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American Morning
"A Constellation" of Oil; Secretary Gates Stepping Down; Fundraiser-in-Chief; New Debit Card Rules; $863 Forceps, For Real?; Ninth Circuit Issues Stay on Gay Marriage; Pakistan Devastated By Floodwaters; Prescription Produce
Aired August 17, 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 on this Tuesday, the 17th of August. Thanks for joining us this morning. I'm John Roberts.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us. A lot to talk about this morning, so let's get right to it.
First, researchers in Florida discovering oil from BP's gulf spill has spread further east than previously thought. But the oil is not on the surface. The scientists say that it's all over the sea floor in small droplets along with the dispersants that BP put into the water and they say that the mix is toxic to marine life.
You wouldn't see this story anywhere else. A CNN exclusive, coming up.
ROBERTS: A bloody suicide attack in Baghdad today. At least 48 people are dead outside of a military recruiting center. More than 100 others are injured.
Iraq's still dealing with a political crisis as our military prepares to leave. A full update from the Pentagon, just ahead.
CHETRY: Also, it used to be that swiping your debit card for even a small purchase could lead to large overdraft fees if you didn't have enough money in the account. Well, those days could be coming to an end. We're going to tell you about the new rules and break down whether or not you really need overdraft protection.
ROBERTS: And, of course, the amFIX blog is up and running. Join the live conversation going on right now. Just head to cnn.com/amfix.
CHETRY: Up first this hour, more than 200 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the gulf, and for weeks the question has been where did it all go? Well, this morning we're finally getting some answers.
According to University of South Florida researchers, they discovered it on the ocean floor well east of the spill's site.
ROBERTS: The chemical mix of oil and dispersant is endangering sea life, according to researchers. In fact, they say, it sparkles like a constellation of little dots when you put ultraviolet light on it.
We're the very first to get this new information. Our Ed Lavandera with more details now in St. Petersburg, Florida in this morning's CNN exclusive.
Good morning, Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John and Kiran.
Well, these scientists say that just because mostly this oil is out of sight, it should not be out of mind. In fact, they point at their research they have done over the last 10 days has shown them that for the first time, they are getting toxicity levels that show microscopic marine life in the Gulf waters have been infected and ingested by this oil in the Gulf of Mexico.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA: This is the Weatherbird II, a research vessel that has been used by the University of South Florida for the last 10 days, investigating the oil spill. Some 13 scientists have been onboard and they're just now coming home to St. Petersburg.
So, what's in these containers right here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Water in here, was collected from 50 meters.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): David Hollander was one of the lead researchers on the mission.
(on camera): Did you feel like you're, kind of, on the verge of really getting a better understanding of what's going on underneath the water?
DAVID HOLLANDER, SCIENTIST: Oh, I think we are adding to the puzzle. We are adding to the pieces of the puzzle.
It's where we found the sedimentary oil (ph).
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Hollander and another expert on the journey, John Paul, sat down with CNN for an exclusive review of their findings. The USF scientists say they found toxic levels of oil and dispersants in infecting marine organisms just 40 miles south of Panama City, Florida. The organisms called phytoplankton and other microscopic bacteria in the ocean are the foundation of the food chain.
JOHN PAUL, PROFESSOR, UNIV. OF SOUTH FLORIDA MARINE MICROBIOLOGIST: What feeds and fuels the ecology of the ocean, and if those guys are in trouble, then the ocean is in trouble.
LAVANDERA: So far, federal government scientists have downplayed the impact of microscopic oil making its way up the food chain. This is what the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said earlier this month.
DR. JANE LUBCHENCO, NOAA ADMINISTRATOR: Fish will degrade that oil and process it naturally. And so it doesn't bio-accumulate. So, it's not a situation where we need to be concerned about that. Over time, it will be broken down.
LAVANDERA: USF scientists tell CNN, that is a short-sighted view of the danger. NOAA officials haven't responded to these latest scientific findings.
The 10 -day mission in the Gulf of Mexico was a rocky voyage. The scientists were battered with 12-foot seas and strong storms, taking them within 25 miles of the Deepwater Horizon spill site. All along the way, they found microscopic droplets of oil on the ocean floor.
HOLLANDER: Here is a sedimentary record from an area that's about 1,500 meters water depth, adjacent to the Deepwater Horizon.
LAVANDERA: Using U.V. light on the sediment, the microscopic oil stands out easily.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can see all spread out all over. There's no reflections. This is all speckled. When turn off the light completely, it looks like the southern sky.
LAVANDERA (on camera): It looks like a constellation of stars.
HOLLANDER: Looks like a constellation of stars.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): But most troubling to David Hollander is evidence that the submerged oil is making its way through a region of the Gulf of Mexico known as the Desoto Canyon. The canyon stretches from just east of the Deepwater Horizon spill site to an area south of Panama City.
(on camera): So, the concern is not only that you found the droplets of oil, widespread, but where unfound it.
HOLLANDER: Yes. It's becoming now into these areas that are critical marine protected areas, critical habitats for commercial recreational fish.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA: You know, John and Kiran, a few weeks ago, NOAA officials had put out a report, kind of describing where the oil was. They talked about an underwater plume being anywhere between 3,000 and 4,000 feet below the water.
These scientists are telling us that they found those oil -- those microscopic droplets -- in much shallower water as well. Another interesting aspect of what they found over the last 10 days.
They'll continue doing research and analysis of what they brought back and they're planning another trip out to the Gulf waters in September as well -- guys.
ROBERTS: Ed Lavandera with the story for us this morning from St. Petersburg. We know you'll stay on it. Thanks, Ed.
Exactly two weeks before the last U.S. combat troops scheduled to leave Iraq, a new round of deadly violence today -- a suicide bomber killing at least 48 people and injuring more than 100 others in Baghdad overnight. The victims were in line outside of a military recruiting office with a man standing with them suddenly set off his suicide vest.
CHETRY: That deadly attack comes on the heels of a big announcement from Defense Secretary Robert Gates. After serving under two presidents, Gates says he is ready to retire and that he'll leave the Pentagon by spring of next year.
ROBERTS: For more, let's bring in our Chris Lawrence.
And, Chris, obviously, the job at the Pentagon is absolutely crucial, getting a deadly reminder of that with today's suicide attack. But what are -- what are the reasons Gates is giving for his departure next year?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, I mean, I think the story you read is a great example of why he may not exactly get what he wants. He's still going to finish the drawdown in Iraq. He's got to do the strategy review of the war in Afghanistan, still go to push some of these budget cuts that he's proposed through Congress and move that along.
So, he'd like to leave early next year. It may be summer, it may be fall. He's got a lot on his plate.
The reason he would like to leave sooner rather than later is because he doesn't want to go in 2012. That's an election year. There's a possibility that President Obama doesn't get re-elected. So, he feels having a confirmation hearing for a new secretary in a politically charged year is going to be very divisive and the chances of someone very strong and credible taking the job when there's a chance you may only have it for 10 months, that's pretty slim.
CHETRY: You know, also when you talk about just how much one man's presence at the helm matters when it comes to this. I mean,, who will Gates leaving affect the most and why?
LAWRENCE: Well, he's given a lot of political cover to President Obama himself. I mean, when President Obama came in, you know, there are some worries among people even here at the Pentagon that he would be somewhat soft on defense.
But Gates has really stood up, backing the policy in Afghanistan, helping to push through some of these cuts and weapons systems. He deflected a lot of the criticism from President Obama because he was -- he was a somewhat hawkish holdover from a Republican administration. He carried that sort of a credibility with him.
So, it remains to be seen, you know, how that's going to play out if President Obama has to bring in a new secretary.
ROBERTS: And, of course, with his announcement, now begins the Washington parlor game of who might replace him as secretary. And there are some people out there who were saying, you know, Hillary Clinton, she was on the Senate Armed Services Committee, maybe she would make a good Pentagon secretary.
LAWRENCE: Yes, she's like -- she's like the rock star name out there. You know, as she is for any job that she would hold. Our folks over at the State Department put that question out there yesterday, and the answer that came back was, hey, she's very, very focused on staying. I don't think that's going to happen.
ROBERTS: Of course. That's always the standard answer. But what are they saying inside the hall?
LAWRENCE: We can speculate, right, John?
ROBERTS: Yes, absolutely. Thanks, Chris.
LAWRENCE: Yes.
ROBERTS: New this morning, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at odds with President Obama over plans to build an Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero. Reid gave his take on the controversial issue to CNN affiliate KTVN yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: The Constitution gives us freedom of religion. I think that it's very obvious that the mosque should be built some place else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Reid's comments came just hours after his Republican challenger, Sharron Angle, called on him, to take a stand on the issue.
CHETRY: Also, same-sex marriages will not resume as planned tomorrow in California. An appeals court has put the ceremonies on hold until it hears a constitutional challenge to Proposition 8. That law bans same-sex marriage in the state, but it was the overturned by a federal judge -- you may remember earlier in the month. Both sides say they are ready to continue the legal fight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We returned our rings because it doesn't seem -- seems a little void to keep them and not really have what it means.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I felt like somebody just ripped my rights away, just ripped them right out of my heart.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really unfortunate that the folks who were trying to overturn Prop 8 have been stirring this up and getting a lot of people's hopes up and then having them go and line up at the county offices. I mean, this is a legal proceeding.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
CHETRY: Arguments will be held the week of December 6th. That means a decision on whether same-sex couples can legally wed in the state won't likely be decided until next year.
ROBERTS: Rob Marciano is tracking the extreme weather across the country in nine minutes after the hour. We've got some storms, we've got some heat, we've got lots of rain in some areas of the country -- potpourri of meteorological events.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. The weather story certainly has changed from this time last week when it was all about the heat.
Now, we are moving into a little bit more of a wet pattern, some thunderstorms last night rolled through the New York City area, and some of it bringing some damage, especially upstate. Those storms have now moved offshore. And it should be relatively calm day today.
And little bit on the toasty side. And then down to the South, this is what's leftover of tropical depression number five. It is pretty much moving onshore. But it will continue to bring heavy rain to places like Mississippi and southern Louisiana, and, also, some heavy rain moving across the plains. Missouri and Iowa -- those are areas that are already soaked from a very, very wet summer and Mississippi River up and over in flood stage in many spots. So, any further rain is not very welcomed.
What is welcomed, though, is a relatively cool air -- 77 degrees for a high temperature in Kansas City. The only spots where you'll see century marker: in Vegas and Phoenix -- where you would expect at this time of year. And then in Dallas with high temperatures of 101.
So, some spots are turning -- actually turning the air conditioner off. I talked to my parents and I think they had it running for almost two months straight.
CHETRY: Yes.
MARCIANO: As my dad is, that's a record. You know it's hot -- John and Kiran.
CHETRY: I know. Just tell them not to look at the bill this year and hope for the best next year. Thanks, Rob.
MARCIANO: Well, President Obama has raised more than $20 million this year for Democrats across the country. But are voters really happy about this fundraising frenzy?
Dan Lothian is covering the president -- coming up next, at 11 minutes after the hour.
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ROBERTS: Thirteen-and-a-half minutes after the hour.
So far this year, President Obama has been to dozen of fundraisers. Just last night, it was an event in Los Angeles with A- listers like Barbra Streisand and Steven Spielberg.
CHETRY: And the president's raking in millions for his party, even though his approval ratings are hitting an all-time low. In fact, the latest Gallup Poll shows that only 44 percent of Americans approve of his job performance.
Dan Lothian joins us with a closer look at the fundraiser-in- chief.
It's certainly not affecting the moneymaking right now.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It really isn't. You know, the president is in the middle of a three-day fundraising effort. You pointed out Los Angeles last night. Well, today, he'll be out in the Pacific Northwest, campaigning for Senator Patty Murray, who's in a tough re-election battle.
No matter what people across the country may think about the president in the polls, out on the fundraising trail, he remains a huge draw.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LOTHIAN (voice-over): President Obama is like a Democratic Party's ATM machine. And DNC chairman, Tim Kaine, is doing the math.
(on camera): Are you amazed at how effective he has been in raising funds in just short period of time?
TIM KAINE, CHAIRMAN, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE: I would say grateful. And not amazed.
LOTHIAN (voice-over): But not all voters are grateful for this fundraising frenzy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is going to fund-raisers instead of working on jobs bills or energy bills.
LOTHIAN: While it's part of a president's portfolio to also be fundraiser-in-chief, Mr. Obama is on an ambitious pace. Since January, he's headlined 36 events across the country, raising more than $22 million. In two separate trips to Boston and Miami in April, the president tapped the total of about $5 million.
KAINE: We'll able to put more money into the midterms by far than we've ever put in, probably north of $50 million. And the presidential events are huge.
LOTHIAN: At the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group that follows the money trail, Dave Leventhal (ph) says expanded election seasons and more competitive races require this kind of presidential muscle. But with the war and a battered economy, some voters see these trips as a distraction.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sure he would argue that he's -- has enough time to do both. But some people do have concerns that he's one man and he can't be everywhere at once. They would rather have him in Washington doing the business of the people than going out and fund-raising for his political brethren.
LOTHIAN: Especially when they see glitzy affairs at the homes of the rich and famous, where guests sometimes pony up the limit of $30,400 each. Kaine understands the optics but says small donations like $50 play a big role in a race that's about more than just cash.
KAINE: Raising money is never just about raising money. You are also finding supporters. You are, you know, delivering a message.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LOTHIAN: For those who might be critical of the big money race, Governor Kaine points out that the DNC is -- doing these fund-raisers with some big restrictions put in place by President Obama. Where they don't accept any money from the Political Action Committees and they don't accept money from Federal Lobbyists. John and Kiran.
ROBERTS: Still managed to rake it in, though. Dan Lothian at the White House this morning. Dan, thanks.
CHETRY: Speaking of raking it in, banks were making a killing off of overdraft fees. Well, now there are new rules in effect for your ATM and debit cards. Poppy Harlow is going to be joining us to break it down. Seventeen minutes past the hour.
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CHETRY: Welcome back to the Most News of the Morning. Nineteen minutes past the hour right now. We are "Minding Your Business." Some big changes coming thing morning for the fees that banks charge when you overdraw your account.
ROBERTS: Customers must now opt in to get overdraft protection. It is a service that has made the banks tens of millions of dollars over the years. CNNmoney.com's Poppy Harlow joins us now to tell us what these new rules mean for you and exactly how they work.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, they are changing their ways, the banks are a little bit. But what I want you to take a look at folks is just how much money the big banks have made off of you paying those overdraft fees. An average of $33.5 billion over the last five years. That's what these banks have been raking in. They are still going to make money but probably not as much if you are an informed consumer. What you need to know is that about 93 percent of those overdraft fees come from just about 14 percent of the people. So, it's the same people repeating what they were doing. I want to show you a letter, this came from one of the employees here from her bank asking her to opt-in for overdraft. I highlighted here --it says act now. You must act now to enjoy the peace of mind of knowing that you are not -- that you are going to be able to take out extra money. It is not peace of mind when you are charged $105 in two days for spending $5 over what she had. That's unbelievable.
So, what you have to do now is you have to opt-in, you have to tell your bank, yes, you can charge me more if I overdraw my account or you don't do anything and then they cannot do that. The impact of it is if you swipe your debit card, your ATM card and you don't have enough money, then you are not going to be able to get anything out of your account. That's the impact.
But you know, I want to show you how banks are changing their ways. Let's take a look at U.S. Bank, for example. They used to charge $37.50 if you withdraw more than you have in your account, even $2 over the limit. Now if you overdraw by $10 or less they won't charge you anything. If you overdraw by $20 or less they will charge you $10. But they are still going to charge you $33 if you overdraw your account by $20 or more. So, these letters are going out to people that are still really pushing them to sign up for overdraft protection and, therefore, pay the fee.
CHETRY: Yes. It doesn't sound like either one is a very good option. So, what should you do if -- you want to make sure you have a cushion but you don't want to get charged like that.
HARLOW: There are a few things you can do. There is a big list on cnn.money.com. You can go there and look. But a few things. You can actually link your checking account to your savings account so if you don't have any money left in checking it will just automatically switch over to savings. You can also apply for a line of credit from your bank that will probably cost you less than these overdraft fees which kick in every single time you withdraw more than you have. You can also keep a cash cushion and finally, you can focus on the available balance, not your overall balance. I also learned that you can sign up for low balance alerts. You can get e-mails when you are running out of money in your account. So, some things you can do.
ROBERTS: So, this is with an ATM. What happens if you write a check and you don't have the funds? Is it still the same thing?
HARLOW: Same story there. Most people don't use checks. But, you are right. I mean, some people --
ROBERTS: Check, what's that?
HARLOW: What's that? But it's at the store, people -- might be embarrassed if they don't have enough money. I would say that doesn't matter. Do you really want to pay $35 or more dollars every time you swipe if you are just $2 over? ROBERTS: Well, that bargain that you are going after is no longer a bargain.
HARLOW: It's no longer a bargain at all.
ROBERTS: Poppy, thanks. Great tips this morning. The same-sex marriage is on hold in California as the legal battle takes yet another twist. Our Dan Simons has got the latest on that controversy coming up. Stay with us.
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ROBERTS: Twenty-five minutes after the hour. Your top stories just a few minutes away. But first an A.M. Original, something you will see only on "American Morning." We got a huge response when we first brought you our medical series, "Waste in Hospitals" back in March, about the mind-boggling prices that health care providers are charging.
CHETRY: Yes. And today we have the story of a woman who was a doctor herself and she needed surgery to save the vision in her right eye. Well, after the surgery she got her bill and she simply couldn't believe the charges. Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now from Atlanta. And you took that bill and you actually took it back to ask them what's going on here? What did the hospital say?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The hospital's response is in the piece. And I think it has something to do with eating steak at a restaurant. We will have to see what they say when we watch the piece. But it really is the ultimate in sticker shock when you take a look and you see a price tag on your hospital bill for an everyday item that hospitals use every time. The markup can be shocking.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN (on camera): You recently had an experience when you were in the hospital that really blew your mind.
DR. LINA BURKE-GALLOWAY, PATIENT: Well, when I got out of the hospital and got the bill, yes. I definitely had an alarming experience. I received my bill and noticed some items that were totally inflated. Forceps, 25 gauge disposable, $863.20.
COHEN: What went through your mind?
BURKE-GALLOWAY: I was outraged. So I said, listen, I'm a physician. This is an instrument that you are going to throw away. And I encountered a very arrogant young man from the billing department who basically said when you sign consent for the procedure, you allowed us to charge you anything we wanted to.
COHEN: And so you then went on the Internet to see what it would cost to get a pair of forceps from a medical supply company.
BURKE-GALLOWAY: Yes, I did. COHEN: Okay, so let's -- come show me what you found.
BURKE-GALLOWAY: A forcep, similar to the one I had, $192.
COHEN: You paid $863 but you can go buy it from a medical supply company for $192.
BURKE-GALLOWAY: Yes. Yes. That's very troubling.
COHEN: Well, what I'm going to do is I am going to go to the American Hospital Association and I'm going to ask them please explain this markup to me.
BURKE-GALLOWAY: I thoroughly agree with that.
COHEN: So, the markup on these forceps was more than four times what it would cost to just get it from a medical supply company. Why four times? Because people want that -- people want to know why.
RICHARD UMBDENSTOCK, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION: I think everybody understands the notion that when you buy something, let's say like a steak, and you want to have a really nice steak dinner at home. It is a lot less expensive to prepare it and enjoy it at home than it is out at a restaurant.
COHEN: If they want to charge you $863 for a disposable piece of equipment, they can do it?
UMBDENSTOCK: The hospital has to be able to bring in more money than it spends or it won't be there for the next patient.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: So, Elizabeth, what's the patient to do? Obviously even if you are a doctor like the subject in your piece was, you can't go out and buy the supplies and by the way I, I brought these for you because I wanted to save some money.
COHEN: Right, wouldn't that be great? It is really interesting because you can get these things. I mean, I just got this right off the Internet. It is not difficult to do. Hospitals say they have no quality control when patients bring things in themselves. They don't know if it is going to give you an infection or anything like that. So, that, unfortunately, is -- that's not possible. For example, diabetics often cannot even bring in their own insulin when they go to the hospital. They have to use the hospital's insulin which, of course is way more expensive.
CHETRY: So, in your book which you just wrote, and it's out now, The Empowered Patient, you talked about some tips, some ways to sort of battle your hospital and your insurance company in a way that actually gets results. So, what's your advice in this case?
COHEN: Right. A couple of pieces of advice here. One is to just keep going, when you get -- if one person tells you no sorry, we are not going to change your bill. Don't take no for an answer. The second thing is that if you get your insurance through your employer as most Americans do, ask your employer for help, go to your benefits company, they have more power than you do because they represent the entire contract and that's quite a bit of money. So, those are two tips we are trying to battle your hospital. The hospital you went to or your insurance company. If it is the insurance company giving you a hard time.
ROBERTS: You know, I'm still trying to get over the $140 Tylenol pill that you told us about yesterday. My god.
COHEN: I know. Isn't that crazy? Hospitals say, look, we have to charge more because we also have to cover our nurses' salaries and cover we have to cover our janitors' salaries and we have to cover, you know, all these different things. And so I asked them -- but you charge separately for that. So, why do you have to cover it over in the course of the Tylenol? They didn't really have a good answer for that.
CHETRY: Because it is like a steak. Tylenol.
COHEN: It is like a steak. Yes.
ROBERTS: What a scam. Thanks, Elizabeth, great story this morning.
COHEN: Bye. Thank you.
CHETRY: So if this got you fired up today, what did you do when you added it up, $14,000 for a bottle of Tylenol?
ROBERTS: That bottle of Tylenol at those prices it would have been $14,000.
CHETRY: Well, tomorrow we'll be able to give you some piece of mind. There's a hospital that's actually saving money and at the same time providing quality care. With more than $1 trillion a year of wasteful spending many are asking, can this entire system learn something from this particular hospital?
ROBERTS: We're crossing the half hour. It's time for this morning's top stories. In Iraq, a suicide bomber kills at least 48 people outside of a military recruiting center in central Baghdad. More than 100 other people were injured. That attack coincides with the withdrawal of American combat forces scheduled to be completed exactly two weeks from today.
CHETRY: Researchers at University of South Florida discovering droplets of oil in dispersants spreading east across the Gulf floor and closing in on the Florida panhandle. They say that the chemical mix of dispersant and oil is settling into areas that are critical to marine ecosystems and that it is highly toxic especially to the smallest of marine organisms.
ROBERTS: And actor Michael Douglas says he's very optimistic after doctors discovered a tumor in his throat. The spokesman for Douglas says the 65-year-old actor will undergo eight weeks of radiation and chemotherapy and that he is expected to make a full recovery.
CHETRY: Some new developments now in the fight for same-sex marriage in California. A federal appeals court has now stopped gay and lesbian couples in California from saying "I do."
ROBERTS: That has a lot of weddings on hold this morning. Many same-sex couples have already invited friends and family to celebrate. The ceremonies are booked for tomorrow. That's when the stay was supposed to expire. Dan Simon has the latest for us this morning on the emotional legal and moral fight.
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DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, we are at San Francisco's city hall where same-sex marriages were set to resume on Wednesday even while Proposition 8 is under appeal. As a matter of fact, the city clerk's office was planning to keep the office open longer to allow all of the people to come in and apply for marriage licenses. But that's not going to happen now.
Mayor Gavin Newsom, obviously a huge backer of same-sex marriage, had this reaction.
MAYOR GAVIN NEWSOM, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: If this was someone saying I can't marry someone I love and I have been together 20 years and I was about to marry that person and at 6:00, this Wednesday, now you are saying I can't when just last week you said I could, think about, honestly, how that hits the heart.
SIMON: So here is what happened. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals block blocked a lower court's ruling saying the marriages cannot take place while Proposition 8 continues to make its way through the legal system.
This obviously marks a victory for Prop 8 supporters. A statement from protectmarriage.com that defended them in this case says "California voters spoke clearly on prop 8 and we're glad to see their votes remain valid while the legal challenges work their way up through the courts."
And that last statement is the real key here. Proposition 8 continues to make its way through the legal system and the ninth circuit court of appeals saying we'll look at the case in an expedited fashion and you can expect a trial sometime in December.
Now, same-sex marriage supporters have the option of appealing the ruling to the Supreme Court but are choosing not to do so. They released a statement that it says, quote, "We are very gratified the ninth circuit has recognized the importance and pressing nature of this case and the need to resolve it as quickly as possible by issuing the extremely expediting briefing schedule."
The bottom line is things will remain the status quo here in California. The future of Proposition 8 remains uncertain. John and Kiran, back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: Dan Simon for us this morning, thanks.
ROBERTS: A lot of chaos and destruction left behind by those Pakistani floods, 20 million people affected, 67 square miles of the country virtually uninhabitable. Is it giving Taliban insurgents an opportunity to gain influence? We'll talk about Akbar Ahmed, coming up.
It's 34 minutes after the hour.
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ROBERTS: It's 37 minutes after the hour. There are growing concerns this morning that Pakistan's flood disaster is about to get even worse with more than 1,400 people dead and millions of children at risk for disease. Pakistan says it's in dire need of clean water and medical supplies.
It's a scenario that's threatening Pakistan's fragile political leadership. For more on that the security implications, we are joined by Ambassador Akbar Ahmed. He's a professor of Islamic Studies at American University.
Mr. Ambassador, it is great to see you this morning. You really believe that this flood seriously security implications for both Pakistan and the United States. How so?
AKBAR AHMED, AUTHOR, "JOURNEY INTO AMERICA": John, exactly. And this is a connection that's often overlooked in the analysis, so let's do connecting of the dots. General David Petraeus, the brilliant soldier that he is, has outlined his military and political strategy based on one country as being indispensable in the winning of the war on terror, and that country is Pakistan. He is assuming Pakistan is strong and stable and steady.
Pakistan at this moment is in a very fragile condition. These floods are of Biblical proportions. The catastrophes are unimaginable. The secretary general of the United Nations said he has seen many, many tragedies and humanitarian disasters in the world. He has never seen anything like this.
This is the time, John, when the people of Pakistan are angry and they are anguished and face a very uncertain future, and they can go any way.
ROBERTS: There are a couple of concerns here, Mr. Ambassador, one, that the impact of the floods could cripple the Pakistani economy, perhaps even topple President Asif Ali al-Zardari, and as well in those northwest provinces where the government can't even get in that it might give the Taliban a chance to wield even greater influence over the area. If it can provide what the government can't, maybe people will side with the Taliban.
AHMED: Exactly, because remember, the focus of the floods is the frontier province, the northern province. That is hardest hit. And that was the contested area of between the militants, the Taliban, and government forces. It has been fiercely contested.
So the people of Pakistan have been hit twice over. Thousands died in those battles between the militants and the army. Millions were displaced, and then the floods hit them.
And there are a lot of religious leaders actually saying this. They are saying that you people need to be much more Islamic, much more orthodox in your practice. You are falling prey to foreign influences. So we can see that this could go either way and it could have an impact immediately on what's happening over in Afghanistan involving American forces because this is the sanctuary for a lot of the Taliban slipping across from Afghanistan.
ROBERTS: And how much of a vacuum is there, Mr. Ambassador, in those very sensitive areas like the Swat valley where the Taliban was trying to yield control?
AHMED: John, my sister-in-law, my wife's family are from Swat and say it is all collapsed. The administration has collapsed. There were 63 bridges over the Swat River. They have been swept away. There is no electricity.
And they are really fearful now of waterborne diseases. There are cases of cholera that have been reported. Malaria is suspected.
So the immediate future is a huge challenge for ordinary Pakistanis. This is time for America to be there as a friends and an ally to start winning hearts and minds, which is what General Petraeus has been aiming at.
ROBERTS: Just staying with the Taliban here a second, has the Taliban about been hit as hard as your wife's family and other people in that area, or do they have the resources to provide what the government can't in those areas?
AHMED: A lot of Islamic parties are out there helping ordinary people. I'm not saying they are all pro-Taliban. This is Islamic duty, this is charity. At the same time, a lot of the Taliban live in the tribal areas. The tribal areas are the frontier provinces along the Afghan border of a higher altitude. So they would have escaped the terrible floods in the lower parts of the frontier problems.
Therefore, they would not have been so hard hit, which means they are more fresh and capable now of a counterattack in terms of reaching out to ordinary people.
ROBERTS: So, Mr. Ambassador, you believe that the United States has an opportunity here not only to help folks there but also win over hearts and minds and perhaps help turn the tide there in Pakistan. What does the U.S. government need to do?
AHMED: It needs to be very bold in its reactions. The American people are very generous, the tsunami nation, the Haiti earthquake, they immediately saw the American response to generosity, compassion. Here in terms of Pakistan there has been what commentators are calling a deficit, a deficit in response to aid and humanitarian efforts. It may be because of the image Pakistan has, the image of terrorism and violence and extremism which the media reinforces.
This is the time for American helicopters, medical supplies, tents, food to be turning up, and be visible, substantial aid and also, John, symbolic. Symbolic assistance has a huge impact on morale if nothing else.
I recall the time Jackie Kennedy came to Pakistan in the 1960s. She went to the frontier providence and the people of Pakistan just loved her. I remember Princess Diana turning up in the 1990s sitting in the hall with an HIV-infected boy in her lap. That picture became iconic. It is one of the great pictures of Diana as a woman of great compassion.
This is a time when someone like Michelle Obama or Sarah Palin, some female figure who radiates compassion and reaches out to older people, sitting in the villages, talking to women or children and just reaching out in compassion. It will make a huge impact in Pakistan.
People there need hope. They need compassion. They need friendship. This is the time for America to win hearts and minds and therefore, help ultimately General Petraeus and the boys over there in Afghanistan.
ROBERTS: We will see if they take you up on that suggestion. Mr. Ambassador, it's great to talk to you this morning. Thanks so much. And my best to your family over there. I hope they get through this OK.
AHMED: Thank you, John.
ROBERTS: By the way, he's the author of "Journey into America, the Challenge of Islam." It's a great book that details so much of the struggles we are in now in dealing with all of these things around the world. Terrific read. Kiran?
CHETRY: John, thanks.
Well, heavy rain with flood potential plus a tropical depression is not gone yet. It is still a potential threat. Our Rob Marciano has the latest for us, coming up.
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CHETRY: -- Chicago, Illinois this morning at 46 minutes past the hour right now. It's partly cloudy there, it's 69 degrees; a little later going up to a high of 80 in Chicago.
ROBERTS: Rob Marciano is tracking the weather across the country. And we've got a little bit of everything today, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We do. But the good news is we have less the way of cold air or hot air, I should say. Kiran mentioning Chicago, fairly cool for this time of year, a little bit of a breeze as well. And that cool air will be filtering into the northeast eventually.
Today it's going to be -- not too cool. Highs near 90, but tomorrow it will be a little bit cooler across the northeast.
If you are traveling today, Atlanta will see 30 to 60 minute delays. A little bit of low clouds and fog and rain. And in Houston and San Francisco, some delays as well. Florida at the airports there, maybe some afternoon thunderstorms slowing things down and a little bit of low visibility at the Denver airport.
Here are the thunderstorms that rolled through the northeast last night. Bringing in some cases some downed trees and few power lines and a couple of smatterings of shower trying to develop but I think today for the most part will be quiet and fairly dry and fairly warm. Tomorrow a little less warm; it will be a little bit more comfortable.
Humid, yes and heavy rain at times across parts of Mississippi and Southern Louisiana, we've got flood watches up for this area. This is what's leftover that tropical depression that actually we thought might redevelop but hasn't done that and that's the good news. The bad news is this place doesn't need any more rain. So they've got that.
Also some good news is that the heat advisories and warnings only down to one state. Last week we were talking about well over a dozen. Temperatures in the midsection of the country in the mid 70s; 80 degrees in Chicago and well, 101 in Dallas -- still warm across parts of Texas. But a lot cooler this week than it was last week. That's for sure -- John and Kiran.
CHETRY: Yes, we will take it.
Thanks, Rob. I appreciate it.
We talk a lot about food deserts -- places where it's very difficult to get fresh, healthy food; people eating much more processed food and at the same time gaining weight.
Well, now there is a new program out there. It's food vouchers. It's fruit and veggie vouchers to fight childhood obesity. We're going to take a look at the program and see how it is working.
Forty-eight minutes past the hour.
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CHETRY: Fifty minutes past the hour. Welcome back to "The Most News in the Morning".
And this morning's "Fit Nation", a coupon a day to help keep the doctor away essentially. In Boston, there is a pilot program under way right now that encourages families to shop at local farmers markets for fruits and vegetables. And to that end they are giving coupons amounting to a dollar a day for each family member. And the goal is to shed pounds one apple or eggplant at a time.
Joining us from Boston to talk more about the program, is Dr. Shika Anand, medical director of the Healthy Weight Initiative at the Ceiling Invisibility Unlimited Organization.
Thanks so much for being with us this morning, doctor.
DR. SHIKA ANAND, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PEDIATRICS, BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Good morning, Kiran. Thank you for having me.
CHETRY: So it's a dollar a day per family member. Explain how the program works.
ANAND: Sure. So, we run a series of obesity clinics in eight health centers throughout the state of Massachusetts. For this season, we've piloted in three of our health centers. There's at Codman (ph) Square in George Hester (ph), Greater Lawrence (ph) Family Health Center in Lawrence and Julio Health Care Center in Julio. We've given out these coupons.
And so what happens is when people come into these obesity clinics we assess their fruit and vegetable intake routinely. So as we asked we them what their intake is, there's often room for improvement, as you can imagine.
So for families who have a lower fruit and vegetable intake we provide these coupons. And what we do is -- we calculate, as you said, $1 per day, $1 per serving and so the goal is to increase by one serving perfect day per family member. So for a family of four, this amounts to $112 per month.
And these -- these coupons are in $2.50 increments and they can be taken to local farmers markets to be redeemed for fresh produce.
CHETRY: So what's been the response right now? Any anecdotal changes from family members who have been part of the program? Have they been able to incorporate more healthy foods and perhaps lose weight?
ANAND: Yes. So we definitely heard anecdotal evidence that families are really increasing their consumption and they have an increased awareness of the farmers markets in their community as well as have tried new vegetables and new fruits and particularly you hear that from the younger children.
In addition to that, we have had some anecdotal evidence that family members are losing weight. We track the weight on the index children, the child coming to the obesity clinic but we've also heard that other family members are losing weight as well.
CHETRY: And so the point of the coupons, so that the -- the money or the voucher has to go towards certain healthier eating. I mean, rather than if you just gave people let's say $100 a month extra for groceries. Because we know that times are tough for many people right now just in terms of putting food on the table that they would not necessarily choose the healthier foods while they are starting with the program.
ANAND: Well, yes. There are two barriers to families choosing these foods.
The first is access. As you mentioned, there are food deserts. And so in a lot of these underserved areas there isn't really a lot of fresh produce available within the local grocery scores.
The second is that, often processed foods are cheaper in America than produce is. So families who are really struggling to put food on the table may not be able to afford produce for their families. And that's the reason why we've chosen to -- to budget for every single family member to allow for enough for each family member to really access the food.
CHETRY: You know, this is a wonderful time of year in most parts of the country to get fresh produce. You know, the local corn in many areas, tomatoes, all of that very prodigious in the summer.
What happens though, once these farmers markets start to close down as we get into the winter season? How do you continue this program? And thus, the healthy eating initiative for these families?
ANAND: So we do partner with a few -- year-round farmers markets. And the foundation that we work, Wholesome Weight, is really dedicated to providing fresh produce access to low-income families year round. And so we'll work to expand those year-round farmers markets. In addition, we're looking to partner with grocery stores or other vendors of vegetables that we can get to the families year- round.
CHETRY: It is a great initiative. We certainly hope that it works. And congrats to you guys for trying something new and different and innovative in terms of trying to get people to eat healthier. We appreciate it.
Dr. Shika Anand, thanks so much.
ANAND: Thank you.
CHETRY: We are going to take a quick break. Fifty-five minutes past the hour. We will be right back.
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ROBERTS: All the times we had together and how things have changed. Even just past few years.
Every year, Beloit College takes a look at its incoming freshman class and tracks how much life has changed over the decades. This is going to make a lot of us feel awfully old.
When you talk about phones, these 18-year-olds from the class of '14 don't think of anything that has a cord attached to it, unless it's a charger. It's all about the cell phone.
As for Clint Eastwood -- is he "Dirty Harry"? No, he's the Oscar-winning director of films like "Million Dollar Baby" and "Letters from Iwo Jima". And if you need to know what time it is, they don't wear wrist watches. They just take a look at that phone that's always in their hand. And of course, they have always had 500 cable channels.
CHETRY: So hang on to your 8-tracks. You can show them and say when I was a young kid, we used to have put on match box into the --
ROBERTS: You can hang on to your laptop computer and say when I was young. Gosh knows what they're going to have in the future. Of course, the Apple iPad is replacing everything.
CHETRY: Yes. And even the old cell phones and huge, wide, thick --
ROBERTS: I still remember the ones that actually had --
CHETRY: A bag, a leather case.
ROBERTS: Well, no. They had that great big brick for a battery in the bottom. Those are the very first ones.
CHETRY: My mother said this is under the driver's seat of the car. Only use it in an emergency because the charges are very high. Now you have to have laws to keep people off the cell phone in the car.
ROBERTS: The times, they are a changing.
CHETRY: I hope we accomplished what we tried to do. We just want you to feel old. Sorry about that.
Well, continue the conversation on today's stories by heading to our blog, CNN.com/amfix.
That's going to do it for us. We'll see you back here, bright and early tomorrow.
ROBERTS: The news continues here on CNN with Kyra Phillips in the "CNN NEWSROOM". Good morning Kyra.
