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CNN Saturday Morning News
Eunice Kennedy Shriver Remains in Critical Condition; Unemployment Rate Fell for the First Time in a Year; Obama Administration Entering Third 100 Days; Senator Mel Martinez Stepping Down
Aired August 08, 2009 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everybody. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It's a great morning, you see the sun coming up over Atlanta. It is August 8th. Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rob Marciano in for T.J. Holmes as Betty Nguyen comes back from her two-week ...
NGUYEN: Not really a vacation.
MARCIANO: ...trip, not really a vacation, let's say that.
NGUYEN: It's hard work.
MARCIANO: But welcome back from Vietnam. Good to see you.
NGUYEN: Thank you. Yes, did some charity work over there. I'll be talking to you about that a little bit later.
Yes, glad to have you in today for T.J. Always a pleasure.
MARCIANO: I just hope you and T.J. get on along, it's been three weeks now.
NGUYEN: It's tough. He'll be back next weekend. We'll be back together.
MARCIANO: All right. Some of the things we'll be talking about, this financial crisis that's hit one of the largest counties in Alabama and the law enforcement, they're facing layoffs and there's been a call for actually the National Guard to come in and help patrol the streets.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The county could have to slash its operating budget by as much as 50 percent, basically decimating public services and stagnating any potential growth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: Our Sean Callebs has the story and I'll talk to the sheriff and a state representative about this dire situation. NGUYEN: Plus, I'm going to take you to the rural areas of Vietnam where people live on less than a dollar a day. Find out how you can help those struggling to survive.
But first, we want to let you know how Eunice Kennedy Shriver is doing this hour.
NGUYEN: She remains in critical condition in a Massachusetts hospital, her family at her side. The 88-year-old Shriver is the sister of former President John F. Kennedy. Her daughter Maria Shriver and Maria's husband California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger have arrived at the hospital. In fact they arrived there yesterday.
Sean Kelly with our Boston affiliate WCVB is standing watch this hour. Sean, what is the latest and do you actually know exactly what is ailing Mrs. Shriver?
SEAN KELLY, WCVB CORRESPONDENT: No, we haven't gotten an update from the Shriver family about exactly why she is here in the hospital, but we know that she's been here about a week in the intensive care unit. It's still early here at the hospital so we haven't seen any of the Shriver or Kennedy family members arriving here, at least at this hour.
Last night at about 7:00, 7:30 we did see her son Mark and his wife leaving the hospital. There was also a photographer from the "Cape Cod Times" who captured Maria Shriver, her daughter, as well as the California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger leaving the hospital.
We are told that family members and it is a very large family, they have been at her bedside periodically throughout this week, including her husband, her many grandchildren, as well as her children. The only public statement we've gotten so far is a written one from the family basically thanking everyone for their prayers -- Betty?
NGUYEN: An indication of some of the health difficulties that she's had over the last several years?
KELLY: Right. It's been a tough decade for sure. Back in 2000, she was actually in critical condition because of an infection she suffered from -- she suffered after surgery. She battled back from that. And then there's been a series of strokes over the years as well. It's also believed that she suffers from Addison's disease, something that President Kennedy suffered from as well.
So these are all health problems that she's been able to battle over the years, so as family members arrive back here today, we are waiting to see exactly who will show up, but again it is early so as we've been told, they've been coming throughout the week.
NGUYEN: OK. Sean Kelly with our Boston affiliate WCVB, thanks for that update.
A major victory against terrorism this morning. Police in Indonesia say they've killed a top terror suspect. It happened during an 18-hour fire fight. Noordin Top (ph) is accused of killing hundreds in bombings on western targets on Bali and Jakarta. Police say his group was also planning an assassination attempt on Indonesia's president.
And a top Taliban chief in Pakistan is also believed to be dead, killed in a U.S. drone attack this weekend. But officials aren't ready to say they are 100 percent sure he is dead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How confident are you, is your government, that Baitullah Mehsud (ph) is dead?
HUSAIN HAQQANI, PAKISTAN AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: One 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 (INAUDIBLE) that most people believe that Baitullah Mehsud is indeed dead and his own group has announced that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: Our Cal Perry reports from Islamabad that Taliban members gathered late this week for what seemed to be a major funeral. It's believed Baitullah Mehsud orchestrated the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.
NGUYEN: Well, we do have some encouraging numbers from the latest jobs report. Unemployment fell last month for the first time in more than a year. But in the president's words, quote, we have a lot further to go.
Elaine Quijano joins us now live from the White House. So Elaine, what is the president saying about it this morning?
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Betty, the president is cautiously optimistic about these latest job numbers. They showed a drop in the unemployment rate from 9.5 percent to 9.4 percent. Now that is the first time it's dropped since April of last year. Nevertheless, White House officials certainly aren't doing any victory laps just yet.
The president did talk about these numbers in his radio address, his weekly radio and Internet address. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This month's job numbers are a sign that we've begun to put the brakes on this recession and that the worst may be behind us. But we must do more than rescue our economy from this immediate crisis. We must rebuild it stronger than before. We must lay a new foundation for future growth and prosperity and a key pillar of a new foundation is health insurance reform, reform that we are now closer to achieving than ever before.
(END VIDEO CLIP) QUIJANO: Now the president arguing there once again that getting the economy back on track in order to do that, that health care reform is very much needed. But Republicans, Betty, are continuing to say, look, this is just going to be too costly, what the Democrats are cooking up is going to cost people too much.
Nevertheless, in these unemployment figures, important to keep some perspective here, Betty. The unemployment figure, 9.4 percent, that translates to 247,000 Americans losing their jobs last month -- Betty?
NGUYEN: All right. You know the president also taking issue with the way the political fight is being waged. What's he saying about that?
QUIJANO: The president, Betty, is really trying to slap back at some of his critics. Keep in mind all of this is happening as Congress is out, lawmakers are getting a chance back in their home districts to really get an earful from constituents on a number of issues, including health care.
Well today, the president tried to push back against some of the criticism that he called outlandish rumors that, for instance, reform he said will promote euthanasia, cut Medicaid or bring about a government takeover of health care. The president bottom line said that's just not true. He said that there are always going to be people trying to exploit differences for political gain, but he argued this isn't about politics, this is about peoples' lives -- Betty.
NGUYEN: All right, CNN's Elaine Quijano joining us live today, thank you Elaine.
And President Obama's focus over the next few days will be on the economy, the whole continent, not just the U.S. On Sunday and Monday he will be south of the border for a summit with Mexican and Canadian leaders. Then on Tuesday he holds another town hall meeting on health care, this time, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. On Wednesday, the president hosts a White House reception for new Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. In fact, she is going to be sworn in today and it's going to happen live right here, 11:00 a.m. Eastern. Watch it on CNN.
MARCIANO: And this weekend, the Obama administration enters its third 100 days with some feedback from the public. And the overall reviews have been fair at best. Paul Steinhouser is CNN's deputy political director and he's been looking at reaction to President Obama's first six months. Good morning, Paul. Where do you want to start?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Let me start with the big guy himself I guess, right? You got it. Let's take a look at president, Barack Obama. How do Americans grade him? We did a poll, Rob, on the second 100 days and we asked Americans to give the president a letter grade. From our national poll, CNN Opinion Research Corporation, what does he get? He gets a C-plus.
I guess some people ask, well why didn't he do higher, but there's a lot of things going on right now, especially I think the economy may be one of the reasons that the president is being dragged down a little bit, also, health care as well. It's tough for anybody to get a high grade when you're a president, such as an A. That would maybe equal like an approval rating in the 90s and that rarely happens Rob.
MARCIANO: Couldn't do it even with an Harvard law degree, this guy couldn't get an "A"?
STEINHAUSER: I guess not.
MARCIANO: All right, let's talk about the health reform push, the president's reform program generating intense interest, to say the least. We've seen some feisty town hall meetings across the country. What's the -- was that intensity reflected in some of the poll results?
STEINHAUSER: It really is. Our poll shows Americans are divided on whether they approve or oppose the president's health care proposals. Overall on health care the president got a C-minus. That's a lot lower than his overall approval rating for everything.
And you know what else our survey showed, Rob? It showed that people who opposed the president's plans on health care are much more likely to go to these town halls and speak out than people who support the president's plans. I guess we're seeing that in a lot of these town halls across the country this past week.
MARCIANO: Angry people are typically a little bit more vocal that's for sure. From the big guy to Congress, you also graded them. How did the lawmakers do?
STEINHAUSER: Not as well as the president. They got a C-minus and no surprise here. I think just about every national survey this year has shown that Congress has a much lower approval rating than the president. And we see that with this C-minus that Congress gets. We did break it down also Rob by party and Democratic leaders in Congress got a slightly better grade, slightly than the Republican leaders in Congress.
MARCIANO: All right. From Congress let's go to Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of state Hillary Clinton. How do they grade?
STEINHAUSER: The number two, Joe Biden, gets a C. As for Hillary Clinton, she got the best grade of all Rob; she got a B-minus. I think the reason here is that Americans, I think they are more supportive right now of what the administration is doing when it comes to foreign policy than domestic policy because you got have so many controversial things like the stimulus, health care and all of other issues. But when it comes to foreign policy, a lot less controversy it appears with Americans and that's why Hillary Clinton gets the best grade, B- minus.
MARCIANO: And often a thankless job to say the least, Vice President Joe Biden a C, couldn't do better than that because? STEINHAUSER: Well you know what, I mean there have been some gaffes I guess out there that made the news and that may be one reason why he's a "C," not a horrible grade, but maybe he will do better next time.
MARCIANO: I always believed going through school, "C" was not a bad grade at all. All right, Paul Steinhauser, deputy political director, good to see you.
NGUYEN: You're quite the overachiever, weren't you Rob?
More political news for you right now. Florida Republican Senator Mel Martinez announced yesterday that he is stepping down with nearly a year and a half left in his term. He says there's no specific reason, just his desire to move on. Florida Governor Charlie Crist plans to run for Martinez's seat in 2010. Crist has to pick a replacement to finish Martinez's term but he promised that he will not appoint himself.
Help and hope for families who live on less than a dollar a day. A humanitarian mission to Vietnam and a look at why missions like these are facing tough times just ahead.
MARCIANO: And later, why the National Guard may be forced to come in and patrol Alabama's largest county. And Reynolds Wolf tracking hurricane Felicia -- Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You silly little freaks. We got a lot to talk about weather wise today. We got the extreme heat, got a chance of severe weather in the western great lakes and into the Ohio valley and not only that, but we also have a hurricane in the Pacific. We'll have the full scoop coming up in just a few moments.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WOLF: Robot action.
NGUYEN: You got a lot of caffeine today, apparently.
WOLF: No idea. (INAUDIBLE)
NGUYEN: We're playing a song "The Heat Is On" for good reason.
MARCIANO: Hot in Texas and they had a bunch of rain and now you're telling me that the foundation of these homes are cracking.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WOLF: If you get into Los Angeles, you take that drive up parts of highway 101 it's going to take you to Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara by the way happens to be the spot for this weekend's getaway.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF (voice-over): Santa Barbara, California, is just about an hour north of Los Angeles, but it seems like a world away. MARK ORWOLL, TRAVEL + LEISURE: Santa Barbara feels like a Mediterranean village on the Pacific. All the buildings there are white stucco with red tiled roofs, palm trees everywhere, beautiful beaches.
WOLF: Completed in 1820, the Santa Barbara mission plays hosts to tourists and worshippers. Another landmark is the county courthouse with free tours Monday through Saturday.
ROBERT DOLEY: It's amazing that this building is a fully- functioning, daily courthouse. You walk in the front door and you think you've stepped into a museum and into a different time frame.
WOLF: One block away, are the shops and restaurants of historic State Street.
ORWOLL: State street has beautifully landscaped pesaos (ph). It's a wonderful place to spend am afternoon. In fact you could spend the whole day just window shopping on State Street.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: Still ahead -- Jermaine Jackson and why he says there have been some things that have surprised him since the death of his brother Michael.
NGUYEN: I was smiling because I heard a little bit of Reynolds on the tail end of that.
Plus we're going to take you inside rural Vietnam for a look at the poverty people there face. It's a place where families live on less than a dollar a day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: As we focus on health care reform and the ailing economy in this country, half a world away, millions live on less than a dollar a day and health care options, well, they're often nonexistent. 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 on to a bus. We're headed away from the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Min 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. 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 the poverty stricken area is. The local Red Cross says families here live on less than a dollar a day.
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. This is life for the people who live here. 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's so many people in need here 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 we've been making those annual Help the Hungry humanitarian aid trips to Vietnam for the past nine years. I can tell you, it can be difficult getting people to donate to international aid organizations and many non-profits are in trouble right now, especially the smaller ones.
It is a subject that Caryl M. Stern knows very well. She is the president of the U.S. fund for UNICEF and she joins us now live. Carol, thanks for your time. To give our viewers some perspective here, how much do Americans give to international aid organizations?
CARYL M. STERN, U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF: Good morning, Betty. Well, there are about two million non-profits in the United States and when you think about that, two million, 501-C3s and only about 10 percent, a little less than that actually, this past year, I believe it was 8 percent, were given to international causes.
NGUYEN: So what impact would you say, we're looking at only 8 percent, but when you consider the fact that we are in a recession, a lot of people don't have a lot of extra change and many people even argue that there are people here who need the money. How difficult has it been to get funding for those organizations?
STERN: Well, I think we've had to work twice as hard to get what we get. You know, one of the things that we often say to people is, here in America we have some really tough choices to make this year, but the children we serve at UNICEF, they never had a choice to start with. One dollar less here is $10 less there. So they've had to work twice as hard to get every dollar we've gotten this year.
NGUYEN: And help us understand what that truly means on the ground to those people in need, if you get a dollar less here.
STERN: Well first of all, a dollar, for example, in our world buys 40 liters of water. That's enough to sustain a child for 40 days. So one dollar less, truly can be the difference between life and death in a child. Every single day as we go about our business here, 25,000 children die of causes we know how to prevent and that's in a good economic time. So imagine what's going to happen as the economy continues.
NGUYEN: So what are you telling people? What are you asking of those donors out there to get them involved, get them invested in helping people half a world away?
STERN: Well, a couple of things. One, I think it's important for Americans to recognize the lack of choices that the children around the globe have. You know, everything from even in America when you're born you're registered. In other countries, people don't even know you exist. Education is guaranteed here. Education is not guaranteed in other places.
Every child in the United States has access to inoculation. Every child in another place doesn't. So when you start to look at the equations, you start to understand that children have to be defined by their age, not by the borders. It's not their children versus ours. It's children.
The strategies, we have to tell our story loud. We have to be the brightest and the best. We have to make sure we can really show you where your dollars are going. Things like charity navigator, Better Business Bureau ratings are so much more important than they've ever been right now in terms of being able to show our efficiency.
NGUYEN: That's so important for people to be able to see the faces of those that they've helped because I can tell you on our humanitarian aid trips with Help the Hungry, there are children there that would love to go to school. They simple cannot. It's not because there aren't any schools.
One, they may be far away, two their families cannot afford to buy the food or the books or the pencils and papers to send them to schools. These are things that we often take for granted here in the United States. At the same time there is a valid argument and people will say to you, look there is hunger and poverty right here in the United States. What do you say to that?
STERN: Again, I start with the fact, though, that a child here has access to services. A child here can go to a shelter. A child here is guaranteed an education. A child here will get health care if they get to a clinic. There isn't a clinic to even go to.
You know, my first time in the field, I sat with a mom who had just given birth and we compared our birth stories. She went into labor working in the fields, walked four hours to get to a clinic where there wasn't even a doctor as opposed to jumping in my car and running over to the hospital.
NGUYEN: The stories just are heartbreaking and I've seen many of them and witnessed children that have horrible wounds, parents that have passed away. They don't know what's happened to them, living on their own and there's really not anyone out there to help them. So that's why these organizations are so very important. Thank you for your time and thank you for the work that you do.
STERN: Thank you very much.
MARCIANO: And thank you for the work that you did over there in Vietnam. Ninth year in a row, how is this year any different from the last?
NGUYEN: This year I think we were able to go the distance, meaning that not only did we go along the Mekong Delta and help village after village, but we went all the way to the Cambodia/Vietnam border. And there are a lot of people there that really don't get any sort of aid. So it was really important for us.
There's a picture of it right now, to be able to help those that are often forgotten. Beautiful children, children with bright futures, they just don't have the means to get the kind of education, the kind of health care that will sustain them and this is a shot of us not only providing food, but providing shoes. Many children don't even have that.
Again it goes back to that story that little girl that I showed you Rob, they live in a hut there, five of them. Three children, their two parents live in a hut that is so small, they can't even stand up inside of it. So that puts the poverty in perspective when we talk about those in need around the world.
MARCIANO: Those pictures though, you see their faces light up, I'm sure even those images don't do it justice.
NGUYEN: No it doesn't and I remember one year this lady came up to us after we had given out all of our aid supplies and she was crying and I felt so bad because I had nothing else to give and she said, I'm not crying because I'm not getting anything. I'm crying because you came here to help.
MARCIANO: That's fantastic.
NGUYEN: And that has always stuck with me.
MARCIANO: Excellent, look forward to your tenth year and thanks for sharing that experience.
NGUYEN: Thank you.
MARCIANO: Betty out there rolling up her sleeves for a good cause. Rolling up your sleeves in Alabama's biggest county, including the city of Birmingham, they're facing dramatic budget cuts and the number of their officers and a sheriff's department, they're being sliced almost in half and residents say they're downright scared. We'll talk about that next.
NGUYEN: And later, showdowns over health care, a spirited debate or mob action? We'll delve into it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Well, budget cuts could pull police off the streets in Alabama's most populated county. The sheriff of Jefferson County which includes Birmingham says he wants the National Guard to come in. Residents say, things are a mess and the governor, well, he could call lawmakers back for a special session as soon as Monday.
Here's CNN's Sean Callebs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS (voice-over): I went for a ride along with Jefferson County Sheriff Deputy Michael Jackson in a section of the county hit hard by crime.
MICHAEL JACKSON, SHERIFF'S DEPUTY, JEFFERSON COUNTY: I feel for the people that's living out here because like I said, the ones that approach me, they're all scared right now.
CALLEBS: The county which includes the City of Birmingham, is in crisis. Dramatic budget cuts mean more than 300 of the nearly 800 sheriff department's employees will be out of work, off the streets and officers are fearful that crime will skyrocket.
(on camera): The people that you've talked to, are they really scared?
JACKSON: Well, they're terrified. You've got a lot of the elderly people living out here, they're living alone and they rely on us to have their back. Well, if we're taken away, who are they going to have?
CALLEBS (voice-over): To avoid what officers call open season for criminals, Sheriff Mike Hale is urging the governor to consider sending the National Guard to Alabama's most populous county. Hale has been told he may have to cut his budget by as much as 50 percent next year, from $60 million to $31 million.
SHERIFF MIKE HALE, JEFFERSON COUNTY, ALABAMA: What I'll have left that after furlough (ph) is enough to work the jail and a small group to work five or six beats within the county.
CALLEBS: What led to Jefferson County's broken government, part of the pinch can be blamed on the recession.
(on camera): But the big problem, the county instantly lost about $70 million, or 25 percent of its annual budget, from an occupational tax on income it had collected since the 1980s. Even though lawmakers repealed it about a decade ago, courts only recently mandated the county stop collecting that money.
BETTY FINE COLLINS, PRESIDENT, COUNTY COMMISSION: We are at the -- enduring the darkest hours this county has ever lived through.
CALLEBS: Betty Fine Collins is the county commission President and says there is no quick fix. The commission has already ordered furloughs for 33 percent of the county's employees.
COLLINS: You cannot have more expenditures than you have revenue. So what's the largest area of expense -- personnel, which is why we have 1,004 people on administrative leave without pay.
CALLEBS: Among those on furlough, Michael Morrison who's worked three years in the county zoning and planning office. He predicts major problems.
MICHAEL MORRISON, COUNTY ZONING AND PLANNING OFFICE: It's going to slow down county road constructions. It's going to slow down things like road maintenance, bridge maintenance, debris pick-up after storms.
CALLEBS: Indeed look at this massive line. People are waiting eight to nine hours to renew auto tags. Cuts mean there are only three people working inside and a lot of frustrated people outside in line.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's insane. I mean you've got these people over here that want this thing and these people over here that want this thing and nobody will even communicate to fix it, it's just stupid. I mean, we could be -- we could be at a kindergarten class watching this.
CALLEBS: Sheriff Hale has so far pushed back and refused to furlough his employees. But if the commission can't come up with the money and the sheriff's budget is cut in half, Deputy Jackson says, there will be a lot of people who suffer.
JACKSON: And with this cut, you know, we lose 50 percent of our personnel, it's letting the bad guy know, hey, it's -- we can pretty much go in center point and do whatever we want to do or any other part of Jefferson County.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: All right, it is the sheriff versus the lawmakers and you are looking at Jefferson County Sheriff Mike Hale, profiled in that report. He's joining us live from Birmingham this morning.
Sheriff, you want the National Guard to come in. Are things that crazy, that out of control that we should call in the National Guard?
HALE: Well, look, I have my finger on the pulse of criminal activity in this county. My first -- the first thing I asked the governor to do would be to -- and did ask him -- if he could fund us in the month of September. If he could not do that, then I'm going to lose about 300 deputy sheriffs. Those are the deputies that work patrol, work detectives and I asked him if he could -- if he would consider activating the National Guard, especially the military police, components of the guard, that have experience working in law enforcement.
MARCIANO: Well, can you appreciate the fact that when citizens see the National Guard come into place, it's either a disaster, some sort of short-term emergency. If it's for policing that's a scary thought. Do you believe that your residents are scared in that county?
HALE: I believe this. I believe that that young mother with a child that calls 911 and needs somebody's help there in two minutes and it's going to take 20 minutes, that's wrong.
I believe that these child stalkers that are stalking children that when we cut -- when we pare back and don't have any deputies who can investigate convicted sex offenders and track them like we're supposed to, I believe that's wrong.
I believe the legislature in its wisdom gave the county commission guidance to fund public safety. They have put me on -- with the equality of every other county department, the citizens of this county want to be protected.
MARCIANO: Sheriff, I certainly can feel your passion for law enforcement and we certainly want to have as many officers out there as possible. But every municipality, every state budget is in crisis mode and there have to be cuts somewhere. You've been asked to cut -- how much cutting have you done so far?
HALE: I have -- I have cut out a small amount of civilian interns. I have enough funds to go to the first of September. Then I have some funds that my office has that I will pay about $1.5 million in September.
Then I will effectively cut my office in half at that time. All I will have is the jail and instead of running about 35 beats a shift, I'll run about six beats a shift. And so if this happens in September with no help, the citizens of this county will see what the next year will be like. And it's just not -- it's not going to be good.
MARCIANO: Some people are saying, well, you're not being a team player here, you're not working with the group, you're not at least trying to do what you're asked to do. Some people feel like you're playing chicken here, you're playing chicken with the lawmakers.
If they don't go out there and pass the laws and get the money that they need, you're going to pull officers off the streets and all heck is going to break loose?
HALE: Let me tell you, the team I'm on are the people of this county. I'm not on the county commission team. When I was -- when I had sued them recently and was ordered to negotiate with them, not one commissioner showed up. I'm not on their team. I'm on the people's team and I'm going to do everything I possibly can to keep these citizens safe.
I would ask that the commission do what I did yesterday. I walked those long lines; I talked to everybody in that line that you just showed.
And they are dissatisfied with the commission and they want their sheriff funded. I doubt very seriously if any of the commissioners have walked that line in the courthouse and apologized to them for what's going on.
MARCIANO: All right. Sheriff Mike Hale, boy, you have a tough job ahead of you. I don't envy that. But we appreciate your work and serving the public there. Hopefully this crisis is solved at some point.
HALE: I agree.
MARCIANO: Sheriff Mike Hale of Jefferson County, thank you.
HALE: Thank you.
MARCIANO: All right, we're going to hear from the other side of this equation. A State Representative, talks about the broken government, that's next when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Returning now to broken government, at least in a county; it's in Alabama. The governor there, considering calling a special session to deal with the crisis. The sheriff, you may have just heard, wants the National Guard to police his county and State Representative John Roberts is in the middle of it all.
He represents Jefferson County which includes Birmingham and he joins us live from Birmingham. Representative, where is the sheriff on this? I mean, he wants to call in the National Guard? What do you think about that idea?
REP. JOHN ROBERTS, (D), ALABAMA STATE HOUSE: Well, if it gets to that point where we need protection, of course we need the National Guard and anybody else we can bring in to help police this city, county and state.
MARCIANO: Well how do we -- let me cut you off there with all due respect. How did this county get into this mess? There are counties and municipalities all over the country that are dealing with this recession and financial crisis.
ROBERTS: Yes.
MARCIANO: How did you guys get into this mess if?
ROBERTS: Well, you got to go back to the bond swaps, the economy, the whole shooting match and the bad business deals. You've got a county commission who can't find a way to get out of a paper bag. One gets out on the top they'll pull all of them back down.
And when you're running a -- they don't want any help. They don't know where the credit cards are. They don't know who owes them. They missed collecting taxes about $20 million of taxes.
They've got an $84 million reserve. They really don't have to do this. They've got $84 million in reserve and is being punitive. I think they're punishing the sheriff and trying to put pressure on legislatures. That's what I really think...
MARCIANO: So you've got $84 million...
ROBERTS: They've got $84 million in reserve right now.
MARCIANO: How do we get it out of there?
ROBERTS: The only thing the county commission says, we want to use the money to save people's jobs and spend money on the sheriff's department. That's all they have to do. I mean, but really they're trying to punish folks to try to put pressure on us to force to do things they want to do.
MARCIANO: Where are you going to be Monday? Is there going to be a special session? Do you think the governor is going to call that?
ROBERTS: Well, I think he'll call it today. We had to make sure that everything was constitutionally sound; everything was right and we had all our ducks lined up in a row so we can get in and out in five days. And I'm looking forward to calling it today and we'll go into session by 6:00 Monday evening.
MARCIANO: I want to read a quote from a "New York Times" article; this is based on some business from Moody's Investor Services and kind of gives some perspective. And this is not just about safety; it's about your financial crisis and trying to get money outside the state.
"Outside of the City of Detroit it's fair to say we haven't seen any place in America with the severity of problems that they're experiencing in Jefferson County." That's highlighted in a "New York Times." As a citizen, as a legislature, how does that make you feel to have that kind of national notoriety at this point?
ROBERTS: Well, you know, any publicity is good, but that's bad publicity. I think that we're a better county, city and state and that's why the governor is stepping in. I think that we can solve our problems; we've got to get the right forces in place to solve them.
I mean, we've got a broken government, but we can fix it. I mean, they're fixing their way as we can fix ours. And we're going to fix it. We're going to go into session.
MARCIANO: Give me the plan A here. How are you, your colleagues, the governor and the sheriff going to work together to fix it? ROBERTS: Well, we're going to re-enact the occupational tax; We're going to bring them in and close the $78 million, back into the coffers, and include everybody to pay it. However, it will only be for a short while. It calls for a vote of people in 2012. And if it was cut out then, the county has got time, to hopefully, to realize they're going to have a shortfall in funds in five years, phased out over five years, if it's not voted for.
But we're going to reinstate it immediately and allow them to get the money out yesterday. They got $23 million in escrow. So they'll get a chance to get escrow money as well as get the money coming in from the taxation.
MARCIANO: Well, it certainly sounds like you're being optimistic and that's good to hear, Representative John Roberts from Jefferson County, if that session is called on Monday. Good luck to you in solving this crisis and the rest of the summer looks like it may take several months, if not years, to fix this problem but we certainly wish you the best.
Thank you for joining us this morning.
ROBERTS: And just pray for us.
MARCIANO: That too; that too, you got it.
ROBERTS: We need prayer to help, so just pray for us.
MARCIANO: Amen. Thanks for joining us, sir.
NGUYEN: Absolutely.
Well, August is a make or break month for health care reform. Lines, they were long and tempers were short at a health care Town Hall meeting in Michigan. You've got to take a look at this.
The forum in Romulus, Michigan, at times turned into a free for all. I want to give you the story now from Mary McDonald of our affiliate WDIV.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY MCDONALD, WDIV CORRESPONDENT: Congressman John Dingell drowned out by the boos and jeers from an angry crowd. Dingell hosting the Town Hall to hear what people think about the idea of national health care; the 81-year-old could barely get a word in edgewise.
Crowds started showing up early to wait in line, both those for and against yelling it out before the meeting ever got under way.
PEOPLE: Just say no. Just say no.
MCDONALD: Once inside, it was a free for all at times.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It got really heated and really loud. It was a lot of chanting, a lot of booing, some clapping. It just -- at one point it felt like people were more worried about drowning each other out than listening.
MCDONALD: Dingell's wife Debbie vowing to set up another Town Hall.
DEBBIE DINGELL, CONGRESSMAN DINGELL'S WIFE: I can make sure that we can very quickly schedule another Town Hall meeting and as I said can get as many people as you want to get here.
MCDONALD: So many questions about what the Obama health plan really means.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Something has to be done in a way of reform, but not to redo our whole health care system.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's going to be more division in this country than ever and the majority of people want this bill stopped.
MCDONALD: Marcia Boehm, who was invited as a speaker here tonight and supports the idea of national health care, had a hard time even being heard over the crowd but her message is this.
MARIA BOEHM, HEALTH CARE REFORM ADVOCATE: I believe that it's immoral for us to have individuals in this country without health care. People are dying every day because of that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, one of the forgotten issues in this health care debate over reform, that being fraud.
MARCIANO: And a rookie holdout controversy in the NFL. Wild, Michael Crabtree has everybody talking.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Well, things are never dull in the NFL. As fans are enjoying this hall of fame weekend and the unofficial start of preseason play, the league is mired in a rookie holdout controversy while at the same time battling a case of twitter jitters.
Rick Horrow is a sports business analyst and our expert. He joins us live from West Palm Beach. Good morning, Rick.
RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Good morning. Heading up to Cleveland for that hall of fame game; Akron/Canton the official/unofficial official starting NFL season tomorrow. Everybody is going 16-0 and everybody is going to the Super Bowl. You read the press all over the country that's what they say.
MARCIANO: Well, that's what their job is preseason. And your job is to break down some of the stuff that's happening right now. Boy, this kid Michael Crabtree he's some player, but he's skipping out on training camp, he's holding out for more money. NFL apparently doing nothing; and then the sports blogs are all about it. Breakdown this dispute and what does it mean for the future of first round drafters.
HORROW: Well, he may be some player but he's unproven. And I'm not sure how good a negotiator he is. A guy from Maryland was drafted three spots ahead of him by the Oakland Raiders and even though he might be great and might be quick and everything else, he's not guaranteed those dollars based on the slotting the NFL has and he was drafted three spots lower than a guy the Raiders paid about $24 million in guarantee for.
So he is threatening to sit out the season and saying, "I'm better, I'm quicker, I'm faster, I'm more known." Well the Niners may have something to say about that. Plus it would change the whole system of how the NFL treats its draft picks.
Good luck to Michael Crabtree but I'm not sure he's going to succeed on this one if you ask me about it.
MARCIANO: Yes, this may set up a tricky precedent going forward.
What do you think? I mean, how much is he asking for and is he going to get it?
HORROW: Well, asking for anything above $23.5 million guaranteed. And in this world of...
MARCIANO: Come on.
HORROW: ...layoffs, that's gutsy by the way. I think he better just concentrate on catching passes and figure this one out later on. It's going to hurt his endorsability no matter what would be my argument as well.
MARCIANO: Hey, listen this news could break on Twitter of all things, NFL not crazy about the players twittering all of the time. What's the problem here?
HORROW: Well, the problem is, the first amendment comes up against protecting trade secrets in the work place and such and just like autographs way back when and yelling to fans and cell phones, you've got to be able to draw the line.
NFL has 700,000 hits from its athletes on their Twitter pages; Terrell Owens (ph) over 111,000 of them, but teams like the Dolphins and the Bills and the Patriots have legitimate places and prohibitions and this is one of those examples.
So the issue, by the way, is 140 characters to tweet, I'm told, and only 14 if you say, I broke my leg. So you've got to be able to put very strong conditions. It's protecting your interests, not only telling the players what they can and can't do.
MARCIANO: Interesting not always a good thing, we're kind of being wrapped here. But I want to get your thought on Eli Manning becoming the second highest paid player in the league. What's he going to make, almost $100 million for six years, is he worth that?
FORROW: Well, he's going to make nearly $100 million. But the point is you've got to be able to show your fans something during the off seasons.
Steve Ross, by the way, just made commitments with guys like Mark Anthony and Jimmy Buffet, as investors just signed a deal with the artist last night.
This is like that -- the Giants have to sell tickets, nearly $100 million over six years. Manning may be there until 2015 when the signing is confirmed. It'll show up at the box office as well. They've got that $1.5 billion stadium they've got to take care of.
So there'll be pressure on him.
Like everybody in Tampa, I'm going to go up to hall of fame and figure that out in the next couple of days.
MARCIANO: All right. Here's the hopes that that football gets through security. Good luck in Ohio, my friend.
HORROW: There you go.
MARCIANO: See you Rick.
NGUYEN: Well, still ahead, candid words from Jermaine Jackson. What he's learned since Michael Jackson's death that has actually surprised him.
MARCIANO: And keeping an eye on hurricane Felicia this morning and getting ready. It's still a category 2 hurricane; moving west toward Hawaii. Thoughts are it may weaken over cooler waters but residents are taking no chances.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: From the CNN Center this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It's August 8, good morning, everybody. I'm Rob Marciano sitting in for T.J. Holmes. Betty Nguyen, back from being two weeks...
NGUYEN: Finally.
MARCIANO: Not off, not on vacation...
NGUYEN: Yes.
MARCIANO: ...but a humanitarian effort we've been talking about it all morning.
NGUYEN: Yes and now it's great to be back and glad to have you here. T.J. is taking a couple days off. He'll be back next weekend.
And we are talking this morning about health care and then hearing plenty about it in reform. But what about health care fraud?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were overcharging for a procedure that wasn't done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: We investigate why tens of billions of dollars are just lost to health care fraud every single year.
MARCIANO: And we go on the road to see if stimulus money is getting the contractors fast enough. But first, we want to update you on Eunice Kennedy Shiver.
NGUYEN: Yes, she does remain in a critical condition in a Massachusetts Hospital, her family at her side. The 88-year-old Shriver is the sister of former President John F. Kennedy. Her daughter Maria Shriver and Maria's husband California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger arrived at the hospital yesterday. Now other Kennedy family members have arrived as well.
Political analyst for "Time" magazine Mark Halperin joins us now by phone. Mark, what has Mrs. Shriver meant to the Kennedy clan. Because by her own choice, she hasn't been in the limelight for many years.
MARK HALPERIN, POLITICAL ANALYST, "TIME" MAGAZINE (via telephone): She has had health problems. You talked about some of her associations. Obviously, she has famous brothers, and a famous husband and a famous daughter. She's really been one of the leading members of the Kennedy family both inside the family, people think about Senator Ted Kennedy as kind of the patriarch of the family overall.
She's really been the matriarch, one of the real leaders and also all of her work over the years with the Special Olympics, doing more probably for helping the mainstream and help the lives of people with learning disabilities than almost anyone else in the country over the years.
NGUYEN: Well, you know, like many people in her family, she's dedicated her life to service it appears.
HALPERIN: She really has. She had a sister who had special needs and well before this was kind of something that people did on a broad basis. She helped found the Special Olympics and really popularize them not just in the United States but around the world. And although as you said, for the last few years, because of her health problems she hasn't been very visible for many years, for decades.
She worked to make sure that people with learning disabilities had a chance to be part of athletics, to be part of being part of the mainstream of American life. And for that, she is in her own right a historic figure, not just as it so often cited her associations with other family members.
NGUYEN: Yes, no doubt. As we look at the hospital where she is being cared for right now, it's interesting Mark that the statement that came out essentially said that she has been hospitalized and really didn't say much more than that. Do you have any indication as to what may be her ailment?
HALPERIN: She's had, as we've said, a number of health ailments over the years. Her husband has Alzheimer's. So they've been dealing with a lot of medical problems. It seems pretty clear this is, whatever the cause of her hospitalization is overall, this is a pretty serious time.
And, of course, Senator Kennedy, her brother, has been up at his home in the same area dealing with his health problems. So this is a pretty intense period for the Kennedy family. You see them gathered now and I suspect they'll be gathering again soon to deal with Senator Kennedy and his health issues as well.
NGUYEN: Yes, no doubt. Mrs. Shriver, at 88 years old, she has been awfully resilient throughout the years, despite all of those health problems and, of course, you mentioned Senator Kennedy who is dealing with his own battle, brain cancer. This is a family that has faced a lot of obstacles.
HALPERIN: Well, of course the tragedy not just of the assassination of her two brothers, something that, you know, most, obviously, most people don't have to deal with, but they've had other deaths and other tragedies. She's lost other siblings and she has been someone who's lived into a long life, played a role in recent history as well, we should mention.
One of the very first people not just from the Kennedy family, but one of the first prominent people to tell Barack Obama many years before or several years before he decided to run for president, that she thought he would be president and that it was up to him to run and that had a great influence on the president to make his decision, he has told people.
NGUYEN: All right. Mark Halperin, thanks so much for joining us today, with "Time" magazine, joining us by phone as we continue to watch the condition of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and we'll bring you any updates as soon as we get them.
MARCIANO: We certainly wish her the best. Lived a long and colorful life.
NGUYEN: 88 years old and again, we don't know the exact cause of her hospitalization, but she has suffered from a number of ailments throughout the years.
MARCIANO: All right. On to what's happening with the Supreme Court. Big doings today.
NGUYEN: It is a big deal today. In fact, we got a swearing-in ceremony that's going to be taking place that, of course, for Judge Sonia Sotomayor. She is going to be sworn in two hours from now at 11:00 a.m. Eastern and you will be able to see that ceremony live right here on CNN. MARCIANO: So stick around for that. Or DVR and play it later today. Sotomayor was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday. The vote was 68-31. She will become the 111th Supreme Court justice but only the third woman and first Hispanic-American.
NGUYEN: One of the forgotten issues in this health care debate over reform, is fraud. Senior correspondent Allan Chernoff reports on just how widespread this problem really is.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: The problem is fraud. Tens of billions of dollars is lost to health care fraud every year. It's a major reason our health insurance premiums keep rising and Medicare and Medicaid are draining the treasury. Yet for all the talk in Washington of controlling health care costs, the issue of fraud is getting little attention.
(voice-over): Theresa Langlois knew her podiatrist was cheating Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan when she read her insurance statement. Dr. Jeffrey Cook had billed thousands of dollars to surgically remove dozens of warts when Theresa only had a discolored toenail.
THERESA LANGLOIS, FRAUD VICTIM: It was like robbery. They were overcharging for a procedure that wasn't done.
CHERNOFF: Theresa called Blue Cross which investigated. Ultimately leading to the arrest and imprisonment of podiatrist Jeffrey Cook. Health care fraud perpetrated by doctors, pharmacists, even organized crime gangs, is rampant. A senate investigation found Medicaid in recent years paid nearly half a million claims to people posing as doctors who were dead. Such fraud costs every American. It drives up prices for medical insurance, treatment, and drugs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's a domino effect that ends up with the consumer. Somebody has to reimburse for it, somebody has to fund that, and ultimately it gets passed down.
CHERNOFF: That's why major health insurance companies have special investigations units to weed out fraudulent claims.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to get that money back.
CHERNOFF: [inaudible] and other investigators estimate fraud accounts for a minimum of three percent of all health care spending, $72 billion a year. Other experts say the figure is more than three times that, topping $200 billion.
OBAMA: If we do not reform health care, your premiums and out of pocket costs will continue to skyrocket.
CHERNOFF: President Obama warned health care reform is needed to get medical costs under control. But one of the biggest culprits, fraud, gets little mention in the congressional reform effort. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are certainly aware of this problem. They don't seem to know the magnitude or the seriousness. They don't seem to be acting with the kind of urgency that I would like.
CHERNOFF: The health reform bill approved in the House, 1,018 pages long, devotes only 40 pages to the issue of fraud. It and bills in the Senate would add $100 million a year to combat fraud, waste and abuse. That's the amount of health care fraud occurring in the country every 12 hours using the most conservative estimates.
(on camera): That level of corruption is one of the big reasons on medical bills rise steadily every year. Yet the big push in Washington has been to provide health coverage for more Americans. Experts warn if fraud isn't addressed more aggressively, American taxpayers will be paying billions more than needed to provide health insurance for those who don't have it.
Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, about 100 Iranians who were arrested during the post-election demonstrations are back in court today as their trials resume.
MARCIANO: Yes, they're accused of plotting to overthrow the government. Opposition leaders say the detainees have been tortured and coerced into confessing. Human rights activists are calling on the U.N. security council to declare this crimes against humanity and refer the matter to the international criminal court.
NGUYEN: Indonesia's most wanted man has apparently been killed in terror raids there. Law enforcement sources say Noordin Top was killed during an 18-hour fire fight. He's accused of being the ring leader behind a deadly bombings in Bali in 2002 and it's believed that he also played a part in last month's bombings at the Marriott and Ritz- Carlton hotels in Jakarta.
MARCIANO: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is on a seven-nation tour of Africa this morning. She met with South African President Jacob Zuma in a bid to improve strained relations between their countries. And later today she will be visiting a housing project in Cape Town and meet with former South African F.W. Declerk who helped end apartheid.
And we're also keeping a close eye on Hurricane Felicia this morning.
NGUYEN: Oh, yes. Reynolds Wolf in the weather center. Where is it right now?
WOLF: Well, it's right now, it's about 1,000 miles from Hawaii and that thing is going to continue to make its way towards Hawaii but it is expected to weaken. And speaking of hurricane becoming tropical storms. We got some tropical storm force winds that may form in parts of Michigan back to parts of Wisconsin for this afternoon. This morning just some heavy rain and there's also the potential for some flooding.
We're going to talk about all that coming up in just a few moments. You're watching CNN SATUDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Well, CNN is your hurricane headquarters. We're tracking hurricane Felicia. It's headed toward the big island of Hawaii right now.
NGUYEN: Oh, yes. Officials say it has already weakened and may only be a tropical storm or depression by the time it hits land. That's a little bit of good news but they could still cause a whole lot of damage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You could see a significant impact, even if it's a tropical storm and/or it gets downgraded to a tropical depression, we'll still see a lot of water and some wind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Folks in Hawaii have been piling up sandbags in preparation for possible flooding.
MARCIANO: All right. Reynolds, break it down for us. If this thing comes onboard as a tropical depression, I guess that weakens it wouldn't be necessarily bad news, they could use rain, at least, on some of the islands.
WOLF: Absolutely. But in the big island you got those huge volcanic peaks. We refer to them as aerographic(ph) lift, which you can sometimes squeeze out additional rainfall from some of those clouds. With that additional moisture we could have some mudslides, we could have some issues and certainly from Nahaley back over to Hilo, we could have some big problems.
There's some great things that are going in favor for Hawaii. One of those big favors, we got a lot of cold water or at least colder water, about I would say about 77 degrees or cooler in some spots and these big tropical systems have got to have water temperatures around 80 or higher to maintain strength or even get a little bit stronger.
The second thing we got working in our favor strong upper level winds. So that sheer combined with the cooler water temperatures really going to work in our favor. As we put this into motion you will see the storm is again, the forecast path brings it right to the big island.
And as we get into early Tuesday and then into Wednesday, weakening to a very, very weak tropical storm or depression, coming onshore but bringing the beneficial rainfall and at the very least some enhanced surf. No question we're going to see a combination of both of those things. We're also going to see a combination of heat and humidity throughout Texas. 98 degrees, the high for Dallas. It doesn't really appear to be that bad. I mean, come on, 98 degrees, much cooler than we were in the triple digits a few weeks ago. Well, keep in mind, you get high humidity today. So it's going to feel like it's 103, maybe even as high as 105. Memphis with 92 degrees. 89 in Washington. Chicago with 91 degrees. One thing to keep in mind about parts of the midwest and the Great Lakes, that we have a chance of scattered showers and possible storms.
So where you will have again these warm temperatures, you could have a cool off in the afternoon which could knock down the temperatures some 10 even 11 degrees, which could make a world of a difference for you in Chicago and perhaps into Milwaukee.
Meanwhile on the southeast, scattered showers a possibility. We already talked about the hot weather in Texas. That's going to remain in place for much of next week. It could get into the triple digits in Austin as you get into Monday and Tuesday of next week. and then back out to California, looks like it's going to be fantastic.
A little bit of marine layer near the Channel Islands but in places like Santa Barbara, northward into Shell Beach, it should be pretty nice there. Nice gentle surf coming in, waves in sets of threes. it's going to be great for the long boarders today. No question about it.
Let's send it back to you, guys.
NGUYEN: Some good surf.
MARCIANO: I had no idea you were such a wave rider there.
WOLF: Dude, ten-foot boards, slow going. I'm not one of the guys that can cutback. I just long board it.
NGUYEN: All times.
MARCIANO: Good times. Mahalo.
WOLF: Word.
NGUYEN: Exactly.
MARCIANO: All right. On to your bottom line this weekend, first of all, finance editor Gerri Willis has some tips on dealing with that guy in the corner office.
NGUYEN: Yes, she's offering practical advice on charming the boss and possibly taking that career a step further.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Good morning. One big complaint here is bosses. People like to complain about the person in the corner office. But most of these conflicts are due to a lack of communication. Take the initiative, schedule regular update meetings with your boss. Don't go in and complain though, have solutions. Contributing to the boss's goals as well as your own. And while it's true that some people spend more time worrying over the possibility of losing their job than actually doing their work, you can reduce that anxiety.
The key here is to double down at work, volunteer for new projects and make sure your boss is really noticing your effort. You can't stop there. You also have to get yourself prepared for a possible job search. Prep the resume if you're convinced layoffs are imminent and nurture your networks. Taking these steps will help you reduce your anxiety.
And stay tuned to "YOUR BOTTOM LINE." We'll talk more about surviving that bad job. Plus, we'll also focus on the Cash-for- Clunkers program and take a look at how to fight your health care insurer if your medical claim is denied. That's "YOUR BOTTOM LINE" starting at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time, right here on CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Yes, just a few minutes from now. We'll be watching. Hopefully you will be too.
In the meantime though, across the nation, stimulus dollars are bankrolling highway and bridge projects.
MARCIANO: But not as fast as some contractors would like. A look at what the holdup is still ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
NGUYEN: All right. Let's talk about the cash. Yours, in fact. Money to build and repair roads and bridges is a big part of the $787 billion stimulus plan.
MARCIANO: Yes, but some contractors are complaining the money is not moving fast enough. CNN's Kate Bolduan reports from Rockville Center, New York.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Your stimulus dollars at work. Sealing cracks and replacing concrete slabs on New York's southern state parkway. The first stimulus-funded highway project to break ground on Long Island. Cost, $1.7 million.
That should be music to the ears of Mark Herbst, head of the Long Island Contractors Association. So it may surprise you to hear this.
MARK HERBST, LONG ISLAND CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION: And here we are in the heart of the construction season and 40 percent of the work force here on Long Island is still not working. We haven't seen construction that low in the work force in decades and the stimulus program hasn't put the people back to work as to this point. BOLDUAN: Nearly six months after President Obama signed the stimulus bill, Hearst complains transportation dollars are only trickling down.
(on camera): Generally, too much red tape?
HERBST: Too much red tape. And by the time we get to work and the money flows and gets here, we're going to be in the dead of winter. Shovel ready now, we won't be able to put the shovel in the icy grounds.
BOLDUAN (voice-over): He's not alone. Sherry Morian runs a construction company that recently won a stimulus bid to replace this aging bridge in Pennsylvania.
SHERRY MOIAN, PRES., QUALITY ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS: It has to be designed. You have to get permits. You have to get environmental clearances. You have to get coordination with the utilities. It still has to go through the agency and get all of their approvals.
BOLDUAN: But wait. Transportation officials insist recovery money is moving faster than ever. New York expects a total $1.1 billion for highway and bridge projects.
TIM GILCHRIST, N.Y. GOV.'S TRANSPORTATION ADVISER: The recovery act funding is going out. People will see their dollars at work. From my perspective, what will happen next is the motorists on Long Island will be complaining about all of the construction.
BOLDUAN: And in Washington, the Secretary of Transportation says the focus is not only on speed.
We want to get it out quickly but we want to make sure it's done by the books, no earmarks, no sweetheart deals.
BOLDUAN: But the question is, are all the checks and balances causing a stimulus slow down?
(on camera): D.O.T. estimates every $1 billion of transportation spending will create 11,000 jobs. Contractors warn if more money doesn't hit the ground here soon, this ground could very well be frozen until next construction season.
Kate Bolduan, CNN, Rockville Center, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: All right. Well, we want to get you a refreshing break from all those reports about unemployment. Meet John Angleson. He is an employee at the Grand Hotel in Minneapolis. We're going to bring him up. There he is. All right. He's managed to hold on to his job for 50 years. That's right, folks. He began working as a banquet captain at the age of 17 when the hotel was the Minneapolis Athletic Club. Then in 1999, Angleson became the hotel doorman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHN ANGLESON, DOORMAN: During the winter it's not so fun. But I don't mind it. You know, the worst thing is getting splashed by the buses.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, Angleson says that he has opened doors for many celebrities over the years, but don't ask him to name names. Angleson always a true professional, says his lips are sealed.
MARCIANO: He's like a character out of a cartoon movie.
NGUYEN: I tell you what, all dressed up with the hat and everything. The beauty of it, 50 years at the same place. That is almost unheard of these days, especially with all the layoffs that we've been seeing.
MARCIANO: But doormen out there take note, he hugs. So maybe that helps.
All right. Good job.
Some more good news on the job sector front. GM's new 2010 Buick La Crosse is driving up the work force. An official at GM's Fairfax plant in Kansas City says since they began preparing to launch the new model a month ago, the company has added between 100 and 150 employees each week. That's not a bad-looking ride. Tiger used to drive that. My mom, she rolls in it too.
NGUYEN: Well, hey, you guys are (INAUDIBLE) we all should do it.
MARCIANO: Yes, mom's (INAUDIBLE) for sure looking good.
NGUYEN: All right. We're going to be talking about this, coping with grief after losing a sibling.
MARCIANO: Especially when your little brother was the one of the most famous people in the world. Jermaine Jackson, we talked about of course, Michael, he exclusively talked to Larry King.
NGUYEN: He opened up about his pain and some of the controversy surrounding Michael Jackson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY KING, CNN HOST: In the months since the death, have you learned anything about your brother that surprised you?
JERMAINE JACKSON, BROTHER OF MICHAEL JACKSON: I've learned how people really didn't realize the type of human being he was and how they had a misunderstanding about ...
KING: All that, from such a young boy, seems to have gone away.
JACKSON: Because there was never no truth to that.
KING: Do you think there was anything ...
JACKSON: Ill tell you something. We know the facts because I now my brother and they took something that was so wonderful - you've been to Neverland. That was designed for children who were less fortunate, with wheelchairs, who are terminally ill. And so for them to take that, meaning the media, and make it just a horrible place, I mean, you were there, you saw it.
KING: What did all that do to Michael, those stories?
JACKSON: It hurts because he is a human being and he had to say how much more do I have to give? I mean, he's a great humanitarian and as well as just a great entertainer, he's a bigger humanitarian. He's done so much. I mean, people who needed liver transplants, he would pay for them. He would do all sorts of things. I mean, he was in the hospital in Israel and he walked the floors and he finds out who needs what and he's paying for things. This guy was incredible.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And here's an interesting note for you. A coroner's report on what killed Michael Jackson, well that has been delayed indefinitely.
MARCIANO: That saga continues. We'll give you the latest obviously on almost as it warrants.
NGUYEN: Who knows, maybe if it does come out, you, of course, will see it right here on CNN.
MARCIANO: All right. Something else you're going to see, in about an hour and a half, the swearing-in of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
NGUYEN: After a solid senate confirmation, Sotomayor is on the fast track to take her new position and we'll have live special coverage of the ceremony, you don't want to miss it, right here at 11:00 a.m. Eastern hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: OK. So many of you getting ready for your breakfast. How about chocolate-covered bacon? How does that sound?
MARCIANO: Sounds good.
NGUYEN: I don't know. It's a culinary concoction that is really creating quite the buzz at the Wisconsin State Fair.
MARCIANO: Check it out. The sheer notion of this unusual snack on a stick, makes some a little squeezy but the fans say chocolate bacon is actually a delicious mixture of salty and sweet. Fairgoers who can't stomach that treat there's plenty of other favorites like cream puffs, good old fashioned Wisconsin cheese as well.
NGUYEN: Yes, it amazes me the food you find at state fair. I mean, they'll deep fry just about everything and apparently they'll put chocolate on just about anything as well. Thank you.
MARCIANO: Hey, why not?
NGUYEN: Well "YOUR BOTTOM LINE" with CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis starts now.
