bring unwelcome attention to the community organization. FBI director Robert Mueller and California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger among the latest to consider probes.
Our Jessica Yellin gets to the heart of the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These are the hidden camera videos that triggered a firestorm over grassroots activist group, ACORN. Behind the videos, two 20- somethings. Hannah Giles, seen here posing as a prostitute, and James O'Keefe, pretending to be her pimp.
JAMES O'KEEFE, FILMMAKER: Hannah Giles and I continued our investigation of ACORN.
YELLIN: The two are conservative filmmakers. According to her Web biography, Giles is the daughter of conservative writer Doug Giles. Now an Internet sensation, she's appeared on FOX News.
HANNAH GILES, FILMMAKER: As I sat there, I was like, I cannot believe they're actually falling for this. And not necessarily falling for it, but what can we get them to say next.
YELLIN: O'Keefe says he's a filmmaker dedicated to exposing corruption he believes the mainstream media ignores. Here he's in his pimp outfit on FOX News.
O'KEEFE: I think this is the future of investigative journalism and it's the future of political activism.
YELLIN: The two have gotten results. Since these videos were posted, the U.S. Senate has voted to cut off some of ACORN's funding. And media outlets from "The Washington Times" to Jon Stewart are asking...
JON STEWART, HOST, THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART: Where were the real reporters on this story?! You know what, investigative media -- give me camera three -- where the hell were you?
YELLIN: It's not the first time agenda-driven activists have made headlines with hidden camera report. The animal rights group PETA makes them all the time and political campaigns have driven news with videos like this. Remember Macaca?
GEORGE ALLEN, FORMER SENATOR: Macaca or whatever his name is.
YELLIN: That remark considered racially offensive by some took down an incumbent senator. Experts in investigative journalism say reporters are wise to be cautious about posing as fake characters and using hidden cameras to get a story.
ROBERT ROSENTHAL, CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING: You really have to weigh, again, how important the information is, how important the story is to society, your community, and is there any other way to get at it. Because I think it does raise questions of fairness and the credibility of the media.
YELLIN (on camera): The video makers turned down our request for an interview through their sponsor, the conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart. Breitbart tells us the two made these videos out of a sense of idealism and righteousness and he says they have another video coming.
Jessica Yellin, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: In fact, the Senate has voted to withhold federal housing funds from ACORN and just last week, the Census Bureau severed ties with the organization. ACORN is also dogged by repeated probes into voter fraud.
Last night Rick Sanchez spoke with ACORN's CEO, Bertha Lewis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: How do you explain what Americans have seen on some of these videotapes? I mean, somebody advising, you know, alleged pimps and prostitutes or people describing themselves as pimps and prostitutes to set up brothels. How do you explain that?
BERTHA LEWIS, ACORN CEO: Pretty horrendous, isn't it?
SANCHEZ: Yes.
LEWIS: This would curl anyone's hair. And it was outrageous, it was indefensible, even though we know these tapes -- no one has shown totally unedited tapes, because you don't see tapes where they were thrown out of ACORN offices. You don't see tapes where people are told, you know, we can't help you. But be that as it may, I will not tolerate unprofessional -- not meeting our standards.
SANCHEZ: So the people...
LEWIS: I've got...
SANCHEZ: have been fired? The people that we see on these tapes have been fired?
LEWIS: Yes. But listen, Rick, I've got over 700 employees. And this is a handful of folks. I immediately took swift action and I said, you know what, we're going to look at this, we're going to make a review from top to bottom so that this thing never happens again. We work too hard to have some trumped up thing like this happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: ACORN also announced a hiring freeze and says it will begin a new employee training program.
And want to let you know, coming up at 10:00 a.m. this hour, our own Abbie Boudreau from the Special Investigations Unit is tracking down one of the ACORN workers who is featured in these tapes. Abbie is going to have that for us. She spoke to the person. She'll join us live.
Four New York men accused of gang rape are free today after a college co-ed recanted her story. The 18-year-old student at Hofstra University claimed the men sexually assaulted her early Sunday after luring her into a dormitory men's room.
Police say the woman now admits she had consensual sex with the men. And Nassau County District Attorney's office has launched an investigation into the woman's statements.
The missile defense shield, a promise from President Bush, now facing the ax from the current administration.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Time now for a check of our "Top Stories" this morning. An African-American woman in Georgia says she has not been able to sleep since she was beaten by a white man last week. Police say she was attacked in front of her 7-year-old daughter at a restaurant south of Atlanta. Federal investigators are looking at it as a possible hate crime.
A powerful voice of the Civil Rights Movement is silent today. Mary Travers of the folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary has died after a long battle with leukemia. The group's songs like "If I had a Hammer" and "Blowing in the Ring" rang out messages of protest and freedom during the 1960s. Their career spanned more than 50 years. Mary Travers, dead at the age of 72.
The White House is confirming this morning they have decided to scrap the controversial missile defense shield. The administration deciding the current plan is not necessary anymore.
CNN foreign affairs correspondent Jill Dougherty joins us now live from Washington.
First off, Jill, maybe we should sort of lay out just, generally, what we're talking about here by way of missile defense system.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, the missile defense system that we're talking about was proposed by the Bush administration.
COLLINS: Right.
DOUGHERTY: It would put interceptors in Poland and there would be a radar system in the Czech Republic. It's something that the Bush administration really wanted, but Obama, when he came in, President Obama came in, he had some doubts about it. And he continues to have doubts. And now, today, we're hearing that they are going to be pulling the plug on that, Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. So what are we are hearing from some of these foreign governments on this decision and also, from the Department of Defense, who I am sure he consulted, you know, with great concern, yes?
DOUGHERTY: Absolutely. Well, there's a visceral and very emotional reaction, not an official one, but to CNN from spokesperson for the defense department in Poland, saying that this is a catastrophe for Poland.
The Czechs, actually, the prime minister issued a really tight-lipped statement, saying the Czech Republic notes the decision of the president of the United States of America. Obviously, they are not happy.
And you can understand why. But the defense department, and I think we're going to hear this probably from the administration today...
COLLINS: The United States Defense Department, of course.
DOUGHERTY: Yes, I should say that.
COLLINS: Right.
DOUGHERTY: The United States Defense Department says, look, things have changed. The threat is different. Iran does not have long-range missiles. It does have short and medium-range, but they don't yet have a long-range missile. And that's what we're talking about.
So there are other ways of dealing with those short and medium-range missiles. And you don't need this system. And you're going to be sure that they're going to be trying to convince the Pols and the Czechs that their defense remains the same, that they're committed to defending them.
COLLINS: So is there any new evidence to suggest that there is no way that Iran could ever develop a long-range missile?
DOUGHERTY: Well, obviously, the development continues, but the timeframe is pushed back. And Heidi, you know, another part of this, really, is the domestic anger, and you're going to hear this from a lot of people, saying that the president caved to Russia.
COLLINS: All right. Well, we'll continue to follow it. Big story. Jill Dougherty, sure do appreciate that. Thanks so much.
Let's quickly, in fact, trace the history of the missile defense system. The framework for the first anti-ballistic missile system or ABM came after World War II. President Eisenhower placed more emphasis on the program in the 1950s. And President Ronald Reagan sparked interest again in 1983 when he announced his strategic defense initiative, better known as Star Wars. You remember that.
The program fell out of favor, though, and was finally scrapped under President Clinton. In 2001, President George W. Bush brought the program back to life as the missile defense shield. He said it was needed to protect U.S. interests from attack by rogue states trying to develop weapons of mass destruction.
We'll stay on top of that story for you here.
Weather now, across much of the southeast, late summer storms have triggered flash flooding. This is the scene outside Little Rock, Arkansas where authorities shut down parts of Pinnacle Mountain State Park. Quick, sometimes violent downpours caused similar flooding in several states.
Rob Marciano in the Severe Weather Center now for more on this. And boy, it seems like sort of a domino effect, right?
MARCIANO: Yes, several states, including Georgia. It rained yesterday like nothing I've ever seen in Atlanta.
COLLINS: Unbelievable.
MARCIANO: So this system is spreading out, but the good news with that, it's weakening just a little bit.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: Yes, still sticking around, but it's still away from land, correct?
MARCIANO: Still churning...
COLLINS: In the middle of nowhere?
MARCIANO: There's Japan right there, so heading in that general direction. We'll give you the forecast.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. All right. Rob, thank you.
MARCIANO: You got it.
COLLINS: Could bit the make or break proposal for health insurance reform? What they're saying on Capitol Hill right now about the Baucus plan.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Heidi Collins.
COLLINS: To Wall Street now, the Dow jumped by triple digits yesterday to its highest level in nearly a year. Today, we have more encouraging signs on the economy. Unemployment lines got a little shorter last week. More homes being built.
And as we listen to the opening bell for this Thursday, Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange now to tell us it's all going to happen again today, right, Susan?
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. Well, we're hoping for it.
COLLINS: Yes.
LISOVICZ: And we certainly have some economic news that would encourage the bulls. But we're talking about three days of gains, eight out of nine days where we saw the market go higher. We are expecting some caution at the open.
Home construction rose last month to the highest level in nine months, largely because of a jump in apartment buildings. The overall gain, smaller than expected. Meanwhile, a separate report shows new jobless claims unexpectedly dropped last week. But the number of people relying on unemployment benefits over the long-term rose to 6.2 million, showing that people are still having trouble finding work.
American Airlines getting a huge cash injection, nearly $3 billion from Citigroup and GE. The carrier's parent AMR also changing its flight schedule to cope with declining revenue. It's cutting flights to and from St. Louis and Raleigh, Durham but will add flights at its hubs in Dallas, Chicago, New York, and Miami.
Earnings: some corporate heavyweights could come into play today. FedEx, which is often considered a bellwether for the economy because it serves so many sectors, says its quarterly profit sliced in half. It warned of more weakness ahead. '
And tech giant Oracle was down in the pre-market. It recorded a drop in sales, a worrisome sign for the technology sector.
After a few days of gains, we are seeing a little bit of a sluggish start, but, Heidi, I just want you to know, I want you to look closely. The Dow ended yesterday at 9791. Are you looking closely here?
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: I'm trying. Oh, there's your Dow 10,000 hat. Boy.
LISOVICZ: Yes, 200 points and change from Dow 10,000 and that hat's a little dusty, because that hat was distributed 10 years ago.
COLLINS: Cool.
LISOVICZ: So we are making strides, but we have a way to go yet.
HARRIS: You know, I have my 15,000 hat.
LISOVICZ: Yes, we were talking about that. We were talking about that earlier. I think maybe 2010 could be the year.
COLLINS: Really?! OK. Can you get me one of those 10,000 hats? I like it a lot.
(LAUGHTER)
Very good. Susan Lisovicz, thanks so much.
LISOVICZ: Dust and everything. It will be shipped to you.
COLLINS: Yes. Thank you. Absolutely. We'll check back later. Thanks.
President Obama making a new pitch for health insurance reform about two hours from now. The president will attend a rally at the University of Maryland, my alma mater. White House officials are reaching out to young adults across the country. In fact, especially the millions without health insurance.
The rally will be streamed live through a Facebook application. The address, apps.facebook, you see them at the bottom of your screen there, .com/whitehouselive.
The health care reform debate moves into a new phase as we learn details now of a plan its chief proponent believes has the best chance for Senate passage. CNN's Brianna Keilar is on Capitol Hill once again this morning.
So, Brianna, we talked to you yesterday when Max Baucus' plan first was made public. He's meeting with the Finance Committee this morning. What are we going to see happen here?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And he'll be meeting with the Finance Committee, and Senator Max Baucus, along with his staff behind closed doors, will be walking the Republicans and the Democrats -- 10 Republicans, 13 Democrats on this committee -- through this plan that we started talking about yesterday.
And they are expected to get some questions. So we're going to be waiting outside of there, Heidi, trying to figure out exactly what concerns were raised, what's really weighing on these senators' minds. And certainly this plan is getting hit from the left by some Democrats, who want a public option.
This plan does not have one. It's a nonprofit health co-op system. Also, some Democrats and even some Republicans who are concerned that it's not going to do enough to make health care affordable for some lower income Americans.
Also, there are some Republicans on the right, there are concerns that this plan costs too much, as well the discomfort with this idea of the health co-op, even though it's not a public option, there is a concern with how this might be executed if the government is going to be involved.
So after that, Heidi, all of the Democrats in the Senate are going to have a lunch. And they, of course, will be talking about health care. That is the focus of their lunch and we'll be waiting to see all of the reaction that comes out of that.
COLLINS: Yes, we will, indeed. All right, Brianna Keilar live on Capitol Hill this morning. Thanks, Brianna.
Former president Jimmy Carter's remarks that racism plays a role in opposition to President Obama's policies are beginning to hit a nerve with people of both political parties.
Carter is standing by his comments, as seen in an appearance at Emory University in Atlanta last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT: When a radical fringe element of demonstrators and others begin to attack the president of the United States of America as an animal or as a reincarnation of Adolf Hitler or when they wave signs in the air that said we should have buried Obama with Kennedy, those kind of things are beyond the bounds of the way presidents have ever been accepted. Even with people who disagree.
And I think people that are guilty of that kind of personal attack against Obama have been influenced to a major degree by a belief that he should not be president because he happens to be African-American. It's a racist attitude. And my hope is and my expectation is that in the future, both Democratic leaders and Republican leaders will take the initiative in condemning that kind of unprecedented attack on the president of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: On Tuesday, Carter said racial politics were also involved in Congressman Joe Wilson's "You lie" outburst directed towards President Obama last week. Wilson was asked about Carter's comment by a "Washington Times" reporter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOE WILSON (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: I would say that, Mr. President, let's discuss health insurance reform. Let's discuss the issues before us and I -- respect the office of the president. And I would just tell him, hey, you need to get focused on the issue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: White House officials have distanced themselves from Carter's comments. Spokesman Robert Gibbs says the president doesn't think criticism of his policies is based on the color of his skin.
And that new plan for health reform, what would it mean for you and your wallet, exactly? We're going to break it down for you in just a couple of minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Checking our "Top Stories" now.
Iraq and Syria looking to ease tensions. Their foreign ministers are getting together now in a meeting hosted by Turkish officials. Relations became strained after suicide truck bombings killed at least 100 people in Baghdad last month. The Iraqi government said Iraqis behind the attacks were being sheltered in Syria, a charge the Syrians denied.
Many economists believe the recession is over, but most Americans do not share that feeling. The latest CNN Opinion Research poll finds an overwhelming majority of us, 86 percent, in fact, think the U.S. is still in a recession. Now, traditionally, economists have declared recessions over before the public has felt any relief.
For more on how your neighbors are doing in these economic tough times, check out CNN's "MONEY & MAIN STREET." You can catch it tonight, 11:00 Eastern, 8:00 Pacific.
And of course, we always want to hear from you, so today, our blog question is exactly that. Do you think the U.S. recession is still going on? Tell us why, tell us what some of your personal experiences are, if you would. Just go to my blog page here, CNN.com/heidi.
Click on my picture, you get a little synopsis of the poll that we've done here at CNN that you just saw and then you can register your comments. We'll share some of them with you in just a little while here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Now to the battle over health care reform. A leading Democrat has offered a long-awaited plan that many hoped would bring together both parties. Now it seems the only thing bipartisan is the criticism of it.
Christine Romans of the CNN money team breaks it down for us. The Max Baucus proposal. I guess that's what we're calling it.
Christine, how exactly would this plan affect our pocketbooks?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it would. There are several provisions in here that are going to immediately and directly affect your pocketbook, when this thing would take place in 2013.
Heidi, I come here with a bag of caveats, because we don't know what it's going to look like...
COLLINS: Yes.
ROMANS: ... once there's the normal political horse trading. We don't know what's actually going to make it to be voted on and what it's going to look like with amendments. So this is just an analysis of what we've seen on the table so far.
COLLINS: Got it.
ROMANS: So 200 pages just for the summary. OK, now we got that. By 2013, according to this bill, people would be required, almost everyone would be required to buy health insurance, to be insured. You couldn't be walking around with health insurance.
If you didn't get health insurance, you would be fined. And here's what those fines would like. If you were a family making 300 percent of the poverty level, that's about $66,000, the fine would be $3,800 a year. If you're an individual, you're making -- your income is about $32,000 a year and you didn't buy health insurance, you didn't get health insurance, it would be $950 a year.
Now for people...
COLLINS: Looks great, right?
ROMANS: Look lower down, like the income strata here. Families making below $66,000 a year, their fine would be $1,500 and individuals making below $32,000, their fine would be $750.
Now, Medicaid would be expanded, eligibility for Medicaid would be expanded. This is already a government-run health care program. That would be expanded to include $30,000 income for a family of four, $14,400 income for an individual.
You would be required to buy this insurance where? Either directly from an insurance company, you already get it from your own company that you're working for, or you could buy it through a state exchange. And there would be affordability tax credits, depending on where you are, again, on the income strata, there would be affordability tax credits for you to help you pay for those premiums, to help you pay for the cost of the drugs, and to help you get that insurance.
So a lot of interesting elements of all of this, but it would make a difference to the bottom line for families and there are a lot of things we're watching here as they go through the process.
COLLINS: Yes, I mean, to be honest, this is plain hard to talk about right now because there are potentially so many changes that could take place before there's an actual final bill, if you will.
ROMANS: I think the real winners here, though, Heidi, the real winners are people who have a pre-existing condition and who don't have health insurance right now. Those are the people who see that the biggest and the most immediate benefits.
So that's where you see the biggest change.
COLLINS: Good point. Yes. Yes. Absolutely. All right, Christine Romans of our CNN money team, sure do appreciate that.
ROMANS: Sure.
COLLINS: We will talk again, I'm certain of it.
Health care and health insurance, wherever you go around the world, those are the hot topics. Members of CNN's global team of correspondents takes a look now.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Paula Hancocks in Jerusalem. And like the United States, health care here in Israel is not a topic of great debate. And that's because medical coverage is already universal here and has been since 1995, even before that law was introduced.
Some estimate 96 percent of Israelis already had some kind of insurance. So while Israelis might have much to complain to their government about, health care is not one of those issues.
And the infant mortality right, the life expectancy rate here in Israel is actually higher than in the United States and in many western European countries.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi. I'm Matthew Chance in Moscow. And one huge killer in this country is, you guessed it, the bottle. Russians drink more than any other people in the world, nearly five gallons of pure alcohol every year for every man, woman, and child here.
As you might expect, alcoholism is one of the main reasons why life expectancy here is so low, just 58 years for Russian men, who are, of course, the biggest drinkers. Consumption of low-quality, homemade or industrial alcohol is also another big health risk. Government figures say more than 30,000 Russians die every year of alcohol poisoning.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ben Wedeman in Giza, Egypt. In the time of the pharaohs, Egyptian physicians were renowned throughout the ancient world. Now things aren't quite so brilliant. The Egyptian public health system is in perennial crisis, under funded and overwhelmed.
According to the World Bank, Egyptians have to pay about 60 percent of their medical expenses out of their own pockets. And in this country where 44 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day, those pockets are very shallow.
COLLINS: And we will have more of these global health care looks as we keep up our coverage of the debate right here in the United States.
Milk farmers in Europe are angry over falling prices, so they've taken this extreme step. Dumping nearly a million gallons of milk in a field. That was more of a symbolic gesture, I guess. But other milk men have stopped deliveries around Europe, which could lead to shortages as early as next week. The farmers say they could lose about $14 billion if prices keep falling.
Mexico's drug war, the latest salvo, a deadly attack in a drug treatment center in the border town of Juarez.
If you are a runner or have been thinking about jogging to get back into shape, a word of advice. It takes more than stretching to stay pain free.
Here are more tips now from CNN's Melissa Long.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA LONG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Six years ago, if you told Donna Murphy she'd be running every day, she would have laughed.
DONNA MURPHY: Not in a million years would I have ever thought it.
LONG: Now in her mid-40s, Donna is a marathoner. But she's careful. She knows she's not getting any younger so she works with an athletic trainer to keep herself injury free. Experts say busy 30-somethings may be tempted to take shortcuts to save time, such as cutting out the stretching routines. Trainers say don't do it.
GENE SCHAFER, ATLETIC TRAINER: If you're flexible, there's a good chance that that can help decrease some injuries that you may get by running.
LONG: And pick a good pair of shoes. Incorrect footwear can cause a lot of hurt.
SCHAFER: That can cause shin pain, knee pain, hip pain, back --low back pain. So make sure that you have good shoes.
LONG: Then there are the injuries. As you begin losing muscle and bone mass in your 40s, you may begin to see ligament injuries and suffer joint pain with running. Experts say watch your mileage, don't overdo it, take rest days, add some strength training and cross training using the elliptical machine or Viking.
SCHAFFER: That way you don't get that pounding that you normally get when you're out running four or five days a week.
LONG: Drink plenty of water. Starting in your 40s, doctors say your body's ability to conserve water is reduced, raising the risk of dehydration. In your 50s, stay with the strength training and work on your balance to help you stay steady on your feet. 53-year-old Peter Shapiro runs in New York City and knows the danger of running on uneven city streets.
He does exercises with his trainer focusing on balance.
PETER SHAPIRO, RUNNER: There are some things that are done on these half balls that are unsteady and so you have to kind of balance yourself while you're doing the exercise.
LONG: Or take Tai Chi or yoga classes to help your balance. Training responsibly is the best way to keep on running, no matter your age.
Melissa Long, CNN, Atlanta.
ANNOUNCER: "30s, 40s, 50's. Brought to you by...
CNN NEWSROOM
COLLINS: We have some new information to be shared with you in the case of the Yale University graduate student who we learned earlier today from New Haven Police that there has been an arrest made. They do have a suspect in custody.
Raymond Clark III who was a lab technician at Yale. That is the news of the morning. We are also able to give a little bit more context here because Paul Bass of the "New Haven Independent" that you were able to speak with -- the public information officer of the police department. Tell us what you learned.
PAUL BASS, NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT: I just returned from the police department. They are going to speed up the arraignment in this case. I guess they want to get it done quick. This doesn't usually happen.
As you know, they picked up the suspect this morning after an all- night wait to get the warrant signed. They got the warrant signed and 20 minutes later they arrested him in Cromwell. Brought him right down to New Haven. They want to get him by the 10:00 a.m. opening which will be tough.
Usually when someone is arrested in the morning, they get arraigned the next day.
COLLINS: Sure.
BASS: If it's a priority, maybe in the afternoon. As you know, it's going to be a mad house there in the courthouse across the New Haven's green but they're going to get this back quick. They felt they got the evidence lined up, they got the lab results back, and I think this case is moving forward.
COLLINS: Yes. And that's the thing to point out here. And you've already done a great job of that, saying that this is really, really much faster than what we typically see. We do know from the press conference that was held earlier today, the police chief himself, James Lewis, is saying that they collected something like 300 items of evidence so that tells us that they pretty much believe, you know, they have their man.
BASS: Right. I just returned from a chat with the chief in his office. And he told me that at no point in this investigation did they ever hit a block. He said that unlike a lot of other investigations they have so much evidence to begin with. It's not that they solve on day one. But he said that this is a lot easier to solve that a street robbery.
We saw five out of seven murders in New Haven this year. There are two unsolved. He said from day one, he said there was so much evidence, so many, you know, 70 security cameras in the building.
COLLINS: Yes.
BASS: Three hundred pieces of physical evidence. They were -- they knew where the cards were being magnetically swiped in every room where people went. It was just a matter of plowing through that evidence. They talked to more than 100 people. At no time did they feel they were off track and that as early as Sunday he told me.
COLLINS: Yes.
BASS: This fellow was the, quote/unquote, "person of interest." There were no other top suspects and his narcotics unit was trailing them on Sunday at every minute and never lost sight of him.
COLLINS: Yes. Understood. Forgive me, I didn't realize you spoke with the chief himself. Hey, very quickly before I let you go, Paul, we understand -- you know, because everybody wants to know why he did it. I realize that -- he may have done it, forgive me. Obviously they have to go through many more proceedings here before getting any type of verdict in all of this.
But as far as the MO goes, he's not talking as of yet. That's the last that we heard. He has invoked his rights in all of this and working through attorneys?
BASS: This is true. After the first interview with the FBI he invoked his right against self-incrimination. He got a lawyer. We do know a couple of things, though. It appears clear from what we saw this morning that it is probably not a romantic motivation in this murder.
The chief was clear to stress the words workplace violence. He said...
COLLINS: Right.
BASS: This is not, quote, this is not a street crime. This is not a domestic crime. This is a workplace crime. He spoke about how that is on the rise in America. It's got to be taken more seriously to look at signs in the workplace.
COLLINS: Yes. Yes, I heard him say that myself. All right, Paul Bass, great work from the "New Haven Independent." We sure do appreciate your latest information. We will watch for that arraignment if, in fact, it does take place today. Thanks so much.
Also, want to get you directly to this now. President Barack Obama issuing a statement on the missile defense system. Understand -- are we going to this, guys or -- no. Not quite yet.
Just want to let you know we have been covering this story this morning and the decision by the Obama administration to scrap this missile defense shield program in eastern Europe. We are now hearing that the president will be talking about it and we will bring that to you when it happens.
Our estimated time at this moment is 10:15. We're back in a moment right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: A grieving mother says her son was good but they killed him. A 25-year-old man was among 10 people shot to death this week when gunman burst into a drug treatment center in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez. The city is at the center of a bloody battle between two Mexican drug cartels.
CNN's Casey Wian reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just across the border from San Diego, six bodies were found inside a burning car in Tijuana Monday night. Two were in the trunk. A sign they are among the latest victims of Mexico's drug wars.
In Ciudad Juarez across the border from El Paso 10 people were gunned down in two separate incidents Tuesday. 1,647 people have been killed in the city so far this year. Already surpassing the total for all of 2008. It's the result of a vicious turf battle between two cartels and local authorities seem powerless to stop.
MAYOR REYES FERRIZ, CIUDAD JUAREZ, MEXICO: We have been able to get most of the crime rates down. Bank robberies are down 80 percent. Car thefts are down 50 percent. Commercial thefts down 60 percent. So most of the statistics are down. We still need to work a lot on murder rates which are very difficult.
WIAN: It's not for lack of trying. President Felipe Calderon has agreed to extend the stay of 75,000 federal troops in the city at the major's request. More than 600 new police officers are on the job nearly replacing the 700 that left after an anti-corruption sweep.
Authorities are even running public service ads dramatizing cartel killings with images that mirror real life in a message to the city's youth to stay away from the drug traffickers. But it's a hard sell. Monday, dozens of police officers in Central Mexico Hundreds were arrested for allegedly collaborating with cartels and a convoy traveling to pick up the state government was ambushed in broad daylight.
GEORGE GRAYSON, COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY: Every time you bash down on a creature of a cartel or cartel leader, another one pops up. And so I see the violence escalating.
WIAN: Evidence of that includes two attacks this month at drug treatment facilities in Mexico where a total of 28 people were killed. Authorities suspect some of the victim were cartel members hiding out in the facilities.
(On camera): And the violence continues to spill over to this side of the border. In recent weeks federal authority have arrested several suspects in California and Texas accused of working for Mexican drug cartels. The charges include murder, kidnapping, narcotics and weapons trafficking.
Casey Wian, CNN. San Diego.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: The missile defense shield is being shut down. The White House confirms to CNN the plan to stop the controversial program. President Obama is scheduled to talk about his decision coming up in less than 15 minutes, in fact. And CNN's White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is covering the story....
