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American Morning
Ruling Against Arizona; Rangel Ethics Charges; Ford Stops Crown Victoria; Louisiana Fishermen Want Incentive; Lighting up the Sky; What's Causing Long ER Waits?; L.A. Protesters Head to Phoenix
Aired July 29, 2010 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. It's Thursday, the 29th of July. Thanks so much for joining us on the Most News of the Morning. I'm John Roberts.
SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Sara Sidner. Kiran Chetry is off, visiting all the way from Delhi, India.
ROBERTS: Yes. Did you get any tips from the last segment on how to fight fairly?
SIDNER: I did. I did. But some of the crew are rolling their eyes. So, I'm watching them. I'm watching them closely.
ROBERTS: There are people maybe who don't believe in fighting fairly.
SIDNER: Maybe not.
ROBERTS: Yes. Good lessons, though, to take home, I think.
SIDNER: A lot to talk about this morning, so let's get right to it.
Immigration stops on hold -- Arizona's tough new immigration law taking effect this morning minus the most controversial portion of it. A federal judge blocked the section that requires police to check a person's immigration status. The plight and fight is likely headed all the way to the Supreme Court now.
ROBERTS: A house ethics panel is set to go public with its list of charges against longtime New York Congressman Charlie Rangel. Lawyers for Rangel have been trying to cut a deal with congressional investigators. The time is running out. We're hearing there is not going to be a deal. A closer look at how Rangel's corruption trial could play out -- just ahead.
SIDNER: And the entire Gulf Coast seafood industry now at a crossroads. Fishing bans in the Gulf could soon be lifted but not every fisherman is anxious to get back to the sea.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What if BP were to pay you to go back to fish? Give you an incentive. LARRY SPAHN, LOUISIANA COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN: We'll go back to fish. But what are we going to do with what we catch if nobody wants to buy it?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Well, there's the argument. If the seafood is safe, will anyone be left to catch it? A live report from New Orleans is just ahead.
ROBERTS: And, of course, the amFIX blog is up and running. Join the live conversation going on right now. Just go to CNN.com/amFIX and we'll be reading some of your comments throughout the hour.
The battle on the border is taking a dramatic last-minimum turn. Arizona's tough new immigration law took effect just a few hours ago. But the most controversial portions of it are on hold this morning. A federal judge blocked the section that required police officers to question a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws.
ROBERTS: Protests turned to cheers yesterday after the decision, but it's not stopping plans for more marches, prayer vigils and civil disobedience today.
Arizona's governor is already planning an appeal and says this fight is far from over.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JAN BREWER (R), ARIZONA: I think that it's important to remind everybody that today, they absolutely -- the federal government got relief from the courts to not to do their job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Let's bring in our John King now. He has been reporting live from Arizona all week.
So, John, the big question is: what now?
JOHN KING, HOST, "JOHN KING, USA": John, it is a fascinating question. We know, politically, we will see some demonstrations today. Opponents of this law who thought the whole law would take effect today plan demonstrations. They say they believe the fight will continue. So, they will have those demonstrations.
It's interesting to see if opponents of the law, especially those who are coming in from out of state, if they can match the large numbers now that key parts of it have been put on hold. Politically, look, this judge puts part of this law on hold. But the political debate, you just played the governor there -- that is only intensifying. As everyone says, if they can't settle this in the courts before November, or get the new law on the ground before November, they'll fight this out in the elections.
In terms of what happens today, let's take a closer look at that injunction because the judge did say Arizona cannot implement several of the most controversial provisions of the law, including no state requirement that the police check the immigration status, say, if they stop somebody at traffic stop and have reason to believe they're not in the country legally, police can no longer go forward with that aspect of the law.
Also struck down temporarily was the requirement that immigrants have to carry their papers. Some proof that they are in this country residency status or citizenship status, Arizona cannot implement that today.
And also struck down temporarily with this injunction is a state prohibition on undocumented workers going out and seeking work.
So, those were three of the most controversial aspects of the law. They are temporarily on hold. There are other aspects of the law, John, that will kick in, though. So, the political debate, and the legal debate, and the on-the-ground law enforcement issue will continue.
SIDNER: John, considering what happened in court and considering what the judge says, is there any chance that the legislators in Arizona will back down a bit and try to work something out with Washington on new enforcement, for example? Or is this just too fierce and they're going to go at it?
KING: In a word, no, Sara, because -- number one, if you look at Jan Brewer's polling here, she has dramatically changed her life politically, her standings politically, by signing this into law. In the legislature, they say, not only do they want this law, they want to go on with other things. And they're simply -- what they say is they don't trust Washington.
Now, the Obama administration's answer is: hey, look, we're not perfect. But we're doing a lot more along the border than the Bush administration did and previous administrations did.
But this is both the political and legal stand-up and don't look for any negotiated settlement.
ROBERTS: John, will this -- will this - striking down the law means that police officers will not be required to check somebody's immigration status. They can still go ahead and do it voluntarily. So, what should we look for from police departments across the state in the wake of this decision?
KING: Another fascinating wrinkle. John, as you know, some police departments, some sheriffs, wanted this law. They said they needed those new enforcement tools. Others, including -- I'm in the city of Tucson this morning -- the Tucson police chief, he said this would take too many resources away from fighting other crimes he thought were more important.
So, you will have a patchwork of implementation. You would have had one if the full law went into effect. There were some disagreements over how aggressive to be. Now that parts of it go into effect, this will be fascinating to watch. We're going to ride around with some Tucson police officers in just a short time.
Sheriff Arpaio, nationally known as an aggressive leader in the fight against anti-immigration, I talked to him yesterday. He said, yes, I would like the new state provisions. But he thinks, already, this debate has made a point. Joe Arpaio says he believes many undocumented illegal immigrants have began to flee Arizona because of the tone set by this new law and he also says, John, when his men are out today, they're launching a big anti-crime, anti-illegal immigration sweep. They will still ask some people for documentation.
Listen to Sheriff Joe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO, MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA: I think you're sending a message out about this new law and people are becoming concerned and they are leaving. They're leaving. I don't think that they're going to come back because of this decision. I think that they're probably very angry that the judge did not throw out this whole law.
And don't forget, we still have officers in our jail that have been trained by homeland security that investigates everyone booked into that jail. So, any police officer that arrests anyone on a criminal violation, we're still going to investigate and show they're here illegally.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: So, Sheriff Arpaio says, John, business as usual. It will be interesting to watch town by town, one of the provisions that's still in the law, that if you're a day laborer and you're out trying to get work in the morning and you step out and somehow you block traffic because somebody pulls over to see, you know, if you want to work on this contract, that is still a violation under this new state law.
One of the things to watch is how aggressive will state and city law enforcement agencies be in enforcing the provisions that do go into effect, that did go into effect a few hours ago, at midnight here.
ROBERTS: And as you said, we may see patchwork across the state as opposed to uniform implementation.
SIDNER: Exactly.
John, let me ask you one more question here. There are a lot of other states -- about five -- that are considering similar legislation. Is this ruling going to impact them? Will they step back a bit and say, "Hold on a second, let's see what happens in Arizona," and then push forward?
KING: Well, none of those states were making enough progress to get that done even if they could find the votes by November of this year. So, essentially, they had a holding period anyway. They had a little cooling off period to watch what happens in Arizona.
But there is no doubt, not only are handful of states looking to do just about what Arizona wanted to do, but many other states are doing similar things -- essentially testing how much power does a state have on what has long been viewed as a federal law enforcement issue. So, this will not quiet the debates.
Certainly, the courts, as this goes on, will have the appeal. That will have a hearing. The case will be judged on the merits. That will be guidance to the states.
But, in the meantime, those who are pushing for tougher laws, pushing for state intervention -- are they going to stop? No.
ROBERTS: All right. John King for us this morning -- John, thanks so much.
And CNN will continue to follow the controversy over Arizona's new law, cracking down on illegal immigrants. John will be reporting tonight from Arizona. "JOHN KING, USA," tonight at 7:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.
(MUSIC)
SIDNER: Just in to CNN. Tragic developments on the ground in Afghanistan, the Pentagon confirming it has found the body of a second missing American sailor. The military is saying it notified the family of Petty Officer Third Class Jerrod Newlove yesterday. Newlove and a fellow sailor went missing last Friday, sparking an all-out manhunt in a very dangerous area of Afghanistan. A Taliban spokesman had originally claimed it killed one sailor and kidnapped the other.
ROBERTS: Well, there's a lot of outrage in "Essence" magazine today over the hiring of a new fashion director who is white. "Essence" has been celebrating black women for 40 years now. But when Ellianna Placas was recently named the magazine's new director of fashion, many employees protested, including the woman she replaced.
Former "Essence" staffer Michaela Angela Davis is telling CNN's Anderson Cooper that she believes the hire was inappropriate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELA ANGELA DAVIDS, FORMER ESSENCE EMPLOYEE: "Essence" is the one magazine in that kiosk that puts race in their brand. They say this is the place for African-American women, the place where black women come first. So, black is in their brand DNA.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: The editor-in-chief at "Essence" says Placas got the job because she proved that she could do it and insists the decision to hire her does not diminish the magazine's commitment to black women. SIDNER: Also new this morning: the commander-in-chief is sitting with the ladies of "The View." It's the first time a sitting president appeared on a daytime talk show. And President Obama got a chance to talk about some of the ups and downs of life at the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA WALTERS, "THE VIEW": In the last month, what has been the rose and what has been the thorn?
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, in the last month, the rose has to be a couple of days we took in Maine with Michelle and Sasha and Malia, and we went on bike rides and hikes and -- you know, the girls are getting old enough now where they're not quite teenagers yet. So, they still like you.
(LAUGHTER)
OBAMA: But they are full of opinions and ideas and observations and -- it's just a great age. Malia just turned 12 and Sasha just turned 9. But it couldn't have been a better couple of days.
WALTERS: Thorn?
OBAMA: Well, where do I begin here?
(LAUGHTER)
OBAMA: No. Look, obviously, the country has gone through a tough stretch since I've -- since I took office. You think what the American people have gone through: losing jobs, seeing their home values go down, their 401(k)s declining.
Those are the folks who I draw inspiration from because I get letters every night from them and I read them. And as tough as it's been, they remain hopeful, they remain optimistic about America and so -- so, I don't spend a lot of time worrying about me. I spend a lot of time worrying about them.
WALTERS: Thorn?
OBAMA: Well, where do I begin?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Both Republicans and Democrats have criticized the president for appearing on the show, saying the president should do more serious news programs.
ROBERTS: It looked like he had a good time anyway.
SIDNER: He definitely did.
ROBERTS: Deal or no deal with Congressman Charlie Rangel? Ethics violations in the wind. Brianna Keilar is doing the background for us and breaking what might be happening later on today.
It's 12 minutes now after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Fifteen minutes after the hour.
Fellow House members are set to spell out ethics charges against New York Congressman Charlie Rangel today. It's the first step in a rare public so-called trial that could see the 20-term congressman expelled.
SIDNER: Rangel's lawyers have been trying to cut a deal with the ethics committee to avoid a public airing of his alleged misdeeds. But they are running out of time.
Congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar is following developments in Washington for us today.
So, how's this going to go down? Time is ticking. Is there any possibility that a last-minimum deal is going to be hatched here? He has been pretty adamant that he doesn't want to make a deal.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And when you talk with some folks, some sources say perhaps the deal is coming at too high of a price for Congressman Rangel.
But, I just got off the phone with the Senior Democratic aide who said that house democratic leaders are still holding out hope that he can reach a settlement and avoid what's going to be a very public spectacle not just for himself but also for Democrats who are facing really tough re-election prospects. So, let's talk about some of the ethics issues that are hanging over Congressman Rangel's head. And we know about a lot of them.
First off, he admitted that he did not pay taxes on $70,000 in rental income from a villa in the Dominican Republic. A Big no-no for the guy who is in charge of the Tax Writing Committee at the time. Also, purportedly he misused an apartment for political purposes. He was accepting a number of rent controlled apartments in his Harlem apartment building. As well, we know that he failed to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in assets which members of Congress are supposed to do. And he also used official Congressional letter heads to solicit donations for a center at a school there in New York in his district, a center that was going to bear his name.
Here's the thing. All of these things that I just described there, these are things that news organizations actually dug on and discovered and that's why we know them. That's why they are public. But this Ethics Committee investigation has been so secretive that it is possible that some of these alleged violations that we are going to hear about today, it is possible that maybe we haven't heard about them. That certainly is something, John and Sara, that would add to the drama of today.
ROBERTS: Brianna, this is obviously a big deal. When is the last time that we saw a hearing like this?
KEILAR: It was years ago. 2002, Ohio Democrat Jim Traficant. Before that, it was in the 90's, Newt Gingrich. But that one back in 2002, lots of drama. You can also see just by the stage that's set in all of these old pictures that we dug up here, Traficant was ultimately booted out of Congress. And that is really the worst sanction that Charles Rangel would face in this. Could be as simple as, you know, nothing or just a slap on the wrist here. But it could be being booted out of Congress, being expelled from Congress. Some pretty serious stuff here guys.
ROBERTS: All right. Brianna Keilar for us here this morning. Brianna, thanks so much. And stay with CNN, by the way for live coverage of the Rangel hearing. It begins at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Of course, you can also catch it on our website, at cnn.com.
SIDNER: All right. Should BP subsidize fishermen to help Louisiana's seafood industry? Jim Acosta live for us, from New Orleans, coming up next. Seventeen minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SIDNER: Twenty minutes after the hour. Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. Time for "Minding Your Business". Goldman Sachs announcing a zero tolerance policy for profanity in employee e- mails.
ROBERTS: Goodness. Thank goodness we don't work for Goldman Sachs. The company is saying that all of its employees are now going to have to refrain from using curse words in their electronic communications. That includes six-letter expletive that was repeatedly referred to during a senate hearing back in April. Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan Chase have similar rules in place. Sad news for New York City cabbies. They are losing the Crown Vict. Ford announced that it is no longer producing the venerable gas guzzler that has been a staple of taxi and police fleets across the country. Despite a push to outfit hybrids and other fuel efficient models in recent years the majority of New York's 13,000 yellow cabs are still Crown Victorias. Alas, the Crown Vict now going away of the checkered cab. Can I tell you something? That's what the writer of that script said alas. I hate them.
SIDNER: The writer or the cabs?
ROBERTS: No. Love the writer. Hate the cabs. Crown Victorias. I'm sorry. It is the worst cab in the universe.
SIDNER: Get ready for a bunch of e-mails.
ROBERTS: I think there are a lot of people who would agree with me. I was in the back of a Toyota Highlander hybrid the other day. Fabulous.
SIDNER: Not in the back of a police Crown Vict?
ROBERTS: No. SIDNER: Just checking. For hundreds of men and women who make a living off the Gulf of Mexico, the sea has lost its allure.
ROBERTS: Many of them have been idle for months. The BP oil spill keeping thousands of square miles of ocean off-limits to fishing.
SIDNER: Last week, a ban on one-third of those waters was finally lifted. Now seafood industry officials and Louisiana's Governor want the rest of the gulf reopened.
ROBERTS: Jim Acosta joins us live from New Orleans this morning. And Jim, some of the fisherman you talked to, seems they will need a little bit of, shall we say, incentive to get them back on the water.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I would say that's absolutely right, John and Sara. It has been sort of stunning, right? The last couple of days, to hear these officials saying where's the oil? The oil is dissipating much faster than expected and because of that, Louisiana state officials are really pressuring the Federal Government to reopen the state's coastline to commercial fishing. But just because you reopen those waters doesn't mean the fishermen are going to go back. So Louisiana's seafood officials have this idea. They want BP to offer an incentive, bait the hook, if you will, to get the fishermen back to the water.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA (voice-over): Because so many Louisiana fishermen grow up on the water, this is the only life they have ever known. The oil spill changed that. Many of the state's 12,000 fishermen have gotten accustomed to being cleanup workers, drawing their checks from BP and instead of from the sea. And just because Federal Officials say that the oil is clearing up faster than expected, and the seafood appears to be safe so far, doesn't mean the fishermen believe it.
ACOSTA (on camera): Do you see contaminated seafood?
LARRY SPAHN, COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN: We don't see the contaminated seafood but there's a lot you don't see.
ACOSTA: You want to get them back to doing what they know how to do.
EWELL SMITH, LOUISIANA SEAFOOD PROMOTION AND MARKETING BOARD: What they know how to do and what they love to do, that's key.
ACOSTA (voice-over): Ewell Smith, with the State Board that promotes Louisiana seafood, says it is the fishermen who now need a lure. He wants BP to start paying the fishermen a bonus, 30 cents on every dollar of seafood they catch to go back to the water.
SMITH: It is a common sense approach to putting the fishermen back to work, to help mitigate claims against them. We have approached BP twice. They have told us no twice but told us no twice with the caveat to come back once the well is capped. ACOSTA: Now that BP is closing in on killing the deepwater horizon well, a spokesman told CNN the company is considering the idea. No final decision, the spokesman said, but we are very supportive of programs of guys going back to fishing. And there's good reason why. Jim Funk with the Louisiana Restaurant Association says its industry could take a big hit if the fishermen stay on the sidelines.
ACOSTA (on camera): New Orleans restaurants are going to start running out of seafood.
JIM FUNK, LOUISIANA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION: All restaurants all over South Louisiana. And so we have got to get the commercial fishermen back in the waters, catching the -- the crabs and the shrimp and the finfish so we can put them back on our menus.
ACOSTA (voice-over): But that's no easy task. Not only will a skeptical public have to be convinced, Louisiana seafood is safe, Louisiana fishermen, like Larry Spahn, will have to be convinced it is worth catching.
ACOSTA (on camera): What if BP were to pay you to go back to fish? Give you an incentive?
SPAHN: We will go back to fish but what are we going to do with what we catch if nobody wants to buy it?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: And that's the big question out here. But in the meantime, Louisiana and FDA officials say so far none of the seafood they have tested has come back positive for oil or dispersants or other contaminants and that, the FDA says, could lead to these waters being opened up to commercial fishing in the next week possibly which would be a huge development and I have to say, John and Sara, last night I went out and tasted some of the Louisiana seafood myself. We have a picture of it right here. Some Louisiana Red Fish. It was awesome. I have to say it tasted delicious. And I just have a question to our show's Executive Producer, now that I'm using that picture, can I now expense that meal? There were some other items on the bill that you can --
SIDNER: That would be no, according to the Executive Producer.
ROBERTS: We just got the word that would be a no. But feel free, Jim, to send some of that up here because we love Louisiana Red Fish. Thanks so much, Jim Acosta.
ACOSTA: You got it.
ROBERTS: Oscar's story. An undocumented immigrant. We take you on the journey over the border with his wife and young daughter to see where he is living now. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) ROBERTS: Across the half hour here, top stories just into CNN this morning. Tragic developments on the ground in Afghanistan. The pentagon confirming it has found the body of a second missing American sailor. The military saying it notified the family of Petty Officer Third Class Jerrod Newlove yesterday. Newlove and a fellow sailor went missing last Friday sparking an all-out manhunt in a very dangerous area of Afghanistan. The Taliban spokesman had originally claimed that it killed one sailor and kidnapped the other.
SIDNER: Fellow House Members are set to spell out Ethics charges against New York Congressman Charlie Rangel. It's the first step in a rare public trial that could see the 20-term congressman expelled. Rangel's lawyers have been trying to cut a deal with the Ethics Committee to avoid a public airing of his alleged misdeeds.
ROBERTS: And Arizona's tough new immigration law taking effect this morning, minus the most controversial portions of it. A Federal Judge blocked the section that requires police to check a person's immigration status when they are stopped for another crime. But the outspoken sheriff Joe Arpaio says that is not going to affect his job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERRIFF JOE ARPAIO, MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA: Nobody says I can't go out tomorrow and do what I plan on doing. Lock up people that violate the law and if they are illegal aliens we are going to take care of that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Arizona's Governor, Jan Brewer, already planning an appeal. The case is likely headed all the way to the Supreme Court.
SIDNER: An A.M. Original now. It's the emotional story of a young man with a family and bright future caught in the middle of the immigration fight.
ROBERTS: He is a college graduate who even got a standing ovation from President Obama who is now on the outside looking in on the American dream. John Zarrella has part two of "Oscar's Story" for us. He's live in Phoenix for us this morning. Hi, John.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, John. You know, in fact, you are absolutely right. Oscar Vasquez was living the American dream. He had come here from Mexico, brought here by his mother when he was a boy, went to high school here and college here, got a degree. But he's not living in the United States any longer. Here's why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA: At 6:00 a.m. Monday morning Karla Vasquez loads the car. The most precious cargo is little Samantha with her big, round, brown eyes.
KARLA VASQUEZ, OSCAR VASQUEZ'S WIFE: Juice. Dolly.
ZARRELLA: Twice a month on her days off, for almost a year now, Karla and Sammy set off on this journey.
KARLA VASQUEZ: Diapers, snacks to keep her busy along the way.
ZARRELLA: From Phoenix to Tucson and south on highway 15 in Mexico. Three hours later, Karla pulls up in front of the little house in the little town of Magdalena de Quino, 50 miles south of the border. Husband, Oscar Vasquez, is there to greet them.
This is where Oscar lives now. There's a bullet hole in the front door.
OSCAR VASQUEZ, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT: That happened before I moved in. It's still scary.
ZARRELLA: This young man that grew up in Phoenix and wanted one day to join the marines, whose high school team beat MIT in a robotics competition, this young man with an engineering degree from Arizona State now works nights here at a car parts company with men who don't get it.
OSCAR VASQUEZ: They are like, well, why are you here? Where did you go to school? I went to Arizona State.
ZARRELLA: He is here because shortly after graduating from ASU last year, Oscar self-deported because he wanted to become a U.S. citizen.
ZARRELLA (on camera): Why did you do it?
OSCAR VASQUEZ: Well, I didn't just want to be back home and not be able to use my degree for anything. No one will hire you for a top job if you don't have, you know, your Social Security number and all that stuff.
KARLA VASQUEZ: He worked so hard to get a degree. He really wanted to put it to use. He wouldn't be able to do that without getting legalized, getting status.
ZARRELLA (voice-over): You see Oscar Vasquez was an illegal, brought to the United States by his mother when he was 12. Even though Karla is a U.S. citizen, Oscar is considered excludable. He knew leaving was a big gamble, but felt if he ever wanted a real future in the U.S., he had to apply for residency the right way.
ZARRELLA (on camera): Oscar Vasquez came here to Mexico and petitioned the United States government to waive his excludability based on extreme hardship to his family. The government said it needed more information and he was denied. He has appealed, but it could take up to another year before he gets an answer.
ZARRELLA (voice-over): The government wants documentation on the family's finances, his wife's emotional distress, and the impact of the couple's separation on little Samantha. Are you angry?
OSCAR VASQUEZ: Frustrated. It's just frustrating, you know, not to be with my family and no to be able to see my daughter grow up. KARLA VASQUEZ: Do they want to see me living in a box with my baby for it enough to let my husband come back home?
ZARRELLA (on camera): Looking back right now, did you do the right thing?
OSCAR VASQUEZ: I did. We are taking business into our own hands and going through the process the right way.
ZARRELLA (voice-over): So for perhaps another year, Karla will drive Highway 15 and Samantha, with the big, round, brown eyes will visit her dad at his little house with the bullet holes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA: Now, Oscar and Karla thought that the process would go pretty smoothly. They know other people that had done the same thing and in a matter of weeks had been granted that waiver of excludability. So their hope was the same would happen.
They don't know why they were turned down on the initial request for the waiver. And Karla said that, you know, if it hadn't been for little Samantha, in fact, she would have just moved to Mexico with Oscar and waited for the process to run its course. John, Sara?
ROBERTS: So John, if he were to get -- granted waiver of excludability, what happens then?
ZARRELLA: He could come in as a resident, come legally to the United States and begin his process for citizenship at that point. The interesting thing about it is, John, parts of the new law that took place that went into effect would mean that if he were still here in the country now, that if his wife were driving him around in a car, he being illegal, that she could face charges for a misdemeanor.
So even more reason, he says now, that he lives in Mexico until this is all resolved.
ROBERTS: John Zarrella, great story. Thanks for bringing it us to.
SIDNER: Thank you, John.
Coming up, when the U.S. leaves Afghanistan, what will happen to human rights, especially women's rights. At 35 minutes past the hour we will have a guest in to talk about that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SIDNER: Since WikiLeaks released thousands of classified war documents, there has been a lot of debate about the U.S. mission in Afghanistan nine years into the fight. Troop withdrawals are scheduled to begin next summer, leaving many to question what will become of the people left behind, especially the women of Afghanistan?
We warn you now, the cover of the current issue of "Time" magazine is tough to take. Here it is. It shows an Afghan woman, her nose and ears were cut off by the Taliban last year after she tried to escape abusive in-laws.
The author of the report, "TIME" magazine's Afghan Bureau Chief Aryn Baker joins us now. She is actually joining us from Islamabad, Pakistan. Thanks for joining us this morning, Aryn.
Let's talk about the article.
ARYN BAKER, AFGHANISTAN BUREAU CHIEF, TIME MAGAZINE: Good morning, thanks.
SIDNER: You're welcome. Let's talk about this article that you have. We know that the Afghan government has said that it has to, in order to move forward, make some kind of deal with the Taliban. What will that mean in particular for those women in the country who have experienced this sort of thing?
BAKER: It depends on what the deal looks like. If it is a democratic process where everybody in Afghanistan has an opportunity to weigh in with their demands and their concerns, it could work well. We do recognize that this situation in Afghanistan requires some sort of political solution. It won't be won by military means alone.
But if we want a quick fix, if the Afghan governor wants something quick, quick deal, and the international community wants a quick deal so they can pull out and save face, what will happen then is we will sacrifice so many of the human rights games, particularly the gains of the women over the last nine years.
They will go back to a life where their rights were severely curtailed and where something like what happened to Isha could happen again.
SIDNER: Let's talk a little bit about the difference in women's rights now as opposed to when the war started. What have you been seeing and from the people that you have been talking to, have things changed for the better anywhere? Say Kabul, for example?
BAKER: Absolutely. In Kabul, it is a totally different place from tw2001 or before then. Right now the constitution, which was established in 2003, it mandates 25 percent of parliament must be women. Women can work. Women are forced to wear the burqa, though some still do.
You see girls going to school, which is something you never saw under the Taliban. Every day when I go to the cafe to work, I see girl walking around with their uniforms with a whitehead scarf and black coat. They are happy to be going to school. So there have been significant changes since 2001.
SIDNER: Aryn, I spent a little bit of time in Afghanistan covering stories there myself, and one of the things that you would hear from people, kind of twofold. Some women and men, would say that, you know, we want the troops out of here. We are just -- there is a lot of bombing. This is just a lot of war they are bringing to our country. We want them out.
And then you have another group that says without them, we are going to be in a worse position. One of the can cabinet members actually said to me he believes that if the U.S. troops and their allies leave Afghanistan, there could be a civil war. What's your read on that?
BAKER: Absolutely. There are people that don't like the foreign forces because of raids on compounds, night raids, those sort of situations, the bombings of civilians.
But everybody I have spoken to outside of the Taliban recognized that where the international community to leave immediately, it would be a dreadful civil war. You would have different tribal groups fighting each other, the Northern Alliance fighting the Taliban. It would be mayhem, probably to many degrees worse than what we saw in the early '90s.
SIDNER: Aryn, about things getting possibly worse, you asked the question -- it is a very difficult one to answer. What happens when we leave? What was the conclusion of your report?
BAKER: Well, the worst part is if we leave now precipitously without making room for human rights and growth of women's rights, what we end up doing is abandoning the progressive people, the very people that we want to build the country, we want to be our allies.
If we abandon the country to the fundamentalists, we are going to be back at square one and back in the same situation we had in the late '90s where the Taliban came to power and supported and sponsored group such as Al Qaeda. It may not be Al Qaeda the next time around but ones similar. It becomes another ground from which to launch terror attacks against the west.
SIDNER: So that explains why the U.S. and allies should care, because it could create more of a place for terrorists.
Thank you so much, Aryn. Aryn Baker from "TIME" magazine.
Coming up, 43 minutes after the hour, Midwest storms head for the northeast. Reynolds Wolf is coming up next.
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ROBERTS: Well, no one can put on a light show quite like Mother Nature can. Just look at this thunderstorm. It erupted last night off of the coast of Sarasota, Florida. Just after sunset on Siesta Key dozens of people went out to the beach and watched it.
SIDNER: That's not a great place to be.
ROBERTS: No.
SIDNER: I mean, living in Florida, it really is not a good -- that and the golf course.
ROBERTS: And you don't want to be in an open area during a thunderstorm. But Florida does get some more flash thunderstorms.
SIDNER: It does and more lightning strikes. I think more people get hit by lightning there than anywhere else in the country. So outside during a lightning storm, not so good.
ROBERTS: Not such a good place to be.
SIDNER: Right. Let's go ahead and find out what's going to happen to the rest of the country.
Reynolds Wolf who joins us now live. Welcome back, Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, guys. We've got -- a pretty live morning in parts of the northeast from -- from Fenway Park in Boston clear down to Center Field of the Yankee stadium, we're going to see those scattered showers that's going to be popping up all along parts of 95.
So if you're driving you're going to have some issues there. You could see water on the roadways. No question and obviously some delays at the airport.
Farther to the south and in the Carolinas is not going to be rain but rather heat and plenty of it. Heat index is going anywhere from 110 to 118 by late in the afternoon. Especially in parts of Charleston, South Carolina and southward of the Hilton head, it is just going to be steamy. It's going to be the same deal for much of Georgia and into the Carolinas.
But that heat is going to be a trend that you're going to see across the center of the U.S. A couple of highlights: Dallas, 96 degrees; 94 in Houston and 95 in New Orleans, with high humidity. It is obviously going to be feeling much better. And you're going to be feeling raindrops in parts of the northern plains, possibly developing some large hail across Big Sky Country, scattered showers across the four corners an into the Ohio Valley.
And in terms of your delays you can expect plenty of them. Especially in places like the northeast. In Boston, up to an hour wait. Same deal in New York. At the D.C. metros in Philadelphia anywhere from 30-minute to 60-minute stoppage. Pretty much the same story in Atlanta, Memphis and Orlando due to some afternoon thunderstorms.
And then for L.A., San Francisco and Seattle, low clouds and low visibility, fog that could keep you on the tarmac for anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.
That is a quick snapshot in your forecast. Let's send it back to you in New York.
SIDNER: All right, thank you, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet guys. SIDNER: Misconcepts about the uninsured and illegal immigrants misusing emergency rooms. Elizabeth Cohen separates fact from fiction. It's coming up next, it's 48 minutes after the hour.
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ROBERTS: Time for your "AM House Call" now. Stories about your health.
Across the nation, long lines plague emergency room, waiting rooms. And a lot of people think that it's because the ER is the only place or at least the primary place that illegal immigrants and the uninsured go to get health care.
SIDNER: But a new study just out shows that may not be exactly what's going on. Let's bring in our senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen.
Elizabeth, tell us what the data shows. What do the numbers show?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the numbers show that perhaps these notions that some people have that illegal uninsured aliens are clogging up emergency rooms, but that concept may be wrong.
You can't check and see whether someone is legal or illegal in emergency rooms because doctors and nurses don't ask that question. But of course, you do know if they're insured or not. And what this study found is that 15 percent of people who are frequent users of emergency rooms are uninsured. That's just 15 percent.
And so that would seem to suggest that these folks are not clogging up emergency rooms. Would it be great if they were insured? Of course, but 15 percent makes you think that perhaps they are not clogging up emergency rooms.
Now, we did talk to some groups who were against illegal immigration and they say that they still feel that uninsured illegal immigrants are clogging up emergency rooms and are there way more than they should be -- Sara, John.
ROBERTS: So if according to the study undocumented immigrants and the uninsured are not adding to ER waits, what is?
COHEN: Right. Well, let's take a look at those waits because there are -- there definitely are studies out there that show us those waits are getting longer.
Let's take a look at the first one. Wait time in the U.S. for emergency rooms is about four hours and three minutes. That's about half an hour longer than it was six years ago.
There is another study that found that one in four heart attacks patients waited 50 minutes or more to get care in the emergency room.
So I asked doctors what's causing these waits. Emergency room doctors said look, the problem isn't so much the number of people coming into ER, it's getting them out of the ER. If folks come into the ER and need to be admitted, they say there's a lack of hospital rooms.
So those folks have to stay in the emergency room even though they really ought to be in a hospital bed and that prevents new patients from coming in and getting triage in the ER.
ROBERTS: All right. Elizabeth Cohen straightening things out for us this morning. Elizabeth thanks so much.
COHEN: Thanks.
ROBERTS: Well, coming up now on 54 minutes after the hour. We'll be right back.
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ROBERTS: The big story this morning a federal judge blocking the most controversial portions of Arizona's tough new immigration law. Both sides are preparing for a long and bitter legal flight -- fight, rather. I'm sorry.
And just moments ago, busloads of people, an estimated 500 protesters, shipped out from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. They are on their way to Phoenix to bring their message directly to Arizona lawmakers.
SIDNER: A lot of comments coming into our live blog this morning about Arizona's controversial immigration law. Let's take a look at just a couple of them.
ROBERTS: Yes and here's one from Carlos Slim. And he's talking not just about immigration but the pieces that CNN, the stories at CNN has been running on the illegal immigration issue. He says, quote, "CNN, please stop running compassionate stories on illegal aliens. Do more research on other countries' immigration law and show the comparison. People will find that the U.S. government is inconsistent in applying the immigration law and please do a story that the government is not capable of enforcing the current law."
SIDNER: And this is from a blogger who calls himself "God Bless Arizona". It says, quote, "I am so tired of the sympathy being shown to the enormous amount of illegal immigrants living in this country. For those who are fleeing Arizona and moving to the other states, they'll have a rude awakening when those states enact the same law as Arizona.
It's a sad day when we have judges protecting illegals when they have no rights. They have broken the law or they are or they have broken the law if they are here illegally. Why don't people -- what don't people get about that? Watch the continuous video of CNN showing them jumping the fence, try that going to another country. And see what happens to you." ROBERTS: Now, Paulie (ph) takes a little of a different perspective on all of this. He says, "How come so many Americans only believe in the Constitution when it applies to their rights or liberty? Many of the provisions that were struck down were because they would infringe on the rights of American citizens of Hispanic dissent and not illegal aliens."
SIDNER: But Ronnie writes, "I think Arizona should still implement the new law and forget what the federal government says. What's the feds and/or the illegal aliens going to do about it?"
ROBERTS: And you of course can join the conversation, too, right now at CNN.com/amfix. And this is obviously not the end of the immigration debate --
SIDNER: No.
ROBERTS: -- because Arizona Governor Jan Brewer says she plans to appeal it and it's likely that this will go all the way to the Supreme Court.
SIDNER: All the way to the Supreme Court, yes.
ROBERTS: And as Jeff Toobin was telling us this morning and he expects some sort of 5-4 decision. Though, the conservatives on the Supreme Court in a bit of an interesting position because they support federal rights and state's rights.
SIDNER: Right.
ROBERTS: But then at the same time, consider --
SIDNER: It could be that issue -- it is a federal/state issue.
ROBERTS: Yes.
SIDNER: That's what it is turning into. So we do expect it to go on up to the -- to the highest court of the land.
ROBERTS: And likely to see it go that way and difficult decisions to make.
That's going to wrap it up for us. Thanks so much for joining us this morning. We will see you again bright and early tomorrow as we celebrate the advent of Friday.
SIDNER: "CNN NEWSROOM" with Kyra Phillips starts right now.
