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Campbell Brown
Major Health Care Bill Passes; Spiritual Retreat Turns Deadly
Aired October 13, 2009 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Tonight, here are the questions we want answered. Can President Obama get health care reform done by the end of the year? A crucial vote today gets him one step closer, with last-minute support from a key Republican.
SEN. OLYMPIA SNOWE (R), MAINE: So, is this bill all that I want? Far from it. Is it all that it can be? No. But when history calls, history calls.
BROWN: Plus, how did this spiritual retreat turn deadly?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two people aren't breathing, with no pulse.
911 OPERATOR: Not breathing?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
911 OPERATOR: OK. Is this the result of a shooting or something?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, it's a sweat lodge.
BROWN: Two people killed, 19 injured. Tonight, police look for answers from the self-help guru who was paid thousands of dollars.
Also, our special series, "The Brain That Heals Itself." How did this stroke victim go from being paralyzed and hopeless to being behind the wheel of a sports car?
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, if there's a disconnect in my brain that results in, say, some sort of paralysis...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
MATTINGLY: ... I can now find a way to reconnect in another part of my brain and regain that movement?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Usually, yes.
BROWN: New research that can help patients with everything from brain damage to learning disorders. Learn how to rewire your brain.
And our "Breakout" tonight, the teenage burglar on the run. He's allegedly stolen everything from boats to planes. He's only 18 and is taunting police. So, how did he become an online folk hero? (END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is your only source for news. CNN prime time begins now. Here's Campbell Brown.
BROWN: Hi, everybody.
We start tonight as always with the "Mash-Up." It's our look at all of the stories making an impact, the moments you may have missed. We're watching it all, so you don't have to.
And, tonight, the nation is one step closer to health care reform. A Democratic proposal won easy approval in the Senate Finance Committee this afternoon in a 14-9 vote, with surprise support from a key Republican, Olympia Snowe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SNOWE: Is this bill all that I want? Far from it. Is it all that it can be? No. But when history calls, history calls. And I happen to think that the consequences of inaction dictate the urgency of Congress to take every opportunity to demonstrate its capacity to solve the monumental issues of our time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: With the Republican senator voting for the bill, Democrats are calling it bipartisan. That may be a bit of a stretch. Here's what most other Republicans on the Hill are saying about it tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R), UTAH: This is a very costly bill.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It still costs. It's an expansion of government.
HATCH: It's very costly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This bill continues that reckless spending.
HATCH: It's going to cost us an arm and a leg.
SEN. JON KYL (R-AZ), MINORITY WHIP: Insurance premiums for families in America will go up.
HATCH: The costs of this are astronomical.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: The price tag of all of this, $829 billion over 10 years. It requires that all Americans have health insurance, but it doesn't include a government-funded public option.
President Obama calling it a critical milestone. Nonetheless, he's telling supporters not to do a victory lap just yet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are now closer than ever before to passing health reform. But we're not there yet. Now is not the time to pat ourselves on the back. Now is not the time to offer ourselves congratulations. Now is the time to dig in and work even harder to get this done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: There are now five reform bills floating around Capitol Hill, so it's going to be quite a while before any final version ever hits the president's desk.
Now take a closer look at your Congress at work today. The very same committee that was debating health care reform showed us they can have as much fun at the office as the rest of us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALES AND FEMALES (singing): Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you.
SEN. MARIA CANTWELL (D), WASHINGTON: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALES AND SENATORS (singing): Happy birthday dear Maria.
CANTWELL: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALES AND SENATORS (singing): Happy birthday to you.
(APPLAUSE)
CANTWELL: Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Your Congress at work, people.
Now to football politics. Rush Limbaugh is running into more opposition to his bid to buy the Saint Louis Rams. Tonight, it's coming from within the NFL. The owner of the Indianapolis Colts says he would reject Limbaugh if it comes up for a vote. Limbaugh was once fired as an ESPN commentator for saying this about quarterback Donovan McNabb.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: I think what we have had here is a little social concern in the NFL. I think the media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BROWN: A number of NFL players also don't want Limbaugh to be allowed to get ownership of the Rams because of comments like that. Today, the talk show host tried to explain what he meant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIMBAUGH: Look, see this is -- a lot of you, don't you think you ought to apologize? No, I said exactly what I meant. And, if you want me to, I will stay again.
Let me paint the picture for you. In the production meeting the day before, I hear what everybody is going to discuss. They're all wringing their hands. What's wrong with McNabb? And I said, guys, I don't think much is wrong. He's just a little overrated. The defense has held the team together. I think McNabb is benefiting a little bit because of social consciousness in the media. The league wants black quarterbacks to do well.
Bam. I do believe that there is a lot of social consciousness racism in the media, sports media especially. I think they are obsessed with it. And, so, I simply made that comment, but was not critical of McNabb because he's black. Remember the production meetings. What's wrong with McNabb? When I'm sitting there thinking, he's not as good as you guys are making him out to be.
That was the point of my comment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: So, can football and politics comfortably mix? A decision by the NFL expected by the end of the year.
And, in Washington, Michelle Obama was preaching her gospel of healthy eating for kids today. In her speech at the Department of Health and Human Services, the first lady admitted it hasn't always been easy to practice what she preaches, especially in her days as a working mom with two little kids.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: I remember coming home from a meeting or from an event just tired, tired...
(LAUGHTER)
M. OBAMA: ... and knowing that you're going home to an empty refrigerator and kids who are hungry and fussy, and not wanting to eat anything you have in mind.
(LAUGHTER)
M. OBAMA: All they want is some pizza and some burgers, right? And you don't want to argue. You want a peaceful meal. You want everyone to be quiet and just eat.
(LAUGHTER) M. OBAMA: And it is in those moments -- and for me there were many -- where you just give in and just get that takeout. Give them what they want. See, drive-through, it's like heaven. You drive through. It's quick.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Three hundred seventy-three million in stimulus funds has been allocated for communities that work to reduce obesity.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger cracking down on the paparazzi tonight. He's making it easier to sue media companies that run images obtained illegally. Attention-seeking celebrities everywhere are breathing a sigh of relief tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just like anybody out there, you should have the right to your privacy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every little step makes you feel a little safer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it's actually a deterrent, I think that's awesome.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It sounds like it's probably -- probably a positive -- positive thing for a lot of people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: The Terminator looking out for his people.
And remember the Texas great grandmother who was Tasered during that traffic stop back in May? Well, we all had to see this video to believe it -- 4'11'', 72-year-old Kathryn Winkfein getting into it with this cop, who looks to be half her age and twice her size. Much shoving and swearing later, grandma gets Tasered twice.
Well, today, she told Matt Lauer if she had to do it all over again, well, she wouldn't.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE TODAY SHOW")
KATHRYN WINKFEIN, TASERED BY POLICE: I just lost my temper. I do that maybe twice a year, but that day I lost it. I think if I had to do it over, I would just not say anything. I would not react. I told what I remembered, because when he Tased me and kept it on and it threw me to the ground, that erased all memory.
MATT LAUER, CO-HOST, "THE TODAY SHOW": If this were to happen again and you were to be pulled over again by a different deputy or the same, you would do what?
WINKFEIN: Say nothing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Kathryn recently got a $40,000 settlement.
So, we got grandma's battling cops. What's next, Cub Scouts in reform school? Actually, yes. Six-year-old Zachary Christie is facing 45 days in reform school for bringing a combo knife, fork and spoon to school. He says it is a Cub Scout camping utensil. The school claims it's a weapon. And some say the whole thing is just ridiculous.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZACHARY CHRISTIE, 6 YEARS OLD: I had absolutely no idea this was going to happen. I just -- I wasn't thinking about this. I was thinking about having lunch with it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you know you were in trouble?
CHRISTIE: I didn't know. She said, can I have that? I'm going hand this to your teacher. And she handed it to the principal. And I -- and, when they called my name up, I was, like, uh-oh.
I definitely agree with them that they shouldn't bring dangerous weapons to school, but I shouldn't -- I don't think that the punishment should be this bad. It's not fair.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Out of the mouths of babes.
A school board member told the Associated Press today that Zachary will likely get a reprieve.
He had better. Please, people, don't be total idiots.
That brings us to tonight's "Punchline," courtesy of Dana Carvey.
He proved on last night's "Jay Leno" show that he's still got it, speeding through his impersonations in 60 seconds. Here's the best of.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA CARVEY, COMEDIAN: Three, two, one. Christopher Walken, don't know why.
Johnny Carson. (INAUDIBLE)
(LAUGHTER)
CARVEY: Regis Philbin. Anyway, you ready for this.
Tom Brokaw. (INAUDIBLE)
(LAUGHTER)
CARVEY: Nancy Pelosi. (INAUDIBLE)
(LAUGHTER)
CARVEY: Barney Frank. (INAUDIBLE)
(LAUGHTER)
CARVEY: George Sr. Got to do it. Got to do it. Got to do it. Got to do it.
(LAUGHTER)
CARVEY: Bill Clinton. (INAUDIBLE) Horny, horny, horny, horny.
(LAUGHTER)
CARVEY: Al Gore. This planet is heating up.
(LAUGHTER)
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
CARVEY: Dick Cheney. (INAUDIBLE)
(LAUGHTER)
CARVEY: Arnold Schwarzenegger. (INAUDIBLE)
(LAUGHTER)
CARVEY: John McCain. My friends, my friends, my friends.
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE JAY LENO SHOW": Hey!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Party on, Garth.
That is the "Mash-Up."
The country one step closer to health care reform tonight, but our big question, does anyone have a clue what health care reform might ultimately look like?
Plus, tonight's special series, "The Brain That Heals Itself." We look at one man's recovery from a massive stroke. Find out how you can rewire your brain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTINGLY: So, if there's a disconnect in my brain that results in, say, some sort of paralysis... UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
MATTINGLY: ... I can now find a way to reconnect in another part of my brain and regain that movement?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Usually, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Every single American would be affected if the Senate Finance Committee's $829 billion health reform bill actually becomes law. Here are just some of the facts for you.
Nearly all Americans would have to get coverage. Most of the uninsured would get their benefits through Medicaid or new state-run insurance options. Insurance companies would no longer be allowed to deny coverage based on preexisting conditions.
Now, as even the president acknowledged, this is just one step on a long road ahead. So, tonight's big question: Has the fight over health care only just begun?
And here now to talk about that is CNN political analyst Roland Martin, Republican strategist Kevin Madden, and CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley joining us tonight.
Candy, we just said it, a significant step certainly, but plenty to do, plenty of heavy lifting ahead. And the president acknowledged as much today.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: He absolutely did.
And, listen, all of those things that got thrown out of the proposal that was before the Baucus committee are now back in play. I mean, this is how this works up there. Nancy Pelosi is over on the House side looking at three bills, trying to figure out what the one bill is going to be.
Tomorrow, in the Senate, they're looking at two bills, trying to figure out what their one bill is going to be. We're many, many steps -- I hear people saying don't make any plans for New Year's Eve. I think they will get this done.
(LAUGHTER)
CROWLEY: I hope it's not New Year's Eve -- hint, hint -- but the fact of the matter is, everything really does come back in play. But here I think you have got the parameters today.
The bottom line is that the Baucus bill that just came out today is the least of what will happen. The most of what will happen will be whatever comes out of the House side. So, those are the bargaining parameters, and they will try to find that sweet spot in the middle. BROWN: And these are pretty extreme perimeters, though, within the Democratic Party, aren't they, Roland?
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Right. Well, absolutely, because already you have unions coming out saying that it doesn't have a public option and more importantly they don't like the tax on so- called Cadillac plans. So, that's one of the issues.
The public option is the other issue. What you also have is frankly this whole issue, is it going to be a trigger? When will it kick in? Also, this Baucus plan, $829 billion, the CBO really says $774 billion. The House plan could be as high as a trillion. How do you reconcile the money in between?
And so a lot to go on here, but expect progressives to be a lot more aggressive, because they understand with only one Republican voting for this out of committee, they're saying, why give everything up? The Republicans are all going vote for -- against it anyway.
BROWN: Against it anyway.
MARTIN: That's going to be a huge fight right there.
BROWN: Kevin, are all Republicans going to vote for it? Do you think any moderate -- more moderate Republicans beyond Olympia Snowe might get on board?
KEVIN MADDEN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, I think, to Candy's point, there's still a lot of work to be done yet. And we still don't know what the final bill is going to look like.
I suspect that if you have a bill that's around $800 billion coming out of a -- of some sort conference agreement, that you may get a few more moderates. But I think that the problem here with this process for many Republicans is that the $800 billion passed by the Senate Finance today is only -- represents the floor.
And you heard this in the "Mash-Up" that you put together earlier. Cost, cost, cost, that is what is driving Republican anxiety on this and I also think that is what's driving the American public's anxiety.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: But, Kevin, what's the Republican role here? Frankly, they don't need you. They have made that abundantly clear. So, what are Republicans going to be doing, just sort of hammering away at the cost issue, but without having a great deal of influence, seemingly?
MADDEN: Well, look, this offers Republicans a chance to align themselves with a lot of middle-class anxieties when it comes to what Democrats and the administration are doing here in Washington.
You are seeing a lot of spending, not just on health care. And that's starting to worry people, because they're putting it all into one big bucket. They're conflating a lot of the costs and the spending coming out of Washington.
So, Republicans are going to try and align themselves with that. They're going to criticize it based upon the principles of too much taxing and not enough reform and too much spending and not enough reform. So it does create an opportunity. And the reality is that there's very little we can do to really shape the process, because this is a bill that's now going in to Majority Leader Harry Reid's office to be shaped without any Republican input.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: So, how significant, though -- let me ask Candy -- was Olympia Snowe's vote today? At all really? They're calling it a bipartisan bill.
(LAUGHTER)
CROWLEY: Well, they can call it anything they want. And the Republicans will, too.
In the end, I'm going to go with Roland and say it is true that progressives are going to be much more aggressive now. They're going to look and say, oh, we don't need Republicans. But they knew that from the beginning, because the problem here isn't Olympia Snowe or Susan Collins.
MADDEN: That's right.
CROWLEY: And I think they will pick up Republicans. The problem is the conservative Democrats.
MADDEN: That's right.
CROWLEY: And, again, if they stray too far from that sweet spot, you move this -- you move the Baucus bill, Senator Baucus' committee, the sort of bottom -- the floor of what is going to happen by the end of the year, if you move that too far to the left, you are going to lose conservatives.
And if you take the Chris Dodd or the Nancy Pelosi bill on the left side and you move that too far to the right, you're going to lose progressives.
So, this is not about the Republicans. I think that you will see some of the conservative Democrats on the Senate side looking at Olympia Snowe. Maybe this gives them a little more leeway to go with the Senate bill. But what they're worried about is not the Republicans. They don't need their numbers. They need the conservative Democrats. And that's the problem.
BROWN: And...
MARTIN: Hopefully, the American people, Campbell, will just -- not just watch this conversation, will go to CNN.com, get the facts, and then say, I need to call my member of Congress and say, this is how I feel, because that is who it's going to affect, not the lobbyists, not just the insurance companies, but the average person sitting at home.
BROWN: Right.
Roland Martin, Kevin Madden, and Candy Crowley, as always, thanks, guys.
MADDEN: Great to be with you.
BROWN: Millionaire swindler Bernie Madoff gets into a prison beef -- that coming up in tonight's download.
Plus, learn how to rewire your brain, new research that can help everyone, from patients with brain damage to students with learning disabilities. It's our special series, "The Brain That Heals Itself," when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: They told him he would never walk, work or drive a car again after his stroke. And they were wrong. We are going to show you.
(NEWS BREAK)
BROWN: A spiritual retreat turns deadly, two people killed, 19 injured in a sweat lodge. The big question, why won't the self-help guru they paid thousands to talk to police about what may have gone wrong?
Also, our special series, "The Brain That Heals Itself." Find out how to rewire your mind to overcome brain damage, paralysis, even the effects of aging.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTINGLY: When a stroke paralyzed his left side, Michael Bernstein (ph) was told he would never walk, work or drive his favorite sports car again. But look at him now.
How fast are we going right now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eighty-five.
MATTINGLY: Bernstein is one of reportedly thousands seemingly hopeless cases in the U.S. and Europe proving traditional medicine wrong by following a radical idea.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They mold their own brains.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: For centuries, doctors believed that brain injuries were pretty much irreversible. Well, in tonight's second chapter of our special series "The Brain That Heals Itself," we have living proof that the old thinking about the brain is not the last word, not by a long shot.
David Mattingly has our story tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTINGLY (voice-over): When a stroke paralyzed his left side, Michael Bernstein (ph) was told he would never walk, work or drive his favorite sports car again. But look at him now.
(on camera): How fast are we going right now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eighty-five.
MATTINGLY: Bernstein is one of reportedly thousands seemingly hopeless cases in the U.S. and Europe proving traditional medicine wrong by following a radical idea.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They mold their own brains.
MATTINGLY: Behavioral neuroscientist Edward Taub is on the leading edge of research into brain plasticity, the brain's ability to rewire, regrow and relearn after injury.
(on camera): So, if there's a disconnect in my brain that results in, say, some sort of paralysis...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
MATTINGLY: ... I can now find a way to reconnect in another part of my brain and regain that movement?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Usually, yes.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): And, in some patients, it happens surprisingly fast. Willie, a retired lawyer, had a stroke almost two years ago that rendered his right hand almost useless. But in just a few hours at Todd's (ph) clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, he's picking up a coffee mug.
(on camera): So what's happening with his brain? Is it learning that quickly?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For him it is.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): Todd's therapy involves hours of intense repetition where the patient attempts ordinary movement with the impaired limb. The good limb is confined to a soft mitt and is not used. According to a 2007 study, MRIs show that the therapy stimulates the injured brain to grow new gray matter and rewire to accommodate this activity.
(on camera): How well these patients do depend a lot on the individual and no one walks out of here with a complete recovery. But Dr. Todd (ph) is reporting results that sound remarkable. He says almost everyone, 97 percent, sees substantial improvement.
(voice-over): But Todd's (ph) therapy is not widely used. Insurance doesn't pay for it. Most of his patients arrive after other doctors and therapists have said they weren't going to get better. And putting this therapy to work almost didn't happen at all. In the 1980s, Todd (ph) was prosecuted in a high profile case over alleged mistreatment of his lab monkeys.
You lost your funding.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
MATTINGLY: You lost your lab.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
MATTINGLY: You lost your monkeys.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
MATTINGLY: The conviction was overturned on appeal and he had to work to clear his name. If he hadn't, you wouldn't be seeing this. After therapy at Todd's clinic, Michael Bernstein's left hand works so well he decided to take piano lessons. Something he hadn't done since he was teenager. He wowed everyone at his 60th birthday party with a concert.
(APPLAUSE)
MATTINGLY: Bernstein's recovery stands out among Todd's patients but could be an indication of what kind of potential lies inside our plastic brains.
David Mattingly, CNN, Birmingham.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Not only can this research help stroke patients but when we come back, find out how you can rewire your brain overcoming learning disabilities even ageing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. NORMAN DOIDGE, AUTHOR, "THE BRAIN THAT CHANGES ITSELF": They can actually turn back the memory clock so that a person who is 80 can function the way they did when they were 70 or 60 or even younger. In some cases people have been able to turn back the memory clock almost 25 years so that they really are not just maintaining their brains but they're going back to an earlier better level of function by tuning them up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: More now in our series "The Brain That Heals Itself." This groundbreaking new brain research is immensely important and very exciting. As David Mattingly found out, the progress some brain injured patients are making can be breathtaking.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTINGLY (voice-over): Behavioral neuroscientist Edward Todd (ph) is on the leading edge of research into brain plasticity, the brain's ability to rewire, re-grow and relearn after injury.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): So if there's a disconnect in my brain that results in say, some sort of paralysis.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
MATTINGLY: I can now find out a way to reconnect in another part of my brain and regain that movement.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Usually yes.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): And in some patients it happens surprisingly fast. Willie, a retired lawyer, had a stroke almost two years ago that rendered his right hand almost useless. But in just a few hours at Todd's (ph) clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, he's picking up a coffee mug.
(on camera): So what's happening with his brain? Is it learning that quickly?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For him it is.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: We've got a lot of questions about these astonishing developments as we did last night. We want to bring in right now Dr. Norman Doidge who is the author of "The Brain That Changes Itself."
That is an amazing story of recovery that we just saw, and for most people it would seem that that would be a permanent sentence. I guess, is it really as simple as it seems, the therapy?
DR. NORMAN DOIDGE, AUTHOR, "THE BRAIN THAT CHANGES ITSELF": Well, it took years to figure out how to do it.
You know, what happened for many, many years is, when a person had a stroke, we -- because we believed that you couldn't grow new connections in the brain, we give them about six weeks of rehabilitation. At the end of that we'd say, "Look, this is as good as it's going to get."
What Dr. Todd (ph) figured out ingeniously, working with monkeys, was that if the brain is plastic, what you should be doing is the exact opposite.
So, you take this good arm, you put it in a sling. And then you incrementally train the weak arm. And he was able to get people who were completely dependent, independent, so that they now have two arms. So this is a great example of a treatment that works not only for stroke, but anyone who's got certain kinds of diffuse brain damage, where there's some healthy tissue left that can be recruited.
BROWN: As we get older, the brain degenerates. We all know that. And you're basically arguing -- I guess there's nothing to argue here -- you know, we know now that we can sort of stave off, I guess, the effects of aging, too, using some of these same theories.
DOIDGE: In many cases.
Most of us in this culture get something called age-related cognitive decline. Children see and hear, and they record what they see and hear almost perfectly. But as we get older, our brains get very noisy. But that is all basically reversible in age-related cognitive decline.
The reason we get it is, it's a use-it-or-lose-it brain. And we haven't been exercising our brains enough by the time we hit middle age. We're usually replaying mastered skills and doing the same thing over and over.
BROWN: You're talking, in part, about doing crossword puzzles and learning new languages and keeping your brain active and engaged.
DOIDGE: There's two levels at which the exercises occur. There is -- something like learning a new language is a great challenge on the brain, and that's a fantastic thing to do. Or, if you're going to dance, don't dance the old dances. You want to be doing new dances.
BROWN: Now, one of the most exciting areas, you say, is in the potential that this breakthrough has for treating children with learning disabilities.
DOIDGE: Yes. In some ways, this is how I got into it. Again, learning -- kids with learning disabilities were thought to have their problems for life. They're called "disabilities"...
BROWN: Right.
DOIDGE: ... because they stay with you forever.
But I've got several chapters in the book that describe these new treatments, which basically do a brain-based analysis of what exactly is causing the person to have difficulty. And usually what's happening is, they have one area in the brain that's weak, that just needs attention.
So, let's take something like reading. There are many -- many parts of the brain are required for reading. You know, there's a part that moves your eyes across the page. There's a part that recognizes symbols, a part that attaches meaning to words.
If just one of those areas is weak -- in other words, the processors are not fast enough -- then the whole -- the whole activity of reading is compromised. You've got a traffic jam in your brain. So, with the brain-based assessment, we basically find what that weak area is, develop exercises specifically for it...
BROWN: Targeting that area.
DOIDGE: ... targeting that area, raising it incrementally. And by the end of those exercises -- which, by the way, may look nothing at all like reading itself. That's what's so new here.
But by the end of that, they can spontaneously read.
So, I think this is really going to revolutionize education. And I would love to see every kid who comes into school getting one of these assessments, so that they don't fail and wire into their brains they're stupid, just because a small part of the brain is weak or compromised.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: And to watch our entire series "The Brain That Heals Itself" logon to CNN.com/Campbell.
Coming up, we're going to have the very latest on the sweat lodge mystery. How could a spiritual retreat end with two people dead and where is the self-help author who ran the retreat?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: It was supposed to be a journey into spiritual discovery and wholeness conducted as Native Americans have done for thousands of years. We're talking about the sweat lodge tragedy in Sedona, Arizona which ended with two people dead, 19 more hospitalized and a lot of tough questions to answer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Arizona sweat lodge where two people died last week did not have the necessary building permit, and officials did not inspect the temporary structure near Sedona before it was taken down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CALLER: Two people aren't breathing, with no pulse.
911: Not breathing?
CALLER: Yes.
911: OK, is this the result of a shooting or something?
CALLER: No, it's a sweat lodge.
911: Are you there by yourself?
CALLER: No, there's a lot of people here. (END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fire chief says most hold up to a dozen people. This one had up to 65. Now, the owner of the resort where this happened would not comment.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Our big question tonight, how did the spiritual retreat turn deadly? We should note that police have not yet been able to contact James Arthur Ray, the self-help guru who organized the sweat lodge gathering.
To try and make some sense of all of this, we spoke earlier with Tom McFeeley whose cousin Kirby Brown died at the sweat lodge. John Assaraf, he is co-author of "The Answer" and a friend and colleague of James Arthur Ray. And also Dr. Jonathan Ellerby, spiritual program director of the Canyon Ranch health resort.
BROWN: Tom, Jonathan and John, let me just say welcome to all of you. Appreciate your time tonight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks, Campbell.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
BROWN: Tom, let me say first of all, I'm very sorry about your cousin, Kirby. Have you talked to investigators? Have they been able to tell you anything so far about what they've learned?
TOM MCFEELEY, COUSIN OF VICTIM KIRBY BROWN: Thank you, first of all. The investigators have been in touch. They've been very good about keeping in touch with the family. There's not much to know at this point. We know that 60 some odd people attended this retreat and something went hardly wrong between the time they got there and this sweat lodge.
Details are slow to come in. Mr. Ray hasn't been and he hasn't answered a lot of questions so far. And there's frankly, there's 60 people to talk to about this and what happened.
BROWN: And you've been talking to some of those people, haven't you, to try to learn yourself about what may have happened?
MCFEELEY: Yes, we've had private conversations with some people who went to the event. And sometimes when you get some answers, you get more questions and we've come up with some very, very serious questions about --
BROWN: Like what? Tell me.
MCFEELEY: ... about what happened. Well, we want to make sure that the health and safety of all the people at this retreat was top of mind for the organizers. We want to know that medical staff was not only hired but was on scene at every step of the way. And we just want to make sure that all precautions were taken and these things were done professionally.
BROWN: John, authorities said that your friend, James Ray, who was the director of this sweat session, hasn't spoken with them, has left the state of Arizona. Have you spoken with him? Have you reached out at all?
JOHN ASSARAF, FRIEND OF JAMES ARTHUR RAY: I've not heard back from James. My call was more to just say hey man, I don't know what's going on and I sure hope we can make sense of. It's absolutely a tragedy and safety is the ultimate, ultimate responsibility that we have and as Tom suggested there's a lot more questions than there are answers.
BROWN: I have never heard of a sweat lodge until this story. And so, I just want to ask Jonathan, you participated in sweat lodges for over 20 years. I know we don't know what's behind this or still as both have pointed out a lot of questions here. But just walk us through typically what happens in a situation like this.
DR. JONATHAN ELLERBY, CANYON RANCH RESORT: This is traditionally and historically an event that is meant to be health promoting and to absolutely have a very strong spiritual focus. So there -- you know, when people start to ask questions what is this thing and, you know, is it ultimately a dangerous and risky behavior, we need to begin by saying no. That is never the intent of a sweat lodge of any kind.
Now, in North America, the most common kind of lodge is basically a small sort of dome-shaped structure usually made of simple wood and covered with blankets and tarps. It's usually about maybe 14 feet in diameter and it's designed to be a ceremony that typically culminates about eight to maybe 12 or 14 people.
People go into the lodge. They sit basically in a circle. Hot stones are brought into the center. They're placed in a dug out pit. And then water is brought in.
The door is closed. Water is poured on the stones and then usually it's a process of teachings and reflections, prayers and meditations that follow with regular breaks and most lodges that you find in America would, you know, go for a short period of time with this kind of process. The door would be open. Fresh air comes in. And then they continue the process.
BROWN: Tom, your cousin Kirby (ph) had participated in two of James Ray's events I believe before this. But this one particular event in Sedona caused more concern for you, I think. You guys thought it was going to be a little more dangerous, right? Explain why.
MCFEELEY: Well, we knew Kirby was someone who knew her limits and tested her limits all the time in a very responsible way. She would never do anything without considering her own safety. We trusted her to do that. We trusted Mr. Ray to consider her safety and everybody else's.
You know, we hear a lot of talk about pre-existing conditions. She really she had none. I think what she had is --
BROWN: She was healthy.
MCFEELEY: She was healthy but she had, I think a pre-existing experience at this retreat. We want to know everything that happened from the minute she got there until she entered that lodge and we think a lot of the questions can be answered by answering what happened after the 36-hour fast.
Is a breakfast buffet appropriate after a 36-hour fast? Were they given water during the fast? Again, were there medical people onsite?
Those are the things that we were concerned about. We had no concerns about Kirby pushing the limits. She knew -- she knew herself physically very well. She would never do anything unsafe. She would assess the risk before entering any situation.
So when one out of three people suffer, that's not pre-existing conditions.
BROWN: Right.
MCFEELEY: That is something much larger.
BROWN: Well, again, a lot still to uncover for you and your family. I know, Tom, again, I'm very sorry about your loss but we appreciate you coming on and talking with us tonight.
MCFEELEY: Thank you.
BROWN: And to John and Jonathan as well, thanks so much for your time, gentlemen. Appreciate it.
ASSARAF: Thank you.
ELLERBY: Thank you.
BROWN: He is a teen outlaw who likes to live dangerously. Part of his alleged M.O. (ph), stealing and crashing planes. So why does he have over 2,000 fans on his Facebook page? The answer in tonight's "Breakout."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: In tonight's "Breakout," a daring outlaw with quite a following. There are the dozens of cops in Washington state trying to catch them and then there are the thousands of fans on his Facebook page who compare him to Jesse James. CNN's Patrick Oppmann is also on the trail of this baby-faced burglar they call "Colton."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN ALL PLATFORM JOURNALIST (voice-over): Camano Island, vacation community just north of Seattle. Safe. Tranquil until now. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I never locked my doors and then he started to (INAUDIBLE), everybody started locking up. He hit quite a few places around here.
OPPMANN: He is Colton Harris Moore, convicted burglar, escape artist. Accused of stealing cars and boats. Age, 18. Police accuse him of hitting literally Shirley Morgan's cafe.
SHIRLEY MORGAN, CAFE OWNER: The car hit the dumpster which then bashed into the pipe. The police officer turned off the propane tank so there was no explosion or anything like that. But it's the type of thing that makes you wonder, you know, what next? And when will he not be that lucky?
OPPMANN: Police say Harris Moore took this recent self-portrait with a stolen camera. He was first arrested at age 12 and later convicted of burglarizing homes in Camano Island. He escaped from a juvenile hall and now faces at least ten charges involving break-ins and identity theft. But first, they have to find him.
MUSIC: Come fly with me.
OPPMANN: Harris Moore's alleged escapades have inspired comparisons with the movie "Catch Me If You Can" in which Leonardo DiCaprio dared police to nab him.
The Washington fugitive also has quite a following including a Facebook page with nearly 2,000 fans.
MARK BROWN, ISLAND COUNTY SHIERFF: Again, I think it should be more about apprehension of an adult felon criminal at this point and not so much about -- about everything else making this person some kind of a cult hero or a Robin Hood.
OPPMANN (on camera): Authorities on an island chain to the north of here say that was Colton Harris Moore's next stop, and that's when police there believe his career as a thief took flight.
(voice-over): Incredibly, police say they believe Harris Moore stole and briefly flew two planes from the San Juan islands and are waiting on DNA testing to prove it. He's also being investigated in another plane theft this month. There have been no charges filed in any of those incidents which left the planes heavily damaged.
Was it Harris Moore behind the throttle? His mother did not want to talk to us about her son.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Go away.
OPPMANN: But could someone learn to fly a plane just from flight manuals and simulators. Flight instructors say it's not easy but not impossible either.
DEVIN TOLENTINOI, FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR: To know the systems (UNINTELLIGIBLE) how the airplane flies, what the controls do. You know, if they know that, then they may have a good understanding on how to fly.
OPPMANN: Three days after the latest plane crash someone broke into a nearby home. They stole food and blankets, kicking off a police manhunt and more speculation that it was Colton Harris Moore.
(on camera): Police searched these woods with dozens of officers, trained dogs and two helicopters. They didn't find anything.
(voice-over): But one sheriff's deputy was shot at. It's not known who fired. For now, the trail has gone cold but wherever Colton Harris Moore is, authorities say he is looking over his shoulder.
Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Granite Falls, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: "LARRY KING LIVE" starts just a few minutes from now. His guest, the late, late show's Craig Ferguson. And we'll be back right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: "LARRY KING LIVE" coming up next. But first, Mike Galanos is back with tonight's "Guilty Pleasure," the video we just couldn't resist.
Mike?
MIKE GALANOS, HLN PRIME NEWS: And this video is just coming to us, Campbell. Let's get right to it. It's the first family jamming to Fiesta Latina. We brought it to you earlier. We heard a little bit from Gloria Estefan. Now we have Michelle Obama and the girls.
Let's see if we have that footage. There we go.
BROWN: There we go.
GALANOS: There is --
BROWN: That's J. Lo?
GALANOS: The president himself grooving.
BROWN: And J. Lo -- am I --
GALANOS: Good salsa.
BROWN: Am I getting the crowd right there, Mike.
GALANOS: Good salsa, Campbell.
BROWN: Yes. To be young at the White House, right?
GALANOS: Exactly.
BROWN: That's it for us. "LARRY KING LIVE" coming up next.
