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Detroit Schools Consider Filing Bankruptcy; Bill Clinton Trying to Negotiate Release of Two American Journalists From North Korea; White House Briefing; Town Mourns Gulf War Hero; August Recess Working Vacation for Lawmakers; Researchers Think They May Have Found Source of Malaria; How to Can Your Trash

Aired August 04, 2009 - 14:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Michigan can't seem to get a break. Detriot, it's just plain broke. How bad are things there? How long do you have? Well, right now Detroit's school system is staring down the barrel of bankruptcy. $259 million in the hole, sinking enrollment, less money from the state and an outbreak of corruption, all conspiring to bleed the system dry.

The city is flirting with Chapter 9 bankruptcy, that's the kind you rarely see. It lets public entities like school districts toss out labor agreements and helps them deal with creditors, such as textbook publishers and private bus drivers.

Let's bring in CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow. She spent some time in Detroit, saw those problems up close.

Poppy, what's the city doing to try to turn things around and can they?

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: You know, Kyra, the question of whether they can, that's still up in the air. But they are being very proactive. The city has hired an emergency financial manager to cut their costs significantly. His name -- Robert Bobb.

Let's show you a picture of him. He actually used to work in the D.C. school system. He's now in Detroit. Since May, he has closed 29 schools, as you said, plans to shut more of them to cut costs. Also laid over more than 2,400 people and get this -- he's exploring a bankruptcy option for the school system.

Now, we talked to his office this morning. He said no decision made that yet. But one parent that I spent the day with in Detroit said she is not OK with the current situation, obviously and that things need to change.

Take a listen to Fredricka Turner.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FREDRICKA TURNER, DETROIT PARENT: Well, my daughter has never attended any Detroit public schools and it's because of this. As a concerned parent, my daughter would never go to a Detroit public school as of now. Where as I felt comfortable as a child going to school. I don't feel comfortable to allow her to attend a Detroit public school.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: All right. So they live in the suburbs and her daughter goes in school outside of Detroit. What you're looking at is Fredricka Turner's old high school that is now closed down, windows broken, boarded up.

And what we've seen, Kyra, since 2000, is that enrollment in Detroit's public schools has fallen precipidously by -- take a look there -- by 44 percent compared to a decline in about the same period of time. And population in the city. Kyra, of just about 3 percent. Also when you look at the graduation rate, it is staggering -- just 58 percent graduation rate in Detroit proper versus 76 percent, Kyra, statewide.

PHILLIPS: Well, we hear about Chapter 11 all the time but not Chapter 9. So what's the upside right here?

HARLOW: Yes, what Chapter 9 is, i8t's similar to Chapter 11. It's a restructuring but instead of a corporate restructuring, it's a municipalities restructuring.

And like with General Motors and Chrysler, this could allow the school system to renegotiate its debt, tear up the relatively expensive union contracts, essentially giving the system a fresh start. And if we do see that, Kyra, it'd be the first ever bankruptcy for a U.S. school system. Some cities have seen their public systems come close but haven't seen it go through.

So we asked folks on Facebook what do they think? Should Detroit public schools file for bankruptcy? I want to read you quick comments here.

First of all, Howard wrote, "I feel like filing for bankruptcy is a waste of time unless you have a plan to reduce costs without reducing benefits to the students."

But James wrote in. James said, "No, the city and the state should adequately fund the schools to begin with."

And then Keith wrote, "As long as we have declining tax bases due to the sluggish housing market, our public schools will struggle for funding." He said, "Some school systems are even reducing school days to save money," Kyra.

So, we want to know what you think. Log on to my Facebook page, Facebook.com/PoppyHarlow.

I've never gotten this many comments, Kyra. People are up in arms over this situation. And the school year starts in about a month, so we'll see what happens.

PHILLIPS: Well, and you've been doing such a great job, too, going to Michigan and following up on all these stories.

HARLOW: Thanks.

PHILLIPS: And it's important to us, too, Poppy.

HARLOW: Thanks, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So keep us informed.

HARLOW: I think it's important.

PHILLIPS: It is.

HARLOW: Yes, this is the heartland of America, and we need to be there. So we're doing our best.

PHILLIPS: Definitely. And they're dealing with not only a really hard-hit time because of the economy, but all the corruption, too. Something has got to be done to save that area.

Thanks, Poppy.

HARLOW: Sure.

PHILLIPS: Well, so you have any solutions for Detroit? Hit me with a tweet. That's at Twitter.com/KyraCNN. We're going to have some of your solutions later in the NEWSROOM.

Breaking news now on Bill Clinton's diplomatic trip to North Korea. ABC is now reporting that the former president has met with the two American journalists that he is hoping to take back home. We haven't been able to confirm that yet, but what we do know, Clinton is on what the White House insists is a private mission with no messages or overtures from President Obama. We'll follow up on that news.

And here's a quick look at where we stand and how we even got here.

Laura Ling and Euna Lee were arrested March 17th after allegedly crossing into North Korea from China. They were working on a story on human trafficking for Al Gore's startup media venture Current TV.

Then in June, the pair was convicted of illegal entry and so- called hostile acts. Then in a closed trial, they were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor.

Now, for a private citizen, Bill Clinton is pretty well connected. And for a former U.S. president, he's on pretty good terms with this secretive state.

Let's get more insight now from CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour. She joins us on the phone now from France.

Christiane, we appreciate you calling in.

Give us some insight to why Bill Clinton is the man for this move. CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, clearly because of his high profile. And, of course, it was during his administration that the last highest profile American actually visited Pyongyang. That was Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who went there to negotiate and to visit Pyongyang after the certain framework agreement. And it was obviously a high-profile visit in order to try to secure the release of these two journalists.

Many have said that it's unlikely President Clinton would have gone and put so much not just personal prestige, but the prestige of the United States, and, of course, the prestige of the presidency, on the line if he was not to come out with those two journalists. Of course, that's not yet confirmed, as to whether he is, but many are saying that it's unlikely that he would have gone unless he was pretty sure that things would be resolved.

The very relevant matter here is that he did meet with the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-il, who, as you know and as we've been reporting for many months now, almost a year, has been reclusive, at the very least, and in poor health, according to many who have a better understanding of that situation. It comes also at a time when North Korea and the United States have very tense relationships, especially North Korea with the rest of the world, because of its ramped-up nuclear testing and nuclear activities.

There was a test of a nuclear device over the last several months and several ballistic missile tests. And that has put North Korea on the wrong side of the international community with heavy-duty sanctions imposed on them as well.

So, we don't know whether President Clinton went with anything other than a humanitarian mission to get these journalists released, who, as you've reported, were working for the news station of his former vice president, Al Gore. Whether or not he was taking any message or brought back any message, the White House is denying that he took any message from President Obama.

But just to go back to 1994, under Clinton's own administration, then former President Jimmy Carter went to North Korea to resolve and diffuse a crisis at that time. He went as a so-called private citizen. It was, however, a semi-official trip, and he did come back with success in hand -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Christiane, I apologize that for that, because we're monitoring the White House briefing. And just as you were explaining the situation here in North Korea, we are listening to that White House briefing, seeing if, indeed, they are going to say anything about North Korea as well. So we're monitoring that.

So, while we're doing that, let me follow up with one thing that you said, Christiane. You know, there has been so much focus on bringing these two journalists home. And you even sort of added to the positive feedback we have been getting from a lot of various leaders within politics that have dealt with North Korea saying, look, Bill Clinton wouldn't even be going over there unless he had strategized some sort of deal, and will indeed be bringing these two journalists home.

But pushing it forward, that's the bigger picture. Everybody's wondering -- OK, Christiane, stay with us. We're going to take you live to -- well, it's going to be a photo-op, it looks like, on the president's birthday. But he might be celebrating somebody else's birthday as well.

Oh, does it look like Helen Thomas shares the same birthday as the president? It looks like she does.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, you've got to blow it out to make it come true.

There you go!

(APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy birthday, Mr. President.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy birthday to you.

OBAMA: Come on. A birthday kiss.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will you tell us your birthday wish?

OBAMA: Well, Helen wished for world peace, no prejudice. But she and I also have a common birthday wish. She said she hopes for a real health care reform bill.

I will leave it up to you, Helen, how you want to distribute the cupcakes.

PHILLIPS: Oh, my goodness. How often does that happen, when a journalist gets a one-on-one visit from the president of the United States sharing a birthday? Helen Thomas and President Barack Obama -- she's a little older than the president, though.

She is turning 89 today. The president is turning 48.

Now, how is she going to cover the precedent objectively here when he came out, sat next to her, gave her a smooch, cupcakes?

Helen Thomas there celebrating her 89th birthday with the president. He turning 48, but I don't think Chuck E. Cheese will be visiting Helen Thomas.

All right. We're going to take you back to the briefing now with Robert Gibbs.

ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We didn't tell her ahead of time. We don't tell people ahead of time. Right, we didn't call Helen and tell her we were coming out here.

All right. Now that we have had the main event, let's get to the more mundane topics like whatever you all want to ask about today.

Yes, sir?

QUESTION: On President Clinton's trip to North Korea, is it fair and accurate to say that President Obama supports this move?

GIBBS: Phil (ph), we put out a statement this morning. I put out a statement that this was a private mission that we weren't going to comment on while the former president was on the ground in North Korea. And as a result of that, I don't have anything more to add on this at this time.

QUESTION: But you can understand why people can see this as a possible opening for further discussions with North Korea. You understand why that is there?

GIBBS: Again...

(CROSSTALK)

GIBBS: This, obviously, is a very sensitive topic. We will hope to provide some more detail at a later point. Our focus right now is on ensuring the safety of two journalists that are in North Korea right now.

QUESTION: Then I'm going to be selfish and take a second question then.

GIBBS: It's more like your third, but go ahead.

(LAUGHTER)

QUESTION: It appears the unemployment rate...

GIBBS: Can you guys shut that just a little bit?

Thank you.

QUESTION: It appears the unemployment rate, where the president is going tomorrow, Indiana, has actually worsened since the last time the president was there.

Why is the White House going there and what do you hope to accomplish with the trip?

GIBBS: Well, the unemployment rate has gotten worse in Elkhart since the president was there in February. It has gotten -- I think you could probably count on the one or two hands the places where the unemployment rate has improved in those few months.

Obviously, we have seen -- and you saw this in the GDP figures -- a tremendous downturn in our economy over the past many quarters. You saw a revision of, even quarters where there was some modest growth, now there was a decline in the economy.

The president will use this event...

PHILLIPS: All right. We want to break away and talk once again about North Korea, before we were joined by the president there wishing Helen Thomas a happy 89th birthday.

Christiane Amanpour, thanks for sticking with me. I appreciate that. It was sort of -- it kind of threw us all for a loop when the president stepped out with cupcakes and candles for Helen Thomas.

Were you able to see that, by the way, while you were standing by?

AMANPOUR: No, I can't see it, but I'm going to make a comment on what you said. You said, "I wonder if she can cover him objectively after that." And I'm going to refer you all the way back to the Nixon administration, when he came out in the press room and congratulated her on being named the first female dean of the White House Press Corps, and she had no problem continuing to be highly objective and responded respectfully by asking him a very tough question on the ongoing Watergate affair.

So, I think Helen Thomas has definitely earned her stripes in the credibility department -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Amen, Christiane. That's great.

Well, I'm curious, did she get a kiss from the president at that time? Because Obama gave her a big kiss on the cheek, Christiane.

AMANPOUR: I don't know about that.

PHILLIPS: OK. All right. Let's move on to serious business, but point well made. Thank you very much.

We'll turn away from Helen Thomas' 89th birthday, same birthday, by the way, as President Obama, who turns 48 today.

Christiane and I were talking about North Korea, the fact that Bill Clinton is now over there trying to negotiate the release of the two journalists.

But at the same time, Christiane, I wanted to break out and push it forward, because a lot of people wondering, could this be more than just the release of two journalists? Could this mean some sort of breakthrough in a relationship between Kim Jong-il, who a lot of people here in the United States, including the Obama administration, were wondering if he was still healthy and alive? Could something happen here? Could there be a breakthrough with regard to a relationship and this ongoing threat of nukes back and forth, and a very volatile relationship between the two countries?

AMANPOUR: Well, look, it's hard to tell. You saw Robert Gibbs basically deflect that question and insist that this is a private visit. Well, the same thing was insisted about President Carter way back in 1994, who went and met with then Kim Il-sung, the North Korean president and the father of the current North Korean president, and came back with having diffused a very volatile situation, which again centered on the nuclear affair.

Under President Bill Clinton's own administration, there was a thawing and an agreement between the United States and North Korea on the nuclear issue. North Korea has long claimed its desires for nuclear energy and that it wants, at the very least, light water reactors to provide its cash-strapped and energy-strapped nation with the kind of fuel that it needs.

That hasn't been forthcoming yet, and that's some of the problem with some of the problems in the relationship between the United States and North Korea. But, you know, over the, let's say, 2008 period, between summer 2007 and most of 2008, there was a thawing, because that's when North Korea stopped its nuclear program.

It stopped processing, reprocessing plutonium. It then allowed the New York Philharmonic to come in. There was a real moment there where they had really thought that diplomacy was going to work under the auspices of the State Department and then-Special Ambassador Hill.

So, this was really going along in a fairly interesting and positive way. And then it came to a grinding halt after last summer, basically when Kim Jong-il fell ill.

So, it's unclear how this is going to be resolved, but there are many who believe that diplomacy should be tried again. Right now, North Korea has been flapped (ph) with very heavy new U.N. sanctions after it tested those nuclear devices earlier this year, and it's unclear how this is going to be resolved.

PHILLIPS: Christiane Amanpour, sure appreciate you calling in from France and adding perspective to this story.

MIA for 18 years, Captain Michael Scott Speicher's remains found in Iraq, but his family is still hoping to find answers in Washington.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Iran says that the three Americans that they are holding might be spies, but friends and families say they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and probably didn't know they were in Iran until soldiers surrounded them.

The three were hiking Friday in northern Iraq, crossed the unmarked border into Iran, and were arrested for illegal entry. An Iranian lawmaker is quoted as saying now that he thinks they came over at spies, but their case is under investigation. Swiss diplomats are working to get those Americans freed.

Some would-be terrorists with al Qaeda ties had big plans for Australia, plans that went nowhere and just landed them in jail. Police say they broke up a plot and arrested four men who planned to attack a military base with automatic weapons, basically just take out as many soldiers as they could, then go out in a blaze of glory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY NEGUS, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE: Police will allege that the men were planning to carry out a suicide terrorist attack on a defense establishment within Australia involving an armed assault with automatic weapons. Details of the planning indicated the alleged offenders were prepared to inflict a sustained attack on military personnel until they themselves were killed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Agents have been watching these guys for months and made their move early today. They raided nearly 20 places in Melbourne. The four men in custody are all Australian citizens of Lebanese or Somali descent. Several other people are being questioned and detained.

In North Carolina, the alleged Tar Heel terrorists are working their way through the legal system. The seven men are accused of planning to go overseas and kill people in places like Pakistan, Jordan and Israel. They're in federal court today in Raleigh to learned if they will be held until trial. An eighth suspect is believed to be in Pakistan.

The family of Navy Captain Michael Scott Speicher getting briefed today by Pentagon brass. The military confirmed over the weekend that remains found in Iraq are those of Captain Speicher, missing since his plane was shot down on the first day of the first Gulf War.

The captain's family believes he might have survived the crash and been taken prisoner. The Pentagon has indicated that the evidence suggests he died on impact.

Well, like his family, Captain Speicher's hometown has kept his memory alive for 18 years.

CNN's John Zarrella talks to folks in Jacksonville, Florida, about Sunday's big news.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On an overcast Monday in Jacksonville, Florida, people stood solemnly along a road leading from the naval air station holding American flags, paying their respects as the hearse drove by carrying the remains of a Marine Corps private killed in Afghanistan.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're here to honor this fallen hero, to let the family know that we care.

ZARRELLA: And in Jacksonville, they continue caring no matter how many years go by. For 18 years, they kept alive the name Scott Speicher, Navy pilot shot down on the first night of the first Gulf War, never knowing whether he was alive or dead.

A banner still flies above a fire station. Speicher's name is etched on a veterans memorial wall. Beneath it, a yellow ribbon and a letter to his family. "He will always be remembered," it reads, in part.

BOB BUEHN, SPEICHER-HARRIS FAMILY FRIEND: These would be the first Gulf War, as we call it. ZARRELLA (on camera): Right. Right.

BUEHN: We didn't know that when this was put up there.

ZARRELLA (voice-over): Bob Buehn, a retired Naval aviator, knows the Speicher family. In all these years, Speicher's widow, Joanne, talked only once to a national magazine. There's a reason, says Buehn.

BUEHN: Joanne has focused on her family and her kids, and done a wonderful job of taking care of them and raising them as close to a normal situation as possible.

ZARRELLA: Joanne Speicher remarried. The children now attend state universities. They were on hand when Governor Charlie Crist signed legislation extending free tuition to children of missing soldiers and POWs from the Gulf Wars.

For the Speichers, some questions still have not been answered.

CINDY LAQUIDARA, SPEICHER-HARRIS FAMILY FRIEND: Any information we can learn about what happened when he ejected, and to the point of which he died, we think is beneficial.

ZARRELLA: At Arlington National Cemetery, there is a headstone with Speicher's name on it. Where he will be buried has not been made public. But he has, after 18 years, finally come home.

John Zarrella, CNN, Jacksonville, Florida.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

PHILLIPS: The false leads, the rumors, like the prison walls with Speicher's initials scratched onto it, a man and his cadaver dog chased them all for two years. A bit later, we're going to find out what he thinks now that his former mission has been accomplished.

Well, it could be a hot August and a long recess for lawmakers. That's what happens when you've got a hot topic like health care still on the burner.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Sure, it would be a blast to chill at home on your birthday, maybe get a free dessert and an embarrassing round of applause at a chain restaurant. But when you're the president, you have other fish to fry, like politics and health care.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, we want to update some breaking news from North Korea right now. ABC is actually reporting that former President Bill Clinton, on a surprise trip to Pyongyang, has met with captured American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee. Not only that, but ABC also reporting its government source is hopeful that Ling and Lee will be back in the U.S. as soon as tomorrow. The source also says that Clinton plans to leave for home tonight.

It's has been a pretty remarkable day of diplomatic star power in what's generally considered the world's most secretive state. I mean, just look at these pictures. The White House is insisting that Clinton's message is private, with no messages or overtures from President Obama.

As you know, the journalists have been in custody since March, arrested for illegal entry, tried and then finally sentenced to 12 years of hard labor. Again, the headline so far, unconfirmed by CNN, by the way, that a government source is telling ABC News that he's hopeful former President Clinton may be flying home any time now with two Americans long detained in North Korea. We will keep you updated every step of the way.

Well, back on the Hill, the next-to-last step in the confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor. The federal appeals court judge from New York is on the verge of becoming the 111th justice of U.S. Supreme Court and the first Hispanic. More than two months after she was nominated, Sotomayor is the subject of floor debate in the Senate leading to an up or down vote, probably Thursday. The top Senate Democrat says it is a momentous week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID (D), MAJORITY LEADER: A long ten weeks ago, President Obama made history when he nominated the nation's first Hispanic to be a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and only the third woman. This week, the Senate will make history when we confirm her. Judge Sonia Sotomayor is an American of tremendous qualifications. Her academic record and her career experience really are second to none.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: The nominee has more than enough votes to be confirmed, and some will come from Republicans but not very many.

The speaker of the House is speaking out on health care reform, but not in D.C. Nancy Pelosi, home in San Francisco at the start of a month-long recess that may feel more like a sales trip. She and many other of her colleagues are making their cases for and against the Democratic reform plans and getting earfuls from the public.

Here is where things stand right now. Reform bills made it through three House committees before the August break. But the full House has yet to vote on any of them. Then in the Senate, the so- called Gang of Six from the finance committee is still trying to hammer out a bipartisan bill but has given up the goal of finishing by the end of this week. Sticking points in both houses come down to cost/employer mandates and a so-called public option patterned on Medicare. If you don't believe this is a working vacation for lawmakers freed from the Capitol confines, check out this report from CNN's Candy Crowley.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Democratic Congressman Lloyd Doggett was in his Texas district over the weekend talking health care. Trying to. Listen up to YouTube.

(AUDIENCE CHANTING)

CROWLEY: Also, courtesy YouTube, Pennsylvania senator Arlen Specter with HHS secretary Kathleen Sebelius in Philadelphia trying to talk health care reform.

SEN. ARLEN SPECTER: (INAUDIBLE)

CROWLEY: Suddenly, a four-week August recess seems a little too long. Most Capitol Hill lawmakers will head home with one thing on their mind, health care. Actually, two things.

AMY WALTER, HOTLINE: Members are always thinking about running again. 2010, top of their mind.

CROWLEY: Even those not up for re-election next year feel the heat of an August recess when a hot topic like healthcare is in limbo on Capitol Hill. Senator Kent Conrad will do listening sessions across North Dakota. Bet your last dollar that August recess will have a lot more to do with talking than listening.

SEN. KENT CONRAD (D), NORTH DAKOTA: I think it's also very important that people across the country hear that the course we are on is not sustainable.

CROWLEY: On the House side, speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican leader John Boehner, sent talking points to their members, basically boiling down to two broad themes.

WALTER: Thinking of insurance companies versus socialized medicine.

CROWLEY: Time is not on the side of Democrats, many of whom wanted health care done before recess. The longer the issue hangs out there, the more it becomes a pinata. Advantage? The critics.

(on camera): Republicans are also encountering angry voters, but Democrats seem to be getting the worst of it, and they accuse Republican operatives of sending protesters to their town hall meetings. But even if there is any truth to that charge, the reality is that poll after poll shows Americans are divided about Obama-style health care reform.

Candy Crowley, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) PHILLIPS: Could it help create a vaccine for one of humanity's worst diseases? What doctors are now saying about the origins of malaria and how it was first transmitted to people. Important news for your health. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Many consider it one of humanity's deadliest killers, malaria. Now, researchers believe they are about to solve the mystery of how people got it. Chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta breaks down the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Deep in the jungles of Africa, Nathan Wolfe is on the hunt. Wolfe is a pathogen hunter, looking to unlock the mystery of one of nature's greatest killers: the source of malaria.

He has been at it for more than a decade, working with people who hunt these forests to take blood samples of animals they kill. Animals that could provide the answer. Through those blood samples and work with research animals, Wolfe says he and his team have solved the riddle.

(on camera): There is a particular chimpanzee in here, Max. What has Max taught us about viruses?

NATHAN WOLFE, DIRECTOR, GLOBAL VIRAL FORECASTING INITIATIVE: What we found in Max and a couple of other chimpanzees here and in the Ivory Coast is actually malaria parasites would really give us the answer to an old riddle, namely what is the origin of malaria? What did it come from? The answer actually is -- we discovered it came from chimpanzees, just like Max.

GUPTA: So, malaria comes from chimpanzees, we can say that for sure now?

WOLFE: Yes.

GUPTA: You're a virus hunter, a pathogen hunter. How hard was it to hunt malaria?

WOLFE: We've been chasing this for some time, so it was pretty exciting for us to nail it.

GUPTA (voice-over): They nailed it by first identifying strains of malaria found in chimpanzees and comparing them to strains killing humans globally. It turns out genetically, they are nearly identical. Except the chimpanzee strain is older. All of that suggests that chimpanzees pass malaria to humans.

(on camera): There is an interface, if you will, between animals and humans so important because they can actually exchange viruses and pathogens, things that you may have heard of, like HIV, Ebola, marburg (ph), even parasites like malaria. The question is, exactly how does that swapping take place? And I think more importantly for researchers, what can they do about it?

(voice-over): Knowing the origins of a disease, even the close relatives to it, could be a huge step toward stopping it. More than 30 years ago, scientists used a close relative of human small pox found in cows to create a vaccine for humans. Whether the same will happen with Wolfe's discovery is still unknown. Even his colleagues believe it is a major breakthrough and only the beginning.

WOLFE: We know very little about the diversity of microorganisms, even within our own bodies, let alone within other animals. And, really, that's just one of the things we are beginning to do, is to sort of describe this iceberg. We know a lot of it is underwater. I think it is part of the excitement scientifically for those of us out there trying to discover these things.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: One reason this study is getting attention, the high stakes. Malaria kills more than 1 million people each year. Many of them children.

The victim of a shocking gang rape that took place in this Phoenix shed is about to get some diplomatic help. It's a story that we've stayed on top of from the very beginning. Liberia's ambassador now wants to meet with the 8-year-old girl, her Liberian parents and the four refugee boys who attacked her. He's expected to arrive in Phoenix tomorrow. Edwin Steeley (ph) says that Liberia doesn't condone rape, and the girl should not be shunned. Her story has sparked global outrage.

You can read about it on my bog at CNN.com/kyra and listen to my interview with Liberia's president and see how she feels about this case.

The woman regarded as the first African-American supermodel has passed away. Naomi Sims broke barriers in 1968, gracing the cover Ladies' Home Journal, and she also appeared on the magazine covers of Life, Cosmo and Essence, this one being one of the most famous spreads. She was also an entrepreneur, starting her own cosmetics and perfume lines, and wrote two beauty advice books. Sims died of cancer on Saturday. She was only 61 years old.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Their trash man is going to love them for sure. But really, an Oregon couple's project is bigger than a garbage truck. They're actually trying to can pretty much all of their trash for an entire year.

Amy Korst joins us on the line to talk about the Green Garbage Project. OK, Amy, a lot of people think are you crazy? Can you really do this?

AMY KORST (via telephone): We're not crazy. I truly believe that we really can do this. PHILLIPS: OK, so I know you have a Web site up. You are even giving people tips. Tell me what you are doing. I know you just started the process. You are going to do this for a year. Tell us how you plan to do this.

KORST: Well, we decided to start on July 6th. It will run until July 6th, 2010. We are in the fifth week of our project right now. The project took a lot of front-loading, a lot of research on mine and Adam's part before we were able to sit down and start our project. But now that we have gone out and bought Tupperware or locatable food stores in our community, it has become easy to live by producing virtually no garbage.

We have a many-tiered system set up. Like most Americans, our garbage company also picks up our recycling every other week. Of course, we're continuing our regular curbside recycling. They take what you would expect them to take: newspapers, cans, some plastic bottles, things like that. I've also found a recycling facility near me that takes a lot of unusual or rarely recycled materials, like milk cartons, septic containers, which are like juice boxes or soy milk containers, aluminum foil, et cetera.

So, we have several different bins set up in our house to sort our recycling. I also have a small bin allocated for our "burn trash." We do burn anything that is clean, dry, untreated and organic, things like black paper or match sticks, go in that pile for us.

PHILLIPS: Wow. All right. We wanted to get you on record. We are going to track you now for a year and check in with you about once a month. We want folks to check out your Web site, Green Garbage Project. Amy Korst.

So, Amy, in about a month, we're going to check in with you and see how you're doing, OK?

KORST: That sounds great.

PHILLIPS: OK. Best of luck. We'll be tracking you. You can check out Amy's blog on our blog as well at CNN.com/kyra. You can go straight to hers which is the greengarbageproject.com.

For two years, they had one mission: find Captain Speicher. Their search came up empty. Now that the pilot's remains are found, a flood of emotion.

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PHILLIPS: Now, the fight for Afghanistan from the vantage point of the 82nd Airborne. U.S. troops coming off their deadliest month of the war as they try to dislodge the Taliban from their strongholds in the southern provinces. And today, the 82nd Airborne's commander in Afghanistan briefed reporters at the Pentagon via satellite. He says fighting the Taliban is not by itself the key to victory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MAJOR GEN. CURTIS SCAPPAROTTI, COMMANDER, 82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION: ... you understand the true center of gravity is not the Taliban but the willing support of the Afghan people. Here in RC East, we are working hard not only to counter the enemy's propaganda and misinformation, but to anticipate and expose them. We are doing this by taking a proactive approach to seize and retain the initiative by preempting events and exploiting opportunities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: The families here at home affected by that fight in Afghanistan. That's what Rick Sanchez has taken a look at all week, a very unique perspective. And that is -- I mean, through the eyes of one family and what it means to lose a son. And we're seeing it in a way we've never done before.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: You know, it's amazing. We are getting a lot of comments from people on Twitter and MySpace and Facebook and emails. People are just so thankful that we're putting so much emphasis on this story.

Right now, it is what, about 10, 12 minutes before the hour? Right now, there is a young man named Anthony Lightfoot. He died in Afghanistan, and he's just returned. Right now, he is being buried at Arlington National Cemetery. We have keyed in on him because his parents, his family have allowed our cameras to be there. In fact, they have asked us to be there.

Mrs. Lightfoot, Lyvonne Lightfoot, also invited me to her home. She wanted to tell me her story about how much she misses her son and who she was and what she is going through now as a result of his death. Our cameras were also there at Dover, Delaware, when his remains first arrived July 31st.

It's a tough story to tell. Because there are so many Americans that think that it is the kind of story that maybe we don't want to get too close to. Others argue maybe we should. Maybe we should know. This mother decided we should. Here is what she had to say to me. Just a little part of it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYVONNE LIGHTFOOT, MOTHER OF FALLEN SOLDIER: I guess they say when one person comes to the door, they have been injured. When two people come to the door, they have been killed. And two people came to the door.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: So, a representative from the military knocks on her door. He is escorted by a chaplain. When she knew that those two people were at the door, she pretty much sensed that there was something going on, but she still didn't believe it.

There is that handsome young man, Anthony, and some of his family members. That's the tattoo she just put on that she says she will carry with her to the grave. It is the most important thing she has left as a remembrance of her son. You should watch. We're going to have this probably in about, oh, 30 minutes or so. It's - it's very touching, it's very real.

Most of us don't know what happens when someone dies over there. I'm going to take you through the process of what is actually called a "dignified transfer" through her word, through her loss. It is pretty special, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: You say that some people don't agree we should get that close. I am with you. I totally disagree. First of all, the war in Afghanistan is because of 9/11. Innocent people were killed, and now we've got our men and women over there fighting and dying every day, years and years later. And we have got to stop using numbers. We have to continue to put a face on those young men and women. We can't forget.

SANCHEZ: And you're right. That's the point she makes. As a family member, if I decide that I want to share it with people, I should be allowed to share it with people. That's what she said. As long as your coverage, obviously, is respectful and dignified, and I don't think anyone would expect anything else from CNN.

PHILLIPS: I look forward to the coverage this week. We will make sure we talk about it this hour everyday for the rest of the week. Thanks, Rick.

SANCHEZ: Good.

PHILLIPS: The first few days of August have been deadly for U.S. forces serving in Afghanistan. Behind the casualty numbers, faces and families, as Rick and I were just talking about, we now salute our fallen heroes.

Army chief warrant officer Douglas M. Vose III was killed last Wednesday on a combat mission in Kabul province. The 38-year-old father of four came from a military family in Concrete, Washington. His brother, sister, father and grandfather all served in our military.

And the one that we just mentioned. The family of army specialist, Anthony M. Lightfoot is preparing for his burial at Arlington National Cemetery. You're going to see it in just a little bit with our Rick Sanchez. That 20-year-old from Riverdale, GA, was killed by a roadside bomb in Wardack (ph) Province, Afghanistan. His mother is a 22-year military veteran. These are just two of the 679 U.S. service members who have died in Afghanistan since 2001. We lift them up, and we remember their courage.

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PHILLIPS: First, Detroit car makers, now Detroit public schools may be filing for bankruptcy. Earlier this hour, we told you about the school district being $259 million in the red and looking for a solution. We asked you to tweet us your ideas. Here you go.

NewJerseyVet wrote, "All bankruptcy is about outflows versus income. School budgets work off property tax. Tax down, spending should go down." Stoneofages wrote, "Here is a solution. Leave the old, rundown schools, go to modern empty car manufacturing plants and give hands-on training, education and real-life examples for the students." And then Bob tweeted, "What's the solution for Detroit schools? Patience." Veritaz writes, "Schools need to stop being political instruments and go back to education only. The three Rs, which most people no longer remember." But Veritaz, I remember, it is reading, writing an 'rithmetic.

Thanks to all of you for tweeting. We sure do appreciate it.

That does it for us. We'll be back here tomorrow. Rick Sanchez picks it up from here.