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Progress Slowing on Health Care Reform; Sarah Palin Set to Resign as Alaska Governor; French President Sarkozy Hospitalized

Aired July 26, 2009 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: President Obama's August deadline for health care reform runs into a roadblock. What will he do now? And Sarah Palin steps down today as governor of Alaska. Is it the end of the line or just the beginning?

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think this should happen to any other kids.

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WHITFIELD: Five months after she was snatched from her family, a mother can hug her daughters again. We'll tell you why they may not be able to actually stay together.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM, where the news unfolds live this Sunday, July 26. I'm Fredericka Whitfield.

Democrats insist that we're still on the road to health care reform, even though that road may be longer than expected. Administration officials concede that Congress probably won't take any action before President Obama's August deadline, but they still say they are making progress.

CNN's (AUDIO GAP) at the White House. So, Kate, now that the August deadline is apparently out the window, not going to happen, what is the strategy for the administration?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, there, Fredericka. It is all but certain that Congress will miss that August deadline set by the president. The White House this weekend really pushing forward, continuing to put on the pressure, and also trying to put on a good face. Listen here to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

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ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president believes that we're making progress. And as long as we're making progress, that's a very good sign on an issue that we've been debating for 40 years.

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BOLDUAN: Now, the president now says he wants a health care reform bill on his desk by the end of the year, but major issues remain. And we heard more about that today. Among the major issues, simply how to pay for this health care overhaul. One cost-saving measure that got a lot of talk today, is getting a lot of talk, is the idea of taxing so-called Cadillac health care plans -- Cadillac insurance plans.

This is a tax on insurance companies, Fredericka, for high-end policies. The White House says that the president thinks this is, quote, an intriguing proposal. But critics, they say that it's really not the cost-savings we're looking for, as really, in the end the tax will fall, really be simply passed on -- the burden of it will be passed on to employees.

Listen here to Republican Senator Jim Demint.

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SEN. JIM DEMINT (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Well, I can tell a lot of these folks have not been in business. You tax the insurance companies, it's going to effect the cost of every policy.

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BOLDUAN: Now despite a 60-vote majority in the Senate, a key Democratic senator, Senator Kent Conrad today -- he is the chair of the Senate Budget Committee. He said simply that it's not possible to pass health care reform, in the Senate, at least, without the support of Republicans.

So we will see more of this discussion going on. You can understand, Fredericka, Democrats do not want to go forward without having bipartisan support of this. As we're learning, that's not going to be easy.

WHITFIELD: Even Friday, the president said that he got the feeling the health care kind of took the backseat in terms of the public view because so many other matters that took the front seat. So will he be pushing hard for it this week? Will there be any town hall meetings? Is he worried about the momentum behind this health care reform debate?

BOLDUAN: You can be sure that the White House will say they're not worried about the momentum, but health care is front and center this week. They really are pushing hard, as other issues have kind of taken the focus. They're trying to squarely refocus attention on health care.

This week, a very busy time on that. We've talked about the president will be traveling to North Carolina and Virginia to talk health care, take it -- take his message directly to the public. And as you mentioned, he will be taking part in what they're calling a tele-town hall with AARP members this week, as well.

WHITFIELD: Thank so much, Kate Bolduan, at the White House. Appreciate that. Of course, we'll be talking much more about the health care debate. We're going to be talking to three doctors who are practicing in one of America's big cities and they treat a number of people insured and uninsured. What do they think about health care reform?

We're calling it health care diagnosis. They'll be weighing in about half an hour from now.

Sarah Palin is closing in on her last few hours as governor of Alaska. It's been a weekend of farewells for the Republican who ran as John McCain's vice presidential running mate. She gathered with friends and supporters at a picnic in Anchorage yesterday. And moving vans pulled up to the governor's mansion in Juno Friday to remove Palin's personal items before the new governor actually takes office later on today.

Palin's abrupt resignation prompted a lot of speculation. CNN's Paul Steinhauser sorts through the questions swirling around Alaska's soon to be former governor.

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PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, I guess the big question is, what's next for Sarah Palin? That's what everyone wants to know. She has stayed pretty mum this weekend. She has not answered reporters' questions at her events so far this week.

But she has said a couple of things over the last couple of weeks to give us an idea of what she may be doing. First off, she is going to be writing a book; we know that. Second of all, she said, she still wants to fight for causes that are important for her even after she steps down as Alaska governor.

She has also said that she wants to campaign for candidates across the country, candidates whose ideas and issues she agrees with.

Now we're going to see her in two weeks at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California. She's going to be speaking to a Republican women's group there. And that is really considered sacred ground, the Ronald Reagan Library.

So you put all this together and you got a lot of speculation that maybe -- maybe the former Republican vice presidential nominee wants to go for the top spot herself in 2012. But her spokeswoman says there is no plan and that nothing, of course, is decided.

So the mystery remains. Fred?

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WHITFIELD: All right, Paul Steinhauser, thanks so much. Of course, you can watch Palin's final moments in office live right here at -- on CNN, beginning at 7:00 Eastern time, 4:00 Pacific. And in Alaska, it'll be 3:00 p.m. She'll be making her farewell comments and we'll be there.

Vice President Joe Biden, well, he's done it again. Known for being blunt and sometimes off message, Biden is making waves with some comments about Russia. He's just completed a trip to two former Soviet republics, Georgia and Ukraine. In a "Wall Street Journal" interview, he suggested that America should take a tougher stance in negotiations with Russia because Russia, his words, is weak.

He said, quote, "they have a shrinking population base. They have a withering economy. They have a banking sector and structure that is not likely to be able to withstand the next 15 years." That being Biden's quote.

Russia calls the comments perplexing. A Kremlin official asked, "who is shaping the U.S. foreign policy? The president or respectful members of his team?"

The Obama administration has been trying to improve relations with Russia. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was asked whether the vice president's comments sends a mixed message.

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HILLARY CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: No, I don't. As I just said, the vice president was the first person to call for resetting our relationship with Russia. And that's what we're in the process of doing. Obviously, it's going to take time and effort, but the president's summit in Moscow a few weeks ago was a great start.

And the president said, look, we want a strong, peaceful, and prosperous Russia. And we're going to work with Russia, and we're going to have areas of agreement and disagreement, as we do with any other country.

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WHITFIELD: Let's talk Afghanistan now. July the deadliest month on record for U.S. troops there. Well, it just got deadlier. An American service member was killed this weekend in a battle with insurgents in southern Afghanistan. That pushes the number of Americans killed in July to 39.

A torturous waiting game for the family of a US soldier captured by Taliban militates. Private Bowe Bergdahl was taken captive in Afghanistan several weeks ago. The militants are threatening to kill him if foreign troops continue operating in two eastern provinces. U.S. troops are trying to find Bergdahl. And CNN Ivan Watson reports from Helmand Province in Afghanistan.

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The search is on. The story about how this American soldier was captured -- it's still kind of fuzzy. There are different accounts that the Taliban has given, that the private gave in his hostage video, and that the U.S. military have given. The basic facts are he went missing at the end of June and he was declared captured, probably, by the U.S. military around July 2nd. And he has been missing since then.

I think one of the remarkable things about this, Fredericka, this conflict in Afghanistan has been going on for nearly eight years, eight years since the Taliban was overthrown. The remarkable thing is that we don't have previous cases of American soldiers being captured alive up until this point. That is really remarkable. Of course, that's not going to help this young man, who has been taken hostage. And unfortunately the insurgents have been known to kill their captives in the past. That's going to be a threat for this young man.

WHITFIELD: Our Ivan Watson there. And as we mentioned, the violence in Afghanistan is escalating. Gretchen Peters is a journalist who lived in Afghanistan for years. I spoke with her yesterday about the increase in attacks against U.S. troops.

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WHITFIELD: What has happened that has allowed the Taliban to take on this resurgence and become more sophisticated in the way in which it is taking out and targeting British and U.S. forces and even harming more Afghan civilians, as well?

GRETCHEN PETERS, AUTHOR, "SECONDS OF TERROR": Well, there are a number of things going on. First of all, until recently, until the last few years, there were very few international troops in the rural parts of Afghanistan, particularly in the south, in the southeast, and in the east. The very areas where we see the most violence today.

So, that's one of the problems, is that these areas were simply a vacuum. They were lawless and ungoverned. And very little effort was made to try and bring stability and rule of law to those areas.

As well, what I've documented in my book was that the Taliban in southern Afghanistan became very, very closely tied to the enormous opium trade there, and is earning hundreds of millions of dollars a year off of that. That has given the money to launch all sorts of operations they were not able to do in the early days.

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WHITFIELD: Gretchen Peters there. Our U.S. Marines and Afghan forces are stepping up their offensive against drug trafficking. They've destroyed tons of poppy seeds, opium, and heroin this month alone.

And India is part of an exclusive club of high-tech nuclear nations. Today in the southeastern part of the country, it launched its first locally built nuclear powered submarine. Only five other nations have the capability to build nuclear subs. The prime minister says there are no aggressive plans for the subs. Still, it's likely to rattle India's next door nuclear rival of Pakistan.

A show of support for exiled Honduran President Manuel Zelaya; several hundred Hondurans have gathered across the border in Nicaragua, where he's camped out. Zelaya is demanding to be reinstated as president after being ousted last month in a military coup. He returned to the Honduran border yesterday, a day after crossing into Honduras for just a few hours.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calls the border crossing reckless. Zelaya is expected to travel to the U.S. for talks on Tuesday.

A medical scare today for France's president; Nicolas Sarkozy was rushed to a Paris hospital after becoming ill while jogging. How serious is this? Well, CNN's Jim Bittermann is on the phone from Paris. Jim, what is being said about Sarkozy?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we just got the last medical report of the day, apparently, from the palace, the latest news that we have. And it's not very helpful, in the sense that we really don't have any way to make a very strong conclusion about the exact state of the president's health.

Basically, as you mentioned, he was jogging this morning, late morning, at the Undergrounds of the Versailles Palace, to the west of Paris. There's a presidential residence out there, a weekend residence where he sometimes goes. And he was out for a morning jog with his body guards. And apparently with the doctor not too far away, because after about 45 minutes of jogging, he slowed and did not lose consciousness, they want to make clear.

But he did feel it necessary to stop and to lay down. The doctor was called and gave first aid on the scene. And then he was taken by helicopter to the Val De Grace (ph) hospital, which is the big military hospital here in Paris where presidents normally are treated. He's gone through a battery of tests since about 1:45 this afternoon local time.

And none -- nothing has shown up in the chest. They basically did MRIs and EKGs and other kinds of tests. Nothing has shown up in what this might have been. There's been some suggestion that it was a temporary slowing in his heart rate, because of, perhaps, dehydration or the intense exercise he was going through.

No clarification on that. It's clear, though, he is going to spend the night in the hospital. And it's not clear what will happen after that. There are going to be more evaluations of his condition tomorrow.

WHITFIELD: Jim, we've been showing a videotape, a file tape of him, whether it be with his wife, Carla Bruni, there in suit, and then just prior to these images we actually saw him jogging. Because he is an avid jogger, he's been seen jogging around town on so many occasions, right? But as far as we know, today's jogging incident was not necessarily videotaped. And again, we're looking at file tape right now.

BITTERMANN: No, as far as we know, not, although there were some witnesses who were in the Versailles Gardens at the time, and did see some of this happen. Basically, the 54-year-old president, in fact, in very good physical condition. He's a great advocate of jogging and staying in top shape, and is often seen riding a bicycle, as well.

He's an avid cycling fan. And if this hadn't happened today he would have been at least watching on television, maybe out her on the Champs Elysees, watching the end of the Tour de France today, which came in about the same time -- came into Paris the same time the president was headed for the hospital.

WHITFIELD: And generally very popular on his jogging routes too, as we see here, taking the time to stop for tourists or folks who want to take pictures of him. We wish him the best as he continues to get medical attention today. Jim Bittermann, thanks so much.

In the meantime, the push is on in Europe to get a Swine Flu vaccine approved before winter. But experts warn a rush job could cause side effects or expose people to the wrong dosage. The U.S. is being more cautious with plans to test a Swine Flu vaccine as early as next month. US officials say the results should be in by the time the vaccine is planned for release in October.

So, we actually want to hear from you, because as they conduct those tests, they're actually going to be looking for volunteers to participate in the tests of the vaccines right here in the U.S. So what do you think about the idea? Would you dare to be tested with this swine flu vaccine? We want to hear from you. Send your thoughts to my blog at CNN.com/Newsroom or to my Facebook page.

A belated, very belated Mother's Day. Facing deportation, a reunion, however, full of tears and smiles.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a big, big, big weight lifted off my shoulders. I'd have to be like a teenage mother, which I'm not ready to be, which I don't plan on being.

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WHITFIELD: All right. This mother of two girls still facing an uphill battle, despite this tearful reunion you're seeing right here.

And let's talk about what's taking place in Atlanta. There have been a spate of shootings. This time the victim a former boxing champ.

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WHITFIELD: Former boxing champion Vernon Forrest is dead. Police say he was shot multiple times in the back during an apparent car-jacking in Atlanta. No details on the attack are available at this time. The 38-year-old was a light middle weight champ and a member of the 1992 Olympic boxing team.

And a brawl between a group from a bachelor party and bar patrons in Philadelphia turned deadly. It began during the final innings of last night's Phillies-Cardinal game at a restaurant, and then moved to a parking lot outside the ballpark. Police say as many as 30 people were actually involved. The 22-year-old man was beaten to death. Another man was hospitalized. Detectives are now questioning witnesses.

And another possible macabre discovery in an Illinois cemetery. Investigators are looking into a case of human remains after a bone was found in a storage area at the Mount Glenwood Cemetery south of Chicago. The discovery comes three days after three people filed a lawsuit against the cemetery.

Earlier this month, another Chicago area cemetery was closed after accusations that workers had dug up graves and resold the plots.

Mexican police have detained four men suspected in the killing of a U.S. border patrol agent. Robert Rosas was gunned down Thursday night while investigating an incursion in a remote area in Southeastern San Diego County. Investigators say the suspects are allegedly part of an immigrant smuggling ring. Rosas is the first border control agent to die in a shooting in more than a decade there.

A lost painting, discovered in an attic, and reunited with an 88- year-old woman. She created the artwork 70 years ago.

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WHITFIELD: The wind and rain didn't dampen the excitement at the 72nd annual American Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio. This year, girls took top honors in four of the six divisions. Yay. Among them Sara Whitaker (ph), the ten year old competitor, won the stock division. She's no stranger to the contest. Sara is the 15th member of her family to take part in the National Soap Box Finals.

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WHITFIELD: If you want more than a CD or a T-shirt to remember the King of Pop, here's your chance. Michael Jackson memorabilia going up for auction in less than an hour. We'll tell you how you can grab a part of the musical history.

And perhaps you're not sure which side of the health care debate that you fall on. Well, straight ahead, we'll talk to a panel of experts. There are two out of three doctors right there in that live picture that we're going to talk to, coming to us from different parts of the country, even though they know each other from way back when and all practice in the same general vicinity.

Anyway, we're going to be talking with them about their ideas about the health care debate.

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WHITFIELD: All right. Let's update you on some of our top stories right now. Atlanta police are investigating the killing of this man, a well known prized fighter. Former WBC Super Welterweight Champion Vernon Forrest was shot several times. There are no suspects so far.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is in the hospital. Aides say he became ill while jogging. Doctors are doing tests to determine the cause. And Sarah Palin has five more hours to be governor of Alaska. She announced her resignation plans earlier this month. She says that she is still undecided about what she'll be doing next.

All right, Democrats insist that they're making some progress on health care reform legislation. But most of them now admit nothing will happen in time to meet President Obama's August deadline. In his weekend media address, the president appeared to set a new deadline.

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BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This debate is not a political game for these Americans. And they cannot afford to keep waiting for reform. We owe it to them to finally get it done and to get it done this year.

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WHITFIELD: Let's talk some more about health care reform and what the prognosis is for America. Three doctors on the front lines of the health care debate; they're also friends who formed a pact as teenagers growing up in Newark, New Jersey, to make something of their lives, and to pursue medical dreams. And they've actually written quite a few books about it.

Here's one, "The Bond, The Three Doctors," one of the three books that we've seen. We welcome Dr. Rameck Hunt, an internist at Princeton University Medical Center, joining us from New York, Dr. George Jenkins, an assistant professor of clinical dentistry at Columbia University, also joining us from New York, and Dr. Sampson Davis, an emergency room physician. But I understand, Dr. Davis, you are practicing in New Jersey, even though you're joining us from Las Vegas, right?

DR. SAMPSON DAVIS, EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN: That is correct.

WHITFIELD: Good, I'm glad we were able to get all of you together, at least together via satellite. Thanks so much. OK, well, let's talk about health care reform, gentlemen, where we are in this. You're treating patients all the time, insured, uninsured. And you're seeing whether, indeed, we need to be at this juncture. Should we be having health care reform debate?

Dr. Hunt, let me begin with you, is there a great need right now to offer more public assistance for people who are currently uninsured? We're talking about 46 million people, right?

DR. RAMECK HUNT, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER: Absolutely, and I think we definitely need to do something about it. And I think most people do understand that is the case. It's just a matter of how to get it done.

But we see a lot of people in our practice, and I -- I partly take care of a clinic, and our clinic has a whole bunch of uninsured patients that we grapple with how to get their medical needs taken care of. And so it is very tough. And, you know, we're in the front lines of this.

WHITFIELD: And I know none of you want to talk about the politics of how we get there. But instead, based on your professions, what you see in your patients all the time. Dr. Jenkins, we're talking dentistry. But, at the same time, a lot of folks don't have the access to preventive medical care, they don't have dentistry either.

But how can we ignore one and how is it that, you know, dentistry and medicine really are connected when you talk about being uninsured?

DR. GEORGE JENKINS, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Absolutely. As a resident, I got a chance to work in the emergency rooms. And I saw how overloaded those facilities were, because people aren't -- they don't have access to preventive care or even comprehensive care, for that matter. And so they were coming to the emergency room for minor issues or issues that were overblown because they didn't have access to proper care, so they would come in there with an abscess or something like that, when they could have just gotten a filling at the very beginning, if they were treated in the comprehensive care manner.

WHITFIELD: And so, Dr. Davis, you're in ER, and you're seeing this all the time, catastrophic care, people who are not getting preventive care. But when it balloons into something much bigger, now they're able to go to an emergency room, get some care. But you're treating them for things that could have been headed off a long time ago, right?

DAVIS: Absolutely. I have one case, a 55-year-old man that I was taking care of in New Jersey, who was suffering from throat pain for an entire year. By the time he arrived into the emergency department, he had a progressive form of throat cancer and there was not much we can do. But at the same time, if he would have been treated and seen early, there were treatment options that we could've offered him that would have not only saved his life, but would have saved the extreme costs of medical care.

WHITFIELD: So the three of you have set the stage for all of us now about exactly what you're seeing in the offices and the hospitals, et cetera. So give me an idea of what the conversation is like between the three of you. You're so close, really like brothers. You talk about what you encounter in your medical professions all the time.

What do you talk about, Dr. Hunt, when it pertains to fixing America's health care?

HUNT: I think, you know, we really just all need to chip in and do our part, as far as -- we like to focus on prevention. And we just had a walk-a-thon yesterday where we talked about Sickle Cell, Diabetes, and a lot of different things, to try to get people aware, and also get them plugged into the system. You know, right now, it's not -- it's not perfect, but there are ways to get plugged into the system.

Like my hospital and many hospitals around the country offer charity care. And so there are a lot of ways to get plugged into the system so that you can get some preventative care before it's too late. And that's the kind of things we talk about amongst each other.

WHITFIELD: Dr. Jenkins, what's the most frustrating thing that you encounter on a regular basis that becomes a topic of conversation between the three of you?

JENKINS: I think just having a lack of care and when we get those patients who don't have insurance -- but as well as I come across patients who actually have Medicaid who don't actually utilize it as much as they should, which becomes frustrating in another sense, because they actually have a way to actually go get the care. But dentistry sometimes doesn't make its way up to the priority that medicine does often times. And it's something that people tend to deal with, as opposed to being proactive and going out there.

But just having a patient come to you with a need and no idea to how they're going to cover it financially is always frustrating. And we're always interested in trying to figure out ways to figure that out. But I actually also work with a grant called Elder Smiles at Columbia University, where I was able to treat patients with no cost at all because of a non-profit sector chipped in.

So I think if we as health care professionals jump out there and try to chip in, and different sectors, private sector, non-profit sector get out there and try to do more, while they're working on the political aspect of things -- I think it's going to take a concerted effort by all Americans to try to tackle this problem.

WHITFIELD: OK, we're going to talk some more about this, because it is a huge issue. And I'm very curious to see if you're all in agreement with how to fix America's health care, or if there is some areas you all try to negotiate between the three of you. Much more straight ahead.

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WHITFIELD: Well, most of America agrees that something needs to be done so that the 46 million uninsured Americans can actually get health care. Let's find out from our three guests here, all in the front lines of the health care debate. Three doctors, welcoming back Dr. Rameck Hunt, an internist at Princeton University Medical Center, and Dr. George Jenkins, a professor of clinical dentistry at Columbia University, both of them joining us from New York, and Dr. Samson Davis, an emergency room physician, who normally works out of New Jersey, but we're seeing him from Las Vegas today.

All right, welcome back, gentlemen. So everyone agrees something needs to be done. But we see on Capitol Hill and even from the White House negotiations back and forth about how do you shape this public health care system? So are we all in agreement, meaning the three of you -- are you in agreement that some sort of health care reform means that more doctors offices, more hospitals need to extend Medicare-like bills or payments to these 46 million of Americans who were currently uninsured, so that everyone can afford to get care? Dr. Hunt? HUNT: Yes, I think there has to be some form of health care, whether it's a multiple tiered system. But we really -- like until they get it done, as we said, we have to figure out how to get people access to care, as opposed to them utilize...

WHITFIELD: Do you worry that's going to put a greater strain on existing doctors offices, dentistries, and hospitals, because now you're dealing with a greater volume of people, and it means that some people are going to pay one figure for an examination, versus others who might pay more because they have private insurance.

HUNT: I think that -- we still need to have some sort of basic care. Whether you have nurse practitioners and other people who are the main care provider for that patient, or -- and then tiers its way up. But it has to be some sort of system that we put into place where the patient is able to access early, as opposed to late. I think that's really the key.

WHITFIELD: And Dr. Davis, do you think it's possible? We've heard as we -- as the politicians go back and forth, that possibly with health care reform it means that patients will spend more time with their doctors. Is that realistic?

DAVIS: I don't think that's realistic. I mean, I think what's going to happen, there will be an increase in patient visits. But, at the same time, let's be honest, the system that we have in place right now is not effective. So we have to find a way so that it's working not only for the doctors and the nurses, but for the patients, obviously.

So, we're not saying that the rest of the Americans with insurance are going to pay more. That's not the point at hand. It's ways to find how to trim the fat, if you will, to make it more effective, to focus on prevention, to focus on education. I mean, practicing emergency medicine, I see patients come into the ER all the time. And there has to be some restrictions to that.

In Austin, Texas, there was nine patients over a six-year period who used the emergency department over 2,600 times, costing the system three million dollars, and these were all uninsured patients.

The thought here is that all it starts off with how do we restructure the system so that it's effective for those with insurance and those without?

WHITFIELD: OK, and Dr. Jenkins, you know, we've been receiving some e-mails throughout the week, comments from people all across America. And this one we received today from Maria, who says "I don't mind paying more for everyone to have health care. My health care just went up for less coverage and I'm not pleased with that. A more universal plan would make sense. And I do believe they should add an extra tax on all items that are junk food, sodas, fast food, et cetera. Therefore all of us that eat unhealthy will be contributing more for our incurred health costs, and you can also add an illegal -- you can also add all illegal immigrants that would contribute in that sense too toward their health care costs." So, everyone's kind of got some ideas, Dr. Jenkins, on maybe the sacrifices that everyone needs to make so that everyone can have health care. You agree with some of that?

JENKINS: Yes, I mean, that's a tricky subject as you can see, as far as the debate is concerned, with people not necessarily wanting to give up some of the funds that they have or just to kind of spread the wealth, so to speak. That's kind of like a buzz word that isn't very popular.

But as I said earlier, it's going to take a concerted effort by all of us. Health care professionals, we have to step up and help out. People in a positions of power and positions of wealth, you know, we all have to care about this issue, if we're ever going to make a dent in it. But the way it is now, as Dr. Davis mentioned, it's not effective. And we have to come up with creative ways that's going to take a little bit of pain on everyone's part. We can kind of share in that. We're all one country. We can kind of share in that pain, and just try to tackle this issue. I think we'll all live healthier lives.

WHITFIELD: OK. You know, we've got about 20 seconds left. I'm wondering if we can do a quick little Round Robin. The one thing that you want to see in health care reform so that everybody is insured. Dr. Jenkins, let me begin with you.

JENKINS: Wow. It's so multi-faceted.

WHITFIELD: One thing. Just give me one thing you know has got to be in the package.

JENKINS: I would like to see more -- and I always kind of put the onus on us as health care professionals. I would like to see health care professionals care a little bit about areas we don't necessarily care about. Some of us maybe, you know, we have affluent practices, but we don't make ourselves available to the at risk and at need populations. They'll suffer. And we just have to get more of us out there and interested in --

WHITFIELD: Maybe a public health care plan would mean that even in the wealthier neighborhoods or wealthier practices they've got to have -- they've got to be able to serve people who are not necessarily in that category.

JENKINS: In some form or fashion, some way that's realistic for them.

WHITFIELD: And then Dr. Hunt, quickly, what's got to be in the package in your view?

HUNT: Well, we just have to have a basic primary care focus. And I think that's key. And then also be able to provide medicines for patients that they need.

WHITFIELD: And Dr. Davis? DAVIS: Education. I mean we have to inform the patient population how best to use the system. Also, I think it has to be better communication between doctor and doctor, so that we're not reordering the same tests and bleeding the system.

WHITFIELD: All right. Dr. Rameck Hunt, Dr. George Jenkins, Dr. Sampson Davis, thanks to all of you. Appreciate your time.

(CROSSTALK)

Daughter is happy, but rather bitter.

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GLORIA MBEINE, DAUGHTER: I don't think this should happen to any other kids.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: We'll tell you why this tearful family reunion may only be temporary.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, there was a tearful reunion this weekend at the Cincinnati Airport. A mother was reunited with her husband and two young daughters after spending five months in a Texas prison waiting to be deported. Brendan Keefe of CNN affiliate WCPO was there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRENDAN KEEFE, WCPO-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is Mother's Day for 14-year-old Gloria and her eight-year-old sister Glenna. That's because on the real holiday, their mother was locked up in a federal prison.

GLENNA MBEINE, DAUGHTER: It has been hard without you.

KEEFE: They got the card and the flowers because mom is finally coming home.

G. MBEINE: Just a big, big, big weight lifted off my shoulders. I'd have to be like a teenage mother, which I'm not ready to be, which I don't plan on being.

KEEFE: The waiting is almost unbearable. Is that her? No.

Their mother was snatched last February by immigration agents without warning, and held ever since awaiting extradition to Uganda.

G. MBEINE: I don't think this should happen to any other kid.

KEEFE: And then, the moment. There she is, home at last.

G. MBEINE: I'm just glad she's home. KEEFE: This is the first time Cissy has held her girls in five months. The last time she saw them, they were separated by a cold partition of prison glass.

CISSY LYAGOBA, MOTHER: And I'm very proud of the girls for just hanging in there. They encouraged me to stay strong every day. Every day. Every day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They shouldn't separate a family.

LYAGOBA: Separation of family is not the best idea. It hurts to the bone.

KEEFE: The family knows this is only a reprieve. Tomorrow, they could be ripped apart once again. But on this night, they have each other.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And that was Brendan Keefe of CNN affiliate WCPO in Cincinnati. It could be months before there is a final decision on the deportation order that affects that family.

Michael Jackson's autopsy report may be released this week. But the attention right now is on the Los Angeles Coroner's Office. Investigators are looking into whether employees there illegally leaked information about Jackson's death. Gruesome details of his corpse were published by tabloid papers only days after he died. The sheriff is conducting a preliminary inquiry to determine if there's enough evidence to launch a full investigation.

And so how much is a piece of musical history actually worth these days? We'll soon find out. A live auction webcast featuring Michael Jackson memorabilia is scheduled to begin on ProxiBid about ten minutes from now. More than 250 lots of autographed photos, albums, along with costumes and drawings will be up for grabs. The items include a red suede jacket from Jackson's VIP wardrobe trunk, and a full color program from his 1984 Victory Tour.

And it's unclear exactly who owns the majority of these things. But apparently this is not being carried out by the Jackson family. But instead, some other fan who has a huge war chest of Michael Jackson memorabilia.

All right, an 88-year-old woman reunited with a painting she created more than 70 years ago.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Mystery solved in Houston; a couple found a painting in their attic. They had no idea who it belonged to. So when they cleaned and dusted it off, they realized the painter had actually signed it. So the couple set out to find her. Well, it did take years, but eventually they tracked down 88-year-old New Yorker Iona Clinker (ph). She painted this picture when she was just 15 years old. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With her name being Clinker, we thought it would be a very easy find.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does that bring back a lot of memories?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It sure does. I didn't know what happened to it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Wow, so Clinker traveled all the way to Houston to actually see that painting there, and meet with the couple who saved it all these years.

And now an update on some of our top stories. The police officer who arrested a black Harvard professor reacting to President Obama's latest efforts to play down the controversy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, are you satisfied with how the president's handled this?

SGT JAMES CROWLEY, CAMBRIDGE POLICE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are? What about that beer on the -- what about the beer? Are you going up to the vineyard?

CROWLEY: I don't know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: OK. I think actually the offer is for the three of them, the professor, the president, and the police officer to actually meet at the White House. We'll see if that happens. And maybe there would be beer involved there.

Professor Gates says he is willing, but it looks like Sergeant Crowley is still thinking it over, maybe because she confused him with the Martha Vineyard's invitation.

Meantime, French President Nicolas Sarkozy is in the hospital. Aides say that he became ill while jogging. Doctors are doing tests to determine the actual cause.

And Sarah Palin steps down as governor of Alaska later on today. She announced her resignation plans earlier this month. She says she is still undecided about exactly what she'll do next.

All right, the U.S. is planning to test a Swine Flu vaccine next month. U.S. officials say the results should be in by the time the vaccine is planned for release in October. And those tests, apparently, would involve many people, maybe even hundreds, who have actually applied to be test subjects for the Swine Flu Vaccine. Would that be you? We want to know. So we're asking you to send us your comments and thoughts to our blog at CNN, or perhaps even Facebook. Would you be willing to be tested? Would you be a test candidate for the Swine Flu Vaccine? We want to hear from you. And we'll be sharing some of your comments on the 4:00 Eastern hour.

All right. "YOUR MONEY" is coming up next. I'm Fredericka Whitfield. See you at 4:00, as well.