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Who Pays For Health Care Reform?; Democrats Say CIA Was Misleading Congress; New Protests in Iran; Four People Charged in Alleged Grave-Selling Scheme; Airlines Slash Their Fares; Obama Outlines Energy Goals That Came Out of G-8 Summit; Kia to Provide Economic Divine Intervention to Georgia Town
Aired July 09, 2009 - 11:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. He just crashed. He just crashed in the -- at the dead end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Did you see that? OK. A 14-year-old Michigan boy may be facing charges after leading police on a hair- raising chase.
Listen. Listen.
Speeds topped one hundred miles an hour before the teen flipped his dad's Chevy Tahoe on an embankment.
Oh, he had two passengers for the joyride, his 10-year-old brother and 12-year-old cousin, and they weren't about to take the blame.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not my fault. It's all Oscar's (ph) fault. It's all Oscar's (ph) fault.
I just had (ph) to take the car. I swear to God.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. OK.
Do not move! Do you understand me?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Wow. The kids say they were going for ice cream and would have made it except for that wrong turn.
Sorry.
The kids were bumped up pretty good, but no severe injuries.
Here's the question -- will you have to pay so all Americans can have health care coverage? Taxing the rich to pay for the poor, how do you feel about that, America? It is one of the plans being debated right now by lawmakers.
CNN congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar reports from Capitol Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With President Obama overseas, Vice President Joe Biden stepped in to push the administration's top priority -- health care reform.
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Folks, reform is coming. It is on track. It is coming. We have tried for decades -- for decades -- to fix a broken system, and we have never, in my entire tenure in public life, been this close.
KEILAR: Biden touted a deal with the hospital industry. Hospitals will give up $155 billion in Medicare and Medicaid payments over the next 10 years, money that would help pay for health care reform. But it's not enough. Not nearly enough.
Congressional Democrats are divided on how to pay for much of the trillion-dollar price tag. Max Baucus is chairman of the Senate's tax-writing committee.
SEN. MAX BAUCUS (D), FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: It's always difficult to raise revenue -- always, always, always. But we've got to pay for the bill.
KEILAR: A key provision to tax employer-provided health benefits, once seen as a likely way to raise hundreds of billions of dollars, may be dead. Democrats, aware that recent polls show most Americans oppose the idea, are souring on taxing benefits. And so is Maine Senator Olympia Snowe, a moderate Republican working on a bipartisan deal.
SEN. OLYMPIA SNOWE (D), MAINE: You know, I believe that we should just move from there and take it off the table, and move forward and find other alternatives.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: OK. Our Congressional Correspondent Brianna Keilar joining me live now from Capitol Hill. And with me here in Atlanta, our senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen.
All right, Brianna, let's start with you.
Last hour, Speaker Pelosi meeting with reporters, as she does every week. She was asked several questions about health care reform and how it would be paid for.
Let's listen to how she answered the question, and then let's follow up with a question for you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: I have told what I call the three tenors, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Miller, and Mr. Rangel, that we must wring every possible dollar out of the health care system now -- waste, fraud, abuse, excess, whatever it is, that may be redundant or unnecessary, in order to help cover the cost, because this bill will be paid for. Members now are establishing priorities, and our Ways and Means Committee is talking about some of the pay-fors as we go forward. We will not be taxing benefits, health care benefits, in any legislation that comes from the House.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: All right. So, Brianna, so the question now is -- let's recap here. The bill will be paid for. We will not be taxing benefits. And members are establishing priorities.
How is the House going to pay for the bill that it wants to get out on Friday?
KEILAR: And you heard her use the term there, Tony, "pay-fors."
HARRIS: Pay-fors.
KEILAR: We're looking at pay-fors. That's a way to save taxes...
HARRIS: Yes.
KEILAR: ... because you heard her saying they're going to wring all of the savings out of the health care system they can, whether it's redundancies or waste or fraud.
But the fact is, Tony, it's not enough to foot the bill, this entire $1 trillion price tag. So, the bottom line is they have to raise some taxes. And in the House, where they are considering their own health care proposal, they are considering a whole slate of rather controversial proposals, everything from taxing households that make more than $250,000, all the way to maybe putting a tax on sugary drinks like sodas.
But, yes, they are not planning on taxing those employer-provided benefits.
HARRIS: Wow. Can I ask you for a bit of a big-picture look at this as you're covering this debate? I mean, how contentious is it getting? I have a sense that we're getting to the place where the rubber meets the road here, and we're really drilling down on how to pay for it.
And, Elizabeth, I'm going to ask you that same question in just a moment.
What is your sense of how this debate is playing out?
KEILAR: Well, I think you're realizing this is some of the sausage making that goes on here on Capitol Hill. HARRIS: Yes. And we love it, by the way.
KEILAR: Yes. And this is the fine print that they're dealing with. But not only, Tony, is there the sticky issue of how to pay for the huge package, there's also the substantive issue of exactly what is it going to look like?
You know, a lot of Democrats favor this so-called public option, this government-run insurance plan. Well, when you look at -- not the House, because they have an ample majority there, but you look at the Senate, where the rubber really hits the road, and even just among the Democrats, even though they have those important 60 votes, Democrats don't agree on this.
So, they're considering this idea of a nonprofit health cooperative, kind of looking at it in a co-op sense, and we're still trying to figure out the details, but we are hopefully getting them.
And, yes, this is really the time to pay attention as they work through this -- Tony.
HARRIS: All right, Brianna. We've got to let you go. The folks over at our sister network, CNN International, want you desperately.
Brianna, appreciate it. Thank you.
KEILAR: Of course.
HARRIS: Let's bring in Elizabeth Cohen.
And Elizabeth, look, you've got to pay for this.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. A trillion dollars.
HARRIS: What is that $100 billion a year for 10 years?
COHEN: A trillion dollars over the course of 10 years, right. And as I said earlier in your show, there are no health care reform fairies writing checks. That money has got to come from somewhere, and...
HARRIS: Well, taxing benefits -- do you believe it's still on the table?
COHEN: You know, having talked to some folks at CNN who cover Capitol Hill, they say it may still be there. It certainly has lost popularity, but it doesn't mean that it's absolutely, 100 percent off the table.
HARRIS: Yes.
COHEN: So, if they start taxing benefits, that means that some people who get insurance through their employers may be seeing higher taxes. Or maybe you'll see higher taxes when you go to buy a can of soda. HARRIS: Right.
COHEN: I think the bottom line here is that as much as it sounds good to say, oh, we're just going to tax the rich, or, oh, we're just going to get rid of all the waste and fraud, and that will pay for it, that as we go through this process, that appears -- that won't take care of everything. It may, indeed, be everybody who has to pay for this, not just the rich.
HARRIS: I asked Brianna a moment ago the sort of big-picture, health care reform, where we are and how difficult a process this is going to be to get real reform. And the same question to you.
COHEN: OK. I'm going to big-picture it so much that I'm going to go back to Harry Truman. OK?
HARRIS: Oh, OK.
COHEN: That's way back.
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: A long view. Why is it that he didn't manage to get health care reform going? Why is it that Hillary Clinton in 1993 didn't manage to get health care reform going?
The reason is, is that when you try to reform the health care system, you make people mad. It's very simple. You make taxpayers potentially mad because you might be asking them for money. You might be making doctors mad, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, because they might all stand to make less money.
HARRIS: It's untenable, unsustainable to have 45 million, 46 million, 47 million who aren't uninsured.
COHEN: Exactly.
HARRIS: You can't afford that either.
COHEN: Exactly. So hopefully the light at the end of this tunnel is that those 46 million Americans will be insured. And wouldn't that be great? But you know what? It might be painful getting there.
HARRIS: Elizabeth, appreciate it. Thank you.
COHEN: Thanks.
HARRIS: Man, this is a good debate. It's -- all right.
We want to hear from you on this issue. Good stuff. Just go to my blog. Weigh in, weigh in, weigh in, weigh in, CNN.com/Tony.
Tell me what is the biggest obstacle to passing health care reform legislation. What do you think it is? Later this hour, we will share your comments. Josh Levs will be back to help us do just that.
President Obama monitoring the health care debate and other issues from overseas right now. He is with other world leaders at the G8 summit in Italy.
They've been tackling global warming issues today. The leaders have pledged to achieve a 50 percent reduction in global emissions by 2050. At least most of the leaders have.
Here is a look at how President Obama is faring here at home.
A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll asks if he is a strong leader. Seventy percent say yes, 28 percent say no. But when asked if the president has a clear plan for solving the country's problems, 53 percent of those polled say yes, 45 percent, no.
Seven House Democrats accuse CIA Director Leon Panetta of telling conflicting stories about his agency's dealings with Congress. Those accusations and a letter alleging Panetta recently told Congress the CIA has repeatedly concealed info since 2001.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi was asked about that last hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: Speaker, back on the intelligence question, you said you haven't received that briefing yet.
PELOSI: No.
QUESTION: So, will you be pursuing that? And what is your take on what has evolved in the past 24 hours with this as this bill comes to the floor?
PELOSI: I know what you know. I've seen the letters from the members, and obviously they have concern.
The Intelligence Committee has the oversight responsibility for intelligence in the House, and an equivalent committee in the Senate. I'm sure they will be pursuing this in their regular committee process. And that's the way that it will go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: So let's get more on this now from our Joe Johns.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Democrats now say the CIA deceived lawmakers for years, especially from 9/11 until now, and that the CIA's own boss admitted it in closed-door testimony. A letter signed by seven House Democrats accuses director Leon Panetta of contradicting himself and telling Congress that CIA officials misled Congress about significant actions for a number of years since 2001. And in light of that, they want him to take back a statement he made on May 15 when he said misleading Congress was "against our laws and values." Back then, Panetta was defending his agency against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who said the CIA lied to Congress in a classified briefing she received in 2002.
PELOSI: They mislead us all the time.
JOHNS: Pelosi said the CIA held back details about harsh interrogation techniques including waterboarding, something the Obama administration considers torture. Since then, many Republicans have called Nancy Pelosi's complaint an unwarranted attack on the integrity of the CIA and have demanded that she back up her claims.
It is not clear what specific actions the Democrats say the CIA lied about or concealed. A CIA spokesman tells CNN that Panetta stands by his earlier statement that it is not CIA policy to mislead Congress.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Joe Johns reporting.
Well, for the first time in nearly two weeks, protesters are back on the streets of Tehran, although the numbers are lower.
Also, we're hearing the U.S. has handed over to Iraq five Iranians who had been detained in Iraq since 2007.
Our Reza Sayah is following all of these developments from our Iran Desk -- Reza.
REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony, protests in the streets of Tehran for the first time in a couple of weeks. We have new video coming in to the Iran Desk, but before we show it to you, let's give you some perspective where it is.
This is where the protest started about three hours ago. Police dispersed some of the protesters. They went north. And this is what we're going to look at.
This, according to this video, are protesters who were dispersed from Revolution Square. We cannot confirm the date and the location, but it does match what observers have been telling us over the past few days. We also have video from earlier in the day that came to the Iran Desk, and that shows some of the clashes between security forces and protesters.
These are the first clashes that we've seen in about two weeks. Police officers, police officials had warned people not to come out to the streets. Otherwise, they warned, a crackdown.
Some of the eyewitness accounts coming to the Iran Desk, one eyewitness said a man with a bloody face was being encouraged to go into an ambulance. He refused. Several eyewitnesses reported members of the pro-government Basij beating people with batons. Also, we're hearing some aggressive, pointed chants targeting the government. We're hearing, "Death to the dictator!" "Death to Khamenei!" Also, a new one we're hearing today in the video you're looking at, "Hey, government, that pulled off a coup, resign, resign!"
So, Tony, there has been a lull over the past couple of weeks because of the government crackdown. Members of the opposition movement had stayed home.
A lot of people had their eyes on this date. Today is the 10- year anniversary of a student protest that took place back in July 1999. Members of the opposition movement, without approval from opposition leaders, apparently used this opportunity to come out into the streets and protest the June 12th vote.
HARRIS: I see. And Reza, what do you know about the U.S. handing over Iranians to Iraq who had been held by the U.S. in Iraq?
SAYAH: Iranians say they were innocent diplomats, but Americans say these were members of the Revolutionary Guard. They had been kept for some time, but they were released today.
By the way, we have been monitoring Iranian state-funded television. No indication of any coverage of the situation in Revolution Square, the protests, but that news that we were just talking about, the release of these individuals, that was the top story in some of these newscasts -- Tony.
HARRIS: OK.
Reza Sayah at our Iran Desk.
Reza, thank you.
You know, you can actually still find some decent airfares these days. Can you believe it? How long will that last?
Gerri Willis will have some answers for you next in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Breaking news right now in an alleged grave-selling scheme near Chicago. CNN has confirmed that four people have been charged and will appear in court this hour. The Cook County sheriff says employees at the historic Burr Oak African-American Cemetery allegedly dug up more than 300 graves.
Let's get more from reporter Cheryl Jackson. And Cheryl's on the phone with us.
Cheryl, who are these people who have been charged and will appear in court this hour? And what jobs did they hold for the company that -- I don't know if the company owned or just simply operated the cemetery.
CHERYL JACKSON, REPORTER: Yes, they operated the cemetery. One office manager and three grave diggers have been charged.
They've been charged with felony, dismembering of a human body, and that is a Felony X. I don't know exactly what that means, but they said it's a very serious felony.
Right now, you should just see the scene out here. I mean, people wandering around looking for their family members.
We have actually gone back into the cemetery where we saw piles that the police are working on, where you can see literally bones. We talked to the sheriff who said he was wandering around, just trying to assess things, and he actually stepped into a pile of bones.
I mean, that's how bad the situation is. And he said, like you said, about 300 people is what they admitted to. Police believe it's going to be turn out to be much more than that.
HARRIS: Hey, Cheryl, did the people who have been charged with this provide the information that's leading to this search for these remains?
JACKSON: Yes, they did. They told police that it was in this one location. But now I guess one other person has admitted that maybe the bodies are buried on top of each other. And that's inside the cemetery.
The piles of bones and rubble is on the back side of the cemetery, on the outside. So, it looks like there's going to be some internal investigations inside the cemetery. FBI is coming from around the world with imaging equipment and that kind of thing to be able to figure out exactly what's going on.
HARRIS: Have you been able to talk to any of the people who you've described poignantly to us as wandering around on the grounds looking for their loved ones?
JACKSON: Yes. One woman just looked at me and said, "My brother is not here." And then she said, "What do you do if your family member is gone?" And I think that's the question that's going to be the hardest to answer.
HARRIS: Oh, yes.
JACKSON: You know, is what do you do, you know?
HARRIS: How did this scheme, this -- oh, boy -- this scheme come to light?
JACKSON: Well, actually, some people who actually worked in the cemetery actually told police about it. That's how it came to light.
Now, they don't believe the cemetery ownership has anything to do with this. They believe these four people actually are the ones who hatched this scheme. And it was very sloppy scheme in a lot of ways because there are bones, according to police, just strewn throughout the cemetery, on the inside and on this back side, where there's -- several of the bodies are piled.
HARRIS: Do we have any idea -- and I'm asking questions, and it may just be too early in the investigation to know the answers to some of these questions. But do we have any idea of how long this plot, this scheme, had been operating?
JACKSON: I have not heard any information about that, about how long.
HARRIS: Yes.
JACKSON: But the woman whose brother was -- she was unable to find her brother -- he was actually buried in 1983. And today she said, "When I walked to where his grave was, the grass has been recently mowed and there's no stone, nothing there." So...
HARRIS: And Cheryl, just for clarification, the people who reported the plot, are they the same people who have been arrested, or different employees?
JACKSON: Different employees. Different employees.
HARRIS: OK. And any statement yet from the company that owns the cemetery?
JACKSON: No statement yet. We are expecting at least from police and some official statements here at about 1:00.
HARRIS: OK.
JACKSON: But we have had no statement. Actually, we've been told by police that no one involved from the cemetery is even on the scene. And that's causing a little bit of chaos, because you see hundreds of people filing through these gates.
HARRIS: Oh, my goodness. Are you kidding me?
JACKSON: And nobody inside to say where the plots are. So they really don't even know where to start.
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: So, wait a minute. You're talking about no one from the company that is operating the cemetery, no one from the company that owns the cemetery, is on site right now?
JACKSON: No. They are trying to get someone in here, but no one is on the scene.
And so police tried to break into the computers in order to be able to figure out how to help people find the bodies of their family members, but it is a big mess. And there are hundreds of people walking through these gates every few minutes.
HARRIS: The significance of this cemetery, the historic significance, frame that up for us. JACKSON: Well, it's -- you know, it used to be the only place in Chicago where blacks could be buried, African-Americans could be buried. And, you know, Emmett Till is buried here, and one of the Globetrotters is buried here.
And right now, we don't think their graves have been tampered with. And what we think the people involved in this did was they looked at graves where people didn't visit very often. So, some of those famous people, they believe their graves are intact.
HARRIS: Cheryl Jackson.
Cheryl, thank you for your help on this story. We appreciate it so much.
How horrible is this?
We're going to take a quick break.
Twenty-two minutes after the hour. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know, we haven't seen airfares this low for a decade. But will the good deals -- well, great deals -- stick around?
CNN Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis is here with your guide to getting the cheapest ticket in town.
Look, brother needs a vacation. So...
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Brother and sister. Brother and sister need a vacation.
HARRIS: So, when I go shopping, Gerri, what can we expect?
WILLIS: Well, here's what you need to know, Tony. Look, discount airlines rolled out lower fares just this week.
Airlines are gearing up for what is usually the slower fall travel season, and some great places to look at -- Florida, Mexico, places people don't want to go to right now. Major cities, too, are going to be big bargains this fall.
Go to -- farecompare.com is a great place to go. You may even find another round of summer fare cutting.
One thing is for sure -- if you see a good price, you need to book immediately, Tony. That's because you just have to act quickly to get the best deals. They go away really fast.
HARRIS: Right. So, what are some of the new ways to score these really cheap tickets, Gerri?
WILLIS: Well, this is interesting. OK, major airlines, JetBlue, Delta, they are now tweeting on Twitter about special deals. HARRIS: Oh, come on!
WILLIS: I'm serious. And you're going to love this. Listen, this is going to make you a fan of Twitter.
HARRIS: OK. OK.
WILLIS: I know you're not always...
HARRIS: Yes, I'm a little reluctant, but OK. I'm listening.
WILLIS: But listen, these deals, they're for short-term travel, but the prices, unbelievable. Get this -- nine bucks, one way to Nantucket from New York with JetBlue.
HARRIS: Are you kidding me?
WILLIS: Nine bucks.
HARRIS: Nine bucks?
WILLIS: Yes. JetBlue is doing this every Monday. They're putting up some deal.
This is inventory they really can't get rid of, so they're marking it down, twittering about it, tweeting. Right.
HARRIS: So, those are -- what about fees? Are there fees attached to?
WILLIS: Wait, wait, wait. I have to tell you a little more about this...
HARRIS: You have more?
WILLIS: ... because it's interesting. You can get real-time tweets on your cell phone, so you don't have to go to the computer to get information, or your BlackBerry from a specified airport. If Twitter isn't your style, you can also sign up at sites like Airfare Watchdog or TravelZoo.com. You get alerts in your e-mail, so there's all kinds of electronic ways that help you act quickly in the marketplace.
HARRIS: Hey, I've got a BlackBerry, so I'm taking one step into this brave new world here.
WILLIS: There you go.
HARRIS: Fees, should we talk about fees?
WILLIS: Yes.
HARRIS: Yes.
WILLIS: Well, they're not going anywhere. You're going to continue paying them. Here are some ways you can avoid them, though. We're going to help you cut your costs.
Go paperless. You book online. Don't get a paper ticket.
Pay for luggage fees online. US Airways, for example, charges you an extra five bucks if you pay for your checked bags at the airport.
And hey, don't ask for seat preferences, "I want to sit next to my buddy." Don't do that. That costs you more.
Now, what could be the wave of the future? I know you've heard of this, standing-only flights.
HARRIS: Yes, I have heard of it. This isn't going to happen, is it?
WILLIS: It could.
HARRIS: It could happen?
WILLIS: Well, we're watching.
HARRIS: Straphangers on the planes?
WILLIS: We're going to watch. And we'll -- and we'll report to you if it does. It's being considered in Europe.
You know, maybe you could, you know, jump the ocean and come here. We don't know, but we're going to watch for it.
Crazy stuff out there with those airlines.
HARRIS: Hey, Gerri, give us -- before I let you go here, give us a bit of a preview of what's coming up this weekend on "YOUR BOTTOM LINE," your great show.
WILLIS: "YOUR BOTTOM LINE," 9:30 a.m. Saturday mornings, right here on CNN.
Be debt free. We're going to tell you how to manage that credit card debt. I know it's getting harder and harder.
Foolproof your resume. Tips and tricks to stand out from the crowd. There are secret things you should never, ever say on your resume, special phrases you might want to use. We're going to tell you what those are. Keep them out of your resume.
HARRIS: Nice. Gerri, appreciate it. Great stuff, as always.
WILLIS: My pleasure.
HARRIS: New word that Michael Jackson's family was so worried about his health, that they tried to force him to get help.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Growing outrage in Philadelphia after a private swim club turned away kids from a day camp. Kids told the camp director they heard Valley Swim Club members ask why blacks were in their pool. Well, a few days later, the club refunded the camp's swimming fee without explanation.
Philly television station WTXF reports the club president said members complained the kids "fundamentally changed the atmosphere at the pool." He says the complaints did not involve race.
New details surfacing in the shooting death of retired NFL quarterback Steve McNair. Police in Nashville say all the evidence points to a murder-suicide at the hands of a very distraught girlfriend. CNN's David Mattingly picks up the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): NFL quarterback Steve McNair was behind one of the biggest moments in Super Bowl history, falling just a few yards short of taking the Tennessee Titans to victory in 2000. And nine years later, fans in Nashville still loved him, knowing him to be generous and approachable in public.
But in private, McNair was taking a serious and unexpected risk. A married man with children, McNair was seeing 20-year-old Sahel Kazemi. These pictures of the couple snapped recently by TMZ. Her family said the relationship had been going for more than five months and that she was confident McNair was divorcing his wife and they would soon live together.
But early Saturday, that ended with this 911 call from a friend of McNair's.
OPERATOR: Tell me what happened.
CALLER: I have no idea, sir.
OPERATOR: OK.
CALLER: I received a phone call.
OPERATOR: Uh-huh.
CALLER: That there was an injured party inside his apartment.
OPERATOR: OK. Male or female?
CALLER: It was two -- it was two people.
MATTINGLY: That call came from this condo in a building not too far away from Titan Stadium. Police arrived to find the couple dead. McNair had been shot twice in the head and twice in the chest. Police now say it was a clear case of murder-suicide, and that McNair may have been asleep and did not know it was coming. Police describe Kazemi as a young woman in turmoil, reeling from financial pressures, complaining to her friends that her personal life was a mess and that she should end it. Early Thursday morning, she was arrested for DUI. That evening, police say she bought a 9 millimeter handgun.
CHIEF RONAL SERPAS, METRO NASHVILLE POLICE: We also have reason to believe that Kazemi recently learned before this day that she believed McNair was involved with another woman and that, too, participated in her state of mind, we think.
MATTINGLY: Nashville police say they shared their findings with Mrs. McNair. They did not know if she was aware of the relationship.
This kind of image of McNair saddens fans who gather at the Titans home stadium where they knew him as a competitor and philanthropist. He spoke of his family at his retirement.
STEVE MCNAIR: It's just a blessing that now that I'm fortunate to walk away in this game, you know, on my own two feet, and to realize that family is very important.
MATTINGLY: That was just 16 months ago. Former NFL running back Eddie George, tells me the man who was murdered was not the Steve McNair he had known since 1996.
EDDIE GEORGE, FORMER NFL RUNNING BACK: Underneath it all, he was in search of filling a void.
MATTINGLY: George believes his old friend was having a crisis of his own, maybe struggling with life after football.
GEORGE: What people fail to realize is that when you make a transition away from the game, emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually, you go through something. You change. And you're constantly searching for something.
MATTINGLY: And in Nashville, fans now search for ways to celebrate the life of a star athlete who brought them many fond memories, while mourning his scandalous death.
David Mattingly, CNN, Nashville.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: One town in west Georgia has suddenly developed a big interest in all things Korean. It's all about saving the local economy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Want to get to Chad Myers in the Severe Weather Center.
And, Chad, you know, I've been paying attention to you. This el Nino weather pattern has been developing rather slowly. Has it finally arrived? (WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Chad, I apologize, doctor, I've got to jump in. The president of the United States is speaking from the G-8 Summit. Let's listen in.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And the people of Italy have shown us, during this stay, we are very grateful to all of you. I also want to thank the 17 other leaders who participated.
We had a candid and open discussion about the growing threat of climate change and what our nations must do, both individually and collectively, to address it. And while we don't expect to solve this problem in one meeting, or one summit, I believe we've made some important strides forward as we move towards Copenhagen.
I don't think I have to emphasize that climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time. The science is clear and conclusive, and the impacts can no longer be ignored. Ice sheets are melting. Sea levels are rising. Our oceans are becoming more acidic, and we've already seen its effects on weather patterns, our food and water sources, our health and our habitats.
So every nation on this planet is at risk. And just as no one nation is responsible for climate change, no one nation can address it alone. And that's why back in April, I convened this forum of the world's major economies who are responsible for more than three- quarters of the world's carbon pollution. And it's why we've gathered again here today.
Each of our nations comes to the table with different needs, different priorities, different levels of development. And developing nations have real and understandable concerns about the role they will play in these efforts. They want to make sure that they do not have to sacrifice their aspirations for development and higher living standards. Yet, with most of the growth in projected emissions coming from these countries, their active participation is a prerequisite for a solution.
We also agree that developed countries, like my own, have a historic responsibility to take the lead. We have the much larger carbon footprint per capita. And I know that in the past, the United States has sometimes fallen short of meeting our responsibilities. So let me be clear, those days are over.
One of my highest priorities as president is to drive a clean energy transformation of our economy. And over the past six months, the United States has taken steps towards this goal. We've made historic investments in the billions of dollars developing clean energy technologies. We're on track to create thousands of new jobs across America on solar initiatives and wind projects and biofuel projects, trying to show that there is no contradiction between environmentally sustainable growth and robust economic growth.
We've also, for the first time, created a national policy raising our fuel-efficiency standards that will result in savings of 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of vehicles sold in the next five years alone. And we just passed in our House of Representatives the first climate change legislation that would cut carbon pollution by more than 80 percent by 2050.
These are very significant steps in the United States. They're not as far as some countries have gone, but they are further than others. And I think that as I wrestle with these issues politically in my own country, I've come to see that it is going to be absolutely critical that all of us go beyond what's expected if we're going to achieve our goals.
During the course of our three days in L'Aquila, we've taken also a number of significant steps forward. I want to briefly highlight them.
This week, the G-8 nations came to an historic consensus on concrete goals for reducing carbon emissions. We all agreed that by 2050, developed nations will reduce their emissions by 80 percent and that we will work with all nations to cut global emissions in half. This ambitious effort is consistent with limiting global warming to no more than two degrees Celsius, which, as our declaration explicitly acknowledged for the first time, is what the mainstream of the scientific community has called for.
Today at the Major Economies Forum, developed and developing nations made further and unprecedented commitments to take strong and prompt actions. Developed nations committed to reducing their emissions in absolute terms. And for the first time, developed nations also acknowledged the significance of the two degree Celsius metric and agreed to take action to meaningfully lower their emissions relative to business as usual in the midterm, in the next decade or so. And they agreed that between now and Copenhagen, they will negotiate concrete goals to reduce their emissions by 2050.
We also agreed that the actions we take to achieve our reductions must be measurable, reportable and verifiable. And we agreed to establish at the earliest possible date a peak year after which overall global emissions will start falling. And these are all very significant steps forward in addressing this challenge.
In addition, we agreed to substantially increase financial resources to help developing nations create low-carbon growth plans and deploy clean energy technologies. We also recognize that climate change is already happening and so we're going to have to help those affected countries adapt, particularly those who are least able to deal with its consequences because of a lack of resources.
So, we are looking at providing significant financial assistance to help these countries. And I want to particularly commend President Calderon of Mexico and Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom for coming up with some creative proposals that all of us are going to be exploring as to how we might finance this. We've asked the G-20 finance ministers to take up the climate financing issues and report back to us at the G-20 meeting in Pittsburgh in the fall.
Finally, we've agreed to create a new global partnership to drive the development of transformational clean energy technologies around the world. Our goal is to double the research and development investments. We need to bring these technologies to market and to achieve our long-term energy and emissions goals.
A number of countries have already agreed to take lead on developing particular technologies, including solar and smart grids, advanced vehicles, bioenergy and more. Australia, for example, is creating a new center, which Kevin will be introducing shortly, and I think points to the ability for us to pool our resources in order to see the technological breakthroughs that are going to be necessary in order for us to solve this problem.
So, let me just summarize.
We've made a good start. But I'm the first one to acknowledge that progress on this issue will not be easy. And I think that one of the things we're going to have to do is fight the temptation towards cynicism, to feel that the problem is so immense that somehow we cannot make significant strides.
It is no small task for 17 leaders to bridge their differences on an issue like climate change. We each have our national priorities and politics to contend with and any steps we agree to here are intended to support and not replace the main U.N. negotiations with more than 190 countries. It's even more difficult in the context of a global recession, which I think adds to the fears that somehow addressing this issue will contradict the possibilities of robust global economic growth.
But, ultimately, we have a choice. We can either shape our future or we can let events shape it for us. We can fall back on the stale debates and old divisions, or we can decide to move forward and meet this challenge together. I think it's clear from our progress today which path is preferable and which path we have chosen.
We know that the problems we face are made by human beings. That means it's within our capacity to solve them. The question is whether we will have the will to do so. Whether we'll summon the courage and exercise the leadership to chart a new course. That's the responsibility of our generation. That must be our legacy for generations to come. And I am looking forward to being a strong partner in this effort.
With that, let me turn it over to Kevin Rudd (ph), who I think has a significant...
HARRIS: All right, there you have the president and other world leaders at the G-8 Summit in L'Aquila, Italy. They've been tackling the issue of global warming and climate change today. The leaders have pledged to achieve a 50 percent reduction in global emissions by 2050.
You may know that China and India have balked at that agreement. China and India won't agree to long-term cuts until the United States agrees to bigger and deeper cuts, which is why the president spent as much time as he did talking about the steps the United States is taking right now to cut emissions.
The president at the G-8 Summit in Italy. Next stop for the president is Ghana, and the Ghanans have been celebrating for days ahead of the president's visit. And our Anderson Cooper will be there with the president, reporting for "AC360."
You know, we've heard stories -- well, story after story, really, of communities trying to tough it out against a major employer like an automaker, particularly when that major employer pulls out of a city. CNN's Alina Cho takes us to one fortunate town that is now thriving thanks to an automaker in today's "Money & Main Street" segment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the heart of the South, the face of tiny West Point, Georgia, is literally changing. The old Pizza Hut is a Korean barbecue. The old KFC, Young's Garden. Jobs once scarce are finally returning.
MALCOLM MALDNE, M&M CAR WASH: It's just like Christmastime. Just like Christmas.
CHO: Christmas? In the middle of a recession? In West Point, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We jokingly call it Kiaville (ph).
CHO: Kia, the Korean car company, is about to open a sprawling manufacturing plant, thanks to $400 million in tax breaks. Even in the midst of a recession, the company will hire 2,500 new workers. Add suppliers and new businesses, and the mayor said West Point, population 3,500, stands to gain 20,000 jobs over the next five years. Divine intervention.
MAYOR DREW FERGUSON, WEST POINT, GEORGIA: The economic activity here is incredible. The trickle-down effect in the local economy has been staggering.
CHO: Remarkable for a city that was slowly becoming a ghost town. Textile mills that once defined West Point, shut down in the 1990s, leaving many out of work.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not going to go in (ph).
CHO: Including 52-year-old Margaret McManis (ph). Laid off last year, now working again at one of Kia's suppliers.
CHO (on camera): Did you ever think you'd be making car parts?
MCMANIS: No, not at all.
CHO: Not in a million years.
MCMANIS: No.
CHO (voice-over): New construction is everywhere. At Roger's Bar-B-Que, business is booming.
DEBBIE WILLIAMS, CO-OWNER, ROGER'S BAR-B-QUE: We almost say, if we can get them in here one time, we can get them back. And they're come -- they're coming back. They enjoyed it.
CHO: Malcolm Malone's car wash business is up 70 percent. And down the street at Irish Bred Pub, Ruthann Williams invested her life savings in the business. It's paying off.
RUTHANN WILLIAMS, OWNER, IRISH BRED PUB: I came here because Kia. I wanted to come down to this area because of Kia. We have jumped in with both feet and we have not looked back one time.
CHO: So, how is this tiny, rural community adapting to the new Asian infusion?
(on camera): Does West Point feel like more of a melting pot now?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. We've got the culture coming in. You know, you don't have to travel to Atlanta anymore.
CHO (voice-over): From mill town to manufacturing mecca, a bright spot in an otherwise gray economy.
Alina Cho, CNN, West Point, Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: So if you need some advice on how to cope through this difficult economy, watch more of our series "Money & Main Street" tonight at 8:00 Eastern, only on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: All right. We are hearing from you on what you think the big obstacle to health care reform is likely to be. Our Josh Levs is follow your posts on our blogs, you phone calls.
Wow, Josh, all right, let me have you get right to it then.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What a show today, Tony, got news?
HARRIS: Yes, yes, action packed.
LEVS: Yes, really. And this whole time, we have been hearing from people like crazy, every which way. You know, cnn.com/tony is our new easy way to reach the blog.
HARRIS: Oh, I know.
LEVS: Let me show you a few things people are writing us about health care and how to fix it and what it takes and what the big obstacles are. We're starting off with this one from Larry. He says, "get insurance companies and health care facilities to give up just a little more of their bloated profits and it's done." Let's go to the next one from Egberto Willies, a name we know well, one of our frequent iReporters, actually. "The biggest obstacle is false information sent by supporters of insurance companies along with lawmakers succumbing to lobbyists," he says.
And we have one more here that also came in on the blog from Liz. "We will all have to pay for fair health care. The only one singing the blues," she says, "are the ones with a lot of zeros behind their paychecks." Interesting.
HARRIS: Wow.
LEVS: Now we are hearing from people with lots of different views. Let me show you how you can weigh in. First of all, we have the nice image there showing you Tony's blog, cnn.com/tony.
HARRIS: Yes, but that's too much. It's just too much. Well, it's a nice picture.
LEVS: Yes. I know you like this one. That's (INAUDIBLE) show it. Come on, we wouldn't do that to you, Tony.
HARRIS: That's a nice picture, though.
LEVS: And we've got the phone call one too, now. You like that too, right?
HARRIS: Yes, yes, year, are we getting calls at all?
LEVS: Folks, always keep your anchors happy, trust me. 1-877- 742-5760. We're getting lots of your calls too. We're going to hear more of those on the show tomorrow. Tony, they're going to keep coming in, I'm telling you. Lots of people with lots to say about health care.
HARRIS: All right. Well, I understand this, what we are drilling down on, and we're honestly just trying to do as much as we can on this and break through all the distractions and all the noise and try to get right to the heart of the debate. I think we did a pretty good job of tapping into it today. A lot of action on Capitol Hill now, on the Senate side, the House version is due out sometime tomorrow. So we will continue to do that.
LEVS: A lot of (INAUDIBLE).
HARRIS: Yes, exactly, with our entire "Money" team. And, of course, with our senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen.
Josh, good stuff, as always.
LEVS: Thanks, Tony.
HARRIS: And tomorrow, let's get some of those phone calls on, all right?
LEVS: You got it. HARRIS: All right, it's time for me to go. We are pushing forward now with the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM. My homage to the man, the vested look, Ali Velshi is next.
