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Eight Americans Killed in Afghanistan; President Obama's Reaction to Deaths in Afghanistan; President Obama Speaks at Solar Power Plant

Aired October 27, 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: And time now for your top-of-the-hour reset. I'm Tony Harris in the CNN NEWSROOM. It is 8:30 in Afghanistan, where eight more U.S. troops have just been killed. October now the deadliest month for the military in that war zone.

It is noon in Arcadia, Florida, where President Obama is focusing on clean energy. The president speaks in just a few minutes, and we're bringing you his remarks live.

It is midday on Capitol Hill, where debate shifts to whether Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid can gets the votes he needs with a public option now in his health care bill.

Let's get started, straight to the breaking news now out of Afghanistan. Eight U.S. troops killed by insurgents.

Our Pentagon correspondents are covering the U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan from two fronts. Chris Lawrence joining us from the Afghan capital of Kabul, and CNN's Barbara Starr at her post at the Pentagon.

And Chris, let's begin with you. What are you learning about today's attacks?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Tony, U.S. officials are now telling CNN that the insurgents attacked these troops with what they call complex attacks, meaning that the insurgents used one or more roadside bombs in conjunction with small arms fire to attack the armored vehicles that these troops were riding in. We're told it was two separate attacks in which seven Americans were killed in one, one American troop was killed in the other attack.

We do know, we've heard from senior U.S. officials over the past few months that the insurgents have gotten much better. Their capability to make bombs, to launch attacks and to target U.S. troops has increased in the last few months and has increased since last year. In fact, the Pentagon has called roadside bombs the number one threat to American troops. The deaths today, combined with those helicopters that went down just yesterday, now making the month of October the deadliest month for U.S. troops since this war began -- Tony.

HARRIS: Chris, thank you.

And now to Barbara Starr. Barbara, these new deaths come as President Obama obviously continues to work toward a decision on troops in Afghanistan.

What's the latest on that ongoing assessment?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, it's now clear that it's sort of moving into the end game, if you will. They are beginning to wrap up some of their meetings.

The next big one may be this Friday. President Obama scheduled to meet at the White House with the Joints Chiefs of Staff, the heads of all of the military services, the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, to talk to them about the impact of sending more troops to this very troubled war.

The chiefs have been very concerned because they all know if they send tens of thousands of additional troops, they may be facing another problem, breaking their promise to these young troops that they will get plenty of time at home with their families in between combat tours. If they have to really up the number of troops on the front line, it's going to be very hard to keep that promise.

The president will talk to the Joint Chiefs about it. It's expected that the president is moving towards making a decision. You know, Defense Secretary Gates recently said a decision could come in the next couple of weeks -- Tony.

HARRIS: All right.

Barbara Starr at her post at the Pentagon for us.

Barbara, thank you.

President Obama reacts to the latest deaths in Afghanistan.

White House Correspondent Dan Lothian is traveling with the president in Arcadia, Florida, and he joins us live.

And Dan, if you would, what is the reaction from the president, from the administration, to the news coming out of Afghanistan?

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony. Just a short statement coming from White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, who sent it to me just a few minutes ago, saying, "As always, our prayers go out to those who have lost a loved one and for those who sacrificed so much to serve our country." And this, of course, coming just a day, as you pointed out, after those 14 Americans died in the helicopter crash. And the president then, yesterday, here in Florida as well, talking about how they have made their nation proud and how they were doing their duty.

And this, of course, coming at a difficult time for this administration, as the president tries to figure out a way forward in Afghanistan. And, of course, this war in Afghanistan not very popular here on the home front -- Tony. HARRIS: And Dan, maybe two questions in one here. The president is in Arcadia, Florida, where you are right now. And maybe you can explain to us why the president is there. It seems to me, in part, to announce the stimulus money being put to work.

LOTHIAN: That's right, $3.4 billion is going to be invested in sort of clean energy of the future. And why he's here in Arcadia, Florida Power & Light has a major solar facility here, more than 90,000 panels. And they're going to hit the switch for this new facility. It will be able to provide power for some 3,000 households.

So, the president is here to really highlight this facility and really sort of focus on his energy policy. The president, this administration believing that this is the way to not only create jobs, but also create a nationwide efficient system that will be a big cost saver long term -- Tony.

HARRIS: And as we discussed last hour, that might be true, but there are plenty of people, I will tell you, in my meeting this morning who are suggesting that the president has so much on his plate with health care and, as you mentioned, the decision going forward in Afghanistan, why would he be spending time on solar energy?

LOTHIAN: Well, this is a question really that has been dogging the president since virtually day one, that he's juggling too much. And the answer that the administration will always give is that all of these issues are important. Certainly health care reform is important. Turning the economy around, important as well. The war in Afghanistan and what to do there, very important as well.

But this administration believes that by focusing on clean energy, not only are you making it a better, more efficient system, but also they believe that there is some job creation here. They're pointing out that those who are receiving this $3.4 billion, that they believe that it will create tens of thousands of jobs. So, it's a job creation component which really factors into the whole effort to turn around the ailing economy -- Tony.

HARRIS: Well, Dan -- Dan Lothian is in Arcadia, Florida, with the president. And to the right of your screen, it looks like the president is close to making his remarks. And, of course, we will take you there live when that begins.

We're going to try to sneak in a few of the other top stories of the day.

Vice President Joe Biden on hand as an idle GM plan gets a new lease on life.

California luxury automaker Fisker is buying the Delaware plant to produce plug-in hybrid electric cars. The GM plant closed this summer. Fisker recently received approval for $528 million in government loans. The new hybrids produced at the Delaware plant are expected to be available by 2012.

Top Democrats are putting climate change and global warming back on the agenda. A Senate panel is holding a hearing today on the clean energy jobs and American Power Act. Some Republicans are concerned about the necessity and impact of the legislation, but supporters say it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make America more energy- independent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: There's nothing conservative about remaining indebted to hostile regimes for our energy. Doubters often talk about the cost of taking action, but I have to tell you, every analysis shows that the cost of not taking action is more expensive. If we think that it's good for America to send $400 billion a year to other countries so we can put stuff up into the atmosphere that costs us even more to fix, we're crazy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LAMAR ALEXANDER (R), TENNESSEE: If the fire chiefs with the same reputation told me my house was about to burn down, I'd buy some fire insurance. But I'd buy insurance that worked, and I wouldn't buy insurance so expensive that I couldn't pay my mortgage or my hospital bill. That's my problem with this solution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And, as promised, the president at a solar power plant in Arcadia, Florida.

Let's listen.

(APPLAUSE)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And I want to once again thank Lew for the generous introduction.

I want to congratulate you and all the workers who are involved in this outstanding facility for Florida Power & Light.

It's an honor to be here on a very big day, not just for Arcadia, but for the cause of clean energy in America. With the flip of a switch, FP&L will -- has moved the solar panels behind me into a position where they can catch the sun's rays. And now, for the very first time, a large-scale solar power plant, the largest of its kind in the entire nation, will deliver electricity produced by the sun to the citizens of the Sunshine State. And I think it's about time.

(APPLAUSE)

This plant will produce enough power to serve the entire city of Arcadia. Its construction was a boost to your local economy, creating nearly 400 jobs in this area. And over the next three decades, the clean energy from this plant will save 575,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, which is the equivalent of removing more than 4,500 cars from the road each year for the life of the project. Think about that: 45,000 cars from the road each year for the life of the project.

And yet, to realize the full potential of this plant and others like it, we've got to do more than just add extra solar megawatts to our electrical grid. That's because this grid, which is made up of everything from power lines to generators to the meters in your home, still runs on century-old technology. It wastes too much energy, it costs us too much money, and it's too susceptible to outages and blackouts.

To offer one analogy, just imagine what transportation was like in this country back in the 1920s, 1930s, before the Interstate Highway System was built. It was a tangled maze of poorly maintained back roads that were rarely the fastest or the most efficient way to get from point A to point B.

Fortunately, President Eisenhower made an investment that revolutionized the way we travel; an investment that made our lives easier and our economy grow.

Now it's time to make the same kind of investment in the way our energy travels, to build a clean energy superhighway that can take the renewable power generated in places like De Soto and deliver it directly to the American people in the most affordable and efficient way possible.

Such an investment won't just create new pathways for energy.

It's expected to creates tens of thousands of new jobs all across America, in areas ranging from manufacturing and construction to I.T. and the installation of new equipment in homes and in businesses.

It's expected to save consumers more than $20 billion over the next decade on their utility bills. And I know nobody minds seeing their utilities bill cut.

I'm sorry, Lew, but they really don't mind that.

(LAUGHTER)

It will make our grid more secure and more reliable, saving us some of the $150 billion we lose each year during power outages.

It will allow us to more effectively transport renewable energy generated in remote places to large population centers, so that a wind farm in rural South Dakota can power homes in Chicago.

And by facilitating the creation of a clean energy economy, building this 21st-century energy infrastructure will help us lay a foundation for lasting growth and prosperity.

So that's why today I'm pleased to announce that, under the Recovery Act, we are making the largest-ever investment in a smarter, stronger and more secure electric grid. This investment will come in the form of 100 grants totaling $3.4billion, grants that will go to private companies, utilities, cities and other partners who have applied with plans to install smart-grid technologies in their area.

And throughout this week, the members of my Cabinet are going to be fanning across the country, talking about some of the winning projects.

Some of the projects involve modernizing old, inefficient transmission lines that just waste too much energy. And to speed that process along, nine federal agencies have signed an agreement that will help break down the bureaucratic barriers that currently make it slow and costly to build new transmission lines on federal lands.

But most of the projects that are receiving grants involve the installation of what are known as smart meters, devices that will have a direct benefit for consumers who want to save money on their electrical bills.

For example, even as Florida Power & Light is bringing this solar plant on line today, it also is deploying hundreds of thousands of these smart meters in people's homes throughout Florida.

Much like the Recovery Through Retrofit plan we launched last week to boost the weatherization and retrofit industry, these devices will help you greatly improve the energy efficiency in your own home.

Now, let me explain what's going on with these smart meters.

Smart meters will allow you to actually monitor how much energy your family is using, by the month, by the week, by the day or even by the hour. So, coupled with other technologies, this is going to help you manage your electricity use and your budget at the same time, allowing you to conserve electricity during times when prices are highest, like hot summer days.

Through these investments in a variety of smart-grid technologies, utilities like Florida Power & Light will also be able to monitor the performance of its electricity grid in real time, which means they'll be able to identify and correct service interruptions more quickly and effectively.

And all this information will help increase renewable energy generation, provide support for plug-in electric vehicles, and reduce the carbon pollution that causes climate change.

Here in this region of Florida, this project will reduce demand for electricity by up to 20 percent during the hottest summer days that stress the grid and power plants. It'll provide smart meters to 2.6 million more customers. And, most importantly, it'll create thousands of jobs -- good job, by the way, that can't be outsourced; jobs that'll last and jobs that pay a decent wage.

On their own, the opening of this new solar plant or the installation of new smart meters or the investment in grid modernization will not be enough to meet the challenges posed by our dependence on fossil fuels. But together, we can begin to see what a clean energy future will look like.

We can imagine the day when you'll be able to charge the battery on your plug-in hybrid car at night because your smart meter reminded you that nighttime electricity is cheapest.

In the daytime, when the sun is at its strongest, solar panels like these and electricity stored in car batteries will be able to power the grid with affordable emission-free energy.

The stronger, more efficient grid would be able to transport power generated at dams and wind turbines from the smallest town to the biggest cities.

And above all, we can see all this work that would be created for millions of Americans who need it and who want it here in Florida and all across the country.

So we're on the cusp of this new energy future. And in fact, a lot of it's already taken place. Even as I'm here today, Vice President Biden's in Delaware announcing the reopening of a once- shuttered G.M. factory that will soon put people back to work building plug-in electric hybrid vehicles.

On Friday, I was in Boston...

(APPLAUSE)

That's good news.

On Friday, I was in Boston where workers will soon be breaking ground on a new wind technology testing center that will allow researchers in the United States to test the world's newest and largest wind turbine blades for the very first time. And there are recovery projects like this in cities and counties all across the country.

So at this moment, there's something big happening in America when it comes to creating a clean energy economy, but getting there will take a few more days like this one and more projects like this one.

And I've often said that the creation of such an economy is going to require nothing less than the sustained effort of an entire nation; an all-hands-on-deck approach, similar to the mobilization that preceded World War II or the Apollo Project.

And I also believe that such a comprehensive piece of legislation that is taking place right now in Congress is going to be critical. That's going to finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy in America: legislation that will make the best use of resources we have in abundance through clean coal technology, safe nuclear power, sustainably grown biofuels, and energy we harness from the wind, waves and sun. The House has already acted and passed such legislation, and the Senate's on the way. In fact, just today the Environment and Public Works Committee, under the leadership of Senator Barbara Boxer, is holding the Senate's first hearings on this bill.

The creation of a clean energy economy has to be made as swiftly and carefully as possible to ensure that what it takes to grow this economy in the short, medium and long term is no longer delayed.

And I'm pleased to report that a consensus is growing to achieve exactly that: a consensus between Democrats and Republicans, environmentalists and evangelicals, labor leaders and especially so many business leaders like Lew, that are ready to jump on board because they understand that the growth of clean energy can lead to the growth of our economy.

Now, I have to be honest with you, though. The closer we get to this new energy future, the harder the opposition's going to fight. The more we're going to hear from special interests and lobbyists in Washington whose interests are contrary to the interests of the American people.

There are those who are also going to suggest that moving toward a clean energy future is going to somehow harm the economy or lead to fewer jobs. And they're going to argue that we should do nothing, stand pat, do less or delay action yet again.

I just want to point out, we've heard such arguments before. We've engaged in this same type of debate a lot of times through our history. People don't like change, and they get nervous about it.

Lew and I were just talking about it. He said especially utility executives get nervous about change.

(LAUGHTER)

It's a debate between looking backwards and looking forward, between those who are ready to seize the future and those who are afraid of the future.

And we know which side the United States of America has always come down on. We know that we've always been a people who were unafraid to reach for that more promising future. We know that the promise of places like DeSoto and projects like the creation of a modern electricity grid mean a continuation of that long march of progress in this country.

And we refuse to believe that our politics are too broken to make the energy future we dream of a reality.

I know what the American people are capable of when they're called upon to meet big challenges. I know it because I've seen it here in Arcadia and I've seen it all across America. This is the nation, after all, that harnessed electricity and the energy contained in an atom; that developed a steam boat and the modern cell; that connected a continent with a massive system of highways and railroads. And I believe we can blaze such trails again. And I commend all of you for being so critical in these early first steps.

Congratulations to you on your extraordinary achievement. And when it comes to the development of clean, renewable energy, I hope there are going to be a lot of days like this one to come. I know I'm going to be working as hard as I can to make it possible.

And while I'm here, I just want to introduce Carol Browner, who works with me in our White House.

(APPLAUSE)

And she is helping to lead the charge in Washington. She just happens to be from Florida. And so she knows a little bit about the Sunshine State.

We are so excited by what you've done. And we are absolutely confident we're just going to keep on building on the great progress that you've already made.

Thank you, Arcadia. Thank you, Florida.

(APPLAUSE)

HARRIS: All right. You just heard President Obama announce a $3.4 billion investment to upgrade the nation's power grid. The money will help pay for millions of smart meters.

What are smart meters? We want to check in right now with CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow. She's in New York.

And Poppy, wow. Why such a big investment? First of all, good to see you. Why such a big investment in these smart meters?

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT: Well, good to see you, Tony.

You know, listening to the president there, I think it was very interesting that he mentioned these are jobs that can't be outsourced, and he's talking about those smart meters. What we're going to see with this $3.4 billion grant allocated today to these 100 different companies is installing these meters that go in your home.

They are going to go in millions of American homes. We're going to have 18 million in total, making up 13 percent of all of the smart meters. We all need one to run the energy in our household.

These are things that will tell you -- for example, if the power is out, it will tell your power company. You don't have to call them.

HARRIS: Oh, OK.

HARLOW: And as the president said, it will tell you your electric car battery needs to be charged. It will help you manage the consumption of energy in your home to make it not only more affordable for you, but conserving energy, therefore reaching his renewable energy, green energy, nation gold that he's talking about.

He was talking about a clean energy superhighway. This is something where you have jobs that are in this country that, again, can't be outsourced, going directly into homes. And it's something that, relatively speaking, Tony, doesn't cost that much money, nearly $3.5 billion. It's a lot, but it's nowhere near money spent on, say, an entirely new grid that so many folks are talking about.

So, it's a step that the president is making, and it's doable. The White house saying on a conference call last night that we were on about this, it's going to be in the next three years that we will see this completed. So, it's really one of those more short-term projects that we'll actually see starting to take action relatively soon -- Tony.

HARRIS: Was it clear in that conference call -- because it appeared clear in the president's message today, that this administration is really again ramping up this idea of creating a new economy. You mentioned there was all of the imagery again, the electrical grid, superhighway. You remember the information superhighway.

HARLOW: Right.

HARRIS: That was clearly an economy built around information and IT. And now we're talking about a new economy built around clean energy, energy efficiency. You had this electric grid, on and on and on.

HARLOW: Well, wasn't that interesting that he equated this to post-World War II America and the Apollo Project, looking at an innovation that will take communities across this nation and around the world, the corporate side and the individual side jumping in. I mean, that's quite a strong comparison, to compare it to that project in America. It's reinvention on the highest scale.

He also, as you noted there, very slightly pressed the Senate, which is holding its first meeting today on that cap and trade legislation, saying it got through the House, now I know it's going to get through the Senate, nudging Congress -- we've heard so much talk about financial reform, health care. What about energy? What about cap and trade?

The president really taking a big step forward on that today -- Tony.

HARRIS: All right. CNN.com's Poppy Harlow for us from New York.

Poppy, good to see you. Thank you.

As the H1N1 virus spreads more widely, parents have a lot of questions about what to look for. We're going to get some answers from our senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRIS: Another day of heavy losses for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Eight troops killed in two roadside bombings. That's on top of 14 Americans killed in helicopter crashes yesterday.

The White House has just released a statement saying -- quoting now -- "As always, our prayers go out to those who have lost a loved one and for those who have sacrificed so much to serve our country."

Fifteen Americans have been killed this month in Afghanistan, making October the deadliest month for U.S. troops since the start of the war. The president, yesterday, made this promise to the military...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I will never rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm's way. I won't risk your lives unless it is absolutely necessary.

(APPLAUSE)

And if it is necessary, we will back you up to the hilt, because you deserve the strategy, the clear mission, and the defined goals, as well as the equipment and support that you need to get the job done. We are not going to have a situation in which you are not fully supported back here at home. That is a promise that I will always make to you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: President Obama meets with his Joint Chiefs Friday as he decides the future of that war in Afghanistan.

Iraqi officials today released this surveillance video of Sunday's explosions in Baghdad. A group linked to al Qaeda claiming responsibility for the twin bombings that killed 155 people. The militant group makes the claim on a Web site.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Helping you fight the flu. We keep hearing that for most children, H1N1 is no big deal, but that strain can quickly become a killer. How do you know when your child has taken a turn for the worst?

Our Elizabeth Cohen walks us through the symptoms.

Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Tony, I've been on the phone with parents who's children who were diagnosed with H1N1 but the doctor said they would be fine and they sent them home. Now, when you have a child at home with H1N1, you need to be vigilant for signs that something is going to go very, very wrong. Most children are perfectly fine after a couple of days. But the parents who I've been talking to on the phone, their children weren't fine. They actually ended up in intensive care.

So how do you catch a case of H1N1 that's not average? That, in fact, is about to become very, very severe? Here are the signs to look for.

You want to look for a child whose fever is not responding to drugs. You give them Tylenol, Advil and the fever is still there. Also, if a child can't keep liquids down, has fast breathing or has blue skin, for example, on the toes or the fingers, or a numbness. Or a child who gets better and then worse. That's a child you need to take back to the doctor, even if you've been there several times and the doctor has told you to go home.

It is so important with the flu, including H1N1, to be vigilant with your child. As Doctor Gregory Poland (ph), who's an infectious disease expert with the Mayo Clinic tells us, you have to be your child's advocate. If you think that something's really, truly wrong with your child, more than just the average case of H1N1, you need to take your child back to the doctor.

Now, having said this, the vast majority of children will be fine on H1 -- will be fine with H1N1 after a few miserable days. But if you were particularly worried about your child, that your child may be one of the few who ends up in intensive care, then you need to be vigilant and tell your doctor that you think something's wrong.

Tony.

HARRIS: Elizabeth, appreciate it. Thank you.

You know, we have taken the number one online news site and made it better. For more health news and the latest on H1N1, go to CNNhealth.com.

Those Northwest pilots who missed the Minneapolis airport now say they were distracted by the laptop computers. Yes, that's the story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: The Northwest Airlines pilots who overflew a Minnesota runway are expected to lose their license, at least temporarily. That's according to a federal official. It comes after a startling revelations about what was going on in the cockpit. Here's CNN's Jeanne Meserve.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, the pilots were both seasoned veterans with unblemished records, but their careers may well be over. During five hour of interviews, they told National Transportation Safety Board investigators they were not asleep, not arguing, but were distracted by their computers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE (voice-over): The Northwest pilots tell NTSB investigators they did not fall asleep or doze. They just had a 19- hour layover. But they say they used their personal laptop computers during the flight. A violation of company policy. The pilots tell the NTSB they looked at the computers during what they called a concentrated period of discussion of scheduling issues arising from the merger of Northwest and Delta.

The pilots also told investigators that during this discussion they did not monitor the airplane. They were aware of conversations on the radio, and did not listen to transmissions from air traffic control or notice messages from company dispatchers. They say they lost track of time and only when a flight attendant asked about their arrival time did they realize they had flown past their destination.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These pilots were simply not paying attention for a period of time. And is that a serious offense? It is. But it's not one that I think put the lives of those people at jeopardy.

MESERVE: Delta, the parent company of Northwest, says the pilots will remain on suspension until the investigation is over, but said in the statement, using laptops is strictly against the airlines flight deck policies and violations of that policy will result in termination.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are always supposed to maintain situational awareness and somebody's always supposed to be watching the airplane and flying the airplane. That's your first order of duty. That's your first priority. So there really is no excuse, no reason to allow it to go to this point. It should not have happened.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: The investigation continues. Monday, the NTSB talked to the three flight attendants on the plane to get their version of events. And, meanwhile, parent company Delta has sent $500 travel vouchers to the passengers onboard the erred (ph) flight.

Tony, back to you.

HARRIS: All right, Jeanne, appreciate it. Thank you.

A check of your top stories is next, including another bad day for U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK. Let's get you caught up on the day's top stories.

Eight more American troops killed by insurgents in southern Afghanistan. The military says they died today in two separate roadside bomb. This is now the deadliest month in the eighth year war with 58 Americans killed.

President Obama focusing on updating the nation's energy transition system at a solar power station in Arcadia, Florida. Just a short time ago, he announced $3.4 billion in government grants to help develop a smart electrical grid for the country. And top Democrats are putting climate change and global warming back on the agenda. A Senate panel is holding a hearing today on the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. That's a mouth full. Supporters say it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make America more energy independent.

Let's take a look at the Big Board. Three hours until the trading day in just a moment, as always, just past three hours in the trading day. I want to remind you, for the latest financial news, go to CNNmoney.com.

And as you can see, we're still in positive territory, off of the session highs, but still positive. The Dow up 37 points. The NASDAQ, at last check, was up 13. We're following these numbers throughout the day with Susan Lisovicz is right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

One sign of recovery. Home prices rose for the third straight month in August. A key index of 20 major cities shows a 1 percent climb from July. Low prices, as you know, and a temporary tax credit for first-time buyers are spurring sales. On the other hand, consumer confidence took an unexpected dip. Americans expecting a grim outlook, expecting fewer jobs and lower salaries.

Can top Democrats round up the votes they need for a public option to health care reform? We will get the latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: It is official, the Senate health reform bill will include a public option. One question now is whether Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid can round up the votes he needs. CNN's Jim Acosta has this public option reality check.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For Democrats, it's a gamble. So it's fitting that Majority Leader Harry Reid from Nevada would roll the dice and announce the Senate's version of health care reform will include a public option.

SEN. HARRY REID, (D) MAJORITY LEADER: Well, the public option is not a silver bullet. I believe it's an important way to insure competition and to leveling the playing field.

ACOSTA: Even though states would be allowed to opt out of the government insurance program for the uninsured, it's a calculated risk, as Democrats don't have a lot on the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster.

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER, (D) NEW YORK: We're close. We're not there yet. But we're making good progress.

ACOSTA: Liberals did not give Democrats much of a choice, with protests like this musical number that broke out at a conference for insurance companies. There are even ads aimed at the president himself. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You campaigned on a public health insurance option. We worked hard for it. We worked hard for you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: The fact is, President Obama rarely talked about a public option during the campaign.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to immediately provide cost relief, make sure that people who don't have coverage have coverage, and provide this option, this government option, that people can buy into.

ACOSTA: To this day, the president has not demanded it. In part because Republicans may stand united against it.

SEN. JOHN CORNYN, (R) TEXAS: As the public begins to understand that the public option is really a Trojan horse, which is going to lead to a single-payer or government-run system, I don't think they're going to be for it.

SEN. RON WYDEN, (D) OREGON: One of the reasons it's so important to get the facts out is I think the American people have been misled about the public option.

ACOSTA: Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden points out, people with insurance through their employer would be blocked from accessing the public option. That it's really a program for the uninsured.

WYDEN: When I was having my town meetings, people would stand up at rallies and say, public option or bust. And then I would say, folks, I really appreciate your activism. Are you aware that the way these public option bills are written, more than 90 percent of you wouldn't even get to choose them. And people were practically falling out of the bleachers.

ACOSTA (on camera): Roughly 30 million Americans would be able to buy into the public option. Those who already have insurance, that's roughly 160 million of us, will not. And the number of people left out of the public option could only go higher. Entire states are given the option to opt out of the option.

Jim Acosta, CNN, Washington.

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HARRIS: A healthy majority of Americans support limiting just how much carbon dioxide power plants that other companies can spew into the air. It's called cap and trade. And a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows 60 percent of Americans favor finding companies that exceed government set limits or forcing them to buy carbon offsets.

The younger you are, the more likely you are to support cap and trade regulations. Sixty-eight percent of those younger than 50 give it a thumbs up, while just half of those older than 50 support the idea.

It is looking less likely that a climate change treaty will be signed during an upcoming international conference. That's according to the United Nations. U.N. officials say they're lowering expectations for the December event because the U.S. has not passed a climate bill and industrialized nations have not set targets to reduce emissions or agreed to fund developing countries.

A Texas woman says she was cited by police officer because she couldn't speak English. Apparently this has happened before. We will show you why.

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HARRIS: You know, it's the kind of story that has the potential to split a city along racial lines. Dallas Police accused of ticketing drivers for not speaking English. Here's our Ed Lavandera.

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ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There it is, in writing, a ticket for being a non-English speaking driver. A $204 fine. Ernestina Mondragon got it about three weeks ago from a rookie police officer with the Dallas Police Department. She was also ticketed for making an illegal u-turn and not having her driver's license with her.

ERNESTINA MONDRAGON, TICKETED DRIVER (through translator): I felt humiliated. My self-esteem hit the floor. I felt like I had been discriminated against.

LAVANDERA: Mondragon has lived legally in the United States since 1980. She does speak a little English, but says she's struggled to learn the language.

Her case is not an isolated incident. Dallas police officials say they found 38 other tickets issued for not speaking English in the last three years. All those tickets are being dismissed and the fines will be reimbursed. The police chief has launched an investigation into the officers who wrote the tickets and the supervisors who approved the work.

CHIEF DAVID KUNKLE, DALLAS POLICE: Apologized to the Spanish- speaking Hispanic community. It's particularly disappointing for a city like Dallas, because we are very, very diverse.

LAVANDERA: There is a federal law that requires drivers of commercial vehicles, like trucks, limos and taxi cabs, to speak English, but Dallas police say none of the tickets were issued to commercial drivers. Chief David Kunkle says, as the department has switched over to an electronic citation system, the non-English speaking driver charge appeared in a drop-down menu. He believes officers thought it applied to people like Ernestina Mondragon. But that explanation isn't enough for critics of the Dallas Police Department.

HECTOR FLORES, LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS: Well, when it happens 39 times, then there's something a little bit more series that's inherent in law enforcement in Dallas.

LAVANDERA (on camera): Ernestina Mondragon says that the stress of receiving those traffic tickets put her in the hospital for three days. Her attorney says they want the Dallas Police Department to reimburse them for the cost of those medical bills, which total more than $5,000.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.

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HARRIS: Well, now that a national emergency has been declared, we will see how hospitals are preparing for potential onslaught of N1N1 patients.

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HARRIS: It was declared a pandemic in June. Now the Obama administration has classified the H1N1 flu outbreak as a national emergency. Now that won't immediately address the critical vaccine shortage, but it will help hospitals cope with the outbreak. CNN's Kitty Pilgrim has details.

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KITTY PILGRIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president explained in a written statement, "the potential exists for the pandemic to overburdened and health care resources in some localities." Something communities have been aware of for weeks. Vaccines have been in such short supply, communities have been swamped with lines of people when the vaccine becomes available at local health departments or clinics.

Now, under new orders, hospitals can more easily set up disaster- relief type operations for swine flu treatments if they are overwhelmed with sick patients. Such as erecting tents in parking lots, setting up health clinics in school gyms and community centers. Disaster-type relief measures that are often done during hurricanes and flooding. The new presidential order also cuts down on the procedural restrictions and paperwork associated with treating patients on Medicare and Medicaid. But government officials admit they do not know the scope of the pandemic which broke out last spring and is now in a second wave this fall.

DR. ANNE SCHUCHAT, CDC: We might see another wave after the first of the year. So I think it's going to be important for people to take steps to protect themselves. Unfortunately, I can't predict exactly what's going to happen.

PILGRIM: The new order will do nothing to address a severe shortage of vaccines and medical supplies needed to treat the disease. Private doctors, such as Max Von Gilder, a pediatrician in New York, calls the swine flu pandemic chaos.

DR. MAX VON GILDER, PEDIATRICIAN: Today, I got 200 doses of the H1N1 flu. I didn't have to notify people. I do that on a blog. And I then have 4,500 people competing for 200 doses. It just makes for a lot of stress on everyone.

PILGRIM: Other medical supplies, such as N95 masks, have also been in such short supply, medical workers have been asked to conserve them by not changing them as frequently as they usually do.

Kitty Pilgrim, CNN.

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HARRIS: And we are pushing forward now with the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM with Kyra Phillips from New York City.