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Top U.S. Commander Talks Strategy in Afghanistan; New Jobless Rate A Glimmer of Hope; Obama Extends Cash for Clunkers; Pakistan's Taliban Leader Reportedly Killed in U.S. Drone Attack; 654 Miles of Bargain Hunting This Weekend; Best Bargain at Tax-Free Holidays; Manson Murders Still Resonate 40 Years Later; Bringing Children From Afghanistan Solace
Aired August 07, 2009 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, for a look at some of the other stories we are following at the moment. New unemployment numbers contain a little bit of good news. The rate actually dropped in July by 0.1 percent. It's the first decline, though, in more than a year.
And a man with business ties to a murdered Florida couple is now under arrest. But investigators say he does not face charges in the killings of Byrd and Melanie Billings. Meanwhile, prosecutors say they're going to ask for first degree murder charges against the seven men already accused. That could mean a push for the death penalty.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in South Africa this morning. It's the latest stop on her seven-nation tour through Africa. She's talking to leaders there about supporting government reforms in neighboring Zimbabwe.
And we are following two big stories overseas this morning. Three coalition soldiers are dead in an attack in southern Afghanistan. We're going to be talking with General Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander there, and also in Pakistan.
Then this morning, top intelligence officials in Pakistan say the country's Taliban commander is dead. He's the man who aides say was responsible for the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, reportedly killed in a U.S. drone attack. We'll take you live to Pakistan's capital in just a few minutes.
But, first, the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan. August already proving to be a deadly month for coalition troops there. The latest attack happened here in the dangerous Helmand Province. Military official say 3 British paratroopers were killed when their patrol was hit by a roadside bomb and fired on by Taliban militants. Their deaths pushed the number of western troops killed in Afghanistan in the first week of August to 18.
The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan is General Stanley McChrystal. He is conducting a new strategic review of the fight against Taliban and drafting a detailed plan for victory. CNN's Ivan Watson got an exclusive interview with General McChrystal. He joins us now live from Kabul with more on this.
So Ivan, what is the general telling you about the focus now of the mission in Afghanistan?
IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, we traveled with General McChrystal to two of the most turbulent provinces in southern Afghanistan. He says one of the big challenges here is trying to win support for the local population for the Afghan government, which is often a focus of criticism among Afghans who accuse it of corruption and mismanagement. Let's take a listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. STANLEY MCCHRYSTAL, COMMANDER, U.S. FORCES AFGHANISTAN: The fundamental conflict in any insurgency is fighting for legitimacy with the people and the support of the population. Who do they look to as their legitimate government? Who do they pay taxes to? Who do they look to for rule of law and who do they look for protection? In the case of this insurgency, what we have is an Afghan government that is trying to establish itself around the country and it has problems with corruption. It has problems in some cases with predatory behavior.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: And, Heidi, one of the problems here is that the Taliban is offering services that's trying to compete with the Afghan government. For example, one of my sources say just 20 miles east of Kabul, the Taliban operates shadow governments and actually operates mobile courts where Taliban will show up in a village in a pickup truck and they'll have a judge who will offer to resolve local disputes that, evidently, the Afghan government can't resolve like how to get two shepherds who mixed up their flock of sheep. How to resolve that dispute over that issue? That is one of the challenges right now that General McChrystal is trying to deal with.
COLLINS: Yes, you really have to understand how all of that works, don't you? I also wonder, Ivan, what McChrystal had to say about the Taliban leadership, some of which is believed to operate out of neighboring Pakistan.
WATSON: There is a council that's believed to be in the Pakistani city of Queta(ph). He says that it's difficult, though, he called it, said it was difficult to be an absentee boss and when some of those commanders come into Afghanistan, they've been targeted in the past. He also issued an invitation to us, to Pakistan saying that Pakistan would be welcome to send military observers to join his troops on this side of the border. Let's listen to what he had to say about that, Heidi.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCHRYSTAL: I would welcome Pakistani liaison officers in a number of our headquarters here and just like to create the strongest connections possible. We already have a pretty good partnership, but the stronger it gets, the better we all are.
WATSON (on camera): Had there been any coming over and operating with troops on this side? MCCHRYSTAL: I'm not going to talk about the specifics of where people operate, but I will tell you that we do have growing links with the Pakistani military, the Afghans and Pakistani military and us. And I think it's all good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: So this is a cross border insurgency, a cross border phenomenon, Heidi. And it definitely needs joint cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan if it's ever going to be defeated. Heidi?
COLLINS: Yes, obviously. All right. Ivan Watson, thanks so much. We appreciate that.
Need to get to Iraq now because a series of bombings shaking the country this morning. At least 20 people are dead in a suicide attack in the northern city of Mosul. Dozens more are injured. In Baghdad at least six people are dead in three separate explosions. All of the attacks targeted Shiite pilgrims observing a religious holiday.
Wall Street was sure that unemployment numbers were about to jump again, those predictions were wrong though, to the surprise of many experts. The national unemployment rate has fallen just a bit, 0.10 percentage point, in fact. That puts the new jobless rate at 9.4 percent. Still, obviously, very high, but it does show maybe a glimmer of optimism. July saw the smallest monthly loss of jobs in a year. That's considered a strong sign, how you look at it, I guess. This recession may be winding down. Just minutes ago Labor Secretary Hilda Solis joined us here in the NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDA SOLIS, LABOR SECRETARY: I would hope that first of all they would not give up hope looking for jobs and would encourage them to go to their local one stops to inquire about what job opportunities may be available or also look into training opportunities. You know, through our expansion of unemployment insurance, we're also allowing for people to use some of that funding to be able get into job training programs. So here's an opportune time to look at those careers or areas that would grow like in the health care arena and also in renewable energy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: And Wall Street apparently liking the numbers too, so far. At the bottom of the hour we're going to check in with Felicia Taylor at the New York Stock Exchange with more on that. In fact, we can show you the big board ourselves right here. Dow Jones industrial averages are up just a tad there. You see 57.21, resting now at 9,313. So, we will see more as we continue here in the NEWSROOM about what those unemployment numbers have done to the market so far today.
President Obama extends cash for clunkers. Car shoppers will get more time to take advantage of the program now. The Senate has joined the House in passing the car rebate program and the White House now says that President Obama has signed the bill. CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis is here now with some tips for consumers. So, yes, it looks like the president has signed this, right?
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: That didn't take long. Fast, fast, fast. OK. That's right. There are over 40 million clunkers on the road and the previous cash for clunkers program took off about 250,000. This bill will take up about 500,000. So you can see that we're really working our way through this inventory slowly but surely. But if you're going to take advantage of this program, you really need to think your way through it.
First of all, can you really afford a new car? The average car in this country is about $26,000. If you pay for it over four years, even with this incentive, you're still going to face a $500 or maybe more payment each and every month. So, figure out if this really works for your budget. And don't delay. I just mentioned how many folks would probably take advantage of it.
COLLINS: Yes.
WILLIS: You know, that first cash for clunker deal, Heidi, it took only a week for us to go through that money. It's probably not going to take as much longer to go through the $2 billion. So if you want to participate, you got to get involved. And also, look, if you are one of those people who thinks, wow, you know, there's all this TARP money that we talked so much about, I want my piece of the action. This is your piece of the action. This is your personal stimulus bill.
So, get involved if you do have a clunker. I think you really got to participate in this program and, finally, don't forget to negotiate. I think people see that. $3,500 off, $4,500 off and they get all excited about it but at the end of the day it's your job to continue negotiating down that price of the car and get great information at edmonds.com. It has great details on how to negotiate, what the numbers are you need to know. You really want to think through this purchase because at the end of the day, it's not a small one, it's one you'll probably going to end up paying for years to come. Heidi?
COLLINS: Yea. Very true. All right. Our personal finance editor, Gerri Willis. Thanks for that.
And President Obama is due to talk about the economy a little bit later on today. I'm sure he'll be mentioning cash for clunkers, as well as the unemployment numbers. His comments now scheduled for 1:15 Eastern. We, of course, will carry them live right here on CNN.
The United States is getting a new Supreme Court justice Judge Sonia Sotomayor easily confirmed yesterday by the Senate. She becomes the third woman and the first Hispanic to serve on the nation's highest court. Sotomayor is set to be sworn in tomorrow. She replaces recently retired Justice David Souter.
Now back to Pakistan where investigators are hoping to confirm the deaths of the country's Taliban leader. A man by the name of Baitullah Mehsud was reportedly killed in a U.S. drone attack. His terror network is blamed for numerous attacks on soldiers and civilians in the region.
CNN's Cal Perry joining us now live from Islamabad, Pakistan with more on this. So, what's the very latest now on these reports, Cal?
CAL PERRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're waiting for an official confirmation from the Pakistani government. They really seem to want 110 percent confirmation. There seems to be preponderance of evidence that in fact, he was killed on the early hours of Wednesday morning by a U.S. missile strike. We heard from people here on the ground that there was even a funeral. Now, this was the head of the Taliban for the entire country, so we're talking not just about somebody who runs a tribal region, but the entire country. So certainly if true, this would be a big blow for the Taliban in Pakistan and perhaps a small victory for the U.S. intelligence. Heidi?
COLLINS: Yes. I always wonder though when there is a potential victory like this by way of knocking down insurgency, who then steps into the role? Is there somebody else waiting right behind to take over for him?
PERRY: Yes, that's the big question. What impact this will have here on the ground. Will it lessen the attacks? By some account, 80 percent of the suicide bombings across Pakistan were carried out by Mehsud. I spoke on the phone just in the last hour to a former assistant deputy secretary of defense and he was saying he worries sometimes that the Americans will overpersonalize the Zarqawis, the Osama Bin Ladens, the Mehsoud.
That some of these organizations, he believes have something in place, exactly like you're saying, where they're prepared for their leader to be decapitated and they that leadership ready to go. That's something obviously we'll have to wait and see in the coming days.
COLLINS: Yes, absolutely. All right. Cal Perry for us this morning, Islamabad, Pakistan. Thank you, Cal.
Responding to flu fears. The government updating the guidelines for schools this morning, trying to slow the spread of the swine flu.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Preparing for the spread of the H1N1 flu. The government unveiling updated guidelines this morning for schools. You remember, many schools were forced to close during the initial spread of the so-called swine flu this spring. Well, today, they're saying schools should only be closed in extreme situations. But the ultimate decision will be left up to local leaders.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANET NAPOLITANO, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: What we are attempting to do and with this guidance is to allow schools to stay open and to want them to send sick students and staff home, specifically ill students and staff should be separated and given protective gear such as a mask until they can leave a school. Hand washing and coughing etiquette are essential. These simple steps have an enormous effect on the ability to slow down the transmission of the flu.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: All right. Some more of the guidelines now. Kids with the flu should be kept at home and away from school and the mall. That order goes for teachers and other school staff, too. They should stay home for 24 hours after their fever breaks. School should regularly clean areas that are likely to have a lot of hand contact. Also, schools should consider active symptom screening for kids as they arrive at school in an effort to catch illness early.
Let's head on over to the severe weather center now where we find Reynolds Wolf because we're still having to talk about Hawaii and Felicia.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. It's been a pretty quiet season in the Atlantic basin...
COLLINS: It has.
WOLF: And also in the Gulf of Mexico, but in the Pacific it's been crazy. We've seen a lot of storms there. The most recent one we've been following, of course, is Felicia. Felicia still drawing a beat on the Hawaiian Islands. As we put this into motion, you notice the storm is going to get closer to that Hawaiian island.
However, it's also expected to downgrade from a category 3 storm eventually becoming a tropical storm and then the forecast has it dropping to a depression as we get into Tuesday and even into Wednesday. And there's two big reasons why that may happen. The first big reason is that it will be moving into an area of much colder water. Water temperatures of 77 degrees and lower. These storms actually maintain their strength or a bit stronger, you need about 80 degrees Fahrenheit or a bit warmer. So that's going to be one thing, cooler water.
Second thing will be the strong upper level winds that will rip the storms apart and so we're banking on those two things to happen. A lot can happen between now and over the next couple of days.
COLLINS: Yes.
WOLF: So, it still bears watching. Something else, Heidi, though that is really great about the storm is that it will be providing some heavy rainfall for parts of Hawaii. They could really use around the big island. They could also use heavy rainfall in parts of Southern California where they're battling wildfires. Take a look at this video that we have for you.
Flames everywhere near parts of southern California and, again, they're finally getting a better handle on today. This is actually near Whittaker. They evacuated -- let's see, many people last night will be allowed to come back in today. This shot near Riverside. One bad thing you have in this area is that you have, of course, upslope winds and a lot of dry (inaudible), a lot of dried vegetation which, of course, is perfect fuel for these fires but it's a way of life in parts of southern California.
Let me show you something else that is happening in parts of southern California, in the desert southwest. We got a lot of heat and a lot of wind that's going to be forming across parts of the four corners. As you make your way into the northern plains, windy conditions. There is also a chance of severe storms, especially late into the afternoon hours. We got plenty of moisture that has been feeding in from the Gulf of Mexico and that combine with the daytime heat and the frontal system moving from west to east, it all comes together giving us a chance of some rough weather, especially into the late afternoon hours. That is the latest in the forecast, Heidi, let's send it back to you.
COLLINS: All right. Reynolds, thank you. Appreciate that.
If you think your interstate is crowded, try driving on Highway 127 this weekend. That's where you will find the world's, yes, the world's longest yard sale. It stretches from Ohio to Alabama. 654 miles of terrific bargains. And our Rob Marciano is there this morning hunting for deals. He actually left Ft. Reynolds back here to do all the work. Standard.
But we want to hear from you this morning because we're curious about this. Has the tough economy turned you into a weekend yard sale shopper? If so, what are you buying? And has it helped you save any money? Send us some of your thoughts. You can e-mail us at cnn.com/heidi. We'll look forward to some of your comment there.
Also, an amazing rescue to show you this morning from Washington. You might say it's a case of witnesses becoming first responders. Passersby rushed to the scene of this car crash trying to free the people trapped inside.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you worry the car might explode?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was and I tried to get her out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wouldn't say that. I just thank god I can be able to help somebody else out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: When firefighters arrived, they used the jaws of life to cut out the people that the witnesses could not free. Altogether, five people were injured in two separate cars.
Battling with your insurance company. Tips on what to do when your claim is denied. We're answering your questions in today's "Empowered Patient" segment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Well, it's "Empower me Friday" and that means we're answering your health care questions. Our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here to help make you an empowered patient, which is a good thing. Let's go ahead and get started.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: A good thing, yes.
COLLINS: This question of the day is from Erin. She says this. "My boyfriend received Lasik surgery a year ago and after the surgery, the doctor's office submitted the claim and the insurance company denied the claim. How can we appeal this denial?" All right. I don't know. My first question is, find out before you have Lasik surgery whether or not your insurance company covers it, but is it that easy?
COHEN: Yes and that's what Erin said that she did. She said her boyfriend called the doctor's office and the doctor's office said oh, yes, it's covered, don't worry about it. What they should have done is called the insurance company but I could have saved Erin and her boyfriend a lot of trouble.
COLLINS: And money.
COHEN: And money. What they should have done is they should have realized Lasik isn't covered. It's almost never covered by insurance, only when you have some very specific and unusual medical problems not just because you don't like wearing contacts or glasses. So really this is an occasion where they should have known that Lasik just isn't covered usually by insurance. It's sort of like if you want larger breasts just because you want larger breasts, they're not going to cover it.
COLLINS: I don't know how this came into the topic of conversation at all.
COHEN: Cosmetic surgery. That's what I'm trying to get at. If you want a smaller nose, if you want a facelift, insurance isn't going to cover that. That's your choice.
COLLINS: They consider it, this is not the technical term, I'm sure, but a luxury type of procedure as opposed to a necessary need.
COHEN: Exactly. So I would tell Erin and her boyfriend there are just certain things that aren't covered, luxuries, as you say, Lasik, cosmetic surgery, that kind of thing, no matter what your doctor says, it's most likely not covered.
COLLINS: OK. Got you. I would imagine there are some other situations out there that are less black and white than this, kind of a gray area.
COHEN: Right. There are some gray areas. So let's talk about that. There are some policies that will cover certain things that other policies won't. So here's a list, some policies may cover infertility, but others won't. Alternative medicine, the same thing - some policies will cover your acupuncture and your chiropractic, other won't and hearing aids. That's another one. So those are ones that you really need to check with your insurance companies. Again, don't just trust your doctor.
COLLINS: Yes.
COHEN: Check with the insurance company.
COLLINS: Yes. Yes. Well, in fact in an effort to avoid all the confusion, that's the number one thing to do, right? Call the insurance company.
COHEN: Right. The number one thing to do is to check things out beforehand, not afterward. So here's a list of ways that you can avoid the situation. For Erin's boyfriend, now owes thousands of dollars to his doctor. Check your policy's general exclusions. That's the part where they say here's what we won't pay for. They actually say it in English. It actually does make sense. The other thing that you want to do is you want to get everything in writing. If the insurance woman says to you over the phone, oh, yes, we'll pay for this, you say I want that in writing. And, as we discussed, don't trust your doctor on insurance questions. If they say insurance will cover it, the doctor is not paying the bill, right.
COLLINS: Yes.
COHEN: He's not signing that check. Get it from the insurance company.
COLLINS: Yes and after the procedure or whatever it is, is done, he'll definitely want payment of some kind.
COHEN: Right. Exactly, Erin's boyfriend as is said is basically facing a $3,000 something dollar bill.
COLLINS: Oh, that stinks. Where do people send their questions again? About healthcare?
COHEN: empowerme@cnn.com. Oh, empoweredpatient@CNN.com. I got this wrong yesterday, too. I don't know what's wrong with me. Empoweredpatient@CNN.com. Send me your questions, I answer them every Friday. I hope I answer yours next week.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. Elizabeth, we appreciate it. Thank you.
Meanwhile, rebuilding bridges, restoring lives. Afghan children come to America and discover the friends they never could have had back home.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: All right. We want to get this information now to you right away as we are getting it confirmed right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. We have been able to let you know that Florida Senator Mel Martinez, a Republican in Florida, is resigning his Senate seat and then the governor, Charlie Crist, of course, can appoint his successor. Christ is also running for his seat. So, once again, that information coming in to us from our Rick Debela here at CNN that Senator Mel Martinez has actually resigned his seat. I'm just reading off of our news wire right here. So bear with me.
Earlier this year, you may remember that Martinez had actually said he would not run for re-election in 2010, but under Florida law, as I've just said, the Republican governor there Charlie Crisp is going to get a successor until the next general election, of course. So there you go. New information coming in to us about Mel Martinez, out of Florida today.
A snapshot of the economy. Earlier this morning we learned the unemployment rate has fallen for the first time in 15 months. The many experts say it's a sign the recession may be finally winding down. And just minutes ago, President Obama signed into law that $2 billion extension of the cash for clunkers program. Car sales have boomed as Americans cash in old gas guzzlers for a federal rebate as much as $4,500. President Obama due to talk about the economy a little bit later today. His comments scheduled for 1:30 Eastern now. That's 1:30 Eastern. We're going to carry those remarks live just as soon as they happen.
For more on the jobs report, though, let's go straight to Wall Street now. Felicia Taylor is standing by at the New York Stock Exchange with some details and also the reaction from the stock market to this. We are up, Felicia, by about 90 points or so on the big board there.
FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's great news Heidi. It's a great way to begin the weekend. Wall Street is definitely cheering this job's report. It is the most important economic report we can get. It shows that 247,000 people lost jobs in July. Now I know that sounds like a big number, but the truth is, we're seeing the pace of layoffs slow dramatically.
January job losses topped 700,000. So you can see, literally, how much the job losses have begun to dwindle down. That is clearly good news for the economy and for the American people. It has been steadily falling. July has the fewest losses in nearly a year and it shows the economy is definitely moving in the right direction. We have some buying on Wall Street, the Dow industrials now better buy about 92 points -- that's about 1 percent gain on the day. The NASDAQ composite is up about four-fifths of one percent as is the S&P. Heidi?
COLLINS: I wonder, though, some of the sectors in jobs, though, are, of course, still having trouble. Not everything -- just keeping it in context here -- not everything is to the positive, right?
TAYLOR: You're absolutely right. No question about that. The same areas continue to lose jobs. No surprise there, but the key is that the cuts are getting smaller, and this is what we want to continue to see, obviously. We still have losses in manufacturing and construction and professional services, but there are some other encouraging signs. The average workweek edged back up to more than 33 hours in July. That's after hitting a record low in June. So, if employers can't actually actively hire more people, at least they can boost the hours actually worked.
So, that's good news because, obviously, per hour, you're making more money. So, there's some reasons to be encouraged by the numbers. We obviously still have a long way to go before we're actually out of the recession woods.
COLLINS: Yes, 14.5 million people still out of work, as we can see. Felicia Taylor, we appreciate that. But we're watching those numbers. Thank you.
If you plan to hit the stores for some back-to-school shopping this is the weekend to save on sales tax in several states. Jeannie Yermen (ph) has our breakdown now from New York. Hi, how are you?
JEANNIE YERMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm great, Heidi, how are you? I tell you, more than a dozen states that are offering tax-free holidays this month on clothing and school supplies. Ten of those will occur this weekend. Today and tomorrow in Iowa and Louisiana, the other eight states include today, tomorrow and Sunday, as well.
Now, how much you'll save depends on the state. In Virginia, you don't have to pay sales tax on individual clothing items costing less than $100 or school supplies less than $20. In Louisiana, you can pretty much buy anything under $2,500 and avoid the state sales tax. Now -- so, not too shabby. Six of these states also have sales tax exemptions on computers. So, if you're in the market for a new PC or laptop, this could be the weekend to buy. Heidi?
COLLINS: I didn't know about that, last weekend it was tax-free weekend down here. I didn't know you had to spend $100 or less in order to get it. So, it's good to read the fine print so you sort of know what you're getting before you go to the store. Meanwhile, consumers love this, this tax free holiday report. But kind of a mixed blessing for the states, right?
YERMEN: Without a doubt. States are losing out on a huge chunk of tax revenue, and with budgets already so strapped, a lot of places are actually rethinking whether or not to offer these temporary tax breaks. Florida, Massachusetts and Maryland decided against August tax-free weekends this year.
Washington, D.C., was supposed to have one this weekend but it pulled the plug just last week. D.C. said it would have cost the city $640,000 in revenue, a loss it simply can't afford when it's struggling with a deficit of more than $660 million. Heidi, a lot of D.C. residents will head across the river to Virginia for tax-free holiday there this weekend. So, it could really back fire on the city.
COLLINS: All right, well, we appreciate that. Thank you so much. We appreciate it.
Fascinating to story to tell you about. The Manson murders captured the nation's attention 40 years ago, and the lure may still be just as strong today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Forty years later, and the fascination hasn't faded. People are still interested in Charles Manson, his murders, his followers and his crazy jailhouse rantings. CNN Ted Rowlands has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you believe in God, Charlie?
CHARLES MANSON, FORTY YEARS LATER: Sure, I believe in myself, why wouldn't I?
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The murders made headlines but it was the mad man behind them who frightened and fascinated the world. Forty years later, Charles Manson continues to draw attention. When this prison mugshot was released in March, millions viewed it online. "Helter-Skelter" remains the number one true story of all-time, authored by Vincent Bugliosi, the prosecutor who put Manson away.
VINCENT BUGLIOSI, AUTHOR, "HELTER SKELTER": I guess we could say that other than Jack the Ripper, whose identity has not been conclusively established, Manson may be the most famous, notorious mass murder ever.
ROWLANDS: Some people can't seem to get enough.
(on camera): A perfect example is Scott Michael's company called Dearly Departed Tours. They have a Helter Skelter Tour where people actually go around to different spots that are connected to the Manson murders and who goes on these tours?
SCOTT MICHAEL, DEARLY DEPARTED TOURS: The people that take this tour are people that are generally fascinated with this case.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's completely fascinating. It's got celebrities, it's got blood, it's got gore.
ROWLANDS (voice-over): "Helter Skelter," the made-for-TV movie, came out in 1976, but documentaries about Manson are still being made, heeding the fascination over what happened and why.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Meeting Charlie for the first time was very exciting.
ROWLANDS: The History Channel is premiering "Manson" next month.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He gave me the feeling that I would be cared for, and he took care of everybody. I eventually felt really safe. And protected. We were like his children.
MANSON: And then -- Charles Manson followers? I never had any followers. That was the district attorney's trip (ph).
MICHAEL: This is the LaBiancas' home coming up on the left.
ROWLANDS: Back on the bus where it's $50 a ticket for a three- hour tour, Scott Michael's says it's not just about making money, he's also obsessed with the Manson case.
MICHAEL: I don't think I'm a bad person. I think the people that take my tour aren't bad people. They're just interested in something that is horrific, but it's still history.
ROWLANDS: A piece of history that many people don't want to forget.
MANSON: I'm a terrible guy, man. I'm awful. You ought to move so quick (ph) you wouldn't believe it.
ROWLANDS: Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Be sure to tune in to "ANDERSOON COOPER 360" tonight for the final part on the Manson murders, 40 years later. Tonight, a look at Charles Manson's life behind bars. "AC 360" comes your way tonight, 10 p.m. Eastern
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Our next story about children, children of war, in fact. They're growing up in Afghanistan, but they're finding new hope in North Carolina. A nonprofit group, Solace For the Children, brings them to the United States and heals their illnesses and injuries. It also fosters friendships among children of rival tribes and faiths. Kids who may have otherwise grown up to fight each other.
Patsy Wilson started the group with her husband in 1996, and Carol McCay was a host mother for three years and is now the group's medical coordinator. Ladies, thanks for being with us this morning. Very interested to hear more about this. I guess, Cathy, it would be good for you to tell us the highlights here. What made you come up with the program?
PATSY WILSON, SOLACE FOR THE CHILDREN: The idea of the program emerged over the years. We began in '96 bringing children out of the Chernobyl affected area of Belarus. But as that situation improved, we looked for a new focus, and Afghanistan was the clear choice for us.
COLLINS: Okay. I know that there have been literally hundreds of families that have participated in all this, but they can only take one or two children at a time, and there are a lot of them that need help. Carol, I would love to hear from you on what the experience has been like as a host mother, a host family. CAROLE MCCAY, SOLACE HOST PARENT: Right. Well, when you decide to become a host parent, there are a lot of emotions that come with that. And a lot of it is you're really scared, you're anxious, you're excited, but the minute those kids come off of the plane, your heart just melts and all of those parent skills just come into play. And you're in love with these kids. Of course, with us, my husband and myself, it's been three summers that we've been a host parent to Zaman, and he's like our son.
COLLINS: Yes, we're looking at some of those great pictures right now. I'm sure very emotional, especially when they have to go back. We'll talk to this in just a moment, but, Patsy, how exactly, logistically does all this work? You find out that there's a child who's coming over, who needs medical help and then needs a bit of recovery time, I would imagine.
WILSON: The first thing to remember is there's no exact.
COLLINS: No rules here.
WILSON: Exactly. We -- have to be very flexible. We do have lots of people on the ground in Afghanistan that help us. We're hoping even some of our troops on the ground might recognize children that would benefit from a program like this and contact us with that information.
But, we're looking for children whose medical needs can be taken care of within primarily a six-week period of time. We do have special cases where they stay longer than that. And then we work with an NGO on the ground in Afghanistan to do the legal paperwork of all of those sorts of things. We arrange the travel and willingly open our arms for them in the United States.
COLLINS: Well, it's, again, so great to be able to look at some of these pictures. Carol, in fact, you have a really interesting story about how you got involved because it was actually your son who said that you should help. Why should we know about what your son wanted you to do?
MCCAY: Well, we were in church -- our church is one of the many churches in help Solace finding families. And there was something in the bulletin, and my son saw that and he kind of poked me in church and said, "Don't you think this would be so cool if we did this?". And we ended up talking to the the head table set up at church and we talked to them and next thing you know it, we were signed up to be a host family. It's been one of the most rewarding experiences we ever had.
COLLINS: Very cool. How old is your son?
MCCAY: He's 17 now. He was 15 when we started this.
COLLINS: What about the language? Is that a problem? I know most of them speak Farsi, right?
MCCAY: That's right. That's right. The language for us, personally, was not bad because Zaman came to us with a little bit of English, but most of the children do speak Farsi or some dialect from Afghanistan, depending on what region they're from. It is -- it's a little hard at first, but, really, within 24 hours, the child is comfortable, you're comfortable and those barriers come down.
COLLINS: Very good. Hey, Patsy, who pays for all this? You get any help?
WILSON: We must have help. We gather funds to bring the children from grants, from individual donations, from our churches -- help us a great deal. But you may want to help us with this. Our Web site allows for donations and it really, it really is a grassroots organization. We look for funding large and small from anyone who will see this need and recognize it and help us.
COLLINS: Absolutely.
All right, well, Carol, I just got to ask you the hard part before we let you know -- how did this feel? How tough is it to say good-bye to one of these kids after they've been with you?
MCCAY: It's real hard. It's real hard. They have -- these kids just become so much a part of you, and it is so hard to put them back on that plane knowing they're going back to Afghanistan where the war is right in their backyard and you're afraid for them. They're anxious to go back, they miss their families, but at the same time, they're leaving a part of themselves here with us, and they'll always be our children.
COLLINS: Yes, I hear a little lump in your throat there, too. All right, ladies, we appreciate all that you're doing. I want to put out the Web site one more time. So solaceforthechildren.org, right?
WILSON: And we would love to have a chance to start organizations like this across the country.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. Patsy Wilson and Carol McCay, thanks, again. Appreciate it.
WILSON AND MCCAY: Thanks.
COLLINS: Let's get over to Reynolds Wolf standing by now to update us on the severe weather, more specifically, Felicia.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's right. You know, we've been talking, Heidi, about this storm its the possibility of weakening, and that's basically what was happening since the last update. You look at this projected path of this storm, lowering from a Category 3 to a Category 2 storm. And the forecast does have the continuing to weaken as we get even Sunday into Monday and becoming a tropical storm and then a depression as it possibly hits the Hawaiian islands. Still a chance to move to the north or to the south, but one thing it will bring to the island, heavy rainfall.
Speaking of heavy rain, back here in the U.S. what we're seeing is heavy rainfall that is falling in parts of the Midwest and parts of the western Great Lakes and, you know, we've seen the rain in Hawaii and we'll see it there. And the Lower 48 certainly going to see heavier rainfall, especially in places like Chicago before the day is out.
And there's another benefit that you have with all the showers and the storms. Here the benefit is cooler temperatures. For example, 73 degrees in Chicago and back half of the system temperatures check into the 60s. And a little bit farther to the north this area of low pressure and high temperatures into the 60s.
Let me show you something else, just to give you a contrast. In parts of Texas, back in the central and southern plains, we're looking at heat indexes going up 105 to 110 degrees. We're talking in stifling heat. Now, in Atlanta, we could deal with high temperatures going up in the 90s here with the hazy skies. Certainly something you want to watch out for. Not as hot as it will be in Texas or the central plains, but still hot enough out there. You want to take it easy.
Speaking of taking it easy and speaking of the sunshine and the heat and the warm conditions, that could all be used to describe my buddy, Rob Marciano, who happens to be in parts of Tennessee smiling, as he always is. I'm sure having a great time with, what is it, the world's largest yard sale? Something like that.
COLLINS: Yes. Such an excellent transition from you there, Reynolds.
MARCIANO: He's always with it.
COLLINS: Absolutely. In fact, I think we have a little bit of a Google Earth image to show how long this is in just a minute. Rob, if you can hear us, it is, indeed, the world's longest yard sale. Take it away.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is. 654 miles stretching from Alabama to the Ohio/Michigan border. The longest yard sale in the world, and I'm standing amongst probably four, five, half a dozen of the longest tables I've ever seen and they've all -- they got a lot of stuff. Some would call it junk, others would call it treasure. Everything on these tables...including what I just broke...
COLLINS: Oh, my God, you just broke it!
MARCIANO: ...only costs me three bucks or less.
COLLINS: You break it, you buy it, buddy.
MARCIANO: ... three bucks or less. I'll just expense that. You think I can take that out on my next corporate card? Hey, listen, this thing you use to stoke the coals, get them going. I have a CB radio here. A hard hat, Reynolds, which is more comfortable with wearing that thing. Any sort of china you like.
All shapes and sizes, all ages -- these are my new friends Will and Jared. Jared, show off your Yankee gear. Look at that, ah? All the way down here. Who is your favorite player?
JARED: Alex Rodriguez.
MARCIANO: Alex Rodriguez. I tell you what, if you can find me a rookie year Sparky Lyle baseball card, I'll give you that broken piece of glass I just made. Will, who's your favorite player?
WILL: I don't know.
MARCIANO: It's all right. You boys keep going. Go A-Rod, go Yankees. How about that? I didn't go to yard sales when I was a kid, I was busy trying to sell junk. These kids are out here shopping with their parents. You can get just about everything. How about a roller, Heidi?
COLLINS: Yes. That's great.
MARCIANO: This is $14 marked down to three. The sales are already starting here, and you can get yourself a good deal. Thousands of dollars exchanges hands throughout the next four days. I talked to some vendors that make $8,000, $9,000, $10,000 just from this weekend alone. Come on in and bring your junk-craving sales out here and pick up some stuff. Let me try to sneak out before they catch me.
COLLINS: Yes. It still feels like Friday, I have to say. I'll take that A-Rod card if you find it for Riley. He'll be excited to have that. So you can bring that back for us, OK? Rob Marciano, thank you so much. Down in Tennessee this morning.
Also, in fact, we kind of wanted to know, we've been asking all morning long for your feedback about this yard sale because we want to know if the tough economy has actually turned you into one of those people that goes to the garage sales and yard sales on the weekend. Saturday is a big day for that, which is coming up tomorrow, of course.
Heading over to the Heidi Mac now and take a look at what some people have been saying. I haven't seen any of these, so God only knows what we're going to find.
Karen from Aurora, Colorado, says: "I have always been a weekend yard sales shopper. The ability to be able to reuse something and save money is great. I go even more now, I also use CraigsList and shop at Goodwill and other thrift stores."
Okay, then, from Linda. "No. If anything, the economy has made me look at what I have in my home, purge, and use the space more efficiently. I must say, though, the easiest things to purge are those things I bought at garage and yard sales in my younger days since the investment was low."
This one then, "I held a yard sale this last fall to make room for a tenant to rent out my house, but I was pleasantly surprised in taking in 2,500 bucks to help pay for my health insurance, COBRA, that is, for five months." Very intersting. Touching on another hot button issue right now.
And "I absolutely love yard sale shopping, Heidi. Regardless of the state of the economy, I would still do it because of the sheer savings that are available." I think that has something to do with the hunt, too. I don't know. I have to ask my uncle, who is an avid yard sale shopper.
If you'd like to us your comments, head to CNN.com/heidi and check out our blog.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Farming for a future. A patch of long-abandoned land in Chicago is giving second chances to people in need. It's also helping the neighborhood. Aaron Baskerville of affiliate CLTV has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AARON BASKERVILLE, CLTV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's urban farming in Engelwood. A sight most have never seen or thought would be possible. But like they say here at the city's first certified organic production farm on Wood Street, it is not only growing food, but people.
Theo Gibbs grew up in Engelwood and wasn't working and felt helpless. Now he is taking these skills to his own backyard, starting a garden and feeling more confident.
THEO GIBBS, FARM EMPLOYEE: I learn of different types of fruit and how to communicate with people.
BASKERVILLE: Thirty people work here part-time, including ex- offenders, a training ground in farming and life. They're growing 10,000 pounds of vegetables a year, selling them out front and at local farmers markets.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People have no idea what it is until they come here and see it. You can say, you know, we have a farm -- oh, it's a nice garden.
TONI FOULKES, CHICAGO ALDERMAN: Fresh vegetables. You know, fresh tomatoes, and then it's within walking distance and we want to get people out of the houses. We want that old community back.
BASKERVILLE: It started as an idea to train the homeless and jobless in urban farming, but now gives this neighborhood a place to shop when other grocery stores packed up and moved away.
Cliff Richardson came to check out the vegetables. He's a believer, knowing this was once vacant land.
CLIFF RICHARDSON, NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENT: This has been vacant for over 20 years, so it's nice. I think they should -- I think this is where we should get most of our vegetables from. BASKERVILLE (on camera): The city gave Growing Home grants and donated this land. They're hoping to open several other urban farms throughout Chicago.
In Engelwood, Aaron Baskerville, CLTV News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: I'm Heidi Collins. Have a great weekend, everybody. We'll see you back here on Monday. CNN NEWSROOM continues with Betty Nguyen.
