>> the fire coming out from the bazaar area. killing scores of insurgents and the defense secretary saying the taliban is gaining strength while the president mulls over his strategy. and then suicides by employees at certain companies have spiked. one company experienced 24 suicides since 2008. we've got the trend, we got the cause and some solutions, too. maybe it's not all about sex after all. the once invincible multi-billion dollar sex industry online, print video, the whole shabang is seeing some

hurt in sales. i'm richard lui, all those stories for you on this tuesday. first off our top story the h1n1 vaccine is out but you probably can't get it yet. for the most part health care workers go first. some of them received the first doses yesterday. officials want the high-risk groups to line-up soon. 28 pregnant women and 60 children have died from the flu since h1n1 was discovered in the spring. the nasal mist version is the only one out right now and officials also say you should be able to get the vaccine in the next couple weeks. dr. oz told our sister network cnn there are some risks to taking it but it is the best thing for you and for your community. >> we have to get 45% to 50% of the popules inoculated to have any slow down. part of the reason you want people to get the vaccine, but

it could slow down transmission to others. >> meanwhile, some doctors are describing chaos and confusion about the vaccine. that story is less than 15 minutes away. will president obama send more troops to harm's way in afghanistan. he meets with national leaders to talk about a major debate. top military leaders want 40,000 more troops there. they say the taliban is gaining strength, but others say the u.s. can fight the war with more unman drone aircraft and special force teams. >> you have to start where you are, not where you wish you were and the reality is that because of our inability and the inability, frankly, of our allies to put enough troops into afghanistan, the taliban do have the momentum right now, it seems. >> several hundred people protested the war yesterday outside the white house. it was a peaceful demonstration but park police said 61 people were arrested when they refused

to move back from the sidewalk and they were given tickets and then released. why a newborn who was kidnapped in tennessee was placed in foster care soon after reuniting with his mother. the department of children services believes a family member tried to sell the baby. now, it's unclear if that's related to the kidnapping case and the stabbing of the baby's mother in the story. a custody hearing is scheduled for the afternoon. amazing video here. a man who fell out of a hot air balloon right there is in serious condition right now but he is okay, he did survive. check out this video it happened in albuquerque, new mexico yesterday. the man fell out and smacked the ground. the 70-year-old has a dislocated hip. >> and we saw the man cartwheel out at about 30, 35 feet. now, he didn't hit the tent,

what he did was he landed it looked like right on the asphalt. >> the balloon rose quickly with the passenger out of the baskt and then the pilot brought it down fast to check on her passenger. a little bit of bang. she was a little banged up, too, from that hard landing. new this morning, a public apology from david letterman. the late night host said he wanted to talk about his sexual relationship with staffers one time. one time he apologized on air to his wife and co-workers. the affairs happened before he married regina in march but they have been a couple since 1986. >> the other thing my wife, regina, she has been horribly hurt by my behavior and when something happens like that. when you hurt a person and it's your responsibility, you try to fix it. and at that point there is only two things that can happen. either you're going to make some progress and get it fixed or

you're going to fall short and perhaps get it fixed. so, let me tell you, folks, i got my work cut out for you. >> very straight forward there. joe is accused of blackmailing letterman. he pleaded not guilty on friday but cbs has suspended him from his job. he we have not heard the whole story as of yet. >> david letterman didn't give his side of the story, david letterman gave what he wanted the public to know. he wanted to get out ahead of the story and that's what he did. he is a master of manipulating audiences, that's what he does for a living. to think david letterman gave the entire story is simply wrong. >> here are the jokes he cracked about himself. we got them for you in the next half hour. bob van dillen joins us right now and he did not hold back in making fun of himself.

>> the man has a sense of humor, no doubt about it. hey, richard, let me show you what is happening across the board. the way the jet stream is located today, upper belt moving very fast. going from the west to the east and all these thunderstorms that developed overnight last night are just rocketing to the east as the jet stream pushes all that action this way. look at the rain shield now approaching towards cincinnati and louisville, too. but the strongest thunderstorms located down to the south and expecting to see more severe weather today from memphis and nashville and then all areas shaded in red. i got that as a slight chance of severe thunderstorms and main threat today probably large hail with cold air coming in and possibility of a tornado, too. thunderstorms getting out of st. louis, too. rocketing towards illinois and indiana, as well. rain stretching all the way in towards minneapolis and heavy at times right there. take you live to that region. the rain out there most of the day and looking for about half

inch of rain total for you and then by tomorrow, everything should be just fine. i don't think you'll see it switch over to snow like you did across north dakota this morning and wyoming and montana yesterday. rain showers moving away from the missouri area out of st. louis and in towards illinois. go to the north a little farther, chicago had light rain and wind begin to pick up and that will slow you down at the airport. airport delays, richard, in just about 20 minutes. >> thank you and happy birthday. what is that like the eighth time today? >> i totally forgot until you reminded me. >> what are you 37? >> yeah. >> he's also celebrating another date. now kate gosselin says her estranged husband is stealing from her, plus, a judge is about to find out what it is like to be a defendant. he is accused of having sex with inmates who came into his courtroom.

we're learning the top u.s.

commander in the middle east was treated for cancer, that's what the office of general david petraeus is saying. he was diagnosed with early prostate cancer in february. the radiation treatment is considered successful and his office saying it did not affect his work schedule much. key administration official os did know about that. let's talk about reality star kate gosselin quhoo is saying her estranged husband, jon, stole $230,000 from her. she told nbc he withdrew it from an account and leaving her with $1,000 and now kate says she can't pay her bills. jon gosselin has not responded to the accusations as of yet. last week he said he wanted filming to stop on the tlc show that follows their eight kids. know we'll hear more on that as time goes by. new this morning, it will cost you a bit yet, possibly a lot less to heat your home this winter. a year ago we were sitting, oh,

my word, it will cost a little to heat our homes. >> these prices and grocery prices were a scare in the past year or so and they cooled off a lot as the economy has calmed down. you know, has shrivelled a bit. but it could mean a kindler, gentler heating bill for you. if you heat with natural gas, and most americans do, you would pay about $105 less than you did last year. about half the country. heat with gas and then the rest of the country kind of split up. heat with heating oil, they have some of the biggest bills out there. they will save a little, not much, but about $40 less this winter. not each bill, over the winter. with electric, 20 bucks. a lot of people in the south heat with that and a lot of people in rural areas, look how much they will save, $280. you can't get a gas line and a lot of people heat that way. another place you can see some big discounts, at the mall

this holiday season. one analyst says he sees 5% more discounts than he did at this time last year. that bodes well and it could be good news in a bad economy if we see a lot of sales for the holidays. the forecast is just starting to shape up that the christmas shopping season going to be kind of a bummer, going to be flat to last year which is one of the worst ones we have seen on record that malls and department stores and what that could mean is that the shops will really try to pull you in and they have to sell this inventory and it could mean big sales and mean big sales way before the holidays on sort of frivolous things like jewelry, sports and vacation. >> if folks don't have jobs that means less buying. >> that's why i think black friday could be amazing. i want to throw in a quick one, richard. gold hit a record this morning,

1,035 an ounce. there is a lot of fear out there, too. >> about inflation, i guess and other thing. >> and the economy. >> and the economy in general. thanks, jen. three scientists share this year's nobel prize in physics. involving the transmission of light and fiber optics. all three have u.s. citizenship and one is a british citizen and the other is canadian. they'll share a $1.4 million prize. some hotmail users, if you're one of them, you might have trouble logging in today. some e-mail accounts were the targets of phishing scam. whoever was behind the scam created 10,000 passwords online. microsoft is not saying how much there were. the passwords have been removed now and the affected hotmail accounts are blocked. a siberian tiger sank his claws into a man at a zu, but the animal is not in the least

bit of trouble. why zoo officials are defending what the tiger did. did you know pregnant women may get an added benefit from the swine flu vaccine. we'll explain that, plus what else to expect from the vaccine if you are expecting a little one.

the vh1 reality tv contestant accused of killing his wife and hanging himself left a suicide note. he said jasmine fiore was the love of his life but he thought she was cheating. you might remember here she was found in a suitcase and her teeth and part of her fingers were missing. new this morning, a siberian tiger attacking a man who apparently broke into a zoo in canada yesterday. zoo officials say after midnight the man and his friend climbed the zoo's barbed wire fence and a safety fence and then went up to the tiger cage. that's when zoo officials said he hooked his claws into the man and pulled his arm inside his cage and mauled it. >> the tiger can't reach out of the enclosure per se, you would have to be right up against the fence to make contact with the

fence for any sort of catching if anything touches that fence. >> the man is badly hurt but he is expected to survive. the 2-year-old tiger acted normally to protect himself, so he will stay in the exhibit. he protected himself, he did a good job. brett favre turns 40 on saturday and early birthday present in the thrilling game last night. did really well in the pockt and didn't have any interceptions and did a great job. >> he had a grit season. if you follow football and follow sports. that's a very good rate for brett favre. i'm joked up over that. a question mark on his uniform, he's retired, unretired underwent surgery in the off season. will he be healthier or won't he? in this one he wanted to win in the worst way. a victory over the packers, the team that cut him loose instead of bringing him back when he first changed his mind on

retirement. spent last year with the jets and then decided to come back again with the vikings and minnesota are loving this guy that they hated for all those years. three touchdown passes for the vikings last night to beat his old team and the game really wasn't that close, but afterwards look at the love from the guys in the white jerseys. by the way, not much love for him in green bay when he visits on november 1st. stay tuned for that. a bit of a feud brewing between two of cleveland's biggest sports stars. lebron james and the cavaliers is calling browns wide receiver edwards childish after he punched a friend of lebron's at a nightclub early monday morning. just go to bed, go home. edwards hassant commented on the allegations. he faces possible punishment from the nfl. shenanigans 2005. i like that word. >> shenanigans. yeah. >> a girl who caught a milestone home run ball finally owns the ball. jennifer said she felt pressure to give up ryan howard's 200

home run ball which made him the youngest, her family contacted an attorney who threatand looult and that's when the ball was returned by howard's team, the philadelphia phillies. the attorney estimates it's worth $10,000, to $15,000 should she sell it to someone in sports memorabilia. >> there you go. look at this video, much more exciting. extreme kayaking in austria this week. not for the weak of heart or the weak. richard haas run with the bulls and does bungy jumping and everything else and chances are he has done this, too. >> one thing you haven't done. >> if you flipped over in this stuff, trying to get back over is very difficult. look at these extreme, extreme rapids here. >> if you flip over just breathing is difficult, yet alone try to get out of it. >> exactly. thanks a lot. larry will be back. the joy behar show airs every night. here's a quick taste of what you'll get. her not for nothing commentary.

>> you know, i have to be honest here. i never thought of david letterman as a sexual being. he was a witty mr. rogers to me so when he married his long-time girlfriend it seemed sweet, really. not only had they been dating for 23 years, but the kid was almost in high school by the time he married her. you can imagine my surprise that dave turns out to be hugh hefner without the pajamas. i wasn't born yesterday and i know that powerful men like to screw around. clinton had luswinsky, jfk had marilyn thomas jefferson had sex with a slave. there's even talk, listen to this, there's even talk that the great emancipator abe lincoln may have found freedom outside of marriage in the arms of a man to which i say it so long ago, so what, who cares and good for her. i don't think this letterman

thing would be such a thing if the women's involved dating employees, but his peers. although i don't see that happening, truthfully. or ellen. i don't see that happening at all. women shouldn't have to sleep with the boss to get ahead in the company. they should advance their careers like everyone else in show biz by stabbing other people in the back. i say if you're going to cunoodle with someone in the office, don't do it with a subordinant, do it with an equal. by the way, is regis fillman still around? i saw him in the green room, he is looking really hot. >> hr, please. you can catch the "joy behar show." we have vaccines to fight the flu, meseles and mumps but a new one could help people beat drug addiction. plus, a mom reported her 14-year-old son missing only to find out he was on a cross

country flight. you have to hear the high-tech way police tracked him down on that one. and take a look at the market. oh, we had a great day yesterday and another reason to smile. up 117. we'll tell you why with jen in a bit.

some doctors, nurses and other health care workers are starting to get the first doses of the h1n1 vax seens. two states have earmarked their first batches to for students instead of widespread outbreaks at their schools. president obama talks about sending more troops to afghanistan. top generals say more troops are needed because the taliban is getting stronger. the war could be fought with unmanned drones and special forces. it's fall here in new york city and i spent the whole weekend raking my hate mail. there's rer more of that.

david letterman used his own sex scandal for material for his monologue last night and also appaologized on air seriously t his wife and his co-workers. letterman thanked his staff for being so supportive and said he would try to repair his relationship with his wife. the 19-year-old man accused of plotting to blow up a dallas building made a video message for al qaeda leader osama bin laden. that's when what an fbi agent told a judge yesterday. undercover operatives helped smadi record the video. those are just some of the stories we're watching for you on this tuesday. let's move now to some of the healthiest froodz you that could also make you sick. that's the message just released from the center of science and public interest. it looked at government data to identify foods that cause the largest number of illnesses from things like ecoli or salmonella. on this list, things like leafy

greens, eggs, cheeses and even potatoes. the group wants the fda to do more to inspect these very basic foods here as you see on this list. a 14-year-old boy made it through airport security using a ticket with his mom's name on it. he asberinger's syndrome and his mom said he used her credit card to book an airport shuttal and one-way flight to chicago. when security questioned him he said his name was virginia and they let him pass. other passengers at the portland airport were surprised. >> i think there needs to be more security. >> i think there should probably be some type of i.d. required for that because you don't have that proof, how can they prove it's you? >> did you know people under 18 don't need an i.d. to board the plane so the tsa says its agents followed procedure. police tracked the boy to the chicago airport using the gps on his cell phone. a vaccine could help people fight their cocaine addiction.

these shots cause the immune system to make antibodies that keep the drug from reaching the brain. researchers say, almost 40% of people who got the shot and not a placebo in this case developed a resistance to the drug's high and 53% stopped using cocaine for more than half the study. a larger study is planned next year. some scientists claim the cloth that supposedly covered jesus after his death is man made. the so-called shroud of turin is also thought to bear jesus' image but scientists say they reproduced it using techniques from the 14th century. some suggested it was forged around that time. firefighters are gaining some ground against that wildfire outside of los angeles, thanks to cooler weather right now. the more than 7,800 acre fire is more than 70% contained and it's not expected to spread unless strong winds develop. most of the people who live in the area have evacuated. officials still do not know what

started that fire. all right, let's scoot on over to bob van dillen and our friends in the midwest, you could just be getting up, but rainy there. >> severe weather season starting up again. the secondary season starts around october into november as more cold air starts to rush down out of canada and across the gulf coast. severe thunderstorm watch today. this is what we're calling for, area i put in red, severe threat of thunderstorms and cold air and the mid-levels of the atmosphere and good hailmaking potential. watch for that across texas and arkansas and tennessee. look at that line of thunderstorms that developed overnight last night in the predawn hours and now racing through st. louis, through lower parts of illinois into western kentucky and indiana. big thunderstorms are out there and rain itself stretches through the great lakes and back towards minnesota and wisconsin and turns back into snow across northern parts of north dakota. that's what it looks like here.

the severe weather lines we had across lower parts of oklahoma now beginning to break up just a bit, but that yellow watch box still severe thunderstorm watch until noon your time and rain line stretching out of lower parts of missouri and into st. louis metro and out of there and stretching in towards places like indiana. chicago, the rain is basically gone. at least the heavy stuff and wind pick up in intensity later this afternoon. delays at the airport because of that. look at the heavy, steady rain over minneapolis and in towards st. cloud and breaking up the light snow into north dakota and that's all you're going to find. if you travel to the east coast, moisture in place and watch for delays at the airport because of the low clouds. that's it, richard. more again tomorrow. >> this tuesday, not only your birthday, but happy anniversary. >> thanks, man. i can't believe it, we made it eight years. still, even with me. >> i don't know why she stays with you. >> i don't know why either. >> we hardly see each other. you can't blame some iowa

convenient store clerks for being jerk jumpy. they have been robbed twice in the last few months. when a man walked in with his hands in his pockets and police say he wasn't a robber, he was just drunk. it's x-rated, overrated is it now? why even adult-only side of the economy is taking a hit this recession. plus, it looks like police put on their riot gear why they pulled out the pepper gas and water canons.

should videos that show animal cruelty have free speech protection? right now the supreme court is hearing arguments on whether to make videos of dog fights illegal. the white house wants them

banned but they are protected under free speech. the last time the high court made such a ruling it was on child pornography in 1992. many mothers and fathers should be wondering if they should get their kids vaccinated against the h1n1 virus? kids like other priority groups may be more likely to have serious complications if they get swine flu. last week the cdc said it had received reports of 60 deaths of children related to the h1n1 flu since april. the first data from h1n1 vaccine trials in children revealed positive news last month that showed so far the h1n1 vaccine reacts in children like like those vaccines for seasonal flu. people who are young or middle-aged. here's what you should know. those who are 25 to 49 years old have the highest rate of death for h1n1. 4 in 10 swine flu deaths are from that group, according to the cdc. this is kind of ironic given the

same study you see here, the bottom of that u shows 29 to 49 years old shows that that group is the least likely to be hospitalized for the virus. cdc started records of 260 patients hospitalized with h1n1 flu early in the outbreak. a lot of you talking about this story on facebook. since it's a new vaccine, you have no idea what the side effects are. i have two babies and i will wait to see what the side effects are. then we have sharon, thank you, alicia. sharon, you said i would suggest that everyone gets a vaccine as soon as they can. my daughter and i are very sick with h1n1 and this is not something you want to take chances with. if you like to add to this conversation, cnn.com/robin and click on the facebook link there. a secret video was revealed in the trial of two men accused of trying to extort john travolta's after his son died.

his meeting with one of the defendants as part of a police sting. the two men are accused of demanding $25 million from travolta. both have pleaded not guilty. so, you know, they say sex sells, but even the adult industry is taking a hit in this recession. dvd sales are down in the porn industry and photographies say nude moderals getting paid much less. free internet sex sites have cut into some of the profits. one adult company say they have seen an increase in sale of adult toys because people are spending more time at home. jen, i was looking at that earlier and thinking, who wrote that? that is hilarious. she is blushing, i think. it is quite a story. the recession is affecting everybody. you have been watching that and another thing you're watching credit cards and what's happening there. >> people are nesting and they want things for home, but they didn't mention that.

>> they didn't mention the sex toys y guess. let's talk about credit cards. what have you got on that? >> this is something that a lot of people are angry about. a new consumer reports survey out that say some people are closing down credit cards because what is happening for some people it is feeling like banks are getting their last licks in before the new rules take effect. in february that will cut down on the shenanigans, supposedly. this is chuck and jean lane and they told their story to cnn's jessica yellin. even though they didn't miss a payment they jacked up their monthly payment from $370 to suddenly having to come up with more than $900 a month for the minimum payment. >> i told them this is the worst economic times in history, practically. i work for a small company. we laid off 30% of our workforce and i just took a 10% pay cut this morning and this is what you're going to do to us? >> and this is a widespread story. a lot of people can relate.

jpmorgan chase, which is just the bank in this instance, they said, yeah, they doubled minimum payments for a million card holders. they said they wanted to make sure they got the money paid back in a reasonable amount of time and that's just one bank so millions of people are being affected by this. richard, you made a promise, we're going to look at the markets. there's the dow. little bit more than 100. so, look, we're coming away from that 9,500 and we had to dip down to 9,500 and what happened is earning season is coming. basically it wraps up september 30th and usually takes most companies around two weeks to get their books together. that's when the sort of full blast of earning season is upon you and there's some hope that maybe it won't be so bad that, you know, things won't be so bad and then we had a hint out of australia about the economy there and sparked a global rally. it's continuing into the united states. >> jen kind of laid back. >> i didn't realize you could see my knee in the shot.

>> we can expect to see a lot of this stuff. jen is a pro. thank you very much, jen. you have to give credit to former house majority leader tom delay. ♪ >> oh, you know, jen, i remember him on capitol hill, but, now, he has the gop signal on the back and that symbol. >> it's two uncomfortable stories. >> it is. he is dancing the samba, it's hard enough. he had some injuries and delay shook his thing on "dancing with the stars" he has stress fractures in both of his feet. >> you have to give it to him for dancing through that. >> he is a guy, he danced away with a score of 15 out of 30. >> any credit i give him is

taken away by those pants. >> the red pants and shaking his thing y don't know about that. we'll see if he survives. >> kurng. you may be surprised by this, but many victims of domestic abuse may be denied health care coverage. it is considered a pre-existing condition in several states. that's according to the study from the national women's law center. domestic violence incidents are often part of a pattern. a victim will likely be abused again and would be most costly to treat. house speaker nancy pelosi is holding a news conference this afternoon to address a bill on that very issue. what do you think about this? is domestic violence a pre-existing condition? should victims be denied coverage? call us right now at 877-tell-hln. send us an e-mail by going to cnn.com/hln. in an hour and 15 minutes we'll start putting your comments right here on air on hln. new york is helping you count the calories by having changes or by having chains post

calorie counts. you heard that story, but maybe you don't really want the help. tell you why. if you feel like work is killing you, in some places it is really happening. we'll look at what is causing the disturbing trend of suicides.

the recession and stress at work appears to be really taking a toll at the moment. since the beginning of last year, a french company has had 24 employees commit suicide and 13 others who tried to do, as well. labor unions there say job losses and poor work conditions have made it very stressful and not just happening in france. in japan more than 300 deaths each year blamed on overwork. the man accused of shooting a popular high school football coach in iowa this summer will stand trial. larry smith joins us with the latest on that story. >> this sent shockwaves, richard, around the state of iowa and all over the country. horrible situation in the sports world. ed thomas, how big was he?

a high school coaching legend named the coach of the year in 2005. you may recall the story this summer, he was allegedly gunned down in the school's weight room by 24-year-old mark becker, a former player who the judge has now ruled is mentally competent to stand trial. judge writes that becker has sufficient ability to recall events pertinent to his events including june 24th, the day of the shooting. purple and pink in minneapolis last night. the nfl commemorating breast cancer awareness month by wearing pink shoes and towels and gloves. that's briana favre, brett's wife and brett wearing his pink shoes and thinking pink, 4-0. he beats his former team the green bay packers and said later on becoming the first quarterback to beat every other team in the nfl, he had butterflies. >> i was about as nervous as

i've ever been before a game. i didn't think i would be, as the week progressed i felt fine. but when i got to the hotel yesterday, it kind of dawned on me. dawned on me. >> brett favre turns 40 on saturday. early happy birthday to him. at a local pooch spot in minneapolis, vikings dogs outnumbered packers canines 2-1. the owners asked who they were rooting for, dropped the dogs off dressed accordingly. packers fans for sure will say that favre has gone to the dogs. saw that one coming. >> nervous the whole week, i was reading somewhere. unlike him. >> he really wanted this one. there was no question. the team, when he retired, they didn't take him back when he unretired. wanted to prove a point and he did. >> great stuff. thanks. "the joy behar show" airs every night at 9:00 p.m. eastern here on hln. last night she chatted with

regis philbin about "who wants to be a millionaire." >> do you think you actually saved the network? >> i absolutely did. abc was desperate, more desperate than they are today, and that's saying a lot. yes, i went on there, and bang, the show was an enormous hit. >> kathy always said, or was it kelly -- >> no, it was kathy lee and then kathy -- i mean, kelly. >> so now you like kelly the best? >> do i like kelly the best? >> yeah? >> i love them all. they're all my girls. >> put on the spot. "the joy behar show" at 9:00 p.m. eastern. "titanic" buffs, 100 years after the famed ocean liner sank, a memorial cruise departs on april 8th, 2012. prices for the trip start at

$3,900. a tragedy in florida. a little boy was at the wheel when his family's minivan ran over his mom. we'll tell you how that happened.

right now on "showbiz tonight," kate strikes back. big news breaking. kate gosselin goes on tv today and accuses jon of wiping out their bank account. >> he took $230,000 of the $231,000 that we have liquid and i have a stack of bills in my purse i can't drop in the mail. >> reporter: tonight, kate's disturbing warning that their eight kids are in jeopardy. and her shocking new plea to jon today, come back, jon. tonight, big news breaking

in the letterman sex extortion scandal. the attorney for the extortion suspect makes a startling claim today. and the joke's on dave. >> if you came here tonight for sex with a talk show host, you've got to wrong studio. >> tonight, the brand-new brutally funny jokes about dave from his biggest rivals. but can dave take a joke? tonight, has the mystery of the espn peephole sex tape finally been solved? a shocking arrest. but will erin andrews be forced to re-live her nightmare in court? tv's first most provocative entertainment news show starts right now. hello. i'm a.j. hammer broadcasting tonight and every night from new york city. tonight, jon and kate craziness. america's most infamous divor e divorcees went at each other's

throats again today. this time, in an explosive vicious fight about money, money kate claims jon took from their joint checking account. the extraordinarily developments made for big news breaks today. jaws just dropped today as kate gosselin went on live, national television and claimed that jon basically took $230,000 from their children. kate accuses jon of taking the money that she needs to support the family and says, in tears, she can't pay their bills. but jon gosselin said today that kate is spewing lies, lies, lies. he says that she's got plenty of money and is totally fabricating the claims. he says he has the paper trail to prove it. actually, they both say they have paper trails. so whose side are you buying? and kate slams jon's claims that their kids asked him to end their show "jon & kate plus 8." kate tells nbc's "today" show that the kids cried at the news that their show is definitely on hold. joining me tonight in hollywood,

carlos diaz, a correspondent for "extra", and carolina bermudez, a senior editor "in touch weekly." and kate filed papers in pennsylvania. she is demanding jon return that $230,000 she claims he took from their joint checking account. and she also wants him cited for contempt. now, she gave a very tearful interview this morning to nbc's "today" show. and in that interview, kate didn't hide any of the sordid details. watch this. >> he was literally buying erratic purchases, randomly purchasing things and -- i'm sorry. the last thing i wanted was to do this show end and up not being able to pay my bills. and he took $230,000 of the $231,000 that we have liquid and i have a stack of bills in my purse i can't drop in the mail. >> holy moly. carlos, if what kate claims is

true, jon took out all their money, he's definitely the biggest loser, isn't he? >> if it's true, yes, he is. and how has he not figured out yet that whatever he does, kate will talk about the next day on the "today" show or "good morning america" or whatever show. you can't get away with anything, jon. how in the world do you go to the bank -- by the way, what are they still doing with a joint checking account. i think the first thing they would have done, okay, here's your money, here's my money, we're all good. but what amazes me is that jon would take the money and go, yeah, i'm going to do it and she won't talk about it. of course she's going to talk about it. she talks about everything. >> and to be clear about the joint checking account, the rules are supposed to have been that they have to each agree if money's going to be withdrawn from the account. so apparently he did it without her knowing. that's according to her. but jon is basically saying, you know, this isn't true. none of it. it's all lies. he did issue a statement today to another entertainment news show saying that, yeah, sure he's withdrawn some money, but he certainly didn't tap out their account. i would like you to hear what jon had to say. this is as read by our extraordinary "showbiz tonight"

editor matt moskowitz. take it away. >> kate's claims are a total fabrication. i withdrew $22,000 last thursday. i have the paper trail to prove it. i have never taken any money out because over ten years, kate handled all the banking. over the past four years of doing the show, we accrued $2,250,000. she says in the past week, i took $230,000. i have withdrawn roughly $177,000 over the course of a year, which is less than 10% of what we made. that's like my paycheck. >> carolina, what do you think? kate and jon claiming two very different things here and they're both adamant what they're saying is true. whose side are you buying? >> neither of them. neither of their paper trails are working out and i think they've boast lost sight of what is most important, and that is, the kids. and they're coming out and they're battling each other on national television, yet again. these two need a mediator. they need a child advocate in the room. they need to go into a closed door -- behind closed doors and figure out what exactly is going on. they can't keep snipping at each like this.

it's really reached a proportion where people are just not believing either of them anymore. >> carolina, zmdespite what you might think, kate saying jon is full of it and she's got that paper trail. >> i have the accounting over the last few months and it's exactly $230,000, beginning on august 10th, and his last withdrawal was september 29th. you have left your children and their mother unable to pay for the roof over their head. it's not acceptable. >> okay. both jon and kate claiming the other one is lying. they're both saying they have paper trails to prove it. carlos, whose side are you buying, if either of theirs? >> it doesn't matter. it doesn't matter, a.j. they're using terms like "liquid," they've made $2.25 million over the last two years, he's withdrawing $230,000 -- this is a down economy. the reason your show was so

great, we can't relate to you anymore. i don't know anyone that's got $230,000 in the bank that they can withdrawal anyone they want. i don't know anyone that uses the term "liquid" when talking about their money. what they're going is they're further -- they're furthering -- they're further distancing themselves from not only reality, but the people who watch their show on a religious basis. >> well said. i think the reality has been out of the equation for some time now. jon says, though, kate is not having any problem paying these bills. in fact, listen to what jon told another entertainment show, this as read by our fabulous editor, matt. this is what jon said. >> no, she's hiding money. we have 11 bank accounts. that was just our joint account. she had a best-selling book. where's that $1 million? i didn't want these things to come public. i didn't want this to be embarrassing for her. >> carolina, i am embarrassed for both of them, to be quite honest. shouldn't they be embarrassed that they are doing all of this

so publicly? i mean, they're talking about the numbers of their bank account and all along kate is saying -- she's revealing all this to protect the kids so they know the truth one day. >> oh, please, kate. don't start crying over there, saying that you can't pay your house bills. if you want to come and check out my bills, i can't pay my bills. you have so much money in the bank right now and i really do believe jon on this one. here's my theory on why jon is taking away the money. if this show goes kaput, he has to pay alimony, child support. i think he's looking out for himself in the future. but, kate, realistically, you think we're going to believe that you can't pay your house bills? tlc would never let that happen, nobody would let that happen. >> and kate revealed she's finally, no longer wearing that wedding ring. look at this. >> it's a different -- it's my hawaii wedding ring. i'm changing them out, i'm switching them out now, just to give the kids a little bit of -- we've discussed a ring that i

might buy, at some point. it is eight little diamonds and mother of pearl. so it's symbolic and the kids are happy about that. >> carolina, let me throw this back to you, because women i know who have gotten divorced, when they finally take that ring off, it's a pretty big deal. is it a sure sign that kate's moving on, once and for all, would you say? >> i think she's going to put that new ring on her middle finger so any time someone asks her what she's done with the other one, she can just show them that. i think kate is definitely moving on from jon. >> that's the best advice that i think she's had so far this week. that's not all, however. kate did tell the "today" show in a blockbuster revelation that she just till wants her old jon back. look at this. >> i'm still hoping that at some point i'll receive a phone call and the old jon is back. >> all right. what are we supposed to make of kate's just unbelievable plea to jon? does she really want him back? is that even possible? we'll be talking about that and so much in just a half hour from

now. plus, we all know, david letterman, famous for making fun of big star scandals. well, he always makes them the butt of his late-night jokes. but now that letterman is under fire for his own scandal, can he taked ed as good as he gives. >> if you came here tonight for sex with a talk show host, you've got the wrong studio. >> dave's late-night rivals delivering brutal jokes about dave's succession scandal. so can he handle it? and has the espn peephole mystery been solved? big news today that an arrest has been made, but will the reporter videotaped half naked in her room be forced to re-live the nightmare in court? and it's the saturday nooig live skit that's got everybody talking. >> when you look at my record, it's very clear what i've done so far. and that is, nothing. >> who said it would be tough to make fun of president obama? this is "showbiz tonight" on hln. now the "showbiz news ticker," more stories from the "showbiz tonight" newsroom making news right now.

you are watching "showbiz tonight" on hln. right now, i want you to keep watching the bottom of your screen for more of "showbiz tonight" that you won't see anywhere else in the show.

this guy that was trying to blackmail letterman was the producer for "48 hours." it could have been worse. at least it wasn't a producer for "catch a predator." >> tonight, the jokes on dave after his shocking on air confession that he was having sex for women that work with him. and it's not just jay leno that's going after dave. welcome back to "showbiz tonight." there is plenty of big news breaking tonight on the letterman sex and extortion scandal. comedians are not laughing with him, they are laughing at him. you have got to see what we're about to show you. . in another development today, the attorney for the suspect

charged with trying to extort $2 million from letterman went on the attack, but did he do more harm than good? and you may be startled when you hear the results of a "showbiz tonight" poll on letterman. the shocking results came in late today. joining us tonight in new york, cooper lawrence. cooper is a psychologist and author of a fantastic book called "the cult of celebrity." also in new york today, ben whitcombe, a editor for stylist.com. robert halderman was the name of the cbs news producer that was accused of trying to extort money from dave, so he would keep quiet about an affair dave had with one of his staffers. and we heard dave's letterman on his show on thursday. this morning, halderman's attorney went on the "today" show and called letterman a master at manipulation. you've got to watch this. >> he has access to the media. he has access to -- >> but i'm giving you access to the media this morning and you're not actually giving your client's side of the story.

>> but, you know what, david letterman didn't give his side of the story. david letterman gave what he wanted the public to know. he wanted to get out ahead of the story and that's exactly what he did. he's a master at manipulating audiences. that's when he does for a living. >> that was kind of weird. watch in the interview this morning, in no time did the attorney deny that his client, halderman, tried to extort letterman. instead, he tried to paint dave as a not great guy. cooper, it seemed what he needed to do was come right out of the box and say, hey, my client didn't do this. >> exactly. we all know david letterman. he's not a new talent. he's somebody that most of us have grown up watching. so you might not like what he's done, but i don't think i would call him master manipulator. nobody sees him that way. it's a bizarre comment and it really reeks of spin. >> and letterman made another apology today. he apologized to his wife and any other women that might have been hurt by the scandal. i can tell you, a "showbiz tonight" poll is giving major

kudos to dave for the way he's handled this thing. results came in late today. letterman's sex scandal, was his tv confession the right way to go? we got an unusually high response to this. an overwhelming 84%, 84% of the votes said it was the right way to go. only 16% disagreed with the way he handled this. ben whitcombe, let me ask you this. if, as the lawyer -- as the suspect's lawyers claims, dave is a master manipulator, well, it seems like he's done a darn good job, i guess. >> well, you know, i'm sure he had a frosty weekend at home with his wife. i'm very surprised he didn't apologize to her first and foremost when he made the announcement last thursday. i think she's the one who deserved the apology, frankly. but let's remember, david letterman did not make his announcement because he thought it was the right thing to do, either for his young son or his wife or even for workplace law. he made this announcement because his hand was forced by an extortionist. i think, frankly, he loses point

for that. >> and he's not in the clear, by any stretch. one other woman has come forward to say she had an affair with him while she was working for him. but i was watching the view this morning and i saw barbara walters come to dave's defense. let's look at that. >> i just want to stick to the facts that nobody said that david letterman you didn't get a job because you didn't do this or that with him. nobody has claimed sexual harassment. >> that's barbara's take, but former "view" host lisa ling, who returned today, sees things quite differently. >> when you're the boss, you have to keep your friend in your pants. >> but does it matter that no one's claimed sexual harassment. or if you're the boss, you need to put it -- well, you heard what lisa said. >> the bigger issue is, women that thought, i would like to get further in my career, i would sleep with david letterman and i didn't have that opportunity. i guess that would be the only problem. but i know people on the

letterman show and they say nobody knew this was going on. they found out when we found out and they were just as shocked as we are. >> we all know dave has made a career of poking fun at people getting into messes like his and now he's on the receiving end. >> folks, if you -- if you came here tonight for sex with a talk show host, you've got to wrong studio. all right, i'm sorry. >> there's a new book out called "why women have sex" that has a list of 237 reasons why women have sex and letterman knows the top ten. >> a producer for "48 hours" was arrested thursday for attempting a stupid human trick. it was reported that the blackmailer joe halderman was threatening to reveal embarrassing details of letterman's personal life. for example, after sex, he would always say, "stay tuned for craig ferguson."

>> and i'm guessing that is just the beginning. ben whitcombe, cooper lawrence, thanks for being here. i appreciate it, guys. as we move on tonight, this jon and kate divorce war getting so ugly and out of hand, why is kate telling jon, today, come back? >> call me crazy, i've said it before, but i'm still hoping that at some point, i'll receive a phone call and the old jon is back. >> kate gosselin's brand-new plea to jon today, the same day she's accusing him of wiping out their bank account. and what kate says the kids did when they found out the reality show had been stopped. has the mystery of the espn peephole stalker been solved? a man's been arrested for filming erin andrews half nude in her hotel room. will she have to relive her nightmare all over again in court? and mackenzie phillips' half-sister chynna speaks out. >> i'm walking through the fire and it's scary it's on such a public platform. >> chynna phillips opens up to

me about mackenzie's shocking claim that she had sex with their dad. now the "showbiz news ticker," more stories from the "showbiz tonight" newsroom making news right now.

call me crazy, i've said it before, but i'm still hoping that at some point, i'll receive a phone call and the old jon is back. >> now on "showbiz tonight," kate gosselin's startling plea today as kate accuses jon of wiping out their bank account, is she really admitting that she wants him back? breaking developments today in the espn nude peeping tom case. the man accused of peeping at reporter erin andrews is behind bars, but will she have a courtroom showdown with this guy? "saturday night live's" big-time slam of the president. >> when you look at my record, it's very clear what i've done so far.

and that is, nothing. >> we've got the hilarious "snl" obama sketch that's got everyone talking. plus, more stories breaking from the "showbiz news ticker," tv's first most provocative entertainment news show continues right now. welcome back to "showbiz tonight." it is 30 minutes past the hour. i'm a.j. hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from new york city. and tonight, the brand-new jon and kate craziness. it is just nutty. an absolutely brutal war of words broke out today after kate gosselin went on the "today" show this morning and accused jon of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from their bank account. and everywhere you look today, there was big jon and kate news breaking. a weepy, tearful kate struck back today in a remarkable, no-holds-barred interview

covering everything from the miss money to her claims that their kids cried when they were told that their show is on hold indefinitely. and while you could almost smell the bitterness oozing from kate about jon, she drops this blockbuster in the very same interview today, a virtual plea for jon to come back. also breaking today, the startling news that a man is charged with being the peephole camera man that shot espn reporter erin andrews naked in her hotel. in hollywood tonight, carlos diaz, a correspondent for "extra," and in new york, carolina bermudez. our heads were literally spinning, we were trying to keep up with all the newest and the most bizarre jon and kate developments. in fact, at one point, i swore i saw our executive producer popping a calm of dramamine to keep things level. you have kate accusing jon of taking more than $200,000 from their joint bank account and

leaving her with a mere $1,000. jon denied that. and kate claimed that her kids started crying when she told them over the weekend that production had been halted on their show. >> the kids, over the weekend, i told them that we're not filming at this point, and actually, times eight, there was wailing and sobbing. they love our crew, they love the interaction, they love the events, and there is nothing harmful about it. they are angry. >> so when he says the kids have said to him, he wants the filming to stop, your response to that is? >> i'm sorry, i'm not present all the time, but it has never happened, not the response i saw this weekend. >> carlos diaz, if what we just heard is true, here's what i find most disturbing. the kids are crying over being told they can't do the show that has led to their family falling apart, which says to me, they're growing up completely dependent on having cameras around. that cannot be healthy. >> yeah, it can't be. because, basically, the show is

the cool activities. if you watch the show, every time they're on the kids, day do something cool, as far as taking them here or building houses in the backyard. so when they see the cameras, it's like, oh, cool activities are coming. but here's the thing, though, both kate and jon are using these kids to the nth degree, jon saying the kids don't like the cameras and kate saying they need the cameras and they're crying because they don't have them. they're both using the kids way too much to garner public sympathy. b >> but wait a second, they both say they want to protect the kids, what's going on? and it was just last week when jon was on cnn's larry king live claiming the kids don't want to do the show anymore and that's why they shut the whole thing down. carolina, are you buying what kate's selling here? i don't think either one of them has credibility. >> i don't think either one of them are telling the truth. i think they're looking out for their own best interests. and and like you said, the dependence on the camera crews and being on a show, they have a skewed sense of reality.

the show will come to an end very soon anyway. so what is she doing to get them ready for that? it seems like she's just really holding out and wants to have another season. >> i'm not one for throwing around suggestions to my guests, but i'll throw this to the guests and the audience as well. if you're throwing a party, i have two people you shouldn't put on the guest list. don't want them in the same room. kate gosselin and lisa ling, a former "view" cohost, she had a little message for kate. kids, reality show, not such a good idea. watch this. >> i don't see what the problem is with stopping the show or taking the kids off the show for a period of time, until things can get resolved -- >> she needs to make money. and this is where she's making -- she'll make more money on television than at mechanic donald's. >> you can't work at mcdonald's and take care of eight kids. >> carlos, are you thinking that maybe kate is just so desperate for money right now and she can't see any other way to make

the money, she'll never see lisa's point? >> you know, a.j., i'm trying to think back to a few months ago on this show when i said that they should have the kids off the show and jane velez-mitchell yelled at me and said, oh, well, then, what's the show going to be about? i think we're realizing my point here. the show can be about them getting a divorce, move the kid off the show, have the two of them not duke it out physically, but verbally duke it out on the show, get their act together, and then when everything is worked out, bring the kids back into the fold. >> if they have to do something, that's the most viable thing. let me recap what we're looking at. kate at war with jon over the kids, they're at war over the show, at war over money, at war over -- well, pretty much everything. so perhaps somebody can explain this to me. in this very same interview i was watching this morning on the "today" show, kate said she would welcome the old jon back. watch this. >> he has gone way, far off the trail. i will keep peace where i need

to keep peace. obviously, i'm very upset. i can't sleep at night, i can't pay my bills. i think that he's receiving bad counsel. he has always been one to listen to the person who's next to him and i think that he's receiving bad advice. i think he's making bad decisions and, you know, i honestly -- call me crazy, i've said it before, but i'm still hoping that at some point, i'll receive a phone call and the old jon is back. >> uh, hello, hello, kate, are you there? carolina, quickly, that's just delusional to think that will ever happen, isn't it? >> it is. she said, call her crazy, you're crazy, kate. just because you're bored and you want to beat up on him again. >> let's move and on from the jon and kate nightmare to espn reporter erin andrews's naked peephole nightmare. a man was arrested in chicago, being charged with being a creep who shot videos of her naked

through the peephole in a hotel room. well, then he put them on the internet to boot. the guy's name is michael barrett, a 48-year-old insurance salesman who allegedly stalked erin around the country. and remember what she told oprah about first calling her parents to let them know about it on the internet. >> it was such a painful phone call. they thought i was physically injured. i kept screaming, my i'm done, my career is over, i'm done. and get off, get it off the internet. get it off. >> she felt violate there had, i'm sure she's relieved about the arrest, but i'm guessing she would be mortify to have had to face this guy in court at a trial. >> but it's extremely important to get her version of the story. she has done things the right way and there's no reason she shouldn't go out there and defend herself now. >> thanks for being here tonight. here's somebody that i

definitely feel sorry for today. president obama, because the joke, apparently, is on him. for the very first time, "saturday night live" is slamming the prez in a big way. >> when you look at my record, it's very clear what i've done so far. and that is, nothing. >> wait until you see this. we've got the hilarious "snl" obama sketch, everybody's talking about it. and wait until you hear what's got former "snl" target sarah palin cringing today. the father of her grandson starring in his very first commercial. it is very funny, but while it's probably going to make sarah palin pretty mad. we've got the commercial for you to see. you can't miss it. plus, new revelations by chynna phillips to me about her half-sister mackenzie's incest claims. chynna tells me what it's like to be one of the few people standing up for mac. >> well, i'm just walking through the fire right now, essentially. and it's scary that it's on such a public platform. >> it is chynna's emotional new

interview you'll see only on "showbiz tonight." now the "showbiz news ticker," more stories from the "showbiz tonight" newsroom making news right now. you are watching "showbiz tonight" on hln. right now, i want you to keep watching the bottom of your screen for more of "showbiz tonight" that you won't see anywhere else in the show.

welcome back to "showbiz tonight." i'm a.j. hammer no new york. tonight, the joke's on president obama and i'm guessing the president is not laughing. "saturday night live," the same show considered responsible for basically destroying sarah palin has just done a devastating skit that had everyone talking from washington to hollywood. and i can tell you, there is big buzz today that the honeymoon is so over. "snl's" fred armisen put on his obama ears and he slammed the president for not keeping one of his promises since taking office. you've got to watch this. >> on my first day in office, i said i'd close guantanamo bay. is it closed yet? no. i said we'd be out of iraq. are we?

not the last time i checked. i said i'd make improvements in the war in afghanistan. is it better? no, i think it's actually worse. how about health care reform? hell, no. immigration reform. no. gays in the military. no. limits on executive powers. no. torture prosecutions. no. so looking at this list, i'm seeing two big accomplishments. jack and squat. >> with me in new york, ben whitcombe. also in new york, cooper lawrence, a psychologist and author. remember back in the beginning, comics were kind of bummed out about obama getting into the white house because they liked the guy and he's actually pretty cool for a president. but it seems, ben, the tide is

turning. if obama's lost "snl," has he lost the country? >> as "snl" goes, so goes the country. so i think whatever happens in the next four years, that will be the mildest skit he ever has to endure. it's always downhill from here. >> i have to say, though, more to obama's credit than "snl's", it's a little lame going after a guy for so much stuff when he's been in office for barely nine months. what do you think, cooper? all that said, while obama's probably cringing at the whole sketch, sarah palin may be around, i don't know, hunting moose and gloating, going, hey, see how it feels? >> well, she can see russia from her house, so it's very different for her. but "saturday night live" has had a history of going after presidents, but it's interesting they went after his policies, not after him personally. they have to tread lightly when it comes to obama. do you think, though, ben, this is just going to be the very beginning of it all? because, again, they really were loathe to try to hammer the guy too badly, trying to get him

into office. they wanted to help him out. >> sure. if "snl" is not gently ribbing the president, they're not doing their job. they're supposed to be ridiculing people in power and let them know they're watching. i say, bring it on. >> ben whitcombe, cooper lawrence, thanks so much, guys. making news right now, chynna phillips' revelations to "showbiz tonight" about her half-sister mackenzie phillips and her claims of an incestuous relationship. john philip was chynna and mac's dad, but mackenzie just made that bombshell claim that she and her dad had a sexual relationship spawning ten years. chynna was one of the first people to come out to say that she believes mackenzie, and in this interview you'll see only on "showbiz tonight," chynna tells me she knows her faith will help her through this tremendously difficult time. >> i can't hold any resentments. i just can't. and i love my sister and i'm

really, really proud of her. i won't lie, it's definitely had a -- somewhat of a negative impact on my family and some of the relationships, but i know that that will all be healed, because jesus is on board. i've got the lord on board. >> how can you go wrong? >> it is so nice to see, hearing what you say about mackenzie and hearing what she says about you, there is an obvious closeness about you guys. there is a connection. i do want to take a look at what she said about you on "larry king live," because you can see it in her face and i want to watch your reaction, because i think i could see it in your face, hearing her voice. let's look at that. >> chynna and i sat down several months ago and had a beautiful dinner today and i told her the story that i've told you and chynna's known about this in one form or another for a long time as well. and i can't tell you -- chynna has a christian album coming out, which is absolutely brilliant. she's an amazing artist and i can't tell you how much her support means to me. >> was there any doubt, chynna, in your mind, you knew it was

going to have some tough stuff in it, but was there any doubt you had to get out there and support her publicly, the way you instantly did? >> not really. because i knew that it must have been some sort of define intervention that we -- my album came out a day before her book. what are the chances of that? and i sort of figured, like, god was cress iin incressing me and know this is tough, but i have a reason for it. and everybody has been asking mackenzie in the aftermath of her revelation how she was doing. how are you doing? >> thank you for asking. >> it struck me, oh, my goodness, the family, and you. so how are you doing? >> you know, some days are better than others. sometimes, i just have to have a good cry. it hasn't been easy. but today i'm having a good day. and i've got my husband supporting me and i've got a really good therapist and, you

know, it's like i'm just walking through the fire right now, essentially. and it's scary that it's on such a public platform, but that's the way it's supposed to be, i guess, right now. >> one of the difficult things for me has been watching how people have been going after her saying, wow, no way she's making this up, where you right from the very start said, how can you make something like this up. and among those who have said that she's lying, essentially, have been members of your family. have you had a chance to speak with any people who are saying that and help them reconcile this? >> there's nothing i can say or do. everyone's going to have their own personal opinion about the subject. i choose to believe her and others don't. >> fair enough. you have said that you wish that she handled this privately. >> well, yeah. yeah. it's a huge revelation. and it's something my poor dad is not even here to talk about it. and that makes me sad that he can't defend himself in any way,

shape, or form or at least come out and talk about it publicly, because he doesn't have a choice and that makes me sad. i don't condone the behavior, i don't condone what happened between my father and my sister, but it is helping people. the incest and rape have gone up 50% and that is a miracle. that's a miracle, that my sister coming out with this was able to change and touch so many lives and i hope people find a lot of healing and peace. >> much more of my revealing interview with chyna phillips. wait until you hear what made her spontaneously break out into song on set with me. a special moment and i will play it for you coming up next. tonight, levi johnson goes nuts in a brand new commercial just released online today. it's hysterical, provocative and the ad bound to have everyone talking except for the palins who might be speechless, but in a good way. it's a commercial you've just got to the see. now the "showbiz tonight" news ticker. making news right now --

you are watching "showbiz tonight" on hln. do not move. right now, keep on watching the bottom of your screen for more of "showbiz tonight" that you will not see anywhere else in the show. they said it would never last.

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shocking allegations in the kidnapping case of a newborn from tennessee. did relatives put the baby up for sale? investigators are looking into those claims. david letterman isn't the first boss to have sex way staff e, but it's nothing to joke about. what's the difference between a workplace romance and sexual harassment? a filmmaker tyler perry reveals details about his abusive childhood. he tells fans how he made it through those difficult years. i'm richelle carey. welcome to hln "news and views." hope you're having a great day so far jshs the mother of the you? born kidnapped from his nashville home will find out later today if she can get her

four kids back. the baby and siblings placed in foster care this weekend. according to the associated press, authorities are now looking into claims that a relative of maria carillo had actually put the baby up for sale. yair anthony carillo found safe a week after taken. a woman posing as an immigration agent came to her home and demanded the child. she says the woman stabbed her several times after she refused to hand over her baby. police aren't commenting on these baby selling allegations. the lab technician charged in the murder of yale grad student annie le is expected to enter the plea of not guilty when he goes before a judge today. he's accused of strangling le and stuffing her body behind the wall. investigators found le on what would have been her wedding day. september 13th.

she's been missing five days. clark is in jail on a $3 million bond. a hearing date is scheduled on whether the record should remain sealed in this case. director roman polanski will stay in a swiss jail while authorities decide whether to send him back to the united states. polanski asked a swiss judge to set him free, but that appeal was rejected. prosecutors argue he might just take off. polanski was initially charged with rapes a 13-year-old girl. he pleaded guilty in 197 to a lesser charge and later fled the u.s. president obama meets with congressional leaders today to talk about what has become a major debate. whether to send more troops to afghanistan. top military leaders want as many as 40,000 more boots on the ground. they say the taliban is getting stronger, but others say the u.s. can fight the war with more unmanned drone aircraft and special forces teams. our sister network christiane amanpour spoke during a panel discussion at george washington

university. >> you have to start where you are, not where you wish you were, and the reality is that because of our inability and the inability, frankly, of our allies to put enough troops into afghanistan, the taliban do have the momentum right now, it seems. >> several hundred people protested the war yesterday right outside the white house. it was a peaceful demonstration, but park police said 61 people were arrested, because they refused to move back from the sidewalk. cindy sheehan was among the protesters. one of the major faces of the anti-war movement during the bush administration, her son casey killed in 2004 in iraq. the top u.s. commander for the war in the middle east was treated for cancer. general petraeus diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer back in february. the radiation is said to be successful, the treatment, and

his office says it didn't affect his work schedule very much. petraeus kept it private, but key administration officials did know about it. a formation of black hawk helicopters is flying over downtown tulsa right now, part of the national guard aerial assault group. later this week the choppers and crew will leave fort seal and eventually board transport planes to begin a year-long mission in iraq. late-night tv host david letterman admits his past sexual relationship with staff members caused serious problems in his marriage. he talked about last week's surprise announcement during the broadcast last night. he apologized to his staff for exposing them to intense scrutiny. also cracked jokes at his own expense but turned serious when he talked about the impact on his wife. >> the other thing is my wife regina.

she has been horribly hurt by my behavior, and when something happens like that, if you hurt a person, and it's your responsibility, you try to fix it, and at that point there's only two things that can happen. either you're going to make some progress and get it fixed, or you're going to fall short and perhaps not get it fixed. so let me tell you, folks, i got my work cut out for me. and -- >> a cbs news producer robert halderman is charged with threatening to expose letterman's affairs as part of a $2 million blackmail plot. he has pleaded not guilty. letterman's revelation is raising the thorny issue about personal relationships and professional settings. one advocate for women's issues says letterman should have known taking up romantically with an employee would put him in dangerous territory. >> they knew what they were doing, but he should have known better. it's a very bad example to set, and the workplace issues need to

be taken seriously. >> one of the women in the letterman case reportedly appeared regularly on his show and that raised another issue on the abc program "the view." >> if you're one of the girls who works there and you're just you know, doing your job, and suddenly this other chick is getting the air time and getting the checks and going out there and getting -- >> maybe today but that's not necessarily sexual harassment. it isn't sexual harassment. >> no, no. >> the government defines sexual harassment as unwelcome sexual advances that affect or interfere with an employee's work performance. just so everybody knows. all right. some of the healthiest foods for you can also make you sick. that's the message just released from the center for science in the public interests. it's a consumer advocacy group, and 2 looked at government date-it-to identify foods that caused the large evidence number of illnesses from things like e. coli or salmonella. on the list, things like leafy

green, eggs, cheeses, even potatoes. the group wants the fda to do more to inspect these foods. the produce industry issued a response. it says, the produce industry is 100% committed to providing safe produce, every bite, every time, our livelihoods depend on it. the statement goes on to say it is never in consumers' best interests to scare them away from the very foods, things like fruits and vegetables, the very foods we should all be eating more of for our better health and healthier weight. a man who fell out of a hot air balloon is in serious condition. the balloon's gondola hit a tent yet in albuquerque. look at this. the man fell about 25 feet to the ground. 70-year-old -- >> a man cartwheeled out at about 35 feet. now, he didn't hit the tent. what he did was landed, it looks like right on tasphalt.

>> the 70-year-old man has a hip injury. the pilot brout it down fast, checked on the passenger. he was a little banged up from the hard landing. wow. nancy grace has breaking news tonight in the case of haleigh cummings. still missing. a possibly divorce for dad, ronald, and his new wife misty, who was the last person to see the little girl. watch "nancy grace" for an exclusive interview of ronald cummings and his attorney at 8:00 right here on hln "news and views.." are victims of domestic violence victimized again by insurance companies? some states allow insurance companies to claim domestic violence as a pre-existing condition. your views on that, next.

comedian, actor and producer tyler perry is sharing his

painful past with his fans. a letter he put on his website, and in this letter, he reveal pretty intimate details of his troubled childhood in new orleans, including physical and sexual abuse. he says he wanted to share his story of survival after watching a screening of the film "precious." a movie that he co-produced with oprah winfrey about a 16-year-old girl who's physically and emotionally abused. here's something that may surprise you. in eight states in washington, d.c., insurance companies can use domestic violence as a pre-existing condition to deny health coverage. that's according to a study from the national women's law center. some lawmakers say there is another reason that this -- this is another reason the health care system needs to be overhauled. senator patty mur hey been trying to convince congress to create the issue about a decade now. at least one health care bill now considered in congress should prohibit using domestic abuse as a pre-existing

condition. other bills keep insurers from using pre-existing conditions to deny any type of coverage. so we want your views on this. is domestic violence a pre-existing condition? should victims be denied coverage? let's get to the phones now. calling from hot springs, arkansas. janice, what's your take on this? first of all, did you know this before we told you this? >> caller: no. no, not at all. >> what's your reaction to it? what do you think? >> caller: domestic abuse is a crime of violence. it's not a pre-existing condition. and all victims of violence should be able to obtain health care, paid for by their hil insu insurers. whether you're shot on the street or beaten up by your domestic partner. >> you don't think any distinction at all? >> caller: none at all. >> janice, thank you for your call, and i can sense the passion in your voice as well.

thank you for calming. we appreciate it. suzanne is calling from west cliff, colorado. suzanne, what's your take on this? >> caller: if abuse is a pre-existing condition i agree, insurance should deny them, because abuse should be handled the first time around, and they should be taken care of. but if they continue to stay in an abusive situation and it's repeated, then it's pre-existing. and they need, you know -- just enabling the person that's causing the abuse. >> and the victim is causing the abuse? how -- >> caller: no. when it's pre-existing. when it's happened more than once, more than twice. then, yes, you know. first time, shame on them. second time shame oun. >> that is what i said, though. in that sense you are putting some of the blame on the victim? >> caller: yes. >> okay. >> caller: i sure am. >> suzanne, thank you for your phone call. let's go maria calling from florida. what's your take?

>> caller: i myself had been a victim of domestic violence for about a year. i went in to the shelter. i got treatment and therapy. i've been better now for 15, 20 years. have not had a situation like that since, and i don't think it can be considered a pre-existing condition, because you never know what's going to come up in your life. you never know who you're going to run into and what they're going to do. >> you also never know the reasons that somebody may be in that situation. or may stay, maybe, because of kids, it may be any number of reasons why someone may -- >> caller: exactly. i mean, you fall in love with the person, and then you start to think there's something wrong with you, and you have to stay with them. because they're the only one that will accept you. so i did get counseling after i went to this shelter, and it

helped me, and i realized why i was in that situation, and i haven't been in one like that since. >> rita, i'm glad it helped and i'm glad you shared something so personal with you, and i appreciate your take on it. we're going to continue to talk about this, and we do have other people. everyone's not all on one side of this issue, by any stretch. we'll continue to reach out to you. we want to know what you think about this. is domestic violence a pre-existing condition? should victims be denied coverage? call us, 1-877-tell-hln and comment by going to my facebook page. search richelle carey, hln. there's a lively debate going on there. text us as well. text the word views, plus your comments and name to hlntv, as as always, standard text rates apply. a mom reported her 14-year-old son missing only to find out he was on a cross-country flight. the high-tech way police tracked him down.

the vh1 reality tv contestant, the one accused of killing his wife and hanging himself apparently did leave a suicide note. police say it was on the laptop of ryan jenkins. the note reportedly says, jasmine fury was the love of his life but he thought she was cheating. didn't mention her death, her body found in a suitcase, teeth and parts of her fingers were missing.

an alabama woman is in trouble for apparently allowing her teenage daughter to ride in a box on top of their van. police arrested 37-year-old jackie denise on sunday and charged her with endangering the welfare of a child. officers told them the box was too big to go inside so she put it on top and told her daughter to get inside and hold on. she is on bond. her daughter is staying with relatives. a 14-year-old made 2 through airport security using a ticket with his mother's name on it. yes, he has asberger syndrome. his mom says he used her credit card to book an airport shuttle and a one-way flight to chicago. security questioned him, he said his name was virginia, and they just let him go right on through. other passengers at the portland airport were surprised. >> i think there needs to be more security. >> i think there should probably

be some type of i.d. required for that. because if you don't have that proof, how can they prove it's you? >> well, people under 18 don't need an i.d. to board a plane. so the tsa says its agent did follow policy. police tracked the boy to the chicago airport using the gps on his cell phone. for the first time, federal trade commission is regulating what people write about online. new ftc rules on product endorsements and advertising apply to postings on blogs and social networks. ed rules require the posters to disclose whether they're getting freebies or getting paid in exchange for these glowing product reviews you see sometimes. the ftc says that bloggers have been known to get free games, free computers, vacation trips. sometimes a straight out cash exchange, in exchange for plugging a product. it may cost you less to stay warm this winter, especially if

you heat with natural gas. inventories are at all-time highs according to the american gas association. a milder winter is in the forecast as well and prices dropped because of the recession. the government says people who use electric heat and propane will also save money this winter. so that's pretty good. well, only 79 shopping days left and already analysts say it's not looking good for the holiday season. the national retail federation is predicting a 1% drop in total sales this year to just under $43 billion for november and december combined. it says that job losses and also stagnant income growth is causing americans to cut back and think about what they're spending. other predictions have been a little more optimistic so far. some banks will let you spend as much as you want, but there's a catch. hln money expert clark howard says it will cost you way more than you're willing to pay. >> a lot of people, because they've been burned by credit

cards, can switch in recent years to debit cards. that's where it has a visa or mastercard logo on it, but when you use it it takes money directly from your checking account. well, get this. do you know that most banks will allow you to use your debit card, even when it will cause you to overdraw your account? why would they do that? because they want you to overdraw your account so that they can hit you with massive overage charges. what should you do? ask your bank or credit union to not permit overages, where you can't get hit with an overage when you overdraw your account. if you can't track your balance, do everything in cash instead. i'm clark howard for more ways to help you keep your wallet in ship shape, go to cnn.com/clarkhoward. all right. there's no sibling rivalry in one massachusetts family. only support among sisters.

four of the five sisters have breast cancer and they're battling it together. %%%%%%

the mother of the newborn, the one kidnapped last week from this home in nashville will find out later today if she can get her four kids back. the baby and his three siblings were placed in foster care by state welfare officials this weekend. according to the associated press, authorities are looking into claims that a relative of maria gurrolla actually put the baby up for sale. the baby was sound safe in alabama three days after he was taken. an alabama woman is in jail facing a federal kidnapping charge. gurrolla says a woman posing as

an immigration agent came to the home demanding the child. she was stabbed several times after refusing to hand over the baby. police are not commenting on the baby allegations. and the murder of annie le, raymond clark accused of strangling le and stuffing her body behind a lab wall. investigators found le's body on september 13th, that's the day she was supposed to get married. she had been missing for five days. clark remains jailed in state prison on a $3 million bond. today the judge is expected to setting hearing date for arguments on whether the records in this case should remain sealed. someone may have embezzled $5 million from the beleaguered community activist group acorn, but no criminal action will be taken. that's because these allegations are from about ten years ago and the statute of limitations, that

prevents this from being prosecuted. last year sued-the-former president and his brother who kept the group's books over a million dollars in impopper credit card charges. apparently an internal evoo found it was more like $5 million. they call the review completely false. president obama meets with congressional leaders today to talk about what has become a major debate. a huge, very important issue. whether to send more troops to afghanistan. top military leaders want as many as 40,000 more boots on the ground. they say the taliban is getting stronger, but others say the u.s. can fight the war with more unmanned drone aircraft, and special forces teams. our sister networks christiane amanpour spoke with the defense secretary during a panel discussion. this happened at george washington university. >> you have to start where you are, not where you wish you were, and the reality is that

because of our inability and the inability, franksly, of our allies to put enough troops into afghanistan, the taliban do have the momentum right now, it seems. >> and the bodies are four of the u.s. soldiers killed this weekend in a firefight in afghanistan are back in the united states. their flag-draped coffins arrived at dover air force base in delaware this morning. among eight americans killed by an attack on taliban fighters on a remote outpost saturday. two afghan soldiers also died in that battle. about a 12-hour battle. several hundred people protested the war yesterday outside the white house. it was a peaceful demonstration, but park police said 61 people were arrested because they refused to move back from the sidewalk. cindy sheehan was among them. one of the major faces of the anti-war movement during the bush administration. her son casey was killed in iraq

in 2004. those arrested were given tickets and released. the top u.s. commander for the war is in the middle east, treated for cancer. the pentagon says general david petraeus was diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer back in february, and they say the radiation treatment is considered successful. that is good news. his office says it didn't really affect his work schedule much. he did keep it private, but key administration officials, they knew about it. late-night tv host david letterman admits his sexual relations with staffers has caused serious problems in his marriage. he talked about this last week, and talked again broadcast last night, apologizing to the staff for exposing them to intense public scrutiny and cracked jokes atlas own expense, as he often does, but things got kind of serious when he talked about the impact on his wife of seven months. >> the other thing is my wife

regina. she has been horribly hurt by my behavior, and when something happens like that, if you hurt a person, then it's your responsibility. you try to fix it, and at that point, there's only two things that can happen. either you're going to make some progress and get it fixed, or you're going to fall short and perhaps not get it fixed. so let me tell you, folks, i got my work cut out for me. and -- >> a cbs news producer robert halderman is charged with threatening to expose letterman's affairs as part of a $2 million blackmail plot. he has pleaded not guilty. some of the healthiest foods for you could also make you sick. that's the message just released from the center for science in the public interests. that is a consumer advocacy group. what did government data identify foods that caused the largest numbers of illnesses from things like e. coli or salmonella? i know you're already looking and what to know what's on the list. leafy greens, eggs, cheeses,

eve's potatoes. the group wantsed fda to do more to inspect this. there is a response from the produce industry. his is the response. the produce industry is 100% committed to providing safe produce every bite every time. our livelihoods depend on it. the statement goes on to say did is never in consumers' best interests to scare them away from the very foods that we should all be eating more of for our better health and healthier weight. let's keep talking about eating here. posting calories on menus in restaurant chains does not change what people eat. a new york city law required calorie counts from lots of foods, particularly fast food vendors, they have to post it. researchers observed customers in mcdonald's, wendy's, kfc and burger king and four city neighborhoods with high obesity and also diabetes rates and found only half of the customers noticed the calorie counts.

about 1/4 said it did influence what they ordered. only about 1/4. health add co-kits say it suggests they're more interested in cost than calories. encouraging news for those crews fighting the massive 7,000 acre wildfire still burning, still, in southern california. forecasters not only expect cooler temperatures, higher humidity and light winds today, but those favorable, calm conditions should stick around for the rest of the week. fire officials expect to contain the wildfire by thursday night. that is the goal. right now, it's about 32% contained. it's burned three homes near the mountain town of wrightwood. a man who fell out of a hot air balloon is in serious condition. we have video of this. the balloon's gondola hit a tent. he fell 25 feet to the ground, 70 years odd and has a dislocated hip.

>> and we saw the man cartwheel out at about 35 feet. now, he didn't hit the tent. what he did was, he landed, it looks like, right on the asphalt. >> just terrifying. the balloon rose quickly, put the passenger out of the basket and the pilot brought it down quickly to check on the passenger. she got banged up from that incredibly hard landing. wow. nancy grace has breaking news tonight in the case of haleigh cummings. the child is still missing. now a possible divorce for dad ronald and new wife misty, who was the last person to see this little girl. watch "nancy grace" for an exclusive urnt view with ronald cummings and his attorney tonight at 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. eastern time right here on "hln's" "news and views." twins often have a special bond. but ohio authorities say the bond a pair of twin pediatricians share is criminal. they're charged with molesting male patients.

a pediatrician in southwest ohio is charged with sex crimes and so is his twin brother. mark blankenburg is accused of performing sex acts on three teen patients during office visits and also accused of giving the teenagers cash payments, as much as $200, as they left the office. blankenburg's attorney says there is no evidence in this case. mark's twin, dr. scott blankenburg, also a pediatrician, he's charged with sex crimes involving children. his trial is scheduled for april.

and an alabama judge is being tried on 83 charges for allegedly forcing inplates to have sex with him. prosecutors say judge herman thomas told them he'd throw them back in jail if they didn't perform sex acts on him. others promised leniency if they did. the judge resigned two years ago. jury selection begins this week. and staying in jail in switzerland, roman polanski, while it's decided whether he should be sent back to the united states. prosecutors argue he might take off. palestinians cass was initially charged with raping a 13-year-old girl. he pleaded guilty in 1973 to a lesser charge and later fled the u.s. i'm jane velez-mitchell. here's my issue. maybe being "normal" should be the new red flag for law enforcement. perfect example, the creep accused of videotaping erin andrews. the alleged peephole stocker is

an insurance salesman who barely has a traffic ticket. neighbors said he kept his yardman kured and was absolutely normal. that never seems to fail when we cover one of these horrific crimes. always seems to be the guy who seemed absolutely normal. the monster accused of shooting up the fitness center in pittsburgh lived a are noal life until he allegedly shot nine woman. the truth is, there is no absolutely normal. we didn't come out of a cookie cutter or factory. if you have no distinguishes features that's a warning sign that should not be ignored. i'm jane velez-mitchell, and that's my "issue"? >> find out what else jane has on her minds. watch "issues with jane velez-mitchell" right here on hln at 9:00. a movie produced by tyler appearry deals with abuse. who knew that, for the filmmaker, it could hit close to hole. perry opens up about abuse and

his painful past long before he was movie mogul.

here's something that may surprise you. in eight states and washington, d.c., insurance companies can use domestic violence as a pre-existing condition to deny health coverage. that is according to a study from the national women's law center. some lawmakers say this is another reason the health care system needs overhauling. senator pat mur hey been trying to convince congress to address this issue for about a decade. at least one health care bill now considered in congress would prohibit using domestic abuse as a pre-existing condition. other bills would keep insurers from using any pre-existing condition to deny coverage. a statement today from america's health insurance plans that says, no one should be denied coverage because they are a victim of domestic abuse. health plans strongly support the national association of insurance commissioner's model legislation that prohibits discrimination against victims of abuse, and we are urging all states to promptly adopt it. and house speaker nancy pelosi is addressing this issue

right now on the hill. let's listen to her. >> -- the need for us to create this legislation. and because we will eliminate co-pays and deductibles for recommended preventive services, such as early screenings, mammograms, well baby care, well child care and maternity services, we will eliminate these costs especially pertaining to women. very important. eliminating the co-pays and the deductibles. and because in our legislation with the insurance reforms that we have, no one will be denied coverage or charged higher premiums for so-called pre-existing medical conditions. and for women -- [ applause ] for women this is especially important, because, did you know that having had a pregnancy was

a pre-existing medical condition? i found out that myself. i had five children. they told me i was a poor risk. i said i thought i proved my strength. if you have ever had a c-section, pre-existing medical condition. or being -- >> we're going to continue to keep an ear 0 to what the house speaker nancy pelosi continues to speak about. you can tell, it's gist is pre-existing conditions as concern to women. we'll let you know if there's anything else. we want to know what you think about what she's and we've been talking about? is domestic violence a pre-existing condition? should victims be denied coverage? call us, 1-877-835-hln. also, if you're a textor, you can text us. detect the word views. standard text rates apply, so be aware. comedian actor and producer tyler perry is sharing some of

his painful past with his fans. he put a letter on his website and reveals intimate details of his troubled childhood in new orleans where he grew up. details about physical and sexual abuse. he said he wanted to share his story of survival after watching a screening of the film "precious. a movie he co-produced with oprah winfrey about a 16-year-old girl who's physically and emotionally abused. "the joy behar show" airs every night at 9:00 p.m. eastern right here on hln. hope you've been checking it out. if you haven't, hope you have, here's a quick taste of what you'll get in her "not for nothing" commentary. >> you know, i have to be honest here. i never thought of david letterman as a sexual being. he was always a kind of a witty, mr. rogers to me. so when he married his longtime girlfriend, it seemed sweet, really. not only had they been dating for 23 years, but the kid was

almost in high school by the time he married her. so you can imagine my surprise to find out that dave turns out to be hugh hefner without the i wasn't born yesterday. i know that powerful men like to screw around. clinton had liewinsklewinsky. thomas jefferson had talk with a slave. there's even talk that the great abe lincoln may have found sexual freedom outside of marriage in the arms of a man. to which i say so long ago so what who cares and good for her. i don't think this letterman thing would be so much if the women involved weren't dave's employees but his peers like oprah although i don't see that happening. truthfully. or ellen. i don't see that happening at all. women shouldn't have to sleep with a boss to get ahead in the

company. they should be able to advance their careers like everyone else in showbiz by standing everyone else in the back. don't do with a subordinate. do it with an equal. okay. by the way is regis philbin still around? i saw him in the green room. he's looking really hot. but that's just me. you can catch "the joy behar show" 9:00 p.m. eastern time. good stuff like that right on hln. an old friends was invited to his old home. last night brett favre faced the green bay packers for the first time since his highly incredibly and intensely publicized exit from the team he played with for 18 seasons. he led the minnesota vikings to a 30-23 victory. favre was the first quarterback in the nfl history to win against every team in the league. he didn't retire in the middle

of the game. does a recent "saturday night live" sketch about president obama go too far? a look at the facts or jabs laid out in the comedy show's opening act.