the death penalty front and center and the governor of texas is in the middle of it. was the father of three executed with just cause and is the review of the case touched by politics. then the drug war has left many family members mourning a loss. hitmen tell us why it's about putting food on the table and the surprising price to end a life. then, when it comes to happiness, your gender could indicate how happy you are. which gender is getting sadder with the passage of time. all that this hour on "morning express." i'm richard lui. first off, the u.s. dad arrested in japan of trying to take his kids back from his

ex-wife have been released from a japan jail. he says his wife violated a custody arrangement by taking the kids to japan. they are not optimistic about this case. >> i don't know how a father or a mother can find any closures in these types of situations knowing that your child was taken from an unhappy situation and, basically, now they have to be face would the a reality that their father is essentially dead to them. no child wants their father to die. >> we have no word yet on what will happen with the kids and his japanese ex-wife is not commenting on this case. right now, we want to check the number on wall street because yesterday we hit 10,000 after months of what felt like years what we were below market expectations and now above 10,000 still and dipped below earlier on this morning and we'll watch that for you and what it means for your 401(k).

by the way, a lot of people are taking the dow's 10,000 mark as a sign that the economy is recovering. but people who watch the markets are warning, don't read too much into this right now. they say the recovery can be long and messy. >> 10,000 is important. and, by the way, we have come so far so fast. almost 53% upward movement in the dow just since march. i don't want to throw a little wet rag on this party, but we are still 30% below where we were two years ago. so, not breaking out the champagne just yet. >> you got unemployment to worry about, too. if there is an upside to this recession, it may be this. inflation is practically nonexistent and tighter budgets, as many of you know and being very careful what you buy day-to-day. makes it difficult for stores to rise prices there as well as increase the profits. it appears rush limbaugh has been rushed out the door. rafer weigel with more on this

and this is really a day-to-day story and something has changed in the last 24 hours, my friend. >> we will not talk about it any more after this. well, he dropped rush from the group saying "it has become clear that rush's involvement in our group has become a distraction dangering our bid and we have decided to move forward without him." limbaugh's candidacy had "zero chance of being approved." limbaugh blamed it on the left trying to conserve conservatism. go ahead and check it out and leave a comment or leave us a comment on our facebook page. we want to know what you think about limbaugh being denied ownership of an nfl team. you can also text them at 45688. stander rates apply. >> you had no comments either, right?

none at all. >> our facebook page not short on comments on this one. >> blowing up, blowing up. thanks, rafer. the suspect on a vicious attack 19 years ago will face charges. security was tight when dennis bradford arrived from arkansas last night. he is accused of raping, kidnapping and slitting jennifer's throat. she is now 27 and went public with her story to find her attacker. dna testing led to bradford's arrest. new for you this morning, a decision that impacts 50 million u.s. citizens. there will not be a cost of living increase for social security next year. the reason president obama yesterday called for a $250 payment in 2010 for seniors. that's retired railroad workers and the disabled. they also got one this year as part of the stimulus plan. a man was executed for

setting a fire that killed his three young daughters. now, a controversy is raging over his conviction. texas governor rick perry is slamming any suggestions here that cameron todd wilmiham may have been innocent. >> he was a monster. he was a guy who murdered his three children. who tried to beat his wife into an abortion so he wouldn't have those kids. >> some people say governor perry may cross a report critical of the investigation used to convict the man. that story is coming up for you in five minutes. kids 10 and under may need two, two of them, h1n1 shots to be fully protected. that's what we're hearing from the maker of the vaccine itself. a federal health official says this backs up their tests and what you're seeing in the video are kids here getting the nasal spray version, as you can see

there. the manufacturer tested the vaccine on almost 500 children. it has said adults only need one shot. bob van dillen, you've got two kids. hey, one shot is going to be loud enough and two shots is going to be super loud. >> still on the fence whether we're going to do it or not. >> tough question for a lot of parents. >> bad weather in the northeast, bad weather yesterday, too. >> early season snow, richard. last time state college pennsylvania saw snow this early was october 16th, 1967. only about an inch. yeah, the snow coming down right now around that region and let me show you what is happening and this whole batch of energy is the stuff that slammed in towards northern california two days ago. and now the rain is stretching in towards mid-atlantic and ultimately in the northeast turning into snow for lower pennsylvania and lower new york state getting in towards the upper midwest, too. showers and thunderstorms beginning to develop across northern louisiana and this line itself has become severe.

notice the bow shape to it right there that's why we have a severe thunderstorm warning right there. brand-new thing, just north and that is a tornado warning. brand-new for you. just over the state line from arkansas and this little shape right there. and notice the little notch, could be a sign of rotation there. tornado warning just popped up a couple seconds ago. rain stretching in towards kentucky and west virginia. cold air you can see it northern parts of the country and back in towards wisconsin. you pull the picture over towards the east a little farther and rain switching over to snow and winter storm warnings are out there. 4 to 12 inches of snow, possibility by saturday morning. highest elevations, still going it be rain for you around the valleys and the upper elevations, that's what it looks like. d.c. real quick, rain coming in in your neck of the woods, too. start seeing the delays. that is not cloud cover, that is

steam. we have a delay right now at reagan national and there's the white house, breezy conditions today, as well. tough go. mid-atlantic through the northeast over the next 48 hours. lots to talk about, richard. >> a lot of cold and a lot of white stuff. >> it's early, too. very early. >> skiing. >> still, pennsylvania, you don't get it that early, usually. it's possible some people may not be allowed to buy big screen tvs that you see in stores oistore s right now. a new law about those big tvs could be in the works.

there's more trouble for a key u.s. ally on the war on terror. nuclear missile equipped pakistan has suffered from more attacks this morning. people ran for cover after a bomb exploded near a school. at least 39 people are dead and an unknown number are held hostage after a series of explosions. gun battles and suicide bombings have been going on for days there. pakistan says that will not stop

it from pursuing the militants. a man was executed for setting a fire that killed his three young daughters and now a controversy is raging over his execution. some forensic scientists say the fire may not have been arson. that would undercut the whole case but governor perry said his propaganda from death penalty opponents and replaced several members of the commission looking into thicase. >> he was a loving father. he and his wife did have a stormy relationship, but he didn't try to beat her into an abortion. >> did he physically abuse his wife? >> yes, he did. but she physically abused him. it was fair play. >> well, he consistently said he was innocent and his convictions upheld several times. willingham was an unemployed

automechanic. he poured of flammable liquids near the kids' beds killing all three young daughters. he said he tried to save them but police doubted his story because his bare feet were not burned. just into us right now, president obama is on his way to new orleans. he just boarded air force one and first trip there since taking office and some people there are criticizing him because he's only scheduled to be there for four hours. you can see him getting up the stairs in and forforce one and bobby jindal has praised the obama administration. we'll be watching him on that trip. let's now take you to california. the first lady there is apologizing for breaking the law. maria shriver has a videotape talking on a handheld cell phone while she is driving. that is a no-no in california.

shriver says she's sorry for breaking the rules. she says she'll donate her old cell phone to charity. your money. the government says the number of people who filed for new jobless claims unexpectedly here fell to 514,000 last week. that is the lowest level since january. the number of people continuing to claim benefits fell to just below 6 million. that is the lowest number since march and we are talking about millions there as you can see in those numbers. now more than 930,000 home owners got foreclosure letters in the past three months. that makes it the worst quarter of all time when we talk about foreclosures. according to realty track that markets foreclosed homes. it says foreclosures were up 23% from the first quarter last year and record for repossessions.

and how would your kids like to design their own roller coaster and then ride in it? that's right. you can customize what you're going to be doing. they can virtually do just that. yesterday walt disney world epcot theme park opened a new attraction called some of all thrills. the kids used a computer tablet to design their roller coaster and bob sled, track or train ride and then climb into a robotic carriage to make it feel like they're really riding in what they have just designed. of course, the dow hitting 10,000 yesterday, down a little, about 21. we'll watch that, too, for you. women have come a long way in the workplace in 35 years, but have all those advances made them any happier? hear what their moods are on and off the job.

california police officer and two other hikers have disappeared in the mountains near fresno and now heavy rain and snow in that southern part of california. the families are really nervous. the weather is so bad that searchers cannot even fly and it's a huge search area with rugged peaks and canyons. you can see a lot of trees, as well. they were on a six-day hike in kings canyon national park when they did not return. families called police. so, we told you about the woman who became the first nonafrican-american to win a pageant at a historically black college. she regrets writing president obama after winning the miss hampton university crown. she asked the president to come to the virginia campus saying students were unhappy with her win because she is not black.

>> because unless she's talking about health care, she's not sending them no letters. >> people are sad because they feel it is not someone who will represent us and not someone you can look at and say we're not the same color, how could we relate? >> it doesn't matter either way to me. i just want her to do her job. >> people have been genuinely supportive. the world cup, huge around the world. now getting bigger here in the united states after what happened within the last week. it was an emotional night for team usa just last night as they tried to rally around their teammate. bitter sweet, shall we say, in some senses. >> team usa is the best maybe it's ever been, richard. now they have a real reason to rally. an update on the young man we're talking about charlie davies his condition doctors say it will take him 12 months to recover from all his broken bones. fans showed their support for davies, number 9.

they were down 2-0, but rallied back to tie it on that corner kick in the 95th minute. robby rogers to jonathan for the header and that means the u.s. wins the world qualifying group and charlie this is for you. now, nascar has been around since 1947 and it unveiled its first hall of fame class. richard p richard petty, the all-time number of wins. also, nascar founder bill france, sr. and his son, jr. who ran the sport for 30 years. wrestling legend captain lou albano. you may remember him from the cyndi lauper "girls just want to have fun" video. now, he was known for his trademark hawaiian shirts and this video helped prowrestling

forge a strong relationship with the music industry and was actually known as the rock and wrestling era. lou was 76. this is the greatest hockey goal i have ever seen and the kid is only 9 years old. it's in boston. check this out. what is he going to do, go behind the back. goalie doesn't even see it go in. how he balances it on the stick in the air. one more time, slow motion and he goes back and that is a look at sports in the next half hour. your thoughts on rush limbaugh getting the bum rush in the nfl. >> 9 years old. >> that is a proud father and mother right there. >> i was working on my multipluication. many people still shocked by mackenzie phillip's claim that she had a sexual relationship with her father.

>> that was a shocking story. >> yes. >> to hear that happened and i never heard the phrase consenseual incest before. catherine harrison who wrote a book called "the kiss" who said she slept with her father as an adult, also. that was semi-fictionalized. >> i have known mackenzie, obviously, for a very long time and i have known also that she has been tortureded for a very long time. you don't continually year after year treat yourself as badly as she did for no reason. there was something going on and now we know why. >> catch the joy behar show at 9:00 p.m. eastern. california could become the first state to ban new sales of some big screen tvs, unless they become more energy efficient. state utility regulators say large flat screens simply use too much electricity and there should be some regulations around that. some manufacturers argue.

a vote from the state energy commission could come early next month and if that goes through, they could save up to 10% of their energy costs. not every day you find yourself face-to-face with an assessen.

has been released. a u.s. father has been released from a japanese jail. christopher has been accused of kidnapping his kids from his ex-wife in japan and she violated the u.s. custody agreement when she took them to japan. let's look at the almight ey markets. this is yesterday's high of 10 thun. when we broke it yesterday before the end of the close of the market and the new york stock exchange and today, right now, it looks like we are, i don't know if we're up or down, but we were down earlier. by the way, there it is. down by about 27 and change. some people think that yesterday's breaking of 10,000,

good psychological mark and good sign the economy has rebound and a look at this, some people, maybe some profit taking going on right now. some analysts say, don't expect too much, too soon. president obama is on his way to new orleans right now for his first visit there since taking office. he just left washington a few minutes ago to hold a meeting and stop by a school that was hard hit by katrina. those are some of the stories we're watching for you on this thursday. oh, so close to the weekend. the mother of a 15-year-old boy set on fire by some classmates say michael brewer is strong and he'll pull through. she says he cannot talk but he's communicating with his hands. michael's doctor said he's at risk of infection and oorgan failure at the moment. five teenagers charged with aggravated battery in this attack and one is also charged with attempted second degree murder. two airlines could be fined

millions for flying hundreds of times while violating safety standards. the faa says this involves eight usairways planes with some not inspected for a possible cracked landing gear part. it says this is from last fall and winter. the faa says one united airway's plane flew 200 times last year with a fuel pressure problem. united said it reported its problem and making sure standards are met and usairways says it's committed to difficulties in its merger with america west maintenance operations. people who kill for a living don't talk shop, normally. but we're actually hearing straight from two men who claim to be assassins for hire in a city torn apart by a drug war. now, this is columbia where poverty mixes with temptitation and a seemingly never ending struggle. a rare meeting with two men

whose sources assured them that they spent years working as contract killers for drug wars. >> if you're talking about a contract hit right now, you can earn maybe $2,500. you could earn $10,000 depending on the patient. people want to eat, we just don't want the crumbes. a lot of vital hands around here and many people think they have a chance if they have a gun in their hand. >> sometimes i go to the funeral and see people crying and i know it's my fault, but sometimes you kill somebody to stop them killing you. it's not about conscious. it's a question of killed or be killed. >> he kills them and then goes to their funeral. the murder rate in medellin more than doubled this year. the city had more than 2,000 killings between september and november. women are not as happy as men.

researchers say it doesn't matter what age women are if they have kids or not or even if they're married or single. women are not as happy as men. the study says that it may be because women have higher expectations of themselves. paub van dillon joins us with clean hands and all we're celebrating -- >> international hand washing day. >> but we have some rain and water to talk about. >> heavy at times, too. severe thunderstorm watch, richard. i want to start with that first, richard. this is one area we are watching closely. stretches in towards extreme western mississippi and notice that squall line that developed last night and all those thunderstorms merged into one line and now dropping over towards the southeast. gusty winds out ahead of that and orange box right there severe thunderstorm warning and winds to 60 miles per hour and probably penny-size hail and

moving to the east at 40 miles per hour. look at the steady shield of rain pulling out of kentucky and west virginia and that will drop down towards atlanta later today. back side of that today, all rain for southern parts of wisconsin and also for northern parts. it's a color coating for you and you get back over to the east and rain started towards maryland and washington, d.c., philadelphia getting in towards new york, as well. notice the white shade. that's where the rain is falling into the colder air mass and all turning into snow for northern pennsylvania and a lot, too, over the next 36 hours or so. 4 to 12 inches of snow mainly on the highest elevations. still looking for a roughly rainfall around the valleys and you get to the mountains, 4 to 12. that's a lot for this time of year. plus, the fact that we still have the leaves on the trees and those leaves will act like catcher's mitts and the limbs will come down and a lot of power outages starting this afternoon. a follow-up story i told you a

couple days ago. caused a massive landslide in washington state and shut down a section of highway 410 and now the question is how officials will deal with the road and also the rerouted river. state of emergency right there, richard. >> they're getting more rain. >> it's unbelievable. you hate to see that kind of thing. more rain in the forecast today through tomorrow. >> this is record early snowfall and never seen this before. la nina related? >> not really. el nino, i don't think so, just turning into snow and it's early, but it's not unheard of. >> thanks, bob. >> you got it. an ohio woman will have to have a mental evaluation after she went into a store saying she would pay for everyone's stuff because she won the lottery. she was in court yesterday morning on unrelated charges. the daughter says her mom's actions were not malicious. >> red flag should have gone up

if somebody comes in your store and says i won the lottery, let everybody buy what they want. >> hundreds of people came to the store looking for free stuff. authorities were called once it became clear that the suspect did not have the money to pay for all the items that she was promising to pay for. we were telling you about reasons to get a flu shot this year, but what if not getting vaccinated would cost you your job? you will hear what the state had to say about state mandated flu shots.

the man suspected of a bomb plot in new york may have had contact with a leader in afghanistan and al qaeda.

he spoke with a man believed to be osama bin laden's close confident through a middleman. he pleaded not guilty to terror conspiracy charges. a controversy is raging over a man executed for setting a fire that killed his three daughters. texas governor rick perry says the man was a monster. recently perry replaced four members of the state commission just before they were to review a report that was critical of the arson investigation used to convict cameron willingham. perry denies the replacement's political move and he says it was just processed. he is currently running for re-election. he denied a last-minute stay of execution for willingham back in 2004. the dallas morning news reporting on the story that the commission we were talking about was to hear from a nationally recognized fire expert. now, his report called the willingham fire investigation slip shot saying it was based on wives tales about how fire

behaves and possible arson evident. a writer with the dallas morning news talks about advances in science. take a listen. >> a lot of advances in technology resulted in exonerations related to dna evidence. new advances in arson science could, could result in the same thing. we could see some arson cases being overturned because we know more about fires and we know more about arson and so what experts thought to be true in the past doesn't necessarily hold up any more. >> willingham's convictions were upheld several times before his death and he consistently said. a family got a shock when they bought a cell phone for their 9-year-old son for his birthday. at&t says the used phone was mistakenly sold and that a new one would be sent immediately. oh, my word. the agency that insures your

bank deposit is running out of cash, fdic chief sheila bear says it will stay in the red until 2012. 98 banks have failed this year. the agency has $10 billion left and it doesn't mean your money is in danger, though. don't worry, banks may be asked to prepay insurance premiums to raise some cash and, of course, your deposits are insured. if you're trying to keep an eye on your calories, how about a smaller can of soda. coca-cola is rolling out a new 90-calorie mini can. the regular 12 ounce can have 145 calories and you can also get sprite and some other coca-cola brands in smaller cans. they were in new york and washington and go national in march. so, imagine being told your kid needs to lose weight or you risk losing parental rights. chuck roberts joins us with details on today's your views story.

that starts at noon in about 1:15. chuck, that's where you have to concentrate. what people are saying about these stories. >> who's in charge, the parents who can't control their kids or the state who has to look out for the welfare of somebody who is too young to make good decisions and good decisions is what this is all about. an orlando man who may lose her 14-year-old son who weighs 400 pounds. she admits she can't control his eating. take a listen. >> because of his weight, he has gained diabetes and he has high blood pressure. >> these people are going to come in my house and take my child and sign me over. >> she doesn't want that. what do you think? obese kids. it's an epidemic. who is to blame? parents, lack of exercise, diet? video games, call us toll free 1-877-tell-hln and e-mail at cnn.com/hln and also got a facebook page as does richelle carey and become a fan, comment. hope to hear from you at noon

today. great story. really an open forum on obesity and this is a real dilemma and what should happen in this particular case. >> you have people on air and take the calls live on air, too. there may not be enough troops for that proposed new strategy in afghanistan. president obama is voicing concern about the available man power. we took a look at the numbers and out of 44 combat army brigades 19 are already deployed and another dozen are already committed to deployment. what it does, it leaves 48,000 troops available and the top general in afghanistan wants as many as 40,000 more troops, which doesn't leave much for any other crisis that may crop up around the world. doing the math there for you. michael jackson worked overtime to keep his children out of the spotlight and would he think about the possibility of them appearing on a reality show? we'll tell you why. that's a big maybe.

regional airlines are getting a wake-up call on safety. training, qualifications and work schedules to avoid crashes blamed on pilots who are too tired or inexperienced. pilot error contributed to three of the last six accidents in the u.s., all of which involve regional airlines and the regional airlines association has not commented on this. it's not entirely clear whether michael jackson's kids will be on a new reality show. "us weekly" reported that prince, paris and blanket will be included in a show on a & e and the network said it is only possible that they will focus on other family members. the show will focus on the lives of the four brothers. rush limbaugh has been dropped by the group trying to buy the st. louis rams. rafer weigel with the latest chapter in this story. >> it he was an owner in the nfl

team and the other owners would be on pins and needles worried he would say something. the man who led the group released a statement saying rush's involvement had become a distraction and hurt their chances of buying into the nfl and they're moving forward without him. league sources told us that limbaugh had no chance of owning an nfl franchise. limbaugh, meanwhile, blamed it on the left trying to blame conservatism. politics and the nfl do not mix. i'm blogging about that. cnn.com/robin. go ahead and leave a comment and we're taking your text. this is what an anonymous viewer texted in. why is a convicted dog killer allowed to be quarterback in the nfl? meanwhile, another viewer posted on our facebook. freedom of speech is not freedom of consequences. it was the other billionaire owners of the group that dropped him, not the left. thanks to everybody. we also got that facebook page

cnn.com/robin and click on the facebook icon. an 89-year-old nebraska man rose from hes his death bed and that was his dying risk. according to the world herald he was in an induced coma because he was so sick he told his family he wanted to see the cornhuskers beat mizzu and they took him off the machine and he watched nebraska pull out an amazing come from behind win and he died three days later. lebron james, he performs on the court and he's amazing in the corn. this is a corn maze. this picks the chosen one dunking in a 125-acre field. this is in little darby creek farm. 30 minutes from columbus and it is amazing. look at that. >> he wasn't the guy out there with the machine? >> absolutely not. we learned you have to do that with a handheld gps device allows you to move and figure

out how to cut down the stalks and make the decision. >> how blind it would be to figure out where to turn. >> it wouldn't look that good. >> thanks, rafer. a 4-year-old tennessee a 4-year-old tennessee kid watched the movie "miracle" so many time he's got some of it memorized. here he is doing coach herb brooks speech to the u.s. hockey team before they face the soviets in the 1980 olympics. that's today's hot viral video. >> and we shut them down, because we can! tonight, we are the greatest hockey team in the world. >> that is so awesome. >> in the world. >> i would be so proud if that were my son. >> well, that may happen. lots of people, by the way, have clicked on that one. we got it on youtube. >> i want to see him do the newt rockny speech, win one for the giper next time. >> hear that, kid? last night, hln's joy behar asked valerie bertinelli why she

named her son wolfgang. >> you named yourself wolfgang -- >> william. >> van halen. you left out the bertinelli, fortunately, for him. this could take a year to say his name. >> poor guy. >> but you really named him after mozart, weren't you? >> were you lying in bed, very [ bleep ] last night and said, wolfgang, that's the name for this kid? >> i loved the movie "amadeus" and i thought, that sounds really cute. let's talk about anna nicole smith's body guard, who is a key witness against her boyfriend and two doctors. he is testifying at a hearing to determine if howard k. stern and the doctors will face trial for allegedly providing smith with controlled substances. the body guard cross-examined by defense attorneys today. he says he saw stern inject smith with amphetamines five

times. a girl who was legally blind now says she can see after a surgery. find out what is next for this 8-year-old who is seeing the world in a whole new light.

right now on "showbiz tonight," the jaycee dugard miracle. tonight, the very first picture and look at the woman who was kidnapped as a child and allegedly sexually abused for 18 years. revealed today for the very first time, how jaycee is recovering from her unimaginable nightmare. and the remarkable picture of her today that is almost too hard to believe. explosive new accusations about jon and kate's kids. tonight, why a big star is attacking jon and kate's

handling of their eight kids and using the explosive word "abuse." plus, "showbiz tonight" uncovers the shocking new clues today about the future of "jon & kate plus 8." the nasty new jessica simpson weight slam. the disgusting new video making fun of jessica for her weight. >> i still can't believe toni dated jessica simpson, even after she blew up bigger than flozell adams. >> oh, and it's sponsored by burger king. are you kidding me? 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. >> hi, there, everyone. i'm brooke anderson in hollywood. tonight, a picture and story so remarkable, it almost defies description. today, for the very first time

since jaycee dugard was rescued, the world got to see what she looks like 18 years after she was kidnapped and allegedly held as a virtual sex slave. "people" magazine today revealed the amazing picture of jaycee and the almost indescribable story of how she is recovering from her nightmare, reunited with the mother she was taken from. and let me tell you that without a doubt, this is one story and picture that made for big news breaking today. >> reporter: it's the first photo of jaycee dugard we've seen since her miraculous rescue. the smiling young woman on the cover of the new "people" magazine shows no indication of the unthinkable ordeal she endured. >> jaycee looks amazing in these photos. she looks full of life, she looks happy. >> reporter: what a turnaround for a woman who's been through so much. kidnapped at age 11, outside of her california home in 1991 in a case featured on "america's most wanted". >> have you seen jaycee lee dugard? >> reporter: held captive and

raped over 18 years, during which she had two daughters. and in a miraculous break, she and her daughters were freed. now, "showbiz tonight" can tell you, jaycee dugard and her reunited family are telling the world how they're putting their lives back together after their long ordeal. >> they're inseparable, they're spending almost every minute together, talking, laughing, doing activities together. >> reporter: "people" magazine's david kaplan tells "showbiz tonight," dugard, who's now 29, and her daughters, 15-year-old angel and 11-year-old starlet are now living with jaycee's mother in seclusion somewhere in northern california. >> jaycee's stepmom tells "people," for right now, the healing process will be a lot easier and quicker for them if they stay away from outsiders. >> reporter: as part of that seclusion, jaycee was not interviewed for the "people" article, but in a statement she says, quote, i'm so happy to be back with my family. nothing is more important than the unconditional love and support i have from them.

>> this joyous reunion with her family is going very, very well. >> reporter: this morning on nbc's "today" show, a family spokesperson said even though they're staying private, jaycee's family feels it's time for the world to see how they're doing. >> this is her way of thanking everyone for their support and really letting them know that she's doing okay. >> reporter: after she was kidnapped, in front of her own home in 1991, jaycee's desperate mother pleaded for the kidnapper to return her baby. >> it's time that she comes home to her family. >> reporter: authorities say jaycee was held captive in these tents behind the homes of her alleged kidnapper, phillip garrido, and his wife, nancy. garrido allegedly raped jaycee and fathered her two girls, who lived with jaycee in the hidden background camp. and they'd probably still be there if it weren't for two heroes who now are also telling their story. >> the hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up. >> reporter: these university of california at berkeley police workers tell "the oprah winfrey

show" that when garrido brought his daughters to the campus, something just didn't seem right. >> they were pretty girls, but they just weren't animated. they weren't interactive. it was a nonverbal communication. it was just as though they were props. >> reporter: the women contacted the authorities and soon after, jaycee and her daughters were freed. now garrido and his wife have pleaded not guilty to kidnapping jaycee. a family friend tells the "today" show, jaycee is cooperating with prosecutors. >> she's well aware that for that prosecution to move forward, she needs to cooperate and she's fully prepared to do that. >> reporter: and "people's" david kaplan tells "showbiz tonight," both jay skpooe hcee daughters are in therapy. >> part of the therapy is actually horseback riding, which is really helping jaycee and her daughters get over the emotional turmoil. >> reporter: as for jaycee's daughters, who have never been to school before, they're getting along well in their studies. and as for jaycee, she's not

dwelling on the past. >> right now jaycee's priority is really looking toward the future and looking forward to what's next and starting this new life with her daughters and with her family. >> the new issue of "people" hits newsstands on friday. and tonight, jon gosselin just had to be scrambling today to try to figure out how he's going to come up with $180,000 and it made for big news breaking. that is just how much a judge has just ordered jon to put back into a joint account that he shares with kate. so, jon, show us the money. and the startling results of a "showbiz tonight" poll that came in today. we asked whether kate should pay jon spousal support and not the other way around? joining me tonight in hollywood, judge alex freher from the tv show "judge alex," and in new york, susan roz dooeb. so jon has a few days left to

replace the $180,000 he took from a joint account. judge alex, if you were the judge sitting in that chair, based upon what we know, would you have ordered jon to do exactly the same thing? >> exactly. you can't resort to self-help and take money out of the account, especially when there's an order saying no significant amount of money should be removed without the consent of the other party. people do this all the time in divorces and they don't think ahead. the judge will look at that very unfavorably when making a decision on how property is going to get split. so if you take out $100,000 that don't belong to you, expect that that much or more is going to be extracted from your half of the proceeds when everything's settled out. >> and i just have the feeling jon is not holding on to that money in some high-yield cd somewhere. i'm just saying. today for the very first time, jon tried to explain why he thought it was okay to take the money out of their joint account. in a brand-new interview, this is what he says. "well, it was just after arbitration. we weren't supposed to make money out of the restrictive account and we both did. i was found in contempt for doing so. i didn't realize, i was just

like, taking my paycheck out." okay, here. on the one hand, he's acknowledging he wasn't supposed to take the money out, but in the exact same breath, he's saying, i didn't realize i was just, like, taking my paycheck out. susan, please help me make sense of that. >> i am on team kate here, okay? jon knew very well that he couldn't take that money out. and you know what, jon's got some cash stashed aside. he's working on a reality show, he's got other things in the mix. he better put that money back. >> now, part of this legal battle may have kate saying that she's going to demand that jon pay her temporary spousal support. so what we did here at "showbiz tonight" is we turned the tables. here's what we asked in our "showbiz tonight" question of the day. jon and kate money battle, should kate pay jon spousal support? and look at these results that came in today. 33% said yes, but a whole lot more, 67% said no, no way kate should pay jon any spousal support. now, let me ask you this, judge alex, from your experience. if jon decided to push it, do

you think there's any way he could make an argument that kate should be the one forced to pay him spousal support? >> well, sure. i mean, it's not a popularity contest. if it was, he'd be losing, hands down? >> you think? >> but it's really based on need and ability to pay. if a judge determines that al moany is appropriate in this case, regardless of whether it's for the wife or the husband, the judge is going to look at whether or not there's a need for alaimony and whether there' an ability to pay. based on that, if she has the ability to pay and he has the need, it certainly could go that way. >> yeah, because based on everything we see, she's the one with the money still rolling in, him not so much. and if there was any doubt that "jon & kate plus 8" the tv show was on its last legs, i want you to take a look at this promo tlc is running today. >> next monday on an all-new jon and kate plus 8. >> there's a butterfly. >> separate lives. >> girls, are you brave?

because i'm not. >> lead to separate adventures. >> we're going to do destructive man stuff. >> with only a limited number of episodes left, jon and kate spend some quality time with those who matter the most. >> only a limited number of episodes remaining. suzanne, we know that tlc has taken jon's name off the show, but should we be reading into that that the whole show is toast? because it sounded all doom and gloom to me? >> absolutely. i think there are only a couple of shows left. who wants to watch a show with only boring old kate with the kids. it was so much more fascinating when you've got the drama of the divorce with jon and all his roips on the side. she's got a cooking show with paula dean on the side. this is only going to last so much longer. i appreciate you both being with us tonight. brooke anderson, let me bring you back in here. i haven't had the opportunity to say this yet, but i am so happy

to have you back. i realize you were out being a great mom to your beautiful daughter. there's a rumor that you brought along some pictures to show you. >> i did, a.j. let's take a look. here she is. >> oh, take a look at that. she's beautiful, nice! >> i've got a lot more pictures i'm going to share with everybody tonight in just a bit. i cannot wait and we've also got this. man, i still can't believe toni dated jessica simpson, even after she blew up bigger than flozell adams. >> this is so terrible. tonight, another jessica simpson slam. a new video dissing her weight. and it's sponsored by burger king. seriously? and we've also got this. >> here we go, ready to drench the kids. look, look. the bus stop, coming up. >> that's not funny. >> here we go! >> that was brilliant. >> the outrage over the couple who splashed kids at a bus stop on purpose. but were the kids in on it? this is "showbiz tonight" on hln. it is time now for the

"showbiz news ticker." these are more stories from the "showbiz tonight" newsroom making news right now.

welcome back to "showbiz tonight." i'm a.j. hammer. >> and i'm brooke anderson. >> brooke, i've just got to say it again. welcome back. we missed you. >> thank you. >> so happy you're here. all right, did you see this, the splash shocker. this is something that happens all the time here in new york city when it's raining. you're walking on the sidewalk and all of a sudden, a cabbie comes along and, whoosh! he goes right through a puddle and it drenches you. it is pretty annoying when that happens. well, tonight, a guy who did this to a bunch of kids on purpose has created a controversy splashed across headlines everywhere, but i am sorry to put a damper on this story. were the kids actually in on this? here's cnn's jeanne moos for "showbiz tonight." >> reporter: you know how kids like to play in puddles? well, driving for a puddle has

left a 29-year-old motorist in a muddle. carrie kalor and her boyfriend were in their car, she was driving, he was in the passenger seat, providing colorful commentary. >> here we go, ready to drench kids. look, the bus stop, coming up. >> that's not funny. >> here we go, here we go. >> oh, goodness. >> here we go, look. puddle at the bottom of the hill. >> juvenile. >> coming up, kids at the bottom of the hill. >> that's not very nice. come on, come on. >> yeah! that was brilliant. awesome! >> well, i hope they got their thrill. >> rude and dumb. dumb is what i agree with. >> reporter: the couple's problem started when they put the video on youtube and several people complained to police. the driver explained that the kids had called out to them, asking to be splashed, so the couple made this their second pass. the driver told the local paper

"the plymouth herald," if the kids weren't saying "splash me, splash me," i certainly wouldn't have done it. i'm not a serial splasher. the kids seemed to have their backs to the road, as if expecting to be doused. >> my kids would love it. the wetter, the better. >> i'd do the same. >> reporter: you'd do the same? you'd splash those kids? >> why not. >> reporter: why not? police say that driving through standing water could have caused the driver to lose control. they forwarded kerry kalar's file to a prosecutor. >> reporter: this britain, there's a law without driving with reasonable consideration. there's a fine of up to $1,500. >> reporter: there are accidental splashings and deliberately mean ones. >> get him, get him! >> reporter: this one really caused a splash. >> were these kids dirty or what? did they need a bath? >> come on, come on! yeah!

that was brilliant. awesome. >> that was evil. anyone got an umbrella, poncho, anything? that was cnn's jeanne moos for "showbiz tonight." brooke, i can tell you, the "showbiz on call" operators have really missed you. in fact, they tell me, if you ever need a babysitter, they'll put all these calls on hold and help out. >> that's good to hear. i'm sure my husband would like a date at some point in the next five years. lots of calls into "showbiz on call" about dave letterman sleeping with his former intern and jimmy kimmel dating a staffer. so is it ever okay to date your boss? elaine from arizona, doesn't think so. >> caller: no, never. there is a power differential and that does not meet the consent to be mutual. it's not an equal relationship. >> thank you so much, elaine. but gena from oklahoma thinks it's no big deal.

>> caller: i don't understand why two consenting adults should be the business of any news makers. neither party has filed suit or argued with one another. it's only been brought to our attention through another person. and i don't understand. consenting adults should be allowed to do what they want to do. since when is it everybody's business what goes on in private? >> we appreciate your call, gena. you can call us at "showbiz on call" to sound off on this or anything else at all. the "showbiz on call" phone lines are always open, 1-888-sbt-buzz. leave us a voice mail so we can play your call here on "showbiz tonight." there is a big old bag of brand-new jon and kate news today. and oh, yeah, it's shocking. one big star is attacking their handling of their kids and even using the word "abuse." a pretty harsh word to use. also this startling news. it's jessica simpson being slammed. >> ton tony, we could use a

defensive tackle. >> a brand-new video making fun of jessica for her weight. and get this, this video is sponsored by burger king. are you kidding me? also, a baby dancing to be beonce. >> tles muhere is much more to this. we've got the new amazing, warm and fuzzy story of this cute dancing to "singles lady" baby became one of the most popular videos ever. this is "showbiz tonight" on hln. time now for the "showbiz news ticker," more stories from the "showbiz tonight" newsroom making news right now. 

man, i still can't believe tony dated jessica simpson, even after she blew up bigger than flozell adams. >> now on "showbiz tonight," the brand-new jessica simpson weight slam. today, an outrageous new video makes fun of jessica's weight and it's sponsored by burger king. model madness. the model photo shopped to look freakishly thin in a ralph lauren ad says today she got the boot for being too fat. are you kidding me? fury over one of the biggest fashion magazines putting a model in black face and calling it high fashion. is black face ever okay? an explosive new jon and kate accusations today. why a big star is attacking jon and kate's handling of their

eight kids and using the explosive word "abuse." plus, more stories breaking from the "showbiz news ticker," tv's first most provocative entertainment news show continues right now. welcome back to smyt"showbi tonight." i'm a.j. hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from new york city. >> and i'm brooke anderson coming to you tonight from hollywood. and tonight, is simpson weight slam. there's an absolutely disgusting new video making the rounds today that is making fun of jessica simpson's weight. the outrage is just bubbling over tonight when somebody thought it would be funny to make fun of jessica simpson's weight in a skit during fox's nfl sunday. and get this, it was sponsored by burger king.

and remember the ralph lauren model's re-touched scarey skinny photo sparked outrage? well, she claims she was fired for being too fat, at 5'10", 120 pounds. are you kidding me? >> with us tonight, tanika ray and megan alexander. let us begin with this jessica simpson video. it aired this sunday and made fun of jessica's weight and her former boyfriend, dallas cowboys quarterback, tony romo. >> the cowboys lost again, but with everything going on in dallas, you better believe they're as focused as ever in that locker rom. >> man, i still can't believe tony dated jessica simpson, even after she blew up bigger than flozell adams. >> hey! >> unlike tony, at least jessica comes up big when it counts. just catch the snap, put down the ball, and the kicker will do

the rest. >> no problem, coach. >> guys, i'm standing right here. >> sorry, tony. >> hey, tony, is jessica around? we could use a defensive tackle! >> don't you have better things to do right now? like coaching! >> nah, there's no way i'm making it through the season anyway. >> jessica? >> sorry, boys, i only use weight for winners. >> obviously, i think this is reprehensib reprehensible. jessica has long been an easy target, but to make fun of her, or to make fun of anybody because of their weight to me is hideous. tanika, what do you think? is it inexcusable? >> inexcusable, a foul, out of bounds. and i'm sure jessica simpson has a particular hand gesture in response to this. it is disgusting. and what i don't understand, usually when something airs on television, it has to go through

a lot of different approval ratings, like this person has to approve it, the top of the network has to approve it. it got through all of these people and what in the world did they think was okay about making fun of a woman who is normal-sized. hello! she's gorgeous. >> yeah, and making fun of somebody's weight and it's sponsored by burger i think. that's just insane to me. you would think, burger king must have seen this beforehand, but burger king told us today they didn't have anything to do with the creation of, what i think, is an awful skit. telling us, burger king copper has a long standing relationship with fox sports as well as an extensive media partnership with the network. the specific content for this sketch involving jessica simpson was not developed or aired by bkc or any of its agencies. and fox told us burger king copper did not have any editorial input in the creation of the animation that ran last sunday, and no one for burger king copper approved it before it aired. upon reflection, our poor attempt at humor was insensitive

and we deeply apologize to anyone who might have been offended. so apology accepted? >> the response to this is very interesting and something really interesting to watch. did you know that girls between the ages of 10 and 15, 50% of them think they are too fat, and it's because they see things like this. it's unbelievable that they had no other material than to make fun of somebody for being overweight, who is a beautiful, healthy girl, by the way. but when people see that, they need to know it is deeply hurtful. this has really become a health issue. i'm glad to see these responses. there needs to be more, though. >> here we are in 2009. i really was hoping we were past stuff like this. during one particular part of the skit, fox fired a direct shot at jessica's weight. let me show you this again. it makes an important point. watch this. >> man, i still can't believe tony dated jessica simpson, even after she blew up bigger than flozell adams. >> hey! >> let me point out here, flozell adams, he's an offensive tackle for the dallas cowboys.

do you know how much he weighs? 338 pounds. gosh! tanika, any excuse for even in a joke comparing jessica simpson to a 338-pound football player. >> you know, i get it, they were trying to make the point, but here's what's ridiculous and here's what every little girl needs to listen to if they want to be a starlet. that's what all these girls want to be now is famous. when you project yourself out there to the universe as a skinny, kind of a dumb blond, then that is fodder for jokes. and it's unfortunate that that's what jessica represents to this country. when she became famous, more famous than she ever was before, it was based on, is it chicken or tuna and she was the dumb blond girl and half naked in the jack in a box commercial, whatever it was, washing a car. that's what she put out there and that's really all people think of her as. so it's kind of like up for grabs. >> i guess so, but i really still think while we heard a general apology, we need to hear a specific apology.

brooke, you with me? fox, whoever needs to apologize directly to her. >> yeah, a simple apology goes a long way. and i agree with tanika, she does open herself up to criticism, but at the same time, she deserves an apology. and also, what's done is done. maybe this will serve as a lesson to all the men who were involved in this ad to be a little more sensitive in the future. >> you don't think women got together to do this story? >> i don't think so. let's move on to this model madness story. in a brand-new interview on the "today" show, the ralph lauren model whose scary-skinny image in a ralph lauren ad who sparked a ton of controversy now says she was fired for being too fat at 5'10" and 120 pounds. you've got to hear what she said this morning. >> they said, i couldn't fit in the clothes anymore. >> they said that to you? >> not to me directly, but to my agency, yeah. >> oh. so -- and could you fit in the clothes anymore?

>> i could fit into clothes. >> so you didn't understand this? >> no. >> you're saying the clear impression that given to you, that they fired you, you say, because you were too large. >> because i was too large, yeah. >> again, 5'10", 120 pounds. megan, is that just insane? >> it is. i had the opportunity to interview her today and let me tell you, i'm so proud of this young lady for speaking out and i hope the fashion industry is listening. they talk a lot about this, but it's time to take some action. it's time for the fashion industry to truly incorporate models in all shapes and sizes into their campaigns. my hat goes off to "glamour" magazine, which has tried to do a bit of this with plus-sized models, but can you imagine, if truly the fashion industry incorporated more plus-sized models into their campaigns, america could embrace it. and again, it's a health issue. i really believe lives are at stake here. 50% of women in this country say they have some type of eating disorder. they need to realize, they could be saving lives. >> well, i've got to tell you, that's been the call we've been

making for some time and it seems to be falling on deaf ears. a spokesperson for ralph lauren said they let her go because of her inability to meet obligations under her contract. tanika ray, megan alexander, thanks very much. and jessica simpson's rep says she's not commenting on the fox video controversy and maybe that's the best thing for her to do. brooke anderson, i cannot tell you how happy i am to have you back from maternity leave. in fact, the entire staff, we're all very happy you're back. we missed you very, very much. >> that's very sweet. a.j., i missed everybody too, and i did not come back empty handed. i've got a new photo album of my beautiful little kate. there she is. i cannot wait to share these beautiful pictures tonight. and kate is my little super star, but there's another baby that's stealing hearts everywhere. ♪ tonight, we've got the real story behind the heartwarming video of a baby dancing to

beyonce's "single ladies." we've also got the new outrage over a model posing in black face. >> i don't see anybody in this day and age slathers black paint on a white face and expects everybody to just be okay with it. >> tonight, fury over one of the biggest fashion magazines in the world putting a model in black face. >> it is time now for the "showbiz news ticker." these are more stories from the "showbiz tonight" newsroom, making news right now.

welcome back to "showbiz tonight." i'm a.j. hammer in new york. >> and i'm brooke anderson in hollywood. tonight, what about the kids? are jon and kate so caught up in their own divorce the drama is actually abusive to their kids? in a brand-new interview, a big celebrity are saying that jon and kate are not only exploiting their kids, but they're abusing them by keeping them in the spotlight. but is that out of line or does it totally make sense? joining me tonight in hollywood, judge alex freher from the tv show, "judge alex."

and tonight in new york, cooper lawrence, a psychologist and author of the book "cult of celebrity." judge alex, cooper, it's been a while, so let's get right to it. the explosive new comments today come from star jones. and she says that jon and kate's drama and divorce antics are abusive to their eight kids. she said, quote, listen to this. i feel it is getting to the level of abuse. at this point, when your parents are going through a very public divorce, the entire world is looking at you, you can't have a birthday party or a soccer game or even go to the bathroom without someone making a judgment, that's abuse. now, cooper, as a mother now myself, i have to say, i really agree with star. i feel for these kids. maybe i wouldn't call it abuse, but it borders on neglect. what do you think? is the level of scrutiny these kids are dealing with actually a form of abuse, like star says? >> i think the term "abuse," it's such a general term. we think of someone that's being physically abused. but we don't think about neglect and emotional abuse. these two people are so focused

on themselves, they haven't made any inclination to even feel like they're caring about their children. they're not staying out of the public eye. they're not protecting the children. they seem to be using them, the children, against each other, like parents do in divorce. and i've got to tell you, years from now when these kids turn up with impressive disorders and anxiety disorders because of this, we can say abuse, i agree. >> i hope that doesn't happen. but it does bring up that concern. listen to what star went on to say. at some point, they've got to think about the best interest of the child. at some point, they need to stop exploiting their own children. let them be kids again. kids need to be protected. you should be looking for a courtroom and not a camera. i think this is a really fair comment. get over yourself, focus on the kids. judge alex, what do you think? if jon and kate walked into your court, how would you counsel them about how they're dealing with their kids in this whole drama? >> first of all, it's not unique at all. we see this in every divorce

case, not just celebrity cases. >> it's sad. >> it is sad. but what they're sowing right now, they'll reap later. those kids will learn to relate to people in their life, boyfriends and girlfriends later on, the way they see mom and dad relating to each other. if that's the way they want their kids to grow up, treating their boyfriends and girlfriends that way or letting themselves be treated that way, that's going to be their legacy and they keep that going like that and sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labor. >> it's unfortunate. you better believe our "showbiz tonight" facebook page, blowing up over this. angie r. writes on our ball, it's abuse for sure. i think it has come to emotional abuse. their parents are snonot settin good examples. their lives used to be so good about a year ago. it has been way too much stardom for jon and kate. especially kate, she is only in it for the money and not the children, like she says. the poor kids are the pawns. cooper, is it fair so say that jon and kate are treating their kids like pawn? >> exactly. i like how judge alex said, they reap what they sow. these are two people that are

complete media w whrhores. you watch them on the show and you see how selfish they both seem. and i think they are reaping what they sow. i think they do have children who are going end to up in trouble, because they are making it about them and not making it about their children. >> rethink their actions, stop being so self-centered. judge alex freher, cooper lawrence, we'll leave it there. thanks, guys. tonight, is black face ever okay? this is a question that's sparking major debate today as french "vogue" features a dutch model in a fashion spread in black face and body paint. black face has a long and painful history in this country, but not overseas. and this new controversy comes on the heels of harry connick jr.'s uproar over a black face performance in australia. so is the french "vogue" fashion spread high fashion or is it just highly offensive? here's what's cnn's jason carroll found out for "showbiz tonight." >> reporter: the imagery, an

embarrassing chapter in american entertainment. black face. >> mother of mine. >> reporter: popularized decades ago in shows and movies like 1927's "the jazz singer," but not a relic of the past. pictures from french "vogue's" latest edition showing a white dutch model in black face and body paint, wearing ethnic-inspired clothes. editors may say it's high fashion, but it was something far more offensive to most of those we showed it to. >> i don't think anybody in this day and age splatters black paint on a white face and expects everybody to just be okay with it. >> they think they're pushing the envelope, but really they're just being offensive. >> a silly profession. it's not made for any political purpose. >> i think there are a lot of beautiful black women who could have probably played that role. >> reporter: french "vogue" did not return our calls for comment. critics say without context, readers are left to assume the worst. >> what you see, simply, is another white performer being dressed up in black face for the

amusement or the profit of whites. >> reporter: the issue, coming a week after a popular australian talent show ran into trouble for this. american judge harry connick jr. criticized the group's depiction of the jackson five. the show's host later apologized. >> you know, we've spent so much time trying to not make black people look like buffoons that when we see something like that, we take it really to heart. >> reporter: outside the united states, it's not just australia where black face is still entertaining. in japan, a popular sole group ca sells out shows. in mexico, an offensive comic book character ended up one of the country's national stamps in 2005, despite criticism from the white house, the stamp was never pulled. >> while we've come a long way, baby, baby, we had a long way to come from and we still have a long way to go in terms of our global image. >> reporter: pop culture experts

say other countries may have not have experienced civil rights movement and national conversations about race the way america has. they, therefore, may not have the same sensitivities. so, it might be might be a whil black face finally fades from the limelight. >> that was cnn's jason carroll for "showbiz tonight." and just today, harry conic jr. said he felt he did the right thing by expressing outrage over the skit. conic says he walked off the show because he thought it was the right thing to do. >> tonight, the story behind the single baby sensation. the video of a baby dancing to beyonce single lady has become a block buffer hit. ♪ >> tonight, we've got the really story behind the adorable video that's got people everywhere shaking their thing. this is "showbiz tonight" on hln. >> now the showbiz news ticker. more stories from the "newsroom"

making news right now. 

an american dad who went to japan to reclaim his kids is out of jail, on the way home. but why he is returning empty-handed. we'll tell you that. president obama will see for himself what's getting done in new orleans, and what isn't getting done. why the president is visiting the city four years after katrina. plus, should the state take a 13-year-old boy away from his mother because he weighs 400 pounds? we'll share your views on that. this is hln "news and views," i'm richelle carey, hope you're having a great day so far. we have an update on a story we have been following for a while now. a tennessee dad in a bitter international custody battle is out of jail in japan with

kidnapping charges on home. christopher savoy was arrested last month after traveling halfway around the world after trying to get his kids back from his ex-wife. he is accused of abducting his son and daughter while they were walking to school. he was released this morning after he promised not to take the kids back to the united states. savoy's current wife says that makes it kind of hard to celebrate his release. >> the elation lasted, you know, for, you know, a few minutes. and now we're back to square one, where there's no closure. you know, we don't have isaac and rebecca in the situation from which they were taken. isaac and rebecca had a very, very happy situation here in tennessee. they were very well adjusted kids. they did very well in school. they enjoyed their family life, they went to japanese school in tennessee. there was a japanese church in tennessee. they went to u.s. schools in tennessee. they had people who loved them here. and it was very -- a very, very

great place for them to be raised. and it's traumatic for them. traumatic. >> savoy says his ex-wife took the children to japan without his knowledge. under u.s. law, savoy does have sole custody, but in japan, his ex-wife is recognized as legal guardian, and that's how everyone got to this place. an ohio children's services agency will take custody of the teenager who ran away to florida after converting from islam to christianity. that's the order of a judge in ohio today. 17-year-old ripka berry is currently in a foster home in florida. an orlando judge ordered her back to ohio once he has received documentation on her immigration status. the girl said she was afraid her father would kill her for converting. he says he had never threatened her. a second suspect is in custody in the brutal attack of a gay man in new york city. there is video of this attack.

we will show it to you. it is difficult to watch. police say 21-year-old daniel rodriguez was arrested in norfolk, virginia tuesday. investigators say he and 26-year-old daniel alamam yelled homophobic slurs at jack price and then kicked him as he left a deli in queens. he is now in a medically indeuced coma. he has a fractured jaw, ribs, collapsed lungs and a lacerated spleen. the suspect in the vicious attack on a little girl 19 years ago is now in texas to face charges. bradford arrived in arkansas last week, accused of raping, and slitting her throat when she was 8. she is 27 now, but told reporters she never gave up hope her attacker would be brought to justice. the fbi says dna testing led to the arrest. one of the doctors treating

the 15-year-old boy in florida who was intentionally set on fire says the medical team is -- this is a quote -- still waiting for the worst to come. the worry is that michael brewer's organs could start to fail. he has burns on at least two-thirds of his body from a vicious attack monday afternoon. police say five boys douseded him with rubbing alcohol and then set him on fire. those boys, ages 13 to 15, face felony charges. one of them is actually charged with attempted murder. the victim's mother, valerie brewer, spoke earlier today with abc's "good morning america" about his current condition. >> he has a tube to help him breathe, so he's not able to speak to us. but he has actually sat up in bed, and tried to tell me to take his tubes out and that he wants a glass of water. and then he goes back to sleep.

but i don't know if he remembers what happened. >> and you can tell she has barely slept from what she has been through. brewer remains in intensive care at miami's jackson memorial hospital. keeping an eye on this. in about 20 minutes, the president is expected to touch down in new orleans. he'll be talking to people who live through hurricane katrina. they're still trying to rebuild more than four years after that storm ravaged the gulf coast. it's mr. obama's first visit to the area as president. republican governor bob jindahl is giving credit for what's been done. stalled reconstruction projects have been resolved. it's official. the government says there will be no social security cost of living increase next year. by law, costs of living adjustments are pegged to inflation, which is negative this year. it's the first year without an

increase since automatic adjustments were put in place. that was in 1975, but help may be on the way in another form. yesterday president obama called for a second round of stimulus payments for seniors, retired rail workers, and people with disabilities. there's a bit of a bright spot in the weekly jobless numbers. the labor department says the number of people filing for first time unemployment benefits dropped by 10,000 last week to 514,000. the first time jobless numbers are at the lowest levels since january. so we're trying to find some light for you. trying to find some light on wall street, as well. let's take a look at what's going on right now. we're a little over 10,000. there are some worries over earnings from goldman sachs and citigroup, about how that's going to push the market possibly lower. but the dow jones industrial average is still hovering around the 10,000 mark, we're down 11 points again at 10,004.

yesterday's strange earnings from intel and jpmorgan chase helped push the market to close at 10,015, the highest close in a year. so we'll keep you posted on that throughout the day. we have been telling you about reasons to get a flu shot this year. but what if not getting vaccinated could cost you your job? hear what a court had to say about the fight over state mandated flu shots.

the state of florida may take a 13-year-old boy away from his mother. this is why. josiah lewis weighs 400 pounds, and the department of child health services was contacted because he has missed appointments. his mother says he won't take his medicine and won't stop eating so much. but she says she is doing the

best she can with him. >> because of his weight he has gained diabetes and he has a high blood pressure. >> these people are going to come in my house and take my child and sign me over as unfit. >> state officials say they are trying to help the family, but they have to cooperate. authorities in south carolina recently placed a 555-point 14-year-old boy in foster care, despite his parents' claims they were trying to help him. so we have been asking your views on this. who do you think is to blame here? parents, the kid himself? lack of exercise? should the state step in? what do you think is going on with childhood obesity? here is a comment from my facebook page, all right? this is what alex wrote. he says, i think the parents are responsible, because they have let him pick up all the weight he has over the years. angela feels this way. i think 13-year-olds should have the sense to stop eating. i would hate to be the doctor in this case. let's get to the phones, too.

linda is calling us from lynchberg, virginia. what's going on with this child, linda, is actually not that uncommon. there is an epidemic of childhood obesity. what do you think is going on? >> caller: first of all, i work with obese children. >> okay. >> caller: and i'm very familiar with things like this. but i sympathize with the mother tremendously on this. not wanting her child taken away. but in this case, the boy has life-threatening things going on here, diabetes and high blood pressure, nothing to fool around with. so we're really talking about life or death. and in this case, i think that somebody should step in. she has clearly stated she has no control over what he is doing. so if an agency comes in temporarily and takes control and gets this boy back on track, we could talk about visiting him in another home versus visiting him in a hospital worse. also, a child lives by example, so maybe a situation like this may be if mom and son agree to go into a program together on an

outpatient basis. >> that's an idea. >> caller: the agency, the state may say, okay, let's give this a try. >> all right, linda. not a bad idea. thanks for your phone call. you do seem to have a good perspective on this, because of what you do. i appreciate that. this is what drew writes. how about blaming the teen himself? what message are we sending to teens in society that they should not be responsible for their own behaviors or eating habits? let's get back to the phones now. heather is calling us from charleston, south carolina. all right, heather, what's your take? >> caller: in my opinion, i do believe it's genetics. that has the reason for obesity. the boy should not be blamed. i have two children already, myself, i'm pregnant again, and i weigh 112 pounds and cannot gain weight. boy should not be blamed for his obesity when i do believe, in my opinion, it's due to genetics. >> okay. >> caller: and also -- it's also --

>> quickly, heather. >> caller: it's discrimination towards the boy that he is being blamed for it when how would you feel if someone was going to take your kid because you thought they were ugly? >> okay, heather, thank you for your phone call. and i think we have one more quick phone call. phyllis from arkansas. phyllis, where do you think the blame lice or do you have a solution? >> caller: okay. i feel it's a personal decision when you overeat. no one is forcing you. you may the not have learned the right way to eat, and the proper way to prepare things. and you should be taught if not by parents, then outside influences should intercede. and it also looks like the mother has a weight problem. she probably doesn't know how to cook and what to eat. >> so you're thinking like maybe our first caller who said maybe they could go into a program together. >> okay, phyllis, we're out of time. thank you for your phone call,

though. i appreciate it. we want to continue to hear your views when it comes to obese kids, who or what is to blame, could it be parents, lack of exercise? i don't know. you may even blame video games. i'm not saying i do, but you might. there may be a need to diet more. lots of things to talk about. you can go to my facebook page, search for richelle carey at hln. e-mail, cnn.com/hln. there are so many ways you can reach out to us. you can't say you didn't know. text the word "views" plus your comments and name to hlntv if that's how you choose to reach out to us. standard text rates apply. . as the health care debate rages in washington, congressman barney frank talked about capitalism and conservatives with our own joy behar. >> i thought that the republicans were all about competition. why are they afraid of the public option for the insurance compani companies? that's american. that's capitalism. why are they scared about it? >> because for a lot of american businesses, capitalism is a

spectator sport. they want to sit in the stands and eat a hot dog. >> he always has a way with words, as does joy. so catch the "joy behar show" right here on hln. california's first lady is speaking out after being caught breaking the law by the paparazzi. what she is promising to do with her cell phone.

got an update on an amber alert we told you about yesterday. officials in texas say they have found the 1-year-old boy they were looking for. they said he had been abducted by his father in the middle of the night. u.s. marshals say they have found him. this is malaki isaac moscaro, they found him in tallahassee, florida, and the father who you see on the left. the father is in custody. so a resolution to that amber alert. at least 37 people are dead in pakistan, after a series of bloody, coordinated attacks.

taliban militants claimed responsibility for three of the assaults on law enforcement facilities in the eastern city of lahore. military set off explosions and did take hostages, as well. car bombs went off in two other cities, killing at least a dozen people. one explosion happened in a residential area. an 8-year-old boy was killed. militant attacks in pakistan have reached a frightening level. they seem to be happening almost every day. there have been at least four other deadly attacks in the past week. anna nicole smith's body guard takes the witness stand again today. he is testifying against her boyfriend and two doctors. questioners are going to question him how he saw howard k. stern injecting smith with valium. he says he watched the doctor inject her once, and twice watched her inject herself. the father of her 3-year-old daughter could also take the stand today.

anna died of an overdose in 2007. it's unclear whether he will be tried for controlling substances. some health care workers don't want the shot. a nurse sued for a temporary restraining order against the requirement that workers get vaccinated or face losing their jobs. but a judge denied that request. health workers say they don't the government running their lives. >> i have an issue with the government mandating me to get these vaccines, and telling me that if i don't comply, then i don't have a job. seasonal flu and h1n1 this year, what will the government then have the right to say they want to inject us with next year? >> the court may hold another hearing about the rule next week. california's first lady is apologizing for breaking the law. told you about this.

maria shriver was photographed and videotaped, apparently talking on a hand-held cell phone while driving. that's illegal in california! and her husband, governor arnold schwarzenegger said there would be swift action but didn't elaborate. now she says she is sorry for breaking the rules and will donate her old cell phone to charity. do you know your real credit score, and where to get it? before you rush off to buy it, hln money expert clark howard has some information you need to know. >> you know, one of the most difficult and confusing things for a consumer is now that we know more and more about credit reports, is trying to decipher credit scores. because you heard me say scores plural. because you would think you only have a single score. and, in fact, the credit bureaus all sing about how you can buy your score from them. but do you know that only one of the three major credit bureaus sells you a real score?

that's equifax. equifax sells you the fico score. that's the one that lenders actually use. but transunion and experian, they'll sell you their own made-up scores that nobody uses to make loans. so let me tell you something. when you are going to spend money to buy your score, buy the real thing at myfico.com or at equifax.com. otherwise, get a free score that will give you an estimate at quizzle.com. i'm clark howard. for more ways for you to be smart with your wallet, go to cnn.com/clarkhoward. >> all right, clark, you know what he does and does it well. he will help you save more, spend less, and avoid getting ripped off. catch him saturdays and sundays at noon here on hln. a lot of fans might call the rams the worst team in the nfl haven't won a game the whole

season. but that's not what they're talking about today. it's about who will own the team. the latest from the front lines. x

a tennessee dad in a bitter international custody battle is out of jail in japan. the kidnapping charges he's facing, those are on hold. christopher savoy was arrested last month after traveling halfway around the world to get his kids back from his ex-wife. he's accused of abducting his son and daughter while they walked to school. prosecutors say savoy was released this morning after he promised not to take the kids back to the united states. savoy's current wife says that makes it hard to celebrate his release. she also blames japanese laws for this deal. >> the united states has never been successful in retrieving a child who had been taken ille l

illegally to japan. there is one instance of a boy, i believe he was 15 at the time, he escaped -- he escaped from japan and came back to the united states to be with his father. >> savoy says his ex-wife took the children to japan without his knowledge. under u.s. law, savoy does have sole custody, but in japan, his ex-wife is recognized as legal guardian. an ohio children's service agency will take custody of a teenager who ran away to florida after converting from islam to christianity. that's the order of a judge in ohio today. 17-year-old ripka berry is currently in a foster home in florida. an orlando judge ordered her back to ohio once he gets documentation of her immigration status. she said that she was afraid her father would kill her for converting. he says he never threatened her. a second suspect is in custody of a brutal attack of a gay man. there is video surveillance of this attack. we will show it to you in just a

second, but it's very difficult to look at. police say 21-year-old daniel rodriguez was arrested in norfolk, virginia tuesday. investigators say he and 26-year-old daniel alaman yelled homophobic slurs to jack price and then punched and kicked him as he left a deli in queens. price is in a medically induced coma, has fractured jaw and ribs, collapsed lungs and a lacerated spleen. the suspect in a vicious attack of a little girl 19 years ago is back in texas to face charges. dennis bradford arrived from arkansas last night. he is accused of kidnapping, raping and slitting jennifer shuitt's throat when she was 8. she is 27 now, and tuesday she told reporters she never gave up hope her attacker would be brought to justice. the fbi says dna testing led to the arrest. one of the doctors treating the 15-year-old boy in florida who was intentionally set on fire says the medical team --

this is exact words here, is still waiting for the worst to come. the worry is that michael brewer's organs could start to fail. he has burns on at least two-thirds of his body from this brutal attack that happened monday afternoon. police say five boys doused him with rubbing alcohol, then set him on fire. these boys are between 13 and 15, and they face felony charges. one of them is charged with attempted murder ofment the victim's mother, valerie brewer, spoke earlier today with abc's "good morning america" about this horrible attack. >> people really need to wake up and see what is going on with this generation. they need to take hold of our children and really do something. the violence across our nation, across our world with our children is getting stronger and stronger. and we need to stop it now so this doesn't happen -- excuse me. i'm sorry.

doesn't happen to somebody else. or something worse. it's just unimaginable. please, everybody out there, take ahold your children, love them, love everybody's children, and let them know that these things are not right. violence doesn't solve anything. . >> brewer is still in intensive care at miami's jackson memorial hospital. we told you we would keep an eye on this. president obama has arrived in new orleans. air force one just landed a few minutes ago. that's video of the president just a few minutes ago. not exactly live. the president will be talking to people who lived through hurricane the katrina. they are still trying to rebuild more than four years after that storm ravaged the gulf coast. there this is mr. obama's first visit to the area as president. the president's team is being

given credit for being flexible and getting things done. since january, 7 of the state's stalled reconstruction projects have been resolved. . 76. it's official. the government says there will be no social security cost of living increase next year. by law, the cost of living adjustments are pegged to inflation, which is negative this year. it's the first year without an increase since automatic adjustments were put in place in 1975. but help may be on the way in another form. yesterday president obama called for a second round of $250 stimulus payments for seniors, veterans, retired rail workers, and also people with disabilities. there is a bit -- tiny bit of a bright spot in the weekly jobless numbers. the labor department says people filing for first time unemployment benefits dropped by 10,000 last week, so the number right now is 514,000. the first time jobless numbers

are at their lowest level now since january. and we're keeping an eye on the stock market today. kind of flat right now. there's a -- some people are worried over earnings from goldman sachs, and citigroup. so the investors are a little jittery. but right now the dow is at 10,000, just a tiny bit over 10,000. we're down 13 points. and, of course, yesterday was kind of big, at least psychologically it was over strong earnings from jpmorgan chase. and that helped push the market above 10,000, it closed at 10,015 and that was the highest close in a year. but again, things are flat today. we will, as always, keep you posted. do you think you have a right to internet access? the government of finland says it's citizens do. the country recently passed a law that makes broadband internet access a legal right. by next july, telecommunications companies will be required to provide all 5.2 million fins an

internet connection of 1 mega bite per second or high. the law makes finishland the first country in the world to mandate high-speed internet access for its citizens. something to keep an eye on. ana nicole smith's body guard takes the stand for a second day. larry burke talks about her prescription drug use. what he is saying now about the drugs she took.

talk show host rush lick limbaugh won't be buying the st. louis rams after all. he was part of an investment group preparing to bid on the

team. they cut him from the roster. the head of the group says limbaugh had become a complication and a distraction. limbaugh talked to his listeners today about the decision. here's some of that. >> those people who enabled this event for their own racial reasons, for their own waitings, their own fund-raising, their own face time, their own business reasons, they're going to be just as unhappy as they were before this happened. it's a collection of unhappy, angry, agitated people, and that's not going to change. >> at least one nfl owner, the owner of the colts had said he would oppose limbaugh's effort to buy into the league, and the commissioner, nfl commissioner roger goodell warned limbaugh's divisive rhetoric would not be tolerated if he was involved in the league. ana any coal smils body guard is testifying today.

defense lawyers will question him about claims he saw howard k. stern injecting smith with value i'm. he says he saw her doctor inject her once, and twice he says he watched as smith injected herself. larry burke, the father of smith's 3-year-old daughter could also take the stand today. he says he did confront nicole about her prescription drug use, and also says smith had legitimate medical problems. >> most people, you don't understand, you hear anna nicole and drugs, and she always said these are prescription drugs, and these are -- there was a large amount. but she had these legitimate reasons. she had swelling of her hands, she had seizures, pain from previous breast surgery. she couldn't sleep at night, tension and stress. so there was a combination of things that these medicines were given for. >> smith died in an overdose in 2007 and the hearing going on

now is to determine if stern and the doctors will face trial for illegally providing smith with controlled substances. all right. some people call it hotlanta or the atl. in this week's my city, my secret, an atlanta native takes us on a tour of one of the coolest places and one of the hottest cities in the south. >> hi, my name is kila. my city is atlanta. i'm going to show you some of my best-kept secrets. we are at the atlanta cup cake facto factory. has the best cup cakes in had town. my favorite is the red velvet. it's small, cute, love the decor, and a great atmosphere. not known yet, but it's going to get on the map quickly. >> we are now at agatha's the taste of mystery. the most entertaining spot. it's a mystery dinner theater. you come in and eat and there is a murder mystery going on at the

same time. there will be people who have speaking roles, people who join in in chore uses, it's a the although of fun. this is anice, a french restaurant. this buck head, which is a part of atlanta, but it's on a residential type street where there is old, converted houses that are now businesses. it has a euro feel to it. the bar area is very dark and damp. it's very quaint. you'll see a lot of locals and regulars that hang out there. i've shown you my city. now show me yours, go to ireport.com slash mycity my secret. a florida boy may be taken from his mother, because doctors say he is dangerously overweight. so is she to blame for his obesity? what she says for herself and our viewers will also be weighing in.

at least 37 people are dead in pakistan, after a series of bloody, coordinated attacks. taliban militants claim responsibility for three of the assaults on law enforcement facilities in the eastern city of lahore. militants set off explosives, and in some cases, they took hostages. car bombs off in two other cities, killing at least a dozen people. one of the explosions happened in a residential area, and an 8-year-old boy was killed. militant attacks in it pakistan have been reaching a frightening leve level. if it seems like this is happening more often, there have been at least four other deadly attacks in the past week. the man suspected of a bomb plot in new york may have had contact with the leader of al qaeda in of afghanistan. two u.s. intelligence officials told the "associated press" n najibullah zazi spoke with a middleman believed to be an osama bin laden confidante.

zazi pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges. . the state of florida is threatening to take away a 14-year-old boy, and the reason is he is overweight. the boy mother says she is doing the best she can with him. >> the doctor said i lost the weight -- >> reporter: meet 13-year-old josiah lewis. he is almost 400 pounds, which makes him morbidly obese. >> because of his weight, he has gained diabetes, and he has a high blood pressure. >> reporter: doctors say his conditioning is now life threatening, so after josiah missed a few doctors' appointments, the department of children and families decided to step in. his mother, brenda, says she has been trying her best to keep his weight down, while josiah refuses to take his medicine. >> at 13, how can i make him? what do you want me to do? >> reporter: so lewis says, since her son doesn't take his

health seriously, she is in a tough corner. >> these people are going to come in my house and take my child, and sign me over as unfit. i don't know how you feel about that, but i do think very highly of that. it's not right. >> reporter: dcf says they have the authority to remove an obese or an recollectionic child from a home if their condition is life threatening. in fact, in south carolina, authorities put a 555-pound 14-year-old boy in foster care, despite his parents' claims they were trying to help him. in josiah's case, dcf officials say they have given the family the support they need, but also add, they need to cooperate with doctors, or else the child could die or be removed from the home. brenda lewis hopes it doesn't come to that. >> he didn't come with a manuscript or a guide. i just have been working my way through. >> once again, that was jessica

denofrio reporting for wkmg, and josiah did go to a doctor's appointment yesterday, and officials say that is a step in the right direction. what do you think about this? when it comes to obese kids, who or what is to blame? the parents, lack of exercise, video games, diet? what is going on with so many obese kids to the point that their health is in danger? call us at 1-877-tell-hln. e-mail us at cnn.com/hln. many ways to get in touch with us. also, if you're on facebook, you can searche search richelle car. and you can text the word "views" and your comments and name to hlntv. standard text rates apply. and we'll continue to discuss this issue. here's an update to a story we told you about yesterday. an ohio woman will have a mental evaluation after she allegedly

went into a store, saying that she would pay for everyone's stuff because she won the lottery. remember that story? well, she was in court yesterday morning on unrelated charges, and her daughter says that her mother's intentions were not malicious and that her mom just has some mental problems. >> red flags should have went up if someone comes in your store, i won the lottery. let everyone buy what they want. that's ridiculous. >> police say hundreds of people came to the store expecting some free stuff. authorities were called once it became clear that the woman did not have the money to pay for all of the stuff. a 5-year-old boy fell asleep on his school bus yesterday morning. when he woke up, he was alone and had no idea where he was. the driver dropped off the other kids and then drove home and parked and said he never knew that cute little boy was still on the bus. the boy's mother is furious.

>> this is not a joke. anything could have happened to my child. period. >> what do you want to see happen? >> i want to see justice and he shouldn't be -- his license should be suspended, taken, everything, like, he should never drive a school bus ever again. >> when the little boy woke up, he banged on the doors until the neighbor's noticed him. they called police and the driver has been suspended. for the first time in two decades, fourth graders did not improve their math scores on national assessments tests. the students average a score of 240. eighth graders did show some improvement up two points from two years ago. students from more than 7,000 public and private schools around the country take the test in various subjects every year. if you are with someone who started choking on their food, what you know how to save them? some people might panic but a

10-year-old autistic boy did not hesitate. he knew exactly what to do. you got to hear him talk about this.