i loved "ted." it comes out in the weekend. fantastic movie, and very, very funny and not for the little ones, but it is hysterical. mark wahlberg, thank you and i will be pumping out with the protein later. >> we will send you a bunch more stuff, too. >> these guns are ready. they need the go to work. we begin with breaking news and shocking news with the jerry sandusky story, and even if you think you have yet to be more shocked after his long and horrible run as a serial rapist, after it came out in the trial, the wooing of boys by this penn state hero and the way he used the children's charity, a children's charity to recruit and groom those boys, and the way he abused the role model status to discredit the accusers, after all of that, and after all we have come to know, we still don't know this -- how when he was literally caught in

the act raping a boy in a penn state locker room shower, did he get away with it and go on raping more boys? graduate assistant mike mcqueary saw the him with the boy in the shower and he froze and did not stop sandusky, but he did report what he saw, the legendary head coach joe paterno what he saw. and joe paterno told his bosses and everyone who had the power to stop jerry sandusky had the information they needed to stop jerry sundusky, but they didn't. why didn't they? that is the "360" exclusive that could point to more answers. an exclusive with susan candiotti. >> reporter: we have exchanged e-mails with sources close to the case, and about when penn state knew it and what they knew. the e-mails are between graham spanier, and athletic director tim curley now discussing the infamous 2001 shower incident where grad assistant mike

mcqueary said he saw sandusky molesting a young boy. the first e-mail is dated 2001 which is 16 days after mcqueary reports to his boss, joe paterno, about what he has seen in the shower. but paterno testified, quote, it was a sexual nature. by now mcqueary has testify tad he has told athletic director and vp schultz about what he saw, a boy up against the wall with sandusky up behind him. the alleged e-mails don't call sandusky by name, but subject or person. and in the first e-mail exchange schultz questions curley about a three-part plan to contact the subject and contact the charitable organization, second mile, and contacting the department of welfare. that is an agency required by law to investigate suspected abuse. yet the next night curley has a

change of heart and he sends an e-mail to president graham spanier and refers to a discussion they had two days earlier about sandusky. curley wants to talk it over with sandusky and work with him before deciding whether to contact child welfare. he also refers to coach paterno and did something he said change curley's mind? quote, after giving it more thought and talking it over with joe yesterday, i am uncomfortable with what we agreed were the next steps. i am having trouble with going to everyone but the person involved. i would be more comfortable meeting with the person, and tell them about the information that we received and tell him we are aware of the first situation. the first situation he's referring to is a separate shower incident that sandusky had with a boy in 1998. sandusky was not charged at the time, and he was convicted of both incidents at trial.

curley plans to tell sandusky, quote, we feel that there is a problem, and offer professional help. and at some point soon inform his organization. sandusky's second mile. end quote. maybe the other one. according to the source with knowledge of the e-mails, he is referring to child welfare. if sandusky is quote cooperativ curley writes, quote, we would work with him. if not, we do not have a choice, and will inform the two groups. two hours later, penn state's president purportedly responds and agrees with the approach, quote, i am supportive, spanier writes, and adds this, the only downside for us is if the message isn't heard and acted upon, and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it. but that can be assessed down the road. spanier calls the plan humane and a reasonable way to proceed.

the next day, vp schultz weighs in with an alleged e-mail to president spanier and athletic director curley. quote, this is a more humane and up front way to handle this, he writes. we will inform his organization with or without his cooperation and we can play by ear to decide about the other organization, and another reference a source says to outside authoriauthorities, but that never happened. authorities say that records show that suspicions about sandusky in 2001 were never reported to any outside agency. victim five was molested by sandusky in a penn state shower about six months after the mcqueary incident, and sandusky later went on to sexually abuse at least three other boys. years later, all testified at trial. bottom line, the prosecutors say that penn state never reported the 2001 incident and no one at the time ever appeared to look

for that boy in the shower. and jerry sandusky, a man who led separate lives of good and evil went on grooming, selecting and abusing children. >> oh. >> soledad. >> just horrific. horrific. so what do curley and schultz' attorneys say about these e-mails? >> right. well, first, let's remember that curley and schultz are already charged with perjury and failure to report suspected child abuse. they have pleaded not guilty. sources say that spanier also could be charged. spanier's lawyers did not return repeated comments for comment, and lawyers however for curley and schultz provided this statement to cnn. quote, as governor tom corbett stated, if we were going to do this case, we had to have the best possible case to go against somebody like mr. sandusky who was loved by everybody. for curley, schultz, and spanier and paterno, the responsible and the human thing to do was like governor corbett to carefully and responsibly assess the best

way to handle vague but troubling allegations faced with tough situations, good people trying to do their best to make the right decisions. >> that is -- >> exactly. there was also a spokesman for joe paterno's family, and we spoke with him, also and he sas he has not seen nor has the family seen any e-mails and he makes it clear that mr. paterno did not communicate by e-mail and he said that joe always told the truth said the spokesman, and he said we welcome any information that anyone has about this, but he emphasized that coach paterno testified truthfully before the grand jury. >> one of the words in the e-mail is the problematic word the only downside for us is that we could be vulnerable which is a quote from the e-mail. both of the men have testified before the grand jury and what are the inconsistenies or there are between the e-mails and what they said to the grand jury? >> well, i'm not sure that we

see a smoking gun on this, soledad, but curley does tell a prosecutor that he did not know of any other incident in sandusky's past prior to the 2001 incident yet in an e-mail to the president, he says he plans to tell sandusky that we are aware of the first situation, so as for schultz, he tells the grand jury, the 1998 shower incident was reported to child welfare, but also testified that his recollection would be that they were asked to look into the 2001 allegation, the child agency, but soled a dad, as we know, no record of anyone reporting that incident to any child welfare agency. as we all know as well. several investigations remain under way here. you have got penn state's own independent investigation run by louie freeh, the former director of the fbi and the pennsylvania attorney general's office and the justice department and you have the ncaa and you have the u.s. department of education all looking at this. >> all absolutely not over yet

even with the end of that trial. >> far from it. >> ssan candiotti, terrific reporting on that. let's get to tom kleen who is an attorney for victim five who might not have been a victim at all if somebody had acted sooner. thank you for joining us, sir. what is your reaction to the e-mails? >> my reaction is shock. these e-mails which have been discussed that they existed to see the content of them today is shocking. it is unquestionable that had these men not engaged in a concerted, conscious, collaborate effort not the report it to authorities the young man i represent would not have been assaulted in the showers some six months later. it is appalling, soledad. >> gary schultz and tim curley as you well know are already facing charges in connection with failing to report the abuse

and lying to authorities and how do you see these e-mails in whatever legal action will follow? >> well, these e-mails of course are irrelevant to that particular action. they are also relevant to the investigation by former fbi director louie freeh and relevant to the civil litigation. here is what appears to be on the face reckless conduct and a university president who is making a conscious, deliberative effort and approving the failure to report a known sexual predator. that conduct is likely part of the reason why mr. spanier was dismissed. >> you hear a lot of times in the e-mails the word humane approach. what do you make of that? >> well, there was quite the contrary, quite to the contrary. the human thing to do would have been to report mr. sandusky to

the dpw to report him to the authorities, and instead, there was this conscious decision made that they were just going to go at it simply by having mr. curley talk to sandusky. my word. that just is not right. the fact of the matter is that they had a plan in place as susan candiotti reports to do a number of things which didn't carry the ball all of the way to use their term, but the fact of the matter is that they were going to report it to dpw, and they made a decision to retrench and retreat on that very policy. and the fact of the matter is that while mr. p paterno does not use e-mail so he says the fact of the matter is that curley changed the plan according to the content of these e-mails right after he spoke with joe paterno. that, of course, is a critical piece of information, and something that none of us knew until the content of these e-mails was revealed tonight.

>> so what do you think should be the legal liability of these men, especially maybe the president? >> penn state is responsible for their conduct. we are assessing their conduct. i have said that while penn state has reached out to me and to other victims and their attorneys, the fact of the matter is that we cannot begin to talk to penn state until we have full and complete disclosure, and this i would believe is the tip of the iceberg. >> as you know, you heard the statement a moment ago from susan that part of the statement said good people try to do their best to make the right decisions as they have their excuse of why they did not move forward in these allegations of these e-mails? what do you think of that? >> they made a conscious decision to make the wrong decision. they knew and they even discussed in the content of these e-mails as i have seen them tonight this they would face the consequences and the

nonreporting later on should it come up and come back to them. well, it sure has come back to them, and they are now facing both criminal and civil proceedings as a result of it. there could not be a poorer choices that were made and more reckless conduct by people charged with the running of a university, the president, the athletic director and the vice president. these e-mails, the content of which is now being revealed demonstrates that very clearly and very poignantly. they made a collaborate, collective decision to do what they did. they talked and it in the e-mails and they made a decision to retreat from the poor plan

that they had developed, and they went to simply talking to the subject, mr. sandusky. interestingly, these e-mails, the content off them, it is all in code. they talk about the subject. they talk about the quote, other organization. they talk about these things as though they were, as though they were conspiring and collaborating to do something that they knew was wrong. >> and so what do you think that the consequences should be? what would you like to see? >> the consequences? i would like to see the attorney general investigate this further, and i am sure they have, and i would like to see mr. freeh's report, and we are waiting on that and we hope to see it soon. i believe that this will be the subject. i intend to ask tough questions to mr. curley, mr. schultz, and mr. spanier, myself. this will be the subject of a detailed investigation, word by word, line by line. >> prison time for them? >> well, i leave that in the hands of the prosecution.

i attended the sandusky trial every piece of evidence that was presented, and it was presented in a very disciplined way. i have confidence in the attorney general to look at this very carefully. my job is the civil side of this. i believe that penn state is civilly liable to the young man who i represent and to others, and here we have evidence that just stares you in the face that they knew and could have prevented it, but instead, they were worried about mr. sandusky's guest. the young man i represented was no guest. he was assaulted by a man in the shower and a man who was given keys who had information going back to 1998. >> you can follow the program on twitter@ac 360 and also tweeting at soledad underscore o'brien. and now, why won't the

campaign concede the fact that the new health care reform will be a tax. we are keeping them honest up next. ve to know the weather patterns. i upgraded to the new sprint direct connect. so i can get three times the coverage. [ chirp ] [ manager 2 ] it's like working in a giant sandbox with all these huge toys. and with the fastest push-to-talk... i can keep track of them all. [ chirp ] [ chirp ] [ male announcer ] upgrade to the new "done." with access to the fastest push-to-talk and three times the coverage. now when you buy one kyocera duracore rugged phone, for $49.99, you'll get four free. visit a sprint store, or call 855-878-4biz. [ chirp ] but they can also hold you back. unless you ask, "what's next?"

introducing the all-new rx f sport. this is the pursuit of perfection. introducing the all-new rx f sport. homicide of young people in america has an impact on all of us. how can we save these young people's lives? as a police chief, i have an opportunity to affect what happens in a major city. if you want to make a difference, you have to have the right education. university of phoenix opened the door. my name is james craig, i am committed to making a difference, and i am a phoenix. visit phoenix.edu to find the program that's right for you. enroll now.

keeping them honest now. on how each side is spinning the supreme court's epic decision on health care reform. safe to say the white house is delighted that chief justice roberts saved the law. as for how he saved it, well, not so much.

he said making people buy health insurance was no good under congress' power to regulate commerce but just fine under the power to tax. so victory goes to the white house. but then again so does this. >> this law is a tax. >> obama care is the biggest tax increase in american history. >> the government could decide that we're going to tax you if you don't eat broccoli on tuesday. >> in fact, the affordable care act is a tax. it is the largest tax in america's history. >> the middle class tax increase. >> the largest tax increases on the middle class in history. >> obama care raises taxes on the american people. >> keeping them honest. when republicans say it's a tax to make people pay for going uninsured, they're absolutely right. the provisions are written into the tax code. they're enforced by the irs. as chief justice roberts wrote in his opinion, the only effect of the individual mandate is to raise taxes on those who do not do so. and thus the law may be upheld as a tax.

however, to call it as you just heard the biggest tax increase in history is wrong. it's not even close. politifact calling the claim pants on fire false. that said, any mention of taxes in connection with the health care law is poison to the administration and the campaign. listen to obama 2012 spokeswoman stephanie cutter this morning on "starting point." >> what john roberts said is that we have the power to impose this penalty on people through the taxation clause. it's a penalty. >> it's a penalty? >> it's a penalty. >> yesterday we learn it was a tax. >> let me finish. so i'm assuming everybody at this table has private insurance. so this penalty does not apply to us. there are some people who are choosing not to get insurance because they can't afford it. for those people, what we call free riders, what mitt romney has called free riders. we pay their health care costs up to $1,000 on our premiums. so they need to take individual responsibility for their health

care and pay a penalty if they choose not to get it. >> i get how the law works and i understand you like the law very well, but i'm thoroughly confused. now, is your position that the new law is a tax or a penalty? >> it's a penalty. that if you choose not to get health care and you're imposing a hidden tax on all of us because we pay for your health care, then you'll pay a penalty. >> so, if that sounds familiar, it's because that's what her old boss was saying, somewhat more concisely, back when he was selling the health care law. >> for us to say that you've got to take a responsibility to get health insurance is absolutely not a tax increase. what it's saying is we're not going to have other people carrying your burdens for you. anymore than the fact that right now everybody in america just about has to get auto insurance. nobody considers that a tax increase. >> so, the song remains the same. however, also keeping them honest, mitt romney was singing that exact same tune when he was

selling his own nearly identical health care plan back when he was governor of massachusetts. he's singing a different tune today. so, with us tonight, democratic strategist paul begala, who's advising the top pro obama super pac. also chief political correspondent candy crowley. paul, we'll start with you. you heard what stephanie cutter had to say. do you think the obama campaign is between a rock and hard place on this? is it a tax? is it a penalty? the supreme court just said it's a tax. she's saying no, it's a penalty. is that a problem? >> usually, for generations, democrats have talked about health care in terms of empathy. care about our neighbors. that's great. that gets fellow bleeding hearts like me. van holland and stephanie cutter from the obama campaign are now appealing to people who are a little more self-interested. saying you're paying a tax already. it's a free riders, free loaders tax. these are very morally freighted terms. democrats usually don't use that kind of language.

i'm happy to hear them say no, it's a tax that only free loaders have to pay. it's a penalty that only free riders have to pay, and i like that language. i think it's more successful for democrats. >> how much could this hinder republican's efforts to attack this? the affordable care act obviously is modeled on what he did in massachusetts, right? >> it matters because it comes up every time mitt romney says it, you get an e-mail blast from either the dnc or some form of democratic outfit. and when you have somebody on a show, the first thing they're going to say to you, well, mitt romney had the exact same plan and he didn't say it was a tax. i actually like the nancy pelosi approach. call it whatever you want to call it. it's constitutional. i think this is -- they're dancing on the head of a pin here, the democrats. i think they ought to get off it and go find it's a tax it it's a tax on people who won't buy their own health care insurance and, like, be done with it. >> paul, when you look at the folk, moving from dancing on the head of the pin to seeing how people in the electorate might feel about it there are now poll results out about yesterday's ruling.

a "usa today" gallup poll. if you're look more specifically at independents, 49%. they're the important independents, 49% say they want to repeal all or parts of the bill. 40% say they want to keep it or expand the law. how much of a problem is that for president obama? >> it's a real problem, soledad. it's whyou're wise to break out the independents. if you just look and it's divided, it's because democrats like me love it. i'm not a swing voter. people in the middle, they've got -- this is why it's smart they're recalibrating their message. talking about free loaders and free riders. that's more for independents. rather than talking as all of us have done for generation about people who don't have health insurance. and you should help them. that's not a very good message in a recession. now they're saying you should punish them. and that's a tougher, stronger message. and it may have more appeal for the independents. >> candy, when you look at the money, mitt romney's done very well. right up to the ruling.

he's raised more than $5.5 million. 55,000 separate donations. but there's some people who say, you know, all this money could worry him off the message that seem to be working or maybe his strongest message, which was the economy and the struggling economy. do you think those people have a point? >> they're not mutually exclusive. i don't think actually that's what romney's been doing. he had his initial reaction to it and what happened in the initial reaction was he talked about how much health insurance had gone up. he talked about what it would do to the debt. you could argue -- i know paul would, with his facts and figures. nonetheless, he tied it to the economy. and he said, it's small businesses aren't hiring people because this is going to cost them too much. so he took it and translated into his central message. i think, look, he has to -- depending on his crowd, he has to say, and i'm going to appeal obama care because that really is a vote getter. of the conservative part of the republican party who has their doubts about mitt romney, they have no doubts about obama care,

and that could get them to the poll and get them more enthused, so that is always going to come up, but he could use ate as way to pivot back to the economy and say, this is what obama care is doing to the economy. >> paul, there was one republican who referred to this decision as the kiss of death for democrats. let's talk a little bit politically, like, how it plays out. does it repeat 2010 midterms where the tea party rode to power on this sort of anti-obama, anti-health care fervor this time around? or as the democrats are spinning it, it's been decided, everybody, time to move on? >> it certainly motivated their base. they do need that. because mr. romney, as katie points out, probably not the favorite. i remember in the primaries that rick santorum said this, and he was right about this, and i rarely say that a republican is right, but he said because mitt romney signed romney care, which is the template, the blueprint. particularly with the individual mandate. he's going to have a difficult time advancing the fact obama

care should be repealed. he's going to win or lose anyway on this. it will reenergize the republican base. it also energizes the democratic base. the question is who can get to those independents. spinning on who's better on the economy. >> paul begala, candy crowley, thanks, appreciate it. fleeing colorado's deadly fire up close. we'll talk to a woman who shot a gripping emotional video of her own evacuation. it was the last time she saw her own. that's coming up next. [ male announcer ] aggressive styling. a more fuel-efficient turbocharged engine. and a completely redesigned interior. ♪ the 2012 c-class with over 2,000 refinements. it's amazing...inside and out. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz

financial services.

is syria at a violent new turning point? we're going to tell you how the conflict is changing. that's ahead on "360." [ bell ringing ]

♪ in a world where ♪ there is so much to see ♪ there's still no other place ♪ that i would rather, rather ♪ rather, rather be ♪ [ male announcer ] dip into sabra hummus and discover a little taste of the world.

enjoy sabra dips. adventure awaits. colorado springs' monster wildfire turned deadly today. rescuers found a charred body in a burned out house. one other person is missing. president obama visiting the area described the enormous devastation. but says authorities are, quote, starting to see progress. so far nearly 350 homes have been destroyed with another 20,000 homes dangerously close to the blaze. more than 36,000 people fled their homes. including nicole fry who shot this terrifying video as she was driving away. >> i'm leaving my house. for probably the last time. oh, my god. there's smoke in the air so bad.

this thing was on fire just a second ago. there's the flames. oh, my god. oh, my god. oh, my god. oh, my god. i got to go. i got to get out of here. oh, my god. oh, my god. there's fire trucks up here and fires everywhere. oh, my god. i need to get going. oh, my god, there's ashes coming in my window. oh, my god. >> nicole frye, who shot that video you're watching while she was evacuating, joins me now

from colorado springs. nicole, thanks for being with us. i want you to walk us through what was going through your mind as you are driving your car surrounded by flame. what were you thinking? >> well, first, i wanted to be safe more than anything, but this was my home for 18 years. i knew it would not be the same after this turning point, so i wanted to make sure that i had at least a memory of something that was remaining. >> did you lose your home? did your family lose their home? >> yes. >> you lost everything? >> yes, we did. and my grandmother also lost her home. yes. >> have you been able to drive back up at this point and see some of the damage? >> no. not yet. i've seen aerial footage. i've seen other footage. it's -- it's no longer there. >> gosh, i am so sorry. so, we've seen the videotape of the drive. but walk me through what happened before you hopped in your car. when did you know you had to evacuate?

>> the whole situation before i evacuated was a little different. we saw flames coming over the ridge. at that point, my mother and my grandmother and my cy just left. my father and i, we were watering the roof with any hopes that the house may remain. because we had a wooden roof. by that time, i was, like, i need to go let my neighbors know and inform them. then it was becoming a matter of safety. i was trying to evacuate, but i thought going up the hill would be the easiest way out. and i just needed to have some footage to show for what i saw and the devastation that everybody went through when they were evacuating. >> is absolutely remarkable. i know you went to find the firefighters. and thank them. tell me about how that conversation went. >> it was really -- it was heartbreaking. because i approached multiple firefighters. i told them, look, my house is gone. immediately, they stood up and they said, i'm so sorry.

but i tried to tell them, no, it's okay, because you are saving lives and you are saving other homes and memories. that's what really counts. and i appreciated them for trying. and -- but it's more important that they're safe and that they have a home to go to at the end of the day. and we'll be fine. my family will be okay. and -- but lives can't be replaced. >> where is your family right now? you were so emotional shooting that video, and how long did it take you to get it together to make it down the hill? >> at that point i had turned around because the firefighters were directing me not the go up this way, and it makes perfect since, so i started to run down the hill and i ran into an officer at the bottom of the hill, and he told me, are you able to drive? and i'm hysterically out of control. he said, what i'm going to do is block off traffic and let you calm down in this parking lot. if it weren't for him, i

probably would have been in an accident or been crazy. >> i'm glad to see people were ep helping you there. our best wishes to you and your family as well as you try and figure out what the next steps are. for anybody who wants to help the victims of this wildfire, you can go to cnn.com/impact because surely they will need your help. we're following other stories tonight as well. isha has a "360" bulletin. >> in syria, the deadly violence is ramping up and spreading. opponents of the al assad regime say security forces are increasingly using heavier firepower against civilians. now this is homs, which has endured so much already. the opposition says at least 65 people were killed across syria today and the slaughter is now spreading to the capital, damascus. news that lance armstrong does not want to hear. today, the u.s. anti-doping agency filed doping charges against the cycling champion. armstrong denied he used performance enhancing drugs.

egypt's president-elect will be sworn in saturday. today, mohamed morsi told a packed crowd in cairo that the egyptian people are the ultimate source of his authority, and that is a swipe at the military which currently holds all power in egypt. about the elderly school bus monitor horribly tormented by four middle school boys. the students have been suspended from their school for a year and will be sent to an alternative program. they are barred from school buses and must perform community service for senior citizens. and today a 49-year-old woman from australia began swimming from cuba to the florida keys. she is not using a shark cage, snorkel, flippers or wet suit. she's swimming in shark-infested waters. she estimates it will take 40 to 60 hours to complete. her crew is shadowing her in boats. wow. soledad? >> thank you. military dogs are more than just

tools of combat, they are a soldier's partner, lifeline and best friend. so why is it so hard to bring the war dogs back home when they retire? that is next on "360." transitions® lenses automatically filter just the right amount of light. so you see everything the way it's meant to be seen. maybe even a little better. experience life well lit, ask for transitions adaptive lenses. visit your local walmart vision center today to discover how authentic transitions brand lenses enhance your vision. walmart. save money. live better.

sad news to tell you tom-kat is no more. tom cruise and katy holmes are calling it quits. we will have much more on that

when "360" continues. i upgraded to the new sprint direct connect. so i can get three times the coverage. [ chirp ] [ manager 2 ] it's like working in a giant sandbox with all these huge toys. and with the fastest push-to-talk... i can keep track of them all. [ chirp ] [ chirp ] [ male announcer ] upgrade to the new "done." with access to the fastest push-to-talk and three times the coverage. now when you buy one kyocera duracore rugged phone, for $49.99, you'll get four free. visit a sprint store, or call 855-878-4biz. [ chirp ]

in an era of roadside bombs in war zones, military dogs are a necessity. but after they have served their time, many dogs of war don't make it home for a very specific reason.

now a bill is making its way through congress and it could change that. pentagon correspondent chris lawrence explains. >> reporter: the bond between soldier and search dog was forged the day she discovered her first ied. >> that right there was the moment that the relationship went from okay, you know, i care about her, i love her, to this dog is absolutely amazing. >> reporter: it was a remote village in kandahar, afghanistan. sergeant david varkett's patrol was headed right towards a hidden bomb. but nushka sniffed it out, embedded in a wall. alerted them in time. >> if i have a soldier who saves my life, we are best friends for life, and it is the same thing with this dog. >> reporter: there are nearly 3,000 military working dogs and 600 of them serving in war zones. they eat, sleep and fight alongside their handlers 24/7. but the military classifies them

as equipment. right along with the rifles and rucksacks. so if a dog gets old and retires on a base overseas, he's considers excess equipment. not entitled to transport home. someone who wants to adopt him has to pay the shipping costs, which can run thousands of dollars. >> get it. >> reporter: so when dog handler robert mather left the army, he couldn't afford to adopt his partner, named nushka. because it meant flying to an overseas base to get her. >> was going to be in the couple thousand dollars between the ticket for myself, the ticket for the dog and the short notice of it all. >> reporter: you want to bring her back but i mean, that's a lot of money. >> exactly. right now, i'm a full-time student. my wife works part-time at the local mall here and we have our son to raise and there is not always a lot of extra money laying around to just go up and get a dog. >> reporter: despite her four

tours in iraq and afghanistan, nuska could have been left behind. now there's a push in congress to give the dogs their due. >> we're looking for a classification that's higher than equipment. >> reporter: representative walter jones co-sponsored a bill to make them canine members of the armed services. it would allow the military to honor courageous dogs. make sure they all get flown back to the states. and se ad for lifetime health care. >> some people would say you guys need to be watching every penny that you spend. >> the cost is not going to be astronomical. we can find $10 billion and spend it in afghanistan. then certainly we can find a few thousand dollars to say that the dog is more than equipment. >> you ask any handler, this is a soldier, there's no doubt about it. the bond we have with these dogs is absolutely amazing. >> reporter: nuska is 12 years

old now and still feels the effects of her four deployments. >> even still today she's apprehensive towards loud noises like doors slamming. >> reporter: thanks to a local school that raised the money, robert mather brought his partner home to become a part of his family. >> so doesn't have a whole lot of life left. what life she does have left deserves to be comfortable for all that she's given. she's given just as much as all the soldiers have. >> reporter: chris lawrence, cnn, washington. >> the canine members of the armed forces act passed the house. it will be taken up by the senate by senator richard blumenthal of connecticut. for more on the relationship between military dogs and their handlers, anderson met staff sergeant allison price. and geno, who's ready to retire. >> tell me a little bit about geno. >> geno is a 7-year-old german shepherd he's a military working dog stationed down at fort dixon. >> is he being adopted? >> he is. his prior handler of three years is going to adopt him. >> how long have you worked with geno? >> i've only worked with geno for a year.

>> you're working -- i've gone out on patrol with marines who use dogs in afghanistan. they're with the dogs all the time. when you're working with the dog, you're living with the dog as well. >> 24/7. i was deployed with a dog back in 2010 and he slept at the foot of my bed and definitely my best friend 24/7. >> you get the know the dog very well? >> yes, you know the dog's ins and outs and the actions before they do it. >> what kind of work would geno do? >> geno is an explosive patrol dog. >> he's taking -- he's making himself comfortable. >> he searches for explosives. >> uh-huh. so you would take him out on, like a patrol? >> we go out on patrols. we do convoys. roadway searches and whatnot. search pits. searching vehicles coming in and often the installation. >> what kind of career span does a dog have?

>> i've seen a dog work for two years and i've seen a dog work for 13 years. it pretty much depends on the dog. >> at what point is it determined that they get retired? >> we have a vet, and she is the one who determines whether the dog is still suitable to work or whether the dog should get retired out. >> when you -- do you think the dog as a fellow soldier? >> definitely. he's a -- he's a friend, a family member, and definitely someone to watch my back. >> because right now the military views them as equipment. if they -- if they do make that change, do you think that would be a step in the right direction? >> they're only considered equipment to get stationed at their base. that's the only way they can really track them is through equipment. so they treat them like equipment. >> but in your mind, geno's not equipment? >> not equipment, best friend. >> best friend. when geno retires and gets to live with his former handler, i mean, i imagine some dogs have ptsd, have reaction to the work they've been doing. >> yes. however, i have not seen any

issues with geno. i think he'll be a great house pet. couch potato. he just likes to chew on his kong. >> chew on his what? >> chew on his kong. it's like a paycheck. it is a big rubber ball. that is what he gets paid for. >> will you be working with another dog? >> i will. we have two new dogs coming inbound, and so i'm sure i'm going to be paired with one of them. >> well, thank you so much for all you do. >> thank you, sir. >> and letting us meet geno. appreciate it. >> thank you. ahead, george zimmerman back in court in the trayvon martin case. what happened next on "360. i'm feeling a very strong male spirit present. it's the priceline negotiator. >>what? >>sorry. he wants you to know about priceline's new express deals. it's a faster way to get a great hotel deal without bidding. pick one with a pool, a gym, a great guest rating. >>and save big. >>thanks negotiator. wherever you are. ya, no. he's over here.

>>in the refrigerator?

>>in the refrigerator? nno matter what you do. when you're living with moderate toevere crohn's disease, there are times it feels like your life... revolves around your symptoms. if you're tired of going around in circles, it may be time to ask your gastroenterologist about humira. because with humira, remission is possible. humira has been proven to work for adults who have tried other medications... but still experience the symptoms of moderate to severe crohn's disease. in clinical studies, the majority of patients on humira saw significant symptom relief. and many achieved remission.

humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. if you're tired of going around in circles, get headed in a new direction. ask your gastroenterologist about humira today. remission is possible.

let's get to some other stories we're following tonight. isha's back with a "360" bulletin. a bond hearing today for george zimmerman. zimmerman's initial bail was revoked when he lied about thousands of dollars of donations he received from the public to fight his case. zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the death of trayvon martin. he says he shot the teen in self-defense. the dow jumped 278 points today and all three indexes ended the first half of 2012 up 5%. the rest breathed a sigh of relief when european leaders struck a deal to put capital directly into the troubled eurozone banks. tomkat has officially hopped off the couch. seven years after tom cruise jumped up and down declaring his love for katie holmes on oprah's yellow sofa, the actress has filed for divorce. the couple married in italy, in november 2006, seven months

after their daughter, suri, was born, and end of the road for tom and katie soledad. >> sad, sad news. all right, time for the shot. but this is not tonight's shot. it's a little boy getting photo bombed by a tiger at the zoo miami today. help was supposed to be posing in front of a sleeping lion but she woke up. that reminded us of another "360" favorite. this is tonight's shot. so if you're a tiger in confinement and you want to mess with a kid at the zoo, that's the way it's done. not the other way. coming up this evening, your favorite rye riduculist of the year so far. the woman who has given new meaning to the phrase "base tan." that's up next.

an accident doesn't have to slow you down. with better car replacement available only with liberty mutual auto insurance, if your car's totaled, we give you the money for a car one model year newer. to learn more, visit us today. responsibility. what's your policy? i have to know the weather patterns. i upgraded to the new sprint direct connect. so i can get three times the coverage. [ chirp ] [ manager 2 ] it's like working in a giant sandbox with all these huge toys. and with the fastest push-to-talk... i can keep track of them all. [ chirp ] [ chirp ] [ male announcer ] upgrade to the new "done." with access to the fastest push-to-talk and three times the coverage. now when you buy one kyocera duracore rugged phone, for $49.99, you'll get four free. visit a sprint store, or call 855-878-4biz. [ chirp ]

and sounds vying for your attention. so we invented a warning you can feel. introducing the all-new cadillac xts. available with a patented safety alert seat. when there's danger you might not see, you're warned by a pulse in the seat. it's technology you won't find in a mercedes e-class. the all-new cadillac xts has arrived, and it's bringing the future forward.

> you have been voting for your favorites at "ac360.com, and tonight in number one, the tanning mom. take a look. >> time now for the ridiculist and tonight we are adding burning questions about a woman from nutley, new jersey. she plead not guilty to allowing her daughter who is underaged to tan. and this is why they don't have a version of jersey shore. the girl had a sun barn a while back that she got from playing outside says the mom, but the little girl told a teacher at school, it came from tanning with mommy. the whole thing was a misunderstanding. >> it is called a tanning booth,

a tanning room. i'm in the booth, and she's in the room. that is all there is to it. she doesn't go in there. she is my little girl. i'm not going the bring my little daughter into a 90-degree bedt nothing is wrong with her. and this whole thing has been blown out of proportion. >> how is that real? i mean -- i'm not even that concerned about the little girl, but i'm concerned about the mom. i mean, i know i'm so pale that i am almost see-through, but there is no way she can be ta tan. there must have been something going on with the lighting in the shot, right? let's look at a different interview. >> i have been tanning my whole life, and going to the beach and tanning salons and so forth. >> she has been tanning her whole livment wow, that surprises me. okay. i want the say it, somebody power up the starship enterprise, because that lady is boldly going where no tan has gone before. >> there is no room, a, and b, i

would not permit it, and c, it did not happen. she is 6 years old, and she did go tanning with mommy, but now not in the booth. >> i don't case, because i can't pay attention to what she is saying, but a it is like the tanning olympics and she took bronze no doubt about it. the woman says she did not put her child in the tanning booth itself, and we all hope that is true, because it is a horrible concept unless it is for the writer of "it is always sunny in philadelphia" and then by all means go ahead. >> and i'm sorry to say, but in today's commercial world, there is no room for another white baby actor. >> let me put this straight, you want to put your baby into the tanning bed? >> correct. >> that is against the law. >> we don't want to jam you up here, but we want to put him in there for kuchl minutes, j tous get a base. >> just to get a base. >> i am compelled to call the authorities. >> so, yeah, you don't put the