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Afghan Woman Unveils New Nose; Miner Rescue Tonight; The Many Faces of Marijuana; CNN Equals Politics Update; Toes Got Talent
Aired October 12, 2010 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, we have a story that celebrates life and courage and the basic goodness of the human heart, and it begins in the horrific ordeal of Bibi Aisha. As a teenager, she was horribly disfigured by an enraged husband and betrayed by a culture that just ignore such cruelty. But today, we have remarkable new pictures of how her life has been transformed since we first introduced you to her several months ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS (voice-over): An iconic picture of an Afghan girl that will resonate around the world for years to come. Reminiscent of another Afghan portrait from another generation. This is 19-year-old Bibi. It was her husband who cut off her nose and ears, forced into marriage at 16. She ran away from a life of abuse, but was caught.
After trial by the Taliban for bringing shame to the family, this was the punishment. Her husband carried it out and left her to die on a mountainside.
BIBI (through translator): When they cut of my nose and ears, I passed out. In the middle of the night, it felt like there was cold water in my nose. I opened my eyes and I couldn't see because of all the blood.
PHILLIPS: She barely survived but thanks to American military medics and this women's shelter in Kabul, she is now getting help. Reconstructive surgery in the United States.
ESTHER HYNEMAN, WOMEN FOR AFGHAN WOMEN: Bibi Aisha is only one example of thousands of girls and women in Afghanistan and throughout the world who are treated this way, who suffer abuses like this, like this and worse.
PHILLIPS: In 2001, the situation of Afghan women and the Taliban brutality received plenty of attention. Now, organizations like Women for Afghan Women say the international community is strangely silent on the issue, and with plans of negotiating with the Taliban, many people fear it will be the women who will pay the price.
United Nations officials here estimate that 90 percent of women suffer from domestic violence, and they have very few places to turn to. Women for Afghan Women has helped nearly 1,400 victims in just the past few years. It says ignoring women's righting plays into the hands of the insurgency.
HYNEMAN: When you have a population, 50 percent of a population, on their knees, it is very easy for extremists, tyrants, to take over a country. They have already made enslaved population.
PHILLIPS: Bibi is reminded of that enslavement every time she looks in the mirror, but now, at least, she's getting a chance for a new life in America.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And today her face and her future are much different. She begins a new life in the U.S. where she has been outfitted, as you can see here, with a prosthetic nose and will undergo eight months of plastic surgery. He story is shockingly familiar in Afghanistan though as I pointed out in my piece. The U.N. estimates 90 percent of women there suffer from some form of domestic abuse.
At a weekend event, former first lady Laura Bush explained why this is a major focus of her post White House years. She says "Though some Afghan leaders have condemned the violence and defended the rights of womens, others maintain a complacent silence in hopes of achieving peace. But peace attained by compromising the rights of half of the population will not last."
In fact, the former first lady was on hand this weekend to meet Bibi as she received an honor. Enduring Heart Award was presented by the Grossman Burn Foundation, the very group that's overseeing her extensive reconstructive surgery.
Mrs. Bush praised her courage and inspirational attitude as did the first lady of California, Maria Shriver. For now, Bibi is staying with families in the Los Angeles area.
33 trapped miners prepare for their shot up straight from what could have been their grave. We can't wait for it to happen and we'll be bringing it to you live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, that drama in Chile that started in early August could end in just a few hours. All systems are a go to pull 33 miners out of their hole nearly half a mile below the surface. CNN's Karl Penhaul is still in Chile. So the operation could begin tonight, right, Karl?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, exactly. Just before we came on air, Kyra, I was talking to a source close to the rescue operation, and she says that the start time could even be brought forward a few hours, so we could be looking as early as 8:00 p.m. local time, which would put it at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time tonight.
But of course, it's going to take a long time. That Phoenix capsule, rescue capsule, can move from the mine up to the surface in about 10 minutes but they have to load the miner on board safely and make sure he understands the audio and video controls there so that he has constant communication with the surface, make sure he feels comfortable with the oxygen supply that is coming in there and also the safety harness and that he understands any emergency measures.
So that could slow up a little bit the load up time. All in all, if you do the math, from what the government has given us as figures for the travel time of the Phoenix capsule, you could be talking about 15, 16 hours for all 33 miners to come up, but, of course, the government is giving us a much longer time, that they say it could take up to 48 hours just so they take this step by step and continue to be as meticulous as they have been doing all along, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, it's remarkable that it's gotten to this point. We thought it was going to be even longer. We've talked a lot about how they have been going back and forth on who goes up first and who goes up last. How did they agree on the order that they will proceed in?
PENHAUL: I'm not sure they have yet, Kyra. What the government says is when the two rescue experts and paramedics go down into the mine shaft, first, they will carry out a check of the miners, and then they will establish the order. They will have executive power, if you like. The rescuers want the first five miners out of that hole are the fittest and that technically most knowledgeable. That way they can get feedback on how the Phoenix capsule is operating and also if there are any technical considerations that the rescuers on the surface should take into account.
Then the next 10 up will be, we understand, the ones who are suffering some kind of medical problem. One of guys down there has diabetes and another one has silicosis, that's what U.S. miners call black lung and that's a long-standing problem. Others have skin infections and others suffering from high blood pressure. Get them out in the next phase, and then the last phase will be the strongest and the fittest.
But, of course, the miners themselves have had a long time to think, and they have got their own ideas. Now, when the health minister talked to them, he got the answer back that they all want to go last, and I think that really attributes to the camaraderie that has grown up. They all want to make sure that their buddies get safe to the surface before they step inside that Phoenix capsule.
In all probability, my money is that the last guy up is going to be the guy called (INAUDIBLE). He was the shift foreman at the time of the cave in and it really is his duty. He sees it as his duty. He was the man in charge in that mine at the time, a risky business, anyway and he really likens his role to the captain of a sinking ship. He thinks that all of this men should be up before he finally steps into what is undoubtedly going to be the ride of his life. Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Undoubtedly. We can't wait to se it all. 33 guys shot to the top. Thanks so much, Karl.
Well, those men are going to be wearing green overalls embroidered with their names so when they come up to the surface, we're going to know exactly who they are. You can see the officials there displayed some of the gear that the miners will use.
The outfits are actually made of a material designed to resist moisture. Now, also when they are coming up that tube, they're going to have head sets on. They will be able to communicate with those up top and with them, of course, probably a lot of prayers, meditation, calm attitude.
Rafael Romo has actually been explaining to us how exactly it's going to happen, all the gear that they're going to have on. But kind of give us a show-and-tell. You know, how big is this? You know, tell us your size, how these guys have all been trimmed down and how exactly it's going to feel?
RAFAEL ROMO, SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR: Well, first of all, they have been there for about two months, so some of them have lost as much as 20 pounds, which is really good because this capsule is only 21 1/2 inches long. I'm going to get inside the capsule to show our viewers how tight it is.
PHILLIPS: It's a little wobbly. So I'm going to steady this.
ROMO: Once the miners are inside, they're going to be fitted with a communications equipment that is going to allow them to communicate with the surface every step of the way, and Karl was telling us that all of them are going to be wearing, also, a belt, which is going to monitor their vital signs as they go up and at the same time, the reason that they want the most experienced miners to go first is because they want to look at the structural stability of the rescue shaft, and so once they're inside this capsule -
PHILLIPS: Right.
ROMO: The most experienced miners are going to be able to be looking around them. Not much space for movement as you can see because we are talking about a diameter of only 21.5 inches. So it's not a lot of space and this is about 6'4" in height. So enough for all of the miners to fit in but definitely not a lot of space.
Now, you have to remember that the capsule. This is just a replica. It is not very heavy at all. But their capsule is about 924 pounds heavy, so if there is any movement sideways, you can possibly, potentially, cause rocks to begin to fall, and that's one of the things they want to avoid.
PHILLIPS: That's what they're worried about, right?
ROMO: Exactly.
PHILLIPS: They need to - needs to remain smooth and unscathed as they work they way up and down. The last thing they want is for anything to start caving in, correct?
ROMO: Exactly, and also, Kyra, very important, is that they have already started or will start at any moment now, liquids diet to avoid the possibility of getting nauseous once inside the capsule.
PHILLIPS: Oh, yes. Sure.
ROMO: So that's very important. And also we understand that they are being given aspirin in case they have any fluctuation in their blood pressure. So every step of the way, every single aspect is being carefully considered to make sure that all 33 after two months under ground make it out to the surface.
PHILLIPS: You're going to see it live here on CNN starting at 11:00 Eastern tonight once it begins. We can't wait.
ROMO: We are now hearing, Kyra, that it may even be earlier.
PHILLIPS: Earlier?
ROMO: Than that.
PHILLIPS: Well, OK.
ROMO: Officially, they are telling us what you just told us that it may be 11:00 Eastern but now we're hearing that there's a possibility that it may even begin earlier than that. So we'll just have to see.
PHILLIPS: That's even better. Rafael, thanks so much.
It could be the breakthrough many researchers, doctors and patients have been fighting for, a controversial stem cell study under way right now in the hope that it will help heal spinal injuries.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Many fitness experts will tell you walking is some of the best exercise that you can get, but a new study shows that Americans are being outpaced by the rest of the world. According to researchers at the University of Tennessee, Australians walked the most worldwide, an average of almost 9,700 steps a day. The Swiss close behind with more than 9,600 steps, and the Japanese register more than 7,100, and the U.S. far behind with just about 5,100 step the per day. No wonder Americans have the highest obesity rate and Japan, the lowest. Health experts say that fit people usually take about 10,000 steps per day. That's equal to about 4 1/2 miles.
Checking top stories. NATO officials in Afghanistan say that a rocket-propelled grenades fired by insurgents caused a deadly explosion on a military helo (ph). One person killed, eight others injured when that helicopter was hit right after it landed in an eastern province.
A scientific first, a spinal cord injury patient in Atlanta is the first person to be injected with human embryonic stem cells. Researchers are hoping that the controversial therapy will regenerate tissue in the partially paralyzed patient.
Police in Colorado say that they are reopening the murder case of Jon Benet Ramsey. They are no using the latest DNA technology to find her killer. The 6-year-old girl was found dead in the basement of her home in December of 1996. Two years ago, the Boulder County (ph) district attorney cleared Jon Benet's family of any involvement in that murder case.
It was a shooting last November that shocked the nation. 12 soldiers and one civilian shot to death, 30 other soldiers and two civilians wounded in the country's largest army base in Ft. Hood, Texas. Today, the accused shooter, Army psychiatrist Major Nidal Hasan faces a military hearing.
Chris Lawrence is at Ft. Hood. Chris, what can we expect, I guess, to come out of this hearing today?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: You know, Kyra, this Article 32 is different from say a civilian grand jury in that the defendant Major Nidal Hassan is there, his attorney is there. So these 32 victims will be in the same room with him for the first time since that shooting, and what they're going to do is take a step by step through what they saw, what they felt, what they heard, recounting some of the details that perhaps we haven't heard yet of what happened that day.
You know, we spoke with the fiancee of one of the most seriously wounded soldiers. This soldier Staff Sergeant Patrick Ziegler, he was just back from fighting in Iraq. He was just a few days away from leaving for officer candidate school. That's why he was in that building that day when the shooting started. His fiancee told us it's been 10 months in the hospital trying to recover, and she sort of explained to us why so many of the family members and the victims want to be there in that courtroom to see Major Nidal Hassan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSICA HANSEN, FIANCEE OF WOUNDED SOLDIER: We just want to be informed and for a lot of us that means, you know, being present during the hearings, and for some people that means not being present and just reading the newspaper and for some people that means not reading it at all or not seeing it at all. But we all cope in different ways.
And you know, I know in my situation, I just like to know all of the facts as I can get them, and, you know, for me, I'm anxious for the Article 32 to begin so the public can start seeing some of the facts of what really happened that day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: Prosecutors are expected to lay out the what. By that, I mean, they're going to talk about how they believe Hassan went out and got these guns and how he went to a local practice range to practice his aim, how he carefully planned this attack.
They're not expected at this point, at this point, in the hearing to get into the why, his potential motivations, any alleged links to Islamic radicals overseas but because of the nature of the U.S. and military justice system and its desire to be fair to the defendant and give him a fair hearing, you've got a situation where the military has spent an inordinate amount of money keeping him alive, rehabilitative medical care, over $200,000 to house him at a nearby jail and now going to be spending more money to eventually try to put him to death. Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Chris Lawrence at Ft. Hood. Chris, thanks.
It's been a year since we told you about a Florida teen who was set on fire and burned within an inch of his life. Coming up next, we're going to show you how far Michael Brewer has come. His 16th birthday is just about to get as sweet as it gets.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Michael Brewer was a victim before bullying became the topic of a national conversation. You might remember his story. It made national news last year. Bullies set the 15-year-old from south Florida on fire and burned him within an inch of his life, but, take a look at the progress Michael has made.
Vanessa Medina of WSPN was there as he celebrated a milestone.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy birthday to you!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get them all, Mike!
VANESSA MEDINA, REPORTER, WSVN (voice-over): It's 16 candles for Michael Brewer, and what a year it has been.
MICHAEL BREWER: It has been a very difficult road. Everything I have been through is really hard for some people to do. So, I did it, and it's the only thing I could do is to stay strong.
MEDINA: Michael was burned by bullies just one year ago. Since then he's undergone excruciating therapy and excelled. His body miraculously has recovered.
BREWER: It's amazing how the body works. It's just amazing.
MEDINA: His parents thank the community and people here at Independence Hall Retirement Home. This is the second time he's been here. They're giant fans of Mikey.
ALICE AMES, PLANNED BIRTHDAY PARTY: He was injured about a year ago, and this is his 16th birthday. So it's a reason to celebrate, and he's recuperated so well.
JOEANN MORRIES, ATTENDED PARTY: We're pleased to see him healed and happy, you know, and the family.
BREWER: Last time I was here, I said they should try to do something from the "Golden Girls" so they did it.
MEDINA: A local church group even creating a song for Michael. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At home at last and now he's OK. (INAUDIBLE) I want to see the look on his face we already told you, this is not a boy I would call him a soldier.
(INAUDIBLE)
MEDINA: What's overwhelming is Michael's resolve and strength, but in the end, he's a 16-year-old boy who just wants to be a normal teen.
(on camera): Do you want something this big for your 17th?
BREWER: Probably not.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, the same retirement community held a bake sale for Brewer in February to help raise money for his recovery. As far as the criminal case goes, three teenagers are charged with attempted murder.
A monumental vote on legalizing marijuana is coming up soon. We'll hit the streets of downtown Denver to see how this typical community has learned to live within the legal margins.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, marijuana will appear on the November ballot in several states, and we're taking a closer look at pot's place in our culture. Let's go ahead and start in Denver, the Mile High City. CNN's Jim Spellman actually takes us to Broad Street. That's downtown and a community learning to live within the law.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM SPELLMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): If you want a glimpse into what it might look like if marijuana's legalized, just drive down South Broadway here in Denver, Colorado. And check out all the medical marijuana dispensaries. Here's the Green Depot, Little Brown House Dispensary, Little Green Pharmacy. They call it Broadsterdam or reefer (INAUDIBLE). This is marijuana American style. This Ganja Gourmet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those are pot, pot pies. We make -
SPELLMAN (voice-over): Steve Horowitz started Ganja Gourmet a year ago. They sell raw marijuana, but they specialized in marijuana- infused food items.
(on camera): Do you think that this is going to be a growing part of the medical marijuana business?
STEVE HOROWITZ, GANJA GOURMET: Absolutely. In fact, it already is.
SPELLMAN: Ganja Gourmet operates in the open, has eight employees and like all the medical marijuana dispensaries in Denver, it is taxed by the city and state.
And it could be really be big business. So far, the city of Denver in the last nine months has collected $2.1 million in tax revenues.
(voice-over): Horowitz's shares about $4,000 a month. He says he doesn't mind paying the taxes because it helps legitimize the marijuana trade.
HOROWITZ: People are now out of the closet. Nobody's hiding the fact that they smoke pot anymore.
SPELLMAN (on camera): To get a sense of just how normal medical marijuana has become here in Denver, check out "Westward." This is the local free weekly available all over the city. I counted over 100 ads for medical marijuana in here. They even hired a medical marijuana reviewer. (voice-over): There are almost 300 dispensaries in Denver. Lotus Medical caters to an upscale crowd located in a fashionable part of downtown Denver in a historic building. They blend right in.
SHAWNA SANTUS, LOTUS MEDICAL: We deal with a lot of, you know, professionals, lawyers.
SPELLMAN: Shawna Santus used to sell real estate. When that business tanked, she took a gamble on medical marijuana.
SANTUS: We're going to go. There is no business model here. It's not like I opened a she boutique or -
SPELLMAN: The recession has created what she calls the perfect storm for loosening marijuana laws. People want pot and the government's need money.
SANTUS: This is obviously something that not only meets the needs of people medically, but also is obviously a revenue-based, you know, business.
SPELLMAN: In Colorado, there are over 115,000 people on the medical marijuana registry.
SANTUS: This is where we have our medical marijuana.
SPELLMAN (on camera): Wow, there's really a lot of varieties, aren't they?
SANTUS: There is. Currently, I think we have over 28 different strands.
SPELLMAN: So, this is about an eighth of an ounce marijuana? How much does this cost?
SANTUS: This will be 50-plus tax.
SPELLMAN: This is a lot of marijuana, Shawna. Where do you get it?
SANTUS: Seventy percent is grown by ourselves.
SPELLMAN: You have an operation here in Denver?
SANTUS: Absolutely. Lotus Medical.
SPELLMAN: Can we check it out?
SANTUS: Yes, absolutely.
SPELLMAN: So this is your grow operations.
SANTUS: We've got four grow rooms operating as we speak.
SPELLMAN: What's in here?
SANTUS: These are our babies.
SPELLMAN: Wow, it's really bright in here.
SANTUS: It is. We have to keep these lights on 24 hours a day when they're beginning.
SPELLMAN: There's more to the marijuana business than you might see even at a dispensary.
SANTUS: It is. I mean, that's why you're trying to take it out of the hands of people who don't know what they're doing and putting it in the hands of the people that do.
SPELLMAN: So when the plants get all bigger, they're put on a 12- hour life cycle to simulate daytime and nighttime. You have these special lights to go in and look at them.
These are some big plants.
SANTUS: They are. They are almost at the end of their cycle.
SPELLMAN: There's a lot of marijuana in here, even in these four grow rooms. You can't keep up with the demand at Lotus? You know, you really can't. With your business model, how important is it for you to control the whole process from seed to selling it?
SANTUS: Absolutely, number one in our game is I think is that.
SPELLMAN (voice-over): That's because the mark-up can be up to 200 percent. Keep the growing in house and you keep more of the profits in house.
SANTUS: Smells good.
SPELLMAN: Supply, demand. Markets, customers. It's really not that much different than any other industry even if it looks a little strange.
SANTUS: I'm overwhelmed. I'm blown away that we're able to do it and it excites me. SPELLMAN (on camera): It feels good?
SANTUS: It does feel good.
SPELLMAN: Jim Spellman, CNN, Denver, Colorado.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: We want to take a unique angle to this story and not just talk about the debate of whether it should be legalized or not legalized. And that's when I came across David Walter Banks. He's a photographer who got a snapshot of marijuana's influence on culture from the medicinal to the religious to the recreational. He actually put together a pretty amazing photo essay, I guess we should say. "Cannabis Culture."
And can we find that anyplace else? I found your Web site. I found it in "Time" magazine. Did do you it for "Time" magazine specifically?
DAVID WALTER BANKS, PHOTOGRAPHER: I originally photographed it for Luceo Images, the cooperative I co-founded, and we are based on long-term social and cultural documentary stories.
PHILLIPS: OK.
BANKS: So I shot it first just for us, and then started working with "Time" to -
PHILLIPS: Well, now they're all over the place.
BANKS: -- show it to the masses.
PHILLIPS: They are amazing pictures. We're going to kind of go through a number of them that you've taken. And as we do that, tell me why you wanted to do a photo essay, particularly on the cannabis culture. Is it because the vote is going down, or was it something interesting to you.
BANKS: Sure. Well, I started working on it a little bit before this proposition was out there, but it was already -- I mean, this has been a long time coming and worked up to over the years. And after I gained access to some of the illegal side of it here in the South, it got me more interested in the medicinal side and the legal side. And that's when I traveled out to Colorado originally to look into it.
PHILLIPS: Well, that's interesting. You're right, everybody kinds goes the investigative way when they take pictures or do stories. And I think that's what caught my attention was, sort of this -- well, I guess it makes sense -- the relaxed nature around the pot community.
BANKS: Sure, sure.
PHILLIPS: It makes sense. Well, I picked a couple of pictures because I wanted to isolate the discussion a bit under certain subjects. Let's start with the smoke-out picture. When I first saw this, I thought, OK. Oh, my, gosh, Woodstock is back. I didn't realize pot is still so popular. I mean, is this a festival? Give me the background behind this picture.
BANKS: So, this is 4/20-fest, supposedly the largest celebration of this nature in the country. And it is literally hundreds and hundreds of people gather on the University of Colorado-Boulder campus on April 20th to celebrate what they believe should be their right. And the police are there just kind of making sure nobody gets dehydrated and watching the crowd --
PHILLIPS: Is it a college kid thing or did you see all ages, all generations? What did you observe?
BANKS: It was heavily a college student thing, but I would say at least a third of the people there were all ages -- you know, all races, all types.
PHILLIPS: Has it made a comeback to smoke pot, or did it just never go away?
BANKS: I think to a degree it never went away, and really, just with the current younger generation, it seems to be a thing that's less faux pas, that's less focused on this long-standing tradition of it being a horrible, awful drug -
PHILLIPS: Right.
BANKS: -- and thought of as a narcotic, which it is not.
PHILLIPS: Got it. Well, we could get into a debate about that, too, as you throw that in, David.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: All right. The medicinal purposes. I was really struck by some of these photos you took of this AIDS patient. Tell me about him, and give me the back story here and what that was like for you to hear his story and take pictures of him.
BANKS: Yes. So, this was Damien Lagoi (ph). When I first got to his apartment, I really just spent a lot of time -- he wasn't sure he was going to let me photograph him. And I just spent a lot of time --
PHILLIPS: Maybe we can drop the banner. Because he's actually -- he has a joint in his right hand, right?
BANKS: Disclaimer. Declaimer. It is actually a cigarette.
PHILLIPS: Oh. Oh, boy. OK, now that's not good. But go ahead and give me the story here.
BANKS: Yes. Yes. But he does smoke medicinal marijuana. He's an AIDS patient, long term. He is in his late 50s, and he weighs 105 pounds and for his AIDS medication, he has to take 11 pills a day. Now, he suffers from terrible nausea, which often makes him regurgitate these pills. And the only thing that he found that helps him keep them down is medical marijuana. Basically if he can't keep these pills down --
PHILLIPS: He dies.
BANKS: -- he dies.
PHILLIPS: Stephen Marley (ph). I've got to get to this photo. And I was telling you, I spent some time in Jamaica, and didn't realize a lot of these guys smoke pot for the whole religious background. Now, whether Stephen Marley does it for religious reasons or not, his dad sure talked about that.
Tell me about this experience. And did he talk about his culture and his background of why so many rastafarians spoke pot?
BANKS: He hinted at it. And it heavily influences the songs he creates. I was actually photographing him for a music magazine. And so - you know, these people use it for ritualistic purposes, and they have verses all throughout the Bible, including Psalm 104: 14, I believe is a big one, where it says that "he causeth the grass for the cattle and the herb for the service of men." I believe that's how it goes
PHILLIPS: I think there's probably a lot of other herbs that we could interpret in the Bible.
BANKS: You could, you could.
PHILLIPS: That's interesting. I don't think a lot of people knew that background.
Well this is - did in any way, shape or form -- final question -- these pictures shape your view on whether pot should be legalized or not? Were you influenced in either way?
BANKS: Um, I mean, honestly, I have to say that I was influenced that it's, to a large degree, there are more helpful things that can come out of legalizing marijuana than harmful.
PHILLIPS: Got it. I'll tell you what, the pictures were fantastic. You've got quite the gift. You can always go to your Web site, as well. David Walter Banks. And the Web site again is --
BANKS: Luceoimages.com.
PHILLIPS: It is .com.
BANKS: L-u-c-e-o.
PHILLIPS: Fantastic. David, thanks so much.
BANKS: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: All right. Exposing military fakes and cheats. We actually spoke to a couple who is fighting to take stolen valor to the U.S. Supreme Court. And their mission, making liars criminals.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: And a happy follow-up to a story we told you about last week after we hammered the football league. A youth football club has now decided to drop a rule that would limit this dad's ability to coach his son's team. They had said that his wheelchair was a danger to these little tykes out on the field.
Well, guess what? Merrill Staton got the good news just in time for Sunday's game. The two sides resolved this by guess what? Talking. What a concept. Props to the football and cheerleading club of Johnson County, Kansas.
If you watch our newscast in the morning, you already know how much I love to lift up our military heroes. But this morning, I'm going to trash these guys. Why? Because they're not heroes. They're fakers. They're liars, and they're cowards. They're an insult to our real men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line.
The Stolen Valor Act, passed in 2006, dealt with these kinds of cheats. Made it a crime to lie about your military honors. But recently, a federal appeals court rules that the act violates free speech. So any Tom, Dick and Harry can say that he or she won a medal in Vietnam or Afghanistan, even though they never served one day in the armed forces. And they won't be punished for it.
Doug Sterner, a real Vietnam vet, and his wife Pam are trying to change that. They've made honoring real heroes their mission with the Web site HomeOfHeroes.com. I got to talk to them about how they are not giving up on the Stolen Valor Act. Pam actually helped write it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. STERNER: I try not to let it become personal. Sometimes it does become personal, but, you know, this is much more than just lying. It's fraud, and almost always there's some kind of financial fraud going on behind it.
But I'd like to point out three different courts have reviewed Stolen Valor, and there was a split decision two to one, it was upheld in one court. Five different judges split 3-2. So this is not a slam dunk for either side but we believe it will be upheld and when it is, it will at least mean that you cannot claim the honors established by Congress to recognize our bravest men and women with impunity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And as you can tell, the Sterners aren't giving up on the Stolen Valor Act. It's their baby and their mission. It could go all of the way to the Supreme Court, and we sure hope it does.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: We're talking about just three weeks now, and Americans will cast their votes in midterm elections. And the very control of Congress may be at stake.
We're counting down and bringing you all of the stories that could shape the voters' decisions. That's the reason why we're going to deputy political director Paul Steinhauser in Washington at the desk. What's crossing, Paul?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Here's what's crossing, Kyra. Three weeks, as you said, and the Democrats are facing a big enthusiasm gap, so the president, Barack Obama, tonight trying to do something about that. He's going a few blocks from the White House over to George Washington University. He's going to be at a town hall. He' going to be taking questions from Facebook, from Twitter, and Democratic Party Committee officials tell us for the first time in such a setting, he'll be taking questions from Skype.
The whole idea here is to try to energize to try to get younger voters, Democratic base voters to get out there to cast ballots come November 2, Kyra. The president already did this out in Wisconsin about a week and a half ago. He was in Philadelphia at a big rally in on Sunday. Now tonight.
Check these numbers out. This is a recent CNN/Opinion Research Corporation national poll. Look at that: 54 percent of Republicans we questioned said they are very or extremely enthusiastic about voting. Only 34 percent of Democrats. That's a problem for Democrats.
Jeremy Harlan (ph), our cameraman, I'm going to ask you to zoom right in here to the CNN Political Ticker. Senator Harry Reid in Nevada. The Senate majority leader, Kyra, as you know, facing a very, very tough re-election. He's going to get help tonight. Yes, that's right. President Bill Clinton -- the former president -- heading out there. Bill Clinton, as we've been talking about, a man on demand among Democrats on the campaign trail.
So, he will team up with Reid tonight at a high school to try to encite -- or actually excite -- Democratic voters to get out and vote. Early voting starts Saturday -- Saturday in Nevada. Harry Reid, of course, facing off against Sharron Angle, Republican nominee who is backed by the Tea Party movement.
Hey, one other thing. Let's talk debates. It almost every night now is debate night in America. Tonight, you've got in Ohio, in Connecticut. Tomorrow night, you've got Wolf Blitzer in Delaware. Big debate. Can't miss it, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. We'll be watching, that's for sure. Paul, thanks.
More political news next hour. And a reminder, if you're away from the TV, go to our Web site, CNNpolitics.com.
Well, Christine O'Donnell is one of the big stories of this year's political season, and she's been a hot topic for the hosts of CNN's newest program, "PARKER SPITZER."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIOT SPITZER, CO-HOST, "PARKER SPITZER": I think when we look at the substance of what she says here, a lot of people are going to say, you know what? We're not so sure she's not ready for the Senate.
KATHLEEN PARKER, CO-HOST, "PARKER SPITZER": You know, I happen to -- I feel for the girl a little bit. She was a sweet girl when she was on "The Bill Maher Show." She was 20 years old, and she actually -- if you look at some of those tapes, she had a lot of personality. She's spunky and cute, and she was just saying things I don't think she intended to be taken terribly seriously -
SPIZTER: Look, I agree with that -
PARKER: -- and now it's taken a life of its own.
SPITZER: All of that is not only fair to her, but accurate. And I even defended her with that sort of crazy ad, "I'm not a witch" because you know what? She's trying to defuse a situation. But then, when you step back and as you get closer to November 2nd, you say, wait a minute, there are some serious issues here. I don't think she passes that threshold.
PARKER: No, there are a lot of people who are cute and spunky that I don't want running the country.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: And for more opinions, ideas and analysis, don't miss CNN's newest show, "PARKER SPITZER," weeknights, 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: It's a sad anniversary for the U.S. Navy today. Ten years ago, the guided missile destroyer USS Cole was attacked by terrorists in a rubber boat packed with explosives. That attack by two terrorists alleged to be members of al Qaeda left a 40-by-60 foot hole in the ship. Seventeen sailors were killed; 38 others injured. The ship's crew along with the former ship mates and families are commemorating the anniversary this morning at Norfolk Navy base.
Other stories across the country. We start in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Michael Brewer's 16th birthday party. If you remember, four teens dowsed him with rubbing alcohol and set him on fire last year. He suffered horrible burns. Well, this is Michael now. This retirement center raised money for him and threw a party for him as well. Police say an argument over a video game triggered that attack on Brewer.
And Des Moines has discovered what patrons at state fairs from North Carolina to Wisconsin have already enjoyed: the newest take on the American cheeseburgers, this time sandwiched between two Krispy Kreme donuts, called a dietician's nightmare.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Talent shows have given us everything from Grammy winners to laughable failures. Occasionally someone inspiring comes along, like Susan Boyle, who wowed the world with her amazing voice.
Well, now a young man has come forward, and he creates the most beautiful music with his feet. Jeanne Moos has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know how people talk about someone having the hands of a pianist? Make that the feet. You are listening to the winner of "China's Got Talent", talent down to the toes. Twenty-three-year-old Liu Wei has no arms but he disarmed the judges with his feet.
His first appearance back in August he played an all-instrumental piece, a piece that brought at least one judge to tears. After losing both arms, he learned to dress, swim, use a computer and write. So it wasn't such a stretch for him to start tickling the ivories with his toes at the age of 19.
Four years later, he's helped make "China's Got Talent" that country's most popular. Liu Wei was 10 when he lost his arms in an accident. He touched a wire and got shocked while playing hide and seek.
Now, he's the one electrifying audiences. He told the judges at least I have a pair of perfect legs. We've seen legwork before on piano keys, from the movie "Big" to a Swedish stairway, designed to entice people into taking the stairs rather than the escalator.
But this type of toe work led to cramps and abrasions when he first started.
A bit of irony, guess who sponsored the competition won by an armless guy playing piano with his feet?
Liu Wei, head and shoulders above the competition with toes that are truly touching.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Wow. OK, Tony, wasn't just his ability to do what he does, but his voice, too. He's got --
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The voice was great.
PHILLIPS: It was great!
HARRIS: The playing was amazing. I so need to practice more. I'm such an underachiever.
PHILLIPS: We need to practice everything. HARRIS: Period!
PHILLIPS: Exactly.
HARRIS: Kyra, you have a great day.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Tony.
HARRIS: Good to see you.
