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CNN Sunday Morning

American Coaching Chinese Olympic Hopefuls; Pfizer to Begin Discount Drug Program; Disabled Musicians Hope for Grammy Nod

Aired July 18, 2004 - 09:30   ET

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

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


(WEATHER REPORT)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: One of the U.S.' top athletes cites exhaustion in the run-up to the Olympic games. We're going to tell you who and why.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Plus, has Pfizer found a prescription to lower the high price of medicine? The bottom line on the drug company's new plan, that's still to come.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Hoop dreams not just for Americans anymore. We're going to introduce you to China's dream team.

Welcome back. I'm Drew Griffin.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. That story is coming up. But first here's what's in the news right now.

A U.S. air strike on a house in the Iraqi city of Fallujah has killed at least 14 people and wounded three others. A spokesman says the Iraqi interim prime minister approved that attack. One report says the U.S. military was targeting people with links to terrorist fugitive Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Charles Jenkins arrived today in Tokyo for medical treatment. Jenkins, a former American soldier, is accused of defecting to North Korea almost 40 years ago. The State Department says Jenkins is a deserter accused of serious crimes, and the U.S. may seek custody of him.

Tens of thousands of people have been slaughtered in Sudan, and now the talks to end the killing have broken down. Two rebel groups have walked out of negotiations and reportedly left Ethiopia. They complained that the Sudanese government is ignoring existing peace agreements.

And a rocket lights up the sky over French Guyana. That launch puts the world's largest commercial telecommunications satellite into orbit. Owned by Canada's Telesat, it will provide high-speed Internet access and digital telecommunications across North America.

Keeping you informed, this is CNN, the most trusted name in news.

GRIFFIN: Now to the latest developments in the run to Athens. Just weeks before the Olympic games begin, the Olympic track and field trials are being held in Sacramento.

And yesterday sprinter Marion Jones abruptly eliminated herself from yesterday's 200-meter qualification event. Jones chalked up a round of poor performances to exhaustion and stress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARION JONES, SPRINTER: My reasoning for pulling out of the 200 today is simply because of fatigue. There's no other reason. There are no other excuses. After running my rounds yesterday, I was simply tired, exhausted.

It happens. It happened to me. It hasn't happened in the past, but it happened. I woke up this morning, and I was tired.

And I have always told myself and the people whom I surround myself with that if I cannot give 100 percent out on the track at any given time then I won't go out there. And so I did not want to take up a lane from a young athlete who perhaps, you know, this would be their only chance at Olympic trials.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Jones will go to the Olympics as a long jumper, but as of right now she will not be defending her gold medals in the 100- meter and 200-meter races.

NGUYEN: And while Jones puts some of her dreams on hold, some other Olympic hopefuls are trying to make their golden dreams come true.

Mike Chinoy explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dell Harris is the most popular American in China, and he's coaching the most popular Chinese in America. NBA star Yao Ming and the rest of this country's 1.3 billion people, hoping the Dallas Mavericks' assistant coach will lead China to its first Olympic basketball medal.

(on camera): Translating that ambition into success is no guaranteed slam-dunk, or as the Chinese would say, kolang (ph). (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

Harris is trying to master hundreds of basketball terms in Chinese.

DELL HARRIS, COACHING CHINESE OLYMPIC TEAM: Believe me, I know hundreds of them. But transition of information has to be so rapid fire that I can't think of the Chinese word quickly enough, and by the time I say what I want to say and the translator says it, the moment has passed.

CHINOY (voice-over): That's not the only coaching challenge.

HARRIS: Basically, they're not an aggressive, violent type of mentality.

CHINOY: But Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets says the team is thrilled.

YAO MING, CHINESE OLYMPIC BASKETBALL TEAM: He is teaching us many new ways and many new ideas for helping us to grow up (ph).

CHINOY: It's clear Beijing isn't Dallas. Standing at attention for the Chinese national anthem, the boys from the Ministry of Public Security in the stands. The team, not yet, at NBA level.

But there's time, because Harris knows the goal really isn't this year, but 2008, when the Olympics will be held here in Beijing and the Chinese get the home court advantage.

Mike Chinoy, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: More sports. In the final day of the British Open, several golfers are serving up some British royal tee. Right now the hottest hand belongs to this man right here.

You can say Todd Hamilton is one hot Toddy. After he sank this putt yesterday, Hamilton now holds a one-shot lead at eight under. Tiger Woods four off the lead following yesterday's play. And U.S. Masters champ Phil Mickelson is trying to get his fill. He is tied for third place.

NGUYEN: Hot Toddy? All right.

Well, let's get a profile of the week ahead.

A hearing is tentatively scheduled for tomorrow for Alphonso Rodriguez Jr. He's charged in the death of North Dakota student Drew Sjodin.

Tuesday is the day the main Olympic stadium is due to be completed in Athens. The summer games begin on August 13. And there is a worry many Olympic venues will not be completed.

And the key witness against Martha Stewart will be sentenced on Friday. Douglas Faneuil will learn his fate from the same judge who sentenced Stewart.

GRIFFIN: Pfizer says its new prescription plan will cut the cost of its drugs. But by how much? We're going to crunch the numbers when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Good morning, Vegas. Your weekend forecast just ahead. This is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. We'll be back in 90 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: Well, he spent eight weeks in a Mexican prison for the way he tried to buy prescription drugs for his ailing wife. Sixty- six-year-old Phoenix resident Raymond Lindell was released and allowed to return to the U.S. on Tuesday. There he is in this video.

He was arrested in May for buying 270 prescription Valium pills at a Mexican pharmacy. Lindell says he went to Mexico because the cost of medication in the U.S. is just too high.

He is one of thousands crossing the border trying to save money on prescription drugs.

Now, Pfizer drug company makes some of the largest selling prescription medicines in the world, including Viagra, Lipitor and Zoloft. And next month Pfizer plans to make its prescription drugs free or even discounted to qualified persons.

And to help explain why Pfizer has taken this step and what it may mean for you, our guest this morning is Adam Atherly. He teaches at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University right here in Atlanta.

Adam, thank you for joining us today.

ADAM ATHERLY, EMORY UNIVERSITY: Thank you.

NGUYEN: Well, tell us, why is Pfizer doing this? Offering free drugs to an extent, but really discounted drugs to certain folks?

ATHERLY: Right. They're -- they're aiming their program at people who are uninsured right now. And there's a couple of different things that they're doing.

For people who have an income above $31,000, which is about twice the federal poverty line, they are offering discounts on their drugs off the retail price.

And the size of that discount varies depending on the particular drug and the person's income. But everybody who doesn't have health insurance is at least to get -- supposed to get some level of discounts.

And then, as you say, the piece that really has gotten people's attention is, for people under $31,000, they're actually offering their drugs for free.

NGUYEN: Exactly.

ATHERLY: And it's a fairly straightforward process. It's just a matter of filling out a form that Pfizer has put together, and then, if they find you're eligible and you don't have other insurance, you just need to go to our doctor, get a prescription and they'll give you the drug.

NGUYEN: Now, is this for all drugs that Pfizer make or just for certain drugs? ATHERLY: This is going to cover all drugs that they offer.

NGUYEN: Now what's in it for Pfizer? A lot of folks want to say, great, this is a terrific plan. Of course, everyone wants a good deal. But of course, Pfizer has to be getting something out of it.

ATHERLY: Well, there's -- again, if you look at the drug as being in the two pieces, the discount piece and then the free drug piece.

With the discount piece, what's happened is that over the past five to 10 years, the big buyers of drugs have negotiated discounts off the retail price. And what they've done is they've essentially made a volume/price trade-off, where they have said to the drug companies, "If you give us a discount off your price, we'll sell more of your drugs." And so the drug companies have been willing to do that.

But what's happened is that the big buyers have been able to get these discounts, but it's left a couple of groups out. Mostly it's people who buy drugs on their own without the help of the big buyers.

So one of the key groups that hasn't had this benefit is people on Medicare. And that's what this Medicare prescription drug card is all about.

Another group that doesn't have access to the discounts is the uninsured. And so what this does is it essentially extends that same benefit to the uninsured. And Pfizer is probably hoping that the same sort of volume/price trade-off might work with the uninsured, too, where they can actually sell more drugs with this.

Now for the people who are going to be getting free drugs for -- again, this is not -- nothing new. All of the drug companies actually give away drugs to low-income people. And they've done that for years.

What's new about the Pfizer program is just the scope of the program. They've had a big, splashy rollout, and they've put a lot of publicity into it so people know about it now.

NGUYEN: Exactly. And that's key, because a lot of folks who are interested may not know how to actually get in on the plan. So, for those who are interested, how do they know, one, if they're eligible and, two, how do they register for it?

ATHERLY: Well, what Pfizer has said is that everybody who doesn't have health insurance right now is eligible for the program. And what they've said is that the program is going to start August 2 and that it's just a matter of getting a form from Pfizer. They have a 1-800 number, and they also have a Web site where you can download the forms.

NGUYEN: OK, but this also benefits Pfizer in -- in the extent that folks who may not have been able to afford drugs, you know, made by Pfizer will now be able to afford them. So it broadens the scope of the people that it can treat, correct?

ATHERLY: Right. And that -- that's one potential gain for -- for Pfizer.

And also, of course, the drug companies have really taken a beating lately in terms of their public perception. If you go back five or 10 years ago, Americans really thought very favorably about drug companies. It was an industry that most people thought was doing a very good job.

And what's happened is that the public perception of it has just gone down, down, down. And now people really think of prescription drug companies as part of the problem.

NGUYEN: Quickly, is this a way to keep people like Mr. Lindell that we just talked about, from going to Mexico or even Canada to buy cheaper drugs?

ATHERLY: If he's low income enough, he may be able to get the drugs for free. But otherwise, probably not. I mean this is -- you're going to probably still see cheaper drug prices in other countries than you will see through the discount program.

NGUYEN: All right. Adam Atherly, thank you very much for your time and your information this morning.

ATHERLY: Thank you.

NGUYEN: Well, another pharmaceutical company has been giving away its prescription drugs for free, only it doesn't know it.

Medica is based in Minnesota and makes generic equivalents of brand name prescription drugs, and for the past month pharmacists have not been charging for Medica's generics, due to a computer error.

Medica had, though, meant to offer free drugs as a one-time promotion to encourage some customers to switch from brand names to generic medicines -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: Betty, up next, music from the heart. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: We will introduce you to a unique group that could win the Grammy for best original song, when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Good morning, Las Vegas, or good night to some of you, I imagine. A live look over the city this Sunday morning. Your weekend forecast just a couple of minutes away.

Welcome back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Drew Griffin. The top stories now.

A U.S. military spokesman says a senior commander of the former Iraqi Republican Guard has been captured. This man, Sufyan Maher, is suspected of planning and financing attacks on Iraqi civilians and coalition forces. He was arrested in the city of Tikrit.

Charles Jenkins arrived today in Tokyo for medical treatment. He is a former American soldier accused of defecting to North Korea almost 40 years ago. The State Department says Jenkins is a deserter accused of serious crimes, and the State Department will seek custody of him.

And wildfires in Southern California are forcing even more people from their homes. Two new fires just yesterday, adding to the dozens of fires already burning in the West.

NGUYEN: Next, the music and the might. A group called the Moroccan Ensemble and the Inspirational Chorus composed a song called "Let Us Fly." Now a member of the Grammy's Recording Academy is submitting it for a best original song nod.

The story is all the more unique because each of the singers is mentally impaired.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love it. I love playing drums.

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We collaborated on the words.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are just like we are. They have the same dreams that we have. And one day they just asked, when can we participate in the Grammys?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because I sing well, so -- and everybody else sings well, too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We aren't looking at them like they're totally disabled. It's the exact opposite.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We practice Tuesdays and Thursdays, and -- and we come and we sing.

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think about having wings like an angel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: We'll let you know if they get nominated.

Now for a Spry family update.

These three Sprys continue to live the American dream, their version, this summer. They said enough is enough to California. We've been telling you about their cruise across America, looking for another place to put down roots.

We're going to give you an update.

This week they are in Bar Harbor, Maine, about as far as -- from California as you can get in the continental U.S. Before that they explored parts of Connecticut, having a great time among the old ships in Mystic.

The Sprys say they will return westward to visit some of the places they missed along the way before finally deciding where they will settle down.

NGUYEN: And a lot of folks out West are hoping for some rain, especially with all of those wildfires.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: We want to check in now with Kelly Wallace in Washington with a preview of "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY."

Good morning, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY": Good morning, Betty.

We have top message makers from both the Bush/Cheney and Kerry/Edwards campaigns. They will debate the hot issues of the week, from national intelligence to the war on Iraq.

We'll also speak to one of the best political columnists in the business, Molly Ivins, about her new book, "Who Let the Dogs In"?

And we have a surprise, a new member of the "INSIDE POLITICS" family has arrived. But you'll have to tune in at 10 a.m. to find out who it is. Betty, I know you'll be watching.

NGUYEN: Definitely, with that kind of tease. I'm looking forward to it. I wonder who it is. OK. No guesses here?

WALLACE: No guesses; no clues either.

NGUYEN: All right. All right. Thank you, Kelly.

GRIFFIN: All right, ladies. A look at the stories in the news right now when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Up next here on CNN, "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY" debates the issues of the week. And then at 11 a.m. Eastern, a live update on the wildfires blazing across California. Plus, how those dry conditions might affect hurricane season.

And at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, Ted Koppel shares his views on the Iraq war and what he thinks about the upcoming election, as well as the future of "Nightline."

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired July 18, 2004 - 09:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(WEATHER REPORT)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: One of the U.S.' top athletes cites exhaustion in the run-up to the Olympic games. We're going to tell you who and why.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Plus, has Pfizer found a prescription to lower the high price of medicine? The bottom line on the drug company's new plan, that's still to come.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Hoop dreams not just for Americans anymore. We're going to introduce you to China's dream team.

Welcome back. I'm Drew Griffin.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. That story is coming up. But first here's what's in the news right now.

A U.S. air strike on a house in the Iraqi city of Fallujah has killed at least 14 people and wounded three others. A spokesman says the Iraqi interim prime minister approved that attack. One report says the U.S. military was targeting people with links to terrorist fugitive Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Charles Jenkins arrived today in Tokyo for medical treatment. Jenkins, a former American soldier, is accused of defecting to North Korea almost 40 years ago. The State Department says Jenkins is a deserter accused of serious crimes, and the U.S. may seek custody of him.

Tens of thousands of people have been slaughtered in Sudan, and now the talks to end the killing have broken down. Two rebel groups have walked out of negotiations and reportedly left Ethiopia. They complained that the Sudanese government is ignoring existing peace agreements.

And a rocket lights up the sky over French Guyana. That launch puts the world's largest commercial telecommunications satellite into orbit. Owned by Canada's Telesat, it will provide high-speed Internet access and digital telecommunications across North America.

Keeping you informed, this is CNN, the most trusted name in news.

GRIFFIN: Now to the latest developments in the run to Athens. Just weeks before the Olympic games begin, the Olympic track and field trials are being held in Sacramento.

And yesterday sprinter Marion Jones abruptly eliminated herself from yesterday's 200-meter qualification event. Jones chalked up a round of poor performances to exhaustion and stress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARION JONES, SPRINTER: My reasoning for pulling out of the 200 today is simply because of fatigue. There's no other reason. There are no other excuses. After running my rounds yesterday, I was simply tired, exhausted.

It happens. It happened to me. It hasn't happened in the past, but it happened. I woke up this morning, and I was tired.

And I have always told myself and the people whom I surround myself with that if I cannot give 100 percent out on the track at any given time then I won't go out there. And so I did not want to take up a lane from a young athlete who perhaps, you know, this would be their only chance at Olympic trials.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Jones will go to the Olympics as a long jumper, but as of right now she will not be defending her gold medals in the 100- meter and 200-meter races.

NGUYEN: And while Jones puts some of her dreams on hold, some other Olympic hopefuls are trying to make their golden dreams come true.

Mike Chinoy explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dell Harris is the most popular American in China, and he's coaching the most popular Chinese in America. NBA star Yao Ming and the rest of this country's 1.3 billion people, hoping the Dallas Mavericks' assistant coach will lead China to its first Olympic basketball medal.

(on camera): Translating that ambition into success is no guaranteed slam-dunk, or as the Chinese would say, kolang (ph). (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

Harris is trying to master hundreds of basketball terms in Chinese.

DELL HARRIS, COACHING CHINESE OLYMPIC TEAM: Believe me, I know hundreds of them. But transition of information has to be so rapid fire that I can't think of the Chinese word quickly enough, and by the time I say what I want to say and the translator says it, the moment has passed.

CHINOY (voice-over): That's not the only coaching challenge.

HARRIS: Basically, they're not an aggressive, violent type of mentality.

CHINOY: But Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets says the team is thrilled.

YAO MING, CHINESE OLYMPIC BASKETBALL TEAM: He is teaching us many new ways and many new ideas for helping us to grow up (ph).

CHINOY: It's clear Beijing isn't Dallas. Standing at attention for the Chinese national anthem, the boys from the Ministry of Public Security in the stands. The team, not yet, at NBA level.

But there's time, because Harris knows the goal really isn't this year, but 2008, when the Olympics will be held here in Beijing and the Chinese get the home court advantage.

Mike Chinoy, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: More sports. In the final day of the British Open, several golfers are serving up some British royal tee. Right now the hottest hand belongs to this man right here.

You can say Todd Hamilton is one hot Toddy. After he sank this putt yesterday, Hamilton now holds a one-shot lead at eight under. Tiger Woods four off the lead following yesterday's play. And U.S. Masters champ Phil Mickelson is trying to get his fill. He is tied for third place.

NGUYEN: Hot Toddy? All right.

Well, let's get a profile of the week ahead.

A hearing is tentatively scheduled for tomorrow for Alphonso Rodriguez Jr. He's charged in the death of North Dakota student Drew Sjodin.

Tuesday is the day the main Olympic stadium is due to be completed in Athens. The summer games begin on August 13. And there is a worry many Olympic venues will not be completed.

And the key witness against Martha Stewart will be sentenced on Friday. Douglas Faneuil will learn his fate from the same judge who sentenced Stewart.

GRIFFIN: Pfizer says its new prescription plan will cut the cost of its drugs. But by how much? We're going to crunch the numbers when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Good morning, Vegas. Your weekend forecast just ahead. This is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. We'll be back in 90 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: Well, he spent eight weeks in a Mexican prison for the way he tried to buy prescription drugs for his ailing wife. Sixty- six-year-old Phoenix resident Raymond Lindell was released and allowed to return to the U.S. on Tuesday. There he is in this video.

He was arrested in May for buying 270 prescription Valium pills at a Mexican pharmacy. Lindell says he went to Mexico because the cost of medication in the U.S. is just too high.

He is one of thousands crossing the border trying to save money on prescription drugs.

Now, Pfizer drug company makes some of the largest selling prescription medicines in the world, including Viagra, Lipitor and Zoloft. And next month Pfizer plans to make its prescription drugs free or even discounted to qualified persons.

And to help explain why Pfizer has taken this step and what it may mean for you, our guest this morning is Adam Atherly. He teaches at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University right here in Atlanta.

Adam, thank you for joining us today.

ADAM ATHERLY, EMORY UNIVERSITY: Thank you.

NGUYEN: Well, tell us, why is Pfizer doing this? Offering free drugs to an extent, but really discounted drugs to certain folks?

ATHERLY: Right. They're -- they're aiming their program at people who are uninsured right now. And there's a couple of different things that they're doing.

For people who have an income above $31,000, which is about twice the federal poverty line, they are offering discounts on their drugs off the retail price.

And the size of that discount varies depending on the particular drug and the person's income. But everybody who doesn't have health insurance is at least to get -- supposed to get some level of discounts.

And then, as you say, the piece that really has gotten people's attention is, for people under $31,000, they're actually offering their drugs for free.

NGUYEN: Exactly.

ATHERLY: And it's a fairly straightforward process. It's just a matter of filling out a form that Pfizer has put together, and then, if they find you're eligible and you don't have other insurance, you just need to go to our doctor, get a prescription and they'll give you the drug.

NGUYEN: Now, is this for all drugs that Pfizer make or just for certain drugs? ATHERLY: This is going to cover all drugs that they offer.

NGUYEN: Now what's in it for Pfizer? A lot of folks want to say, great, this is a terrific plan. Of course, everyone wants a good deal. But of course, Pfizer has to be getting something out of it.

ATHERLY: Well, there's -- again, if you look at the drug as being in the two pieces, the discount piece and then the free drug piece.

With the discount piece, what's happened is that over the past five to 10 years, the big buyers of drugs have negotiated discounts off the retail price. And what they've done is they've essentially made a volume/price trade-off, where they have said to the drug companies, "If you give us a discount off your price, we'll sell more of your drugs." And so the drug companies have been willing to do that.

But what's happened is that the big buyers have been able to get these discounts, but it's left a couple of groups out. Mostly it's people who buy drugs on their own without the help of the big buyers.

So one of the key groups that hasn't had this benefit is people on Medicare. And that's what this Medicare prescription drug card is all about.

Another group that doesn't have access to the discounts is the uninsured. And so what this does is it essentially extends that same benefit to the uninsured. And Pfizer is probably hoping that the same sort of volume/price trade-off might work with the uninsured, too, where they can actually sell more drugs with this.

Now for the people who are going to be getting free drugs for -- again, this is not -- nothing new. All of the drug companies actually give away drugs to low-income people. And they've done that for years.

What's new about the Pfizer program is just the scope of the program. They've had a big, splashy rollout, and they've put a lot of publicity into it so people know about it now.

NGUYEN: Exactly. And that's key, because a lot of folks who are interested may not know how to actually get in on the plan. So, for those who are interested, how do they know, one, if they're eligible and, two, how do they register for it?

ATHERLY: Well, what Pfizer has said is that everybody who doesn't have health insurance right now is eligible for the program. And what they've said is that the program is going to start August 2 and that it's just a matter of getting a form from Pfizer. They have a 1-800 number, and they also have a Web site where you can download the forms.

NGUYEN: OK, but this also benefits Pfizer in -- in the extent that folks who may not have been able to afford drugs, you know, made by Pfizer will now be able to afford them. So it broadens the scope of the people that it can treat, correct?

ATHERLY: Right. And that -- that's one potential gain for -- for Pfizer.

And also, of course, the drug companies have really taken a beating lately in terms of their public perception. If you go back five or 10 years ago, Americans really thought very favorably about drug companies. It was an industry that most people thought was doing a very good job.

And what's happened is that the public perception of it has just gone down, down, down. And now people really think of prescription drug companies as part of the problem.

NGUYEN: Quickly, is this a way to keep people like Mr. Lindell that we just talked about, from going to Mexico or even Canada to buy cheaper drugs?

ATHERLY: If he's low income enough, he may be able to get the drugs for free. But otherwise, probably not. I mean this is -- you're going to probably still see cheaper drug prices in other countries than you will see through the discount program.

NGUYEN: All right. Adam Atherly, thank you very much for your time and your information this morning.

ATHERLY: Thank you.

NGUYEN: Well, another pharmaceutical company has been giving away its prescription drugs for free, only it doesn't know it.

Medica is based in Minnesota and makes generic equivalents of brand name prescription drugs, and for the past month pharmacists have not been charging for Medica's generics, due to a computer error.

Medica had, though, meant to offer free drugs as a one-time promotion to encourage some customers to switch from brand names to generic medicines -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: Betty, up next, music from the heart. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: We will introduce you to a unique group that could win the Grammy for best original song, when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Good morning, Las Vegas, or good night to some of you, I imagine. A live look over the city this Sunday morning. Your weekend forecast just a couple of minutes away.

Welcome back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Drew Griffin. The top stories now.

A U.S. military spokesman says a senior commander of the former Iraqi Republican Guard has been captured. This man, Sufyan Maher, is suspected of planning and financing attacks on Iraqi civilians and coalition forces. He was arrested in the city of Tikrit.

Charles Jenkins arrived today in Tokyo for medical treatment. He is a former American soldier accused of defecting to North Korea almost 40 years ago. The State Department says Jenkins is a deserter accused of serious crimes, and the State Department will seek custody of him.

And wildfires in Southern California are forcing even more people from their homes. Two new fires just yesterday, adding to the dozens of fires already burning in the West.

NGUYEN: Next, the music and the might. A group called the Moroccan Ensemble and the Inspirational Chorus composed a song called "Let Us Fly." Now a member of the Grammy's Recording Academy is submitting it for a best original song nod.

The story is all the more unique because each of the singers is mentally impaired.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love it. I love playing drums.

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We collaborated on the words.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are just like we are. They have the same dreams that we have. And one day they just asked, when can we participate in the Grammys?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because I sing well, so -- and everybody else sings well, too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We aren't looking at them like they're totally disabled. It's the exact opposite.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We practice Tuesdays and Thursdays, and -- and we come and we sing.

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think about having wings like an angel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: We'll let you know if they get nominated.

Now for a Spry family update.

These three Sprys continue to live the American dream, their version, this summer. They said enough is enough to California. We've been telling you about their cruise across America, looking for another place to put down roots.

We're going to give you an update.

This week they are in Bar Harbor, Maine, about as far as -- from California as you can get in the continental U.S. Before that they explored parts of Connecticut, having a great time among the old ships in Mystic.

The Sprys say they will return westward to visit some of the places they missed along the way before finally deciding where they will settle down.

NGUYEN: And a lot of folks out West are hoping for some rain, especially with all of those wildfires.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: We want to check in now with Kelly Wallace in Washington with a preview of "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY."

Good morning, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY": Good morning, Betty.

We have top message makers from both the Bush/Cheney and Kerry/Edwards campaigns. They will debate the hot issues of the week, from national intelligence to the war on Iraq.

We'll also speak to one of the best political columnists in the business, Molly Ivins, about her new book, "Who Let the Dogs In"?

And we have a surprise, a new member of the "INSIDE POLITICS" family has arrived. But you'll have to tune in at 10 a.m. to find out who it is. Betty, I know you'll be watching.

NGUYEN: Definitely, with that kind of tease. I'm looking forward to it. I wonder who it is. OK. No guesses here?

WALLACE: No guesses; no clues either.

NGUYEN: All right. All right. Thank you, Kelly.

GRIFFIN: All right, ladies. A look at the stories in the news right now when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Up next here on CNN, "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY" debates the issues of the week. And then at 11 a.m. Eastern, a live update on the wildfires blazing across California. Plus, how those dry conditions might affect hurricane season.

And at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, Ted Koppel shares his views on the Iraq war and what he thinks about the upcoming election, as well as the future of "Nightline."

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com