Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Health Care Debate Hits Home; Touring the Heartland, Talking Health Care, Economy; College Squeeze: Less Student Financial Aid; Boys Admit to Raping Fellow Liberian Refugee; Sheila Jackson Lee Answers Cell Phone in the Middle of Town Hall Meeting; Part of Operation Eastern Resolve Two Kicks Off in Afghanistan; Go Anywhere JetBlue Goes For Flat Fee

Aired August 13, 2009 - 14:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN HOST: OK. It's the top of the hour.

We will continue to monitor the White House briefing there with Robert Gibbs. As you can see, it's not just town hall forums across the U.S., but now, actually the White House briefing that's getting a little heated there with reporters and the president's rep.

We'll follow it. We'll bring you more.

Health care and jobs, two closely tied issues of critical importance and we're pushing forward on both. This make or break month for health care reform means coast to coast conversations, often times confrontations with members of Congress.

And today's town hall stretch from New Jersey and Oregon. Unemployment offices are pretty crowded too. First-time claims for benefits are up again. Economists expected a drop.

Our Ali Velshi is on a listening tour of the heartland today at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. Brianna Keilar is staking out a health care roundtable with a blue dog Democrat (INAUDIBLE) in Texas.

Brianna, tell us about Mike Ross and where he fits into this reform debate?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're here where a roundtable should be getting underway here in the next hour, Kyra. We're on the border of Texas and Arkansas. So, a lot of the folks who work here use this hospital that we're at, are in Mike Ross' Arkansas district.

He, as you said, is a blue dog Democrat. He's actually the head of the Blue Dog Democrats. And he was key in that news making deal that happened right before the House of Representatives left to go to their home districts. He stood up to House Democratic leaders and said, wait a second, I, along with some of these other Blue Dog Democrats, we're not going to let you go ahead and move this health care reform bill out of this key committee unless we get some of the things that we are demanding.

So, Kyra, a couple of the things they got, shaving $100 billion off the price tag. And the big one, of course, delaying a vote by the full House until after recess.

So, what does that mean? That is why all of these members of the House of Representatives are going back to their home districts and getting an earful, as we are expecting Mike Ross will get, here in the next couple of days -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: OK. Now, you have been talking to people there. What do they think about Mike Ross and health care reform?

KEILAR: It's a really interesting question to ask here, because it's such a politically interesting area. It's pretty conservative, but at the same time, Kyra, party affiliation takes a back seat here.

For instance, in the 2008 election, 58 percent of the voters in this district voted for John McCain. And yet, Mike Ross, a Democrat, ran unopposed, got 86 percent of the vote. So, there's mixed reviews.

I spoke with a couple of people today who said they consider Mike Ross to be a fence sitter. And I spoke with someone who said he's certainly stuck between a rock and a hard place. That certainly is the case, Kyra.

We're waiting to see what happens today at this round table, but tomorrow, he has also got a town hall meeting. And we are expecting somewhere in the neighborhood of 900 people to be at that town hall meeting tomorrow -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Wow. We'll definitely follow it.

Brianna, thanks.

Let's turn it over now to our chief business correspondent, Ali Velshi. He, hit hat, and the CNN Express working their way through Missouri, talking health care reform and the economy. No politicians, no shouting, just real people, town hall style. I guess you could say, Ali, style.

Are you having fun?

ALI VELSHI, CNN SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I am. I switched hats. I talk off this one, and I got this one that says, "Put some cheese on it." And on the back, it says, "I love cheese."

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: All right. And you've sampled, I understand, the corn dogs. So, you are making your way to all the important parts of the Missouri fair, so to speak.

VELSHI: Yes. Or at least all the important parts of the Missouri State Fair.

Yes. Look, we're having a great time. And unlike the town hall meetings, people aren't coming here specifically to talk about health care. They're here -- this is a largely agricultural fair, but it's just a lot of great fun and a lot of food. So, what we're doing is we're corralling people every now and then. And they are very willing to talk to us. People have all sorts of ideas and fears about health care, but we're getting people together in little groups and we are having great conversations.

And I have to say, it's the same as everywhere we have been in the U.S. since we started in Georgia, through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, and now into Missouri, depending on how you want me to say it. There is disagreement.

We're not finding people who are all on one side of this issue, but the disagreement that I'm encountering is very civil, it's very understanding, it's very respectful. But some people are very, very fearful of what appears to be a government option, or what some people are calling a government takeover. They are fearful about the way this will impact their costs for health care, the quality of health care that they get, and the options that they have in terms of choosing their doctor or their health care provider.

On the other side, there are people who we are meeting who are unemployed. They're very concerned about their own payments for health care and they really need some help. And in the middle are business owners who are concerned that they might be mandated to provide health care for their workers, and when they've looked into this in the past, they found it too expensive. They're worried that in a tough economic time, where we might just be seeing the end of this recession, Kyra, that this might force them over the edge, this might force people, some small businesses, into bankruptcy -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, when you're talking about the new initial jobless numbers out for this week, they are actually up by 4,000 from last week. So, what are folks saying to you about the job losses and the recession? I mean, it looks like you've got a mixture of reaction.

VELSHI: Yes. And, you know, a lot of people have been asking -- or telling me when I've asked them about whether they think we're at the end of this recession, as a number of notable economists said this week -- 57 economists saying that the recession is over. The Federal Reserve saying it's bottomed out.

And when I talk to people about that, most people refer to jobs as the number one concern. How can we be coming out of a recession when we know we'll continue to lose jobs for some time?

Some people also obviously cite the value of their homes that have come down, and that they don't think that their home values are increasing very quickly. Others are saying, well, at least the stock market is increasing. But they've lost so much money since the peak of the market back in October of 2007, that they feel it will be several years before they recover those.

But jobs are definitely at the top of people's list of concerns. They feel that until we start generating jobs, why would people be spending again, especially since so many people and small businesses are still having trouble getting credit from the banks? PHILLIPS: All right.

So, where are you headed to next? Do you even know?

VELSHI: Well, I'm kind of thinking about some food, but I'm thinking that four corn dogs in a day is inappropriate. So, now that I've had three, I'm trying to think about what else I might -- or were you asking me sort of in larger terms where the CNN Express is going?

PHILLIPS: OK. If you have had four corn dogs, I know where you will be going in about two minutes. But yes, I was talking about...

VELSHI: No. Only three. Crossing into four. Four corn dogs is gluttonous.

PHILLIPS: Scotty (ph) wants to know, our director -- you know, I'm just telling our viewers -- what about the funnel cake? They're infamous there, by the way.

VELSHI: Yes. I'm actually thinking that might be a nice chaser to a corn dog. But in terms of where we're going next, the CNN Express is going to take off in a few hours and we're headed for Kansas City.

PHILLIPS: All right. Ooh, Kansas City. All right. You can get some good beef there.

All right. We'll see you soon, Ali.

VELSHI: That's right.

PHILLIPS: Well, if you want more unemployment benefits, there is something that you need to know. One group says that there are some crazy rules -- their words, actually -- to deal with if you're actually trying to get that 20-week extension. We're actually going to ask CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow about that in just a little bit.

Now, I mentioned health care and jobs closely related. And here is why.

Seven of the 20 fastest-growing occupations are in medicine. Can't stand the sight of blood? No problem.

Health administration is considered virtually recession-proof. That includes medical records management and pharmacy management. And demand will only go up if tens of millions of uninsured Americans suddenly get access to health care.

And don't forget, you have access to job opportunities in all sorts of fields any time you click on CNN.com/jobs.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: More from the CNN NEWSROOM straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: So, you may have heard talk of an economic rebound, of a recession on the wane. Well, 360,000 U.S. households don't want to hear it. That's how many foreclosure filings went out in the month of July, and it's yet another record.

The online marketer RealtyTrac puts the exact number at 360,149. That's up seven percent from June and 32 percent from July of 2008. On average, one in every 355 American homes is in some stage of default.

The recession is squeezing college students, squeezing some of them out of the classroom, actually.

CNN's Sandra Endo has today's "Money & Main Street" report.

All right. We'll take a look at that in just a second.

Meanwhile, on CNN tonight at 8:00 Eastern, you can see more of our series "Money & Main Street" during "CAMPBELL BROWN." We'll also look at how to cope through this tough economy. That's "Money & Main Street," tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

OK, we have it for you now. Let's roll it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANDRA ENDO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sophomore Zakiya Williams (ph) found a perfect fit at Spelman College.

ZAKIYA WILLIAMS (ph), SOPHOMORE, SPELMAN COLLEGE: This place is meant for me.

ENDO: But when the though economy hit her and her family hard, she packed her bags, ready to drop out.

WILLIAMS: I wasn't able to get loans. Neither were my parents.

ENDO: It's a familiar story at colleges across the country, but especially at historically black colleges and universities where in some cases, up to 95 percent of students rely on financial aid to fund their education.

President Barack Obama has moved to increase financial aid with stimulus and budget funds. But still, many black colleges expect enrollment rates to keep shrinking as families and students struggle in the economic downturn.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Many students want to come, but will they be able to afford to come?

ENDO: Since 2004, $238 million of federal funding was earmarked annually for historically black colleges, and in the last two years, those institutions also benefited from an extra $85 million each year under the College Cost Reduction Act, which ends in May of 2010.

So those institutions may feel the squeeze even more. CARLTON E. BROWN, PRESIDENT, CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY: We're under-resourced. We try to keep our costs as low as possible. That means that our margins are always very tight.

ENDO: In the Atlanta area alone, Morehouse College laid off 25 adjunct professors. Spelman is eliminating 35 jobs next year, and Clark, Atlanta University's budget acts fell with 70 professors and 30 staff members let go.

The White House Budget Office says President Obama's budget calls for a 5 percent increase in permanent funding for historically black colleges.

MICHAEL LOMAX, CEO, UNITED NEGRO COLLEGE FUND: We're saying you're moving in the right direction, but unfortunately, in these tough times not far enough.

ENDO: For Zakiya Williams (ph), a scholarship came through at the last minute. And she says the struggle to stay at a historically black college was worth it.

WILLIAMS: I was completely relieved, and now I'm focusing on my studies.

ENDO: Sandra Endo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And once again, on CNN tonight at 8:00 Eastern, you can see more of our series "Money & Main Street" during "CAMPBELL BROWN." We'll also look at how to cope through this tough economy. Once again, "Money & Main Street," that's our series, tonight, 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Five hundred and fifty-eight thousand Americans filed first-time jobless claims last week, but actually getting those benefits is no simple matter. Just what do you need to know?

Poppy Harlow has our breakdown from the CNNMoney.com newsroom.

Hey, Poppy.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Hey, Kyra.

I mean, it's one thing to lose your job, then have a hassle getting these benefits. A lot of people I have been talking to have been facing it.

Here is what you need to know. You get 26 weeks to start off with if you file right away when you lose your job. How much you're going to get beyond that depends on how long you have worked, how much you made before you were laid off.

There are two extensions you're going to be eligible for. You'll get up to 79 weeks in Michigan, with the highest unemployment rate in the country. You will get 46 weeks max in Utah.

But getting that final extension, what we are hearing, it can be very difficult. The National Employment Law Projects telling us there are "crazy rules."

They're, actually, Kyra, estimating about half the folks that should be getting these benefits are not. One example, you're going to have to prove every week that you looked for three different jobs to qualify for these benefits. You can do that online, you can do it over the phone. But if you've got a claim that's a little bit different and needs some explaining, apparently folks we talked to said it takes hours to get through to someone.

The situation improving a little bit. The state has got $500 million in the stimulus package, Kyra, so they can staff up those offices. And with rising unemployment, you need all the staff there you can get, right? I mean, it's tough.

PHILLIPS: Well, what else can delay or even jeopardize these benefits?

HARLOW: This is what can jeopardize it.

A woman wrote into it us, Shari, and said she got laid off from her defense contracting job. I'll read you what she told us.

She said, "I was able to accept a much lower-paying job. But by the time I paid the health insurance, the taxes, the gas to get to work, I was actually making less than I was on unemployment. Now I'm worried I'm going to be kicked off unemployment because I left that job.

She's exactly right. Legally, she really shouldn't be getting unemployment.

So, when you file a claim, you need to know your previous employer is notified. They can challenge that claim and you can't get unemployment if you have been fired or if you've quit your job.

Employers pay into that unemployment insurance, so they have an incentive to dispute your claims. So, be aware of that.

And experts are saying, Kyra, about 25 percent of every unemployment claims that go in, those are challenged. So, it's a big process, and those are the things that you need to know about it.

There's more details on CNNMoney.com. But every week we get these numbers, and if you're one of the people that's lost your job, you are lining up for those benefits, you need to know all of that.

PHILLIPS: Poppy, thanks.

HARLOW: You're welcome.

PHILLIPS: We've got new details now emerging in a shocking story that we first brought you. A young girl allegedly gang-raped by four boys at this Phoenix apartment complex, her family allegedly blaming her for the crime. Now we're learning more about the main suspects, and it's not what we've heard before.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Health care is more than just about medicine and paperwork and insurance. It's often about a whole approach to life meeting (ph) and overcoming obstacles no matter what challenges life brings. And Bethany Swain has a unique story of people living healthy lives as part of our photojournalist series "Health Care in Focus."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE RICHARD, DIRECTOR, OPEN CIRCLE THEATER: Hang on. I'm trying to be an interpreter, too.

This idea behind Open Circle is that we showcase professional artists with disabilities.

Do you understand what I'm saying? No.

This idea that we have played around turned out really needed to be there in the community.

What I would like to do first is a vocal warm-up.

My name is Suzie (ph) Richard.

We're usually pretty proud of the product.

All of the actors tend to learn a lot about helping each other out.

I am an actress and director and artistic director of Open Circle Theater. I was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, which is also known as brittle bones disease.

It's way too tight. Look at how tight it is for the wheelchairs to come in that way.

About 20,000 to 40,000 people just in the country that have it. Kind of like osteoporosis for your whole life, but a lot more complicated.

I'm fourth of four children. I was pretty much expected to do what everyone else was, although according to my brother, not as many chores as everyone else.

I had to have rods put in my leg bones to just sort of act as an infrastructure under the bone because the bone wasn't very good.

Having a family that was able to deal with it helped a lot. Having really great medical care helped a lot.

I'm retired on disability because I am too sick to work. Now I'm back on Medicare through Social Security. I still have a limit on how much I can make, so I don't own any property because I'm not allowed to. My car is also my parents' car.

Let's get in places.

If I start doing well, I get nervous, because, am I going to lose my benefits?

I sincerely believe that people with disabilities, if you want them to be at all a useful part of the society, you need to have medical care that you don't have to worry about having. Well, then, clearly, if you want people in general to be a useful part of society, they need to have medical care.

I never know what's going to come up with my body. But you never know what's going to come up with your body either.

I think definitely that theater is the thing that has kept me sane, so to speak, and that has helped a lot. And just being able to express myself and help other people express themselves is really important.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, home again after 18 years. The city of Jacksonville, Florida, preparing to embrace a fallen hero.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Millions of Americans are looking for jobs. And we're doing our part to help with a "30 Second Pitch."

Many of you have gotten in touch with us through our blog about being a part of it. And we got a really touching e-mail from Nicole Burns, a mom looking for work.

She is pictured here holding her son, Aiden (ph). She says, "I have literally applied for more than 1,500 jobs. I now have a 9- month-old and, as a mother, I feel useless because I can't even find a job to buy my baby diapers. All I need is a little bit more hope to make me smile."

So, we're giving Nicole some hope and a chance to do her pitch. She joins me live from Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Hi, Nicole.

NICOLE BURNS, SEEKING JOB: Hey. How are you?

PHILLIPS: Good. Thank you so much for joining us.

I've got to tell you, I was reading the fact that you have applied for 1,500 jobs. What did people -- that's incredible to me, that nothing hit. What did they tell you? What seemed to be the problem? BURNS: Most of the time, it was either I was overqualified, underqualified, and most of those I never even heard a response back. I didn't know if the position had been filled or if they even received my resumes. I never heard a response from them.

PHILLIPS: And what amazes me, too, as I'm looking at all of your qualifications, you're fluent in Spanish, you're working on Arabic and Chinese. You were an assistant teacher in elementary school with autistic kids.

You have got all this incredible experience, and you're telling me that nobody would even give you a nibble?

BURNS: Right. That is absolutely correct.

And the problem here in Winston-Salem is that most of the places are actually on a hiring freeze. So, it's pretty much impossible to even go in for an interview since nobody is really hiring.

PHILLIPS: But this is what shocked me too. You went over to Wake Forest University human resources and you just walked right in thinking, OK, it's human resources, I'm going to get an interview.

What happened?

BURNS: I went in and I was just looking around. And I saw they had jobs posted on the board. And I just went up to the recessionist and said, "OK, can I have a job, please?"

I basically just asked, how do I apply for a job? And she referred me to their employment Web site, which is standard. She said everybody has to put their resume on there and apply.

And I told her, "Is there any way I can get around that? Can I speak to someone?" And she basically told me, no, you just have to go on there and apply. And so I went on there and applied and I haven't heard anything yet. I'm still hoping that I will.

PHILLIPS: All right. Well, I'm calling out Wake Forest University right now. I mean, the fact that you went in there and said, hey, can you help me out? I mean, it would make sense that someone would be thrilled to see you.

But anyway, I love your courage, Nicole.

BURNS: Oh, thank you.

PHILLIPS: All right. Are you ready for your 30 second pitch?

BURNS: I am.

PHILLIPS: OK. So, here we go. We're going to start the clock.

And Nicole, take it away.

BURNS: All right. I am currently pursuing my master's of science in higher education, so I would prefer work in a college or university, but I'm not going to be picky right now. I actually just have a lot of, I guess, a high-work ethic. I am very professional. And not to sound conceited, but if you hire me, you would not be disappointed in the work that I do. You will be very impressed with my professionalism.

PHILLIPS: OK. I think our sound man, Otis (ph), loves you, because he gave you 10 extra seconds on the clock. He screwed it up. I think he was dazzled by your brilliance.

Anything you want to add?

BURNS: No, not really. It's just that I don't have a defeatist attitude. And anyone out there looking for a job, don't you have one either, because, remember, there is always somebody out there who is in a worse position. And so you should not give up.

PHILLIPS: There you go.

And, of course, we can't get enough of the pictures of you and Aiden (ph) and the family. I think we're going to show just one more. And maybe the folks there at Wake Forest University, human resources, will see this absolute adorable little boo-boo.

And congratulations, by the way, on the baby.

BURNS: Oh, thank you.

PHILLIPS: And Nicole, your e-mail, once again, nicole.monique@yahoo.com.

Keep us updated, OK?

BURNS: All right. Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Thank you so much, Nicole.

BURNS: All right.

We're going to have Nicole's pitch and address posted on our blog, by the way. So, if you want to see that or be a part of the pitch, the address is cnn.com/kyra, or you can just tweet me at KyraCNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Tracking this in Los Angeles right now. These pictures coming to us via KTLA, one of our affiliates out there. Apparently this red Beetle was involved in a high-speed car chase, and the LAPD was able to get the car to pull over. They believe a man is inside of this car.

And you can't really tell due to this helicopter shot, but police are telling us they believe there is a man in there. You can see that they've used the robot to come up close to the car, just as a safety precaution, to take a look inside and see if possibly there are any weapons in that car or if there might be a threat toward authorities.

But we're just following it right now. We don't have many details. We just know that he's in Westwood there in front of the federal building. It's a red Beetleg. He was involved in a high- speed chase. Police believe the man is still inside that car. And they're using their robotics, obviously, to look inside to try and figure out what might possibly be inside that car, any weapons and if that man could be of danger to anybody around him. We'll follow it for you.

Stunning new developments today in the alleged gang rape of an eight-year-old girl in Arizona. We're going to get to them in a moment. But first, here's what makes this story so shocking and why we can never forget it.

Police say that the girl, a Liberian refugee, was raped repeatedly in this shed at a Phoenix apartment complex. Her alleged attackers, four boys, and also Liberian refugees, ages 10 to 14. The oldest boy has been charged as an adult, and the girl is now in Child Protective Services custody.

The reason that she was taken from her mom and dad is maybe the most shocking aspect of this story. Police say that her family blamed her for the alleged gang rape. Meantime, friends and family of the chief suspect say he should not be charged as an adult.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He does not speak English very well, and he does not understand English very well. He was in -- he was -- he did not go to school. He started going to school when he came to the United States. And so, we deduce that he cannot really understand what is going on right now. And so, everything that is being said to him, he has no choice but just to accept it even though he did not understand.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: He did not understand is what the relative says there. Well, now, we're hearing that the 14-year-old rape suspect did understand and maybe all too well. Marissa Wingate from our affiliate KTVK is in Phoenix. She's been following this story for us. Marissa, what have you learned?

MARISSA WINGATE, KTVK-TV CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, in the newly released police report, all four boys admit to taking part in the alleged rape. All said they knew what they were doing, they knew it was wrong, and they say they knew the girl was screaming, begging for them to stop, but they didn't listen. And all say they should be punished.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WINGATE (voice-over): Investigators say one of the most important things about the report is that it verifies the young suspects understood what police were saying to them during the interviews, never indicating any sort of communication problems, even though they are Liberian refugees.

During the interviewers, the boys described what allegedly happened inside this apartment shed, using actual words for body parts and sexual acts. Some of the boys blamed the others for luring them with gum to take part in the alleged rape. They described the victim as crying and telling them to stop but admitting they didn't listen. During the interviews, investigators asked a couple of the boys how they thought they should be punished. One said he should go to juvenile. The other said he should go to "juvie" if it happened again.

SGT. ANDY HILL, PHOENIX, ARIZ., POLICE DEPARTMENT: When you have a child, a little girl that was raped, and on the other hand, now we have four suspects that are also young. And they are able to talk about what they did. And it's very disturbing to read it and hear it, and I'm sure it was difficult for the investigators, as they told me, to go through it. It's a tough process. And there was physical evidence and medical evidence that also corroborated all of this.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WINGATE: Now, the victim is with CPS, where she is expected to stay for several months. The Liberian ambassador was in town last week. He met with her. He said she was crying. He gave her a teddy bear. She was begging to come home for the -- to her family. And he says that he's advocating that that happen, but not not before the family receives some serious counseling and some therapy.

Because, if you remember, we have video of the family blaming the young girl, saying it was her fault for hanging out with the boys in the first place, even denying that it happened. The Liberian ambassador says that was just a case of miscommunication. They didn't understand what was being said. They speak a different dialect in Liberia.

But we are told it will be an uphill battle for the child to get back with the family because police have been out there three times before, once for child neglect, one for alleged child abuse. So, to get that child back, Kyra, it will definitely be an uphill battle.

PHILLIPS: And you know, Marissa, you bring up a really good point. Because that's what was so compelling about your piece. When we first heard about this, when we actually heard the mother deny that anything happened, and then we heard the sister say it was her fault. Let's just take a listen to that one more time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nothing has happened to my daughter. And nobody not touched my daughter.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She always bring trouble. She always bring trouble. When she comes, I'm going to tell her, say, don't ever do that again because all of us, we are in the same family, we are from the same place. Now, she's just bringing confusions among us. Now the other people, they don't want to see her. (END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Just hearing that again makes your heart sink, Marissa. What do you know about Child Protective Services with regard to a timeline? You know, you've mentioned a number of times in your follow-up that, you know, they're working with her, and they want to make sure she goes back to a safe environment. Do we have any idea when CPS could make that decision?

WINGATE: We're told that will likely be several months, and police say it will be hard for that to happen because they have at least three police reports where the child was allegedly wandering around the apartment late at night alone. One time they said she even got lost, and one time even allegedly begging for food. These are all issues that CPS will have to look into.

PHILLIPS: Oh, boy. Well, we appreciate you following up. We want to stay on top of the story as well. Marissa Wingate, thank you so much.

WINGATE: Sure.

PHILLIPS: And Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf condemned that crime and urged counseling for the girl's family as well in a live interview right here on our show. And today, President Johnson Sirleaf is meeting in Liberia's capital with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. No word on whether the case will come up. But we will keep following this story.

Marrying for money isn't ideal, but it isn't illegal. Marrying for money and to score a stranger U.S. citizenship, yes, no good. The feds say that they've just busted one of the biggest marriage fraud schemes ever. The goal: Get people into this country who shouldn't be here. The payoff: cash and drugs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The investigation is appropriately named Operation Honeymoon's Over. This investigation has served to represent a strong effort towards dismantling, from top to bottom, an organization which arranged fraudulent marriages.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: ICE agents say that all the immigrants involved here were from Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union.

Now, this next story also about someone being punished for trying to help illegal immigrants. Only, he wasn't convicted of fraud. He was popped for littering. More now from Sandy Rathbun from our affiliate KVOA.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANDY RATHBUN, KVOA-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Supporters applauded Walt Staton as he left federal court. WALT STATON, SENTENCED FOR LITTERING: I'm proud of the work that "No More Deaths" is doing and that I did, and I think that -- I'm happy to go out and pick up trash.

RATHBUN: Staton was convicted of doing what these volunteers are doing. He says he'll stay out of the Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge like the judge ordered, but he will leave water for illegal border crossers in other places, and he'll appeal his conviction. His attorney calls it political prosecution.

BILL WALKER, STATON'S ATTORNEY: We're appealing because we don't think that Walt committed any crime by putting out fresh, clean jugs of pure water to save human lives on the refuge.

RATHBUN: Prosecutors asked the judge to fine Staten $5,000. They declined to discuss his punishment. But the manager of the refuge did.

MIKE HAWKES, WILDLIFE REFUGE MANAGER: We hope it deters the others from doing the same thing again. We support and understand their humanitarian work and have sympathy for it, but they have to do it within the law. We hope that they have finally gotten that message.

RATHBUN: Both sides say they are committed to working together to find a way to deliver water to border crossers that doesn't litter the protected area with plastic jugs.

In Tucson, Sandy Rathbun, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: What do you guys think about this one? Shoot me a tweet at KyraCNN, and we will try to read some on the air in just a few minutes.

And also, this just in to CNN about that eighth terror suspect from North Carolina. Remember the seven men, alleged homegrown terrorists accused of planning to go overseas and kill people? This is number eight, the one investigators are looking for, the one they believe is in Pakistan. They are hoping someone will see this picture of 20-year-old Jude Kenan Mohammed and offer up some clues as to where he is. The other seven men are in custody and indicted and accused of plotting -- indicted, rather -- of accusing to plot terrorism in a foreign country.

The fight for Afghanistan turning into a raging fire fight today. U.S. and Afghan forces hitting hard at Taliban militants. The militants hitting back. CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr takes us to the front lines.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STARR (voice-over): Up close with Marines on the front line.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Going to get out here. STARR: Part of Operation Eastern Resolve Two, the third major push this summer into the dangerous and lucrative center of Afghanistan's drug trade -- 400 U.S. marines and 100 Afghan troops jumped Taliban lines in helicopters to take the town of Dahaneh in Helmand province, the first time U.S. troops have entered the strategic city.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dahaneh is one of the key towns in the area. All of the smaller towns are economically dependent on Dahaneh. For example, this is where the bazaar is.

STARR: The marines took part of the 21,000 extra troops President Obama ordered up earlier this year. Their immediate mission? Break the Taliban's hold on the city and free residents to vote in next week's election.

STARR: The Taliban called for the boycott and threatened to ruin the election, which the U.S. concedes is a challenge.

RICHARD HOLBROOKE, SPECIAL U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TO AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN: Holding an election in a wartime situation is always difficult. But a government needs legitimacy. And this election was called for you should the constitution.

STARR: In Dahaneh, commanders predict a few more days of intense fighting before the town is secured.

(on camera): For the Marines, that means fighting the 120-degree temperatures and turning up the heat on the Taliban.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And Afghanistan and beyond. If you want to really understand what's going on in the Muslim world, watch Christiane Amanpour's special, "GENERATION ISLAM" tonight at 9:00 Eastern. Only on CNN.

If you are hungry for air travel, one airline is hoping you will belly up to its buffet and go to town. All you care to jet. Don't need to get a clean plate. Makes you wonder. Are we seeing a new standard here?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Let's go over that deal for JetBlue Airlines has going right now. Pay 599 bucks, flat flee -- haha, flat fee. Say that fast six times really fast. And it's for one month, and you can go anywhere that JetBlue goes. Fifty-six destinations. You have to buy the pass by August 21. You can book your trips up to three days before takeoff. The window for travel is September 8th to October 8th.

OK. Now, stop right there. We don't want to make this a commercial for JetBlue, obviously. We do want to know what this deal is going to do to the airline industry. Is this actually going to be a new model, the airline version of unlimited, local and long distance? Peter Greenberg is a travel expert. Enlighten us. What do you think, Peter?

PETER GREENBERG, TRAVEL EXPERT: I'm still trying to recover from "flat fee." We'll go back to that in a second...

PHILLIPS: No, it's "fat flat fee" flying for free. There you go. Say that eight times.

GREENBERG: Here is the problem. The airlines looking at their advanced bookings for September and October. It is day after Labor Day, September 8th. Their bookings are dismal. That's not just JetBlue, that's every airline. So if you actually do the math, at $600 with the airfares being as low as they are anyway, you would have to fly six or seven times to take advantage of the deal on JetBlue.

PHILLIPS: So, really it is not as good of a deal as you say it sounds like?

GREENBERG: Well, it is -- no, it's not a bad deal. You have to have the time to fly the flights, number one. Number two, it is incremental revenue for the airline that was getting killed anyway because of nobody booking flights.

It's a good idea for them to do it. I don't think a lot of airlines will match it. The other business models for the other airlines like American, United and Delta, they need money up front, meaning in the front of the cabin. They are not getting that at all right now. So, the last thing they want to do is offer unlimited deals where the business travelers would just jump on those.

PHILLIPS: So, do you think if other airlines thought, okay, let's do it like in Europe. You can buy the train pass or the metro pass and, you know, go all over the place for a flat fee as many times as you want. Let's say all the airlines kind of jumped in on this and started, you know, offering this deal. Could it in any way, shape, or form, help the industry or is it definitely a bad idea?

GREENBERG: It would end up with a lot fewer airlines. We define a successful airline these days by which can lose money longer. Right now, this is one that sits out there as a defensive strategy to try to raise as much money as they can during a time where there is nobody booking flights, anyway. I would be surprised if I saw other major carriers -- not the low-fare carriers, but other major, mainline carriers -- match this deal.

PHILLIPS: All right. Final question. Let's say someone takes up on this and decides OK, we are going to go to places we have never been before and have a number of vacations and take advantage of this while we have it. Could it mean any type of positive impact on local economies?

GREENBERG: Oh, absolutely. In fact, I remember years ago, Eastern Airlines had a deal for $800, you could fly 21 days in the entire domestic Eastern Airlines system. I used to do it all the time. Of course, if you wanted to go from Los Angeles to San Francisco, you still had to go via Atlanta. Those were the days.

Bottom line is, why not? If people have the time, the flexibility in the month of September to do this, jump on it.

PHILLIPS: While I have you, I'm going to take advantage of it. Anything we should be looking at? I know I'm throwing this at you cold. Anything good deals out there, anything travel-wise we should pay attention to as summer's starting to wrap up?

GREENBERG: Sure. One of the all-time great deals happening now -- it might surprise you -- is Hawaii. Even though there has been tremendous capacity cuts, they have lost two airlines over there in the last 12 months, ATA and Aloha, guess what? The deals are still there because the passenger numbers didn't come up. You are going to see a lot of bundling out there with airfare, hotel and in some cases, rental cars all thrown in at a very attractive price. It's the off season right now because the kids are coming back to school. Take advantage of it.

PHILLIPS: Our favorite travel expert, Peter Greenberg.

Thanks, Peter.

GREENBERG: You got it.

PHILLIPS: Cash, clunkers and criminals. The trade-in that backfired for one wanted man.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: It's a journey 18 years in the making.

Live pictures now from Jacksonville Naval Air Station, where the remains of Navy Capitan Michael Scott Speicher will be arriving home any minute. You can see the reporters standing by there, waiting for that arrival.

The pilot was actually shot down on the first night of the first Gulf War in 1991. He was listed as Killed in Action even though his body was never found. 10 years later his status was changed to Missing in Action. Then 11 days ago, the Pentagon confirmed bones found in the Iraqi desert had been positively I.D.'d.

Now, tomorrow Captain Speicher's home town will pay its respects. Hundreds and hundreds of people are expected to line the street as his funeral procession passes important places in his life. Among them, his family church and his old high school. After that, a private family burial.

And as always, Team Sanchez back there working on the next hour of NEWSROOM.

What you got going there, Rick?

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Kyra.

Have you seen the video of Sheila Jackson Lee?

PHILLIPS: Well, I've seen a lot of video of Sheila Jackson Lee.

What is this?

SANCHEZ: Well, we found some video. I've got that Elvis hair. See if I can get rid of that thing.

PHILLIPS: Well, a hair cut might be nice. That would be one step in the right direction.

SANCHEZ: Sheila Jackson Lee is having a town hall meeting. And she's working on -- she's sitting there talking on the phone. And a person is asking her a question. This is like what seems like the beginning of this thing. Believe it or not, we're watching her on the phone, right, while thre's a woman asking her a question about health care. It seems on its face to be very -- well, yes, OK, thanks, Angie. Rude. You know, I'm trying to find the words because she's kind of --

PHILLIPS: Rude, awkward.

SANCHEZ: Well, it's not awkward. It's rude. If someone's talking -- I tell this to my kids all the time, stop texting or get off the phone when your mother or father or an adult is talking to you. And that's not something you want to do. At the very least, its improper telephone etiquette.

PHILLIPS: What was the question? Who was asking her the question? What's the full scoop?

SANCHEZ: It was a very serioud -- the question doesn't even come into play.

PHILLIPS: Was it a news conference?

SANCHEZ: It was a fair question that was being asked of her of someone who wanted to know more about health care and was asking her a question about how much it's going to cost Americans. And rather than listen to the question, she was talking on the phone, which seems on its face to be inappropriate.

Now, she may have a perfectly good explanation for this, which is why we reached out to her and she has been very nice in appearing on our show today at 3:45, to answer our questions. And maybe she'll be able to explain this very fairly. I mean, she's a very -- that's very nice of her to come on and explain this to us.

But we want to know and I think a lot of other people out there want to know, as well, why she was on the phone. A lot of people are seeing it as a real problem for her and certainly not good politics.

PHILLIPS: OK. Well, you make sure you keep paying attention to Angie, your executive producer.

SANCHEZ: I got like 20 people in this room talking to me while I'm talking to you.

PHILLIPS: Mmm-hmm. Well, just as long as you pay attention to Angie. That's all that's important right now.

SANCHEZ: You hear that, Angie?

PHILLIPS: No pressure here.

SANCHEZ: She says I got to pay attention to you.

PHILLIPS: And we'll see you in a minute.

SANCHEZ: All righty.

PHILLIPS: Cash for Clunkers in the clink. A Phoenix man went from the car lot to the jailhouse when he traded in his beat-up beamer. And that's because 23-year-old Timothy Kasida (ph) is suspected of hit and run, accused of actually killing a person on a bicycle last Saturday. He reportedly traded in his 1992 BMW later that day, telling the salesperson he had rammed a wild pig. The police caught on, locked him up. So it could be a while before his wheels and deals happen again.

Immigration issues, always a talker. We're going to check your tweets on two very different immigrant stories in just a sec.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right. We want to take you to live pictures right now to Jacksonville, Florida. This is actually the Jacksonville Naval Air Station where you can see the officers lined up to actually greet the aircraft that's going to be bringing back the remains of Navy Captain Michael Scott Speicher. He should be arriving home any minute now.

As you know, this is a journey 18 years in the making. The pilot was shot down the first night of the first Gulf War in 1991. There were all these theories whether he was alive or died in that crash. His remains just discovered recently. And he'll finally be coming home and laid to rest.

All right. We asked for your thoughts about two stories related to immigration. A big marriage fraud ring that was busted up and a man convicted of littering for leaving waters -- or jugs of waters for illegal immigrants. Well, here's what you guys had to say.

Bohemiangirl says, "We are told to love one another. Lying about marriage is wrong. Offering water to someone in need is right. And the water barrier isn't condoning immigrants to be here illegally. He is going a good samaritan offering a drink of water."

And finally, autumnmeadow says, "I am torn about the water left for illegal immigrants. I am against illegal aliens but they should not die for needing a better life."

That does it for us. Thanks for joining us. Rick Sanchez takes it from here.