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Obama: Stimulus Bill Helping to Push Forward Electric Cars; Birmingham May Have to Cut Police Force; American Journalists Return Home from North Korea; Hatred of Women May have Driven Pittsburgh Shooter; Public Bike System Takes off in Montreal; Vets Suing over Contaminated Medical Equipment; "Domino" Kidney Transplants Successful; Manson Family Members up for Parole

Aired August 05, 2009 - 13:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Don, thanks so much.

Pushing forward. Ever try to push an RV? It's a little like trying to push Elkhart, Indiana, the RV capital of the world, out of recession and into recovery. We're talking about that economic jump- start from President Obama today.

Recessions are one thing, but Birmingham's in a full-blown budget disaster. A flap over taxes means deep cuts, long lines, and a bombshell from the county sheriff. He'll talk to me live.

And Burbank never looked so beautiful. Euna Lee and Laura Ling home in California after months of captivity in North Korea. It's the story of their lives.

Hello, everyone, I'm Kyra Phillips, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Well, the last time President Obama went to Elkhart, Indiana, he was stumping for the stimulus. Today, he's all about the payoff. As you just heard live from the president's appearance at an RV plant, the stimulus is helping fund dozens of projects aimed at building the next generation of electric cars.

This is Mr. Obama's fourth visit to greater Elkhart in 15 months. The area that calls itself the RV capital of the world has been devastated by the recession. Unemployment there is almost 17 percent, more than seven points higher than the national average and 10 points higher than a year ago.

CNN's Ed Henry is there, pushing forward on the politics. And Ali Velshi peers down the road to recovery from his post in New York.

Ed, let's go ahead and start with you. Is the president wearing out his welcome as jobs stay scarce there?

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, I can tell you, he is still pretty popular here. I spent the last 24 hours even before he got here on the ground speaking to RV owners, speaking to the mayor here, and they're pretty high on the president, because they are saying that they think he is at least trying hard, pushing hard to not just help them in the short term, but rebuild the economy in the long term.

And that is really what those electric cars that you mentioned are all about. Trying to say, look, there's going to be some assistance in the short term. Already Elkhart, Indiana, has gotten about $14 million in stimulus money.

But he's also saying you can't just be building the same vehicles over and over. You need vehicles of the future: more renewable, better gas mileage, et cetera. And he also said that's going to be all about bringing more jobs right here to America and making sure that we're not giving in amid a recession. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Even in the hardest times, against the toughest odds, we have never surrendered. We don't give up. We don't surrender our fates to chance. We have always endured. We have worked hard, and we have fought for our future.

Our parents had to fight their future. Our grandparents had to fight for their future. That's the tradition of America. This country wasn't built just by griping and complaining. It was built by hard work and taking risks. And that's what we have to do today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now, there has been improvement here. As you mentioned, unemployment got as bad as 19 percent. Now it's just over 16 percent. So -- so, it's gotten a little better.

But obviously that's much worse, as Ali will tell you, than the national average of 9.5 percent. That's why we see the president as he push backs -- pushes back on Republican attacks, that this stimulus has not done enough. He's walking a fine line. He can't cheerlead the stimulus and say everything is great just yet, because a lot of people are still hurting, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: That's a good point. Ali Velshi, a lot of people still hurting. Is this going to work?

ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Interesting that the -- you know, that this administration is really big on the idea that the future driver of this economy's going to be green energy of some sort. And one of the biggest impediments to electric cars is, of course, these batteries.

Now, this Navistar, you might know it as the old international harvester, the maker of international brand big rigs, big trucks. So it's really an area that the president and his administration feel very strongly about investing money in. Navistar is saying this will actually end up saving hundreds of jobs once it's actually in place.

So, it doesn't work for the immediate future. I mean, you see Ed standing there with RVs in the background. RV sales took a major hit when gas started going up to $3.50, $4 a gallon. And just as it started to pull back, gas prices, we hit this big recession, so people stopped buying them.

So it's not a quick turnaround for Elkhart, but Elkhart is the metro area with the highest unemployment rate in the country. So, they need to think of short-term solutions. This is more of a longer- term solution. It will probably help in the long run, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: And my guess is he might make a couple more trips.

Ed Henry, Ali Velshi, thanks, guys, so much.

Well, the National Guard on patrol around Birmingham, Alabama? It hasn't been -- hasn't taken place, rather, since the civil rights days, but it could happen again after sudden and devastating budget cuts. Sheriff Mike Hale says that he needs some major help.

A court ruling has cut off a major source of county tax revenue, and he's being forced to cut his force. State lawmakers are scrambling to pass a new tax, but until then, the sheriff says he could lose 188 deputies and 300 civilians out of a workforce of roughly 700.

Sheriff Mike Hale joins me now live from Birmingham.

So, Sheriff, put this in perspective for all of us. If you are forced to cut like that -- and you're saying you need the National Guard -- how could this impact crime in your area?

SHERIFF MIKE HALE, BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA: Look, Jefferson County is just like the rest of this country. We're dealing with the recession. This is not the time to cut law enforcement.

I believe the Jefferson County Commission has broke a contract with the people of this county by failing to fund Jefferson County law enforcement. Look, they've cut my budget over $4 million. That's over 40 percent for the remaining two months of this year. And they had -- they didn't -- they cut it. It's up to me to have a plan, and my plan is this.

First -- our first responsibility is to keep neighborhoods and communities safe, and I'm going to do it by any means possible. That's why I called the governor for some financial help. And if he can't do that, then I need the force multipliers by having the National Guard come in to partner with my deputy sheriffs.

PHILLIPS: And tell me -- just to make for a full disclosure. We tried to get the governor to come on, and he wasn't able to make time for us in his schedule today. I don't know how to take that. But he didn't give us an interview, because we wanted to ask him why he's doing this.

But put it in perspective for me: if you lose all these deputies, does that mean less detectives to solve crimes? Does it mean less guys and gals on the street to prevent robberies, rapists, murders? I mean, tell me how bad this could get.

HALE: This will wipe out my enforcement divisions. I'll have just enough deputies left, with me paying -- I have funds allocated to my office, when the county funds run out, that I can write a paycheck for. And I'll have just enough funds to take care of the jail and a very minimal amount of law enforcement. Not enough for detectives. Instead of running 35 beats throughout the county at any one time, it will be barely enough to cover about five beats.

Look, on the night before this court decision that the court ruled against me, I had a homicide in two -- in two cities, two homicides, and I had a burglary in a very sleepy little town.

So, criminals don't -- criminals are watching this, and it's my job as sheriff to have a plan to protect the citizens of this county. I need funds. If the Jefferson County Commission wants to not take care of the citizens of the county, I'm calling on the governor to. And I believe he will. I really do.

PHILLIPS: So -- so you think he's going to come through. Meanwhile, you have a police force there. Is that just not enough?

HALE: I have -- I do not have enough deputies. This will wipe out over half of my deputy sheriffs. Birmingham is an area that has, of course, the city of Birmingham. They have their police department and there are 27 other police departments.

But I cover the unincorporated areas and assist the smaller police departments. Really and truly, there are a lot of police departments that turn the lights out and go home at night. The sheriff covers that...

PHILLIPS: Now your...

HALE: But...

PHILLIPS: Go ahead, I'm sorry.

HALE: I just believe Governor Riley, who has deployed the National Guardsmen in natural disasters, even though this is an unnatural disaster created by the Jefferson County Commission, I just really believe he's going to partner with the citizens of Jefferson County, Alabama, and we're going to get some help with him. I believe that. He wants me to give him a call today after I have a budget meeting with the commission.

PHILLIPS: Meanwhile, you're getting pretty creative. You're actually looking at taking drug money that's been recovered, about $700,000? You think you'll be able to do that and be able to keep salaries going?

HALE: I have about $1.5 million of condemnation money, state condemnation money, and some seizure money that's under my control that I am willing to write for the salaries of deputies. I can do this.

The county money runs on out in September. That's it. First of September, no more county money. I can -- I have enough money to pay the deputy sheriffs at about half the number that I need for the rest of the month. And then that's it.

So, I'm committed to use all my resources, all the planning that I have, and plan to use every bit of money that I have under my control.

Look, the citizens expect it. They don't want excuses. We've got to -- I've got to either partner with the commission. They failed on their contract with the community. Now I'm asking to partner with the governor to take care of the good citizens of Jefferson County, Birmingham, Alabama.

PHILLIPS: And if you've got to bring in the National Guard, you've got the issue of posse comitatus. They won't be able to carry out arrests like your sheriff's deputies can.

I'll tell you what: we'll follow this case, Sheriff Mike Hale. You've got strong words. You say the governor's going to help you out, and we'll follow up. I appreciate your time, sir.

HALE: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: All right. Well, the economy is just one of the ten categories that you can grade President Obama on. What do you think about his second 100 days? Cast your vote now at CNN.com/ReportCard. Then get the results on CNN's "National Report Card" special, tomorrow night, 8 Eastern, only on CNN.

An exercise class becomes a shooting gallery near Pittsburgh. Who the gunman was targeting and why. We'll have the latest, along with a police update and news conference that's supposed to happen live this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Love it or hate it, what's your opinion about the Cash for Clunkers offer from the Obama administration? You can ask an administration -- or an administration senior adviser. Send us your questions now to MailToTheChief@CNN.com. Or Twitter us about Twitter.com/KyraCNN. You'll get some answers, hopefully, in our next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, please help me in welcoming home Laura Ling and Euna Lee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Wow. Can you imagine? And you just saw it live on CNN this morning. The moment two young journalists, their families, friends, colleagues may have feared they'd never see.

More than four and a half months after Euna Lee and Laura Ling were captured in North Korea, tried and convicted of illegal entry, and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor, they arrived in southern California in the company of the former president, who flew to Pyongyang on a private mission to free them.

CNN's Thelma Gutierrez was there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was an emotional reunion that began with the dramatic entrance of a private plane into a hangar at the crack of dawn. On the plane, 36-year-old Euna Lee and 32-year- old Laura Ling, both journalists for Current TV, who hadn't seen their loved ones in 140 days. Also on board, the man credited for negotiating their release, former president, Bill Clinton.

LAURA LING, NEWLY FREED FROM NORTH KOREA: Suddenly, we were told that we were going to a meeting. We were taken to a location, and when we walked in through the doors, we saw standing before us President Bill Clinton.

GUTIERREZ: Among those on the ground, eagerly awaiting their return, Laura Ling's parents and her sister Lisa, a correspondent for National Geographic, and her husband of 12 years, Iain Clayton.

But one of the most emotional moments came when Euna Lee's 4- year-old daughter, Hanna, saw her mother and then ran into her arms.

LAURA LING: It's what kept us going in the darkest of hours. It is what sustained our faith that we would come home.

The past 140 days have been the most difficult, heart-wrenching time of our lives. We are very grateful that we were granted amnesty by the government of North Korea, and we are so happy to be home.

GUTIERREZ: Euna Lee and Laura Ling are now taking some private time, they say, to reconnect with their families.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Burbank, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And within the past hour, Laura Ling's big sister, Lisa, talked with reporters just outside Laura's home in L.A. She was asked about what may have led up to their capture.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA LING, LAURA LING'S SISTER: Based on the limited knowledge that I have, I don't think that they used poor judgment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why not?

LISA LING: Because I -- I'm going to let her tell the story, because I think there's -- there's -- there's probably more that we don't know about.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know was the release set up before Bill got there? I mean, it all happened so fast, you know.

LISA LING: We don't know if it was actually orchestrated or not. We had a sense that the governments had agreed to send President Clinton, for which we were grateful. But in terms of whether a release was -- was predetermined, we don't know.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, the pictures from Pyongyang are amazing. The rarely-seen leader of the world's most secretive state basking in the spotlight afforded by a visit from Bill Clinton. But for all the diplomatic star power, the U.S. secretary of state and wife of the former president says she doesn't expect a breakthrough on other issues dividing Pyongyang and the outside world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We have been working hard on the release of the two journalists. We've always considered that a totally separate issue from our efforts to re-engage the North Koreans and have them return to the six-party talks and work toward a commitment to the full, verifiable, denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: The White House says that Mr. Clinton spoke with President Obama this morning by phone and will brief his national security team in the near future.

Rejection by women. That's what police in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, say may have motivated a gunman who went on a deadly shooting spree at a health club. Three women were killed, another nine wounded last night before police say the 48-year-old gunman committed suicide.

CNN's Susan Candiotti joins us now with the latest -- Susan.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

We're trying to find out what made this man tick. Now, police have not officially identified him as yet, but a law enforcement source tells us his name is George Sodini, 48 years old. He works at a local law firm as a systems analyst, and he was -- belonged to this gym here, L.A. Fitness Center.

And, in fact, we've been learning some interesting things, after finding out that he had created a blog for himself on the Internet, and the opening date on it is November of 2008.

Before we get into that, we can also tell you that, after talking to some of his neighbors, apparently they say he stopped talking to them about a year or two ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CANDY GETTYS, GEORGE SODINI'S NEIGHBOR: I'm blown away by it all. Granted, he wasn't the most outgoing, friendly person in the world, but, I mean, definitely he had some behaviors that were different.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Now, from looking at this blog, he also talks about having trouble with women. He criticizes them. He talks about appearing normal on the outside and yet feeling troubled on the inside. And there seem to be indications that he had been planning this event for the past several months.

The thing about this blog, we're not sure about the timing of it, whether the dates match up. I mean, it says that it starts in November of 2008 and that the last entry is Monday of this week. But we don't know for sure whether he wrote everything contemporaneously or dumped them in at the tail end to create sort of a diary for himself.

In the final blog he talks about saying he's got only one shot at this thing, and then he talks about leaving a note behind. And it's OK with him that people read it.

And we did discover that there was a note left in his gym bag, where he kept the guns that he pulled out to start shooting at people. In the note, according to a law enforcement source, he talks again about hating women. So this is slowly starting to unravel as we try to figure out a precise motive for why this happened.

Kyra, back to you.

PHILLIPS: All right, Susan Candiotti. And we are expecting a news conference at 1:30 Eastern Time, just about ten minutes from now. Susan is going to follow that, and so are we. Any updates, we will bring it live to you.

A follow-up now in the murder of former boxing champ Vernon Forrest. Atlanta police have charged 20-year-old Demario Ware in Forrest's death. He went before a judge this morning on charges of robbery, aggravated assault, and murder.

Police believe that Forrest was shot to death in a botched robbery. At least two more suspects are being sought, including the suspected triggerman.

Forty years after the Manson murders, Charles Manson and his followers still behind bars. Will their appeals for freedom be granted?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right. Let's take a quick jaunt to Montreal, shall we? Where the new public transportation system is trading taxis and trains for two-wheelers.

CNN's Gary Tuchman explains in this "Edge of Discovery."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Downtown Montreal has the hustle and bustle of many modern cities, but there's a new public transportation system here that's taking an old-fashioned approach. It's called Bixi, a combination of the words "bike" and "taxi," and the citywide system is gearing up in hopes of being a big hit.

ALAN FAWCETT, MONTREAL RESIDENT: The bike is really sturdy, and it's really easy to manage. It's perfect for getting through the traffic much more quickly than I could on -- in a car.

TUCHMAN: Users can buy a yearly pass for $78 or get one-day access for five bucks. Then they just grab a bike at the conveniently-located stations and pedal to their destination.

ROGER PLAMONDON, BIXI: The customers base really is right across the spectrum. We have had the casual tourist, the business people that are doing the trips, the short trips, the dedicated bicyclists.

TUCHMAN: The stations run on solar power.

Officials estimate that in the two months since the Bixi system rolled out, riders have taken over 300,000 trips, saving 40,000 gallons of gas. They're hoping Montreal's strong start sets an example that catches on around the world.

PLAMONDON: We have submitted proposals in the city of London and the city of Boston. We have given ourselves an objective to set the bar, and the reaction shows that we have indeed set the bar.

TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: All right. If you're east of the Mississippi, expect some rain. West of the Mississippi, better chances of staying dry. Chad Myers tracking all the severe weather.

Hey, Chad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Finally, Louisville, though, no rainfall literally in the past, about, 24 hours. It is -- at least the water coming down.

Here are some of the pictures, though. We'll go to two pictures. Then I'm actually going to go to an iReport, too, where actually, there's some talking going on, as well.

This is what Louisville looks like. I mean, just right -- you see the horses there? Churchill Downs, I mean, just a mess there. They were moving horses from one side to the other, because the water is obviously a little bit lower on one side of the track than the other. The ground's a little bit lower. And so that was part of the problem.

People were trying to move books out of libraries, as well. And people were getting rescued. There's one of these water rescues from WAVE. Literally just -- the water was coming up so fast. Some reports have had almost six inches of rainfall in 2 or 2 1/2 hours, and that water had nowhere to go.

And here's what one of the iReporters had to say as she looked down at her feet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERICA GOINS, IREPORTER: It's getting deeper. It's on the tip of my leg, going to get my little -- my chic pajamas, my doggie pajamas wet. I am telling you, it is flooded like there is no tomorrow. Thank God I don't live down that area, because I tell you, the Geo Prism would have been a goner a long time ago. Look at that vehicle that is right there. Oh, my God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MYERS: And Erica, there were an awful lot of cars that were even deeper than that. Some of them were actually floating away at times, which is why the weather service says turn around. Don't drown on some of these things.

So, here we go. We will have some weather here today. The front has sagged to the south. That's where the severe weather will be today, also back up and down the eastern part of the Rocky Mountain states.

That right there is Felicia, a very large and dangerous hurricane. Now a major hurricane, a Category 3 strength. What's it up to now? One fifteen, gusts to 140. Yes. It is still moving off to the west.

Here are the Hawaiian islands. The forecast is for it not to hang together for a hurricane as it moves to the west, but we're going to keep watching it just in case, because at least at this point, as a cat 3, even if it loses down to a cat 1, it's still a big storm.

Now, the forecast is for it to be down almost to 50 miles per hour when it gets close to the islands. Let's hope that's the case. That's still six days away -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Chad, thanks.

MYERS: Sure.

PHILLIPS: Well, veterans' health put at risk by sloppy practices at three V.A. hospitals. Colonoscopy equipment not properly sterilized between patients. It's a story that we've been following from the get-go that just continues to develop. Here's where we stand right now: 10,320 vets have been warned that they could have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis and other viral infections. At least 9,141 of those patients have gone for follow-up blood work.

Now, according to the V.A., those tests have turned up eight cases of HIV, 12 of hepatitis B and 37 of hepatitis C. Well, now, attorney Mike Sheppard is taking action for about 60 veterans who have been put through this nightmare. Thomas Mayo is one of them. Thomas joins us now from Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Mike is in Nashville.

Thomas, let's go ahead and start with you. You're a Vietnam vet. You went to the V.A. hospital to get your colonoscopy. Tell me what happened.

THOMAS MAYO, TESTED POSITIVE FOR HEPATITIS B: Well, I had the colonoscopy. Then I get up -- pardon?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry, sir?

PHILLIPS: Go ahead, Thomas. What happened when you got your colonoscopy?

MAYO: Nothing happened when I got the colonoscopy. That was three years ago when I had the colonoscopy. I got a letter...

PHILLIPS: OK, so you got a phone call, right? You got a phone call that something might be wrong.

MAYO: No, ma'am. I got a letter.

PHILLIPS: You got a letter.

MAYO: Yes.

PHILLIPS: So, when you opened up that letter, what was your reaction?

MAYO: It was scary. The letter made me sad.

PHILLIPS: I can imagine it made you sad and it was scary. So, did you go in to take another test?

MAYO: Yes, I went in and done blood work.

PHILLIPS: You did more blood work.

MAYO: In Chattanooga.

PHILLIPS: OK. And what did that tell you, Thomas?

MAYO: Well, they first told me I had hepatitis C, and then I went back and done more bloodwork, and they said it's hepatitis B (INAUDIBLE), not (ph) hepatitis C.

PHILLIPS: Oh, my gosh. So, what did you do? Did you go home and think, you know, what do I do next? I mean, how did you react? What did you do when you found this out?

MAYO: Well, I cried at first. And then I just (INAUDIBLE) to take it day to day.

PHILLIPS: Oh, Thomas. Mike, you hear Thomas's story and the fact that, you know, that this brought him to tears. I can just imagine, you know, first having one test, being told you had one thing, then taking another one and told you've got another issue. I mean, how can you help guys like Thomas? I mean, we talked about this story months ago, and more and more patients were coming forward with the same story. And it's just heartbreaking that this is happening to our vets.

MIKE SHEPPARD, ATTORNEY REPRESENTING GROUP OF VETERANS: Well, it is heartbreaking, Kyra. And it's basically -- Mr. Mayo is just an example of a lot of other stories that have come to our attention. Some of them have involved being told that they have HIV and then being told later that they don't have HIV. So, we have not only the contamination issue, but that has been quickly followed by some mishandling by the V.A. in doing the tests and miscommunicating some of the results.

So, not only are they devastated by the news of HIV, hep-B or hep-C, but they also have to live through the ups and downs, the emotional ups and downs, of being told one thing and then another. So, there's a lot of confidence that has been lost in the V.A. because of the way the tests have been handled.

PHILLIPS: And we did get a statement from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Mike and Thomas. It says that "V.A.'s number one priority is the well-being of our nation's veterans. The department took aggressive action when a problem related to the reprocessing of endoscoppy equipment was discovered, and all potentially affected veterans, regardless of risk or cause of infection, have been treated and will continue to be informed of their legal right to submit disability claims on account of V.A. negligence. We deeply regret this incident occurred and continue to use this experience to improve our services and quality of care."

Thomas, when you hear that response, is that enough for you? Does it make you feel better at all?

MAYO: It makes me feel better that they did respond to it. But I'm still getting the runaround.

PHILLIPS: And how about you, Mike? I mean, guys like Thomas still feel, you know, that they are getting the runaround, and they're not -- they're still not being taken properly care of, even when they go back for another test and they're getting different results. You know, how do you prove something like this? I mean, yes, the V.A. came forward and said, OK, we've a problem, we used dirty equipment. But you really can't prove that they got HIV or hep-C or hep-B from us?

SHEPPARD: Well, we've actually had a couple of veterans that have come forward that were infected with HIV and hepatitis, and they believe maybe they were the origin. Now, some of those names we can't release at this point. But there's also genetic fingerprinting that can be done to establish the causation. But the Veterans Administration and Congress -- and they've had hearings on this, as you well know -- they need to release the records. They need to study the patterns that have occurred. They need to isolate the veterans that have been infected and do a lot more in determining exactly the source of the infection. We do know that there have been contamination issues, sterilization issues and the wrong equipment being used. But they do need to do more in finding out exactly who was infected and when. And unfortunately, they only have -- they are the ones that only have the access to those records.

PHILLIPS: Well, we sure hope to see changes, because our vets deserve the best of care. Mike Sheppard, thanks so much. We'll follow up on the lawsuits. Thomas Mayo, we sure are sorry for what has happened to you. We will follow up on your case. And thank you for serving our country, Thomas.

MAYO: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: All right.

Now, the war of words over three Americans arrested on allegations of entering Iran illegally from northern Iraq. An Iranian lawmaker says that authorities are investigating whether to charge them with spying. A U.S. security official says that the three were merely backpackers who got lost hiking in an unmarked mountainous region. The Iranians are saying very little about what might happen next.

In Tehran, it's the day that Iran's hardline president had been waiting for. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sworn in for a second term amid continued protests over what the opposition contends was a rigged election in June.

All three of the president's opposition challengers boycotted the ceremony, along with moderate lawmakers and other opposition leaders. On the streets, hundreds of protesters chanted "death to the dictator." Security forces quickly moved in, striking people with batons and blasting them with pepper spray. In his inaugural address, Ahmadinejad minced no words about the protests, warning that he won't tolerate disrespect, interference and insults.

This time tomorrow or soon thereafter, Sonia Sotomayor could have a new job. Senators are heading toward a vote on President Obama's nominee to replace David Souter on the Supreme Court. And for all the opposition coming from Republicans in floor debate, the nominee's adding to her comfortable lead in the vote count. Missouri Republican Kit Bond is the seventh in his party to break ranks and announce that he'll vote to confirm.

It's a procedure for the record books involving 14 patients, but more importantly, it may pave the way for thousands more on the waiting lists for potentially lifesaving transplants.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Medical history from our nation's capital, a record seven kidney transplants conducted in two D.C. hospitals. How did it go? Well, take a look and you tell us. A heartfelt embrace shared by an organ donor and thankful recipient. CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has more on the domino effect of this procedure -- or the domino effect procedure. Hey, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra. Kyra, usually when we think of donating a kidney to someone while you're alive, you think of a husband donating to a wife or a parent to a child. But in this case, that's not what happened. And let me explain why.

First, take a look. Here are our 14 people who were involved in this donation. That's 14 people. And these are the seven recipients down here at the bottom. All seven of these people down here at the bottom. All seven of these people down here at the bottom needed a kidney, but they couldn't wait the five years that it takes to get a cadaver kidney. There's 80,000 people on this list.

So, some of them came up with a living person who was willing to donate, but here's what happened. This is Larry and Elizabeth. Elizabeth needed a kidney. Husband Larry said, absolutely. But they did not match. So, what happened was that someone came forth and said, I'll donate to Elizabeth. His name is Jordan. There he is right there. That's Jordan Brough.

And Jordan didn't know anyone who need a kidney, so he said, I'm happy to give mine to Elizabeth. And they matched. What then happened, and this is where it gets really -- what the really important part is, is that that then freed up Elizabeth's husband to donate to someone else. So, Larry didn't donate to his wife. He donated to someone he had never met before, and she now has -- and then the person who was going to donate to her then was able to donate to a totally separate person. So, and so on and so on and so on, and that's how they managed to get 14 people involved in this donation.

PHILLIPS: And so, what did they do?

COHEN: Well, what they did was that they had everybody sort of come forth, and they looked at them, and they said, all right, who matches who best? And then they said, all right, you're going to donate to somebody who's not related to you. But in the end, everybody will get a kidney. But they had to have two people like Jordan. Those are people who didn't come in with anyone. They just said, out of the goodness of my heart, I want to donate a kidney.

PHILLIPS: All right, so, I notice that most of the kidney recipients are African American. Is that a coincidence?

COHEN: No, actually, Kyra, it's not a coincidence. African Americans are much more likely to be waiting for a kidney. And there's a couple of different reasons for this. One is that African Americans need kidneys more than white people do, and there aren't enough donors for them.

The other reason is the biologically, African Americans, for some genetic reason, are more likely to reject a kidney. It's just harder to match them. So, as what we saw happened in here, it just so happened in this case that a white person did donate to an African American. Let's hear from Jordan what he had to say after he donated his kidney to Elizabeth.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JORDAN BROUGH, KIDNEY DONOR: I don't have much to say. They say it's better to give than to receive, and I truly feel that way right now. I feel very honored and very humbled to be part of (INAUDIBLE) and to be part of this chain. I know we're going to have lots of reunions coming up. But it's amazing what something like this can do to bring people together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: So, again, that was Jordan Brough who donated. And here are the seven donors. Here are the seven recipients. And they didn't end up getting a kidney from the person they brought in, but they ended up getting it from someone else.

PHILLIPS: Well, obviously a pretty amazing day for these recipients. But does anyone have any concerns about this kind of arrangement?

COHEN: You know, Kyra, there are some concerns. Whenever someone donates a kidney, you have to ask, are they donating of their own free will, whether they're donating to a stranger or to somebody they know. And hospitals like Georgetown do have psychological reviews, and they make sure that these donors understand the risk of the surgery and understand that they're going to spend the rest of their life with one kidney. But some people wonder, even if you're careful, might there still be some coercion for -- to get someone to donate a kidney.

PHILLIPS: Elizabeth Cohen, thanks.

COHEN: Thanks.

PHILLIPS: Well, Americans appear split over President Obama's proposals to change the health care system. Our new CNN/Opinion Research poll shows that 50 percent favor the president's plan. Forty-five percent oppose. The survey showed the plan most popular among younger Americans, least popular among seniors. Only 3 in 10 Americans think the president's proposals will help their families. Forty-four percent feel that they won't benefit, but other families will be helped. One in 5 say no one will be helped.

We want to know about what you think of the second 100 days of the Obama administration. You can cast your vote now at CNN.com/reportcard. Then get the results on CNN's "NATIONAL REPORT CARD" special tomorrow night, 8:00 Eastern, only on CNN.

And saying no to the Cash for Clunkers deal would be like throwing up to $4,500 out the window. That's for those trading in the clunkers. For the dealers, that's a different matter. You're going to hear what some are saying. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right, it's gut-check time on Capitol Hill. Majority leader Harry Reid fired off a warning to colleagues today: Pass the Cash for Clunkers extension quickly, or you might miss your August vacation, due to start Friday. That's also when the money now available is expected to run dry. The Senate plan would add $2 billion to the program, the same amount already approved by the House.

Some 300,000 cars and trucks have already been bought under that deal, and demand is said to be surging. But not everybody is sold on the program.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE RAYMAN, CAR DEALER: So, we're going to make a business decision for all of our dealerships, that right now, stop the program as of tonight, and until we hear further word that the Senate is going to improve this thing, we'll go forward. No, I'm not happy about it at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, one key Republican predicting the program will be extended, minority leader Senator Mitch McConnell. He actually summed it up this way: The matter will be completed.

So, what's your opinion of the Cash for Clunkers offer from the Obama administration? You can ask an administration senior adviser. Just send your question to MailToTheChief@CNN.com or Twitter us at twitter.com/kyra CNN. You'll get some answers in our next hour.

Some other stories we're pushing forward today. Do-it-yourself funerals. For more and more folks, a financial necessity, from digging loved ones' graves to building their coffins to burying them at home.

And his mangled star-spangled banner has some neighbors seeing red. why a Vietnam vet is refusing to retire it.

It's been 40 years since the Manson family murders shocked the nation. Will their appeals for parole be granted?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: We're looking back 40 years now to a crime spree that shocked the nation because of its brutality, carried out by Charles Manson and his followers, known as the family. CNN's Ted Rowlands has more on the Manson family and their efforts to get paroled.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They shocked the world, young, good-looking American kids in their 20s laughing about butchering their innocent victims. The Manson killers are now in their 60s, Tex Watson, Leslie Van Houten, Patricia Krenwinkel and Susan Atkins, all disciples of a madman who turned them into monsters.

(on camera): Watson and Krenwinkel took part in all seven murders, five at the home of actress Sharon Tate in Beverly Hills. Then the next day, they came to this house with Van Houten, about ten miles away, where they tortured and killed Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.

LESLIE VAN HOUTEN, SERVING LIFE SENTENCE: I stood in the hallway, and I looked into a blank room that was like a den. And I stood there until Tex turned me around and handed me a knife, and he said, do something. I went back in the bedroom, and Mrs. LaBianca was laying on the floor on her stomach, and I stabbed her numerous times in the back.

ROWLANDS (voice-over): Atkins was with Watson and Krenwinkel during the Tate murders, holding down 8 1/2-month pregnant actress Sharon Tate as she pleaded for her and her child's life.

SUSAN ATKINS, SERVING LIFE SENTENCE: She asked me to let her baby live.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did you say to her?

ATKINS: I told her that I didn't have mercy for her.

ROWLANDS: How Manson convinced his flock to kill and torture without remorse baffled the world. Manson family members say it was a combination of charisma, drugs and Manson's knack for recruiting the right group of vulnerable followers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was us like little birds with our mouths open -- "feed us." And he would be saying the things we had been thinking. We thought he had an in to our very thoughts and our very hearts.

ROWLANDS: Atkins, Krenwinkel and Van Houten say they left broken homes. Watson would turn out to be Manson's right-hand man. The faces of the Manson killers have gotten older. The courthouse smiles and giggles replaced with pleas for forgiveness.

ATKINS: and I'm appalled that I could even have been involved with something like that.

PATRICIA KRENWINKEL, SERVING LIFE SENTENCE: It's terribly difficult to deal with this. I (INAUDIBLE) because I feel terrible about it. But I cannot change it no matter what I do. I cannot change one minute of my life.

CHARLES "TEX" WATSON, SERVING LIFE SENTENCE: Granted, I have committed one of the most heinous crimes in the history of mankind. And I realize that, and I'm very remorseful for that and would give anything if I could pay for it.

ROWLANDS: First sentenced to death, the Manson killers were given life sentences when the death penalty was abolished by the state Supreme Court. Charles Manson remains in prison and has, over the years, attended his parole hearings. Susan Atkins has terminal brain cancer. Last year, her request for compassionate release was denied, but she's scheduled for a parole hearing next month.

Krenwinkle and Watson have parole hearings in before the end of the year. Van Houten is not expected to have a hearing until 2010. Forty years later, all four claim they're remorseful. But the family of Sharon Tate doesn't believe any of them deserve the mercy that Sharon and her unborn child never saw.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: If presidential visits boost the local economy, Elkhart, Indiana should be on Easy Street. President Obama just paid his fourth visit to the self-styled RV capital of the world in 15 months. He came twice as a candidate and carried the state. No Democrat had done that since 1964. After taking office, he made Elkhart his first visit outside the capital. And he came back today not empty-handed. In a region with almost 17 percent unemployment, the president said more than $2 billion in stimulus money will help fuel electric vehicle projects in 25 states, including Indiana.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: The battle for America's future will be fought and won in places like Elkhart and Detroit, Goshen and Pittsburgh, South Bend, Youngstown, in cities and towns across Indiana and across the Midwest and across the country that have been the backbone of America. It will be won by making places like Elkhart what they once were and can be again, and that's centers of innovation and entrepreneurship and ingenuity and opportunity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)