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Official Military Handover in Iraq; Threat of Waterborne Disease; Finding Work After the War

Aired September 01, 2010 - 10:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: We are back at the top of the hour here now.

Hello to you all again. I'm T.J. Holmes sitting in today for Kyra Phillips.

We are talking about Earl -- Hurricane Earl, a major storm right now, Category 3, 125-mile-per-hour winds right now. There are some mandatory -- some mandatory -- evacuations going on right now on parts of the North Carolina coast.

So far the mandatory evacuations are for tourists. Other people who live in the area not being told they have to get out, some of them deciding to hunker down right now. But again, the danger spreads all the way up to Virginia. We have rip currents and waves that are posing a danger right now for a lot of people, a lot of swimmers on the east coast. Already we have seen at least one rescue.

Lifeguards in Ocean City, Maryland, had to rescue a guy who kept getting pulled farther and farther into the Atlantic. But the concerns, like I say, go up the coast all the way up to Massachusetts where rip currents there have shut down some beaches northeast of Boston.

People also getting their boats ready for Earl, trying to get out of the way. Also up in the Virginia Coast, the Navy getting its destroyer ready to move to calmer waters, trying to get out of Earl's way.

CNN, of course, is your hurricane headquarters. And our Jacqui Jeras is watching Earl from here. We're going to get to her in just a moment but our Rob Marciano is watching Earl from the coast in Virginia Beach for us.

Rob, hello to you once again. Does it seem like people right now - yes, it looks like a nice day on the beach, but are people getting ready? Are they taking this seriously enough in your estimation so far?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Not at all, not right now, at least, T.J., so that's a little bit scary. And there's a lot of people here that wouldn't normally be here. It's the last week of summer, a lot of vacationers, a lot of people who aren't very hurricane savvy, and quite frankly a lot of the people who live here haven't endured a hurricane since Hurricane Isabelle. So a little bit of storm amnesia, which is always worrisome and if that storms makes a left jog, like it's doing, this area could be in some trouble. The other issues, I think, you mentioned is, rip currents. We had a series, hundreds of rescues over this past weekend from deadly rip currents because of Hurricane Danielle, which was a whole lot smaller and way out there. Not even close to shore.

So now we've got Earl, hot on its heel, bigger, stronger and closer, and all these people are not only on this beach in Virginia, but up and down the eastern seaboard that are going to be in the water over the next several days regardless of how close Hurricane Earl comes, and so that's going to have lifeguards with their hands full for sure.

So far as you mentioned, some evacuations across parts of North Carolina. Thos watches maybe upgraded to warnings later on today. So far here in Virginia, no evacuations needed, and quite frankly the evacuation routes are a lot more accessible. The Red Cross has about 80 shelters open up and down from the East Coast, from the Carolinas up to the northeast. And so folks are preparing for this and certainly preparing for the worst but hoping for the best, hoping for that right turn out to sea. But that hasn't happened yet.

HOLMES: It hasn't happened yet. Rob, we appreciate you. We're going to get more now from our Jacqui Jeras about where exactly the storm is. Jacqui, we are always talking about this cone of uncertainty. You never really know. But it's not necessarily making a turn for the better just yet.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, you know, the computer models have been trending westward or left of the storm, which is closer to the coast unfortunately. At this time though, it appears that it may stay just offshore. We'll have to watch is as it gets closer. It is about 750 miles away from the coast of the Carolinas at this time.

Now take a look at the statistics here. Category 3 storm, we call that a major hurricane. So even though the winds were a little stronger earlier, we want you to treat this as a major storm no matter what because very powerful hurricanes can't stay that strong for that long. So it is very common to see these little fluctuations, going back and forth.

We got a little bit of dry air trying to move into the system, but take a look, with a couple of frames here. That eye is really becoming much better defined and we're getting a much more symmetrical looking storm. So it is very possible that we're going to start to see that pressure lower a little bit and maybe see a little additional strengthening.

Now, here's what we got going on in terms of the watches. This means hurricane conditions are possible in 48 hours or less. Rob mentioned this will be probably be upgraded to a warning. It's going to happen later on tonight from Paramore Islands, stretching down towards Surf City. Let's talk about that forecast. We think those waves are going to start to kick up even throughout the day today. At closest approach, that's going to be late on Thursday night, into Friday morning and then into New England Friday night into Saturday, and those winds are going to stay strong, and the waves are going to stay strong through the weekend.

This is a live picture to show you from Kill Delve Hills, North Carolina. There you can see the red flags are flying and some of those waves are coming up. You can see the two surfers out in the water, something I would not recommend, T.J. Holmes.

HOLMES: All right. One more thing. Again, when people say the closest it may get, and people hear that, and they might hear that it's not going to make landfall but still it's going to be close enough that you are going to get hit with a lot of rain and a lot of wind and that is still going to be dangerous?

JERAS: Absolutely. This is a big storm. We never want you to focus on the skinny part of the line here because that's just the best estimate. When a storm is 200 miles out from the center, that means it's, you know, 400 miles across potentially. You're certainly going to get whipped with the winds and tropical storm, of course, possibly hurricane force and you're definitely going to see those big waves in here.

So either way you slice it, this will be an impact storm on the U.S. coastline in the next couple of days.

HOLMES: All right. Great point to emphasize, Jacqui. We appreciate you so much. Thank you.

We want to turn now to what we have been watching in Iraq for the past couple of days, even weeks. Just a symbolism of it but today the U.S. marking a change of command officially, and a change of mission.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

HOLMES: The vice president, Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Robert Gates both attending today's transfer ceremony in Baghdad, U.S. forces going from a combat role to a training role. They're going to be assisting and advising the Iraqis.

Army General Lloyd Austin becoming the new commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, replacing General Odierno. Speaking of the Iraqis today, the vide president said "I believe that their darkest days are now behind them."

U.S. troops may be in a support role in Iraq now, but the new mission means possibly even more work for some of them. Our Chris Lawrence has been embedded with the troops all THIS week, joining us now live from Baghdad. Chris, hello to you. It seems counterintuitive. Wait a minute. The mission has changed, it sounds like it should be less work but again some of them will be working harder. CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: That's right because there's less of them now, T.J.. You know, it depends really on your job. They are going to be in a much different role. Instead of say running out of the wire and kicking down doors and leading some of those missions, they are going to be in a support role, being used for air support, providing assistance to the Iraqis. The role of leader and follower has now been totally flip-flopped.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE (voice-over): Now it's official. American troops who once led missions now assist Iraqi forces.

(on camera): What does September 1st mean to you?

STAFF SGT. BRADLEY BEAZER, 4-10 CAVALRY: To me, it means we have done well and we have worked ourselves out of a job, which is what we came here to do in the first place.

SGT. JOHN ROBERTS, 4-10 CAVALRY: It means that I'm not going to have to come back.

LAWRENCE (voice-over): September 1st means more work for some American flight crews. Especially those flying black hawks.

SPEC. NICOLE JONES, BLACK HAWK FLIGHT CREW: We're one of the only support aircraft here since we had Chinooks that were here. They just recently left. So it's picked up quite a bit for us.

LAWRENCE: The first full day of New Dawn is specially poignant for soldiers who (INAUDIBLE) through years of fighting "Operation Iraqi Freedom."

STAFF SGT. ADAM STEFFENS, 3RD BRIGADE, 4TH INFANTRY DIVISION: I have been here four tours, and the change I've seen is remarkable.

LAWRENCE: Staff Sgt. Adam Steffens was part of the invasion of Iraq in 1003, and then deployed twice during the most brutal fighting.

STEFFENS: It was really really crazy for a couple of years there but now I look back on that, and I mean, it's a breath taking difference.

LT. COL. JOHN DIGIAMBATTISTA, U.S. ARMY: It is a significant thing for a soldier to see Iraqis that he trained two years ago and they didn't have that much initiative, they weren't that well trained. They weren't that aggressive and now come back and see them doing operations on their own. We're following them. He's getting pay back for the time he already spent here.

LAWRENCE: More than 4,400 troops died fighting Operation Iraqi Freedom, and another 34,000 were wounded.

(on camera): When you look back at your experience, '05, '06, '07, was it worth it? DIGIAMBATTISTA: Absolutely. There's are a lot of individuals made sacrifice, soldiers' faces and people I worked with, and if their sacrifice can be worth where we're going, I think we're doing the right thing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE: Yes, I met a lot of soldiers, young soldiers who are on their fourth deployment here to Iraq. You know, think about this, over the past seven years, they have spent the majority of their lives here. More time here in Iraq than time at home.

You know, when you think about that for a second, the impact that it's had on their lives, a lot of these young men and women joined when they were 19 or 20 and they have grown up with nothing but these deployments to Iraq. So a lot of them have told me they are actually hopeful about what happens here and they're invested in it, and that even when they go back home, knowing they will probably never be deployed here again, that they are going to follow what happens here in Iraq.

Because some of them, especially those who have been here for years and who have seen so much bloodshed and have lost friends and fellow soldiers and Marines, they want to know it meant something. And so they say, "we're hopeful now but if Iraq falls apart and slides back into chaos," you know, a couple of them told me that's going to be really hard for them to take. T.J..

HOLMES: Well, Chris, we appreciate that perspective, a very personal perspective, but again they all have, like you say, a personal stake in it at this point over so many years. Chris, we really appreciate you as always. Thanks so much.

Also, coming up later this hour in Washington, D.C., the White House shifting focus to Middle East peace talks. The two day gathering will include leaders from the region and will culminate tomorrow with direct talks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu I scheduled to meet with his counterpart, the Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas. Other big players from the region including Jordan's King Abdullah II and the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. We'll also be participating.

Well, a second wave of misery in Pakistan. Now that the floodwaters are receding, the threat of dehydration and disease are rising. Water borne disease affecting millions of people.

Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: We turn to Pakistan now, where the threat of water borne disease is now a major problem after the epic flooding they've seen there. This flooding drowned whole villages. This has all been happening in the past few weeks. More than scene 1,600 people have died and another 17 million Pakistanis have been affected. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta is there and filed this report for us. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fayez Ali (ph) is now getting something millions across Pakistan cannot - medical care. It is amazing, because up until a couple of days ago, his life looked like this. Then he got sick. Very sick.

A parent's love for their son took over. Knowing he would die, they took a gamble, left everything they had behind and just started moving, somewhere. Anywhere.

(on camera): You've probably never seen a line like this had before but this is a line for people waiting to get into the hospital. See garbage all around the place. They stay here all day long. Waiting. A lot of people have infectious diseases that are associated with drinking contaminated water. It's what we've been talking about. This is a diarrheal treatment center, specifically for children. Let's go take a look.

(voice-over): Fayez (ph) finally made it inside.

(on camera): Your town is completely covered in water. He's been sick for some time. He's saying he was sick even before the flood and just became much worse during the flooding.

(voice-over): Three years old. Weighs just 10 pounds. He's so small. For comparison I have a three-year-old daughter. She weighs closer to 30 pounds. And Fayez (ph) is so fragile. Young children have weaker immune systems, becoming easily dehydrated. Like millions of people around the country, he didn't have a choice when he got thirsty. Killer water. Or none at all.

Imagine drinking that. I've covered so many natural disasters. There's always fear of a second wave of disease. But access to clean water helped control that risk after the Haiti quake. In Pakistan though, the second wave, it's already here.

(on camera): It is so hard to see these little kids so sick on these dusty, dirty tables. IVs hanging. This baby is so small, all you see is her little foot hanging out with an IV again. Another child here. These children are sick. This is a diarrheal treatment center to take care of them. Some of these children have come from a flood. Some of them are just citizens of Pakistan, dealing with these issues on a pretty regular basis.

(voice-over): Killer water. Just consider the impact. Already a million people with crippling diarrhea and respiratory infections, malaria, 65,000 cases. The World Health Organization projecting hundreds of thousands of patients with cholera, dysentery and typhoid.

Pakistan could literally be held hostage by killer water. And all of this disproportionately affecting Pakistan's next generation, like the little three-year-old Fayez (ph). (on camera): You can check little things to see how dehydrated they are. Push on the tips of their fingers and blood doesn't really come back very quickly. So dehydrated. A very weak pulse as well. His poor little mouth is so dry. But he's in the right place. He's one of the lucky ones.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. And our Dr. Sanjay Gupta is on the line with us, on the phone with us in Pakistan. Sanjay, let me start with the picture we all just saw there at the end of your he piece. Fayez (ph), the little boy, what happened to that little guy?

GUPTA (ON THE PHONE): Well, the good news here, T.J., is that treatment is working (INAUDIBLE). He's going to do well, getting IV fluids, getting supportive care, and sometimes getting food so that their immune system can be boosted to help fight the infections, and in some cases they need antibiotics.

It's simple. The problem is a lot of people don't have access to it. So Fayez (ph) is probably going to do just fine from all this. He's in the hospital. He'll probably be there only a couple of days and then be able to leave. So that's the key is getting some of that very simple, basic care to millions of other people.

HOLMES: So Sanjay, what's happening to the folks? We saw the line of people in your piece there lined up for the hospital. We know it's already pretty hard to get around. We know it's impossible in some areas because of the floodwaters. But you know, what if the people can't make those long distance to get to the hospital? What is happening to them? Is any aid going out to them?

GUPTA: Yes, that's a good question. I think there's really two things. First of all, so much of the disease that you're seeing there is due there -

HOLMES: We did lose our Sanjay Gupta.

(CROSSTALK)

GUPTA: Water tablets. Can you hear me? I'm not sure if you can hear me.

HOLMES: I think we did get you back. But start over the answer for me. We're going to keep it as long as we can. You went out for a second. But go ahead and start that answer over again for me. Sanjay.

GUPTA: I think there's really two things here to your question, T.J., one is trying to get the water that's causing so many of these problems cleaner, and getting bottled water is just too cumbersome in many of these places, so water purification tablets. There's lots of devices like special straws that can purify water. That's really going to be key.

But also, T.J. some of the basic things I'm talking about, getting IV hydration and supportive care out in the hospitals but ought in the field, where so many of those camps are camps. To your point, that's not going to be necessary as well. People simply can't make the trip to those hospitals.

We're taking some of the medical care to them. It's going to be important.

HOLMES: All right. Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Sanjay, we appreciate you as always and your reporting. We will be checking in with you plenty, I'm sure. Also, you can help out. A lot of people want to. Looking for a way you can help the Pakistani flood victims, go to our web site cnn.com/impact on the "Impact Your World home page and we got a link to 20 charities that are responding to this crisis.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, 20 past the hour now. Let's take a look at some of the stories that are making headlines, including Hurricane Earl. It is now a category 3 storm, packing 125-mile-per-hour winds. Already some evacuations of tourists have been ordered along the North Carolina coast. It could impact the East Coast in a major way even if it doesn't make landfall. We are keeping a close eye on it here at your hurricane headquarters.

Also, the president taking on Middle East peace today. Leaders of the Middle East peace talks are in Washington. The president going to be meeting with all the regional leaders including Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and also Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, holding direct talks with them tomorrow.

Also, the WikiLeaks founder is now facing rape charges once again. There he is. Julian Assange. There is a case against him for rape and molestation in Sweden that was opened last month. The rape charge was dropped but now the rape charge has now been opened up once again.

Prosecutors saying the crime has been committed. They have evidence that the crime has been committed, but, meanwhile, Julian Assange's attorney says they are very surprised at that decision.

Well, veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan war face another battle when they get home - finding a job. We're taking a look at the unemployment rate among veterans. Also, have some advice to help them get back into the job market. Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're funding a post-9/11 G.I. bill that helps our veterans and their families pursue the dream of a college education. Just as the G.I. bill helped those who fought World War II, including my grandfather, become the backbone of the middle class, so today's service men and women must have the chance to apply their gifts to expand the American economy because part of ending a war responsibly is standing by those who fought it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan face a hostile job market when they get back stateside. Tony Harris is looking at the unemployment numbers, specifically for veterans. We always hear the overall unemployment number but you get into it a little more.

TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

HOLMES: Some groups are having a tough time, including the vets.

HARRIS: Yes. Absolutely. Here's the deal. So the president announces the end of combat operations in Iraq last night from the Oval Office. We have been uplifted, our spirits raised by the scenes of military veterans coming back, you know, the homecomings.

HOLMES: There it is.

HARRIS: I'm thinking about these scenes here - Fourth Stryker brigade in the Seattle area, these families being reunited. So what you have, T.J., is you have troops, men and women, who are now trying to transition.

HOLMES: Yes.

HARRIS: They finish up enlistments and they're trying to transition now to civilian life and join the civilian workforce. So how daunting a task is that for them right now? You just mentioned the overall unemployment rate of 9.5 percent. It's been stuck there for a long time. It's been as high as 10 percent and now we're stuck here at 9.5 percent.

But when you look at the subset that you just mentioned, military veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan war, there you see the numbers - 11.8 percent. That's in July 2010. If you look at a year ago, it was - we got the number for you, it was 9.8 percent. Consider the overall unemployment rate a year ago at this time, it was 9.4 percent.

All right, so the numbers trend higher for these veterans, but those are statistics. Let's take a look at Richard Wilkes, and this is - we're not talking about statistics now. These are families. These are faces of returning veterans trying to transition into civilian life again.

He is an Army National Guard vet. Months of sending out resumes. Month after month after month. Not getting a hit, not getting a ping. What did he do? He decided to re-enlist and do another tour in Iraq.

HOLMES: Now what is the challenge for them? I mean, they are coming back into a tough job market anyway.

HARRIS: Yes.

HOLMES: That's one thing, but are they facing, you know, there are different challenges, trying to readjust to civilian life? HARRIS: That is a part of it, but one of the issues I want to explore with this is that we know that a lot of these returning veterans went in as young men and women. All right. Some with just a high school diploma. So one of the things I want to explore and we'll do it next hour in the NEWSROOM is whether or not they simply don't have enough education.

At 9.5 percent, anywhere from 14 to 17 percent real unemployment in the country right now, employers are in a position to pick where they can pick and choose exactly who they want with the kind of education requirements necessary to do these new jobs in this new economy. We have had heard the Education Secretary Arne Duncan say that a high school education is not enough.

So when you hear the president talking about the new G.I. bill and funding that up, that is about getting these returning veterans who are making this transition the additional education they need to compete in this new job market. That's where we are right now.

HOLMES: You are right to think - I mean, you stop and think about it, a lot of them right out of high school.

HARRIS: Right out of high school.

HOLMES: 18, 19 years old.

HARRIS: Yes.

HOLMES: The world is changing.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

In a lot of ways and these young folks come out, they have special skills in the military.

HARRIS: Yes.

HOLMES: you pick up skills, but there's a different skill set when you get back to the market.

HARRIS: And this day and time with all and they've got amazing skills, and they are mission-focused. We know that. So they have some very specific skills that you would think would transition well, but you've got to match the skills with the jobs that are available. Do you have time for one web site that we found?

HOLMES: Please. We always have time for you.

HARRIS: We found a particular web site because, again, you're returning home, you want to make this transition. So we found a web site. If you are asking this question, how do I get reengaged into the civilian job market, here is a site that might be able to help you.

Careeronestop.org/militarytransition. A variety of web sites and links here to this side. For example, there is a link here matching military skills to civilian jobs - that point that you were just making. Right?

There was another link that titles here to this site. There's a link here that points them to civilian jobs. Another link where and how to get certifications, licenses for various jobs. A couple more, really quickly, another link titled, how to prepare resumes, basic skills, right, T.J.?

HOLMES: Yes.

HARRIS: Got to have that. And then there was another link that really links you to state by state jobs' banks. So, again that's careeronestop.org/military.

HOLMES: You saw something else. You go right into the military, you never really have to put together a professional resume before.

HARRIS: Exactly. (INAUDIBLE) stuff.

HOLMES: You're talking about it top of the hour. All right. Thank you. Top of the hour.

HARRIS: My pleasure.

HOLMES: Let's do this one.

HARRIS: We should actually.

Well, coming up, we've got some good news on the economic front. Look at this. The market's happy to put the month of August behind. Up 219 points as we speak. What is going on? Whatever it is, we like it. We will be talking more about the markets just keeping an eye on the market for you here.

Also, just minutes from now, the Obama White House waiting until the Middle East peace process. The president hosting talks with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders. But the goal not as ambitious is what you may think.

We're taking a look ahead. Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: In just about 15 minutes from now, President Obama scheduled to meet with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office. That meeting formally kicking off two days of Middle East peace brokering with Israelis, Palestinians, and leaders from across the region.

Our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is here with a preview of those talks. But Suzanne, before we even get started here, I want you and others to listen to something we just got from the chief Palestinian negotiator. This is from an interview he did with our CNN International. Take a listen, and I'll ask you about it on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAEB EREKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: Now is time not for negotiations. It's time for decisions. We know, Palestinians and Israelis know today, that all issues are doable, including Jerusalem, refugees, security, et cetera. And they require decisions.

Palestinians and Israelis know that they don't need to eat the apple from the start, and they don't reinvent the wheel. Palestinians and Israelis know that if not this year, next year, and ten years time, it will be a two-step solution on the 1967 lines, Palestine next to the state of Israel. And the difference in time here is how many lives of Israelis and Palestinians will be saved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: You know, you were talking about it a little earlier that it was really the president here is biting off a lot. Don't know if he's going to be biting off more than he can chew. But a lot of his predecessors have tried this before, and leading into it, you are hearing the chief negotiator talking about not reinventing the wheel. We need decisions, not negotiations, and how many more lives and how much more blood will be shed.

How is this? How are we getting this thing started?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: T.J., one of the interesting things about what he said, I've been speaking with a Palestinian source who's been traveling with Mahmoud Abbas and their whole entourage there.

And essentially, you can read that statement a number of ways. You can see it as optimistic because he says we don't have to reinvent the wheel. We're going in, we know what we want. Truth be told, West Bank is better off when it comes to the economics and security situation now than it has been in a long time.

But I also take a listen to that, and he's dismissing in some ways the timetable that President Obama has laid out when he says it may not a year, but maybe two years or maybe beyond. President Obama wants this thing to happen in rather short order, and one of the things that the Palestinians are saying that's very different than the Israeli side is that they want all of the issues on the table when it comes to final status talks.

What does that mean? They want to talk about borders, security, refugees, as well as the state of Jerusalem. The prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, he wants to deal with security first and then maybe those other issues at a later date. So, you are really hearing when you hear the negotiator talk about, hey, let's put it all out there, you're hearing a disagreement in priorities because they feel like they can talk about all of it, and the Israelis are not satisfied at all that they are at that point where they're going to have everything on the table now.

So, this is going to be a process that's going to play itself out step by step. We'll see if there is some sort of coming together, a meeting of the minds on this. One of the major things, major tests, as you know, T.J., that's going to come up in about a month or so is whether or not the Israelis will continue to expand settlements on the West Bank. Right now there's a moratorium in place. That's going to expire at the end of September. Does Benjamin Netanyahu decide he'll allow that to expire, allow them to expand? Or will he say let's go ahead and put a restriction on that, as the Palestinians would like?

HOLMES: Yes, and they have two different publics, their own respective publics and constituencies that they are playing to right now.

The Obama administration, though, Suzanne, how high have they set expectations? Are they trying to really monitor expectations and maybe not raise them too high for what we're going to get out of this? Or do they have high expectations?

MALVEAUX: Well, I think they have realistic expectations at this point. They're just getting started. I think the feeling among Obama administration officials is we're starting the process early. The president set the table from the beginning, the first days in its administration to press the reset button when it came to U.S. and relations in the Arab world. And so, this is just the beginning of that process.

One year is quite ambitious when you think about it, to have all of these issues on the table for final talks. They feel that that is a push. But there is an advantage here, because, in covering President Bush, he laid out this road map idea, two-state solution, but didn't really earnestly get involved in any kind of major way until the very end of his administration. By then, it was way too late, it was unrealistic. They didn't have the kind of umph and power behind the administration to get it moving. I think the Obama administration is looking at this as a jumpstart, if you will, a jump off point. T.J.

HOLMES: Our Suzanne Malveaux at the White House. Suzanne, we appreciate you as always. And again, to our viewers, President Obama scheduled to make a statement on the Middle East peace process. That will come a little later today, scheduled for 5:20 Eastern time. You can certainly see it right here on CNN. But again, the process, the peace talks officially getting underway here in a matter of minutes at the Oval Office.

A boy at the center of a custody battle that stretched from Texas to France is back in the U.S. Today is his first full day back, and what does he want? He wants to go to Chuck E. Cheese with his little brother. We'll tell you the story just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right. Hurricane Earl, Category 3 on the way but already causing some problems. Some evacuations have been ordered of some tourists, but also there's danger of rip currents and those heavy tides right now.

Jacqui Jeras keeping a close, close eye on this thing. Everybody saying, oh, maybe it can shift a little to the west, maybe a little shift to the east. Is it shifting at all?

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, it's been trending a little bit more westerly. Overall, it's moving to the northwest. It's going to be close, right? Even if we don't get a direct hit, we're certainly going to see the impacts. And as you mentioned, we've got the evacuations already on Ocracoke. That's mandatory, and the evacuations on Hatteras Island, and that's just for the visitors.

If you have beach plans this weekend, I'm telling you, if you can just go later in the weekend, you'll be better off, maybe Monday, the holiday. That would be a better day for you. Don't get in the water. Here you can see the red flags are flying. This is from Kill Devil Hills. And you can see that surf already. Look at the waves going! Getting pretty rough.

We should have an update very shortly from the National Hurricane Center, so I'll let you know if there's any changes. Right now, Category 3 storm, very powerful, major, with 125-mile-per-hour winds. There you see the hurricane watches which are in effect, which will likely be upgraded to warnings later today. The forecast track brings it very near the Cape, and this is late Thursday night into Friday morning, and then towards the other Cape, Cape Cod, as we head into Saturday.

And the probabilities -- I just want to show you really quick -- of who is going to be feeling the impact of these storms in terms of tropical storm-force winds and hurricane-force winds -- my machine locked up. I'll have to bring it to you when I see you again, T.J.

HOLMES: Oh, it's okay, Jacqui!

JERAS: Hate it when that happens. I was getting a wrap, and it wasn't going.

HOLMES: That's okay. Jacqui.

(LAUGHTER)

JERAS: Shut up. I'll tell you more later, though. Don't go away.

HOLMES: We appreciate you, as always. We know you'll get it worked out. Jacqui, thank you so much. She's really passionate about the weather!

JACQUI: I am.

HOLMES: An 11-year-old boy spending his first full day in the U.S. with his mom and little brother in nearly a year. This was the scene last night. Jean Paul Lacombe and his mother, Berenice arrived in San Antonio. That's his little brother. Pretty excited to see his big brother again.

The two boys haven't seen each other in that year because that is when, about a year ago, authorities took Jean Paul off a school bus and handed him over to his dad. You can see some of the video here. Jean Paul was making it clear he did not want to go with his dad. Authorities, though, thought Jean Paul's dad had a legitimate court order awarding him custody. But it turns out dad might have forged the documents and tricked the judge.

He whisked the boy off to France, and the international custody battle then began. A French court, though, has granted custody to the mom. That happened last week. Now, that brings us back to San Antonio and last night's homecoming.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEAN PAUL LACOMBE, REUNITED WITH FAMILY: I missed her a lot. And when I saw my brother, too, it was awesome to see my family again.

BERENICE DIAZ, MOTHER: I'm thrilled, and this is a new chapter in my life. This is the best thing that has happened to me in all of these ten months.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And Jean Paul said one of the first orders of business for him now that he's back home and to head to Chuck E. Cheese with his brother. The father is facing Texas charges of kidnapping, aggravated perjury and interfering with child custody.

Well, schools across the country are rewriting their academic school calendar. They're splitting up that long summer vacation. You know, that traditional year that you and I and pretty much all of us went to. We're weighing the pros and cons now of year-round schools. We want to hear from you about that. Sign off - or sound off, rather, at CNN.com/T.J.

Again, year-round schools versus traditional schools. Chime in. We want to hear from you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, "Fixing Our Schools." Those three words will drive much of what you see on CNN this week because as America's children return to school, CNN are on a mission here. We sent reporting teams across the country to document the education crisis around America, and most importantly, to shine a light on success stories that can empower us to offer our children so much more than they're getting right now.

Today, we want to talk about the calendar debate. Yes, most students heading back to school now after that long summer vacation. But millions of kids have been sitting in class all summer as part of their year-round school calendar. Of the 99,000 elementary schools in this country, about 3,000 are year round. Typically, these kids, in school -- they go about 180 days out of year. That's about the same as traditional schools, but they have smaller, more frequent breaks throughout the year. Trying to weigh the pros and cons here.

Joining me now from San Diego, California, is Godwin Higa, principal of Cherokee Point Elementary School, which uses a year-round schedule. Also joining me via Skype form San Antionio, Tina Bruno, who's executive director for the Coalition for a Traditional School. Welcome to you both.

Mr. Higa, I will start with you here. If you go to school for 180 days in the year-round calendar, and you go for 180 days in the traditional calendar, then what's the difference? I guess what's the upside if you are spending the same amount of time in the classroom?

GODWIN HIGA, CALENDAR COMMITTEE, SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT: I think the major situation that occurs is when the students return from 11 to 12 weeks of summer break. Teachers and students have to spend a lot of time reviewing, reteaching, and readjusting to school settings. So that, I think, is a major problem with the traditional type calendar.

HOLMES: Now, Miss Bruno, do you agree with that? I guess that makes sense. If you get out of school in May or June, and you are not back until August or September, that's a big gap in which you are essentially not looking at a book. For a lot of kids, they are not studying anymore. Doesn't that make a bit of sense to keep the kids fresh all year?

TINA BRUNO, COALITION FOR A TRADITIONAL SCHOOL: Actually, when you look at the research, it shows in a 12-month calendar situation, kids, regardless of the calendar configuration, actually learn the same amount of material. Because the bottom line is simple. They're all in school for the same number of days. So, regardless of how you break it up, they're still coming back from two or three weeks off of a little break having to review. What the research shows is when you put all of that review time together, it ends up being the same, whether you are on a traditional calendar or a year-round calendar.

And the problem is, a year-round also is eliminating time for other learning activities that children can take part in. There aren't a lot of extracurricular activities or enrichment programs in October, in the middle of winter, in three weeks during the springtime. But in our summer months, there are a lot of them. And so I think we have to be cautious that if we're not giving the children any more time in the classroom that we're making sure that they can participate in outside learning experiences so that they can understand the benefits of what their teachers are presenting every day.

HOLMES: Well, Mr. Higa, let me bring you back in. Now, I assume that you can probably point to some research that supports your stance, as well. But are we seeing any research that says, yes, in fact, having kids in school year round on that different calendar, same amount of time in class, that they perform any better?

HIGA: Well, I have been a principal for 11 years, and seven years at a year-round school and four years at a traditional school, and I can see the difference. I think what the difference is is that the type of students that you're dealing with -- I am at a socially disadvantaged school - socially disadvantaged, economically disadvantaged school. And to have a student with special needs, with second-language issues, it's very difficult for students to be away for so long. And I've experienced that with teachers and students, that coming back with a long break like this would just -- they're falling behind. I can see that.

HOLMES: So, Miss Bruno, is it fair to say, I guess -- you talk about some of the benefits of kids being out of the school in the summer and the activities. What about the more disadvantaged kids and parents who are struggling who, quite frankly, could benefit from having their kid in school year-round, having them active year-round, instead of having to leave them at home? Maybe they can't afford to do some of those other programs and having them enrolled in this and that? Can that be beneficial for some, at least, to be in a year- round school?

BRUNO: I think for every segment of the population, we need to make sure we have specialized instruction. But when you look at dividing up how 180 days is given to our kids, their parents are responsible for finding additional activities during the course of this 12-month cycle. We're still only giving parents 180 days.

And so, what we've seen is it is more difficult for those parents, especially the economically challenged parents, to find places for their children to go to receive these quality programs if it's not during the summer months. Our society is not built that way.

I think one thing that's being looked at, and one thing that parent supporters of our movement -- have even talked to legislators about -- is you know, one size doesn't fit all. So, if you have a specific segment of the population that needs more days of instruction, if they're not up to par by the end of the year, then we need to be putting things in place to get them more days in the classroom, more specialized instruction to meet their needs.

HOLMES: And on that point you made - forgive me here, I was getting into that point you were just making about how much time spent in the classroom. Let's look at what some other countries do.

We're talking about the U.S., 180 days. Look at Japan. Kids there spend on average 243 days in the classroom. In Germany, somewhere between 210 and 240 days. And in South Korea, 220 days. To both of you, can you agree whether we do year-round or not, can we all agree that you know what? Maybe our kids should spend more time in the classroom? Mr. Higa, would you agree with that?

HIGA: Yes, I do. Being at a year-round school as an administrator, I implemented many interventions and extra time for students, extended learning. I have academic Saturday school 20 times a year for four hours. 120 students come in every Saturday, and I also have spring academy and winter academy to make up for those days. So, it equates to about 200 days at my school, Cherokee Point, and it really is benefiting the students. and I truly believe that an extended day would help.

HOLMES: Miss Bruno, you agree with that as well? He's talking about there maybe his kids there with the year-round format are getting about 20 extra days a year. I don't know, you wouldn't agree, I suppose with kids being in class longer. Maybe we just need to find a way to do it that works for everybody.

HIGA: With the extended-year program, they're giving more days in program. But no, I don't necessarily agree that giving more of the same to everybody is our best bet.

It's very, very expensive. One school district in Ohio, for instance -- Cleveland, estimated $1.5 million for every day they added. I think until we make sure that our teachers have all of the resources they need in the classroom, that we've addressed our time on task issues, we've addressed discipline issues, we've addressed parental involvement issues, and we make sure there are other small group tutoring and other programs like this wonderful principal has in place at his school in place at every school, adding more of the same really isn't going to cut it. It's like saying, "Hey, you know what? They do it, this kid fell down on the playground and needs a Band-Aid. So, let's give one to every kid in the class."

That doesn't make sense. Education needs to be personalized for the child, but until this nation embraces education like SOME other nations do that you're comparing us to, and we have more time on task, and have the parental involvement and support, then just adding more of the same is not going to give us an increased academic result.

HOLMES: Well, I appreciate you both. Godwin Higa and Tina Bruno, I appreciate you letting us hear your views. Again, maybe we should get some kids on. I wonder how this conversation would have gone with them, asking them about a longer school year.

But guys, thank you so much for being here. You enjoy the rest of your day.

And we asked our viewers out there. We asked you to share your thoughts about year-round schools. We're going to share what had you to say. Is that one of them? "Summer is for vacation." Hmm, I wonder if that came from a kid.

Quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right. You heard a debate about year-round schools. Derek Dodge keeping an eye on the responses. Well, people in favor?

DEREK DODGE, CNN DIGITAL PRODUCER: Um, we have some conflicting viewpoints. Here's one you would expect. "Let kids be kids," obviously is a good one.

I like this one because it's from a girl who says she actually had a school like this, and she said she got less bored doing the model where they had no summer break.

And here's one. This person is saying that idea is a really old idea, goes back to the times when kids had to go back to the farm. So, definitely some conflicting ideas out there from our online community.

HOLMES: Hmm. Some conflicting. I wonder how many kids are writing in?

DODGE: I think there's a few.

HOLMES: Think there were a few.

(LAUGHTER)

HOLMES: "Summer is for vacation." Derek Dodge, appreciate you as always, and 11:00 a.m. Eastern time. It means it's for Tony Harris. He's coming up right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)