it's monday, the 10th of august. thanks for being with us, most news in the morning. >> i'm kiran chetry. we're following several stories we'll be breaking down in the next 15 years. a drug war, trade dispute and swine flu, all of that on president obama's agenda today. we're live in guadalajara, mexico where the president meets with the leaders of mexico and canada. >> back here at home, democrats are trying to break through the noise of the health care debate, it's growing louder by the dachlt anger and frustration not playing out of town hall meetings, what you our viewers

have to say ahead. >> the latest on the dramatic midair collision between a small plane and a sightseeing helicopter over the hudson river. a deadly combination after the welcome the beautiful shot this morning of new york city. two crashed and plummeted into the water. it's beautiful outside right now wreckage and more victims now, 73 degrees, but enjoy it have been recovered. now because a little bit later, also what investigators are it's going up to 91, it's going learning about a possible cause. to be a little bit muggy out and cnn's susan candiotti is live on isolated thunderstorms. the scene. actually probably be our first we begin with president obama in mexico for a summit with the leaders of mexico and 90-degree day we've seen this canada it's a short trip with a summer. >> and parts of new jersey could long agenda from drugs and gun get up to the mid-90s, as well. to swine flu and trade. these issues will be grabbing folks should take caution today. stephanie elam here minding the headlines today. your business today, she joins our white house correspondent susan malveaux is traveling with us, she's in for christine. the president. how are you today? >> i'm good. she's in guadalajara, mexico. voice is a little raspy. serious issues for the three countries to be tackling in what is a very short meeting today. it's so humid outside, i spent >> reporter: john, you're absolutely right. the whole day with my hair we don't expect major pulled back. announcements from the summit. president obama will be on the why bother? here we are early on, let's talk ground about 20 hours. about gas prices around the this is clearly about setting country. on average for a regular gallon

the agenda with the united of gas $2.64. states and its neighbors. but over the last two weeks, because everyone is so close we've seen gas prices adding on they impact each other from 15 cents. anything from jobs to the flu to we've seen a little bit of an murder across the border. uptick. this is according to the lumberg dubbed the summit of the three survey. crude prices ticking up for the amigos, president barack obama last month or so. with flip calderon and canada's that should level off a bit because basically the demand for stephen harper. all smiles in front of the gasoline is still not as high as cameras. in the space of 20 hours it is it was previously because a lot serious business, starting with of people still unemployed, not the swine flu which originated driving to work and summer demand is also down. here in mexico and since has that's factoring in there. so right now gas is $1.20 cheaper this time a year ago. spread throughout the door, with the fall being more deadly. let's take a look at where the most expensive gas is in the senior officials said the country. it would be right now out in leaders talked about their need hawaii, $3.07 a gallon. if you take a look at the whole the effort to contain it. state of california. >> keep borders open, our >> it says $3.18. >> does it? medical establishments working well, we have multiple numbers with each other. here. i'll get that straightened out. >> reporter: trade is a key issue. the u.s. struggling economy has >> california, though, that met job losses in canada and would make more sense. mexico. how president obama steers americans out of this devastating recession will california is $3.05.

impact our neighbors. >> it may be the most important there is lots of $3 gas. relationship we have. mexico is the second largest >> when in doubt, err in the commercial partner, second higher number. largest for exports. >> reporter: mexico is also a >> it's $2.38 in charleston, partner in the war against south carolina. which usually has the cheaper drugs. a war mexico is far from winning gas. >> it says honolulu $3.07. as drug cartels gain strength. >> i'll figure it out. president obama says the u.s. i'm going to get back to you and shares responsibility and let you know. provides the market for mexico's >> we have a discrepancy. drugs and is the source of many >> it's an early morning discrepancy. of the drugs that have made the >> we'll be looking at that. steph, thanks so much. cartels so powerful. >> sure. 28 1/2 minutes after the but the u.s. congress is holding hour. it's been a bloody day so off on sending $100 million in aid to help fight the drug far across iraq. officials say at least 48 people battle until its reassured the are dead, more than 230 wounded, mexican military is not involved in violating human rights. and seven different bomb blasts across the country. five in baghdad alone. a senior administration official these attacks with five on friday that killed 50 people. said mr. obama addressed this with mr. calderon emphasizing as some iraqis worry that sectarian violence is on the rise again now that u.s. forces defeating the cartels would have pulled out of iraq's major require the confidence of all cities. several young police officers who took part in the countries affected. rescue and clean-up after the despite issues senior officials world trade center attacks are described the meeting between now battling a blood cancer that president obama and calderon as typically targets older cordial, a warm, friendly americans.

that's according to researchers who have been studying more than discussion, something based on the relationship of eight months. today, john, they will be 28,000 9/11 responders. focusing all three leaders on it's too early to know if climate change as well as conditions at ground zero caused energy. >> susan malveaux moderating the the cancer cases in the small group of officers. meetings in guadalajara. and another casualty of the thanks. we'll see you soon. recession. the american gaming association mexico's drug violence has says casinos are getting hit killed thousands of people. if you think that doesn't affect hard as more gamblers head to you, think again. later we'll take you live to the the low stakes tables or stay front lines of the drug war with home together and states are collecting less cash from the michael ware. >> half an hour from now casinos too. recovery crews will head into and new figures show revenue is the hudson river resuming search down in 8 of the 12 states that for victims and wreckage and let you hit the slots. explanations following the >> thank you so much. midair collision of a small plane and a sightseeing well, this could be a make or break month for president helicopter. obama's health care overhaul it happened saturday. nine people killed. plans. democratic lawmakers are trying was this an accident waiting to to sell the plan back home and happen? getting plenty of pushback at the crash is renewing calls for the town hall meetings. flight rules in that heavily the debate and anger raging over health care. traveled corridor that at low altitude is unregulated david scott lashed out at an airspace. susan candiotti is following audience member. he was holding a town hall not developments for us. about health care and a question live on the jersey side in about health care was asked. let's take a look.

>> don't come and take advantage of what these individuals have hoboken. susan for those who witnessed it done! you want a meeting with me on said they didn't think anyone health care, i'll give it to could survive it. you! >> reporter: this is an ongoing >> well, that's just a sampling debate, pilots that fly over the of a lot of the voices that have hudson are supposed to use been out there. and joining us now for our own visual flight rules and watch out for each other. health care debate, conservative the question is how could two experienced pilots on a bright, commentator larry elder, and ron sunny day run into each other. victims' families want to know reagan, thanks for being with and so does the ntsb. us, both of you. sunday began with the recovery >> we've heard about all of of four more victims, each these town halls. people shouting, people holding painstakingly lifted from waters up to 50 feet deep. up congress in an effigy. divers worked in near zero and president obama yesterday tried to use his radio show to visibility. say, listen, there's a lot of >> the divers had extremely misinformation out there going on about health care. challenging conditions with but is he losing control, i current visibility. at times the visibility was no guess, of the debate? >> well, i don't know that he's more than one foot in front of losing control of the debate, but it's not really a debate them. our investigators have advised me that a helicopter sustained anymore. you've got a bunch of people who are frankly a bit ignorant and being taken advantage of people significant victims. who are misleading things saying >> motorized rafts to a police boat, the process of president obama wants to sneak identification and autopsies is

into your grandma's room and put well under way. by early afternoon, a crane a pillow over her head -- that's using heavy chains pulled the not true, people are getting sightseeing helicopter from the bottom of the hudson river. sent to these town hall meetings trapped inside the wreckage, two but not with real information. more victims. >> larry, i want to ask you that. because house speaker nancy investigators will examine every pelosi and the majority leader bit of twisted debris from the liberty tours chopper. write about quote drowning out the sightseeing company in opposing views. they call it un-american. business since 1986 has had is that's what's happening in several accidents in the last 14 these protests organized by gop groups? years. >> well, i don't think so. >> the safety board has a record of eight accidents and one there certainly are some organized groups on both sides, incident involving liberty but in the clip he just played helicopters. the first accident was in 1995. about congressman scott, he was yelling at somebody who turned out to be one of his own >> reporter: in this july 2007 incident, a chopper crash landed constituents who was, in fact, a in the water but no one was doctor who had called his office hurt. in a statement, a spokesman for several times in order to find liberty tours told cnn the out whether or not scott supported a public option. company, quote, is cooperating he wasn't part of a mob and fully to get all the facts. someone didn't send him up. people are very concerned about at this time their priority is to help with the family of their whether or not you're able to retain quality, provide pilot and of course the families universal health care coverage that were involved in the and retain costs. accident. people just find that against pilot jeremy clark, reportedly

engaged to be married was common sense and so do i. killed, so were five italian >> larry, people are telling tourists, including two teenagers. these folks that barack obama is on the small plane, 15-year-old going to in fact, snuff out douglas faultman, his father and their elderly. that he's going to kill older uncle lost their lives. people here and that the teenager friends put together a government is going to take over video tribute to him on youtube. health care. that poor woman in texas, i think, stood up and said keep so before long divers will be the government's hands off my medicare. back in the water looking for they don't know what they're two remaining victims and the talking about and they're being wreckage of a small plane they misled and lied to by people who were in. >> later we'll be talking to have radio shows, tv shows and someone from the ntsb about the sometimes our congressmen. situation, unregulated airspace that's not right. if you want to have a debate, have a debate. if you want to lie to people, well, get a radio show, i guess. below 1100 feet. susan candiotti, thanks. >> ron, there are certainly a as soon as president obama lot of misinformation out there returns from mexico today he's and a lot of people being told expected to focus on this make or break month for health care things. >> sure, by congressmen. reform. this morning democrats are >> 85% of people born in america trying to shed light on a plan have health care insurance, they sharing passions and triggering are satisfied with it, 89% with shofg matches at town hall meetings across the country. or without say they're satisfied with their health care. an editorial at usa today, we've got about 45 million americans with no health care insurance, about half of those quote, drowning out opposing voluntarily have decided not to

views is simply un-american. do it, another large number concerns overtime safety of could have it based on federal resident and staff force add or state programs are just not school in missouri to cancel doing it for whatever reason. >> are you satisfied with the claire mccaskill's town hall health care system? >> are you satisfied with your event scheduled for tomorrow health care system, larry? according to "st. louis you think this is the best we could have? post-dispatch" newspaper. >> let me finish the point. more tirades from let me finish the point. coast-to-coast. frustration evident on hot line, when you get down to it, ron, you're talking about 10 million 1877-my am fix. to 15 million americans out of here is what some of you are the population of 300 million, saying about all this. that's not a crisis. >> they are just a local >> well, actually it is a crisis minority trying to hijack a because we have a lousy health care system. process which the majority of >> interesting -- american actually support. >> we have a lousy health care >> there needs to be hard, fast system. >> it is interesting in that questions of the president of there is a little bit of a the united states or somebody schism it seems between people needs to explain this program. because in my opinion, and i'm who say, yes, we could improve. not a smart man, it is leading yet you ask are you satisfied to socialized medicine. with yours? >> it's just a matter of time we have a large percentage -- before something happens and >> they have nothing to compare someone gets hurt for real. >> i do not want thugs deciding it with. >> let me get to this -- >> ron, you asked me if i was my health care and i do not want satisfied with our health care system. >> no, with our health care cnn to legit mize them by system not your health care. but our health care. >> and the answer -- fine, our covering them.

>> call 1-877-my am fix. health care system, the answer is, no i'm not, there's too much government into it. you look at -- 692-6439. also knew this morning, >> you're saying medicare doesn't work well? challenges in afghanistan, "wall street journal" quoting a top >> you look at procedures where u.s. commander there saying the taliban has gained the upper hand on coalition forces. there is no reimbursement by general stanley mcchrystal says insurance, like laser surgery or that force add change in transplant or liposuction the military strategy increasing u.s. presence in populated areas prices are going down, quality's like kandahar to protect civilians. saying he expects american going up. casualties in afghanistan to we're talking about unfunded remain high for months to come. liabilities under the medicare forty dead and hundreds system. >> what would make me happier is injured in a string of deadly attacks on iraqi day laborers. if medicare could negotiate for lower prices like private two truck bombs near mosul insurance could. that would be a good idea. killed 30 people and wounded >> i want to get you guys weigh dozens more. in baghdad two separate car in on this. you guys are doing great on your bombs killed 16 people. own. i can actually get some coffee. today's attacks fueling fears >> we're too radio guys. insurgents are staging a >> i know and i'm a caller and comeback after with drawing i'm waiting. troops from iraqi cities. sarah palin, by the way, weighed disastrous weather from in, she used her facebook page. asia. it has a lot of people fired up. a deadly typhoon battering

ron, first. japan. five people killed, ten missing. this is what sarah palin said or these storms forcing a million wrote. the america i know and love is not one in which my parents or evacuations in china. my baby with down syndrome will taiwan has been hit with the worst flooding in 50 years. this is unbelievable it was have to stand in front of caught on tape. obama's death panel. that was a historic six-story she also called it evil. hotel that simply toppled over. what is your reaction? >> she only needs a red rubber in taiwan they are saying at least 22 people are reported nose and exploding shoes and she dead. what you saw there was could go back to work for barnum floodwaters washing out soil and land from underneath the and bailey. building's foundation that toppled it into the water. so, you know, i find that offensive, frankly, and larry, a serious business for secretary of state hillary it's a perfect example of the clinton on her tour of africa, sort of dishonesty that's being but her dancing has made her a youtube sensation. peddled out there in the debate. secretary clinton was cutting >> larry, what did you think of loose with the locals in nairobi the comments? >> i think, certainly it is unfair to call her a clown and kenya. >> reminds us of another video, stupid. >> i don't think so. remember president bush >> competing programs in the congress and we don't know attempting to play bongos? what's going to come out. i don't know what she was referring to, i suspect she was referring to one proposal that had a voluntary panel that would then you see him free styling. look at certain kinds of health care decisions, but to call it a

death panel, i agree with ron, >> can't get enough of that one. >> then president obama then is over the top, especially since we don't know what's going senator obama showing off his to come out of congress, the moves on ellen show during the house, the senate, and then they have to reconcile the two bills campaign. if this was "dancing with the when they do come out. stars," i think he'd win. >> larry -- >> what the details. >> as a conservative >> i think president bush for commentator, do you think that saying things like that takes creativity, freestyle, the shocked look on the faces of away from the debate just feeds those around him. into the argument on the other audience participation. >> sometimes when you're seized side that at times perhaps by the moment you've just kind people are greatly exaggerating of got to do it. president obama in mexico what may or may not happen? with a summit leaders of mexico, >> i think any kind of irresponsible comment takes away canada and united states. what's going to come out of these meetings if anything? we'll find out coming up. from the real issue here and 11 minutes after the hour. that is whether or not you can provide universal coverage, high quality at low cost. any kind of comment take ace way from that debate, just as throwing pies at people like ann coulter and william crystal takes away from their debate. >> people have been throwing pies at ann coulter? how did i miss that? >> you didn't know that ann coulter had a pie thrown at her?

>> no, i didn't. i must have been in the area yesterday when that happened. that's kind of funny. but death panels, larry? >> we can agree on one thing. >> as long as it was a cream pie and nobody got hurt, you know. >> well, larry, thanks for joining us this morning. we've got to go, guys, i'm sorry. but it was a great debate. thanks to both of you. and as always, we want to know what you think -- >> see you outside, ron. >> uh-oh, good thing you guys are on remote. he's far, far away. don't worry. the town hall protests and anything else on your mind, weigh in on our show blog at cnn.com/amfix. john padesta was with president clinton last week and now he's talking about the dangers of climate change. we'll speak to him about both coming up. e, what are we waiting for? the flowers are blooming. the air is sweet. and zyrtec® starts... relieving my allergies... 2 hours faster than claritin®. my worst symptoms feel better,

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it's 14 minutes after the hour. welcome back to the most news in the morning. president obama is mexico right now for a summit with mexican and canadian leaders. the visit short on time but long on issues like the drug war, economy, global swine flu pandemic. joining me, juan hernandez. good to see you this morning. if you had to pick three issues you think the president should focus on in today's upcoming meetings, what would they be? >> this is called the new era of relationship between canada and mexico for the united states. canada and mexico are not very happy with the new era because the united states has not kept its commitments it had in previous areas. for example, the united states was supposed to help mexico with $100 million to fight the war on

narcos. nafta, supposed to be good, has been hard on the infrastructure. a lot of times they are coming in with goods and don't pay taxes, takes longer ships coming from asia even though mexico and canada buy much more goods from the united states than china does. so mexico is not very happy with this new very short meeting of this new era. >> let's drill down on the money you talked about for the drug war in mexico. obviously president felipe calderon has stepped up attacks, stepped up the campaign against the drug cartels. at the do seem stronger at the 41 minutes after the hour. same time there's concerns about we've got heat advisories up and human rights abuses with these down the east coast today cartels. because it is going to be hot, that's why congress is saying, wait a minute, we've got a provision in the law that we can

hot, hot. rob marciano's checking on the weather for us from atlanta. withhold 15% of the money until >> about time you saw more we're sure there's no human summer-like temperatures. august is typically this time of rights problems. year. you see hot and humid is it united states' fault or conditions, but also in july and does mexico need to come to the june. just haven't seen them this year. the areas we're looking at. table and say, hey, we're not philadelphia on our excessive heat warning, curiously new york involved in human rights and the tri-state area doesn't situations. have any advisories out, but >> they have a lot to do with human rights, they must work on everywhere else around there it. will be easily in the 90s and felipe calderon is risking his with the humidity feeling a lot own skin in the fight against warmer than that. 99 degrees expected in d.c., and the narcos. 86 people died last month, last 93 degrees expected in new york city. year over 6,000 people died. these are mostly, up to 98% of all right, let's talk about felicia. right now winds about 50 miles the narcos themselves fighting an hour, it is heading towards hawaii. and people of the army. but it's fighting some strong that army that we have been winds that are kind of going against it. so what that will do, it has criticizing for not maybe being slowed it down, but looks like as good as they should be with regard to human rights in mexico it's going to hold it together are the heroes. enough when it does make for a long time the army in landfall, we've got time for mexico was not thought of in tuesday night, wednesday mexico as being as good as it morning, it will probably come ashore as a tropical storm. should be but today the mexican so the winds and the waves will people love their army because be pretty bad. but the look at the rain and

they are risking their skin also. what it did to this hotel. >> another point of contention between the united states and six-story hotel in taiwan. mexico is over whether or not this was from the flooding from mexican trucks can travel freely a typhoon that brought the worst through the united states. rainfall there and flooding in 1994 nafta said, yes, they 50 years. my goodness, that is dramatic could. congress slapped a ban on this a stuff. we've been showing it all couple of years ago. weekend, and that will just kind of make your skin crawl a little mexico in retaliation leveled bit. back up to you. tariffs 45% from american goods, >> wow, that's pretty incredible. grapes to christmas trees to thanks so much for that. appreciate it. still ahead, we have a cnn paper products in this economy. a lot of american countries are exclusive. predator drones, used in iraq hurting because of that do you expect any headway at all, juan, and afghanistan, how about on that issue? >> no, unfortunately this patrolling over arizona? meeting is very, very short. it's the latest tool in the drug war. last night it was a quick 42 minutes past the hour. meeting with felipe calderon. harper, the prime minister from canada is quite upset because he wasn't able to have a one-on-one with president obama. it's a very short meeting and there's so many issues we must work with with our partners and friends and neighbors. >> we should point out that president obama and prime minister harper do have a one-on-one coming up in september so they will get a

chance to talk more about these issues but they are also going to be talking about swine flu, h1n1 flu. there will be an agreement to work together on this. do you think that is going to be the feel good moment out of this summit? >> unfortunately the united states has been pushing swine flu be the topic of discussion, but mexico and canada are wanting to talk about a nafta plus, a working together -- canada, united states and mexico so together the three can compete against other combinations of countries that are now competing very well against the united states. >> all right. juan hernandez from the university of texas. good to talk to you this morning, sir. finally, good news for people with type 2 thanks for joining us. diabetes or at risk for diabetes. appreciate it. thank you. introducing new nutrisystem d, the still ahead, we'll be talking about gas prices up for clinically tested program for losing weight and 20 consecutive days, in most reducing blood sugar. cases closer to $3 than $2. hi i'm mike, and i lost 100 pounds on nutrisystem d stephanie elam joins us with mind your business to talk a when i was first diagnosed with diabetes, little more about why. that first step was more like a giant leap.

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45 minutes now after the hour. this was the headline in the "new york times" on sunday. climate change seen as threat to u.s. security. politicians have said for years we cannot ignore the environment in our public policy. but the idea it's a threat to national security is a fairly new one and it's a growing concern. that's sure to be on the agenda at the national clean energy summit that kicks off today in las vegas. john padesta and founder and president for the center for american progress is in las vegas and he joins us this morning. john, it's great to see you. thanks for being with us. >> good morning, john. >> he was quoted in the article

in the "new york times." he said we will pay to reduce greenhouse gas emissions today and we'll have to take an economic hit of some kind. or we will pay the price later in military terms and that will involve human lives. do you agree? >> oh, absolutely. i think that if you think about most dangerous places in the world, they're susceptible to dramatic changes with respect to climate change, global warming. if you think about the middle east, the horn of africa, afghanistan, pakistan, bangladesh, those are places where just small changes in the -- both from extreme storms, but also from small changes in weather patterns that cause drought, famine, et cetera, create tremendous security implications for the united states. the military, i think, is really beginning to dig into that, analyze it, understand what resources they're going to need as people start adjusting and

moving and migration picks up. and there's all those stresses on the natural environment that come from climate change. >> the united nations secretary 20 minutes past the hour. also issued a warning recently. stephanie elam watching your he says the world has less than ten years to halt the rise in business, watching gas prices greenhouse gas emissions to creep up day after day. avoid catastrophic consequences what's doing on? for people and the planet. >> reporter: anyone on the roads is aware of the fact there's a many, many people support this light increase there, kind of idea of a conversion to a green economy, but in the long run, it may make money, but in the short like my voice there that decided run, it's going to cost money. with the state of the economy, to leave. deficits running the way they $2.64 is what we're paying for a are now. john, where's the money? gallon of gas. and where's the will to do that? >> well, john, that's what we're prices have gone up 15 cents doing here in las vegas. since thursday. you can blame that on crude oil we're really talking about the energy opportunities. prices that have been on the the ability to create jobs, to rise. demand for gas being down in use private sector capital to august. but really it has a lot to create a real push towards expect people out of jobs. energy efficiency, to retro fit i know the unemployment number our buildings, lower consumer is better but a lot of people costs, and put people back to work. feeling the pain because of that the summer driving season a lot and, you know, we have an all-star cast here, including of people taking to the roads. president clinton, vice

we may see a few cents uptick it president gore, senator reid and others to talk about that. but i think a tremendous upside potential for our economy to should stop there because really get these low-hanging overall demand is gone. fruit in the near term, which put in perspective, $1 cheaper, will create economic growth and put people to work as i said. >> you're a busy man these days. remember last year, $4.11? there at the energy and climate we're nowhere near that. conference a week ago we saw you that's giving people a little with president clinton in relief, that comparison. to give you an idea the highest pyongyang as you went to pick up places people paying for gas, euna lee and laura ling, what was that episode like? hawaii, which usually is alaska >> look, it was an amazing or hawaii. hawaii is $3.07, california experience and an honor to overall $3.05. accompany president clinton. it had a happy ending. l.a. is where the most gas is consumed in our country. we were very thrilled to be able to bring back those two young cheapest gas in south carolina $2.42. >> you know, some economists are reporters and reunite them with their families and as you saw when euna lee grabbed her saying we're in this global recession what's that going to 4-year-old daughter when we got back to burbank, california, it say once we recover? was a thrill of a lifetime, >> i know. they are going higher. a lot is they are trying to which i'll always remember. but i was glad to do it. decide how much demand is for it was a humanitarian issue to oil, so they are trying to truncate how much they are put get these young women and we were glad to do it. out. >> where are we going to be this >> that was quite a moment. time next year. what were the meetings with kim >> whole different question.

>> good to see you this morning. jong-il like? >> well, i can't get too much heroin addiction and problem into the details, but we met in what might seem an unlikely with him for several hours, more than three hours, and i think front on drug, a small coastal community in maine? there were serious discussions. stay with us, 23 minutes after the hour. and, you know, he knew his you see, after i book 10 nights, i get a free one. portfolio and engaged directly say i spend 2 nights at a big name hotel, with president clinton. >> did you get a sense of what he's up to with the saber 3 at a boutique, and 5 at a beach resort... rattling, the missile tests, the belligerence? and boom! free night. >> well, you know, we'll report ( dings, monkey chatters ) ( in a baby voice ) aren't you a smart one? our findings to the people in the administration, i'm not ( monkey laughs ) accumulate 10 nights and get a night free. going to get too much into it. welcomerewards from hotels.com. it's really their portfolio to smart. so smart. try to manage the relationship with the north koreans, but we try to reiterate the need to get gathering dust, as pollen floats through the air. back on the path of a but with the strength of zyrtec ® , the fastest, 24-hour allergy relief, denuclearized korean peninsula i promise not to wait as long to go for our ride. as they had agreed to in 2005. and so, you know, i think that with zyrtec ® i can love the air ™ . sometimes they miscalculate what the reaction's going to be, not just in the united states but around the rest of the world. and we tried to reiterate they

need to keep their commitments. >> we've had so many analysts trying to figure out what he's that's a-- tiny netbook. doing. yeah, it's-- good-looking, lightweight. many of them come out he just wants to be noticed. generally awesome. is that your sense of it? and you could just-- go online, video-chat with my cousin. >> again, i think they had their this is un-- under $200. are you some kind of-- mind reader, visionary ? brief they provided to us. no, i have them. huh. we also met with -- in a separate meeting with the the new lightweight hp mini netbook with windows and america's largest and most-reliable president of the people's 3g network built in. assembly. only 199.99 with mobile broadband plans but i think that they were, you from 39.99 know, are -- they made their i am-- speechless, envious. case, but again, i think that's wanna be me right now. a case that's been heard before getting one. and what they need to do is get back to the six-party talks and complete their obligations that they previously made. >> do you have any sense they'll do that? >> they're a tough lot, so i leave it to the people in the administration or to engage with them at the diplomatic level and to work with the other members of the -- in the six party talks to kind of push hard and see

whether progress can be made. this was, again, this was a humanitarian gesture, maybe it opens up a little breathing space, but what we were trying to do is get these women back to the united states and reunited with their families and we're glad that they were able to grant them special amnesty. and i was honored to be along on that trip. >> we'll see what comes with it. great to catch up with you. thanks for taking the time. >> thanks, john. still ahead, it's a cnn exclusive, predator drone patrolling arizona. how there's a new tool in the drug war. it's 51 minutes after the hour. welcome back to the most news in the morning. 26 minutes of a the hour. it's a long way from mexico but coastal maine, believe it or not, has become an emerging market for mexican drug cartels. >> the drug in demand, not marijuana, cocaine but heroin, a story you'll see only on

american morning. >> reporter: when you think of the war on drugs you think inner cities, new york, chicago, l.a., d.c., but coastal maine? you may be surprised to hear heroin has become a huge problem too big to contain. lighthouse, lobsters. >> heroin, more heroin. >> and heroin? >> it's scary. >> thousands of miles from the drug cartels of mexico, this bucolic place in a mecca for heroin use. this detective has been working for decades. he says he's seen it all but never this. >> my case load for heroin has tripled over the last three years. >> that's incredible. >> yeah, it is. >> reporter: detectives are working around the clock, dealers are making a killing and

addicts of some of maine's youngest getting high on $5 a hit. >> cheaper than a six-pack of beer for most high school kids. >> reporter: highly addictive. >> we're attempted to think a drug is a drug is a drug. one of the things for heroin is the craving for the drug happens months and months and months after they put it down. >> reporter: treatment for heroin addiction in maine was up 40% last year. some are not able to kick the habit like 17-year-old bethany died of an overdose in 2004. since then another four from the area have died, all in their 20s. why maine? >> people think, wow, nothing goes on up there. law enforcement is way behind the times. it's just a relaxed -- i can blend in better up there. >> reporter: it never ends. the day of our visit, a heroin arrest is front page news. how hopeful are you you're going to fight this and win?

>> we're never going to win, but if we weren't there think how bad it would be. for every one we get, ten get away but we still stay. on the arizona border, >> i hate to see a problem like homeland security is doing that with such a problem. everything it can to keep drugs of the united states. >> that's right, and the what's the trends? border's using these high-tech >> this narcotics agent told us, the detective told us it's drones, the same kind the military uses to nab terrorists. literally being muled up from mexico. they're using it to get a birds the president is there, drugs on the agenda among many other eye view of terrorists. things. but what's interesting is this she's going to tell us what the drug counselor we talked to said drug war looks like late at basically it's like you go to night when the human eye cannot spot. >> that's what makes this the doctor, you get prescribed predator so fascinating. it's really like peeling back oxycontin for back pain and the darkness. people get hooked. they try to doctor shop, try to taking out high-value targets. get oxycontin, they can't get federal agents working hard to what they need, they go to the at least reduce the seemingly endless flow of drugs. street. they realize heroin, also an opiate is $5 a hit. it's a tenth of the cost, the it's the middle of the night, same high and that's how people this unmanned surveillance plane are hooked. it's really incredible. is about to take off. it's scary because this

counselor was saying it used to >> he says 20.83? be junkies in the city, now >> they're carrying packs. college graduates are coming in >> reporter: not in a war zone as drug addicts. like iraq or afghanistan, but in the demographic is really changing. the arizona desert. it's incredible. >> i think those are our >> prescription pills as well? suspects. they're running. they hear something? >> she's saying we're overprescribed as a nation. >> go ahead and mark these this is one example of that. coordinates. >> i don't know what they heard, >> interesting prescription drugs are a gateway to an illicit drug. but they're getting out of dodge. >> reporter: dodge in this case happens to be the 260 mile southwest border separating arizona from mexico and the unusual route. runners are suspected drug thanks so much. smugglers carrying packs of one of the stories topping high-grade marijuana. the agenda, president obama in >> that group of 22. mexico talking with the leaders there and canada. >> reporter: pete and rich are also discussing swine flu and pilots with the customs and border protections elite air job losses caused in those two unit. >> this aircraft really has a nations. rescue and cleanup after the significant impact on that because we have the ability to world trade center attack are now battling a blood cancer that watch them from the time they drop the contraband until the usually targets older americans, actual arrest. that's according to researchers >> reporter: because the predator can track suspects as that have been studying 28,000 far as 18 miles away and stay responders. airborne up to 25 hours, most

experts say it's too soon to time smugglers and illegal know for sure if conditions at immigrants don't even realize they're being watched. ground zero called the multiple >> it is a video game, but the difference between a video game is 8,500 pound aircraft on the myeloma with the officers. seeing profits decline for end of the string. >> that's worth $10 million. the first time. 48 states depend on gambling for >> that's worth $10 million. >> reporter: since the predator some kind of income. was deployed eight years ago, they report the money casinos they have seized more than pay to the states and local 32,000 pounds of drugs and arrested nearly 10,000 people. government fell more than 2% in 2008. nevada's gambling tax revenue the agents know while they're fell 15% in the fiscal year that working to develop intelligence on the drug smugglers, chances just ended in june. are high that the drug smugglers kiran. are working to develop >> now that they are home for summer recess, some members of intelligence on them and the congress are getting an earful border operations. >> the one thing they don't know is where we're going, what about the democratic-backed planner for health care overall. as we've seen pictures and altitude we're working at and what exactly we're looking at. sounds coming from town hall protests, all the rage now. >> reporter: the increased surveillance has forced drug traffickers to become more lawmakers facing loud and creative. smugglers have started using hostile crowds. this is a make or break month for the obama health care plan. ultra-light aircraft virtually bill adair founder and editor of undetectable. as the sunrises, the predator zeros in on a coyote, a human

politifact.com joins us from washington. this is our special health care smuggler paid to guide illegal immigrants across the border. edition. good morning. >> good morning. pilots say he'll likely cross again and next time the predator will be waiting. >> first from a columnist from the "new york times" in a blog >> and it really is a game of posted, during 2005 fight over cat and mouse. we stayed up all night watching social security there were noisy these agents monitor vast demonstrations but they were outside the events. expanses of border. opponents were not disruptive. drug traffickers are relentless. they may send 20 guys in crowds booed lines they didn't incredible shape. in expectation that at least like but that was about it. half the drugs getting in on you went to the debate about foot will go on the market. social security and privatizing >> they figure 50% delivery rate is a success for them. it. >> absolutely. did you find his statements true? >> no, we didn't. >> fascinating stuff, thanks. we gave it a false on our >> thanks, deb. so hillary clinton, dancing? it's all caught on tape? how does she compare to president bush? >> right. >> or president obama. >> who else? truth-o-met we have president obama, former president bush, and our truth-o-meter. he's trying to say they were better behaved. they weren't. secretary of state -- hey, they we found plenty of town halls disrupted by liberals, democrats all groove. >> a little dancing by the stars. on't know anything about computers unhappy with the president's social security proposal. and my daughter is going to college, so she needs one. krugman gets a false on this one. - can you help me? - ( shouting ) >> all right. next one we do to is an ad - yes, you. - our line of next class laptops that's out there right now. are perfect for college, and they start at just $650.

it's really comparing u.s. are those good? 'cause i don't want to get her something health care plan, or i guess what we envision to be the plan, - that she thinks is totally lame. - no, they're awesome. many doing on in congress to and they come with pre-loaded software so she won't have to do a thing. britain's health care plan. let's listen to the comparison - great. she's good at that. - ( blue shirts laugh ) and what it says. laptops designed for college >> 22,750 dollars. and thousands of people eager to help. best buy. buyer be happy. in england health officials decided that's how much six months of life is worth. sfwhen you own a business,g saving sounds good. and thousands of people eager to help. under their socialized system, if a medical treatment costs so hear this: regions makes it simple to save money and time more, you're out of luck. with lifegreen checking and savings for business, that's wrong for america. >> all right. there you go. free convenient e-services and regions quick deposit, so will the u.s. plan put a price limit on someone's life? so you can deposit checks right from your desk. >> not as it currently exists. so switch to regions and start saving. this one also gets a false on the truth-o-meter. plus, get a business financial review the implication here is that through a regions cashcor analysis. there would be such a linkage it's how business gets into the rhythm of saving. and it's just not the case. regions - it's time to expect more. there's nothing like this in the bill. it's really -- there is a public option in the bill, in some versions of the bill but it wouldn't do what the ad suggests. so this one gets a false.

>> the interesting thing is the it is serious business for expert you referred to in secretary of state hillary researching this says it's not clinton on her tour of africa. too far off, as you take a look. but the not so serious part of it, her dancing has made her a you want to control costs, youtube sensation. secretary clinton was cutting include everyone, that rationing is not necessarily something loose with the locals in that's not conceivable perhaps nairobi, kenya. >> it reminds us of other video. down the road. it was president bush and he was >> well, i think you could make hanging out during a malaria the same argument about private awareness event back in 2007. health insurance, that if it he was doing some free styling. there you go and then he rations care, and these are important issues that need to be actually decided to try the discussed, what's happened in this debate, though, is there are so many false hoods it's bongos. there you go. hard for people to have a that was pretty impressive for reasoned discussion about it. his impromptu dance, right? it's really become a debate defined by what's not really in >> got a little bit of the robot the bill. >> right. in there, as well. and that brings us to our next and then one right now. this comes from republican minority leader john boehner of ohio. what he was talking about was a real hot button issue, of course, that's going to get people upset. he said democrats backed health care reform plan will, quote, require americans to subsidize

abortion with hard earned tax dollars. you know a statement like that is going to raise a lot of concerns. how does that statement hold up? >> we gave that one a false on the truth-o-meter. and the reason is that the bill he's referring to, the house version of the bill, has an amendment in it, at least as it passed out of one committee that goes to some pains to make sure that federal money would not be used to subsidize abortions. so we gave this one a false. now here again, you know, it's a tricky question. what the amendment does, it says no taxpayer money can be used for abortion coverage. that's a little bit tricky. you can say, well, it's a big pot of money even if the person insured is paying a certain amount in premiums, how do you know that that amount is going toward the abortion. the democrats are trying to take abortion out of the debate. they say this shouldn't be a debate about abortion, it's a debate about health care.

so they are trying to keep the plan that they put it, abortion neutral. >> all right. have you a lot of great information on the website as well if people want to find out more. you're right, there's a lot being said out there. we thank you for getting to the bottom of some of this. bill adair, thanks so much. >> thank you. >> for complete scorecard go to our website, cnn.com/amfix. >> truth-o-meter, obama ter. some are checking employees to see if smiles are real instead of -- >> they rank your smile 0 to 100. >> telling it you all about it.

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what do you think, are those genuine smiles? >> it's monday morning, 6:39 here. that's about as genuine as you get. >> for anybody to practice

smiles is pretty impressive. >> thanks to our crew. only one female. see what i have to deal with every morning, all these men? there is a reason to smile if you're working at one particular japanese company, they are ranking you on this. >> it's a rail company, a new spin on service with a smile. >> reporter: kiran and john, you know that feeling when you have to hold your smile for a picture and it gets kind of frozen on your face. imagine going through that every day at work. we went to one workplace where that's exactly what happened. surprised? no one is complaining. the morning routine here is serious business. safety makes for a happy workplace but recently a change in the routine has workers smiling and smiling and smiling some more. every morning they sit down in

front of this terminal, log in and grin. the program then scores their smiles from 0 to 100. of course good service is the most important thing says this railroad representative but you can't practice good service with a scary face. a smile affects overall service. and that's why workers like this station attendant are beaming. by having a smile on my face, she says, i make others feel good. they smile back at me. the company just started using the software a few months ago. customers certainly seem pleased. while not everyone's smile is equal, workers say they have had fun with it. they say no one is forced to use the program. in the beginning everyone was confused but now it's become a habit, she says. in the morning everyone lines up and practices smiling. >> how hard could this really be. let's find out. here is my normal face and that

gets me about a zero. advice down here tells me to relax, okay? that gets me a 94. not bad for me, but i would hate to have to do that all day long. but that's not a sentiment shared here. through reputation and practice you can create a natural smile, says the railroad rep. smiling, after all, is serious business. now, we should be clear about a couple of things. first, no one is getting promoted or demoted on the basis of their smile. second, workers genuinely seem to be enjoying this. >> morgan, thank you very much. you see it all the time. people smile and then it goes -- >> slowly fades. so we've got the summit in mexico, guadalajara, president obama there with stephen harper, calderon from mexico.

one of the things talking about is the drug war raging on the doorstep. michael ware coming up in a few minutes. he'll introduce you to one of the most leading and vial violent men on or doorsteps. 43 minutes after the hour. a us♪ ♪ f-r-e-e, that spells free credit report dot com, baby. ♪ ♪ saw their ads on my tv ♪ thought about going but was too lazy ♪ ♪ now instead of looking fly and rollin' phat ♪ ♪ my legs are sticking to the vinyl ♪ ♪ and my posse's getting laughed at. ♪ ♪ f-r-e-e, that spells free- credit report dot com, baby. ♪ introducing listerine total care. everything you need... to strengthen teeth, help prevent cavities, and kill germs. introducing 6 in 1 listerine total care. the most complete mouthwash.

good morning. we're saying good morning to

manchester, new hampshire, thanks to our friends there, who we rely on to bring us great information. 65 degrees there. a little cool. don't worry, up to ohio, 89 and thunderstorms in the forecast for later on today. of course, if you think it's going to be hot in manchester today, don't be in new york city. >> no. it should finally, finally, now that it's august 10th finally feel like summer. rob marciano has the weather from atlanta. looks like we're supposed to go above 90. we haven't seen that in new york. >> no, it's been fairly mild. you've been asking it, now you're getting it, the second week in august, it's toasty. some kids are doing back to school. we talked about if this was possible. that's what's going on. heat advisories, stretching in parts of the tri-state as well and stretching down to south carolina and up to parts of new england, eastern parts of connecticut and rhode island

also. temperatures in the 90s with the humidity look for a chance to feel like they are up and over 100 degrees. have you a thunderstorm watch for eastern colorado until 11:00 eastern time. a couple of tornado watches in rural areas. the other story we're working on is hurricane felicia, now a tropical storm still weakening, a 50 miles an hour sustained winds. the change in the forecast, john and kiran, it will come ashore, raid the hawaiian island as a tropical storm. it will be slightly stronger. shouldn't do a whole lot of damage but we can probably expect power outages and trees down in the next 24 to 36 hours. an update on that in the next hour. >> rob, thanks so much. see you in a bit. coming up 48 minutes after the hour. michael ware on the front lines of the drug war, introducing us to the man that became the face

of the drug war in the united states. who is el chapo. michael will tell us. stay with us.

we're back with the most news in the morning. right now president obama in mexico. one of the big issues he's tackling, escalating violence along u.s.-mexican border. much of the carnage on the world's most wanted man. michael ware live in mexico with more on that. michael, who is this guy? >> reporter: well, john, the leader of the cartel, one of the most dangerous and powerful cartels in mexico. he's more than that. if you want to take a measure of how hard or how seriously america is fighting the war on drugs, el chapo is the man. let's take a look. this man makes a living mockery of america's war on drugs.

he's joaquin "el chapo" guzman, a $500 million u.s..yon his help. >> chapo is the face against military forces. >> reporter: at war because el chapo is the ultraviolent, ultralucrative cartel. legendary. el chapo guzman, like a god in mexico says ortega. nobody says him but he's everywhere. he's a myth. criminal lawyer is one of the few mexicans daring enough to speak of el chapo on camera. having met him when he was here in prison before el chapo escaped in 2001. when you talk with el chapo he

see the contradiction. >> he has the robin hood, attends to the poor, the people around him. >> reporter: on the run el chapo's business has continued to flourish and investigators say orders followed. ten months ago this mutilated body and outside a mexico police station. the message hanging over his corpse signed in el chapo's name. many mexicans believe el chapo's where about unknown. this man announced everyone knows his whereabouts except the authorities, claiming he's in these mountains not far from the u.s. border. el chapo's exports undermine felipe calderon, especially when forbes named el chapo 701st on the world's rich list with a net

worth of $1 billion. we regret the campaign against mexico which has escalated says president calderon. first from public opinion and now even magazines, which is attacking and lying about the situation but also praising criminals. this from a president who upped the edge sending soldiers in the streets of his own cities in a bid to crush the cartel, a bid backed by u.s. president barack obama. >> it's important that the united states steps up and cooperates effectively in battling the adverse affects of drug trafficking. >> reporter: that was back in june. since then the slaughter in mexico has continued and el chapo's drugs have continued to pour into america. and el chapo continues to be the face of america's unwinnable

drug war. and with president obama obama here, it's a hope that he'll actually say something about what america is about to do to step up that commitment in the war on drugs. but from what the national security adviser said leading up to the summit, he promised there will be talk about more talk that will lead to talk that might give us an agreement. john. >> michael ware for us in guadalajara. michael, thanks so much. kiran. >> you certainly couldn't have missed all the health care town hall debates that have been going on, people screaming each other, shouting each other down, bringing in posters, hanging politicians in effigy. now we have sarah palin, former governor of alaska calling reform down right evil. we're going to hear what else she had to say about it. it's 55 minutes past the hour.

welcome back to the most news in the morning. president obama in mexico with a summit for leaders of mexico and canada. it's a short trip and there's a laundry list of items on the gend ashes, from drugs and guns to swine flu and trade. these issues will be grabbing the headlines today. our white house correspondent susan malveaux is traveling with the president. she's in guadalajara, mexico. susanne, a lot of issues to tackle this morning. they are not going to solve all these problems. they are going to discuss it, put it out there and figure out if they can find consensus on anything. >> reporter: sure. one of the things, i traveled commercially to get here. through customs, the first thing

you're greeted with is a bottle of purell, literally squeezes it in your hands, trying to sanitize your hands because the concerns are about swine flu, where it's originated, expected to be quite a bad flu season in the fall. that is at the top of the agenda. billed the summit of the three amigos, president barack obama with felipe calderon and canada's stephen harper. all smiles in front of the cameras. in the space of 20 hours it is serious business, starting with the swine flu which originated here in mexico and since has spread throughout the world, with the fall season expected to be more deadly. senior officials said the leaders talked about their need the effort to contain it. >> keep borders open, our medical establishments working with each other to prison this. >> reporter: trade is a key issue. the u.s. struggling economy has met job losses in canada and mexico. how president obama steers

americans out of this devastating recession will impact our neighbors. >> it may be the most important relationship we have. mexico is the second largest commercial partner, second largest destination for exports, their largest commercial partner. >> reporter: mexico is also a partner in the war against drugs. a war mexico is far from winning as drug cartels gain strength. president obama says the u.s. shares responsibility and provides the market for mexico's drugs and is the source of many of the guns that have made the cartels so powerful. but the u.s. congress is holding off on sending $100 million in aid to help fight the drug battle until its reassured the mexican military is not involved in violating human rights. a senior administration official said mr. obama addressed this with mr. calderon emphasizing defeating the cartels in the long run would require the commitment and confidence of all the countries affected. we don't expect any major

announcements. president obama really just on the ground here for less than 20 hours or so but obviously a packed agenda. one senior administration official said these conversations have been cordial, warm and friendly today. they are going to focus on climate change as well as energy. kiran. >> suzanne in guadalajara, thanks so much. welcome once again. it is monday, august 10th here in new york. 7:00 on the news in new york. i'm kiran chetry. >> good morning to you. i'm john roberts. thanks for joining us. we're following several breaking stories we'll break down for you in the next few minutes. town halls turning into free for alls with america's health care plan. sarah palin weighing in on her blog about obama's death panels. what's got so many people riled up. also, a dire warning this morning coming from the pentagon's top commander on the ground in afghanistan. he says the taliban is winning. we'll tell you how he plans to

turn the tide and why he thinks the fighting could get more deadly. live at the pentagon just ahead. >> divers are going back in the water certainlying remaining victims from the midair collision, a small plane and helicopter collided in new york's airspace saturday killing all nine people on board. we'll ask the ntsb if they are any closer to finding out what's wrong in the sky and if the rules should be kangd for flying up and down the hudson corridor. as soon as president obama returns from mexico he's expected to focus on the make or break health care reform. this morning democrats are trying to shed light on a plan that's stirring matches and shoves matches across the country. in an editorial in usa today, how spartanberg nancy pelosi write, drowning out opposing views is simply un-american. concern over the safety and staff forced a town in missouri

to cancel claire mccass kell according to the newspaper. this morning more tensions and tire aids coast-to-coast. >> reporter: the white house says it's time to lower the temperature on the health care debate but the heated emotions are far from cooling off. >> it reads like something that was thought up in the early 1930s in germany with lawmaker back home, anger is boiling down. in georgia, signs the debate is taking its toll. >> those of you who are here, who have taken and came and hijacked this event that we're dealing with here. >> democratic congressman david scott lashed out after a doctor from his district asked. >> why are you voting for a health care plan that is shown not to work in massachusetts and why are you going to institute

that nationwide? >> reporter: at first scott said he wasn't sure how he would vote, then he let loose. >> don't come and take advantage of what these individuals have done. you want a meeting with me on health care, i'll give it to you. >> reporter: in texas for republican congressman michael burgess. >> this isn't like a mob, this is like home. >> reporter: the crowd stayed calm but make of the questions point. >> when the republicans control congress and the senate, why didn't you introduce and pass health care reform. >> reporter: in austin supporters of health care reform are getting fired up. this crowd booed as republican senator cornyn tried leaving after touring a community health clinic. and more fuel to stoke the fighting. oppose her facebook page friday, the republican sarah palin wrote, the america i know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with down

syndrome will have to stand in front of obama's death panel so his bureaucrats can decide whether they are worthy of health care. such a system is down right evil. in his weekly address, president obama fired back at opponents. >> let me start by dispelg the outlandish rumor reform will promote euthenasia, promote medicaid or bring about a takeover of health care. that's simply not true. >> reporter: this week the president heads to new hampshire for a town hall meeting on health care, later montana, home of senator baucus, a key democrat trying to negotiate a deal on health care reform. >> thank you so much. in the piece you heard david scott prom the doctor who spoke in the town hall forum if he wanted a meeting he could have one. both men got a chance to have their say last night on newsroom. >> these individuals have a

right to come and express their opinion but this must be done in a very deliberate manner. this is a very complex issue. i have a health care meeting. i have a health care event every year. this was something that was orchestrated. this gentleman came there to hijack this meeting that was not about health care, and that's why i was very concerned. >> i want to talk about health care. i feel like we really need to stop doing all these distractions. this is a democracy and we need to be able to come together as adults and people with ideas and to be able to express our ideas back and forth. that's how a democracy is supposed to work. coming in and screaming and hollering and being struptive does not accomplish that. >> the congressman's meeting was about a highway running through his district. dr. hill says he waited until the very end of the meeting to ask about health care. stay with us, later we'll talk to brad miller. he won't have meetings about health care reform. that led to someone calling his

office with a death threat. we want to hear what you say about all this. are health care reform protesters going too far? are debates out of hand? is it organic protest or organized protest. logon to at cnn.com/am fix or call the hot line. also new this morning, a shocking message from the top man in afghanistan. that's general stanley mcchrystal who tells "the wall street journal" the taliban is winning in afghanistan and forcing the u.s. to change its strategy. he says that will mean more u.s. casualty if they put soldiers into more populated areas. chris lawrence joins us live from the pentagon with the latest on this. a lot of people are listening to those comments in the "wall street journal" and wondering, we've been there eight years. what's changed? >> yeah, you think about this, kiran. we've been there eight years, yet july, past july, was the

deadliest month ever for u.s. troops in afghanistan. already another about 12 american troops have been killed already in august. so this is definitely a different afghanistan than we had seen for years during this conflict. it has turned from a low level conflict turning into a high-level conflict. some of the things we have been hearing are eternal struggle here in the pentagon over whether to send more troops to afghanistan to bolster some of these areas like kandahar where insurgents have now moved into and started to set up shadow governments, started to set up in areas where they weren't necessarily a force before but because the u.s. is very preoccupied in the south, they are moving in there. some are worried we should send more. some say it's just a response to send even more troops in there. general stanley mcchrystal talked to cnn last week about the need for a fundamental shift in how troops are doing business

there. >> it really is a new initiative. the whole concept is to change the way we operate. i'm not even going to say the way we fight, the way we prosecutor counter-insurgency. the heart of it is protecting people not just from activities of the insurgents, which, of course, cause most casualties, also the affects of war, snig we might do. that's why you hear about trying to reduce civilian casualties. >> reporter: he wants to greatly increase the number of afghan troops and police forces. the thing is to double the size of the afghan army and police force, you're going to need a lot more american trainers to get that job done. kiran. >> all right. chris lawrence for us this morning at the pentagon. thanks so much. amazing images straight from the front lines in afghanistan. a helicopter attack team comes across men on a road. they say they were insurgents setting up a bomb and here is what happens next. >> it's a guy in the road. >> it's a guy in the road.

>> you guys got the guy in the sights. >> roger. >> okay. >> fire? >> you're good to fire. >> roger. >> all right. the explosion, the sound of gunfire. the pentagon says it happened in southern afghanistan. the video comes straight from the camera mounted on the helicopter's gun. we'll talk more about how the pentagon is trying to turn things around in afghanistan. we have author peter bergen joining us from kabul. gasoline prices rose more than 15 cents in the last couple of weeks. aaa reports the average price for a gallon of unleaded is $2.65. demand for gasoline is actually down so far this month but the price still getting higher

because oil prices keep going up in anticipation of an economic rebound. >> all right. weather across much of asia, typhoon battering japan, five people reported killed, ten others missing. you see buildings literally falling into the water. a second typhoon forcing a million evacuations in china. taiwan has been hit with its worst flooding in 50 years. at least 22 people reported dead. so bad that this historic six-story hotel toppled over. floodwaters washed out the soil and land from underneath the building's foundation. it's a boy for elisabeth hasselbeck. the view co-host gave birth to her third child. seven pounds seven ounces. dad former quarterback tim hasselbeck. mother and baby doing great today. here is a question. are you one of those people that thinks your dog is as smart as a person? you may be onto something.

a professor from british columbia found the average dog has the same smart as a two-year-old child. i don't know about this one. it says they can learn around 165 words. the smartest ones can learn 250. scientists say a dog's social life is very complex, much like a teenager. my dog is running up texting bills all the time talking to friends. smartest breeds, border collies, shepherds. if so smart, why are they so happy at dinnertime, leaping in the air. >> they are trying to show appreciation. tragic crash in the river on the western side of manhattan. a helicopter and fixed wing aircraft crashed into each other. what's behind it and how did it happen and do the rules need to change for general aviation in and around the manhattan area? talk to chairman of the national transportation safety board.

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for two remaining victims sometime small plane that collided with the helicopter over the hudson river. neither was required to carry voice or data recorders but investigators are looking for navigational devices to give them more information on what causes the crash. a chairwoman for the national safety board. she joins me from hoboken. thanks for being with us. >> good morning. >> is it safe that a lot of information you'll be getting will come from eyewitness, some who took photos in the moments after that crash happened. what else are you learning this morning about what may have caused that? >> well, we've had some very good information from eyewitnesses. we have some footage on some pictures you all have seen that shows immediately after the collision, some of the breakup sequence. the two aircraft actually falling towards the hudson river. we also had a good interview from another company pilot

employed by liberty tours fueling his helicopter on the heliport where the accident helicopter had just left. he said he saw the helicopter heading south and he saw an airplane approaching behind him and he radioed the helicopter pilot to let them know they had a fixed wing to their rear. he got no response. and a few seconds later the collision occurred. we are getting some good information from some witnesses. >> i believe that's the same gentleman, he's in the daily news today and he gave an interview as well saying he felt this was really just an accident waiting to happen, that that airspace is largely unregulated when you're flying under 1100 feet. and faa isn't involved, there is no air traffic control involved in that situation. you're really on your own there. do you think in light of this, as well as some of the other accidents we've seen over the years that those rules may change for airspace over the hudson? >> well, i think we need to be

clear there are some rules that exist, it's just aircraft are not controlled by one of the four local airports. this is an exclusion. they have to comply with visual flight rules. they have to see and be seen. this is a congested corridor. i think we're going to have to see what the investigation develops, what the facts tell us, then we will look to determine recommendations to prevent something like this from happening. the safety board investigates 11 midair accidents. we've seen over the last 10 years those accidents have resulted in 158 fatalities. our charge is to make sure that accidents like this don't happen. we're going to try to look at everything to make sure that it doesn't. we will make recommendations. >> right. this is the 14th crash involving a chartered sightseeing flight since 2000. they say 61 people have been killed in these types of accidents involving chartered sightseeing flights in the heavily congested area around the hudson river.

some say they should make changes for what altitudes the helicopters can fly in versus the fixed wing aircraft, small aircraft coming from regional airports like teterboro, is that one of the recommendations you might be making to the faa? >> i think we'll have to wait and see what we find in this accident to determine what recommendations come out of it. but i can tell you we've looked at other sightseeing operations in alaska, hawaii, over the grand canyon. congested areas present challenges. it's important to have procedures, make sure everybody is aware and complies with procedures. we will be looking very closely at some of the letters of agreement that exist right now between the air tour operators and the faa about how operations are conducted here. we also need to look at aircraft that are transiting through that may not be local to the area and may not be as familiar with the terrain and the communication

protocol. >> all right. just quickly, i understand they were able to retrieve the helicopter but you're still looking for the piper or plane. how close are divers to find thanksgiving today? >> well, we're very appreciative of all of the efforts the divers have made. they did a great job bringing up the wreckage of the helicopter yesterday. almost all of it was intact. we think they have had positive hits on the skin of the airplane and we are very hopeful they might be able to pull that up today. deep water, fast currents. there is a lot of challenges for the divers. we'll have to see what they can accomplish today. >> debbie hersman thanks so much for being with us this morning. >> thank you. three americans still detained in iran, now the iraqi foreign minister is coming to their defense. will his support be enough to get them released? we'll find out. 18 1/2 minutes after the hour. well, the price went down, so you're all getting a check thanks. for the difference.

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welcome back to most news in the morning. more american families waiting for word as another hostile government holds their loved ones captive. iran finally confirming this weekend it did arrest three american hikers who allegedly wandered into iran by miss attachment the hikers went missing more than a week ago of the u.s. government once again find itself in a delicate dance to try onwin their release. the official confirmation came from national security adviser general chin jones who says the united states has been clear about what it wants to see happen next. >> we have sent strong messages we would like these three young people released as soon as possible. these are innocent people. we want their families reunited. >> it's now been ten days since

the three hikers crossed from iraq to iran near the taun ahmed awa. friends say an innocent mistake, hikers in an area well-known for its beauty but not for its well marked border. iraq's foreign minister agreed and forced iran to release the hikers saying a statement we made an intervention on their behalf with the iranian government to provide information and to release them. i am hopeful but i haven't received any formal confirmation. the hikers are charged with illegal entering. iran is looking into whether the three were spies raising concerns this could escalate into a situation similar to what happened in north korea when president clinton had to fly to the isolated country to secure the release of journalists. the u.s. is working with

intermediaries to try to bring hikers home. >> work to obtain their prompt release unharmed. this is obviously a significant concern to us. >> reporter: iraq's foreign minister made request to the hikers released last week and says he hopes to have an answer in the coming days. still ahead, mexican drug war right at our border. now there's an eye in the sky helping fight the people trying to stop the drug dealers. we're going to take a look at the drones. 24 minutes after the hour.

26 minutes past the hour. on the arizona border, homeland security is doing everything they can to keep drugs out of the u.s., using high-tech drones, the same kind used to pick up terrorists and get a bird's eye view of drug traffickers. >> here to show us what the drug war loose like late at night when smugglers are on the move. >> reporter: it's really

interesting. using surveillance aircraft border a little have been able to peel back darkness and see what happens you should cover of night. the middle of the night and this unmanned surveillance plane, predator b is about to take off. >> up 279, 175. >> these guys at 20.83. >> they have got -- they are carrying packs. >> reporter: not in a war zone like iraq or afghanistan but in the arizona desert. >> i think those are suspects. they are running. did they hear something? >> go ahead and mark these coordinates. >> i don't know what they heard but they are getting out of dodge. >> dodge in this case happens to be the 260 southwest border separating the border from new mexico. the runners are suspected drug smugglers carrying 40 to 80 pound packs of high-grade marijuana. >> where they were yesterday, a group of 22. >> pete and richard are pilots

with customs and border protection elite air unit. >> this aircraft had a significant impact on that. we have the ability to watch them from the time they drop the contraband until the actual arrest. >> reporter: because the predator can track suspects 18 miles away and stay airborne 25 hours, most times smugglers and illegal immigrants don't even realize they are being watched. >> it is a video game. the difference between the video game is this 8500 aircraft on the end. >> it's worth $10 million. >> it's worth $10 million. >> since the predator was deployed three years ago, border a little seized more than 32,000 pounds of drugs and arrested nearly 10,000 people. the a little know while they are working to develop intelligence on the drug smugglers, chance are the drug smugglers are working on them and the border operation. >> one thing they don't know is where we're going, what altitude we're working at, what exactly we're looking for.

>> reporter: the increased surveillance has forced drug traffickers to become more creative. agenci agencies say smugglers are using ultralight aircraft. as the sunrises the predator zooms in on a coyote, a guy paid to cross the border. they say they will likely cross again and next time the predator will be waiting. it really is a game of cat and mouse, staying up all night watching border a little monitor vast expanses of territory you realize drug traffickers are relentless trying to keep drugs into the u.s. 24-7, it does not end. >> the did he mapped is there, the in satiable demand, the secretary of state did. really, the shocking ultralights can fly undetected into our borders. >> it's incredible. they are covered in cloth, don't pick up on radar, no navigation

systems. pilots maneuver by following highways and roads. they are so low, looks like cars. they can carry 2500 pounds of drugs, come into the u.s. and circle back. >> these are eyes in the sky, not weapons platforms? >> they do not. can you mount the guns to the bottom of the wings but, no, they are not being used for those purposes. they can track a suspect, border agent sending a black hawk hillary clinton, the guys go on and they run. >> they have other interesting tactics to cover their tracks. >> it's fascinating. you see drug smugglers going across the road single file. a person in the back of them will sweep the ground with a burlap sack or brush to cover their tracks. they are watching all this and see how it plays out. it's very sophisticated. they come in groups of 20 and break hoping to get into the u.s. >> thanks so much for that.

meanwhile 30 minutes past the hour. we check our top stories. another violent day across iraq. at least 48 people are dead and 230 others wounded in seven different bomb blasts in the country. five in baghdad alone. these attacks along with five on friday that killed 50 people have many iraquis afraid sectarian violence is on the rise again. more concerns about working in the pit following 9/11. several police officers who took part in the rescue and cleanup after the world trade center attacks are battling a blood cancer that targets older americans. that's according to researchers that have been studying 28,000 9/11 officers. it's too soon to tell. the american gaming association said casinos are getting hit hard as more gamblers head to the low stakes tables or stay home all together, collecting less cash from casinos as well.

government figures show revenue is down eight of the 12 states that let you hit the slots. >> well, you've no doubt seen videos, some people in health care town hall meetings are mad as held. many turning into shouting matches, pushing to get in the doors. tempers and passions so heated one lawmaker got a death threat fond into his office. it happened to brad miller. he joins me life from raleigh, north carolina this morning. congressman, good to be with you. what was this death threat all about? >> it was last monday. we had got an lot of calls. i don't think many offices have gotten fewer calls. many have gotten threats as specific as i got. caller said that if i supported the health care plan, it could cost me my life. my staff member that took the call asked them to repeat it and they did. said, there's a lot of angry people.

probably quif cal enough it won't result in criminal prosecution. you've seen w457d in the last week or two. there's a lot that hasn't been publicized. week before last, shut down for hours, the bomb threat. they have identified that person. that person probably will be criminally prosecuted. >> you've decided as a result of the rancor we've seen at the town hall meetings not to hold any? you'll have health care discussions over teleconference? >> no. i have done a few town hall meetings. i think they are kind of an acquired taste. most people want to have access to members of congress to talk about a specific issue and they think a one-on-one meeting is more access than a town hall meeting and that's what i've done. so we were putz whenld we started getting calls in the last two weeks demanding a town hall meeting. my staff would say wouldn't you like to sit and have a private conversation with the congressman, explain your position and ask about his. they didn't want that.

they wanted a town hall meeting. >> what's your sense of what's happening at the town hall meetings, the protests? is this organic, people with genuine concerns about health care or is it an organized test to shout you down, cause chaos and put ideas in people's heads that might not be true. >> there's some of that. it's organized by the top, encouraged nationally by the republican party. there are a lot of people out in the united states who are very anxious who supported the previous administration, who will never support the obama administration or democrats generally. >> we had this statement that was written on sarah palin's blog i guess late last week the president responded to in some way in his weekly radio address. she posted it on her blog and suggested president obama will create death panels who does and does not get health care.

newt gingrich was on with stephanopoulos, saying euthenasia would make it on the agenda. what do you think most americans say? >> that reaches a portion of the right wing base, people who want government to intervene in the terry schiavo case. when they made that claim it locked them in place of being against the bill. most are concerned about what would happen on their health care, is it going to be more expensive, how will it affect the quality. the poll shows americans are concerned about the proposal. when you look down deeper into it what americans don't like about it, the bill want to do. what americans want a proposal to do is what the proposal does. if we have that conversation with the american people they will support this proposal. they know something has got to give. >> is it all just republicans who are worried about this congressman or are there democrats that have legitimate concerns, too? >> i think everybody is worried

about this. we want to know we're getting it right. health care is a very important topic for most americans. most americans know they won't be healthy all their lives. something could go wrong at any stage of their life. >> do you think we're getting it right, the bill before congress now? >> there's no proposal that's going to be perfect, but, yes, i think it does build on the system we've got now. it does sit down rules for private insurance companies they don't have now, that are really less strict than what most states require of automobile carriers, automobile companies, it requires everybody in the system. there's no way to make it work unless we do that that should begin to get control of health care costs and make sure everybody has it. and you can't lose it. >> would you agree this is a make or break month for health care? >> it's hard to say that kind of thing. i think the american people are concerned. they want change and they want to know what the change is.

they also see what's going on and they realize how much personal rancor there is. americans are put off by this. they have been for a while. the polls have shown that americans see president obama reaching out to republicans, willing to work with republicans and republicans unwilling to work with him. i think what we've seen at the town hall generally have reinforced that. >> that may be the case in the house but there's plenty of evidence that republicans do want to work with democrats in the senate at the very least. i'm sorry, we're out of time. thanks for being with us. we really appreciate it. we'll keep following this debate, of course. >> thank you. >> what do you think, are protests over health care getting out of hand. what kind of reforms should we have? leave a comment on our blog or call the hot line. in this day and age, most people you know have a cell phone, right? >> i don't know anybody who doesn't. >> apparently there are still some because there are phone

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this morning we are paying tribute to something you rarely see these days. phone booth used to be everywhere in new york city. >> wi-fi and cell phones are putting them off the market. find out who will be most affected if they disappear. >> reporter: in the concrete jungle of new york city, the enclosed phone booth is now an endangered species. >> one of my favorite things. one of the few phone booths in the whole word. >> reporter: most of new york doesn't realize how many are left. >> probably like maybe 200, maybe. >> reporter: no. only four private phone booths remain in new york city. so i cornered pay phony enthusiast mark thomas.

>> it's unusual to step into a space like this and have a cocoon on a public street. >> reporter: people are hanging up on the booths because of technology. >> do you ever use it? >> no, i do not. >> why not? >> i have a cell phone. >> with the cell phone, twitter, blackberry, who needs these. >> you say that now. but someday you're going to need one and ask where did the phone booths go. >> reporter: verizon is responsible for maintaining them. >> in some neighborhoods they were troublesome. some bad guys were using them as their little office. >> it never got this bad. >> certain people in the neighborhood go in there and smoke and drink. >> i'm a dog walker in the area i've seen several men use in this as a urinal. >> reporter: across the water, the famous red phone booths have been removed. these have gone to the bar.

>> they come in, put quarter in, start to dial then come out, these don't work? >> superman. >> reporter: with the new york city phone booth on the brink of extinction, where will superman change? >> that's a great question. i guess he'll have to find a bathroom stall at mcdonald's. >> he'll have to break into dollars or something. >> reporter: cnn, new york. >> you know what i thought about. there is one place isd to use a phone booth, the subway, you get trapped in the subway and get stuck, you can't call on your cell phone. >> was it a booth or pay phone on the wall. >> so they are going to keep the pay phones on the wall. >> they will keep the pay phones just the actual freestanding glass booth. in london we have a proper phone booth maintained, it's kind of a joy to use. going into new york city into a phone booth. >> you need hand sanitizer when you come out. >> another booth next door with a shower. >> meantime superman is going to

have to use a starbucks path room. you can find one of those on every corner. don't say things like that. a tropical storm heading for hawaii and heat up and down the east coast, sometimes dangerous heat. rob marciano tracking it, will be with us in a moment. 44 minutes after the hour. you could buy 300 bottles of water. or just one brita filter. ( drop plinks ) brita-- better for the environment and your wallet.

beautiful shot this morning

of new york. >> 72 and cloudy right now. some isolated thunderstorms later on today. it will be, i think, the first day substantially above 90 degrees, at least 91, 92, in parts of new jersey up to the mid-90s today. so we've got heat up and down the east coast. rob marciano tracking it all from the weather center in atlanta. hey, rob. >> hey, john. that sight is something you typically see a lot during the summertime but you guys haven't seen it all that much. nice comfortably cool day, some say too cool across the northeast. heat advisories for philadelphia, excessive heat warning. temperatures low- to mid-90s. that humidity feels warm in most supports. most activity arcing around the north of where the biggest amount of heat is. thunderstorms will be stretching across parts of the great lakes. most of new york will be hot and on the sticky side today. let's talk felicia.

they are preparing for it of the track has changed and will take more of a direct hit. surf is huge on the island, typically where they do their big surfing. coastal flooding, that's a big issue, coastal slides also. that's what they are worried about in hawaii. 50 miles an hour sustained winds, decreased to 40 miles an hour. the track is to take it over honolulu wednesday morning. strong winds and heavy rain will be north and east of the island. none the least, tropical storm felicia will do stuff. stormy weather there. john and kiran, back to you. >> meanwhile, make or break health care reform, checking in with on how uninsured americans, what they want and what they don't want. it's 48 minutes past the hour. rewrite your hair's past and give it a whole new life.

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things look like they're moving along pretty nicely for a monday morning in cleveland, ohio. right now mostly cloudy, about 79 degrees, a little bit later, some thunderstorms in the area, 85 degrees. well, today marks the beginning of a make or break month for health care reform. members of congress are back in their home districts for the august recess and they're getting a lot of feedback from their constituents on the health care overhaul plan. and as we know, it's been getting ugly in some places. jessica yellin in eastern ohio talking to people uninsured about what they want and don't want from the government. >> go home and take your blood sugar before you eat? >> actually, i can't afford test strips. >> reporter: she has diabetes, a minimum wage job, and no health insurance. she gets her medical care at this free clinic. >> i'm very grateful because without this clinic, i would

have no medical support at all. none. >> your meal planning is a big issue. >> reporter: most patients here are like thompson, the working poor who don't qualify for government aid but can't afford health insurance. >> typically these folks would end up in the emergency rooms or they would self-treat using perhaps aunt susie's medication. >> reporter: last year this clinic logged 3,000 patient visits. still, there's a long waiting list to get in. it's part of the story of this community. massive layoffs at three steel mills left tens of thousands of people without jobs or health insurance. in fact, 20,000 people in this county have no health insurance at all, that's almost 1/3 of the population. >> reporter: volunteers here say they're sick over the thought of neighbors going without medical care. >> it makes me nauseous. it makes me very sad because i'm well aware that they don't have to live like that. and it doesn't take the

resources that we think it does to help these people. it really doesn't. >> reporter: but across town, folks are deeply worried about the talk coming from washington. they fear the government would make health care decisions for them. >> i would like to be in control of my own health care. i don't want the government to be in control of my health care. >> i feel like that's more like a big brother type of thing and people will be sorry if this does go through with the government in control of it. >> reporter: does sheila thompson want health care reform? >> i think that would be a great thing if it didn't hurt the people who already had it. i wouldn't want to take away from them. >> reporter: cnn, ohio. >> and we want to hear your thoughts on the health care reform. concerns about your costs and choices and whether you think some of these protests are going too far. tell us on your blog. he's one of mexico's most wanted men.

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welcome back to the most news in the morning. right now president obama is in mexico. one of the big issues he's tackling is the escalating violence along the u.s.-mexican border. nearly all of it drug-related. and much can be blamed on the world's most wanted man. michael ware live in guadalajara, mexico this morning. who are we talking about? >> reporter: john, who we're talking about is mexico's most wanted man with $5 million american government bounty on his head. el chapo. the head of the cartel and if you want any kind of barometer about how seriously america is or is not fighting this war on

drugs, then el chapo is the man to look to. let's take a look at this package. this man makes a living mockery on america's war on drugs. he is one of the world's richest men and mexico's most wanted with $5 million u.s. government bounty on his head. >> chapo is the face, the guy currently at war against the government of mexico, against law enforcement and military forces. >> reporter: at war because el chapo heads the ultra-violence, ultra-lucrative drug cartel. his exploit's legendary. el chapo is like a god in mexico says antonio ortega. he's a myth. criminal lawyer antonio ortega is one of the most daring

mexicans talking about him on camera. he was here in the prison before el chapo escaped in 2001. when you sit with him you see a human contradiction. >> he has that robin hood persona in that he's constantly attending to the poor, the needs of the poor and the people that surround him. >> reporter: on the run, his business has continued to flourish and investigators say his orders followed. ten months ago, this mutilated body appeared outside a mexican police station, the message hanging over his corpse signed in el chapo's name. many mexicans believe his whereabouts are an unknown mystery. in april this catholic archbishop pronounced everybody knows his whereabouts except the authorities. claiming el chapo is not far from the u.s. border. his exploits continue to

undermine mexican president felipe calderon, especially when forbes magazine named him 701st on the world's rich list with a net worth of $1 billion. we deeply regret what seems like a campaign against mexico, which has escalated says president calderon. first from public opinion and now even magazines, which are not only attacking and lying about the situation, but are also praising criminals. this from a president who upped the ante in the drug war, sending over 40,000 mexican army soldiers into the streets of his own cities in a bid to crush the cartels. a bid backed by u.s. president barack obama. >> it's important that the united states steps up and cooperating effectively in battling the adverse effects of drug trafficking. >> reporter: that was back in june, since then the slaughter in mexico has continued and el

chapo's drugs have continued to pour into america. and el chapo continues, john, to be the face of the obama administration's unwinnable war against the drug cartels here in mexico. one man, the leader of just one cartel is personally worth twice as much money as america is contributing each year to the drug war here in mexico. and while all of mexico holds its breath waiting for president obama to finally step up as the president said in june, no one is going to be expecting any grand announcements at this summit. as a national security adviser said just two days ago, this talk here in mexico will further talks that will lead to talks that hopefully will lead to an agreement for america to finally start fighting the war on drugs.

john? >> a lot of talking going on, no question about that, michael ware for us, thanks so much. brings us to the top of the hour. thank you for joining us on the most news in the morning. we have a look now at this morning's agenda. the stories we'll be breaking down for you in the next 15 minutes. still talking about the health care town hall, turning into free for alls in some instances. lawmakers are coming face to face with angry and aggressive clouds. and those aren't the only ones losing their cool. >> not a single one of you had the decency to call my office and set up for a meeting. okay. then do that. do that! >> that was congressman scott. in a moment we'll be breaking down what has so many people riled up over health care reform. a dire warning from afghanistan this morning, the taliban is winning, that comes from the pentagon's top

commander. we'll tell you why he thinks the fighting could get even more deadly. we're talking with our national security analyst peter berg just ahead. the war on drugs playing out in coastal maine. police say the sale and use of drugs, especially heroin, in a sleepy new england town is turning into a huge problem. >> my case load alone for heroin and oxyconton has tripped in the past two years. >> the story only on american morning. meantime this morning, democrats are trying to breakthrough the noise in the health care reform debate. house speaker nancy pelosi and house majority leader write drowning out a opposing views is simply un-american. claire mchall call planned to hold a town hall meeting.

they were worried about security. where is all of the anger coming from. here's elaine quijano. >> reporter: john and kiran, the white house says it's time to lower the temperature on the health care debate. but the heated emotions are far from cooling off. >> it reads like something that was brought up in the early 1930s in germany. >> reporter: with lawmakers back home, anger is boiling over. democratic senator tom harkin got shot down at this health care meeting in iowa. in georgia, signs the debate is taking a toll. >> those of you are here who have taken and came and hijacked this event that we're dealing with here. >> reporter: democratic congressman david scott lashed out after a doctor from his district asked -- >> why are you voting for a health care plan that has shown not to work in massachusetts? and why are you going to institute that in a nationwide manner. >> reporter: at first scott said he wasn't sure how he was going

to vote. then he let loose. >> don't come and take advantage of what these individuals have done. you want a meeting with me on health care, i'll give it to you. >> reporter: in texas, for republican congressman michael burgess. >> this doesn't look like a mob, this looks like home. >> reporter: the crowd stayed home, but some of the questions, pointed. >> when the republicans controlled congress and the senate, why didn't you introduce and pass health care reform? >> reporter: in austin, supporters of health care reform are getting fired up. this crowd booed as republican senator john cornyn tried leaving after touring a community health clinic. and more fuel to stoke the fighting. on her facebook page friday, republican sarah palin wrote, the america i know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with down syndrome will have to sit in front of obama's

death panel so his bureaucrats can decide whether they're worthy of health care. in his weekly address, president obama fired back at opponents. >> let me start by dispelling the outlandish rumors. that's simply not true. >> reporter: this week, the president heads to new hampshire for a town hall meeting on health care. later, he'll visit montana, home state of senator max baucus, a key democrat trying to negotiate a deal on health care reform. john, keene? >> elaine, thanks so much. these are being mirrored in our show hot line. here's a little bit of what you guys are saying. >> they're just a vocal minority trying to hijack a process with the majority of americans support. >> there needs to be some hard, fast questions, and the president of the united states or somebody needs to explain this program. because in my opinion and i'm not a smart man, it is leading

to socialized medicine. >> it's just a matter of time before something happens and someone gets hurt for real. >> i do not want thugs deciding my health care. >> i want to know what you think. also this morning, a lot of finger pointing over the health care plan. in about 30 minutes, we're going to cut through the noise, break down what both sides are saying. this morning, president obama is in mexico, and while this is a make or break month for health care here in the united states. the issues that he's dealing with are equally pressing like the drug war, the economy, and the global swine flu pandemic. suzanne malveaux is live in guadalajara this morning. the president is meeting with neighbors. a lot of issues for them to tackle this morning and not a whole lot of time to do it.

>> reporter: not a lot of time at all, john. this is lasting less than 20 hours or so. not going to be any major announcements coming out of this. this is really about setting the agenda for the united states and its neighbors. and it is very important to them. they say look, you know, the countries, u.s., mexico, canada, so close together relating to a host of issues. whether or not it is the flu. whether or not it is jobs or even murder across the border. >> reporter: dubbed the summit of the three amigos. all smiles in front of the cameras, but it is serious business. starting with the swine flu, which originated here in mexico and since has spread throughout the world. with the fall flu season to be even more deadly. a senior administration official

talked about the needs to coordinate their efforts to contain it. >> we want to keep the borders open but make sure our medical establishments are working with each other to prevent this. >> reporter: trade is another key issue. it's meant job losses in mexico and canada. how president obama steers them out of the recession will impact our neighbors. >> it may be the most important relationship we have. second largest commercial partner, third largest commercial partner. >> also a partner in the war against drugs. a war mexico's president is far from winning as the drug cartels gain strength. president obama says the u.s. shares responsibility. it provides the market for mexico's drugs and is the source of many of the guns that have made the cartels so powerful. but the u.s. congress is holding off on sending $100 million in aid to help fight the drug battle until it's reassured the mexican military is not involved in violating human rights.

a senior administration official said mr. obama addressed this with mr. calderon, emphasizing that defeating the cartels in the long run would require the commitment and confidence of all the countries affected. >> reporter: and john, i traveled commercially to get here. the first thing you see is a customs agent with a bottle of purel. this is the one thing we expect out of the summit is a joint statement from all three leaders saying their countries are going to cooperate, continue to work together to make sure people have information for when the swine flu breaks out again in the fall to make sure there's no sense of panic. john? >> at least they may come up with agreements on something this morning. live in guadalajara, thanks so much. when we're talking about the drug war, but in maine of all places, and a small, sleepy coastal town. we'll talk about where it's

coming from and when any possible solutions there are for this town. and last week he was at president clinton's side in north korea, and now today he's back taking on climate change, john padesta joins us live. coming up. stay with us. (music plays)

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welcome back to the most news in the morning. it is a long way from mexico, but coastal maine, believe it or not, has become an emerging market for mexican drug cartel. >> it's heroin, a story you'll see only on american morning. alina cho is following it for us this morning. it seems like the unlikeliest of places to have a drug problem. >> it surprised a lot of people, including us guys. good morning, everybody. heroin, only a problem in big cities, right? new york, l.a., chicago, d.c. not the case, at least not anymore. in this tiny area of new england, coastal maine, heroin has become a massive problem. too big to contain.

>> reporter: picture perfect maine, home to lighthouses, lobsters -- >> heroin, heroin, more heroin. >> reporter: and heroin? >> it's very available out here. it's scary. >> reporter: thousands of miles from the drug cartels of mexico, maine is a new mecca for heroin use. detective steve hammel has been working narcotics for two decades. he says he's seen it all, but never this. >> my case load alone for heroin and ox oxycontin has tripped ov the past two years. >> reporter: and the addicts are some of maine's youngest, getting high on $5 a hit. >> cheaper than a six pack of beer for most high school students. >> we tend to think a drug is a drug is a drug. one of the things happening with heroin, is that the craving for the drug happens months and months and months after they put

it down. >> reporter: treatment for heroin addiction in maine was up 40% last year. some are not able to kick the habit like 17-year-old bethany fritz who died of an overdose in 2004. since then police say another four from the area have died. all in their 20s. why maine? >> in maine people think, wow, nothing goes on up there, law enforcement's way behind the times. it's just a relaxed, i can blend in better up there. >> reporter: and it never ends. the day of our visit, a heroin arrest is front page news. >> how hopeful are you that you can fight this and win? >> we're never going to win. i really don't think we're ever going to win, but if we weren't, think how bad it would be if we weren't out there. for every one we get, maybe ten get away, but we're going to stay in the fight. >> and they are working around the clock, guys. it's really incredible. can you imagine? in the past two years they now triple the case load in terms of heroin cases. and it's incredible.

drugs are literally being muled up from mexico where the president is right now as you know. drug's hot topic of discussion as always. >> you also said the root causes lie in prescription medication. >> that's right. it's so interesting. basically you or i go into the doctor, you know, with back pain, get a prescription for oxycontin, people are getting hooked. highly addictive, people are getting hooked on it, they need more and more and more, they start to doctor shop, then they hit the streets, they realize it's $50 a pill versus $5 a hit for heroin. it's cheaper to get high on heroin. really incredible stuff. >> interesting gateway. thanks so much, fascinating piece. well, what's going on in afghanistan? stanley mcchrystal says the taliban is winning in afghanistan and the united states needs a real change in

strategy. but can anything help to pull afghanistan out of the fire? 16 minutes after the hour.

18 minute afters the the hour. the pentagon's top man in afghanistan tells the "wall street journal" that the taliban is winning there, forcing the united states to change strategy. let's bring in our peter bergen, cnn national security analyst and author of "osama bin laden i know." he's in kabul for us today. what do you make of general mcchrystal's proclamation that the taliban is gaining the upper hand and the u.s. needs to change strategies. how bad is the situation?

>> reporter: well, john, according to a map that i reported on for cnn last week, an assessment indicates that the taliban either controls or is able to conduct frequent attacks in 40% of the area of the country. now, that map was from april, presumably things may have changed a little bit in the south with the 4,000 marines and their operation down there. but i think general mcchrystal's assessment speaks for itself. certainly the taliban feel they are doing somewhat well. they took a hit over the weekend with the announcement of the leader of the pakistani taliban being killed in an air attack. >> i remember speaking with you 18 months ago when we were looking at the situation in afghanistan and the resurge in taliban. you didn't think the taliban was going to be much of a threat nationwide. do you still believe that? or have you changed your assessment? >> reporter: well, this map of

the assessment back in april indicated the taliban had most of the presences in the south and east of the country along the border with afghanistan. here in the north, the west, the country is basically where i am in kabul, you know, the country is basically very peaceful. the taliban is not able to mount frequent raids on the capital, it's not really able to demonstrate an ability for a country wide in direction. it's really in the pasture and rural south that the insurgency is at the strongest. >> when we look at the historical pattern there, over the decades, the centuries, actually, in afghanistan. an outside force will come in, they'll put down the opposition for a while, and then the opposition starts to regain strength again, harasses the outside force until eventually the outside nation has to leave. we've seen that repeated with the british, the russians. is that going to be the pattern here with the united states, do you think, peter? or can people like mcchrystal and petraeus above him change that equation?

>> reporter: i think that the equation is not like it was under the soviets. the soviets killed more than 1 million afghans, inflicted the totalitarian war on the population, the united states and the nato allies is killing couple of hundred civilians a year, too many, but nothing on the scale of the soviets. and the afghans themselves are still in favor of international forces. 53% want international forces to stay. building up the size of the army, the police, having the right strategy to deal with the taliban. who are really very small force from a military point of view, 20,000 men. they can't hold even a -- they can't hold towns. so they are a major tactical problem. i don't think they're a strategic threat. >> so on the subject of beefing up the afghan military, the police, general mcchrystal may recommend doubling the size of the afghan army from initial assessments, doubling the size

of the police force. the initial assessment weren't supposed to take place until about 2011. so if they decide to double the force, how long might that take? and how many more americans would need to be brought into the country to train up that many forces? >> reporter: well, you know, for every one american soldier in the field, it costs several hundred thousands of dollars a year. it makes sense to build up the afghan army. both the iraqi army and police are 6,000 men in uniform. here in afghanistan with a larger population, it's only 170,000 right now. do the math. what general mcchrystal and his advisers have looked at the situation and said we have to build up the army, we have to build up the police. and that's the best exit strategy for the united states and its allies here. >> thanks so much. >> reporter: thank you. images this morning from the

front lines of afghanistan. a helicopter attack team coming across men on the road. saying they're insurgents and they're planting a roadside bomb. take a look at what happened next. >> it's a guy ton the road. it's a guy on the road. >> you guys got the guy on the side. >> roger. >> okay. >> you're clear to fire. >> roger. >> so then you see the explosion there. the pentagon says it's happening in southern afghanistan and the video comes straight from the camera mounted on the helicopter's gun. well, the health care battle rages on. coming up next, we're going to be speaking with ron reagan about the debate. is the president losing ground when it comes to getting his message across with all of the fighting going on and the shouting we've been seeing at

the town halls. the bottom line is, will it get out of congress? and that's where the big question lies. >> it could be a make or break month for health care. we'll see where they come down on it all.