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Wildfires Continue to Burn in Parts of Colorado; Violence Continues in Syria; Investigations Continue into Possible Cover-up in Sandusky Child Abuse Scandal; Interview with White House Chef; Fitness Expert Discusses Exercise; Supreme Court Upholds Affordable Care Act

Aired June 30, 2012 - 14:00   ET

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

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome, everyone. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM where the news unfolds live. I'm Poppy Harlow in for Fredericka Whitfield.

Dangerous weather threatens the entire United States today violent storms slam the Midwest and east, claiming lives and knocking out power for millions of Americans. A brutal heat wave is broiling one in three Americans. Folks, and we're talking about 100 million people feeling this today, triple digit, record-breaking temperatures lasting into next week.

And then that relentless wildfire out west -- after days of battling the ferocious flame, firefighters are starting to get an upper hand. That's the good news. We have reporters, as always, all over the country covering these major stories for you. I want to start out with Sandra Endo in Colorado City.

We have Nick Valencia also in Atlanta and Athena Jones in Rockville, Maryland. Let's begin actually with Athena.

Athena, nearly 4 million homes are without power from Indiana to Maryland from the brutal storms. The death toll is climbing. What can you tell us? What are you seeing?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know that there are six confirmed deaths in Virginia, Poppy. That's coming from the governor's office, Governor Bob McDonnell. At least 1 million customers are without power in West Virginia and that's a large chunk of the nearly 4 million. The governor has declared a state of emergency due to the severe storms and we note two other deaths and an official said a man was electrocuted after he left his house and a woman in Maryland, a 71-year-old woman was killed when a tree fell on her home. This is proof of how dangerous the storms can be. You can see everything behind me and nine deaths across this area show us how dangerous it is, Poppy.

HARLOW: Especially as you mentioned some elderly people, obviously for them very dangerous. And when we talk about the heat, the lack of power, you don't have air-conditioning, if you don't have power. This is a huge problem and a dangerous problem. What can you tell us about that where you are in Rockville?

JONES: Well, in Rockville, this is a place that's been hard hit in term of the power losses and we did have them out checking the lines and assessing the damage. They say about two-thirds was residents were without power at one point and they're focusing at first on political infrastructure areas of hospitals and police stations and fire stations. But some residents are concerned with how long it's taken. We spoke to one of those residents and let's listen to what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're without power. We're concerned. We've been talking to the Pep Co people and we're seeing trees on power lines, which is also disconcerting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: And so that one woman said she and her daughter would go to a nearby mall to stay cool. We're talking to Pep Co. They're in the process, the utility company here, they're in the process of leaving messages for their customers telling them because of the severity of this storm it's going to take up to a week for full restoration of power to come back. And you know that's going to be very, very important as we continue to see these very high temperatures and these cooling centers that have generators that help them keep the power and air-conditioning on, Poppy.

HARLOW: Another week. That's unbelievable, but that's what happens when you have this on a large scale. Athena, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Let's go now to Nick Valencia. Nick is inside a cooling center and these are things that the government sets up, temporary shelters, of a sense, for people to go to escape the heat if they don't have air- conditioning. What can you tell us there?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As Athena was mentioning, a big impact in Virginia and this is all across the United States and just a massive, excessive heat situation for all across the U.S. one in three Americans as you mentioned there and 150 million people being affected by this and 22 states with excessive heat warnings. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, they're passing out portable air conditioners to keep residents there cool and they're also being affected by triple digit temperatures in Little Rock. So much people using water there are trying to stay cool. This is a situation not just here in Atlanta, Poppy, but all across the U.S.

HARLOW: What are you hearing? I know you were talking to officials in Missouri and elsewhere, Nick, what are you hearing in other places where they're going through this right now?

VALENCIA: We did speak to Georgia Power earlier today, and we asked them about the power usage. Back in 2007 if you remember here, we have a similar situation where temperatures soar above 100 degrees. They don't expect and anticipate that to be the situation this time around. They say there are economic factors. This economy is just not as good as it was and they don't expect a lot of people to use the utilities. They're encouraging people to come to centers like this. In Atlanta there's five across the entire city here and we spoke to one area that's a senior citizen and that section heavily impacted by conditions like this and she thanked the city of Atlanta because she said if it wasn't for the cooling center, she wouldn't know where she would go.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are really affected by this heat and a lot of them don't realize that they're suffering from dehydration. And so to come to a place that is cool, to come to a place where there's water provided, to come to a place where they don't have to worry for about seven or eight hours in 106-degree temperature is really wonderful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: So you see a lot of these community residents here in the southwest Atlantic community coming to this cooling center where they're passing out water. We talked to a resident earlier today when they were here trying to get fans to stay cool. This is something affecting everybody in the United States especially here in Atlanta. We're expecting temperatures to reach 106 degrees and since this morning the temperature has risen 25 degrees, if you can believe that, in the last four hours. Let's do the math, it's getting hot out there.

HARLOW: People have to take good care of themselves and keep emphasizing this, especially the elderly. Nick, thank you.

And I want to take viewers to Colorado. A major story for us that we're all on top off. Sandra Endo joining us from Colorado. What are you seeing, Sandra? The good news is there is a bit of containment right now. There's a little progress being made from the firefighters there, right?

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Poppy. You've been talking about the heat wave affecting the east coast. Luckily, the weather and the temperatures are helping in an effort to combat the wildfire.

And we're at the air force academy where we were for a couple of days. This was in the danger zone, and luckily all of those warnings have been lifted. And what a remarkable difference a day makes because just from this vantage point, you can see a couple of hot spots still smoldering. But just yesterday we saw plumes of smoke rising from that mountaintop.

So, clearly, a lot of progress has been made. Officials are saying now this Waldo Canyon fire is in containment at 30 percent, which is double the progress they've made overnight. And they're still saying there's a lot of work to be done and they've lifted evacuation orders and there have been two deaths presumably,.

As you mentioned, Poppy, everyone else in this area has been accounted for and 81 percent of the homes in the affected region have been spared by firefighting efforts and remember, we understand, there are about 350 homes that have been burned and 4,000 residences will be able to take a bus tour through their neighborhoods to see what those flames left behind. They won't be able to get off those busses, but they'll take a look firsthand at the damage from these fires, so clearly, it will be a tough time for residents who will be going back into the neighborhoods. Some of the evacuation orders will be lifted, but that's not to say that thousands are displaced in Colorado Springs.

HARLOW: And I want to bring our attention on the screen and people are looking at amateur video that viewers have shot, driving away from their home. This young woman drove away from her home as it was burning. She was hysterical crying. I don't know if we can bring the audio up as people can hear. Sandra, you're on the ground and you have a better perspective than any of us. What are you hearing from people? Did they ever expect to go through something like this?

ENDO: Absolutely not, because when you think of the affected area, this is the second largest city in the state and so many people's homes were affected and their lives shattered. But we talked to so many people who were displaced and strangers taking in neighborhoods and the community really coming together. Small businesses are really passing out -- people that have been affected. And we're hearing stories of people saying, you know what? Yea, our house was damaged, but all we care about is that we're safe. So many people are thankful just to be alive and keep this community together and so many people here vowing to rebuild.

HARLOW: Absolutely, Sandra, thank you for your excellent reporting out there. We appreciate it.

The Waldo Canyon fire is just one of several wildfires raging across Colorado. I want to bring in someone pretty astonishing right now. Emily Franklin was one of the brave firefighters who battled the Estes Park fire. She is 18 years old. She is on the phone with us. Just graduated high school and just reported for duty when she saw her own home go up in flames. Emily, are you with us?

EMILY FRANKLIN, FIREFIGHTER: Yes, I am.

HARLOW: How are you doing, Emily?

FRANKLIN: I'm doing pretty good. My whole family is in here and we're hanging in there.

HARLOW: When we read your story we were astonished. You just graduated from high school and were volunteering at the fire department and I know you were studying fire science in Colorado. You were going to fight this massive fire, right?

FRANKLIN: Yes. I was just going to do my job, and it just so happened it was on my house.

HARLOW: Tell me what happened to your home and watch your home destroyed by this fire. FRANKLIN: I was getting ready to go to a concert and all of a sudden I hear on the radio that there was a fire a couple of houses down. So I ran out and put my gear on and started telling people to get out of their houses. And finally it got too close to me so I had to leave and they put me on a different assignment. And all I remember was looking through this field and I saw this fire going up under our deck and it just lit my house up.

HARLOW: I am so sorry for your loss and your family and we're looking at pictures I believe that you took. What was interesting is you said "I put my gear on," that as this was coming towards your house, you thought forward and you put on your gear to go out and fight these fires, is that right?

FRANKLIN: That's right. I didn't know what else to do, so I figured I'd get my gear on and get ready for what was coming.

HARLOW: That's astonishing, Emily. Good for you. Tell me about your friends. How are your friends doing in your community and your neighbors?

FRANKLIN: Everyone's coming together. Our community is being more than supportive in doing anything they can to help everyone around that's been affected.

HARLOW: I can imagine. Bravo to you for doing this amazing job. Stay safe out there, keep us posted and keep sending us your stories and photos. Emily, thank you and good luck.

FRANKLIN: Thank you.

HARLOW: And then there's this -- downed trees and downed power lines after fierce thunderstorms rip across nine states. The death toll keeps growing. The storms now blamed for killing eight people.

And take a look at this -- lightning flickers over the White House which goes dark after the power goes out in the D.C. Metro area. The storm knocked out power to more than 3 million homes across nine states at a time when temperatures are reaching well into and above 100 degrees. A lot of records are being broken right now, that's for sure. Not a day to be without air-conditioning.

Bonnie Schneider joining us live here in the NEWSROOM. What can you tell us, Bonnie? This heat is prolonged and very dangerous.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That hasn't happened. In fact, Poppy, when we look at the record numbers we saw, 109 in Nashville, Tennessee. That's not only a record high, it's an all-time record high. It's never gotten that hot in Nashville. We saw records in Kentucky are Arkansas, and literally, there are hundreds of records that have been shattered this week and more likely will be shattered today.

The day is not over yet. The temperatures are in the triple digits and 100 degrees in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Memphis, Tennessee. High temperature temperatures over the next few days and there will be some relief eventually and when you look at the forecast for St. Louis, 104 today and tomorrow, and it doesn't start cooling down, and I use the term loosely because it's still hot and Tuesday, when you have temperature at 92 and the rest of the heat wave will be continuing throughout the weekend.

And when we saw Sandra's report out in Colorado about how the temperatures are slightly cooler and remember, just a few days ago we were talking about in triple digits in Colorado and that's what happened, the big ridge of high pressure and expanded eastward. So this high pressure sitting right over us is not only bringing us the heat and it's keeping us calm and the air isn't moving and that's not going to change for tomorrow as well.

So the heat spreads all of the way to 115 degrees and places that don't normally see this kind of heat, and it's prolonged and dangerous. Remember, heat is a silent killer. It's one of the leading killers, of course, when we talk about weather disasters and even if you think you're fine and can handle things without air-conditioning, you can't. So seek out a shopping mall or cooling center or anywhere you can get relief in air-conditioning. It doesn't matter how old you are.

HARLOW: Those numbers not going away any time soon.

SCHNEIDER: At least the next couple of days.

HARLOW: Bonnie, thanks.

With Jerry Sandusky behind bars for child molestation, we're talking about Penn State next. Exclusive details that CNN has obtained on what they knew and when they knew it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Now to Syria where world powers have reached an agreement for Syrian-led transition to end violence and bring peace.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KOFI ANNAN, FORMER U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: It is for the people of Syria to come to a political agreement, but time is running out. We need record steps to reach agreement. The conflict must be resolved through peaceful dialogue and negotiation alone. Conditions conducive to a political settlement must now be put in place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Kofi Annan calls to an end to the current violence and a recommitment to a cease-fire in Syria that has been so hard to find. The implementation of a U.N. and Arab league-backed six-point plan and the transitional government decided on by Syrians. The new government and this is interesting, we are told would and could include members of the current regime.

Opposition activists say at least 43 people were killed alone today, 150 killed on Thursday. The Penn State child sex abuse scandal shocked and rocked the nation. It also ended the careers of three top university officials and legendary football coach Joe Paterno. CNN's Susan Candiotti got an exclusive look at information that could show a cover-up going all of the way to the top.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: CNN has been given details of four purported e-mail exchanges from sources with knowledge of the case, raising questions about what Penn State knew and when they knew it.

The e-mails are between Penn State President Graham Spanier, vice president Gary Schultz, and athletic director Tim Curley discussing the now infamous 2001 shower incident where grad assistant Mike McQueary said he saw Sandusky sexually assaulting a young boy. The first e-mail is dated February 26, 2001, that's 16 days after McQueary reports to his boss coach Joe Paterno about what he's seen in the shower. Paterno testified, quote, "It was a sexual nature."

By now McQueary testified he's told athletic director Curley and VP Schultz about what he saw, a boy with the hands up against a wall with Sandusky behind him. The alleged e-mails don't mention Sandusky by name, instead calling him "the subject" and "person."

In the first exchange Schultz messages Curley about a three-part plan to, quote, "talk with the subject, contacting the charitable organization," Second Mile, "and contacting the Department of Welfare." That's an agency required by law to investigate suspected abuse.

Yet the next night Curley indicates a change of heart. He allegedly sends an e-mail to Penn State's president Spanier and refers to a discussion they had two days earlier about Sandusky. Curley says he wants to talk things over with Sandusky and work with him before contacting child welfare. He also refers to Coach Paterno. Did something he said change Curley's mind? Quote, "After giving it more thought and talking it over with Joe yesterday, I am uncomfortable with what we agreed were the next steps. I am having trouble with going to everyone but the person involved. I would be more comfortable meeting with the person and tell him about the information we received and tell him we are aware of the first situation."

The "first situation" he's referring to is a separate shower incident Sandusky had with a boy in 1998. Sandusky was not charged at the time. He was convicted of both incidents at trial.

Curley plans to tell Sandusky, quote, "We feel there is a problem and offer professional help, and at some point soon inform his organization," Sandusky's Second Mile, and, quote, "maybe the other one." According to a source with knowledge of the e-mails, he's referring to child welfare.

"If Sandusky is," quote, "cooperative," Curley writes, quote, "We will work with him. If not, we do not have a choice and will inform the two groups." Two hours later, Penn State's president reportedly responds and agrees with the approach, quote, "I am supportive," Spanier writes, and adds this, "The only downside for us is if the message isn't heard and acted upon and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it, but that can be assessed down the road." Spanier calls the plan "humane" and a "reasonable way to proceed."

The next day VP Schultz weighs in with an alleged e-mail to President Spanier and athletic director Curley, quote, "This is a more humane and upfront way to handle this," he writes. "We will inform his organization with or without his cooperation. We can play by ear to decide about the other organization," another reference, a source says, to outside authorities.

But that never happened. Authorities say records show suspicions about Sandusky in 2001 were never reported to any outside agency. Victim five was molested by Sandusky in a Penn State shower about six months after the McQueary incident, and Sandusky later went on to sexually abuse at least three other boys. Years later, all testified at trial.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

That was CNN's Susan Candiotti reporting, excellent reporting, her exclusive there.

Both former university coach Gary Schultz and former athletic director Tim Curley are charged with perjury and failure to report suspected child abuse. They've pled not guilty. Sources say former Penn State president Graham Spanier could also face charges. Prosecutors say Penn State never reported the 2001 incident and never found that boy in the shower. And Jerry Sandusky, a man who led separate lives of good and evil, went on grooming, selecting, and abusing children. Sandusky is expected to be sentenced in September.

Next, an almost super-human feat --one courageous woman is trying to set a swimming record, trying to go 100-plus miles. We're going to tell you where she's headed.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: A marathon swimmer is attempting to swim from Cuba all of the way to Florida, but what makes Penny Palfrey try even more remarkable is that she's a 49-year-old grandmother. This morning Palfrey she was half way to her destination, over 50 miles and she's attempting the swim without a shark cage, without flippers. Just pretty much solo, before leaving Cuba, Palfrey estimated the trip would take her somewhere between 40 and 60 hours. Unbelievable. Good luck. We're rooting for you.

All right, if you're not a gym rat and you don't go to the gym and work out every day, the idea of really getting into shape can be pretty intimidating, but you don't have to use high-tech equipment or spend money on a gym membership. CNN's Fredericka Whitfield teamed up with fitness Desiree Nathanson to find out how getting in shape can literally be a walk in the park.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: A lot of folks want to get started with a workout and sometimes it's as easy as coming out for a walk. And then what?

DESIREE NATHANSON, FITNESS EXPERT: Walking is a great way to get started. I look at this bench and I see a gym and I will start you off by doing a simple exercise to work the back of your arms the triceps, the back of your arms. And let me tell you that you're not going to get rid of the jiggle. Muscles will jiggle. That's your muscle, so let's build that muscle by doing what is called dips. So you'll sit down on the edge of the bench and fingers facing away from the back of the bench right next to your hips is where you want them and scoot your butt off and you can kind of walk your feet out to get your hips away from the bench and this is a good starting position.

Some people starting off may only be able to get down an inch, which is fine, and as you progress you can go down lower. That looks like it's easy for you, so you can put one leg up. So you want your hands farther than shoulder-width apart. And one thing that you want to avoid is turtleneck.

(LAUGHTER)

NATHANSON: So you want to try is you're ultimately aiming.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. That's a killer.

So each set should have about ten?

NATHANSON: I'd start around 10 reps and work out to 15 as it gets easier and you want to do a minute rest in between if you're just starting out.

WHITFIELD: OK. Good. I'm winded. What's next?

NATHANSON: Next, we're going to do squats, but we'll use the bench with our squats and we'll start facing away, feet I little farther than shoulder width apart and you want your knees to go over your toes. So from here we'll squat down and touch your butt to the bench.

WHITFIELD: Leak you're about to sit.

NATHANSON: So in a squat, you're standing and let's exhale here and we'll do what's called a split squat. And you'll want to -- and I like turning my foot under, it just feels better like that for me or your hips or whatever is more comfortable for you, and you want to make sure your leg is directly in between, which is core. You always hear people talking about core, and of course, if you can't tell, you're working the standing leg.

WHITFIELD: I felt that.

NATHANSON: Really, there's no excuse no matter what park you're in or even a neighborhood, there's a bench somewhere. And it's inexpensive. No-cost gym.

WHITFIELD: Just had a sweat. I like it. Nice job. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Fredericka is in awesome shape.

All right, turning to a more serious and very important story right now. By tomorrow morning the last clinic that performs abortions operating in Mississippi could be shut down. It's all about a technicality in a state law, the state's governor making good on his promise to make Mississippi abortion-free.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Now to Jackson, Mississippi, where the only abortion clinic still operating in the state, the only one, could be forced to close down. Come tomorrow when a new state law kicks in, Mississippi could become the only state in the country without a single clinic that performs abortions. Let's bring in CNN's George Howell, live in Mississippi. This is about a technicality in the law about what doctors have to have to perform abortions. What can you tell us?

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Poppy, I talked to the person who sponsored this new state law and he says, look, it's simple. This is simply a health issue to protect women's health. The new law basically requires any physician who performs an abortion to be a board- certified OB-GYN first and to have permission with local hospitals to admit patients if necessary and that's it, plain and simple.

But when you talked to the president in this clinic, she's been trying to bet permission with hospitals since the law was signed and she's been unable to do it, I should say. And she believes that these hospitals may be bending to political pressure to drag their feet on this.

I spoke to both sides of this issue to get a sense of what they have to say. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: What would it mean for Mississippians if this clinic was closed?

DIANE DERZIS, OWNER, JACKSON WOMEN'S HEALTH ORGANIZATION: No one wants to talk about abortion and no one wants to think about abortion. There are those three reasons that you have an abortion, rape, incest, and mind. And I hear that all of the time, I don't want to have an abortion, but now it's my mother, now it's my grandmother.

STATE REP. SAM MIMS, (R) MISSISSIPPI: I think the intent is to make sure that folks and women receiving these abortions are receiving abortions by professional physician who is certified. And then if something goes wrong, which it might, we hope it doesn't, but it could, that that physician could follow that patient to a local hospital. That's the intent and what happens afterward, we'll have to see what happens.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HOWELL: So, Poppy, the clinic here is suing. They've also requested for a temporary restraining order against this law to give them time to get these permissions, but again, if they are open on Monday, and if inspected and found in violation of the law, the management, the nurses and physicians could face civil and criminal penalties.

HARLOW: This is a very, very big story. Not only might the only abortion clinic shut down, but the people might face charges as well. George, I know you're down there, please stay on the story for us and it's a fascinating story and precedent-setting. Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

If you'll be heading to London for the Olympic Games, after the games I'll show you cool stuff you can see across the pond.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: The London Olympic games are less than a month away, and if you are lucky enough to be going -- I'm not going, I didn't get that assignment -- you will see there's a lot more to do than just the games. Fredericka Whitfield spoke to Kate Maxwell at JetSetter.com to find out where to if you're planning to cross the pond for the big games.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: London is known for some pretty fabulous museums all year round. Let's begin with the modern.

KATE MAXWELL, JETSETTER.COM: London museums are capitalizing on the influx of tourists over the Olympics and mounting some fantastic blockbuster exhibition. They have Damian Hurst and he's one of the world's most influential and controversial contemporary artists. And the show is a retrospective of his work and it includes formaldehyde and, the old shot would have been droopy. There are shark paintings. And there's a room of live butterflies, believe it or not, so definitely check that out, and his diamond-encrusted and platinum skull which is worth 50 million pounds, so a really fantastic and controversial exhibition.

WHITFIELD: That skull makes me think of Alexander McQueen, one of the most prominent fashion artists or the late fashion designer.

MAXWELL: Right.

HARLOW: And really, British fashion has received a resurgence because of Kate Middleton, so that's why you may want to stop by the Victorian Albert Museum.

MAXWELL: It's the big art museum and they have an exhibition of 60 ball guns and worn by celebrities in the 1950s and by queens and all sort of exciting people and it traces the development of society, really, through the ages. Designers represented Jenny Packin, a big favorite of Kate Middleton, and the boutique down road and if you're inspired you can check that out. And the hot designer at the moment is big on prints and as you say Alexander McQueen who had a massive exhibition last year after his death at the Met. That was a great one to check out.

WHITFIELD: This exhibit would inspire people if they haven't made plans to bring an extra piece of luggage because when you shop in London and see what's available you'll want to fill it up and bring it back home.

Now let's talk about the queen's gallery and the Leonardo Da Vinci.

MAXWELL: So the queen's gallery is at Buckingham Palace, and the British can't get enough at the moment. Last year there was an exhibit of Leonardo Da Vinci, and it totally sold out the national gallery and this is his anatomical drawings, amazingly intricate and it showed that Da Vinci was a scientist as much as he was an artist and as well as the bodies he drew from corpses, the queen's gallery and an excuse to swing by in palace and check out that exhibition. And can't wait to take all of these things in and people will be exhausted in between the event and this is a great way to relax and take in the exhibit. Kate Maxwell, thank you very much.

MAXWELL: Thanks so much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: You can find a lot more travel tips about London and other destinations on your bucket list at jetsetter.com/CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

The Supreme Court's ruling this week means the Affordable Care Act, also known as health care reform or Obamacare, is law. That's the bottom line, but a lot of people want to know now what does this mean for them and their families? Christine Romans breaks it all down.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Poppy, what happens right now to your healthcare coverage? Nothing happens now unless you have a preexisting condition. You know now you can keep your coverage. If you're a senior with the doughnut hole that was being closed, you keep to keep the money in your pocket.

Still slow changes in health care reform are already under way. The change that most people feel will be in 2014. That's when the state healthcare exchanges will be up and running. By then people who don't have insurance will have to buy it. They'll be compelled because you'll be penalized if you don't. In fact, according to the Supreme Court decision, you will be taxed by the government if you don't have insurance.

Here's what those taxes will look like. Starting in 2014 for you to buy insurance, if you're uninsured, the tax on your family is $285 or one percent of your income. By 2015 it's $975, and by 2016, when health care reform is fully implemented it would be more than $2,000 a family. That's 2.5 percent of your income or whichever is greater.

There are subsidies, though, to make it affordable. That's the whole point of reform. Bottom line, you're going to get subsidies to afford insurance if you don't already have it, and you'll get fined if you don't do it.

What if you have health insurance through your employer? Nothing changes. Premiums will probably continue to go up. One of the concerns, though, is as 2019 approaches and the law becomes fully implemented employers could start dropping coverage and push more people on to the state exchanges. Employers may decide it's cheaper to pay fines to the government than insure all those workers. The Congressional Budget Office expects between 3 million to 5 million fewer people a year will retain insurance as a result of Obamacare. But by then those people can get their coverage on state exchanges. At those exchanges there will be three levels of insurance coverage -- bronze, silver, and gold. You get to pick how much coverage you want, whether you want the catastrophic coverage or full coverage. All of this has been laid out by the Affordable Care Act passed two years ago, and after this weeks' Supreme Court decision it most likely stays as the law of the land. Poppy?

HARLOW: Christine, very important information for everyone, this affects every one of you. We'll have more after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Well, if you peek through the fence at the White House, you'll of course, see a garden. But not just flowers, vegetables. And the harvest winds up on the first family's dinner table. Lisa Sylvester got a very cool tour with the White House chef. Lisa?

LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Poppy, this was a rare chance to tour the White House garden with Chef Sam Kass. He's more than just a chef. He goes golfing with President Obama and he advises the first lady on her let's move campaign and he has the title of White House policy adviser and we share with you our conversation on what he's cooking up in the kitchen and how he hopes to shape the eating habits of a young generation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SYLVESTER: Why have a garden at the White House?

SAM KASS, WHITE HOUSE CHEF: I think the first lady wanted to start a conversation around our food, where it comes from, and the implication it has on our health especially for kids. When kids are empowered as actors in this and they get to become part of the process of planting a seed and watching it grow and preparing it to eat, their minds open up because they take real ownership in the process and that can happen even in cooking.

We have cherry tomatoes.

SYLVESTER: Does this stuff actually end up on the first family's table?

KASS: Absolutely. I'll harvest something pretty much every night for dinner and you want to see a sneak peek of the first potato? These are baby read ones.

SYLVESTER: This is fun.

KASS: Potatoes are always great for kids.

SYLVESTER: It's like a treasure hunt.

KASS: Every time the president's in town they eat dinner as a family. And it's a great way for families to use food and sit down and be a family. It's critical to get kids to eat their vegetables.

These plants are doing so well. Let's see if we've got a bigger one. There a zucchini for you.

SYLVESTER: The thing about having fresh foods is it really does make a big difference in taste.

KASS: You see it. It's so juicy.

SYLVESTER: The juice is literally coming off of that.

KASS: Nice, right?

SYLVESTER: Yes.

KASS: I am incredibly worried and so is the first lady. Right now one in three of the youngest generation will have diabetes in their lifetime.

SYLVESTER: How do you get kids to eat healthy?

KASS: I think it is including them in the process. When you go shopping and you get to pick out three different vegetables. All of a sudden your kid has a role to play.

SYLVESTER: Is there a go to dish that the president really loves or the first lady really loves?

KASS: That's top-secret information. There's no way I can disclose.

We eat balanced healthy meals, and we have a lot of fun with meals and we have young children. And we make sure that we serve fun stuff for them, but they practice what they preach and there's balance on the plate and we cook on my plate and we go from there.

SYLVESTER: So where are the beets?

KASS: We've already harvested the beets.

SYLVESTER: I heard the first lady saying about not being a beet family.

KASS: They're not the biggest beet fans, but we've grown beets a couple of times, but it's not the most staple crop.

This little thing right here, see it? This packs a punch. No way, don't let the size fool you.

SYLVESTER: How did you meet the first family?

KASS: My dad was his teacher back in Charlotte, but I've known him for a while. I just know him from the area and we were lucky enough to come here.

SYLVESTER: Tell me about the state dinner. I am fascinated by this.

KASS: We are so excited. Families have been putting their recipes for healthy lunches for kids, working with their kids. And a winner from every state in the nation will come to the White House and have a state dinner with the first lady and it's going to be so much fun.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SYLVESTER: And that dinner will be in August, but a specific date hasn't been set yet. Kass is a very modest guy. He was named by "People" magazine's one of the 100 most beautiful people and he laughed it off and he wants to keep the conversation going to keep parents and families automatically reaching for healthy foods.

HARLOW: What a cool story, Lisa. Thank you.

Did Chief Justice John Roberts abandon his conservative roots this week? We'll take a closer look.

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HARLOW: Critics of the Supreme Court's decision on health care this week say that chief justice, John Roberts, broke ranks with conservatives when he ruled to uphold the entire health care reform law. But others say not so fast. They called the decision by Roberts consistent with his standards and conservatives. Joe Johns has more.

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REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R) HOUSE SPEAKER: They came to a decision, and I respect it.

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: How could one of their own on the Supreme Court side with liberals on the court to uphold the constitutionality of the democratic president's health care plan? But in many ways it was still a conservative decision.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was a conservative judicial philosophy that says the role of the courts is to be the last resort, not the first resort. We only strike something down when it's a big piece of economic regulation if we absolutely have to. That's still quite conservative.

JOHNS: And this type of thinking shouldn't be a surprise coming from Roberts. You need look no further than his confirmation hearings for the evidence.

JOHN ROBERTS, U.S. SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE: Judges and justices are servants of the law, not the other way around. Judges are like umpires. Umpires don't make the rules, they apply them. The role of an umpire and a judge is critical to make sure everybody plays by the rules. But it is a limited role.

JOHNS: Translation, it's not about legislating from the bench. It's about finding a narrow path to deciding cases, not exactly what then senator Obama thought of Roberts when he voted against his confirmation against in 2005.

BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That he has far more often used his formidable skills on behalf of the strong in opposition to the weak.

JOHNS: And as president, Obama kept up his criticism, calling out the Supreme Court over the Citizens United decision, opening the floodgates for outside money into campaigns.

OBAMA: I don't think American elections should be bankrolled by America's most powerful interests.

JOHNS: For Roberts, the health care decision is a legacy builder which helps the credibility of the court without throwing away a policy idea that almost every president has grappled with going all of the way back to Theodore Roosevelt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No doubt he voted this way because he believed it. But for him as chief justice and as a whole it isolates both of them from criticism of being partisan, out to get liberals, anything like that for decades.

JOHNS: What's in the background says so much about Roberts, a lawyer worth several million dollars, Harvard grad, 57-years-old, husband, father of two adopted children. Roberts has had brushes with health issues, including seizures, one as recently in 2007. Tom Goldstein, who has argued 25 cases before the court, doesn't think that chief justice's health issues impacted his decision.

TOM GOLDSTEIN, ATTORNEY: I think the idea that his health somehow influenced this is silly. This was a real legal question. He is the consummate lawyer, and there's no reason to believe that anything external influenced him.

JOHNS: And the big picture, it goes without saying, that Chief Justice Roberts is very conservative and he's not somehow moving to the middle. That this is just an unusual case and there are likely to be more health care cases related to the president's plan, and Roberts and his colleagues will get other chances to show their stripes.

Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)