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Vegetative State Misdiagnosed; U.S. Ties to India; CNN Hero Peter Kithene

Aired November 24, 2009 - 14:00   ET

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


T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: And right now in Kentucky, investigators are announcing their findings in the suspicious death of a census worker. There he is, Bill Sparkman was his name. He was found in September hanging from a tree in a Daniel Boon national forest. The word "fed" was scrawled on his chest. Well, the word that authorities just announced moments ago is that in fact it was suicide.

They're saying Sparkman staged his own death, wanted it to look like murder. We will get more details just ahead, but there were reports from suspicion that he wanted to do that so that his family, his son actually, could get the money from a life insurance policy. But authorities coming out and saying he actually staged an elaborate suicide. We'll get more details later on in the hour.

Well, you know what they say -- mother knows best. Usually she knows best, but mom really came through on this one.

A Belgian man trapped in a hospital bed for the past 23 years -- you heard me right, the past 23 years. Everybody thought, including his doctors, thought his mind was gone, thought he was comatose, nothing there. Everybody thought that, except his mama.

This story blew us away, going to blow you away as well. We get the latest now from Robert Moore of our international affiliate, ITN.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERT MOORE, ITN REPORTER (voice-over): Rom Houben's story is both terrifying and uplifting. After a car crash, it was thought for two decades he was in a vegetative state with no awareness of his surroundings. Now it's known that, while paralyzed, his mind was strikingly alert, but he had no way of telling the doctors.

(on camera): My name is Robert. And I work for a British television station, ITV News.

Hello.

(voice-over): I interviewed him. While his career supports his hand and elbow, Rom guides a pen onto a keyboard. He understands English, but types his answers in Flemish.

(on camera): How lonely, how frightening has it been for you these last 20-something years?

ROM HOUBEN, PATIENT (through translator): At some moments, it was terribly lonely, but I knew my family was believing in me.

MOORE (voice-over): It was his mother who demanded specialists reassess Rom. With the latest scanning equipment, they confirmed his brain was fully functional. Staff at the center say it's now clear Rom was aware of events here all along.

JAN THIRY, CLINIC MANAGER: It's a second birth. We were amazed. We really -- we were stunned. We didn't know what happened because he proved to be totally aware of everything that happened around him.

MOORE: "I simply want to enjoy life. I notice a big difference now. I'm back in contact with the world."

Neurologists say such dramatic cases are so-called Locked-in Syndrome, unmercifully uncommon.

DR. ADAN ZEMAN, NEUROLOGIST: It would be a very, very scary predicament indeed. So I think people are going to be a little alarmed by this. I think it is important for neurologists who see these kinds of problems to emphasize that this kind of misdiagnosis, the kind that's been reported recently, is distinctly rare.

MOORE: It is remarkable to witness how a man once so utterly trapped is now able to express himself.

(on camera): People have described you as optimistic, which is an astonishing tribute to your character.

(voice-over): And to that comment, he slowly and simply typed the words, "I'm just being myself."

Robert Moore, ITV News, in eastern Belgium.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Wow. Twenty-three years, folks.

You heard the doctor in there say this kind of thing is extremely rare. Well, as always, you should get a second opinion from another doctor. We know one. His name is Sanjay Gupta, our chief medical correspondent.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: ... determined he had a car accident. And it sounds like he had a terrible brain injury at the time.

Where the story gets a little bit confusing is this diagnosis, as you said, of persistent vegetative state. He was diagnosed with this condition that, inherently from the title, means that it's going to last forever.

But even throughout the time over the last couple of decades, he would have these sort of what are known as lucid intervals. So, all of a sudden, you'd walk in and say, "Raise your arm," and he would do it. Or he would track with his eyes or something that gave an indication that maybe there were some glimmers underneath the surface here.

Really, it was his family ultimately that sort of pushed getting him further testing, transferred to a different hospital, where he was subsequently found to have fairly significant brain activity, relatively speaking, and is able to, you know, answer yes/no questions with the aid of a computer.

So much, much further along that his original diagnosis.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: But as I understand it, the tests that eventually let people know, including his family, that he actually did still have brain function is a test that's been around and actually used a fair amount in the U.S. So how did they miss it for a period of 23 years?

GUPTA: You know, this happens in many countries around the world, many hospitals in different states even. What often happens is someone has some sort of traumatic brain injury. They get a diagnosis of vegetative state, for example.

Then the idea is they go to a rehabilitation facility where they're getting rehab. But they're not focusing as much on re- measuring the brain or reassessing the brain. They're just sort of trying to move limbs, make sure contractions (ph) don't develop, things like that.

So it can be over a period of time that a reassessment of the brain simply isn't done again. If they had done it earlier, they would have found this.

HILL: And a lot of it could depend, ultimately, on the medical facility that you're at and what their resources are.

GUPTA: That's right. So smaller hospitals, in this case, probably not as likely to have some of the more sophisticated equipment that can test the brain activities. And you know, how the brain itself is reacting.

HILL: And for people watching who may have a loved one who is in some sort of a persistent vegetative state or a coma, the study that was referenced in a lot of the rights about this today mentioned the professor did the study and he found that four out of 10 cases were actually misdiagnosed. Is it that high that there's a misdiagnosis here in the United States?

GUPTA: Yes, surprisingly, yes. You know, in fact, we just did a whole documentary about this, called "Cheating Death." And we visited lots of nursing homes and lots of extended care facilities. That's where studies like this have been really been done.

And what they find is you up to a third of patients in those settings are misdiagnosed, with a diagnosis of permanent or vegetative state. But they go on to recover, meaning that it wasn't persistent or permanent ever.

HOLMES: And Sanjay's "Cheating Death" special, as you just heard him mention, he'll be back with that, bringing it back for you this Thursday, Thanksgiving day, 1:00 Eastern, only right here on CNN.

Well, in the world of big-time diplomacy, you have visits and then you have what are called state visits. So, what's the difference?

Well, the state visits essentially are the ones where they pull out the really nice china. And that's what's happening right now. It's the ultimate fist-bump, if you will, between presidents, and President Obama is bestowing that honor right now for the first time on the Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh. The two met in private this morning, held a news conference soon after that, and will meet again tonight for that state dinner that will be on the White House lawn.

CNN's own Dr. Sanjay Gupta, also Fareed Zakaria, will be among the guests there. And as you may have heard live in that news conference a little earlier, President Obama has -- was asked about Afghanistan. Here's what he had to say about when a decision would come.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think that the review that we have gone through has been comprehensive and extremely useful, and has brought together my key military advisers, but also civilian advisers. I can tell you, as I've said before, that is in our strategic interests, in our national security interests to make sure that al Qaeda and its extremist allies cannot operate effectively in those areas. We are going to dismantle and degrade their capabilities, and ultimately dismantle and destroy their networks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: So why does India get the honor of a state visit? What makes India so special? What doesn't?

Well, we can tell you it's the third largest economy in Asia behind Japan and China. And America is its most important business partner. But that's just the half of it. In terms of people, culture, money, security, clout, India is big, and it's getting bigger.

CNN's Jill Dougherty explains just how big of a deal India is.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the world's largest democracy. Population almost $1.2 billion. It's a nuclear power, a major trading partner with the U.S.

Now, President Barack Obama puts India center stage, hosting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his first state dinner. So large, the White House is constructed a massive tent on the back lawn.

ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Now this is a very important relationship with a very important country that we have in the world. That's why India was chosen to be the first visit.

DOUGHERTY: The relationship started with economics and trade. President George W. Bush reached a landmark civil nuclear deal, which allowed the U.S. to do business with India on nuclear technology. Now, no matter what the issue, India's importance is growing. Counterterrorism, nonproliferation, climate change, the conflict in Afghanistan.

MANMOHAN SINGH, INDIAN PRIME MINISTER: I sincerely hope that the world community would have the wisdom to stay engaged in that process and any premature talk of exit will only embolden the terrorists elements who are out to destabilize not only our part of the world, but civilized worlds everywhere.

DOUGHERTY: President Obama's recent visit to China and his attention to Beijing makes India nervous. So does his focus on India's neighbor and rival, Pakistan. This visit is one way Mr. Obama will try to alleviate those concerns. But long term, India's burgeoning economy and its effect on global warming, says one expert, could be a key issue between the U.S. and India.

TERESITA SCHAFFER, CSIS: I will also be listening for what, if anything, they say about climate change, where India and the United States are actually both having a little difficulty taming this issue domestically. We both had serious domestic problems with what we'd like to do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And our Jill Dougherty joins us now live.

Jill, hello to you.

And we're used to hearing this perception out there at least that President Obama has helped the United States' image in the world, but some might be surprised to hear India maybe preferred George Bush.

DOUGHERTY: That, in a way, is true, because, actually, under Bush was when the relationship really took off, T.J. And the concern has been in India that President Obama might not be placing it on as high a level as President Bush did. And then, also, you have that part of the United States paying a lot of attention right now to China -- I mentioned that in the spot there -- and also Pakistan in connection with Afghanistan.

So, this is a way of alleviating those concerns, making sure that India knows very well that the United States really does value it.

HOLMES: All right. We have seen the press conferences and the presentations and the national anthems. They've got the big state dinner tonight. But so far, what has actually gotten done? Have they accomplished anything, the two men? DOUGHERTY: Well, the White House actually put out a list just this past hour, and part of it is anti-terrorism, cooperation on anti- terrorism. Not a lot of specifics about that, but they already are doing that.

And then if you look at the list of the things that they've been working on, it really is broad. And I think that's the message here, that the relationship really is broadening and deepening -- economics and trade, agriculture, education and health, and especially the important thing about climate change.

And they have a new green partnership. They're going to be talking about clean energy, and also putting together a new joint research center on clean energy. That is crucial because they're both very big countries that pollute a lot.

HOLMES: All right. Well, they have got a big party to go to, at least, tonight. All eyes on the dinner.

Jill Dougherty for us from the White House.

Thank you so much.

Well, a psychiatrist is the one pleading insane. Revelations on how the accused Fort Hood shooter plans to defend himself raising all kinds of questions today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: On the security watch now, New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly is gearing up for the 9/11 trials, and he's promoting one of his point men working on security for the trials.

Inspector Michael Blake, a 23-year veteran of the force, gets bumped up to deputy chief now. Kelly says Blake has already made early security checks of spots that will be affected by the trial.

And, by the way, one and possibly all five of the accused will plead not guilty in the justification defense. They'll argue the attacks were responses to American foreign policy. That is according to a lawyer who met with one of the accused.

Well, the accused Fort Hood killer might go the insanity route for his court-martial. Not for certain just yet, but it's a possibility. That's the word from Army Major Nidal Hasan's civilian attorney.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN GALLIGAN, HASAN'S ATTORNEY: I mean, a person can't be found guilty if at the time of the alleged offense they lacked the mental capacity to be able to commit those offenses.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Hasan is accused of killing 13 people and wounding 30 at Fort Hood on November 5th. He is in intensive care at a San Antonio hospital, paralyzed from the upper chest down, according to his lawyer. The last funeral for Fort Hood victims will be tomorrow at Arlington National Cemetery for Major Libardo Eduardo Caraveo.

Well, a follow-up now on what's being called a politically motivated massacre in the southern Philippines. A state of emergency remains as the death toll from Monday's mass shooting has now risen to 46 and could rise even more. Some of the victims were relatives and supporters of a candidate for governor. Others were journalists.

Another follow-up here for you now.

Remember last year, that milk scandal in mainland China? At least six children died, 300,000 were sickened from melamine-tainted milk. Melamine is an industrial chemical.

Well, two people were executed today for their part in that fraud. Nineteen others convicted will spend at least 15 years in prison. Chinese dairy producers are offering compensation to the affected families.

And this is not the time right now to be mixing up vaccines. Dozens of people thought they were getting a swine flu shot, but they got vaccinated for another strain of the flu instead.

So what happened?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Now some of the top stories we're keeping an eye on.

That's a live picture you're looking at there out of Los Angeles. That's a Los Angeles City Council meeting where they proposed -- a proposed medical marijuana law was discussed a short time ago. It was on the agenda today for that city council meeting.

Part of a plan they were discussing out there includes capping the number of legal pot dispensers and slapping on a tax to help with the city's budget. Right now, not certain if such an ordinance is permissible under state law. The L.A. district attorney says he'll target any pot clinics that sell that drug over the counter.

Let's turn to Massachusetts now, where there's been a medical mix-up involving the swine flu vaccine.

Dozens of people, including some firefighters, thought they were getting a shot for H1N1. It turned out it was for another strain of the flu. In all, 47 people were affected here. Experts are blaming a confusing label. They say the mistake essentially amounts to get a booster for the seasonal flu, so essentially these folks will not be immune to the swine flu.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: Well, our CNN Heroes, past and present. On Thanksgiving night, we'll honor the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2009 in an all-star tribute in Hollywood.

We'll also be taking time this week to look back at past honorees like Peter Kithene, a CNN Hero from 2007. He lost both parents and six siblings to disease by the age of 12, but he devoted his life to helping others in his native Kenya. His recognition as a CNN Hero became a turning point for hiss country and his cause.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Heroes.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN PRESENTER: Let's marvel at Peter Kithene.

PETER KITHENE, ONE OF CNN'S HEROES FOR 2007: It was just a fantastic thing at the right time. Remember, two weeks after that, my country went into flames.

HILL (voice-over): In late 2007, Kenya erupted in ethnic violence. Yet in the face of this tragedy, Peter's Kithene's clinic, Mama Maria Kenya, thrived.

KITHENE: Going through that as a hero, I was just like, wow. I can do something. I can show some kind of leadership. While 40 percent of clinics are closing across the country, I didn't close.

HILL: Today, there are two Mama Maria clinics, with a third on the way, and the care goes far beyond basic medical needs. Growth Peter credits to the overwhelming support he's received since becoming a CNN Hero.

KITHENE: The life at Mama Maria and my dream has been completely altered. I mean, people listen to me when I talk.

HILL: The clinics treat more than 14,000 people each year. But for this native son, it is just the beginning of a pledge he made when he was orphaned at the age of 12. A pledge and dream to make a difference.

KITHENE: The goal is to reach as many communities as possible. There's still a lot of work to do.

HILL: Though already, Peter Kithene has come so far.

KITHENE: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And to see whose lives will be changed this year, be sure to join us Thanksgiving night for "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute," hosted by Anderson Cooper, 9:00 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN.

Well, stay with us, because our exclusive investigation continues into the killings of four Iraqi detainees. It takes us on a quest for answers. We're getting them from the top military brass.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HOLMES: Well, when does a soldier cross the line from engaging the enemy to committing murder? We're taking a close look with our continuing investigation into the deaths of four Iraqi detainees, gunned down by three U.S. Army sergeants who have all now been convicted. We went straight to the top for answers, and here now CNN's Abbie Boudreau of our Special Investigations Unit with part four of "KILLINGS AT THE CANAL, THE ARMY TAPES."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ABBIE BOUDREAU, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After hours and hours of interrogations, the Army knew the truth, three sergeants shot and killed four detainees, soldiers even sketched the crime scene. It shows the canal and the Iraqis lined up next to it.

First Sergeant John Hadley was the focus of the investigation. Soldiers say it was his idea to kill the men, since he believed the rules for holding detainees were not working. He feared the four Iraqis that the soldiers just captured would be let go, free to attack another day.

This 2005 memo marked "draft" imposed detailed standards for evidence soldiers needed before suspected insurgents could be detained. Failure to follow these regulations may result in acquittal or premature release of detainees, according to the document. Written after the scandal at Abu Ghraib prison and these embarrassing photos remained public, the memo was intended to tighten standards for detaining prisoners.

BRIG. GEN. DAVID QUANTOCK, U.S. ARMY: How's everybody doing? Any kind of problems around here?

BOUDREAU: Brigadier General David Quantock, who now oversees detainee operations, confirms the draft document was operational policy from 2005 through 2008.

QUANTOCK: Before the memo was written, a person could just bring a detainee to our facility and we would take them in with little or nothing.

BOUDREAU: Soldiers could no longer detain suspected insurgents because they were merely seen as a threat. There now had to be proof, photographs of physical evidence, photographs of the detainee at the crime scene and photos of the detainee next to the evidence. Physical evidence of the crime such as illegal rifles or IED-making materials were also need along with a sketch of the crime scene indicating the place of capture and the location of weapons, explosives or munitions. And the most difficult requirement was for statements written by firsthand witnesses to the criminal activity.

The new requirements made a soldier's difficult job even more difficult.

(on camera): You have said yourself, General, that there were many military operations where the focus was not on evidence gathering. So what happened in those cases?

QUANTOCK: Well, in most cases, if we don't have anything, they eventually are released.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): More than 80,000 detainees were captured in the war in Iraq. Quantock says the majority of them, nearly 77,000 were released due to lack of evidence.

Despite the high release rate, he says soldiers were perfectly capable of gathering evidence.

QUANTOCK: We're asking them to take basic evidence which they have been trained to do. Again, we have got the greatest soldiers in the world and I don't accept that that they can't take basic evidence off of a crime scene.

BOUDREAU (on camera): General, though, if it's so easy to collect this basic type of evidence, then why were so many detainees let out because of lack of evidence?

QUANTOCK: Well, I mean it took us a while, it took us a while to realize. I mean it goes back to my point about, you know, we were trying to make the fight fit the Army as opposed to have the Army fit the fight. I think a lot of the times we thought the insurgency would dissipate, we were working closely with the government of Iraq, we were trying to improve the Iraqi security forces. But at the end of the day, it didn't work out very way. We had to get better at taking evidence off the crime scene.

FRANK SPINNER, MICHAEL LEAHY'S ATTORNEY: We're asking them to be soldiers and to be cops, but they're just trained to be soldiers.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): We met Sergeant Leahy's attorney, Frank Spinner, in Colorado Springs. His work defending accused war criminals takes him all over the world.

SPINNER: As it was, they had to take off their soldier hat, put on their cop hat, take them to a civilian sort of police station and show evidence that these were the people that were shooting at them. And if there wasn't enough evidence, they were going to be released on the streets. But soldiers are not trained to be cops and they're not trained to collect evidence and they're not trained in the ways of civilian criminal prosecutions.

BOUDREAU: A point even General Quantock concedes when pressed.

(on camera): You have talked quite a bit about this training that soldiers have received. We've talked to many, many soldiers who say that the only kind of training that they would get would be a 15- point training presentation that they would get back in the States before they would go on a battlefield.

QUANTOCK: Yes, that's exactly right. We don't give them extensive training, we're not trying to teach policemen, but we are trying to teach them enough, whether it's eyewitness statements, whether it's photographs, all of those can be used in a trial. However, we got to catch somebody doing something wrong, we have got to find evidence.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): According to General Quantock, the 2005 rules were designed to help keep possible insurgents locked up and to secure a criminal conviction in the Iraqi court system. But on the tapes of the Army investigation into the killings of the four Iraqi men, the U.S. Soldiers made it clear it wasn't working that way.

UNIDENTIFIED U.S. ARMY SOLDIER: It seems like even if you do your job and take them to the detainee center, they just come right back and the same (EXPLETIVE DELETED) guys shooting at you.

BOUDREAU: And in the field, the rules could be even stricter. In this document obtained by CNN, an Army intelligence officer attached to Alpha company says statements from U.S. service members were not accepted as proof of insurgent activity and that the detention facility required at least two witness statements from Iraqis.

General Quantock told us Iraqi witnesses were preferred, but not required.

(on camera): With all due respect, General, what is the point of having soldiers in Iraq fighting this type of war if they can't take alleged insurgents off the street?

QUANTOCK: Well, we've -- as we look at Iraq, we look at Iraq as a long tomorrow strategic partner of the United States. The sacrifice is well worth it. What we're trying to do is build capacity and capability for not only the Iraqi forces, the police, the Iraqi Army but also stand all the rule of law.

BOUDREAU: The rules got even tougher this year. A security agreement with the government of Iraq now requires an arrest warrant signed by an Iraqi judge to detain someone.

(voice-over): Michael Waddington represents Joseph Mayo, one of the three sergeants who shot a detainee.

(on camera): Would you be surprised if other soldiers have done the same things that these three soldiers did when they pulled the trigger?

MICHAEL WADDINGTON, JOSEPH MAYO'S ATTORNEY: No, that wouldn't surprise me at all.

Soldiers will do what they have to do to stay alive following the law, but if the law and the rules don't protect them, then soldiers will do what they have to do to make sure they come back alive and their buddies come back alive.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): But do the frustrations over these new standards of evidence lead to murder?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: OK, our Abbie Boudreau joins us now. And you told me watching this and it strikes me and it just seems like, are you kidding me? In a way, you're supposed to give a soldier a 50-minute crash course in detaining and then collecting evidence and expect them to go out and essentially be police is what it sounds like. What are some soldiers saying about how their hands are tied by this policy?

BOUDREAU: Well you said it fast. They feel very frustrated with this policy. They just don't understand why they signed up to be a soldier and why all of a sudden, once they're on the battlefield they're also expected to be a police officer and that doesn't make sense to them.

HOLMES: The policy, I mean is this what they all get? I mean, literally, that stood out to me to hear 50 minutes and to hear the general there defending that. Initially he said, yes, we put them through this course and we give them what they need to have. And then to hear in the next breath to hear it's 50 minutes, it just leaves you scratching your head. How can that be enough?

BOUDREAU: Right, and we even know of cases involving this unit when people that they did capture were then going to be released and they were forced to bring the people, the detainees, back to the place of capture or back to their home, give them a letter of apology and even some money, some American dollars, because they wasted their time. And you can only imagine the frustration of these soldiers when they're fighting the same enemy again and again.

HOLMES: Wow. Amazing, amazing story and I think one of the guys in the video you showed there probably summed it up best, the same bleeping guys back out there shooting at you. So it's sad to hear this and how it all went down maybe, but still maybe this will come to light and some changes will be made.

Abbie Boudreau, thank you so much. Thank you so much for being here.

Well, the story still not over yet. We got another part for you, "KILLINGS AT THE CANAL, THE ARMY TAPES" tomorrow afternoon right here in the NEWSROOM. And you can also get even more details on this fascinating story by going to CNN.com/specials.

Well, something on the minds of a lot of parents right about now, coming up on the holidays here, toys. You don't want the potentially dangerous ones, do you? One consumer advocacy group putting it all on the table. Plenty of reasons why Santa should not put any of these toys under anybody's tree and certainly not yours.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: It's a decision on the minds of many military families as the holiday approaches. One defense source telling CNN now that the Pentagon expects orders to send about 34,000 more troops to Afghanistan. No official word yet from the president however. President Obama is expected to announced his new plan for Afghanistan after the Thanksgiving holiday. Well investigators saying that a census worker found bound, gagged and hanging near a cemetery in southeastern Kentucky committed suicide and that Bill Sparkman acted alone in staging the scene to look like a homicide. Sparkman had recently taken out two life insurance policies, neither pays a settlement in the event of a suicide.

And we do have a massive recall to tell you about. More than 2 million drop-side cribs sold at Wal-Mart and Target are considered unsafe. They're made by Storkcraft of Canada. Consumer advocates say the hardware on the side that drops down is faulty and that means babies could fall out or become trapped in the railing and suffocate.

Also, here we go now just in time for the holiday shopping season, the annual trouble in toy land report is out. And today, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group listing prime examples of toys it considers dangerous. Notables include a lunchbox with Elmo on it of all things because of possible toxic chemicals. Also Playskool's triceratops, a toy the group says could call hearing loss of all things. The advocacy group hopes shoppers will heed their advice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH HITCHCOCK, PUBLIC HEALTH ADVOCATE, U.S. PIRG: For parents and consumers about to head out on their holiday shopping, we offer the following advice. Remember that the PIRG report includes only a sampling of potentially hazardous toys, you should always examine toys carefully for potentials before you make a purchase.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: For the entire list of dangerous toys you can click on our blog, you see it there, CNN.com/kyra.

A growing number of Americans are planning to leave the credit cards at home this holiday season. Going to just use debit cards, that's as good as cash, right? But with debit card use exploding, banks are looking to cash in.

Stephanie Elam, say it ain't so. She's at the CNNMoney.com newsroom.

I am a debit card guy. So you're telling me now they're hitting you up with the debit card now?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lot of people are. They may be, T.J. You're going to have to start taking a look here.

Banks are looking for new ways to generate cash and the popularity of debit cards makes them a likely target. This year Americans have spent more money using debit cards than credit cards. It's a big deal because it's the first time that's ever happened. And banks are hoping to turn those debit cards into cash cows, especially as they face new restrictions on credit card fees.

So what's the plan? Yep, debit reward programs with annual fees. You saw that coming. We're seeing more banks do this. About half of the nation's banks currently offer some kind of debit card loyalty program and the number is likely to keep on growing. But here's the thing, some of these programs have annual fees of up to $55. Of course, if you don't sign up for the rewards program, T.J., then you won't get hit up with those fees and then maybe you'll be a safe debit card guy.

HOLMES: OK, but I'm not a rewards guy, but still some people are big rewards folks. So does it pay off to rack up the rewards points?

ELAM: There's no question that these programs may work for some people and it may depend on the program, but you have to read the fine print. A lot of debit card reward programs don't kick in until you've really tallied up some serious spending.

Case in point, according to consulting firm Tower Group a consumer looking to earn $100, just 100 bucks, towards an airline purchase would have to spend more than $33,000 on a debit card. I don't know about you, that's just really not in the cards for most people. That's just a lot of money.

And don't forget, there could be security concerns as well because debit cards, they don't have the same safeguards as credit cards. Debit cards protections can be more limited and it can take time to get your money back if something does happen. And remember, debit cards are your gateway to your whole entire bank account. They're not like a credit card and therefore you really want to keep safety in mind.

So for more on debit card fees, you can check out the story on CNNMoney.com to keep your money safe, T.J., cause I know you take that very seriously.

HOLMES: I do. And I'm embarrassed that one of my best friends on the planet works for our business unit and I am totally ignorant to all this stuff and keep getting charged and...

ELAM: And we keep talking about this. We talk about this stuff a lot. Just text me, man, I'm help you out.

HOLMES: I'll call you. Stephanie, good to see you. Talk to you soon.

Well, nothing says let's ring in the holidays like a turkey. A vodka-soaked turkey. You heard me right, folks. They're calling it the nation's first 100-proof bird. This time of year, the proof is in the pudding and it may be in that gravy too.

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HOLMES: They've been wanting to talk to him for a month and a half, but only now is a Florida teen burned over most of his body able to speak to police. Michael Brewer is able to manage just two one or two-word answers. Schoolmates allegedly set him on fire as some kind of revenge. The youngest boy who was there at the attack actually made his first public comments today. Not exactly sure why he's been put out there to speak out. He's not legally in the clear. His brother is actually been charged with attempted murder.

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JEREMY JARVIS, MAY FACE CHARGES IN ATTACK: I want to express my deepest sympathy to Mikey and his family. I will pray for Mikey to grow stronger every day and for Mikey's speedy recovery. I want to tell my brother DC I love and miss him. I just hope and pray we all get through this.

STEVE MELNICK, ATTORNEY: The state may still file charges against him. And it didn't matter to him, it was important for him to say how much this really bothers him and how much he loves his brother and how much he hopes Michael gets better.

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HOLMES: Meanwhile, Michael Brewer is still in the ICU. He had his first skin graft surgery on Friday.

Well, just a couple minutes away from this guy. You don't have to wait too much longer. Rick Sanchez, young fella, always good to see you.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: It's always great to see you. I'm a huge fan, by the way. Can I get an autograph?

These are numbers I have been waiting for a long time. Seriously. This is the nitty gritty. This is what we're in the business for, to report the information that's relevant to so many families and to so many Americans about what's going on in this country right now with the situation in Afghanistan.

Which, by the way, a lot of people wonder whether we need to keep troops there, some people think we should. You've heard General McChrystal's arguments, as many as 80,000.

Here's the nitty gritty. We have just gotten these figures, these are the figures that the Pentagon has affirmed they will be sending to Afghanistan. It's a total nut of 34,000. But we're also going to go into the breakdown of how many Marines, where they're coming from, how many headquarter elements, exactly what the Pentagon plans to do with them and from what forts in the United States they're going to be leaving.

So this is important to a lot of folks out there who have loved ones in the military and we're going to break this down for you in about seven to eight minutes. They're all lined up now.

HOLMES: A couple minutes away. We appreciate that, appreciate the breakdown. So you in just a minute, Rick.

Well, a lot of folks out there -- we're taking turn here. We're talking about Thanksgiving, talking about a lot of turkey. A lot of people know about Wild Turkey, it's whiskey, Kentucky's bourbon whiskey. Well, have you heard of vodka turkey? Might make that Thanksgiving dinner with the in-laws just a little more tolerable, you think? A New York chef has a tasty recipe for juicing up that bird. O'Casey's Tavern calls the dish the nation's first 100-proof turkey. The boozy bird doesn't even taste like booze, we're told.

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PAUL LOFTUS, CHEF, O'CASEY'S TAVERN: it just makes it pleasurable, the flavors we use in the vodka. We use apple, orange, peach, they fuse together and it actually has a sweet taste to it. It doesn't actually taste like vodka itself.

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HOLMES: Rick just told me here that the vodka evaporates as that bird bakes. So you lose a lot of that vodka, but to make up for it, the chef laces the gravy.

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HOLMES: All right, there's a big dinner tonight at the White House, you may have heard. The menu is out. Now we'll share this with you, despite all the mockery. You remember on the campaign trail the president made an arugula comment that got a lot of attention. Well, the president's going to be serving some of that up in the first course tonight. A lot of dishes after that. A nod to the honored Indian guest, going to be serving some red lentil suit, some green curry prawns, also some coconut-aged rice. Again, this is the big state dinner tonight.

Well, several hundred people are on that guest list and for all of us who did not make the cut, our Suzanne Malveaux serves us up details of tonight's big dinner.

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SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the most treasured and formal honor the president can offer. The First Couple literally roll out the Red Carpet. The event is timed down to the second. A state dinner is the ultimate prize.

AMY ZANTZINGER, FORMER WHITE HOUSE SOCIAL SECRETARY: Invitations from the White House...

MALVEAUX: Social Secretary for President George W. Bush, Amy Zantzinger coordinated a few of these dinners, but she says this one will be different.

ZANTZINGER: First, they'll bring the newness, the quote, "Newness of the whole day" because this is their first big dinner.

MALVEAUX: The big dinner will not be in the White House, but under a big tent on the South Lawn. Several hundred lucky guests will have the invites. (on camera): How do I get an invite to the dinner? How hard is that?

ZANTZINGER: It is very hard to get an invitation. It is very hard. Some invitations are complete surprises to people when they get them and others are a bit more expected.

MALVEAUX (voice-over): Like foreign dignitaries, cabinet members, Supreme Court justices, lawmakers, artists and entertainers.

ZANTZINGER: The word's out that the state dinners are a tough one to crash.

MALVEAUX (on camera): Ok, just in case, I'm planning on it.

ZANTZINGER: Exactly. Exactly.

MALVEAUX (voice-over): Seating is critical. Deciding just not who should sit together, but who should be kept apart, especially for politicians.

ZANTZINGER: It's always nice to be aware who's run against who and how bitter was the race.

MALVEAUX: The White House pays close attention to every detail.

ZANTZINGER: The appetizer with the lobster...

MALVEAUX: From the silverware.

ZANTZINGER: Some people get overwhelmed by the number of forks and spoons and knives.

MALVEAUX (on camera): It's overwhelming.

(voice-over): To the finger bowls.

ZANTZINGER: But you can always see people looking around to figure out, what are they supposed to do with this? You just hope people don't drink it.

MALVEAUX (on camera): Don't drink the bath water, ok.

(voice-over): And of course, there's the menu.

ZANTZINGER: The chef will have done tasting menus prior to the dinner for the President and the First Lady to taste.

MALVEAUX: The First Lady will choose the flowers, the table cloths and the china to be used that night. She will be presented with the completed centerpieces and place settings to pick from.

(on camera): Do you ever find people take the China or take a silverware as a memento.

ZANTZINGER: It's very sad. Unfortunately, it does happen and it's really upsetting because they are part of the White House history.

MALVEAUX (voice-over): Coordinating the wardrobe is so important. Aides talk ahead of time to make sure that dresses don't clash.

ZANTZINGER: The personal aides will sort of communicate. And it's really more so that they don't duplicate, you know, for them both not to be wearing the same color.

MALVEAUX (on camera): What about the heads of state? The president and the heads of state and the other presidents?

ZANTZINGER: They have it easy. They're just in black ties.

MALVEAUX (voice-over): But just in case there's a spill or a split, the usher's office is at the ready.

ZANTZINGER: Mending issues that they've dealt with.

MALVEAUX (on camera): Wardrobe malfunctions.

ZANTZINGER: Exactly. Wardrobe malfunctions.

MALVEAUX (voice-over): But surprisingly, what makes a successful dinner, it's what you don't plan.

During President Reagan's dinner, Princess Diana and John Travolta took to the dance floor.

ZANTZINGER: You had one of the most beautiful women in the world with one of the best dancers in the world come together in this incredible place. And I think the spontaneity of it and the combination of the two of them was perfection and really livened up a dinner.

MALVEAUX: Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, Washington.

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