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Death Rate Rising, Hospitalizations Soaring; Obama Declares H1N1 A National Emergency

Aired October 24, 2009 - 17:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Tonight a Swine Flu national emergency declared by none other than the president of the United States. Why is the H1N1 virus spreading so quickly? Can it be stopped before more people die?

And the co-pilot speaks. Telling reporters what he and the pilot were doing as their plane flew 150 miles past their destination.

Plus, confessions of a mother. Admitting that she and her husband made up the entire balloon fiasco, even instructing little Falcon and his brothers to lie.

And a hero who has been there and now reaching back to save other military heroes living on the streets.

Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.

We start tonight with a developing story from New Jersey. The Morris County prosecutor has scheduled a news conference just a few minutes from now to talk about the murder of a Catholic priest. The body of the Reverend Ed Hynes was found Friday in the rectory kitchen at St. Patrick's Church in Chatham. Police said there was blood splattered about amid signs of a struggle, but did not disclose if a murder weapon was found.

Authorities said the priest worked with the needy may have made him vulnerable and susceptible to some sort of violence. They say he may have been a suspect in some other things and they are trying to figure it out. And we're going to monitor the news conference when it happens here. We'll keep you posted on what investigators saying about this case. The news conference get under way in just a few moments.

Turning now to our other developing story now, the rising concerns about Swine Flu, H1N1. The president has declared the H1N1 outbreak a national emergency. More than 1,000 Americans have died of the Swine Flue, including a first grader, at this school in Vacaville, California. Classes there were canceled yesterday and every room at the school is getting disinfected. The nation's top infectious disease specialist tells CNN that elementary schools will continue to be a source of concern.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIR., NAT'L. INST. OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES: When you get young children, kids who are vulnerable to a virus they've never seen before, again congregating in schools, it is not at all surprising to us that we're seeing this blip. The concern is how high is it going to go and how widespread it can be? It looks like this virus is very, very good at spreading from person to person. It has no trouble doing that. We expect that this will continue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, let's hear more now on President Obama's decision to declare the Swine Flu outbreak a national emergency. We go now to our Elaine Quijano. She is monitoring developments for us, at the White House.

Elaine?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, administration officials emphasize that this emergency declaration is a just-in case measure. Nevertheless it still underscores the H1N1 pandemic and the seriousness of it. And the threat that it continues to pose.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO (voice over): President Obama declared a national H1N1 emergency. An ominous sounding name for what officials insist is a purely preemptive move. In the declaration the president said that "The rates of illness continue to rise rapidly within many communities across the nation, and the potential exists for the pandemic to over burden health care resources in some localities."

The declaration is meant to lift that potential burden so if hospitals get overwhelmed with H1N1 patients they'll be able to bypass bureaucratic requirements, like making patients sign certain forms; the goal, to allow doctors and nurses in disaster mode to focus on patients, not paperwork.

The declaration comes as millions of Americans in 46 states have come down with H1N1.

DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN, DIRECTOR, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL: Of the pandemic, in April and May, we have seen more than 1,000 deaths from the pandemic influenza and more than 20,000 hospitalizations in this country.

QUIJANO: In communities nationwide, including this line that stretched for hours in Michigan.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A two-hour wait for the Swine Flu shot.

QUIJANO: People are already flooding healthcare facilities anxious to get their H1N1 vaccine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Been trying not be paranoid about it, yet be aware, be cautious, be safe, and take advantage of any opportunity that we can.

(END VIDEOTAPE) QUIJANO: But the government acknowledges officials have no where near the amount of the H1N1 vaccine that manufacturers had predicted they'd have. The shortage is really being blamed, Don, as you know, on problems growing this vaccine. But one top official predicts that there will eventually be enough of the H1N1 vaccine to meet demand, Don.

LEMON: We hope that happens soon. Thank you very much, Elaine Quijano.

A few things we want you to keep in mind. As we mentioned, healthy adolescents and young adults appear to be most at risk of serious complications from the Swine Flue. For complete coverage of the H1N1 virus and advice on how to protect yourself and your family, logon to our special web page at CNN.com/H1N1.

The mother of the young boy, once thought to be inside a runaway helium balloon, says the whole thing was a hoax. That is according to court documents. An affidavit shows that Mayumi Heene told deputies the incident was meant to help the family get media attention. Her husband Richard has denied the incident was faked. The local sheriff says he will recommend charges against the couple, some of them felonies, that carry a maximum sentence of six years in prison.

One of the pilots in that Northwest plane that overshot its destination by 150 miles is speaking out. He says no one in the cockpit was asleep, or arguing. But he didn't explain what was really going on. We've also learned today that senior White House officials were aware of the situation and monitoring the plane's whereabouts. Flight 188 was en route Wednesday from San Diego to Minneapolis. Air flight controllers could not determine why the plane overshot its mark. And our Tom Foreman has more on this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): From the time it passed over Denver, Flight 188 had air traffic controllers in the dark. For an hour and 18 minutes there is was not one radio call from the plane, and not one response to calls from the ground.

Tonight, one of the pilots said that they were not asleep, as some have speculated.

RICHARD COLE, FIRST OFFICER, FLIGHT 188: Nobody was asleep in the cockpit. No arguments took place.

FOREMAN: But that leaves plenty of troubling questions.

(On camera): First, even with this plane traveling out of contact, more than 500 miles an hour, for more than 1 hour, military officials have now confirmed to CNN that they were not contacted by the FAA until the plane had passed over the city of Minneapolis. At that time, the military scrambled to launch at least four fully armed F-16 fighters. But that was so late they never even got off the ground before the airliner was finally re-contacted.

(Voice over): Passengers like Anne Kroshus, who was in row 20, say throughout the process the cockpit and cabin crew gave them no hint of any trouble, another curious revelation.

ANNE KROSHUS, NORTHWEST FLIGHT 188 PASSENGER: If any of us had known that that was going on, I'm sure the entire flight would have been in a complete state of panic. But I think it's better that we didn't know. I'm glad that they were at least trying to look out for us, because I don't think the pilots were.

FOREMAN: Indeed, she says, for 45 minutes, as they shot past their arrival time, passengers were told nothing at all. And when the captain finally spoke up again, he said that they were just waiting to land.

KROSHUS: We were just completely under the impression that it was air traffic and that Minneapolis airport was not giving us clearance to land. And that basically we were just going to fly around until they allowed us to do so. And that's what we all believed.

FOREMAN (voice over): Air traffic controllers weren't sure what they believed. Authorities say when they at last re-contacted the pilots the pilots answers were so vague they were ordered to take the plane through a series of unnecessary maneuvers to prove it was under their control, not hijacked.

Investigators have seized the cockpit voice recorder, even though they believe it holds conversation from only the last 30 minutes of flight.

(On camera): And they are questioning the pilots, police say both voluntarily took and passed breathalyzer tests, but for all of that, the central question remains, what happened on Flight 188?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Tom, that is a mystery. Thank you very much for that.

You know, people in Puerto Rico are being urged not to go outside as firefighters continue to battle that huge fuel storage fire. Five tanks are still burning; 12 are smoking, and four, well, they've burned themselves out.

It started with an explosion after midnight Friday, at a fuel complex, near San Juan. It's still burning. The wind has shifted putting more people at risk for smoke inhalation. The cause of the explosion is not yet known.

The plume of smoke is so big that it can be seen from space. Check this out. This is a view from a weather satellite high above Puerto Rico. We also have some images from our I-Reporters. Take a look at that. We're going to show those a little bit later, but these are people on the ground, who are actually experiencing this. Our I- Reporters from Puerto Rico in just a bit.

A big battle won today in the war against the Taliban in Pakistan. The military seizes a key village, but blood is shed on all sides of the fight.

And Afghans in America: What are they hearing from their loved ones at home, about the war, and a possible boos in U.S. troop presence?

Also, we want to hear from you tonight. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, or I-Report.com, that's how you get on the air here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Targeting Taliban targets, then wham. This is cockpit video from the Pakistan air force, as it bombards the enemy in South Waziristan, right along the Afghan border. And today the army reportedly seized a Taliban stronghold of Kotkai, marking a symbolic and strategic win. But the rebels have put up a tough fight in eight days of battle in the region. Sources say hostile fire brought down a Pakistani military chopper today, killing three people. U.S. drones are backing up Pakistani soldiers and a drone strike today is reportedly responsible for killing 14 people.

Well, the fight at the border is extending deep into the country. Pakistan has suffered a series of bloody terrorist attacks over the last three weeks. And our Ivan Watson is in Islamabad with the very latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Bullets through the windshield, a high-ranking army officer home on leave, gunned down just a few blocks from his house in broad daylight by militants on motor bikes. Thursday's assassination took place in the heart of the Pakistani capitol. Sending a chill through a city that is no stranger to acts of political violence. In came just days after twin suicide bombers attacked this Islamabad University, killing six people. Twenty-four-year-old Vakar Khalid was standing just a few from one of the bombers and barely survived the blast.

VAKAR KHALID, UNIVERSITY STUDENT: When he pushed the button, right at that time, we - I saw fire, a very high fire, very much high fire.

WATSON: Militants have carried out four deadly attacks in and around Islamabad in less than two weeks. Trauma doctors say they are preparing for more carnage.

DR. SERVA JAVED, PRIME HOSPITAL, ISLAMABAD: Expecting much more patients and everyone is just afraid of it, with terrorism.

(On camera): Residents of Islamabad are on the edge. The latest wave of attacks has triggered bomb scares and false alarms. And as the army presses its offensive against the militants in the mountains, the Pakistani capitol feels more and more like a city under siege.

(Voice over): Police have tightened security at checkpoints throughout the capitol. High walls have sprung up around the suburban villas, housing embassies. And private security guards now pat down shoppers arriving at a foreign owned supermarket catering to wealthy Pakistanis.

(On camera): Are you feeling more threatened these days?

KAPUR KHAWAJA, BUSINESSMAN: No, the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) is there, because they can hit anywhere.

WATSON (voice over): The government shut down schools across he country after this week's university bombing. Most will reopen next week. But for 14-year-old Khyber Manzoor, it is an unwelcome holiday.

KHYBER MANZOOR, STUDENT: Suddenly all those warnings started, you can't come outside because of bomb terrorists. And it is lot of like, danger to your life, so that's why we can't come out.

WATSON: Vakar Khalid now knows that danger firsthand. Struggling to recover from his own horrific wounds, he has one message for the Pakistani army.

KHALID: They should kill them. They should not let them. They should kill them. Those terrorists who are killing innocent people.

WATSON: Ivan Watson, CNN, Islamabad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Afghanistan's run off presidential campaign officially started today on an ominous note. There you see the ballots. Bu the Taliban is calling for a boycott and threatening voters. Allegations of massive vote rigging during the first round led election inspectors to call for a do-over. And a runoff between incumbent president Hamid Karzai and challenger Doctor Abdullah Abdullah, is set for November 7th. And election officials say this time around they are keeping it simple with fewer polling in places and a promise to pause voting if they suspect fraud at a particular location.

So if president Karzai wins, he re-establishes his legitimacy in a new democracy. But if he loses, he is out. So why agree to a runoff? That is what our Fareed Zakaria aimed to find out in an interview that you will see only here on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN ANCHOR: Were you pressure by the United States? Did Ambassador Ikenberry (ph), did people in Washington call you to pressure to agree to a runoff?

HAMID KARZAI, PRESIDNET, AFGHANISTAN: It was recognizing that Afghanistan had gone through so many years of difficulty, so many years of internal strife backed by foreign players. And I felt as though Afghanistan was entering that period again. I felt as if Afghans were pitted, one against the other. And for that reason and for the reason of safety and security of the Afghan people -- and, as I mentioned earlier -cementing democratic traditions in Afghanistan, I went to agree to a second round, which I believe is good for Afghanistan, which will eventually be good for all of us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, a few weeks to go until Afghanistan election day. Two weeks to go and counting, catch the full interview with President Hamid Karzai, tomorrow, on "Fareed Zakaria, GPS". That starts at 1:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

And President Karzai's competition is his old foreign minister, Doctor Abdullah Abdullah. Even with an adjustment for fraud some vote tallies put Abdullah 18 percentage points behind his former boss. CNN's John King talked to the challenger about the weeks ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR, STATE OF THE UNION: President Karzai has been asked about the possibility of negotiated settlement. And he has said that is simply not possible. He says it would have not legitimacy. But he also did tell our Fareed Zakaria that it sounds like he means after the election, because of the confidence in his voice, but that he is more than willing, down the road, to invite you into a government. I want you to listen.

KARZAI: If he wants to come and work in my government, he's most welcome. I am known for consensus and building it, and for inclusivity. And that's a good trademark.

KING: Is he, Doctor Abdullah, known for consensus and coalition building and would you welcome a spot in a Karzai government, should he win this election?

ABDULLAH ABDULLAH, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, AFGHANISTAN: No, I think I left Mr. Karzai's government some three and a half years ago. Since then I have not been tempted to be part of that government. And my pressed in becoming a candidate was not to be part of the same government, part of the same, the same deteriorating situation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And you can catch everything Doctor Abdullah had to say tomorrow morning, on "State of the Union" with John King, starting at starting at 9:00 a.m. Eastern.

Last week we told you about how we beat cancer with a Tweet. Now, we know the total amount raised. We're going to share it with you. Unbelievable.

And he was executed for setting a fire that killed his three kids, but was he innocent? Troubling new questions about a Texas man who may have been wrongfully executed and how it could be impacting the Texas governor's race.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Sounds like George is just right there inside the television, doesn't it? Inside the little television, inside the studio, not on your television. All right, I digress.

Thousands of people are parading in pink in honor of moms, sisters, and wives everywhere today. More than 16,000 wore out some of their shoes, some of their shoe leather on the streets of Atlanta today, raising some serious money for breast cancer awareness. More than $1 million raised here. The Susan G. Komen Foundation says one person is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes, here in the United States.

So, people around the nation are holding similar fundraisers through October as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

We told you about last week, remember, #beatcancer? It was a top trending item on Twitter. Raised some, at least, $70,000, up to $100,000. The final total is not in. But that is preliminary totals there.

And also someone jumped out of a plane to raise awareness around the #beatcancer logo. That is DigiJeff, right there. He challenged -- what happened, he challenged this guy, this millionaire, to be No. 1 on hip-hop iTunes. He said if he did it, he would jump out of a plane with a pink shirt on and put the #beatcancer logo the shirt. Well, he did it. Two days after the bet, of course, the millionaire was No. 1, and DigiJeff jumped out of a plane to raise awareness about cancer.

Hey, Jacqui Jeras, it's amazing so many people are involved in that. You have Susan B. Komen, and you know about these stories, personally, you are touched by it, right?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's right. My mom is a survivor and both of her sisters are as well. So it's a big deal in our household. Big deal for a lot of people.

LEMON: What's your mom's sisters' names?

JERAS: Pardon me?

LEMON: What are your Mom's name.

JERAS: My mom's name is Carol.

LEMON: Carol. And her sisters?

JERAS: Janice and Vicky.

LEMON: Janice, Vicky, and Carol. We're glad you're OK.

JERAS: I know.

LEMON: You beat cancer.

JERAS: Yes, it has been over five years, so that's a good sign. So, hopefully we'll continue on that path and it's so great to see so many people. And it's great to be able to help, you know, just by Tweeting. That easy. Wonderful, wonder stuff.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: Our top story tonight, New Jersey police, they briefed the media, right now, in the investigation into the death of a popular Catholic priest. We have the very latest for you.

And their Afghans living in the United States. What they think about the U.S. effort's in their homeland and whether more troops should be sent.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: I want to check the top stories for you right now. The H1N1 Swine Flu outbreak is now an official national emergency. President Obama signed the declaration just last night. At least 20,000 people have been hospitalized since April and more than 1,000 have died.

The co-pilot of Northwest pilot Flight 188 denies reports that the crew was asleep or arguing. Richard Cole says that there's been a lot of misinformation but that the truth will come out at a hearing next week. The flight overshot its destination by about 150 miles on Wednesday night before turning around to land safely at the Minneapolis Airport.

In a quiet suburb of New York, police are investigating the murder of a Catholic priest. Father Ed Hines failed to show up at mass on Friday at St. Patrick's Church in Chatham. That's in New Jersey. He was found dead in the blood-splattered kitchen of the church rectory, dressed in his black clerical robe. Police are holding a press conference right now, and we'll get more information on that story as it becomes available.

As we've been reporting here, people in Puerto Rico are being urged not to go outside as firefighters continue to battle a huge fire at a fuel storage complex. We have some amazing iReports from people who have seen this giant blaze firsthand. One of them is Ramiro Delgado Ruiz. He says he climbed to the top of his house and he couldn't believe what he saw. He says it looked like a volcano had erupted. He also took some photos from the top of his neighbor's house as well and an office building in the area. And he says that the cloud just keeps burning and rising. Amazing shots.

Remember, you can send us your incredible photos and your video. Logon to iReport.com., iReport.com.

When we come back, our top story, the New Jersey priest. There are reports now that a janitor has been charged in the murder, in the slaying of this popular Catholic priest that we told you about, the Reverend Ed Hines at the St. Patrick's Church, they found him in the kitchen yesterday. We're getting reports here. That baffling crime has caused an outpouring of grieve in the tight-knit community.

First our report from CNN national correspondent, Susan Candiotti, and then we'll hear the breaking information for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NEWS NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a small town where no one has been murdered for almost 20 years, investigators searched bushes and back yards for any evidence that might lead to the killer of Pastor Ed Hines. For those who knew him, Father Hines was a kind soul who oversaw the St. Patrick's parish and its Catholic grade school.

KATHY PHILLIPS-BORDIE, CROSSING GUARD: He put 100 percent into it. And it was -- I don't know if anyone can take his place. He seemed like he blessed me. For some reason, I just have that feeling in my soul. I'm sorry.

CANDIOTTI: When the 61-year-old priest didn't show up to say daily mass on Friday morning, a parish employee found him fully dressed and lying face up in the rectory's kitchen next door.

In an exclusive interview with CNN, the chief prosecutor describes signs of a struggle and multiple wounds on the front and back of the priest's body.

It mainly focused on the front part of his body. Some wounds on the back. There was a fight that preceded it. It just wasn't a very localized area. And again, there's blood spattering in various locations of the kitchen, in different areas of the wall and the floor inside the location.

CANDIOTTI: Investigators say Father Hines was attacked some time after 11:00 p.m. Thursday. Earlier that night, a fellow priest said Father Hines had a meeting with someone at 7:00, but neither that priest or police will reveal more.

(on camera): Among the questions, did someone force their way into the pastor's home or did Pastor Hines invite in his killer, perhaps someone asking for help?

(voice-over): Investigators won't say and won't reveal whether the murder weapon was found.

Residents are stunned in what is described as a quiet, upscale bedroom community to New York City.

REV. PAUL MANNING, ARCHDIOCESE OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY: When you're the sole pastor in a parish and do most of the baptisms at weddings and funerals, people end up loving you. This will be a big loss for the parish and a big loss for the diocese.

CANDIOTTI: In an eerie coincident, on the night of Father Hines' murder, police fingerprinted children at the church next door for a crime prevention program.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Chatham, New Jersey.

(END VIDEOTAPE) LEMON: We have just checked on the information that we were telling you about. The police there in New Jersey, in Chatham, are holding a news conference right now. And according to CNN affiliates -- CNN affiliates are reporting that a church janitor has been arrested for the murder of the Father Hines from Chatham, New Jersey, from St. Patrick's Church.

Also, according to iReporters that have been there on the scene, prosecutors have been saying that the janitor discovered the body and we have his name, but until we can -- until CNN can confirm this report, I'm not going to say the name of the janitor on the air. But, again, we're hearing from our affiliates in New Jersey that a janitor has been charged in the killing of that father. As soon as we get more information on it, we'll bring that information to you right here on CNN, get more clarification on that and more details from the press conference.

Roy Foster knows firsthand what it's like to be on the streets with little hope of turning your life around. But this vet did it and now he's having hundreds of other vets follow in his foot steps. He'll join us right here live right here on CNN. You're going to meet him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: New details in the murder of a New Jersey priest coming in to CNN. And we are getting this from the Associated Press. We told you that they were holding a news conference right now, and as soon as we get tape of that, we will bring it to you.

As we have learned here from the Associated Press -- again, this is what they are reporting -- that the janitor at the church has been charged here. and they are saying that the janitor's name is Jose Feliciano. Jose Feliciano has been charged in the murder of Reverend Ed Hines. The janitor charged with slaying the priest, is charged with stabbing him, Reverend Hines, 32 times on Thursday after they had an argument. This is according to the Morris County prosecutor, Robert Bianci (ph) there. Hines was in the clerical robes when he was killed while brewing a cup of coffee in the rectory kitchen, we are told, at St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in Chatham. As we know, his body was found on Friday morning when he failed to appear in mass. There's about 10,000 people in the community. Obviously, they are shocked. Again, we're hearing that a janitor there has been charged. More details and video from the press conference as they become available on CNN.

After leaving the Army, Roy Foster struggled with addiction and homelessness until finally turning his life around. He became a substance abuse counselor and eventually founded Stand Down House, an organization that helps homeless vets. For his work, Roy was recently named one of our 2009 top "CNN Heroes."

And there is he right there. He joins us from Palm Beach, Florida live.

Good to see you. Look at that big smile. You're one of the top ten heroes, aren't you?

ROY FOSTER, FORMERLY HOMELESS: I certainly am.

LEMON: Tell us about that.

FOSTER: It's been one of those rides that it appears it's never going to stop. It's been rather overwhelming actually, all of the notoriety and the people that, just by walking down the street say, oh, I've seen you somewhere, oh, on CNN. I'm like, OK, yes.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: OK. That's not always good sometimes, when it happens, when it happens when you least expect it.

FOSTER: Right.

LEMON: But in your case, it's for good news. How did you become involved in this? What was your inspiration behind doing this?

FOSTER: My inspiration behind -- actually my life in and of itself, which is a part of what I'm doing, was my grandmother. You know, she raised myself and my sister, along with other family members, when my parents died. And was one of those things where she had seen and heard of my addiction. But I would never take it home. Again, she was on her dying bed when I saw her in the hospital, and she knew and recognized that I was OK and I was safe. and she pretty much said it, you know, I know you're OK. I can go home now. That continues to drive me. That's the basis of my motivation.

LEMON: I've got to tell you, that is a great motivation. And I would imagine, having served in the armed forces, and we have so many veterans who have problems and who end up on the street, that was part of your motivation. I'm sure you want to help people who are more like you. You were homeless at one time. You were on the street.

FOSTER: We are a group that will never separate. and, of course, as I traveled the same round, being a homeless service member, and entered into the community where there was actually no support, when I came out of the out of the V.A. hospital, I realized, no, that was not going to take place for my comrades coming behind me. It took 20 years to get going but it was rooted in me.

LEMON: But you did it you did it.

And the web site is called standdown.org if you want to find out more about him and all the great work that Roy Foster is doing. Standdown.org.

Roy, much success to you. Good luck. Maybe, you'll become the number-one hero. Who knows? You can come back and talk to us here.

FOSTER: Thank you. Thank you.

LEMON: Appreciate it. And you can go to cnn.com/heroes and vote for the "CNN Hero" who inspires you the most. We plan to talk with all ten of the heroes in the weeks before the voting closes for "Hero of the Year." They will all be honored at an all-star tribute hosted by our very own Anderson Cooper on Thanksgiving night. And it's right here on CNN.

You know, "The Situation Room" is straight ahead and Wolf Blitzer has a lot for us.

What do you have, Wolf?

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Thanks very much.

We have a lot coming up right at the top of the hour here in "The Situation Room." Neil Barofsky is in charge of all those TARP billions and billions of dollars. Is the U.S. financial system in better or worst shape than it was a year ago? Stand by.

Also, Tom Riggs (ph), he knows a lot about what's going on in Afghanistan. Right now, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author will join us.

And Ron Kessler has written a new book on the U.S. Secret Service. Is the president of the United States and his family, are they safe right now?

All of that, and a lot more coming up right here in "The Situation Room."

Back to you.

LEMON: Thank you, Wolf. Looking forward to it.

Iran's newly disclosed nuclear facility is due to get international inspectors today. Officials with U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency are tasked with verifying the facility near the city of Qom. Is it used for peaceful purposes and not to make weapons?

A crumbled pile of metal on Egyptian train tracks. At least 15 lives are lost. This is the scene just outside Cairo where a crowd is watching rescue workers survey the damage after two passenger trains collided today. Police officers say dozens are hurt and the death toll is expected to rise. Egypt has a poor safety record on its railways, with several fatal crashes each year. Usually, they are usually with poorly maintained equipment.

More than 60,000 U.S. forces are currently deployed to Afghanistan. President Obama and his senior advisors are now mulling over whether to send more troops. It's a question that weighs heavily on the minds of Afghanistans living in the U.S., who worry about the future of their homeland.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN NEWS CORRESOPNDENT (voice-over): The embassy of Afghanistan estimates more than 300,000 native Afghans live in the U.S., very tight-knit communities, something Masooda Baluch has cherished living in northern Virginia.

MASOODA BALUCH, AFGHAN EXPATRIATE: I'd like to keep my culture and raise my kids in the Afghan community, them being Afghan too, to remember where they came from.

BOLDUAN: Where they came from is where her husband is right now, working to rebuild and secure their homeland, one more reason Masooda Baluch and her three kids are watching the debate over U.S. strategy there closely.

ALI BALUCH, AFGHAN EXPATRIATE: Another aspect is, it's between a rock and the hard place, the Army being there or, if they leave, the security will get worst and stability will get worst. And then Muslims will start killing Muslims again. Avians (ph) will kill Avians (ph).

BOLDUAN: 20-year-old Ali has traveled back to Afghanistan in the last two years. He says progress is evident.

ALI BALUCH: I saw one huge hospital right in the middle of Kabul.

BOLDUAN: But he views the current level of stability as the product of the U.S. military presence. With the ongoing threat of the Taliban and insurgents, the Baluch family and many other Afghans anxiously await President Obama's decision on whether to send more troops.

(on camera): Do you think 40,000 additional troops will secure that country, will offer the safety and security to your father and to your relatives?

ALI BALUCH: It can but then it can cause a lot of other mayhem.

BOLDUAN: Do you think there's a better solution, instead of 40,000 troops, something else?

ALI BALUCH: 40,000 educators and 40 doctors to take care of the sick, 40,000 teachers, 40,000 scholars or shifts.

BOLDUAN (voice-over): In the meantime, the family stays connected to their father and country as much as possible, praying for safe times ahead, hoping to some day return home.

MASOODA BALUCHI: I still love my country and I would love to live there and take my kids.

(on camera): The Baluch family says the Afghan community is also keeping a close watch on the November 7th presidential runoff vote in Afghanistan. The Baluches hope this second vote is an indication of a country moving away from corruption, towards peace and security.

Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, Kate.

He was executed for setting a fire that killed his three kids. But was he innocent? Troubling new questions about a Texas man who may have been wrongly executed, and how it could be impacting the Texas governor's race.

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LEMON: Well, he was a man Cameron Todd Willingham depended on to keep him alive. That was his defense attorney, but even when apparently he thought his client was guilty of torching a house with his three kids inside. So did Willingham get a fair trial?

Here's what our Randi Kaye found out. She's "Keeping them Honest."

RANDI KAYE, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cameron Todd Willingham charged with arson homicide for a fire that took the lives of his three little girls was facing a death sentence. He was counting on this man to save him.

(on camera): Did you think Todd Willingham was guilty?

DAVID MARTIN, WILLINGHAM DEFENSE ATTORNEY: After I had seen all of the evidence, it was overwhelming that he was guilty.

KAYE (voice-over): David Martin was one of Willingham's court- appointed defense lawyers at his 1992 trial. So "Keeping them Honest," what exactly did Martin do to defend Willingham?

(on camera): The prosecution had two arson investigators on the stand to prove that Willingham was guilty. Did you have an expert testify?

MARTIN: We couldn't find one who said that it wasn't arson.

KAYE (voice-over): Couldn't find one, but since the trial, nine -- that's right -- nine different arson experts have concluded the fire was not arson.

(on camera): What evidence did you present to help defend Willingham?

MARTIN: What evidence would you have to present? The witnesses were dead, the kids. Every time you cross-examine a witness, you're presenting evidence.

KAYE (voice-over): Martin says he did his best, but admits he believed the prosecutor's experts, who said they found patterns on the floor indicating an accelerant had been poured. But again, nine leading forensic experts since have said those patterns were not the result of an accelerant.

And what about this? One of the jurors told us she had alerted both the prosecution and the defense that her family was friendly with deputy fire marshal, Doug Fogg, whose testimony helped send Willingham to death row.

(on camera): Today, would that be cause for a mistrial?

MARTIN: No.

KAYE: Not a conflict of interest?

MARTIN: In a small town like Corsicana, lots of people knew Doug Fogg. Almost everybody knew Doug Fogg. I don't remember the details about jury selection, don't know why she was stricken. So what? Let's say, OK, she was friends with Doug Fogg.

KAYE: So what?

MARTIN: So what? Look at the evidence that was presented at trial. Would any reasonable mind conclude, after the presentation of the evidence, that he was not guilty?

KAYE: She now has doubts and doesn't sleep at night. And she wonders if Todd Willingham really was guilty.

MARTIN: She need have no doubts in my mind. He really was guilty. And it doesn't matter how many people talk about it, the evidence is irrefutable.

KAYE: You sound like the prosecutor, not the defense lawyer.

MARTIN: What is it that people expect the defense lawyer to do? I've said this before, just go in there and swallow the story? No.

KAYE: Randi Kaye, CNN, Austin, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Texas Governor Rick Perry is battling criticism over Cameron Todd Willingham's execution. Perry told reporters in Austin last week that Willingham was a monster and a bad man. The governor says Willingham's conviction and death sentence were upheld by the courts every step of the way. Getting fit before turning 40. That is a goal many of us -- well, we might set that goal, but Dr. Sanjay Gupta hit the 40 mark. He did it just yesterday, and he gets a checkup from fitness expert Jillian Michaels.

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LEMON: Can you believe our Dr. Sanjay Gupta is 40? Had a big surprise party last night. Surprised Dr. Gupta. And happy birthday.

Getting fit before turning 40, though, that was Sanjay Gupta's goal. And, well, yesterday was a big day. So how did he do? We find out in this edition of "Fit Nation."

(FIT NATION) LEMON: All right, Sanjay, thank you very much for that and congratulations by the way.

Meantime, 2,000 people murdered in Juarez, Mexico, so far this year, a major drug bust across the southeastern U.S., and a new report this week says that the heroin trade is fueling the insurgency in Afghanistan. The global drug crisis reaches from Colombian drug dens to suburban U.S. neighborhoods and Afghan poppy fields. Coming up at 7:00 p.m. eastern, we'll take a closer look at the global drug crisis and how it impacts Americans around the world.

I'm Don Lemon in the CNN Center. I'll see you back here at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. "The Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer begins right now.