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Student Plot to Shoot Schoolmates Thwarted in Florida; Waiting for the Details for President Obama's Jobs Plan; Social Security's Accidental Dead; Libyan Rebels Making Gains; Refinancing Your Mortgage; When Troops Reunite With Dogs; The Signs of Heart Disease In Men

Aired August 17, 2011 - 11:04   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We're listening to officials there in Tampa, school officials, as well as police authorities, talk about how what could have been a catastrophic event was thwarted, in large part because of a citizen coming forward. And now a 17-year-old former student of a high school, Freedom High School there in Tampa, Florida, is now in custody. And also, what was seized was the makings of what could have been that catastrophic event.

David Mattingly has been following this investigation for a long time, all morning long. We've been hearing little, tiny details about what police authorities might be able to say.

How does this kind of complete the picture for us? What might have happened there in Tampa?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we're finding out was that this plot had a lot of potential for a lot of harm. And we've heard that straight from the police, saying that they thwarted a potentially catastrophic event, the likes of which this city had never seen.

They also indicated that this young man, a 17-year-old former student of the Hillsborough School District, saying that he had the desire to cause more casualties than Columbine. And we were told earlier by the school system that this plot was supposed to be carried out on the first day of school, which was next Tuesday.

So they apprehended this young man yesterday, they found bomb- making materials inside the apartment that he was living in. They did not actually indicate in the presser that they had those bombs actually assembled, ready to go, but they say he did have the materials for making these types of explosive devices that could have done a lot of harm. So everyone breathing a huge sigh of relief right now in Tampa.

WHITFIELD: Among the items that were seized, or at least located, they said shrapnel, some tubing. And also, apparently, this young man, a 17-year-old, had been arrested recently for possession of marijuana and then possible burglary as well.

How have they been able to kind of locate this individual? Just one citizen?

MATTINGLY: Well, they were saying he was very well known to police because he did have a criminal record, he did have a juvenile record. They had a process where they would check up on their juvenile offenders, and they have been doing that with him. They knew about him.

So, apparently, when this tip came in, they were already familiar with him and ready to go right to where he lived to investigate this. And what they found was something that told them that they had something very serious here in the works that they cut off before it could get any further.

WHITFIELD: And you mentioned he -- investigators say that he was hoping to kind of outdo Columbine. Everyone remembers that back in 1999. Some 12 students killed, along with a teacher, and then of course the two shooters who killed themselves.

Certainly a big sigh of relief that something of this magnitude was indeed thwarted there in Tampa.

MATTINGLY: Right. That single sentence alone, enough to shake every single parent straight to their hearts.

So right now there is going to be a lot of work to do with the parents to get them back on their feet, to let them know that they should have some confidence in the security of the school. In fact, the head of the school system there praising police and everyone involved for making sure that this didn't happen.

WHITFIELD: All right. David Mattingly, thanks so much for those details. Appreciate that.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: President Obama is wrapping up a three-day bus tour of the Midwest. He's in Illinois today, on his home turf. But back in Washington, everyone is talking about his new plan to create jobs.

The president will unveil the details of the plan in a speech this September. Our Wolf Blitzer actually caught up with the president to ask him all about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: You've got something much more ambitious in mind for this September. There's been reports you want to create a new Department of Jobs, something along those lines.

Is that true?

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You know, that is not true. But what is true is that I think we missed an opportunity a month ago when we could have dealt with our debt and deficit in a serious, balanced way that would have avoided these huge gyrations in the financial markets, given businesses a lot of confidence that Washington had its fiscal house in order, and included in that, because of the savings that we'd be getting over the next 10, 20 years, more efforts on the front end to spur job creation.

And given that Congress failed to act, the grand bargain that I was trying to cut with John Boehner didn't happen, we're going to take one more one at Congress. And we're going to say to them, look, here's a comprehensive approach that gets our debt and deficits under control and also accelerates job growth right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Our White House correspondent Brianna Keilar is on the road with the president in Atkinson, Illinois.

So, Brianna, the details are a little sketchy right now, but what else might you know about the plans so far?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the details are pretty sketchy, but this is day three of the president's bus tour through the Midwest, and this is now the headline coming from the White House. A senior administration official, Fred, saying that the president will unveil his jobs plan, he'll do it in a major speech shortly after Labor Day, when Congress comes back.

We know it's a mix of things from this senior administration official. Expect tax cuts, infrastructure, some way to address the long-term unemployment, which, of course, is a very big problem.

The thing is, when you look at these different things that have been proposed, some of them Republicans flat-out oppose, or they oppose the way that Democrats and the White House so far have talked about executing these issues.

In the meantime, we're about an hour or so out here in Atkinson, Illinois, from the president having his first of two town hall meetings of the day. We just saw a crowd of people go inside of this warehouse behind me, a warehouse for hybrid corn seeds. That's going to be the backdrop for the president's town hall meetings.

He'll be taking questions. He'll be having answers.

We've talked to a lot of folks who said -- even people, Fred, who said they're not necessarily supporters of President Obama, they didn't vote for him, don't intend to vote for him again. They're glad to have this opportunity in this town which is of about 1,100 population just to be able to ask the president some questions.

So far, we've found that the crowds have largely been friendly. So, if that continues, then you would expect that today.

WHITFIELD: And so the guess is there are going to be a lot of questions about jobs, about the economy. The president may have to reveal a little bit more about his plan today with some of those questions than waiting until September. KEILAR: It's possible he will reveal. It's also possible that he won't, because so far, he's stuck pretty closely to other proposals that he's had in the past, extending unemployment insurance, extending the payroll tax cut. He's talked about infrastructure in broad terms before.

What you hear people here -- you say to them, "What do you want to hear about?" And of course they say jobs. They want reassurances.

They also have concerns -- this is an agricultural community. I mean, you look around from where I'm standing, I can see cornfields. They're concerned about agricultural subsidies, certainly ethanol.

When you think about really what the industry is here, these are things that really touch them, and those agricultural subsidies could take a hit, for instance, in some of the plans that we've heard bandied about in Washington for deficit reduction. So they have a lot of concerns here -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Brianna Keilar, thanks so much, from Atkinson, Illinois.

All right. Here is your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. Today's question: Is heckling good for our political discourse?

Carol Costello joins us from New York -- Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I know. We've raised heckling to an art form, haven't we?

WHITFIELD: Yes.

COSTELLO: The question today: Is heckling good for our political discourse?

Let's face it, election 2012 is shaping to be the year of the political flash mob. Liberal hecklers scored when they challenged Republican Mitt Romney.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Corporations are people, my friend. We can raise taxes on -- of course they are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: It worked. The Democratic National Committee turned it into an ad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMNEY: Corporations are people, my friend. We can raise taxes -- of course they are. Everything corporations earn ultimately goes to people. So where do you think it goes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In their pockets!

ROMNEY: Whose pockets? People's pockets.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Not to be outdone, Iowa Tea Party Chairman Ryan Rhodes confronted President Obama.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN RHODES, IOWA TEA PARTY CHAIRMAN: When you're talking about civility, how is your vice president calling us terrorists?

OBAMA: Sir, look --

RHODES: I would like to understand that.

OBAMA: OK. I will explain it right now. He did not call you guys terrorists.

RHODES: He said we were acting like terrorists.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: I don't think they came to a meeting of the minds. Do you? It does make you wonder.

As University of Virginia politico Larry Sabato told me, "We're moving into a confrontational society. We don't want to listen to C- SPAN. That's too boring. Instead, we make our decisions based on political flash mobs." "Maybe," he added, "politicians are now judged on how well they respond to hecklers, not how well they explain their policies."

Sabato says we could end up with baseball-style brawls at campaign rallies. How would that end, in a political dog pile with everyone just topping on top of one another?

So, the "Talk Back" question today: Is heckling good for our political discourse?

Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour.

WHITFIELD: All right. You painted a real picture for us there. Something tells me people are going to be on fire at their keyboards.

COSTELLO: I hope so.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Carol. Appreciate that.

All right. What would you do if your Social Security checks stopped coming because the agency thought you were dead? Well, that happens apparently to thousands of Americans every year. We'll find out more from our Alison Kosik in New York.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: All right. Here's a look at today's "Choose the News" stories. Text 22360 to vote for the one you want to see. So here we go.

First up, danger in Yosemite. The park is known for its beauty, with spectacular waterfalls and wildlife, but there are hidden dangers you need to be aware of.

And second, made in China. Find out how America is profiting from products made in China. We'll let you in on a little-known secret that could change the way you buy.

Or, third, American tourists in Cuba. Visitors from the U.S. are heading to the island nation and getting a taste of culture in a once- forbidden place.

You can vote by texting 22360. Text 1 for "Danger in Yosemite"; 2 for "Made in China"; or 3 for "American Tourists in Cuba."

The winning story airs next hour.

An up-and-down week four Wall Street once again. Let's check in right now with Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange for a look at where things stand right now -- Alison.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka.

Right now we are up. The Dow, up about 66 points. It looks like investors are pretty much shrugging off an inflation report showing that wholesale inflation in July was a bit hotter than expected.

Not weighing on stocks much. Instead, investors are focused on the positive, on some positive earnings reports from retailers including B.J.'s Wholesale, Abercrombie & Fitch, Staples, and Target. It's good that these retailers are showing these strong earnings. It shows that regular old Americans are getting out there and spending their money -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: OK. Alison, I also understand that you have some interesting numbers to tell us about concerning Social Security accidentally declaring some people dead.

KOSIK: Yes. This is interesting.

It turns out that the number of Americans that the Social Security Administration lists as dead is actually greatly exaggerated. If you look at the numbers, about 14,000 people a year -- that's about one in every 200 names -- that are put on this master death list at the Social Security Administration are wrong, meaning these people are alive and well.

And while some people may chuckle at this, there is a serious side to this, because for many of these people, there are serious financial implications. They could stop receiving benefits. And it takes the undead time to kind of unwind this and get resurrected and get their benefits back. Now, the Social Security Administration says, you know why this is happening? It's happening because of human error. And guess what that human error is, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: What?

KOSIK: Misspellings of names.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness.

KOSIK: That's a big oops, if you ask me -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: That's a big one. And that's surprising, too.

KOSIK: Yes, it is.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Alison. Appreciate that.

All right. Libyan rebels begin to slowly tighten the noose around Tripoli. Is this the beginning of the end for leader Moammar Gadhafi? A live report and some analysis, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Here's a rundown of some of the stories we're working on next.

The Libyan rebels gain ground in their fight to beat down Gadhafi's forces. We'll take you there, live.

Then, mortgage rates hit historic lows. What does that mean? Should you refinance your house?

And later, an embarrassing problem is also a sign men may have heart disease. Dr. Sanjay Gupta sheds light on the issue.

All right. Turning now to Libya and what could be a dramatic shift in the six-month-old war.

Rebels say despite some resistance from government troops, they now control most of the strategic city of Zawiya, and their next target is Tripoli. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says it's only a matter of time before Moammar Gadhafi is pushed out of power.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEON PANETTA, DEFENSE SECRETARY: I think, you know, considering how difficult this situation has been, the fact is the combination of NATO forces there, the combination of what the opposition is doing, the sanctions, the international pressure, the work of the Arab League, all of that has been very helpful in moving this in the right direction. And I think the sense is that Gadhafi's days are numbered.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Sara Sidner joins us now, live from western Libya. Sara, what's the sense there?

SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Look, we're here in the mountains of western Libya, in Yefren. We're about 80 kilometers away, so about 60 miles away from where intense fighting had been going on early this morning. We went down closer to that area. And what we are seeing is families fleeing the city of Zawiya.

There, we heard from a colonel who had just come out of the area who told us basically what was happening is the rebels took control of much of the city, but that there were still quite a bit of shelling coming into the city from the east where Gadhafi troops are still in control and that there were snipers positioned in parts of the city. So, quite a bit of fighting. Obviously, families very scared and trying to get out of there to safety.

We should mention how important Zawiya is. The reason it's so important is it's an important supply line to Tripoli. As you know, Tripoli has very scarce amounts of fuel. They need more fuel. They need to get more in. And this is one of the paths that they have to take to get the fuel into the city, the closest path.

If the rebels are able to cut off this thoroughfare, to cut off Zawiya, from Gadhafi forces, there will certainly -- it will certainly impact Tripoli quite a bit because fuel obviously a real issue there in the city.

WHITFIELD: All right. Sara Sidner, thanks so much. Appreciate that update.

So, let's get an update on the bigger picture.

CNN security contributor Fran Townsend joins us now from New York. She's a member of both the CIA and Department of Homeland Security External Advisory Committee.

So, Fran, you know, are these signs that Moammar Gadhafi is in trouble? And could possibly be losing his grip?

FRANCES TOWNSEND, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, I think absolutely, Fredricka. But, you know, we have to be careful of declaring sort of Gadhafi gone, right, too soon because we've seen internal strife among the rebels.

This is -- as we've reported now, this is a very strategic site, Zawiya. So, their ability to take control, hold it, and then build on that, leverage that strategic point, is going to be critical. The rebels are going to have to put their own internal discontent aside and really move now, with the help of the Arab League and international community.

But I think this is a very important point. The question remains, can the rebels leverage it to finally topple Gadhafi.

WHITFIELD: Well, you mentioned that internal discontent. How serious is that? TOWNSEND: Well, you know what, it's not clear. I don't know that we have very good visibility to that, other than what's been reported. But I will say this -- I mean, the easiest way to put that internal wrangling aside is to have this opportunity. I mean, there's no question that the rebels really want to move now to cut -- to put a stranglehold around Tripoli and force Gadhafi from power. I don't think that's going to necessarily be easy, but I think they're better positioned today to do that than we've seen so far in this fight.

So, this is really -- I think -- they've got NATO behind them, the Arab League. And they really now have to take advantage of this to make this final push toward Tripoli.

WHITFIELD: And so, if the rebels gain a significant advantage, what does this ultimately mean for the United States?

TOWNSEND: Well, you know, look, removing Gadhafi removes what is a potential threat. I mean, Gadhafi has, since this whole campaign began, threatened retaliation against the United States and against our Western all allies. And so, that's a good thing.

The problem is, there's been so much strife over the years inside Libya and Gadhafi really made sure that power resided only with him and there were no civil institutions. And so, the Western world, the United States, along with Western Europe, is going to have to help build these Western institutions and the rule of law inside Libya, which has been missing for decades under Gadhafi.

And so, there's going to be some level of chaos, and the rebels are going to need some support in order to really assert power if they're able to topple Gadhafi.

WHITFIELD: Fran Townsend, thanks so much for your insight. Appreciate it.

TOWNSEND: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Almost everyone eyeing the top job in the White House seems to be out on the road right now. And the political war of words is heating up. We've got the latest tough talk from the candidates in the CNN Political Ticker.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Low interest rates have many homeowners looking to refinance their mortgages.

Alison Kosik is here with today's top tips on whether it is a good idea for you to do that right now -- Alison.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fredericka.

So, yes, it seems like mortgage refinancing may be back in vogue. The Mortgage Bankers Association says the number of applications rose 8 percent last week compared to the week before. Greg McBride from bankrate.com says with interest rates sitting between 3 percent and 4.5 percent for 15-year and 30-year fixed rate loans, refinancing may make a lot of sense for a lot of homeowners, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Wow! So there are a few things you need to consider before you take the plunge, so to speak, to re-fi.

KOSIK: Exactly. Exactly. So to get the best terms and rates for a refinance, McBride says if you've got a credit score of 700 or better, and if you have 20 percent of equity in your home, those things are ideal.

Now, if you have less than that, he says look into an FHA ha loan or check your eligibility with the government's Home Affordable Refinance Program known as HARP.

There are calculators you can use, at CNNMoney.com and bankrate.com, to go ahead and figure out if it pays to refinance.

Now, when you do this, you want to identify your goals. If you're, let's say, in your 30s, if you're starting a family, because refinancing into a 30-year fixed rate loan may put more cash in your family budget and savings.

And if you're close to retirement, in the green, McBride says consider refinancing into a shorter term loan so you got more money for those golden years and you're not still paying off the mortgage after you've stopped working -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. And so, we have more to talk about this re-fi.

Alison, thanks so much.

We're going to take a quick break right now and then we'll be back with Alison. She'll tell us how to avoid ruining your chance of getting the best mortgage refinance.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: We're back with more on whether it makes sense right now to refinance your mortgage.

Our Alison Kosik joins us again from New York with top tips.

So, Alison, there are ways you can actually ruin your chances of getting the best mortgage re-fi deal.

KOSIK: Exactly. So, Greg McBride, he's from bankrate.com, Fredricka, he says, you know what? You've got to be realistic about your home's value.

The most common reason for being denied is that the appraisal comes in too low.

Also, if you're thinking about doing major renovations and you want to refinance, put down the hammer. McBride says, if the appraiser sees your home in bits and pieces, they may lower the estimated value of your home. All right. If you pass those tests, don't procrastinate. If you delay signing on the bottom line, on your rate lock, you could end up with a higher interest rate, and that pretty much defeats the purpose of refinancing.

Also, many rate locks have expiration dates so give yourself a cushion of a few days in case there's a glitch before closing.

And, finally, Fredricka, don't go out and open a bunch of new credit cards or credit inquiries because what that could wind up doing is undermine your credit score and your overall credit worthiness and make a potential lender think, you know, you're out there scrounging for credits.

So, a lot of don't s out there. But some good advice.

WHITFIELD: All right. Great advice. Thanks so much, Alison. Appreciate that.

KOSIK: Sure.

WHITFIELD: And now, it's punch line time. We're bringing you the best from last night's late-night comedians.

And right now, everybody is taking swings at the newest Republican candidate, Rick Perry. A lot of folks say the Texas governor looks and acts a whole lot like another favorite target of late night comics, former President George W. Bush.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONAN O'BRIEN, COMEDIAN: Texas Governor Rick Perry distanced himself from George W. Bush by saying, "I went to Texas A&M. He went to Yale."

That's what he said. In other words, Rick Perry's idea of instilling confidence is to say, don't worry, I'm not as smart as George W. Bush.

Anybody worried about that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And a reminder to vote for today's "choose the news" winner. Text 22360 to vote for the story that you want to see.

Text 1 for danger in Yosemite, the number of deaths in the park higher than usual. We'll tell you the hidden risks of Yosemite.

And text 2 for made in China. Go to a store and the shelves are stacked with things made overseas. But there are benefits here in the U.S. if it is made in China.

Or text 3 for American tourists in Cuba. The first tours have landed and people are getting a slice of life inside Cuba.

The winning story airs next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: More tough talk on the campaign trail today. Our Joe Johns, part of "The Best Political Team on Television," joins us live from the Political Desk in Washington.

So, Joe, what's the latest from the Republican frontrunners?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred.

Comparing something old and something new in the race for the Republican nomination for president and what they have in common. Mitt Romney has been at this for awhile, of course, he's presumed frontrunner. Though, the entrance of Rick Perry over the weekend tells us Romney has what appears to be formidable competition right now.

And what's interesting about Romney is that he's been running what can be pretty much be described as a general election campaign, focusing on the incumbent, President Obama, and he's been able to avoid bashing other Republicans in the field even though he's running against them.

Today, Romney said the president and his buddies don't understand what it takes to get the economy going again. This was in response to the president's statement that he's going to propose new measures in September to create jobs, grow the economy.

Listen up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Because he and his academic and political friends don't understand what it takes to get this economy going again. And it's a little too little too late, but we appreciate the fact this he's trying to devote some time to it, not just going be on the bus tour, not just going to be vacationing in Martha's Vineyard, but giving some thought to the American people.

I would have thought that's what he would have done from day one. And if I'm the next president of the United States, from day one of my term I'll be working to get Americans jobs again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Day one. The question is, how long will Romney actually be able to focus on President Obama when he's got to get past a hard- charging campaigner like Rick Perry, we know how he is, to get the Republican nomination, Fred.

WHITFIELD: So Rick Perry also going after the president. He is attacking Fed Chair Ben Bernanke as well, and apparently he's not backing down on those comments, right?

JOHNS: That's absolutely right. Perry's Bernanke comment suggesting that more stimulus for the economy would be treasonous, in his word, has gotten a lot of play. Perry has not backed down, though he's back on message, if you will, right now, suggesting he, Perry, knows how to create jobs better than President Obama.

The truth is, this stuff actually plays very well to the Republican base, analysts will tell you. But at the end of the day, they may still have to ask voters to choose between them and make the case to Republican voters on who's best to do the job and run against the president.

So a long way to go until November that's for sure.

WHITFIELD: It's going to be a long horse race, but an interesting one nonetheless.

All right, thanks so much, Joe Johns in Washington.

JOHNS: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: For the latest political news, you know exactly where to go, CNNPolitics.com.

So you've been sounding off on our "Talk Back" question. Carol Costello joining us with your responses.

Carol, take it away.

COSTELLO: Hey, Fredricka, here it goes.

"Talk Back" question today: Is heckling good for our political discourse?

This from Barbara, "It may be rude, but people are tired of being nice and tired of the B.S. If you have to call. Someone has to already."

This from Tom, "Heckling is the single most immature act one can partake in. No point gets proven, the point trying to made falls mute. And real issues go unspoken."

This from Jason, "There is no good place for heckling -- it makes others around the heckler feeling dumber for being around. It puts the person of importance on the spot and it detracts from the main goal of political discourse."

And this from Michael, "Heckling has become a product of rhetoric and scripted speeches. It is amazing the ignorant answers you get out of some of the candidates when they are heckled and leave their script. A glimpse of the true feelings and temperament of the candidates comes out. Yes, it's rude, but if that is what it takes then so be it."

Keep the conversation going, Facebook.com/CarolCNN, and I'll be back with you in about 20 minutes.

WHITFIELD: All right, we'll look forward to that. Carol, do you have a pet?

COSTELLO: No, my dog --

WHITFIELD: But then you're not going to be able to relate to this next story, or maybe you can.

COSTELLO: I used to have dog.

WHITFIELD: OK, well, then, you can relate. You know that feeling, that very happy feeling when you reunite with your dog --

COSTELL0: Yes.

WHITFIELD: -- in your case, or a cat after a very long vacation. Well, imagine what it's like for you as troops come home from war.

Jeanne Moos shows us the love.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You know all those heart-warming two-legged reunions, the military ones that end in --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you.

MOOS: Well, this is the four-legged version.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, do you not recognize me?

MOOS: Emmitt Thunderpaws is the Great Dane's name and for Senior Airman Trevor Crowder, arriving back from Afghanistan --

TREVOR CROWDER, AIR FORCE: It was the second best reunion I've had since getting back.

MOOS: The best being the one with his wife Whitney (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he remembers you.

He didn't get out of Trevor's face for probably a solid week.

MOOS: From humongous dogs like Emmitt Thunderpaws to tiny ones like these two Dachshunds, canine reunions are running rampant on YouTube.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi. Hi. Hi.

MOOS: From baying beagles to whimpering Molly, crying over the return of her Air Force captain owner.

(on camera): The one thing most of these doggie reunions have in common is that they can turn a macho soldier into a baby-talking softee.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My boy.

MOOS (voice-over): Fathers talk to their dogs like adults.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I missed you so bad, honey. I'm so sorry I went away.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at you and how small you are. You lost so much weight.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, you're going to make me cry.

MOOS: Soldiers locked in a canine embrace.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He wanted to have direct eye contact to make sure that I was here.

MOOS: The doggie reunion can even eclipse the human one when the lady of the house handed her man the camera to show off her welcome home ensemble --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your lovely outfit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

MOOS: Kodiak kept stealing the show.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You look wonderful. And so do you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sorry, but I need to be the center of attention still.

MOOS (on camera): Of course dogs have a pretty short attention span so after only about 45 seconds of intense petting and a little chasing around --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we're done.

MOOS (voice-over): For those of you who think the joy pets bring is just hot air --

(on camera): It's the next best thing to a reunion, yes. Couldn't you once just be happy to see me?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy?

MOOS (voice-over): Happy even when outnumbered. At least a soldier can say things to his dog that he probably shouldn't say to his wife.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's your butt.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: As usual, the pets steal the show. We'll be right back.

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All right, do you know what the leading indicator of heart disease is for men? At least 30 million men have it, but most don't talk about it.

CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has the surprising answer.

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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there is a surprising answer to this question, and let me preface by saying that one of -- one of the things you always want to try and do in medicine is get clues. Try and figure out if there's some warning sign of a health problem that is imminent. And in the case of heart disease, with respect to men, erectile dysfunction, about 30 million men have this, but it could be an early warning sign trouble is brewing in the heart.

Now, a lot of men tonight like to talk about this, but if they go and see their doctor for erectile dysfunction, they may also get something very important, which is an evaluation of their heart.

Dr. Terry Mason is a urologist in Cook County Hospitals, he's how he put it.

DR. TERRY MASON, UROLOGIST: I would say that erectile dysfunction is the canary in the coal mine. When men begin to have erectile dysfunction, it's a sign that there is more widespread disease, and not just for the heart, but throughout all blood vessels in the body.

GUPTA: Now keep in mind, there are blood vessels all over the body. The blood vessels can be affected by the choices that we make in our lifestyle. And with regard to atherosclerosis, which is a hardening in the arteries, you can see this process develop in other parts of the body in the first. So for example, in men under the age of 50 in particular who develop erectile dysfunction, that can be a real warning sign that they need to go see the doctor, certainly for their erectile dysfunction, but also for doctors who are going to be more inquisitive and do a more comprehensive exam that they can also have their heart evaluated as well. This is very important. As you get older, the correlation becomes less strong. But again, for men under the age of 50, an important point.

Now, if you go see a doctor, you may be given one of the medications that you've probably heard a lot about, but I think there's a message in here for patients and doctors alike that that should not be the last step. Perhaps you should say that I've developed this problem at a younger age, should I have my heart examined as well, is there same process going on in my heart that is causing my erectile dysfunction.

Keeping in mind as well that a lot of these medications for E.D. were actually designed to take away chest pain, they were designed for the heart. So there has been a correlation there for a long time.

But a little bit of advice, we're obviously working on this documentary, "THE LAST HEART ATTACK," and warning signs a big part of that.

I should point out as well, we're in Havana, Cuba, a place where I have never been before, which I don't get to say that much anymore. We're here working on a documentary about one of the most inspiring woman I know, Diana Nyad, and her attempt to do something that no other human being has done.

We're also taking a close look at the Cuban health system, what works and what doesn't. How do they have such high life expectancy, and such low infant mortality rates at such low cost? Is that real? These are questions we're trying to answer as well.

Back to you for now.

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WHITFIELD: Thanks so much.

And for more on your heart health, be sure to watch Dr. Sanjay Gupta's special report, "THE LAST HEART ATTACK" this Sunday night 8:00 Eastern right here on CNN. He talks to doctors on the cutting edge of heart disease prevention, including a former surgeon who has developed a radical diet that he says can make anyone heart attack proof in a month.