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CNN Saturday Morning News
Eunice Kennedy Shriver Hospitalized; Sources: Asia Terror Suspect Killed; Health-Care Town Halls Turn Ugly; Hurricane Felicia Waning on its Way to Hawaii
Aired August 08, 2009 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Hey, it's -- from the CNN Center...
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Rob.
MARCIANO: ...this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It's August 8. T.J. is off. I'm Rob Marciano filling in.
NGUYEN: Good to have you this morning. We do appreciate it.
Hello, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
You know, California's first lady, Maria Shriver, she has actually flown across country to be with her mother, that being Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who's currently hospitalized. We're going to update you on the condition of John Kennedy's sister.
Then this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) came out and they booed, booed, booed. And the other -- other group that was down in front, and they was standing up, clapping like crazy. So it was one-group-against-the- other kind of thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: People wanting information on the president's health- care-reform plans. It gets disruptive and sometimes violent.
NGUYEN: And take a look at this: a little girl's smile. She wants to be a teacher, but the distance between poverty and hope may just be too wide. Join me as I take you to the rural areas of Vietnam, where people live on less than a dollar a day.
But we do want to start with this: Eunice Kennedy Shriver, she is listed in critical but stable condition at a Massachusetts hospital this morning. Shriver is the sister of President John F. Kennedy and perhaps best known for founding the Special Olympics back in 1968.
Now, there's no word yet on what may be ailing the 88-year-old. Family members, including her daughter Maria Shriver, and her husband, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, are by her side. MARCIANO: Meanwhile, three more regional banks have gone bust, bringing the total number of closures so far this year to 72. The latest to fail are Community First Bank in Oregon and First State Bank and Community National Bank, both in Sarasota County, Florida. Officials estimate this round of closures will cost the FDIC another $185 million.
NGUYEN: Well, we are just a few hours away from officially having a new justice on the Supreme Court. Judge Sonia Sotomayor gets sworn in a little bit later this morning, 11:00 Eastern to be exact. She was confirmed by the Senate this week. Sotomayor becomes the first Hispanic American and the only -- and only the third woman ever to be named as a justice.
Want to take you overseas right now, because police in Indonesia say a top terror suspect has been killed in a lengthy overnight firefight with an anti-terror squad. This is the same terror leader who is believed to be responsible for those bombings of two western hotels in Indonesia last month.
Let's take you to CNN's Dan Rivers, who joins us live from Bangkok.
Dan, how did police there finally get this guy?
DAN RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it came after they arrested two men who led them to a house in central Java in Indonesia, where this massive firefight took place.
It lasted for 18 hours, if you can believe it. A very ferocious gunfight indeed, with the Indonesian elite anti-terrorist unit Detachment 88 (ph) peppering this building with bullets until finally they were convinced that they'd killed all of the men inside.
Now, they think that among those men is a man called Noordin Top. He's basically the most notorious terrorist in Indonesia. They think he's been responsible for a string of bombings across this country for the last 10 years, really, including the most recent one just three weeks ago on -- on the hotels the Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton in Jakarta that left seven people dead and two suicide bombings -- Betty.
NGUYEN: All right.
Give us some background here about this terror network. Did they carry out some other attacks as well?
RIVERS: Yes, I mean, they -- they have, you know, carried out this sort of reign of terror, really. The Bali bombing was probably their most deadly attack, back in 2002, left 202 people dead. That was a massive car bomb on the holiday on Bali, targeting Australian backpackers primarily.
They then went on to the Australian embassy. They hit the Marriott hotel for the first time. They -- they hit Bali again in 2005. So there's been litany of different attacks, as well as more local attacks. Even right back as far as 2000, they were bombing churches right on the Christmas Eve. So a very long-running campaign, leaving hundreds of people dead.
Now, the police think this is a major victory against Jemaah Islamiyah, the group that this man is associated with. And they feel that perhaps now they have this group on the backfoot (ph).
NGUYEN: All right. Dan Rivers joining us live from Bangkok. Dan, we do appreciate it.
MARCIANO: This could be a make-or-break month for health-care reform. Both chambers of Congress are off on summer recess. But some Democrats aren't getting such a warm welcome.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SHOUTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: Angers from constituents over their plans to reform health care.
NGUYEN: Well, the Associated Press says one Democrat's office has even received death threats. But as our Gary Tuchman reports, some in this debate can't even agree on what is driving all this anger.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Is it democracy? Demagoguery? Or both?
Congressional town-hall meetings during August recess used to be rather sleepy affairs. Not anymore.
There are images of President Obama with a mustache like Hitler's or looking like the joker. And also elected representatives hung in effigy.
Democratic Senators like Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter...
SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (D) PENNSYLVANIA: Medicare and Social Security...
TUCHMAN: ...and Missouri's Claire McCaskill are hearing it from extremely unhappy Americans who don't like the idea of health-care reform.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Same plan they're asking us...
TUCHMAN: People have been arrested. Others have suffered minor injuries with pushing and shoving.
Democrats like Florida's Kathy Castor have barely been able to get in a word edgewise.
At her meeting, reform opponents were seething because hundreds of them were stuck outside the town hall because they couldn't fit in the room. Protesters held signs on the other side of the window. The congresswoman had to be hustled out.
In Texas, Congressman Lloyd Doggett tried to talk.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You voted against him. That's not right.
TUCHMAN: He, too, was drowned out. One protester used his artisan reach to depict the congressman in a rather unsavory way.
REP. LLOYD DOGGETT, (R) TEXAS: The crowd certainly was angry. I suppose some might have had a negative reaction to the poster that said, "Lloyd Doggett, traitor to Texas, devil to all people."
TUCHMAN: So how did it come to this?
It depends on who you asked. The Democratic National Committee says these confrontations are orchestrated by the Republican Party. And the Democrats have released this Web video.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They've lost the confidence of the American people. Now, desperate Republicans and their well-funded allies are organizing angry mobs, just like they did during the election.
TUCHMAN: The word "mob" is greatly insulting to the folks on the other side of the argument. Many of the participants in these demonstrations said they are simply exercising their rights.
Ana Puig is Pennsylvanian who attended a town hall being hosted by Arlen Specter and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
ANA PUIG, THOMAS JEFFERSON CLUB: I feel like my constitutional rights are being taken away from me right before my eyes. I don't like the direction that we're going. They're taking away our freedom of speech. And the silent majority is finally fed up with it.
TUCHMAN: But now, liberal advocacy group Moveon.org has sent out an e-mail to supporters saying they have a plan -- quote -- "to fight back against these radical right-wingers." The group is raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations.
It's not only the weather that's hot in August. Now, the political temperature is boiling, too.
Gary Tuchman, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN, your hurricane headquarters.
MARCIANO: Been a quiet start to the Atlantic hurricane season. Reynolds Wolf alongside me. Two of us in the weather center here.
But the Pacific now heating up a little bit. Felicia -- what's the deal with her?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Felicia -- gosh, hard to believe that just 36 hours ago we were talking about a Category 4 hurricane. Now we're talking about a storm that's just barely Category 2, expected to go to Category 1.
But, I mean, take a look at it. It's out there. We've got a couple of things standing in its way. Rob, we were talking about this kind of stuff. You've got cold water in the way. You also have some stronger upflow (ph) of the winds. So by the time this thing makes it way limping toward Hawaii, it could be a -- a fairly weak system. We're talking about maybe a tropical storm, maybe even a depression.
But what it will do, is it's going to bring some beneficial rainfall to the Big Island.
Let's show you some video that we have, people getting ready. Always better to be safe than sorry. And on this video, you can see right there, people just doing what they can just to prepare for it. You see them piling up some of the sand on those black-sand beaches. Looks pretty nice there. Filling up sandbags; we've seen that before.
And again, just preparation for this storm. Hard to believe -- you know, the Pacific is the earth's largest single feature. And this storm, as it's chugging away, could bring some enhanced rainfall and also some heavy surf. So they're certainly going to keep their eyes on that storm.
Let's give you an idea of what's happening on the magic wall. What we're going to do is enlarge this image and put this into motion. You see the storm. Right now, it is a Category 1. It's just over 1,000 miles from Hilo at this point.
As we point it into motion, you're going to see, it is expected to make its way to the west. As it does, it's going to get weaker and weaker as it interacts with that cooler water. Water temperatures need to be about 80 degrees or higher for this storm to maintain its strength or get stronger. We're talking some -- well, actually some upper to mid 70s. That's where it's going to be headed. Plus, with those strong upper-level winds, it's going to continue just to fall apart.
As we get into Tuesday, and perhaps even into Tuesday mid-day and into the afternoon, we could see this thing pass the islands and them move a little bit more off towards the west.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Thank you, Reynolds.
MARCIANO: Thanks, Reynolds.
NGUYEN: So Rob, you went on the road yesterday and broke a few things while you were there.
(LAUGHTER)
MARCIANO: I'm a little bit clumsy, yes. That's -- that's -- that's true. I went to the longest yard sale in -- in the world. And I -- I wish you was there. It -- it was right up your alley. I think you would have enjoyed it.
NGUYEN: You think?
MARICANO: Yes.
NGUYEN: Well, what did you bring me back?
MARCIANO: Well, I brought back a frying pan, but I thought that was a bit sexist. So I'm -- I'm not going to present that to you right now.
NGUYEN: Yes, considering I'm not that great of a cook, you might want to keep that one.
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: All right. So we're going to show you a little bit of what you can pick up in that yard sale. My gosh, wasn't it -- what? -- 654 miles long?
MARCIANO: There I am breaking something.
(LAUGHTER)
MARCIANO: Oh goodness. It's embarrassing. I did pay for that. I overpaid, as a matter of fact.
NGUYEN: How much was it?
MARCIANO: Well, it was listed for $2. I'm sure I cut it -- cut it down maybe to 50 cents or a dollar. But I -- I -- I paid her -- paid her $3.
NGUYEN: Yes. You break it, you pay for it.
MARCIANO: I got -- I got a -- I got a free water out of that.
(LAUGHTER)
MARCIANO: Boy, there was so much stuff, you can't even believe it. So we'll take you there and show you the junk. In some cases, the junk is other people's treasures.
NGUYEN: That is true.
And, CNN SATURDAY MORNING takes a look at health care around the world. Our first stop: China.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(ELVIS PRESLEY, "JAILHOUSE ROCK")
WOLF: Guys, there's a reason for that music.
NGUYEN: Yes?
MARCIANO: Yes?
WOLF: There is a reason. Well, it's the reason for the season. You know, it gives you an idea of some of the things that are happening around the country this weekend.
Case -- case in point, take a look at this -- some of the big events you might want to consider.
Today marks the beginning of Elvis Week...
NGUYEN: All right.
WOLF: ...in Memphis, Tennessee. And you thought Memphis...
NGUYEN: Thank you (ph).
WOLF: ...was just Beale Street and barbecues.
NGUYEN: Thank you very much.
MARCIANO: If you haven't been to Graceland, you're not an American.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: Wow, that's quite a statement. Good thing I've been there.
WOLF: Oh, I know. That's -- that's what I'm talking about.
And you know, something else that's kind of cool is what's happening over in Iowa. Fireworks enthusiasts are going to be gathering at the annual convention of the Pyrotechnics Guild. Sounds very dangerous.
NGUYEN: It sure does.
WOLF: But should be a lot of fun.
And in Chicago, the 80th annual Billiken Parade and Picnic. It's actually grown into a major event bringing more than 1 million people together along the parade -- parade route. That's always a good time.
And not only that, but -- well, with this time of year, you got to think about football. And in Canton, Ohio, today s the introduction ceremonies...
NGUYEN: Oh yes.
WOLF: ...for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, along with the inductees today of Ron Woodson, Bruce Smith and Derrick Thomas. Wow, good times.
NGUYEN: Yes. WOLF: So those are just some ideas, a little snapshot of what's happening around the nation.
NGUYEN: Lots going on.
WOLF: Yes.
MARCIANO: And -- and why aren't you live at the pyrotechnics convention there, lighting off some fireworks?
WOLF: They don't want me within 100 miles of that place.
NGUYEN: Yes, I -- I don't think we have enough insurance for that.
(LAUGHTER)
WOLF: They really, really don't.
(CROSSTALK)
MARCIANO: ...a court order against you.
WOLF: There you go.
NGUYEN: Yes, that, too.
MARCIANO: You should have been at the junk -- the junkyard sale.
WOLF: That's what I heard.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: You keep calling it junk.
MARCIANO: There's -- you know, it depends on what part of the country you're from. It's either a tag sale...
NGUYEN: Mm-hmm.
MARCIANO: ...a garage sale, a yard sale or -- or a junk sale.
NGUYEN: Well, and, you know, to be quite honest, would you say a lot of the stuff out there was -- hmm, junk?
MARCIANO: Quite -- quite a bit of it's junk. But, you know, there's stuff like sports memorabilia out there.
NGUYEN: Oh, maybe one of your frying pans that you purchased, too.
MARCIANO: There's -- there's frying pans for sure. The kids out there; they certainly had a good time.
That Coca-Cola sign right there was, like -- that was over $100.
WOLF: With a bullet hole.
MARCIANO: Yes, well that was the -- that got in an extra 50.
That Coke machine right there, $350. I don't even know ...
NGUYEN: Oh my goodness.
MARCIANO: ...if it works.
WOLF: Wow.
MARCIANO: It's called the world's largest yard sale, happening this weekend along Highway 127, a 654-mile route. I stopped off to check out some of the bargains yesterday in Dunlap, Tennessee.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: It looks to me like an oversized hamster ball. I don't know what kind of critter you'd put in there. But use your imagination.
That's pretty much what you have to do here is use your imagination at the world's longest yard sale. And you can find just about anything you need.
What? Water kettle. A gas can. These tires look pretty new, actually high performance. I'm not sure what those are. Something for the kids. A baby carriage. All sorts of eclectic things.
You name it, they got it.
Forget about those multi-thousand-dollar kitchens. You come here and you can get set up with just about everything. You got a Bundt- cake pan, you got a pound-cake pan. You've got the old cast-iron frying pan. You talk about years on this sucker. That's got some flavor in there. All yours for $12. You can't beat that.
You're reading that right: $150 for a Goodyear sign. This Coke sign right here, 80 bucks. This Coke machine, which may or may not even work, $350. Obviously, for the vintage collector and one more reason that one man's junk is certainly somebody else's treasure. At least here in Dunlap, Tennessee.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: And the people are excited to be there, that's for sure.
If you are going to be out and about this weekend doing that yard-sale thing, well, "Country Living" magazine has some tips. Check them out.
Be prepared. There's a lot of items you want to look through, so you got to know what you're looking for. That's one of them.
Number two, be ready to buy and have some cash on hand, in small bills. Because they don't have exact change, and I learned after breaking something, they don't take the corporate American Express card.
And expect to haggle. God, that's part of the fun. Negotiating certainly part of the process.
And, you know, if you -- if you want the best bargains, be fashionably late. Early arrivals might get the best selection, but you'll pay top dollar. It's actually better to arrive late if you want to make that deal.
And number five, be realistic. Examine every piece that you want to make sure you want. And can it be fixed? Is it working? And is it -- is it worth buying? And I found a lot of the stuff there yesterday not -- not exactly worth buying.
NGUYEN: Did you find people were just kind of cleaning out stuff in the house and said, 'Hey, in this recession, hey maybe we can make some money off of it'?
MARCIANO: These people are serious.
NGUYEN: Yes.
MARCIANO: I mean, they collect all year-round.
WOLF: Yes.
NGUYEN: Oh really?
MARCIANO: Some of these people, like, just buy property along this stretch to come here once a year collecting all their junk all year...
NGUYEN: Hmm.
MARCIANO: ...and then -- and then reselling it. So, yes, they...
NGUYEN: (INAUDIBLE)
MARCIANO: They make thousands.
WOLF: Wow.
NGUYEN: And we saw some of the prices there on the -- the Coca- Cola products that were a little hefty for a yard sale.
MARCIANO: Yes, I'm -- I suspect they're a little bit cheaper today. But they're pretty proud of their stuff, in some cases.
NGUYEN: And on Sunday, even cheaper, right?
MARCIANO: Yes, exactly.
WOLF: Wow. Crazy stuff, man.
NGUYEN: OK. That's good stuff.
Well, if you can't find a yard sale in your area...
MARCIANO: Mm-hmm.
NGUYEN: ...you should be able to find a dollar store, yes?
MARCIANO: Oh, yes. They -- they -- they must be making a killing in this economy.
NGUYEN: Mm-hmm.
MARCIANO: They sell name-brand stuffs for usually a dollar, or even less.
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: Hence the name.
So what do Americans think of the economy and how President Obama is handling it? We're going to check in with CNN's deputy political director.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, in a country where people make less than $1,000 a year, getting good health care can be difficult.
MARCIANO: And now China is experimenting with a plan that charges $3 a year to cover 30 basic illnesses with seven common medications.
Here's CNN's John Vause.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jo Eu Juing (ph) is bedridden, broke and dying.
"To get treatment, we need money. I don't have money for hospital," he says.
A year ago he was healthy. Then his kidneys began failing. Within a month, hospital bills wiped out the family's life savings, almost 7,000 U.S. dollars. So he borrowed from his parents.
When their money ran out, Jo says the hospital sent him home.
His wife, Jin (ph), works double shifts at a Beijing juice factory. Her wages barely cover the costs of Jo's medication.
"This is for his kidneys. This is a diuretic, this is a hormone," and on and on she goes. Total, 150 U.S. dollars each month.
"We just eat noodles or buns," she says. "Eating well and eating to fill our stomachs is the same thing." Jo's (ph) story is common in a country where hundreds of millions can't afford even basic health care.
But not here in the small village of Shinshwei (ph) in northwest China. Under a trial program, Dr. Na Jing (ph) charges patients just 1 yuan. That's 15 U.S. cents.
Villagers like Lee Fung (ph), whose son has a fever, pay an annual insurance premium, about 3 U.S. dollars, and the government covers the rest. For treatment of 30 mild illnesses like colds and coughs, prescriptions are limited to 74 types of medication.
"Here if you have a small problem, we'll treat it first, and hopefully it will improve and not become serious," the doctor says.
Most families in China earn less than 1,000 U.S. dollars a year. So for Lee, 15 cents is affordable health care.
But she still worries.
"We can't afford to treat major illnesses," she says. "We're afraid if it's serious, we'll have to spend a lot of money."
(on camera): But health-care reform is also important to this economy. The Chinese have an incredibly high personal saving rate. Partly that's a hedge against high medical bills should they fall sick.
The government is hoping a better public health-care system will mean they save less and spend more, and that will be good for economic growth.
(voice-over): To do that, the Communist Party has promised universal health coverage by 2020, welcome news for most Chinese, but too late, though, to help Jo Eu Juing (ph) and so many others just like him.
John Vause, CNN, Shinshwei (ph), China.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, here in the United States, health care is getting heated. I want you to take a listen to some of the town-hall meetings that went on this week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SHOUTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Yes, that doesn't sound too hospitalized, does it? We -- well, it's citizens against lawmakers and sometimes each other. But who is really behind the mayhem?
MARCIANO: And also this morning, we're tracking Hurricane Felicia. It's headed in the direction of Hawaii. How strong will she be when she gets there?
"CNN NEWSROOM" -- the CNN SATURDAY MORNING is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Recognize that picture? Forty years after Abbey Road, hundreds of people go there this morning to recreate the iconic Beatles album cover.
Beatles fan, unite.
NGUYEN: Absolutely.
MARCIANO: Welcome back, everybody. I'm Rob Marciano in for T.J. Holmes, who's a huge Beatles fan. He might be there right now, actually.
NGUYEN: I don't think so. But he -- he is a big Beatles fan, no doubt. I mean, look at these pictures, how many people showed up for this, recreating that famous photo. We're going to give you more details on that.
But in the meantime, hello, everybody, and welcome back. You are watching CNN SATURDAY MORNING. I'm Betty Nguyen.
MARCIANO: And, again, I'm Rob, in for T.J. It's August 8. Hope you're having a great weekend. Let's get -- get to the top of the news.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, are in Massachusetts today to be by the side of her mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver. She's hospitalized in critical but stable condition. Kennedy Shriver is the sister of President John F. Kennedy and perhaps best known for founding the Special Olympics in 1968. She is 88 years old and has been weakened in recent years by a series of strokes.
NGUYEN: Well, Indonesia's most-wanted man has apparently been killed in terror raids there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(GUNSHOTS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Police and terror suspects battle it out for 18 hours overnight. You're listening to a little bit of that battle.
Law-enforcement sources says Noordin Top was killed in that firefight. Now, he is accused of being the ringleader behind the deadly bombings in Bali in 2002. And it is believed that he also played a part in last month's bombings at the Marriott and Ritz- Carlton in Jakarta.
MARCIANO: U.S. military officials have identified the four Marines killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on Thursday. Twenty- one-year-old Corporal Christian Guzman Rivera of Florida was one of the victims. Guzman had been taking classes at Miami-Dade College and according to his MySpace page he had dream of becoming a firefighter. Lance corporal Travis Guillene (ph), Sergeant Jay Hoskins and Lance Corporal James Argentine, were also killed.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Some people are just ticked off about proposed changes to our health care system. And they're using town hall meetings to show it. One forum in Tampa, Florida got so out of hand it turned into a pushing and shoving match when an overflow crowd was turned away. It wasn't any better inside either.
Watch what happens when Democratic Congresswoman Cathy Castor tries to speak.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're making progress ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get off of me!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody back up!
(INAUDIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: I can't understand anything that they're trying to say. Everyone is yelling at the same time. So is this public anger just part of the Democratic process or something more insidious? There are accusations that the GOP is bussing in folks and coaching them on how to disrupt the town hall meetings.
So I spoke with politico.com's senior political reporter Jonathan Martin about that. The first thing I asked him about was this ad the Democratic National Committee is posting online. I want to play it for you right now so take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Their goal, destroy President Obama and stop the change Americans voted for overwhelmingly in November.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will break him.
RUSH LIMBAUGH: I hope he fails.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This mob activity is straight from the playbook of high-level Republican political operatives. They have no plan for moving our country forward so they've called out the mob.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I want to know why are these people ignoring ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Call the Republican Party, tell them you've had enough of the mob.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: All right, so that's one side of it. Let me get your take on this, Jonathan. What is going on behind the scenes? Is this truly the Democratic process at work, or an attempt to disrupting public meetings?
JONATHAN MARTIN, POLITICO.COM: Well first of all, I don't think the ad you showed is actually airing anywhere on TV, it's only a web video. But nevertheless, a few things. First of all, I think the Democrats nationally are trying to do a sort of political jujitsu here. They're trying to gain strength from something that appears to be working against them.
They're trying to portray these town hall protests, some of these outbursts, as extreme in trying to sort of damage the fight against health care by portraying the opponents of it as these radicals. You saw in that web video they're trying to conflate those who don't believe President Obama was actually born in America with some of these folks at the health care town halls.
Now there may be some overlap, but it's no accident that they're trying to conflate the two, trying to portray the opposition as radical. Now to your question, is there genuine emotion about this health care issue? Absolutely. There's no question about it. Is there also an orchestrated effort to try and get folks to turn out for these town hall meetings? Of course there is. It's now happening on both sides.
Folks here in D.C. are trying to rally support for and against the health care bills at these congressional town halls all over the country. Because of now the fact that it's happening on both sides, you're seeing a ratcheting up of some of these outbursts. At first it was isolated here and there, mostly come from conservatives. Now you're seeing some real sort of clashes back and forth because both sides are now really engaged, trying to get their folks out during the recess to these town hall meetings.
NGUYEN: Absolutely, it's happening in several states. Let me ask you this too. What does it say when you have David Axelrod meeting with Senate Democrats and essentially providing a handbook on how to handle these town hall meetings?
MARTIN: Well look, they're trying to win back the message more. They don't want to have this August recess totally dominated by people out in America crying out against the health care bill. They want it to be seen in the media, especially in the local media, local TV, that there are two sides to this. That there are equally passionate proponents of President Obama's health care reform.
That's why you saw President Obama's aides telling senators yesterday on Capitol Hill, look, anything that the other side does we can double that. So they are now mobilizing their support. President Obama's political operation is trying to get their supporters out.
NGUYEN: So essentially you're saying this fight has only just begun.
MARTIN: Exactly. I think it's only going to get more heated from here. The more folks are engaged, the more people see these TV reports, when a town hall happens in their community, they're going to want to show up and express their views. Now that said, this is really drawing out folks on the extremes of both sides. Now where is the vast middle on this issue?
NGUYEN: And where are the concrete answers? I think a lot of people watching this just want to know, look, there are valid questions out there. Where can we go and get those answers and actually get a solid answer and not shouting and shoving? Jonathan, unfortunately we are out of time. Wish I could speak with you all day long.
MARTIN: No shouting here.
NGUYEN: No shouting, this is very civil. We do appreciate your time.
MARTIN: Thank you so much.
NGUYEN: We're going to keep it civil here this morning. So far so good.
MARCIANO: That was very civil. No shouting. Maybe a little bit of celebration for this news. For the first time in more than a year, the unemployment rate is actually down.
NGUYEN: It fell about a tenth of a point last month to 9.4 that is much better than expected. But do Americans feel more comfortable spending? That's the big question. CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser has been checking the polls for us.
Here's what he found.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Good morning, Betty and Rob. The economy continues to be the top issue with Americans by far so what do Americans think about how the economy is doing right now? Take a look at these numbers from CNN and the Opinion Research Corporation, this is a national poll we released this week.
You can see here that only about one in five Americans think that the economic conditions in the country are good today. Another 44 percent say somewhat poor. Look at the bottom there, 35 percent say the economic conditions are very poor. One good thing though, that 35 percent, that's the lowest number of people saying that the conditions are very poor in about a year and a half.
What do they think about how the president is doing, whether his policies are helping? Take a look at this, 44 percent of the people that we asked said they think the president's economic policies are making the economy better as of right now. Add in another 11 percent who say, you know what? In the future what the president is doing will help out. But still four in 10 say what the president is doing is not helping the economy.
Finally, this is interesting. Who are Americans blaming for the economic mess we're in right now? You can see that 44 percent are blaming the Republicans. I would assume a lot of that is going to the previous administration that was in the White House. About 23 percent blame the Democrats. You can see right there one in four say that both parties are equally at blame here. So I guess from that last number you can think that President Obama has a little bit of breathing room when it comes to the economy -- Betty, Rob?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: So what are your opinions on health care? Will the president's plan help your family? Send us your thoughts. You can reach us on Facebook, also Twitter, we'll be reading some of your replies this morning.
MARCIANO: Plus, today marks the 40th anniversary of the iconic Abbey Road picture, the Beatles crossing that street. They took the picture about five minutes ago at 6:35 A.M. Eastern time, that to mark the anniversary. We're going to talk more about that and reminisce a little bit when we come back.
NGUYEN: They recreated it today. We've got a lot more news that we are following this morning for you. Stay right here. You're watching CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: A little Beatle mania today because 40 years after the magic we are talking about the Beatles today at Abbey Road in London. Because just a few minutes ago fans recreated that famous picture that we just saw.
MARCIANO: I had no idea that that picture was taken I guess on Abbey Road. We're told that the photographer had like 10 minutes to take the shot and he took it at exactly 6:35 A.M. Eastern time on this date 40 year ago. There it is.
NGUYEN: CNN's Errol Barnett has more on the iconic shot and what it meant to music history.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERROL BARNETT, CNN INTERNATIONAL IREPORT CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Come together. The first track from the last album recorded by the Beatles. And it was put together here at Abbey Road Studios in London four decades ago. Today you can find the exterior walls of the studio affectionately marked up with messages from fans. Bill Harry worked with the Beatles and said they called their last recorded album Abbey Road because this was their second home.
BILL HARRY, BEATLES ASSOCIATION: At Abbey Road Studios well over 90 percent of all of the Beatles music was recorded, the real heart and soul of all the Beatles music at Abbey Road. BARNETT (on camera): With most of the album complete on August 8, 1969, the Beatles stepped outside the recording studio here on Abbey Road to shoot the album's cover. It would become the one of the most iconic images in music history.
(Voice-over): George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Star and John Lennon, at one of London's (INAUDIBLE) crossings. The album became the Beatles most successful making the cover world famous. Some artists who have imitated the walk include the lesser known soul band Booker T. and the MG's, and even the children's program Sesame Street. As you can imagine, tourists the world over have made the trip to these famous black and white stripes to have their own steps in history.
RICHARD PORTER, BEATLES TOUR GUIDE: Abbey Road Studios reckon about 125,000 people a year cross Abbey Road. I think it's more than that. We're talking 3,000 a week easily, if not more than that, it's a lot of people.
BARNETT: Richard Porter is a Beatles fanatic. He owns a Beatles coffee shop, founded the Beatles London fan club and created a walking tour of the milestone Beatles locations. On this day, he welcomed 55 tourists from around the world.
PORTER: This is number 3 (INAUDIBLE) from 1968 to the mid-1970s this building was owned by the Beatles.
BARNETT: It is a testament to the impact the Beatles had on music, popular culture and musicians for decades to come. So although it adds a few seconds to a driver's commute, even the crew and I couldn't resist.
Errol Barnett, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF: Wow. Does that bring you down memory lane or what? I mean personally I saw that and it brought back the memories of the Sesame Street version.
NGUYEN: He says, "I had that album." I said which one, the Sesame Street one?
WOLF: Yes, Kermit and Cookie Monster hit some notes that were just unforgettable.
NGUYEN: And we're learning from our floor director who studied abroad who said to try to recreate that picture today there is difficult because it's a busy street. Lucky trying to get a few people across at the same time.
MARCIANO: I assume even with all the pictures right now there's a fair amount of security. Maybe they blocked it off today so that the folks could do that.
NGUYEN: Recreate it. MARCIANO: You know what, the Beatles remind me of their amazing composers.
WOLF: No question.
NGUYEN: And the picture is just so iconic. There you go. Another look at it today as we're looking back at Abbey Road and the anniversary.
MARCIANO: Paul McCartney playing here at Piedmont Park in Atlanta next weekend, VIP tickets all yours for $400.
NGUYEN: A mere 400 bucks. You got me a couple, right?
We're moving right along to secretary of state Hillary Clinton who is in Africa this weekend. Here is some new video of her arriving in Durbin overnight. We're going to take you to South Africa live for more on the purpose of this trip.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: So you think you can dance?
MARCIANO: I think, but I know not so well.
NGUYEN: Better than this? I don't know. You might be able to take her on. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton getting down in Nairobi. She's got a few moves. She began the first leg of a seven- nation African tour in Kenya. After the serious business of the day, of course, she had a little fun on the dance floor. Not really sure what the name of that particular dance is called but she's into it for sure. Her African tour is focusing though on renewing America's commitment to trade with Africa. Not too bad, would you say?
MARCIANO: Not bad at all. Nicely choreographed, everybody in sync there.
NGUYEN: A little booty action going on right there. What was that move?
MARCIANO: I'm glad you said it and not me.
NGUYEN: They were shaking it. Ok, so that was Thursday night. Well this morning Clinton is in South Africa where she met with the new President Jake Abzuma and before that a date with a world statesman. She had an audience with former President Nelson Mandela and a private viewing at his archives.
Nkepile Mabuse is live in Johannesburg with all the latest on this trip. Boy, she has packed a lot into it.
NKEPILE MABUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, indeed. This is a seven-nation tour that takes the U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton to almost every region of the African continent. Of course, she's been to Kenya. She's now in Southern Africa, in South Africa. What we've seen so far during this visit, Betty, is that Hillary Clinton is really implementing President Barack Obama's strategy of the continent that he outlined during his visit in Ghana.
Now here in South Africa U.S. and South Africa relations have been pretty prickly during the Bush administration. But what we see and one of the reasons why they were prickly because of disagreements on Zimbabwe. What we see now is the Obama administration seems more accommodating of South Africa's quiet diplomacy in that country and trying to resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe.
Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MABUSE (voice-over): It was smiles and niceties from arrival to departure as U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton met with her South African counterpart on the second leg of her seven-nation Africa tour. They agreed to forge stronger ties and improve trade relations. They even said they agreed to work together on the thorny issue of Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's party has recently been accused of intimidating, harassing and even arresting opposition MP's in an attempt many believe to seize control of the country's parliament. But there was no pressure from Mrs. Clinton for South Africa to act.
HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, there is no need for promises. South Africa is very aware of the challenges posed by the political crisis in Zimbabwe because South Africa has 3 million refugees from Zimbabwe.
MABUSE: Earlier this week, South African President Jake Abzuma promised Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsingarai(ph) that he will encourage Mr. Mugabe to fast-track the implementation of the power sharing agreement Mugabe stands accused of consistently flaunting. And on Friday Minister (INAUDIBLE) promised Mrs. Clinton the same.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We promise to work with the people of Zimbabwe to implement the agreement that they signed.
MABUSE: Just how Mr. Mugabe is going to be persuaded to all of a sudden play fair when he has ignored such calls before remains a mystery.
(On camera): As for millions of Zimbabweans who have fled their country to seek a better life here are pinning their hopes on the secretary of state to push South Africa for firmer intervention in their country will be very disappointed unless Mrs. Clinton is reserving a more forthright approach from her meeting with South African President Jake Abzuma.
(Voice-over): Before her meeting with Mr. Abzuma on Saturday, Mrs. Clinton paid an old friend of her husband's a courtesy visit. She toured former President Nelson Mandela's archives which Mr. Clinton helped set up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- for you to look at these were notebooks of his correspondence.
MABUSE: During the Mandela/Clinton era, U.S./South Africa relations were at an all-time high. In recent years they have assumed a more frosty character. But judging from the meeting of the two country's top diplomats Friday, it appears the honeymoon period is back, well, at least in the eye of the public.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MABUSE: Well, what President Obama has said about Africa is that, yes, Africa has huge problems, but what President Obama wants Africa to do is stand up on its own feet and take charge of those problems and solve those problems itself. So that's what we've seen U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton implementing and carrying forward during her trip so far here on the continent -- Betty?
NGUYEN: Nkepile Mabuse, thanks so much for joining us live from Johannesburg. We do appreciate it. Secretary Clinton spoke to our Fareed Zakaria before leaving for Africa. You do not want to miss that interview. She opens up about her husband's mission in North Korea and the global dangers that keep her up at night. That is on GPS, right here on CNN Sunday at 1:00 P.M.
MARCIANO: That's a good show, you want to tune into that for sure.
The new jobs report is certainly encouraging news. Does it mean the worst is over? We're going to talk to some factory workers to find out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Good morning, everybody. Thanks for joining us. I'm Betty Nguyen coming to you live from the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is August 8th. Look who's with me this morning.
MARCIANO: It's my pleasure and honor to be beside you.
NGUYEN: I am glad to have you here.
MARCIANO: T.J., I wait weeks for T.J. to take the day off, now here I am filling in for T.J. Holmes who's taking some well-deserved time off.
NGUYEN: Yes, he is.
MARCIANO: Health care town meetings getting a little bit disruptive with some yelling and screaming.
NGUYEN: And take a look at this. A hut so small children can't even stand up inside of them. That is life in parts of Southern Vietnam. I'm going to take you there and show you how you can help families struggling to survive.
MARCIANO: Welcome back. But first, let's get you caught up on some of the top stories happening overnight. A shootout police in Indonesia say they've killed a top terror suspect. He was reportedly killed in an 18-hour gun battle with anti-terror forces. He is blamed for the 2002 bombings in Bali that killed more than 200 people and just minutes ago police said his group was planning an attack on Indonesia's president.
NGUYEN: A town hall meeting for health care reform becomes a platform for voicing disapproval and voicing it very loudly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CROWD CHANTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Tempers at this forum in Tampa, Florida, got so out of hand that it turned into a pushing and shoving match. Several town hall meetings in fact on health care reform this week have deteriorated into screaming matches.
MARCIANO: And Eunice Kennedy Shriver listed in critical but stable condition at a Massachusetts hospital this morning. Shriver is the sister of John F. Kennedy and perhaps best known for founding the Special Olympics in 1968. No word yet on what may be ailing the 88- year-old. We'll have a live report from outside the hospital next hour.
NGUYEN: Well, this may be the make or break month for health care reform. And President Obama -- he knows it. In his weekly address, he goes after those he believes are spreading lies about his plan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Under the reforms we seek, if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan. And while reform is obviously essential for the 46 million Americans who don't have health insurance, it will also provide more stability and security to the hundreds of millions who do.
Right now, we have a system that works well for the insurance industry but that doesn't always work well for you. What we need and what we will have when we pass health insurance reform are consumer protections to make sure that those who have insurance are treated fairly and that insurance companies are held accountable.
We'll require insurance companies to cover routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies, or eye and foot exams for diabetics, so we can avoid chronic illnesses that cost too many lives and too much money.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, the president will keep pushing his health care reform plan next week. It's the focus of his hall meeting in New Hampshire on Tuesday. MARCIANO: Speaking of town hall meeting, some, Betty, as you may know, have gotten pretty ugly for...
NGUYEN: Yes.
MARCIANO: ... the Democrats talking health care reform with their constituents.
NGUYEN: It's pretty ugly, shoving, yelling, you name it. But how many Americans do these opponents really speak for? For that, let's go to CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser with the latest on some poll numbers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEINHAUSER: Good morning, Betty and Rob.
What do Americans think about health care? That is such a big issue right now.
You know, we put out a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation national poll this week and it shows that overwhelmingly, Americans think something needs to be done, change is needed to bring down cost and to insure the millions of Americans who don't have insurance right now. But, you know what? At the same time, our poll shows that overwhelmingly, people like the health insurance they have.
Specifically, what do they think about President Obama's proposal? Take a look at this from our poll. About 50 percent of Americans say they favor the president's health care proposals, 45 percent are opposed. You can take from that Americans are kind of split.
About 30 percent of Americans say, you know what, the president's plans would help my family specifically; another 44 percent say that they don't think they would be personally helped but they think that the president's proposal would help others. And about one in five -- you can see right at the bottom there -- don't think the president's plan will help anybody.
We've seen a lot of the town halls so far over the last week, and we've seen some of them get pretty boisterous and noisy, and some confrontations. So, take a look at this from our poll. This is very interesting.
We asked, are -- you know, are you energized to go out to town halls to speak out? And you can see right here that of those who said they were likely to attend, 48 percent of Obama -- opponents of Obama's plans said they were likely to attend, only 37 percent of supporters of the Obama plan said they were likely to attend.
So, you can kind of get from that that people who are opposed to what the president is proposing in health care reform are much more energized to go out to these town halls -- Betty, Rob?
(END VIDEOTAPE) NGUYEN: All right. So, for more on this health care make or break month, you can check out my blog, go to CNN.com/Betty.
MARCIANO: Well, for the first time in more than a year, the unemployment rate dropped in July by 1 percent.
NGUYEN: Yes, but it's still a little bit of good news. We'll take it when we can get it.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: But Ed Henry tells us that while the news is positive, it's not much consolation to the 9.4 percent still unemployed.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Upbeat jobs report is little comfort to Greg Thompson, who just feels fortunate the unemployment benefits he collects at the one-stop career center in Washington, DC. were recently extended.
GREG THOMPSON, UNEMPLOYED: For me, I'm just glad they did. But there's no jobs. I mean, you can't -- I go out every week and I get the same story.
HENRY: But a couple of miles away at the White House, the president had a much of rosier view of the impact of his stimulus plan.
OBAMA: This morning, we received additional signs that the worst may be behind us.
HENRY: While 247,000 more people lost jobs in July, the president noted that's far better than what he inherited.
OBAMA: We're losing jobs at less than half the rate we were when I took office. We pulled the financial system back from the brink while we've rescued our economy from catastrophe. We've also begun to build a new foundation for growth.
HENRY: Republicans insist the stimulus may be working on the margins, but has not provided the jolt the president originally promised.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have to define working. I mean, they've set the bar that says, you know, we're going to have the second Great Depression and we didn't, so it has to be working.
HENRY: While the president acknowledged there's a long way to go, he struck a very optimistic tone.
OBAMA: I am convinced that we can see a light at the end of the tunnel, but now, we're going to have to move forward with confidence and conviction to reach the promise of a new day.
HENRY: But Greg Thompson, a heavy machinery operator, suggests while some jobs may be coming back, wages are plummeting.
THOMPSON: I get some people who say, "Well, look, I'll pay you so much." And I say, "Well, that's half what I've been getting." Then they say, "Well, if you don't want it, you know, we'll get somebody else that do."
HENRY (on camera): The vice president's top economist Jared Bernstein was a bit less optimistic than the president during an appearance on my radio show at CNN.com. Bernstein said the White House is not entirely confident that unemployment will keep trending downward. He said it's still entirely possible it will reach 10 percent by the even of the year.
Ed Henry, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: And meanwhile, overseas, a top Taliban chief is killed. We'll look at what that means for the fighting in Afghanistan.
NGUYEN: Yes. And surviving on less than $1 a day -- my trip to Vietnam to help the hungry.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: A successful strike in Pakistan. A U.S. drone attack has apparently killed the top Taliban commander there. But there are still questions surrounding Baitullah Mehsud, Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S. talked the uncertainty during an appearance on the "Newshour with Jim Lehrer."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARGARET WARNER, PBS CORRESPONDENT: How confident are you, is your government, that Baitullah Mehsud is dead?
HUSAIN HAQQANI, PAKISTAN AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: A hundred percent certainty, Margaret, can only be achieved after DNA testing and a lot of physical evidence has been processed. But other than that, there are a lot of pointers as a result of which most people believe that Baitullah Mehsud is indeed dead and his own group has announced that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: If they can indeed confirm Mehsud's death, it would be a major victory for American and Pakistani forces there, eliminating a man who ordered terror attacks in Pakistan and possibly in Afghanistan as well.
CNN's Cal Perry has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAL PERRY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The face of terror in Pakistan. His resume reads like a manual of death and destruction.
The Pakistani government believes Baitullah Mehsud has been behind the majority of suicide attacks across Pakistan. Both U.S. and Pakistani officials suspect he was involved in the assassination of the former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, along with other high- profile attacks like the bombing of the Marriott Hotel.
FARAHNAZ ISPAHANI, PAKISTANI PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: A murderer and a monster. He is the man or he was the man who was behind the killing of Pakistani police, Pakistani soldiers and officers, and Pakistani men, women, and children. We think that he has fuelled many groups in this country, extremist sectarian groups among them; that he has had links to the killings of Christians in Pakistan; and basically, this man is not somebody that any other Pakistani wants to own as a fellow citizen.
PERRY: His death has not been confirmed and getting forensic evidence to prove it may be impossible. But witnesses say a missile fired from an unmanned U.S. drone struck a house in remote South Waziristan in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Officials say there is a, quote, "high degree of confidence" he was killed based on reports trickling out of the region.
SYED TALAT HUSSAIN, ANALYST: Two hours after the strike, a big funeral took place in that area, which is very unusual, because once the drones have hit, normally the Taliban do not get together in big numbers. There is a wide possibility of a second war, but in this case, they couldn't help it.
PERRY (on camera): Last year, Mehsud boasted in public that he had hundreds of suicide bombers ready and willing to attack U.S. targets inside Afghanistan. And while a U.S. official tells CNN that the Pakistani Taliban could easily nominate a successor, both the U.S. and Pakistan have reason to hail this as a victory. Both have reason to put the man out of business.
Cal Perry, CNN, Islamabad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: As we focus on health care and reform, as well as the ailing economy in this country, half a world away, millions live on less than $1 a day. And health care options, well, they're often non- existent. I'm talking about Vietnam, where I was born. I just returned from a humanitarian aid trip along the Mekong Delta that really illustrates the importance of international aid organizations, even during a recession.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN (voice-over): Our journey begins at the crack of dawn as relief supplies are loaded onto a bus. We're headed away from the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City formerly known as Saigon -- to poor farming villages in southern Vietnam. It's a long and bumpy ride. And once we arrive, the heavy lifting begins.
All this aid was donated through the nonprofit my family founded called Help the Hungry.
(on camera): Now that this boat has been loaded with supplies, we're headed to remote villages along the Mekong Delta. To give you an indication of how poverty-stricken this area is, the Red Cross says families live here on less than $1 a day.
(voice-over): It's important that we distribute this humanitarian aid before the potentially deadly monsoons flood the region. But you don't have to look far to find those already in need. Hundreds gather at the shoreline.
They'll take the food, clothing and hygienic supplies back to their huts. In fact, some are so small even a child can't stand up inside it. What's even harder to believe, a family of five lives here.
She says they've lived here for about three years. In a corner is their makeshift kitchen. They scratch out a living fishing from the same murky canals where they bathe and get their drinking water. They can't even afford to keep their children in school.
Her 12-year-old daughter only made it to the second grade. Yet when I asked what she wants to be when she grows up -- her face lights up as she says she wants to be a teacher.
It's a heartbreaking battle between hope and poverty that continues to play out as we go from village to village all the way to the Vietnam/Cambodia border.
(on camera): But this is life for the people who live here. And it's a difficult life. And no matter how much we bring and how many times we come, you never leave feeling like you've done enough. There are so many people in need here.
(voice-over): Which is why we continue to come back year after year -- proving the poor are not alone in their struggle, and maybe, in some way, it will instill the kind of hope and determination needed to rise above seemingly impossible odds.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And as always, a very difficult journey. But as I mentioned, the need is just so great. We've been doing it for nine years now and raised well over $100,000. Our next big mission along with bringing humanitarian aid, of course, is to build water wells -- because as you saw in my piece there, people are bathing and drinking from the same murky canals.
This trip was really special for me because we went so far into the interior that we even reached the Vietnam/Cambodia border. And just, you know, taking a look at some of the children that we were able to help. It's not just food aid but also shoes. This was a little girl that -- was a recipient of some tennis shoes.
And a lot of these children don't even have shoes. They don't have toys. They don't have access to an education and they barely have enough food to survive. So, that's why this is so important and something that is really near and dear to my heart.
So, for more information, yes, you can go to HelptheHungry.org. We've got the Web site up right there. And also we're going to have more information on this throughout the morning. But it's really a special journey for me and one that means a lot.
MARCIANO: I just -- I remember it like it was yet that last year's piece when you came back. You've been doing it nine years.
NGUYEN: Nine years.
MARCIANO: Are conditions getting worse, better? What makes this year different from years past?
NGUYEN: Well, you know, I wouldn't necessarily say that they're getting better because -- I mean, this is a third world country. So, poverty is just rampant, especially in those rural areas where you have farmers just basically living off of the land and doing the best they can. But when it comes to like the monsoon season, which we got in this season well ahead of that, it can just inundate the area with floodwaters and that becomes not only devastating but deadly. And so, it's important to get the aid to them before then.
MARCIANO: It's great to have you back. I know it's a bit of a spiritual journey for you.
NGUYEN: Yes, it is.
MARCIANO: And we appreciate you're sharing the experience.
NGUYEN: Thanks, Rob. I do appreciate that.
And in the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING, while charities here in the United States are seeing fewer donations, so are international charities. I'm going to talk to UNICEF about how they're coping.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
MARCIANO: Lots of debate going on this morning. We're trying to figure out our favorite Beatles song, that not Beatles, but covered or written by the Beatles. We're not quite sure. But tweet us and let us know what you think, what you know and what your favorite Beatles song.
NGUYEN: Favorite Beatles song. Yes, we're asking that this morning. Send in your thoughts on it, which one was it? Getting a lot here of people weighing in. Some people are saying "Strawberry Fields," and all these other songs.
Anyways, let us know -- Facebook, Twitter. We'll be reading them on the air.
But in the meantime, though, recession-weary Americans -- they are learning to stretch their dollar.
MARCIANO: And a dollar it is.
CNN's Maggie Lake found there's no better way to do it than the dollar store.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAGGIE LAKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): (INAUDIBLE) and Jessica Scotto are searching for bargains at their neighborhood dollar store in New Jersey. They say they are constantly surprised by how far their dollar goes each and every visit.
JESSICA SCOTTO, DOLLAR STORE SHOPPER: The appeal is to get 20 things for $21 instead of going to the other stores and getting maybe two or three things for $20.
LAKE: Shoppers across the country are taking notice. In a year of dismal news for the retail industry, dollar stores are thriving. Family Dollar recently reported a 36 percent jump in quarterly profits. Sales at Dollar General stores opened for more than a year soared 13 percent. Business is so strong that major dollar retailers plan to open hundreds of new locations this year, even as scores of other chains close stores.
(on camera): So, we're here at a Dollar Tree Store, it's one of the chains that's benefiting as Americans try to stretch those paychecks. And we decided to come and see what $20 is going to gets us.
Oh, toothpaste.
(voice-over): First things first, the essentials.
(on camera): Paper plates, definitely. Bargain hunting is nothing new for American consumers, but these deep discounters are taking it to a whole another level. Household, especially things like cleaning products, these are the same things that are same brands sold in other stores but they're only $1 here.
(voice-over): Other must-haves, aluminum foil, $1, drain cleaner, $1, Kleenex, $1.
(on camera): Wolfgang Puck organic soup.
(voice-over): Even designer label soups and USB computer cables, $1. Some products are sold in smaller sizes than you'd see in the supermarket. Even so, savings are substantial and $20 really does go a long way.
DENISE LOWE, DOLLAR STORE SHOPPER: Sometimes you find bargains on different things that you usually spend a lot of money for in different places. But I always shop here first before I go to a regular department store.
LAKE (on camera): Right. To see if they have it. LOWE: Bargains -- exactly.
LAKE (voice-over): Retail watchers say it's exactly that behavior worrying the competition.
WENDY LIEBMANN, WSL STRATEGIC RETAIL: Dollar stores take a bite out of Walmart, especially if you're in the communities where they both live together, kind of their entry price point. I go to the dollar store first, then I fill out when I'm in Walmart.
LAKE: It is now estimated that nearly half of all U.S. households shop at dollar stores each month. Even shoppers who can afford to buy elsewhere. And a lot of them are leaving the store satisfied.
SCOTTO: Very good. Got everything we needed at a great price.
LAKE: Maggie Lake, CNN, Hazlet, New Jersey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF: Wow.
MARCIANO: Hey, guys. Alongside Reynolds Wolf in the weather center. We're talking about weather, we're talking cars. Reynolds is looking for a new car. If you got an idea, you might want to hit him on his Facebook.
WOLF: Bring on. Absolutely.
MARCIANO: It's Facebook. That's how (INAUDIBLE)
WOLF: Yes.
MARCIANO: Hey, what's going on behind us? A lot of heat in Texas and water is creating some problems.
WOLF: These some funky things. What it does a lot of times in Texas is the combination of the heat and water cause the foundation actually on some of the houses to shift. Weird stuff.
MARCIANO: Really? The foundation guys in business I guess.
WOLF: Yes, it really is. You know, another weird thing that happens in Texas that has nothing to do with homes whatsoever but it's just a Texas kind of thing that does happen especially in Dallas, rearview mirrors -- no joke -- in the Dallas area, a lot of times you'll have rearview mirrors where it gets super, super hot, the interior of the car where it gets 120, 130, where the adhesive that holds the rearview mirror to window, it actually loosens and things will fall.
So, you'll come out inside and you open the door, and there's your mirror hanging on your dashboard.
MARCIANO: But really, who needs to know that's going on behind you? Let's look toward the future, what's coming.
WOLF: The story of my life, you know?
MARCIANO: Past is history.
WOLF: The past is history. And if you look at the future, seeing the sun coming up all over Atlanta. Take a look at this, Rob, that sun coming up over the city to make thing things warm up to a sizzling 93 degrees today. That's what we're expecting. It's going to be a nice for you in Atlanta, typical for summertime -- nothing unusual here that we're seeing.
As we take a look at the magic wall, 89 degrees in the nation's capital, 79 degrees in New York, back over to Houston and Dallas, mainly some mid to some upper 90s, 96 in Las Vegas, 105 in Phoenix.
And the west coast, it looks very nice for you -- 79 degrees in Los Angeles, 68 in San Francisco. Pismo beach, the surfing is going to be unbelievable today.
Speaking of water and speaking of temperatures, it's going to be cool water and it is just to the west of Felicia (ph) that's going to cause the storm, which is weakening as we speak, to continue to weaken. We sense the forecast, that's what they call it, where it go and dropping to a tropical storm as we get into early Monday.
Tuesday, storm getting very close to the Hawaiian islands, possibly making landfall on the big island as a minimal tropical storm, maybe even a tropical depression, bringing enhanced surf and definitely a chance of some heavy rainfall, which would not be a bad thing for the big island.
That is the big weather story. You got it all up to speed now. Let's send it back to you at the news desk.
NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet.
MARCIANO: You know, Betty, you're from Texas. Do you ever have that rearview mirror fall just kind of fall off of the windshield?
NGUYEN: Because it's so hot?
MARCIANO: It's so hot.
NGUYEN: Yes. And then you can fry an egg on the sidewalk. Others, plenty of things. Tires melt...
(CROSSTALK)
MARCIANO: The foundation of the homes are a little bit shaky as well.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: They start to crack.
MARCIANO: Never heard anything about that. But there's a lot of things about Texas that Betty fills me in on a daily basis.
OK. So, shaky ground, the economy as well. U.S. charities with international missions are having problems.
NGUYEN: Yes, we're being told some small ones may not make it. And there's so much need right now that we're looking at the big picture in our next hour. I'll be talking with a key player at UNICEF, the United Nations Children Fund.
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NGUYEN: We're going to have more news at the top of the hour when CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues.
But first, "HOUSE CALL" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta starts right now.
