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Health Care After Edward Kennedy; Swine Flu Fears; New Home Sales Surge

Aired August 26, 2009 - 13:58   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: He was a patriarch, an icon, an institution unto himself. But for all the ways Ted Kennedy made and changed history in his 47 years in the U.S. Senate, his causes are left to others to push forward. And the battle for health care reform is no less grueling in the wake of Kennedy's passing late last night from the brain tumor that he'd fought for 15 months.

We're just getting word that he'll lie in repose at his brother's presidential library before a funeral at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica on Mission Hill in Boston. And he's to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. And this hour, we're going to explore the senator's legacy and the prospects for what might have been his crowning achievement.

President Obama served with Kennedy relatively briefly and savored his hearty endorsement for the White House. Vice President Biden served with Kennedy for decades and could hardly contain his emotion when he spoke to reporters in Washington. Here's just a bit what we heard today from both men, beginning with the president, on holiday in Martha's Vineyard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The Kennedy name is synonymous with the Democratic Party. And at times, Ted was the target of partisan campaign attacks. But in the United States Senate, I can think of no one who engendered greater respect or affection from members of both sides of the aisle.

JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He changed the circumstances of tens of millions of Americans in a literal sense, literally, literally changed the circumstances. He changed also another aspect of (INAUDIBLE) about him. He changed not only their physical circumstance, he changed how they looked at themselves and how they looked at one another.

PHILLIPS: Like any number of social causes over the past half- century, health care had a champion in Edward Kennedy. And Kennedy had a lifelong friend in fellow Democratic Senator Chris Dodd.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRISTOPHER DODD (D), CONNECTICUT: The country lost a great advocate, and millions of people who counted on this guy every day to stand up for him. For decades to come, history will talk about his legislative accomplishments and the difference he made in public policy.

To me, I lost my best friend in the Senate. He was a great friend. He was here on many occasions right here on this river.

And so it's been a long year, a year and three months, but he died peacefully about 11:30. I talked to Mrs. Kennedy a little while ago. And he fought like a lion this last year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: So, where does Kennedy's passing leave the cause of his life?

Joining me to push that question forward, CNN senior political analyst Gloria Borger, senior political correspondent Candy Crowley and former Kennedy aide Joe Trippi.

Guys, just looking at what came out right after the announcement of Kennedy's passing. I mean, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, she wasted no time -- and we have documentation here -- that at 2:30 a.m., she was actually sending e-mails to reporters about his death and calling for the passage of health care overhaul.

Then, not long after that, Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, issuing a statement as well, once again calling for the passage. And then, South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn doing the same thing and saying, "But let his inspirational words -- use them as a guide to rise to our best ideals and finally provide decent, quality health care to all Americans as a fundamental right, not a privilege."

I guess my question is, all this emotion, all these statements right after his death was announced. Is this going to get it past, Gloria?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I don't think necessarily, Kyra. I think that you're not going to have people change their points of view. But I think the irony here is that if Ted Kennedy had been in the Senate and had been able to be involved on a day-to-day basis, and had been advising the president on a day-to- day basis, that perhaps more compromises could have been made along the way that would have contributed to passing health care.

So, I don't think this is going to change people's minds overnight. It may change the tone of the debate, hopefully, a little bit. But in the end, people are going to vote the way they are going to vote.

PHILLIPS: Candy, who is the next face of health care? Is it Dodd?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: There is no face of health care at this particular point. Certainly, Senator Dodd is in there. But we have seen, for instance, that Senator Baucus has been in there. Kent Conrad has been in there. None of them have the kind of throw weight that Ted Kennedy had in terms of getting things done.

I think to your primary question, that you will hear his name invoked a lot on the Senate floor and on the House floor. But you will hear it invoked by Republicans as well, to Gloria's point, saying, you know what? Ted Kennedy also knew when to take 75 percent; he would have worked with us.

So, I think that you will hear that over time. I would be not at all surprised if whatever comes out might bear his name as a piece of legislation. But in terms of moving things, I don't think so. But you will hear his name a lot as this debate moves forward in September.

PHILLIPS: Joe, who is going to take his seat? Is it going to be a member of the Kennedy family or someone else?

JOE TRIPPI, FORMER KENNEDY AIDE: Oh, I don't have any idea. I don't think anybody does right now.

I do think that -- I agree with Gloria that, had he been active in the debate in the Senate, and working both sides of the aisle, we probably wouldn't be where we are today in terms of the acrimonium (ph). And I think we would be a lot closer to passage of something real.

That's what his life's goal was. That's what he fought for his whole life.

And I think, you know, it came a lot from his family, his own situation with health care. His son, Teddy, Jr., had cancer, Kyra. Had lung cancer.

He felt privileged that he could provide them the kind of care and pay for the kind of care, and afford the kind of expertise to help them, and felt that every American should have the right. And that's what I think he was fighting for. And had he been there, we would be a lot better off today in terms of getting something passed.

PHILLIPS: What do you think, Joe, it was about -- what was it about him that he could do that nobody else could do? I mean, even his relationship with certain Republicans was pretty astounding.

TRIPPI: Well, he wasn't -- he knew what he wanted to fight for, but he also treated everybody with respect, and treated the other side with respect, and listened, which is something not a lot of us do in politics today. There is a lot of yelling at the other side, but not enough listening to find some place where there is common ground.

And that's what he always strove for. He strove for common ground, for common good. And he knew that the common good was passing health care as a right for every American. That's what he was continuing to fight for.

I mean, that's the tragic loss here, is that, you know, right now, when his life's goal is sitting there in the Senate and the House, and in jeopardy, he is not alive to fight for it. But as he said many times, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives.

PHILLIPS: Go ahead, Gloria.

BORGER: You know, Kyra, he was a rare politician who learned lessons from his experiences. And he told his staff quite often that one of the biggest political mistakes he ever made was when Richard Nixon offered him some imperfect version of health care reform, of universal health care reform, and he turned it down. He turned down the compromise. He didn't think it was good enough. He was a much younger legislator then.

That wouldn't be the Ted Kennedy you would have seen today working on health care reform, because he learned a lesson from that. He knew when to cut a deal. He knew when to compromise. He knew how to work with George Bush on No Child Left Behind, or with John McCain on immigration reform.

And so, I think this is a politician who, unlike a lot of other politicians who have come to Washington for a few years and leave, he was a career legislator and understood exactly how to get things done, and brought a lot of power to any relationship he was in politically, and could cut a deal.

PHILLIPS: Candy, we've got to button it up, but push us forward, leave us with a thought here.

CROWLEY: Well, I think one of the things that the Senate now lacks is just that power that Gloria was talking about, somebody that people would coalesce around, because one of Senator Kennedy's great strengths in striking some of these deals with George Bush or Ronald Reagan or someone across the aisle was that no Democrat could touch him as not being a real Democrat.

I mean, he was a Democrat's Democrat, and he used that to form relationships with Republicans to get half a loaf or three-quarters of a loaf. And I just don't see anyone there right now that can step up to that plate.

PHILLIPS: Gloria, Candy, Joe, we've got to leave it there. Thanks, guys. I know we'll be talking more, especially within the next five months.

BORGER: Sure.

PHILLIPS: We're going to continue to cover the passing of Senator Kennedy. A bit later, we're going to hear from one of his most bitter rivals, a rival from his own party, and how the two foes became two friends.

Now let's leave health care reform for a moment and talk about straight-up health. It's threatened by a growing number of possible swine flu cases.

College campuses could be a real hotbed for the H1N1 var russ. Why? Well, lots of students living close together, not always remembering to cough into their elbows or pack Purell in their backpack

George Howell with Atlanta affiliate WSB shows us how two schools are taking no chances with sick students.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE HOWELL, REPORTER, WSB (voice-over): With all of the concerns about swine flu on the Georgia Tech campus, Zach Smith (ph) felt it best to get checked out.

ZACH ROSS, GEORGIA TECH STUDENT: They want you to come in case you have any flu-like symptoms, and I figured I usually wouldn't come in like this, but all the hype about H1N1, I might as well.

HOWELL: School officials are urging people who feel sick to stay home and immediately set up an appointment with health services on campus. Officials say the strategy is to approach every single case of flu as if it were swine flu.

KATHY ALLAN, INTERIM MEDICAL DIRECTOR, GEORGIA TECH: We're not testing all patients. If they have the right symptoms, we're treating them for suspected influenza or H1N1, because that's the main influenza that's floating around.

HOWELL: So far, about 100 cases of suspected flu have been reported at Georgia Tech. At smaller schools, like Georgia Highlands College, one reported case of the flu has sparked heightened awareness.

DANA DAVIS, GEORGIA HIGHLANDS COLLEGE: We've sent out lists of preventive measures, coughing in your elbow, wiping off surfaces that are commonly used by many people with disinfectant wipes.

HOWELL: Officials even passed out hand sanitizers to students and staff, a bottle that Correy Biggers says he will use, especially since he's feeling under the weather.

CORREY BIGGERS, STUDENT: I cough into my hands rather than my elbow, like you're supposed to, and I guess that could spread it. I hadn't thought about it. Fortunately, I got some free sanitizer, so I can use that now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: George Howell of WSB, reporting on two schools there in Georgia.

Let's go ahead and bring in our Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen to look at a bit of the bigger picture.

Maybe we should start with -- and you and I were just taking a look at it.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: We just did, right.

PHILLIPS: Yes, it's coming across, this letter that's going out to students at the University of Knoxville.

COHEN: Right, the University of Knoxville in Tennessee.

What we've heard (AUDIO GAP) H1N1. Most cases are mild. And, in fact, they put in bold letters, "Most people who contract this virus will not need to seek a doctor's treatment. So they're telling students, basically, do not panic.

We're also hearing about illnesses in other campuses. For example, the University of Kansas, 118 cases of possible swine flu. And also at the University of Georgia. They have 58 cases of the flu. They don't know if it's swine flu or not.

But the bottom line is that there's a lot of flu activity at colleges, and that's really unusual in August. You don't usually see this happening, and likely the reason is that it's because it's swine flu, which hasn't taken a summer vacation.

PHILLIPS: All right. So, I'm taking my daughter to college. And what's your advice?

COHEN: First of all, don't panic. I mean, I think people hear swine flu and they freak out. And it's important to remember, as they are saying at the University of Tennessee, that most of the time, people do just fine with H1N1. They're sick for a couple of days and it's over.

However, you should come up with a plan. In other words, say to your child, you know what? If you get sick, you may have to isolate yourself in your dorm room. Your roommate may move out and you may be there by yourself.

Think about what you're going to do. Think about how we're going to plan for this.

Also, consult with a doctor beforehand if your child has any underlying illnesses such as asthma. Swine flu may be much more dangerous for that particular person. And you want to think about ta before your child gets sick.

PHILLIPS: And how will I know if it, indeed, is swine flu or regular flu?

COHEN: You know, here is the issue -- you won't. If you have a fever and body aches and chills and all of that, you have no way of knowing whether you have H1N1 or just regular flu, or perhaps some other virus. I think that people think that they will know immediately, and they won't.

And what's interesting, Kyra, is that when you go to the doctor, they are likely not going to test you. You may show up sick and they'll say sort of the equivalent of "Take two aspirins and call me in the morning." They may not really care if it's swine flu or not.

PHILLIPS: Is that OK? COHEN: That is OK, because they're treating it just like a flu. And so they're going to do whatever they can. But it doesn't really matter in some ways whether or not it's swine flu.

PHILLIPS: Got it. Thanks, Elizabeth.

COHEN: Thanks.

PHILLIPS: A swirling massive clouds in the tropics grows into Tropical Storm Danny, and now parts of the U.S. are starting to keep a close eye on it.

Is it a threat? Our Chad Myers will tell us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, we've got much more on Senator Ted Kennedy's death ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM, but first, some very positive news for the U.S. economy. New home sales way up last month.

Our personal finance editor, Gerri Willis, joins us now from New York with the good news.

Let's go ahead and break down the numbers, Gerri.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hi there, Kyra.

Yes, new home sales did jump. In fact, they rose in July to the highest level since last September. Let's look at those numbers.

They were up 9.6 percent, a big surprise to analysts, at 433,000. That's up from 395,000 in the previous month. These numbers of course coming from the government, the Census Department, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

And, of course, for the housing market, it's good news, but it's also good news for the broader economy, because housing can support so many jobs when its firing on all cylinders. And, of course, once people buy a new home, they also buy furniture and all kinds of things to put in that house -- rugs, you name it. So, it's a real boom to the economy when we see this kind of activity -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Well, what do these numbers say about the state of the housing market?

WILLIS: Yes, which is critically important to everybody; right? It looks like that housing has formed its bottom and may be starting to improve. That's what a lot of numbers would seem to be telling us, especially new home sales today.

But also, if you take a look at where existing home sales have been, we've had four consecutive months of improvements in existing home sales. Even home prices would appear to be off their bottom for the three months ended in June. That quarter, we saw prices move ahead 2.9 percent. That's all good news for the housing market. And as you know, Kyra, that's critical to consumer confidence. If people think their home prices are increasing, they are more likely to spend money on their own on other items as well, and that helps fuel the entire economy -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Gerri. Thanks.

WILLIS: My pleasure.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Senator Ted Kennedy was a fighter all his life. His death last night came after a long and grueling battle against brain cancer. And today, he is being remembered at a global cancer summit in Dublin, Ireland.

Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, is at the summit.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, we're here in Dublin, Ireland. As you know, Ted Kennedy is Irish-American, his ancestry from here in Ireland. It's also the home of the Global Cancer Summit. And as you might imagine, the discussions today really all surrounding Ted Kennedy, his impact on cancer, and a lot of what's happened to him over the last several months.

I talked to several people today, including the CEO of LIVESTRONG, an organization that has really brought this Global Cancer Summit together. I asked the CEO specifically about the impact of Ted Kennedy on cancer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG ULMAN, PRESIDENT, LIVESTRONG: Well, he's had a great influence on it. I mean, he spent his career fighting on behalf of people who were sick and overcoming challenges. And I'll never forget the first time we visited with him in Washington, D.C.

And we're in his office, and before we started the meeting, he took us over to this wall in his office where there were just so many family photos and so much history. And he pointed to a photo of Teddy, Jr. skiing down a mountain. And Teddy, of course, is a survivor of osteosarcoma. And he started crying, telling the story of his son's battle with cancer and the impact that that had on his family, and it was really moving. I'll never forget that moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUPTA: I think it's a story a lot of people don't know. Teddy, Jr., also having a type of bone tumor. So, the Kennedys had dealt with cancer before.

When we talk about this type of malignant glioma, Kyra, as you've been hearing all day, no doubt, the average survival, right around 14 months. We talk about surgery. We talk about radiation, chemotherapy. But despite all that, the average life span, life expectancy, right around 14 months. Ted Kennedy surviving since May of last year, about 15 months.

There are some things sort of in the pipeline, so to speak. They talk about vaccines, sort of getting the body's own immune system to try and target the brain tumor.

They also talk about different types of therapies, including something known as monoclonal antibody therapy. You don't need to remember the name, but that's when you sort of pair radiation in a targeted way to attack the tumor and the tumor only.

People are hoping for some sort of genetic breakthrough so that one day there might be a gene therapy. But again, as for now, the statistics are pretty grim when it comes to this particular type of tumor, Kyra. A lot of work to do.

We are here at the Global Cancer Summit. As we get more information, we'll certainly bring it to you.

Back to you for now.

PHILLIPS: Sanjay Gupta, thanks so much.

And our iReporters have been busy sharing their thoughts on the passing of Senator Kennedy.

CNN's Josh Levs has been following that for us.

Josh, what did you find?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Hey there, Kyra.

You know, we've got this page set up for it at iReport.com right now. It's the main topic, remembering Ted Kennedy.

A lot of people weighing in. A lot of our iReporters today are talking about the loss of him in the context of the fight over health care.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Teddy, the deal-maker. Even though he was a symbol of American liberalism in politics, and was a punching bag for the hard right for decades, people actually respected him because he stood for something.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is incumbent upon our president to ensure in his time of governance that he looks to this great senator's accomplishments as a catalyst of becoming that which the senator knew he could be in getting his illusive goal of universal health care for all (INAUDIBLE) in law. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My only regret and what I'm saddened to see is that he will not be able to cast his vote come September 15th for the Patients' Choice Act of 2009. I know that that was a very important bill tied close to his heart.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: And we're getting similar comments on the blog, too, at CNN.com/Kyra, or CNN.com/Josh. Let me just show you an example here of what people have been writing us today.

This first one comes from Joan, who says, "I would say to all of his associate senators, in lieu of flowers, pass health care. If you really care about Senator Kennedy like you say you do, we shall see if your words today mean anything."

And we got this from Chrissy: "Senator Kennedy asked us to face the challenges regardless of the threat. We must fight, or else millions of Americans will find themselves literally dying."

I will tell you, I've looked through lots and lots of comments to see if there are people who have comments about Senator Kennedy but oppose some of what's going on now in the push for health care reform. I haven't seen that so far. But no matter where you stand, we definitely want to hear from you.

In that context, I'm going to show you one more thing which is from my Facebook page, which is a little bit interesting. Brian Fegely wrote this. He said, "I hope this is the end of the dynastic right to elected office."

So, the conversation has broadened out. But we certainly invite you to participate at the blog, or over here, at iReport.com. Your thoughts on the loss of Senator Ted Kennedy on this day that is so sad for so many -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Josh.

Flowers outside the Washington office of Ted Kennedy. In my lifetime, many yours, and pretty much anyone under 50, Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts has been a given.

We continue to push forward his story with the people who fought with him and against him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: More coverage now on the death of Senator Ted Kennedy.

1980 might have been the closest he got to the presidency. He had to knock out the incumbent from his own party to steal the nomination. Of course that didn't happen. But today, former president Jimmy Carter talked about the bitter rivalry became a friendship.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The Democratic party division that was promulgated between the Kennedy group and mine never was healed during that summertime and the fall campaign. That was one of the factors that was important in the general election. But after that occurred and even before I went out of office, Ted Kennedy and I were completely reconciled as far as friendship is concerned.

Since then, whenever I had a major problem that dealt with the (INAUDIBLE) business overseas or in any way related to health or welfare or the benefit of poor people in this country or others, I have called on Ted Kennedy as a friend. He has always been fully supportive. So, those political skirmishes were soon forgotten, and the friendship prevailed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: We know more about plans for Senator Ted Kennedy's final farewell. Beginning Thursday afternoon through Friday afternoon, the senator's body will lie in repose at the JFK Library Smith Center in Boston. Then Friday evening at 7:00 p.m., a memorial service takes place at the library. Then Saturday morning, the family will hold a private funeral for Ted Kennedy at a Boston church, Our Lady of Perpetual Health Basilica. And then Saturday evening, Senator Kennedy's burial will take place at Arlington National Cemetery.

For more on the burial in Arlington, let's go now to CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. She's following that for us. Barbara?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, it will be a U.S. military aircraft that will bring Senator Kennedy back to Washington for the final time, we are told. Arlington officials have been in contact with the Kennedy family over the last several weeks. And the arrangements are this.

They have agreed on a site about 100 feet from the final resting place of Senator Robert Kennedy, on the hillside, on the same hillside where both Robert Kennedy and President Kennedy are buried. Perhaps the most famous hillside in Washington. This is a place where, as you can see, the eternal flame at President Kennedy's grave site that attracts thousands of visitors every year at Arlington National Cemetery. People from all over the world come here.

On Saturday, this funeral, of course, will be under very secure circumstances. But it is interesting that they picked a Saturday. Arlington right now, sadly, is a very busy place. They hold about 30 funerals a day, not just for those fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan, actually, but many of the World War II and Korean generation are dying off. They don't really want to -- they had already planned to commit to all the funerals, no matter what day Senator Kennedy's funeral was. But by making it on a weekend, it does make it a bit easier for everybody.

This will be a congressional funeral. Military honors rendered at the graveside after an agreement with the family, of course. There may be military pallbearers, a gun salute and a bugler. All the same honors that are rendered to those who have fallen in service to their country. It's worth noting Senator Kennedy was in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1953. He served overseas in Europe. He is a veteran. He will be given all of those same honors as a serving member of Congress. Kyra?

PHILLIP: Thanks, Barbara.

Tonight at 7:00, CNN will air HBO's documentary film "Teddy: In His Own Words." It chronicles Senator Kennedy's remarkable life from his childhood through his speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. It includes rarely seen archival footage. That's HBO's "Teddy: In Hiw Own Words." Tonight, 7:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.

Shake 'n' bake. It is not just for chicken anymore. An old recipe is new again with meth cooks. The unappetizing details straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: She was found murdered in her own church. The local prosecutor says Sunday's slaying of 61-year-old carol Daniels is the most horrific crime scene he has seen. And today, a prosecutor is warning other pastors in that town to take security prosecutions.

Another story out of Oklahoma. This one with a possible nationwide impact. It's called shake 'n bake, but not the method you are probably thinking of. This recipe is deadly. And it's for homemade meth that's giving narco cops new concerns in the ongoing drug war. Charles Vasset (ph) from CNN affiliate KWTV reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHARLES VASSET (ph) KWTV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is what the old meth labs look like. A lot of chemicals, equipment and a lot of cold or allergy tablets containing pseudoephedrine, the active ingredient in meth.

MARK WOODWARD, OKLAHOMA BUREAU OF NARCOTICS: It would take about four hours to convert all of this into a half ounce or an ounce of meth.

VASSET: This is what authorities are now seeing. It's called a shake 'n bake lab. The entire thing fits in a small shopping bag.

WOODWARD: You are literally looking at one or two boxes of Sudafed, a few ingredients you can get at any local store. You don't need a bunch of Crock Pots, fruit jars and hot plates. Essentially, you are taking all the same ingredients and putting them into two- liter or 20-ounce bottles like this.

VASSET: It's actually an old recipe that has resurfaced but just as dangerous. In Tulsa this year, two separate incidents involving shake 'n bake labs resulted in fires that left three people dead. So far, the labs have mainly been a problem in the Tulsa area.

WOODWARD: It is a matter of time, I think, before we start to see this recipe widespread around Oklahoma and not just confined to the Tulsa area.

VASSET: In 2004, Oklahoma enacted a law that puts products containing pseudoephedrine behind the pharmacy counter. The number of meth labs dropped by more than 90 percent. Lawmakers are now revisiting the issue.

LUCKY LAMONS, OKLAHOMA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: They have figured out they can make just as much methamphedamine that they need. They don't have to go buy it. They can get the ingredients by themselves.

VASSET: The next step? Possibly requiring a prescription for the drug.

LAMONS: In order to get it, you are going to have to have a doctor say you are able to get it. And so, that's what we're looking at.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Our reporter Charles Vasset (ph) from KWTV also tells us the state representative plans to meet with law enforcement about the meth problem in October.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission announcing recalls of millions of window blinds and shades following the deaths of three children who became entangled in the cords. The government says the deaths involved blinds or shades made by Imported or Vertical Land (ph), Inc. in Florida and Lewis Highman, Inc. in California.

In Los Angeles, a big worry for people with breathing problems. Smoke from a wildfire in the San Gabriel Mountains covers much of that region. The blaze has burned at least 750 acres. Right now, only about 10 percent contained. With high temps and low humidity, ted flag warnings are in place across much of the area now.

And update on some new trouble in the Tropics. Tropical Storm Danny has formed east of the Bahamas and it might be impacting the U.S. East Coast just days from now. Chad Myers has been tracking it. Chad, what you got now?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Let's talk about both of them. We are already here, and I can do that on my wall. We will talk about Danny first of all. There it is. A storm that's not very well organized. The center of Danny is well off to the west of where all the convection is.

How does that matter? Well, for a hurricane to be big, it needs to be all the way around. It is making its own little weather pattern there. This is not doing that yet. The only problem is that Danny, according to stormpulse.com, our friends there, may be making a run close to Cape Hatteras there or possibly up into New England. That's the rub right there.

Now, this is kind of the same path that Bill took. Although Danny is not nearly as strong where it is as Bill was in the same spot in its lifetime.

Now, we will take you to California. There is San Diego. There is L.A. right there. We will zoom you in and get you up to the north of L.A. Right along the mountains. There is Covina. We will fly you up to Morris Dam. This is the area we are seeing all of the smoke. Notice how rugged the area is. Here is the dam right through here. This is the national forest part of this. There are lakes through here. That's where these tankers are getting their water.

Here is a live shot from KCAL, KCBS, our affiliate. There is a plane flying through there. I just saw that plane drop phoschek on the fire. It's that red stuff that flies out of the bottom of the aircraft. They have helicopters. They have about 600 people working on the fire, firefighters as well. It's in a rugged area right now. They are going to have trouble getting this out.

The big threat, I think, today, is the heat. You mentioned that. When it gets very hot, it gets very dry. There aren't that many winds out there. You can see how we almost don't have a picture here because of all the smoke. Look at that! That's not a cloud. That is smoke. That may be a little bit tough for the firefighters, especially in the helicopters and planes to get to the fires. You can't fly through that. You don't know where the next mountain is. Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Chad.

MYERS: Sure.

PHILLIPS: Good news might be good, but it isn't always the truth. Why would the Pentagon let a PR firm judge reporters? The basis? How much good news did they write about the military.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: They are counting the ballots, the bombs and the bodies in Afghanistan. This morning, a government official from one of the country's northern provinces was blown up on his way to work. Meantime, the Taliban deny involvement in yesterday's blast in Kandahar that killed dozens of people. All of this happening after the presidential election.

CNN's Atia Abawi in the capital of Kabul. Atia? It doesn't seem like anything is calming down.

ATIA ABAWI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely not, Kyra. Right now, Afghanistan is in a bit of chaos; it has been for a very long time now. The Taliban not claiming responsibility for the blasts in Kandahar that ripped through the city killing at least 43 people. But when you look at it, they are not denying it, either.

What they are trying to tell you is that they don't want to be blamed for killing civilians. Civilians are a big part of winning the war in Afghanistan, whether you are the coalition troops or the militants. You are fighting for the support because no war in Afghanistan has ever been won without the civilian support. In the meantime, ballots are still being counted. Seventeen percent of the ballots already counted so far. That's about a million votes. President Karzai, the incumbent, getting about 432,000. Dr. Abdullah, his rival, about 330,000. That's a difference of about 100,000 votes. We expect that gap to widen when we get more votes from the south. The volatile areas where we expect that President Karzai will get more support. The candidate in Afghanistan needs at least 50 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff. Kyra?

PHILLIPS: Atia Abawi, we will keep following it. Thanks.

Just quit. One of the state's most prominent Republicans, Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer, is calling for Governor Sanford to step aside. So now, the South Carolina leader -- his days may be numbered there in Columbia. The embattled GOP governor has steadily been losing support since June when his affair with an Argentinean woman comes to light. Here's what Bauer said just a few hours ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GOV. ANDRE BAUER, SOUTH CAROLINA: Things have changed. Regrettably, we have reached a point where we must all, for the interest of the people of South Carolina first. It is in my opinion that the best interests that the people of South Carolina can no longer be served by the current administration. The serious misconduct that's already been revealed, along with lingering questions and continuing distractions, make it virtually impossible for our state to solve the critical problems we are facing without a change in leadership.

That is why I now must call upon Governor Sanford, in the interest of our state, to resign. To spare the taxpayers the expense and distraction of the multiple legal processes, which are now being considered.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Governor Sanford has resisted previous calls for his resignation. If he did step aside, Bauer would serve out Sanford's remaining term.

A Republican senator faces heated questions in an emotional plea in this make-or-break month for health care reform. The senator, who is also a doctor, says the current proposals are the wrong prescription. CNN's Jim Acosta reports.

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JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At this Oklahoma city megachurch, Republican senator Tom Coburn was preaching to a conservative choir on health care reform.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think most of us here would like to see you and Sarah Palin in the White House.

SEN. TOM COBURN (R), OKLAHOMA: Well, that isn't going to happen. ACOSTA: When one woman didn't like Coburn's response on prescription drugs...

UNIDENFIED FEMALE: I am not a dumb person. I am a minority in Oklahoma. I am a Democrat.

ACOSTA: ... some of the crowd started shouting and they weren't saying amen.

COBURN: Wait a minute, guys. Wait a minute. I want to make a point here. One of the things that's wrong with our country is we don't allow real legitimate debate.

ACOSTA: Coburn, who is also a practicing physician, took questions only a doctor could answer at a town hall earlier this week. A woman pleaded for his health. Coburn told us his office is getting her help in her community, as it should be.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My husband has traumatic brain injury. His health insurance will not cover him to even drink. And what I need to know is, are you going to help him?

COBURN: First of all, yes, we will help. The first thing we can do is see what we can do individually to help you.

ACOSTA: He told us his office is getting her help in her community, as it should be, he says.

COBURN: We have had several people call us and say they are willing to help her, citizens. The question is...

ACOSTA (off camera): Can you do that with millions of uninsured people in this country that are in the same boat?

COBURN: They are not in the same boat. Don't exaggerate. Most people...

ACOSTA: There aren't millions of people...

COBURN: Let me answer. You going to ask me a question? Let me answer it.

ACOSTA: When you hear those personal stories, does it at all change your position on this issue?

COBURN: No.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Coburn says he too is sick of the insurance companies.

COBURN: As a practicing physician who has experienced the discrimination of insurance companies based not on medical facts, never putting their hand on a patient, telling me what I can and cannot do to a patient. There is something wrong with that.

ACOSTA: The doctor is a firm believer that government insurance programs with public option is the wrong medicine.

(off camera): If the president drops the public option, could you support him?

COBURN: Well, it depends on what's in it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: That was our Jim Acosta. If you want to check out all things health care, go to CNN.com/health care. You can even find out about the closest town hall meeting to you.

You have got to be kidding to me. Listen to this story. So, you are a reporter and you want to be embedded with the military to show how America's blood and money are being spent in Afghanistan, minus military spin. Well, you have got to get past a PR firm first. The Renden (ph) Group. One of Renden's criteria wreaks more of George Orwell than George Washington.

What is it? Quote, "how much good news have you written about the military lately?". Apparently, that's part of how Rendon analyzes the media for its big, five-sided client outside DC. They came under fire around the start of the Iraq war. Critics claim the Pentagon hired the firm to basically gin up support for the war.

Renden says it does grade how a subject is broadly covered by multiple media outlets. And the Pentagon says, commanders don't reject requests from reporters because their prior military reporting may have been negative. But here is what they don't say. Commanders take those marching orders from the PR firm. The question is, why is a PR firm beholden to a big client ultimately deciding what gets reported from the war?

He is either bold or has a wish to spend the rest of his life behind bars. His line of work, robbing banks. He goes to work without a mask. We are going to look at what the G-men are doing to nab the guy.

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PHILLIPS: Pushing forward on the death of the man who could go down as the greatest senator of his time. We now know he will lie in repose Thursday and Friday at the John f. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston. His private funeral mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Perpetual Health Basilica on Saturday. Saturday evening, he will be buried near his brothers Jack and Bobby in Arlington Cemetery. As we've told you, Ted Kennedy lost his toughest battle when he died of brain cancer at 77 years old.

He is bold and daring and it seems he may have a death wish. He is a bank robber who doesn't even wear a mask.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): Ten banks robbed across four Southeastern states. Brazen heists, police say, by this man caught on surveillance cameras. Authorities think it all started with a robbery in Louisville, Kentucky, last May. The string continued into North Carolina, South Carolina, and then, two robberies in Tennessee just last week.

What FBI agents say they find surprising is the blatant disregard for hiding his identity.

KEITH KEITHLEY, FBI SPECIAL AGENT: Really, uncommon just to come into a bank and show his face like he has.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In this surveillance video, the alleged robber can be seen apparently casing a bank in Fletcher, North Carolina, the second known bank to be robbed. If you look closely, you can see him speaking into a walkie-talkie. Later, he calmly walks out of the bank with a bag of money.

They think he also used a wireless phone headset in the third heist in Forest Acres, South Carolina. A law enforcement source says those two robberies have prompted then to explore the possibility of an accomplice.

FBI agent Stephen Emmett says bank robberies are not as lucrative as the public tends to believe. Usually, robbers are stealing to feed a drug habit.

STEPHEN EMMETT, FBI SPECIAL AGENT: When you have an individual going into a bank with a gun in a reckless manner, and now he might actually be on drugs and strung out on drugs. So, that makes this even more imperative to get this individual off the street before anybody gets hurt...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In an attempt to get this robber off the street, the FBI has placed digital billboard ads across eight Southern states.

EMMETT: So, we try to reserve the billboards for the more mobile, more egregious, violent offenders.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The billboards have led to the arrest of more than 20 fugitives since the FBI started using them last year. But some of the more important clues from this case are not on the billboard.

EMMETT: What it's not showing is the handgun in his right hand, pointing directly at the victim teller. It's also not showing the very distinctive tatoos all up and down his forearms.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tatoos that can be easily recognized by friends, family, or even people associated with possible past crimes.

EMMETT: In addition to a family member or friend, somebody's going to recognize this individual. Maybe a probation officer. Maybe a former cellmate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: While there have been no injuries from the robberies, the FBI considers this man extremely dangerous. KEITHLEY: He's put the gun in the faces of tellers. Threatened to use the gun against them and threatened violence against the bank themselves. So, certainly, we need to get this guy in custody before he does harm someone.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Now, the FBI tells the electronic billboard exposure and the coverage on CNN and CNN.com have led to calls and tips that they are checking out. If you know anything about this suspect, call the FBI hotline number, 423-282-8090.

We'll see you back here tomorrow. Rick Sanchez picks it up from here.