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Critical Day for Health Reform; Florida Teen Set on Fire; Health Report Number Crunching

Aired October 13, 2009 - 11:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. It is Tuesday, October 13th. And here are the top stories for you in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Health care insurance reform at a make-or-break moment. The Senate Finance Committee votes today on its middle-of-the-road blueprint. Limits on medical malpractice lawsuits and new analysis shows the savings would add up to billions.

And this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The next day they straightened out my nose. And I had a rodeo that night, so I didn't want them putting me under anesthesia, or however you say that word. And when they straightened out -- so I told them to do without it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And an off-Broadway play exposes the flaws in health care. I will speak with the playwright and star of this provocative one-woman show.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

The push to overhaul the nation's health care system on the verge of taking a major step forward. The Senate Finance Committee is meeting right now and is said to vote today on its reform plan. Some Republicans on the committee say the legislation is a missed opportunity, but Chairman Max Baucus says it is time to get the job done.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MAX BAUCUS (D), FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: Americans are looking for commonsense solutions. Americans want a balanced plan that takes the best ideas from both sides. And Americans want us to craft a package that will get the 60 votes that it needs to pass.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R), UTAH: What could have been a strong bipartisan vote reflecting our collective and genuine desire for responsible reform is now ending as another divided vote as we take another step towards the flawed solution of reforming one-sixth of our economy with more spending, more government and more taxes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Congressional Correspondent Brianna Keilar is following developments on Capitol Hill.

And Brianna, tell us what we're likely to see today.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We'll we're likely to see and we've already begun to see this, Tony, is some debate and some key questions that are being asked of basically health care experts and budget experts about this bill that the Senate Finance Committee is expected to pass today.

So, everyone on this committee saying their final peace before they get a vote. And this is such a key hurdle for health care, Tony, because not only is this the fifth and final committee bill that will move on, but it's also the only one that doesn't include that government-run insurance plan. And because of that, some sort of form of what we're seeing today is seen as more likely to be able to pass Congress.

HARRIS: And Brianna, who are the key senators we're watching today?

KEILAR: We're watching a few. And not just Republicans.

We're watching Ron Wyden of Oregon. We're watching Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia. Two Democrats who have not said they are going to vote yes on this. So, we want to see what they'll do. And also, of course, Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, a moderate Republican, the only chance the Democrats have of getting some bipartisan support here today.

HARRIS: Got another quick one for you. This vote comes a day after the insurance industry report that says this bill will cost Americans thousands more dollars for insurance. One of those key senators, Republican Olympia Snowe, weighed in before the hearing. What does she have to say?

KEILAR: In short, Tony, she railed on this report, saying that she was questioning the methodology, she was questioning the timing of it. And also, we caught her as she went in the back door of this hearing room and tried to pin her down on whether she's going to vote yes or not today.

Here's what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. OLYMPIA SNOWE (R), MAINE: Sorting through all the issues. Certainly have not declared my intentions. I want to be able to make sure that we get all of the facts before a complete final vote. But I'm sorting through those issues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: So, she would not be pinned down. And that's why we are keeping an eagle eye on her today.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

All right. Brianna Keilar on Capitol Hill for us.

Brianna, thank you.

A congressman who made headlines with an explosive comment in the health care debate faces his constituents. Florida Democrat Alan Grayson quickly shifted focus away from his comment that Republicans want sick people to "die quickly." He said last night's town hall meeting was not for political debate, but for answering people's questions. And his constituents had plenty of those.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why do senators and congressmen have another plan that -- what we are getting forced on us?

REP. ALAN GRAYSON (D), FLORIDA: I have the same coverage as every other federal employee, no different from everyone else.

Secondly, you will not be forced to get any kind of coverage. You can keep the coverage that you have. The president has said over and over and over again, if you like your insurance, you can keep it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is wrapping up a meeting this hour with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. It is taking place at his home outside Moscow. Clinton met earlier with her Russian counterpart. Key issues: arms control, missile defense and Iran's nuclear ambitions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: Iran's nuclear program remains a matter of serious concern, and we're working closely with Russia, through the P5 plus 1 process. We had a constructive meeting in Geneva on October 1st, and we are working to ensure that Iran moves forward with us on this engagement track.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And another disturbing case of teen violence. This one out of Florida.

Three minors in custody after a 15-year-old was reportedly doused with a flammable liquid and start on fire. We're told that Michael Brewer has burns over about 75 percent of his body. No charges yet in this case. And the motive isn't clear, but Brewer's family believes this is retaliation after he apparently got another kid arrested for stealing a bike.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MALISSA DURKEE, VICTIM'S SISTER: This is the worst thing you could possibly do to a 15-year-old kid.

DANNY MARTINEZ, VICTIM'S FRIEND: To anybody. To even an animal. You don't do this. You cannot put fire -- I mean, you feel every single bit of pain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Jim Leljedal is on the phone with us. He is the spokesman from the sheriff's office investigating this case.

And Jim, thanks for your time.

My understanding is three suspects in custody. Do you have everyone in your mind who participated in this attack?

JIM LELJEDAL, FLORIDA SHERIFF'S SPOKESMAN: We're not sure, Tony. In fact, right now, we have detectives that are still out in the field. They've been working all night. And they are, as we speak, pulling kids out of class and taking statements and talking to other teenagers to determine whether we have everyone that is responsible for this, because we are determined that anybody and everybody that is responsible is going to answer for this crime.

HARRIS: I am so glad to hear that.

Jim, the young people who are under arrest, in custody -- well, I shouldn't say -- well, in custody right now -- have they told you anything that helps you move forward with your investigation? Have they confessed to the crime?

LELJEDAL: They haven't been terribly cooperative, but the indication at this point is that it's probably related to the bicycle theft on Sunday night. That's the best information we have at this point.

We can't release all of the details. I expect that we will release details today, but we want to make sure first that we have everybody in custody.

HARRIS: OK.

The suspects that you have in custody right now, are they Brewer's classmates, schoolmates?

LELJEDAL: A couple of them are classmates. Two of the boys are the same age as he is, 15. One is 13.

He skipped school on Monday because he said that he was afraid of running into these boys at school. He thought that they might retaliate. But, in fact, he went to this apartment complex where a friend lives and he was attacked there. HARRIS: OK. Have you seen teen bullying taken to this extent before? I'm trying to understand if this is a bad neighborhood.

LELJEDAL: No.

HARRIS: You haven't?

LELJEDAL: No. This is the extreme. You know, when you think you've seen it all and it couldn't get any worse, then you have teenagers setting someone on fire. This is about as cruel and heinous as it gets.

HARRIS: And how is Michael Brewer doing?

LELJEDAL: I don't have a recent condition update, but I understand that he is in the hospital. He was transported by our helicopter to a hospital in Ft. Lauderdale, and from there was flown to Miami, to a special burn unit. He's being treated there.

HARRIS: Jim Leljedal is with us. He's a spokesman for the sheriff's office investigating this case.

Jim, appreciate it. Thanks for your time. Thanks for the information.

LELJEDAL: Thank you, Tony.

HARRIS: The health insurance industry has some new criticism of health care reform. Our senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, breaks down the complaints.

And let's take a look now at the latest numbers on Wall Street, the Big Board.

As you can see, the Dow down. We've got a selling morning so far. The Dow down 45 points.

We will follow these numbers throughout the morning with Susan Lisovicz, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A critical day in the fight over health care reform. Live pictures now from the Senate Finance Committee. Douglas Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office, has been getting most of the questions so far.

Is that Senator Bunning asking questions now, making a bit of a statement?

OK. The panel votes today on its reform legislation drafted by Chairman Max Baucus. One big question is whether Olympia Snow of Maine will become the first Republican to support the bill.

We will keep you updated on developments.

You know, today's vote by the Senate Finance Committee comes on the heels of an insurance industry report attacking the legislation, but the report is also coming under fire.

Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is taking on the task here of giving us a little perspective.

We appreciate that. Thank you. Good to see you, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, Tony.

Tony, here's what all of the controversy is about. It's all about, how much are you and me and every other Americans going to have to pay for insurance if the Baucus bill passes?

Now, let's talk about, actually, not you and me, because we work for a big company, but for people who buy insurance on their own, who don't get...

HARRIS: The individual market.

COHEN: Right, the individual market. There, you've gotten the -- I'm proud of you, Tony. So it's called the individual market.

And so let's take a look at the Smith family, a family of four. They're on the individual market.

And now, according to the insurance industry -- OK, this is according to them -- the Smith family is going to have to pay about $21,000 for insurance if the Baucus bill passes in the year 2016. So, that's a lot of money, obviously. OK?

Now, not everyone agrees with the insurance industry. Here's what the CBO has to say.

The CBO says that the Smith family would have to pay about $14,000, and that's if they're a pretty high income family. If they're making about $100,000. So, as you can see, big discrepancy. Insurance industry says you're premiums are going to go way up under the Baucus bill. The CBO says not true.

HARRIS: OK. So you've been doing the fact-checking on this today. Split the hairs here. And what have you found?

COHEN: Well, what we found is that, again, the CBO says this just isn't true. And also, the Baucus bill, the folks of the Baucus committee, the folks who wrote the bill, says this isn't true. The White House says that this isn't true. They say that the insurance industry has made all sorts of assumptions which just aren't accurate. HARRIS: Got you.

And so, boy, you're talking about a huge difference here in the two numbers here, insurance industry, as compared to the CBO. What accounts for the discrepancy?

COHEN: What accounts for the discrepancy is someone called "Young Yasmin." I don't know if you remember "Young Yasmin."

HARRIS: I remember -- yes. Young invincible.

COHEN: There she is. OK.

She's a young invincible. She's healthy. Yasmin says, I don't need insurance. I'd rather spend that money on a trip to Hawaii.

Well, under the Baucus bill, she would have to buy insurance. The industry likes that. They say, great. We want -- the more "Young Yasmins," the better. They pay premiums and they don't use that many services.

Well, here's the issue. The insurance industry says that the Baucus bill does require "Young Yasmin" to get insurance, but doesn't really penalize her if she doesn't.

So, "Young Yasmin," if she makes a lot of money and she doesn't get insurance, she would have to pay a fine of approximately -- you moved her over. I think I lost her. Anyhow, she would have to pay a fine of approximately $3,800 if she didn't get insurance.

And so the insurance industry says that's not much of a fine. The "Young Yasmins" of the world are just going to say forget it, and they're never going to pay it and they're never going to get insurance.

HARRIS: I see. OK. And I think those numbers are even now being debated.

Elizabeth, appreciate it. And good to see "Young Yasmin" again.

COHEN: Thanks. Isn't it good to see her?

HARRIS: Yes, it was. Thanks, Elizabeth.

Simmons bedding company goes broke, but somebody is making a bundle. And it is legal. You shouldn't sleep until you see how we're keeping them honest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: How to kill an American company. Simmons Bedding and its Beautyrest brand are heading to bankruptcy. Shareholders and employees will lose out, but a private investment group will walk away with a bundle.

Here's CNN's Randi Kaye in Boston. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's what some call the dirty little secret of corporate takeovers. A private equity firm buys an undervalued company, using mostly borrowed money, then sells that company for a profit.

At that point, the company is ruined. In some cases, bankrupt. And, yes, it's all legal.

"Forbes" magazine columnist Dan Gerstein.

(on camera): Should Americans be concerned about this?

DAN GERSTEIN, COLUMNIST, "FORBES" MAGAZINE: Every American should be losing sleep over this story because of what it says about how corrupt capitalism is.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Assuring you the undisturbed night's sleep.

KAYE (voice-over): Losing sleep over the story of Simmons Bedding Company, an American icon founded more than 130 years ago. Today, Simmons is on the verge of bankruptcy.

Simmons' filings with the Securities & Exchange Commission show ever since the equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners or THL bought Simmons in 2003. The bedding giant increased its debt by more than $700 million.

Why? THL issued loans against Simmons, using the company's assets as collateral. Even as Simmons was headed towards bankruptcy, THL pocketed $77 million.

How in the world does that happen? We had the same questions.

(on camera): We came here to Boston where Thomas H. Lee Partners is based for some answers. "Keeping Them Honest," we wanted the firm to tell us why Simmons racked up so much debt under its watch and why the firm borrowed even more when Simmons was already strapped for cash.

(voice-over): The firm would not give us an interview but did e- mail us a statement. THL says it added, quote, "sustainable and significant value to Simmons, including four new manufacturing facilities." The firm cited sales growth of 40 percent. But SEC filings paint a different picture.

We asked Maureen Spollen, an accountant with no connection to either THL or Simmons to look at the financials.

MAUREEN SPOLLEN, ACCOUNTANT, MIG CONSULTING: The year before they acquired the company, $290 worth of debt.

KAYE (on camera): And that's 2002. And then in 2003, what did they have?

SPOLLEN: Seven hundred and seventy million dollars worth of debt. So it's more than double.

KAYE: And then if you jump ahead to, say, 2005?

SPOLLEN: It's over $900 million.

KAYE: In debt?

SPOLLEN: In debt.

KAYE: And then the end of this year?

SPOLLEN: It's over a billion.

KAYE: So in the six years that THL has owned Simmons, the debt has, what, tripled?

SPOLLEN: It's tripled.

KAYE: And all this is legal?

SPOLLEN: Yes.

KAYE: What isn't included on Simmons' balance sheet is a loan from 2007 for $300 million. The firm issued this massive loan, creating even more debt for Simmons to pay out, just so THL could pay itself hundreds of millions of dollars in dividends. Add that to earlier dividends, and THL recouped all of its investment plus $77 million in profit.

GERSTEIN: They were bleeding big chunks of that capital out and putting it in their pocket, rather than having it go to the company. There isn't accountability. And as a result, they get away with financial murder.

KAYE (voice-over): In a statement, THL suggests the economy is to blame for Simmons' financial mess, saying, quote, "The entire bedding industry was hit by an unprecedented, cataclysmic downturn."

Don't blame the economy, says Gerstein.

GERSTEIN: It's because they were so loaded up with debt, they didn't have the means to weather the storm. And it's a good, you know, indictment and a cautionary tale for what's going wrong with our economy. They were doing something that is pretty common in the industry.

KAYE: Standard, maybe. Risk free? Definitely not.

Randi Kaye, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Amazing.

Health care reform happening now on Capitol Hill. Should it include caps on malpractice claims? The Congressional Budget Office says tort reform could save $54 billion in the next decade.

We're checking the facts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Well, the stage is set for a key vote today in the fight over health care reform. The Senate Finance Committee is expected to approve its reform legislation.

Congressional Correspondent Brianna Keilar is following developments on Capitol Hill. She's back.

All right. So, Brianna, once the bill passes in committee, what's next?

KEILAR: Well, it is a long road, weeks and months ahead, Tony.

This bill, assuming that it passes the Senate Finance Committee, as the Democratic chairman of the committee says it will, would have to be combined with another more liberal Senate bill. And then that single Senate bill would have to be debated on and voted on before the Senate.

The House would have to do the same thing. They have three bills that they're working on right now to combine, and they would have to debate and vote on that bill.

And so then you have a Senate bill and a House bill. They would have to be merged, and then that would form the final bill, which would have to go through that same process all before President Obama could sign health care reform into law. And that's a process that, as we said, is expected to take weeks and months. And really, the goal here is to get this done, Democrats say, by the end of the year.

HARRIS: End of the year, yes.

OK, Brianna. Appreciate that. Thank you.

You know, limiting malpractice lawsuits to save money, Republicans say that should be a part of any health care reform legislation. And the new report from nonpartisan budget watchers is lending support to their argument.

That story now from CNN's Lisa Sylvester.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Congressional Budget Office report agrees with what many Republicans have been arguing -- tort reform can lower the cost of health care, first by reducing the amount doctors have to pay in medical malpractice insurance by as much as 10 percent. And second, by cutting down on unnecessary diagnostic tests and services, a practice known as defensive medicine.

Sally Pipes of the Pacific Research Institute, a free market think tank, says...

SALLY PIPES, PACIFIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE: We can see a saving -- a reduction in the federal deficit by $54 billion, which is a significant reduction in the deficit.

SYLVESTER: Some states have already implemented tort reform. Texas, for example, in 2003 capped damages from doctors to $250,000 and $500,000 from health care facilities. Plaintiffs can still seek economic damages for lost wages and medical expenses.

The American Trial Lawyers Association, representing lawyers who usually get a percentage of the damages awarded, is downplaying the CBO report, noting that it's only one half of 1 percent of the nation's total health care spending.

Mike Papantonio is a lawyer and liberal talk show radio host.

MIKE PAPANTONIO, LAWYER AND RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: The person who suffers is the person who goes to a hospital, has the wrong arm cut off, has the wrong leg cut off, and they say, I'm sorry, you have to go home. Under the new reform, you simply can't recover.

SYLVESTER: Senator Orrin Hatch, a strong proponent of malpractice reform, who requested the CBO study, said in a statement, quote, "I think that this is an important step in the right direction, and these numbers show that this problem deserves more than lip service from policymakers."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: OK. You know, we hear a lot about the need for tort reform. How often do those big multimillion-dollar judgments actually happen against doctors?

Josh Levs is looking into that for us. Good to see you, Josh.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Tony. I mean, we know it's a big issue, right? We do hear these stories a lot.

What I've been doing today is trying to find the really trustworthy statistics out there about this. Because you have a lot of groups on either side that say it's either happening all of the time or not happening that often at all. It turns out the Department of Justice actually looked at this a couple years ago. They did a study on this.

And what they found is that there's no nationwide database. There's no simple database nationwide. But they looked at those states out there that basically keep the best records, and they broke those down.

Let's go to this graphic. Everyone can see. The key point the DOJ is saying, they're saying in most cases, plaintiffs get nothing. And you know what? As we look at that, keep something in mind, Tony. A lot of studies say most people...

HARRIS: Get out of here. Really?

LEVS: ... who experience malpractice don't even go to lawsuits in the first place. So, you're talking about the subset of people who decide to sue. Within them, most plaintiffs don't end up getting anything. And I think I need to show you this next one on the screen here.

Let's go to here. This is what the Department of Justice is saying. Can you go way in here? I want people to see this one line. They're looking at a handful of states. They say about a third of the malpractice insurance claims in these states resulted in a payout at all.

In Illinois, Tony, only 12 percent of the cases led to the plaintiffs getting anything at all. So, you're talking about a really tiny fraction of those people who do sue who end up getting anything at all.

And here's the next breakdown. Let's go to this next screen because I want everyone to see this. Oh, there you go. Less than 10 percent of cases in all these states that they took a look at here had payouts of $1 million or more. So, we hear...

HARRIS: Less than 10 percent.

LEVS: ... that it's really big and scary, but the truth is, less than 10 percent of the cases in those states that they looked at had payouts of $1 million or more. So, first you got the subset of people who sue at all, right?

HARRIS: Right.

LEVS: And then within that, you've got just this fraction where it ends up being that much. And let me toss one more thing at you.

HARRIS: Sure.

LEVS: Because we think, and the image we have is that these large payouts would take place in cases where you have some really serious damage to a patient, right?

HARRIS: Right.

LEVS: Well, here's what DOJ says. Not necessarily such huge payout. They looked at these patients in a couple states. They said with lifelong major or grave permanent injuries, Tony, in general, these patients got $278,000 to $350,000. So again, even in cases like that, with these major or grave permanent injuries, you're still not seeing multimillion-dollar judgments.

Doesn't mean it's not an issue.

HARRIS: Yes.

LEVS: Doesn't mean doctors aren't concerned about covering themselves through insurance. They are. But these actual payouts are very rare in the big picture.

HARRIS: That is -- shine the light, Mr. Levs. All right. Talk about next hour for us.

LEVS: All right, well, one thing we're going to look at next hour is how much the insurance industry has been profiting from malpractice insurance. That, plus I'm going to explain what the CBO is actually saying about how much the government could save from changing this.

HARRIS: Terrific. Josh, appreciate it. Thank you. See you next hour.

LEVS: You got it.

HARRIS: From snow to rain to mudslides, there's plenty of weather to keep Rob Marciano busy. His forecast is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: On Wall Street, it is the one-year anniversary of the biggest one-day point gain ever. The Dow surged 936 points on this day in 2008.

For a look at how far we've come, let's go to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Susan Lisovicz is there. And Susan, look, if you just look at the last six months, the run-up has been pretty impressive.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Pretty impressive, and boy, have we earned it. Because I remember that day well, Tony Harris. I'm sure you do, too...

HARRIS: Yes, yes.

LISOVICZ: ... when the Dow surged 936 points. Do you remember the eight days that preceded it? The Dow lost 2,400 points. It was what "The Wall Street Journal" called a slow-motion crash. So, we really were ripe for a rally. There was also a sense that regulators around the world were taking extraordinary steps to shore up the global financial system.

But guess what? Still did not eradicate all of the fear in the market because two days later, the Dow lost more than 700 points.

The good news, as you indicated, Tony, is that the financial markets have stabilized. We don't see those kind of nauseating swings anymore. Why is that? Stocks got so cheap that whether it was the Wall Street pros or the little guys said, I'm going in. The news is getting better.

And we've seen this phenomenal rally since March. The Dow got within 69 points of 10,000 yesterday. Couldn't quite get there. And we're falling back a little bit today. We've got two tepid earnings reports. Pretty quiet day in terms of news. So, we are seeing the Dow and the Nasdaq give back a little bit -- Tony. HARRIS: Yes. The Dow could well climb past 10,000. And that's probably depending on what we hear in third-quarter earnings reports from these companies. That probably is going to be the barometer here. Would you agree, Susan?

LISOVICZ: No question about it. It is the big focus over the next couple of weeks. And the bar has been set higher. Why is it so important? Because we're going to be hearing from all kinds of companies and all kinds of sectors from what happened in the last three months, when many economists say the U.S. economy actually started growing, that we got out of a recession finally.

Two earnings reports today quickly to tell you about. Johnson & Johnson. You certainly know it. Profit rose, but its sales fell. And that's what everybody's focused on. Are consumers buying things?

It lost on its drug sales because of competition from generic drugs, and things like the consumer products that we know well, whether it's Band-Aids or Listerine, Neutrogena, it saw its sales suffer there. Remember, a lot of folks are going to generic brands.

Also, pizza sales. Can you believe it, Tony? Domino's saw a big surge in profit because of cost-cutting, but its sales fell. I thought pizza was the ultimate comfort food.

In any case, that's the story. And you're seeing a little bit of giveback. We're going to hear from a lot of financial companies later this week. So, that could move the bar for the averages higher or lower, depending on what we hear from them.

HARRIS: So true. Susan, good to see you. Thank you. See you next hour.

So many of you are looking for a job right now. Check out the 10 best jobs in the nation at CNNmoney.com.

And let's get you caught up on our top stories now. A big step under way on the road to reforming health care. You're looking at live pictures of the Senate Finance Committee meeting. They plan to vote later today on their 10-year, $829 billion plan before sending it to the floor.

That's Senator Ron Wyden, an important senator in this -- Democratic senator in this entire debate.

We are expecting to learn more today about the late Anna Nicole Smith's alleged drug use. Investigators are expected to testify in the preliminary hearing for Smith's former boyfriend and lawyer, Howard K. Stern, and two doctors. They're accused of conspiring to illegally provide Smith controlled substances.

And last call is Friday at a St. Louis watering hole after two decades. Cardinals Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith is closing the sports bar that bears his name. The sour economy and a lease dispute got the blame.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We come once a week at least for the food.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the last time you'll be in here before Friday?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I'll probably come in Wednesday and Thursday.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ozzie, please keep it open. We love you, Ozzie.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Shortstop Ozzie Smith helped the Cardinals reach the World Series three times in the 1980s.

So, Sacramento firefighters had to use a fire hose to flush out the storm drain, but they finally rescued this little -- ah, come here. Come here. The kitten had been trapped for more than a month.

Perfect timing, too. We're told big storms -- Rob, is this true? -- headed for California?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's true. I can't...

HARRIS: Come here, you.

MARCIANO: ... confirm how they went about grabbing that kitty. But it sure is cute. And yes, there's a storm heading that way.

HARRIS: Had to get you by any means necessary. Come here.

MARCIANO: I like the way you narrated that. That was, you know...

HARRIS: Appreciate it.

MARCIANO: ... pretty much, we didn't have any sound up, but I think you covered that part.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Health care reform in your life. Coming up, we will talk to one actress who explores the American character and brings it to life on stage. Anna Deavere Smith joins me next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A make-or-break moment in the battle over health care reform happening right now. Let's see the -- oh, there you go. Live pictures right now from the Senate Finance Committee meeting, and they're expected to debate all day. The senators will be at it all day, no doubt about that, before a vote on the reform legislation drafted by Chairman Max Baucus. You know, we've all experienced or heard health care horror stories, but no one tells it quite like my next guest, playwright and actress Anna Deavere Smith puts an often funny twist on health care nightmares in her one-woman off-Broadway show titled "Let Me Down Easy."

Check out this scene about a cancer patient's hospital encounter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNA DEAVERE SMITH, ACTRESS, PLAYWRIGHT, "LET ME DOWN EASY": And on oncology fellow, who's -- which is not one of our full-time faculty but someone who's in training here, specializing in oncology, came into my room. I want to apologize, but we can't find your records. Could you tell me what kind of cancer you have?

I said, this is appalling. He said, no, hey, it's not just you. It happens here quite a bit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Actress, playwright, author and professor Anna Deavere Smith is joining me live now in the CNN NEWSROOM. It is so good to see you.

SMITH: Nice to be here.

HARRIS: Hey, did you -- the footnote to that story in that clip, is this true the real punch line here is that the patient is the associate dean of the medical school?

SMITH: She was at the time. She's not now. That's Ruth Katz. She was the associate dean of the medical school at Yale University at the time. And of course, they found her files within a half an hour when she let that be known.

HARRIS: Yes, of course. Well, I can't wait to delve into some of the issues you cover in this show. It is described as an exploration of the power of the body, the price of health and the resilience of the spirit. What did you want to do with this piece? What did you want to research and reflect?

SMITH: Right. Well, the piece started when I was invited to come to the Yale School of Medicine eight years ago to talk to doctors and patients. And since that time, I've talked to doctors, researchers, patients, all kinds of people. And it's -- to me, what I want to talk about is care in this country, you know, how we think about care, and how we think about taking care of people, taking care of others, and also the fact is that the body is powerful, but so is the spirit. So, that's another part of what I'm trying to get at.

HARRIS: To what extent have you focused this piece on the pros and cons of health care in America? And I'm specifically thinking of the current debate with the testimonials of the people that you feature. SMITH: Sure. Well, I see this play as a kind of a side story. It is the story, the human story of what the political story is. You know, these are -- I play 20 people, all who have different experiences with the power of the body, the price of care and the resilience of spirit.

And I did go out to Montana and to Colorado to some -- to the town halls there and talked to people...

HARRIS: You did?

SMITH: ... on both sides of the fence. I did. In the end, I did not include that material because I decided that that drama's being played out in reality. And that I wanted to play out a different kind of human drama.

HARRIS: Well, then, let me ask for not your take in the piece, but your take. You know, we spend so much time here trying to explain the complexity of health care in America right now. Did you come away with a view, an opinion of our current health care system?

SMITH: Well, I think that, you know, given the fact that as I mentioned, I've talked to doctors, nurses, patients, researchers, people who educate doctors, was at Yale, I did research at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, also Stanford University -- what I certainly have come away with from sort of eight years on and off talking to people that is that now is the time that, you know, for us to ensure that everyone can have quality care and that we could try to get the price of care to go down. That seemed to be universally what I was hearing over these last eight years, before the so-called debate began, and certainly now.

HARRIS: Well, what do you feel? I mean, do you feel that...

SMITH: I agree.

HARRIS: ... that universal health care should be provided in this country?

SMITH: I do feel that we all deserve quality care. And I wish that the system would be less complex and more, you know, affordable.

HARRIS: Yes. Do you believe that -- and I'm just wondering, just in talking and processing out all this information that you received, all across the country, do you believe that this reform effort -- and you hear this a lot, so I want to run it by you -- is paving the way for a single-payer health care system in this country?

SMITH: I don't know about that. I don't think that I'm an expert in that regard. My -- all of my work is part of a long project called "On the Road, a Search for American Character." And as a person who is an observer, I would say that the debate is probably in the long road, telling us something more about who we are and what we value.

But specifically, I'm not going to make that -- I'm not going to make that call. I'm going to let history show that.

HARRIS: Very good. "Let Me Down Easy." Titles mean something. Why is this performance titled "Let Me Down Easy"?

SMITH: Well, it's because, as one of the characters, James Cohn, who is a theologist, says, that the show is about love, and it's also ultimately about the fact that the rumor is true. We are mortal.

So, this is a show about love and death. And in the course of bringing you a show about love and death, I'm trying to bring you also something that's celebrating life and amplifying the fact that there is grace, there is kindness, and so even when we're let down, there's a possibility of being let down easy.

HARRIS: Hey, where's your show? Where are you up, and how long is your show up?

SMITH: I'm at the Second Stage Theater in New York City on 43rd Street and Eighth Avenue, and I'm up until November the 8th. And I hope you can come up from Atlanta and bring your Atlanta friends.

HARRIS: I'm going to take that as a personal invitation.

SMITH: It is.

HARRIS: I'm going to come on up and see you, all right?

SMITH: Good.

HARRIS: Anna Deavere Smith, it's great to see you. Thanks for your time.

SMITH: Thanks for having me.

HARRIS: And thanks for the years of great work. Thank you. Good to see you.

SMITH: Thank you.

HARRIS: And here's what we're working on for the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM. Poppy Harlow takes us to a math camp that is inspiring Detroit's inner-city young people. Welcome news, especially since Detroit's public school system is failing. Less than 60 percent of students graduate.

We also have the story of an old-fashioned drive-in movie theater that is still managing to compete against elaborate multiplexes. I'll show you why it's lasted 50 years. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Got to tell you, Rush Limbaugh's bid for the NFL's St. Louis Rams is stirring up a whole lot of chatter. Civil rights activist Al Sharpton and the NFL Players Association are calling on the league to block a potential sale. The conservative radio show host is on the record with a number of comments regarding race, some directed at NFL players Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick. He also compares the NFL to a street gang.

Former Miami Dolphins running back Mercury Morris spoke to our Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER 360": I don't know much about how football teams work with the owners. In your experience, does it matter who the owner is in terms of whether or not they have a good relationships with the players?

MERCURY MORRIS, FORMER MIAMI DOLPHINS RUNNING BACK: I think back -- there was a time when football reflected society. When I played in the '70s, it was an unaccept -- it was an unwritten thing that it would be 75 percent of the players would be white, and 25 percent of the players would be black. And that carried itself from George Halas all the way through the, 70s.

Now, when the need came for them to have more black ballplayers, there were no black quarterbacks when I played. There were no black centers when I played, because those are positions of power. And at that particular time, in the undertow of things, the white society did not want a black man running things.

But for goodness sake, we got a president now who is the quarterback, and I think there's what's bothering Limbaugh the most is that the guy who's calling the shots here in this country is a black man. And so, how can I have some power? Oh, let me buy some people, and then I can put who I want in there rather than who's the best person there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Well, Limbaugh and a partner are among six potential bidders for the Rams. He denies he's a racist. Limbaugh says critics are trying to pigeonhole him as the far-right fringe. And anytime he tiptoes into the mainstream, he says they go nuts.

So, what do you think? Should Rush Limbaugh's past comments be a factor in his bid for the team? Just go to CNN.com/tony. Leave us a comment. We'll share some of them on the air in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM.