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Jaycee Dugard's Family Joy; What to Expect in President Obama's Health Care Speech; Feelings About Overhauling Health Care

Aired September 03, 2009 - 14:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TINA DUGARD, JAYCEE DUGARD'S AUNT: Jaycee remembers all of us. She is especially enjoying getting to know her little sister, who was just a baby when Jaycee was taken. Not only have we laughed and cried together, but we'sve spent time sitting quietly, taking pleasure in each other's company.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: For 18 years, pictures like these were all Tina Dugard had to hold on to. Now she has Jaycee herself, the long lost daughter of her big sister Terry. And the family says Tina is overjoyed. As you may have seen live last hour in the CNN NEWSROOM, Jaycee's aunt interrupted the reconnecting process to speak with reporters, to show a few pictures and to ask for privacy.

CNN's Dan Simon was listening from the town where Jaycee was held for 18 years. Dan, let's push this forward. What's ahead now for the Dugards?

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, Kyra, this has been a story that has been filled with so many graphic, ugly and disturbing details that I think for those of us who have been following this story from day one, it was quite refreshing and heartening to see her aunt address reporters today and talk about how Jaycee appears to be faring so well along with her two daughters. In terms of where we go from here, clearly the legal process is going to take its course.

We heard from Nancy Garrido's attorney yesterday, hinting how he might defend this case. He used the word "victim" while describing her. That's obviously a separate story for now. In terms of how Jaycee and the daughters are faring, let's listen now to some of what the aunt had to say. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DUGARD: Jaycee remembers all of us. She is especially enjoying getting to know her little sister, who was just a baby when Jaycee was taken. Not only have we laughed and cried together, but we've spent time sitting quietly, taking pleasure in each other's company.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON: I think some of the more remarkable details, Kyra, we talked about this last hour, you know, was with this interview that Tina Dugard did with the local newspaper, "The Orange County Register," mentioning in particular how Jaycee Dugard raised those two girls essentially on her own in the backyard behind me. Jaycee taught her daughters how to read and write despite her own limited education and lack of resources.

In terms of what they're doing now, it sounds like they're doing things that families would normally do. They're playing games, laughing, going to see movies, those kinds of things. She didn't get into a whole lot of detail in terms of what may have been revealed in terms of the conditions in which Jaycee was held captive, trying to sort of look forward and trying to give everybody a sense of how they're reconnecting as a family -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Dan, I think you're right. It's those little nuggets that we've learned about the family right now.

For example, Jaycee's mom just wanting to brush her hair. She hasn't done that in 18 years. And then the two of them sitting down and talking about what movies Jaycee really wants to see.

And then her daughters naming constellations in the sky and talking about various plants in the yard that they want to eat. It's the first time that we've actually heard real, true, personal nuggets.

Was there something that stood out to you when you read that article with the aunt and then saw the live presser?

SIMON: Well, I think all of us who have been covering this story were sort of under the impression that they lived a very isolated life, that they had such a lack of resources, had really no education whatsoever. But as we've been covering this for about the past week or so, it's clear that in terms of whatever conditions they were held under, they did have access to a computer and they did have access to books.

So, it's clear that Jaycee made the most of those conditions, and certainly did the best to raise those two daughters. And as we have been hearing from other people who have had interactions with them, they seem remarkably normal, at least on the surface.

Now, that's not to say that they're going to need some serious psychological counseling, and I'm sure they're getting it. But just from the surface and from what we're hearing from this aunt today, it seems like everybody seems to be doing OK -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Dan Simon, thanks so much.

And not all the mysteries are solved, as you know. One of the biggest is Nancy Garrido, the woman who married Phillip Garrido in Leavenworth Prison back in 1981. She, too, is charged in Jaycee Dugard's rape and kidnapping.

Dugard's stepfather says that she's a dead-on fit for the person he saw grab Jaycee off the street in 1991. We now know that Nancy Garrido was a certified nurse's assistant, though her certification expired in 1995. Now, that could explain how Jaycee delivered two healthy daughters without ever seeing a doctor.

A neighbor says that Garrido quit her job at a nursing home just a few years back to care full time for Phillip Garrido's mother.

Need more proof that Juarez, Mexico, is out of control? Well, here you go. Seventeen people killed, two wounded, after a gunman stormed a drug rehab center.

The mayor says it looks like the attackers targeted a rival drug gang that they thought was operating in the center. A Mexican civics group says that last week, that Juarez, a stone's throw from El Paso, Texas, had the most murders per capita in 2008 than any other city on earth.

Swine flu has played a part in the deaths of more than 550 people in the U.S., at least 40 of them children. But the director of the CDC says most Americans who catch the virus will not get seriously ill. Still, he says, it will be a tough road ahead to keep people healthy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think we all realize that the urgency of this time is clear, and it is that urgency that drives my decision. Today, I announce my candidacy for United States Senate.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Now, the CDC also wants health care professionals to step up with the swine flu protection.

That was the wrong interview, by the way. I apologize for that.

Next time you see a nurse or doctor, they could be wearing a specifically fitted respirator instead of a loose-fitting surgical mask.

Now, specifics, that's what critics and supporters of President Obama have been clamoring for on health care reform. Well, those specifics have now been promised to us next Wednesday, as the president's set to address a joint meeting of Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID AXELROD, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE ADVISER: I think it's going to be very, very clear by the time the speech is done that he sees a clear path to how we can provide stability and security to people who have insurance, and how we can help those who don't have insurance get the coverage they need.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley live in Washington with more. Candy, we just heard from David Axelrod. The president is making this appeal directly to members of Congress later next week.

What do you think can we expect?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I think what will be interesting to watch -- don't think anybody looking for a piece of legislation out of the White House will be disappointed. I think they're looking for some commonality here, and what may be more interesting than what the president outlines what he wants will be what he doesn't want, or what he might take, certainly, in some different form. So, it may be what he doesn't mention, because when you look at the sticking points up there, it's the public option for insurance.

We have heard a lot about these -- what critics call the sort of death panels, which is just such a minute part of this, and certainly a mischaracterization of what's going on with that. But it might be easier to jettison that than to stick with it, just to kind of bring people on board. So, I think that this -- probably, when you hear what the president wants, it will probably be details that you have seen in one or another of these bills up here.

What Democrats have been looking for is, what are you willing to give up? Here's what we need to find a compromise, mostly with conservative Democrats. What do you, Mr. President -- give us some guidance here. Are you willing to give up the public option? Are you willing to give up A, B or C?

So, I think it will be less about what he wants than about what he's willing to give up or compromise on.

PHILLIPS: All right. Well, the president is also taking some risks here, don't you agree?

CROWLEY: Absolutely, he is. And if you put yourself out there, I mean, this is an address to Congress. Presidents don't do this that often, and they have chosen a very big stage, not just for the people in that room, but for Americans who have been treated to the last month or so of some raucous town hall meetings.

So, he has two audiences here, really. What if nothing happens? Certainly, President Bill Clinton made a big speech about health care and it went nowhere. If it goes nowhere, it takes away some of your capital, it takes away some of the shine.

PHILLIPS: All right. Candy Crowley, appreciate it. We'll be talking more about this obviously and following the president's speech.

Well, as the president does work to hammer out a bill, how do Americans feel about overhauling health care?

Our national political correspondent Jessica Yellin takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): You've heard the noise around health care reform. How much of a difference has it made? The latest CNN/Opinion Research poll shows it has not killed Americans' appetite for some kind of reform.

According to our polling, 53 percent of Americans want Congress to continue working on the bills they started before recess. Compare that to 25 percent who want Congress to start from scratch, and 20 percent who want no reform at all.

As for the president's reform plans? Forty-eight percent like them, that's down only two points since early August before the town halls began. But it's no longer a majority. Most of those polled say the town halls had no effect on their views about health care reform at all.

Now, it's not all good news for the White House. Most say they would feel more secure with a current system than with the president's plan. And the numbers are worse among seniors.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop bureaucrats from getting between seniors and their doctor.

YELLIN: According to CNN's polling, a majority of senior citizens, 60 percent oppose the president's reform proposals. There is real concern that Medicare recipients will be worse off if the current reform is passed.

Perhaps the best sign for the Democrats is this message seems to be penetrating...

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Without real reform, the burdens on America's families and businesses will continue to multiply.

YELLIN: Sixty-five percent say problems with the current health care system will eventually affect most Americans. And almost all Americans believe some reform is necessary.

(on camera): While a recent CBS News poll showed that a majority of Americans are confused about the details of the health care bills, when we asked if people understand the major points in the president's proposals, a majority says they do. Bottom line, it would seem folks may be confused about the specifics of the health care bills, but they understand the major thrust of the debate.

Jessica Yellin, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, as bad as the economy is, Vice President Biden says that things would be a lot worse if it weren't for the Obama administration's $780 billion stimulus package. Biden says that the plan has created or saved thousands of jobs and it allowed the U.S. to avoid a full-fledged economic depression.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You know, it all adds up to this, in my view at least -- the Recovery Act has played a significant role in changing the trajectory of our economy and changing the conversation about the economy in this country. Instead of talking about the beginning of a depression, we're talking about the end of a recession eight months after taking office.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: The American people apparently agree with the vice president that things aren't as bad as they were, but they still think that times are pretty tough.

In the latest poll by CNN and Opinion Research Corporation, 87 percent of respondents say that we are still in a recession, 12 percent disagree. Now, when we asked how things are going in the country, 30 percent said that things are going well, but 69 percent said things are going badly. And that 69 percent is actually a steady improvement from last November, when 83 percent felt that way.

Women are fast becoming the new majority at work. It will be official in just a matter of months. But is their new strength in numbers here to stay or unexpected evidence of a recession?

We're going to talk about it, and you'll join us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, checking some of the vital signs on the economy, new claims for jobless benefits fell slightly last week. The Labor Department reports that the number of laid-off workers applying for benefits dipped to 570,000. Economists had expected that number to drop even lower, to around 560,000.

Well, we're just months away from a historic first in America. Later this year, women will become the new majority in the American workplace.

Now, we have been down in road before, as you know. You remember this woman, Rosie the Riveter. Well, we'll see her in a minute. Women answered the call and went to work building the planes and equipment that won World War II. And then when the war ended, most of them returned home.

So, what will happen this time around? Let's talk about it.

Not quite sure what picture that is? Is that Rosie the Riveter? No.

Oh, no, that's the front page of your book, Maureen, actually. We were plugging that, "Creating Rosie the Riveter," and the professor at the University of Nebraska.

Thanks for being with us.

We've also got chief business correspondent Ali Velshi. He's joining us from Madison, Wisconsin.

So, Maureen Honey, we're talking to you out of Lincoln, Nebraska. We've got Ali. Actually, he's on the CNN Express, traveling around the country, taking a look at the economy and jobs and all that good stuff.

So, let's start with Rosie the Riveter, Maureen.

You've written the book about her, what she meant to all of us as women in the workplace. But here's what's interesting -- we saw this great movement for women, but once the men came home from the war, women were back at the traditional jobs of working at home and no longer bringing in the paycheck. So, we see these numbers, and the fact that we're going to dominate the workforce, but is this only because we're in the middle of a recession and we get paid less?

PROF. MAUREEN HONEY, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA: Well, we do get paid less, women do get paid less. So, even though the jobs that women are holding in today's economy are relatively more stable than the ones that men have been losing, still, the salaries are well below what they should be.

And I think the situation actually is really quite different, because during the war, it was a temporary situation, a temporary crisis. And the economy actually boomed after the war, and women did continue working, but they went into the more traditional fields because they weren't being hired at the jobs that they had held and actually wanted to keep holding.

So, it's a very different situation. I'm afraid now, the jobs that men have lost, this is a sad story. And it's really, I think, nothing to celebrate very much because of that. Although, I think society has changed to the point where women now feel that they deserve a job, a good job, and they're being supported by society for doing that.

PHILLIPS: All right.

Ali, what do you think? I know you want to jump in here.

ALI VELSHI, CNN SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Look, this is a default win for women. First of all, it's a good thing that Rosie the Riveter was laid off, because if women had become good at and proficient in manufacturing back then, they would be suffering the same problem that men are right now, and that is we don't have a manufacturing base in this country anymore.

The bottom line is three-quarters of the jobs that have been lost in this recession have been male-dominated jobs in manufacturing and in construction. So, women are relegated to the jobs that they have been doing well at in the last several years, that is health care, that is education, and that is clerical office work with the government. And those happen to be, by default, the three areas that are not shrinking right now.

So, this isn't a victory for women if, in the next few months, they become the majority by percentage of the working force. This is by default that men have lost jobs because men have been concentrated in jobs that we don't value as much anymore and we don't need anymore.

So, women have been steady in what they're doing, growing steadily as part of the workforce. And its just so happens now that they ended in the professions that we actually continue to need people in.

PHILLIPS: All right. So, let me ask you this, then, Ali. So, once the economy gets better, OK, and those manufacturing jobs pick up again, these construction jobs pick up again, is that going to mean that, once again, men are going to come back into the workforce and dominate, and then women won't be needed as much as they are needed right now?

VELSHI: Well, it's a good question.

First of all, the construction jobs will come back when housing develops and when we start building things. Those manufacturing jobs have been in decline for over 15 years. They are not coming back in those numbers.

Now, the irony is, that women can do those manufacturing jobs. Obviously, during the war, they were shown to be able to do it.

Construction is a little bit different, largely because of the physicality of it. There are generally fewer women who choose to do it than men, but manufacturing can be -- a plant floor can be 50/50, men and women. But those aren't the jobs that are coming back.

Ultimately, the things that are growing are health care, are education, and retail and clerical jobs. So, the bottom line is, the jobs that pay a little less will actually do better.

But again, when you think of health care, we're not talking about just being nurses assistants, we're talking about everything from nursing, to being doctors, to being medical technicians. So, if women are looking to get ahead, those continue to still be very friendly to women fields, and they are growing. And wages will grow over time in those areas.

PHILLIPS: You mentioned wages. Men still dominate higher-paying executive ranks.

But Maureen, do you think this might be a chance for women to be able to get in there, maybe making less money right now, but proving how effective they can be while the high paid days are over for a little while for some of these executive men in executive positions?

HONEY: Actually, I think that this is a good time for reflection and assessment of how gender roles work in the workforce. And I think it's unfortunate that there is a gender distinction in these kinds of jobs.

Ideally, in my mind, men and women would be doing both kinds of jobs. And we wouldn't be faced with this gender imbalance right now in terms of the job loss and the job gain.

I think that men and women have proved that they can work together and that women can do any job, construction included, Ali. There are some very good construction workers out there who are women, truck drivers, et cetera.

So, I think it's a good time and point to reflect on, why should gender have such an impact in terms of the job that you can get and hold?

PHILLIPS: And as you can imagine, a lot of our tweeters responded to this.

Ali Velshi, out of Madison, Wisconsin, thank you so much.

And then author of "Creating Rosie the Riveter" and professor at the University of Nebraska, Maureen Honey, thank you so much.

HONEY: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Appreciate it.

This is where you sounded off on the topic on my Twitter page.

Ginger503 says, "What goes around... well, men are becoming depressed from gradual oppression and don't now how to be in society/workplace now."

All right.

Well, JoeCat (ph) says, "Women are more dependable than men. They work harder than men. And finally, less threatening than men. That is why women are surpassing men."

And Vicnoho says, "Women get paid less; soon companies won't hire at all."

WriterRoxanne adds, "Because women are more cautious in business. Men gave us the economic crisis."

Top stories this hour.

Three months after the crash of Air France Flights 447, the FAA is sending an order to American air carriers that fly the Airbus 330 to replace a part that might have malfunctioned in the Air France crash. The order applies to 43 aircraft in the U.S. The airlines have four months to comply.

The FAA is also changing the rules that govern the busy air corridor over the Hudson River in Manhattan. Changes include new speed limits, new pilot training, and better communication. This all comes after a tourist helicopter and a small plane collided last month, killing nine people.

The International Space Station isn't the only thing in orbit. NASA is keeping a close eye on junk; more specifically, space debris from a previously fired rocket that's coming close to the station. But it's not enough to cancel today's scheduled spacewalk.

Some good news from the fire front in southern California. Firefighters are making some pretty good progress in their battle against the big wildfire near Los Angeles. We're going to find out where they stand right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Firefighters in southern California making some pretty good progress in their battle against a big wildfire north of L.A., but they're not expecting full containment for another couple of weeks. Right now, the blaze is 38 percent contained. The flames have burned nearly 145,000 acres, destroyed at least 64 homes, and killed two firefighters.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, we have got more to tell you about on that story out of Florida that really hit us hard. Justice for Denise Amber Lee, you know its that young mother who was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and killed last year.

Michael King, a stranger to her, convicted this week of her murder. But her family might always wonder what if. What if a 911 call from a witness had been handled right? And would it have made a difference between life and death for Denise? Life or death, now the question for the jury deciding what to do with the killer, Michael King. That sentencing process hit a bump on the road to justice. Jack Ford from TruTV's "In Session Courtside" reports for us.

JACK FORD, HOST, TRUTV'S "IN SESSION COURTSIDE": Well, Kyra, there have been some interesting developments in the trial of Michael King. You might remember the jury found him guilty last week of the murder, the abduction, the rape and murder of Denise Lee, the 21-year- old mother of two. They're in the midst of the penalty phase now. That's the trial within the trial where ultimately some decisions are going to be made. Whether he lives or dies as a consequence of those crimes.

Now, what happened is there's been a little bit of a speed bump late yesterday. Weeks before this trial started, there was a question as to whether Michael King was indeed competent to stand trial. Did he understand the charges against him? Was he capable of assisting and helping his lawyers?

Well, the court decided after listening to the experts. he was competent. After they got started, the issue arose again yesterday. The judge said he had some worries about whether or not Michael King was indeed still competent. So, they put a brake on everything.

The judge appointed two experts to conduct examinations, they did. They were back inside the courtroom this morning. One expert said clearly competent. No problem at all. The other expert said, I'm not sure. He might be faking about some things, so I'm just not sure. So, the judge said well, you know what? There's one expert that said he's competent, I'm satisfied he's competent, let's proceed. So, it looked like there might have been a problem that moved forward.

They did proceed with testimony inside the courtroom -- testimony from family members. One of those family members earlier today, a brother, Gary seemed very animated and emotional talking about an incident some 30 years ago where his brother suffered a serious head injury. Let's take a look at what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You said he was bleeding mainly from his nose area?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His nose and his mouth and his head was swelling up. Because he had hit his head. And it kind of just went (CLAPS TWO HANDS TOGETHER). But when he hit that pole, it wasn't a direct, dead hit. He just went boom. His whole head, I mean, his head stopped his whole body. And he was, like, embedded himself into the four by four pole.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FORD: That testimony, Kyra, was important for the defense because essentially the defense is that this head injury caused changes in his behavior or personality, and they're trying to use that -- not an excuse for the conduct: the rape, the murder and the kidnapping -- but as some sort of explanation to try, once again, to save the life of Michael King.

Here's what's going to happen. This could get into the hands of the jurors Kyra, maybe by late today, more probably sometime tomorrow. But here's the difference. A lot of people don't understand this in the state of Florida. The jurors will not have the final word on whether Michael King lives or dies. They offer a recommendation; they vote on whether he gets the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Their recommendation then goes to a judge. The trial judge then will conduct his own hearing later. He's required to give great weight to that recommendation but doesn't actually have to follow it. Ultimately, a judge will decide with if Michael King will live or die. So, all that taking place, a busy day inside that courtroom, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Jack ford with TruTV's "In Session." Thank you so much. You can actually catch him from 11:00 a.m. Eastern to 1:00 in the afternoon hosting "Courtside."

President Obama has that big speech to Congress and the nation next week. Democratic congressional leaders are still working to influence opinions back home. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is in her San Francisco district today meeting with local business owners. They're holding a roundtable discussion to talk about health care reform and the potential benefits to small businesses.

Let's push forward on health care. Straight to the work place. Employee wellness programs can help struggling companies cut health care costs, and in some cases, those programs can even save lives. Photojournalist Ken Tuy (ph) introduces us to a very grateful employee.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LINDA POND, REGISTERED NURSE, QUEST DIAGNOSTICS: My name is Linda Pond. I'm an RN at Quest Diagnostics in Chantilly, Virginia.

(INAUDIBLE)

This program was launched in 2005.

STEVE BURTON, QUEST DIAGNOSTICS: Every year, people take a very short health risk assessment that talks about their lifestyle, risk factors. They have their blood drawn so we can look at over 30 different tests. We then provide this report that really educates them about the meaning of all of these various tests.

JEFF POND, TREATED FOR PROSTATE CANCER: My cancer could have gone undetected for years and likely wouldn't have been as treatable as it is.

L. POND: We do blood pressure, pulse, vision check, color blindness...

J. POND: I'm Jeff Pond. I'm Linda's husband. This one particular blood test had come back with a very high level, abnormally high. It came as quite a surprise, I mean, because, all my results have been normal for so many years and then just in one particular year, that one number spiked.

And yes, it definitely came back early-stage prostate cancer, so it was caught very early. I had some time to look at the different treatment options and decide how to proceed, and I had surgery back about six weeks ago today. I believe it's a wonderful program. I'm back at work and pretty much things are all back to normal.

BURTON: We have made a significant difference in the health of our employees.

The programs that we focus on are really the ones that drive a lot of costs and the ones that drive a lot of loss of productive. Maybe helping -- assistance in losing weight, assistance in stopping smoking, dealing with stress. We have seen fewer sick days, we have seen more engaged employees while they were here at work.

And through an independent researcher, we have determined that for about every dollar we invest behind Healthy Quest, we're saving about $4.80.

L. POND: I think it's a win-win situation for the employer and the employee. They have given me my husband for many years to come.

(END VIDEOTAPE) PHILLIPS: If you want to know more about health care reform impacts you and your family, check out the special "Health Care in America" section at CNN.com. You can get the latest from town halls debates, fact checks, iReports, other health care news. Just go to CNN.com/healthcare.

And you're looking at the first official candidate in the U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts. State attorney general Martha Cokely announcing her political intentions today. She hopes to win the seat held for 46 years by the late Senator Ted Kennedy.

By the way, the late senator's memoirs will be released mid-month in "True Compass." Senator Kennedy describes the guilt that has haunted him since the 1969 car crash over the Chappaquiddick bridge, which left his female passenger dead and which may have kept him from winning the White House.

And more than two months after his death, the King of Pop Michael Jackson will be buried here at Forest Lawn Memorial Park here in Glendale, California. Be sure to join Anderson Cooper tonight for a special edition of "AC 360" with live coverage of Jackson's final resting place.

Basic blocking and tackling. You never know when the skills will come in handy. Like when someone on a school bus pulls out a gun and starts making threats.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right, time now for a shout out to a high school football player who made a winning tackle nowhere near the football field. Check this out. In Mississippi, a 14-year-old girl apparently upset that other kids had been picking on her, pulls a gun out on a school bus and starts making threats. Well, the county football star showed, Caleb Ewels (ph), showed what a leader he is off the field. When he couldn't convince her to drop it, he just went into game mode. He tackled her, wrestled her, got the gun away, and the bus video caught the whole thing on tape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS VAUGHN, SHERIFF: It shows her standing up, put the magazine into the bottom of the gun and then turning around making her threats, saying that she was going to kill this one and kill that one, and it could've been just terrible. But he tackled her and took the gun away from her and saved -- no telling how many lives as a result.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Way to go, Caleb.

Well, come and stay a while. That's what a Connecticut couple is urging people to do. They're the owners of a bed-and-breakfast, and they saw their business drop off during the recession. But things are starting to rebound. Our Gerri Willis has the story in today's "Money & Main Street." (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: At the heart of Litchfield County, Connecticut, are its bed and breakfasts, like the one Dean and Jean Marie Johnson bought in the town of Norfolk bought five years ago. At the time, it seemed like a cash cow. But last year, along with the economy, bookings dropped off even steeper than the national average of 7.3 percent.

JEAN MARIE JOHNSON, OWNER, MOUNTAIN VIEW INN: We were down about 20, 25 percent overall in terms of bookings, and that was really a reflection of the economy, people holding back on discretionary spending.

This year it started out fairly weak. The bad weather, the wet spring, the wet season didn't help.

WILLIS: But help was on the way. This is the first summer of the Infinity Music Hall and Bistro, a newly refurbished public music venue in town making Norfolk an overnight destination.

KIM YAFFA, ENTERTAINMENT DIRECTOR, INFINITY MUSIC HALL: I think that it's becoming a destination for people. I know the inns are filling up. I know the restaurant is busy. The restaurant next door is busy. So, I'm sure we're making an impact.

WILLIS: It's an impact the Johnsons are starting to feel, but not enough of one to sit back and relax. Dean and Jean Marie are taking all possible steps to bring overnight visitors in the door.

DEAN JOHNSON, OWNER, MOUNTAIN VIEW INN: We can call this our budget room, but actually a lot of people find it. It's small, it's intimate, and it's a lot less expensive than some of the other rooms.

WILLIS (on camera): What's the price differential?

D. JOHNSON: The price here is about maybe $100 less than some of the more expensive rooms down the hall.

WILLIS (voice-over): These days, budget means bookable. The Johnsons see more guests in this room than any other and they're willing to negotiate.

J. JOHNSON: Given the fact that people are stretched and more concerned about their discretionary funds, we're much, much more flexible. So if someone says, we can only stay one night, we almost always accommodate them for that one-night stay.

WILLIS: And one-night stays are on the rise, in part thanks to Infinity -- 200 scheduled shows, sold-out performances, and big-name bands have meant needed bookings for Mountain View Inn.

D. JOHNSON: I think it's probably added maybe 20 percent more than we would have had previously.

WILLIS: And for the remainder of the summer season -- D. JOHNSON: We're pretty much sold out every weekend.

WILLIS: Gerri Willis, CNN, Norfolk, Connecticut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Tune in tonight for more "Money & Main Street" with Ali Velshi and the CNN Express on the road trip across America. Plus, why you need to prepare for lower pay raises and rising inflation. "Money & Main Street," 8:00 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN.

Pepsi one, Pepsi Max, Pepsi Clear. And now, Pepsi Frog? Hmm. What kind of aftertaste are we talking about?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right, take a good look at this, Connecticut. Your tax dollars at quote, unquote, "work." Your voices in the state legislature being heard, that's right. An Associated Press photographer took this pick Monday at the state capital. Two members of the solitaire party killing some time.

The "Hartford Courant" identifies the lawmakers as Democrats Barbara Lambert and Jack Hennessy. Way to go, guys. Nice to know they didn't let debate over the state's, oh, two-year, $37 billion budget get in the way of their card skills.

Just like Rick Sanchez. He's back there playing solitaire. Watch. There he is. Okay, put down the king, now the queen. Oh, hi.

SANCHEZ: Hi, Kyra. How are you?

PHILLIPS: Hi. Can you put the solitaire down for a sec and just tell me what's coming up?

SANCHEZ: I never learned to play that game.

PHILLIPS: Really?

SANCHEZ: But one of my sons really likes it. Robbie likes to play that, and he's tried to show it to me, but I haven't been able to pick it up.

PHILLIPS: Because you've got ADD. It's difficult for you to sit and concentrate.

SANCHEZ: Focus. Focus. Focus, Ricky.

PHILLIPS: Focus, Ricky, on what's coming up in about seven minutes.

SANCHEZ: Here's what we got. You know, we're prone to look for videos that oftentimes aren't seen anywhere, and we have found another one today which I think is phenomenal. It's a task force of police officers who are working the hills or mountains of north Georgia. They are following a man because they suspect that he has just dropped off or possibly has in his car a drug suspect.

So, they follow him to a gas station. There he is. Turns out this man is a pastor. This man is extremely godly. This man has done everything he possibly can for his community -- he may have been trying to help the drug suspect. Well the police officers show up, guns drawn, they go after his car. He may think that they're actually trying to rob him, he backs up, they shoot and they killed him, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Wow.

SANCHEZ: And now it's a question as to whether he knew about them being police officers or did they actually think he was a drug suspect and he's not. Either way, it's a rigmarole and we're trying to drill it down for you. We'll have it for you at 3:00.

PHILLIPS: Good. I'll be paying attention. Thanks, Rick.

SANCHEZ: Sure.

PHILLIPS: Pay attention to this one, especially if you like to drink Pepsi. "What the..." is one of those phrases we say without really expecting an answer. But if you say it when you open a soda can and you do get an answer from the FDA, you're probably not going to like it.

That's the case in Ormand Beach, Flordia where Fred Denegri (ph) actually opened a Diet Pepsi, took a swig and gagged. Well, he dumped out the soda along with a creature that he and his wife thought was a mouse. Well, the Fed (sic) said was no, not a mouse, it was a frog. Not only a from, a gutted frog at that. And it's not clear how it got there. Pepsi said it couldn't have happened at the factory, and now Fred as popped for a lawyer.

Prime terror target is no place to catch up on your z's, especially if you're in charge of security. Two guards caught sleeping on the job at a busy New York bridge.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: The rule book is about to be rewritten for pilots who fly the busy corridor above the Hudson river. The FAA plans to increase training and force a speed limit and make all pilots listen to the same radio channel as they navigate along the Manhattan skyline. This is all happening after a midair disaster last month when a plane collided with a tour helicopter, killing nine people.

Next week marks eight years since the 9/11 attacks, and New York City is still under an orange or high terrorist threat level. So, imagine how unnerved one man was when he spotted security workers on a major bridge sleeping on the job. CNN's Deb Feyerick has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK (voice-over): Joey Lepore loves riding his bike from New Jersey over the George Washington Bridge into New York's Central Park.

(on camera): You take this path every day?

JOEY LEPORE, OWNER, NEW YORK BICYCLE TOURS: Pretty much every day.

FEYERICK (voice-over): It was on one those rides across the bridge Lepore looked over at a security booth and saw something that alarmed him.

LEPORE: I saw a guy sleeping, and I thought, this is crazy. That the guy's sleeping on duty.

FEYERICK: And he says it happened not once, but three times.

LEPORE: I got totally outraged. And I said, you know what, I'm taking a picture of this.

FEYERICK: Which he did, walking straight up to the security booth.

LEPORE: Imagine if I was a terrorist. Imagine if I had a gun in my hand. I could have opened up his door and blew his head right off. That's how close I was.

FEYERICK: Months before going public, Lepore says he reached out to the security guard. LEPORE: I said, you know, I don't want to be a jerk and report this, but you got to promise me that you're not going to be sleeping while you're supposed to be guarding a bridge.

He said, no, no, no, it won't ever happen again, don't worry.

FEYERICK: But when it did, with another guard, Lepore felt there was a bigger problem.

LEPORE: If this guy worked in a deli and was sleeping behind the counter, I wouldn't care. But when you're protecting us and it's your job to have an eye out for anything that's potentially hazardous for us, our safety, then I take that very seriously.

FEYERICK: The Port Authority, which runs the bridges says both guards have been fired for sleeping on the job. In a statement to CNN, the agency says it welcomes public vigilance and that "The port authority takes the safety of its passengers and facilities very seriously and has spent more than $4 billion on security since 9/11."

Although he feels badly about the firings, Lepore still feels he did the right thing, especially because a cousin and friend died on 9/11.

LEPORE: If I can do one thing to help one person stay alive, then I'll be very, very fulfilled for that.

FEYERICK (on camera): Neither the Port Authority nor the contractor that hired the security guards would release the names of the two men in the photos, so we were unable to reach them directly. The agency did confirm that sleeping on the job was the reason for termination. Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: I'm Kyra Phillips, we'll see you back here tomorrow, 1:00 and 3:00 Eastern time. Meanwhile, someone who never sleeps on the job, Rick Sanchez.