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Contractors Gone Wild?: Security Firm in Kabul Under Scrutiny; Firefighters Make Some Progress in California Blaze; Wildfires Cost Whole Country; Principal Defends Right to Access Student Web Pages
Aired September 02, 2009 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Tony, thanks so much.
Wild times in a war zone.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will have zero tolerance for the type of conduct that is alleged in this document.
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PHILLIPS: Kabul, Afghanistan, contractors watch over diplomats, but who's watching over the contractors? We're pushing forward on a bombshell report on embassy security, American standing, and taxpayer dollars. You won't believe these pictures.
One hundred and forty thousand acres and counting. A week-old wildfire is still growing north of L.A., and so are the costs to fight it. We're pushing forward on the fire lines and the bottom line.
And is anything private in private schools? Is everything online public? Tweet me with your thoughts on social networking, students, and principals who want to keep tabs.
Hello, everyone, I'm Kyra Phillips, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
The stakes are high, the risk is high, the pressure's high. Protecting the U.S. embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, is not a job for the weak or unprofessional, and it may not be a job for the people who are doing it right now and have been doing it for years.
We're pushing forward on the outrageous, off-duty behavior of private contractors hired by the U.S. State Department. The state is investigating. Congress wants answers, and we're just getting started on our coverage.
An independent watchdog group cites deviant hazing and humiliation among supervisors, guards, and new recruits of the firm called ArmorGroup North America. Details now from CNN's State Department correspondent, Jill Dougherty.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The American embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. In August, the target of rocket attacks and suicide bombings. Now, allegations that the contractor, hired by the State Department to protect that embassy, for years has created conditions that threaten its security.
The report by the independent Project on Government Oversight, or POGO, cites complaints from nearly 10 percent of the guards working for the ArmorGroup North America, now owned by Wackenhut Services, Inc. The most explosive, charges of what POGO calls "deviant hazing and humiliation."
POGO says it obtained these photos, showing superiors and other guards off duty hazing some new recruits, including images of half naked men in compromising sexual positions with what appears to be alcohol, all highly offensive in a Muslim country. Guards who objected, they say, were ridiculed, demoted and even fired.
CNN communicated with one guard, who confirmed the authenticity of the photos.
DANIELLE BRIAN, PROJECT ON GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT: The impact for the job, though, is a total breakdown in the chain of command, a total lack of respect on the part of the guard force for the supervisors because of this kind of behavior.
DOUGHERTY: POGO also says other problems undermined morale, including hiring an insufficient number of guards. The ones on duty were sleep-deprived, lacked proper training and adequate armored vehicles.
There was constant personnel turnover. Near 30 two-thirds of the guards, they say, couldn't adequately speak English. And it charges Afghan nationals working for the embassy were mistreated.
It's just the latest in a long history of complaints against the company that started under the Bush administration.
IAN KELLY, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: The secretary and the department have made it clear that we will have zero tolerance for the type of conduct that is alleged in these documents.
DOUGHERTY: For the past two years, the State Department repeatedly criticized the company for its poor performance. In this letter from June 2007, it warned the security of the U.S. embassy in Kabul is in jeopardy.
Yet in July, the Obama administration renewed the contract for another year, with the option to extend until 2012.
BRIAN: They said, you know, "We are now convinced everything's fine, and then they reissued the contract for another year." So, I think the State Department is an equal partner in the problem here.
DOUGHERTY: A Senate subcommittee criticized the State Department for publicly defending the company, calling the department's handling of the contractor "a case study of how mismanagement and lack of oversight can result in poor performance. At times, the security of the U.S. embassy in Kabul may have been placed at risk."
(on camera) The head of that subcommittee, Senator Claire McCaskill, says the State Department's testimony appears to be misleading at best, and she is demanding all relevant documents.
The State Department meanwhile says its inspector general has launched an investigation.
CNN has contacted that contractor, Wackenhut Services, Inc., but so far they have not responded to those allegations.
Jill Dougherty, CNN, the State Department.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And I should add that we made a call also to Wackenhut, and we are told that we will get a statement sometime today. We'll bring it to you as soon as we get it.
In the meantime let's talk a little bit more about these allegations and what happens next with the executive director of the Project on Government Oversight -- you saw her in that piece -- Danielle Brian.
You know, Danielle, hazing is one thing, OK. The immature behavior we can talk about in a second, but, you know, this is the embassy. This is where your VIPs are, the ones that are making, you know, crucial decisions about war activity in a war zone. And you're talking about guys that are -- are carrying on security that don't even speak English. They're using pantomime and hand signals and trying to get their point across.
BRIAN: It's really just ridiculous. And it's because we began hearing from guards about what we really considered this crisis situation that we started working around the clock. We only started this investigation about two weeks ago, because we thought there is so much urgency in dealing with this, given the mission that these men are supposed to be carrying out in protecting the diplomats in Afghanistan.
PHILLIPS: All right, now, Claire McCaskill is coming forward saying, "I was misled by the State Department." Through your investigation, do you believe that this subcommittee on contract oversight was misled by the State Department? Or was this a committee that just, "Boom, let's rubber stamp it. Let's approve it. We've got other things to worry about"?
BRIAN: No, no, I give them great credit for uncovering the fact that the State Department, for two years, has essentially been ineffectual with these sort of empty threats to the contractors, saying they'll do something. You know, "We're really worried about your quality of security," but then not doing anything. And that was all uncovered because of -- because of Senator McCaskill's subcommittee.
PHILLIPS: All right. Well, code of conduct. Do you believe -- and look, I've spent time overseas and I can see how contractors are dealt with versus the U.S. military. There is, I guess you should say, a different standard when it comes to behavior -- behavior.
Do you think that these contractors are allowed to act like cowboys on many levels where the U.S. military is held accountable in a much tougher way?
BRIAN: Well, a couple of things to think about here. First of all, it is contractor employees that came forward to us as whistle- blowers. All of the people that I've spoken to over there -- and at this point I've talked to about 12 of the guards, which is about 10 percent of the English-speaking guard force. These are contractors who are absolutely horrified at the unprofessionalism of their colleagues and their supervisors.
So, you have, you know, I don't want to paint a brush that everyone who's there is one of these creeps, frankly, because a lot of these guys are the -- trying to do their job and be professional, and they're just in an environment that they find untenable.
PHILLIPS: So, bottom line, what's going to be done? How are these Wackenhut contractors going to be dealt with?
BRIAN: Well, I have to say, I'm pretty concerned. It's been more than 24 hours. We've heard from the Senate. We've heard from the House; it's now interested no learning more. We've heard from the War Contracting Commission, but we've heard nothing from the State Department. So I'm worried about how seriously they're taking this, if they haven't even reached out to us to find out what we know.
PHILLIPS: Well, I hope that we hear from the State Department, as well. Danielle Brian, we'll follow up. Appreciate it.
BRIAN: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: You've heard a lot about private contractors in Iraq and the Afghan wars, and there is a reason for that. As of March of this year, there were almost as many private civilian contractors working for the Pentagon in Iraq as there were American troops. As a matter of fact, in Afghanistan, there were more. And that's according to the Congressional Research Service.
And keep in mind since March, U.S. troop strength has gone up in Afghanistan, down in Iraq.
Now, check out some of the past wars. Contractors had a big role in the Balkans, but far smaller roles in Vietnam, Korea, and both world wars.
Well, the battle over health-care reform, back on center stage this hour. You see a live picture of the White House in just a second. Because President Obama is feeling the heat now as opposition grows to his plan. Now he's said to be considering all of his options in a bid to recapture the momentum.
One of those options, says an administration official, delivering a major speech spelling out just what he wants in a health-care reform bill.
Also this hour, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking out on health care at an event in San Francisco. She continues to insist that there's no way that she'll support a bill without a public option. We're following that for you.
So how are you feeling? A new CNN/Opinion Research poll shows the number of Americans concerned about swine flu has actually doubled since May. Thirty percent of those questioned are worried that a family member will get H1N1. Another 17 percent say that they're not worried now but have been in the past few months. But a majority are still confident in the government's ability to prevent a nationwide swine flu epidemic.
Well, your child gets sick. Afraid it might be swine flue, you dash off to the E.R. Guess what? Chances are that you won't get tested for the H1N1 virus. Dr. Sanjay Gupta will tell us why.
And a bit of a break for California firefighters. The weather's helping them battle a huge wildfire just north of L.A. right now, but the fight is far from over. The blaze actually grew overnight, and has now scorched more than 140,000 acres.
Even the sky over L.A. has taken on an eerie color as the flames have spread. The sun this morning -- take a look at this -- blood red.
At last count the fire has destroyed at least 62 homes, three businesses, and right now it's just 22 percent contained.
And you can believe this. Heavy smoke from the L.A. blaze is now darkening the sky over Denver, Colorado. That's 800 miles east of Los Angeles.
Hundreds of firefighters are on the job there in southern California. CNN's Reynolds Wolf is near the front lines right there in Lake View Terrace.
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REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm coming from the command center where just a short while ago Governor Schwarzenegger gave everybody a proverbial pat on the back for doing such a great job. And they've been -- they've been working very hard.
The fire's about 22 percent contained right now. Over 144,000 acres scorched. You look back over here on this map, and you can see on the map there's a wide area where the burn has been taking place.
You look in a little bit closer, give you an idea on this map. The fire actually started a bit to the south and worked its way to the north, where they stopped it dead in its tracks. The problem is now the fire has been spreading since the overnight hours, moving back towards Devil's Canyon. That's where they're really going to be working hard today. Because in the San Gabriel wilderness, you've got all kinds of chaparral, a lot of that dry brush, California oaks, bristlecone pines, a lot of things that are going to be perfect fuel for a fire like this.
The weather in some ways has been cooperating. What I mean by that is we had certainly the higher humidity last night. That was certainly a great thing. The wind has not been that strong. That's also good. But we have a chance of thunderstorms today, dry thunderstorms. Very little in terms of precipitation. But certainly a possibility of getting lightning strikes that might touch the ground. If that happens -- we're talking lightning strikes here -- there's a chance we could see more fires begin to pop out.
So they're very optimistic here. They're working very hard and hopefully hoping to really turn the corner on this fire.
That's the latest we've got from the command center. Let's send it back to you in the studio.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Reynolds Wolf, thanks so much.
Well, if you think the case against Phillip Garrido is sordid, wait until you hear about his past. We're pushing forward on an 18- year kidnapping and the miserable years that came before.
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PHILLIPS: Well, fires and a hurricane on the Pacific coast. A tropical storm to worry about on the East Coast now.
Chad Myers, you're just getting more and more busy.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, I've got all things for you. That's why I have this wall, because it can do all things.
PHILLIPS: It's magic.
MYERS: It is. It is like the Great Kreskin. I can just ask it to do things. Or it's like Santa Claus: you ask him for things and he brings them to you.
Now let's fly you right into Cabo San Lucas, because this is where the storm was making landfall. The good news is, it didn't hit the town. Didn't hit the town at all. It hit this pristine beach coast with basically nary a house along it, which is great news, because it came in as a Category 2. Have you ever seen land like this on the West Coast of the United States? I mean, literally there's not -- not a person, not a land, not a house in sight. Great news, because if you're going to land a hurricane that's a Cat 2 or Cat 3, I guess you don't do it in any better spot, except for, obviously, the few people that are and do live there.
We're going to have to watch out for that. When they come back to their houses, they may, in fact, be flooded. Because really this is going to be more of a flood threat, Kyra, than anything else.
There's the storm, right there. There's Cabo. Eye missed Cabo. Still some wind damage, trees down, things like that, a little bit of flooding. But the flooding will happen along this -- really, just this spike of land right through here that is very high in topography. And then when you get that topography, and you get all that stuff running off, you are going to have some problems.
And then, eventually, this thing almost stops and then turns to the left. And we don't even really get in here. Here, this is what it's really going to look like. Right there.
Remember yesterday, this thing was supposed to turn to the right? Wasn't this thing supposed to go to, like, El Paso? Not today. Now it's going to the left. All the computers are saying the other thing. And so we're not too thrilled about what the computers are doing with Erika or, if you want to be technical, "Air-EE-ka," but we're just going to call it Erika here.
Forty miles per hour, there's the storm. That would be the British Virgin Island, U.S. Virgin Islands, right through here. There's San Juan and the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and then obviously into Cuba. The storm not too impressive. It looks like a big red blob, but the center not where that big red blob is, and hence the issue.
There's what is the forecast. Look, 45, 45, and then 40, 35, 55. It's actually forecast to go down, back to a tropical depression, because of all the wind that the hurricane center is seeing here.
The odd part of all this, Kyra, is I'm going to make this. This is from Colorado state. This is a graphic of what the wind speeds are forecast to be by these famous computers that haven't been doing so well. Forty miles per hour -- look at this -- all the way up to 60, 70, 80, 90, and then 100. But official forecast from hurricane centers said, "We're not believing that. We're staying down. The models can be up here. We don't care. You haven't been doing a very good job anyway."
That's why it looks like so far that Erika may not be the big threat to the U.S. East Coast, unless all that shear that they've been seeing eventually goes away or at some point doesn't exist. We'll see.
PHILLIPS: It's some good news?
MYERS: Yes, absolutely. For a good weekend.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Chad. There you go. Right on.
Well, wildfires like the big one near Los Angeles take a toll on the entire country, no matter where you live.
CNN's Josh Levs takes a look at the real cost for all of us, not just those of us in California -- Josh.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's amazing, Kyra. I've been stunned by some of the numbers I've found today. But following this story on CNN.com, we have a lot for you here. And another study I found right here is called the true cost of wildfires in the United States.
Let's just go to some video. I'm going to tell you about this. This is a government study, Kyra, and these are some of the facts that are from it.
We're going to start off with this. They talk about how much ultimately the long-term costs are. And let's bring them in right now.
This first one is from the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition. They say, you know, you hear about suppression costs, right? Maybe $50 million to crush a fire, to suppress that fire. But the long-term costs, they say, can be 30 times higher than that.
Then there's another group on this next screen that says it can be up to 50 times higher than that. That's the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center, which is a private group that studies this. They say, "Look, you've got the environmental impact, the health impact. Business is lost. It can be up to 50 times what we hear. It can affect the whole country."
And take a look at this from "The Los Angeles Times." They say that the U.S. Forest Service -- this is a U.S. government agency, right? Late '90s they were spending $300 million to crush these fires.
Now that one agency alone, in 10 years, jumped up to $1.4 billion, because these fires, they say, are growing bigger, fiercer, costlier. Kyra, so a huge financial impact for the country all the time.
PHILLIPS: Let's talk about the financial benefit from the wildfires. There are some, right?
LEVS: There are some. Yes, to be fair we should actually look at it. Yes, there is a really good study. In fact, let's go to this. I'll show you this study done by Yale University, as well.
And what they say is, "You know what? When you take a look at the long-term impact," obviously, there's a lot of bad stuff. But you do have some jobs created and you also have in a few cases some species that are actually helped by this.
So it does have a few environmental impacts and positive economic impacts as well, not enough to offset the big problem. But obviously, it is something to keep in mind, that there are some ways that people come ahead, especially in the short term. They get some jobs going. There are a few communities that benefit from that, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Josh.
LEVS: You got it. Thanks.
PHILLIPS: Well, relishing their freedom, but plagued by dark memories of their imprisonment. Laura Ling and Euna Lee are describing their capture and ordeal in North Korea. And we're going to hear it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Two American reporters freed after an ordeal in North Korea. And they're finally speaking out. Laura Ling and Euna Lee were released last month, rather, after more than four months in prison in the communist nation.
They've now written an "L.A. Times" Web site column describing their capture and imprisonment. In it, Ling and Lee say that they never intended to cross the frozen Tumen River into North Korean territory, but they were following their guide. They got nervous. They headed back across the river and were on Chinese soil when North Korean border guards grabbed them.
Both women now suspect it was a trap. Ling and Lee write, "In retrospect, the guide behaved oddly, but it was ultimately our decision to follow him, and we continue to pay for that decision today with dark memories of our captivity."
Other top stories now: the suspect in the D.C. Holocaust Museum shooting doesn't want to undergo a psych exam. But a court today ordered James Von Brunn to undergo one anyway. The 89-year-old supremacist is accused of killing a guard in the June attack. He told a judge that, as a U.S. Navy officer, he swore to protect his country.
The death toll of Indonesia's Java Island climbing before our eyes. A magnitude 7 quake today left piles of debris all over the place, along with bodies. Nearly three dozen people confirmed dead, hundreds injured, and about 40 missing.
Afghanistan, where even top authorities are in harm's way. A suicide attack was killed -- or has killed, rather, the deputy chief of the Afghan intelligence service along with more than 20 other people. The intel chief was visiting a mosque in eastern Afghanistan. Nearly three dozen people were wounded.
Back in the U.S. we're eyeing the skies over the Hudson River. Remember this from last month? Police combing the Hudson for debris and bodies after a small plane and a tour helicopter collided. Now we're waiting to hear from the FAA about how to make that air space safer. Nine people were killed in that crash.
How far can a private school go when supervising students' off- campus exploits on the Web? We're going to show you the latest line being drawn in the sand of cyberspace.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Social networking, free speech and personal privacy on a collision course in North Augusta, South Carolina, where a small Christian school says it's within their right to ask students suspected of bad behavior to turn over their online account info to Web sites like Facebook or Twitter. Administrators say it's to protect the school's reputation. Critics say the policy smacks of Big Brother. Reporter Friendly Clareveaux from CNN affiliate WJBF has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRENDY CLAREVEAUX, WJBF-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dr. Edward Martin Jr. is the principal at Victory Christian School in North Augusta. He says all students are required to follow their biblical curriculum.
EDWARD MARTIN, PRINCIPAL, VICTORY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL: We don't expect perfection; we expect compliance.
CLAREVEAUX: It's compliance to a new school policy that's turning some heads. If an administrator suspects a student of unruly behavior, that student could be required to give school leaders their password and user name to their Facebook or MySpace account.
MARTIN: Several years ago we had a student with, I guess MySpace, and he was bragging about the alcohol that he drank on the weekends. He was telling everybody he went to our school.
CLAREVEAUX: Dr. Martin says this policy's in place to protect the sanctity of the school, and it's not an invasion of privacy.
MARTIN: We're looking, again, for families that agree with this philosophy, and if they don't, that's fine. There's plenty of schools they can choose to go to.
CLAREVEAUX: Attorney Robert Mullins disagrees.
ROBERT MULLINS, ATTORNEY: It's basically an invasion of privacy. And if they were doing the conduct at school on a school computer, that would be one thing. But if they're doing it at home on a home computer, that's a totally different thing.
DEBORAH RYUFUKU, PARENT: If the student insists on using Facebook or MySpace at school, which I think should not ever occur, then I think the school does have the right to monitor it.
TIFFANY DUKES, PARENT: On the other hand, I agree with the school. I mean, if it's a Christian-based school, then, you know, they don't want anything in their school that isn't appropriate.
CLAREVEAUX: And Martin claims to have backing. He says the school is following the advice of the South Carolina Association of Christian Schools.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And once again, that was Frendy Clareveaux (ph) from CNN affiliate WJBF.
So exactly what is the policy of the South Carolina Association of Christian Schools? We called them, and they told us they have no specific policy on social networking. They only advise member schools that any new policy be written and presented to students at the start of the school year.
And by the way, the principal has taken exception to this report and told us, quote, "We do not require students' passwords. If we are notified that a student may have a social networking site that we consider inappropriate, then we would ask them to show us the Web site."
Well, all of you are definitely sounding off on this story. Here's just a small sampling of your feedback from Twitter. TRHogan said, "Children, some think they are privileges. If you are using school equipment or are at school, I support the Principal's Principle."
Hot54rod says, "If there are no rights under the age of 18, let the parenting happen at home. Teach the children and discipline when needed." Curious1966: "Oh, my God, that is so an invasion of privacy. What the students do online is none of the school's business, whether unruly or not."
And Jessed44: "Wrong, wrong, wrong. The home computer is the parents' business, not the buttinsky principal."
PHILLIPS: No doubt we're going to see more cases like this. Remember the one that we told you about in Mississippi? Coach asked cheerleader for her Facebook password. Coach reads personal e-mails, doesn't like what she sees, and she suspends the cheerleader.
Cheerleader now suing the school and the school district for $100 million. Suing the coach as well. That's right, $100 million. The girl claims that the coach had no right to ask for the password, and the school violated her right to privacy.
Back to one of our top stories now. The suspect in the D.C. Holocaust Museum shooting made his first court appearance today, and he had a few things to say.
CNN's Kate Bolduan is following developments in that story and joins us live from Washington -- Kate.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Kyra. Well, we're hearing for the first time from the accused Holocaust museum shooter. In federal court this morning, James Von Brunn, against his attorney's advice, spoke out, saying, quote, "I'm a United States citizen, and as a U.S. naval officer, I swore to protect my country. I take my vows very seriously."
Now, this is the first time Von Brunn has appeared in court since being charged with the June shooting at the Holocaust Memorial Museum here in D.C. The 89-year-old World War II veteran did not explain those comments, those remarks.
However, Von Brunn appeared before the judge today in a wheelchair. You can see that there in those courtroom sketches. The known white supremacist had been hospitalized for months, having been shot in the face by security guards after allegedly opening fire at the museum, killing security officer Stephen Johns. Now, Kyra, I'm told by CNN producer (INAUDIBLE), who was in the courtroom, that Von Brunn had no visible wounds and that he spoke quite clearly, he said. Von Brunn's attorney did say, though, in court that Von Brunn had a hard time hearing, and he attributes that to the wounds that he had suffered.
The federal judge ordered a psychiatric evaluation of Von Brunn, and he was denied bail. Von Brunn is facing charges, as I'm sure you remember. They include first-degree murder, and he is eligible for the death penalty if convicted -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Kate, thanks.
BOLDUAN: Of course.
PHILLIPS: Other top story -- the fences helped keep some of Phillip Garrido's alleged secrets. Time kept others. Long before the kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard, who Garrido allegedly held for 18 years, there were other crimes and perversions and another spouse who now calls Garrido a monster.
CNN's Ed Lavandera is in Antioch, California.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA (voice-over): Newly released court documents offer a glimpse into Phillip Garrido's mind, details from his 1977 trial, where he was convicted of kidnapping and raping Katie Callaway Hall. The night he attacked her, Garrido said, quote, "I had this fantasy that was driving me to do this, inside of me, something that was making me want to do it without no way to stop."
Garrido's first wife, Christine Murphy, speaking out for the first time, describes him as a monster.
CHRISTINE MURPHY, PHILLIP GARRIDO'S FIRST WIFE: I just wanted my life to be the way it used to be -- before Phillip Garrido.
LAVANDERA: Garrido also testified in that 1977 trial that intense drug use stimulated his sexual addiction. He says he cruised neighborhoods as a peeping Tom, driving around town exposing himself in public places, including schools. He also testified that he often fantasized about raping women. But he says after turning to God, he started to feel ashamed of his actions.
Murphy says "sex issues" caused her marriage with Garrido to fall apart.
MURPHY: I never got pregnant, and I always thought he couldn't have children.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What happened to your marriage?
MURPHY: Well, it fell apart because of his neediness for sex.
LAVANDERA: Investigators now say they have found no connection between Garrido and a string of murders back in the 1990s that happened near his workplace. But authorities are still looking into whether Garrido is responsible for the disappearance of two young girls near Antioch, California.
Several of Garrido's neighbors are raising disturbing questions about what happened in Garrido's backyard. Mike Rogers lives behind Garrido. He says grown men often partied in the backyard prison where Jaycee Dugard and her two daughters lived in tents. Knowing what he knows now, it's troubling to think of what was happening.
(on camera): What exactly did you see these guys doing?
MIKE ROGERS, GARRIDO'S NEIGHBOR: They were, like, drinking, sharing their beers, and high-fiving, and getting crazy, you know, screaming and hollering. It was -- you know, I thought maybe they were partying back there. Who knows, you know? I mean, you just -- you know, I hollered at them. They didn't even look at me.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Antioch investigators tell CNN they've heard those stories but still don't have any evidence that other men might have abused Jaycee Dugard and her two daughters in that backyard.
(on camera): Despite being a registered sex offender and receiving regular visits from parole officers, Phillip Garrido managed to elude close scrutiny. And now, the California Department of Corrections says it will launch an internal review.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Antioch, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Parents now with kids in tow, flooding hospital emergency rooms. Their fear? Swine flu. But some E.R.s are no longer testing for the H1N1 virus. Dr. Sanjay Gupta will tell you why and what you should do if you're a parent.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi is in bad shape in a Libyan hospital, we're told. He was released from a Scottish prison last month because he has terminal cancer.
But CNN has learned that he's not in immediate danger of dying. Ironically, Scottish lawmakers voted today condemning his release. But at this point, it's largely symbolic.
For the first time in a quarter century, the Holy Bible is getting an overhaul. The revised version will reflect changes in the English language and should be easier to read. It's expected to hit store shelves by 2011.
Kids coming down with swine flu? Numbers are growing across the country now. The gut reaction of many parents: Dash off to the emergency room to get their kid tested. But they're finding this. Many E.R.s are no longer testing for the H1N1 virus. Dr. Sanjay Gupta visited one to find out why and when parents should have their children checked out by a doctor.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The president's talking about this, the secretary of health is talking about this. Lots of concerns about swine flu.
So we decided to come to an emergency room to find out what's really happening. First thing we learned is that this E.R. is about 200 percent busier than it normally is.
Probably doesn't need to be. And something else that may surprise you. Most kids that come here probably won't even get tested. Let's take a look.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, they said it was going to be like a two-hour wait.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have a sore throat. I have a headache. And I had a cough.
DR. ALESIA FLEMING, CHILDREN'S HEALTHCARE ATLANTA: The flu has hit the city. We know that, OK? Big time. Whether it's regular seasonal flu or the new H1N1 flu that everybody's talking about, we won't be certain today. We're no longer testing to try to decipher that out. It doesn't make a difference.
GUPTA: As a journalist, it's been a little bit difficult to cover, because on the one hand, we have heard about children dying of H1N1. In the spring we heard about that more so. And we know that this virus seems to affect younger people more so than older people. So, what am I to do with that as a parent?
DR. JIM FORTENBERRY, CHILDREN'S HEALTHCARE ATLANTA: I would recommend to families to really look at your child, take away that H1N1 term and look at them as if they had the flu and think of several things. If your child is less than 3 months old and has a fever at any time, I would bring that child in to be seen. If your child is having difficulty breathing, if they are dehydrated, that is, they're very dried out, they're vomiting and they're not able to keep fluids down, they need to come in and be seen.
If your child isn't perking up in between fevers, then you should speak with your family pediatrician or family doctor. If we can help limit the number of children that come to the emergency department just to the ones that really need services that we're going to provide differently, that might need to be in the hospital, for instance, if we can help limit that, then we definitely can help make this work better for all the kids.
GUPTA: Despite everything that the media is reporting, this virus just doesn't sound that bad.
FORTENBERRY: The -- I think right now, yes. Right now, we need to think of this as the flu. We need to keep our -- we need to keep our guard up.
GUPTA: What percentage of people who get swine flu are going to need the E.R.?
FORTENBERRY: I think only a very small percentage, a tiny percentage of those numbers will have to come in to the hospital.
GUPTA: So, here's what I learned today: H1N1 is here, but as things stand now, for most kids, it's going to mean just a few miserable days. And those miserable days are best spent at home.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, how about this for stating the obvious? if you have no arms, you can't provide a thumbprint, right? Well, that excuse wasn't good enough for one bank.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, this may really shock you. In this recession, teachers saying no to a raise. Well, that's just what some teachers are trying to do at a Baltimore charter school. Their reason? To give their students a better education.
But as CNN's Carol Costello explains, they're locked in a battle with their own teachers union.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL COSTELLO (voice-over): The KIPP Ujima Village Academy in Baltimore runs a tight ship. But around every corner is evidence of the tough love -- that's led to unparalleled success. Students here, many of whom come from Baltimore's meanest streets, have among the highest test scores not just in Baltimore but in all of Maryland.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of your other friends in the city are in the bed this morning. But you, you are here learning, OK, getting smarter.
COSTELLO: Because KIPP Academy is a charter school, kids here start school earlier, stay later, and have access to their teachers 24/7.
Malik Holmes is a KIPP eighth-grader.
(on camera): It sounds like you love school.
MALIK HOLMES, EIGHTH GRADER, KIPP UJIMA VILLAGE ACADEMY: No.
COSTELLO: No? How do you feel about it?
HOLMES: Good because the teachers here actually care about whether I get an education or not.
COSTELLO (voice-over): Teachers here believe so passionately in what they're doing, they agreed to be paid less to do more, as in nine hours a day and every other Saturday, even though the teachers union calls for just a seven-hour day.
YASMENE MUMBY, TEACHER, KIPP UJIMA VILLAGE ACADEMY: It all comes down to the students. It comes down to what they give you and what you give them back. That's the motivation, not the pay.
COSTELLO: But passion is not enough for the Baltimore teachers union. After seven years of silence, it's now insisting teachers here be paid more, even if they don't want the money.
MARIETTA ENGLISH, PRESIDENT, BALTIMORE TEACHERS UNION: We have these agreements throughout the city with all of our charter schools, and all we're asking is that they're treated fairly.
COSTELLO: Kipp Ujima was already paying its teachers 18 percent more than the average public school, but the union demanded the academy bump it up to 33 percent.
The school says that's forced it to lay off five teachers, shorten the school day and eliminate Saturday classes and field trips.
COSTELLO (on camera): You're still in negotiations with the union. What are you asking?
SHAWN TOLER, PRINCIPAL, KIPP UJIMA VILLAGE ACADEMY: We want to restore our day. We want them to really look at the wonderful things that we're doing here according to the money that we have, that we're really paying teachers good money.
COSTELLO (voice-over): Students here hope so, too.
COSTELLO (on camera): Your teachers, how do you feel about them?
DAISIA GILMIRE, EIGHTH GRADER, KIPP UJIMA VILLAGE ACADEMY: Well, I feel that they are here to help us. They don't care how much they're getting paid.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to know what your goals are for this week.
COSTELLO (voice-over): Teachers want the same, but right now it looks as if they'll have to accept a raise, whether they want it or not.
(on camera): When I asked the union about the layoffs at Kipp, it told me there are plenty of other teaching jobs available in Baltimore. As for Kipp, they e-mailed me. Unless they get breathing room under the law or from the union, the future of the school is in jeopardy.
Carol Costello, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE) PHILLIPS: Well, you can catch more of this special series, "Educating America," the rest of the week on "AMERICAN MORNING" starting at 6:00 a.m. Eastern, only on CNN.
The death of a 15-year-old high school football player in Louisville, Kentucky -- tragic accident or reckless homicide? Jury selection has resumed for ex-coach David Stinson, on trial in the death. Prosecutors say he recklessly endangered the boy's life by letting him practice in 94-degree heat. You can bet coaches across the U.S. are watching the case closely.
Let's push forward now. Football games happen in the fall, but practice starts in the summer, so how do we protect our players from the heat?
Gary Tuchman found an answer, and it could be on their heads. We're on the "Edge of Discovery."
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): High school football is back. A big concern for players and coaches this time of year? Sweltering temperatures, which can increase the risk of heatstroke and in some cases death.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're getting toasty. We get that cloud cover, it will be all right.
TUCHMAN: To beat the heat, a Georgia company has developed these dime-sized sensors worn inside players' helmets.
JAY BUCKALEW, HOTHEAD TECHNOLOGIES: We're trying to do is to just give that early warning alert system that that athlete is getting dangerously close to heatstroke.
TUCHMAN: The sensors constantly monitor the body temperature of a player on the field. Every ten seconds, updates are sent to a small device carried by coaches or trainers. and if a player exceeds 102.5 degrees from more than 30 seconds, an alert sounds.
PRESTON BAZEMORE, BLESSED TRINITY ATHLETIC TRAINER: We want to prevent the injury before it happens. This is another tool in our little back pocket that we can use to make sure these kids are participating safely.
TUCHMAN: A few high schools and colleges are using the system this season. It costs about $100 per player. The technology could also be used by firefighters and military personnel. For these players, it's safety first, then Friday night lights.
Gary Tuchman, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Her killer has been convicted. He'll get a trip to the death chamber or rot in prison. The horrific 911 call the victim made is helping seal his fate. A 911 call that was botched might have sealed hers. Take a close look at this ad. What it looks in class it makes up for in pure boneheaded insensitivity. We'll take a closer look next hour.
He had his ID, he had a check, but when a Tampa, Florida man walked out of a bank last week, he didn't have his dignity. You see, Steve Valdez doesn't have an account at the Bank of America branch that he visited. Oh, and by the way, he was also born without arms, which leads me to the ultimate outrage behind this story.
Listen to this. The bank would not let him cash his check because he couldn't provide a thumbprint. Steve, who has prosthetics, says the manager said he could either come back with his wife or open an account himself. Bank of America now says it's sorry and it should have an alternative for people with no thumbs. You think?
Well, California's budget crisis makes the streets unsafe. We're going to take a look at one option that could amount to a get-out-of jail-free card for thousands of inmates.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Cash-strapped California is looking for creative ways to ease its budget crisis, including the possibility of letting 27,000 inmates out of prison early. But critics say that's just asking for trouble. Our Randi Kaye explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): April 17, 1982, the last time Collene Campbell hugged her only son.
COLLENE CAMPBELL, MOTHER OF SCOTT: I gave him a hug, and that was the last time I ever saw him.
KAYE: Hours later, Scott Campbell was dead, killed by this man, Donald Dimasio, who was out on parole. Campbell was mixed up in drugs with Laurence Cowell (ph), who hired Dimasio, the parolee, to strangle Scott.
Then, the unthinkable. They beat him bloody so the sharks would eat him, then tossed his body from an airplane into the Pacific Ocean. He was never found.
CAMPBELL: It's worth death itself, hunting for a person.
KAYE: Dimasio was sentenced to life with no chance of parole. He died in prison in 2007. Cowell (ph) is serving 25 to life.
CAMPBELL: My greatest fear is that other people will suffer the same losses that we have because prisoners were let out early.
KAYE: Because of her son's horrific murder, Collene Campbell is speaking out against the possible release of as many as 27,000 California prison inmates. The governor says it could save the cash- strapped state more than $500 million. But supporters of the plan say Campbell's fear is unwarranted.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of the proposals involved non-serious, nonviolent, non-sex offenders.
KAYE: But what about the case of Jaycee Dugard? Phillip Garrido, the sex offender out on parole, charged with kidnapping and raping her served only 11 years for an earlier rape. He'd been sentenced to half a century.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He would not be near one of the offenders that would be addressed in the governor's proposals.
KAYE (on camera): In fact, the Department of Corrections says Garrido may have been watched more closely since the plan is to provide better resources to more closely monitor dangerous parolees.
Still, critics of the early release plan see it as a literal get- out-of-jail-free card and worry nonviolent offenders could turn violent.
(voice-over): Take the case of Lilly Burke (ph), the 17-year-old killed in July in downtown Los Angeles, her throat slashed. Charles Samuel, a parolee, now charged with her murder, says he didn't do it. He had not been considered violent before.
Seventy percent of prisoners released in California go on to commit other crimes.
CAMPBELL: If you're letting out 27,000 prisoners, and 70 percent of them are going to re-offend in California, that's scary.
KAYE: Regardless of money the state might save, Colleen Campbell knows the cost of a human life can never be repaid.
Randi Kaye, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
