almost 500,000 followers now. hope it's helping you. remember, this is the place for the answers for all of your medical questions. thanks for watching. more news on cnn starts right now. hello there, everybody. from the cnn center in atlanta, georgia. this is cnn sunday morning for july 26th and i'm t.j. holmes. >> good morning to you, i'm brooke baldwin sitting in for betty this morning. thank you for hopefully sticking around with us. >> yes. well, vice president joe biden. what am i going to say next? he has said something that some say maybe he shouldn't have said. some candid comments about russia. now the white house scrambling to do a bit of damage control this morning. we'll have more on the story and exactly what he said coming up. plus, she is packing up.

we've seen the -- not necessarily moving on. alaskan governor sarah palin leaving state's top seat as governor, but most likely remain in the spotlight. >> how do you think she should remain in the spotlight? do you even think she should? what should sarah palin do next? you can talk us on twitter, facebook, on our blog, and cnn.com/newsroom. but first, the vice president talking and saying that the administration is on track in battling the recession. this is what he said in an opinion piece written in today's "new york times." he says "clearly we are closer to recovery today than we were in january. the recovery act has been critical to that progress." the vice president goes on to write that critics are wrong to suggest the $787 billion stimulus package is going to pet programs. he says the largest amount, more than 1/3 is going to tax cuts. what some of what the vice president said in an interview is what's getting everybody's attention this morning.

on a separate issue, we're talking about russia. he was asked about it in this interview and this is what he said. he said they have a shrinking population, talking about russia, a withering economy, a banking sector and structure that is not likely to be able to withstand the next 15 years. he goes on to say they're in a situation where the world is changing before them and they're clinging to something in the past that is not sustainable. now, many in russia and top officials didn't take that too well. in the "new york times" reporting that adviser to russia's president says and this is a quote, as well, if some members of obama's team and government do not like this atmosphere, why don't they say so? possibly some mixed messages. one coming from the president who was there in moscow not too long ago trying to increase relations with them and better the relations and now the vice president coming out and saying these things, leaving the russian officials confused a bit. like two different messages coming from the white house. meanwhile the white house is

saying in a statement from robert gibbs that working together to advance security and prosperity for the american and russian people is our effort to reset russian relations. both the president and vice president believe russia will work with us not out of weakness, but out of national interest. >> asked david gehrigen about this impact of the vice president's remarks. here's what he said. >> it is damaging to international relations because the the united states wants -- needs russia to help us with iran, to help us with korea, to help us on energy issues, on nuclear proliferation. there's a whole series of thi s things -- while it's true that russia is a weakened country, it's still an important -- it's been important for the obama administration to reset that relationship. and what's central to the russians is to be treated with respect. they're looking for other nations, especially the united

states to treat them with enormous respect. and joe biden himself said i don't want to embarrass them, but that's exactly, i'm afraid, what has happened here. >> david gergen speaking to don lem nonlast night. and we shall expect he will likely comment a little bit further on what the vice president had to say. as for the president, the obama administration opening its first major talks with china this week. the president will kick off the event with some remarks tomorrow, and coming up tuesday, he'll be talking health care, taking some questions from members of aarp during a meeting and then the president will be pushing on wednesday with health care events in north carolina and virginia. >> well, now back to the controversy sparked by the arrest of a prominent harvard professor. president obama inviting both men to the white house. but are all of the parties concerned here ready to move on now? >> several people hoping this will be a teachable moment, and cnn's elaine quijano has more

now on how law enforcement officials believe we can all learn from what happened. >> reporter: it wasn't a full out presidential apology -- >> in my choice of words, i think i unfortunately gave an impression that i was maligning the cambridge police department or sergeant crowley specifically. and i could have calibrated those words differently. >> reporter: but for police officers in cambridge, massachusetts, united in their outrage, the president's expression of regret appears to be enough. >> we're happy. it was a guide thing, we said, yeah, we were given high fives were going up all over the place. >> reporter: sergeant leon lashley was on the scene the day his colleague arrested harvard professor henry gates on gates' own property. >> would it have been different had i shown up first? i think it probably would have been different. >> reporter: but he says he supports the actions.

>> i too would've placed him under arrest if it go too much further out of control. >> reporter: at this national conference of black law enforcement executives in virginia, the consensus, that what happened in cambridge can be a valuable training tool in navigating the complex issues surrounding law enforcement and minorities. while most steered clear of commenting specifically on the gates' case, one officer believes police deserve the benefit of the doubt. >> i would say that it's a tough job for law enforcement to make those decisions on the spot. i would say that we need to look at all of the possibilities, what could've happened. >> reporter: meanwhile here in cambridge in a written statement, a coalition of area police unions said that sergeant crowley was profoundly grateful president obama had taken the time to try to resolve the situation. the statement went on to say that it's clear president obama respects police officers. elaine quijano, cnn, cambridge, massachusetts. >> so maybe we will start to put

that behind us, start to heal from it and learn from it, as well. reynolds wolf keeping an eye on things for us. what you got going today? it's hot and stormy. >> one place by expected in texas, the other spot, not so much in the pacific northwest. other than that we're also watching a chance of storms in parts of the southeast and also new england, that's coming up in a few moments. >> thanks, we'll see you shortly. well the piano man on the mend. billy joel fans will have to wait a while before seeing him back on stage. why? find out coming up.

okay. dry as a bone, some even say bone dry. >> you can -- you can use those two either way. >> this is kind of serious stuff going on here in texas. san antonio is one, pretty dry down there. it's a pretty dry time. san antonio the driest 23-month period since 1885. that sounds like some historical proportions. >> absolutely. that's what this is, this is all written fact. not just one dude sitting out there on the shores of the river since 1885 checking out the rain. it's been a very dry spell for them and they normally have dry times and get most of their moisture in the winter and in the spring. if you have a tropical system, it can change a lot of things, but that's not really in the mix right now. they have had water restrictions in places like houston and in austin, it's tough times. >> you mentioned winter and

spring. so were those -- drier than usual? >> much drier. in march and april and may, that's a great question, by the way. they really didn't miss out on a great deal of rainfall. that's the reason you have the deficit. they will make up eventually, it always changes. we said be patient for the time being. you have to ration that water. very similar situation to what we had in atlanta not long ago. just a few years back. one of the reasons what we're seeing again the dry conditions really due to the jet stream. we've had a big trough in parts of the east and out towards the west, but right here in the middle of the country, the situation has been similar to this, a nice ridge right here and with that, most of your storms, most of your moisture out to the east and west, and dry conditions to the central and southern plains, really hot temperatures and highs in the 90s in spots like dallas and back into houston, atlanta 89 degrees. you don't expect them in the pacific northwest where in seattle 87 degrees, even in spots like portland may be even

hotter. case in point, take a look at this. we currently have excessive heat watch for parts of the columbia river basin, right through spots like back into portland where it could get up anywhere from 95 to 102 from now through midweek. certainly warm times ahead for them. what we can expect for the rest of the nation, not only the high conditions, but storms will pop up. rough weather in parts of the northeast, that could happen again today, the same reason, the frontal boundary driving its way to the east as it does so, it's going to interact from the moisture coming in from the atlanta ocean. that could be the bright catalyst to give you a chance of strong storms. might see some in the parts of the mid-mississippi valley and through the tennessee value through through the afternoon between 3:00 and 6:00. one round of storms moving through parts of tennessee, back into alabama, and into parts of louisiana even. some of these have been strong, certainly not severe, we haven't had any tornadoes yet this morning, but later on this afternoon, when things begin to heat up, that could be a

problem. very dry conditions for the midwest. remains cool for much of michigan and back into wisconsin, and, of course, desert southwest hot as usual this time of year. certainly no surprise. that is a wrap on your forecast. back to you at the news desk. >> all right, sir, we appreciate you as always. see you again here shortly. a get well wish for the piano man this weekend, billy joel canceling two concerts with elton john in upstate new york. well, he has symptoms of flu and fatigue. but according to the associated press, the arenas are trying to reschedule. the tour has been the nation's top grossing attraction all this summer. and more news coming up. stay here. nothing beats walmart's unbeatable prices... but now they have new areas where i can find the brands i use every day-- and save even more. so that's what they mean by unbeatable. save money. live better. walmart. you could buy 300 bottles of water.

or just one brita filter. ( drop plinks ) brita-- better for the environment and your wallet. you all want to run your businesses more efficiently, so we've brought in a team of experts to help. one suggestion is to make your shipping more efficient with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service. call or go online for a free supply and up to $160 in offers from authorized postage vendors. shipping's a hassle! weighing every box... actually, with flat rate boxes you don't need to weigh anything under 70 pounds. if it fits, it ships for a low flat rate. ok, but i ship all over the country. you can ship anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. ship international, too. yes, but i ship hundreds of things, in all sizes. great, because flat rate boxes come in four sizes. call now and we'll send a free supply, plus up to $160 in offers. when you're ready to ship, we'll even pick them up for free,

no matter how many you have. priority mail flat rate boxes only from the postal service. a simpler way to ship. call or go online now to get started.

of course, covering the millions of americans without health insurance, pretty lofty goal of health care reform. paying for it seems to be the biggest challenge. >> yeah, that's the tricky part. cnn chief national correspondent john king shows us one health provider in cleveland that the president and many others are calling a sneak peek if they get their way at the health care of tomorrow.

>> cardiac intensive care unit at the cleveland clinic. world renowned for both the high quality care and its comparatively low costs. those who work here like the doctor an important example as washington debates american health care. >> everything we do is done with the patient at the center of the picture. not the doctor. >> in many hospitals, cardiologists and cardiac surgeons work in different departments. here, all under one roof. the business model that translates into more collaboration and less competition for patients and for health care dollars. >> the cleveland clinic is not a fee for service model. i get paid a salary. we all get the same check, it doesn't matter whether we do an operation or an angeoplasty.

now unfortunately, that's not the case across the country. and that does lead to excess costs. everybody wants to do their procedure. >> what are we talking about? >> reporter: dr. toby is an outspoken advocate of reform but also found several cautionary notes as washington debates just what to do and how to pay for it. >> 50% of the hospitals in the united states are running in the red. so if you begin to look at reducing the amount of money that is coming to hospitals to look for -- look after patients, i think you're beginning to look at failure of a group of hospitals. >> reporter: cleveland clinic holds itself out as an example of how to lower costs yet also improve results. >> it is time for you to go home. >> the emphasis on preventive care is designed to reduce the need for expensive procedures. >> begin to reimburse for wellness. right now if i do a heart operation, i get paid for a heart operation. if i prevent somebody from needing a heart operation by

helping them understand their diet and their exercise, don't get paid anything. >> wellness is a cleveland clinic obsession. healthier foods dominate options. a farmer's market on campus and yoga classes for employees and patients. >> 70% of the costs in health care is from chronic diseases. and chronic diseases come from really three big things. from obesity, from lack of exercise, and from smoking. so we have got to go after the prevention and wellness aspect. and that all brings down the level of disease across the entire country. we live longer, we live healthier, and we live cheaper. >> john king at the cleveland clinic. john king in washington. john, good morning. you got a lot going on this morning, continuing the theme of health care. we were talking yesterday about how they won't be passing anything because of this recess, this august deadline, not happening, but what about the president's momentum? will it sort of come to a stand

still? >> well, certainly, good morning, brooke and t.j., i'm sure that t.j. goes through yoga with you every day. >> i didn't know my secret was out, john. >> the president has clearly lost momentum. that doesn't mean hit the panic button at the white house, they still have a big majority in the house and senate. they have hit a ditch because the debate over the public option. how much government role will there be in health care? and how do we pay for this? the house has a plan, the senate will not vote by the august recess. you're right about that, that's one deadline the president set that will not be met, and a big question going to next week, will the house vote? nancy pelosi wants to have the vote in the week ahead, but still infighting among democrats there. this is not an argument at the moment, principally between the president and his republican critics. there are many republican critics, but right now, is this an issue if the democrats can get their own house in order? >> and john you mentioned things happening on the hill and the

debate that happens there. and we know that's fighting -- washington's in a perpetual state of battle. but out there in america. out there in middle america, out there in the homes and the living rooms, places you travel every single week. how much is that now playing into what the president's going to be able to get done with, i guess, a lot of his poll numbers coming down to earth quite frankly. >> well, they have, and in part because of the legitimate policy debate. you can put 20 people in a room and they all say they want health care reform, you might get 20 different opinions over what is the most important thing washington has to do because we look at this through our personal experience. some of it is a legitimate policy debate and much of what's happening in congress is debates that need to be worked out. every day that passes brings us closer to 2010, which the is a midterm election year which democrats know the odds are against them. in addition to those policy disputes and disagreements, there are increasing political calculations. and you see a lot of democrats

who are frustrated who say wait a minute, we have the white house, the house, the senate, why can't we get stuff done? and republicans say maybe a month ago i would have been inclined to deal with the president, but he's on the ropes right now. his poll numbers are down. maybe there's a political opening here. so it's some policy and increasingly politics. >> and also, not just talking about the president this morning, but vice president joe biden. we saw the president in moscow a couple of weeks ago speaking with medvedev and trying to improve relations and now the vice president talking about a shrinking population base, withering economy, a bit of a candid comment from joe biden. >> is that tough love or joe biden off the reservation? and you guys played -- had the sound bite or the quote from robert gibbs saying, look, we want to reset relationships from a position of strength and want a strong russia going forward, the vice president saying they're withering and banking system's near collapse and all

of those things. there's no question that is what vice president joe biden thinks, he thinks that as vice president, and most in the administration actually share that view of the state of russia's economy right now and its political system. the question is, was he supposed to say that in public on the heels not so long ago that summit when the president was there. this is one of those cases where you do have the administration playing good cop-bad cop. it'll be interesting today, hillary clinton is out on another sunday program. we'll see whether she sides more diplomatic language like the president had or whether she agrees with mr. biden. >> we know you have a lot coming up this morning. and one thing we're looking forward to is seeing you in the interview with the house speaker nancy pelosi. she's juggling a lot up there. so john, we'll let you go now, but "state of the union" top of the hour, 9:00. we will certainly be tuning in top of the hour. john king "state of the union."

sarah palin saying good-bye to the state of alaska, at least as governor. supporters held a farewell picnic for palin yesterday in anchorage. there she is serving up food. hot dogs, hamburgers, chatting it up with people and supporters. palin will officially hand over her duties as governor to lieutenant governor later today. this is more than a year, really year and a half before the end of her term. for more on governor palin's next move, let's bring in cnn's political director paul steinhauser. what is supposed to happen today in alaska as sarah palin leaves office? >> about 11 hours from now, brooke, there's going to be a picnic and that is where sarah palin's going to step down and transfer power to parnell, and of course, this all comes a good year and a half before her first term as alaskan governor ends,

brooke. >> i know we've been asking this time and time again, but what is next for sarah palin? >> that is the big question everybody's been asking. she's been quiet this week and not taking reporters question. she has said a few things. she said she wants to continue fighting for the causes that are important for her, even as she steps down as governor. she also says she wants to campaign for candidates whose ideas she agrees with. and we're going to see her two weeks from now at the ronald reagan presidential library in california. that's basically sacred ground for conservatives. and she also is going to write a book. you put all of this together, brooke, and there's speculation that last year's republican vice presidential nominee wants to run for the spot herself maybe in 2012. >> since then she's taken heat for leaving office. you said it with more than a year, year and a half left as governor, but could there possibly be some advantages of stepping down like this?

>> there could. let's say she does want to run for the white house eventually down in 2012. what this does is is free her up about a year and a half early. she's already well-known across the country, staying in office isn't going to increase her notoriety. but if she does want to run, being in alaska, that's not easy and having to be governor in alaska, that keeps you up there. now she's free to krcrisscross e country and raise money. in way, it could help her. brooke? >> we will watch and wait to see what is next for sarah palin. paul steinhauser, thank you. >> thank you. and we've been asking you this morning, what do you think sarah palin should do next? some say write a book, some say run for president, some say go away. you can reach out to us, we'll have some of your responses coming up in the next half hour. almost eight years after 9/11, why are some of the security recommendations still a work in progress? we will take that look at what has made us safer and where we still stand and where we're

vulnerable coming up. and then you're going to meet the new white house power brokers unlike any other team that's counseled prior presidents. and looking for love. sing is l ladies, you don't want to miss this. why women are having a tough time finding a good man. you don't want to miss this morning's faces of faith. elp mer all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. could save 'em hundreds on car just telinsurance.e geico it's actually doing it. gecko vo: businessmen say "hard work equals success." well, you're looking at, arguably, the world's most successful businessgecko.

gecko vo: first rule of "hard work equals success." gecko vo: that's why geico is consistently rated excellent or better in terms of financial strength. gecko vo: second rule: "don't steal a coworker's egg salad, 'specially if it's marked "the gecko." come on people. open... to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid.

good morning, hope you're having a nice sunday morning this, what is it? 26th of july. time is flying. i'm brooke baldwin in for betty. >> a look now at some of our top stories. joe biden making news with some comments about russia in an interview he gave to the "wall street journal," finds that russia has a withering economy and is quote clinging to something in the past that is not sustainable, end quote. the white house released a statement saying the president and vice president believe russia will work with us. again, not out of weakness, but out of national interest.

in just a couple of hours, alaska will have a new governor. sarah palin will hand over her hit m and her responsibilities to lieutenant governor today. yesterday, folks in anchorage held this farewell picnic for her. you can see the governor, soon to be former governor serving up hamburgers and hot dogs. she is resigning a year before the end of her term. the u.s. is not doing enough to prevent another terrorist attack, that is according to a group of 9/11 commission members and security experts. cnn's homeland security correspondent jean meserve has the details on the potential problems groups with facing. >> reporter: it was five years ago this week the 9/11 commission issued the landmark report making specific recommendations on how to best prevent another terrorist attack. commission co-chair governor thomas kaine says only about 80% of them have been implemented. >> well, i'm worried that 20% of

them also were among the 80%, the things that aren't fully done. >> kean and his 9/11 co-chair are among experts on the national security preparedness group, which is trying to close the remaining security gaps. one of the most glearing right here in washington. the group says it has observed that homeland security secretary janet nebras . >> she reports to 80 different committees. >> reporter: the political reality is this, no member of congress wants to give up power. politics has also hurt efforts to create more secure identity documents. the nation's governors, including then governor nepolitano rose in revolt. now congress is considering something called pass i.d.,

which is less expensive and in the eyes of commission members, less secure. >> is it as good as the country needs? >> no. i would like to see them -- but if you can't get it done, this is a democracy, if you can't get it done, then you can't get it done and go as far as you can go. >> reporter: other shortcoming, the failure to implement a system to track whether visitors leave the country. it says information sharing among agencies has improved, but isn't good enough, and the ability of emergency responders to talk to one another and work together in an emergency is is still a work in progress. new threats have emerged since the 9/11 commission report, notably cyber attacks and the homeland security secretary agrees that protective measures must continue to evolve. >> this is not a static thing that we have to constantly every day be thinking about. what are the threats concerning our country? how do we minimize them? how do we protect the people of the united states? >> reporter: the commission was

mandated by congress and its report so close to the attacks on new york and washington had tremendous impact. this follow-on group is trying to use its prestige to counteract the complacency since then and push forward the unfinished business of securing the nation. jean meserve, cnn, washington. how about this story this morning, a second cemetery under investigation after a human bone was found lying on the ground. the cook county sheriff's office says it doesn't know if the discovery is the sign of a broader problem at the cemetery. days ago according to the "chicago tribune," three people sued the cemetery alleging "unauthorized tampering with grave sites." four workers were charged with digging up hundreds of bodies and selling the plots. exiled honduran president back at his country's border yesterday. he didn't leave the nicaraguan

side like he did on friday. he did go to the border and fired up supporters there. >> now he's back out. zelaya was forced out about a month ago, and they are worried his border visits could lead to violence. but also bringing him to washington for talks tuesday. >> when do we want it? >> now. >> we saw this play out across six continents yesterday. dozens of cities, as well, including washington, d.c. protestors uniting against the common call, which is the wrong treatment of demonstrators. many people wore green yesterday, that's symbolizing iran's opposition movement. iranian authorities used force to stop protestors last month. hundreds still behind bars. now, one woman who knows what the inside of an iranian jail is like is that lady roxana saberi. she thanked a crowd for speaking

for iranians who can't be heard. she's the iranian-american journalist, accused of spying for the u.s. in iran and held there for four months. meanwhile in new york, a big crowd in time square, protestors marched from there to the united nations buildings. similar scenes all over the world including cities like london, berlin, as well as tokyo. we've been talking about sarah palin and alaska's former governor. we've been asking you to write in. what do you think of this move to step down out of the governor's position about a year and a half early? we're hearing from you. i want to read a couple of comments first if we can, mr. holmes, go to the blog. this first one from don. don writes in and don says sarah palin should keep her head down, stay out of the spotlight, and spend quality time with her family, educate herself on the real issues that face the u.s. and the world and then maybe in a few years she can run for the senate in alaska. one other, a couple down chuck

daniels, she should absolutely stay in politics, she seemed to invigorate the republican party and get a lot more people interested in what was really going on in today's society. >> and some people chiming in. some think she should just go away. some think, you know, people have hard feelings sometimes. they either love her or hate her. she's one of those polarizing figure. but some think she's a mother of five, maybe just take it easy for a while and disappear for that reason. >> we'll see. >> we will see. but coming up next, this is what you will see in our faces of faith. why community leaders say there's a lot to learn from that family. it keeps my airways open. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid.

announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. hi, may i help you? yes, i hear progressive has lots of discounts on car insurance. can i get in on that? are you a safe driver? yes. discount! do you own a home? yes. discount! are you going to buy online? yes! discount! isn't getting discounts great? yes!

there's no discount for agreeing with me. yeah, i got carried away. happens to me all the time. helping you save money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today. this week, cnn presented black in america 2. one of the stories highlighted dealt with marriage in the african-american community. well, a prominent pastor in atlanta provided spirited advice on why marriages work. cynthia talks about the importance of two-parent households and why some african-american women find it difficult to hook up with suitable mates. and that is this morning's faces of faith. >> while i have seen many children who have grown up in single-parent households and done quite well, on the other

hand i've seen many children that have not done as well. a child needs two parents to love, to nurture, to support, to affirm them. to care for them. a child needs two parents. to check on them at school. they need a mother and a father. in the home. so many children get lost in life. they wonder what's wrong with me. i think one of the things that can be done to help strengthen the bonds of marriage is for us to teach what love is all about, to bring us back to a sense of community, the church can certainly help do that, but other social organizations can be beneficial in that regard, as well. you need models of healthy family who love and commit to

one another and to their children. more models, particularly in the african-american community and again our present president and his family are helping to give us a strength, strong model of what a healthy family looks like. all families are not making the level of commitment that they need to make. i think what is particular for the african-american community is the problem of not having enough men for the women. and i don't have to look at statistics, i can look at the numbers of women i count or the number of women in our churches who are single today. they are not single because they want to be, they are looking for men to marry. who will commit to them and help

to build a life with them. they are looking for their intellectual equals. they are looking for persons who have the same values. and i understand that in atlanta, for example, the ratio of women to men is 10 to 1. >> brother, step up. you heard her. >> 10 to 1. >> women are out there. they're looking for you. step up. raise your hand, put a sign up, whatever you've got to do, but they're out there, now if you missed any of our black in america 2, you can see it again in its entirety on cnn's special series with soledad o'brien tonight at 8:00 p.m. >> 10 to 1. >> 10 to 1. >> i had no idea. >> some would say that great odds for a guy. >> not so much for -- >> shouldn't look at it like that, fellas. step up. >> i like that. coming up next, a 20-year-old who is tackling health care reform head-on because he has seen, he's

experienced firsthand how the current system has let a lot of children down.

many insurance companies will only cover up to $5,000 for a pair of legs, prosthetics, stripping countless numbers of amputees of an active lifestyle. but one 20-year-old is working to change all of that. jordan, he is inspiring, and on a mission. it was sparked actually from personal tragedy. >> reporter: jordan thomas plays a serious golf game. this talented athlete who spent his childhood excelling at sports. jordan would show off his fishing skills.

but 4 years ago in the florida keys, the family's annual boating trip went terribly wrong. >> the wake pushed me behind the boat and i remember hearing the boater go and just i knew immediately what had happened. >> reporter: the boat's propellers slashing jordan's legs. he spent the next two weeks undergoing multiple surgeries, but while recovering, he visited a wing where children who had also lost limbs were being treated but their families couldn't afford expensive prosthetics. >> i found out a lot of insurance companies put a $5,000 cap on your legs and like i said mine were $22,000. what do you do? at only age 16, with his family's help he started the jordan thomas foundation helping disadvantaged kids get the prosthetics they need. they have since raised $350,000, which pays for prosthetics for three children, one of them 6-year-old noah. his parents' primary insurance

funded his first prosthetic leg, but it had no knee. and he needed more frequent upgrades that insurance didn't cover. so jordan's foundation did. >> watch. >> as for jordan, he is driving home the message that anything is possible. and this is time, obviously, because we've been talking about health care, insurance companies, and things like that. we interviewed as part of a longer version of the piece about a congressman in new jersey who has introduced this bill to try to just level the playing field when it comes to what insurance companies will pay for when it comes to legs. jordan told me having a pair of legs, it's like having one pair of shoes for the rest of your life. you have to have more than one, and they're costly, and when you're a child like noah, you only have one and you're growing, you've got to have more. >> and how expensive to hear how much they cost and also to see the little guy.

something as simple as a knee that's able to bend can make all of the difference. i'm so glad we were able to get that story in and you bring that to us this weekend. thank you for that. >> yeah. some of the poorest workers getting a pay raise, why are so many people upset and saying the increase may not be a good move? if we don't act, medical bills will wipe out their savings. if we don't act, she'll be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. and he won't get the chemotherapy he needs. if we don't act,

health care costs will rise 70%. and he'll have to cut benefits for his employees. but we can act. the president and congress have a plan to lower your costs and stop denials for pre-existing conditions. it's time to act. elp me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit kps mrways op toelmereheetall day long anit kee my airways open... a's steroi to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. hp bat bter .nd it's not a stereey aien. d it'not a d. nounceps announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways.

to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. well, for those making minimum wage, the new federal rate may help them out and give them a raise this week.

it's the third and last paid bump that congress passed back in 2007. however, as our christine romans reports, the economy has changed a lot since then. >> reporter: rafael doesn't want your grocery bill to go up, but he's worried his customers might see higher prices soon. he has owned this shop rite since 2005. in that time, he's seen the minimum wage in the state jump from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 an hour. up 10 cents this week to meet the new federal level. >> it's extra payroll, it hurts. what ends up happening, it transitions over to the consumer because some costs are going to go up. >> reporter: he has 40 to 50 minimum wage earners on his staff. his payroll costs won't go up dramatically, but he says his suppliers, produce, meat companies, and consumers, they're going to hit hard. >> all of these companies all have thousands and upon thousands of minimum wage

earners, obviously, their costs increase, passes on to me and passes on the consumer. >> reporter: but many consumers will have more money to spend argue some economists, and business owners will benefit. >> even if they do have to raise their prices a little bit, they often very often almost always make up for that in increased business because workers now are able to spend more money that they have in their pockets. >> reporter: but not all workers are getting a raise and others argue that in this economy, employment will suffer. >> it's going to cost us lots of low-skill jobs, simply employers won't be able to hire as many people, some will get laid off. those with jobs will have a little bit more money in their pocket, those that don't get hired won't have any at all. >> and empty pockets is what concerned rafael. >> the long-term effect of it is, it makes people who weren't making minimum wage a little poorer. millions of other people didn't get a pay raise. >> reporter: and raise or not, he's relying on shoppers to keep

spending at the supermarket. christine romans, cnn, new york. coming up next, young professional african-americans with unprecedented access to power. but now they have new areas where i can find the brands i use every day-- and save even more. so that's what they mean by unbeatable. save money. live better. walmart. right now 1.2 million people are on sprint mobile broadband. 31 are streaming a sales conference from the road.

eight are wearing bathrobes. two... less. - 154 people are tracking shipments on a train. - ( train whistles ) 33 are im'ing on a ferry. and 1300 are secretly checking email... - on a vacation. - hmm? ( groans ) that's happening now. america's most dependable 3g network. bringing you the first and only wireless 4g network. sprint. the now network. deaf, hard of hearing and people with speech disabilities access www.sprintrelay.com.

african-americans are playing key roles in the white house these days, whether it's helping to push key issues like health care reform or education or maybe some urban issues. >> cnn white house correspondent tells us some have been around washington for a while. and others are just in the freshmen class. >> reporter: they help manage the policies of the president, hard-driving staffers fuelled by coffee and soda. >> and so that's the fuel? >> this is the fuel instead of coffee. >> reporter: no one at the white

house dwells on the issue of race, but it's hard to ignore the obvious. young african-americans who are now on the inside. >> now that i'm here, it's a little surreal and it's an extraordinary honor, but it's something that you definitely don't take for granted. >> reporter: karen richardson, focussed on health care for the office of public engagement is 30 years old, press assistant kevin lewis is 26, and michael, the chief of staff is 40 years old. as i went behind the scenes, i found loyal aides who have a sense of pride and purpose. >> i read all the time about the african-americans who have had a chance to participate in history. and it seems like the people that have made the most impact have, you know, connected with something beyond themselves. >> reporter: this is their connection, and lewis has seen firsthand what that can mean especially to older blacks he meets on the street. >> it's almost like they take, they adopt me, well, their son is there, someone they know is

there. >> lewis, raised by a single mother in brooklyn, new york joins the obama campaign five days before it officially launched. rode the wave to the white house and still pinching himself at his first day at 1600 pennsylvania avenue. >> i didn't know i could walk through the gates of the washington. i walk through the gates and i couldn't stop smiling. >> reporter: richardson's journey began with an internship offer and then senator obama's washington office. >> did you know anything about barack obama? >> no, he's a guy with kenyan roots. >> reporter: shares the president's love for basketball as it found out during a shoot around in his office plays a mean defense. >> need a little defense, man. >> reporter: he met the first couple in chicago when he was a paralegal and they were engaged. now, this lawyer is on the inside looking out, taking friends and family along for the ride. >> you can imagine to call your family members from air force

one. they're usually so stunned they really don't even know what to say. >> reporter: all of these white house aides could make a lot more money doing something else. instead, they're cashing in on history. >> you can't really put a price on what i'm doing now and can't put a price on what it represents. >> reporter: all three of the people we profiled say they're using this platform to mentor other young people, to give speeches about their experiences and how they got here. it's a chance to show with hard work the options and possibilities in life are limitless. dan lothian, cnn, the white house. and, of course, we have john king coming up at the top of the hour, the big interview with nancy pelosi, a lot to talk about there. but also, i need to stop and say thank you for being here. >> thanks for having me. >> brooke baldwin, come back any time. >> even though i didn't bring you milk for your cereal? >> a lot of twitter and facebook folks know what we're talking about. >> this guy right here is tough.

very difficult sitting next to. thank you, pleasure. pleasure. >> thank you so much for sitting here. got to give a few headlines before john king. he'll be talking about joe biden's comments about russia. raising a few eyebrows. biden says they have a shrinking population base, withering economy, and a banking structure not likely to withstand the next 15 years. also the alaskan governor sarah palin will be the ex-governor tomorrow. she'll be replaced by lieutenant governor. palin, of course, stepping down more than a year, about a year and a half before the end of her term. in part, she says, because of costly ethics complaints against her. says she could be more effective if she is not in the governor's office. also the senate judiciary committee is expected to vote tuesday on supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor, the full senate must then confirm the nominee with the democrats) controlling the chamber, sotomayor appears headed for the bench. so a few things, know when the