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President Obama Heads to Mexico; Health Care in the Heartland; Bombings in Iraq; Recovery on the Hudson; U.S. Casualties in Afghanistan to Remain High

Aired August 10, 2009 - 09:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Three amigos meet south of the border, their summit on swine flu, trade, and the drug war.

Also, targeting roadside bombers, a U.S. helicopter gunship in action in Afghanistan. Watch what happens next.

And doc on a Harley, riding to the rescue of restaurant workers. Your health care, our focus in this make or break month.

Good morning, everybody, I'm Heidi Collins, it's Monday, August 10th, and you are in the "CNN Newsroom."

COLLINS: This morning, the battle of health care reform. Congress is in recess, lawmakers are back at home, but voters are angry and they are on the offense. We'll talk more about that.

Also, people still getting in each other's faces as you see here -- is this hot issue going to cool down any time soon? Or are we going to see more of these town hall meetings erupt into shouting matches?

And our Suzanne Malveaux is traveling with the president. His health care is the top priority, top domestic priority, that is. But this morning, he's south of the border and focusing on another major health concern.

And that is where we get started this hour with worries about swine flu, dealing with the H1N1 virus on the top of the agenda at the summit with leaders of the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Here's Suzanne Malveaux now with the president's trip to Guadalajara, Mexico.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dubbed the "Summit of the Three Amigos," President Barack Obama with Mexico's Felipe Calderon and Canada's Stephen Harper.

All smiles in front of the cameras, but in the space of 20 hours, it is serious business, starting with the swine flu which originated here in Mexico and since has spread throughout the world.

With the fall flu season expected to be even more deadly, a senior administration officials says the leaders talked about the need to coordinate their efforts to contain it. ANDREW SELEE, WOODROW WILSON CENTER: We want to keep this cooperation going. We want to keep our borders open but we also want to make sure our medical establishments are working with each other to prevent this.

MALVEAUX: Trade is another key issue. The U.S.'s crumbling economy has meant job losses in Canada and Mexico. How President Obama steers Americans out of this devastating recession will impact our neighbors.

SELEE: It may be the most important relationship we have. Mexico is our second largest commercial partner -- second largest destination for exports, second largest commercial partner.

MALVEAUX: Mexico is also a partner in the war against drugs. A war Mexico's president is far from winning as the drug cartels gained strength. President Obama says the U.S. shares responsibility. It provides the market for Mexico's drugs and is the source of many of the guns that have made the cartels so powerful.

But the U.S. Congress is holding off on sending $100 million in aid to help fight the drug battle until it's reassured the Mexican military is not involved in violating human rights. A senior administration official said Mr. Obama addressed this with Mr. Calderon, emphasizing that defeating the cartels in the long run would require the commitment and confidence of all the countries affected.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Suzanne Malveaux joining us now live from Guadalajara.

Suzanne, how is the U.S. and Mexico working together now on swine flu?

MALVEAUX: Well, you know, Heidi, I was here actually when President Obama went to Mexico City, the first go-around in April. That is when President Obama, nobody in the entourage knew anything about this. And one of his aides got sick, went back to the U.S., ended up being OK. But that was certainly a lesson learned here.

COLLINS: Yes.

MALVEAUX: The administration since has been in touch with the Mexican government. There has been a lot of communication, which has been very good and so that is what they're vowing today.

You're going to have a joint statement from all three leaders saying we are going to continue to communicate about vaccinations, about number of people who are actually infected, and how we are going to deal with this, because last go around, they did not shut the border, there was talk, there was concern about the need to shut the border between the countries.

Did not happen, they don't want that to happen in the fall. So they say we've got to continue to talk with one another and cooperate because they believe it is going to be a serious and deadly problem come the fall, Heidi.

COLLINS: Wow. All right, our Suzanne Malveaux coming to us live from Guadalajara, Mexico this morning, traveling with the president.

Suzanne, thank you.

And a reminder, President Obama and the leaders of Mexico and Canada will hold a news conference at 12:30 p.m. Eastern. Of course you can watch it live right here on CNN.

Now back to the health care debate and what could be a make or break month. Lawmakers are back at home getting an earful from their constituents. That means these weeks could determine how they vote. The divisions run deep and the passions sometimes run wild.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DAVID SCOTT (D), GEORGIA: Not a single one of you had the decency to call my office and set up for a meeting. OK? Then do that. Do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: That's Georgia Congressman David Scott lashing out over health care questions at a town hall meeting. The Democrat says it was an orchestrated effort to, quote, "hijack' a meeting that was supposed to focus on a highway project.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Some of the people who were there were saying it was the last question that you got and that pretty much the business of the highway had been taken care of and if you represent the people in this district why can't they ask you about health care reform?

SCOTT: Because what you got on those tapes is what they want you to hear. That audience was unruly, it was intimidating, and I was not going to be intimidated. And I think congressmen are being held in effigy, they're getting death sentence, and I'm willing to stand up and fight for the other side on this. And so that was the whole point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The man who asked the question is actually a local doctor. He says he just wanted answers to what his patients have been asking him.

Where do people stand on the debate is often shaped by where they live. Our next story now comes from Steubenville, Ohio. A hard-hit steel town struggling with huge unemployment. But that doesn't mean there's a consensus on this issue.

Here now CNN national political correspondent Jessica Yellin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY MIHALVO, DOCTOR OF PHARMACY: You go home and take your blood sugar before you eat?

SHEILA THOMPSON, PATIENT: Actually, I can't afford test strips.

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sheila Thompson has diabetes, a minimum wage job, and no health insurance. She gets her medical care at this free clinic.

THOMPSON: I'm very grateful because without this clinic, I would have no medical support at all, none.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your meal planning is a big issue.

THOMPSON: Right.

YELLIN: Most patients here are like Thompson, the working poor who don't qualify for government aid, but can't afford health insurance.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Typically these folks would end up in the emergency rooms or they would self-treat using, perhaps, Aunt Susie's medication or something left over.

YELLIN: Last year this clinic logged 3,000 patient visits. Still, there's a long waiting list to get in.

(On camera): It's part of the story of this community. Massive layoffs at three steel mills left tens of thousands of people without jobs or health insurance. In fact, 20,000 people in this county have no health insurance at all. That's almost a third of the population.

(voice-over): Volunteers here say they're sick over the thought of neighbors going without medical care.

MIHALVO: It makes me nauseous. It makes me very sad because I'm well aware that they don't have to live like that. And it doesn't take the resources that we think it does to help these people. It really doesn't.

YELLIN: But across town, folks are deeply worried about the talk coming from Washington. They fear the government would make health care decisions for them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would like to be in control of my own health care. I don't want the government to be in control of my health care.

DONNA STRANEY, LIBRARIAN: I feel like that's more like a big brother type of thing and people will be sorry if this does go through with the government in control of it.

YELLIN: Does Sheila Thompson want health care reform? Her answer might surprise you.

THOMPSON: I think that would be a great thing if it didn't hurt the people who already had it. I don't want to take -- I wouldn't want to take away from them.

YELLIN: Jessica Yellin, CNN, Steubenville, Ohio. (END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Still ahead in the NEWSROOM, we'll check in on more town hall meetings where the health care debate stirs anger and accusations.

CNN congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar is actually in Missouri this morning and we're going to go live to a town hall meeting with Democratic senator, Claire McCaskill.

And we will look at health care around the world. What works and what doesn't, and what, if anything, can we learn.

Also the CNN Express, gassed up and ready to go. In a few hours, it pulls out of Atlanta for a long-distance tour through a half dozen state. Along the way, Ali Velshi and his team -- is he driving that thing, anybody knows? Ali Velshi and his team will visit areas that could play a big role in the health care debate.

And also, we want to hear from you as always. Have you been to a town hall meeting that got pretty heated? Do you feel passionate about health care reform yourself? If your story has a good argument for or against the proposed changes, we definitely want to help from you, so just go ahead and send us videos. You can go to iReport.com.

New question today about the ability of Iraqi forces to protect their people. We've got a live report on bombing in Baghdad.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I'm Rob Marciano at the CNN Severe Weather Center. We're tracking hurricane now. Tropical storm Felicia, the forecast track has changed. It will affect Hawaii. Also further west or east depending how you look at it.

A couple of typhoons hitting Asia and dramatic video coming out Taiwan. The worst flooding in 50 years.

We'll be right back.

ANNOUNCER: CNN NEWSROOM brought to you...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: Covering the angles, uncovering the details, see for yourself in the CNN NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: New video putting you on the front lines in Afghanistan as troops put their scopes on suspected militants.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got the -- in the road right there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, we got two guys digging on the road.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, they're trying to hide now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it looks like -- got to watch the position. That's where he came...

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Currently observed one individual. He's back out the hole right now. Looks like he's placing something in there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A wire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're engaging.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Officials say the two men here were trying to set a roadside bomb. And we warn you, what happens next may be alarming.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hit the guy in the road. Hit the guy on the road.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger. Hit the guy on the road.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're hitting the guy on the road, you guys got the guy on the side.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Fire?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're clear to fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: And seconds after that, a big explosion and machine gunfire as you see. Officials say the type of bomb these men were trying to set has killed about 250 civilians so far this year.

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan is warning of more U.S. casualties. We will have a live report on that coming up from Kabul.

Dozens killed and hundreds wounded in bombings across Iraq today. The blasts are sparking new concerns about security and sectarian violence.

CNN's Arwa Damon is joining us now live from Baghdad with more on this.

So Arwa, give us the latest, if you would, on these attacks.

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, I have to say by 7:00 in the morning, dozens of Iraqis were killed, hundreds more wounded in attacks that appeared to be mainly targeting Iraq's Shiite population. The deadliest attack coming in a small village, just outside the northern city of Mosul where at dawn residents woke up to two truck bombs that exploded there. At least 30 people were killed in that attack.

The village is literally leveled. The images coming out of there, one of sheer devastation. Residents very angry because they were saying that they had been asking the Iraqi security forces to allow them to protect their own village because the Iraqi security forces had been failing to do so.

The forces had refused that, however, and the result was today's devastating attack. And then, of course, in Baghdad, we had a number of attacks, roadside bombs that were targeting also Iraq's mainly Shiite community. Day laborers at this time.

And these are fuelling fears that Iraq sectarian violence could be reignited even though officials that we're talking to with Iraq's Ministry of Interior are insisting Iraq will never go down that route again. That still remains to be determined if Iraq security forces continue to fail to protect the population, Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes, absolutely. Obviously that's been a major concern ever since the withdrawals of the U.S. combat forces began. But now that they are out of the cities, Arwa, what is the feeling about whether or not the Iraqi troops can protect their people?

DAMON: Well, you know, the jury's still out on that one, Heidi. I mean, look when U.S. combat troops completed their withdrawal on June 30th, they left behind a fairly significant security void.

I mean, we're talking about tens of thousands of U.S. troops that were aggressively patrolling these cities and towns, conducting combat operations, disruptive operations, and now that void that has to be filled by the Iraqi security forces and the concern is that they won't want be able to do that. Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. Arwa Damon, for us, updating the situation in Baghdad, Iraq. Arwa, thank you.

A typhoon nearly 1,000 miles wide slamming into East Asia. Rob Marciano's standing by looking a the this video with me.

Man, did you see that?

MARCIANO: Yes.

COLLINS: One of the really dramatic images that we're seeing out of Taiwan. It's a popular six-story hotel, I guess, it just crashed right into those waters. Typhoon Morakot -- am I saying that right? -- blamed for about two dozen deaths now.

In China, almost a million people had to be evacuated, dozens of people are missing. So Rob, what is the deal? My goodness.

(WEATHER REPORT) COLLINS: Yes, sounds like. All right, Rob Marciano, thank you, we'll check back on later on. OK?

MARCIANO: You got it. Sure.

COLLINS: One group was on the way to New Jersey, the other was just a sightseeing tour, but everything changed over the Hudson River this weekend. Going back out to the scene of Saturday's air crash in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A short police chase in California with long-term consequences. The death toll is now eight. Most of them children. Police tried to pull over a car, which allegedly took off and hit a pickup. Five children in the truck, ages 1, 3, 4, 7, and 8 all died. So did three adults in the car. It happened in Dinuba, California. No word yet on charges.

Search crews back on the Hudson River this morning where a small plane colliding with a helicopter over the weekend. Seven bodies found so far of the nine people believed to be dead.

Our Susan Candiotti is joining us now live from Hoboken, New Jersey.

So, Susan, what's happening at the crash site today?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. Well, divers have been back in the water for about two hours now. I counted at least 10 boats out there if you scan from north to south in the Hudson River, including a crane, a crane that was also used yesterday to pull up the helicopter wreckage.

But right now divers are concentrating on trying to pinpoint the wreckage of the small plane. You can see a motorized raft out there where some divers are working right now. They believe that the small plane's wreckage is east of where the helicopter was pulled up yesterday and two victims on that plane remained missing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Today divers will make another attempt to find the two remaining victims from the small plane that spiraled into the Hudson River Saturday after colliding with a sightseeing helicopter. Nine people were killed.

Sunday began with the recovery of four more victims, each painstakingly lifted from waters up to 50 feet deep, divers worked in near zero visibility.

DEBORAH HERSMAN, CHAIRWOMAN, NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD: The divers had extremely challenging conditions with current visibility. At times the visibility with no more than one foot in front of them. Our investigators have advised me that the helicopter sustained significant damage. CANDIOTTI: Recovery teams transferred victims from motorized rafts to a police boat. The process of identification and autopsies is well underway.

By early afternoon, a crane using heavy chains pulled the sightseeing helicopter from bottom of the Hudson River. Trapped inside the wreckage, two more victims. The debris was taken to a pier where a blue tarp was put up to hide a delicate effort to remove the bodies.

The remains were taken to the medical examiner's office under police escort. Investigators will examine every bit of twisted debris from the Liberty Tours chopper. The sightseeing company in business since 1986 has had several accidents in the last 14 years.

HERSMAN: The Safety Board has a record of eight accidents and one incident involving Liberty helicopters. The first accident was in 1995.

CANDIOTTI: In this July 2007 incident, a chopper crash landed in the water, but no one was hurt.

In a statement, a spokesman for Liberty Tours told CNN the company, quote, "is cooperating fully to get all the facts. At this time, their priority is to help with the family of their pilot and, of course, the families that were involved in the accident."

Pilot Jeremy Clark, reportedly engaged to be married, was killed so were five Italian tourists including two teenagers. On the small plane, 15-year-old Douglas Altman, his father and uncle, lost their lives. The teenager's friends put together a video tribute of him on YouTube.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI: And back out here live, you can see again that motorized raft and some divers aboard in the shadow of that crane that we talked about earlier. As we look at that, we'll again raise one of the key questions that a lot of people are talking about and that is naturally why did the small plane and the sightseeing helicopter collide?

And are more rules and restrictions necessary over this air space over the Hudson River and the east river on the other side of Manhattan?

As you may recall, pilots in this area are flying under visual flight rules.

COLLINS: That's right.

CANDIOTTI: And that means that they have to count on each other to look out for each other. And use frequencies to let the other one know where they are. Did that happen here? One of the areas at the National Transportation Safety Board is looking at and one of the things, certainly, victims' families would like to know. Heidi?

COLLINS: Yes. No question about it. Susan, I actually I knew the pilot, Jeremy Clark, and flew with him in his helicopter just a couple of months ago right over the Hudson there and really, really sad news, of course, for everyone.

All right. Well, we will continue to follow this and the follow-up with the NTSB investigation, of course. Thanks so much. Susan Candiotti live out there at the Hudson River.

Your health care at stake. Talk about a hot button issue.

People are going off over the president's health care plan. The war of words as both sides fight for reform.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Well, as you know, this could be a make or break month for health care reform. Obviously, everybody seems to be talking about that right now. Even though members of Congress, of course, back home on recess really getting an earful from their constituents. And of course, you the voters.

So we want to get an earful from you now if you would. Let us know how you are feeling about health care reform. Over to Heidi MAC now, just go ahead and e-mail us at CNN.com/heidi and give us your two cents on health care. We would love to hear it. You could also always call the "Hotline to Heidi," the number 1-877-742-5760.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: There you have the opening bell for this Monday morning. In fact, those stocks continued to rally last week as the nation's unemployment rate fell. But the enthusiasm isn't really carrying over to this week.

I want to get a preview of the trading day now. Felicia Taylor standing by at the New York Stock Exchange.

Good morning to you, Felicia.

FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Heidi. Investors are moving beyond last week's surprisingly upbeat jobs report, and now they're looking ahead to the upcoming Fed meeting.

Earnings from several big retailers are also on tap from Wal-Mart and Macy's. Wednesday's Fed decision will provide some insight into how policymakers view the economy. Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman says that we've actually managed to avoid a second Great Depression, but he also thinks that a full recovery is at least two years away.

But some companies are faring pretty well. McDonald's sale rose more than 4 percent in July. The fast-food giant benefited from new products like its McCafe espresso coffee. McDonald's has been shifting its ads towards its lower-priced value menus. Shares are up, though, about 1 percent so far today.

Meanwhile, Priceline reported a nearly 35 percent jump in second- quarter profits. The company best known for its "name your own price" auctions, says that despite the recession, leisure travel remains strong, partly because of all the discounts that are now being offered. Shares are up about 9 percent so far today.

And overall, the Dow industrial closed Friday at a nine-month high. Today, the Dow industrials are off about a half of 1 percent, as is the Nasdaq and the F&P -- S&P.

COLLINS: S&P - we knew exactly what you meant.

(LAUGHTER)

COLLINS: All right.

TAYLOR: (INAUDIBLE) clear it up for me.

COLLINS: Thank you.

TAYLOR: I literally just ran in here.

COLLINS: Yes, no, you look great, and we will check back with you later on. Thanks so much, Felicia.

It's a make or break month for President Obama's health care reform plan while Congress is in recess for a month. So you'll probably be hearing a lot more about the issue. CNN's Elaine Quijano has a look now at what's happening across the country as the debate heats up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It reads like something that was bought up in the early 1930s in Germany...

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With lawmakers back home, anger is boiling over. Democratic Senator Tom Harkin got shouted down at this health care meeting in Iowa.

In Georgia, signs the debate is taking a toll.

REP. DAVID SCOTT, (D) GEORGIA: Those of you who are here who have taken and came and hijacked this event that we're dealing with here.

QUIJANO: Democratic Congressman David Scott, lashed out after a doctor from his district asked...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why are you voting for a health care plan that is shown not to work in Massachusetts? And why are you going to institute that in the state -- in a nationwide...

QUIJANO: At first Scott said he wasn't sure how he would vote then he let loose.

SCOTT: Don't come and take advantage of what these individuals have done. You want a meeting with me on health care, I'll give it to you.

QUIJANO: In Texas for Republican Congressman Michael Burgess.

REP. MICHAEL BURGESS, (R) TEXAS: This doesn't look like a mob. This looks like home.

QUIJANO: The crowd stayed calm. But some of the questions pointed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When the Republicans controlled Congress and the Senate, why didn't you introduce and pass health care reform?

QUIJANO: In Austin, supporters of health care reform are getting fired up. This crowd booed as John Cornyn tried leaving after touring a community health clinic.

And more fuel to stilt the fighting.

On her Facebook page Friday, Republican Sarah Palin wrote, "The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's death panel so his bureaucrats can decide whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is down right evil."

In his weekly address, President Obama fired back at opponents.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, let me start by dispelling the outlandish rumors that reform will promote euthanasia or cut Medicaid or bring about a government takeover of health care. That's simply not true.

QUIJANO (on camera): This week the president heads to New Hampshire for a town hall meeting on health care. Later, he'll visit Montana, home state of Max Baucus, a key Democrat trying to negotiate a deal on health care reform. Elaine Quijano, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: And of course, we do want to hear your thoughts on health care. Send us your iReports at ireport.com.

President Obama holding talks at the top of the hour with the leaders of Canada and Mexico. The North American summit taking place in Guadalajara is focusing on the fight against swine flu. Plus, regional trade issues and the drug war. Speaking of, the summit is following one of Mexico's deadliest months in fighting drug cartels. One of the most notorious kingpins to be believed in hiding not far from the U.S. border is Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, one of the world's richest men. He escaped from a Mexican jail back in 2001. But even on the run, investigators say he still wields power.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RALPH REYES, MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA CHIEF, DEA: Chapo is the face. He's the guy currently at war against the government of Mexico, against law enforcement and military forces.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: CNN's Michael Ware is joining us now live from Guadalajara with more on El Chapo. So Michael, I understand this guy has some Robin Hood type appeal. MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, that's very much correct, Heidi. The Drug Enforcement Agency says that this Robin Hood persona that he has created, this public image comes from work that he does within the community, money that he spreads around the villages and the towns. This, of course, engenders public support. It's a very, very common tactic. We saw Pablo Escobar, the famous Colombian drug lord doing the same thing decades ago. We see the Lebanese militia organization Hezbollah doing that in Lebanon. And in U.S. military parlors, what El Chapo Guzman is doing is winning the hearts and minds of the people around him, which, of course, allows him to hide and to operate, Heidi.

COLLINS: Well, what does the U.S. have to offer in this drug war, Michael?

WARE: Well, that's a really sad answer to a probing question. I mean, America each year is contributing to the drug war here in Mexico approximately half of the personal net worth of El Chapo Guzman himself. "Forbes" magazine says he's worth about $1 billion, just him alone. Yet over three years, America is only contributing about $1.4 billion.

So, we're talking about America in a so-called drug war that honestly it's not fighting. Trying to defeat a multi-billion dollar business by throwing just a few hundred million dollars at the problem. Meanwhile, it's Mexican blood that's being spilt, the blood of policemen, the blood of soldiers and the blood too often of innocents on the streets here in a war being waged for the right to supply America the illicit drugs it demands and America, as I said, does not appear to be really putting its heart into this fight, Heidi.

OCLLINS: But is the kingpin not located in Mexico? Are the crimes not happening in Mexico, Michael?

WARE: The crimes are happening across Latin America and North America. You've got American teenagers who are recruited and trained as hit men for the cartels, and they're doing assassinations inside the U.S. The cartels cross the U.S. border and drag their victims back into Mexico.

And it's a regional problem, Heidi. This is what America needs to understand. This is not about the American border. This is a fundamental dynamic that begins in the Andies in South America where there's a production of cocaine. It moves to Central America where you have warehousing and trained shipments of cocaine, banking in Panama, retail in Mexico, and distribution in the United States. This touches the very streets of the United States, Heidi.

COLLINS: Yeah, clearly a lot of responsibility on both sides of both of these countries. CNN's Michael Ware for us live in Guadalajara, thank you, Michael.

And a reminder, President Obama and the leaders of Mexico and Canada will hold a news conference at 12:30 p.m. Eastern. You can watch that live right here on CNN. Looking at the good and the bad from health care systems around the world, we're going inside Germany to see what works there and what doesn't.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Severe thunderstorms, hail, and an emergency declaration in through parts of Iowa. You get the picture of what happened this weekend. Clean-up crews are working to clear some of the debris. Obviously lots of damage in that particular house right there. Winds over 70 miles an hour will do that sort of thing. Two people were slightly hurt. National Weather Service said this is what one of the stronger thunderstorms in Iowa or one of the strongest this season. My goodness, old homes there, as well.

All right, welcome back to the CNN Weather Center. We do have a severe thunderstorm watch that's in effect for parts of western Kansas, some storms rolling through there, and then east of Kansas City through Missouri also some thunderstorms. We're trying to see some thunderstorms develop across upstate New York. By the way, Buffalo got hit hard over the weekend, or last night, we're trying to get video in to show you what happened there last night.

Meanwhile, the heat is building in across parts of the East, excessive heat warnings in for Philadelphia and the watches and advisories for the rest of the northeast. This is the first real heat that some of these cities have gotten after a relatively cool start. Thunderstorms will fire north of the heat along this particular frontal boundary. And temperatures will be in the upper 90s in Dallas, 93 degrees in New York, so that's warm. That doesn't include the humidity. With the humidity, those areas will feel like up and over 100 maybe 105. That's the latest from here. Heidi, you there?

COLLINS: I am here.

MARCIANO: You're back.

COLLINS: All right, thank you. We'll check back a little later on. See ya, Rob.

July was the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan and already this month, a dozen troops have died. Now the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan says U.S. casualties will remain high for quite some time. In an interview in today's "Wall Street Journal," General Stanley McChrystal says this, "It's a very aggressive enemy right now. We've got to stop their momentum, stop their initiative. It is hard work."

CNN's Atia Abawi is joining us now live from Kabul with more on this. Atia, why is the general raising these concerns now? It's always been hard in Afghanistan.

ATIA ABAWI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's absolutely right, Heidi. But to put it simply, he's just being honest with the American public and not just the U.S. public, but also with the coalition countries involved in Afghanistan. The U.S. and these coalition countries have been here in Afghanistan for the past eight years and it's not slowing down and, in fact, it's ramping up.

As you mentioned, the largest casualties in July for U.S. troops and coalition troops combined and that, the cold hard fact is that's going to continue with thousands of U.S. troops pouring in, thousands of coalition troops, that death told could increase.

And also with this new tactic to protect civilians, to prevent civilian casualties, that's also going to put these soldiers lives in more jeopardy. But as General McChrystal put it, he says it's necessary to win over the Afghan people because no war in Afghanistan has ever been won without that support from the Afghan populous. Heidi?

COLLINS: Of course, Atia, I know that you were embedded with U.S. troops in Afghanistan. It's a lot of hard work there. How are they feeling at this point about the mission?

ABAWI: Well, Heidi, we've been with the army, we've been with the marines, we've spoken to the men and women within the navy. The morale is still high. They believe in the mission in Afghanistan. Some of these soldiers, some of these marines have been to both Iraq and Afghanistan and they see why they are here. They know why they are here and they want to win this battle in Afghanistan. They say that they want to make this country better for the Afghan people and that's why they keep coming back, some of these men and women, on their fourth deployment in either war. Heidi?

COLLINS: Yeah, understood, and we so appreciate their service. Atia Abawi, thanks so much, live from Kabul, Afghanistan this morning.

Meanwhile, what do Harleys and health care have in common? This doctor in New York, don't let the leather and tattoos fool you. He's at the forefront of health care. The plan he's come up with and how it could work nationally.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Make or break month for health care reform here. But what's health care like in other countries? The Germans have a health insurance system that's been running for more than 100 years. The question is, how smoothly? While it promises equal treatment for everyone, doctors seem to be losing out. Our Frederik Pleitgen takes a look at what works and what doesn't in Germany.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The most important thing if you want to go to the doctor in Germany is your health insurance card. I am publicly insured, which is not a problem here. Hello, how are you doing, sir? Thank you very much, sir.

(voice-over): Germany has two strands of health insurance. Public and private.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You put it on.

PLEITGEN (on camera): All the way to the top?

(voice-over): Under any plan, visits like my routine physical with Doctor Prziwara are covered.

DANIEL PRZIWARA, DOCTOR: They are treated and doesn't matter if they're private or they're normal patients.

PLEITGEN: Universal health care, Germany has one of the oldest systems in the world founded in 1883 by the first German chancellor Otto von Bismarck with the principle that remains unchanged until today. Everyone must be covered. And ideally everyone should get equal treatment.

Most Germans are insured under the public plan, which is not funded by taxes. Employees paid half the premium while employers pay the other half to insurance companies that are heavily regulated by the government. Here at Berlin Charite Hospital, the director says that means world-class health care for everyone.

ULRICH FREI, HEAD DOCTOR, CHARITE BERLIN: If you go to the emergency room or if you go to an outpatient doctor, you can get as a child vaccination and as an adult, liver transplant, without a difference between people.

PLEITGEN: And Dr. Frei says even with universal health care, the cost per patient is lower in Germany than in the U.S. Sound too good to be true? Well, it is. At least if you're a doctor. They make much less here than physicians in places like the U.S., Sweden or the U.K.

So many German doctors like Jan Hickmann travel to Sweden or the U.K. on weekends to better their paycheck. "I make about six times as much here in the UK as I would in Germany," Hickmann says.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First, I try to get a general impression of the tension of your body.

PLEITGEN: My public health insurance office won't pay for, like osteopathy.

(on camera): I don't even have to come to you with this, then?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Those that want special treatments like osteopathy can opt out of the system and buy private insurance which can cost more, but the main principle stays the same: Everyone must be insured. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Nearly 90 percent of the people in Germany are covered by the compensatory health insurance program. Well, what is interesting, out of the 20 percent eligible for private insurance, as many as 75 percent still opt for public health insurance. Less than 1 percent have no coverage at all. We do have a lot coming up in the next hour of the NEWSROOM, and CNN crews are in place to bring it all to you. Let's go ahead and check in now, beginning with our congressional correspondent, Brianna Keilar. Good morning, Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. We're in Kennett. It is a conservative stronghold in rural southeastern Missouri, where Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill is about to answer questions about health care, and we'll bring you this town hall event, live at the top of the hour.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm Suzanne Malveaux in Guadalajara, Mexico, at the summit, the so-called summit of the three amigos. President Obama with the leaders of Canada and Mexico, talking about everything ranging from the swine flu, drugs, as well as across the border, jobs and trade. I'll have much more of that at the top of the hour.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Elizabeth Cohen here in Atlanta. Speaking of swine flu, studies on the swine flu vaccine are under way as we speak. So the question is, will the vaccine be safe and do you want to get it? I'll have those answers at the top of the hour.

COLLINS: All right guys, thanks so much for that. Also ahead this morning, students go back to class and schools brace for the threat of swine flu. We'll see how different areas are preparing for a major health concern.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Democrats and Republicans divided over the president's health care reform plan. Chief national correspondent John King spoke with Majority Whip Senator Dick Durbin and Senator John Cornyn on "State of the Union" yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D), ILLINOIS: I support a public auction, but yes, I am open. Just understand that after we pass this bill and I hope we do in the Senate, it will go to conference committee and we'll have a chance to work out all of our differences. So we'll see how this ends, but I don't want the process to be filibustered to failure.

SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R), TEXAS: I think we need to slow down, as Senator Durbin said earlier. That's why I'm glad we had this August recess. We can talk to our constituents, hear from them and let's keep working together to try to come up with something that makes sense, not this huge government takeover of our health care system.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Just a reminder, you can always watch the video with John King every Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

A Harley driving tattooed physician on the Lower East Side of Manhattan is a pioneer in the New York City health care scene. Last summer, he started a nonprofit health care cooperative for restaurant worker. Reporter Deborah Brunswick from CNN's New York bureau introduces us to Dr. Dave and his creative health care solution.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. DAVID ORES, STARTED HEALTH CARE CO-OP: I like motorcycles because it's like a roller coaster that goes anywhere. Most doctors don't have motorcycles or tattoos and do non-profit work and that's kind of sad because it's really fun. My name is Dr. David Ores, and I've been practicing medicine since 1987. I'm here today to talk for a couple of minutes about the restaurant health care cooperative which is health care for all of you guys. I started the health care cooperative six or eight months ago. It's a little local community health system that provides not for profit health care for people who work in restaurants. You can move pretty good. The restaurants, that is the owners and management contribute a small amount of money every month into a common fund and then that fund is used to treat the workers and staff with any kind of medical issue or problem they have. Hey, it's Dr. Dave.

BILLY GILROY, RESTAURANT OWNER: We want to take care of our people, but financially we're only capable of doing so much. This is so affordable. It's like such a win-win that we're really excited about it because you feel like you're being part of something that could really change things.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not too cliche, I suppose, but obviously, he cares a lot about his patients.

ORES: Is it painful doing that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The hospitality industry is a big industry. It's part of New York City. So it's great that somebody is sort of looking out for their backs.

ORES: The last 10 to 15 years, I've seen lots of people from these places who have no help, they have nowhere to go, no one to turn to. Somebody needs to tell them and probably lots of other people too, but you have to start somewhere. I think the big idea of not for profit is what I'm trying to get out there. The fact is restaurant workers is one thing, but this not for profit notion could work in any industry. I think it is special, I think it is great. But it disheartens me that it is those things. It really should not be special, it should not be great, it should be the way things work.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: To learn more about Dr. Dave's program, you can go to CNN.com/Healthcare.