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Health Care Tea Party; Largest Number of Black Women to Serve; Obesity Linked to Cancer; CNN Challenge; Confidant to the President

Aired November 05, 2009 - 12:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for your top-of-the-hour reset. I'm Tony Harris in the CNN NEWSROOM.

It is noon on Capitol Hill, where a House health care bill looks headed for a showdown vote this Saturday.

It's 8:30 p.m. in Tehran, where a mother speaks exclusively to CNN about her daughter. Neda's death added fuel to last summer's protests in Iran.

Back in Washington, we talk with the ultimate White House insider, Valerie Jarrett, the president's close friend and confidante. Let's get started.

The push for health care reform picking up steam. President Obama heads to Capitol Hill tomorrow to meet with lawmakers as House Democrats move toward a weekend vote on their sweeping reform bill. And just within the last half hour, the AARP threw its support behind the Huse bill. The group lobbies on behalf of 40 million members aged50 and over. Their support is seen as a big boost for the legislation.

Momentum is building for supporters and opponents of the House plan to overhaul health care. Right now, House Republicans are joining with TEA Party protesters to rally against the legislation.

Congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar outside the Capitol where the rally is taking place. And, if you would, Brianna -- boy, describe the scene that you were certainly in the middle of last hour, and what are we going to hear over the course of the next hour?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're up here on the steps of the Capitol, the west steps of the Capitol, Tony. We're expecting Republicans here in a few minutes -t hey're going to come down these stairs and they're really going to great this crowd behind me over here.

Check this out. These are a lot of people who are against the Democrats' plan to overhaul health care reform. These are the same people that lent their voices to really putting the heat on Democrats during the town halls in August. Many of the same protesters, as they tell me, who were here in September when Congress returned from its August recess, and they were trying to send a very similar message.

So, House Republicans are really trying to harness this very vocal energy with a rally here. Expected to start any minute. But we understand it could be pushed forward a little bit later.

And so you have that going on on one side, but on the other hand, as you mentioned, Tony, you have Democrats, who are trying to harness energy of their own to really high-level endorsements from some groups who, you know, have not maybe thrown their support behind the House Democrats' plan or a Democratic plan to overhaul health care until this point.

The AARP, the American Cancer Society as well. We're also expecting that the American Medical Association will put out its stand today on where it falls, and that could be an endorsement. But listen to what Speaker Pelosi said just a short time ago, really trying to push back on some of this Republican opposition to the House Democrats' health care overhaul bill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE (D-CA): Anything you need to know about the difference between the Democratic bill and the Republican bill is that the Republicans do not end health insurance companies' discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. Let that stand.

That's scandalous. The fact that it exists. I don't understand why they have not heard the American people who have said we -- pre- existing conditions should not be a source of discrimination.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: OK. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and of course, the -- boy, the stage is set for that big vote this weekend. We will get back to Brianna Keilar shortly.

But more to the point, we will certainly bring you more coverage of the Republican event, when it begins, in just a couple of minutes right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

You can keep up with all of the health care reform plans in both the House and the Senate online. Just click on CNN.com/healthcare. You can read in-depth about the wheeling and dealing that's going on, learn about the costs that are likely to impact your health care. CNN.com.

Checking the wire now and other top stories.

The House is expected to give final approval today to a bill that lends a hand to jobless Americans and homebuyers. The measure gives another 14 weeks of unemployment payments to people whose benefits have expired. People in states with unemployment rates above 8.5 percent will get another six weeks for a total of 20.

The bill would also extend the $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers through next June. Home buyers who have been in their home for at least five years can get a $6,500 tax credit. The Senate passed the bill 98-0 yesterday. President Obama is expected to sign it quickly after the House acts. The United Nations is temporarily relocating 600 staffers in Afghanistan, and new security measures will be put in place. They follow an attack on a U.N. guesthouse in the heart of Kabul, just eight days ago. The Taliban siege lasted two hours and left 11 people dead. Among them, 5 U.N. employees.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEEM SIDDIQUE, U.N. SPOKESMAN IN AFGHANISTAN: We estimate that this will affect 12 percent of our staff. That equates to about 600 of our international staff members, some of whom may be relocated within country, and some may be relocated temporarily outside of country while the security measures can be put in place to ensure that their swift return so we can continue with U.N. activities and programs in country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: The Web site for Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been hacked. Take a look. The words in Farsi are from a song. The first two lines were the slogans chanted during protests that erupted after the June presidential election. The message on the site said it was hacked, quoting here, "for propagating lies, supporting the dictatorial government of the hated Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and all his followers and collaborators."

A state report outlines failure after failure after failure in the 18-year-long Jaycee Dugard kidnapping case. Police say Phillip Garrido held Dugard at his California home from 1991 until this August as a sex offender. Garrido was on parole and under federal supervision from 1988 to 1999 when California took over.

The state found parole officers visited Garrido's home some 60 times but never picked up on the kidnapping. The GPS system that tracked Garrido failed more than 300 times, and agents ignored alerts when Garrido ventured outside his 25-mile zone limit. One parole officer even encountered Garrido with a girl inside the home, but did nothing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW CATE, CALFORNIA CORRECTIONS SECRETARY: We agree that serious errors were made over the last ten years. We obviously deeply regret any error that could have possibly resulted in the victims living under these conditions for even one additional day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: While apologetic, the corrections chief says his department is overworked and undermanned. He said parole officers had an average of six, maybe seven minutes a day to spend on Garrido.

Within the last hour, New York City's former police mission commissioner pled guilty to conspiracy. It's part of a plea deal for Bernard Kerik. Our Mary Snow was in the courtroom, and she joins us with details. And Mary, my understanding is this plea comes days before Kerik's first trial, the first of three, was set to begin.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony, the trial was set to begin on Monday, but Bernard Kerik, the former New York City police commissioner, here in New York, also onetime nominee to be the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, has pled guilty in part of a plea deal to eight counts. And among those counts, two of them having to do with the vetting process when he was being vetted for the Department of Homeland Security.

In essence, he admitted making false statements to officials about a number of things, including accepting more than $200,000 in renovations to a private home that he owned and not disclosing it. Also, those renovations were done by a company looking to do business for the city. That company was also under investigation, and Kerik admitted to talking to city regulators on behalf of that company.

Now, the sentencing guidelines are being looked at, but the recommendation will be for 27 to 33 months in prison. The sentencing date is now set for February 18th. Kerik has been held in jail, and that happened last month after the judge revoked his bail, because the judge said he leaked sealed information, and there was concern it would taint the jurors. Kerik's lawyer has asked to take another look at that. The judge said that he would, but no sentencing -- no date is set on that.

Also, Tony, the judge in this case said that he saw this as very sad, but he said he would take into effect -- or into account -- Kerik's total life experience when coming up with the sentencing.

HARRIS: Yes.

SNOW: And he did say that he saw much good in that life. Tony?

HARRIS: CNN's Mary Snow for us in White Plains, New York. Mary, thank you.

Her name is Neda. Her death has become a rallying point for the government's opposition in Iran. Now, her mother is speaking out. We will bring an exclusive interview.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Ten minutes after the hour. Welcome back, everyone, to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.

Republican members of Congress and opponents of the Democrats' health care plans are gathered outside the Capitol this hour. One of the organizers of this event is Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, a Republican from Minnesota. She tells us why she feels so strongly about this issue straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Her death, captured on video, shocked people around the world. Iranian protester Neda Soltan was killed in the post- presidential election turmoil this summer. Octavia Nasr, CNN's senior editor for Middle Eastern affairs, talked with the young woman's mother. And we caution you, some of the video you're about to see is graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SENIOR EDITOR FOR MIDDLE EASTERN AFFAIRS (voice-over): The anguish of losing a daughter. On the 21st of June, Neda Agha-Soltan was laid to rest, a tragic symbol of the protests that gripped Iran.

She was shot as she walked to her car after a demonstration. For her mother, Hajar Rostami, it was the first day of a pain that will never heal.

Neda's last moments were captured on video and flashed around the world. Her mother could only watch it once. It is the look of death in her eyes, she says.

HAJAR ROSTAMI: (SPEAKING IN FARSI)

NASR: Hajar Rostami spoke to CNN from Tehran a few days ago. She told us the look is with her every day when she wakes up and every night before she goes to sleep. Neda was strong and brave she says, in a whisper, in her native Farsi.

Neda's mother said she approved of her actions and that she participated in demonstrations as well. She tells us the family wasn't with Mousavi or against Ahmadinejad but demonstrated for freedom. She says her daughter's killer is still at large, but she hopes justice will be served. I am waiting for that day, she adds.

Rostami is proud of her daughter and grateful for the support from across the world. Rostami visits her daughter's grave every Friday. People go and write on her grave in red ink the word martyr she says, and then the authorities go and wipe it off.

HAJAR ROSTAMI: (SPEAKING IN FARSI)

NASR: I always saw Neda as a martyr, she whispers. Neda was a martyr for her homeland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Octavia Nasr joining us live from the CNN NEWSROOM in Atlanta.

Octavia, before we speak -- I guess I first need to point out that your entire interview with Neda's mom is available for everyone to see and to hear at CNN.com. But, Octavia, the anniversary of the hostage-taking incident at the U.S. embassy 30 years ago sparked huge demonstrations yesterday. We saw a lot of that on the YouTube video throughout the day. And my understanding is that the Neda effect played a role.

NASR: Yes. And back to that interview. I conducted the interview a few days ago with Neda's mom, along with a colleague, Wayne Drash (ph) of CNN.com. We spent over an hour with her on the phone, and the contrast between that woman that you saw in the piece weeping, wailing, and the subdued woman that we talked to on the phone is striking, Tony.

But, indeed, during the demonstrations, we did see signs with Neda's name on them. As a matter of fact, the Neda effect continues. So if you follow, for example, social media, you'll see many people still having Neda's picture as their official avatar and the color green representing the green movement, the opposition in Iran, and the name of Neda on those avatars.

And, yes, the shouts, the screams, I mean, of course, the 30th anniversary of the embassy crisis had two kinds of demonstrations in Tehran yesterday. You had the kind that was calling, you know, for the "death to America, death to Israel" and so forth, which is what you've seen in the last 30 years, every year on this anniversary. What you did not see are those images that you're looking at now.

Those we had to wait for people to film them on their cell phones or their personal cameras and upload them on the Internet. You're seeing there riot police and the Basij militia basically attacking demonstrators, arresting them. It was a very intense day in Tehran. But, again, the contrast between the two demonstrations is something to be reckoned with.

HARRIS: Hey, Octavia, you're so active on Twitter. Are you getting tweets that give you any kind of an insight as to what's going on inside Iran, inside Tehran now?

NASR: Absolutely, Tony. See, we focus sometimes on big anniversaries like this one. Or today, for example, in the next hour, we're expecting president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak, so we'll be focusing on that.

But on the day-to-day -- that we follow through Twitter and other social media inside Iran, the opposition is very active. They keep sending messages out. As a matter of fact, they keep demonstrating. Especially the students in universities and high schools. They continue to organize, they continue to demonstrate.

Last week, for example, the families of those missing since the June elections and the aftermath of the elections, they demonstrated, and they threatened the Iranian government. They said, if you don't let us demonstrate, we're going to go on a hunger strike, and we're going to attract the world's attention through that.

So, they were able to demonstrate. They held signs with the names and pictures of their loved ones, and they're demanding to know their fate. They want to know if they're arrested. If they're charged with any crime, and they want to know their fate. They want to know what's going on. So, they're very, very active, definitely.

HARRIS: And you are, too, as a follower. I learned so much by following you. Octavia Nasr for us in the CNN NEWSROOM in Atlanta. Octavia, thank you.

NASR: Thanks, Tony.

HARRIS: Very quickly, let's get you to Chad Myers in our Severe Weather Center. Chad, maybe we should change the signage here, and you're the hurricane headquarters today.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I think it's under there. Let me move all these things away, and I'll see if it's there or not.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MYERS: Hey look, Tony! The Hurricane Headquarters.

HARRIS: Yes, there it is.

MYERS: We're back. We haven't had to use it. We should have had Typhoon Headquarters for as much as we were out talking about the western Pacific all year, all the times it got hit, by the Philippines and such. Sir?

HARRIS: All right, Chad, thank you, sir!

MYERS: You're welcome.

HARRIS: Let's get you caught up on a few other top stories we're following right now.

President Obama heads to Capitol Hill tomorrow as the push for health care reform picks up steam. House Democrats could vote on their sweeping reform bill this weekend. Republicans and TEA Party protesters are holding a rally this hour against the legislation.

Police in Cleveland are trying to identify the bodies of ten of 11 women found in the home of a convicted sex offender. They have ID'ed one victim, 52-year-old Tonia Carmichael. Anthony Sowell was charged with five counts of murder, rape, assault, and kidnapping. Police say more charges are likely.

The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week. Initial jobless claims decreased to 512,000. Twenty thousand fewer than the week before, but that is still a really big number.

Another check of the top stories in 20 minutes for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

You know, a lot of us are in the middle of open enrollment at our companies right now. And if you're used to ignoring the sign-up period because you're happy with what you have, you'd better pay close attention this year. Failing to take action to cost you your health insurance.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Got to make room here. Gerri Willis is here.

If you work for a large company, it's time for open enrollment. That's when you sign up for your health coverage, other benefits you want for next year. It happens every November. But Gerri's here to say it is more important than ever to make sure you make your choices. Don't ignore it this year...

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Can't ignore it.

HARRIS: Tell us why.

WILLIS: You can't ignore it. In the past if you didn't sign up for health coverage during open enrollment, your employer would just give you whatever plan you had last year.

You can't do that this year, because open enrollment is mandatory. At some companies they reserve the right to drop your coverage. Are you hearing me here? Drop your coverage if you don't participate in the annual benefits programs this year. Others will default to a plan you may or may not like. Bottom line, you can't ignore the process.

Another big change you'll see, of course, is higher employee costs. Check this out PricewaterhouseCoopers reports 42 percent of employers plan to reduce their contributions to health insurance premiums. That means employees will pay more upfront out of each and every paycheck. And Hewitt Associates says your premiums and out-of- pocket health care will rise 10 percent next year.

Many employers are offering consumer-driven health plans. Don't be misled by the title. This is something you pay more for. They are plans with high deductibles. You might have to pay 10,000 bucks out of your own pocket before the coverage kicks in. These plans make your monthly premiums cheaper, lots cheaper, but you'll pay far more every time you go to the doc. Tony?

HARRIS: A bigger chunk out of our pockets. Is that just a way for companies to save more money?

WILLIS: Yes. Precisely so. Look, more and more employers are auditing who you cover under your health insurance. Watson Wyatt says employers want to make sure your plan covers only people who are eligible. Some companies are requiring spouses to complete health risk assessments, and others are charging higher premiums for spouses who have access to health care coverage through their own jobs.

So, there's some good news here, Tony. Many employers are offering wellness incentives, things like gift cards. You participate in the online forms you fill out so they can evaluate how healthy the employee workforce is.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

WILLIS: And they give you little goodies, but at the end of the day, what we're talking about is you paying more for the kind of coverage you get right now.

HARRIS: Will these new plans cover your family? WILLIS: Well, you definitely want to think about that. When it comes to covering your family, what's going on out there is spouses are really under the microscope right now. And even extended family. They're making sure that these people are eligible to be on your plan. And in some cases, they're charging you more, more, more for that coverage than they did last year.

HARRIS: Yes.

WILLIS: So, you really got to watch out. Actually, you know, take the two plans. If you both work, mom and dad, compare those plans. Because it could be different this year. If you're used to one of the plans being better than another, you know, all bets are off this year.

HARRIS: Yes. Any good news out there for employers this year?

WILLIS: Well, employers, of course, are paying more, and they're pushing this on to us, right?

HARRIS: Yes, yes.

WILLIS: So, at the end of the day, they're seeing increased costs.

HARRIS: Right.

WILLIS: The increased costs are flowing right through to us, and they're trying to -- they're trying to, you know, help them, help us.

HARRIS: Right. Hey, I've got to -- let me give you a moment here to talk about what you're doing this weekend with "YOUR BOTTOM LINE," because this is terrific and particularly timely.

WILLIS: Well, we're going to be talking about open enrollment on the show. And you can call in and get your questions answered by experts. We're going to have a panel. You need to e-mail me to get at the front of that line, Tony.

This is for you, too, gerri@CNN.com. Give us your questions. We're going to be talking about open enrollment. A lot of people confused by the process this year. It's very, very different. We're going to be on hand to talk about it, answer your questions.

HARRIS: OK, stay here for just a second. Because I have another question on health care for you, but I want to show everyone the live pictures. We've been telling you that this huge rally was going to take place on the steps of the Capitol. A lot of Republican representatives on hand. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota is speaking, I believe, right now.

It is the health care TEA Party. It's going on right now. She just finished. This is the actor Jon Voight. This is the actor Jon Voight who is speaking now. Want to give you a little bit of a taste for what he's saying at this rally. So, let's do this, let's listen in. (JOINED IN PROGRESS)

JON VOIGHT, ACTOR: ... want to get a room.

(LAUGHTER)

VOIGHT: I'm -- I'm -- I'm so deeply proud to be among you brave, concerned, patriotic American citizens. And I brought -- I brought a -- two other folks with me on the trek from Los Angeles, and I -- the first -- I'd just like to have them say a word or two to you. A dear friend of mine. A small business owner who represents -- who is representative of all the small business owners around our country who are suffering in one form or another. He has a special story to tell.

I'd like to have Shalem Berkman just step forward and say hello.

SHALEM BERKMAN, SMALL BUSINESS OWNER: Hey.

Great to be here. It's an honor.

HARRIS: OK. Gerri, as we continue to watch these pictures, I've got a question for you. You know, we learned today that the American Association of Retired Persons is -- the AARP...

WILLIS: That's correct.

HARRIS: ... is endorsing the House version of health care reform. And one of the questions that I've been posed with this morning is, why is this group that represents people 50 and older supporting health care reform as it's being planned and proposed by House members, when certainly over the summer, and certainly at the town hall meetings, we heard a lot of people, in this particular group, who had strong opinions in opposition to any kind of health care reform that was being proposed because of concerns that it represented a big government takeover and also that it would cut their benefits?

WILLIS: That's right. And I had big questions about that. So why is AARP endorsing this, right?

HARRIS: Yes.

WILLIS: So I called them and asked. And their spokesman told me, it's about what is in this plan. They really like what's in the bill. They say it promises affordability for the younger members in AARP. It protects Medicare benefits, which is critical to this group. You know, that's a big debate.

HARRIS: That's right.

WILLIS: Would it hit benefits? Would it not? The AARP has decided that, for their members, it is not going to be an attack on benefits. And, also, I know you've heard us talk about the doughnut hole, the prescription drugs if you're a senior.

HARRIS: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Yes. WILLIS: There's a gap in coverage. Jim Dow (ph) at AARP told me this closes that hole. So this goes a long way to doing what AARP wanted done, and this is why they're backing this bill today. That's what they told me just minutes ago.

HARRIS: And in the final analysis, the AARP supports it because they're getting a lot of what the members want and need. I mean is that simply put?

WILLIS: You know, I have to say, Jim says that, you know, we talk to our members. We ask them, what do you want? And this is what they told us they wanted. So that's why we're backing the bill.

HARRIS: Gerri, appreciate it. Thank you.

WILLIS: My pleasure.

HARRIS: You know, Congress, as we've been talking about here, is moving forward and getting closer to extending relief to people out of work and trying to buy a new home. That's a sweet spot for you, Gerri. Is that going to help or hurt the economy? We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: The government is one step closer to working out a plan to help the millions of people who are struggling to find a job. The Senate has passed a bill that would extend jobless benefits nationwide. And that's not all. It also includes an extension of the first-time home buyer tax credit. Here she is, Susan Lisovicz, to break it all down for us.

And, Susan, let's start with the jobless benefits.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. Well, we've been talking about jobs a lot this week. And, of course, we'll be talking about jobs tomorrow. We get the big government jobs report. We've been showing improvement, right?

HARRIS: Yes.

LISOVICZ: Improving signs. Layoffs are easing, right? It's still not healthy. So that's what this is all about. The Senate voting to extend for a third time an extension of jobless benefits. By 14 weeks in all states, 20 weeks in states with particularly high unemployment.

You know, why is this? Well, it's tough to find a job, even, you know, with these numbers today, we said, shows that 4 million Americans are on extended benefits.

HARRIS: Yes.

LISOVICZ: And by the end of the year, 2 million people have exhausted all their benefits. So that's 2 million people in distress, creates all sort of problems for the economy and for them, of course. I mean, personally.

HARRIS: Of course. The first-time home buyer tax credit. There's an extension there. And then there's an expansion of that benefit that is good news for a lot of people.

LISOVICZ: Right. Yes, if you're in the market, boy, mortgage rates are low, housing prices are low and there's free money. I mean, you know, it's pretty . . .

HARRIS: Yes, that's good. There's a trifecta (ph) there.

LISOVICZ: Right. So what this is -- this is part of the same package.

HARRIS: Yes.

LISOVICZ: This would extend it to next June. So the end of June, the house would have to close. It would expand who can get in on this, so you don't have to be a first-time home buyer, Tony Harris.

HARRIS: Yes.

LISOVICZ: And it would also raise the income cap, single filers up to $125,000, joint filers up to $225,000. Like, you know, this is stimulus that's very popular.

HARRIS: It is. It is.

LISOVICZ: It's free money, no surprise. The National Association of Realtors says by the time this is all said and done, nearly 2 million people will have used this credit. Of course, plenty of critics who say we're spending too much money. Stop it.

HARRIS: Yes. Yes.

LISOVICZ: And there are lots of cases of fraud.

HARRIS: Be careful of the fraud. Yes.

LISOVICZ: Tens of thousands of cases of fraud. Always pops up when there's free money.

HARRIS: Yes.

LISOVICZ: Funny how that works.

HARRIS: I saw your computer, I don't know what we're doing with -- hey, guys, very quickly, I know we've got to run, but anything on the Dow, how the numbers are -- we were in triple-digit territory.

LISOVICZ: Yes.

HARRIS: We had been for much of the day.

LISOVICZ: Yes.

HARRIS: Still there?

LISOVICZ: Yes.

HARRIS: There we go. There we go.

LISOVICZ: There we go. Pretty nice gains. And, of course, whether we end the week or not, well, might hinge on what we see tomorrow with the government jobs report for October.

HARRIS: Yes. Susan, good to see you. Appreciate it.

LISOVICZ: Likewise. Thanks, Tony.

HARRIS: Always. Thank you.

He made history when he won the White House, and President Obama could leave his mark on history with the appointment of so many African-American women to positions of power.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS (voice-over): It is the largest group of black women to ever work for a U.S. president. And many are the first to hold their various positions. Like the director of the Domestic Policy Council, Melody Barnes. Barnes is an attorney who served as chief council to Senator Ted Kennedy for more than seven years. Before coming to the White House, she was the executive vice president for policy at the Center for American Progress.

SUSAN RICE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: We're having very good and productive discussion.

HARRIS: Susan Rice showed her loyalty to President Obama early as an adviser during his campaign. She is now the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and is no stranger to the White House. She served in several positions in the Clinton administration, including the assistant secretary of state for African affairs during the embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998.

VALERIE JARRETT, SENIOR ADVISER AND ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT: And our mission is simple . . .

HARRIS: Valerie Jarrett may be one of the longest-serving confidantes to President Obama, but before her appointment to senior adviser and assistant to the president, Jarrett didn't have any experience inside the beltway. She began her political career in Chicago with Mayor Harold Washington, and then Mayor Richard Daley. In 1995, Jarrett left politics for the Habitat Company, where she served as a CEO.

These are just a few of the black women in the Obama administration who have stepped into their roles quietly, but may leave a profound mark on American politics.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HARRIS: Our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux, sat down with Valerie Jarrett to talk about her role as friend and senior adviser to the president. She will bring us that interview later this hour.

And let's get you caught up now on our top stories.

President Obama heads to Capitol Hill tomorrow as the push for health care reform picks up steam. House Democrats could vote on their sweeping reform bill by this weekend.

Republicans and Tea Party protesters are holding a rally this hour against that legislation.

Ex-New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik pleads guilty to lying during the vetting process for his unsuccessful nomination for homeland security secretary. He said he would also admit to tax crimes. The plea deal could put Kerik in prison for about two and a half years. His corruption trial was supposed to start next Monday.

Democrats slam a hotly contested climate bill. Slam it through a key committee. The crucial vote delayed for several days by Republicans questioning the cost of the legislation. The bill calls for power plant and factory greenhouse gas emission cuts of 20 percent by 2050. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Obesity, it is more than just being fat. All that extra weight leaves you at risk for all sorts of diseases, including cancer. Now a new report lays out some pretty sobering numbers. Senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, dug up the details.

Elizabeth, good to see you.

The numbers here are pretty staggering.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, they are.

Because I think a lot of people get it, that if you're overweight, that's not good for your heart. But I think people don't realize that if you're overweight, it also increases your chances of getting all kinds of cancers.

Let's take a look at what this report found. We're told it's the first time that they've actually put numbers on how much you increase your chance of getting cancer if you're overweight. Forty-nine percent of endometrial cancers are believed to be related to obesity. Thirty-five percent of esophageal cancers. Twenty-eight percent of pancreatic cancers. And 24 percent of kidney cancers.

Those numbers are huge. What that tells you is that if you lose weight, you decrease your chances of getting all of those cancers -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yes. How do researchers explain, Elizabeth, the link between cancer and obesity? Do we even know?

COHEN: You know what, there are a lot of theories out there, but they're pretty well-educated theories. What we do know is that fat creates estrogen. And, yes, men have estrogen too, as well as women. And that those hormones, some of these cancers feed off of the hormone estrogen.

There's also some thought that being obese, it hurts your immune system. It hurts your body's ability to fight off various kinds of viruses and other things and that that can increase your chances of getting cancer. So those are two of the theories out there.

HARRIS: And once you get cancer, are you less likely to survive if you're obese?

COHEN: Yes, unfortunately you are. There's no question when they've done studies that those survival rates go down when you're obese. It's not really clear whether that's because the cancer is worse or -- it's not really clear what's going on here.

But one thing that they do know is that cancer treatments don't seem to work as well when someone's obese. So, Tony, this is yet another reason why people need to lose weight if they're overweight.

HARRIS: There are so many reasons.

COHEN: There are.

HARRIS: All right, our senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen. Elizabeth, thank you. See you back in Atlanta tomorrow.

COHEN: Great.

HARRIS: We are unveiling the brand new -- all right, let's do this. Time to take the wraps off of the brand new cnnchallenge.com. It is your chance to test your news knowledge and see how you stack up against everyone else. Now, last hour, Josh, you promised us a tough question. A difficult one. That last one, last hour, was just a gimme. You have a better one for us this hour?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I didn't know that everyone was going to know the Ares 1-X last hour.

HARRIS: Come on!

LEVS: Yes, I think -- well, we were having a conversation behind the scenes. We think this one's tougher. Well, let me first show everyone how you get to it yourself and then you can have a chance to weigh in.

This is it, the new cnnchallenge.com. You just saw the dramatic opening. And one of the things you can do here is click on one of several CNN anchor personalities here and they will give you the argument for why they should guide you. For example, here's Soledad. Take a listen.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, you and me, we'll be a team. Pick me.

LEVS: So you basically have your choice. You can click on any one of these folks and they will guide you through the game.

Now, let's go over to the game itself because what you get to do, here's Wolf taking us through, is first it starts with some simpler questions. Then it gets tougher. So I jumped up to round two, where the questions might be a little bit tougher than some of the ones we were seeing last hour. And then I'll give the audience one, Tony.

Take a look at this one. Who was awarded Major League Baseball 2009 Roberto Clemente Award for community service and excellence on the field? Do you know this one? You know, it's kind of well timed, folks, because take a look at this, Derek Jeter, the Yankees. Like they're not having enough good news today. We had to toss in a reminder about that.

Here's what we have for you now. We have -- one of the questions from the new cnnchallenge.com. Let's show it to you and we've got it on the giant screen downstairs in the CNN Center here. And I want to give you all the chance to weigh in on it on your own. It's a little bit tricky because it requires looking back a few years.

President Obama will lifting a ban on entry into the U.S. for people infected with HIV/AIDS. When was the ban enacted? And your choices here, 1982, 1987, 1994, or 1999? Stare at that question for a second. We're going to be grilling some folks in the CNN Center. And also I want to show you how you can send us your answer right now to my page. You got the blog is going, cnn.com/josh, also Facebook and Twitter, my address is joshlevscnn. And you can send your answers right now. And coming right up, we are going to see if you get it right.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: House Minority Leader John Boehner now making remarks at a huge Republican organized event on the steps of Capitol Hill on health care. Let's have a listen.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R-OH) MINORITY LEADER: Pelosi care. This bill is the greatest threat to freedom that I have seen in the 19 years I've been here in Washington. Taking away your freedom to choose your doctor, the freedom -- the freedom -- to buy health insurance on your own. It's going to lead to a government takeover of our health care system with tens of thousands of new bureaucrats right down the street making these decisions for you.

I don't know what the outcome of that vote's going to be. But I can tell you one, I am voting no. I'm going to stand with you and all freedom-loving Americans against this bill.

This is my copy -- this is my copy of the Constitution. And I'm going to stand here with our founding fathers, who wrote in the preamble, "we hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

So join -- join us . . .

HARRIS: All right, the House minority leader, John Boehner, on the steps of the Capitol talking about health care. It was once Obama-care. It's morphed into Pelosi-care. The Democrats' health care reform bill is what he's referring to. And you heard the House minority leader call it the biggest threat to freedom in his 19 years in Congress.

The rally continues there in Washington, D.C., on the steps of the Capitol.

Let's get you back to Josh Levs.

And, Josh, all right, look, we set up the suspense. We have a tougher question this hour.

LEVS: Yes.

HARRIS: And now we need an answer.

LEVS: I think so. Let's go straight to the question. And, you know, the question was about what year it was enacted -- President Obama will lift a ban on entry into the U.S. for people infected with HIV/AIDS. When was the ban enacted? And to get some shots at an answers, we have Nicole Lapin in the CNN atrium right now with some folks.

And, Nicole, talk to us. How are people doing down there?

NICOLE LAPIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: People are feeling very confident about their answers right now, Josh. This is a group of very smart viewers. Here are the options -- 1982, 1987, '94, and '99. What do you think?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 1987.

LAPIN: '87. We're locking it in, Josh. Final answer, 1987.

LEVS: And, folks, let's give them the answer screen. We'll see if they got it right. There you go. Well done.

HARRIS: Wow.

LAPIN: Yes, good job.

LEVS: I got to say, some people didn't quite get there. But, you know what, lots more for you. Thank you. Congratulations. Go visit cnnchallenge.com. We've got more coming up.

HARRIS: That is good stuff. All right, that is good stuff. Thank you, Josh.

LEVS: Thanks. HARRIS: Valerie Jarrett is a family friend and valued adviser to President Obama. She is talking to us about balancing those two roles.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Valerie Jarrett is a senior adviser to President Obama. Perhaps more than that, she is a close confidante and longtime friend. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux sat down for an exclusive interview with this key, behind-the-scenes White House player.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Valerie Jarrett has called her relationship with the president a mind meld.

VALERIE JARRETT, OBAMA SENIOR ADVISER: We're good friends, as you know, Suzanne, and we've known each other for a very long time. You get a pretty good sense of them.

MALVEAUX: They met 18 years ago when Barack Obama was a young law professor in Chicago. Jarrett was interviewing his fiancee, the future first lady, Michelle Robinson, for a job in the mayor's office. Obama was making sure Jarrett was on the up and up.

JARRETT: When she was speaking, he would just look at her with this adoring look and -- but he was really tough on me, in the nicest possible way.

MALVEAUX: The three became fast friends. Now, President Obama says he runs every important decision by Jarrett. Trusts her completely. Considers her family.

JARRETT: I hope because, you know, obviously he would trust me the way he would a close friend, he knows I have his best interests at heart.

MALVEAUX: She laughs when I suggest perhaps she is his consigliere (ph). She doesn't like talking about herself.

JARRETT: Can you see I'm really kind of uncomfortable on this?

MALVEAUX (on camera): I can see. You're pushing me back here a little.

MALVEAUX (voice-over): She prefers to talk about the team and paints a picture of being in the Oval Office with the president.

JARRETT: When everyone's done talking, if there have been a couple of people who have been quiet, he'll say, well, Suzanne, what do you think about this issue?

MALVEAUX: She can also read the president's body language, when he's heard enough talk.

JARRETT: When he's finished with the debate, then he's finished and he's ready to move on.

MALVEAUX: Skeptical newcomers would pull Jarrett aside and ask her for her take.

JARRETT: Well, what did he really mean? You know, I know he said this, but what was he really thinking? And I have such delight in being able to say, he meant exactly what he said.

MALVEAUX: Jarrett is a liaison to the business community and conducts outreach with African-Americans. But it's her role as confidante to the president that makes her the ultimate insider. She has the office once used by Karl Rove and the former first lady Hillary Clinton. She is often the only woman in meetings with the president, but dismisses any talk of tension with the boys, as some of the male power players are referred to in the White House. Jarrett's challenge is separating her friendship with the president from her job.

JARRETT: If we're in the Oval Office, I call him Mr. President, and it's very formal. I really try to compartmentalize our friendship and what we do outside of the office from my role as a senior adviser.

MALVEAUX: When they're hanging out, it's as friends, indulging in their favorite pastime.

JARRETT: Well, we like to eat. We have a -- he's a very healthy eater. I'm not so much the healthy eater, but we have a lot of wonderful conversations around the dinner table.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And we are pushing forward now with the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM with -- and welcome back - Kyra Phillips.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, you're in the NYC. Good to see you, Tony. All right.

HARRIS: Yes, it's good - yes.

PHILLIPS: We'll see you back soon.