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U.S. Apologizes to Guatemala for Deliberately Infecting People With Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the '40s; Stimulus Jobs End; Pakistan Execution Video; What Matters: Painting the Town; Political Update; The Help Desk; What's Hot; School Farms In The City
Aired October 01, 2010 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, Tony Harris is off today. It is the top of the hour right here in the CNN NEWSROOM where anything can happen. Here are some of the people behind today's stories.
For some the stimulus is wearing off in a personal way, their temporary jobs are ending.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GREG WILKERSON, LOSING JOB: That's what I'm saying -- will we regress now? You know what I mean? Telling my son that the probability of a shelter is not too far away and this is a real-life situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And boy, this is a mess. Up and down the East Coast, things are pretty wet. We'll get the latest on the rain-soaked storm.
You are online right now, and we are, too. Josh is following "What's Hot."
What's hot, Josh?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Don.
South American leaders are condemning what they're calling an attempted coup in Ecuador after troops rescued that country's president from police. We have all the details for you here at CNN.com.
LEMON: All right. Josh Levs, thank you very much.
Let's get started right now with our lead story, a shocking admission today from the U.S. government. Officials apologizing to Guatemala for deliberately infecting hundreds of people there with sexually transmitted diseases in the 1940s.
CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has been gathering details about this really disturbing study.
When it came across the wires, we really didn't understand it. And as you started to dig deeper, wow. What happened back then?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It is so horrifying. I have to tell you, in public health school, they tell us about all the horrible, outrageous things that have been done over the years. This one is really incredible. It almost sounds almost unbelievable, and I'll tell you what the details are.
This was unearthed by a researcher at Wellesley College. What she found is that in the 1940s, doctors at the U.S. Public Health Service, a part of the U.S. government, were interested in studying syphilis and penicillin.
They had penicillin. They weren't quite sure how well it worked. It was in the early days of penicillin.
So they went to Guatemala and they found some prostitutes with syphilis, and they arranged for the prostitutes to have sex with prisoners in jail, and also with patients who were in a mental hospital to infect those patients and then give them penicillin to see if it worked. Now, sometimes the patients didn't get sick, so what they did was they -- and this is really horrible. They took their arms and their penises and would abrade them, would sort of rough them up and pour the bacteria onto that skin.
And when that didn't work, they would sometimes just inoculate into the spine. They would do a spinal puncture and give the syphilis that way. And then they would try the penicillin to see how it worked.
And let me read a little bit from the apology. It's just coming today. This happened --
LEMON: Hang on. This is the U.S. government we're talking about.
COHEN: Correct.
LEMON: Human guinea pigs.
COHEN: Human guinea pigs --
LEMON: All right.
COHEN: -- sponsored by the U.S. government.
So here's the apology. "We deeply regret that it happened and we apologize to all the individuals who were affected by such abhorrent research practices."
I know. It's almost like you don't know what to say.
LEMON: We think about -- you remember the Tuskegee Institute, the research there that they did on African-Americans. Why did it -- before we get to that -- we'll get to that part of it -- why did it take 60 years to come to light? COHEN: You know what? Apparently this was -- nobody knew about this.
This researcher at Wellesley College was looking into the experiments done in Tuskegee, and found that this one doctor named John Cutler, that before he did Tuskegee, he went to Guatemala.
So she found these documents and she brought them to light. As a matter of fact, we called the Guatemalan Embassy this morning to get a response, and they didn't really even have anything to say. They said this was new to them. They had just heard about it.
LEMON: And we mentioned the Tuskegee experiment. Is there any relationship?
COHEN: Yes, there is a relationship, because it was the same doctor. But there is a difference which I think is important to point out.
In Tuskegee, what they did -- and this was the '30s through the '70s --
LEMON: With African-American men in the armed forces.
COHEN: -- with African-American men -- right, African-American men -- these were men who naturally had syphilis. They had just caught it on their own.
But the government had a medicine for the syphilis. They had penicillin, and they didn't use it. They chose not to use it so they could study the natural course of the disease.
So both are horrible. I don't want to compare one to the other. Both are horrible, but they are different.
LEMON: Really, it's unfathomable, as you said. And I saw you reading it, just getting choked up there, because I can't believe it.
COHEN: Yes, it's so disturbing. And thank goodness today there are different standards. At that time, it was like the Wild West. You could pretty much do whatever you wanted. Now there are standards for it so that those kinds of things we hope don't happen.
LEMON: The secretary of state, Health and Human Services secretary both apologizing as well. The government should apologize for this. This is horrific. This doesn't live up to our standards as Americans.
COHEN: Right. No. And thank God, hopefully this does not happen now. There are standards in place. You would never get away with doing this now.
LEMON: Thank you, Elizabeth Cohen.
COHEN: OK. Thanks.
LEMON: We appreciate that.
This story is still developing. Elizabeth will be following it, as well as the rest of our medical team. Make sure you log on to CNN.com and to our medical place there.
Thank you so much.
You know, somewhat positive news about the state of the U.S. economy today. Personal income scored its biggest gain of the year in August.
The Commerce Department says it jumped a half a percent, much more than experts had predicted. And University of Michigan's gauge of consumer sentiment didn't fall in September as much as economists thought it would. It fell seventh-tenths of a point to 68. The index average of 89 in the five years leading up to the recession.
Jobs programs paid for with federal stimulus dollars are starting to expire now. And that means Americans are losing their jobs.
CNN's Mary Snow reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For 57-year-old Greg Wilkerson, working at this non-profit organization in Philadelphia has meant the difference from living in a shelter versus an apartment. After struggling to find work, he was hired in May, at $13 an hour, to do outreach work and help steer the unemployed to services they need. He tells us it's a job he desperately needed.
GREG WILKERSON, LOSING JOB: I'm a single parent. And, you know, it helps me take care of my son and pay my bills. We have a roof over our head right now. And that was something, you know, we had a problem with before -- a stable, a stable living environment for my son.
SNOW: But now Wilkerson is among thousands out of work because the stimulus money used to subsidize those jobs has expired. About $1 billion was used under an emergency fund for the temporary assistance to needy families. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a group that advocates for low and middle income families, estimates that nearly 250,000 jobs were provided across the country in both the public and private sector, with programs in 11 states ending now.
Illinois an exception.
GOV. PAT QUINN (D), ILLINOIS: I don't wouldn't see 26,000 people lose their jobs.
SNOW: Illinois' governor has temporarily extended the program with the state's own funds until Congress acts. But that's a big if. An effort by Senate Democrats to extend the program for three months was blocked. Republican opponents have been resisting more spending, saying that it would add to the ballooning deficit.
But Wilkerson is having a hard time reckoning with billions in bailout money.
WILKERSON: I wish they would think about, oh, we don't have the money to save large corporations. We don't have, say, money to -- for the auto industry.
SNOW: As Wilkerson now looks for work, it comes 14 months into a recovery. Economists say the economy isn't as strong as it should be and the intent of short-term stimulus programs was to prevent people from being unemployed for too long.
DIANE SWONK, MESIROW FINANCIAL: The hope was that if you could keep them reemployed on a short-term basis, they wouldn't lose as many of the soft skills they need in the labor force to get reemployed later on, as the economy picked up. The problem is, there aren't those jobs there now to replace the ones that we're losing.
SNOW: As Wilkerson faces getting his last paycheck, he's struggling to hold onto the stable life of his son he now cherishes.
WILKERSON: That's what I'm saying -- will we regress now? You know what I mean? Telling my son that the probability of a shelter is not too far away and this is a real-life situation.
SNOW: Mary Snow, CNN, Philadelphia.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
(WEATHER REPORT)
LEMON: Pakistan violence. A cell phone records disturbing images of an execution. And militants attack a convoy on its way to supply NATO forces.
First though, our "Random Moment" in 90 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: You know the song and the saying, "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave." The "Random Moment of the Day" explains that one.
An Indiana woman has turned a 140-year-old jailhouse into a bed and breakfast. You don't check in. You get booked in. At least that's what happened. And really can leave, but you have to leave with a pardon.
Nine rooms have cell doors and a theme like the Bonnie and Clyde Suite. Do you want to stay there?
It's our captivating "Random Moment" for this Friday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Supply routes for U.S. forces in Afghanistan are in jeopardy. Militants in Pakistan torched 25 fuel trucks heading for the war zone. No one was injured and the border crossing is still closed. Pakistan shut it down after three of its soldiers were killed in fighting between militants and NATO troops.
And we must warn you about this disturbing video that you're about to see. A warning here. It comes out of Pakistan. The cell phone images apparently show soldiers executing a group of men.
CNN's Frederik Pleitgen is following this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This video shows what looks like a unit of Pakistani soldiers lining up a group of men, some of them quite young, who are bound and blindfolded. It seems to have been shot on a cell phone, and at one point a soldier approaches them and speaks briefly in Ordu. Then the soldiers open fire with rifles.
(GUNFIRE)
As the video continues, the audio suggests some of the victims are still alive. One soldier approaches the victims and shoots again.
(GUNFIRE)
CNN has not been able to verify whether the video is of an actual event or when and where it was shot. Pakistan's military says it doesn't know whether the video is real or a forgery, but has launched an investigation into the matter.
Talat Masood, a retired Pakistani general, says, judging from the uniforms, the weapons, and the posture of those involved, the video could be authentic.
TALAT MASOOD, RETIRED PAKISTANI GENERAL: And most probably we have to assume and that there is some level of credibility and then go for it and then do a thorough investigation.
PLEITGEN: Human rights groups have frequently accused Pakistani security forces of extra-judicial killings, especially in the military's anti-Taliban offenses in Swat and South Waziristan. Pakistan's human rights commission says such killings are not condoned by the military leadership, but the chairman of the group also says the military must crack down on anyone involved in human rights abuses or risk losing support of people in areas formally held by the Taliban.
MEHDI HASSAN, CHAIRMAN, HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION PAKISTAN: And it can demolish the measure of the armed forces who are being appreciated by the people who are under siege of these terrorists for a long time.
PLEITGEN: The five-minute video appeared on Islamist Web sites. While questions about its authenticity remain, groups opposed to Pakistan's government and military are already using the video as propaganda.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Islamabad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: We did warn you.
New details now on the U.S. Army sergeant accused of ordering his men to kill innocent civilians in Afghanistan. CNN has learned that Staff Sergeant Calvin Gibbs had six skull tattoos on his leg which he reportedly said was a way to keep track of his kills in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A soldier under his command says Gibbs associated with skinheads online. There has been no comment from Gibbs. Members of his platoon say they feared him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPC. ADAM WINFIELD, U.S. ARMY: I take that man very seriously. He likes to kill things. He is pretty much evil incarnate.
Like, I have never met a man that's just -- can go from one minute just joking around, then mindless killing the next. He likes to kill things.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That was Specialist Adam Winfield. He is one of five U.S. soldiers accused of killing for sport. His father tells CNN he warned the Army about what was going on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Should he have taken it upon himself to stop this, to take that chance, to let someone know?
CHRISTOPHER WINFIELD, FATHER OF U.S. SOLDIER ADAM WINFIELD: It's easy for someone to sit in a safe area, you know, back here in the states to say that. But when you're put in that kind of position, where you have the good guys threatening to kill you and the bad guys threatening to kill you, and you're stuck in the middle, and you're 21 years old, and you've got this monster of a man, 6'4, 245-pound psychopath sergeant that is controlling your every move, no, I don't think he could have done anything else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The Afghanistan killings took place between January and May, when members of Gibbs' platoon admit they were heavily smoking hash, some of it laced with opium.
Eleven minutes of new audio. If it is the real deal, it is the first message from Osama bin Laden since March, but he's not talking to Americans this time.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK) LEMON: Well, some New York City kids are out painting the town, literally. The idea, that color can positive affect attitudes and behaviors.
Our education contributor Steve Perry has the story in this week's "What Matters" segment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): Thierno Diallo had no idea a paintbrush would change his life. He moved from Guinea in West Africa to New York City when he was 10.
(on camera): What is the reason you came to the U.S.?
THIERNO DIALLO, STAFF MEMBER, PUBLICOLOR: Better education. My mother thought that I would have a better opportunity to just succeed in life.
PERRY (voice-over): Thierno had a hard time fitting in, in school. He didn't speak English, kept to himself, and eventually started hanging out with the wrong crowd. But then he found Publicolor.
DIALLO: I basically came every day.
PERRY: The non-profit puts paintbrushes in the hands of students to brighter up schools, neighborhoods and low-income areas across New York City.
RUTH LANDE SHUMAN, FOUNDER, PUBLICOLOR: Color has huge power.
PERRY: Ruth Lande Shuman founded Publicolor 14 years ago with the idea that color can positively affect attitudes and behaviors.
(on camera): So, in these places where you change the color, what impact do you think that has on people?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The colors that we choose, like, they're very bright. And they brighten up a person's mood.
PERRY: Just to change a color? That does that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just the change of color. Everything -- like, your whole perception of the place changes.
PERRY: What impact do these colors have on you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, when I finish a project, I just look back and say, wow, I really helped the community. I really made this place way better than it (ph) already did. And it makes me feel proud of myself.
PERRY: It's often said about children in general, and this generation specifically, that they just don't care about anything. SHUMAN: Oh, I don't think it's true. I think society is letting kids get away with not caring. I put a lot of blame on us, on all of us. These kids, they'll become what we help them become. They're a walking potential.
PERRY: So when you put a dab (ph) in the middle of the river (ph), what's going to happen?
(voice-over): To help kids realize that potential, Publicolor provides tutoring, mentoring, college scholarships and career workshops.
SHUMAN: Last year, 88 percent of our high school seniors graduated on time, versus 42 percent in their schools. And 100 percent of our students went on to college.
PERRY: Last year, Thierno graduated from college with the help of a Publicolor scholarship. Today, he's one of the organization's site staff leaders with plans to open his own business in Guinea.
DIALLO: Publicolor was always around to make me, you know, come back to who I truly am and what I need to do in life, and stay on my path and try to reach success.
PERRY: Steve Perry, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right, Steve. Thank you.
And to read more stories that matter to all of us, pick up the latest issue of "Essence" magazine right now.
He's known for hard edge and blunt style. I'm talking about White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Well, former now. He chokes up like a little softy during a press conference. He's leaving Washington for Chicago politics.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Let's talk money right now on CNN. We're going to check the markets as well, but let's check CNNMoney.com first.
Hey, check this out. Oh, this is breaking news.
SEC reports an electronic cell program played a key role in triggering the May 6th flash crash. Remember that? I was on the anchor desk, anchoring this show. I think the show after me when that happened. Boy, that was crazy.
And also, America's brainiest places to live -- D.C., San Francisco, and I think San Diego is number three.
Go to CNNMoney.com. You can find out where your particular city or town ranks on that list.
Let's check the Dow right now. The Dow up 28 points. Nasdaq down 2.36.
There you go. Look at that picture. It is the White House, because at the White House last hour, in the East Room, the president had warm praise for his departing chief of staff.
Look at that. It was all hugs and smiles and even some tears.
Rahm Emanuel is going home to Chicago to run for mayor. He was the key strategist behind the president's legislative victories including health care and finance reform. Emanuel was known for his brusque, "get it done yesterday" style.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't think anybody would disagree that Rahm is one of a kind. I am very fortunate to be able to hand the baton to my wise, skillful and longtime counselor, Pete Rouse. Pete, who has more than 30 years of experience in public service, will serve as interim chief of staff as we enter the next phase of our administration.
RAHM EMANUEL, STEPPING DOWN AS WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: Mr. President, I thought I was tough. But as someone who saw first hand how close our nation came to the brink and what you had to do to put America back on track, I want to thank you for being the toughest leader any country could ask for, in the toughest times any president has ever faced.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That press conference happening in the East Room moments ago. Rahm Emanuel's replacement for now is White House senior adviser Pete Rouse. Friends say his personality is the opposite of Emanuel's. A low keyman who works in the background as the fixer. Rouse has served as the president's deputy chief of staff. He was a top aid to Senate majority leader Tom Daschle and moved to President Obama's Senate office after Daschle lost his seat. More to come on that.
A middle-schooler gets teased about his weight, so a family gives it a menu makeover.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
It felt great. Made me happy. I achieved my goal that I've always wanted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Now he's healthier now. Look cool hair cut as well. How the family got motivated and got rid of the candy and their health problems at the same time.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: Welcome back, everyone. CNN taking a cross country food journey all this week. We have sent reporting teams to every corner of America and beyond. Here's our mission, to get fresh answers how our food is grown, how choices we make impact our health and our state of mind, our budgets and really just for the pure joy of eating.
We've teamed up with the new CNN.com food destination called eatocracy.com to bring you "Eatocracy: Mind, Body and Wallet."
And you know, with obesity rates soaring year after year along with health costs, why can't we get control of this problem? Well, because it is a challenging. One family found strength and motivation to do it, thanks to their son. Here's their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tony and Mildred Scott spent a lot of time in the vegetable and fruit aisles in the grocery store these days. It's a complete turnaround for these former soul food junkies.
MILDRED SCOTT, MOTHER: We would load up mashed potatoes with all of the butter - you know, that's how we ate.
TONY SCOTT, FATHER: In the greens, I would put a lot of fatback in it. And it wasn't healthy for us.
LEMON: The Scotts changed their unhealthy ways after just one conversation three years ago. Their 10-year-old son told his mother he was tired of being teased all the time about my weight.
M. SCOTT: Your child come and tell you that Mom, they're teasing me at school because they say I'm fat. I don't feel fat, but they are telling me I'm fat. You got to listen. If you want to help them, you have to listen. This is kind of - uh. To be 10 it wasn't good for him.
LEMON: The Scotts felt compelled to make a change after that heart-breaking talk.
Mildred enrolled Isiah in a week-long camp in Atlanta that teaches overweight kids how to eat and get moving. They both learned what to look for on food labels and portion size.
ISAIAH SCOTT, 10-YEAR-OLD WHO LOST WEIGHT: I was quite surprised all of the stuff I was putting in my body before.
LEMON: His dad, who was the primary cook in the family, started buying fresh veggies, stopped frying and started baking.
T. SCOTT: I realized that I was cooking all wrong for my family. It wasn't healthy.
LEMON: Today this is the new Isiah. He's 20 pounds lighter.
I. SCOTT: It felt great. Made me happy that I achieved my goal that I've always wanted.
LEMON: He has more energy.
I. SCOTT: I would get up and do it attitude.
LEMON: He's found new inner confidence, and he's improved academically.
M. SCOTT: I mean, I can't believe the point average now is 3.2. Before, it was 2-point-something.
LEMON: He's one of the best players on the middle school football team.
I. SCOTT: I'm more athletic and passionate than I was.
LEMON: And the girls --
I. SCOTT: They notice me a lot more than they used to.
LEMON: After three hours on the practice field, the 13-year-old comes home hungry every night for his father's revamped menu.
Tonight, it's baked chicken --
T. SCOTT: I used to fry that same chicken.
LEMON: well-seasoned veggies and whole grain bread. It's a diet Isiah learned to love over time.
M. SCOTT: It took a minute. Isiah didn't like asparagus. He didn't like spinach. And when his daddy would say, OK, come taste this. And he would taste it, and he would say, Ohh, I like this.
LEMON: His mother got rid of the bowls full of candy around the house.
M. SCOTT: If you don't buy it, you won't eat it. So, I stopped buying it.
See that bowl? That's what we substitute it with.
I. SCOTT: I don't really like candy anymore. It's kind of out of my system. I love eating apples, bananas, I love salads.
LEMON: Isiah's mother, who is diabetic, changed too.
M. SCOTT: I'm so glad that we started to eat that way because I lost a few pounds myself.
LEMON: Mildred's blood sugar is down. She takes walks every day with her husband, and she no longer takes pills for diabetes.
M. SCOTT: It was because of Isiah and him wanting to be better. Him wanting to look better and feel better.
LEMON: Isiah has some advice for the 12.5 million overweight kids in this country.
I. SCOTT: Don't put yourself down and say you can't do it. Keep telling yourself you can and you can do it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Let's talk right now. Why can't all families do this? Joining me now is Vanetta Keyes. She is the founder and executive director of a group called Choices. The Scotts reached out to you for help with Isiah. They've been really successful.
VANETTA KEYES, DIRECTOR, CHOICES: Yes, they have.
LEMON: But that's tough. They are an example of probably what families should be like. That does not happen all the time, I'm sure. Unfortunately.
KEYES: Unfortunately, it doesn't. But it can happen quite often more than not. We just try to work with families and have them understand it's just small changes that you need to make in your lifestyle. And over time, change will come.
LEMON: Do you do it incrementally? Because many times when people radically change their diet or their exercise or something, they can't stick with it. Do you do it in increments?
KEYES: Exactly. Because if you are trying to make something very drastic, it's more like just a quick fix, but if you make it part of your life style, then it's something you gradually change overtime.
LEMON: OK. I have to say this.
KEYES: OK.
LEMON: I am a foodie. I love, like - you know, I was at a barbecue place. And I jokingly tweeted, like, do I get the CNN Healthy Badge for that? I kind of - I like my soul food. I like my Louisiana cooking. You can't do it all the time. But what's your advice for that? Some people may say, hey, I kind of like the food!
KEYES: It's okay to still have the foods. It's called cheating. It's okay to have that every now and then.
It's more about balance. It's more about if you're able to change your eating habits, so that if you have holiday or Christmas and you want to have that extra piece of pie, that's fine. But it's more of trying to control your portions.
LEMON: You know, but I pay for it, because I have to work out like a fiend, drink lots of water, constantly running to the restroom because I'm drinking so much water to clear all of that that out of my system. And I probably wouldn't have to work that hard if I just ate healthy all of the time.
KEYES: Exactly. But at the same time, it's back to balance. If you're exercising, smaller portions, less sugary drinks, less soft drinks --
LEMON: Soft drinks. I rarely do that. And people should. Listen, so you said incrementally. Right?
KEYES: Yes.
LEMON: What is your best piece of advice for people starting out, besides incrementally? Is it almost like, you know, when there are people who have problems with alcohol, have problem with drugs, unless you hit bottom, unless you want to change, there's nothing I can say to change you. Is that the same way with this?
KEYES: It is mental. Of course, if you do want to change, you can change. But as long as you try to take it in steps, that's what -- with us, we work with a lot of overweight kids. And we tell them they didn't gain that weight overnight. So, don't expect to lose it overnight. So, as long as you understand something can happen over time and you have a support group around you, change will come.
LEMON: We're talking about food. But get moving. You got to get moving even if you eat the right things. How long does usually take, you think, for something to stick, Vanetta?
KEYES: They say a good habit, if you do something for five days in a row, that starts to develop a good habit. And that's the same thing with walking. If you go outside and walk for five days in a row, you expect the habit to change. I believe the president's - his healthy challenge is one where you walk five days in a row. It is something of a challenge to see who can do exercise five days in a row.
LEMON: If you walk this time of year the weather is cooling off, it's great, right?
KEYES: Yes, yes.
LEMON: -- and then the other side is spring. You have to go through winter if you start then.
KEYES: Exactly, exactly.
LEMON: See. It wasn't that hard on you, right?
KEYES: No. This was awesome!
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Thank you, Vanetta Keyes --
KEYES: I enjoyed it! Thank you for the opportunity.
LEMON: Founder and executive director of a group right here in Atlanta called Choices. We really appreciate it. Good stuff, good stuff.
KEYES: Thank you. LEMON: All right.
You know, learning first hand about farming and veggies in the middle of the city. We'll show you how kids in D.C. are getting a new appreciation for healthy eating.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Time now for your CNNpolitics.com desk update. Our national political correspondent Jessica Yellin, with The Best Political Team on Television joins me now live from Washington, D.C.
Look at her chilling out in our bureau there in Washington. What's --
(LAUGHTER)
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Cool set, right?
LEMON: It is cool! You should give us a your.
YELLIN: So chill here, right?
LEMON: Yes.
YELLIN: That's my boss over there. He's right behind me. He can see - yes, hi, Paul.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Who is that, Paul Steinhauser? He's your boss? I'm sorry about that.
YELLIN: He fixed my schedule, everything. Had to be nice to him.
Yes. I know. We'll talk about that offline.
So in California, the controversy over illegal immigration and California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman keeps going. Now, remember, she's the billionaire candidate who's running against Jerry Brown to be the next governor of that state. She has a tough on illegal immigration policy as part of her platform, but it was revealed that for nine years she employed an illegal immigrant as her housekeeper. And that housekeeper went on television weeping, saying that Meg Whitman was mean to me.
Now, for two days now, today will be the third day of this story, Meg Whitman is denying that she knew she was illegal, denying that she ever mistreated her. And the latest development is, the major union, the SCIU (ph), is running a huge ad campaign beginning tomorrow hitting Meg Whitman in Spanish in that state, saying that she's basic a hypocrite. Meg Whitman has gone up on air with another ad saying that she cares about Latino, cares about the Latino vote. What that tells us, that state, the Latino vote is in play. It is so important. And as California goes, they often say, so goes the nation eventually. A sign of how Latino politics, immigration politics are increasingly playing a major role in politics across the nation.
OK, a lighter story now, Don. You know, one of the things you often see in new politicians is they like to blame the staff when things go wrong.
LEMON: Yes.
YELLIN: I always find it funny because they rarely say when things go right, I had nothing to do with it, it was all my staff. Well, in Alaska, the new candidate, Joe Miller, who's a Republican, has posted a series of tweets online that say thing like, "think I'll do some house hunting while I'm in D.C." "Guess I should pick out some office furniture while in D.C."
They have not deleted these tweets because they show a little bit too much confidence. He doesn't want to say I've got this thing locked up. And what is he doing? He's blaming a staffer, saying it was a volunteer, he didn't have anything to do with it.
And our last story, and I'm doing this just so I can use as many cooking puns as possible, things are really heating up for the South Carolina race for U.S. Senate. A new chef is stirring the pot, shall we say, and turning the fire up on that race. You know your friend Alvin Greene, who came out of nowhere, to be the Democratic nominee, running against Jim DeMint. That race is chugging along. But Nathalie Dupree, a big chef there, says she's going to be a write-in candidate so folks could vote for their favorite chef instead.
Don.
LEMON: Look at you stirring the pot there. I can't believe it.
All right, Jessica Yellin, hi to Paul Steinhauser sitting there behind you.
YELLIN: I'll say hi.
LEMON: Thank you.
Your next political update coming up in one hour here on CNN. Of course, for the latest political news, you know where to go, go to cnnpolitics.com.
It is time right now to get some answers about how to plow ahead in this troubled economy. Here's Poppy Harlow and "The Help Desk" team.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Well, time now for "The Help Desk," where we get answers to your financial questions. Joining me this hour, Manisha Thakor, personal fiance author, and also John Ulzheimer. He's with credit.com.
First question comes for you, John. This comes from Chrissy in Ohio. Chrissy writes, "what's the best thing to do when your family if facing foreclosure and you don't qualify for government assistance?" They're stuck in the middle.
JOHN ULZHEIMER, CREDIT.COM: Yes, they're stuck in the middle. And it's a difficult question to answer because there's really no good way out of a bad mortgage. If she can come up with cash at closing to pay for the underage, then she can try to short sale the house. If she can't come up with cash at closing, then she can just do what's called a straight short sale, which makes the lender eat some of the money. She can try to modify the loan, but the loan modification program is a disaster and it will likely leave you with a really destroyed credit. So that's bad news.
If you're able to find someone who will pay an amount sufficient to cover all the loans, clearly that's the best option. But, unfortunately, in this type of housing market, buyers are very, very smart and they're not paying full price.
HARLOW: More and more people renting until they can see some sort of stability.
ULZHEIMER: Short sale is the best -- is really the best option.
HARLOW: OK.
All right, Manisha, your question comes from Erin. Erin wrote in, "I have an after-tax IRA that I have contributed to for years. How are those taxed when converted to a Roth IRA?"
MANISHA THAKOR, PERSONAL FIANCE AUTHOR: So if Erin just has that after-tax IRA, what will happen is that the original contributions will not be taxed as you move over, but the earnings will on an income tax basis. The good news is, this year if the conversion is done, you'll be able to spread those earnings across 2011 and 2012. Next year it will all have to be paid in the subsequent year after the conversion.
But there's one kicker. I said if this is the only IRA. If you've got a hodgepodge of IRA's, they're all put together and then you have to use the weighted average when running through the calculations.
HARLOW: All right. Good to know. Thank you, guys. Appreciate it.
And "The Help Desk," of course, all about getting you answers. Send us an e-mail to cnnhelpdesk@cnn.com or log on to cnn.com/helpdesk to see more of our financial solutions. You can also pick up the latest issue of "Money" magazine. It's on newsstands now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And we're back in the NEWSROOM. I'm Josh Levs. We're following "What's Hot" for you. And today we've got something serious for you. Ellen DeGeneres is one of the celebrities who is recording a message now. She's talking about bullying. She's also talking about young teenage gay people in America. And she talks about what happened with Tyler Clementi at Rutgers University. She also points to younger teens. Steven -- Seth Walsh, rather, Asher Brown and Billy Lucas, all cases of suicide after what is believed to have been bullying involving them being gay. She's one of the celebrities who has now put together a video message. We have part of it for you here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLEN DEGENERES, TALK SHOW HOST: This needs to be a wake-up call to everyone that teenage bullying and teasing is an epidemic in this country and the death rate is climbing. One life lost in a senseless way is tragic. Four lives lost is a crisis. These kids needed us and we have an obligation to change this. There are messages everywhere that validate this kind of bullying and taunting and we have to make it stop. We can't let intolerance and ignorance take another kid's life.
And I want anyone out there who feels different and alone to know that I know how you feel. And there is help out there. And you can find support in your community. If you need someone to talk to, or if you want to get involved, there's some really great organizations listed on our Web site. Things will get easier, people's minds will change, and you should be alive to see it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: Powerful words there, "be alive to see it." We've written about this for you at cnn.com. That's at our Marquee Blog right now. You can also see messages by other celebrities that we link you to right here. If you go to cnn.com today, it will pop right out at you. And we are seeing more and more people, Don, speak out about these issue and say, hey, we as a society need to look at what's going on in this country and take some steps.
Don.
LEMON: Very serious stuff. Josh, thanks for bringing us that.
LEVS: Yes.
LEMON: Learning first-hand lessons about farming and veggies in the middle of the city. We'll show you how kids in D.C. are learning to appreciate healthy eating.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We've been talking a lot about food this week here on CNN and it is not automatic. Unless you were raised to eat veggies and fresh foods, you may not want or appreciate them. Now, one non-profit group in Washington is helping kids get first-hand experience on a farm.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Catch up with the beets. The famous K Street in Washington, D.C.
What's this called? Kale.
All walks of life. From commuters, to politicians -- the Capitol's two blocks away. Crossroads is a really good word for it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All eyes on me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to pick up Miss Macali's (ph) class.
CLASS: Keep all eyes on you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been working extensively with the kindergarteners more than any other class, trying to change their culture of eating here.
Welcome to Walker Jones Farm. Come on, guys.
They named themselves the "Super Hero Farmers."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How did you get those worms in there?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE). We're trying to get some worms in there. Dump.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We sat down and we talked about what we could do. How we could formally turn this into an outdoor classroom. This is a Walker Jones initiative.
Can you say beets?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have about a half acre of farmland. The teachers bring their kids out here. They do some vegetable picking.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And there's more squash.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not only is it great for our kid, you know, they get to come out here and do some real science and math connections, but the whole notion of knowing where our food comes from.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Eight weeks ago this was just a field of grass. But it's interesting, even in those eight weeks, just the pure quantity of food that has been produced.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the school, what DCPS is doing, whoever is allowing this to happen, you know, it's good for everybody.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is really great.
I oversee all the food that goes into the schools, as well as our new garden program.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stomping on the leaves.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Looking at the kale.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of my main goals was to get better food in the schools. Not just more nutritious food, but tastier food for kids.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Remember the first day we were out here, we tasted herbs?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By having students in the garden, you know, picking the food --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is called basil.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tasting the food, in a tactile way learning about it, they're more likely to try it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here, grab a muffin. My wife (INAUDIBLE) cooked these muffins for you all. They're made with this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is about the kids.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do you find your place in whatever community you're in to kind of jump in and just swim and dog paddle and touch who you can in it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Zucchini makes us fly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a, you know, it's a safe, friendly place. It's a good thing. It's nutritious.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All that right in the middle of the city.
I'm Don Lemon. Thanks for watching. Time now for more NEWSROOM.
T.J., go.
