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Obama Calls On Syria's Assad To Resign; Hurricanes Reeling From Sports Scandal; Two Children Die from Fresh-Water Brain-Eating Parasite; Dow Drops 425 By Mid-Afternoon; President Obama Off To Martha's Vineyard For Family Time
Aired August 18, 2011 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: A huge selloff taking place on Wall Street right now. The DOW fell sharply at the opening bell and stocks have been taking a beating ever since. You can see it right there, down 403. A lot of factors at play here, and with that let's go to two of the best market watchers in the business, Ali Velshi in our New York studio and Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange.
Ali, of course, let's start with you. What is causing today's selloff?
ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, the same -- it's the lack of direction, lack of leadership, this idea that we've got economic growth slowing down worldwide, and no one quite seems to have the solution as to how to fix it. So, it remains this political economic problem.
A couple things going on, one is we've got some very poor growth numbers out of Europe. You know, Germany is the biggest economy there, and we realize that their growth is flat. So, we've seen -- we had problems in Asia, we had problems in Europe in markets overnight, then we came out with this report from Morgan Stanley which said basically what we've all kind of been thinking that the chance of a double dip recession has increased somewhat. They didn't say that it's likely or it's going there but it's increased.
They said that a lot of the problem are policy and political issues in the United States and Europe, that we'll probably need to see more intervention from the European central bank into those economies and the fed here in the United States, and that the debt crisis did contribute to the uncertainty about the direction into which things are going.
So you know, and then you add to that -- by the way, Randi, we had an unemployment -- a weekly unemployment claims number that came in a little bit worse than expected, nothing that should justify this kind of market move, and some inflation numbers, weak housing numbers. So, you put a whole bunch of, you know, things into a cake, and some of them are nails and some of them are thumb tacks and some of them are, you know, toothpicks, and you come up with a whole bunch of people saying, I just don't want to try any other cake because I'm going to get -- my mouth's going to get hurt. And that's basically what's going on.
KAYE,: Very well put.
Alison, let me ask you -- I mean, this is something that we have seemed to have been seeing over the last few weeks, so is this really any different than the turmoil that we've been witnessing?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I think Ali is spot on. I think this is really a culmination of what we've seen -- we've seen over the past few weeks. You know, you think back to just before we had the huge selloff, that hug volatility we had last week, you know, we had our own GDP numbers showing we had flat to almost no growth. In this country, manufacturing numbers are still -- it's really not good.
In fact, we've got a new manufacturing number today, a regional manufacturing number, that really hit investors hard. Some analysts say that this is a reliable number because it's a fresher number. This number is about manufacturing in August. The index is actually at one of its low points, in fact the drop was what one analyst called pretty stunning, saying that it's never been this low without leading it to a recession.
So, when you hear things like that, especially with manufacturing considering -- considered one of the engines of growth in this country, that's also why you see investors sell at this point. But I think what you're really seeing play out is really a culmination, not just the data coming out here in the U.S., but also the growth data or lack thereof coming out of Europe as well -- Randi.
KAYE: Alison Kosik, Ali Velshi, thank you both. We will be checking back with you.
Another major story developing right now, after months of bloodshed in Syria, President Obama for the first time today called on the Syrian leader, Bashar Al Assad, to resign. He also imposed new sanctions against the Assad regime. President Obama's move comes after months of a deadly crackdown by Syrian government forces against prodemocracy protesters across the country. European nations quickly followed Mr. Obama's lead, including a joint statement by the leaders of Germany, France and Britain.
Just yesterday Assad told the U.N. secretary general that his crackdown was over, but residents say nothing has changed. And now this, a U.N. fact-finding mission says Syria is guilty of human rights violations and that it may be time for the international criminal court to take action. Jill Dougherty joins us now from the state department. Jill, why did President Obama take this action now? Why now after hinting for weeks that it might happen at some point?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, weeks maybe even months. I think really, the key to this, you have to look at the economics, number one, because the United States is really incapable on its own of really effecting the situation in Syria. You know, they -- one dare telling (ph) figure is 90 percent of the oil that comes out of Syria doesn't come to the United States, it goes to Europe.
So, it was very important for both Mr. Obama and for secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, to do a lot of the behind the scenes diplomacy. And secretary Clinton did a lot of that literally for months. Now they feel that they finally have got that coalition together, it's the Europeans, it's the Arab countries, and one of the most important countries was Turkey, because Turkey basically said they are fed up with the violence that is going on.
And then also, you had the violence at Ramadan, that was extremely important because the Arab countries looked at that and were horrified, and that's when you've got Saudi Arabia coming out very strongly. And then the final thing I think, Randi, would have to be the people themselves, the Syrian people, didn't stop, they kept going out. And over here and at the White House they are saying the people have really lost a lot of their fear. Here is how secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, put it.
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HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: We understand the strong desire of the Syrian people that no foreign country should intervene in their struggle, and we respect their wishes. At the same time, we will do our part to support their aspirations for a Syria that is Democratic, just and inclusive. And we will stand up for their universal rights and dignity by pressuring the regime and Assad personally to get out of the way of this transition.
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DOUGHERTY: And the key to this, of course, will be the opposition. They've been very fractured, really not together at all, and today, the state department, the White House saying they are slowly but surely getting their act together, at least that's the hope. There's a lot of criticism, Randi, though, some people criticizing the president for too little too late. The White House for its part and the state department saying that Assad's days are numbered and that he is on his way out, or at least that's what they think, depends on how long it will take.
KAYE: Sure. And you know, a lot of people are wondering will this even make a difference? Because we certainly saw the White House, the administration has asked that Gadhafi step down and leave Libya, and nothing has changed there. So, what are the chances this will work?
DOUGHERTY: Well you know, you have to take the perspective that it has not happened yet, and, of course, the hope is that it will. But there has been a great delay, especially if you look at Gadhafi in getting him out of the way, as the phrase is. But the feeling is that at least the international community is really now coalescing in this message to him to -- to Assad, to step down, stop the killing, whether it will take time, that's the big question, it could take, you know, months, years, who knows? But at least the movement has begun.
KAYE: All right, Jill Dougherty at the State Department. Jill, thank you.
And in about 40 minutes, CNN's Arwa Damon will join us live. She's monitoring developments from Beirut where she's in touch with Syrian residents and anti-government activists.
There has been more deadly violence elsewhere in the Middle East today. Gunmen in southern Israel attacked two buses and two other vehicles killing at least seven people and wounding 40 others. The Israeli government says the attackers were terrorists who came from Gaza. Now in retaliation, Israeli warplanes hit targets in Gaza.
Kevin Flower joins us now from Jerusalem (ph) this morning. Kevin, what is the latest that you have on these attacks?
KEVIN FLOWER, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well Randi, it's actually a situation that is still developing as we speak. There have been exchanges of gunfire in and around the area where some of those attacks took place earlier today, and it's not entirely surprising because the Israeli military is really -- government officials have been saying that they believe that up to 20 or more people infiltrated the Israeli borders, these attackers, at some point and some of them might still be on the loose down there.
They are looking around, you know, patrolling southern Israel, looking for these assailants. Now, seven of them were killed in gun battles earlier today, as you mentioned, seven Israeli -- six Israeli civilians and one Israeli soldier was killed in this attack as well. Israel was quick to point the finger at Gaza saying they believed it was militants who originated in Gaza, but who made their way from Gaza into Egypt and then in Egypt coordinated those attacks and then crossed into Israel, and that that's sort of the chain of travel that these militants took.
So -- but that said, they are blaming Hamas government in Gaza, and as such in the last couple of hours, we've seen a major air strike in southern Gaza, in Rafa. It targeted a Palestinian militant group, five members of that group were killed and one of their children, and we're expecting more violence in the coming hours. Not surprising if we hear about more air strikes and more exchanges of gunfire in southern Israel -- Randi.
KAYE: Kevin Flower, appreciate the update. Thank you.
Athletes allegedly getting gifts of cash, cars, and prostitutes. The scandalous allegations at the University of Miami have the NCAA rethinking the basics of college football. You don't want to miss this update in a couple minutes.
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KAYE: If you think you've seen it all when it comes to scandals in the sports world, well think again. Let me remind you of the stunning allegations rocking the University of Miami that we first told you about yesterday. Allegations that include extravagant gifts and prostitutes for players and recruits. A Yahoo! Sports investigation revealed damming details of the school giving players cash, cars, prostitutes, even paying for an abortion. What could be the greatest scandal in college sports history has the NCAA talking fundamental change and the University of Miami scrambling right now to do major damage control as the NCAA's investigation widens. The new Hurricane's football cold, Al Golden, held a news conference earlier today about how the team is dealing with this. We'll hear what he said in a moment.
What we're talking about was exposed by this man who you see highlighted here in the jersey. Nevin Shapiro, University of Miami insider and former booster. Keep in mind, he was convicted and sentenced to 20 years for being part of the $900 million Ponzi scheme. Shapiro told Yahoo! Sports reporter, Charles Robinson, that the school broke NCAA rules for eight years, from 2002 to 2010. Shapiro claims a number of Miami coaches and players knew about it and in some cases even played along.
During the 11-month investigation by Yahoo! Sports that included an audit of 20,000 pages of records and 100 hours of interviews. Shapiro shared the dirty details about illegal benefits, extravagant gifts to six dozen former and current Hurricane players and recruits. The alleged gifts are draw dropping, listen to this. They include hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, cars, jewelry, rides on his yacht, paid trips to high-end restaurants and night clubs.
But that is just the start, Shapiro also said the players were offered bounties for injuring players on opposing teams. But what's even worse, the former booster says he paid to get prostitutes for players. And in one case, Shapiro says he paid for an abortion for a woman who claimed that Miami Hurricane's player got her pregnant. We reached out to Miami and here's what they told us. The University of Miami takes any allegations seriously and we will continue to cooperate fully in a joint investigation with the NCAA.
The NCAA's president, Mark Emmert, also issued this statement saying, quote, "If the assertions are true, the alleged conduct at the University of Miami is an illustration of the need for serious and fundamental change in many critical aspects of college sports. This pertains especially to the involvement of booster and agents with student athletes. While many are hearing about this case for the first time, the NCAA has been investigating the matter for five months." So as you can imagine, the drama unfolding at the University of Miami has created a firestorm. Current and former Miami Hurricane recruits are comments, so is booster Luther Campbell, whose footsteps Shapiro says he was following.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JELANI HAMILTON, ST. THOMAS AQUINAS: (INAUDIBLE), and so far I have not heard anything from the coaches, so I'm just waiting to hear.
DUKE JOHNSON, RIGHT BACK ,NORLAND: You try and take away from what coach Golden has accomplished, what he is doing and working so hard to do, with bringing kids just because of something that happened ten years -- eight, ten years ago. That's out of his power, that's out of our power. There's nothing we can do about it.
LUTHER CAMPBELL, BOOSTER, UM: I do not believe under no circumstances that any of those kids was involved in taking any money from this guy. Because again, like I say, we would have heard about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The booster, Evan Shapiro, names several elite players, who he claims were the beneficiaries during their time at Miami. Some of those former Hurricane players are responding saying the real bad guy is Shapiro, he's the one who spilled the beans. Andre Johnson told the "Houston Chronicle," "The guy's in trouble and is trying to take everybody down with him. You kind of get upset about it but, at the same time, you can't control what anybody says. He knows and I know what really happened. It's over. It's done with. The NCAA is handling it, and we'll just move on."
Vince Wilfork tweeted, "I am aware of the report that has claims that involve me. While the NCAA and the U. conduct their investigations, I believe that it is not appropriate for us to comment."
I want to go to the University of Miami where David Mattingly spoke with Hurricanes football coach, Al Golden, who was just hired last December. David joins us now from Coral Gables, Florida.
David, how is the coach dealing with this? I imagine it's a big distraction?
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Randi. This should have been a time of great excitement for the University of Miami program. They've got this new coach that came in in December with the idea of getting this program back into the top tier of the NCAA and pursue national championships again. So there was a great deal of excitement. And he wasn't aware, he said, of any sort of the allegations like this when he signed on. It wasn't until this news started breaking in the past few days that he starts to hear specifics. He says he is cooperating with the investigation any way he possibly can. All of this happened before he got here.
But just as an example, on today, with -- the players were out there on the field practicing, a dozen of those players could possibly be implicated in the scandal. So while he is trying to get his team prepared, he is also having to answer questions about possibly what happened before he got here, adding a whole new level to stress for this top-tier team. Now listen.
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AL GOLDEN, FOOTBALL COACH, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI: I think, if anything, it's going to bring us closer together. Again, 90 percent of the guys have nothing to do with this, as it happened in the past. So for the most part, inside here, we're moving forward. Yesterday, I said nobody wants to get to the truth quicker than I do. And the way you do that is you -- you cooperate and get young people to cooperate. And if they did make a mistake, let's be honest and open and let's move forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATTINGLY: I asked the coach what he thought about possible sanctions, would the University of Miami -- does he feel confident they will actually be on the field next year in the wake of this scandal. He says he is confident that will happen. But he won't go any further than that. He is focused right now on trying to keep his players focused on this season that, until a couple days ago, started with such high hopes -- Randi?
KAYE: The Yahoo! Report, David, specifically mentions these 12 current players. Did the coach address them at all?
MATTINGLY: The coach is being fairly vague on exactly what conversations he is having with players and what he is not doing. He says that his role in the investigation is to encourage players to participate in the investigation, and make sure that the truth gets out. What he actually is doing with those individuals is not known. But again, all of this happened before he got here. And it was the University of Miami's responsibility to make sure that it doesn't happen. So at this point, every level of administration of this school is looking at this NCAA investigation, trying to get to the bottom of this and finding out just how bad the damage is going to be.
KAYE: And what are students on campus saying about this whole scandal?
MATTINGLY: The classes have not started yet. That begins next week. We did talk to some incoming freshmen, and I was talking to some of them. They said they feel bad for the players. They feel bad for the football team. But they did not come here to play football. They came here to study. So what they are saying is they might miss the entertainment value of the football program if there is that ultimate sanction where the team is not allowed to take the field, but at this point, they are just happy to be here and feel bad for the players.
KAYE: I'm sure. Has the athletic director spoken out about this at all?
MATTINGLY: The athletic director has released a statement as well, pretty much inline with everything we've heard from the university so far, that they are hurt by the allegations. They are disturbed by them. And they are trying to get to the bottom of them as quickly as possible, helping the NCAA as quickly as they possibly can.
KAYE: Well, having covered a scandal at the University of Minnesota years ago, I'll tell you, this is going to be a long road ahead and not a pleasant one for this university.
David Mattingly, appreciate it. Thank you.
A brain-eating parasite has claimed the life of another child.
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AMBER STRICKLAND, VICTIM'S MOTHER: I felt like he made me a better person, you know. And I am sad that he's gone. I miss him more and more every day.
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KAYE: Her son died about a week after swimming in a Virginia river. When we come back, Elizabeth Cohen will be here to tell us how rare this is, and how you can protect yourself and family.
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KAYE: I wish I didn't have to report this next story. It's nearly as bizarre as it is sad. We've learned two children have now died from a microscopic river amoeba after it got into their body. It happened while they were swimming in fresh water. Now I want to be clear, deaths like this are rare. But I think it's important to tell their story so you, too, can be aware of the invisible killer. Elizabeth Cohen is going to join me to talk about how it attacks the brain and the body and how you can protect yourself and your family.
But first, let me tell you just a little bit about these two young victims. First, let me take you to Florida. Look at this young girl. 16-year-old Courtney Nash is from the Sunshine State. An amoeba attacked her brain after entering her body through her nose. She had been swimming in the St. John's River. That's one of the largest rivers in the U.S. She died this past Saturday. Courtney started to get very sick with a high fever about a week after swimming. And a few days later she passed away.
Her mother spoke with us about how awful it was to get the news at the hospital.
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P.J. NASH RYDER, VICTIM'S MOTHER: Just from her appearance, they could see something was wrong. They took us back immediately to the E.R. They ran some tests and did a spinal tap test and a cat scan. Within two hours, they came back with the bad news that she had the amoeba virus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: That is Courtney's sad story. Now, we are also learning much more about a young boy that died here in Virginia. Christian Alexander Strickland was 9 years old. He died on August 5 after swimming in a fresh body of water.
His mother spoke to our affiliate, WTBR, about how scary it was when her son got sick a week after swimming.
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STRICKLAND: The next morning he doesn't want to get out of bed. He's falling asleep in an instant. And then he looks at me like he doesn't know who I am or he's trying to figure out what words are coming out of my mouth. And then I got really scared and called his pediatrician.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: After being rushed to the hospital, Christian died a few days later.
Now, I want to bring in senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, to tell us more about how this amoeba attacks the body and attacks the brain.
It's so strange that when we hear about it, that it actually gets through the body through the nose, at least in one case.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. Right, that's usually how it happens. It gets into the body through the nose. And this amoeba literally swims up into the brain.
Now, this happens to lots and lots of people but the difference is -- I mean, a lot of people swim in this water and get the amoebas around them.
KAYE: Sure.
COHEN: But a few people die. So we're talking about 32 deaths in the past 10 years. So that's not very many, and we don't know why some people are more susceptible than others. But it happens very quickly. I mean, that's what -- when you hear those stories, that's what sticks in my brain, as a mom, is like, within a week or two, your child is dead.
KAYE: This is in warmer water?
COHEN: It's in warmer water. I know people want to know, how do I make sure that my kid is not a victim.
KAYE: Right.
COHEN: So if you really want to have a no-risk situation, do not go swimming in warm, untreated water. Swimming pools are fine. Don't go swimming in a warm lake or a warm stream. We're talking more than 80 degrees. So you can tell. That's pretty warm.
And then another thing you can think about is, if you do end up going under water, you can plug up your nose. And that would keep it from getting out. And then also, you'll notice when you swim like in a lake or whatever, your feet kind of feel all that mucky stuff on the bottom? If you stir that up, that increases the chance that the amoeba is going to come into you.
But again, one way to avoid this entirely, especially if you live in a southern state where the water is particularly warm, is just don't go in.
KAYE: Yes, because that gets it going once you dive in or stir up the water. But it's not like you can't see these. I mean, we said they're microscopic.
(CROSSTALK)
KAYE: It's not you can see a jellyfish, say, for example --
COHEN: Right.
KAYE: -- and swim away from it in the ocean. COHEN: Right. You cannot swim away from these amoebas. That's right. And you wouldn't know it either. It goes up your nose, and your kid is going to be fine that day, the next day. They're going to be fine for -- there is it, isn't it? Yes, that's the microscopic image of it.
KAYE: Yes.
COHEN: So your kids can be fine for a couple days, and then what will happen is that your child might have a headache or your child might vomit or seem a bit out of it and you might think they just have a virus. And if you call your doctor, this is not the first thing they will think about because there are so many other things that could be causing these symptoms. And so, if your child does feel like this and you've been swimming in warm water, do tell the doctor that. The quicker they can get medical care for your child for this, the better. But I will be honest, the chances are, there's almost nothing they can do.
KAYE: Yes. It's just not something you ever think about.
COHEN: No. And there's no treatment. There's no anti-amoeba, like there's an antibiotic.
KAYE: Right.
COHEN: There's just really isn't -- unless they catch it really, really early, there's really not much they can do.
KAYE: Oh, that's so sad and so scary.
COHEN: It is.
KAYE: All right, Elizabeth, thank you.
COHEN: Thank you.
KAYE: Appreciate the information.
Time right now, about 26 minutes after the hour and it's time to update our top stories.
All eyes on Wall Street right now with the Dow down still 422 points. Stocks plunged right at the open following the lead of overseas markets after Morgan Stanley slashed global economic growth forecasts. Weak U.S. economic reports on jobs and housing apparently worrying investors as well.
The Justice Department is reportedly looking into whether the ratings agency, Standard & Poor's, over rated mortgage-backed securities, ultimately spurring the 2008 financial crisis. Remember, it was S&P that recently downgraded the U.S. credit rating from AAA to AA-plus. According to "The New York Times," the Securities and Exchange Commission is also investigating S&P.
Hugo Chavez is pulling $11 billion in Venezuelan gold reserves from banks in the U.S., Europe and Canada. The Venezuelan president says the move is designed nationalize his country's gold mines and diversify its investments. Chavez also said he is moving his assets from what he called sinking economies to places like China, Russia and Brazil.
Well, it is not always "till death do us part," but some new info on how long marriages last may surprise you. We'll have it for you just ahead.
And "Money" magazine is out with its rankings of the best places to live with under 50,000 people. We're taking a closer look at the list. See if you can guess this next community.
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ANNOUNCER: Where can you get more bang for your buck and keep off the pounds? We will visit the down with a skinny bottom line, coming up after the break.
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REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST (voice over): Where can you get more bang for your buck? Hernando, Mississippi, is No. 1 on "Money" magazine's list for making your money go far. They spend 88 cents to buy what a dollar would get the typical American.
Hernando is also dedicated to fighting obesity. The city has upgraded parks and put in walking trails to keep everybody active.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The big thing that people see when they come to our town is that we have a culture of good health. You see people out playing and enjoying themselves and it's very satisfying.
WOLF: Hernando, Mississippi, is No. 79 on "Money" magazine's list of the best places to live.
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RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: The time right now is about half past the hour. Let's get you caught up on news that you may have missed.
The Dow plummeted this morning, kicking off another tumultuous day of trading after falling as much as 528 points. It's now still down, a little bit better, though, down 425 right now. We will bring you live updates and details on what this means for your wallet throughout the hour.
It's vacation time for President Obama. He is heading for the resort island of Martha's Vineyard of the Massachusetts coast later today. It comes after he spent the first half of the week touring the rural Midwest and talking about the economy. Critics say Mr. Obama should stay in Washington and focus on the nosedive on Wall Street and other troubling economic issues. White House spokesman Jay Carney says he doesn't think Americans are opposed to the president spending some vacation time with his family.
In Carney's words, there is no such thing as presidential vacation, because Mr. Obama will be in constant communication with his staff, and receive regular briefings from his national security and economic teams.
Veteran African-American Congresswoman Maxine Waters is outraged over the economy and black unemployment that has nearly doubled the national rate. She says President Obama should do more.
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REP. MAXINE WATERS, (D) CALIFORNIA: The president of the United States is, of course, the president. He is the leader of the nation. We support him. We want to work with him. We want him to use that bully bull pit.
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KAYE: Waters is in Atlanta attending a jobs fair hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus.
And now to Israel, militants launched multiple attacks in southern Israel today, near the border with Egypt. At least seven Israelis were killed and 40 more were injured when attackers hit two commuter buses and two other vehicles. Israel's military says it launched an air strike against militants in Gaza, in response.
Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann is on a bus tour through South Carolina. She says if she is elected president she will bring gasoline prices back down to $2 a gallon. Just moments ago the Minnesota congresswoman touted her opposition to raising the debt ceiling.
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MICHELE BACHMANN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I just got off with the debt ceiling debate, and for the last two months I have been leading the charge and for many times a lone voice in the wilderness of Washington, saying, you have the premise wrong. We are not going to start with just assuming that we are going to give the president another $2.4 trillion blank check. I think we have seen what he does with our money, haven't we?
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KAYE: Now some good news on the marriage front. Married couples are staying together longer. According to a report by the Australian Institute of Family Studies, couples are staying together nearly nine years before separating, on average. That's up from seven and a half years in 1980. It is also taking longer for couples to get divorced.
How do you know if you are having a heart attack? There is a question for you. What you should and should not ignore is next.
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CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Doctor Sanjay Gupta has spent more a year looking into heart disease for his upcoming documentary, "THE LAST HEART ATTACK". Along the way he has uncovered a few common myths that you need to know about.
Sanjay, what can you tell us?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Randi, there are plenty of misconceptions about heart disease. One of the things I need to point out is that people think there is going to be some warning sign. They may have some pain ahead of time to give them an idea something is about to happen. That's not always the case. In fact it's often not the case. The first time people may have any problem whatsoever is when they are having a full on heart attack. They are having that crushing chest pain, and that is-it literally seems to come out of the blue.
Also for many people they have more vague symptoms of fatigue, and feeling like something that is not right. If you are worried about heart disease and you are having these types of symptoms, you need to get them checked out.
Another myth out there has to do with your cholesterol number. This is something that people generally know about, if they are worried about heart disease. They'll tell you what their cholesterol number is. But consider this, about one-fifth of people who had heart attacks in fact had normal or low cholesterol levels, LDL levels. So this is an important point is that cholesterol numbers alone don't give you enough information to try to determine your true heart disease risk.
Doctors will now say that there is a point of actually looking at your blood vessels, trying to figure out are they becoming sort of laden with cholesterol? Are they becoming laden with plaque? That is probably a more important indicator. Also keep in mind it is not just the amount of cholesterol in your body. It also has to do with the size of the particles. Smaller particles, for example, can really get into the blood vessel wall and cause damage, and larger particles, not as much. So you could have a high cholesterol, and high particle level, and that might not be as bad as having a low cholesterol level and small particle level. So it si something to keep in mind.
Also, family history, as I have learned, doesn't mean you are doomed. That's a another myth. We know two things now. One, you can change literally your genes. The way that your genes are expressed in your body, through some lifestyle changes.
And also, this idea that once you have plaque, it's there forever. Also not true. There is plenty of evidence showing diet alone can actually start to reverse heart disease. So these are some of the- some good news, I think, for people out there who are worried about heart disease. And also some of the latest news on what we are doing to try and get to the point, where we could have the last heart attack. My doctors tell me, incidentally, after this whole journey, that I am heart attack proof. I bet you want to learn how as well. And we'll have that for you. Back to you for now.
KAYE: No doubt you are heart attack proof, Sanjay. That is great news and great information. Thank you.
For much more on your heart health be sure and watch Doctor 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 could make anybody heart attack proof in a month.
Well, the U.S. gets tough. New sanctions and a new directive from President Obama, next when we go "Globe Tracking".
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KAYE: President Obama is calling on Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to step down. The Syria regime has been waging a brutal, city-by-city crackdown on government opponents. Arwa Damon is following it all from Beirut, Lebanon, where she is in close touch with Syrian residents and anti-government activists.
Hi, Arwa, what reactions are you getting there?
ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, when it particularly comes to the U.S.'s call for the president to step down, followed thereafter by calls from the European Union, France and Germany, and the U.K., activist to a certain degree, I mean, yes, they welcomed that. But at the same time this is what they have been calling for months. This is why they have been going out on the streets and demonstrating.
There has been a great level of frustration with the U.S., with other countries because it has taken them so long to reach this point. An activist will tell you they knew al along the Assad regime was never really intent on reforming.
That being said, I was speaking with a young activist in the flashpoint city of Hama, who had actually gone into hiding, his parents had been threatened, he was completely distraught. And he said that at the very least after hearing this announcement he did not really feel all that alone.
KAYE: How do you think the new sanctions, though, will affect Syria? Will anything change there?
DAMON: Well, U.S. sanctions targeting Syria's oil sector are not really likely to have a big impact. What Syria would really need to have take place when it comes to sanctions that will significantly impact the economy is to see the European Union then follow on sanctions on the energy and oil sectors. Because it is, after all through European countries that are buying the crude oil from Syria. It is two main European oil giants that are now operating inside that country.
So, that is what will have to take place to have a true impact. The U.S., of course, wanting to set the example as we have seen in the past. It tends to be when the U.S. does something, other countries follow suit. So, this is what the activists have been calling for as well. One can only hope that is what would take place, at least from their perspective.
KAYE: Do you expect with this new hard line from the U.S. that maybe Assad will stop attacking his own people?
DAMON: At this stage, there's absolutely no indication that the Syrian government will respond to anything coming from the U.S. or from Europe, for that matter. We have repeatedly in the past seen them being quite defiant when Secretary Clinton over a month ago initially said that Assad has lost his legitimacy. The Syrians came back, lashing out, saying that the U.S. was in no position to be making any kind of similar comment when it comes to the Syrian government. We just recently heard from the Syrian president when he was addressing a Baath party meeting, saying that any sort of reforms put in place in Syria were because of the government's decision that they would not bow down to outside pressure.
But that we will have to watch and see right now is what countries like Turkey do. What does Saudi Arabia, other Arab leaders do? And especially one would need to keep the eye on positions of countries like China and India that of course are on the United Nations Security Council. And then Russia is in the mix, as well. Russia, of course, still selling weapons to the Syrian regime.
KAYE: Arwa Damon in Beirut, following the developments in Syria. Arwa, thank you very much.
All right. Take a look at this with me. The next time you see a bug crawl past you, it could be one of these microbots, as small as a flea and soon to be a part of your life. Yes, it's true. That's our "Big I," next.
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KAYE; Do you remember this scene from the futuristic sci-fi classic "Minority Report" by Twentieth Century Fox? Tiny robots from the future hunting Tom Cruise, who's accused of murder. Creepy scene.
Well, scientists from the University of Texas in Arlington say this technology is not so far off. They have created some of the world's smallest microbots, which may soon be capable of surveillance, crowd control and even intelligence gathering just like in the movie. They will even swim and fly. Yes, it is kind of freaky.
Joining me for much more from Dallas, Harry Stefano, the director of the Automation and Robotics Research Institute at the University of Texas at Arlington. Thank you so much for joining us today,
Harry. All right. So exactly --
HARRY STEPHANOU, DIRECTOR OF AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, UT ARLINGTON: Thank you for having me.
KAYE: What are these things exactly, and what are your hopes for them?
STEPHANOU: Well, these things are small robotic devices from the centimeter all the way to the millimeter level. And there are two main applications. One that you alluded to is for surveillance. and more and more, we see the need for covert surveillance, both indoors and outdoors to basically be able to monitor terrorists or drug dealers or people who cross the border illegally.
And the key there is to make them inexpensive so that they are disposable. And eventually they can self-destruct and to be - to be able to do so without letting the adversary know that we're doing it.
KAYE: So, how small exactly are they?
STEPHANOU: Well, right now they go from centimeters, but we have plans to let them go all the way to a little less than a millimeter, like fleas, so we can tag drug dealers and track them back to their hideout.
Also, some of these things are a little bigger. They form a sphere, and you can drop them from a helicopter to go out and detect IEDs, explosive devices.
KAYE: And when you say tag, you mean actually get one of these on to one of the bad guys and you just follow them home?
STEPHANOU: Yes, yes, follow them home, exactly. Attach themselves to their clothing.
KAYE: So, would this possibly cut down on surveillance costs for police departments and for the military even?
STEPHANOU: Yes, yes, yes, quite -- quite a bit.
And if I may get into the second domain, it is medical. And the idea there is to be able to have them get inside the human body from the mouth, for example, or other orifices in the head and go plant a platform (ph) to be able to remove some cancerous lesions. Or get down in the stomach and make the person think that they are no longer hungry so that they can control their weight.
And we are working with some surgeons, particularly at Dartmouth University, to do this.
KAYE: So, you put one of those inside the human body, and it can do all of those things?
STEPHANOU: Not those, smaller ones.
KAYE: Smaller ones. Okay. STEPHANOU: A few millimeters.
KAYE: And can these actually -- I mean could, they one day eventually operate on somebody? I mean, could these perform procedures?
STEPHANOU: Yes, and that day is not too far. It's a small number of years, but they will not do it autonomously. The surgeon will still be in the loop, at least for the foreseeable future.
KAYE: How do you think that will sit with patients? I don't know, I think about one of those guys on me doing an operation. I'm not sure how I'd feel about that.
STEPHANOU: Well, robotic surgery is already being practiced. Certainly in hospitals. The only difference is we're making it much, much smaller. The robot that's being used today is quite a bit larger and increasingly the -- the new generation feels very comfortable with robotic devices because they grew up playing video games.
KAYE: Hmm. And can you tell us where we might see these, or is that all top secret, futuristic information?
STEPHANOU: I am not exactly sure where. But as I mentioned, we're working with Dartmouth. You know, they are one of the leaders there, so I think good things will -- will happen there.
KAYE: All right. Harry Stephanou --
STEPHANOU: If I may also --
KAYE: Yes?
STEPHANOU: There's another medical application that is very important, and that is a mask that is worn by veterans with severe facial injuries. And this microtechnology sensors and (INAUDIBLE) and fluidics will help reduce scarring and heal faster.
KAYE: It is fascinating.
(CROSSTALK)
We are out of time, Professor, I'm sorry. We're out of time. But it is really fascinating, and we certainly appreciate you coming on and sharing the details with us. Thank you so much.
STEPHANOU: Sure.
KAYE: And if you want to check out more about this, you can go to my Facebook page, facebook.com/randikayeCNN.
And don't forget to tune in tomorrow. We'll have another really interesting "Big I" for you.
President Obama taking heat from both sides of the aisle. Joe Johns joins us with the details next.
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KAYE: Let's talk politics with our friend Joe Johns, joining us now from Washington. So, Joe, I guess it's a good thing the president is going on vacation, because he's taking a lot of heat, isn't he, these days?
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: You can say that, Randi. Totally safe to say President Obama is susceptible to heat from all sides of the political spectrum right now. We have a pretty good example of that here showing it's not just people who want to take his job who want to slam Mr. Obama on jobs and the economy.
Some of his own supporters in Congress to the president's left are ready to do it, too, but they may feel their hands are just a little bit tied.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters is a good example of that. She got real with the crowd at a Congressional Black Caucus town hall in Detroit, actually explaining the bind the CBC is in when dealing with Mr. Obama. She suggested that the CBC has wanted to go after him for his policies and the way he does things, but they realizes they are supporters who are also strong supporters of the president might punish them for it.
The Congressional Black Caucus, she says, loves the president, too. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MAXINE WATERS (D), CALIFORNIA: The Congressional Black Caucus loves the president, too.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's right.
WATERS: We're supportive of the president, but we're getting tired, y'all. We're getting tired.
We want to give him every opportunity, but our people are hurting. Unemployment is unconscionable. We don't know what the strategy is. We don't know why on this trip that he's in the United States now, he's not in any black communities. We don't know that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: Maxine Waters talking again.
KAYE: And Joe, what's this about Herman Cain? He seems to be on a bit of a mission to what, get Obama out of office?
JOHNS: Well, you know - OK. Everybody knows the former Godfather's Pizza CEO and Republican presidential candidate, Herman Cain. He obviously gets positive feedback from the right when he says something controversial about the Democrats, especially President Obama.
So now Cain is talking about impeachment. He says impeaching the president would be a great thing, his words, and in Cain's view the things Obama has done includes pushing through the health care act and so on, Randi.
KAYE: All right. Things are certainly heating up, getting interesting. As always, Joe, great to see you. Thank you very much.
JOHNS: You bet. Bye.
