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New Car Shortage; Reliving the Tornado Terror
Aired May 26, 2011 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7, I'm Suzanne Malveaux. I want to get you up to speed for Thursday, May 26th.
We have just received this exclusive video. It was just minutes after the deadly tornado ripped through Joplin, Missouri. Just look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH COX, TORNADO SURVIVOR: Oh, look at this. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh, Aaron. Oh, my gosh.
AARON COX, TORNADO SURVIVOR: It went right through here. I don't know where we are.
S. COX: I don't know either. I don't know where to go.
A. COX: : We've got to keep going this way. Don't step in any of this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: It's a firsthand account of not only the damage and devastation, but also the panic search for loved ones. What you're seeing here is a man and his fiancee trying to reach the man's sister.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
A. COX: Well, we'll keep asking. Look at this house. It's gone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: They were not able to drive because the streets were blocked with debris.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
A. COX: Sarah, Mike! Sarah, Mike!
S. COX: Sarah, Mike! Mike, Sarah!
A. COX: I'm going to check the basement.
Sarah, Mike!
S. COX: Mike, Sarah!
A. COX: You guys down here?
S. COX: Mike?
A. COX: Sis?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: The sister was in the house during the tornado and rode out the storm in the basement. She wasn't hurt, but she had gone to another family member's home.
The man who shot this amazing video and his sister will join us live in about a half hour. Stay with us to hear more of their remarkable story.
Well, four days after the tornado, frustration and anger over the missing. That is at a boiling point in Joplin, Missouri.
City leaders are about to release a definitive list of Joplin residents who are considered missing. All week they have put that number at roughly 1,500. We expect that that number is going to change at the news conference today. Search crews have rescued just a few survivors in Joplin's wreckage since the tornado struck on Sunday, and no survivors were found Wednesday, adding to the sense of frustration.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRANDON GETZ, GRANDMOTHER IS MISSING: The only thing we found left of my grandmother was a mattress. We went to the hospital, showed pictures, we made copies of pictures. We've been on the world news, man. We went every place possible that you could imagine to find a loved one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PATTY PENN, SISTER IS MISSING: She has counseled teenage girls, pregnant girls, runaway girls, taught Sunday school. And it just kills me that somebody that good -- I know there's a million other families out there, but somebody that good, something that bad would happen to them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now, this is a picture that is hard to turn away from. This is a big rig getting blasted by a tornado in Oklahoma. Now we are hearing from the man who actually survived this wild ride. Jeremiah Morrison was driving on Interstate 40 when a tornado shredded his truck.
And Morrison says the tornado shook the tab like a salt shaker, tossed him out of the window. He walked away, amazingly, with a fractured shoulder.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEREMIAH MORRISON, OKLAHOMA TRUCK DRIVER: I believe very strongly that if it's your time to go, it's your time to go, and there's nothing you can do. So I just pretty much held on to what I could. And when I felt the truck go over, my words were, "Here we go."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: The U.S. Supreme Court today upheld an Arizona law that penalizes companies that hire illegal immigrants. It was a 5-3 vote, and justices rejected arguments that states have no say over immigration.
Now, this ruling could foreshadow the court's handling for a more controversial part of Arizona's law. That is, giving local police a greater role in arresting suspected illegal immigrants. That is now working its way through the federal courts, likely to end up before the Supreme Court.
Well, 16 years on the run, Serbian police have war crime suspect Ratko Mladic in custody today. Mladic commanded the Serbian army during the Bosnian Civil War. That, in the early 990s. And prosecutors say that he ordered the massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys after the fall of a Bosnian town in 1995.
Well, the U.S. tells federal government workers in Yemen to send their families home. Battles between Yemeni troops and tribal fighters have raged now for four days. And a tribal spokesman says that 51 people were killed overnight. Yemen's president had promised to sign a deal to give up power, but then he backtracked.
The uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa are going to be a primary topic. That, at the G-8 summit in France. Leaders are arriving at a resort in Normandy today for their annual economic meeting, and President Obama met his Russian and French counterparts on the streets. All three started to work the crowds.
Here's your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the stories that caught our attention. Today's question: Is a college education worth the money?
Carol, we know that the National Center for Education Statistics says, what, it costs more than $20,000 for students to attend a four-year public college these days?
COSTELLO: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. That's just for a public institution. The cost of a college education is outrageous, at least in some people's minds.
But now that the joy of your child's college graduation is over, you may be looking at a huge black hole in your bank account as your graduate sits home or looks for a job. Maybe you're suffering from buyer's remorse.
Well, listen to this. Peter Thiel, who made millions by founding PayPal and investing in startups like Facebook thinks you don't need college to succeed. So he's telling kids to drop out, at least for a couple of years.
Thiel's foundation is offering $100,000 fellowships to worthy kids who agree to leave college to start their own tech company. Thiel says college is overvalued.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER THIEL, COFOUNDER, PAYPAL: People can normally get the loans to borrow, but then you have to pay them off for the rest of your life. And we just had this housing bubble where everyone said you had to have a house no matter what, housing was always good, it would always have value.
COSTELLO: Now we're saying that about college.
THIEL: And now we're saying that about education.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Yes, many of us are. Before you discount his idea, consider this: do we as a country push college on our kids even if they are not interested? After all, there are other kinds of jobs out there, good jobs that don't require a college degree, as in skilled labor.
But how many of you are willing to encourage your kid to become a welder? Not many, I'll bet.
A Deloitte Manufacturing Institute survey shows that only 30 percent of American parents said they'd encourage their kids to learn a trade.
So, today's "Talk Back": Is a college education really worth it?
Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right. Thanks, Carol.
Here's a look at the rundown of some of the stories that we're covering over the next two hours.
Japan's earthquake and tsunami now making waves here in the United States, why car shoppers could soon see higher prices.
Also, the deadliest tornado season in decades, why so many have touched down here in the United States.
And unfit to stand trial. What is behind the ruling in the Arizona mass shooting case?
And Medicare politics, a look at the latest effort to overhaul the federal health insurance program, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: CNNMoney.com's lead story, the weak economic growth for the first quarter in the U.S. economy here. Growth, still weak. We are following that story, the first three months of the year.
Also taking a look at the Dow Jones. The stock now down by 64 points or so. Keeping a close eye on that.
We are also following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan crippling the car production in many parts of the country. Now dealers here in the United States are scrambling to cope with a new car shortage that some are calling unprecedented.
Our Alison Kosik is reporting that it could mean higher prices.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two car dealerships, one problem.
RICK DESILVA, OWNER, LIBERTY SUBARU: I've never seen anything like this.
LAURA BOTSACOS, COO-OWNER, JAMES TOYOTA SCION: I've never experienced this before.
KOSIK: The devastating earthquake struck Japan more than two months ago, but some of the effects are just now hitting American soil. Automakers aren't operating at full speed, and that means we could see a car shortage this summer.
DESILVA: We're probably going to get about -- in round numbers -- 70 cars a month. We'll be about 30 percent down for the normal numbers that we normally get for this time of year. So it's not great.
BOTSACOS: In a typical month you could be earning anywhere between 140 to 200 vehicles per month. Right? So now we're in a situation where we are seeing that we are earning anywhere between 40 vehicles a month. That's a drastic reduction.
KOSIK: The auto industry has been through tough times before, but what makes this situation so unique is that dealers don't know when things will get back to normal.
DESILVA: There's still a little bit of uncertainty as far as exactly when we're going to get cars, what we're going to get, what the numbers maybe. There's not a real good forecast, where normally you could forecast what you were going to get.
KOSIK (on camera): Why is at it problem business-wise to not be able to forecast?
DESILVA: Well, because you have to know whether or not you can pay your bills.
KOSIK (voice-over): And ultimately, paying the bills is the issue.
BOTSACOS: And we have a huge responsibility. We're responsible for people. And, you know, we're also responsible for making sure that people's needs are met. So, yes, let's put it this way -- I don't sleep very well. You know?
KOSIK: Unfortunately, there's not much these business owners can do. They don't make the cars and they can't change what's available. So they are literally watching business walk out the door.
BOTSACOS: A woman walked in. She wanted a specific model. And unfortunately -- and it's fine when people want what they want. We didn't have it. I didn't have it. I tried my best.
KOSIK: This is a supply and demand business. So with fewer cars available, prices are rising. Edmunds.com says overall car prices are up $350 since the earthquake.
So, if you want options and lower prices --
DESILVA: You really, really need to come out and start looking now if you want to get something.
BOTSACOS: If you're thinking about buying a vehicle this calendar year, now is the time, because as we've all experienced we don't -- we just can't predict what may or may not happen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: They can't predict.
Alison joins us now.
Alison, you spoke to Toyota and Subaru dealers. What about other folks, other automakers?
KOSIK: And other automakers, Suzanne, they are seeing price increases as well. I want you to take a look.
There across the board, Honda, for instance, seeing its cars go up about $1,000. Lexus, Acura, Infiniti, those prices are going higher too.
As far as that supply crunch that I talked about in the story there, it's not just Toyota and Subaru. It includes Chrysler as well. Chrysler saying it expects to produce 100,000 fewer cars this year.
Honda coming out and saying there are going to be fewer Civics available. So I know Civic is a very popular car for Honda. There may be fewer of those on the lot as well. Also Honda's CRV, its 2012, its new one, the launch of that new one is going to be delayed because of production troubles as well.
By the way, GM and Ford, Suzanne, say they have not been affected as far as -- from the earthquake in Japan -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: OK. Alison, thank you. Appreciate it.
This has been the deadliest year for tornadoes since the 1950s. But why? We're going to explain the factors that came together to make this such a terrible year. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: We have seen the aftermath of the devastating tornadoes that churned across the middle of the country this week. We have also seen the terror of these tornadoes up close. These are some amazing sights and sounds that have been captured by meteorologists and storm chasers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's coming! There's a power line right here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My God.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, let's get up there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can hear it!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it's getting big, big, big, big.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's huge!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got it all on video. I got it all on video.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It sounds like a waterfall. Wedge (ph) tornado.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is on the outskirts of the western edge of Waverly now. It is in a more populated area.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. There it is. There it is.
Oh, gosh. That is a monster tornado.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's crossing the road right where we were --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God! Back up. Oh, no.
Stop. Oh, no, what it destroyed. Oh, it's a trailer house. Slow down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A very large tornado.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just had a power flash. Hopefully they will get --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my gosh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- everybody out of there and safe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The motion is tremendous.
David Payne (ph), are you still with us? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. It's another killer tornado. It went across Highway 81 (ph), is when it intensified. And it almost got us. It intensified right on top of us. Amazing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was a violent tornado. You see how it's carving out kind of a V-shaped debris cloud, and we'll just let this roll.
This was live for a good 20, 25 minutes. That's the Goldsby water tower. And we showed that to you a short while ago.
But watch this as it comes into Goldsby. And folks who were watching, and they were in their safe spot -- and a lot of folks left town, a lot of folks got out of town. They were in their safe spot because homes were obliterated down in Goldsby.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right there. You got it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got a funnel.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right on the ground, Tuckerman, Arkansas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Tornadoes have killed more than 500 people this year. It makes it the deadliest tornado season since 1953.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MALVEAUX: We're continuing to get remarkable stories from Joplin tornado survivors. Take a look at this exclusive video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we'll keep asking. Look at this house. It's gone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: This is a man and his fiancee frantically running through the debris to check on his sister, and he's going to join us live, next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
A. COX: Sarah, Mike! Sarah, Mike!
S. COX: Sarah, Mike! Mike, Sarah!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Going "Beyond the Headlines" now for a compelling story of survival.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
A. COX: Sarah! Sarah, Mike!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: This is moments after the tornado slammed Joplin.
And CNN iReporter Aaron Cox and his fiancee were searching frantically for his sister Sarah and her fiance Mike. We are relieved to say that they were found. They are alive and well.
And Aaron and Sarah Cox join us from Joplin, Missouri.
Thank you very much, first of all, for sharing this with us and for being here.
Aaron, can you tell us what was going on through your mind at that point? You picked up the camera. You were running to your sister's house. What possessed you to roll the tape?
A. COX: Well, we didn't know how bad it was when we first left the house. Where I was staying with my parents, it wasn't that bad. There were a few overturned trees. So I took the camera just to see what we could see.
But the farther we got into the city, the worse and worse it got. So by time we had to leave the car because of all the debris and get moving, you realized it was really bad. So I just kind of had the camera still running at the time. And so I just kind of captured it all.
MALVEAUX: Sarah, I know that this is the first time that you've actually seen and heard this, this video, and it's clearly very emotional. It is obvious so much how much your brother loves you.
S. COX: Yes. Yes. I'm blessed to have family members and brothers that were searching for me and searching for my pets. I had friends coming back the night after that were -- they knew we weren't there, but they were looking for our cat.
MALVEAUX: I understand your cat is OK. Yes?
S. COX: He is. Yes, he's OK. He's right here.
MALVEAUX: OK. Well, Sarah, wipe away those tears. I know a lot of us had tears.
What goes through your head or through you heart when you see that chilling video of your brother searching for you?
S. COX: It just -- I guess I kept thinking what it would have been like for my brother had they not been able to find me, what it would have been like for them. And I'm glad they found me because I don't want to do that to them.
MALVEAUX: I'm so glad they did. Where were you, Sarah? Can you tell us what happened?
S. COX: Yes. We -- we were getting ready for dinner and we were just watching the end of a TV show and we had the windows open because it was supposed to be a nice little storm coming through and we heard the sirens go off so we went in the basement and our -- our cat always hides and, you know, we get in the basement a lot around here for, you know, tornados. And, so, we just got down there and continued watching TV and it wasn't until we couldn't hear the TV anymore that we realized that -- that there was -- that we were in the tornado in the basement.
MALVEAUX: And, so, when -- Aaron, when you were looking for Sarah, you had already left the house? Is that right?
AARON COX, CNN IREPORTER: Yes, by the time we finally got in there it -- it took us a while, you know, to finally get to the house. We didn't know where we were, you know, everything was so destroyed. We had to go around to the back of the house because of that fire across the street so by the time we finally got in there and searched around they had just left and so we -- we had heard that they had a triage unit at the Walgreen's down the street so we went there looking for them and then pretty much just sort of meandering through town trying to get cell coverage or trying to find them.
MALVEAUX: I want our viewers to take another look and play another portion of your search, what it was like to actually look for your sister in that house.
(VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mike! Sarah!
A. COX: I'm going to check the basement. Sarah! Mike!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mike! Sarah!
A. COX: You guys down here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mike!
A. COX: Sis!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kerby (PH)?
A. COX: Sarah!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mike! They're not in the bedrooms.
A. COX: They must have left.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think they're gone. Kerby! (PH) Kerby (PH)!
A. COX: Kerby (PH) Jean (PH).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're just going to hope that they took Kerby (PH) with them, ok? All right. Come on. They're not in the basement?
A. COX: No. I don't think so.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ok, well, that's ok.
A. COX: Sarah! Mike!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're not down there. You went down there?
A. COX: Yes. You can't really see anything though.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's ok baby, that just means they're not here, ok, because I went through the bedrooms (INAUDIBLE) and we would see them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Aaron, Sarah, how -- how did it -- how did you come together? How did you find out that -- that you were ok, Aaron when you found out that Sarah was ok?
A. COX: Well, we were just walking, like I said, down the street and finally we bumped into an area of cell phone coverage and right at that time they had finally made their way to our parents' house and her fiance, Mike, had gotten a phone call through to us. They finally said hey, we're safe, we made it to mom and dad's house. You know, we're ok. And we didn't get to talk very much beyond that and it -- it cut it off so it was a -- a very brief conversation but ...
S. COX: (INAUDIBLE)
A. COX: ... yes, one that we were glad to get.
MALVEAUX: Obviously you're very close and Sarah, if -- if I understand you have Kerby (PH) there? How did you find him?
S. COX: I do. Well we went back the next day to get what we could get out of the house and he just came out somewhere. He was at my feet and he was dry. I think that he had hidden under a bed and then when the cabinets flew open I think he got in there and stayed with the pots and pans.
MALVEAUX: All right, well we wish you...
S. COX: He's a little traumatized but good.
MALVEAUX: ...I am so glad that you're all reunited, that you are ok. I know, Sarah, that it was you and your fiance and I know, Aaron, you have a fiance as well. I understand that you're getting married, right? In just a couple of days? Is that right, Aaron?
A. COX: Yes, on -- on Saturday. So, you know, it seems odd to be doing that after all this but ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need to do it. A. COX: ...everyone's been real supportive and nice including, you know, the church and the reception and friends and family and they've urged us to go along and do it so we're going to -- we're going to go ahead and do it.
MALVEAUX: Ok. Where are you holding this? Is this going to be in Joplin or is there a church? Is there a place where you can actually (INAUDIBLE).
A. COX: Yes. It -- it's on the far north side of town so it was -- it was just outside the area, the First United Methodist Church on 4th and Byers where FEMA is actually set up right now I think. So, they -- they're ok. That's the church we grew up in and they -- they said, you know, they wanted to go ahead and still have the wedding.
MALVEAUX: Ok. We wish you the very best, Sarah, Aaron, thank you so much ...
A. COX: Thanks.
MALVEAUX: .. and thanks again for sharing your story. We're so glad that you're ok and we want to be the first to congratulate you on your marriage.
A. COX: Thank you. Appreciate it.
S. COX: Thanks.
MALVEAUX: Well Memorial Day is Monday but country music duo Montgomery Gentry tries to show support for American troops every day and they have traveled to Germany, Kuwait, Iraq on USO tours and entertain soldiers here in the United States as well. It's how they impact your world.
(VIDEO CLIP)
EDDIE MONTGOMERY AND TROY GENTRY, COUNTRY MUSIC DUO: Hey, we're Montgomery Gentry...
TROY GENTRY: ... and we can make an impact for our troops.
EDDIE MONTGOMERY: We love to entertain our -- our heros and let them know how much we do love them and miss them when they're overseas. This is the greatest country in the world where we can say and be and dream as big as we want to in this great country and, you know, we don't give it up enough for all our American heroes.
GENTRY: Join the movement, impact your world. CNN.com/impact.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: The man accused of killing six people and wounding 13, including Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is not competent to stand trial. Now that is the ruling from a federal judge in the Jared Lee Loughner case. Our Ted Rowlands has the details.
(VIDEO CLIP)
TED ROWLANDS, REPORTER, CNN: Jared Loughner was pulled from his chair and dragged from the courtroom by U.S. Marshalls during a mental competency hearing Wednesday in Tucson. It happened following an outburst from Loughner that sounded like he said thank you for the freak show. Federal Judge Larry Burns then ruled he was incompetent to stand trial for the January 8th Tucson shooting rampage. The judge agreed with two mental health evaluations of Loughner that concluded that he doesn't understand what's going on in court and can't help in his own defense.
From here, Loughner will spend the next few months in a mental health facility where prosecutors say they're confident he can be helped enough to stand trial.
DENNIS BURKE, U.S. ATTORNEY: Our goal has always been and will always be to go to trial on this case. We're prepared to go to trial.
ROWLANDS: Loughner pleaded not guilty to 49 charges, the shooting rampage outside a Safeway supermarket wounded Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, causing brain damage, and killed six people, including a federal judge and 9-year-old Christina Taylor-Green. Several of the victims were in court, some clearly upset with the ruling. Others said they agreed with the judge.
ERIC FULLER, SHOOTING VICTIM: You don't have to be a professional psychiatrist to know that -- that the boy is disturbed.
ROWLANDS: Criminal defense attorney Greg Kuykendall says there's a good chance Loughner will eventually be able to stand trial but a jury may end up sending him to a mental hospital instead of prison.
GREG KUYKENDALL, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: He's clearly got a diminished mental capacity right now and I think there's a strong argument that he had a deeply diminished mental capacity at the time of the crimes.
ROWLANDS: We reached out for a reaction to Gabrielle Giffords' office. They told us they'd never comment on Jared Lee Loughner. Meanwhile, Loughner is expected to spend the next few months at a mental facility in Springfield, Missouri. He's scheduled to be back here in Tucson in September. Ted Rowlands, CNN, at the Federal Courthouse, Tucson, Arizona.
MALVEAUX: So, let's get a closer look at Loughner's diagnosis. It is paranoid schizophrenia and, for that, we want to turn to our CNN Senior Medical Correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen. Elizabeth, tell us what it means, first of all, for him to be mentally incompetent for this trial.
ELIZABETH COHEN, SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Right, what the judge is saying, Suzanne, is that he is not capable of comprehending the charges against him. He's not sort of living in the real world. He doesn't get what's happening and so he can't participate in his own defense. He can't help his lawyers. As a matter of fact, he thinks his lawyers are out to get him, it sounds like. And, so, when someone is -- is that delusional, they -- they can't participate in their own trial.
MALVEAUX: So, what happens next?
COHEN: What happens next is that he goes to the hospital as Ted pointed out in his story and there they will treat him for paranoid schizophrenia. There are drugs that they give people to help them get rid of those delusions and those hallucinations and, so, if he gets out of those delusions and hallucinations and seems to be competent then they will check him again and have this hearing all over again and then he could stand trial.
MALVEAUX: So, what happens if the drugs don't work?
COHEN: Right. If the drugs work then he will stand trial as a competent person. If the drugs don't work, well, I mean, theoretically, this could go on forever. I mean, we talked to psychiatrists and psychologists about this. It could go on forever. If the drugs don't work and they can't get him to a level of competency he won't stand trial.
MALVEAUX: Ok. Elizabeth Cohen. Thank you Elizabeth, appreciate it. Well, Democrats force a vote on a plan to overhaul Medicare but was it more a political theater than legislative action. Details in our political update. And, also, a little later, we're going to meet the 13-year-old winner of the National Geographic Bee. He answered some pretty tough questions to win it. How do you think you'd do. Well, we're going to give you a little warmup here. We're going to ask you a question. What is the largest city east of Reno, Nevada, and west of Chicago. So, we've made it a little bit easier for you. It's multiple choice. Is it Dallas, St. Louis, Los Angeles, or Portland, Oregon? The answer in just a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Ok, here was the question I asked before the break. What is the largest city east of Reno, Nevada, west of Chicago? The answer, Los Angeles. Maybe that surprises you. Even though LA is on the Pacific coast, it's a little east of Reno. In the next hour we're going to meet the winner of the National Geographic Bee. He is just 13 and we put together our own little geography quiz for him as well.
The Senate rejects the Republican plan to overhaul Medicare. The politics in a minute but, first, we want to give you some facts about Medicare. It is the primary health care program for Seniors, people over 65 are eligible. It also covers people under 65 who are disabled. Medicare covers about 44 million Americans.
So, more now on the Senate vote on reforming Medicare. Lawmakers voted 57 to 40 against a Republican budget measure that included the Medicare overhaul. Dana Bash, part of the best political team on television live from Capitol Hill. Dana? Great to see you. Tell us about this vote. How important was this? Was it mostly political theater? What does it matter? DANA BASH, SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: I think it's more than mostly political theater and I feel very comfortable saying that because Democrats are really open about the fact that they held this vote in the Senate last night to try to put Senate Republicans on records just like House Republicans were on this Paul Ryan's plan to change Medicare for people 55 years and younger and make them private -- private coverage -- private accounts instead.
And, you know what, Suzanne, House Republicans in particular, they're sticking by this plan but they are admitting -- in fact, Republicans across the Capitol, are admitting that they have to explain this better, that they didn't do a very good job on messaging, as we call it here in Washington, and so they are saying that, certainly, they believe the Democrats are demagoguing this issue and had some success with it. In this election this past Tuesday it was a Democrat winning in a largely Republican district but they are trying to turn the tables a little bit more and say, ok, Democrats, where is your plan and that is something we're going to hear more and more from Republicans, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: I understand, Dana, things got a little testy on the Senate floor. Is that right?
BASH: You know, it -- it sure did and we always think of Washington as a place of great acrimony but, believe it or not, it doesn't usually spill out into the open, particularly on the Senate floor but it sure did between Republican Rand Paul and the Senate Majority Leader, the Democratic Leader, Harry Reid. The issue we're talking about is the Patriot Act and the -- there was a deal to extend the Patriot Act for four years at least, key provisions for four years, before they expire tonight at midnight and Rand Paul has been holding this up saying that he wants to have some amendments on this.
He's been holding it up all week. Well, Harry Reid went on the Senate floor and accused Paul of jeopardizing national security. Paul came out and called it a scurrilous accusation and the two kind of went at it, one after the other. And, guess what, it's not done right now. I mean, as I said, this expires, at least key provisions, at midnight tonight and they're still fighting on the Senate floor about what kind of amendments can be put on this -- on this in order to make sure that it doesn't -- doesn't expire.
MALVEAUX: Wow. They're going to be fighting to the very end. Dana, keep us posted.
BASH: Will do.
MALVEAUX: All right, for the latest political news, CNNpolitics.com. We're getting a lot of responses to today's talk back question. We asked, "Is a college education worth it." Our Carol Costello is back with your responses.
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MALVEAUX: Time to go cross country for stories CNN iReporters are sending us. It is all about the weather. Our first stop, Joplin, Missouri. iReporter Jamie (PH) Ramirez (PH) kept his camera on -- on a violent downpour outside as long as he could before running for cover. Take a listen.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's right there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Should we go in?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go in because it's getting ugly out there.
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MALVEAUX: Now, to Denton, Texas, where iReporter Kelley Fredrickson shot this striking image of a tornado on Tuesday night. The video was taken from a bedroom window after Kelley realized the tornado was tracking north, that being away from his home.
Now, on to Denton, iReporter Todd Kaastad says he heard the sirens go off, then he started shooting and talking.
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TODD KAASTAD: Get back up there. Is that little tail up there between your legs where it belongs? Now, you just avoid our neighborhood all together, I'd thank you very much.
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MALVEAUX: Well, talking to the tornado. Well, did it work? Todd tells us just as the tornado closed in on his home the tail went back up into the clouds and it sailed right over the house.
Studies now showing that students pay an average of $20,000 total to attend a four-year college and that brings us to the talk back question of today and our Carol Costello with your responses. Education, it was expensive when you and I were in college and now ...
CAROL COSTELLO, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: I know, but I just wonder if I could afford it now because I had to pay for myself way back in the day.
MALVEAUX: The question today, "Is a college education worth it?" This from Krista. I went to school to become a high school teacher. I graduated in 2007 and I am now a restaurant manager. My husband graduated with his plumbing apprenticeship program this week and makes double what I do. To date, all I have from four years of college is a ton of debt. I'm not saying it's not worth it but it sure hasn't paid off yet.
This from Morgan, of course it's worth it, but how many doctors, lawyers, and Wall Street crooks can the economy sustain?
This from Carlos, I am a college student, I can tell you for sure that college is not for everyone. I've seen students who thought they were smart enough for college or were forced into it. Those students ended up quitting school or just wasting their time and money there.
And this from Roberto, a degree is something you fight for and earn. Once you obtain it, there is not a single person, power, or authority that can take away your college degree and education. I just graduated from a local community college. It may not be a Bachelor's degree but it's something to say to the world that I am liberating myself from ignorance.
You go.
COSTELLO: I like that response.
MALVEAUX: Yes. Absolutely.
COSTELLO: You can -- you can't take education away. You always have it. You can always take it with you.
MALVEAUX: Education is always worth it.
COSTELLO: Absolutely. But, at some point, you've got to determine just how much it's worth.
MALVEAUX: It's a lot of money.
COSTELLO: If you're going to owe 20 or 30 or maybe even $100,000 at the end.
MALVEAUX: Well, I applied for financial aid. I got a little help.
COSTELLO: Me too, I applied for a lot of financial aid and got a lot of help.
MALVEAUX: That's good. Well worth it I think, Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes.
MALVEAUX: All right. Well, his truck was literally ripped apart by a tornado. He lived to tell about it. Here is an amazing survival story.
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