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Possible Agreement on Health Care Reform in Congress Today; Iranian Opposition Mourns Death of Protesters; Debbie Rowe Will Not Seek Custody of Jackson Children; Police Intensify Investigation on Jackson's Doctor; Music Helps Relieve Stress; Sending the Homeless Back Home
Aired July 30, 2009 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: The health care debate -- Democrats think they've found the compromise to move ahead. When will lawmakers put it to a vote?
And in Iran, a new task of the government crackdown, protestors mourn a woman who became the face of that violence. Will her brutal death rekindle the postelection outrage?
And at the White House, can cold beer make for cooler heads? Today the president gets together with the Harvard professor and the police officer who arrested him.
Racial healing the idea, but now we're finding out about an ugly e-mail that could cost a Boston police officer his job.
Good morning, everybody, I'm Heidi Collins. Today is Thursday, July 30th, and you are in the "CNN Newsroom."
The health care debate in Washington -- after years of talk and weeks of arguments, Democrats say there now appears to be progress on reform.
House leaders say there's a tentative deal on the table based on concessions made to the so-called blue dog Democrats. Well, here's what won over those fiscal conservatives now. The compromise plan shaves $100 million off the 10-year cost of the plan and businesses with payrolls of less than $500,000 will not be forced to provide coverage.
Congressional Democrats now want it pushed through two critically important committees before leaving on summer recess in the coming days. Now even if that happens, neither the House nor the Senate are likely to vote on the plans until after that August recess.
But key Republican lawmakers are warning not so fast.
Let's get the very latest now from Capitol Hill and CNN congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar.
Brianna, good morning to you. What's the situation in the Senate? I mean if there's no vote, there is at least a chance of an agreement that could give health care reform some momentum or is that all awash? BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is certainly the hope, Heidi, of congressional Democrats, though I've got to tell you, though they're hoping that this group of key negotiators, we've been talking this gang of six, the three Republicans and the three Democrats, that they at least could reach agreement among themselves before the Senate leaves for its August break, which it does after next week.
I have to tell you that last night, off camera, a couple of the Republican negotiators in that gang of six, Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Mike Enzie of Wyoming, seemed to throw cold water on that possibility, saying they really thought it wasn't going to happen, that there would be an agreement before the Senate leaves for its break.
Now that said, Senator Grassley told CNN this morning on "AMERICAN MORNING" that a deal this week is certainly impossible, but he left open the possibility of maybe coming to some sort of agreement next week. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHARLES GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: Well, there's no way we can get all of the compromising that needs to be done by an artificial deadline of Friday of this week. So we're going to continue to work together this week and next week, but we're getting close.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: So, Grassley said there's still a lot of sticking points here, of course, how to pay for health care reform, and also, what exactly the Senate Finance Committee, the committee that he is on, what their proposal for health care reform is going to look like, although, Heidi, we do know that it is going to have a non-profit cooperative.
We've heard this from Democratic and Republican members. Sort of like what you'd see with the farm co-op, only it would be done with health care instead.
COLLINS: Hmm. Well, under the House, if we could, there was an important agreement yesterday, right, between Democratic leaders and key conservative Democrats? Will this actually help move the debate forward? Or is it just kind of filling the square?
KEILAR: It's -- I think this is one of those cases we've been talking about now where it's taking a step forward and then taking a step back. Because what you heard yesterday was this important agreement, yes, between these conservative Blue Dog Democrats or at least some of them and Democratic leaders were pushing this health care reform plan, but at the same time, one of the things that these Blue Dogs were able to secure was the delay on a vote before the House floor, pushing that all the way after the August break.
And so obviously, that's not a lot of momentum. They got some changes. But they were also able to push this delay. And then there's also another issue now, Heidi. As these Democratic leaders have appeased these Democrats, some of them, on the right, who are more conservative, but now they have to deal with some of the liberal Democrats who have some serious concerns about the changes that were made as a concession to these conservative Democrats.
COLLINS: Right. Right. It's very interesting. How all that is playing.
KEILAR: It is.
COLLINS: All right. Brianna Keilar, sure do appreciate it. Live from Capitol Hill this morning.
You know, one of the biggest issues is this whole reform thing is making sure all of the uninsured are actually covered. But is that doable? One of the many questions for our "Insider." Chief medical correspondent and practicing neurosurgeon, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
I feel like I'm going to give you an award.
(LAUGHTER)
So, here's a related question. We want to get to this question right out of the gate here from Vanessa in El Paso. Listen for just a moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CALLER: Hi, Dr. Gupta. My name is Vanessa and I'm from El Paso, Texas. I am a mother -- working mother of two, happily married. I hate to admit but I haven't had health insurance for about five years. My employer does offer their insurance, but the premiums are very high and my family cannot afford.
I'm hoping that the new House reform bill passes soon, so what my question is, if the president does sign this bill in October, how long would I have to wait before I can sign up for the new public plan? Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: All right, Vanessa, first of all, thanks for calling in. You know, this actually gets to, I think, a myth overall regarding how quick this might take place. We're talking about it a lot now and people think it's going to be instantaneous. And by no means, Heidi, you know this. This obviously is going to take a while. Quite a while, I think, surprisingly.
We try to create a timeline for people to get an idea.
COLLINS: Good. OK.
GUPTA: Again, the caveat being we don't know how this is all going to play out.
COLLINS: Right. GUPTA: But this is the potential timeline. 2011 really before you start to see the tax increases take effect that could potentially pay for this. That's two years away from now.
COLLINS: Right.
GUPTA: 2013, a couple of things. Look at that second line first. That's when everyone is going to be required to have health insurance. That's 2013, and that preexisting conditions cover is a big part of getting that. Not discriminating based on preexisting illnesses, but also the exchange, this idea of this public-private partnership will be open to businesses with under 10 employees.
COLLINS: Yes, the co-op idea.
GUPTA: Yes. Well, the co-op idea I think is going to be a little bit more nuanced than that because this is more of a federal thing and the co-op may be more at the community level.
COLLINS: OK. Yes.
GUPTA: By 2014, they may start to expand this to businesses with 20 or fewer employees. But there's -- and after that, there may be a vote saying can we expand this even more? We're going to make more people sort of eligible for this potential public option?
Again, look at the timeframe there, 2014 and 2009, at least five years away probably before you're starting to see people in these categories qualify.
COLLINS: Yes, so bring it back to Vanessa, our caller from Texas...
GUPTA: Right.
COLLINS: ... who works for this company that has more than 20 employees, she then, according to that, will not have the option to join the exchange for like another seven to 10 years.
GUPTA: It could be several years, at least based on what we're hearing now, I know that's not good news for a lot of people who need help right now, but at least, based on the calculations that we have -- and let me add a couple more caveats to that.
I don't know Vanessa's personal financial situation.
COLLINS: Right, we don't know how long she's going to work there.
GUPTA: How long she's going to work, the size of her company, or how much, you know, her premiums would be with respect to her income. Not everyone is going to qualify for this. Your premiums have to be greater than 11 percent of your income, at least according to some of the initial drafts of this.
And if you have access to private insurance also through your husband or through somewhere else, you may not qualify either. So there are lots of nuances here, and that's just the initial drafts of all this.
COLLINS: Read the bill. Right? I mean...
GUPTA: You know...
COLLINS: Lots of fine print. Lots of...
GUPTA: I spent most of my job in CNN over the past several days is reading the bill.
COLLINS: Yes.
GUPTA: And I can tell you, it is still complicated.
COLLINS: Yes. No question. All right, our "Insider" this morning, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Thank you, Sanjay.
So, health care reform. What do people beyond the beltway think about it? At the bottom of the hour, we're going to talk to political veteran and national radio host Bill Bennett. So stick around for that.
Turning to your money now and the foreclosure crisis, millions of Americans have lost their homes or are now at risk as you know. But now new numbers suggest the crisis may be easing a bit.
CNN's Christine Romans is joining us with the latest now.
So, Christine, these new numbers suggest, really, that the crisis may be easing or is this another thing that we look at and we have red flags and cautionary warnings?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Oh there are red flags, there are cautionary warnings. And it's easing a bit for certain places, for certain places...
COLLINS: OK.
ROMANS: ... who are on the leading edge, frankly, of the foreclosure crisis more than a year ago. Cleveland, for example, year-over-year its foreclosures actually dropped a little bit. A couple of other places, as well, simply because it started into this mess much earlier than a lot of other places.
When you look at some of the big cities, there are some places where foreclosures appear to be cooling off. Here are those cities, St. Louis, Baltimore, New York, Houston, Boston.
I want to be very clear here, though. These are just the very beginning little signs of foreclosures cooling off and some folks say it might just be a temporary respite. So these are the places where at least you've seen a little bit of improvement.
These are Realty Track numbers for the first six months of this year comparing the first six months of this year to the last six months of last year and also to a year ago. So that's kind of what we're watching there.
COLLINS: OK.
ROMANS: But, again, you're right, the red flags, the -- you know, we've been in a really devastating situation with foreclosures. So of course any one of these little signs we're closely watching.
COLLINS: Yes. Definitely, and those foreclosures, those cities that you showed on the map is pretty rare. They're still going up in most areas, right?
ROMANS: Yes, and part of the reason here is that people have now gotten farther along in the foreclosure prices where they've staved it off long enough to simply given up. And remember the foreclosure process, everything from the default notice to the very beginning to actually getting a padlock on the front door.
So these Realty Track numbers also show the top cities continue to be Las Vegas. It's incredible. I think 7 percent of homes in Las Vegas right now, Heidi, have a foreclosure notice, some sort of foreclosure filing.
COLLINS: Unbelievable.
ROMANS: Look at the Fort Myers-Coral Gable area. The sunbelt just getting hammered here. In fact, most of the big cities for foreclosures are in California, Florida, Arizona, and Nevada. Those same four states account for the bulk of all of the foreclosures that we have been seeing.
COLLINS: Yes.
ROMANS: And that trend has been very sticky. It hasn't really improved very much. And when you look at this report, they point out that unemployment-related foreclosures may be spreading.
COLLINS: OK.
ROMANS: So I showed you those, the California, Florida, Arizona, Nevada, I showed you that. That was a lot of speculation. That was a market that just went wild. But now, you're seeing a spreading of foreclosure activity, related to people losing their jobs, not necessarily because of speculation and or because of a bad loan.
COLLINS: Got it.
ROMANS: Or something like that.
COLLINS: Got it. Very interesting. And then the government's effort on this. I mean to slow the foreclosures. Can it really have much success?
ROMANS: No, they've been really disappointing. And the people who are the -- the community development people who work on these sorts of things say that they are so frustrated.
And we hear, Heidi, we hear every day from frustrated homeowners who say look, I want to modify or I want to refinance and I can't do it through the government program, the lenders aren't helping me.
I think 25 or 26 lenders were summoned to Washington this week for a little bit of a talking to by the Treasury Department to say, look, five months into the -- President Obama's efforts to try to get this -- making home affordable plan to help people who are facing foreclosure. It hasn't done what they wanted. How do we fix it?
So five months into it, they're trying to figure out how to make it work.
COLLINS: Yes. Wow. All right. Christine Romans, coming to us from New York this morning. Thank you.
ROMANS: Sure.
COLLINS: Appreciate it.
Remembering a young symbol of protest. Mourners mark 40 days since Neda was shot dead in Iran. The government has banned a memorial. But that hasn't stopped thousands of people from showing up anyway.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I'm Rob Marciano at the CNN severe weather center. We've had some rough weather move through the Dallas area. Meanwhile, more record-breaking heat for the Pacific Northwest.
Weather is coming up when the CNN NEWSROOM comes right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: She became the symbol of a protest movement in Iran. Neda Agha Soltan was shot dead 40 days ago as she stood on the sidelines of an election protest. Her killing was caught on grainy cell phone video and broadcast around the world.
Today, thousands of people have gathered to remember her as riot police keep watch.
Our Reza Sayah is following this development and joins us now live with more.
So, yes, 40 days ago.
REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Heidi, this is shaping up to be another dramatic day in Tehran. More clashes between security forces and opposition supporters, this time at Tehran's main cemetery. That's where about 3,000 people showed up this morning...
COLLINS: Wow.
SAYAH: ... to mourn Neda Agha Soltan and others killed on June 20th during protests.
Now why today? In Iran, and in Shia Islam, it's tradition on the 40th day after someone dies to mourn their death and who can forget Neda Agha Soltan? The images of her last moments captured on videotape shortly after June 20th. She was shot by police.
She became a rallying cry for opposition supporters, sort of an icon, but about a couple of hours ago, 3:30 p.m. local time in Iran, sources telling CNN that about 3,000 mourners showed up to her gravesite, and we've been speaking to our sources, eyewitnesses on the ground for the past couple of hours, and they do report a number of clashes.
Both witnesses and state-funded television say opposition leaders Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi did show up. One witness saying...
COLLINS: Really?
SAYAH: ... that Moussavi was not able to get out of his car, but his wife was able to get out of the car. And again security forces and basijis with batons, sources telling us, there were at least 10 clashes. One mourner had a bloody head. Some mourners left, others were defiant, but the typical chants of "death to the dictator," one witness telling CNN the chance of death to Russia, Russian flag being burned, of course, Russia...
COLLINS: Wow.
SAYAH: ... along with China two of the countries that supported the Iran elections and the aftermath. So, they're still there. Clashes are still taking place. Again, another dramatic day in Tehran.
COLLINS: Yes. Difficult for us to verify for us, of course, to verify other than the sources that I know you guys have been working very hard on because of no foreign media. So we'll just remind everyone about that.
But my question would be, what does this say about the opposition now? And the crackdown, because, if, in fact, there are 3,000 people who have gathered to remember Neda, is that saying that it's still strong?
SAYAH: This says that after seven weeks -- it's been seven weeks now since those elections -- despite a ferocious crackdown by Iran's leadership, they still haven't been able to shut down the opposition. The opposition is still coming out, they're picking out dates on the calendars.
COLLINS: Yes.
SAYAH: This, the 40th day of Neda Agha Soltan's death and they're coming out and now they're coming out with their leaders. This is rare for opposition leaders to come out.
COLLINS: Very. It's dangerous.
SAYAH: And they'd actually asked -- right. And they'd actually asked Iran's government for permission to mourn Neda Agha Soltan and those killed on June 20th. They asked for permission from the Interior Ministry and they said, look, we're going to keep quiet, we just want to pray quietly at a Tehran mosque, and the government said no.
COLLINS: Right.
SAYAH: Any kind of gathering linked to the elections is banned. Nevertheless you had the opposition supporters and their leaders defy that ban, both those opposition leaders, Karroubi and Mir Hossein Moussavi, showing up today.
So, they have some momentum and then you throw in the fact that Iran's leadership, the hard-liners, are infighting. It looks like the opposition at this point has more momentum and is more organized than the leadership right now. Significant day today in Tehran.
COLLINS: Yes. Very significant.
SAYAH: Yes.
COLLINS: Especially now hearing these reports. All right. So, we know you guys are staying on top of it at Tehran.
SAYAH: All day.
COLLINS: We sure do appreciate it. Reza Sayah, thanks so much.
SAYAH: You're welcome.
COLLINS: Another bloody day in northeast Nigeria. Government forces reportedly killed more than 100 Islamic militants.
And they're going door to door searching for others. The group wants to impose a strict form of Islamic law on the area and rebels have been on the attack since Sunday.
Tensions rise on the divided Korean Peninsula. A North Korean patrol boat seized a South Korean fishing boat early today after it strayed into North Korean waters. South Korean defense ministry official said the fishing boat satellite navigational system apparently malfunctioned.
South Korea is calling for the boat's immediate return.
All right. Rob Marciano, back with us today. Nice to see you, Rob. Hey, so it has been like boiling, boiling hot in the Northwest. Are they getting a break today?
MARCIANO: A little bit today, actually. OK, we'll start you off with that, actually, there are...
COLLINS: Sorry, did I throw you off? MARCIANO: You did. You know, I don't know want to start with that, but we will.
COLLINS: Sorry.
(LAUGHTER)
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: Yes. From now on I will just keep my meteorological thoughts to myself.
MARCIANO: No. Don't do that.
COLLINS: But I did think it was pretty outstandingly hot there, so I'm glad we started there.
MARCIANO: All right.
COLLINS: Thank you, Rob. You handle your own next time.
(LAUGHTER)
MARCIANO: See you later.
COLLINS: Happening right now, new developments involving the custody of Michael Jackson's children. We now know what Debbie Rowe, Michael Jackson's ex-wife, is planning next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Quickly I want to let you know some of the information that we're just getting in. Some new developments here regarding the custody of Michael Jackson's children. We are just now learning a little bit more about Debbie Rowe and her possible intentions here.
You remember her to be up there on the top screen. Michael Jackson's ex-wife. And she is telling us that she will not be fighting for custody. She will not fight Michael Jackson's mother Katherine for the custody of the children.
So, that is some new information, the developing story on this that we are getting right now. And in the meantime, five weeks to the day that Michael Jackson died, we are learning more about one of the last people to see him alive. His personal physician.
And CNN's Randi Kaye telling us investigators' interest in the cardiologist is now intensifying.
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A federal law enforcement official telling us now that, quote, "Dr. Murray is the only one they're looking at." Now we know that other doctors' records have been subpoenaed, but clearly now with three search warrants now served on Dr. Conrad Murray's property, he has become the central focus.
Remember his lawyer told us that they were searching those properties, looking for evidence in the offensive manslaughter. Dr. Murray's lawyer's office told me they don't think an arrest is imminent because they haven't seen any proof or even a final autopsy report.
Also Murray's loan from the bank for his country club home in Las Vegas was $1.65 million. Well, it turns out that he failed to make his payment of just over $15,000 last January and has been racking up debt ever since.
I called his attorney about this. A spokeswoman confirmed he is facing the threat of foreclosure and told me, quote, "He was to be paid $150,000 a month by Michael Jackson. He was not paid by AEG," that's the tour promoter, "or Jackson for the two months he worked for them, so he is low on money."
Meanwhile, if Dr. Murray fails to pay up by mid August, he could lose his house.
And we have some insight to report about Jackson's final morning at his home. His personal chef is talking. Kai Chase told CNN Dr. Murray usually came down to get Michael Jackson his breakfast around 10:00 a.m. to get him something to eat or drink, but on June 25th, the day Michael Jackson died, the doctor did not come downstairs until noon.
Now the chef says that at that point, Dr. Murray came running halfway down the stairs, that actually led to the kitchen in the house, screaming, "Hurry, get Prince, get security." She said the house became chaotic. Security guards were rushing around. The housekeepers were screaming, and that Michael Jackson's daughter Paris was screaming, "Daddy, Daddy."
The chef said everyone gathered in a circle, and they all prayed at that point.
And finally we've learned that this Jackson case is actually not the first time Dr. Murray has had a brush with the law. He was charged in a domestic abuse case in Arizona back in 1994.
Deputies apparently responded to a domestic abuse call. We have confirmed Dr. Murray was arrested for, quote, "domestic violence and disorderly conduct." We're told by Tucson Police that his girlfriend accused him of having an affair and threw something at him, then Dr. Murray allegedly pushed her down. He was acquitted about five months later.
Randi Kaye, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: In Detroit, the economic misery sinks even deeper. Unemployment in the motor city has now reached 17.1 percent. That's the highest rate among all major cities in the country. The battered car industry, the main reason. The national average for June is 9.5 percent. All right. Listen to this. It's not just individual suffering from the economic crisis. States are also struggling to make ends meet. In Arizona, in fact, lawmakers are considering a novel way to raise cash. They may sell the state capitol.
Here's the idea. Sell the House and Senate buildings, lease them back for several years, and then buy them back when the state's flush with cash again. Dozens of other state buildings could also be sold and then leased back.
For decades, it was a favorite childhood read. We don't mean Dr. Seuss or Clifford, the big red dog. We're actually talking about the Sears toy catalog, you remember, the Wishbook.
Well, 14 years after that dog-eared book of dreams disappeared -- I'm getting a little teary eyed -- Sears has decided again to start selling toys. So beginning soon, toys will be sold at about two dozen of the retailer's largest stores.
Stocks on Wall Street have been struggling all week, but today we're expecting a little bit higher open and Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange now with details on this.
Hi there, Susan. You remember the Sears's Wishbook as we listen to the opening bell this morning?
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You have perfect timing, Heidi. Some folks have been calling the two-week rally that we've seen a sugar high. We're still hungering for it, though.
There's McDonald's ringing the opening bell.
Investors trying to restart the two-week rally that stalled this week and a round, solid earnings reports could help it out. It's time to stop ringing the bell.
(LAUGHTER)
COLLINS: My goodness.
LISOVICZ: The traders are shouting enough already.
COLLINS: It is stuck.
LISOVICZ: Here's a quick round of business. Who do we have reporting today? Consumer products company, Colgate-Palmolive and health insurer Cigna beating estimates. Motorola reporting an unexpected quarterly profit after several quarters of losses and even though Dow component travelers posted more than 20 percent profit dropped, the insurer raised its the full-year earnings outlook.
But on the other side of the coin, Exxon Mobil -- how about this? It says its quarterly profit tumbled to nearly 70 percent. In real dollars, Exxon's earnings in three months dropped from nearly $12 billion a year ago to about $4 billion.
So it still made a whole lot of money, the drop, of course, coming amid sharply lower oil prices and weaker demand.
We have mixed news on the jobs front. New jobless claims jumped as more people turned to the government for help. But the number of people relying on unemployment benefits for one week or more fell. It's an awfully big number, though, 6.2 million. And looking at the first minute of trading, yes, we're seeing some green arrows, Heidi. The Dow, the NASDAQ, the S&P 500, each up about one percent. Not a bad start, Heidi. I'll be back to you shortly.
COLLINS: OK, very good. Are your ears still ringing from all of the bell ringing?
LISOVICZ: Yes, they are.
COLLINS: All right.
LISOVICZ: I'm glad I'm across the floor.
COLLINS: Susan Lisovicz, thank you. We'll check back later on.
A pint-sized driver taking the family car. He led police on a chase through town, but you'll never guess why he was running.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: All right. Quickly, we want to take a moment to get to the story that we were telling you about a little bit earlier today. As you may recall, it has been 40 days since the death of Neda Agha Soltan in Iran. She was shot dead as she stood on the sidelines of an election protest there. Now, today, thousands of people have apparently gathered to remember her even as riot police continued to watch and watch closely.
Reza Sayah is joining us now with some brand new pictures coming in, because we've been waiting to see what this looks like if at all possible, Reza over at the Iran desk today.
SAYAH: Yes, Heidi. The first piece of video from the protest this morning into the Iran desk just a few minutes ago. Let's go ahead and take a look at it. This is Bashjista *, Tehran's main cemetery, and there you see some of what witnesses estimate to be 3,000 mourners showing up there.
Now they're chanting Mir Hossein, the name of the opposition leader.
COLLINS: Right.
SAYAH: Now witnesses on the ground telling us that they saw what appeared to be Mir Hossein Mousavi and his wife in SUV arriving on the scene. And this video appears to show the SUV that witnesses are describing to us. You can't see him inside the car. And sources telling us that he wasn't able to get out. But there you see an SUV with a camera man on top surrounded by dozens of people apparently heading to the gravesite of Neda Agha Soltan. Very rare that opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi is making a public appearance. He along with the other opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi actually asked the government permission to mourn Neda Agha Soltan, the 26-year-old who was shot and killed on June 20th. The government said no. They denied that permission. These opposition leaders defied that ban. They showed up briefly. And we can tell you Mir Hossein Mousavi's Facebook page is saying that at least two prominent film makers and an actress have been arrested during these protests this morning at the gravesite.
This is our first piece of video.
COLLINS: Yes.
SAYAH: If the past few weeks are any indication, they're going to start rolling in. The Iran desk will be monitoring it throughout the day.
Heidi?
COLLINS: OK. Very good. Clearly, as we were talking about before, Reza, the opposition to all of this is not completely squashed here. So we're watching very, very closely. Let us know if we need to come back to you, OK?
SAYAH: Will do, Heidi. Will do.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. Reza Sayah for us at the Iran desk.
The health care debate in Washington. After years of talk and weeks of arguments, Democrats say there now appears to be progress on reform. House leaders say there's a tentative deal on the table based on concessions made to the so-called blue dog Democrats. Here's what one over those fiscal conservative.
The compromise plan shaves $100 million off the ten-year cost of the plan. Businesses with payrolls of less than $500,000 will not be forced to provide coverage. Congressional Democrats now want it pushed through to critically important committees before leaving on summer recess in the coming days. Even if that happens, neither the House nor the Senate are likely to vote on the plans until after that August recess.
So, we want to take a moment now to talk a little bit more about this health care battle in Washington. Congress has been working on it as you know for months, but what do people outside the beltway think? And are they really paying attention?
Putting that question to Bill Bennett, the host of the national radio talk show, "Morning in America." He's also a political veteran, having served in both the Reagan White House and the first Bush administration.
Bill, nice to see you here. I'm sure you've been gauging this debate as well as your listeners. So I'm really interested to know what are they telling you when they call in and either ask questions or have comments regarding health care reform?
WILLIAM BENNETT, HOST, "MORNING IN AMERICA": Tons, tons of comments, Heidi. You've listened to my show once in a while. I appreciate that. Tons of comments.
The interesting thing now is the testing period which is represented by this August recess. We talked to Congressman Paul Ryan, Republican in Wisconsin yesterday. He's going to have 15 town meetings over the next five weeks. Many of the congressmen are going to have those same meetings. And what they're going to hear are a lot of questions about this health care plan.
Here's one of the big differences, Heidi. The Republicans have now read this plan, and they are going to be talking about specific provisions in it. There is already a majority opposed to the health care plan. I think right now advantage of the Republicans, advantage blue dog Democrats. The Blue Dog Democrats who have signed on, and we mentioned it's only four of them, there are 48 more who haven't signed on yet.
COLLINS: OK. So four of 48, I guess, I'm still curious to know, your listeners, are they feeling like they're getting a clearer idea of what is actually in this potential bill or is going to cover them, as, again, people outside of the beltway, the average citizen.
Do they get it?
BENNETT: Yes. You know, what's most interesting about this debate is that it's really been a debate. Yes, there's been politics in it, but what's happened the last few weeks has been a focus on the substance of the health care provision of what President Obama wants to do. And people don't like what they're hearing. They don't like the idea of rationing. You saw the tough time the president had the other day with the old folks, the elderly, I guess I'm one of them.
I should be careful...
COLLINS: I would never say that.
BENNETT: And -- I know you wouldn't. And are focusing on that and the rationing. And whether public programs will drive out private programs. Whether regulation will make people feel that they have to give up what they like.
And remember, 80 percent of Americans like their health care plan. So the interesting thing on this is this has not been a discussion without substantive detail. And the more people look at the details, the more distressed they are getting.
Also, after the failure of the stimulus bill, at least to date, people are very wary about deficits. If you note the poll, CNN polls included, you'll see people are much more worried about spending and deficits than they are about reforming this health care.
COLLINS: But I think there's certainly a group out there, as well, though, that would say something needs to be done, more people need to be covered.
BENNETT: Sure.
COLLINS: Do your listeners, do any of your listeners, come to you with some solutions? Because everybody likes to armchair a quarterback, and they like to say, well, you know what, here's what I would do.
Are you hearing any sort of valid ideas coming in?
BENNETT: Yes. We're hearing a lot of valid ideas, a lot of interesting suggestions, and the premise of a lot of calls to the show, Heidi. And this has been the issue that's dominated. By the way, we have gotten a petition, our network, which is going to have 1 million signatures opposing the president's plan. That's a very big number. That's unusual.
But the premise of people's calls is, yes, we do need to make some changes, we do need to make adjustments, but these don't seem to be the right ones. We've had Congressman Ryan on. We've had Dr. Coburn on, Republican alternatives. But what's interesting is there is no final plan out there yet. You've still got these different plans operating around in committees.
COLLINS: Right.
BENNETT: And that's been a political failure of the first order.
COLLINS: OK.
BENNETT: You think with 60 senators, 70 advantage in the House, they ought to be able to do that.
COLLINS: All right. In ten seconds or less, are we going to see a deal or not?
BENNETT: We're going to see a deal, not before August, later, but it's not going to have the features that Barack Obama wanted.
COLLINS: Is it going to pass?
BENNETT: Something is going to pass, but it's not going to be what he wanted. He has insisted he'll force it through because the majorities, but it won't be the plan that he wanted.
COLLINS: All right. Well, we appreciate you taking the time. Bill Bennett for us this morning.
BENNETT: You bet. You bet.
COLLINS: A talk show host and a political commentator here at CNN.
Bill Bennett, thank you.
And an amazing outcome to tell you about to a troubling story. A baby cut from her mother's body is found alive. And an arrest is made. We've got details coming up right here in the NEWSROOM.
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COLLINS: Stressed out, feel like screaming at someone, try turning on the radio or your stereo instead. CNN's Melissa Long looks at the benefits as you reach those milestones of 30, 40, 50.
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MELISSA LONG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Whether it's country or classical, bebop or hip-hop, music can be good for us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just like the way it sounds and the way it makes me feel.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It makes me feel very uplifted.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we usually listen to music to feel good, don't we?
LONG: We do, and now studies have shown not only can music calm the savage beast, but can help us stay healthier as we age.
DR. MICHAEL MILLER, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL CENTER: Turns out that music may be one of the best de-stressors, either by playing an instrument or even listening to music.
LONG: No matter if we're 30, 40, or 50, relief from stress is important. But it's particularly helpful for young people constantly on the go. Pop some earphones on and music can help our cardiovascular systems and calm us down.
In a recent report by researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center, 30 somethings who listen to their favorite tunes found their blood vessels actually opened wider when doctors took images of their circulation system.
MILLER: The inner lining of the blood vessel relaxed, opened up, and produced chemicals to do this that are protective to the heart.
LONG: Which keeps our blood pressure in check and our heart healthy.
MILLER: It gives us an overall feeling of good well being, a sense of euphoria in some cases.
LONG: As we get into middle age, hardening of the arteries known as arteriosclerosis becomes a problem. Stress can make our arteries rigid because music widens the vessels, it can actually help prevent the condition, which could keep us feeling younger.
MILLER: Music helps to reduce the complexities of changes within our arteries. Thereby we would like to believe that it may slow down the aging process.
LONG: Feeling down? Music is a pick me up. As we listen, the emotional high caused by music releases endorphins into our system. Those brain chemicals have been shown to fight depression as well as help the body heal if we're ill.
Doctors recommend when enjoying music vary the selection. If we listen to the same song over and over again, we'll lose the effect of the melody. And watch the volume, studies have shown that listening to music, especially with headphones on can lead to a loss of hearing long before you're in your golden years. For today's 30, 40, 50, I'm Melissa Long.
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COLLINS: Police say a baby girl cut from her mother's womb has been found alive and seems to be in pretty good health at a hospital this morning. Police arrested a 35-year-old woman in New Hampshire after getting tips from acquaintances who became suspicious when she turned up with a newborn baby. The suspect has been charged as a fugitive from justice and is due in court today. Now the baby's mother seen here was eight months pregnant when she was found dead in her Massachusetts apartment on Monday.
Beer with the president. Today is the day. Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates and Cambridge Police Sergeant James Crowley are heading to the White House. They'll throw back a couple of cold beers with President Obama tonight. The president extended the invitation hoping to smooth over the controversy that ignited. After Crowley arrested Gates for disorderly conduct at his home. The incident has become a flash point for race relations.
Meanwhile, a Boston police officer's job is at risk for calling Professor Gates a, quote, "Banana eating jungle monkey." Officer Justin Barrett who is also in the National Guard made the comment in a mass e-mail sent to fellow guard members and to the "Boston Globe." He was venting about a column on Gates. Barrett now says he's sorry for the e-mail and is not a racist. Barrett is now on administrative leave pending a termination hearing.
A pint-sized driver taking the family car. He led police on a chase through town. But why was he running?
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COLLINS: Time now for a police chase with a pint-size suspect. Here's the end of it, which is really the best part. Yes, it's a 7- year-old boy behind the wheel running away there. He got up to 40 miles per hour before ditching the car and taking off on foot. The boy led police through the streets of Plain City, Utah, on Sunday morning. Now the boy's father says he was trying to avoid going to church. Since he's so young, he was not charged.
We want to know where he learned how to drive, because we watch this whole video, he does a pretty swell job. Certainly not something we are advocating, 7 year olds out there. We do have an awful lot going on in the next hour of the NEWSROOM. All of our correspondents are in place to bring it to you. Let's begin with Brianna Keilar now on Capitol Hill.
Hi, there, Brianna.
KEILAR: Hi, there, Heidi.
The House and Senate certainly will not vote on health care reform before they leave town for their August break. But could some deal making give President Obama's top priority some momentum it really needs? I'll have that story at the top of the hour.
SAYAH: I'm Reza Sayah at the Iran desk in Tehran. Things getting ugly once again. More protests and more clashes between opposition supporters and security forces. The first video into the Iran desk. We'll show you the pictures at the top of the hour.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Elizabeth Cohen in Atlanta. We all love to get something for nothing, but why you might want to just say no to free drug samples from your doctor. I'll have that at the top of the hour.
COLLINS: All right, guys. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
Plus, tragedy in one Texas town. A man is dragged to his death. Two suspects arrested and then released. Did race play a role? We'll take you to Paris, Texas.
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COLLINS: We want to tell you about something special we're planning on doing tomorrow. We're going to be turning our attention to U.S. troops, and the challenges facing them on the battlefield and then back at home.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first problem is actually getting recognition as being a human alive.
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COLLINS: And we definitely want to include your stories in all of this. Tell us about your experience as a veteran. We'd really like to hear or tell us about the experience of a veteran that you know very well, maybe even a family member. In order to do this, we're going to head on over here to the Heidi Mac, if you will. Just go to our blog, which is cnn.com/heidi, and right here you can see, we got a little posting on there right now. The cost and benefits for veterans, because you may not know brand-new, historic G.I. bill. It is going into effect this weekend. So we're going to be talking a lot about that as well.
Again, we want to hear your comments. So let us know what it's like to be a veteran or if you know an interesting story of a veteran family member perhaps. Please write in, CNN.com/heidi. We'll have it all for you tomorrow.
Showing up homeless in New York City can get you a free ticket back home and taxpayers picking up the tab.
CNN's Alina Cho in is New York with details on this now - Alina.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, you know, there's no question that homelessness is a huge problem in America. In a given year, 3.5 million Americans are without a home. People want to find solutions, so some cities, including New York, are actually using city dollars to ship the homeless out of town.
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CHO (voice-over): Free plane tickets to places like Paris, Puerto Rico, Casablanca, train rides and bus tickets, too. The recipients, the homeless, and taxpayers are footing the bill.
MICHAEL STOOPS, NATIONAL COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS: We used to call it in a negative way greyhound therapy, but if it is done right, it is a very good program.
CHO: The National Coalition for the Homeless says cities across the country are using taxpayer money to get rid of homeless people, sending them to places where they can find a temporary home. Mostly with relatives.
MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK: Given on the cost of providing shelter for family, this saves the taxpayers of New York an enormous amount of money.
CHO: New York City's Department of Homeless Services says on average it costs $218 per person for a one-way ticket. The cost of housing a family of three in a shelter, $36,000 a year. Justin Little and Eugenia Martin owed back rent on their apartment in North Carolina. So with their 5-month-old daughter they came to New York last week for a fresh start. With no money, they went to a shelter, then they got the help they needed from family members. So three days later, the city paid to send them back on a Greyhound bus.
EUGENIA MARTIN, GIVEN TICKET BACK HOME TO N.C.: They paid for our tickets. They gave us food on the bus, because we had no money. They even called to make sure we made it here and everything. So, I'm grateful.
LINDA CONTEZ, GIVEN TICKET BACK HOME TO FLORIDA: We felt pressured. I mean, we felt pressure that they wanted us to get out of the system, to get out of the state and to go somewhere else. And it was right from jump.
CHO: Linda Contez and her husband moved to New York a year ago after their Florida home went into foreclosure. She says as soon as the couple applied for shelter, instead of offering a bed, the city wanted to pay for tickets back to Florida. Contez, who now works as an advocate for homeless rights, says it took three months to convince social workers that returning was not an option. CONTEZ: If they can go back to another city and they have housing, I mean, by all means, but, really, in the long run, why were they here in the beginning? If they couldn't live where they were before, evidently they came here for a reason, you know, to get housing.
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CHO: Critics of the program call it cosmetics, saying by shipping the homeless out, you're only shifting the problem from one city to another. Moving the homeless from a shelter bed to a living room couch. Advocates say $218 per ticket versus $36,000 a year to house a family in a shelter, and Heidi, you're looking at thousands of dollars in savings - Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Alina, thank you.
