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Hurricane Bill Heads for East Coast; North and South Koreans to Meet Tomorrow; Pan Am Flight 103 Bomber Freed; Healthcare Reform

Aired August 22, 2009 - 15:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DARRELL DEXTER, NOVA SCOTIA PREMIER: I want to make it clear that this has the potential to be a very significant weather event. People should not take it lightly. They should be properly prepared.

PETER BAXTER, HALIFAX STANDFIELD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: Passengers should expect delays, especially on Sunday, and the thing that we're recommending for them to do is just to stay in touch via the web.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN HOST: And Jacqui Jeras, I mean Nova Scotia is right in the path they could be hit by this storm while the rest of the coast of the United States is just getting a glance is that right?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes but we're still feeling some pretty decent impacts Drew, you know especially being the weekend and people wanting to head to the beach. We have some incredible wave action taking place. The storm will get close enough where we'll get tropical storm force winds especially we think in Massachusetts. Here is the latest on Bill it is still a very powerful storm. You know it is down to a category 2 but not by all that much. You have to have 111 miles per hour to be a category 3. So we are just 11 shy of that. It's a very significant storm. You can see the storm moves up to the north, it is starting to interact a little bit with some of the land areas and we're also starting to see that sheer taking place from our cold front. You can see it back there.

That's what's keeping Bill away from the United States and not giving us that direct impact. Here's the latest on the projected path. We expect it to stay pretty strong yet over the next 12 plus hours but gradual weakening then as it turns to the northeast. There you can see Nova Scotia and how close that storm could get and maybe making landfall. As you mentioned that will happen tomorrow morning maybe mid-dayish. The closest approach to the United States will be overnight tonight and into tomorrow morning and tropical storm warnings have been posted for the cape, including Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard as well.

Let's go ahead and show you a picture. This is from hurricanetrack.com. This is from Nags Head, North Carolina. You can see of that surf and those waves that are coming in. We are getting reports of breakers around eight to 10 feet in that area so that's very significant and really these strong waves and the high threat of rip currents is the number one threat to the United States because of Bill, we're also going to be seeing some strong thunderstorms with that cold front. There you can start to see some of those outer bans make their way towards the coast and severe weather across parts of Virginia and Maryland.

Drew, back to you.

GRIFFIN: Thanks a lot. We're going to go to Susan Candiotti now; she is actually on the beach in Chatham, Massachusetts out on the Cape there. In the surf having a good time there Susan. What are the conditions right now?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (Inaudible) The water is a lot warmer down there than it is up here. What you're struck by looking at here on Light House Beach in Chatham is all these people just standing around and looking and that's because this is a protected beach. Usually it's protected from the high waves by the Outer islands but not this day. Not with hurricane Bill churning around, far out at sea. You also notice how foggy it is. You can barely see out there. Even though surfers wanted to go out they can't because it's too hard to see. Swimming has been forbidden all day long so is wind surfing. Hurricanes of course are a rarity in the northeast, the last time one came through here was hurricane Bob back in 1991 that was 18 years ago. But you remember I believe.

(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): It was a horrendous storm. This is like half of what you'll see or maybe what it was really like then.

CANDIOTTI: But the main concern, now, of course, those dangerous rip currents, the pounding surf, et cetera, and that's why swimming isn't allowed. This is a rarity too.

(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): Yes, it is a rarity this time the year to have something like this coming into town. We lost the other half of the family. They couldn't come in because of the water.

(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): Have to be really careful. I was telling you don't stand with your back to the water because the waves will come in.

CANDIOTTI: Good warning to keep in mind. Over here, naturally people are here vacationing including these kids who live -- where do you kids live?

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): Fairfield, Connecticut.

CANDIOTTI: You're Red Sox fans. You just arrived for vacation yesterday?

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): Yes.

CANDIOTTI: Now this you can not go into the water. What do you think about that?

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): Well I think it's a good idea because of the rip tides and stuff. It looks pretty unsafe. I think it's good that they are doing that. People probably will drown and get hurt if it happens. CANDIOTTI: You are here for the whole week so looks like you will be able to salvage --

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): Hope it passes so we can go swimming and stuff.

CANDIOTTI: Let me ask you something. Do you know what to do if you got caught in a rip tide?

(UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE): Well, our parents have been strongly cautious, informing us about rip tides what to do if we get caught in the currents. We're avoiding the water although it's a dumper on our vacation.

CANDIOTTI: Hopefully it won't last too long. Thank you very much.

So, again, the warnings are out. No swimming. They advised boaters to stay in safe harbor until the storm passes. Worst of it around 9:00 tonight into the we hours of the morning.

Drew back to you.

GRIFFIN: Susan thanks a lot for that.

Well on the Korean Peninsula new signs of frosty relations between the North and South may be thawing a bit. South Korean president is meeting tomorrow with a delegation in North Korea to mourn the death of former South Korean President Kim IL Jong.

Earlier today unification ministers from both sides sat down for talks it was the first high level cross border meeting in nearly two years.

One of Libya leader Muammar Gaddafi's son reportedly said Scotland's release of the bomber was linked to Britain's interest in Libya's oil reserves. The bomber is back home in Libya after getting this hero's welcome. This is a terrorist who killed 270 people; these pictures of his welcome home are helping to fuel outrage in the United States. Now a flat denial from former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in an exclusive interview with CNN Blair said no deals were made with Libya to arrange this man's release.

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TONY BLAIR, FMR. BRITAIN PRIME MINISTER: Let me just make one thing absolutely clear, the Libya were raising the case all along not just with me but with everybody. It was a major national concern for them. As I used to say to them, I mean I don't have the power to release this guy and the release that has taken place was a decision by the Scottish executive which has taken place on compassionate grounds. So, yes, its right, the Libyans are raising this issue but we made it clear the only way to have this dealt with is through proper procedures.

GRIFFIN: So the deal that was announced in 2004 for the $900 million oil and gas deal with the Libyans have nothing to do --

BLAIR: Well how could it? I wasn't in a position to say he should be released. That's not the way the British system works. And the release of Abdel Baset Mohammed al Megrahi (ph) has been done by the Scottish executive, not I but my successor has no influence over on compassionate grounds applying the normal rules to the case. I think its confusion of two separate things. The Libyans always raised it. It's good we have a situation today in which Libya has come back in from the cold into the community of nations.

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GRIFFIN: The convicted bomber has terminal cancer; it's believed he only has a short time to live. That is why Scotland released him. He had been serving a life sentence. From FBI director Robert Mueller a scathing letter to Scottish minister for releasing this said bomber. Mueller said in his letter, "Your action makes a mockery of the rule of law. Your action gives comfort to terrorists around the world." Before he was FBI director Mueller was a Justice Department lawyer who led the investigation into the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing. 270 people died in the December 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 that was over Lockerbie, Scotland. Many of them were Americans; they were heading home for Christmas. Here's a look back now of the horrifying story in a report filed that day 21 years ago by then CNN correspondent Richard Blystone.

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RICHARD BLYSTINE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: With the first gleam of daylight over Scotland, the searchers were out. Helicopters deployed police patrol, hundreds brought in from miles around, volunteers scanning the hills on foot for the bodies of dozens of victims strewn along the landscape in a four mile swath. The suitcases full of things no longer need left until later. Three miles from town across the road from a country church yard, the flight deck from which no SOS was ever heard. Another three miles back we found just before dawn a piece of the forward fuselage and a litter of packages, mail sacks and a shattered Christmas present. In Lockerbie they now could see the search for their own casualties and without a count of the local death there was comfort in a town hall list of the living from afflicted neighborhoods. While many here are mourning, many others are giving thanks for narrow escapes. But it will be a sad Christmas in this town.

Richard Blystone, CNN, Lockerbie.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: That from 21 years ago.

President Obama lashes out at some opponents of health care reform claiming they are spreading outrageous myths to benefit themselves.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: August is possibly make or break month for health care reform in the rhetoric teaming up today in his weekly address President Obama blasted efforts to spread what he called outrageous myths about reform plans. CNN Elaine Quijano is live at the White House and Elaine what specifically is the president upset about?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well that is right Drew. The president is pushing back trying to debunk as you said with the administration is calling myths about health care reform. In his weekly radio and Internet address the president stressed illegal immigrants won't be covered under a healthcare bill. Also, taxpayer dollars won't go to fund abortions. And the president addressed a fear that he did say in town hall meetings across the country saying his administration is not planning a government takeover of the health care system. The president noted there's been vigorous debate about health care so far but says that not all it has been truthful.

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BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE U.S: This is an issue of vital concern to every American and I'm glad that some are engaged. But it also should be an honest debate not one dominated by willful misrepresentations and outright distortions, spread by the very folks who would benefit the most by keeping things exactly as they are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: And the president also pushed back against the notion of so- called death panels an idea that former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin mentioned on her facebook page weeks ago. President Obama called that notion offensive to him and the American people.

Drew.

GRIFFIN: That portion of the bill is now out, supposedly. How are Republicans responding to this? One person's outrageous myth is another person's legitimate concern.

QUIJANO: That is exactly right. Well Republicans in their weekly address said the president wasn't being straight about his proposal. Here's GOP Congressman Tom Price from Georgia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. TOM PRICE, (R) GEORGIA: His opposition to the Democrats government run plan is mounting the president said he would like to stamp out some of the disinformation floating around out there. The problem is the president himself plays fast and loose with the facts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Congressman Price continued the GOP line of attack against the idea of a government run health care system. He argued that people may not get to keep their plan or their doctor if the president's proposal becomes a reality.

GRIFFIN: Elaine thanks a lot. If you want to know more about the health care debate and how the reforms could affect you, check out the special health care website on CNN.com. You can get the latest from town hall debates, and other health care news, go to CNN.com/healthcare. There's a lot of information and misinformation about health care reform. In the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM we're going to separate fact from fiction and answer your health care questions.

CNN's Josh Levs joins us for this special hour. Josh what kind of questions are we getting?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Really interesting ones. We're talking to our guests, fact checkers along with our truth squads. Here's some examples for you right here. This is interesting.

Britney is asking us about what kind of coverage there will be for mental illnesses in the health care bill and again as you've been explaining we don't have one final bill but we're looking at the various pieces of legislation. We are also getting some like this. Ryan is asking us here, would there be change to reimbursement for primary care physicians. A lot of specific questions that really effect peoples lives.

Let me show you all how to weigh in actually. Lets go to the graphic, this is the easiest way for you to see how to get there, CNN.com/josh is what we are taking a look at right now. One section on there where we have 600 questions, we have also posted a new one today. Facebook and twitter so they are coming in like crazy. Drew I'll be with you throughout the how. We'll also have people from political fact.com and these are nonpartisan fact checking sites that do what we do. We want to get you as many answers as possible. We're committed to doing that between now and 5:00.

GRIFFIN: You want to know why this is so hard; this is still a moving target. We don't know what the bill is. You get the health care packages every year from your company trying to pick one that says well we might have this, we might have that but we don't know.

LEVS: And the truth is as fact checkers, very often we have to stop and say a lot of this is predictive. We have groups saying if we go down this road eventually the government will do the following thing and maybe they are right. Any one could be right, all we can look at right now is what do we know and that's what we'll focus on.

GRIFFIN: All right. Thanks Josh.

Checking our top stories, a potentially dangerous storm is heading towards New England and Canada. Hurricane Bill, flooded roads closed the airport in Bermuda now it is headed north. Tropical storm warning in effect for Massachusetts coast. In Canada it is a hurricane warning that's in effect for parts of Nova Scotia.

Several buildings are in ruins after a riot last night at a Kentucky prison. Inmates were throwing rocks and setting fires at the Northpoint Medium Security Prison, 40 miles south west of Lexington. It took guards two hours to regain control there. Fortunately, though, no serious injuries.

Well, did the Baghdad bombers get help from Iraqi security forces? Iraq's foreign minister said some security officers may have helped the terror attacks that killed 100 people this week. He says an investigation has started and collaborators will be held responsible. We'll get another check of our top stories in 20 minutes from now. If you ever have been dining and can't believe your eyes -- let's go back. If you've ever been diving, water diving and new underwater camera mask let's you record your picture. Perfect adventure.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Well want to feel like Jacques Cousteau. CNN's Gary Tuchman shows you how with a new device on the edge of discovery.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The images you see here didn't come from a bulky underwater camera, it came from this.

KENT PEARSON, LIQUID IMAGES: The camera has picture taking ability as well as videotaping ability.

TUCHMAN: Strap on this $250 liquid image scuba mask and what you see is what you shoot. Users can toggle between still camera and high- definition video camera and film up to two hours of footage from a single charge. It has light to illuminate murky waters and can go as deep as 115 feet. With this mask anyone can feel like Jacques Cousteau.

PEARSON: We have children who love it in the pool and we have professional divers who love to go down there. This captures the experience of being under water.

TUCHMAN: And Pearson says the mask is also being used by the military and scientists.

PEARSON: In Thailand they are using our mask to do research on a reef.

TUCHMAN: There's one catch, however for fishermen who like the embellish tales of hooking the big one.

PEARSON: It's going to make it a little bit more difficult for people to say it was that big but you can path wide angle on it.

TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: A health care system that works. Maryland's Medevac System is considered the best in the world and completely free. Health care in focus is a new feature and begins this week.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: As we've been covering throughout the month, supporters and opponents of health care reform are voicing their concerns loud and clear at town halls across the country. There's a freshman Democrat from a conservative Virginia district who has hosted a series of these town halls. CNN's Kate Bolduan was at one of these events today. She joins us live now from Alberta, Virginia. Kate, what are your hearing? KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there Drew. This town hall held by Congressman Tom Perriello it has just wrapped up. You can probably see him still behind us taking more questions, more people following up. This was already a very, pretty lengthy town hall, just over 2 1/2 hours. I would say from what I could see about 40 people at this town hall and a majority of them stood up to ask questions.

Now the congressman himself, he's a freshman Democrat in a conservative district here in southern Virginia. He won this district by a very small margin over a Republican incumbent. I have to tell you he definitely heard from conservative voters today. As we listened you could hear people standing up to say things that we heard, similar concerns that we heard at other town halls throughout the country, concerns over growing government and with health care reform people are afraid it will lead to the government taking over the health care system.

Also heard several times people talking about their concerns of just how Congress proposes to pay for health care reform. Many people say they are fearful as they watch the deficit continue to grow and what it means for generations to come. The congressman Perriello said throughout this town hall he said he's listening to their concerns. Listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. TOM PERRIELLO, (D) VIRGINA: I don't think we've hit those targets yet. If we do that then I'm ready to move forward. I think about my brother, he's a high school coach and teacher, got four kids, he and his wife living the American dream, barely getting by. Their health care costs are now larger than their mortgage. They simply can't keep it up. That's the sort of family I have in mind when I think about whether this will bring things down or not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Now the congressman, as you heard, he did say right now he's a no vote for the health care reform bills that are out, there the house version of the bill right now. He's hoping to get to a point where he's a yes vote, Drew, but he said that's going to take some work. At this town hall he heard from some supporters of health care reform. One man in particular who said he's currently uninsured and he said very simply and passionately that he and others have waited too long, far too long for health care reform and he went as far to push the congressman hoping that the congressman as well as Democratic leaders would move ahead with pushing forward on the health care reform without bipartisan support. He said you need to go it alone.

Drew.

GRIFFIN: All right. Kate thank you very much as we wait to see which way the Congressman is going to vote.

In Maryland when you register a vehicle $11 goes to help fund the Maryland Emergency Medical System. What do drivers of Maryland get for those $11? Our Oliver Janning (ph) follows the money for our health care in focus series.

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OLIVER JANNING (ph), CNN CORRESPONDENT: In 1970 the Maryland State Police Aviation Command performed the first civilian Medevac ever, transporting over 300,000 patients on our helicopters in the past 30 years.

DICK GELFMAN, CAR CRASH SURVIVOR: My name is Dick Gelfman and I was involved in a head-on collision, person coming in the other direction. Apparently fell asleep or was otherwise distracted and crossed over the centerline.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do about 8,000 missions a year. Of those 8,000 missions about 5,000 are MedEvac missions. We can get a patient within 25 minutes, we have over a 90 percent chance of guesting that patient to a trauma center within what we call the golden hour.

GELFMAN: I wouldn't be here right now if I hadn't been flown out.

JANNING: This is (INAUDIBLE) and the emergency medical resource center. This is the hub of our statewide communication system where calls come to when a helicopter is requested.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maryland has the best MedEvac system in the world. There are people who come from other countries to see what Maryland has done.

GELFMAN: I never got a bill for the helicopter ride. It's an amazing thing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In our system, we don't charge any patients for transport. It's paid for by a surcharge on vehicle registrations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a system that works. We have choppers that take people no matter -- it's not a question of who is injured, it's not a question whether the person is a child, an adult, a bad guy, a good guy, a cop or a crook. It's not that kind of a question. It's a question of here's a person in need we got to get him care. That's what a society ought to be doing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: Well, health care reform proposals continue to cause confusion and stir debate. What your health care questions? What are your concerns? You can send us your questions on FaceBook at Fredricka Whitfield CNN or our blog at CNN.com/newsroom. And then tune in today at 4:00 Eastern where our panel of guests will separate fact from fiction in this muddled health care debate.

It could be weeks before we know the winner in Afghanistan's presidential election. Today the vote count is going on and there's word of retaliation by Taliban against Afghans who did go the votes. A vote monitoring group says the Taliban sliced off the index fingers, those ink stained fingers of at least two people in Kandahar Province. CNN's Atia Abawi has the latest from Kabul.

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ATIA ABAWI, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: it has only been two days since Afghans headed to the poll for its second ever presidential elections but already two candidates claiming that they are in the lead. That's Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and current president Hamid Karzai campaigns both stating that they are the ones who have gotten the majority of the votes so far. Let's listen to what Dr. Abdullah had to say.

DR ABDULLAH ABDULLAH, AFGHAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I shouldn't confuse your viewers, I'm not claiming victory, but I am saying all the preliminary results which we have received so far, it's in my favor, it puts me in the lead, but we need to have the full picture and also the final results will be announced by the IEC.

ABAWI: President Hamid Karzai's campaign also stating that they are the ones with the majority of the votes, but will respect whatever the Independent Election Commission results will be.

WAHEED OMAN, KARZAI CAMPAIGN SPOKESMAN: Regardless of who the winner is, once again, we believe it was a huge success, the election in the south and we will respect the result of the election, whatever candidate is the winner, but our own assumption, based on all what we have heard and received and what we have seen so far, we're well ahead in the elections.

ABAWI: Respecting the IEC results is exactly what everyone has been asking for from the international community to the Afghan community, many afraid of post-election violence when results are expected to be finalized on September 17. All campaigns here have garnered a lot of support, thousands to tens of thousands of people showing up at different rallies and at the moment everyone asking these candidates to make sure that they speak to their supporters that if they do demonstrate, that the demonstrations are done peacefully.

Atia Abawi, CNN, Kabul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: And starting September 7th, Anderson Cooper is taking you inside Afghanistan. He's going to be live from the battle zone, there. An AC360 special report starting September 7, only on CNN.

Iraq's foreign minister warns of a bigger and more powerful attack in Baghdad's future. He said Wednesday's blast that killed more than 100 people may be a sign of things to come if the government does not shore up its own security lapses. He says the security situation has been deteriorating ever since American troops withdrew from cities and towns. He also says the attackers may have had inside help. Eleven high ranking security officials from the Iraqi army and police have been detained for investigation. Muslims around the world celebrating the first day of Ramadan today, it's the month long period of fasting, prayer and reflection. It's meant to teach patience, modesty and self restraint. President Obama taped a message to Muslims around the world who observe Ramadan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA (D), UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: On behalf of the American people, including Muslim communities in all 50 states, I want to extend best wishes to Muslims in America and around the world. Ramadan Kareem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Not in my backyard, it's the call many residents from a Michigan town reacting to the possibility that some GITMO detainees would be transferred there. This week hundreds of angry residents of Standish turned out for an emergency town hall meeting, a prison in the town is closing because of state budget cuts. Well, federal delegation toured that facility to see if they could contain some of the Guantanamo detainees there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're all for any other state wanting their prisoners here we don't want the terrorists in our backyard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: The Obama administration has pledged to close Guantanamo complex by 2010 and insists that no final decision has been made, though, on putting those detainees somewhere. They don't know where they will go yet.

Well, rocks flew, windows shattered and buildings were destroyed during a five hour prison riot in Kentucky. This happened last night at the North Point Training Center, it's a medium security lockup located south of Lexington. Officials say prisoners set fires to buildings and riot police resorted tear gas to subdue inmates. This morning officials are back in control and moving some prisoners to other facilities as they try to find out what sparked the riot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT DAVID JUDE, KENTUCKY STATE POLICE: Right now, we're happy to report to you that the facility is secure. The inmates are accounted for. We had minimal injuries which are still being assessed to the inmates. And as far as we know right now, minimal if any injuries at all to any staff or department of corrections personnel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: It seemed to all turn out OK. And in a statement released today the Kentucky governor, Steven Beshear, praised the works of officials for containing that riot without loss of life or any injury there. A hiker in Utah takes a bad fall into a narrow canyon and take a look, a helicopter managed to get him out. We've got that dramatic rescue.

And while the government debates health care for millions of uninsured Americans some people are doing something about it. It's our hero of the week.

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GRIFFIN: While the debate on health care reform continues in town halls and on talk radio, there are some people just rolling up their sleeves and making sure those who need it get help. That's the story of our CNN Hero this week. She started to helping others after surviving a health care crisis of her own.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Heroes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been completely denied all insurances.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been unemployed and basically have no income.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And they told me I had breast cancer. And I did not have any insurance, so I came here.

FAITH COLEMAN, FOUNDER, FLAGLER COUNTY FREE CLINIC: If they have no insurance, and they have no money, what's going to happen to them?

In 2003, I discovered that I had kidney cancer. I am a nurse practitioner but I have no health insurance. I was able to mortgage my house to pay for the surgery.

If it could happen to me, than certainly it could happen to anybody.

I'm Faith Coleman. I cofounded a free clinic for Americans who don't have health insurance. We welcome every patient here who is uninsured and who meets the federal poverty guidelines.

We usually see 80 patients every other weekend. We have what I call controlled chaos. It is busy, busy, busy, go, go, go.

Having kidney cancer was one of the best things that ever happened to me, for the one main reason is I can truly empathize with patients.

(BEGIN GRAPHIC)

Since 2005, Faith's clinic has provided free care and treatment to an estimated 6,700 uninsured patients.

(END GRAPHIC)

Any questions at all? Nothing you can think of? I'm going to see you back in here in two weeks. OK, awesome. Good.

I'm so proud of you.

We are treated equally, and we all have the same rights. I'm sorry the right to health care is just right up there with the rest of them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: You can find out more about faith or any of our heroes work at our Web site at CNN.com/heroes. And be sure to keep an eye out. In a few weeks we're going to announce the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2009.

Among our top stories, dozens of wildfires are burning in Greece. One major blaze appears to be closing in on the northern suburbs of Athens; 65 fires have broken out since late yesterday and hot dry conditions continuing. The government is warning more fires are likely, there.

In a sharply worded letter, FBI director Robert Mueller is condemning Scotland's decision to free that convicted terrorist. Mueller's letter to the Scottish justice secretary called the release "inexplicable" and "a mockery of the rule of law." Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi had been serving life for the 1988 bombing of Pan American flight over Lockerbie, Scotland. He was released this week on humanitarian grounds because he's dying of cancer.

Building the energy efficient home of the future. New home construction techniques save time, money and the environment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: In today's "Techno File" with Jacqui Jeras, the home construction industry is changing the way it does things. Jacqui is here to tell us all about it.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, well, you know, Drew, most people know homes can waste huge amounts of energy and we found a company that's building brand new modular homes with an eye on the pocketbook and the environment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): It doesn't look like a typical modular home.

MARK JUPITER, NEW WORLD HOMES: This looks like a house that's been part of this neighborhood for the last 100 years.

JERAS: Mark Jupiter is the co-founder of New World Homes. His company crates factory built modular homes that can be built faster than conventional homes and, he says, are extremely green.

JUPITER: What we wanted to do is create a house that right off the bat saves 50 percent to 70 percent consumption over an average home that you'll find in this country.

JERAS: Extensive use of foam insulation, motion light switches and this device which monitors energy consumption are just some of the new green technologies being used. And while modular homes can sometimes get a bad rap because of the way they are assembled.

JUPITER: I would challenge you to actually find where the sections are in these house because they're so well built and or tolerances are less than a half an inch.

JERAS: All of the homes are built on an assembly line in New Jersey. Jupiter says it just makes sense building homes in a factory setting where the climate, labor force and critical tolerances can all be controlled.

JUPITER: They are taken off the flat bed truck by a crane and erected and placed like Lego blocks on the foundation that was built before everything got here.

JERAS: And each block is already 85 percent complete.

JUPITER: It's sheetrock, there's even two coats of primer on the walls. The kitchen cabinets are installed, the counter tops are installed, the faucets are installed, the stairways.

JERAS: A tankless water heater, dual flush toilets and this foot activated kitchen faucet all help conserve water.

JUPITER: This alone saves about 3,000 gallons a year in water, where most people would just leave the water running.

JERAS: All the New World homes are a LEED and Earth Craft platinum as well as an NAHB gold certification.

JUPITER: That all translates into money savings, thousands and thousands of dollars for the life cycle of your mortgage.

JERAS: Jupiter says taking green to the next level is not only good for the environment, but it also means more green in your pocket.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

All those Holmes are also wired for renewable energy sources such as solar which can be added at a later time.

GRIFFIN: That is really cool. Modular home looks great.

Thank you, Jacqui Jeras for our "Techno File."

The Crash for Clunkers program officially ends Monday night but a key group of car dealers is asking the government to give them one more week to fill out that paperwork. The National Automobile Dealers Association says the problems with the government's computers application system means many clunker dial deals can be submitted on time. They say that the extra week will allow them to keep the program running through Monday night. So you still have until Monday night to get a deal done.

Four more U.S. banks went belly-up including Texas based Guaranty Bank making it third largest of the year. The FDIC says Spain's secondest largest bank will buy Guaranty, marking the first time an overseas bank has acquired a failed American bank this year. Also shutting their door, Alabama Capital South Bank. And in Georgia, regulators seized First Coweta, an Atlanta based ebank. The closures bring this year's total of failed banks to 81.

If you can't stop surfing the Web, you may be one of a growing number of people addicted to the Internet. Susan West of CNN affiliate KCPQ in Seattle reports on a rehab program For cyber junkies.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN WEST, KCPQ REPORTER: Do you spend countless hours surfing the net? Would you rather send an e-mail or a text message than meet in person? Do you sometimes fall asleep at your keyboard? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you may have an Internet addiction.

BEN ALEXANDER ADDICTED TO THE INTERNET: It fairly quickly got to the point where it was out of control.

WEST: Nineteen-year-old Ben Alexander is a talented musician, but he almost gave up his music and he even dropped out of the college in a quest to master World of War Craft.

ALEXANDER: At the most, it got up to about 16 or 17 hours a day.

WEST: Ben is an Iowa teen addicted to Internet gaming. He's already completed several addiction treatment brams in several different states and for the last 3-1/2 weeks has been part of an online detox program, the first of its kind now open in western Washington.

ALEXANDER: There's nothing wrong with being online, until it starts interfering with what you want to get out of life.

WEST: Located on five acres just a few miles from Microsoft's headquarters, the Restart Internet Addiction Recovery Program has opened its doors.

COSETTE RAE, RESTART ADDICTION RECOVERY: You know, we've really moved into an Internet nation.

WEST: The creators of Restart say Internet addiction is a growing problem affecting as much as 10 percent of the online population.

RAE: Our program is designed for someone who has lost complete balance. Everything is done online and the things they that they might have liked to do in real life, that they've forfeited doing those things.

WEST: The 45-day program focuses on helping Internet and video game addicts overcome their dependence on gaming, gabling, chatting, texting and others aspects of Internet addiction by helping them get excited about things they used to be passionate about.

Now Ben says he looks to the future, he wants to be a microbiologist and tutor kids and continue playing his violin.

ALEXANDER: I think I've made a lot of progress towards just being able to get back to my life and be successful.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: We're keeping tabs on Hurricane Bill. Residents along the East Coast are getting ready for a rough night.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: In "News Across America" now, a dramatic helicopter rescue, this took place in Utah. A hiker fell off a ledge and into a narrow canyon on Tuesday. In order to rescue him, crews had to land a chopper on a ledge, rappel down, strap the hiker to the stretcher and pull him out. We're told he's OK, but the fall knocked out most of his teeth.

A crowd gathered to watch a high school football practice in Ohio and watched in horror as a small plane crashed just behind the school gym. Ohio police confirmed two police were killed, both were in the plane as it went down. These pictures capture the plane nose diving before it actually hit the ground, there.

At this moment, Hurricane Bill is about 350 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts and moving north. IReport video shows high winds and rough surf the hurricane brought to Bermuda. Bill did cause some flooding on that island, but no casualties have been reported. Forecasters are now reporting people from New England to Newfoundland to be on alert. Let's go right to Jacqui Jeras who is tracking Bill in the Weather Center -- Jacqui.

JERAS: Hey yeah, like you said, Bill, about 350 miles away. Those impacts already being felt here in the U.S. coastline. And take a look what's happening now. You can see the outer bands starting to approach the U.S. coastline, and we'll really watch these waves continue to kick up as we head through the afternoon and then into the evening hours. The winds right now, you know, where the real strong ones are, much closer to the center of the storm. So we're not feeling much other than a regular old breeze for today, but as we head into late this evening and overnight tonight, we'll watch that Bill make that close approach to the cape, and we think that that's going to happen for the most part during the hours that a you're going to be sleeping.

Landfall possible here yet here over Nova Scotia and that will happen mid to late morning tomorrow, we think, for tomorrow. This storm will be weakening and will be a Category 1 at that time, but still have plenty of problems especially with those high surfs and strong some wind.

We're going to feel those strong winds across parts of the cape. There you can see a look over Nags Head, North Carolina, where we've had a lot of wave action for today. Now, take a look at these numbers of how high the breakers are going to be. You're going to see waves like this on the coastline, but you get out enough, certainly, to make you seasick if you're out there by boat and the threat of rip currents is so high today you really don't want to get out into the water, you want to stay into the coastal areas. Now, showers and thundershowers have been really heavy. There you can see on our radar picture, they're already moving across parts of Nantucket and heading toward Martha's Vineyard.

This is pretty light, but you're going to see some of those wind gusts as these squalls move on through. Now at the same time, there you can see showers and thundershowers inland due and that's due to the approaching cold front. And we can thank that cold front from keeping Bill at bay, though we may see some severe weather here across parts of Virginia into the Carolinas and the Delmarva area, large hail and damaging winds will be our primary concern, there.

Drew, back to you.

GRIFFIN: OK Jacqui, thank you so much. Well, today for an entire hour, we're answering you questions about health care. I'm Drew Griffin, Fredricka Whitfield is off today. And joining me, Angie Holan with PolitaFact.com and Lori Robertson with FactCheck.org. And just for the record, neither organization is aligned with either side in this national discussion. And our truth squad guru, Josh Levs.

Josh, let's get started. How many Americans are uninsured?

JOSH LEVS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Everything we look at, this is one of the most complicated issues. Take a look at what people have been saying.