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Three American Tourists Under Arrest for Entering Iran Illegally; Trials in Tehran Over Disputed Presidential Elections; Record Breaking Death Toll in Afghanistan; Cash for Clunkers; Democratic Health Care Reform Concessions, President Obama's Approval Rating Dropped, LaGuardia Airport Delays, Disabled Iraqi Children

Aired August 01, 2009 - 15:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A look now at stories across the America.

First up, the killing of a holocaust survivor who had escaped death five times in Nazi concentration camps -- 90-year-old Felix Brinkman was found strangled Thursday in his apartment on New York's upper west side. Police are looking for a man and woman in connection with Brinkman's death.

Veterinarians in the San Diego area are trying to nurse more than 20 poisoned horses back to health. Someone mixed toxic leaves into their feed. The owner of the horses says three are seriously ill.

And the Adams County hair near Quincy, Illinois, has a special attraction, this one right here. Look familiar? Michael Jackson's Ferris wheel from Neverland. The king of pop paid $215,000 to have that Ferris wheel custom made. The ride was the centerpiece of the amusement park at Neverland ranch in California.

Coming up on the CNN Newsroom at 3:00 Eastern time, what is it like to be in a gang? Brooke Baldwin rides through some of the most dangerous areas of Chicago with a well-known gang member, and we hear his personal story of life on the streets.

And imagine buying your dream condo expecting luxury living, and then being the only one actually living there. It happened to a family in Florida.

All right. After the arrests, the trials, nearly 100 people go to court for protesting Iran's disputed presidential election.

Deadline or no deadline no deal. August comes and the House adjourns without taking final action on health care reform.

And confusion surrounds the government programs that were more popular than anyone expected. Is there still time to exchange your clunker for cash?

Hello, again everyone, I'm Fredericka Whitfield. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

The central terminal at New York's La Guardia Airport has reopened after a startling incident at a security checkpoint. The terminal was evacuated for hours after a man walked up to a security checkpoint with a device attached to a backpack. CNN's national correspondent Susan Candiotti is in New York, it was a real headache for so many this morning and now a pretty serious investigation too.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fredericka, this man apparently didn't appear to be being sneaky about what happened. According to everyone involved in the situation. He is identified the suspect as Scott McGann in his early 30s and believed to be from the New York area. He did, in fact, according to authorities approach the checkpoint. According to sources was carrying a backpack and attached to the outside of it were two square six-volt batteries with wires protruding from them.

He was told by authorities to stop. He didn't. And they said he appeared as though he was trying to push a switch. Nothing happened. It failed. At that point, the device was seized. The NYPD Bomb Squad showed up on scene. Removed the device, shot a water cannon at it and blew it up. It turned out to be fake. Not before disrupting the entire operation at this particular terminal causing massive evacuations. Now, passengers obviously had no clue as to what was going on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATTY RAGAN, PASSENGER: Yeah, nobody said anything. It has been chaos. It is absolutely bizarre. I have never experienced anything. I have talked to agents. Nobody seems to know what is going on. I wanted to go to Kennedy to rebook my flight; they said we don't know if you can do that. I am so frustrated. I don't live here. I live in Oregon. I can't wait to get home. This is ridiculous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: Now, one source described the suspect as appearing intoxicated. Again, his identity, Scott McGann and he is charged with three counts by New York State including planting a false bomb at an airport, and also, for making terrorist threats. If found guilty he faces at least seven years in jail. He will be arraigned either tonight or tomorrow. We are trying to nail that down as well.

Finally, the airport does appear to be back to mainly normal operations.

WHITFIELD: Oh, good.

CANDIOTTI: For a time.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

CANDIOTTI: For a time if you can imagine it turns out that the control tower operations are actually based in this central terminal.

WHITFIELD: Oh, great.

CANDIOTTI: That operation had to be evacuated for a time as well. There was a backup tower working in the meantime. WHITFIELD: Wow, what a real mess. Hopefully folks will get where they are trying to go. Thank you so much. Susan Candiotti at La Guardia. Appreciate that.

All right. State television in Iran is reporting that three American tourists are now under arrest after entering that country illegally. They apparently crossed over the border from Iraq while backpacking in the mountains there. CNN's Arwa Damon is following the story for us from Baghdad.

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the time line as we know it. Four American tourists departed from Syria. Two of them were students there heading for Turkey. On the 28th of July they crossed from Turkey into northern Iraq to the city of Irbil. Then on the 30th of July they went from Irbil to Stalamanica (ph). Early morning on the 31st of July three of them got into a taxi and went to an area called Edmond Owa (ph), one stayed behind because he was said to be sick. The three stayed in regular contact with their friend who stayed behind. Until 1:30 p.m. local time on the 31st. Where they called and said "we are surrounded by Iranian soldiers."

The area Edmond Owa (ph), very appealing for tourists because of the natural terrain, the beauty that exists there, but also right up against the Iranian border. Local tourist police in the region are said to have run into the three Americans and told them to be careful because of the proximity to the Iranian border. The police said to them "you are Americans not Iraqis." These are very tense times, beware. The American who stayed behind, then departed his hotel at around 4:30 local time on the 31st of July. At 6:00 p.m. local time, the Kurdish security forces went into the hotel and took all of the American's belongings. The area of Iraq's north is run by the Kurdistan regional government. It has been spared of a lot of the violence that has ravished the rest of the country. It is considered to be fairly safe and very much a tourist destination.

This incident still very much under investigation. Kurdish authorities are saying they are putting all of their efforts into trying to find out exactly what happened to these three Americans. They are believed to have been detained by the Iranians. Perhaps there is some intelligence indicating they are currently in custody in Iran. But Kurdish officials saying that they're doing their best to try to make sure that these three Americans get back home safely.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.

WHITFIELD: In Tehran, trials under way for nearly 100 people arrested during the protest over Iran's disputed presidential election. The state run news agency says the group includes several members of a reformist party. Among the charges they face, destroying public property, creating panic in public, and beating up members of the security forces. A government commission member says nearly half the roughly 300 detainees arrested in the post election violence were freed this week. A reformist website denounced the trials saying defendants had no access to lawyers and there was no jury.

After last month's record-breaking death toll for NATO forces in Afghanistan, there are more casualties as August begins. Three American troops were killed when roadside bombs ripped through their patrols in Kandahar Province in southern Afghanistan. And a French soldier was killed north of the Afghan capital. CNN's Ivan Watson reports from Kabul.

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A bloody day for U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. In southern Afghanistan, in the province of Kandahar, three American servicemen were killed on Saturday when their patrol hit two roadside bombs. Improvised explosive devices, I.E.D.s are the number one threat to western troops here in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, to the north of the Afghan capital, a French soldier was killed when he engaged in a battle with Taliban insurgents. This comes after July was the deadliest month yet for U.S. and NATO forces of this entire eight-year war.

Of course, it is civilians who are bearing the brunt of this conflict. The United Nations released a report this week announcing that civilian casualties due to the conflict had spiked some 24 percent in the first six months of this year over last year's death toll. That is more than 1,000 Afghan civilians killed. The number two causes of these Afghan civilian casualties are, number one, roadside bombs, and suicide bombs carried out by the insurgents, number two, air strikes carried out by U.S. and NATO forces.

Now in the middle of all this bloodshed, there is an election campaign under way for presidential elections set to take place on August 20th. Perhaps surprising is that the candidates that are out campaigning, stumping, trying to win votes are not really talking about the Taliban insurgency that is raging in the south and east of the country. They're focusing more on the dire economic situation here, on unemployment and on allegations that the incumbent president, Hamid Karzai who is favored to win on August 20th, that his government is riddled with corruption and inefficiency. Charges he, of course, denies.

Ivan Watson. CNN, Kabul.

WHITFIELD: In this country Florida condo owner never has to worry about the neighbors making to much noise. That's because there are no neighbors. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

All right. Play it safe. And don't close any more cash for clunkers deals. That's what the National Automobile Dealers Association is telling some dealers this weekend. The warning comes even though the House has voted to put another $2 billion into the program after it ran out. The Senate is expected to vote next week. Cash for Clunkers lets Americans trade in their gas-guzzling vehicles for more fuel-efficient ones. The Federal government kicks in a rebate of up to $4,500. Now some dealers are concerned they're not going to get their cut because it has been so hugely popular. Well the White House says, don't worry, go ahead, and cut the deals. The money will be there.

All right. A family's dream of moving on up, into a Florida condo complex, is fading fast. They're the only residents in a 32-story, high-rise, thanks to the real estate boom that went bust. Christina Bailey is CNN affiliate of WFTX, in Fort Myers, Florida, explains.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINA BAILEY, WFTX (voice over): Victor Vangelakos and his wife Kathy dreamed of retiring in southwest Florida and hopefully leaving this riverfront condo to their children.

VICTOR VANGELAKOS, BOUGHT CONDO AT OASIS: We sold a house up in New Jersey and used that money as the down payment for this building. This is everything we got we put into this.

BAILEY: But an Oasis it is not. Eight months after closing the family are the only one who lives in this 32-floor tower. A building they expected to become a bustling community amidst restaurants. A movie theater and a marina. Instead isolation.

V. VANGELAKOS: It's eerie.

BAILEY: Vangelakos also says health and safety hazards abound. This trash outside their door, a dark and deserted parking garage, and lack of promised security.

V. VANGELAKOS: The fire alarm system which is my business as a fire official has been out of service. We had an intrusion on June 29th, about month ago from today, somebody came into the building some how and were pounding on the door where the room next to where my children are.

JONATHAN EWING, VANGELAKOS FAMILY ATTORNEY: They sold a lifestyle. That lifestyle has kind of fizzled.

BAILEY: Their Attorney Jonathan Ewing is working to get them what they paid for or get them out.

EWING: What we're looking for from the group is to really step up to the plate.

BAILEY: I called Betsy McCoy, a VP with the Miami-based developer, the related group to voice the family's concerns.

BETSY MCCOY, VP, BUILDING DEVELOPER: We have not discontinued the service or done anything that would make life uncomfortable for them.

BAILEY: She told me the family could move to the second tower while they tried working out a transition with their lender to buy next door. But after months of back and forth, the family wants to be settled or be free.

Is the related group willing to buy back their condo so they can just be a clean break? MCCOY: At this point, no. One we don't have a contractual obligation to do so.

V. VANGELAKAS: Our dream was to live in a resort type of building. And the Oasis was going to be it.

BAILEY: Instead they feel all they will ever see here is a mirage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: That is a drag. All right we are told that the only, only a handful rather of the people who actually put down the deposit for units in the building actually closed the deal. And those who did well they swapped their condo for a unit in the tower next door. So that explains why they feel so alone.

All right. They met, they talked, and they even drank beer. Did anything really happen at the so-called Beer Summit? Some people hate hearing that terminology. We'll try to find out exactly what went down.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. The professor and the policeman say they will actually talk again after the moment at the White House. They plan to continue that dialogue that began Thursday when they all joined President Obama and the vice president for a little beer and a lot of conversation. It was an attempt to calm the racial controversy that began two weeks ago when Sergeant Joseph Crowley arrested Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. in his home. Neither Crowley nor Gates have apologized for the confrontation in and of itself. But both say that it is time to focus on the future.

So Sophia Nelson is a commentator and a blogger and she also writes for "The Root.com" which also happens to be the blog site, the Website, in which Professor Gates is the editor-in-chief. She is joining us now from Washington. We spoke last weekend, as a prelude to this meeting. The Beer Summit which the president said he doesn't like that terminology being called the Beer Summit. So let's talk about whether this indeed accomplished anything or was this the springboard, the starting point?

SOPHIA NELSON, POLITICALINTERSECTION.COM: Hey, Fred. Thank you for having me. Well, I think that we didn't get that teachable moment just yet. I think we are off to a good start however. My thinking has actually evolved on this since we talked last week.

WHITFIELD: Why?

NELSON: Well I think that the more I have talked about this with friends and colleagues and written about it and listened to folks, both African-Americans and white Americans, they see things very differently on this issue. So when everyone came together at the White House, the president, the vice president, Officer Crowley and Professor Gates, I think that what it was teaching us at least at that point is look these are all people, they're all good people, and that we can have stereotypes and biases that are built into our experiences based on what cultures we come from.

Thus, leading us some times to have conflict that, at least on the surface doesn't appear to be racially motivated or gender based et cetera. I think they're going to start to have the dialogue, Professor Gates and Officer Crowley and hopefully bring the rest into it.

WHITFIELD: What do you suppose that conversation would be like, just full disclosure since you are working for the blog, the editor- in-chief happens to be Professor Gates. You didn't happen to talk to him post this meeting?

NELSON: No, I have not.

WHITFIELD: OK. So what do you suppose this conversation or this meeting will be like with the two of them said we will do this again? In fact, Sergeant Crowley spoke after the White House meeting talking about how he thought the vice president and the president were interesting and very friendly and engaging. But we haven't heard from Professor Gates really on his thoughts?

NELSON: Well he did release a statement that is on Theroot.com. after the meeting and I think he also spoke with "The New York Times." And both Officer Crowley and Professor Gates were very much on the same page in fact if you go to Theroot.com site there is a very lengthy statement. And I put excerpts on my Facebook page where Professor Gates talks about, I thought it was very poignant where he talks about this is a moment that he and Sergeant Crowley find themselves by happenstance if you will and they are now engaged in an opportunity to take this nation perhaps in a different direction on race and how we see each other, how we listen or not listen to each other.

And I think that, it is going to get real interesting. I thought both statements were good. I, I actually came away thinking Officer Crowley is probably a pretty likable guy. And like I said my thinking has evolved on this how I looked at it at least initially and how I see it now.

WHITFIELD: Professor Gates didn't go on camera to talk about it afterward. He has been quoted in print. Now this moment of them meeting again might this be or should this be a very private moment? Or should this be in a public setting similar to what we saw in the White House for it to be the teachable moment, that Professor Gates initially said he was hoping this entire experience would be and like you said it has evolved in terms of their dialogue so that the teachable moment is being crafted or perhaps defined in a different way?

NELSON: Well, I want to say two things. One I think the president should get some credit for what he did. I know everybody think he's put his foot in it at the press conference and perhaps he did to some degree. But the truth of the matter is he did a very human thing. He brought the two gentlemen together so they could face each other and as Sergeant Crowley said they agreed to disagree on the events of July 16th.

I think that their next meeting should be a private one. And I think Fred that in any relationship we have whether it is with our loved ones, our spouse, et cetera that we are going to have conflict. And the key to resolving conflict is communication and listening and respecting the other person's point of view. Not invalidating what the other person says. Professor Gates says he feared for his life when he saw the officer at his door. That is years and decades of fears of a black man in America.

And many whites don't see that as justified. The officer likewise went to the door and saw he had a breaking and entering call. An unknown black man in the house at the moment. He is a human being. He has fears and biases. So I think that both of the took a turn for the worst. And they both probably played into the worst of some of the things we have seen in our country and our history.

WHITFIELD: So while people's opinions may have changed over the past few days, of the sergeant and as well as the professor you mention, the president getting a lot of flak for, you know stepping into it, he was blamed in part for helping to heat it up. Should he also be getting credit now for helping to cool it down?

NELSON: I think he should. It would have been easy for him to say I am the president of the United States; I got better things to do. I said what I said. Get over it. He didn't do that. I think he, we need to remember he is a human being too. And this issue of race is a complicated one in our country. And the dialogue that I have been having and that I have been seeing on Facebook and with friends, et cetera, you would be amazed. You wouldn't be amazed. But black and white people see race very differently and they see aspects of race very differently.

I think we need to help educate each other on one another's point of view in a civil and respectful way, instead of throwing around the r word, your racist, you are a bigot. We need to back off that discourse. Sit down and have a beer or cup of coffee or have some tea with some one and just talk about it.

WHITFIELD: Keep the dialogue going. All right. Sophia Nelson. Thank you so much, always good to see you. Appreciate your time.

NELSON: Thank you for having me. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: President Obama, well he has not been shy about taking on some other tough issues. Now, are the American people getting tough on him? We'll take a look at some of the latest poll numbers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Bottom of the hour, 3:30. Here are some of the stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM. About 100 Iranians went on trial today for protesting last June's disputed presidential elections. The court said the defendants include several prominent politicians including a former vice president. I ran says its security forces have arrested three Americans who allegedly crossed the border from Iraq's Kurdistan region. Iranian TV describes the Americans rather as backpackers who had been warned to stay away from the Iranian border.

In this country, the House of Representatives has adjourned until September without taking a final action on health care reform. It has cleared house committees, but President Obama was hoping to get a bill passed before the recess. Republicans will continue to fight the legislation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN JOHN THUNE (R), SOUTH DAKOTA: In this difficult recession, Americans and our government are already overextended. The Democrats who control Congress have been spending money and racking up debt at an unprecedented pace. And their plan for government-run health care would only make things worse. Once implemented, the democrat plan would spend more than $2 trillion in further increasing our exploding deficit. Their plan would pile up higher costs, create new Washington bureaucracies, and burden every state through new requirements on Medicaid.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNNs Elaine Quijano is at the White House.

So Elaine, what is the president saying and doing while he has got most of Congress in recess?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, you can imagine, Fredricka, the president obviously is pleased the key House committee, last night, went ahead and passed its own version of health care legislation. The president released a written statement this morning saying, "This historic step by the House, Energy and Commerce Committee moves us closer to health insurance reform then we have ever been before. That bill that they have passed will strengthen consumer protections and choice, while lower costs and improving care."

But the White House knows, Fredricka, it is in for a very tough fight. The month of August is going to be very critical here. But lawmakers here, back in their home districts, could make or break health care reform. Certainly it effects the pace of how quickly things get done this year -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And so, how will the president do this. We know he's going to be on the road again similar to how he was earlier in the week.

QUIJANO: That's right, he is going to be heading next week to Elkhart, Indiana. This is a community that was hit especially hard by the recession. They saw thousands of jobs, basically, disappear from the community because of the decline of the RV manufacturing industry.

Well today, in the president's weekly address we heard him talk about this. Keep in mind, Elkhart County is an area that has an astounding 17 percent unemployment rate. So, the president basically in his address, trying to frame the economic recovery along with the need to get health care reform done saying that businesses, at this point in time, really don't need to be saddled with these skyrocketing health insurance costs.

WHITFIELD: OK, and here we are, you know, past the six-month point as you put it. And the president's popularity has been dipping a little bit as he has been pushing more and more for health care reform. So, what are they saying at the White House about how to get the numbers back up?

QUIJANO: Yeah, well, what they're doing, basically, is a big powwow, the second day today of an administration retreat. And basically a chance for everyone to take a step back a little bit -- 22 cabinet-ranking members invited and met here on the White House grounds today, to basically look at how they have done over the past six months.

And this is also an opportunity for them going forward to look ahead and make sure that they're all on the same page in terms of moving the president's agenda forward. So, the meeting we saw a convoy of black SUVs disappear from the parking lot behind us, here. So, we are guessing, although we don't have official word, that it probably wrapped up. We'll wait to see what kind of readout there is -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: OK, Elaine Quijano at the White House. Thanks so much.

QUIJANO: Sure.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, President Obama has been taking his case for health care reform directly to the American people, as we say. And at a town hall meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina this week he ratcheted up his criticism of insurance companies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you've got health insurance, then the reform we're proposing will also help you because it will provide you more stability and more security. Because the truth, is we have a system today that works well for the insurance industry, but doesn't always work well for you.

(APPLAUSE)

So, what we need, and what we will have when we pass these reforms, are health insurance consumer protections to make sure that those who have insurance are treated fairly and insurance companies are held accountable.

Let me be specific. We will stop insurance companies from denying you coverage because of your medical history.

(APPLAUSE) I've told this story before. I'll never forget watching my own mother as she fought cancer in her final days, worrying about whether her insurer would claim her illness was a pre-existing condition so they could wiggle out of paying for her coverage. How many of you have worried about the same thing?

(APPLAUSE)

A lot of people have gone through this. Many of you have been denied insurance or heard someone who was denied insurance because they had a pre-existing condition. That will no longer be allowed with reform.

(APPLAUSE)

We won't allow that.

(APPLAUSE)

We won't allow that.

With reform, insurance companies will have to abide by a yearly cap on how much you can be charged for your out of pocket expenses. No one in America should go broke because of an illness.

We will require insurance companies to cover routine checkups and preventative care like mammograms, colonoscopies, Eye and foot exams for diabetics, so we can avoid critical illnesses that cost not only lives, but money.

(APPLAUSE)

No longer will insurance companies be allowed to drop or water down coverage for someone who's become seriously ill. That's not right, it's not fair.

(APPLAUSE)

We will stop insurance companies from placing arbitrary caps on the coverage you can receive in a given year or in a lifetime.

(APPLAUSE)

So, my point is whether or not you have health insurance right now, the reforms we seek will bring stability and security that you don't have today. Reforms that will become more and more urgent with each passing year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Well, what do Americans think about the job President Obama is doing? Well, CNNs deputy political director, Paul Steinhauser has these latest polls.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Fred, this week Barack Obama marks 200 days in office and one of the big questions, of course is, how's he doing? One way to gauge that is take a look at his approval ratings. This past week we had a slew of national polls asking just that. And what we did, here at CNN, is we put together a CNN Poll of Polls, which is an average of those national surveys.

Take a look at this, on the approval rating in our survey, in our average, 54 percent of Americans are giving Barack Obama a thumbs up, they approve of how he's handling his duties in the White House, 37 percent disapprove.

That 54 percent is a pretty good number. But check this out, it has dropped seven points from late last month. It was at 61 percent in our Poll of Polls in late June.

What's the reason for this drop? Well, two-fold, one, the economy, and also health care reform. Remember, that has been the big thing this White House has been dealing with the last couple months.

Take a look at our CNN Poll of Polls on specifically how Barack Obama is dealing with health care and you can see Americans are split, 43 percent giving Barack Obama a thumbs up on how he's handling health care reform, 45 percent disapprove.

So, does this drop in approval rating mean a rise for the Republicans? You would think if something goes down, something goes up. No. In this case, no. The Republican numbers are really not jump that much over the last couple months. And most Americans still think the president would do a better job on the economy and health care reform than Republicans in Congress -- Fred.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, so now you know the answer. So, how about the second 100 days. Better or worse for the president? Well it is your time to weigh in. Starting tomorrow, you can vote at CNN.com and be sure to tune in Thursday night, 8:00 p.m. Eastern to see the president's final grade. It's part of CNN's "National Report Card: The Second 100 Days."

President Obama says health care reform is his top legislative priority. But, it's easy to get lost in all the competing plans and claims being put forward. So, what is in it for you? We're going to put health care reform under the microscope in our next hour. And our Josh Levs is already here with a preview to help people understand what's in it for me?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, we are, of course, getting a lot of posts at the blog, right, also on Facebook. A lot of things coming in, right now. Let me just give everyone a sense of what's going on. We're following basically every kind of feed that we have to hear from you. Zoom right into the board.

We're hearing on iReports, iReport.com, this is one of the main topics, right there. This is the blog scene in newsroom to CNN.com/Fredricka. And what you'll see here is lot of people sending in your questions and your comments.

We're going to be posing some of your questions to lawmakers. For example, Marie is saying here, "I voted for change, but not the change plans with health care. I voted to decrease our budget, not spending the money he is."

Over here, Anthony is saying, "Does the RNC," that's the Republican National Committee, "want to tell the American public that the money spent or to be spent in the Iraq war is worth more than its own citizens?"

We want to get responses on all sides. And as I mentioned, we're hearing on Facebook, here, this is my page, JoshLevsCNN, this is Fred's page, Fredricka Whitfield.

Let's just go to those graphics. You can see how to weigh in. there you go, you got Facebook or Twitter for me, it's JoshLevsCNN. And now you can see the Fred page and that will show you, just go straight to the blog, CNN.com/Fredricka. And Fred, I will be camped out with you through the 4:00 hour, getting in people's questions, comments and getting answers, when we can.

WHITFIELD: Yeah, and there's also a phone number that folks can call too, 877-742-5760. We'll try to get some of those comments and questions on the air. And already, Josh, as you know, you're seeing your inbox, there, we're getting flooded with questions and comments.

I got this on my blog from Jay Yates (ph), "As a senior citizen, I am concerned about the level of care I will receive under Obama care. Will it be the same as I have known under Medicare or will tests and procedures be limited to me according to my age?"

And this from Jeanne Hubanger (ph), "While I have my great health plan, my daughter pays over $600 a month for family of four and may have a $5,000 deductible. Josh, I wish people would stop falling for scare tactics and think of their families."

So, a lot of the questions and comments we're posing to, they're going to have two lawmakers that are going to be with us, as well as some patients. One who is uninsured, another who is doing COBRA. We're going to have a great dialogue in the 4:00 Eastern hour to kind of hash out what is in this health care plan for you and for me.

All right, so, he went to Iraq as a civilian contractor. But now his mission is helping Iraqi children in need. We'll introduce you to CNN's "Hero of the Week."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: When civilian contractor Brad Blauser went to Iraq he found out that one in seven Iraqi children live with a disability, so, he decided to stick around even though U.S. troops are withdrawing. And he has a new mission, meet our CNN "Hero."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Heroes.

BRAD BLAUSER, CNN HERO: Disabled children, they're really the forgotten ones in this war. They're in the back rooms, often not seen in society.

I came to Iraq as a civilian contractor. There were a lot of children that either dragged themselves on the ground or they have to be carried.

There were so many kids out there with a need, and so many people willing to reach out and touch the lives of these kids. In 30 days, we had 31 pediatric wheelchairs that had hit ground.

My name is Brad Blauser. I bring pediatric wheelchairs to Iraqi children in need. People donate on my Web site. The wheelchairs are brought over, and I distribute them to the different military units and help fit these children into the wheelchairs.

The experience for me on the first distribution was awesome to see the smile come across their face and look over at the mothers and fathers. They've definitely been changed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It's all about humanity. He wanted Iraqis to feel that there is humanity in America. It makes us happy to see such a thing.

(BEGIN GRAPHIC)

Since 2005, Brad has given nearly 650 wheelchairs to Iraqi children in need for free.

(END GRAPHIC)

BLAUSER: There is no paycheck. It's not really safe here, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, knowing that you've done something for someone that nobody else has done before. I made a difference in the life of these families. Definitely, the sacrifice has been worth it. (END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: He is an incredible inspiration. And you can nominate a CNN "Hero" of your own at our Web site at CNN.com/heroes. Remember, nominations actually close today, so you better act fast if you've got someone in mind.

All right, who needs an exclusive swim club, anyway? Not a bunch of now happy kids from Philly who were barred from the pool thanks to Tyler Perry, they got a much bigger treat. We'll tell you where they went for the fun in the sun.

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WHITFIELD: All right, now, "News Across America," 65 kids who were barred from a suburban Philadelphia swimming pool, went to Disney World, instead. They were the guest of filmmaker Tyler Perry who saw a news report about the children being turned away in Philly. Now, Perry thinks the kids were barred from the pool because of racism, but the pool operators say it was a matter of overcrowding.

And there's an unusual soccer tournament taking place in Washington, D.C., right now, that's what you're looking at. All the players are homeless. There are 16 teams including this one from Texas. A group called Street Soccer USA sponsors the tournament to promote self-esteem and social interaction. The winning team will go on to an international tournament.

And their wedding was 20 years in the making. Tracy Emic was 14 years old when she decided to support U.S. troops in operation desert storm by writing to a soldiers, well, she ended up becoming pen pals with Private 1st Class Jeremy Clayton, but they lost track of each other. Some years later she found him on Facebook. They met in person in March and got married just two weeks ago.

All right, the mean streets of Chicago. We talked to a gang member who's brush was death has given him a new mission in life, educating kids about the dangers of life in a gang.

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WHITFIELD: Chicago has seen an explosion of violence this summer, much of it gang related. CNN's Brooke Baldwin talked with a gang member who nearly died after a recent attack.

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BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: We're in a crew car, headed from downtown Chicago to the city of Southwest side, an area with known pockets of basically gang activity. And we're going to this interview. We're talking to a current gang member. He's willing to share his story about the violence in Chicago, but he's only willing to do it as long as we keep him in the car, we don't show his face, and we don't drive into any of their neighborhoods, any of their gang turf, just to keep him and our crew safe.

Do you have any idea how many people you've shot in your lifetime?

"BOB," CHICAGO GANG MEMBER: Nope.

BALDWIN: Did you ever feel remorse for anything you've done?

"BOB": No, I'm not going to say I have.

BALDWIN (voice over): Born and raised on Chicago's streets, this man who insists we call him "Bob" says he joined a gang when he was just 13.

"BOB": It's actually fun, to be honest with you. At least, I thought, at that point. The rush you get from what you are doing. It's like a drug, you can't get enough of it.

BALDWIN: Shootings in Chicago have set grim records this summer. According to police, even though homicides are down, shootings are up, more than six percent. This week 15 people were shot in a single night.

(on camera): It's midday, broad daylight, what are they doing?

"BOB": Making money. Dirty money.

BALDWIN (voice over): Heroin that is the drug of choice on these streets according to "Bob." A corner dealer can bring in up to several thousand dollars on a good day. But if someone doesn't pay up, "Bob" says that's when the shooting starts.

"BOB": It's either about gang or money, that's it. It's never going to stop. I don't care who you lock up, or anything. It's never going to stop.

BALDWIN: "Bob" says he's been locked up three times, most recently serving six years for attempted murder.

(On camera): One of the reasons we can't show you his face is because he has some very specific markings of a gang member, tattoos, facial tattoos, all up and down his arms, and marks of this recent horrific beating.

(Voice over): He's been shot, stabbed and this month bludgeoned with baseball bats left on the street to die.

DR MICHELLE GITTLER, MT. SINAI HOSPITAL: It was more of an issue of brain damage.

BALDWIN: Doctor Michelle Gittler was part of the medical team at Chicago's Mt. Sinai Hospital that helped save "Bob's" life, while doctors have to alert police about shooting victims, according to the American College of Emergency Physicians, there is no federal law requiring doctors to track the number of gunshot wounds. Dr. Gilick (SIC) says it's an epidemic that goes underreported.

GITTLER: To put it in perspective, for the H1N1, or swine flu; alerts go out through all the hospitals on how to recognize it, how to treat it, how to report it. So, that's 20 and this is 2000. I'm a little bit confused about why this isn't as emergent a public health issue.

BALDWIN: Doctor Gittler is the only reason "Bob" agreed to do this interview. He made her a promised to teach kids that they have a choice.

"BOB": They don't have to turn to gangs if they don't want. They just feel like they do at some point. I'll let them know how I live my life. But also I they just scared and I want to do the same mistakes I did.

BALDWIN: Despite that tough talk, "Bob" says his love for the gang remains. He is not getting out. Still, he survived these streets to see his 31st birthday.

"BOB": Technically we're not mean to be here, regardless, so, I mean, it's bound to end. It would be nice to end the right way, though.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, Chicago's gang violence has gotten Washington's attention. Attorney General Eric Holder says the numbers coming out of Chicago are simply unacceptable.