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CNN Sunday Morning
11 Cases of Swine Flu Confirmed in U.S.; World Health Organization Raises Concern Amid Growing Panic; Tornado Sends Race Fans Fleeing; Clinton Calls for 'Open' Lebanon Elections; Professor Sought After Three Shot Dead Near UGA
Aired April 26, 2009 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is April 26. Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
REGGIE AQUI, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Reggie Aqui, in for T.J. Holmes. It is 6:00 a.m. in New York; 5 in Texas; and 3 a.m. out in California. We have a lot happening this morning, so let's get right to it.
NGUYEN: All right. Up first, the number of confirmed cases of the potentially deadly swine flu in the U.S. now at 11. Two are in Kansas; two are in Texas; and the rest are in California. Tests show that eight kids at a private school in New York probably have it, too.
Health officials think the swine flu caused 81 deaths in Mexico. Twenty-five people in New Zealand may have it after a trip to Mexico. We're going to have more on this in just a minute.
AQUI: Also want to tell you about severe thunderstorms and at least two tornadoes that ripped across parts of Kansas yesterday, destroying several homes. A motorcyclist died after he was struck by lightning. And at the Kansas Speedway, a NASCAR race had to be called off during the 52nd lap. Fans -- well, they were forced to wait it out in the stadium.
NGUYEN: We are sorting through reports this hour of three people being shot at Hampton University in Virginia. That report from our affiliate in the area, WAVY. We're also making calls to get more information on that. And as soon we do, we'll bring it to you.
AQUI: A manhunt is on right now for this University of Georgia professor. Police say he shot and killed his ex-wife and two other people yesterday outside a theater near the school's main campus.
A short time later, police say he dropped his kids off with a neighbor, and then disappeared.
NGUYEN: All right. Let's get to our top story right now.
The World Health Organization calls it "a public-health emergency of international concern." So far, 81 deaths are linked to the swine flu in Mexico.
Now, no one has died in the 11 cases found right here in the U.S. Those cases have been reported in California, New York, Texas and Kansas.
Well, Mexico has closed all of its schools and universities until further notice. And officials decided not to allow public audiences at any soccer games yesterday.
Well, the Centers for Disease Control are testing samples found in New York, and those results could come as early as today.
AQUI: Let's get right to CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen, who explains why this sudden outbreak has world health officials on edge.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): First we heard about it in Mexico, then California and Texas, Kansas and probably New York. A brand-new, never-been-seen-before strain of swine flu has turned up in all four states.
Seven confirmed cases in California; two confirmed cases in Texas; two more confirmed cases in Kansas; plus one probable case in Texas; and eight probable cases in New York. That's a total of 11 confirmed cases in the United States and nine probable cases.
Officials from the Centers for Disease Control expect to find more. The CDC is investigating the connection between the cases in Mexico and those in the U.S.
In Guadalupe County, Texas, public-health officials have asked residents to postpone public gatherings, and this high school has closed.
DR. SANDRA GUERRA, TEXAS HEALTH DEPARTMENT: School will be closed for a minimum of a week, effective immediately. We are hoping that this will be able to control this cluster of events that we are seeing right now in our community.
COHEN: So far in the U.S., all the illnesses have been mild; only one person has hospitalized, and all have recovered without having to take antiviral drugs.
In New York, eight students at this high school probably have swine flu.
DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN, NYC PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSIONER: Many of the children are feeling better. No child has been hospitalized. No child was seriously ill.
COHEN: Symptoms of swine flu include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches, chills, fatigue, diarrhea and vomiting.
The Centers for Disease Control has alerted doctors across the country. If a patient has these symptoms, make sure to ask if he or she has recently traveled to Mexico.
Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta. (END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And then there's this: Many airports are taking precautions against the sudden outbreak of swine flu. San Diego Airport has posted signs asking travelers to cover their mouths when they cough. A lot of folks are aware of the outbreak but not overly concerned about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MYRNA OLIVER, TRAVELER FROM IDAHO: I'm not hysterical about. I mean, I'm not going to watch where I go or anything like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE STANDRIDGE, TRAVELER FROM OREGON: I heard about it last night when I watched the news on CNN. I was like, 'Oh, great. Where is it?'
(LAUGHTER)
STANDRIDGE: Mexico City, I'm not worried at all. Mm-hmm. I didn't see anyone ill. I'm a nurse, and I have no concerns whatsoever.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And -- and there wasn't any, like, precautionary notices or anything at the airport that you saw?
STANDRIDGE: Not that we saw at all, no. Nothing in the lavatories about, you know, extra hand washing or anything like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Meanwhile, US Airways has issued a travel advisory for Mexico City because of the outbreak. The airline will waive the regular penalties or fees for pre-booked passengers who change travel plans through the end of the month.
And want to give you this information: The CDC recommends these travel tips -- cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw that tissue away; wash your hands often with soap and water, or alcohol-based cleaners; and avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. That's how germs, obviously, are spread.
Now if you have any questions about swine flu and what you can do to protect yourself and your family, "HOUSE CALL" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta will be taking your phone calls live beginning at 7:30 Eastern this morning. Jot down the number; it's there on the screen, 1-800- 807-2620.
AQUI: Turning now to President Obama closing in on 100 days in office. He'll start the week with a speech to the National Academy of Sciences. On Tuesday, he's going to give out the National Teacher of the Year Award in the White House Rose Garden. Wednesday, well, that is the 100th day of his presidency. And that day, he's hosting a town-hall meeting in Missouri. Then it's back to the White House for a primetime news conference. And by the way, CNN is carrying that live.
The president's secretary of state is making an unannounced visit to Lebanon today. Hillary Clinton is there to back President Michel Suleiman's re-election efforts.
You're taking a look now at some live pictures out of Beirut, Lebanon. We understand that she will be leaving Lebanon in just the next few minutes. While the U.S. is backing the incumbent, Syria's influence in the elections could bring Hezbollah to power in the Mediterranean country.
NGUYEN: Well, Wednesday at 7 is CNN's primetime event to tell you about: "100 DAYS OF THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY." It's an entire evening with the best political team on television. CNN's "NATIONAL REPORT CARD" is your chance to grade the president and Congress on the job that they've done so far.
And in the middle of it all, President Obama's self-assessment during his live news conference.
So will he make the grade? CNN Wednesday night, it all starts at 7 Eastern.
Well, you know, the top two political parties now led by African- American men. My co-anchor T.J. Holmes asked one prominent group about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
T.J. HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What do you all -- what do you all think about Michael Steele?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: It is a straight question, and we get their answers. Wait till until hear what they have to say.
Plus this:
AQUI: Tornadoes touching down in the heartland. Check out this video. Wow. This one's in Kansas. But we also know of one that touched down in Oklahoma, and Reynolds, of course, he's tracking it all.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely.
We may be seeing more of that development later on today, especially into the late afternoon and into the early evening. We're going to be talking about that coming up in a few moments, plus we're going to give you a look at the weekend ahead.
You're watching CNN Sunday, Sunday, Sunday.
See you in a few.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF MARCUS MOORE, KMBC REPORTER: Let me help you up. Are you all right? Are you...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)
MOORE: Me, too.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my goodness.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We didn't know what to do.
MOORE: You did the right thing though, getting (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) that God was looking over us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: That is one lucky lady.
AQUI: Wow.
NGUYEN: In fact, that reporter there, Marcus Moore from Kansas affiliate KMBC, he was helping as you saw there, somebody who waited out yesterday's tornadoes in a ditch.
Also want you to check out this incredible video that we're getting in of funnel clouds. Look at that. And it's just the force of the winds there. Several homes in that area were destroyed.
AQUI: And you know, the storms also forced officials at the Kansas Speedway to postpone a NASCAR race that was already under way. Fans had to wait out the tornado warnings at the stadium. And by the way, that race has been rescheduled for Monday.
NGUYEN: Yes. Reynolds Wolf has been watching all this severe weather.
Reynolds, these pictures really pretty remarkable considering just, you know, what we're able to see about not only the funnel cloud, but the debris that it's picking up and -- and just, you know, throwing around in the air.
WOLF: And, you know, Betty, it's that thing, it's that stuff, the debris that gets picked up by these tornadoes, that is your big killer. It's not the wind itself, but it's rather -- it can be anything it picks up. A rock; it could be a piece of metal -- it becomes a projectile that can be as deadly as any bullet. That's what we've been seeing.
Let's expand this picture if we can to give you guys -- viewers a -- an idea of this thing. Like just an enormous storm that came right through there. You see the trees being rattled by this.
You know, we were showing you video awhile ago of that lady who actually fell and had shelter in a ditch. Probably one of the safest places you can possibly be.
The safest spot you can be is actually underground in a storm cellar. You don't have that, the second option might be in a ditch. Certainly better than being in a car.
Right now, we've been seeing a lot of activity popping up across parts of the central Plains. We're going to zoom in on a couple locations, namely in parts of -- of Oklahoma and back into Kansas.
Here's Wichita right now. But earlier this morning, it was in Enid, Oklahoma, where we did have a few tornado warnings. You see that one cell moving across 35, it begins to dissipate. But then we see more generation just to he north of Pittsburg, Kansas, south of Emporia. Kansas City, you're in the clear for the time being, but it's going to be this area of rough storms that's going to be moving right into your way. So certainly be prepared for that.
We also need to be prepared through parts of the central Plains later on today. Good chance of severe storms from Texas back into Oklahoma and into Kansas, especially between the hours of 3 and 6.
Why between 3 and 6? Because that's when you have your maximum heating. When you have that maximum heating, daytime heating, combined with that moisture and that frontal boundary moving through, that's when you have the atmosphere becomes its most unstable. And that's when you have the best chance of seeing those strong storms.
For parts of the Southeast, it's going to remain very dry for firefighters in places like, say, Myrtle Beach. No relief for you today.
For the Great Lakes, look for some scattered showers.
Meanwhile, back to the West and the central and northern Rockies, we are talking about snow once again.
All right, guys. We're going to be talking about that coming up in a few moments. We're also going to be talking about football. We're talking, of course, about the grudge match. You see them right here on the field. This is back in 1993 they played to a 7-to-7 tie. It's something that they've been dealing with for over a hundred years, and we're going to be speaking about Bruce.
This is Bruce. You're going to get to know his story and how this game gave him a new lease on life. That's coming up in a few moments.
NGUYEN: And the game is today at 3 p.m.?
WOLF: The game is going to be today at 3 p.m.
NGUYEN: All right.
WOLF: And trust me, these guys did not get one bit of sleep last night.
NGUYEN: I -- I mean, they are so excited about this.
WOLF: No question.
NGUYEN: Be excited now, because tomorrow, you'll be sore.
AQUI: No question.
NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, Reynolds.
NGUYEN: You know -- well, today, CNN is bringing together "Money & Main St," where we see the real impact of the current economic climate on real Americans.
AQUI: And you know, plenty of folks around the country are dealing with foreclosure these days.
CNN's Thelma Gutierrez has the story of a priest in California who decided fighting foreclosure should be a group effort.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pacoima, California, is a community in crisis.
THE REV. JOHN LASSEIGNE, MARY IMMACULATE CHURCH: The people here were targeted, again, by banks and investors.
GUTIERREZ: This Southern California community was a target for predatory lenders. And now, one out of every nine homes in some stage of foreclosure.
LASSEIGNE: Some of them have fallen behind and live in fear of losing their homes.
GUTIERREZ: So this Catholic priest, who has never owned a home himself, is preaching "Foreclosure 101" to his flock.
LASSEIGNE: The banks be obligated to modify the loans...
GUTIERREZ: It's a twist on the gospel for Juana Rodriguez (ph), who has a high-interest subprime loan, and Juan Carlos Hacobo, whose home is about to be sold off by the banks.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need you as a community to be there. United, we can do it.
GUTIERREZ: Father John Lasseigne and community organizers from a group called One LA want the banks to negotiate with the families.
LASSEIGNE: There are actually hundreds if not thousands of families in my immediate neighborhood at risk of losing their homes.
GUTIERREZ: Over several months, Juana (ph) and the others are prepped on finance. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN SPANISH)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN SPANISH)
GUTIERREZ: She's being taught the art of negotiation and how to understand the stuff in fine print she didn't know before.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN SPANISH)
GUTIERREZ: The meetings are standing-room only.
JUAN CARLOS JACOBO, HOMEOWNER: They see that we're not alone, that we are fighting for our homes as a community.
GUTIERREZ: Three hundred families strong, Father John and his allies convince a half-dozen banks to come to the table.
This is where Juana and the others put all they learned to the test.
TOME HOLLER, ONE LA: As a result of these negotiations, we're going to have evidence of what the banks are willing to do and not willing to do.
GUTIERREZ: Evidence One LA and Father John say they will present to Congress.
But for now, Juan Carlos had his foreclosure temporarily postponed.
Juana (ph) negotiated her way out of an adjustable to a 30-year fixed loan.
For her, it's a fresh start and an answer to her prayers.
Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Pacoima, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And we, of course, are going to continue to follow up on this storm and update you on any of their progress. And we'll bring that to you just as soon as we know.
AQUI: It's a good story. And you can see a new "Money & Main St." every Thursday morning on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."
NGUYEN: All right. Let's get back to our top this morning, more cases of swine flu discovered in the United States.
Josh Levs is following it on the Web.
What are you finding, Josh?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I don't know if you were vaccinated for this flu the past fall, the flu in general -- we're actually taking a look at whether that might help you avoid this specific swine flu.
Also, a whole bunch of sites to help you follow the latest developments online.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
AQUI: The Democratic and Republicans parties are being led by two black men. Of course, we have President Obama on the Democratic side; Michael Steele is now the first African-American to head the Republican National Committee.
NGUYEN: And my co-anchor T.J. Holmes sat down with leaders of the 100 Black Men of America, who see this as an opportunity, but say Steele has his work cut out for him.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: What do you all -- what do you all think about Michael Steele?
(LAUGHTER)
JOHN THOMAS GRANT, CEO, 100 BLACK MEN OF AMERICA: I'll lead it.
HOLMES: All right.
GRANT: First of all, I'm proud of Michael Steele. You know, the fact that Michael Steele is in the position -- the two major parties in this country are headed by African-American men is an opportunity.
I think that Michael Steele also is trying from -- from -- from his best vantage point and ability to -- to lead the Republican Party in a different direction.
Now whether the party's willing to go is another question. And I think he's being hammered by that.
But the fact that he is in the job, I take pride in that. And without being in the job, there's no opportunity.
HOLMES: But when I said the name initially -- you know (INAUDIBLE). So what was all that about?
JOHN HAMMOND, CEO, 100 BLACK MEN OF AMERICA: I know that the Republican Party is -- is at a point in its history where it's struggling to find leadership.
I think that it's hard to be a leader if you're going to equivocate on issues that are central to moving forward.
I think, you know, one has to -- to pick a direction, and go in that direction, and defend a point of view in the face of incredible challenge. That's what determines and that's where leaders are made. I've heard reports and seen reports about some equivocation around some important issues. I think it's important that if Michael Steele or any other black leader is going to rise to the level of scrutiny that he is, is going to live successfully and represent so many others, then it is important that he demonstrate leadership in a very consistent way.
BISHOP EDDIE LONG, PASTOR, NEW BIRTH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH: Michael is a personal friend of mine. And I (INAUDIBLE).
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
LONG: But -- but the -- the situation with -- with him, and I -- I wholeheartedly believe he's trying to lead the Republican Party back into a great posture. The -- the question is, will they follow? Number one.
And I think that there was kind of a -- and -- and as -- as you were saying, being president is no real manual. It's on-the-job training. Even with that and new frontiers and the opportunities presented to him as an African-American, his heart and commitment towards everything he does is very, very positive.
But yet it's on-the-job training, again, because you're going into new territory.
BERNARD TAYLOR, SR., ATTORNEY, ALSTON & BIRD: I think he's got a tough job.
But we all know that many of our grandparents and great- grandparents were Republicans. And they were Republicans for a reason. And if Michael can tap into that, then I think he can make a big difference in regards to the appeal of the Republican Party across -- across the group of African-Americans and the rest of our society.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: The 100 Black Men organization also had a lot to say about President Barack Obama, including a discussion about race.
So should African-Americans expect more from the nation's first black president? Well, T.J. has that and much more coming up at the top of the hour.
AQUI: Don't forget, Wednesday at 7 p.m., a CNN primetime event, "100 DAYS OF THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY." It's an entire evening with the best political team on TV. CNN's "NATIONAL REPORT CARD" is your chance to grade the president and Congress to see how they've done so far.
In the middle of it all, President Obama holds a news conference, where he'll assess how we're -- how he is doing. It all starts Wednesday night at 7 p.m. on CNN.
NGUYEN: All right. We want to take you back to this story of the swine flu, because health officials around the world are taking action after 81 deaths in Mexico were linked to swine flu.
Now, no one has died in the 11 cases found in the U.S.
AQUI: Josh Levs is here to show us how you can get the latest information about this online.
Hey, Josh.
LEVS: Hey there to you guys.
Yes, there's a really good spread at CNN.com right now. We're going to start off with that. Let's zoom in.
It's obviously our main story; no surprise right there, at CNN.com. When you get there, I want to encourage everyone to take a look at what's called the "Explainer." You just click on the tab that says "Explainer." We trace you through some basics.
We talk to you about what is the swine flu. Over here, how it spreads. Over here, what are the symptoms? If you think you might be having symptoms, just go to CNN.com, take a look at this. You can see if it matches.
And then finally, we talk about how it's treated. And this is some point, you're hearing us report as well, what doctors are saying about antiviral drugs and the role of anti-drug -- viral drugs in a situation like this.
Let's leave CNN for just a second. I'm going to show you a series of Web pages that are really good to follow the latest on this. I don't expect you to write it all down, so after I show you a few, I'm going to you one place where you can get links to all of them.
This right here is the CDC Web site. They are continuously updating their page on the swine influenza situation.
Over here also, the Department of Health and Human Services.
And here, an organization we talk about a lot, World Health Organization.
Finally, if you speak Spanish, you want to follow specifically what's going on in Mexico, in that region, Organizacion Pan American de Sud (sic) -- Salud, the Health Organization of -- The Pan-American Health Organization will get you a lot of information about what's going on in that region.
Everything I just said, all of it, you can find in one place. You can see it on my Facebook page right here, joshlevscnn. You should be able to get there even if you're not on Facebook. I've tested it; I want all of you to be able to get there. Go to Facebook, or you just google Facebook, joshlevscnn, you'll find this right here -- guys.
AQUI: So Josh, I know a lot of people have so many questions about this, ourselves included, as we kind of make it through this, and -- and kind of learn as we go. LEVS: Right.
AQUI: So I'm sure viewers are probably going to be sending in questions to us.
LEVS: Tons of questions, yes. In fact, we've got this one -- interesting one here from someone asking about vaccines. If you had the vaccine last fall, would it help you now?
And I got the answer from our Elizabeth Cohen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: So I asked that question of an infectious-disease expert, and I looked the CDC Web site. The CDC Web site says, 'No, uh uh. If you got a shot in the fall, that's not going to help.'
The expert that I talked to disagreed a little bit. He said it's kind of an open question. If you've received flu shots in the past, it may give you some protection against this swine-flu virus. Because what's fascinating about this new virus, it's actually four viruses put together. It's four different viruses. So it's possible that a shot in the past maybe would protect from one of those four elements, and that might help your body resist the flu.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: Really helpful information there. And you can get your own questions in.
If you have questions about swine flu or what you can do to protect yourself and your family, "HOUSE CALL" is coming up with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He's going to be live with us, taking your calls, beginning 7:30 Eastern.
Take down that number right there, 800-807-2620. If you get in lots of questions there, you get the answers straight from the doctor. (INAUDIBLE)
NGUYEN: Yes, that's at 7:30 Eastern this morning.
LEVS: Yes.
NGUYEN: And then at the top of the hour, at 8:00 Eastern, we're going to be speaking with the doctor as well, asking him more questions, a lot of them getting from you as well, you the viewer, because I know a lot of people are concerned about this.
Josh, thank you .
LEVS: You bet. Hey. (ph).
NGUYEN: We'll be talking with you a little bit later.
All right. Right now though, we are near the end of President Obama's first 100 days in office. And we've been studying it very closely, as you can imagine.
AQUI: Also, dealing with the swine-flu outbreak isn't the only thing on President Obama's schedule this week. We're going to break down his very busy next few days.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Hello, everybody and good morning. Welcome back on this Sunday. I'm Betty Nguyen.
AQUI: And I'm Reggie Aqui in for T.J. Holmes.
The number of confirmed cases of the potentially deadly swine flu in the U.S. now stands at 11. Two are in Kansas, two in Texas, and the rest are in California. However, tests show that eight kids at a private school in New York probably have it too. Health officials think the swine flu caused 81 deaths in Mexico and 25 people in New Zealand may have it after a trip there to Mexico. We'll have more on that in just a minute.
NGUYEN: In the meantime, I want you to take a look at this. Look at that funnel cloud. Severe thunderstorms and at least two tornadoes ripped across parts of Kansas yesterday, destroying several homes. That is just really remarkable video. A motorcyclist died after he was struck by lightning. And at the Kansas speedway, a NASCAR race had to be called off during the 52nd lap. Fans were forced to wait it out at the stadium.
AQUI: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner holds talks today with finance experts from around the world. The sessions are being held at the World Bank's headquarters in Washington. Later this afternoon, Geithner hosts roundtable talks with treasury ministers from several African nations.
NGUYEN: Let's get you back to swine flu. As the number of confirmed cases in the U.S. and Mexico grows, the head of the World Health Organization says the strain has a pandemic potential. The acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta told our Don Lemon what's happened so far can indeed be called a swine flu outbreak.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. RICHARD BESSER, ACTING DIR., CDC: The term I would use right now is an outbreak.
LEMON: OK.
BESSER: An outbreak can be of various sizes. What we're doing is taking a very aggressive approach to investigating this outbreak, to try and understand how it's being spread, why we're seeing a very different picture of this outbreak right now in the united states from what's going on in Mexico.
LEMON: And the concern, of course, if it can be spread from animal to human, and then from human to human, that's the utmost concern, just as it was for bird flu here in the United States?
BESSER: When you look at the development of a pandemic strain of influenza, what you'll see is a new strain of flu. It usually originates in an animal source. And this strain that we're looking at right now originated in a pig source, a swine source. We then looked to so, is it something that can be spread readily from person to person. Do people have protection from that particular strain? And is it sustainable in the community? Those are all things we're investigating.
LEMON: Dr. Besser, if you don't have it and you're just concerned about it, the average citizen, what should you do? What should your concern level be?
BESSER: This is the right time to look to your local and state public health for guidance. It's a time to pay attention to the news, to know what's going on, because what you see with an outbreak is different things taking place in different communities.
But it's clear there are things people can do to reduce the likelihood they'll get infected. Frequent hand washing is one of the most important things people can do. And if people are sick, stay home. Don't travel, don't send your children to school when they're sick, and don't go to work when you're sick. Those things are very important in terms of reducing transmission from any respiratory infection.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: All right. So, doctors say the symptoms of swine flu are this -- high fever, persistent cough, sore throat, body aches, and headaches.
AQUI: We were wondering what Mexico has been doing about all of this, and it turns out the health minister has now been granted emergency powers to contain the swine flu. At least 20 cases have been confirmed in Mexico; 81 deaths are believed linked to the disease. All schools and universities have been closed until further notice and soccer games were played at empty stadiums yesterday.
The emergency powers allow the health ministry to isolate sick patients, inspect luggage and vehicles, and also conduct house inspections. Mexico's president said no effort would be spared in dealing with this crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FELIPE CALDERON, PRESIDENT OF MEXICO (through translator): The federal government at my command will not hesitate for a moment to take all the necessary measures to respond with effectiveness to this respiratory epidemic, for which it is important to work in coordination with the federal and state governments and municipal governments and the civil population.
(END VIDEO CLIP) AQUI: You might remember, President Obama was just down in Mexico a little more than a week ago, but his Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says the president isn't showing any flu symptoms. The White House also says President Obama takes the situation seriously. He's getting updates from Homeland Security.
If you have questions about what you should do, any concerns that you have about swine flu, tune in later this morning at 7:30 a.m. Eastern. We are going to have "House Call With Dr. Sanjay Gupta." It's a live show, he'll be taking your phone calls. Write this number down right now, 1-800-807-2620.
NGUYEN: Well, 97 days ago, he took the oath of office in front of the U.S. Capitol, and since then it has been one challenge after another for President Obama. Our Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser joins us now live from Washington.
Paul, you know the highlight of the week will probably be the president's prime-time news conference on Wednesday on his 100th day. We're following that very closely. What else is he planning for Wednesday?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, he's going to start today, Betty, by flying out to Missouri. He'll be holding a town hall in St. Louis. I guess it's no surprise that he's going to Missouri, like a lot of the other states he's visited since he was sworn in as president, it's a battleground state. So maybe there's a little politics involved there.
Then, of course, as you mention, he's coming back here, the East Room of the White House, Betty, 8 o'clock Eastern. I have a feeling we'll be carrying that one live, don't you think?
NGUYEN: Yes.
STEINHAUSER: And this is going the fourth time, Betty, that the president will have gone in front of cameras and spoke to the nation in prime-time, which is a lot, considering it's only been 100 days. Betty.
NGUYEN: Yes, but you know, did the White House originally plan to let the 100th day pass with little fanfare?
STEINHAUSER: It seemed that way. At first they really had nothing planned and weren't talking a lot about it. They almost seemed like they were downplaying it. But then early last week they added the Missouri event, the town hall event in St. Louis. And then, later in the week, they announced this prime-time news conference, which will be the third so far of his presidency. It seems like they're trying to step it up a little bit.
And we also hear that they're also hoping that the Democrats in Congress pass that budget, in time, so the president will have another thing to tout come Wednesday night, Betty.
NGUYEN: All right. We'll be watching very closely, as you said. Paul, thanks so much for that.
And you do know Wednesday night at 7:00, a CNN prime-time event, "100 Days Of The Obama Presidency." It's an entire evening with the best political team on television. CNN's "National Report Card" is your chance to grade the president, and Congress, on the job that they've done so far. So get in on the action. And in the middle of all of that, President Obama's self-assessment during his live news conference. All of it Wednesday night starting at 7:00 Eastern.
AQUI: Dozens of homes destroyed in Myrtle Beach. Will there be relief from the dry conditions and the fires?
NGUYEN: And we take a look back at the life and career of the beloved actress, Bea Arthur.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
AQUI: Right now, cleanup is under way in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. You can see it right here as they're trying to put the pieces together, find out what is left. Of course, also talking about folks who some of them don't really even know how much some of this has destroyed their homes. They're still sifting through the rubble. The Barefoot Resort is one of the coastal communities that suffered some of the worst damage. The wildfire there is about 85 percent contained.
And you, the iReporters, you have been helping us out by sending us some photographs of what it looks like there as people are coming through what's left.
Reynolds, we've covered wildfires before and to me this is one of the hardest parts. You go into these communities and see very little left. And see the people's faces as they come home. It's just such a difficult struggle to figure out how you are going to kind of start life again.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Oh, absolutely, man. I mean, this is the big mystery. People come home and they have no idea what they're going to face. It's a terrifying thing. The things that mattered so much to them, obviously, it is their families and their health, but there are some items, some things they really hope are still going to be standing. And they had to leave rapidly and they're left with just devastation everywhere.
Here are some of the sights we have got, some of the contributions sent in from Pasha Bell (ph). Pasha, thanks for these pictures. Wish they were a better thing to see. But you can see off in the distance the billowing clouds of the smoke. The flames, just unbelievable. People were actually going here for vacations and instead they get all the smoke. Certainly some rough times.
What we've been seeing with these flames have been just a remarkable amount of wind, just a couple of days ago, to help fan the flames. But in speaking of wind, we've got some video to show you. That video out of parts of Nevada. We often tell you, if you happen to be in a high-profile vehicle and moving in windy conditions, you've got to be careful. Here's the reason why. Proof positive, you see right there, just the wind toppling that vehicle over. Some wind gusts in that area in excess of 70 miles an hour.
Folks, that's tropical-storm force winds. Back on April 13th, that's what happened. You really have to be careful out there.
We'll go from that and show you where we may see some strong winds later today. Already, we've had some rough weather just this morning. Just south of Kansas City, at this time. In Pittsburgh, Kansas the same deal. If you happen to be tuning from Columbia, maybe even in St. Joe's, you've got the scattered showers, but later on today, there'll be some rough weather you'll be seeing in parts of the Central and Southern Plains.
(WEATHER FORECAST)
NGUYEN: There are more cases of a deadly swine flu in the United States. In fact, a school in New York is closed, and now one in Texas is also closed because of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm kind of scared I'm going to get infected, but hopefully I won't.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think everybody should know about this because it is very serious.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They tell you not to panic, but you do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN TELEVISION CLIP)
BEA ARTHUR, ACTOR: Because unlike you, Walter, I am tolerant of all people.
Snack time! Carol!
Nothing, dear, just keep away from Channing. He might (ph) have a cold.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mother, you're getting squirrelier every day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You make beautiful daughters, Maude.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
ARTHUR: You should see her in the morning, completely flat- chested.
(END TELEVISION CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: I just loved her. A television icon has died. Bea Arthur was best known for her roles as Maude and then as Dorothy on "The Golden Girls."
AQUI: She was a true original. She died at the age of 86 yesterday. She lost her battle with cancer. CNN's Don Lemon has a look at Bea Arthur's life and her legacy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON (voice over): Bea Arthur's opinionated character Maude first grabbed the attention of TV audiences in "All In The Family". She was so popular producer Norm Lear created a spin-off series.
(BEGIN TELEVISION CLIP)
MALE SINGER: And then there's Maude!
FEMALE CHORUS: And there's Maude!
LEMON: During the '70s the show tackled hot topics including pornography, race relations. And in one episode entitled, "Maude's Dilemma" abortion.
KATHRYN MONTGOMERY, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES: At the age of 47, she got pregnant. She didn't want to have this baby. It was quite a shock to her. But she didn't see abortion as an option until her daughter proposed that to her.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, I've been thinking, there is no earthly reason for you to go through with this at your age. You know it, I know it, Walter knows it --
ARTHUR: I don't want you to talk about -- don't talk about!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that Bea got a lot of mail, hate mail.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it would be wrong to have a child at our age.
ARTHUR: Oh, so do I Walter.
LEMON: It spawned demonstrations from both sides of the issue. Many saw "Maude" as an enduring icon for women's liberations, a big deal for the shy Jewish girl. Arthur was born Bernice Frankel in New York City. During the depression, her family left the Big Apple and opened a clothing store in Cambridge, Maryland. By the time she was 12, Arthur was nearly 5'10" and self-conscious about her height.
She masked her insecurities with comedy and eventually returned to New York to study acting, along the way, she had a short-lived marriage, which she didn't talk about, but she kept her last name, Arthur.
ARTHUR (SINGING): Most gentleman don't like love, they just like to kick it around.
LEMON: Singing and stage work earned her a living on and off Broadway. Critics delighted in her haughty, serpent-tongued deliveries.
ARTHUR: You're fat.
LEMON: She won a Tony award for the caustic character Vera Charles, in the play, "Mame". Arthur reprised the role in the film version opposite Lucille Ball. Other movie roles followed.
ARTHUR: How bad could it be, it's just for the day?
LEMON: But it was on TV's "Golden Girls" as Dorothy Zbornak, that that gave Arthur her other major success. The role earned her a second Emmy. The first was for "Maude". Arthur entered semiretirement after the show ended in 1992.
ARTHUR: Good morning, Bev. Am I allowed inside the house?
LEMON: She returned to TV in sporadic guest appearances, but preferred to keep her schedule open for other things.
ARTHUR: Maybe a play, maybe a musical. There's so many things. Maybe a one-woman show? I don't know.
LEMON: Bea Arthur was definitely one woman every show she was on couldn't do without.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
AQUI: You know, if Billy Joel rewrote that song today, it would probably include the name of the nation's first African-American president, right? Updating through the decades.
NGUYEN: "Start The Fire"? We've heard Obama say many times, look, I inherited this. I guess it's in reference to that as well.
AQUI: I guess so. Well, President Obama, of course, created lofty expectations during the campaign and now that he's president, a lot of people are watching closely to see if he keeps those promises.
NGUYEN: Yes, my co-anchor, T.J. Holmes, interviewed leaders from 100 Black Men of America and they believe black Americans have a right to expect more from this president.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SUNDAY MORNING (On camera): If John McCain would have won, then U.S. vets from wars past would have looked at John McCain and thought, we have one of ours in the White House. We have a friend in the White House He'll be looking out for ours and our issues. We have a black man in the White House, in the Oval Office, now. In that similar vein, is it OK for black people to look at him and say, we've got one of ours in the Oval Office, and he's going to be looking out for us and looking out for our issues. Is that fair?
JOHN B. HAMMOND, CEO, 100 BLACK MEN OF AMERICA: I think it is fair. I think it's absolutely right and good that black people are able to look at highest position in the country and say that one of our own is there.
HOLMES: During his presidency, I know it's still young, but where have you seen -- or have you seen race play a role in the way he's covered by the press. In the way he's criticized by the pundits? The way he's criticized by his political opponents, the way they take him on? Have we seen race, yet, play a role in the presidency?
BISHOP EDDIE LONG, PASTOR, NEW BIRTH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH: I don't feel that we've seen race really come to the forefront during his presidency. Most of the things that are being dealt with, with the president, is basically on policy, what he's doing, the content of what he's doing, and how he's addressing the economy and the other issues.
HOLMES: We talked earlier about, he said, yes, it's OK for black people to look at him and say, yes, we've got one of our own in the White House and expects him to look out for this community. How much time? You've always talking about, it's early now, how much time -- how patient will the black community be with him until they're waiting to see something from him that's different from other presidents, in that they feel like they do have one of their own in the White House and he is, in fact, looking and speaking to the black community?
HAMMOND: I'll speak on that just a little bit. You know, I think we are -- we waited for nearly 400 years to get him there. I think we can wait another eight to see what he does with it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not eight.
HAMMOND: We could wait eight. I think we all have expectations. We all think that he is going to -- and hope -- that he continues to keep the priorities of our country first, and all of its citizenry first. So I don't think that black people want to have any exclusive domain over, you know, over the largess of his presidency.
JOHN THOMAS GRANT, CEO, 100 BLACK MEN OF ATLANTA: Well, I think history is always the measure. This president has been in office as of this, less than 100 days. You know, the country is more than 200 years old. And I think it's unfair to expect something immediately. I think what we are seeing, though, is his willingness to attack issues boldly, even in the face of resistance and criticism, even in the face of, you know, lock opposition. This country is going to require something different. That is what he campaigned upon and that's what he promised. I think that we are seeing his attempt to deliver upon that promise.
LONG: I just want to add, I don't know if we'll have that much patience. I think the issues, the economic issues, the educational issues, the things that were motivating and pushing this whole campaign will rise above color. I think within the next two years or so, if things haven't changed, if the policies of President Obama did not work, or are significantly not making a difference with touching our mothers and grandmothers in health care, because he said in a year, I'll introduce universal health care, 47 million people are without health care. Those kind of things. If those things are not starting to work, I think that you will find African-Americans starting to become more verbally critical, because these issues have to be resolved, have to be dealt with, because it's affecting everyone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Wednesday night at 7:00, a CNN prime-time event, "100 Days of The Obama Presidency." It is an entire evening with the best political team on television. CNN's "National Report Card" is your chance to grade the president and Congress on the job that they've done so far. And in the middle of it all, President Barack Obama's self-assessment during his live news conference. Watch it Wednesday night starting here at 7:00 Eastern.
AQUI: Tornadoes touched down in the Heartland. Check out this video. We're looking at one that's in Kansas, but one also touched down in Oklahoma. We're going to show you some of the worst damaged areas.
NGUYEN: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is April 26, bright and early, almost 7:00 a.m. here on the East Coast. Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
AQUI: I'm Reggie Aqui in for T.J. Holmes. It's 7:00 a.m. in New York, 6:00 in Texas, 4:00 a.m. in California. We have a lot of developing stories this morning, so we'll get right to it.
NGUYEN: First up, the number of confirmed cases of the potentially deadly swine flu in the U.S., it now stands at 11. Two are in Kansas, two are in Texas, and the rest are in California. And now tests show that eight kids at a private school in New York, they probably have it, too. And one school in San Antonio is shut down for now.
Health officials think the swine flu caused 81 deaths in Mexico and 25 people in New Zealand may have it as well after a trip to Mexico. We'll have much more on this in just a minute.
AQUI: A manhunt is on right now for this University of Georgia professor. Police say he shot and killed his ex-wife and two other people yesterday outside a theater near the school's main campus. A short time later, police say he dropped his children off with a neighbor and then disappeared.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner holds talks today with finance experts from around the world. The sessions are being held at the World Bank's headquarters in Washington. A little bit later this afternoon, Geithner hosts roundtable talks with treasury ministers from several African nations. All right, the World Health Organization is calling a deadly outbreak of swine flu an emergency of international concern. Officials say at least 81 deaths in Mexico are linked to the swine flu virus; 20 cases have been confirmed there. At least 11 cases have been confirmed in the United States, but none are fatal. Seven were in California, two in Texas, two in Kansas, and in New York City, tests suggest the swine flu is likely in eight of nine children tested at one school.
AQUI: It's important to know, Betty, health officials don't know yet if the virus likely infecting those students at that New York City school is the same strain that has killed people in Mexico.
NGUYEN: Yes. Susan Candiotti reports that they're hoping to find out very soon.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At least eight students of this private Queens prep school have probable swine flu. New York City health officials say the CDC is doing more tests to confirm whether it's swine flu. Results are expected on Sunday.
COMMISSIONER THOMAS FRIEDEN, NYC HEALTH DEPT.: We have spoken with more than 100 of the children or families, and in every single case, illness was mild. Many of the children are feeling better. No child has been hospitalized. No child was seriously ill.
CANDIOTTI: Last Thursday, as many as 200 students at the same school said they felt like they had the flu. Health Department investigators are doing interviews to find out how they think they got sick. Thirty ill children at a Bronx daycare center are also being tested for possible infection. Authorities say they've had no uptick in flu cases at city hospitals and urged New Yorkers to take common sense precautions.
FRIEDEN: If you're sick, stay home. If you've got a fever and a cough, stay home. That helps you get better and it prevents you from spreading the disease to others. You shouldn't go to work, you shouldn't go to school.
If you're not very sick and you wouldn't have gone to the hospital if you hadn't heard about this announcement, don't go to the hospital now, there's no reason to. If you are very sick, if you're having trouble breathing, if you would have gone to the hospital anyway -- by all means, go to the hospital.
CANDIOTTI: Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: All right. And we do want to let you know that we do have a correspondent, Ted Rowlands, on the ground in Mexico City. We're going to be speaking with him very shortly, bringing you that live report. In the meantime, you know, we've been asking you, what do you think about the situation? Especially, in light of the fact that some 81 people have been killed in Mexico.
AQUI: Right.
NGUYEN: Eleven cases in the U.S., though nonfatal, does this worry you? Are you going to change your travel plans because of it? Let's go to my Twitter page. And a lot of people are weighing in.
Let's see, Djkeq (ph) says, "My wife and I are headed to L.A. in May, concerned, but will not change our travel plans." And this other person says, "Hawaii is a very safe place to travel right now." So, obviously not worried about it there. We don't have any confirmed case there. So, that's a good thing.
And then we have Nightshiftnurse (ph) who says, "What travel plans? I'm too broke to travel anywhere right now."
AQUI: Well, there's that.
NGUYEN: Yes, there's that, too. But a lot of people are saying that they are not changing their travel plans, although I do have one person here who's going to Mexico shortly and a little worried about that.
Let's get you down to Mexico, shall we? Ted Rowlands is on the phone now. He just landed a short time ago.
And, Ted, let me ask you. I first want to talk to you about traveling to Mexico City, because a lot of people will be boarding planes today, going around the nation. And with news of this, some of them maybe worried. Did you see a lot of people on board with, you know, these face masks that people wear just to make sure that, you know, they're not coming in contact with any of this?
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, we saw a lot of that as soon as we landed in Mexico City, Betty. You know, as soon as the plane landed, people had the masks, put them on before they went into the airport. And once we were in Mexico City, in the airport, 90 percent, 95 percent of the staff at the airport, security all the way, some people working in the shops had masks on. And then throughout the city, people are wearing the masks.
And they're really heeding the advice to wear the masks and to stay off the streets. In fact, by Mexico City standards, it was a very quiet Saturday night here. More than 600 venues across the city were closed down, movie theaters, restaurants, et cetera. The government's strategy here is to avoid large crowds. They've been handing out these masks downtown and they're telling people to stay inside or stay within small areas.
They had a football or soccer match here yesterday where normally tens of thousands of people would have shown up -- only handful of people were there. People were urged not to attend it. They still played the match, but just with no fans. Today, the Roman Catholic Church has canceled all matches throughout every parish here at Mexico City. The cathedral, which is normally packed, the basilica as well here, no mass at all. People are being told to heed the advice.
We talked to many -- a couple people at the airport, in cabs, at the hotel, and people on the streets as we came in here. And they all said to us that they are generally concerned. You know, the cabbie had a mask on, saying that he was not going to try to take any chances, and that they were -- they're concerned about getting this, because it is, you know, at worst case -- no matter what, it's an extremely uncomfortable to get. Of course, we've heard of the worst- case scenarios of actual death.
NGUYEN: You know, what are they doing to fight this, Ted? Because as we look at these reports, we're seeing what, some 81 people dead in Mexico. But as you look at the people in the U.S. who have contracted it, 11 cases so far, you know, none of them are fatal at this point, which is good news. Is it a situation of them not having, I guess, the medication on hand or maybe the people, once they get into the hospital, their symptoms are just too severe?
ROWLANDS: Well, that's the concern, is that people that aren't -- that are exhibiting symptoms aren't getting to the hospital in time. The prevailing theory is to get help early enough, there should be no problem. They're given the antibiotic that has already shown to combat this with great success.
In fact, President Calderon was on television here throughout the country yesterday saying, "If you're sick, get help," and he held up a bottle, "We have enough of it. You know, no matter what happens, we have the medicine to cure this." That's the good news. They're spreading the word, for anybody, and I guess this is worldwide. You know, if you feel sick, just seek medical attention, don't take any chances.
NGUYEN: Yes, don't wait. Have they been able to find the exact source, a particular area in Mexico City, where they believe this originated?
ROWLANDS: No. In fact, very interesting, at least one person that we talked to said that he heard on the news media and he was convinced that it originated in the United States.
NGUYEN: Really?
ROWLANDS: Apparently, it's what people are being told here. And that's what people on the streets believe here, is that it came somehow from the United States into Mexico and then -- so definitely not, at least it hasn't been publicized of where this originated. And again, we were very surprised to hear that the people on the streets here thought that it came from the U.S.
NGUYEN: Yes, that is very surprising.
One quick last question -- were there any travel restrictions at all at the airport? ROWLANDS: None -- not at all. In fact, things went very smoothly at the airport and it didn't appear that anybody was being examined for any health-related issues. There was the normal security, the normal screening, both in -- we left from Los Angeles and in in Mexico City. But nothing enhanced in terms of what we might have thought we would be looking for -- somebody being spotted for potential health issues pulled aside.
NGUYEN: Right. Yes. So, no restrictions going in or coming out of Mexico City when it comes to traveling.
Ted Rowlands, on the ground for us this morning live in Mexico City, with the latest on swine flu there -- Ted, thank you so much for that.
All right. So, if you have questions about swine flu and what you can do to protect yourself and your family, "HOUSE CALL WITH DR. SANJAY GUPTA" will be taking your calls live beginning at 7:30 eastern this morning, it's less than 30 minutes from now. So, jot down the number, it's right there on your screen -- yes, there it is -- 1-800- 807-2620.
AQUI: A score that hasn't been settled in 15 years on a football field.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It was on this field that late in the fourth quarter Easton made that final drive. You know, all they had to do was get the ball close, line up for a very short field goal, and then push it through the uprights. Simple enough. The thing is, that's not what happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AQUI: Simple enough if you're Reynolds Wolf. He's going to explain why the game was a tie and why the match may finally be settled after all these years.
NGUYEN: Plus, President Obama versus the truth-o-meter.
AQUI: (INAUDIBLE)
NGUYEN: How many of this administration's big statements have been true? Well, our Josh Levs is breaking it down for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
AQUI: President Obama closing in on 100 days in office. He's going to start the week with a speech to the National Academy of Sciences. Then on Tuesday, he'll give out the National Teacher of the Year Award in the White House Rose Garden.
And Wednesday -- the big one -- the 100th day of his presidency. That day he's hosting a town hall meeting in Missouri and then it's back to the White House for a primetime news conference that night, which, of course, CNN is carrying live.
Well, there's so much focus on this first 100 days in office. But it's, of course, important to remember that he's really just getting this thing started.
So, let's welcome back, deputy political director, Paul Steinhauser from Washington.
So, we know about the first 100 days. What about the next 100, Paul?
STEINHAUSER: You got it. And there are going to be some crucial fights, Reggie. And I think two of the biggest things will be health care legislation and energy legislation. The president says he wants to expand and reform health care, and he says he wants to push clean energy to create green jobs.
But, I think there's going to be some pushback, not only from Republicans, but also from some moderate Democrats. So, if you thought those fights, Reggie, over the stimulus and the budget were big, just stay tuned.
AQUI: All right. We'll be watching that.
Now, the president is enjoying some pretty high approval ratings right now with the American public, but so have a lot of other presidents at this time in their career, right?
STEINHAUSER: Yes. Let's take a look at this. We compile this, Kenny Hall (ph), and our polling director and I put this together. The president right now at 64 percent, if you combine the latest polls, that's his approval rating. But look at that, George W. Bush, 62 percent. Clinton and the Bush were -- the first Bush were in the 50s. But Ronald Reagan was actually ahead of where Obama is right now at 67 percent.
So, while it's important to look at the polls right now, remember, it's not always a final indicator of how a president, Reggie, is going to finish up.
AQUI: All right. Good to look at that historical perspective. Paul Steinhauser in Washington -- thanks so much.
And here's a reminder: Wednesday night at 7:00, a CNN primetime event, 100 days of the Obama presidency. It's an entire evening, the best political team on TV. CNN's "National Report Card," that's your chance to grade the president and Congress on the job they've done so far. And, of course, in the middle of it all, President Obama holds a news conference where he is going to be grading himself. It all starts Wednesday night at 7:00 Eastern on CNN.
NGUYEN: And as we come up on President Obama's 100th day in office, how's he doing with the truth-o-meter? Well, Josh Levs has been looking at that.
You've been judging. What do you see? JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. We're judging and breaking it down for you. You know, the ratings here, they go from true to "barely true" to one of your guys' favorites, "pants on fire." You love that. What is President Obama's record so far? I'm about to show you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. We've been talking about it a lot today and will continue because Wednesday marks President Obama's 100th day in office. And it's very early in his administration, no doubt, but the president has taken on a whole lot of major issues and given a lot of speeches.
AQUI: So, it's time to put it to the test, the truth-o-meter.
Josh Levs has that fired up once again for us. It makes so much noise when you fire up that truth-o-meter.
LEVS: Yes. You're going to hear some cool noises in this, actually. Betty, you were just going "uh-oh."
NGUYEN: Uh-oh.
AQUI: She's scared of the truth-o-meter.
NGUYEN: Well, yes, my favorite one is the liar, liar, pants on fire.
AQUI: What secrets do you have?
NGUYEN: Yes. I have no secrets that I'll tell you.
(LAUGHTER)
LEVS: That's actually smart move over there.
So, here's the thing. It's all from PolitiFact.com. A great Web site that follows these statements, gave these ratings. I spoke with the head of it and I asked, how is this president doing so far?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL ADAIR, POLITIFACT.COM: We have rated about 21 claims by either Obama or others in the administration, I think it's 11 of them, have been either true or mostly true. On the other end of the spectrum, though, he has had, I think, four false ratings on the truth-o-meter, particularly for some of the claims they've made about the economy.
LEVS: I don't think presidents should get gold stars for telling what's true. So, what I want to do is focus on the falsehoods, just so that we can make sure that the viewers get the truth.
ADAIR: You bet. One of the falses was for a claim that your viewers heard a lot, and that was that the economic stimulus bill did not have any earmarks in it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES: The plan that's been put together without earmarks or the usual pork barrel spending.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ADAIR: There were a fair number of things in there, at least a handful that really could be considered earmarks. So we gave that one a false.
LEVS: One was about whether there was some disagreement among economists about what the government should be doing in the recession, right?
ADAIR: Yes. This was one that Obama said to try to get support for his economic stimulus bill. And he characterized it as if economists were unanimous about the need for government to step in and do something.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: There's no disagreement that we need action by our government, a recovery plan that will help to jump-start the economy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ADAIR: That's not true. You know, there are some economists that we talked to who would say, let the free market work and let things go. Now, it's probably the case that the majority of economists might support government intervention, but the way Obama said it was false.
LEVS: And, Bill, you certainly found some falsehoods when Republicans attacked this president as well. And I'm going to point to one point, to be fair, that you just say -- you say, "Still, it's important to point out that, overall, this administration so far has been right more than it's been wrong."
ADAIR: It has. And another thing that's notable, on PolitiFact, we rate the most ridiculous falsehoods with our lowest rating, "pants on fire," and Obama can claim that, indeed, he has succeed in getting and earning no "pants on fire" ratings so far into his presidency.
LEVS: So far, the president ...
(CROSSTALK)
ADAIR: So, that's at least a small victory -- yes, exactly.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: There you go, the "pants on fire." And you can get a lot more information at PolitiFact.com. Also, we've got a whole discussion going online. Let's take a look at this. Ways to weigh here: you got my Facebook page, Josh Levs CNN, the new Twitter page, Twitter.com/JoshLevsCNN. You got our e- mail address there. Weigh in, your thoughts on the president's first 100 days.
I'm going to show you one example really quickly we got from Twitter. Darrell Wayne wrote, "I think he's doing pretty well considering the hand he's been dealt. Economy: B, policy: B-plus. Let Chrysler and G.M. go through bankruptcy." Switching to another topic.
All right. Join us there.
And, Betty and Reggie, there you. That's the basic idea. And, of course, lots more info at PolitiFact.com.
NGUYEN: And he had no "pants on fire."
AQUI: No.
NGUYEN: They don't think (ph) there are.
LEVS: Not a one so far.
NGUYEN: All right. Hey, that's not bad for 100 days. Thank you.
LEVS: Thanks.
AQUI: All right.
NGUYEN: Let's talk about tornadoes for just a second ...
AQUI: Yes.
NGUYEN: ... because we are watching this very closely. In fact, Reynolds Wolf is here on set with the latest on this.
What are you hearing?
WOLF: Absolutely. The latest that we have here is we actually have a tornado watch in effect for parts of the central plains, especially in Kansas until 1:00 p.m. later today. We also have some video yesterday of some tornadoes that touched down in parts of Oklahoma. One of the areas hardest hit was in Enid, Oklahoma, a tornado touched down this.
Just last night, about 10:00 local time, you see the video, you see the debris everywhere, which Betty was talking about earlier today, a big -- a really, your biggest danger when it comes to these storms.
We've got Dave Jordan from KWTV. He joins us from Enid.
Hey, Dave, any injuries reported from this twister? DAVE JORDAN, KWTV REPORTER: (AUDIO BREAK) injuries or fatalities, but it was a pretty close call here for residents here in Enid. A lot of destruction after -- we are being told, that two tornadoes swept through this area leaving a lot of damage in its wake. This is just some of the damage behind me.
This is some of the siding from the Chisholm Trail Expo Center right here in Enid. In fact, the home show was supposed to go on today before those tornadoes hit. There were about 314 vendors inside setting up shop.
You can see a lot of this yellow, wet damp stuff on the ground. That clearly -- not siding rather -- but that's installation from one of the roofs and that was what was pretty much all over the place right now. Now, we don't have pictures to show you yet, because inside, it's just a war zone, pretty much, and we are not allowed to go inside, mainly because it's structurally unsound.
But I'm told two tornadoes came through this area, one after the other, causing a lot of destruction. Three hundred fourteen vendors were inside here for a home show that was supposed to go on a little later today. That show, obviously, was canceled. Some of the vendors had to actually run into a restroom, a bathroom made of concrete, and hunker down as these storms bore down. People driving by who had nothing to do with the event even came inside and sought shelter from the storm.
Now, again, there were no fatalities, there were no injuries, but clearly, a lot of damage that they're going to have to clean up throughout the day and probably for the next couple of weeks, Reynolds.
WOLF: Well, Dave, thanks again. Great job.
Let's see, 314 vendors, no injuries. Anytime you come out with those kinds of numbers after having a tornado roar through, you're very lucky. No question about it.
JORDAN: Absolutely.
WOLF: Hey, great job, buddy. Thanks so much, and, hopefully, a safe day for you.
It looks like it's going to be another rough day for parts of the central plains, folks. We're going to talk about that coming up. It's going to be mainly Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, once again, late hours of the day, could see another round of tornadoes.
NGUYEN: The usual suspects when it comes to that.
WOLF: Absolutely.
NGUYEN: All right. Thank you for that, Reynolds.
AQUI: Thanks, Reynolds.
NGUYEN: You know, a lot of you have questions about the deadly swine flu outbreak. Well, our Dr. Sanjay Gupta is here to help.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
AQUI: I love this story. It's about a high school football rivalry between the Phillipsburg Stateliners and the Easton Red Rovers. It's been going on, believe it or not, for more than a century.
NGUYEN: Yes. But, in 1993, both teams battled to a seven-all tie. No one wants to end it in a tie. So, you know what this story is about, it's about second chances.
WOLF: It really is about second chances.
NGUYEN: Reynolds Wolf is here with that.
WOLF: You know, it's not only about second chances but it's about how this rematch has been causing people to actually start their lives on a new course. One of the players we met with was a fellow by the name of Bruce Lebitz. Bruce was actually much heavier before this begun, has lost weight, changed his life and learn some lessons.
NGUYEN: Just to get in shape for this?
WOLF: Just to get in shape for this particular game.
NGUYEN: Wow.
WOLF: And this guy is -- has actually started life on a new course and changed things all for the better. You're going to see in just a few seconds.
NGUYEN: All right.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF (voice-over): It's one of America's most heated high school football rivalries -- the Stateliners of Phillipsburg, New Jersey, and the Red Rovers of Easton, Pennsylvania. For more than a century, the two teams have battled on Thanksgiving Day.
In 1993, Bruce Lebitz was one of the tri-captains of the Stateliner team, the underdogs of that year's match-up.
BRUCE LEBITZ, PHILLIPSBURG PLAYER: I was a defensive player of this game. I had a big stop on the goal line that prevented them from scoring in the first half.
WOLF: The game ended in a seven-to-seven tie. While it was an unexpected showing from the Phillipsburg team, the players still left the field frustrated without a win.
LEBITZ: I didn't know how to feel after stopping my -- the end of my high school career being at a tie. You know, I didn't want it to end like that. WOLF: Fast forward 15 years, Gatorade is organizing a replay, same players, same field, same rivalry -- 10,000 tickets sold between these two communities in a matter of 90 minutes. Now a family man in his early 30s, Bruce weighed 302 pounds and was taking medication for both high blood pressure and cholesterol. Not wanting to let his teammates down, Bruce decided to do whatever it took to get ready for this game.
LEBITZ: Basically, I would work out for an hour and a half every morning doing my cardio, and then I would go back and -- go back in the afternoon and do my weight training. Just a huge change in my diet, eating short meals throughout the day, very high protein, a lot of fruits and vegetables.
WOLF: In just three months, he lost nearly 60 pounds, and he no longer needs his medication. It's a common theme among many of the players preparing for this rematch.
JOHN STOFAN, GATORADE SPORTS SCIENCE INSTITUTE: The inspiration is really hearing some of these guys going, "You know what? This has made a difference in my life. It taught me what I should be do doing from a hydration standpoint; it taught me what I should be doing from a nutrition standpoint. I'm going to apply this. I'm going to change my behavior. This is a lifestyle now."
WOLF: While this is an opportunity to settle the score between these two bitter rivals once and for all, Bruce also sees this as an opportunity for life.
(on camera): Now, is this a decision that you're going to try to keep to for the rest of your life?
LEBITZ: Oh, absolutely. And, you know, I think this is really a second chance in a lot of ways.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF: How about that? See, that's one of the great things about this ...
NGUYEN: Yes.
WOLF: ... is win or lose, when he walks away from this ...
NGUYEN: He's already won.
WOLF: ... he's in better shape, yes.
NGUYEN: Yes, absolutely.
WOLF: He's got -- he's a married guy. He's got two daughters. He can actually get up, clothe them. And you saw him on the piece, one thing he doesn't have to worry about -- he doesn't have to worry about high blood pressure medicine ...
AQUI: Right. WOLF: ... heart medication. So, I mean, he's a healthier guy.
NGUYEN: Yes. But what he has to worry about is the game today.
WOLF: The game today.
NGUYEN: And I know he's excited about that. Three p.m. Eastern, right?
WOLF: Three p.m. Eastern Time. They're going to be knocking skulls. It's going to be an interesting thing to see how well that pans out, and they will be feeling very sore after the game. No question. You can't get ready for things like that.
NGUYEN: I don't know. I mean, after all this time and, I guess, the friendships that have developed -- I mean, are they really looking to win? Is that really what's on the line? Are they going out there and have good time?
WOLF: The rivalry, the bitterness is still there. Well, I'm not going to say they're not friends.
AQUI: It's a friendly rivalry, right?
WOLF: It's a friendly rivalry.
NGUYEN: Correct.
WOLF: But when they get out on the field, that friendliness goes away, it's a war.
NGUYEN: Oh, is it?
WOLF: Yes.
NGUYEN: Back to that.
WOLF: Absolutely. I mean, it's just going to be thumping out there.
AQUI: You said the cheerleaders -- the original cheerleaders are also coming back.
WOLF: Some of the original cheerleaders, some of the original band members are going to be there. And, obviously, some of the people that were there in this stand, they were watching this game back in 1993 ...
AQUI: That's pretty cool.
WOLF: ... are going to be there to take part in this incredible event up there in -- it's actually going to be Lafayette College where they played the game. They haven't played there for years and years and years. Same place where I actually had a chance to kick a field goal myself.
NGUYEN: Yes, we have video of that.
WOLF: I know you're impressed with this.
NGUYEN: And you did a really good job. I don't know. This is a shot of our blog -- but if we can rack up that video, Dee (ph), she's our director -- and it shows you, Reynolds, where you are just there on the field all -- well, kind of sort of see you.
WOLF: Kind of sort of. Yes.
AQUI: Did you play football?
WOLF: I did not play football. I was a basketball guy, basketball and baseball. But I have kind of a big foot so, you know, size 16 shoe.
AQUI: (INAUDIBLE)
WOLF: Yes. I mean, my foot is so big that the football runs away itself and jumps up in the air and through the (INAUDIBLE).
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: And this is the video there that's on the blog. Apparently, we're not going to have that shot.
WOLF: That's right. It's all good.
NGUYEN: You can go to our blog and you can watch it.
AQUI: Yes, the video will show it.
NGUYEN: And the great thing about this blog, this is fairly new for us here at CNN. You've got all the information on the different newsroom shows. You've got the bios for me and T.J. and all the Reynolds -- all the other anchors and whatnot.
WOLF: Sure.
NGUYEN: But it's a site where you can really go and see what we're working on. That's how we're going to be communicating with a lot of our viewers and it's also has a little connection sites where you can get to our Facebook, in our Twitter and on MySpace, and all the ways that you can contact us. So, be sure to go to CNN blog.
WOLF: Good deal.
NGUYEN: Great story. Want to hear an update next weekend.
WOLF: We will do it for you.
AQUI: Are they calling you as soon as the game is over?
WOLF: I'll probably be calling them.
AQUI: yes, OK. WOLF: Yes, absolutely. Got to find out how this thing turns out.
AQUI: I want to know too.
WOLF: You bet.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. Well, you know, we're talking a lot today about the swine flu.
AQUI: Right.
NGUYEN: Reynolds, I mean, you know, when it comes to weather and people traveling, you know, people want to know what it's going to be like when they land, I think a lot of people are probably worried about what's it's going to be like on the airplanes before they get there, or the buses or the trains and whatnot with this swine flu.
WOLF: Absolutely.
NGUYEN: I mean, it's a big issue these days.
WOLF: I mean, we're a traveling nation. I mean, we go from point to point. We're used to getting on a plain and being transported in a matter of hours to the other side of the country. We got older relatives. We got kids to deal with on the airplanes.
NGUYEN: Right. Eleven cases in the U.S. so far.
WOLF: Yes. All that recycled air when you get on those buses and you get on those planes.
NGUYEN: I worry about that. In fact, the makeup ladies here in our makeup department gave me these face masks because I'm going to be taking a flight a little bit later today. And they said, put this one, be sure to wear it. I don't know how much this is going to help.
WOLF: Yes.
AQUI: Well, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is actually with us now. We can ask him.
NGUYEN: Yes, because you have a special edition of "HOUSE CALL" coming up, Sanjay. Let me ask you this, do these really work? Is it going to keep me from getting the swine flu on a plane?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, "HOUSE CALL" HOST: Well, I can't see what you're holding up there exactly. But there is an M-95 mask which is what is sort of recommended.
NGUYEN: Yes, a mask.
GUPTA: Well, an M-95 mask specifically.
NGUYEN: Yes.
AQUI: OK.
GUPTA: If the people are paying attention that sort of thing at home, because it's got to be filtrating enough of these particles so that they're not getting into your lungs. That's the key. A lot of masks out there simply don't do a good enough job.
NGUYEN: Got you. All right.
AQUI: I have a question for you, Dr. Gupta. We see these people who are dying in Mexico and we see the cases so far in the U.S. where people are recovering from the flu. So why are we seeing death in one place and people surviving in another?
NGUYEN: Yes.
GUPTA: Well, let's get to that. That's one of the questions we're going to try to tackle on "HOUSE CALL" today -- a lot of stuff to delve into.
