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Tours in 'The Hood'; 'Mail to the Chief'

Aired December 08, 2009 - 14:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour with crushing poverty, urban blight, chronic unemployment, coupled with a history steeped in racial conflict and strife.

Nurture it with a steady diet of drugs, murder, and mayhem, and what have you got? Welcome to Los Angeles. But not the Hollywood or Tinseltown version, so prettily packaged.

I'm talking about the seedy, sordid underbelly of the beast, South Central, the modern day Mesopotamia for America's growing gang culture, where it all began and where it still lives and dies. Crips, Bloods, Folk (ph) or Florencia. Not exactly a family-friendly vacation or tourist destination, right? Wrong.

Starting next month, tours in "The Hood" will hit the road. That's right, guided bus rides through some of the most dangerous parts, $65 for a couple of hours. Flak jacket optional. Not a bad idea in a city with 287 homicides this year.

Tourists literally have to sign their life away to take this trip. Participants got to agree to a waiver. But organizers have actually negotiated a truce with the local gang leaders. From 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. the bullets won't fly, hopefully.

So, what about the profits from this, you ask? Well, they are supposed to go back into the community. But it is empowerment or community exploitation? A fair question.

As you might expect, not everyone is on board with L.A.'s planned bus tours of gangland. We're going to get those to you in just a second.

But first, let's go ahead and talk with the tour's founder, Alfred Lomas. He's a former gang member who has turned his life around. He runs a food ministry, and a gang interventionist. And he joins us now live from L.A. for a pretty honest talk.

So, you know, let's get right down to the critics, Alfred, because, you know, a number of council people have come forward and say, hey, this is exploiting the neighborhood, it's highlighting gangs. And we actually just heard from one of the councilmen, Dennis Zine. Let's take a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DENNIS ZINE, LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCILMAN: I think it's a crazy idea. I think that if something moves forward on that, you're going to jeopardize a lot of people. What are those gang members going to do when they see people coming by and looking at them and gawking at them?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: So, I want to give you a chance to react right away to the criticism, Alfred.

ALFRED LOMAS, L.A. GANG TOURS FOUNDER: Well, I'll tell you what -- if I didn't have all of the facts in, I, myself, would be very skeptical. If I was sitting where many people are sitting at now, I would of course have the same response. But this is four years in the making.

What we have done is we have a collaborate effort with intervention and a number of people on the ground level that are really wanting his, because of the economic situation that's going on. Part of what we have done is we've had three of the most notorious gangs in L.A. have an agreement, and sit down and say, hey, you know what? We can honor this in hopes of helping our youth. And that's really the important part, is to be able to create dialogue and communication lines between the rival gangs that are there.

This idea initially started with a lot of this poverty and the economic situation getting worse. A lot of the nonprofits are going under, a lot of families are suffering, and it's really a way of piecing the communities together. But more importantly, it does one thing.

Our priority is to save lives, ultimately to save lives. And the second is to create jobs and then have sustainable change. So this is really honored by the community. It's a "we" thing; it's not an Alfred Lomas thing. There's a number of people in the community who are supporting this.

PHILLIPS: So let me ask you about the tour itself. OK?

We've put together a map. You're going to hit seven spots along this tour.

Tell me the purpose of this. Like, for example, I know you rolled with Florencia. That's when you were an active gang member, known for dealing meth. You're going to go into that neighborhood. You know how violent these guys can be.

What's the purpose of going into that area, Alfred?

LOMAS: Well, the purpose of going into that area is that when this idea was first birthed, it was the result really of what's known as a one-dimensional approach to a three-dimensional problem. And that is that for generations and decades now, our approach is putting people away in jail, incarcerating them.

There's no prevention, very little intervention, and the gangs are actually growing. So, given that, I approached a number of people in the gang community and I said -- from the gang I was involved with, and I said, look, I really need in a way of helping the kids. And part of that, I had this idea of bringing awareness to much of our struggles. But I can't do it without the complete support of the entire community.

And unfortunately, that involves many of the people that are involved in violence, and basically just getting their OK to run through. And it's very controversial at this point because people would rather sweep the gang issue under the carpet. People don't want to address it.

They want to put people away in jail for the rest of their lives, but, unfortunately, what's happening is that this problem is growing. And unless we're able to deal with it at the root, at the source, then we can move forward and heal our communities.

PHILLIPS: Well, and I'm listening to you, and how I've read about this, you know, you think, OK, gang tour. You know, you've got random people coming into Los Angeles, putting them on a bus. They're taking pictures, they're going through the worst parts of South Central, and you are telling them how cruel gangs can be.

But I am sort of hearing something else here. I'm not really hearing a tourist type of attraction, but I'm hearing more of someone who wants to make a difference and wants to get gangs to stop killing each other, and to get these guys employed and doing something better with their lives.

So, what's the purpose of this bus tour? Is it to get more politicians, more activists coming through these areas, and you educating them on what happens in these neighborhoods? Or is it more for the random tourist who just wants to see what the movie "Bloods and Crips" was about in the '80s?

LOMAS: Absolutely. Bottom line, it's about saving lives. By having these meetings that we've had, we were able to -- as we speak now, lives are being saved. I'll give you an example of that.

PHILLIPS: But how do you do that through a bus tour? Explain to me, Alfred, how you do that through a bus tour?

LOMAS: Well, the bus tour, it's really an economic situation. The gang wars and everything else is really economics, bottom line.

There is a lack of opportunity. In my opinion, there is a lack of opportunity in these areas that are underserved, underfunded. And part of that is the result -- the gang wars are actually a symptom to an underlying and a greater problem, and part of that is being disenfranchised, is really a lack of options into the American market, in my opinion.

PHILLIPS: So you're wanting to raise money then through these bus tours. So it's more...

LOMAS: And create awareness.

PHILLIPS: So it's more of taking the money from these bus tours and putting it back into the community? Is that what you're telling me?

LOMAS: Absolutely. And that's paramount.

What really is important -- I'll give you some interesting statistics, and this may give you some insight into what the problem is.

LAPD has a study that say that five to 10 percent of gang violence is done by -- five to 10 percent of the gang population is responsible for 60 to 75 percent of all gang violence. So it's a small core group of individuals that are responsible for much of what we read and hear about in the news. There's a lot of stereotypical approaches and presumptions to these communities.

And let me give you one thing real quick. For every one person you read about in the newspaper, there's a thousand people that go to work in South Central, pay their taxes, cut their grass, and feed their kids. There's a number of wonderful people that are in these communities that believe, support and have really helped their communities. There's a criminalization mindset right now going on with these areas, and, really, these tours are just to create awareness that the problems that many people have assumed have gone into these situations are really false.

And I'm going to give you another thing, is that most people are making this controversial by saying that -- using words like "voyeurism" and things like that. Well, that's not the case.

We are not touring people walking down the street. What we're touring is historical events that have shaped many of the situations of civil unrest that have gone on in South Central, Los Angeles. Our goal is to create awareness.

PHILLIPS: OK. Right. No. I see what you're saying now, Alfred.

And, you know, I lived and went to school and spent, actually, a lot of time in South Central. Was even involved with a program there mentoring students. And you're absolutely right. It's such a creative and cultural and beautiful place. But in certain parts of that area, it's pretty hard core.

I mean, we're talking drugs and death and murder. And, I mean, you lived that life, you know how bad it is.

So, I can see what you are wanting to do, which is remarkable, but let's say you bring one of these tour groups in on a bus, and, you know, some of these gang members aren't really too hip to what you are wanting to do.

They have to sign waivers, each person that boards your bus, I'm told, so they know they are taking a huge risk by doing this. What if something goes wrong? What are you prepared to do if someone opens fire, if someone gets on one of these buses and doesn't dig your effort? LOMAS: Well, that's absolutely a very, very good question. Three-quarters of this tour is actually downtown. It's really giving classes on awareness and a lot of the urban graffiti.

We're making it interactive and we're creating, again, a platform of awareness. So the big part of the tour is going downtown.

A small section of South Central, a very small portion, is going to be toured through there. And the utmost care has been taken care of in the way of routes, creating awareness.

Most of our efforts -- well, all of our efforts, I should say -- have been done with the five, the people that you actually don't -- that nobody will ever have a chance to encounter, and those are the ones that are actively involved in a lot of this violence. So, being able to approach them and having that safe passage, if you will, is really paramount.

I believe that this is something that's very historical. It's just as historical as the Berlin Wall, if not more than the Berlin Wall, because lives are being saved. Let me give you an example of that.

We had some sit-downs with the Jordan Downs Housing Projects. And just to give you an idea...

PHILLIPS: Which, by the way, one of the worst projects.

LOMAS: Absolutely.

PHILLIPS: Yes. I've been there. I've covered stories there. Sure.

LOMAS: And you're absolutely right. And we know the stories that have gone on about Jordan Downs.

But I have something to tell you, though, is that in the past, Florencia and Watts (ph) have had a legacy of violence that goes back to the '50s. Now, this is the first time we were able to sit down and say, hey, can we do this in order to help our kids?

What we are doing is, we're hiring kids from the communities that will be on the bus and be able to interface with the tourists that are there. So, it's very small section of South Central that we are going to.

We're not going to be touring around randomly, into places that some people are saying, oh, I don't want nobody going in my hood. We're not going into your hood unless, of course, there is safe passage, and that's the agreement between the individuals that are involved with that.

So, this is very historical, but we're hoping eventually, some day, is that we won't just have safe passage from Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Our ultimate goal is that will have to pursue peace. And this is really, really something very, very historical. PHILLIPS: Well, and I know you and many others that have changed their lives there in South Central, and many hard-working families want that peace as well. And it starts with people like you.

Alfred Lomas, we'll follow up. I hope to take the tour and see how well this goes. And I really appreciate what you're doing. And thanks so much for talking to me today.

LOMAS: Thank you. Please check out the Web site: www.lagangtours.com.

Thank you so much.

PHILLIPS: You've got it. Appreciate it.

Drug war, gang war, murder capital all rolled into one. No one's safe, everyone's a target, and it's unfolding south of our border.

Can protest marchers help? At least it's something, if nothing else, for people at the edge of a terrifying abyss.

The commander in chief has spoken. Now it's the general's turn. U.S. commander Stanley McChrystal front and center on Capitol Hill, defending the plan for Afghanistan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Clarity, capability, commitment, confidence, cornerstones, in Stanley McChrystal's words, that President Obama's plan for turning things around in Afghanistan. The top U.S. commander in the Afghan war has gone from one side of Capitol Hill to the other defending that plan and the surge of 30,000 troops to a divided Congress.

U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry is at McChrystal's side, having reportedly opposed more troops while the Afghan government was seen as weak and corrupt. Now he's fully on board.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARL EIKENBERRY, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO AFGHANISTAN: The United States is at a critical juncture in our involvement in Afghanistan.

On December the 1st, the president ordered 30,000 additional troops to deploy to Afghanistan on an accelerated timetable with the goal of breaking the insurgency's momentum, hastening and improving the training of the Afghan national security forces and establishing security in key parts of Afghanistan. On the civilian side, we aim to increase employment and provide essential services in areas of greatest insecurity, and to improve critical ministries and the economy at the national level.

GEN. STANLEY MCCHRYSTAL, U.S. COMMANDER IN AFGHANISTAN: Mr. Chairman, I believe that our mission is to do two things.

First, al Qaeda is a threat to the United States and to our allies worldwide. Our ability to prevent al Qaeda from reestablishing safe havens inside of Afghanistan is key. As most people know, many of the 9/11 hijackers were in fact trained on Afghan soil, in al Qaeda-run training camps, and it's critical we prevent their ability to return to spaces inside of Afghanistan and repeat that kind of activity.

Wider than that, our mission is to help the government of Afghanistan have the ability to defend itself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: The secretary of defense is in Kabul today promising the U.S. -- and I quote -- "will never turn our back on Afghanistan." But 20 more years?

At a joint news conference in the Afghan capital, President Hamid Karzai said it might take another two decades for Afghans to be fully capable of securing their country without help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAMID KARZAI, AFGHAN PRESIDENT: For a number of years, maybe for another 15 to 20 years, Afghanistan will not be able to sustain a force of that nature and capability with its own resources. We hope that the international community, in particular the United States, as our first ally, will help Afghanistan reach the ability in terms of its economic (ph) ability, as well, eventually, to sustain the force that will treat (ph) Afghanistan with the right numbers and the right equipment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Our relationship with Afghanistan is a long-term commitment. As security improves and we begin turning over responsibility to Afghans, our relationship in other areas will only grow, especially with economic and political development. As President Obama and I have said repeatedly, our government will not again turn our back on this country or the region.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: In a weekend interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Karzai said that he hopes Afghans can take the lead in security by the end of his second term. That's five years from now.

President Obama spoke at length today about creating jobs, but a lot of you guys still having questions, like when and how many?

Employment and the economy, the focus of today's "mail to the Chief." We're going to go live to the White House.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT) PHILLIPS: Top stories now.

A form of lethal injection never before used in the U.S. put to test in Ohio, and it worked. A convicted killer was executed this morning with a single drug. Until now, a mix of drugs had been used in Ohio.

A lawman with plenty of chops will lead the FBI's probe of its policies and practices before the shooting rampage at Fort Hood. William Webster appointed this morning. He's a former FBI and CIA director. The FBI has said the accused gunman was on their radar last December as part of an unrelated terror investigation, but he didn't raise any red flags.

A Chicago man charged with helping plan last year's terror attacks in Mumbai, India, preparing for a court date. David Headley will be arraigned tomorrow in federal court in Chicago. He's accused of scouting out targets for that attack that killed 166 people.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, President Obama says that he is working overtime to get Americans back on the job. In a speech today at the Brookings Institution, he outlined several proposals. Some of them like tax breaks for small businesses take the stimulus plan a step further. Others address what the president called weaknesses in our economy and weaknesses in our political system.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... because for decades, too many in Washington put off the hard decisions. For decades, we have watched as efforts to solve tough problems have fallen prey to the bitterness of partisanship, to prosaic concerns of politics, to ever-quickening new cycles, to endless campaigns focused on scoring points instead of meeting our common challenges.

We have seen the consequences of this failure of responsibility. And the American people have paid a heavy price. And the question we'll have to answer now is if we're going to learn from our past or if, even in the aftermath of disaster, we are going to repeat those same mistakes.

As the alarm bells fade, the din of Washington rises, as the forces of the status quo marshal their resources, we can be sure that answering this question will be a fight to the finish. But I have every hope and expectation that we can rise to this moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, let's see if the White House can rise to this moment.

Jared Bernstein joining me for some "Mail to the Chief." Jared is Vice President Biden's top economic adviser. And our chief money man, Ali Velshi, weighing in from New York. Jared, shall we get right to it?

JARED BERNSTEIN, CHIEF ECONOMIC POLICY ADVISER TO VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: Sure. Let's go.

PHILLIPS: OK. Here we go.

"Why do you think President Obama's new stimulus plan to create jobs will work when the first one failed?"

That coming from SundevilSal.

BERNSTEIN: OK. Well, Sundevil, two points I'd correct there.

First of all, what the president presented today was by no means a stimulus plan. The president talked about three targeted areas where we think we can get fast, good bang-for-the-buck job creation that we urgent urgently need to build on top -- and here is your second point -- of the stimulus Recovery Act that I think is working well thus far. The three areas, by the way, are some programs to help small business both get credit and to start hiring again; incentives for folks to invest in weatherization and retrofit materials; and infrastructure investment to help get some construction workers back on the street working on roads and bridges and the rest of it.

As far as the Recovery Act, let me just cite the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, that a few days ago released a report that said that thus far, the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, the stimulus plan, has created or saved as many as 1.6 million jobs. Now, that may be somebody's idea of not working, but as far as those 1.6 million workers who are concerned, that's nice work if you can get it.

PHILLIPS: Well, this e-mail gets right to the point.

Philiana says, "I'm going to graduate in 2010. What are you doing to put college graduates to work?"

BERNSTEIN: I'm sorry. I just missed the last part of that.

PHILLIPS: That's OK. This one -- this e-mailer saying, "I'm going to graduate in 2010. What are you going to do to put college graduates to work?"

She's pitching you for a job -- he or she is pitching you for a job, Jared.

BERNSTEIN: Yes. Well, I think the important point there is twofold.

One, all of our economic efforts are really geared toward job creation, and we're not focusing on one group versus another. And very, very sympathetic to the college educated worker in this regard.

You know, their unemployment rate is still about 5 percent, compared to 10 percent, the overall rate. But five percent is twice as high as it usually is, so this a recession that's touched everyone. I think that the important point there is that the president has very deeply stressed the importance of folks investing in their own education, and as we pull out of this downturn, there are a lot more opportunities for college-educated workers. As I said, the average unemployment rate tends to be in the 2 percent to 3 percent range. So it is a tough time for everyone and we're trying to do all we can to generate jobs across the spectrum.

PHILLIPS: So are we with our "30-Second Pitch" on Thursdays. So we are trying to support the viewers as well.

All right. This one coming from DougJohnsonTV, "How will a temporary influx of TARP funds help businesses create permanent jobs? Doesn't the economy have to improve first?"

BERNSTEIN: Well, that is a great question.

Part of the economy improving means that the clog of the arteries of credit start to flow again. Once this economy is back up and running, credit-worthy businesses, small and large, will have access to credit that they don't right now. In that sense, TARP funds can help to solve a temporary problem and vis-a-vis access to credit for credit-worthy businesses that are having trouble getting what they need to expand right now.

PHILLIPS: All right, are you ready for the really tough questions now? Because Ali Velshi is coming up right after the break. You like Ali Velshi, right Jared?

BERNSTEIN: I think I'm ready. Let's see what happens.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: We'll be right back. Stay with us, more "Mail to the Chief."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: A little more "Mail to the Chief." White House economic adviser Jared Bernstein with us, also our Ali Velshi.

Jared, our viewers have also been turning to Ali. He's got his own folks that tweet and check in with him.

Ali, what do you have for him?

BERNSTEIN: What do you got, Ali?

ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: All right, Jared, good to talk to you.

Listen, you're a straight talker, I'm going to give you two laurels and a dart. The first one is the small business stuff that the president talked about this morning really key to growth in this country, and that is great. And number two, the message to the young person who is graduating. Kyra, it is remarkable how much lower the unemployment rate is for college graduates than it is for the average population and how much lower than it is then for people who do not graduate. So if you are a college graduate, you are not in a bad place.

Jared, I've I have a question from Veritaz on Facebook. "Mr. Bernstein your thoughts on returning of TARP etc. to Treasury rather than distribute?" I think the question means the $200 billion saving that the president says we've seen, why not pay debt don with that than find some other place to apply that money in terms of job creation?

BERNSTEIN: I think that where the president explained that today is that "return to Treasury" is really a term of art. That $200 billion of savings where TARP expenditures are going to cost that much less than we expected just last summer -- so I think this has a lot to do with both the stewardship of the program, sort of the improvement in the economy and access to capital markets -- that will be used for both deficit reduction, as Veritaz suggests, and job creation.

Now it won't be used directly for job creation because what it does is to create the fiscal space in the budget to do some of the ideas that the president mentioned today without adding to the deficit. So, that is really what we are talking about in terms of using that $200 billion say from the TARP.

VELSHI: Kyra, if I may, can I just ask this in a different way to Jared.

Let's say I lost my wallet and way home and it had $341 in it. I get home and I've decided, OK, the money is lost, but for whatever reason I go back and retrace my steps or the snow has melted or whatever, and I find my wallet and $141 is missing. So I now have $200 of the $341 that I had and I treat that as a windfall.

Isn't that what we are doing?

BERNSTEIN: That is what we would be doing if, on your way back through from the snow, you stabilized the global financial system, which is not part of your analogy.

Remember, the TARP has been instrumental in helping to stabilize the financial system and pull this economy back from the cliff that we faced when we got here.

PHILLIPS: Unfortunately, we have to leave it there. And it's not because we want to wrap up, but apparently the White House is calling for you, Jared. We have to let you go. We're in trouble.

Ali Velshi, thanks. Jared, thanks for taking the e-mails and the tweets.

BERNSTEIN: My pleasure.

PHILLIPS: OK, we'll do it again for sure. A crucial moment for the future of humanity, that is how the U.N. chief describes the global climate summit in Copenhagen. Debate about reducing greenhouse gases shifting into high gear now and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says that he's confident they'll reach a deal to reduce carbon emissions. President Obama heads to Denmark to attend the final sessions of that conference next week.

They say that one man's trash is another's treasure, but what if you could kill two birds with one stone, get rid of mounting piles of trash by converting it into fuel? One inventor tells our Brian Todd he can do just that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Before we see the invention, Michael Han presents two large plastic trash bundles and one small number, a number that he says should dispel our myths about plastic recycling in the U.S. According to Han, less than 4 percent of all of the plastic we toss into those bins at home each year actually goes where we think it goes.

(on camera): None of this stuff really ever gets recycled normally?

MICHAEL HAN, CEO, ENVION INC.: No.

TODD: Unbelievable.

HAN: This is either chipped and it is crated and it is stored and packaged and sent off into barges or it goes into landfill.

TODD (voice-over): As the founder of CEO of a renewable technology company called Envion, Han tried for 10 years to come up with ways to turn some of that waste into fuel we can use. With Envion's new conversion generator, he struck oil.

HAN: We want to create a sustainable, renewable energy byproduct from a manmade waste that has no solution today.

TODD: Operating this facility on the grounds of Montgomery County's waste transfer station in Derwood, Maryland, Envion simply lets waste companies bring plastic trash to them. Then they feed ground up plastic through a hopper like chipped bottle caps that also don't usually get recycled.

HAN: This particular product we can convert to about 80 percent petroleum.

TODD: Envion's strategy director, Andres Fossas takes us to the reaction tower. There the chopped up plastic is filtered and melted.

ANDRES FOSSAS, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY, ENVION INC.: And the then melted plastic foes straight into that unit there which is our reactor. That is where the reacting process occurs.

TODD: After it cools, the light and medium weight material is processed out as oil that can be used in cars and trucks, even jets. They open up a spout to show us.

(on camera): It smells like a combination of different oils.

HAN: A combination of a diesel byproduct, renewable byproduct, to a car gasoline byproduct.

TODD (voice-over): But serious questions are being raised about this technology from observes like Kert Davies of the environmental group Greenpeace.

(on camera): What's wrong with this? What's wrong with trying to convert plastic that would be sent to landfills into some kind of synthetic oil?

KERT DAVIES, GREENPEACE: Well get calls every day from people who have invented various solutions. Everything from burning -- converting turkey carcasses into oil to this kind of thing. It is not renewable, because it is not regenerated on the earth like wind and solar power or biofuels, and it's not recycling.

TODD: Environmentalists are asking about potential pollution that emanates from this generator, but the manufacturers have an answer to that. They say the light and medium-weight oil that will eventually be converted to oil and gasoline is stored in these smaller drums. The heavier oil that actually turns into sludge that is the potential waste goes into the larger drum right here. They say it is all self-contained and nothing gets vented out.

(voice-over): Even those heavy additives that become sludge, Han says, are used to fuel this unit. Han says he's in negotiations with some big oil companies that this generator has the capacity to produce 40 to 60 barrels of oil a day. And, he says, he can save oil companies money. They'd have to put in an additive to turn it into car fuel, he says, but...

HAN: There are no significant up-charges or costs to be able to refine it, because we do that here.

TODD: There will likely be more questions about the efficiency of these generators, the quality of the oil they produce, the environmental component, but Michael Han is charging ahead with this technology. He say he's flooded with orders from entities from the U.S., Europe and Asia for dozen more of these generators.

Brian Todd, CNN, Derwood, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: What is Al Gore's take on the Climategate controversy that's clouding the Global Warming Summit? Well, he sits down with our CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" John Roberts and you'll want to hear exactly what he has to say. It's all tomorrow on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" starting at 6:00 a.m. Eastern.

Top stories now. Hang on, he's got a plan. President Obama's message to out-of-work Americans, he wants Congress to let him spend a chunk of the leftover bailout money, some $200 billion, to create new jobs. The president also wants tax cuts for small businesses to get them hiring.

A true outpouring of sadness and respect. A ten-mile procession through the streets of Tacoma, Washington for four slain police officers. About 2,000 police cruisers, fire department vehicles actually joined the line of cars headed to the Tacoma Dome. They're holding a memorial this afternoon for those officer. About 20,000 people expected to attend.

More drama at the home of golfer Tiger Woods. Paramedic rushed his mother-in-law to a Florida hospital because of stomach pains early this morning. Barbro Holmberg, who is a regional governor in Sweden, is in stable condition. She's in the same hospital that that paramedics took Woods to after he crashed his SUV outside his home.

Twenty-nine years ago today, a life devoted to harmony was ended in a moment of insanity. John Lennon shot to death in front of his New York apartment building on evening of December 8th, 1980. Today, fans gather at the nearby portion of Central Park that since 1985 has been a living memorial. Strawberry Fields is a quiet zone except on October 9th, John Lennon's birthday, and today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: A health care reform fight unfolding for several months now and it has never been for the faint-hearted. And great example what is playing out on Capitol Hill today and talk about fireworks. The target? Abortion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R), UTAH: And to be honest with you, I don't see how anybody could argue that the taxpayers ought to be called upon to foot the bill for abortions. Let's just be brutally frank about it. The taxpayers should not be called upon to pay for abortions.

SEN. MAX BAUCUS (D), MONTANA: The Nelson Hatch Amendment is unnecessary. It is discriminatory against women. And women are the only group, let's remind ourselves, of people who are told how to use their own private money, and that is not fair.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Joining us now from the Hill, congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar.

So we could see a vote on the Nelson Amendment today, will it pass?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It will likely fail, in fact, Kyra, and that's because most democrats are expected to vote against it.

But overall, when it comes to the health care reform bill, this poses a problem for democrats. Why? Well, because it is Senator Ben Nelson, a democrat -- a conservative democrat at that -- who has sponsored this bill. He has -- pardon, sponsored this amendment -- put this out there to have a change in the current health care reform bill. What he wants to do is make sure that no tax payer dollars -- let me remind there, he wants to make sure there is no abortion coverage in any health insurance plan that tax payer dollars would go to. So in the government-run insurance plan, that public option, but also in some private plans that some folks would use subsidies to purchase their insurance from.

So it is expected to fail. And this is a tricky situation for democratic leaders, because Senator Nelson has said this is a deal breaker for him. He has indicated that he will vote no on the health care reform bill if he doesn't get his way on this. So with the potential failure here, it could make it really tricky for them to get the 60 votes they need, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, well, I always ask you about this, too, the public option. The dems meeting behind closed doors trying to hammer out a compromise, do you know how that's going?

KEILAR: Yes, they continue to meet. I guess I can say it's going. And we've talked with some senators who have been coming out of the room and talking about how the negotiations have been going. They do have an idea of a compromise, but it is certainly hours ahead, and maybe even then they won't come to an agreement on it.

But these are the ten democrats, some of them on the left, some of them on the right side of the democratic party when it comes to senators. And basically, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has put them in a room and said, you guys need to work this out, come to a compromise on the public option because the liberals want it, and some of the ones toward the center, Kyra, they don't want it.

So right now the agreement they are sort of trying to fashion is one based on how federal employees get their health benefits. Instead of a government-run insurance plan, it would be a private insurance company or companies that are providing health benefits. It would be overseen by the government and it would be a non-profit model. So that's kind of what they are trying to do instead of having the government-run insurance plan.

But there are so many details to be worked out. They are trying to come to an agreement today, because that clock is ticking towards getting a vote before Christmas, which is what the democratic leaders want, but there is still a lot of way that they need to make for sure.

PHILLIPS: Brianna Keilar on the Hill. Thanks, Brianna.

Nothing says holiday spirit like a giant new tattoo. No, seriously. Some inked up elves are hard at work helping Santa out. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right. Team Sanchez, what are you working on back there? RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: I am looking at Rick's list and I'm trying to figure out all the prominent and newsworthy, if not noteworthy people that I am going to be talking to today throughout the show.

And the story that really juices me, and you know this, because you and I have had a lot of conversations about this, is this what happened to Osama bin Laden in Tora Bora? I have been wanting to drill down on this for quite some time and I have had a lot of guests on, as you know, but the quintessential guest today, the guy who will really know how to answer the questions that you and I and everybody else has is going to join me live. He was the field commander there in Tora Bora back in December of 2001, when supposedly we figured out where bin laden was, and he is going to take us through who was told, where he was, how he was found, how he got away, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. This is going to be good journalism and I'm looking forward to it.

Back to you.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Rick. So do we.

Toys for tats, you heard it right. It'll put more than glow in your cheeks, I'll tell you that. Here is Jessica Toumani of CNN affiliate KABB in San Antonio, Texas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA TOUMANI, KABB REPORTER (voice-over): Jeff Stoudt is getting his Christmas gift a little early.

JEFF STOUDT, DONATED TO TOYS FOR TATS: A tattoo of Our Lady of Guadalupe in memory of my grandmother who passed away.

TOUMANI: Stout rushed out to the Inksignia Tattoo studio after hearing about a special deal. Here a $20 toy with a receipt will get you a tattoo valued at up to $100 for free.

STOUDT: My wife said, you will do anything for a tattoo. And I said, well I'll be helping out a kid and getting a tattoo, so I'm benefiting myself and somebody else.

CHARLEY SNYDER, CO-OWNER, INKSIGNIA TATTOO: Even if somebody doesn't want a tattoo, we'll give them a gift certificate and maybe they can give it to somebody they know.

TOUMANI: Christian Wolfe walked in with his hands full so he wouldn't have to empty his pocket for the ink he wants.

CHRISTIAN WOLFE, DONATED TO TOYS FOR TATS: Helps out the kids and I thought it was pretty cool to get a tattoo at the same time.

TOUMANI: With a gift donation even more expensive designs are 50 percent off. Co-owner Charley Snyder got the idea after calling local charities. SNYDER: They both looked like they had too many kids already, and I was like, maybe I can do something myself. And we got together in the shop here and just put our heads together, and that's what we came up with.

TOUMANI: You can drop off toys until the 23rd. And in this economy, Santa cannot have too many helpful elves, tattoos and all.

STOUDT: I thought it was a good thing, cause there are a lot of kids in San Antonio that need toys that don't get toys.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is something that is definitely good for the community and we're hoping to get a lot of toys. So any help that anybody can give us would be great.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, Santa and Mrs. Claus will hand out all those toys Christmas Eve at the studio. We can't confirm they are getting matching barbed wire tats, though.

For some children and their parents, toys are the last thing on their minds. Check out this protest march just south of the border. People frightened and repulsed by drugs and murder. Is there any hope for them? Perhaps more crucial, is there any hope for the kids?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: We've told you about the terror unfolding daily just south of our border. The drug war and cold blooded murders in Juarez, Mexico. Most of the people wish only to live a normal life in peace, now they are at the abyss. CNN's Rafael Romo with a look at their desperation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice-over): A young woman bursts into tears after learning the terrible news while her relatives try unsuccessfully to console her. It is one more murder in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, a border city near El Paso, Texas, that has become one of the most violent places in the world.

LUIS TORRES, BUSINESSMAN (through translator): Just before they would kill someone, but not anymore. That was just something routine that happens every day.

So far this year, Juarez has had about 2,250 murders, the cast majority resulting from a bloody war between rival drug cartels fighting for territorial control. It is not unusual for children to run into yellow tape and bullet casings on the way to school every morning.

JOSE LUIS CHAVEZ, 17-YEAR-OLD JUAREZ RESIDENT (through translator): This is how we live in Juarez. That's our everyday bread, seeing dead bodies. ROMO: At least 1,000 Juarez residents took the streets Sunday chanting for peace. They say they are fed up with the violence and can no longer tolerate living in a city where they constantly have to worry about their safety.

IDALIA GUERRA, JUAREZ RESIDENT (through translator): Above all, we have fear. The children can't go anywhere anymore, not even the street, because we are afraid. We are asking for peace here, because we can't even go to the parks.

ROMO: The border city is so violent that violence itself is no longer news. A local newspaper recently boasted the fact that there had been no deaths in a 36-hour period.

The Mexican government sent more than 7,000 troops earlier this year, and the city's mayor says that the situation would be worse without the soldiers.

MAYOR JOSE REYES, JUAREZ, MEXICO (through translator): we have to bring down the crime levels in the city to a more normal level so that the police with the forces they already have can take charge of the situation.

ROMO: Authorities admit corrupt police officers are part of the problem, many supplement their meager salaries with payoffs from drug traffickers in exchange for information on raids and anti-drug operations.

VICTOR VALENCIA, DIRECTOR, CHIHUAHUA STATE SECURITY (through translator): The level of infiltration in all the levels of police was at a saturation point, and we can't fight criminals with criminals inside the ranks of the police.

ROMO (on camera): The local chamber of commerce recently asked the United Nations to send peacekeepers in a desperate effort to reduce the violence and the killings that have sent businesspeople fleeing, closing down their shops. A nongovernmental organization in Mexico calls the border city the most violent in the world.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: I'm Kyra Phillips, thanks for joining us. We're back here tomorrow. Rick Sanchez now picks it up at the top of the hour.