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Pakistani Forces Launch Massive Offensive Against Taliban and Al Qaeda Militants; Stimulus Dollars Save Many Jobs, Create Few News Ones; The Downfalls of Insurance Enrollment Season; Colorado Authorities Admit They Misled Media to Catch Balloon Boy Family in Lie; Suggestions in New Report Outline Ideas to Make Homes Energy Efficient Sooner; Sermons With Salsa

Aired October 19, 2009 - 10:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Two night event takes place Wednesday and Thursday 9:00 p.m. Eastern. It will also be simulcast in Spanish on CNN en Espanol.

He knew the risks but he went in anyway. Friends and family remembering Army Specialist Stephen Mace, who got the hero's funeral at Arlington Cemetery today. Mace was among eight soldiers killed October 3rd in a Taliban attack on their remote outpost in Eastern Afghanistan. Our Kate Bolduan tells us his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A hero's welcome but a homecoming every mother fears, Vanessa Adelson flew home with her son's casket.

VANESSA ADELSON, MOTHER OF FALLEN SOLDIER: Stephan would have wanted me do that. Stephen and I were very close, and so I did it for him. I wanted to be the one to bring my baby home.

BOLDUAN: Adelson describes Army Specialist Stephen Mace as a thrill seeker, a loyal friend, and devoted soldier.

ADELSON: As long as I can remember, Stephan wanted to be in the Army.

SAM CHAPMAN, MACE'S FRIEND: He definitely lived on the edge, even when it came to playing football.

BOLDUAN: Longtime friend Sam Chapman says Mace knew the danger he and fellow soldiers faced in Afghanistan.

CHAPMAN: He definitely knew he was in a tough situation over there. He knew how serious it was and he knew that, you know, there might not be a positive outcome.

BOLDUAN: And just two weeks ago, the 21-year-old was killed along with seven other soldiers during a fierce firefight. His mother gains comfort showing Stephan wasn't alone when he died.

ADELSON: He always wore that St. Christopher and he had it on when he deployed. He had it on the day that he died. I have it now. BOLDUAN: Mace's return to small Purcellville, Virginia was met by hundreds of people, family, friends, strangers. Mayor Bob Lazaro calls the show of support nothing short of amazing.

MAYOR BOB LAZARO, PURCELLVILLE, VA.: Up the hill, when the first motorcycle came over, all of the chattering stopped.

BOLDUAN (on camera): Just silence?

LAZARO: Just silence. No cars, no chattering, silence. It was holy, you know? It was holy.

BOLDUAN: Vanessa Adelson is still searching for answers of exactly what happened that day. The day the country lost a soldier and a family lost a brother and son, a painful reality Adelson hopes Washington sees.

ADELSON: You can either fight this war, or you get out. You cannot have one foot on ground and one foot in the water. If we want to go in and we want to win this war, then they need the support, and they need those troops.

BOLDUAN (on camera): Specialist Mace was awarded six medals, presented at his funeral. His mother says she will proudly display them, as she now fights to keep his memory alive. Kate Bolduan, CNN, Purcellville, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: There are major developments this morning among two of Washington's top allies. Senator John Kerry is in Pakistan, where the U.S. is trying to bolster a renewed offensive against insurgents. We will have more on that in just a moment.

We are also following the presidential crisis that's growing more intense in neighboring Afghanistan. Widespread reports of vote rigging and international calls for a new election may delay a White House decision on sending more troops there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY, (D) MASSACHUSETTS: It would be entirely irresponsible for the president of the United States to commit more troops to this country when we don't even have an election finished and know who the president is, and what kind of government we're working with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr joining us now live.

So, Barbara, Senator Kerry, a U.S. veteran, says we need to wait. Do we know when the White House is going to make this decision?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: It's getting more complicated by the day, indeed, Heidi. Because now the United Nations backed election commission in Afghanistan, that was looking at the results of the presidential election that took place two months ago, they've come out today and said, yes, there was fraud. And they want to see a significant number of votes in that election basically tossed out.

The question on the table: Will that drop Hamid Karzai's majority below the 50 percent, if you throw out all of the fraudulent votes, will that either force a run-off or a power sharing agreement with his opponent. And as Senator Kerry says, and a number of other Obama administration officials are now saying, if that happens, there is no credible government until you have some decision about all of this. And they can't send in more troops unless they know they have a government in Afghanistan, and that it's legitimate and credible, in the eyes of the people. No telling when that's going to happen now, Heidi.

COLLINS: Barbara, what does that say for the all of the U.S. troops already there, on the ground?

STARR: It just makes it more comply indicated. Because, look, we do have in this country about almost 68,000 U.S. troops on the ground. General McChrystal saying if you're going to do the job properly, as counterinsurgency, you have to send more. And the White House now saying that, wait a minute, unless we have a credible government there, how can we send more troops? But yet, 68,000 already on the ground, are they going to be just in a holding action, or is this going to get resolved? Heidi.

COLLINS: We also know General Petraeus, in Pakistan, while there's an offensive going on there as well.

STARR: Across the border, in Pakistan, you know, the White House says both wars are tied together. You see that every day now. General Petraeus there, talking to top Pakistani officials. They have had a number of extremely violent Taliban attacks in the last two weeks there; most humiliating the attack by the Taliban against Pakistani military headquarters last week.

General Petraeus looking to get a sense, on the ground, just how vulnerable is the Pakistani government, what's going on with their new military offensive into that stronghold in South Waziristan. Trying to get a sense of what the reality is on the ground on that side of the border, Heidi.

COLLINS: Understood, as that major aid package is also delivered, at the same time to the country. CNN's Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr joining us.

Thanks so much, Barbara.

With the presidential crisis intensifying in Afghanistan, the White House now faces even tougher questions on the future of U.S. troops there. Yesterday on CNN's "State of the Union," we heard from President Obama's chief of staff.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAHM EMANUAL, CHIEF OF STAFF, WHITE HOUSE: What President Karzai must do, and what I, you know, the process there, is a credible and legitimate election, or result, more importantly, for the Afghan people and for that government going forward.

Whether that's through a run-off, whether that's through negotiations, the process will be determined by the Afghan people. The result, and for us, and for the president, is whether, in fact, there's a credible government and a legitimate process the Afghan people then think, this is work it's pros e processed through.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: You can tune in each weekend for CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" with John King. It airs Sundays mornings, 9:00 Eastern.

Back to work on health care reform on Capitol Hill today. Senior senators are hoping to merge two separate bills into one, for floor debate by the end of the week. House member are going through three other proposals. Should each chamber reach consensus on a bill a conference committee would then have to come up with compromised legislation.

Critics say Democrats are keeping reform negotiations too secretive. CNN's Jim Acosta has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Heidi, later today, Senate Democratic leaders and White House officials are expected to be back behind closed doors putting together a compromise bill on health care reform. That process has raised a key question -- why is the debate over the public option not open to the public?

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you so much.

ACOSTA: It was an Obama campaign promise, the crafting of health care reform would be out in the open.

OBAMA: This whole thing is going to be televised on C-Span. Everybody's going to be watching.

ACOSTA: But now that the major reform bills have cleared committees, they're being merged in private by congressional leaders and White House advisers. Republicans ask, where's C-Span?

SEN. JOHN KYL, (R) ARIZONA: The bill that's being written right now is being written in Harry Reid's office, behind closed doors with Chris and Max Baucus, and the leader, and others. No Republicans need apply to come into that room.

RAHM EMANUEL, CHIEF OF STAFF, WHITE HOUSE: The entire health care process has been fully public.

JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR, STATE OF THE UNION: This is most important part.

EMANUEL: Yes, and everybody's going to continue to be involved.

ACOSTA: The process also worries Democrats who fear the White House will cave on a government insurance public option before any votes are cast. Some in the party vow they won't back down.

SEN. ARLEN SPECTER, (D) PENNSYLVANIA: I'm not prepared to recede at all. I think the public option is gaining momentum.

ACOSTA: Administration officials say the president is open to compromise on the public option.

VALERIE JARRETT, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE ADVISER: Push for it, certainly, but he's also realistic to say we've got to look at all options. He has said very clearly he thinks it's the best option and we'll see what happens.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, he's not demanding that it's in there.

JARRETT: He's not demanding that it's in there. He thinks it's the best possible choice.

ACOSTA: But that willingness to cut some deals has irked some liberals who want the president to get tough. It's an undercurrent picked up by presidential historian Douglas Brinkley, who told "National Journal" magazine, "Mr. Obama has created an atmosphere of no fear. Nobody is really worried about the revenge of Barack Obama because he is not a vengeful man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You make him angry, he turns -- he turns into The Rock Obama.

ACOSTA: Even "Saturday Night Live" joked about whether the president can get tough with Congress.

DAVID AXELROD, WHITE HOUSE SENIOR POLITICAL ADVISER: I think people want toughness, but they also want to have thoughtful leadership and that requires reviewing these issues, thinking them through clearly, and bringing people along and that's what he's doing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Another sign the GOP has latched onto this issue, Sarah Palin is using her Facebook page to call out the president for not putting the current health care talks on C-Span -Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. Jim, thank you.

They were given life sentences but this week 20 convicted rapists and murders are set to be released from North Carolina's prisons. Among them, this man, Steven Wilson. He's serving a life sentence for kidnapping and raping a nine-year-old girl in 1978. Wilson's victim is outraged.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What would I say to him? It's not what I would say to him, it's what would I do to him, because I feel like he shouldn't be living on this Earth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Wilson has wracked up 18 infractions while in prison, including attacking another inmate with sexual intent. He and others are to be released on Thursday. A North Carolina law defines a life sentence as 80 years. But state courts have ruled that, with good conduct credits, the inmates have served their time. State officials are now scrambling to find a way to keep them locked up.

Extraordinary surveillance video from Albuquerque, New Mexico, shows a crash between a SUV and city bus in riveting detail.

As graphic as it was, city officials say the video shows the driver did everything right. There were no life-threatening injuries.

Intoxicated moms getting behind the wheel. More women are getting arrested for drunk driving.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Severe Weather Center. We had record cold, or at least record snows across Northeast. And this, Hurricane Rick, unbelievable storm. At one point it was 180 miles an hour in strength yesterday. We'll have the forecast track in just a few minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: More women are getting drunk and they're driving their cars. Even worse, some are bringing their kid along with them. Our Susan Candiotti takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You having fun in the water?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice and cool?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Leandra Rosado was her father's princess, the single dad's only child, who loved to sing and dance.

LENNY ROSADO, VICTIM'S FATHER: She was all smiles. She was a big comedian.

CANDIOTTI: Leandra has also become a tragic statistic. Only a week ago in New York, the 11-year-old was killed in a car full of seven kids, driven by a woman, police say, was drunk. Earlier that night, Leandra's father, Lenny, dropped her off for a pizza party with friends.

ROSADO: She gave me a big hug and said, Dad, I love you. Those were the last words I ever heard from her, last words.

Rosado plans to push for tougher DUI sentences in his daughter's name.

ROSADO: I believe that's what she's telling me, hold up, be strong, Dad, let's do this.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): Leandra Rosado's death at the hands of an accused drunk driver is an example of a disturbing trend nationwide.

(Voice over): Women being arrested for driving under the influence is on the rise. Last year female DUI arrests were up about 5 percent, and almost 18 percent in the last five years. This summer eight people were killed by a mother that police say was high and drunk. In North Carolina, a female school bus driver busted for DUI. In Nebraska a child welfare worker was arrested after testing five times over the legal limit.

LAURA DEAN-MOONEY, PRES., MOTHERS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING: They're doing a form of child abuse, if they drive drunk with children in their car.

CANDIOTTI: New Mexico has been running a public service announcement aimed at women after noticing a 25 percent rise in female DUI arrests.

RACHEL O'CONNER, NEW MEXICO DWI CO-COORDINATOR: We are trying to get women to consider what the consequences are, the behavior are, before they get behind the wheel of a car.

CANDIOTTI: Leandra Rosado's friends, who survived the accident, miss her terribly and want other kids to learn from it.

BRITTANY GONZALEZ, ACCIDENT SURVIVOR: Take the keys, call the cops. You do anything you need to do to keep that person safe. Don't let them get in the car.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Or even run away.

CANDIOTTI: His pain still fresh, Leandra's father is haunted by his daughter's final moments.

ROSADO: Did she cry out for dad, you know? Scream? Yeah, I think about it. I think about it.

CANDIOTTI: And how this tragedy might prevent others. Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Hurricane Rick still a storm, but it has been downgraded. Want to get over to Meteorologist Rob Marciano now, live in our hurricane headquarters with very latest.

What's the scoop? MARCIANO: A Category 3 storm, so still a major storm, Heidi, with winds of 125-miles an hour. But you know we say downgraded from what we saw yesterday and -well, that's certainly impressive.

So yesterday we had winds of 180 miles an hour. Not only a Category 5, but a ridiculously strong Category 5. Luckily out there in the open Pacific. As a matter of fact, it was the second strongest -- second strongest hurricane ever in the Eastern Pacific. So, we are very thankful that this thing has kind of tempered itself a little bit, but still a major storm, nonetheless.

The forecast track is one like this -- towards the Baja of California. And by the time it gets there, hopefully it will get downgraded to further, maybe a Category 2 likely, a Category 1 storm. That doesn't mean it's not going to do some damage. As you know, a hurricane is still a hurricane.

A typhoon is just a hurricane of a different name, in a different part of the ocean. This is the Western Pacific, and you're getting used to seeing this. The Philippines in another typhoon, this could become another super-typhoon, it's Lupita, 135-mile an hour winds right now. Actually forecast to stay at about a Category 4 strength. This one, also headed towards the northern parts of the Philippines. Not good news for those folks.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: We were promised vaccines against the H1N1 weeks ago, but finding out where to get one is proving to be pretty tricky. Our Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has some help coming up in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Starting today medical marijuana users can light up with less worry. The Associate Press says the Obama administration is relaxing the rules. New guidelines are coming out from the Justice Department today. During the Bush era, suppliers and users could face federal charges, even if medical pot was legal in their state. But now they can slide as long as they follow their state's laws.

Flu season is here, as you know, and you've heard all of the warnings about the H1N1 virus, too. But you may have a tough time finding the vaccine for it. It was supposed to be widely available by now. Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen explains where you can get your shot.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For months now, a clear message --

DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL & PREVENTION: The vaccine is by far our best tool to prevent influenza.

DR. ANNE SCHUCHAT, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL & PREVENTION: We think vaccines are the best way to protect yourself and your kids from this virus.

COHEN: And yet for most of us, there's no vaccine to be found. And where you can find it, it's scarce. That has Doctor Bruce Ribner very worried.

DR. BRUCE RIBNER, EMORY HOSPITAL: We've had a number of young, healthy patients on ventilators and even dying in the intensive care units.

COHEN: At Emory Hospital in Atlanta, a quiet desperation is in the air.

(on camera): So, here's your H1N1 vaccines?

RIBNER: Here's our H1N1. As you can see, it's a very small amount. We got one-fifth of the amount of vaccine that we anticipate that we will need.

COHEN: You're hoping for more?

RIBNER: We're hoping desperately for more.

COHEN (voice over): I'm hoping desperately to find H1N1 vaccine for my children.

(on camera): I'm going to call my local drugstore and see if they have H1N1 shots yet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How may I help you today?

COHEN: Hi there, I'm trying to find out if you have H1N1 shots, at my local clinic?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not yet, ma'am. We're not set to have those until mid-November. That's around November 15th.

COHEN: I'm going to go to flu.gov. That's the federal government's website. They have something called a flu shot locator.

(voice over): The federal government sends me to the state government, which sends me to the county government.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good afternoon.

COHEN: Where they tell me I can get the nasal spray vaccine for my three-year-old, but my other three children will have to wait. How long? They're not sure.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Their out of that vaccine right now.

COHEN: In the meantime, at Emory, they're vaccinating as many workers as they can.

I came to Emory Hospital here in Atlanta to see one of the first health care workers get an H1N1 vaccine. Her name is Doctor Nadine Rouphael, she's 33 years old, and she's pregnant.

This is kind of a scary time to be pregnant.

DOCTOR NADIEN ROUPHAEL, EMORY HOSPTIAL: It is.

COHEN: H1N1 flu seems to be especially tough for pregnant women.

ROUPHAEL: Right. More than what we heard for seasonal flu.

COHEN: So this is it? This is your room, huh?

ROUPHAEL: Yes.

COHEN: After you.

There you go. The shot you just got, is that for you or for your baby?

ROUPHAEL: Both.

COHEN: Doctor Rouphael is relieved to get the vaccine, to protect herself and the baby she's expecting. Now the question is, when will the rest of us get it?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: A military offensive from the air and ground. The target, an insurgency that seems to be growing stronger. We'll tell you where the fighting is taking place and why Washington is watching closely.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Washington is tightening its focus on Pakistan, one of its key allies in battling terrorism. This morning U.S. General David Petraeus met with Pakistan's prime minister. Petraeus, the head of U.S. Central Command, is in Pakistan for a reality check. He wants to get a firsthand view of Pakistan's campaign against terrorism and drive home the point that both countries have a shared interest in defeating it.

Meanwhile, Pakistani forces have launched a massive offensive against Taliban and al Qaeda militants. Thousands of troops are hammering positions near the Afghan border. The latest on this developing story now. CNN's Reza Sayah in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad this morning. Reza, what's the very latest on the violence that's been going on there?

REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, this is day three of this all-important showdown between the Pakistani army and the Taliban. And the two sides are offering very different accounts of what's happening in the battle, and what's challenging is the access that's lacking in getting over there. So, it's very difficult to actually verify what's happening.

The Pakistani military saying, over the first three days, they've killed about 68 militants and they've moved deeper into Taliban territory, either capturing and destroying some of their hideouts. But the spokesperson for the Taliban, Azam Tariq, in a phone call to CNN, is saying the Taliban has the upper hand. Azam Tariq saying they've killed dozens of Pakistani soldiers. He also says other militant groups are coming into the south Waziristan region to join in on the fight.

In the meantime, General David Petraeus in Islamabad. Of course, Washington paying close attention to the conflict. Washington believes this is al Qaeda Central. They believe if militants want to hide, want to plan and plot and train, this is where they go to. That's why for the past couple of years, they've hammered these locations with U.S. drone strikes.

What's interesting is the Pakistani army's public position is they don't want drone strikes, even if they've taken out militant leaders before. Here what the top spokesperson had to tell CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. ATHER ABBAS, PAKISTANI MILITARY SPOKESMAN: The policy of the government is very clear under drone (ph) that it creates a furor (ph) in the public and therefore the public particularly sees as an intrusion...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Even if it takes out (INAUDIBLE)?

ABBAS: ... breaching the sovereignty. It is regardless of whatever it takes on. The sentiment of public is very much clear on that, and therefore, the government feels that it does more harm than it helps.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAYAH: That was a Major General Ather Abbas telling CNN, even if the drone strikes take out the current Taliban leader, Haji Mullah Masood, they don't want them. But it's widely believed it's only there publicly stated position, that behind the scenes both U.S. and Pakistani officials expect these drone strikes to continue because they have been very effective, Heidi, taking out some high-value targets over the past year.

COLLINS: Absolutely. Yes. Does Pakistan's military have any suggestions as to how they will then get these militants if they don't want the drone strikes to be happening?

SAYAH: Well, they're confident with their strategy. This is very severe, rugged terrain. They're convinced that, in past three months, they have set up troops effectively. They've encircled them and they're closing in on them.

But this is not going to be an easy fight. These militants are perhaps the most hardened, toughest militants in this region. They know this severe terrain extremely well, and they're tough fighters. These are remnants, descendants of the Afghan jihad. That's why analysts say expect this conflict to last months.

COLLINS: CNN's Reza Sayah for us, coming to us live from Islamabad, Pakistan. Reza, thank you.

COLLINS: Issue number one; it's the economy and your money. Today, we're looking at your stimulus dollars. A new report shows that they are hard at work, keeping thousands of teachers in the classroom. Susan Lisovicz is on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with more details on this. Hi there, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. Well, we know that the government has been spending hundreds of billions of dollars of our taxpayer money to help juice the economy. It doesn't get more basic than jobs, supposed to either create them or save them. The White House says today, in fact, 250,000 education jobs have either been saved or created as a result of this.

COLLINS: That's good.

LISOVICZ: That's a quarter of a million jobs. But way short of what it ultimately is supposed to do, because we're supposed to have 3.5 million jobs either saved or created over the next two years. This, of course, comes as the unemployment rate getting uncomfortably close to 10 percent, and so many millions of Americans are either going back for advanced degrees or some kind of vocation in order to be able to work. So, some kind of sign that this stimulus money is being put to work. Some jobs being saved. We have a ways to go, Heidi. No question about it.

COLLINS: And to be fair, a very big difference between saves job and a created job. Plus, the other side of the story is that price tag. I mean, the stimulus comes with a pretty hefty price tag.

LISOVICZ: That's right. When we're supposed to be living within our means, the government, no question, is not, because we have now for fiscal year 2009, a $1.4 trillion deficit. That is the biggest ever.

And why is that? Pretty simple. The recession has met tax receipts from big business, small business are way down. Meanwhile, the government spending, in a similarly big way. What? $787 billion for the stimulus bill, the Recovery and Reinvestment Act. $700 billion for T.A.R.P. Extension of unemployment benefits, perhaps extension of the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit. Lots and lots of spending.

So, it does come at a cost. Certainly we hope it works. What we are seeing working right is the bulls. The Dow comfortably above 10,000 right now on this twenty-second anniversary of Black Monday. The biggest one-day loss for the Dow ever.

You know, I didn't mention before, an hour ago, Heidi, it could not be repeated. You could not be able to see a loss of 23 percent in one day, thank goodness. Why? Because if there is a 10 percent sell- off, trading would be halted for at least part of the day. We've only seen that happen once. That would be 1,000 points lost in a day for trading to be halted.

COLLINS: I like Green Monday better than -- Black Monday. LISOVICZ: I like Green Monday, too. That's what we're seeing so far, Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. Very good. Thanks, Susan.

LISOVICZ: You're welcome.

COLLINS: It is that time when many people have to pick their health benefits. But this year, it may not be as simple as you remember. Stephanie Elam joining us now from New York with more on this. Stephanie, what should people be watching out for this year? There's a few hitches, right?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Heidi, they should be looking out for change. I keep joking around today because sometimes you have to make light of these things you need Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny out there because it is open season instead of open enrollment season for a lot of people who are getting their packets right now. They're looking at these changes and thinking, this is going to cost me a lot of money.

For a lot of companies, that's true. So, CNNmoney.com, you can go, log on and find out more about what you need to look for. But here. Let me help outline it for you now. Basically, expect to pay more. That's the biggest thing you need to be aware of, is that these costs are going up. Higher deductibles, higher out-of-pocket costs as well.

Employers before, they could handle the costs because the economy was better. When things get rough, everyone has to pitch in more, that's basically the thinking. And they want everyone to really see what the true cost of health is. So, expect those changes there as well.

Also, co-pays will become co-insurance. And the reason why this is important is before, Heidi, remember, you go to the doctor, pay your co-pay, it's like $25, $20, for some people, then you go on about your way. Difference now. With co-insurance, you're basically paying a percentage of the overall cost of your health care.

So, let's say you go to get a treatment. You may end up paying 20 percent, and the insurance company will pay the 80 percent or 70/30. Those are usually the ratios we're looking at here. So, that will be a big difference.

For many people, that will mean paying more there. Also, you're going to find there are less options for you when you go, there may be less HMOs. There may be some health care plans that are only offered regionally because they make more sense in those area of the country.

And you have to really be careful that your doctor is still part of your health plan once these changes go into effect. A lot of people to stay in network have to give up their doctor.

So, the one last thing I should also point out to you is that there will be incentives for people to stay healthy. If you have smoking habit that you want to get rid of, if you need to drop some pounds, if you need join a program to get rid of the pounds, all of those things are considered good things that could help bring premiums down or get gift cards or something like that. Some sort of incentive, because a healthy employee is obviously a cheaper employee, and that's what customers like, Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes. Preventive care, definitely we've been talking about that a lot here. All right. Stephanie Elam, thank you.

ELAM: Sure.

COLLINS: Three runners die during the Detroit Marathon. We'll hear from an eyewitness in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A quick look at some of our top stories now. Fourteen people died in Brazil this weekend in a shootout between rival gangs and police. Two police officers among the dead. Their helicopter was shot out of the sky. About 2,000 police officers are on the streets trying to maintain order.

European authorities now know the location of a ship that was hijacked earlier today, but as many as 20 pirates are still on that Chinese boat in the Indian Ocean. They took it over near the Sachal Islands. There are some indications that the ship may be heading for Somalia. One hundred forty-six crew members are on board. No word on them just yet.

The bodies of three men who died while running the Detroit Marathon will undergo autopsies today. The victims were ages 26, 36 and 65. One man collapsed just after finishing. The other two died on the course. Authorities say they likely suffered cardiac arrests. We hear from a witness who saw one of the runners collapse near the finish line.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICH HARSHBARGER, DETROIT MODIA PARTNERSHIP: He just appeared to be in slight distress, you know, wobbly legs. And he was getting close to the finish line, and that is when medical professionals saw that he was beginning to collapse. And that's when they took over and did their work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The last death in the event's history occurred 15 years ago.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Authorities in Colorado are admitting they mislead the media in their attempts to catch the balloon boy family in a lie. Now, that family's expected to face charges in what authorities are calling a hoax. Authorities also plan to seek restitution for expenses connected to the balloon chase. The lawyer representing the Heene family said in a statement, "I have contacted the Larimer County Sheriff's department and informed them that in the event that they have probable cause to believe that a crime has been committed, the Heenes are more than willing to voluntarily turn themselves in to face any charges which may be filed against them. I have sent law enforcement this message in an effort to avoid the public spectacle and humiliation of having the police publicly arrest two people presumed innocent. Perhaps even in the presence of their children, when he they are absolutely willing to turn themselves in and fully cooperate with law enforcement in this matter."

Now, one neighbor of the Heene family is now feeling resentful after having comforted the mother.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIMBERLY HICKS, NEIGHBOR OF HEENES: I hugged this woman. I was there after the press conference, you know, like, she seemed like - like, genuinely frightened and relieved that her son had been found. And then watching the news today and hearing it's a hoax, like I -- everyone is angry over that. Everyone is angry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Beyond that Fort Collins neighborhood, Americans were caught up in last week's balloon drama and are now feeling burned by hoax accusations. One outraged iReporter is going so far as to suggest a lawsuit against the family.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JASON VERLAINE, IREPORTER: We need to get a class action together and say, hey, you have, like, torn at our heartstrings watching this balloon thinking, "Oh, my God, is your son in there and is he going to be alive, is he going to be okay?" And you did this for publicity and you played on the emotions of the people of this country. You are -- you are such a jerk and reckless in how you're using your family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: You can send us your iReport to ireport.com and you could see it on the air.

Now, on our blog this morning, we also asked what you think should happen to the parents in the case? And we did get a lot of responses here. In fact, many of you said they should definitely pay all of the costs of this search. Here's some of the other comments that we got this morning.

From Kathy, "Send the kids to a foster home while the parents take parenting classes.

Then from a Houston mom, "They should have to sign an agreement stating they will never appear in any video production for compensation or face the immediate and permanent loss of their children."

And then from Tyler, "They should be put in a big Mylar balloon and floated over Colorado for a few hours and then have to crash down and see how they feel after that."

Once again, go to CNN.com/heidi. You can put your comments there. We'll share as many as we can here in the program.

An Evangelical preacher breaks with conservative roots and pushes immigration reform. Serving up sermons with a twist. You get another peek at our CNN special "LATINO IN AMERICA."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Making homes more energy efficient and creating more jobs at the same time. That's a big goal of the Obama administration, and it's taking that goal one step further today. Alison Kostic has our "Energy Fix" now from New York. Good morning to you, Alison.

ALISON KOSTIC, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.

The stimulus bill set aside $5 billion to improve the energy efficiency of homes for low-income Americans, but what about everyone else? Energy-efficient upgrades can cost a lot, and with money tight right now, many Americans just don't have the extra cash to pay for those expensive changes.

But Vice President Biden says it's time to change that. He's hosting an event at the White House right now. You're looking at a live picture there. And he's releasing a report called "Recovery Through Retrofit," and it says making these improvements can cut a home's energy use by 40 percent and cut $21 billion a year from our energy bills.

But homeowners lack access to information, financing and skilled workers. So, this new report emphasizes ways the government can help people overcome some of the barriers and wind up creating new jobs at the same time, Heidi.

COLLINS: So then, what kind of recommendations are we talking about?

KOSTIC: Well, the report looks to reduce the high upfront cost of energy improvements and also make it easier for homeowners to borrow the money.

One idea is to support municipal financing, and that would allow homeowners to put the cost of energy improvements into their property taxes so they can make monthly payments and not be saddled with all those big upfront costs.

Another idea: increase the use of energy-efficient mortgages, and what these do is they roll the costs of energy efficient improvements into the borrowing costs for the home itself.

The report also recommends establishing uniform national standards for training and certifying workers in the energy efficiency business. That should make people feel more confident the work will be done right. And, Heidi, we'll wind up seeing how quickly recommendations these are implemented and whether they inspire more people to make these improvements. Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, appreciate it. Alison, thank you.

Had to find our snow animation there. Record snow, in fact, record lows today. Want to get over to meteorologist Rob Marciano live in the Severe Weather Center. Good morning to you once again.

MARCIANO: Good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Love it.

MARCIANO: Where Foxborough is. Patriots, including Tom Brady, put on a clinic. I can't believe they passed this much, but if you have that arm and receivers and you're playing Tennessee, why the heck not? 59-nothing in the snow.

I turned it on, I thought I was watching something in the middle of January, for crying out loud. All right. Fifty-six degrees expected for a high temperature in New York City today. And then quickly to Rick, mention this. This is the latest update 115 mile an hour winds, so it's been downgraded to a -- it's still a three, but it's still headed towards the Baja of California, scheduled to arrive there Wednesday morning early. Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. We'll be watching that.

Can I just say how badly my father beat my husband in that whole fantasy football thing because of Tom Brady? Unbelievable.

MARCIANO: And -- Matt wasn't crying.

COLLINS: He was crying and whining like you couldn't believe it.

MARCIANO: I didn't start some of my best players. You know, fantasy football it's a religion of sorts. At least on Sundays.

COLLINS: That's so sad. All right, Rob. Thank you. Appreciate it.

Serving up sermons with salsa. A Latino preacher amps it up like a rock star, and Washington is all ears.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Sermons with salsa. A Latino evangelist is spicing up his mission with a call for reform. Our Thelma Gutierrez caught up with the conservative firebrand near Sacremento, California. Part of CNN's "LATINO IN AMERICA" special.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm at a strip mall in the outskirts of Sacramento where one of the most influential Evangelical leaders in the Latino community is spreading his message. It's one the political leadership in Washington is noticing.

(voice-over): He's a rock star to Latino evangelicals. He preaches in English.

REV. SAMUEL RODRIGUEZ, PRESIDENT, HISPANIC EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION: That Jesus Christ is Lord.

GUTIERREZ: .. and in Spanish.

RODRIGUEZ: (speaking in Spanish)

The Reverend Sam Rodriguez describes his style as a little Dr. Martin Luther King.

RODRIGUEZ: I believe that we're about to see a great moment of emancipation.

GUTIERREZ: A little Billy Graham.

RODRIGUEZ: We'll bow down to the authority of God.

GUTIERREZ: With what he says is a lot of salsa.

(on camera): That was quite a sermon. You have English, Spanish and rap.

RODRIGUEZ: The reality of who we are.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): They are Latino Evangelicals, 16 million strong. And as president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, he is their leader. He has influence.

RODRIGUEZ: My prayer is that this Congress remembers another 12 million people living in the shadows.

GUTIERREZ: Reverend Rodriguez is determined to wield his political clout.

RODRIGUEZ: They should worry both the Democrats and the Republicans; the fact of the matter that we're not going to sell out our values for the sake of political expediency.

GUTIERREZ: The Reverend says, traditionally, Latino Evangelicals tend to vote Republican and align themselves with white conservatives on issues like traditional marriage and abortion.

But immigration, that's the deal breaker.

RODRIGUEZ: That scares the daylights out of many Americans. How dare we, is this the Latinozation (ph) of America, one for English, press two for Spanish. That's the elephant in the immigration reform room. GUTIERREZ (on camera): What if they say, fine, go elsewhere, we don't need you?

RODRIGUEZ: They don't need 47 million Hispanic Americans? This is the largest minority group in America.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Republican leaders want Latino voters back after losing them in the last election.

MIKE HUCKABEE (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm convinced that the biggest mistake that was made in the Republican primary was that we put the fault in the wrong place.

GUTIERREZ: The Democrats want to keep them.

REP. JAMES E. CLYBURN (D), SOUTH CAROLINA: We interact with him simply because we think when we hear from him, we are hearing the wishes of his constituents.

RODRIGUEZ: And we're going to see the promises of God made a reality in our lives.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUTIERREZ (on camera): What's next for the reverend? He heads back to Washington, D.C. to talk to key lawmakers about an issue he's passionate about: immigration reform.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Sacramento, California.

COLLINS: Two days away from "LATINO IN AMERICA," a comprehensive look at how Latinos are changing America. CNN's two-evening event taking place Wednesday and Thursday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. It will also be simulcast in Spanish on CNN en Espanol.

I'm Heidi Collins. CNN NEWSROOM continues with Tony Harris.