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House Passed Health Care Bill; Fort Hood Shootings; Serial Killings in Cleveland

Aired November 08, 2009 - 16:10   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Score one for President Obama.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: For years we've been told that this couldn't be done. After all, neither chamber of Congress has been able to pass a comprehensive insurance reform bill for generations. But last night the House proved differently.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The president reacts to a big victory after the House passes a health care bill. Hello, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield at the CNN Center in Atlanta. We'll have much more on health care reform in a moment.

But first we'll talk about another big story we're following for you right now. A state of emergency has been declared for the state of Louisiana. Why? Because of Hurricane Ida. Let's check in with Jacqui Jeras in the severe weather center. What's going on?

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, I think the governor is taking some good precautions. Because the storm has really intensified a lot in the last 24 hours. And now we're up to a category two hurricane as it's moving through the Yucatan Channel. There you can see the latest on Hurricane Ida. Maximum sustained winds at 100 miles per hour. And it's moving north-northwesterly.

So tonight we're going to see this emerge into the Gulf of Mexico. And of course, the big question is where is this thing going to go? Well, hurricane watches have been posted now are ready. And this is from Grand Isle, Louisiana here all the way over towards Mexico Beach, Florida. So that means that hurricane conditions are possible within 36 hours.

So, yes. We're talking about tomorrow night and into Tuesday when this could happen. And it's early yet. Let's show you what the official forecast track is now from the National Hurricane Center. There you can see it's staying a very strong storm through the Gulf of Mexico. But waters are cooler here. And we're going to be encountering a lot of wind sheer. We're going to talk a little bit more about where the storm is going and why this is such a complicated forecast when I come back again in maybe about 20 minutes. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Jacqui. We'll check back with you. All right. Now to our other top story, the House of Representatives voted on the health care reform bill late last night after a pretty long day of debate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI, HOUSE SPEAKER: The yays are 220, the nays are 215, the bill is passed.

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WHITFIELD:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOSEPH CAO (R), LOUISIANA: For this decision, even though it was unpopular for my own party, but it was the right decision for my district. So I've always been focusing on making the right decisions for the people of my district, whether or not it will cost me my political future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. The 1,990 page bill would extend insurance coverage to tens of millions of Americans at an estimated cost of $1.2 trillion. It was a late night on the Hill with passionate debate going on after most Americans have actually called it a night. Here's some of the voices that were for the bill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DONALD M. PAYNE (D), NEW JERSEY: There will be a positive emphasis on prevention with vaccinations, mammograms and colonostomies that will be covered with no out of pocket expenses. In addition, there will be lower premiums for millions of Americans but we will see but (INAUDIBLE) I urge my colleagues to do the right thing and vote for this bill.

REP. PETE STARK (D), CALIFORNIA: I encourage each of my colleagues to join me in voting yes. And I can assure you, these guys aren't going to have to pay for it in the future.

REP. G.K. BUTTERFIELD (D), NORTH CAROLINA: We have an obligation, constitutional and moral, to provide for the general welfare of every American citizen. Allowing a broken health care system to continue to bankrupt families, businesses and hospitals and deny coverage to millions is a failure of duty. We must act now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. They were for the bill. Clearly there were also a lot of passionate voices opposing the health care reform measure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. JACK KINGSTON (R), GEORGIA: If your kitchen sink is leaking, you fix the sink. You don't take a wrecking ball to the entire kitchen. This bill is a wrecking ball to the entire economy.

REP. TED POE (R), TEXAS: You know, the constitution starts out, "we the people." If this bill passes, especially in this section, let's scratch out we the people and write in the phrase "we the subjects of big government."

REP. TOM PRICE (R), GEORGIA: This bill is not a health care bill. This bill is an affront on the morality of the provision of American health care.

REP. JOH BOEHNER (R), MINORITY LEADER: And I don't think there's a member on either side of the aisle who doesn't realize that this is unsustainable. That this will wreak havoc on our country, wreak havoc on the future for our kids and our grandkids.

REP. HOWARD MCKEON (R), CALIFORNIA: Support the Republican alternative and oppose the Pelosi plan. This is an absolute disaster.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So once again, in the end, the House voted in favor of that bill. So President Obama called last night's House vote historic. CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us now from the White House with more on that sentiment. Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, on the heels of that house vote last night which as you noted was a big political win for President Obama, the president very much wants to keep the momentum going. That is why for the second time in two days, we saw the president come out to the Rose Garden and make a statement before the cameras.

He, once again, called the vote last night historic. He also touted the progress that lawmakers have made so far when it comes to health care, and he urged lawmakers in the Senate to go ahead and follow suit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Now it falls on the United States Senate to take the baton and bring this effort to the finish line on behalf of the American people. And I'm absolutely confident that they will.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now, despite that confidence, something was noticeably absent from the president's remarks today. Listen, now, to what the president has said in the past several times about getting a health care bill to his desk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Now's the time to deliver on health care. Now is the time to pass health care. We're not going to wait another year. We are going to pass health care reform. Not 10 years from now. Not five years from now. We are going to pass it this year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: This year. That was the deadline. That was the time frame that the president noted. In his written statement last night that was issued not too long after that House vote, Fredricka. But that was not a pledge that he repeated out in the Rose Garden today. An acknowledgment, perhaps, that this White house, this president, they know full well that there is a tough political fight ahead in the Senate. Obviously we heard some of the opposition that you just played there. Likely to hear those concerns continue as this debate goes on.

WHITFIELD: Yes, he president acknowledging that this is just a step. Elaine Quijano at the White House. Thanks so much.

So this House win perhaps a big step. But there's still plenty of political hurdles remaining. First the U.S. Senate must now pass its own version. If that happens a committee would be formed to work out a compromised version of the Senate and House bills. Then the compromise would require final approval from both the Senate and the House. And if all that happens, it would go to the president for signature. But there was this ominous warning today from a Senate Republican.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The House bill is dead on arrival in the senate. Just look at how it passed. It passed 220-215. It passed by two votes. You had 39 democrats voted against the bill.

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WHITFIELD: All right. You can bet the White House will pull out all the stops to gain support in the U.S. Senate. For an idea of what's going on behind the scenes, I spoke earlier with CNN's senior White House correspondent, Ed Henry.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: If they do get, I guess, a victory, if you want to call it that, out of the Senate, then might that improve approval ratings for the president? Might that give him a little bit more leverage not just with the American people, but perhaps with Congress?

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. No doubt about it. I mean, that is the bottom line of this whole debate. You know, people have been wringing their hands for a long time, saying this president's approval ratings are going down. You know not just Republicans saying that.

You've got Democrats in his own party who have been wringing their hands and really frustrated at the pace of change now one year since the election. I think it will be amazing to watch if, in fact, he can get a bill through the Senate.

It's going to be radically different. Much more conservative than the more liberal bill that got through the House. But if he can get it through the Senate and then work out the differences between the two chambers, either in December or January, all this hand wringing will be wiped out. Because if the president gets a victory like that, first time in decades you've had major health reform, I think all of this debate, all of this is, you know, is Obama down, is he struggling, is going to be wiped out.

Because he will all of a sudden have a much stronger hand with Congress in maybe doing some of that Wall Street regulatory reform, dealing maybe with some sort of either a second stimulus bill or some other economic measures. It is amazing what a major presidential victory can do in terms of momentum. That's what he desperately needs right now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So that's only part of my conversation with Ed Henry. We also talked about the president's upcoming trip to Asia and about a potential meeting with his half brother while he's in China. You can see that part of our conversation on my web page at cnn.com/fredricka.

Another opponent of the House health care reform bill. Planned parenthood. It's unhappy with an amendment restricting abortion. In a statement the organization's president says this, "the amendment would restrict women's access to abortion coverage in the private health insurance market, even if they pay for most of the premiums with their own money."

All right. Sunday morning services. After the Ft. Hood massacre. Heartfelt prayers and blessings counted.

Also, a talk with the next president of a legendary civil rights group. Can the Reverend Bernice King rebuild the organization her father founded? You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Now, to the latest on the Ft. Hood massacre. The shooting suspect is breathing on his own now. Major Nidal Malik Hasan is in critical but stable condition. He was taken off a ventilator last night. The conditions of some of the victims have also been upgraded. Only seven remain in intensive care now.

The victims of the Ft. Hood shootings are on the minds of churchgoers everywhere today. Congregations on an around the post held services honoring those killed and wounded in the rampage. Our Samantha Hayes is in nearby Killeen, Texas, talking to parishioners there. Samantha.

SAMANTHA HAYES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. I'm at Killeen Baptist Church. There's going to be a special prayer service here tonight. It is non-denominational. It is open to the public. Anybody who wants to come can attend. The governor of Texas, Rick Perry, will be speaking here tonight. Now, in Killeen, where the military community and the civilian population are so intertwined, many people feel a direct, even a personal feeling about the shooting that happened on Thursday. And then their search for some comfort this weekend, turn to church.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAYES (voice-over) : On the alters of churches both inside and outside Ft. Hood this weekend, prayers for the victims of the shooting and their families. 13 wooden crosses. 13 candles at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church in Killeen. Under Retired Army Sergeant Victor Sanchez lays a rose next to one.

SGT. VICTOR SANCHEZ, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Everyone in this town is sad. Very sad. That wasn't supposed to happen here.

HAYES: Like his fellow parishioners, Sanchez is looking for answers. Seeking support.

REVERENCE PAUL MOORE, ST. CHRISOTPHER'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH: You all have people close to you who are hurting because of this. Bind up their wounds. Carry them. And then let me carry you.

HAYES: At Ft. Hood, Garrison chaplain Jackson led his congregation in prayer. And not just for the family of the victims.

GARRISON CHAPLAIN FRANK JACKSON, FORT HOOD: Lord, we pray for Major Hasan's family as they found themselves in a position that no person ever desires to be in.

HAYES: At the church on commanche post, Chaplain Jason Blake intertwines faith and a familiar military tone.

CHAPLAIN JASON BLAKE, COMMANCHE GOSPEL CHURCH: Our focus today is on resiliency. And that the Army, we're Army strong. And we're going to be -- our focus is on recovery.

HAYES: Recovery will be difficult for people like Sanchez who continue to question how something so tragic could happen in Killeen, Texas. His home. Fort Hood, his family.

SANCHEZ: As you know, it's my hometown. I live here. I've got business here. I belong to this church. All my friend is here.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAYES: A memorial service is planned for Tuesday at Ft. Hood. The president of the United States, the first lady, and top military officials are scheduled to attend. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right. Samantha Hayes, thanks so much from Killeen. In the meantime, this evening a prayer service for the Fort Hood victims and their family is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Eastern time. And you could see it here live on CNN.

All right. One of the wounded soldiers from the Ft. Hood attack is expressing his gratitude to the community for the outpouring of kindness. Army Private Joseph Foster was wounded in the hip, but he's out of the hospital now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PFC. JOSEPH FOSTER, U.S. ARMY: I got back home Friday afternoon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You say you were hit where, sir?

FOSTER: In the left hip.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And what does this mean to you, to have these other families come here?

FOSTER: It's been great, actually. She does most of the cooking. But I enjoy it, too. They have been coming by, bringing us food, offering any care. Watched my two children when I went to go pick up my brother. They've been more than helpful. It's just - the community came together. You'd have to get a taste of it. It's like a giant family. When we get - when anything like this happens, we just get stronger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: We're also hearing from other family members of Ft. Hood victims. Michael Cahill was the only civilian killed in the massacre. The 62-year-old physician's assistant worked at the post for six years. He helped deploying and returning soldiers with their medical needs. Despite their loss, Cahill's wife and daughters are not bitter or angry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOLEEN CAHILL, WIFE OF MIKE CAHILL: I'm not angry at this moment. Because this is life. This is reality. And these things happen. And sometimes you cannot control it. Perhaps there are some lessons to be learned here. That perhaps people need to be watched more in what state they are in mentally.

KELLY VANACKER, DAUGHTER: An individual person chose to do the wrong thing. And he will be held accountable for those actions. Absolutely. And he should be. And whatever the military tribunal decides to do, then that's appropriate. And that's what we need to remember. And focus on the victims here and their families. Because they are the ones that are important. They need the help and the support.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Congress may have plenty of questions about the Fort Hood shootings as well. Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman plans to launch a formal Senate inquiry. He thinks the Army should have taken preemptive action given some of the evidence that's been collected about the alleged gunman. Major Nidal Malik Hasan was reportedly exhibiting signs of Islamic extremism prior to the attack. Lieberman says the Army should have acted sooner. Well, it started as a waterspout. Then it turned inland. We'll show you what happened when a tornado hit the Oregon coast.

JERAS: Plus, the latest on Hurricane Ida. It's now a category two storm. What kind of an impact can we expect here on the U.S. coast? We'll let you know, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Residents in western Oregon are cleaning up after some destructive weather this weekend. A tornado slammed Lincoln City. It was spawned by a thunderstorm which ripped through the coastal areas, causing flooding, broken windows, even downed trees. The twister began as a waterspout and then moved inland. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.

And winter storm warnings are in effect for parts of Washington State throughout a good part of that state until Tuesday afternoon. Heavy snow has been falling this weekend in the mountain passes east of Seattle forcing at least two highways to be temporarily shut down. More snow is expected tomorrow.

People in El Salvador are digging out from hurricane Ida. The storm dumped torrential rains that triggered flooding and mud slides. The government says at least 91 people have been killed. The storm also drenched Nicaragua before heading into the Gulf of Mexico. Forecasters now saying Ida has strengthened and is heading toward the Gulf of Mexico and possibly to some of those coastal states.

That's why we're going to check in with our Jacqui Jeras to find out a little bit more. We know that Louisiana has declared already a state of emergency. Mississippi, Alabama and part of the Panhandle also part of that eye, right?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. They're all in the hurricane watch right now, which means all of them could experience landfall or hurricane type conditions in this area. You know, it's kind of a matter of semantics, Fredricka. Because there are a lot of different factors which are going to be influencing where this storm goes and some kind of transitional changes can be expected before landfall. In fact, it's entirely possible that this could become an extra tropical system before it hits the U.S. coast. But we'll still feel the same type of impacts, basically. So it doesn't really matter what you call it. It's going to be a big flood maker. We are going to see strong, gusty winds enough to cause power outages. We could even see the threat of tornadoes with the storm as it makes its way towards the U.S. coastline.

In the meantime here it is in the Yucatan Channel making its way north, north westerly. Maximum sustained winds at 100 miles per hour. Conditions here have been very favorable for strengthening. That's why we've seen it over the last 24 to 48 hours. But we are going to be seeing the weather conditions becoming less favorable for that as it heads into the Gulf of Mexico due to things like wind sheer and cooler water temperatures. Now, as you can see, we're already getting some wet weather pulling into the coast and those winds have been strong at times. We have sustained winds, 15, 20 miles per hour. Gusts could even be pushing 30 at times. But this is in advance of Ida. This is actually not even Ida yet. What's going on is we have an area of low pressure over here into the western gulf. That is going to be moving towards the north and east. That's going to help to start pulling up Ida into this area. And so the timing of that low along with Ida in addition to a strong cold front all working together. And that's why there is so much uncertainty down the line here.

Here you can see what we're expecting for the rainfall. This is just one computer model forecast. Three to six inches of rain easy, National Hurricane Center forecasts showing you the track now of where this is going to be estimated. There you can see we're going to have a big cone of uncertainty. Grand Isle all the way over towards Mexico Beach is where the watch is. You can see even down to Tampa. That's because we're going to expect this right-hand turn, and whenever that turn happens, has a big impact whether or not we see this closer to Louisiana or closer towards the Florida Panhandle.

Of course, we'll track it very closely and keep you updated in your hurricane headquarters.

WHITFIELD: That's a huge area in that watch.

JERAS: It's big.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jacqui Jeras appreciate it.

All right. More victims have been identified in Cleveland. We'll have the latest on the investigation there into the deaths of at least 11 women.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Josh Levs. We're following your thoughts on that story. And also providing you some links about sex offenders in America. What you had to say, coming right up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: We turn now to developments in the Cleveland serial killings. Seven of the 11 victims have now been identified. Investigators are looking for possible ties between the suspect and other crimes. CNN's Susan Candiotti joins us now from Cleveland. Susan, what are investigators looking at specifically?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Fredricka, for one thing, this weekend the FBI has been in Cleveland at the request of the police department here to try to lend a hand. Over the weekend, they toured the area around murder suspect Anthony Sowell's home. They did not go inside because it has been sealed for evidence. But they also looked around the neighborhood and they are also running Sowell's DNA in a national data base to look for any possible links to any unsolved murders nationwide. That's not the only linkage that's being looked at. Also in East Cleveland the police there are looking at three unsolved murders from late 1988 and 1989. There were three women, some are prostitutes and had drug problems. And they had similar troubles compared to the background of the women that have been found in Mr. Sowell's home. The police chief says that the murders in his town stopped when Sowell went to prison for attempted rape in 1990.

Anyway, Fred, the police chief went on to explain that the three murders in his town, all of those victims were also strangled and they were raped as well or suspected of that as well. And so they're going to try to see whether it is possible that Anthony Sowell had linkage to those cases as well. Police here are also in touch with the authorities in Coronado, California, after a woman saw Anthony Sowell's photograph on television. She now lives in the Carolinas. She said immediately, that's the man who raped me back in 1979.

Fredricka, this case has touched so many people here in Cleveland. Even reportedly the niece of the mayor who apparently had an encounter with Anthony Sowell.

WHITFIELD: Really.

CANDIOTTI: This afternoon I talked with Sowell's brother who said, look, I have not seen my brother in 22 years. But he said the poor women who were victims in this case certainly didn't deserve to die like that. And he said, my brother deserves what he gets from the criminal justice system here.

Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: That's extraordinary. Thanks so much. Susan Candiotti in Cleveland.

So for every victim of the Cleveland serial killings, of course, there are survivors dealing with the heartbreak. Yesterday during our special coverage of this in the 4:00 Eastern hour, I talked with two sisters whose mother was the first victim to be identified.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONNITA CARMICHAEL, VICTIM'S DAUGHTER: It's dishearting, and it makes you angry. It tears at your soul to know that a human is missing. And then to find out that they've been missing so long is devastating to find out the circumstances behind the recovery of all of these victims. And the families as well as ours, that suffered the torture that these women apparently must have suffered. And the community is suffering because they knew but didn't know. Asked for help, but didn't get help. And it's just a devastation that our family members are not coming back.

MARKIESHA JACOBS, VICTIM'S DAUGHTER: Also, to add to what my sister just said, to find out that as early as 2007 there was something that was questioned about the odor coming from this particular area around this home, and somebody didn't take a special interest, even with the Health Department going out and a sewer system being replaced and all of that, and the smell still was there, I don't work for the city council.

I'm not into the politics and how all that goes. But it's still very unsettling that there wasn't a deeper, closer forensic or whatever look at to where this smell was coming from in 2007. Our mom went missing in 2008. If this smell was identified a year earlier, perhaps my mother as well as some of the other victims and their families in this case, this all could have been prevented.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: We heard from so many of you at home yesterday that we want to share some of the comments that we simply didn't have enough time to get on the air. On my facebook, Thomas says, "I check the list once a month in our area. I take responsibility as a homeowner with two little kids. I also share the information with the neighbors."

And Pamela Green says, "Good question. Is our justice system so overwhelmed that it can't attend to the responsibilities that it has to protect citizens?"

And then this coming from John Crowley, said, "Take responsibility and keep yourselves aware of what happens around you at all times. Although we may be paying for it, our authorities do not have the money nor the manpower to get the job done properly, and that's not going to change. So stop relying on others. Stop blaming others, and do what you need to do for yourself and for your family."

Thanks so much for all of your comments and questions as we entertain this whole question, sex offenders, who's keeping watch, exactly. Josh, we've been hearing from so many people, still, even after yesterday's special.

LEVS: They came in through the night. Our team that comes in in the morning on Sunday was overwhelmed with lots of messages to go through today. I'm going to show you some messages from viewers and then I am going to go to the screen and show you some links that might help you. We're talking about a case of a serial killer. But obviously the discussion broadened out. Lots of people weighed in on sex offenders in general.

The first one for you right here from David. This is what David wrote. Check this graphic out. "Most sex offenses are committed by people whom you or your child knows. That seems to be a good place to start to protect your children. David with that reminder.

Let's go to Pete now. "While we are at it, Pete says, how about drunk drivers, thieves, murderers, arsonists, murders, et cetera, throw away the key on all of them. And have a watch website for them too."

Let's go through two more. I want you to see these here about what viewers and others have been writing in. Some sex offenders do terrible things and should be severely punished and made to register. But to lump them all in a single category and make them all join the public registry seems a bit harsh for those who made a single mistake and seriously regret it. That is from Chuck. Let's end on this one from Don. It makes no sense to spend millions locking away high level sex offenders for life and even less sense allowing them into our neighborhoods. Chemical castration is the only answer. Much cheaper. Much safer.

Speaking of that, I want to go into the screen behind me. I want to show you all something. Here in the NEWSROOM we actually had a discussion about chemical castration for sex offenders and whether that's the right idea, chemical or surgical. I'm going to scroll down a little bit. This goes back as you can see. Actually the date isn't here. It goes back to September when we had this discussion. You can watch the video on CNN.com/newsroom. Scroll through. You'll see that discussion as well.

If you'd like to weigh in, the conversation continues right here. Sex offenders, who is keeping watch. I'll tell you one more thing based on what we were just hearing in the tape from yesterday. Here's an interesting tweet I received from a mortician, Fred. Take a look at this. I want to know, talking about this specific Cleveland case, were the officials out to lunch? As a mortician, the smell is unforgettable. Was the Health Department asleep?

We're also going up on facebook and twitter. Fred, obviously, you know, people with no lack of passion on this issue. We always like to invite them to listen to each other, have a discussion. One of my favorite things, while they're there, they're also clicking on stories and videos, getting a whole bunch of facts along with it.

WHITFIELD: Yes that is perfect. It's great to get everyone's participation on this. It makes for an avenue so many of us can learn so much from. It's very important and vital. Thanks so much. Josh Levs, appreciate that.

Perhaps you don't have a job and you need health insurance. So what can you do?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories. A challenge for lawmakers from President Obama. Now that the House has passed a bill overhauling health care, the president says it's time for the Senate to act. He's encouraging Senators to get to work on their version of the plan, although passage is less certain since so many Republicans actually oppose the measure.

The Iraqi parliament passed a new election law today. It apparently resolves the sticking point of who will be allowed to vote in the oil rich city of Kurkuk. The city is claimed by both Arabs and Kurds, passage of the long delayed law means national elections are expected to take place in January as planed.

Louisiana isn't taking any chances on hurricane Ida. Governor Bobbie Jindal has declared a state of emergency. The move frees up resources and puts the National Guard and state troopers on high alert.

At 10.2 percent, the nation's unemployment rate is the highest it's been since 1983. So what can you do if you are still out of work and you still need insurance? Here now is personal finance editor Gerri Willis.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: If you were laid off between, say, September 1st of 2008 and December 31st of 2009, Uncle Sam covers 65 percent of your insurance premium. That's a law Congress passed. That means $400 bucks to $1,000 per month. The bad news, the lifeline is running out so you have to look for other options.

Let's say you lose your job today. What do you do? The best option is piggy backing on your spouse's plan. Even if it's not open enrollment time, you have 30 days to get on the spouse's plan once you lose coverage. The next thing you can try is getting your company to give some of this money to you in your exit package or severance package.

Obviously they're becoming a lot stingier with these. You can certainly ask for the help. Finally, you can actually pay for your own cobra benefits. Federal law requires companies with 20 employees or more to offer the option of extending coverage for 18 months. It'll be expensive, but at least you'll have coverage. Fred.

WHITFIELD: Thank you so much Gerri. Appreciate that.

All right. Paid to not get pregnant. A subject for the "Chat Room."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back to the NEWSROOM where we are now transitioning into the "Chat Room." Jacqui and I have lots to talk about.

JERAS: The funny part of the day.

WHITFIELD: Beginning with, OK, everyone's been very alarmed about h1n1. Do I get a vaccine, all that good stuff? The measures I take.

JERAS: Have you?

WHITFIELD: No. But, you know --

JERAS: Would you if you could?

WHITFIELD: I don't think so.

JERAS: No.

WHITFIELD: I'm going to try and be just careful. That's bad. That's blasphemous. Everyone is encouraged to take advantage of it if they can. I don't feel I'm in that category of high risk. Let's talk about some other measure people are taking. Trying to get the swine flu. That's blasphemous.

JERAS: It's been a very common topic on the Internet. People are holding these alleged parties where you get together with people who actually have the virus and the idea behind it is that, you know, viruses can sometimes turn into something more severe down the line. And so the whole idea is, well, let's get the virus now before it turns into something really, really bad and get it over with.

WHITFIELD: Kind of like what people were doing with the chickenpox party a long time ago. While the CDC says we don't have any evidence this is actually taking place, that this is real, we are taking it very seriously. Meaning the CDC is saying they want to put out a blanket warning to people, don't do this. Do not try this at home. It's not a smart idea. There is no immunity buildup by exposing yourself to h1n1and lessening the severity of potentially getting it again. Be careful.

JERAS: Dr. Gupta says no. I asked him about it.

WHITFIELD: We all trust Dr. Gupta big time. He's already had his bout with h1n1.

JERAS: He has. It's not fun. My girlfriend just had it. She had a fever of 104 degrees.

WHITFIELD: That's scary. Is she OK now?

JERAS: Yes. She's OK.

WHITFIELD: She kicked it.

JERAS: She did, took a little while.

WHITFIELD: Tamiflu.

JERAS: I don't know if she took the Tamiflu.

WHITFIELD: We'll talk about something else very strange taking place in North Carolina. Strange and maybe in some people's view very proactive.

JERAS: Interesting.

WHITFIELD: You can tell about it.

JERAS: All right. Well, it's a controversial North Carolina program. A lot of people are raising their eyebrows about it. What they're doing is they're rewarding teens for learning self-discipline and self-defense and for not getting pregnant. Girls which are in the College Bound Sisters Program earn about $7 a week for attending the 90-minute program. But the catch is they can only collect the money if they get through high school and without getting pregnant and you have to enroll in college.

WHITFIELD: Yes. So, you know, you've heard all kinds of incentive programs, kids bringing home good grades. If they do, they get rewarded with money. This is very similar. Some folks don't like the idea that money has to be an incentive. The other argument is, a lot of folks are saying if it means that these young ladies are going to avoid early pregnancy and then go off to college, a lot to celebrate.

JERAS: There is. A lot of kids will do a whole lot of things for money. There was a program here in the Atlanta metro area where they were paying kids to study and do their homework after school. If they would get it all done and graduate, they got money.

WHITFIELD: I know New York has seen that in some school environments there, too. There we go.

JERAS: It'll be interesting to see if it works.

WHITFIELD: We tried to fit as much as we could in this little "Chat Room." It's our little jewel at the end of an hour, isn't it?

JERAS: Always a challenge to get it all in.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Jacqui, appreciate that.

OK, how to deal with the emotional aftermath of now a massacre Don Lemon will take us live to a church service in Ft. Hood, Texas when the NEWSROOM resumes an hour from now.