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Critical Talks on Health Reform; Kerry's Mission to Afghanistan; Women Driving Drunk
Aired October 19, 2009 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for top of the hour reset. I'm Tony Harris in the CNN NEWSROOM. It is 12:00 noon in Washington, where negotiations over the future of your health care are starting up again.
It is 8:30 p.m. in Afghanistan, where an investigation of voter fraud could affect a decision on U.S. troop levels. And it is 10:00 p.m. in Pakistan, as the military battles Taliban militants on several fronts.
Let's get started.
Critical talks on health care reform are picking back up today on Capitol Hill. Negotiators are trying to combine two very different reform bills into one that can win Senate approval.
Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash live from the capital.
And Dana, if you would, give us an update on the talks resuming today.
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sure, Tony.
Well, we just learned that it is likely not going to start until this evening. It's not nailed down yet, according to Democratic sources we're talking to. But the talks and talks that we are speaking about, of course, are discussions behind closed doors, in a conference room, the Senate majority leader's office, to figure out exactly how and what a Senate bill should look like that they want to bring to the floor now.
Now, it certainly seems like a steep hill to me, but they are still saying inside the Democratic Caucus that they want to figure out what this health care bill to bring to the Senate floor will look like by the end of this week, and they still want to try to bring it by the end of this month, by the end of October.
Now, the White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, he is leading the discussions for President Obama in these talks, and he was on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" yesterday. And when it comes to the controversial issue, of course, whether or not to include a so-called public option, he pretty stayed where the White House has been -- on the fence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RAHM EMANUEL, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: As you saw, as the president said in the joint session to Congress, he believes a public plan, a public option, is important to competition, because in many places in the country, the health insurance industry has 80 percent -- 70 percent of the market. Let me finish.
It is also parts of the country where premiums are the highest. So, if you don't have competition, an insurance company has the run of not only premiums, what type of health care you have. And so, the president believes in it as a source of competition. He also believes that is not the defining piece of health care.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, that's what Rahm Emanuel is saying publicly. Privately, sources in the administration, and also inside the Democratic leadership, still say they are very concerned about something we have talked about before, Tony, which is that there are plenty of conservative Democrats who aren't comfortable with a public option, and that's why they are very worried -- they think, in fact, it would be very unlikely to get 60 votes for a public option in the Senate.
HARRIS: And that's it, the idea of 60 votes. And let's drill down on this just a bit more.
You know, there is this growing pressure on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid from the left of his own party to include a public plan in this bill. It seems to be in an increasingly difficult spot for Senator Reid, especially since he is up, did I mention, for re- election and has a tough race ahead of him.
BASH: He does. You know, you and I have talked over the past month or so about what will happen when they bring this to the Senate floor.
HARRIS: Absolutely.
BASH: I had been told by Democratic sources that it was almost surely not going to include a public option. Now I'm told by those same sources it's not entirely set in stone that that is the case. And part of the reason, frankly, is because of the intense pressure that the Senate majority leader is feeling, even from some members of his own leadership like Chuck Schumer of New York and some of the rank and file.
There was a pretty contentious meeting last week inside the Democratic Caucus, but also from outside groups. And there is one liberal group that is using the fact that Harry Reid is not only leading this charge, but in a tough re-election battle back home in Nevada, to pressure him. This is a progressive group pressuring their own majority leader in an ad.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In 2010, I'll only be voting on one issue. I'm watching to see if Harry Reid is strong and effective enough as a leader to pass a public health insurance option into law. Here in Nevada, the majority wants it.
Senator Reid, these insurance companies...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: But this group running the ad, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, is also using it as a fundraising tool. They sent it out in an e-mail to supporters asking for money to keep this ad on the air. It's supposed to start running in Nevada on Wednesday.
Nevertheless, look, the fact that fellow Democrats are using this kind of pressure really does illustrate the intense struggle, which is really a struggle now more than ever, inside the Democratic Party on this issue and, particularly, the most controversial issue here, whether to include a public option.
HARRIS: And you've got to get to 60. Somehow or another you've got to get to 60. It is fascinating and continues to be fascinating to watch these developments.
Our Senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash on Capitol Hill.
Dana, appreciate it. Thank you.
BASH: Thanks, Tony.
HARRIS: Man.
Checking the wires now. Here's a look at the top stories this hour.
You may have a hard time finding the H1N1 vaccine. The CDC had hoped to have 40 million doses available by now, but there have been pretty major delays.
Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen will have details later this hour.
Police at the University of Connecticut are searching for a killer after a star football player was stabbed to death outside a homecoming dance. Huskies quarterback Jasper Howard had been awarded the game ball just hours before the attack. Police say this does not appear to be random and are looking for suspects or witnesses.
Howard's mom, teammates and friends, stunned.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOANGELA HOWARD, JASPER'S MOTHER: He was a good kid. I never had no problems with him. All I wanted him to do was go to school and get an education, and he was doing what I asked him to do. I never had no problems out of him. None. (END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DESI CULLEN, UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT FOOTBALL PLAYER: You know, before this morning, people may have looked at him as a teammate, as a friend, but ever since he stepped foot on this campus, he was our brother.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: It's tough to watch.
Howard was 20 years old and lived in Florida. He was about to become a dad.
Overseas now, Iran linking the U.S. and Pakistan to a Sunni rebel group that carried out a deadly suicide attack. The U.S. calls the claim completely false.
At least 42 were killed in yesterday's blast in the southeastern city of Sarbaz. Among the dead were several key leaders of the elite Revolutionary Guard Corps.
In the fight for Afghanistan, Senator John Kerry adding his voice. Kerry has traveled back to the Afghan capital today. He tells CNN the presidential crisis must be resolved before the U.S. can decide whether to raise troop levels.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: I believe that before the president commits additional troops, we need to know that we are proceeding forward in Afghanistan with a government in a constructive way that offers us the best hope of success. As of this moment in time, we don't have that, and we need it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK. Live now to CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.
And Barbara, there you have Senator Kerry, a U.S. war veteran, saying we need to wait.
Do we know when the White House will likely make some decision here?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Tony, everyone had been thinking it would be next week that the White House would begin to make some decisions and possibly even announce something. But now I think all bets really are off.
Today, as you know, the U.N.-backed election commission for Afghanistan said that there had been significant fraud, possibly throwing out a large number of votes in that election, possibly now leading to a runoff between President Hamid Karzai and his closest challenger, or possibly some type of power-sharing agreement between the two men. The problem is nobody really knows what the next step is going to be, what Karzai might do, and whether he rejects all of this.
For the U.S., this could not be more critical because the Obama administration is making the point it cannot make that decision, as Senator Kerry says, to sends more troops unless it knows that there's a credible, legitimate government in Kabul that is supported by the people. And what is at stake for the U.S.? Sixty-eight thousand troops, of course, are already there, waiting for reinforcement -- Tony.
HARRIS: And Barbara, let's cross the border a bit. General Petraeus is in Pakistan, where there is a pretty strong air and ground defensive going on.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yes. This is the offensive into South Waziristan, which is a well-known Taliban and al Qaeda stronghold.
The Pakistani military has been undertaking an air campaign for many days against that area. Now it is said that some 28,000 Pakistani ground forces have moved into the area.
But, by all accounts, you know, General Petraeus is going to want to get a real feel for what is going on himself, because the Pakistani military has been subject to many violent attacks by the Taliban in the last couple of weeks. The most humiliating, perhaps, last week, that attack against headquarters in Rawalpindi. General Petraeus, like many U.S. military commanders, wants to help the Pakistanis, but there is a lot of skepticism about how much progress they can really make against the Taliban and al Qaeda -- Tony.
HARRIS: All right. Our Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr for us.
Barbara, thank you.
Additional evidence now that the White House is linking U.S. troop levels to the presidential crisis. Coming from President Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel. He was a guest on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMANUEL: What President Karzai must do, and 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 runoff, whether that's through negotiations, the process will be determined by the Afghan people. The result for us and for the president is whether in fact there is a credible government and a legitimate process, the Afghan people don't think this has worked its process through.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: Afghan officials will have to decide if a presidential runoff will take place. Now that a report is out from the U.N. commission investigating election fraud, it invalidates ballots from more than 200 polling stations.
So, what are your thoughts on Afghanistan and troop levels? New poll numbers just released, and we will have your thoughts.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: In Chicago, a street fight involving two to three dozen young people leaves a teen girl injured so severely, she may lose an eye. Police report four arrests. A witness tells WGN it started after another girl refused to buy drugs and a group of teens attacked.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At least 35, 40.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Golf clubs, bats, two-by-fours. They jumped at the car.
MAXINE CLAUDIO, WITNESS: I can't see what all is going on, but I see so much brutal -- so much -- just meanness and hatred. And these are kids.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: The melee happened less than two miles from where an honor student was beaten to death in a similar fight.
Authorities say more women are drunk driving, contributing to an already deadly epidemic.
CNN's Susan Candiotti tells us about a recent case out of New York.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you ever fall in the water?
LEANDRA ROSADO, DRUNK DRIVING VICTIM: Yes.
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." And those were the last words I ever heard from her. Last words.
CANDIOTTI: Rosado plans to push for tougher DUI sentences in his daughter's name.
ROSADO: I believe that's what she's telling me. You know, 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 five 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 was busted for DUI. In Nebraska, a child welfare worker was arrested after testing five times over the legal limit.
LAURA DEAN-MOONEY, PRESIDENT, MADD: 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 CZAR: 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: You take the keys, you call the cops. You do anything you need to do to keep that person safe. Don't let them get in a 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? Yes, I think about it. I think about it.
CANDIOTTI: And how this tragedy might prevent others.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: A tragedy in Detroit. Lots of questions today as three runners collapse and die during a marathon.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRIS: All right. Let's get you caught up on our top stories now.
Autopsies being carried out today on three runners who suddenly died during a race in Detroit. The victims' ages, 26, 36, and 65, were all running a half-marathon. They collapsed near the finish line within a 16-minute time period. Emergency workers tried but could not revive them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everyone that responded were properly equipped and did exactly what they were supposed to do with the equipment that they had. One of them was in cardiac arrest right at the finish line here. That physician that responded had the AED fired appropriately.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Expert runners say it doesn't appear the deaths are weather-related. The temperature during Sunday's race was in the low 40s.
In Rio de Janeiro, police officers patrol the streets after a bloody confrontation between rival drug gangs and authorities. Fourteen people were killed over the weekend, including two police officers.
And police in Puerto Rico say a shooting outside a neighborhood bar that killed at least seven may have been drug-related. At least 25 people were wounded.
We will get another check of our top stories in 20 minutes.
Hurricane Rick quickly losing steam in the Pacific. Hopefully it loses steam quickly enough so that it doesn't threaten Cabo San Lucas. You can see it spinning there.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: New poll numbers out today point to growing concerns about the war in Afghanistan, the role of U.S. troops, and the future of that country.
National Political Correspondent Jessica Yellin joining us live from Washington.
Jessica, good to see you.
Let's get to the polling here. Are Americans worried that the war in Afghanistan will turn into another conflict along the lines of the Vietnam War?
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Tony, the answer is yes. In fact, a majority of Americans are worried that Afghanistan has already turned into another Vietnam. That's according to the latest CNN poll which shows 52 percent of Americans believe that Afghanistan has already turned into another Vietnam, 46 percent saying no.
What's interesting is the question breaks down by age. Folks over 50 who have actual memories of seeing American troops heading over to Vietnam are far more likely to see Afghanistan as a parallel conflict. Younger Americans less likely. But clearly, no matter what the policymakers say, emphasizing that there are the extreme differences between Afghanistan and Vietnam, the comparison is persuasive to much of the country.
HARRIS: Oh, that's interesting. I am glad you did the age breakout, because I was just screaming in the room here, it reminded me again of when the war in Vietnam ended, and the U.S. forces pulled out in '73. The war didn't end until '75.
So, you're talking about an entire generation that certainly wasn't around, ,very young at the time that U.S. forces were pulling out of Vietnam. So, great that we broke this out along age lines as well.
Do Americans want the president to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, Jessica?
YELLIN: Overwhelmingly, no, Tony. Fifty-nine percent of Americans oppose sending more troops into Afghanistan, 39 favor the move.
Now, if the president does decide to send in more troops, here is what is unusual. His base of support would come from Republicans.
HARRIS: Yes.
YELLIN: You know, two-thirds of Republicans fully support sending in more troops. Democrats overwhelmingly oppose. Independents are largely split. So, if the president does make that move, he will be breaking from his own base.
HARRIS: And one more question for you. And this is a little troubling news today from the U.N. when it comes to fraud in the recent Afghanistan election, as you know.
So, do Americans think a stable government will take hold in Afghanistan?
YELLIN: Right. Americans are not optimistic on that front, Tony. Only 31 percent in our poll said that they think it's actually likely Afghanistan could achieve a stable democratic government. The vast majority, 68 percent, say it's unlikely. And that really helps explain why so many Americans oppose sending in more troops. There's just not a lot of confidence in the future of that country right now.
HARRIS: All right. Jessica Yellin for us.
Jessica, great to see you. Thank you.
YELLIN: See you.
HARRIS: A lot of folks weighing in on Afghanistan. Here's what some of you had to say.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I believe that we need to get out of Afghanistan. It's not a winnable war. Those people are crazy. They need to fight it out themselves and get our boys out of there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello. I really think that we should leave. This is just going to be another Vietnam. For what?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It should be kept in mind that no invader of Afghanistan, be it Great Britain, the Soviet Union, or anyone else, has ever come away unscathed, let alone victorious. On the other hand, when comparing it to Vietnam, the Vietcong never flew airplanes into American buildings. And it's a tough call. I'm glad I don't have to make it.
This is Pete.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HARRIS: Pete, appreciate it. Thank you.
And to all of our callers, we still want to hear from you, your comments. Just give us a call right now at 1-877-742-5760. Let us know what you think the U.S. should do next in Afghanistan.
Eight Americans killed in eastern Afghanistan earlier this month after a horrific gun battle. Now a mother of one of the fallen soldiers opens up about her loss.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: All right. Zeroing in on the hot spots.
Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, here's what's happening. Iranians are burying some of the 42 people killed yesterday in a suicide bombing. Key leaders of the elite revolutionary guard among the dead. Tehran accuses the United States and Pakistan of ties to a Sunni group that carried out an attack. The U.S. calls the claim completely false.
Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, a U.S. fraud commission has ordered votes from some 200 polling stations invalidated, but it remains unclear if a presidential runoff will in fact take place. U.S. troop levels could depend on the outcome of this crisis.
And across the border of Pakistan, the military is pushing forward with day three of a massive ground assault against the Taliban. The operation taking place in the tribal region of south Waziristan.
So let's get to the battle in Pakistan. Our Reza Sayah joins us live from Islamabad.
And, Reza, explain to us the significance of this offensive.
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, for the Pakistani government, this is a big battle. One official here called it the mother of all battles, and it has to do with South Waziristan. One of seven districts in the tribal region along the Afghan border. This is the headquarters of the Pakistani Taliban led by Hakeemullah Mehsud. It is the Pakistani government's position that 80 percent of suicide attacks taking place on Pakistani soil are launched and planned from this district.
That's why we have launched this major offensive targeting the Taliban here. And their strategy is to encircle them from the north, southwest and southeast, and move in and beat them into submission. History says that's easier said than down. Three times since 2004, they have tried similar offensives, Tony. Each time, they have failed on several occasions. They've struck peace deals, but this time they say, there's no chance for a peace deal. They're going to fight until the Taliban lay down their arms.
Tony?
HARRIS: OK. Let's talk about the importance of what's happening in Pakistan as it relates to Afghanistan.
The impact, Reza, on the insurgency of the fighting now in Afghanistan. What's going on in Pakistan, and its impact on the insurgency in Afghanistan?
SAYAH: Reporter: Well, from Washington's perspective, any military offensive against militants in the tribal region, they're going to applaud. Remember, U.S. officials have said this is the epicenter of Jihadi activity. They say al Qaeda hides here. They plot and planned and train in this location as well.
But to put it in perspective, it's important to know that the two militant groups who are wreaking the most havoc across the border in Afghanistan, targeting U.S. and NATO troops is the Hakani network, which is position in North Waziristan and the Hekmatyar Network which is positioned in another part of the tribal region.
So, again, it's important to remember that even if the Pakistani army is successful in South Waziristan, these two groups that are hurting U.S. and NATO forces across the border are going to remain intact. And the U.S. is often been critical of the Pakistani government for not going after these two groups, Tony.
HARRIS: And CNN's Reza Sayah for us in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Reza, appreciate it. Thank you.
In neighboring Afghanistan, let's stay there now. The U.S. now tying the troop decision to elections. That could be complicated because today a U.N. election commission has concluded there was large-scale fraud in the August president vote.
Live now, CNN's Chris Lawrence in the Afghan capital of Kabul.
So, Chris, this U.N.-backed panel hasn't validated a number of ballots from a number of polling stations. Where does that leave the August election?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's the question. And right now, it leaves the election, at least one step closer to a possible runoff, Tony. They invalidated about 210 polling stations. In some cases, they found every ballot was filled out with the exact same kind of marking, a clear indication of fraud. And what happens now?
President Karzai's office seems to be publicly still defiant, saying that he won the election and doesn't expect a runoff. In fact, a spokesman told us tonight that he doesn't even see why the fraud commission put these results on its Web site and ultimately it will be the independent election commission that will have to verify these results, and then they would make the call as to whether a runoff would be necessary.
The big danger in all of this is the cascading effect. If the commission orders a runoff, and President Karzai does not agree to it, then you've got real questions about what is the legitimate Afghan government. If he does agree to it, then you've got to have all of these NATO troops pulled off of other missions to try to secure yet another election. And if they can't get that done within the next four to five, six weeks, then the Afghan winter sets in, now you've pushed it back until next spring and that could potentially leave a power vacuum that the Taliban could exploit.
Tony?
HARRIS: All right, CNN's Chris Lawrence for us.
Chris, appreciate it. Thank you.
He dreamed of a career in the service and accepted the risks. Army Specialist Stephan Mace is being buried today at Arlington National Cemetery. He was killed along with seven other soldiers in a Taliban attack in eastern Afghanistan earlier this month.
CNN's Kate Bolduan has more.
(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, SOLDIER'S MOTHER: Stephan would have wanted me to do that. Stephan and I were very close. So I did it for him. I wanted to be the one to bring my baby home.
BOLDUAN: Adelson describes Army Specialist Stephan 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, STEPHAN'S CHILDHOOD FRIEND: He definitely lived on the edge. Even when it came to playing football.
BOLDUAN: Long-time 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. He knew that 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 fire fight. His mother gains comfort knowing Stephan wasn't alone when he died.
ADELSON: He always wore that St. Christopher. 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 a small Purcellville, Virginia was met by hundreds of people, family, friends, and strangers. Mayor Bob Lazaro calls the show of support nothing short of amazing.
MAYOR BOB LAZARO, PURCEILVILLE, VIRGINA: Up the hill when the first motorcycle came over, all the chattering stopped.
BOLDUAN (on camera): Just silence.
LAZARO: Silence. No cars. No chattering. Silence. It was holy, you know? It was holy.
BOLDUAN (voice-over): 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: 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)
HARRIS: We were promised vaccines against the H1N1 weeks ago. Finding out where to get one is proven to be a bit tricky.
Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is helping you track down spots to get your shots. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Let's get you caught up in our top stories now. A third death from a sweat lodge in an Arizona resort. A 49-year-old woman died after spending time in a hospital. 20 were injured after retreat led by self-help expert James Arthur Ray.
In Spain, a bus full of students on a study trip from Holland flips over, killing a teen girl and injuring 19 others. The bus had just crossed the border from France when the accident occurred.
And off the Coast of Somalia, pirates have hijacked a Chinese ship with 146 people aboard. So far this year, 14 ships had been hijacked off Somalia, 33 in the Gulf of Aden. The pirates usually demand large ransoms.
Once again, we love to remind you to visit CNNMoney.com. If you want the latest financial news and analysis, it is all there at CNNMoney.com. And our money team doing a terrific job.
Let's take a look at the numbers on Wall Street now. Just past the hour to the trading day. And the Dow just off of session highs, but still looking great in positive territory. The Dow up 99 points, triple digits as we speak. Any number on NASDAQ --
We're following those numbers with Susan Lisovicz all day here in the NEWSROOM.
Making homes more energy-efficient and creating jobs in the same time. That is a big goal of the Obama administration. It is taking that goal a step further today.
Alison Kosik has our "Energy Fix" from New York.
Alison, good to see you.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, too, Tony.
You know, if you think about it, energy efficient upgrades can really 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 the Obama administration wants to make it easier.
It says making these improvements can reduce home energy used by 40 percent and cut $21 billion a year from our energy bills. But homeowners lack access to information, financing, and skilled workers.
This new report emphasizes ways the government can help people overcome those barriers and boost our economy at the same time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The report we're releasing today called the Recovery through Retrofit is a blue- print for creating jobs, while also building the economy for tomorrow. The work is there. With 130 millions homes in the United States, it's generating more than 20 percent, as Nancy said, of our nation's carbon dioxide emissions. There's plenty of work to go around.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSIK: Of course, Tony, the challenge is reducing the high upfront costs of energy improvements, so more people can make those changes.
Tony?
HARRIS: And Alison, how do you do that?
KOSIK: Well, this report makes a number of recommendations. And one idea is to support municipal financing. That would allow homeowners to put the cost of energy improvement into their property taxes, so they can make monthly payments and not be settled with those big upfront costs.
Another recommendation, increase the use of energy-efficient mortgages. And with those, it would roll the cost of energy-efficient improvement into the borrowing costs for the home itself. The report also recommends establishing uniform national standards for training and certifying workers into energy-efficiency business, so people will feel more confident the work will be done right. Tony, of course, we'll see just how quickly these recommendations are implemented and whether they inspire more people to make these improvements.
Tony?
HARRIS: Alison, thank you.
KOSIK: Sure.
HARRIS: Weeks of promises and many are still waiting for H1N1 vaccines. So what's the hold up?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So many questions here. Ready or not, flu season is here, specifically the H1N1 flu virus. And well, there is some vaccine out there, it's less than anticipated and not exactly on schedule.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANNE SCHUCHAT, CDC: Had more vaccine, and there is more vaccine coming out everyday. But it doesn't look like we're going to be able to make those estimates that we had projected for the end of this month.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Why not?
Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now with a closer look at what's going on. You know, I didn't think that we would have a shortage issue. It seems to me I recall at least a suggestion that supply would be there when we needed it and when we wanted it. And now, that doesn't appear to be the case.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right. And the reason why is that all this time, they've been kind of looking into their crystal ball.
Let me take you back to April.
HARRIS: OK.
COHEN: It was the first time this H1N1 virus reared its ugly head. And so public health authorities had to really scramble to get a vaccine ready. Usually they take much more time than just April until August or October.
HARRIS: Right.
COHEN: So they really had to do it quickly. And what happened is I think they got a little overly optimistic. They thought, wow, we're going to have this big, old batch ready by the end of October and that wasn't quite as big as they thought it would be.
HARRIS: So can we do this by the numbers? What we have? What we don't have?
COHEN: Yes.
HARRIS: They are probably more important.
COHEN: Yes. Let's use Georgia as an example, where we sit right now.
HARRIS: OK.
COHEN: The State of Georgia was told back in August, you're going to get about two million doses by the end of October. But then last week, they were told, scratch that. You're going to get less than half of that, somewhere around 129,000 doses by the end of October. So that's a big difference.
HARRIS: Where is the vaccine available and is it possible? I need it, I want it, I want to get it. And can we get the shot?
COHEN: Well, part of the problem is there's no central place to find it. So you just have to kind of get on the phone and call your local drug store, call your doctor and you just have to kind of scrounge for it.
Now there is one place you can go. It's called Flu.Gov. And there, you can get the phone number for your state health agency who's probably going to send you to your county. And some county agencies do have it. But here's the rub. County agencies tend to have the spray, the nose spray vaccine, which a lot of people can't get. And so that's a big issue. So, one, most of what's out there is spray. And, two, there's a whole list of people who can't use the nose spray.
For example, pregnant women can't get the nose spray. Children under the age of 2 can't get the nose spray. If you have asthma, diabetes, et cetera, you can't get the nose spray.
HARRIS: Right.
COHEN: So a lot of the people who really need the vaccine can't use it in the form in which it is out.
There it is. That's an actual vaccine you're seeing right there.
HARRIS: All right. Now, I don't want to steal the thunder from Kyra. She'll be coming up at the top of the hour, but --
COHEN: Don't worry. She said it's OK.
HARRIS: But you're going to share with us the experience you had in trying to get your own kids the vaccine, correct?
COHEN: That's right. I wanted to get my four kids the vaccine, because kids are on the high priority list. And I made a lot of phone calls, and if you watch at 1:00, you'll see what I got or didn't get.
HARRIS: Well, yes. I mean, the only reason to tell a story is you have some difficulty.
COHEN: Right, I did.
HARRIS: Swimmingly.
COHEN: Right.
HARRIS: There's not much of a story.
COHEN: There you go.
HARRIS: All right, Elizabeth, appreciate it.
COHEN: OK, thanks.
HARRIS: Thank you.
And new federal rules out today concerning medical marijuana. The Justice Department now urging prosecutors to go after drug traffickers, not patients and caregivers in the 14 states that have medical marijuana laws. It is a shift from Bush administration policy.
Cold outside in some spots of the country. How about the nation's capital? Chilly, maybe 50 degrees or so? Let's check in with Chad Myers now. And you're tracking all of this cold weather. It was chilly over the weekend here in Georgia, that's for sure.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: You're the man, for real.
All right, Chad, thank you.
Serving up sermons with a twist. An evangelical preacher breaks with conservative roots and pushes immigration reform.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The Latino influence on American politics is growing. And Republicans are eager to win those votes, but there's a big obstacle in the way. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez talks with a leader of a Latino Evangelical Movement.
(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 that the political leadership in Washington is noticing.
(VIDEO CLIP)
(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 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.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And we are just the two days away from "LATINO IN AMERICA," a comprehensive look at how Latinos are changing America. CNN's two-night event takes place Wednesday and Thursday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time. It will also be simulcast in Spanish on CNN in Espanol.
CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Kyra Phillips from New York City.
