Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Claudette Makes U.S. Landfall; Health Care Overhaul with Signs of Compromise; Democrats Believe Stimulus is on the Right Track; New Report Shows Japan Has Emerged From Recession; The Physics of Good and Bad Sleep; Obama Set to Speak to VFW Convention; Three Storms Signal Start of Hurricane Season; Supreme Court Gives Georgia Death Row Inmate Another Shot to Prove Innocence; Iraqi Gay Men Afraid For Their Lives
Aired August 17, 2009 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. So, hurricane season may have gotten off to a slow start this year but that may be changing today, my friends, with several firsts to talk about. Say hello to Bill, which became the first hurricane of the Atlantic season today and it could turn into a major headache this week.
A look at the damage from Claudette, now the first-named storm of the year to make U.S. landfall. It came in as a tropical storm but now it's been downgraded to a depression. So let's not waste any time and throw it over to my good friend, Reynolds Wolf, who is standing by in our severe weather center. Reynolds, you have been so busy and it is not over yet.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, it was a quiet season until this weekend and everything just started popping and sure enough that's what we're dealing with right now.
You mentioned Bill. Bill right now is a very strong hurricane, at least category 1 winds of 75 miles per hour but gusts had been a bit stronger going to 90 miles per hour. There are a couple of things that are going to be beneficial for the storm to get bigger. One, you got sea surface temperatures ahead of this that are going to be in the 80s. Also minimal sheer in the atmosphere.
So, what you're going to be dealing with is the possibility for this thing to grow and become considerably bigger. And you know, that is exactly what is in the forecast at the National Hurricane Center. We're going to put this into motion. You'll notice in this forecast become a category 3 storm in the (INAUDIBLE) scale. Ladies and gentlemen, that's a major hurricane. And the forecast path brings that storm, again, a little bit more to the west and northwest as we get into Thursday and Friday.
And just a look at the direction, still going right between Bermuda and the U.S. mainland. The forecast will have winds up to 120 miles per hour. Now, keep in mind, there's a whole lot that can change in terms of the power of the storm. It's going to fluctuate a little bit. The path, too, is kind of uncertain for the time being. You can see a lot of changes in that too.
The best thing we can tell you to do is to stay vigilant. We also got two other systems that we're following. We got Claudette that's moving into the U.S. mainland, mainly into Mississippi and Alabama, and also the remnants of Ana that will be moving through parts of the Caribbean. So really three systems we're keeping a very sharp eye on, Betty. Let's send it back to you.
NGUYEN: All right. We'll be watching very closely. Thank you, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet.
NGUYEN: I want to turn now to the battle over health care and a sign of compromise in this make or break month. It now appears that President Obama is willing to give up one controversial cornerstone of his reforms. That being the government-funded option for insurance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHLEEN SEBELIUS, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: What we don't know is exactly what the Senate finance committee is likely to come up with. They have been more focused on a co-op, not for profit co-op as a competitor as opposed to a state government-run program. I think what is important is choice and competition. And I'm convinced that at the end of the day, the plan will have both of those, but that is not the essential element.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: All right. The government-funded option has started a whole lot of anger at some town hall meetings. So I want to check in now with one such forum that is underway in Florida. CNN's Jessica Yellin is monitoring this town hall meeting that's being held by Congressman Alan Boyd, a so-called blue dog Democrat. And Jessica, what are you expecting there today?
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, Boyd has not had to vote yet on a health care proposal. So he has been able to take a very middle ground. His constituents tend to be more conservative and we're going to hear from his town hall there, likely based on the people I'm hearing, coming in, a lot of what we've heard already, fears about government-run health care.
So this talk about moving the public option into a less likely category will please his audience if he goes there. I should emphasize though that this something, this message that we've heard from Sebelius and Obama this weekend, that's something that the administration has been saying for some time now. There's talk of doing a co-op instead of a public option. It's all still very nebulous.
You know, nothing is decided but that talk will certainly please Boyd's audience. It's a standing room only crowd. People very interested there. He'll be under pressure just like all the other blue dogs to find a very moderate proposal. So, the intrigue to hear how he praises this is the next hour. Betty.
NGUYEN: Yes, no doubt. We'll be watching, too, Jessica Yellin joining us live. Thank you, Jessica.
We want to give you a look now at other town hall meetings being held today. They are scattered all across the Eastern half of the country from Philadelphia down to Florida and even to Texas. Well, health care may be one of the many topics as President Obama speaks to nation's largest organization of combat veteran.
Later today, he addresses veterans of foreign war and many want to know about U.S. plans in Iraq and Afghanistan. We're going to have live coverage of his speech at the annual convention of the VFW. That is scheduled to get under way at 2:00 p.m. Eastern.
In the meantime, though, as we've been saying, it's a make it or break it month for healthcare reform but with the White House now showing some flexibility, can a new compromise win support on both sides of the divide.
CNN's Jim Acosta takes a closer look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (D), PENNSYLVANIA: Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After weeks of congressional town halls gone wild, the Obama administration is now keeping its options opened on health care reform, specifically on the crucial question of whether Americans should have the option of joining a government run plan, so called public option.
SEBELIUS: I think what's important is choice and competition and I'm convinced at the end of the day the plan will have both of those but that is not the essential element.
ACOSTA: And there were no lines in the sand drawn by the president himself at his own town hall in Colorado.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a legitimate debate to have. All I'm saying is, though, the public option, whether we have it or we don't have it, is not the entirety of health care reform. This is just one sliver of it.
ACOSTA: The White House is spending less time pushing the public option and more time talking about injecting competition into the health care marketplace, to drive down costs and to give more Americans more choices.
SEN. KENT CONRAD (D), NORTH DAKOTA: The fact of the matter is, there are not votes in the United States Senate for the public option. There never have been. So to continue to chase that rapid I think is just a wasted effort.
ACOSTA: North Dakota Democratic Senator Kent Conrad is offering one compromise that would establish non-profit health care cooperatives, like the rural electric co-ops that have existed in the U.S. for decades. CONRAD: Land O'Lakes is a cooperative. East Hardware is a cooperative. So this is a model that works. It's not government-run and government-controlled. It's membership-run and membership- controlled.
ACOSTA: The president is stuck. Keeping the public option would anger the Republicans and some Democrats in Congress who insist a government-run plan will drive private insurers out of business.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I still think we should have a bipartisan solution. But what I can't tolerate is the government's plan...
ACOSTA: Dumping it will disappoint liberals who see a surrender on the public option as defeat.
(on camera): If he backs away from the public option, is that health care reform?
SARAH CHAISSON WARNER, HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICA NOW: It's absolutely not health care reform, no. We need the kind of reform that's going to improve the lives of families and communities everywhere.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: All right. So we know the lawmakers, at least what some of them are saying about health care reform. But what about those who actually deal face-to-face with patients? At the half hour, we're going to hear what doctors think about reform plans.
Back to our top story right now. Hurricane season heating up. Some images here of Bill, the first hurricane of this year's Atlantic season. It could become a major hurricane, a little bit later this week and of course there is Claudette. The first named storm of the year to make landfall in the U.S.. It brought plenty of high winds and heavy rain with it. I want to take you back now to Reynolds Wolf, who is standing by in our severe weather center. You've been watching all of these. What's the latest with them?
WOLF: Well, the latest -- the storm that we see, one becoming weak and another one moving on shore, dying out but it's going to provide quite a bit of rainfall. And Bill is the one that's going to be in check and it's really nothing that stands in its way. Case in point, you look at Ana. Ana now interacting with parts of the Leeward islands, now moving into the U.S. Virgin Islands. It's disorganized and it's a mess.
If you look towards Claudette, Claudette brings in some heavy rainfall to parts of Alabama and parts of Mississippi and the Florida panhandle. And Bill, Bill is going to be the big one. It's the one that we do expect, will become significantly stronger, possibly becoming a major hurricane as you make over the next couple of days.
Let me show you something back here on the projected path. You'll notice that as you get into 2:00 a.m. Wednesday, the storm still far away from land, still far away from the U.S. mainland, expected to increase in power. The winds sustained of 120 miles per hour and then veering off more into the northwest into Thursday, into Friday, into Saturday.
This projected path brings it right between Bermuda, which is right here, and of course, the U.S. mainland is right here on this side. So that is certainly some good news if it stays away from land. But still these storms are very fickle. They don't move from point to point. They tend to wobble. So it's certainly something that we have to watch very carefully.
Now we have seen this one storm that we're referring to -- this being Claudette, come onshore earlier this morning. We got some video to show you what's been happening in this part of the world. We're going to enlarge this for you. This video compliments of WTXL. Let me put this into motion as we do so. You can see the site, the common site for much of the Emerald Coast. You see the wind coming in and ripping a lot of the flags, a lot of the heavy surf coming in, the rain had been very heavy at times.
And as the storm system makes it's way into parts of central Alabama, back into Mississippi perhaps even parts of Tennessee before the say is out, you're going to see some heavy rainfall. Some spots could easily see up to four, five, maybe even six, seven inches of rainfall. And in poor drainage areas, you could be dealing with chances of some flash flooding. So a huge mess. This scene possibly one that could be played out time and time again this season.
And there's certainly every reason to believe there's a chance that Ana could actually become considerably stronger in the days to come because the forecast path for Ana actually brings it back into parts of Hispaniola, back into Cuba and maybe even the Gulf of Mexico later in the week. We're going to watch it for you like an eagle.
Meanwhile, let's show you a tower cam that we have for you. Show that to the rest of America. You see WTSP. Conditions there, I promise you're going to get much better in places like Tampa but it's going to be farther up the road, your neighbors like Alabama and into the Tennessee Valley and into Mississippi that were going to be dealing with the heavy showers, scattered showers and storms, maybe even flash flooding that we're talking about. It could be a rough day in parts of the southeast. And certainly, it could be the beginning of a loud season. You never know.
NGUYEN: Well, you know who could use a little bit of that rain?
WOLF: Right here at home.
NGUYEN: The folks in California as well.
WOLF: Good question. Heavy wildfire conditions. The wind today, not too favorable to those guys. Really picking up into the afternoon. Dry conditions also, Betty - along the coast, you're going to be seeing temperatures in the 60s and 70s but inland, (INAUDIBLE) battle the blazes, in the 80s and 90s. So not favorable for them at all.
NGUYEN: Not getting much help by the way of the weather department.
WOLF: No sign of rain.
NGUYEN: OK. Thank you, Reynolds.
I want to talk for a minute about those fires in California because it's still burning with nearly a dozen wildfires across the state. Some of the biggest, the Lockheed fire around Bonny Doon is about 65 percent contained, according to the "San Francisco Chronicle." Now the "Associated Press" says it has burned about 10 miles of land and some people are being allowed back into their homes after a mandatory evacuation.
The Associated Press also says the La Brea fire in Santa Barbara County is about 64 percent contained. It has burned about 130 square miles of brush. Officials believe it started at an illegal camp run by Mexican drug dealers. And farther north, the Yuba fire is about 15 percent contained. It has burned more than 2,000 acres so far. Officials say it started when a bird flew into a wire and caught fire.
Well, the recession is over in Japan, that is. That's what experts are saying today. And we are going behind the numbers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Let's take a look at the markets today and see where the numbers are. Looking at the Dow already off to a rough start. We kind of knew this might be happening today. Down 189 points at 9,131. We're going to be watching the markets for you very closely today and bring you the latest numbers throughout the show.
All right. Give you a thumbs up though from the Democrats on how the stimulus program is doing. But many Americans not sharing the same enthusiasm. In fact, six months into the $787 billion program, many Americans are still hurting and the jobless rate still isn't as low as predicted. But Democrats believe there is a silver lining.
Fewer jobs were lost last month and other reports show the economy is improving. Only a small portion of the stimulus fund has been spent do far. So your stimulus money at work. With visits to the Grand Canyon in Yellowstone Park over the weekend, the president is putting the spotlight on the country's national parks. $700 million was earmarked for some of our national parks. So we ask Kate Bolduan to look into what's happening with all that money.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRRESPONDENT: From (INAUDIBLE) to the Grand Canyon, America's national treasurers in need of some serious repair?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you come around the back of the cabin, you'll see that the signing is all (INAUDIBLE) of the longer ground.
BOLDUAN: Rocky Schroeder is a park ranger at Prince William Forest Park, about 35 miles outside of Washington where more than dozen historic cabins are slated for repair. One of 250 national parks getting spruced up, thanks to the economic stimulus.
The park service estimates national parks across the country face a $9 billion backlog of work. The stimulus is supposed to contribute $750 million to that. So far about 10 percent is in the pipeline.
DAN WENK, ACTING DIRECTOR, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: It's camp ground. It's camp site. It's amphitheater for evening programs, it's the bathrooms. It's literally everything that we have to make our business enjoyable.
BOLDUAN: Nearly $56 million is going to repair Washington landmarks. More than 14.5 million to the Mesa Verde National Park and nearly $11 million to the Grand Canyon to name a few. But when it comes to this money, you have to ask -
(on camera): How is money for national parks stimulus?
WENK: It's stimulus because we are putting people to work. We will be putting people to work for the next two years. But it's also stimulus because we are creating a better place and increasing our visitor experience.
BOLDUAN (voice-over): Some Republican lawmakers aren't buying it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, clearly we need to improve our national parks. But nobody should confuse that with economic stimulus. I mean, frankly, that's just false advertising.
BOLDUAN: The Interior Department estimates this stimulus target will create about 8,000 jobs over two years. Many will be temporary jobs but this park ranger is confident that it's a worthwhile investment.
ROCKY SCHROEDER, PARK RANGER: The national parks are past, our history, preserve that, that's where we come from. It will give us an idea of where we're going.
BOLDUAN (on camera): Here at this Virginia Park, they are hoping to start putting hammer to nail in the next month and park officials say they have overwhelming interest. For projects like these, they need to hire about six additional people. They've received nearly 200 applications.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: All right. So we want to know from you, what do you think so far? We are six months into the stimulus plan. Is it working? We've got that question up on the blog right here. That's cnnnewsroom.blog at Heidi Collins page.
You can also reach it my page. You can also go to my Twitter page, Facebook as well. There are several ways to reach out and speak with us today. We're going to be getting some of your comments and reading them on the air. But the big question today, is the stimulus plan working? Let us know what you think. Well, signs of the economic recovery from the world's second largest economy, for the first time in over a year, Japan recorded growth in the economic sector and says it's pulling out of a global recession. What is happening there? Well, will the good news lasts? That's a good question.
Here's our Morgan Neill.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MORGAN NEILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A new report out on Monday shows Japan's economy has emerged from recession. According to a preliminary report, the country's economy grew in the second quarter by 0.9 percent. Now in annual terms, that comes to 3.7 percent, the first time Japan's GDP has grown in 15 months.
Now, the main driver -- a growth in exports, spending by governments from around the world has boosted sales of Japan's cars and electronics, the country's main stay -- the country's economy's main stays. In particular, recovery from China which grew by 7.9 percent over the last year has helped Japan's economy. Now massive government stimulus program here has also boosted domestic spending in Japan but nevertheless, it's a big driver of today's news, Monday's news, is export growth.
In particular, we're seeing the country's developments, near developments we've seen in its main export markets with a delay of a couple of months. Now, the news isn't all positive. Unemployment is at its highest level in six years. And analysts continue to be concern about dropping prices. Nevertheless for the first time in more than a year, people here in Japan can find some reason for optimism looking at their country's economy.
Morgan Neill, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: All right. So you've seen those two huge photos in women's magazines. You know, baby fast asleep but are those images really giving moms the wrong picture about putting baby to bed?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. So you know, those cute photos in women's magazines. You know, babies sleeping soundly. Well, it turns out those pictures maybe creating confusion and misinformation. According to a new study, infants are seen sleeping in unsafe positions and it could increase the risk of SIDS which is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here now to talk about this. And I know there has been a study to determine this. What did that study indeed find?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, the study was so interesting. Researchers at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington says let's take a look at magazine photos and advertisements. They looked at 400 photos and found that only 36 of those photos showed children sleeping in the proper position. All of the photos really should show them sleeping in the proper position, but only 36 of them did. They are afraid that gives the parents the wrong message that it's OK to put your kids to bed in an unsafe position. When, of course, we all know that it's not. As you said, it can lead to sudden infant death.
NGUYEN: All right. So give us an example so that we know what those positions are and to make sure that babies aren't put to sleep in those positions.
COHEN: OK. Betty, I'm going to show you two photos that we're involved in this study that the authors are highlighting as a what not to do. So, let's take a look at this. This is an ad right here for Pampers, and you can see the baby is -- appears to be on her side and meshed in soft bedding. This is not a good thing. Babies should be on their back and they should not be surrounded by soft bedding that could possibly suffocate them.
So, that is a big problem and we asked Pampers for a response to this and they say we are striving for a 100 percent record in this area. And we encourage other advertisers to do the same. Well, we may have had a myth that this is the exception and not the rule. That's what Pampers had to say about this ad that was criticized by pediatricians.
And let me show you another one here. This is a photo in a magazine. It's a little hard to tell, but this is a celebrity putting her twins in the same bed, which is a big no-no, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Also, it's hard to tell but they are also surrounded by soft bedding. Again, soft bedding is a big no-no when it comes to newborn babies or any infant.
NGUYEN: OK. Besides that, how else can parents prevent S.I.D.S.?
COHEN: OK. I'm going to show you the right way to do it. Because we've shown you two examples of the wrong way to do it. Here's the right way to do it. the right way to do it is you have the baby in the bed with no soft bedding. You'll notice the baby does not have blankets all around her and the baby is on her back. That's the way to do it. Put your baby back to sleep. That's the way to remember it and not surrounded by soft bedding and on a firm mattress.
NGUYEN: All right. Good information there, Susan. We do appreciate it. Thanks.
All right. They are the ones who deal with patients day in and day out and they are the ones who often have to cut through the red tape with insurance companies. So what do doctors think about plans to reform health care? We're going to ask a pair of them.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Betty Nguyen. NGUYEN: Hello, everybody, and welcome back. We are keeping a very close eye on the markets today because as you can see right now it is down 175, 74 points right now. This is the Dow. There were fears from investors about consumer spending making a turn for the worst. In fact, investors are worried that consumers reluctance to spend would hurt corporate earnings. We're going to get to more corporate earnings a little bit later today. But right now, it is having an effect on the markets.
The Dow, again, down 174 points at this hour. Well, it is a make or break month for health care reform and time for lawmakers to hear from their constituents. Let me give you a live picture of the town hall meeting in Cross City, Florida. It's being held by Congressman Alan Boyd, a so-called blue dog Democrat.
Also in the headlines right now, health care for our military veterans. President Obama is talking about that today, when he speaks to the nation's largest organization of combat veterans. Many want to know about the U.S. plans in Iraq and Afghanistan. Senior White House correspondent Ed Henry is at the annual VFW convention in Phoenix.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Four American vets, two voted for the president, two for John McCain, but they share a brotherhood and the feeling that many Americans do not appreciate the sacrifice of U.S. troops dying in two wars. A feeling so painful, it brings one of these men to tears.
ROLAND ROCHESTER, VETERAN: I know that they are tough, I know they're strong. I have a hard feeling for those that are over there. But I'm a Marine, and I will stand up for our chief of staff and our soldiers everywhere they go.
HENRY: All four said they want to hear more specifics from the president about the days ahead in Afghanistan in particular. What's interesting is Gary Malone, an Obama voter from Arkansas, is deeply concerned the president is sending more troops into a quagmire.
GARY MALONE, VETERAN: We lost 58,000, over 58,000 in Vietnam. I said this would not turn into another Vietnam. It's turning into another Vietnam.
HENRY: But a different view from Buck Cowley of Arkansas.
BUCK COWLEY, VETERAN: I was in World War II, Korea, and I served in Vietnam.
HENRY: Cowley is a McCain voter but gives Obama high marks for sending more troops to Afghanistan.
COWLEY: Calcification never got anybody anywhere.
HENRY: The talk of another Vietnam stirs Lewis Wood, a McCain voter from Arizona, who thinks Mr. Obama has been weak. LEWIS WOOD, VETERAN: I also don't want to see it turn into a situation where they just up and pull the troops out and then have the public of the United States say, oh, well, you know here we are, we lost the war in Afghanistan or Iraq.
Just, you know -- because that's the feeling that people have about the war in Vietnam, that we lost that war. And I'll say it right here now that we was (sic) winning in Vietnam when I left there, the politicians lost that war.
HENRY: But Wood says he will support the president now and is inspired that for the first time ever an African-American commander in chief will address the VFW.
WOOD: I'm proud of the United States, you bet you.
HENRY: And so is Roland Rochester of North Carolina whose heart aches for the men and women dying overseas. He voted for Mr. Obama and is confident he will handle both wars well.
ROCHESTER: He's my chief commander in chief and I'm proud of him.
HENRY (on camera): White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says that while the president will thank U.S. troops, he's not planning to get into specifics about the war in Afghanistan because a commanding general is still conducting a review that may disappoint some of these veterans. Even the McCain voters respect the commander in chief and they will give him more time to get it right.
Ed Henry, CNN, Scottsdale, Arizona.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: I want to pass along this reminder. We have live coverage of President Obama's speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. That is scheduled to get under way at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. Don't miss it right here on CNN.
The public is getting another chance to weigh in on health care reform. By now we know where the politicians stand. But how about doctors who deal with patients and insurance companies every single day? Like Dr. Randy Christensen from the Phoenix Children's Hospital and Dr. Panchali Dhar, who is with New York Presbyterian Hospital and the Weill Cornell Medical Center.
I want to thank you both for joining us this morning. I want to talk about the health care proposals out there and your views on it. Dr. Christensen, let me start with you. You, in fact, are in favor of the president's plan for reform. Tell us why.
DR. RANDY CHRISTENSEN, CHAIRMAN OF PEDIATRIC MEDICINE, PHOENIX CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: Well, you know, I think that health care system in this country is already broken. I didn't break it. It was broken when I got here. But you just need to go down to the emergency room, spend a few hours down there or talk to one of the millions of Americans that don't have insurance. Look at our Medicare. I believe we have about nine years before it goes broke.
No, I definitely think the status quo is a dangerous place to be. I think health care reform has three major facets. The first is to improve access, the second is to improve quality, and lastly and most importantly is to decrease the costs. The costs are skyrocketing.
NGUYEN: Well, Dr. Dhar, I want to get your reaction to that because I know you have opposed parts of the health care plan out there.
DR. PANCHALI DHAR, FACULTY, CORNELL MEDICAL COLLEGE: Well, I agree. The health care system does need to be changed, but where are the doctors taking care of 300 million people in this country, the additional 40 million? President Obama is not talking about getting more medical students to pursue careers in primary care. That's exactly what he needs. He doesn't need plastic surgeons and dermatologists. He needs people to do bread-and-butter medicine.
And what's going to happen is the medical system is going to have to expand to include highly-trained nurse practitioners, highly trained physician's assistants to take care of the additional load...
NGUYEN: So, are you saying under the reform plans, they won't be able to afford that type of service from those highly-skilled and educated doctors?
DHAR: Well, the thing is, you don't always need a doctor to check your blood pressure and check blood glucose. The doctor can oversee such things. For example, you don't always need an anesthesiologist. You can work with a CRNA, a certified nurse anethetist during your surgery and one doctor can simultaneously provide up to three operations. And that's where we're headed. There's just not that enough -- medical professionals to take care of all of these patients.
NGUYEN: Well, let's look at the public option. That was something that the president was really pushing for, and Dr. Christensen, I want to get your take on it because it appears that the president is backing off a little bit on that after all of the criticism. What do you think about that public option?
CHRISTENSEN: Well, I would like to take that question but I think in response, yes, we need more primary care physicians -- providers out there and clearly more allied health. But the truth is that all of these people are getting health care now. They're getting sub-par health care at emergency rooms and urgent care centers and, unfortunately, that's just not the cost-effective manner.
In terms of the public option and the nonprofit co-op plans being opposed, I think the main point is that we need to ensure access. I think one of the most important things that we need to do is decide that we're going to guarantee access, especially for the children. If we don't take care of the children, we're going to have long-term health care consequences, and these are going to have long-term financial burdens on us, as well. I think that we have enough cost savings out there. I think that if you look at the national health care spending, right now about 70 percent is spent in taking care of complications of poorly managed disease. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma. To top it off, the emergency rooms are taking caring of primary process. I think we need to ensure access. I think we need to create a medical home model...
NGUYEN: So, what's the best way, Dr. Dhar, to ensure that access? Is that public option or a co-op?
DHAR: Or how about having the insurance companies provide a low- cost, affordable, minimum-standard health care option...
CHRISTENSEN: Sure.
DHAR: ... just like car insurance, for everyone out there? If they want to buy something additional, those who can afford it and those who want to should be able to. This will promote healthy competition. That's what we need.
CHRISTENSEN: Yes, I saw a little girl the other day who was out in the streets. Her parents had just lost the jobs, lost their insurance. They were living on the streets. They were finding their ways to shelter.
She had had ear pain for three weeks. I took out literally a dead cockroach in her ear, and she had had no health care, no access to health care. No way to get it. They certainly didn't have any money to buy any other insurance plans. There are millions of these children and adults that are out there.
DHAR: Well, the co-op option is not going to work, because there will always be the sicker people that will drain the co-op and leaving the healthy people with no access to health care again. And then the government will have to bail out the co-op option.
CHRISTENSEN: Clearly, the devil is in the details. It's a complex system, and it's going to take a lot of people and some very careful legislation to come up with a plan. I just say that we need to put our children and our grandmas and grandpas first. And exactly how to take care of them. I'm in the middle with everybody else.
NGUYEN: Yes, you both agree that something needs to be done...
CHRISTENSEN: Clearly.
NGUYEN: ... and the question is, what and how do we do it, and who's going to pay for it? Doctors, we appreciate your time and insight today. Thank you so much for joining us.
CHRISTENSEN: Thanks for having me.
NGUYEN: If you want to know more about the health care debate, check out the special Health Care in America Web site on CNN.com. You can get the latest from town hall debates, fact checks, iReports and other health care news. Just go to CNN.com/healthcare.
Afghanistan's presidential election, this Thursday. Only the second in the nation's history, and it will be watched as an indicator of stability. In Kabul last night, President Karzai joined two challengers in a televised debate. His rivals criticized him for alleged government corruption and for not doing enough to stop escalating violence.
Now, regarding civilian casualities from coalition strikes, Mr. Karzai pledged to stop NATO from conducting military operations without the government's permission.
Iranian preisdent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that he will nominate three women to join his new cabinet. We're getting that word from the Reuters news agency. The nominations could lead to the appouintment of the first female ministers in Iran since the Islamic Revolution back in 1979. Ahmadinejad has until Wednesday to present a cabinet to parliament for approval.
No doubt, it is a busy day and in the Severe Weather Center. Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is watching three storms from the Tropics. Not one, not two, but three of them. Hey, Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Betty. And one of them happens to be Hurricane Bill. It's the first hurricane in the Atlantic-based in the season, and it's ripping through the Atlantic like a giant buzzsaw. We're going to give you an idea of what we can expect from the storm, where it's going, how strong it's going to get. That's coming up in just a few moments, right here on CNN, your hurricane headquarters.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN, your hurricane headquarters.
NGUYEN: Such an ominous opening. "Your hurricane headquarters." Well, we've got good reason today. You know, hurricane season has been fairly quiet until now. It's kicking up a storm or three, to be exact.
Claudette came ashore as a tropical on the Florida Panhandle this morning. It's since been downgraded, but Hurricane Bill is gaining serious strength in the Atlantic. Still far from any shore and we're also watching tropical depression Ana in the Caribbean. I don't know how you keep track of all of this. Because things are changing quickly.
WOLF: We've got a great team here. And we got great reporters...
NGUYEN: And you've got all the technology.
WOLF: Exactly. But to give you the short detail here, here's what we have. Claudette is a rainmaker, Ana, it's kind of the player to be named later. The big concern is Bill. Bill is our first-named hurricane of the season. It's become a major hurricane. We're going to watch it very carefully for you.
Take a look at this image, and see what we're dealing with. See Claudette over there in the left hand side of the screen. Dead center you can see Ana. Ana is actually weakening considerably. It's now moving towards San Juan, Puerto Rico, for everyone who's tuning in from that part of the world. You've got the heavy rain coming down.
And then farther off to the east, you've got the bigger storm. In fact, one of the strongest storms on the planet. That, of course, is Bill. And you can see it stretched out here right before your eyes. We're going to give you an idea here that Bill is actually a pretty strong storm for the time being. It has gone from a tropical storm to a hurricane. Still a Category 1. So, it's got some strength in it.
It certainly has things in it that are favorable for it to become a powerhouse. For one, very warm waters. Sea surface temperatures are going to be in the 80s. You need to have about 77 degrees or warmer for this to maintain about the same or get a bit stronger. We're talking low eighties, so this has got some good fuel.
Also ahead of it, very little in terms of upper level winds. Not a lot of shear. This could really strengthen. And that is the forecast from the National Hurricane Center to do just that. They do anticipate the strom is going to gain strength, going from a category 2 to 3 as we get into Wednesday. A pretty fast jump in intensity. Then into Thursday, then into Friday and Saturday. Still a category 3, but notice the fluctuation in power, going 120, 125, 120, back to 115. It's very hard for major hurricanes to maintain that level of strikes. So, wobbling is forecast and is expected.
Something else that can be expected with all of the storms, all forecasts get a little bit shaky once you go from three days. In fact, as you look at computer models, which is self-explanatory. These are computer models, models of what may happen in the atmosphere with this storm. Each one of these individual forecast brings the storm in a little bit of a different path, although generally they seem to follow more paths going west and then more of a northwestern path that would bring it close to, say, Bermuda, which is right in this area and then, of course, the U.S. mainland right over here.
Lots to keep an eye on, and we're going to wrap it up. It's going to be a busy day. I'll be here and Chad Meyers will be also, giving you latest in the tropics. It is that time of year.
NGUYEN: Yes, and it is changing very rapidly. Thank you, Reynolds.
So, we want to talk about the stimulus plan on the blog this morning. The plan is now six months old, and we want to know weather whether you think it's working. So, send us your thoughts. Go to CNN.com/heidi or CNN.com/betty. Or you can send me tweets. My Twitter address is @BettyNguyenCNN. Or you can go to my Facebook page. We'll be hearing from you and go to your responses very shortly.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. This just in to CNN. We have learned that the Supreme Court has today announced that Georgia death row inmate Troy Davis should get another chance to prove his innocence before the state of Georgia executes him. There's a picture of Davis.
He was ordered by a federal judge, or in fact, the High Court that has ordered a federal judge in Georgia to determine whether there was enough evidence that proves that Davis did not kill a police officer back in 1991. For many years now, supporters have argued for a new trial after several witnesses have taken back their testimony. And today, Justice John Paul Stevens said the risk of putting an innocent man to death provides adequate justification for an evidentiary hearing.
So, again, the Supreme Court today has ruled that death row inmate Troy Davis, who's been serving time here in Georgia, should get another chance to prove his innocence. We are continuing to follow this story for you.
Well, the list of countries that appear to be pulling out of the recession is growing. Last week, it was Germany and France. Today it's Japan. The big question is, what about the U.S.?
Susan Lisovicz is on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with details on that. If you can answer this question as to when we're going to come out for a session, boy, let me tell you, a lot of people are wanting to hear that.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I don't think I'd be standing here right now. I'd be enjoying the rewards of such wisdom.
But, you know, there are a lot of concerns, Betty. No question about it. And we're seeing it play out quite dramatically with a global sell-off. We saw averages -- stock market averages of Asia, sell off very sharply overnight. Europe down substantially.
Right now, the Dow is down 178 points. We have not seen the Dow close with triple-digit losses digits since early July. The NASDAQ is down about 2 percent as well. Japan's economy grew. It's the world's second largest economy, largely because of exports. Think about all of those electronics. But spending at home in Japan remains weak. Why is that? Because their wages are either falling or stagnating, and the jobless rate is rising.
And it's a similar thing here. Yes, the stock market here has rallied for months over the sense that things are stabilizing. But for the market to continue to rally, a lot of folks are telling me that you need to see improvement.
Where do you need to see improvement? Especially with consumer spending. And Betty, over the last few days, we've been hearing from some of the nation's biggest retailers. Last week, Wal-Mart, which has done well in this recession, says its quarterly sales fell. Today, Lowe's, the big home improvement retailer, saw its sales fall. Last week, on Friday, consumer confidence fell. This is a big concern. And not only here, overseas as well. We often say, consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of economic activity in the U.S. The estimate worldwide -- we're the biggest consumers, about 20 percent. So, it's a concern here; it's a concern overseas. And it's playing out.
I should also mention, though, the stock market has made some terrific gains since March. A lot of people are saying that we're ripe for a pullback. We're seeing it today. Back to you, Betty.
NGUYEN: Yes, indeed, we're seeing it today. All right. Thank you so much. We appreciate it.
Listen to this. In Chicago, it may seem feel like a holiday today, but it is not. The city is cutting back on services today to help save money and shore up the ailing budget. Public libraries, city halls, and other city offices will not be opened, and there also will not be regular garbage collection or street sweeping today.
President Obama's stiumlus plan. It's been six months. So, the question today to you is this. Is it working? What do you think? We are hearing from you today. Got lots of good responses.
If you go to the NEWSROOM blog, Michael Armstrong says, "It is working for the banks, auto industry and insurance company. But the people are still in big trouble. When are the people going to be helped?"
I'll take you to my Twitter page right now and Bytesize23b says, "Yes, I believe it's working. Updated regularly on projects, funded from stimulus here in Ohio, some started already."
But then you go to my Facebook page. And Kathy and Bob Paulie say, "I think the stimulus is slowly working. I think we all have to be more patient for the economy to turn around."
So, I'm getting mixed thoughts on that today. We do appreciate all of your comments on the question today. Is the stimulus plan working? Now it's been in effect for six months. Of course, tomorrow we'll have another question for you.
Death squads roaming around Iraq. But they are not after murderers, thieves or even rival Muslim groups. They are targeting only one group: gay men.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, coming out of the closet can be a struggle for many gay people, but in Iraq it can be downright deadly. According to a new Human Rights Watch report, Arwa Damon tells us why gay men in that country are afraid for their lives.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When this video sprung up on YouTube back in January showing Iraqi gay men partying, it caused a terrifying backlash.
In this report released on Monday, Human Rights Watch warned of a, quote, "spreading campaign of torture and murder against Iraq's gay community."
"They used to always hunt us, but after this video posted, it became much worse," this gay man tells us. He and his two friends brave enough to speak out but too frightened to have their identities revealed.
(on camera): What are some of the atrocities being committed against the gay community that you know of?
(voice-over): "Many of my friends were killed and many others wounded or harmed," the eldest among them says, "Some were tortured. They shot glue up their anus. They have started a war against us."
"I was with my boyfriend driving around. I had my head on his shoulder," this man remembers. "Security forces stopped us, and ordered out of the car. They beat my boyfriend severely and put him in jail. He's been there for four months."
This list was posted in Baghdad's Shia Slumus Sadr (ph) City. It lists names of individuals accused of being gay. Part of it warns, "If you do not end this shameful behavior, your fate will be death."
Some gay Iraqis have even been killed by their own family, ashamed of the stigma surrounding homosexualiy.
This widely circulated cell phone video shows a transsexual being harassed by Iraqi police.
"He was a hairdresser," his friend tells us. "He was killed by his family after the Iraqi police threatened to kill him. I heard they even wanted to burn him alive or stone him to death."
These young men tell us how they were captured by militias who hacked off their hair. One shows a scar left by acid doused on his leg. The other displays a slash on his wrist.
(on camera): Members of Iraq's gay community have to try to blend in when they are out on the streets or face the consequences. The Iraqi government says it condemns the murder or abuse of any of its citizens but has done little else to protect the country's homosexuals. Those we spoke to have said they are left to fend for themselves.
(voice-over): According to Human Rights Watch, it's difficult to put an exact number on homosexuals killed. Indication are that the number is in the hundreds.
Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: I'm Betty Nguyen. Thanks so much for joining us. CNN NEWSROOM continues with Tony Harris.
