richard heene the so-called balloon boy's father left us scratching our head. we were told to expect a big announcement. we got a surprise instead. pressure mouptnting for louisiana justice of the peace to resign. what he refused to do that has the state's republican governor and one of the democratic senators outraged. >> lots of people like to dress up for halloween but an immigrant's rights group says this costume is more of a bad trick than a good treat. you are watching hln news and views. when you call a news conference are you are expected to make news. richard heene contacted the

media to say he had an important announcement about the ordeal surrounding his son falcon and the family's run away balloon. he came out on time and approached the microphone and asked the media to write down their questions and drop them in a box at his front door. he did repeat something he said before about the balloon incident. okay. i've got people e-mailing me, calling me. they have a lot of questions and i don't know how to quite frankly answer any of them other than i've got a box. so later on tonight, 7:30 i will meet you guys again. i can look these questions over and then i can answer them. okay? i am going to place the box up front. please write your questions down because i've got stuff -- friends are telling me they are saying this and that. i have no idea what the news is saying. i don't have cable. so, okay? >> can we ask you questions now? >> no, not at all.

>> would you just say once and for all, was this some sort of publicity stunt, was this a hoax and will you talk to the police today? >> absolutely no hoax. i want your questions in the box. i will get right back to you. okay? >> heene claimed he answered the media's written questions later this evening. sheriff's investigators are planning to talk to heene and his wife about that run away balloon incident. earlier, i spoke to psychologist, stacy kaiser, about this cynical attitude that surfaced so quickly. >> i think that we're all sceptics at heart anyway. however, everybody including myself, were following that boy when we thought he was in the balloon. so i don't think there is any criticism of us.

what i think has happened to all of us who watched it happen who are watching it unfold we all think this is sort of an unusual story. how many people call 911 and say there is a flying saucer. how many people build these giant balloons in their yard. this is something we never hear of. that adds to our skepticism and then you throw in the inconsistent behavior the things a little six-year-old boy says and you have a great mix for something that looks suspicious. >> for parents that are with their families at home watching this whole situation and saw the whole incident and now know the story, how do they talk to their kids at home about what they saw, what they witnessed, bha happened? >> well in the similar way they talk about that family, what i recommend people do is what i do with my own kids, tell them the truth of what you know that took place and then talk to them about the precautions in your own life. tell your kids how it is really important that people not climb into things that can go up in the air that we keep ourselves

safe, that you ask mom or dad or a caretaker if something is okay. i think this is a perfect opportunity for parents to talk to children about safety and about concerns so they can protect their own families. >> great insight psychologist, stacy kaiser. thank you for giving us that information this morning. we appreciate you. >> my pressure. check this out. this is in the northeast where winter winter has definitely arrived early this week. in norfolk, connecticut, you can see the leaves still changing behind all that snowfall. a nor'easter is dumping rain and snow in new jersey. look at this rough surf. gusty winds are a concern all along the coast. farther inland they are expecting as much as three inches of snow by tonight. some parts of the state did get two inches of snow earlier on thursday night. not scary and definitely not funnily. that's what an immigrants'

rights group is saying about this halloween costume. the illegal alien costume feature a mask an orange jumpsuit with illegal alien written on it and a green card accessory. target took the costume off its website after the coalition for human immigrants rights of los angeles complained. it calls the costume distasteful, mean-spirited and ignorant of social stig mass. reactions from people outside an l.a. target was mixed. >> i reckon it is pretty ruthless. >> for a big corporation to put that out, i think that's kind of not so much not good. >> plenty of halloween costumes. it's a little bit of bad taste. >> i like this one, the illegal alien, the green card. >> there you go. it looks like cheech and chong but an alien.

>> this looks like an alien locked up. >> that's racist. >> who cares. that's so funny. who cares. that's so funny. >> while the costume isn't on target.com any longer, it is probably no surprise you will find at least a dozen for sale on ebay. the governor of louisiana has joined in the outrage over a justice of the peace who refused to marry an interracial couple. he is calling for keith bardwell's immediate disms.le. bobby jindal says this is a clear violation of federal and state law. mary landrieu calls it an example of bigotry. the woman who he refused to marry because her fiance was black is speaking out. >> it is over racism and we are used to the closet racism but we are not gonna tolerate the overt racism from an elected official. >> beth humphrey and her fiancee did get married after finding another justice of the peace.

bardwell would not comment to cnn. the cbc says the h1n1 flu is already causing widespread problems in 41 states. the agency says vaccine production is going more slowly than expected. the cdc was hoping to have 40 million doses of h1n1 available by the end of this month. manufacturing delays could knock that number down to less than 30 million doses. >> new york state's mandatory order for health care workers to get flu vaccines is temporarily blocked. last month workers protested the mandate requiring them to get vaccines by november 30th or possibly lose their jobs. public employee's federation is happy with the judge's decision. >> as we've noted all along, we encourage our members to get vaccinated. we encourage the voluntary vaccination of our members against the influenza. however, we believe that the

commissioner overstepped his authority and jurisdiction when he implemented these emergency regulations. >> groups of nurses and teachers were also granted a temporary block against the plan date. the matter is scheduled to go back to court on october 30th. how does something you have to say in just 140 characters add up to big bucks for cancer research? we'll have the message and how that buzz got started.

the father of a missing florida girl divorced his 17-year-old wife. misty was the last person known to have seen haley. police say they don't think misty has told them everything she knows about haley's disappearance but she is not a suspect in the case. a judge won't throw out a murder charge against casey anthony, accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter, caylee.

anthony's lawyers wanted that first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse charges dismissed. they claim the charges are based on circumstantial evidence. a judge said their arguments were insufficient. anthony has pleaded not guilty and says a babysit ter kidnapped caylee. the little girl's remains were found last december, months after she was reported missing. >> laurtthe lawyer for reality tv star jon gosselin is taking a swipe at gosselin's former employer. he is suing gosselin for breach of contract, one of the stars on the show, "jon & kate plus 8." the couple's divorcing and now he will have a smaller role in the show. gosselin's lawyer calls tlc's suit baseless. he says the contract was unenforceable and denied him a chance to make a living. a kentucky man is enjoying life again now that what he calls hi walking nightmare is over. as lindsey english from louisville affiliate wave

reports, he paid the time for a crime he didn't commit. >> you are a freeman. god bless you, sir. >> reporter: after nine years behind bars and five years of probation, edwin chandler sheds tears of joy because finally, he is a freeman. >> it seems absolutely clear that there has been a grave miscarriage of justice. >> reporter: he was on trial in 1995 for the murder of 25-year-old brenda whitfield, a clerk working at the chevron food mart at newburgh and gold smith lane. she was shot and killed by this gunman seen in surveillance video. on the stand during his trial chandler pled with george that police have the wrong man. >> i said i'm telling you the truth, i didn't do it. he said i don't believe you. i think you are lying. >> reporter: the jury didn't hear him. chandler said it wasn't until 2004 when attorney, marguerite

thomas and the "innocence project" started listening and investigating this case. >> i couldn't tell you how, you know when you look for somebody to lis certain to you sometimes or you know you need somebody. somebody needs somebody. everybody needs somebody you know. they were that somebody for me. really. >> reporter: with the request to reopen the case, sergeant denny butler discovered a previously unmatched finger print that was lifted from a colt .45 beer bottle. that bottle was left on the counter by the shooter. >> that print is a match of percy phillips. >> reporter: yes, that's the same man you may remember who made national news from this recent outburst in court on unrelated chargers. another eyewitness, john gray, also identified percy phillips as the shooter. >> how do you make this right?

i don't know. really, i don't know. i couldn't answer that right now. >> reporter: remarkably chandler isn't pointing fingers. he says he just wants to move on with his fiancee and celebrate his one-year-olds birthday. >> it means, it means more than words. i can't gather the words to say it. he is getting a new life. he might as well statement is long overdo. >> it is one of those days you just dream of. dreaming that it was going to happen. it is actually here. so it was a very joyful occasion. >> reporter: that report was from wave's lindsey english. prosecutors join the defense asking that his conviction be set aside. a second vaccine has been approved to protect against the virus that causes cervical cancer. the fda says cervarix can be given to girls and women 10 to

25 years old. after the first shot the second and third doses are given within six months. officials in minnesota say three pigs on display at the minnesota state fair tested positive for the h1n1 flu. the state's agriculture department says this may be the first indication that the virus is present in some spine here in the u.s. officials say the pigs show nod sign of sickness. they apparently were healthy. most likely, the pigs contracted the virus from people visiting the fair. it took place between late august and the beginning of september. they are not really sure where those bigs are now. they remind everybody you cannot get swine flu from eating pork products. check your breezer or refrigerator for potentially bad sausages. a california company is recalling more than 1,100 pounds of the sausages. they are marketed under the

vatran and montibella brands. they were produced between march and october. they were distributed to retail stores in california. the company sent the meat to market before federal food safety inspectors checked them. so far no reports of any illnesses linked to these recalled items. a kids' play house was built to withstand an earthquake but this super delux, two-story cabin is going down rope swing and all. why? it went a few inches too far.

a chance for barbara streisand fans to grab some of her treasured mementos. at this stage of her life it is time to let them go. she is selling art, furniture, jewelry, antiques clothes, costumes she has worn on stage and even in her movies. the beverly hills auction is expected to raise at least half a million dollars.

raising money, awareness and a little internet buzz. that was the goal of a new social networking experiment called "beat cancer everywhere." between yesterday and today, people began sending out messages on twitter and facebook, including the designation, hash tag beat cancer. now, for every message sent with that phrase ebay, paypal and miller brewing company plan to donate a penny to a nonprofit cancer organization. the event was part of the agenda. a 24-hour event at blog world in las vegas. that's where chris morrow caught up with cnn's don lemon. >> it's a huge initiative to set a record and raise money to stomp out, stamp out cancer in the world. it shows the power of an idea. an idea just sitting over dinner talking about let's try to set a record. i think that social media takes the power of an idea to a new level. one minute you are sitting

around hashing out this idea. the next minute it has a possibility to make a change for good in the world. once again, thanks to i-reporter chris morrow. like don said pound beat cancer organizers were hoping to set a world record for a social media event. when you have pictures or video of breaking news go to i-report.com and submit your stories. an oregon family has to get rid of their play house. the two-story house was already on their property when the family bought it. after a neighbor complained city inspectors found it is a bit too close to the property line. >> it is totally ridiculous. it is a beautiful structure that is not hurting anybody. >> it is over the five-foot line by about i think, nine or ten inches something like that. it's really close. >> see, the neighbor says, the house is causing runoff on to his property. that's eroding his yard and

rotting his fence. the play house has to be removed or destroyed in two weeks or the family faces fines of $250 a day. morehouse college in atlanta is trying something new a dress code. the new policy enforces 11 expectations of students. among those restrictions students can no longer wear baggy pants, baseball capps, do-rags or hoodies. students who don't follow receipt strixs could be placed on academic restriction. officials at the all-male college say the dress code is needed. some students aren't so sure. >> this is again about the morehouse legacy and tradition not about our young men preparing themselves to be the leaders they are. >> i understand where they are coming from. at the same time, some things they are restricting from us are just being ourselves. >> school officials say the policy was, in part prompted by some men wearing women's clothes

to class. just ahead it only happens once a year. this is the weekend that thousands gather at a west virginia bridge to take a wild jump. find out what this classic festival is all about.

richard heene, the so-called balloon boy's father left us scratching our head again today. we were told to expect a big announcement. we got a surprise instead. pressure mounting for louisiana justice of the peace to resign. what he refused to do that has the state's republican governor and one of it's democratic senators outraged. lots of people like to dress up for halloween. an immigrants rights group says this costume is more of a bad trick than a good treat. you are watching hln, news and views. i'm holly ferfir. when you call a news conference, you are expected to make news. right? that's not what happened in colorado. richard heene contacted the media to say he had an important announcement to make. he came out on time approached the microphones and then asked the media to write down their questions and drop them into a box at his front door. he then walked back into his house. but, before he left, he did

repeat something he had said before about the balloon incident. >> okay. i've got people e-mailing me, calling me. they've got a lot of questions. i don't know how to quite frankly, answer any of them other than i've got a box. so later on tonight 7:30, i will meet you guys again. i can look these questions over and then i can answer them. okay? i'm going to place the box up front and, please write your questions down. friends are telling me they are saying this and that. i have no idea what the news is saying. i don't have cable. so, okay? >> can we just ask you our questions now? >> no not at all. friends, i want them in -- >> could you just say once and for all, was this some sort of publicity stunt, was this a hoax and will you talk to the police today? >> absolutely no hoax. i want your questions in the box. i'll get right back to you.

okay? >> well, heene claimed he answered the media's written questions. later this evening sheriff's investigators are planning to talk to heene and his wife about that run away balloon incident again today. questions about whether this story started with the hoax, they were in the air not long after the balloon itself. earlier, i spoke to psychologist, stacy kaiser about the cynical attitude that surfaced so quickly. >> i think we are all sceptics at heart anyway. however, everybody, including myself, were following that boy when we thought he was in you know the balloon. so i don't think there is any criticism of that. i think what has happened to all of us who watched it happen or who are watching it unfold is we all think this is sort of an unusual story. how many people call 911 and say there is a flying saucer. how many people build these giant balloons in their yard. it is something that we never hear of. that adds to our skepticism.

then, you throw in all of this inconsistent behavior, the things that a little 6-year-old boy says and you have a great mix for something that looks suspicious. >> stacy, for parents who are with their families at home watching this whole situation unfold who saw the whole incident, who now know the story, how do they talk to their kids at home about what they saw, what they witnesses, what happened? >> in the similar way that i talked about that family, what i recommend people do is what i do with my own kids, which is tell them the truth of what you know that took place. then, talk to them about the precautions in your own life. tell your kids how it is really important that people not climb into things that can go up in the air, that we keep ourselves safe, that you ask mom or dad or a caretaker if something is okay. i think this is a perfect opportunity for parents to talk to children about safety and about concerns so that they can protect their own families. >> great insight.

psychologist, stacy kaiser, thank you for giving us that information this morning. we appreciate you. >> my pressure. check this out. this is in the northeast where winter is definitely arrived early this week. in norfolk connecticut you can see the leaves still changing behind all that snowfall. a nor'easter is dumping rain and snow in new jersey. look at this rough surf. gusty winds are a concern all along the coast. farther inland they are expecting as much as three inches of snow by tonight. some parts of the state did get about two inches of snow earlier on thursday night. not scary and definitely not funny. that's what an immigrants' rights group is saying about this costume. the illegal alien costume featured and extra ter estreeal mask an orange jumpsuit with illegal alien written on it and a green card accessory.

they took it off the website after coatal ligs for humane immigrants rights complained. they call the costume distasteful and mean spirited. reaction from people outside an l.a. target was mixed. >> i reckon it is pretty ruthless, especially along with the mustache over the top. >> for a big corporation to put that out i think that's kind of not so much not good. >> plenty of halloween costumes. it is a little bit of bad taste. >> i like this one, the illegal alien, the green card. >> there you go. that looks like cheech and chong but an alien. >> that likes like an alien locked up. >> that's racist. >> who cares. that's so funny. that's so funny who cares. >> while the costume isn't on

target.com. the governor of louisiana has joined in the outrage over the justice of the peace that refused to marry an interracial couple. bobby jindal says this is a clear violation of state and federal law. bardwell, they say, should resign. the woman he refused to marry because her fiancee was black is speaking out. >> it's overt racism. we are used to the closet racism but we're not gonna tolerate the overt racism from an elected official. >> beth humphrey and her fiancee did get married after finding another justice of the peace. bardwell would not comment to cnn. the cdc says the h1n1 flu is already causing widespread problems in 41 states. the agency says vaccine production is going more slowly than expected. the cdc was hoping to have 40

million doses of h1n1 vaccine available by the end of this month. but, manufacturing delays could knock that number down to less than 30 million doses. new york state's mandatory order for health care workers to get flu vaccines is temporarily blocked. last month, workers protested the mandate requiring them to get vaccines by november 30th or possibly lose their jobs. the public employees' federation is happy with the judge's decision. >> as we've noted all along, we encourage our members to get vacinate td. we encourage the voluntary vaccination of our members against influenza. we believe that the commissioner overstepped his authority and jurisdiction when he implemented these emergency regulations. >> groups of nurses and teachers were also granted a temporary block against the mandate. it is scheduled to go back to court on october 30th. how does something you have

to say in just 140 characters add up to big bucks for cancer research? we'll have the message and how that buzz got started. >> the best time to book christmas holiday trips is mid-october. >> try to stay away from hub airports. >> now that airports are flying fewer and smaller planes airport congestion is less of a problem. at big hub airports like atlanta and new york there is still serious congestion problems because airlines have actually beefed up flights. >> it is more important than ever to get to the airport on time. >> don't be late for any flight this year. if you do miss your flight, you could end up waiting a day or two for the next available seat

which could ruin anybody's holiday.

the economic downturn has been bad enough for many small businesses. imagine trying to come back from a devastating flood. allan chernoff is looking at one business trying to find ways to make that turnaround. a lot of women think the only way a breast cancer can present is with a lump they or their doctor can feel on physical exam. that's not true.

one of the most important things to look for is a change in your breast, changes in the skin a dimpling or puckering, something pulling the skin back in toward the inside of the breast or a rash or something that looks like an infection or inflammation on the skin that doesn't go away after antibiotic treatment. changes in the nipple. there are different signs and symptoms that we can see of breast cancer or we can feel on physical exam. the most important thing i think, is to try to find these breast cancers when they are early, smaller, most treatable. the father of a missing florida girl has divorced his 17-year-old wife. ronald cummings married misty crosslin a month after his daughter, haley disappeared in february. misty was the last person known to have seen haley. police say they don't think misty has told them everything she knows about haley's disappearance but she is not a suspect in the case. a judge won't throw out a murder charge against casey anthony. anthony is accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter caylee.

anthony's lawyers wanted that first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse charges against her dismissed. they claim the charges are based on circumstantial evidence. a judge said their arguments were insufficient. anthony has pleaded not guilty and says a babysitter kidnapped caylee. the little girl's remains were found last september, months after she was reported missing. the lawyer for jon gosselin is taking a squip at his former employer, the network, tlc is suing gosselin for breach of contract. he was one of the stars on the show "jon & kate plus 8" but the couple is divorcing and now he will have a smaller role in the show. gosselin calls tlc's suit base less. he says the contract was unenforceable and denied him a chance to make a living. a second vaccine has been improved to protect against the virus that causes cervical

cancer. cervarix can be given to girls and women 10 to 25 years old. after the first shot, the second and third doses are given within six months. they approved the first vaccination in 2006. officials in minnesota say three pigs on display at the minnesota state fair tested positive for the h1n1 flu. the state's agriculture department says this may be the first indication that the virus is present in some swine here in the u.s. officials say the pigs showed no sign of sickness. they apparently were healthy. it is most likely the pigs contracted the virus from people visiting the fair. state officials say they are not sure where the pigs are now. they remind everybody that you cannot get swine flu from eating pork products. check your freezer or refrigerator for some potentially bad sausages. a california company is recalling more than 1,100 pounds of the sausages.

now, they are marketed under the vatran and montibella brands. they were produced between march and october. they were distributed to retail stores in california. the company sent the meat to market before federal inspectors checked them. so far, no reports of any illnesses linked to these recalled items. a kids' play house was built to withstand an earthquake. this super deluxe two-story cabin is going down, rope swing and all. why? well, it went a few inches too far.

a chance today for fans of barbara streisand to grab some of her treasured mementos. she is auctioning off hundreds of items she has loved for years. at this stage of her life, she says it is time to let them go. she is selling art, furniture, jewelry, antiques clothes,

costumes she has worn on stage. the beverly hills auction is expected to raise at least half a million dollars. raising money, awareness and a little internet buzz. that was the goal of a new social networking experiment called "beat cancer everywhere." here is how it worked. between yesterday and today people began sending out messages on twitter and facebook including the designation hash tag beat cancer. for every message sent with that phrase, ebay, paypal and miller brewing company plan to donate a penny to a nonprofit cancer organization. it was a 24-hour event. it was part of the event at the blog world event in las vegas. that's where i reporter chris morrow caught up with don lemon. >> it is a huge initiative to raise money to stomp out stamp out cancer in the world.

it shows the power of an idea sitting over dinner and saying let's try to set a record. one minute your sitting around hashing out this idea, the next minute it actually has a possibility to make a change for good in the world. >> once again thanks to i-reporter, chris morrow and like don said pound beat cancer organizeers were hoping to set a world record for a social media event. when you have pictures or video of breaking news or cool stories from your part of the world, go to i-report.com and click on the upload now link. you will find complete instruction on how to submit your stories. an oregon family has to get rid of their play house. the two-story play house was already on the property when the family bought it. city inspectors found it is a bit too line. >> it is totally ridiculous that -- it's a beautiful structure that's not hurting anybody. >> it's over the five-foot line by about, i think it's about 9

or 10 inches. so it's really close. >> the neighbor says the house is causing runoff on to his property. that's eroding his yard and rotting his fence. the playhouse has to be removed or destroyed in two weeks or the family faces fines of $250 a day. they say it would cost about $2,000 to take the treehouse down and rebuild it. morehouse college in atlanta is trying something new a dress code. the new policy enforces 11 expectations of students. among those restrictions students can no longer wear baggy pants, baseball caps, do do-rogdo- do-rags or hoodies. officials say the dress code is needed but some students aren't so sure. >> this is about the morehouse legacy, about the morehouse tradition and about our young men preparing themselves to be the leaders that they are. >> i can understand where they're coming from.

at the same time, some things are restricting us from being ourselves. >> school officials say the policy was in part prompted by some men wearing women's clothes to class. here's a quick look at what we'll be covering for you in the days ahead. tens of thousands will march tomorrow in los angeles and atlanta to raise aids awareness. tuesday, the lab worker accused of killing annie le will be back in court in connecticut. raymond clark could enter a plea at that time. and wednesday, a man charged with genocide and crimes against humanity goes on trial. just ahead, it only happens once a year and this is the weekend that thousands gather at a west virginia bridge to take a wild jump. find out what this classic festival is all about.

d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d

d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d

d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d

d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d

d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d

d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d

richard heene, the so-called balloon boy's father, left us

scratching our heads again today. we were told to expect a big announcement but we got a big surprise instead. pressure is mounting for a louisiana justice of the peace to resign. what he refused to do that has the state's republican governor and one of its democratic senators outraged. and lots of people like to dress up for halloween. but an immigrants rights group says this costume is more of a bad trick than a good treat. you're watching hln "news and views." i'm holly firfer. when you call a news conference, you're expected to make news, right? that's not what happened in colorado this morning. richard heene contacted the media to say he had an important announcement about the ordeal surrounding his son falcon and the family's runaway balloon. so he came out on time, approached the microphones and then asked the media to write down their questions and drop them into a box at his front door. he then walked back into his house. but before he left, he did repeat something he'd said

before about the balloon incident. >> okay. i've got people e-mailing me, calling me. they've got a lot of questions and i don't know how to, quite frankly, answer any of them other than i've got a box, and so later on tonight, 7:30, i want to meet you guys again. i can look these questions over and then i can answer them. so i'm going to place the box out front. please write your questions down because i've got stuff -- friends are telling me they're saying this and that. i have no idea what the news is saying. i don't have a cable. so. >> can we ask you our questions now? >> no, not now. >> could you just say once and for all was this some sort of publicity stunt? was this a hoax and will you talk to the police today? >> absolutely no hoax. i want your questions in the box. i'll get right back to you, okay?

>> heene claimed he answered the media's written questions later this evening. sheriff's investigators are planning to talk to heene and his wife about that runaway balloon incident again today. questions about whether this story started with a hoax, well, they were in the air not long after the balloon itself. earlier, i spoke to psychologist stacy kaiser about the cynical attitude that surfaced so quickly. >> i think that we're all skeptics at heart anyway. however, everybody, including myself, were following that boy when we thought he was in the balloon. so i don't think there's any criticism of us. i think what's happened to all of us who watched it happen or were watching it unfold is we all think this is sort of an unusual story. how many people call 911 and say there's a flying saucer? how many people build these giant balloons in their yards? this is something we never hear of. so that adds to our skepticism.

when you throw in this inconsistent behavior, the things that a little 6-year-old boy says and you have a great mix for something that looks suspicious. >> for parents watching at home who saw the whole incident who now know the story how do they talk to their kids at home about what they saw what they witnessed, what happened? >> in the similar way that i talked about that family what i recommend people do is what i do with my kids, tell them the truth of what you know that took place and then talk to them about the precautions in your own life. tell your kids how it's really important that people not climb into things that can go up in the air, that we keep ourselves safe. that you ask mom or dad or a caretaker if something's okay. i think this is a perfect opportunity for parents to talk to children about safety and about concerns so that they can protect their own families. >> great insight, psychologist

stacy kaiser. thank you for giving us that information this morning. >> my pleasure. check this out. this is in the northeast where winter is definitely arriving early this week. in norfolk, connecticut you can see the leaves still changing behind all that snowfall. and a nor'easter is dumping rain and snow in new jersey. look at this rough surf. gusty winds are a concern all along the coast. and farther inland they're expecting as much as 3 inches of snow by tonight. some parts of the state did get about 2 inches of snow earlier on thursday night. not scary and definitely not funny, that's what an immigrants rights group is saying about this halloween costume that was posted on target's website. the "elle" costume featured an extra terrestrial mask and an orange jumpsuit and a green card accessory. target took the website off its website after the coalition complained.

it calls the costume dis tasteful mean-spirited and ignorant. reaction from people outside an l.a. target was mixed. >> it's pretty ruthless, especially with the mustache. >> for a big corporation to put that out, not so much. it's not good. >> plenty of halloween costumes. it's a little bit of bad taste. >> i like this one the illegal alien. >> that looks like an alien locked up. >> that's racist. >> who cares? that's so funny. that's so funny. who cares? >> well t costume isn't on target.com any longer. it's probably no surprise that you will find at least a dozen for sale on ebay. the governor of louisiana has joined in the outrage over a

justice of the peace who refused to marry an interracial couple. he's calling for keith bardwell's immediate dismissal. bobby jindal says this is a clear violation of state and federal law. louisiana senator mary landrieu calls it an example of ugly bigotry. the woman who bardwell refused to marry because her fiance was black is speaking out. >> it's over racism and we are used to the closet racism. but we are not going to tolerate the overt racism from on elected official. >> beth hum tri and her fiance did get married after finding another justice of the peace. bardwell would not comment to cnn. the cdc says the h1n1 flu is already causing widespread problems in 41 states. but the agency says vaccine production is going more slowly than expected. the cdc was hoping to have 40 million doses of 4 1shgs in

1shgs vaccine available by the end of this month. but manufacturing delays could knock that number down to less than 30 million doses. new york state's mandatory order for workers to get vaccines is temp roir blocked. last week workers protested the mandate. the federation is happy with the judge's decision. >> as we've noted all along. pef encourages its members to get vaccinated encourage the voluntary vaccination of our members against the influenza. however, we believe the commissioner overstepped his authority and jurisdiction when he implemented these emergency regulations. >> groups of nurses and teachers were also granted a temporary block against the mandate. the matter is scheduled to go back to court on october 30th. how does something you have to say in judge 140 characters

add up to big bucks for cancer research? we'll have the message and how that buzz got started.

the father of a missing florida girl has divorced his 17-year-old wife. ronald cummings married misty croslin a month after his daughter haleigh disappeared in february. misty was the last person known to have seen haleigh. police say they don't think misty's told them everything she knows about haleigh's disappearance but she is not a suspect in the case. a judge won't throw out a murder charge against casey anthony. anthony is accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter caylee. now anthony's lawyers wanted that first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse charges against her dismissed. they claim the charges are based on circumstantial evidence. but a judge said their arguments were insufficient. anthony has pleaded not guilty and says a babysitter kidnapped caylee. the little girl's remains were found last december, months after she was reported missing.

the lawyer for reality tv star jon gosselin is taking a swipe at gosselin's former employer. the network, tlc, is suing gosselin for breach of contract. he was one of the stars on the show "jon & kate plus 8," but the couple's divorcing and now he'll have a smaller role in the show. gosselin's lawyer calls tlc's suit baseless. he says gosselin's contract was quote, unenforceable and unconscionable and denied him a chance to make a living. a kentucky man is enjoying life again now that what he calls his walking nightmare is over. as lindsey english from louisville affiliate wave report, he paid the time for a crime he didn't commit. >> you are a free man. congratulations, sir. >> reporter: after nine years behind bars and five years of probation, edwin chandler sheds tears of joy because finally he's a free man.

>> it seems absolutely clear that there's been a grave miscarriage of justice. >> reporter: chandler was on trial in 1995 for the murder of 25-year-old brenda whitfield a clerk working at the chevron food mart. she was shot and killed by this gunman seen in surveillance video. on the stand during his trial chandler pled with jurors that police had the wrong man. >> i said, i'm telling you the truth, i didn't do it. and he said, i don't believe you, i think you're lying. >> reporter: the jury didn't hear him. chandler says it wasn't until 2004 when attorney margaret thomas and the innocence project started listening and investigating this case. >> i couldn't tell you how when you look for somebody to listen to you sometimes or -- you need somebody there. somebody needs somebody everybody needs somebody.

and they were that somebody for me, really. >> reporter: with the request to reopen the case, sergeant denny butler discovered a previously unmatched fingerprint lifted from a colt 45 beer bottle, left on the counter by the shooter. >> that print is a match of percy phillips. >> reporter: percy phillips, the same man you may remember who made national news from this recent outburst in court on unrelated charges. another eyewitness at the seen, john gray, also identified percy phillips as the shooter. >> how do you make this right? i don't know. really, i don't know. i couldn't answer that right now. >> reporter: remarkably chandler isn't pointing fingers. he says he just wants to move on with his fiancee and his family and celebrate his 1-year-old's birthday. >> it means more than words. i can't gather the words to say

it because he's getting a new life, you might as well say. and it's long overdue. >> it's one of those days you just dream of, dreaming that it was going to happen. and it's actually here. so it's a very joyful occasion. >> that report was from wave's lindsey english. and prosecutors join the defense in asking that chandler's conviction and sentence be set aside. chandler's attorney does plan to seek restitution from the state. a second vaccine has been approved to protect against the virus that causes cervical cancer. the fda says cervarix can be given to girls and women ages 10 to 25 years old. after the first shot, the second and third doses are given within six months. the fda approved the first vaccine gardasil in 2006. official in minnesota say three pigs on display at the minnesota state fair tested positive for the h1n1 flu. the state's agriculture

department says this may be the first indication that the virus is present in some swine here in the u.s. officials say the pigs showed no sign of sickness. they apparently were healthy. they say it's most likely the pigs contracted the virus from people visiting the fair. the fair took place between late august and the beginning of september. state officials say they're not really sure where those pigs are now. they remind everybody that you cannot get swine flu from eating pork products. check your freezer or refrigerator for some potentially bad sausages. a california company is recalling more than 1,100 pounds of the sausages. they're marketed under the vatran and montibella brands and they were produced between march and october. the assorted sausages were distributed to retail stores in california. but the company sent the meat to market before federal food safety inspectors checked them. so far there are no reports of any illnesses linked to these recalled items. a kid's playhouse was built

to withstand an earthquake. but this super deluxe two-story cabin is going down, rope, swing and all. why? it went a few inches too far.

there's a chance today for there's a chance today for fans of barbra streisand to grab some of her treasured mementos. the singer is auctions off hundreds of items to raise money for her foundation. she basically says she's getting rid of many items she's loved for years. but at this stage of her life, it's time to let them go. she's selling art, furniture, jewelry, antiques, clothes, costumes that she's worn on stage and even in her movies. the beverly hills auction is expected to raise at least $500,000. raising money awareness and a little internet buzz, that was the goal of a new social networking experiment called beat cancer everywhere. here's how it worked. between yesterday and today, people began setting up messages on twitter and facebook, including the designation, hash tag beat cancer. for every message sent with that phrase, ebay, paypal and miller

brewing company plan to donate a penny to a nonprofit cancer organization. the event was part of the agenda, 24-hour event, at the blogworld event in las vegas. that's where i-reporter chris morrow caught up with cnn's don lemon. >> it's a huge initiative to set a record and raise money to stomp out, stamp out cancer in the world. it shows the power of an idea, an idea just sitting over dinner talking about, let's try to set a record. and i think that social media takes the power of an idea to a new level. one minute you're sitting around hashing out this idea, the next minute, it's actually -- it actually has the possibility to make or change for good in the world. >> once again, thanks to i-reporter chris morrow. pound beat cancer organizers were hoping to set a world record for a social media event. when you have pictures or video of breaking news or maybe cool stories from your part of the world, go to ireport.com and

click on the "upload now" link. you'll find complete instructions on how to submit your stories. an oregon family has to get rid of their playhouse. the two-story house was already on their property when the family bought it. after a neighbor complained, city inspectors found it's a bit too close to the property line. >> it is totally ridiculous that -- it's a beautiful structure that's not hurting anybody. >> it's over the five-foot line by about, i think it's about 9 or 10 inches. so it's really close. >> the neighbor says the house is causing runoff on to his property. that's eroding his yard and rotting his fence. the playhouse has to be removed or destroyed in two weeks or the family faces fines of $250 a day. they say it would cost about $2,000 to take the treehouse down and rebuild it. morehouse college in atlanta is trying something new, a dress code. the new policy enforces 11 expectations of students. among those restrictions,

students can no longer wear baggy pants, baseball caps, do-rags or hoodies in classrooms, the cafeteria or other places. students who don't follow the policy could face penalties. officials say the dress code is needed but some students aren't so sure. >> this is about the morehouse legacy, about the morehouse tradition and about our young men preparing themselves to be the leaders that they are. >> i can understand where they're coming from. at the same time, some things are restricting us from being ourselves. >> school officials say the policy was in part prompted by some men wearing women's clothes to class. just ahead, it only happens once a year and this is the weekend that thousands gather at a west virginia bridge to take a wild jump. find out what this classic festival is all about.

i'm gerri willis and this is your bottom line. today, we'll introduce you to one family that wiped out

$123,000 of debt in just 4 1/2 years and we'll tell you how they did it. major changes coming to your health care in 2010 a step-by-step guide to open enrollment season. and money etiquette, how to handle those sticky social situations. your bottom line starts right now. a major move in the senate this week on the future of your health care. let's get the latest on where this reform stands and what it means to your bottom line from suzanne malveaux. >> this really means an overhaul of the health care system from top to bottom. the cost would be about $829 billion over 10 years. it would provide health insurance for an additional 29 million americans.

the difference here is whether to allow the government to sell health insurance in direct competition with private companies that sell health insurance. whether to include this so-called public option. the health committee bill says yes, the finance committee bill says no. >> so you say public option not a part of this bill. but that's what president obama has been pushing. what are they saying about that? are they willing to endorse this or not? >> right now the finance committee bill is offering this compromise, this idea that publicly owned privately run co-ops could compete with private insurance plans. that is an idea the administration also supports. the white house also believes in an idea that's pitched by the lone republican senator who voted for the bill olympia

snowe, she suggested the public option could kick in later if health insurance companies failed to reform. so here's how the president is putting it. >> we are now closer than ever before to passing health reform. but we're not there yet. now's not the time to pat ourselves on the back. now's not the time to offer ourselves congratulations. now is the time to dig in even harder and get things done. >> the goal is to merge these two bills in a single one that can at least win 60 votes in the senate. the president's team is taking a much more aggressive position in get ago compromise pushed through this time. among those who met behind closed doors on the hill on wednesday were harry reid, senators max baucus, chris dodd and the white house team involved here, rahm emanuel all of them at the table. they're going to be back working

hard, trying to hammer out a compromise on monday. they say this could take at least a couple of weeks. >> suzanne, thank you for your time. from what your health care could look like to what it is right now. according to career builder 1 in 4 workers say they don't pay attention to benefit changes when it comes to open enrollment. some employers are changing and even dropping many of the health benefits they once offered. what should you look out for and how do you decide which plan is best for you? andrew reuben is host of quentin tarantino democrat radio." great to see you, andrew. co-pays are going up, premium deductibles, everything going up by 10%.

now i hear if you don't participate in open enrollment some employer also cut your insurance. what is that all about? >> listen, health care costs going up and up, the economy is really tough, corporations are looking to keep their benefits for their employees, but one of the ways to save money is shift the cost from themselves over on to the employees. that's what you're seeing a lot with the plans. >> ouch. >> it hurts. >> 10% of companies are saying if you don't make a decision, if you're just relying on us to figure out what you had last year and put you in the plan this year forget about it. >> there could be a lot of reasons for that. one in particular some of the plans have changed so it's not going from the same plan from year-to-year anymore to save money they've picked new plans so they want to make sure the employee picks the right plan so they're not on the hook for picking the wrong plan for you. >> define hmo and ppo. what are they and what are the differences? >> they've been around for so long but so many don't understand it. hmo is a plan that's tightly managed health care where you have to pick a primary care physician who manages your health care so before you can go see any specialist and you certainly can't go out of network in an hmo, the primary care physician directs where you

get the care and you have to stay in network. a ppo gives you a little bit more flexibility, you can go out of your health care network, you don't need a primary caregiver to tell you if you are allowed to go to a specialist so you get a little more freedom. you can move around more. still restrictive. the financial incentives are designed in a ppo to keep you in network. >> want to talk about one of the big changes this time around. we're used to co-pays in hmos. 15 bucks, 20 bucks to see your primary care physician. easy peasy if you have a problem. now they're talking about coinsurance. what's that? >> copays are going away in some plans and they're applying coinsurance amounts. it's very simple to understand. 10%, 20% of whatever the bill is the individual will pay as opposed to $10, $20 copays that used to apply. you're starting to see that more. it's not universal but been introduced in a lot of places. >> more out of my pocket, that's what i say. talk about the high deductible plans because 75% of employers

offer these. i'm not sure it's a great deal for most people. >> i always tell people -- i get this question a lot. i'm not a big fan of high deductible plans for people who are working and have other insurance options available to them but as i say all the time if it's a matter of going with no insurance or a high deductible plan and you have that choice, you have that option, go with the high deductible plan. at least if something catastrophic happens or you're a young american at least you have that protection that you're not going to end up with $200,000 hospital bills. these are not easy decisions. >> you need to read the open enrollment docs. pick the right primary care provider because it will be hard to go out of network. >> it's so important. before you pick the primary care provider if you're going with an hmo or ppo that your existing doctors are in your network. so if you like the doctor you have today, and you're in an open enrollment period make sure your doctor is still in that new benefit plan tomorrow. >> andrew, thank you so much for that. >> good to be here.

digging out of debt, we'll introduce to you one family that's gotten themselves out of a horrible debt nightmare and show you how you can do it, too.

getting into debt isn't hard to do. but getting yourself out of six-figure debt in less than five years is possible and this wisconsin family proved it. open that up for you. >> thank you. >> reporter: the family favorite at the hildebrand's dinner table? egg noodles, crackers. this is going to be good, and cream of chicken soup. >> this is mama's cracker casserole. >> reporter: a meatless dish one small way the family of five dug

themselves out of a mountain of debt more than twice their annual income, $123,000. the result of 16 years of overspending. >> it didn't happen overnight. it was just a few thousand every year. >> reporter: the tipping point? >> about $1,544 in finance charges for one month on 11 credit cards. >> to be honest with you i was ashamed i let it get to that point. you know, we've always been big dreamers. >> reporter: but the dreamers didn't take the easy way out. ruling out bankruptcy and opting instead to pay off their debt. >> it was my debt. i made the mistakes. i made the responsibility. >> reporter: candy cut the budget so much that at the end of the month, she often had less than $5 to spare. plenty of people have $1,200 worth of debt, lots of people have $12,000 worth of debt, but to have $120,000 worth of debt, how can you possibly pay that back? >> we quit eating out and that

was right away. we quit buying some of our favorite brand name things that were costlier. we would go down to the generic, and actually as i was kind of running out of my favorite brand name things i would add water to stretch it. >> reporter: the hildebrandts saved $70 a month doing car repairs, $250 by stretching out leftovers. saved $150 a month by buying at thrift stores, $200 by cutting their own hair. no more cds and dvd purchases, only essentials. russell got a second job working nights as a janitor in addition to his day job as a chemist, sleeping only a few hours a night. >> some nights i admit i don't think i was going to make it but i knew one thing, whether i made it or not i was going to give it the best try i could give. >> reporter: to save on gas money, he slept in his car. >> i put my hood on and i would

just, my pillow over and snuggle in for the night. >> reporter: twin daughters holly and heidi put together a newsletter and sold it to relatives. >> that's what they like is the topping. >> reporter: dinnertime became family time. >> we would sit here for two hours and tell stories and laugh and just, i think that was our funnest time, and even though i would be dog tired i enjoyed it because that was the time i'd get to spend with my family. >> and having a common goal brought everyone together. >> it isn't so much what's on the table as much as what took place while we were here. >> so the hildebrandts did it and you can do it, too. they used a credit counseling service to help them organize debt and reduce interest charges, after four and a half years, they were debt free and they bought their first house. it's possible to get rid of this debt. gale cunningham will tell you how to do it. she's with the national foundation for credit counseling. gale, i think for a lot of people out there, they want a credit counselor, don't know how to find a legitimate one. how do you do that? >> that's a valid question

because there are unscrupulous among us in our industry, but i think if you reach out to an agency that's affiliated with a national body such as the national foundation for credit counseling, it adds another layer of security, along with being a non-profit, that's what i would seek. >> what are the red flags out there, because there are some people who say that some of these outfits collect your money and keep it. how do i not get involved with a group like that? >> oh, absolutely. it is critical that the consumer do his or her homework in advance of any financial decision, ask the right questions and make sure you get the right answers. find out about fees. what fees are charged and get the answer in writing, make sure that you don't pay for a service prior to any service being delivered. make sure that the company is willing to work with you regardless of the amount of your debt, if they screen you in advance to find out if you have "x" amount of debt or "x" number of credit cards you hang up and keep calling. >> i think that's great advice. let's talk about what exactly these counselors do. what do they do that i couldn't

do myself? >> well, that's a great question. sometimes people frankly just feel overwhelmed. the average consumer debt came to an nfcc member agency last year, had six credit cards and as a matter of fact, their credit card debt, unsecured debt accounted for 62% of their household income. they are overwhelmed. they say i can't tell my story to six different creditors, six different times and negotiate six different repayment plans. help me. and so the nfcc counselor is trained to step in, do a thorough intake, review that budget, make suggestions for changes where necessary and then negotiate with the creditors for a lower monthly payment, lower interest rate, and late fees and overlimit fees stopped or lowered. >> of course in the case of the hildebrandts, rates decreased to 2% in some cases and that went a long way helping them pay back their debt. >> absolutely. unfortunately it's not uncommon for us to see interest rates in

the 30% range now. as you can imagine it's very difficult to make any headway paying that kind of interest each month. so the nfcc counselors can help get that interest rate reduced to 2% or even 1.75% in true hardship cases. >> that's excellent. gail, thank you for that. >> you bet, thank you, gerri. making the most of what you've got, we'll show you how to get organized and maximize your storage space. plus as we approach the holiday season how to avoid the sticky social situations.

who wouldn't like more space, whether you live in a studio or you have square feet to spare, our next guest is here to show us all about maximizing your storage space without spending a ton of money. danny lipford is a home improvement expert and host of today's homeowner with danny lipford. you've got a lot of great ideas. >> thank you. >> we're starting in a funny place. i think the closet you've already got the space you need, no? >> right? >> you'll help us maximize that space. >> when you think about a house you don't need to think about it talking about storage as square feet, think of it as cubic feet. that's what you have -- >> the space up and down and sideways and everything. >> exactly and like in a closet so many times there's areas in there but when you look at a closet situation you'll see that there's a lot of ways that you can change it.

>> we're looking at it right now. >> you can utilize different types of systems that are available or have a cabinet or closet company come in and kind of customize the different cabinets for the individual that's using the closet. that will make sure you're using every single bit of it. >> you have a shoe rack you want to show us. >> you can also very simple things. this is something that everybody can use. this is a canvas shoe rack that hangs on the back of the door. it's space that's available. think of all the shoes you could put in this type of arrangement. >> that's inexpensive. >> yeah, this is just a few dollars. it gets all those shoes up off the floor behind the door where you can see them but not taking up a lot of space. >> i have a pedestal sink in my bathroom. it's pretty but there's no storage. >> people are taking those out and putting in vanities. they're reasonable at the home centers. in different bathrooms, trying

to remove a lot of the different pieces of cabinetry. you can install a lot of pullouts like this even in existing cabinetry. >> that's a lot of storage. >> above the toilet you can get a lot of space -- utilize a lot of that space. >> neighbors of mine have this garage that is packed full of stuff. they never park there because there's no space. could they use that space better? >> without a debt. i wonder how many people in america actually use their garage for parking cars. but the idea is getting up things off the floor that you can hang things. that will make a big difference so that you just free up that space. there are. so ways oforing. so many different systems. >> do you ever to buy a whole system? i've seen those and they are expensive. >> you can spend a lot of money

in your garage. >> use a few things here and there. the hooks on the ceiling to allow to you hang bikes or other things. >> there you are. >> i can do some of this work. then being able to display things to where you can see what you have. again, it's not taking up the space. it is a nice neat way. the hooks here these are things that are so inexpensive. make sure that you are screwing them into a stud or a rafter so that it holds up. but magic up overhead. >> by doing that you can see when you have a if you're not trying to find something and it is lost. >> and the main thing go in there and throw stuff away. if you're not using it get rid of it. >> now you sound like my husband. let's talk about the kitchen. you can really maximize space there. sometimes the systems that people have, they're not very well organized. >> again you have a lot of space inside the cabinet. if you step back and look at your kitchen cabinets there is so much space in there. you can utilize racks that pull

out. tons that are available. and like this example, they're using every square inch. that cabinet instead of just having them on the floor. >> and can i tell you how much easier it is? >> accessible. here's something, you ever your cleaning supplies that you can carry with you. we grabbed the one foot of space above existing cabinets. had a cabinetmaker build this little cabinet right on top and grab that. maybe it was a little out of the way. perfect for the seasonal holiday things. >> and you have to have a little foot stool or something to get there. it is really great. as always fantastic information. great to have you. >> always good to be here. we've all been there. who picks up the check and do you need to beret gift? how to handle those sticky situations.

ever since i can remember, i have embarked on a new mission so you can save money, spend less, and avoid getting ripped off. >> recently, people in several southern states suffered enormous heartbreaking damage from floods. the media coverage has been all about the flooded houses. but you know what else got flooded? people's cars. and just as what happens after any hurricane, a lot of those flooded cars end up being marketed as perfectly clean used cars. and if you buy one of them, you're buying junk. when you buy a used car, it doesn't matter what the salesperson says to you.

all that matters is that on the window sticker it says, as is, no warranty. you can't rely on anybody's words or promises, sadly. if you're going to buy a used car, how good the engine and transmission is, make any deal for the purchase of a used car sunt to having it checked out by a plek annic prior to buying it. a lot of places won't let you have it checked out by a mechanic. my question for them? what do they have to hide? protect yourself. how can i help you protect your wallet? what's your question for me? jim joins us. hi, jim. >> how you are you? >> great thank you. you are in a mix that is high income and high debt. is that a fair statement? >> that's pretty much on the money. >> lay out the background for me.

>> well, credit card debt is primarily what we're trying to deal with here. we've got an excessive amount of probably close to $85,000. >> $85,000 in credit card doubt versus an annual income of how much? >> probably combined around 150. >> all right. you know you're above the danger zone. once you cross having 50% of your income in celled card debt for most people it's not going to be, it will be actually a pretty rocky road getting that 85 down to zero. >> i've just been working the numingz and i have come one a plan that seems to be work achbl we borrow from ourselves. $50,000. that's the limit which they will allow to us borrow from that. the other part of the scenario is to take $42,000.

as a withdrawal. >> let me stoup you right there. based on your income if you take federal and state tax plus penalties, you'll lose 40 cents of each dollar of that $42,000. so i'm going to propose a compromise. let's say the $50,000 loan. you reduce the amount of credit card debt down to 35,000. that 35,000 becomes more manage able for you to you pay against. if you can see yourself paying off and you can come off with realistic numbers where you and your wife can pay off that remaining $35,000 in 36 or 42 months, i would say that's a go. caution, partial green light for doing the loan from the 401(k), i can't believe i just said it.

cheryl, you have no debt at all? >> caller: no. we own both our cars free and clear. we paid off our mortgage a few years ago and we're well past school loans so we're all set. my question now is we need to do a lot of work to our house. everything has been redone when we moved in 15 years ago and we're looking at a roof and windows and flooring and a kitchen and just a money pit at the moment. and i'm wondering if we can get another first mortgage. >> and if you were to take the cost of the roof, the flooring and the windows and the kitchen what would that add up to? >> caller: 50. >> if it is $50,000, that's not an amount that is usual lay good amount to do on a mortgage.

because the closing costs involved. so as an alternative are you and your husband a member of a credit union yet? >> caller: we could be. i know that there are credit unions we could join. >> shop around for a credit union that is known as a five-year home he can witnessed loan. they carry extremely low rates from a credit union, and usually extremely low closing costs. >> caller: you huh. that >> so that would be the right loan product for the five years that and for a very small mortgage. you avoid the costs on a closing. >> next on clark howard -- >> i think i'm at the point where i should started reducing the amount of risk slowly over each year, i suppose. >> is this one of those hotel ballroom type things? >> after talking to friends

about it who have been to something like that, yeah.

frederiki, you have a soon to be college child, is that true? >> caller: yes, i do. >> that's a very affordable four years, isn't it? >> caller: yes. and that's why we're looking at different options, we don't have too much to go with. and i'm not sure how this particular company i'm calling you about got our phone number. it's possible that my son signed up something in school. and they called us and set up an appointment for a presentation. to which we went. >> is this one of those hotel ballroom kind of things? >> caller: after talking to some friends about it who had been to

something like that -- yeah. >> alert, alert. >> that is your money blowing to smithereens. did you go yet, or are you going. >> caller: no, we went. >> please tell me you did not sign a contract. >> caller: no, we did not. i wanted to find out more about it. and i told them i would like to get more information. >> this is a very, very sleazy underbelly of the college market. the sleazy part is doing the whole hotel ballroom thing about how we know all this secret money. pay us this money, and we'll help you? because what happens is, they don't. they may do the clerical stuff, but it is just an overpriced glorified clerical service. that you would be paying for. now there are some legitimate websites. and i actually have a full list

at clarkhoward.com where you can get info legitimately on money that might be available for your child. one in particular i want you to look at. you may have already been there, is financialaid.org. have you been there? >> caller: no, i have not. >> a very good clearing house site for money that might be available for your child. or grants and scholarships. >> do you have a question you'd like me to answer? well, all you do is go to my website. what's that? cnn.com/clarkhoward. and submit a video question to me. and who knows, maybe i'll answer your question, just like i'm doing for will. >> hi, my name is will and i need a money coach. i'm concerned about retirement. i have a 401(k) from my old job that i never rolled over.

i have a 401(k) from my current job, i was putting in the maximum. which was right around that irs limit. and then i lowered that amount, temporarily in order to pay off my credit card faster. now that the credit card is almost paid off, i'm going to have the money back to do something with. so do i put it back in the 401(k)? or are there other options so i can diversify my retirement? >> will, i know so often i sound like the man from roth. but if it were me, and you're now ready to beef up your savings again, i would look, instead of putting the money into a 401(k), put it into what's known as a roth account. you're allowed to put up to $5,000 a year into a roth. which is a tax-free savings account. you're not going to get the tax deal up front that you get with a regular ira, but all your money grows tax-free and it's spent tax-free. who should not do a roth?

well, will obviously is a real disciplined guy. he took the money that was going towards the 401(k) and then he used it over time methodically to wipe out credit card debt. you should, instead, though do a 401(k) or the equivalent at your place of work. if you know you lack the discipline to get the money into the account. it's $like not like a 401(k). with a roth, you're the one who actively has to go through the process of putting the money into the account. >> next on clark howard -- >> it is sometimes difficult to be enthusiastic, especially when you don't have a job. but you have to keep going forward and moving and always keep open to learning new things. >> how much credit card debt are you carrying at this point? >> would it be bad if i told you i really didn't know? >> that would be really bad. >> catch that and a lot more, this sunday at 4:00 p.m. on "clark howard."

let me get you to complete this form right here. and your name and social right here. i need you to give this back to me. >> a lot of people are experiencing unemployment for the first time in their lives. and they don't know exactly how the process works. i'm at a state unemployment office. we're going to hear what people experience when they walk in, plus, what unemployment has been like for them. how are you today? >> all right. i put your advice to work. >> all right. we're here with elizabeth, who is a real brainiac. you have just completed a degree in -- >> physics.

>> physics. >> from emory university, my masters, actually. >> your university where you just got your masters. are there services available to you there to help you network and look for opportunities? >> yes, there are. the career center at emory university is available for two years for any graduate. i came here just to expand my number of opportunities. to look for jobs. >> and you seem pretty energetic and enthusiastic about this. >> it is sometimes difficult to be enthusiastic, especially when you don't have a job. but you have to keep going forward. and moving and always keep open to learning new things. >> how long have you been unemployed? >> six months. six months. >> has it been really hard? >> it's been hard. >> how have you been putting food on the table this six months?

>> food stamps. >> have you ever been through a time of unemployment that went on for a long time like this? >> never, never. no, this is the first time i ever seen it like this. it's never been like this before -- never. and then there are saying that if you don't have good credit background checks and stuff like that, you can't work. so there's a lot of obstacles in the way. >> so speaking of that challenge, what do you say to somebody who is well-educated, never faced unemployment before. and it has stretched into month after month of unemployment with seemingly nobody hiring? >> you have to be flexible. look at your skill sets, but also be willing to seek additional training and education, if there are no jobs available, it's a great time to go back to school, to a technical college or a two-year or four-year institution. flexibility is the key, not just looking for the job you lost, but looking for new careers and opportunities as well.

>> what about you, bob? what's going on with your job search? >> back in april i was let go of my employer. i had been with them for about 11 years, all total. i had seen the writing on the wall. >> you kind of knew this was coming? >> yeah. >> so knowing that the guillotine might fall on you, had you done things in advance to prepare for that? >> i had done everything i could. i laid out my resumé. got it updated. started networking with former colleagues. >> so in terms of the clerical side of this. you come in and you do what? >> they have all sorts of different positions in there. if you see something that is suited to you, then you put your name in for it. the website is laid out fairly well. i've actually had had quite a few interviews, but i am optimistic. >> i got to tell you how impressed i've been with the people i've talked with who are faced with unemployment.

we as a people are far more resilient than really most of us expect to be in this situation. and we're more versatile in what we're going to do next. evelyn is with us. evelyn, how are you? >> caller: i'm fine, clark, how are you? >> wonderful, thank you. you are cutting a deal with a friend or family member? is that right? >> caller: yes, we're in california. and we have a home to sell. and we have a family member who wants to buy it. and despite the falling housing market, we have a relatively great price on it. we're both pretty happy with. and because we've lost so much market value. we're trying to save money and find it difficult to have someone actually sell this. we don't need a real estate agent to list the property. we don't want it on mls. >> if you're selling to a relative, you don't need to do any of that. let's talk about a couple of things. one, if you're selling to a relative. you are held to a higher

standard in that the selling price needs to be considered to be an arms-length price. are you giving a real gift to the relative? or are you selling it what would be considered by a stranger to be a fair price on your home? >> no, we're not completely giving it away. we've been trying to talk about the process for the whole year. so the price keeps slipping. >> all right. so as far as what i would normally recommend in this case, when you have an identified buyer, whether it's family friend or stranger, but you're doing your own deal -- is that i recommend that what would be a relatively low cost, that you have a real estate lawyer draw up the paperwork. and that way, you would protect your interest, you would protect the interest of the relative buying the property. everything would be done properly. >> wait, actually i called two real estate lawyers to kind of get a sense of that. and they were quoting $250, to $350 an hour.

>> how many hours of clock time, were they thinking it would be two hours? >> caller: they couldn't tell me. >> you need to nail that down. because just as in states where real estate lawyers do closings, they will state to you a price for them to do the closing. and it is a fixed price. you should have that same right in california, even though that's not normally the procedure that's followed. next on "clark howard" -- >> you're hiring somebody? >> caller: yes. >> well the big problem you're going to have is once you post almost anywhere, is how are you going to deal with the enormous numbers of applicants you're going to get right now.

ever since i can remember, i've been fascinated with money, making it, savings it, studying it. by the time i was 31, i had earned enough to retire. so i embarked on a new mission -- helping you take care of your money. so you can save more, spend less and avoid getting ripped off.

now from his radio studio, your money expert, clark howard. >> the other day i was in a discount store, and not one, but two people in front of me wrote checks. it seemed like i had not one, but two more birthdays while i waited for their checks to be approved and then it was my turn. well, you know what? not only is it a pain for me, but it's a pain for the retailer, because they take that check from you. they don't know if it's going to be good. it's almost like they're making you a loan. well, whole foods is now experimenting in a handful of stores with refusing to take checks. that's right. you can pay with cash, debit or credit, period. and you know what, this is actually a good thing for you. because it is turbo dangerous for you to carry a checkbook. did you know that having your checkbook stolen is the worst form of identity theft? because a criminal steals your checkbook, you rush to your bank, you shut down the account. the criminal writes the checks. next thing that happens, the

police might be at your door, arresting you for having written bad checks. that's a bad nightmare. so that checkbook? keep it at home and stay out of harm's way. and, you won't hold people up in line behind you. and now, let's see what's on your mind. what questions do you have for me. kevin, you're facing a financial crossrods in your life, aren't you? >> caller: yes. >> what's going on, kevin? >> caller: i'm trying to reach out to the mortgage company, but they're giving us a really hard time, so my question is, if i go into foreclosure, what are the implications in terms of you know, i'm just responsible for? and do they go after like my savings and stuff like that? how does foreclosure work? >> let's go back a couple of steps. you said that you have reached out to your lender and you're just getting a big blowoff? >> caller: right. they just give me the run-around.

i mean, my first option was to sell the house and pay off the remaining balance. >> what you're referring to now is doing a short sale. you're upside-down in your mortgage, by how much would you guess, versus what the market would pay for your house? >> right. >> how much? >> about $50,000. >> versus a house that has a mortgage on it of how much? >> caller: about 270. if i would sell it at the market, it would probably bring around 220, or 230. >> well that is potentially doable as a short sale. the loss the lender would suffer, allowing you to sell it at market, is so much less than what they would suffer in a foreclosure. that it would be a win for them and a win for you if they allowed you to maintain the house, market it successfully and get it sold. somewhere in that $220,000 to

$230,000 range. >> does a short sale affect your credit? >> short sale affects your credit much less than a foreclosure. and much, much less than a bankruptcy. that's why it's much better to be persistent. see if you can work something out. and it could be any of the things. it could be where you work out a modification, where you're able to stay. if that's something you're interested in. it could be that they work with you on doing a short sale. who knows what it is they'll do with you. but i can tell you the one thing they don't want to do, is to have to clean up after you have walked away and been foreclosured on. ray is with us. hello, ray. >> caller: hello, clark. thank you for taking my call. >> sure, you want to ask me a question about the conundrum about when you cash in retirement money, versus the tax rates you have to pay on it. >> caller: yes, clark, i've

heard you say a couple of times about that you expect the tax rates to go up. and i agree with you. i think it's almost a certainty that that will happen. i'm wondering, would it be better to cash in my retirement accounts and pay the penalty? or -- >> oh, no way, no way. because the loss of sheltering the money over the years -- this is money that you have in iras? >> caller: yes. >> in the ira, there is a long-term benefit to allowing the money to grow, sheltered from tax. there is, though, a very exotic way for to you do something halfway in between what you're thinking of doing and what i just said. are you ready? there's something known as the actuarial method of withdrawal that allows you an exemption from the tax penalty.

and you take money out year by year from your ira penalty-free, but you pay the tax. so you would have money that you can then invest in a taxable account however you want. spend as you wish, whatever. but you're never subject to penalty, as long as you do the actuarial method properly each year. it would be a method of hedging. because you take some of your money and you'd move it over. or another alternative is you know next year, if you can afford to pay the tax next year, you are allowed to migrate all of your ira money, regardless of income, into a roth account. pay the tax, but no penalty. and then that money will never be taxed again. as i think of the alternatives, that would be the best thing of all. is just wait until the calendar turns to 2010. and then make that switch and you don't have any tax problems

to consider. next on "clark howard" -- >> my financial situation is i've managed to save some money and put some money away in the bank. but it's just sitting there. >> caller: i can't bring myself to buy a new car. >> you said the word -- lease. >> caller: is that a -- >> oh. it makes me choke!

we're speaking now with j.t. hello, j.t. how are you? >> caller: i'm well, sir, how are you? >> great, thank you. you're thinking of getting a car? >> caller: yes, sir. i am in the market for a car and my question is, i'm all about margins and i wanted to see, what's going to be more cost-effective? lease a car or to get a used car? i just couldn't -- i can't bring myself to buy a new car. >> you said the word lease. >> caller: is that a -- >> it makes me choke! don't say the word lease in my presence, because i start having a heart palpitations and have trouble breathing. i can't speak a clear sentence. leasing is poison to your pocketbook. >> caller: okay. >> it is really, really awful. compared, buying a new car

versus leasing a new car -- almost 100% of the time, you're better off buying than you are leasing. the sweet spot in the market is buying a two-year, 3-year-old or 4-year-old used car. that may have been a return from a lease, or it could have been a car that nobody liked any more. that's where the real money is saved. because you know in the first three years of ownership, do you know typically a car loses from 40%, to 55% of its value in those first three years. >> caller: right. and that's why i can't bring myself to buy a new car. >> but except, you know, if you lease a car, you're the one paying that depreciation in that two or three-year lease. but my real bias is if you find a couple of year-old used car, has 25,000 to 45,000 miles on. if you can buy one at a huge

discount from what a new one would cost, i think that from strictly dollars and cents, i know there's fun having a new car. but if you look at it just from money, jt, it's a better deal to buy that used car, almost always, versus buying the new. it's time for money coach, that's where you get to ask me your money questions. right now we're going to visit with mike, who's got a question for me about how to make his wallet fatter and fatter and fatter. mike? >> caller: hi, my name is mike. i need a money coach. my financial situation is i've managed to save some money. and put some money away in the bank. but it's just sitting there. i know it can be more valuable somewhere else. i think it would be a great thing to set up some retirement plan or some 401(k) plan. and kind of prepare for my future. as well as invest my money into something that i could potentially be very profitable

for me. i believe that with some general direction, i can save money, learn to budget my money better. my question is, is what are the different avenues i can take in investing my money to make it profitable. >> all right, mike, first, you need to congratulate yourself on something. you have virtually zero dollars of debt. so often when i'm talking to somebody who is younger, it's so hard to juggle the balls in the air, do you save for the future, do you pay off debt. because you essentially have no debt, you have the whole marketplace open to you. as far as saving for retirement, especially when you're young, my favorite way for you to do it, is an account called a roth account. a roth is where you can put $5,000 each year into a tax-free account, that earns tax-free, for as long as you want to leave the money in there. and you can use it for

retirement all the money in the account, plus everything it earns, flows to you free of any income tax whatsoever. a great choice for you. now, the thing is, how do you open one of these things? you can open a roth most anywhere. you can do it at a mutual fund, you can do it at the bank. you already have your money sitting in earning like zip. but because you're so young, my goal for you is to put the money either in stocks or my favorite -- index funds. where you own a little tiny slice of hundreds of companies across american capitalism. now, the easiest, easiest answer for you is to go into a target retirement fund with that roth. where you put the money into an account based on your likely year to retire. and then as you get closer and closer to retirement, the money is invested more and more conservatively for you. next on "clark howard" -- >> caller: i have some preexisting medical issues. so there is risk for need of

cash for either medical expenditures or even living expenses potentially. so i've got to plan for both. to live to 90 and to plunk it out here soon.

jackie joins us, hello, jackie, how are you? >> caller: i'm fine, how are you? >> great, thank you. >> caller: my question has to do with a potential identity theft, with a recently-deceased mother. >> first, let me tell you i'm sorry that you lost your mom recently. >> caller: well, thank you. i, i received a letter from a national bank asking me to contact them, because it was very brief. it just said, please contact us immediately if you have applied for a credit card recently. if not, then one has been applied for in this name. because i'm executor for her estate, as well as i had power of attorney before she died, i just open all mail. when i contacted the bank, they said, okay, we'll notify anybody in our bank that this person is deceased and no more applications will be received in

that name. but i asked, what should i do? that means that information is out there. it could be used elsewhere. >> right. >> and they didn't really have any real concrete recommendations. >> there is a trick i have. and that is, what if you, as executrix went on the credit sites of the three largest credit bureaus, because the credit bureaus must not know yet that your mom is deceased. you'll be able to freeze the credit, ball you'll have the information. what that would do is that would prevent anybody from attempting to open accounts as if they were your late mom. >> okay. so i can do that online? >> yes essentially you're impersonating her, but you're legally allowed to, as her executor. >> how can i be of service? >> i am two issues i'm looking

at. i'm trying to secure my retirement at this time. i'm state official employed. i have some preexisting medical issues. so there is risk for need of cash for either medical expenditures or even living expenses, potentially. so i've got to plan for both. to live to 90 and to pluck it out here soon. >> that is a very, very difficult mix. that is a very hard mix. do you have medical problems of a nature that you can end up with medical bills that could potentially bankrupt you? >> caller: i'm self-employed, so i don't have good insurance. yes, it has a cap on it. >> what's the lifetime cap? >> caller: one mill. >> one million dollars sounds like a huge amount of money. but for serious medical conditions, it's not a lot at all. of the $1 million in lifetime cap, how much have you used? >> caller: not significant. a drop. >> all right.

so it is a possibility, but a remote one, that you will exhaust your medical benefits? >> caller: yes. >> so that switches the emphasis more to the long-term, socking money away for the future. and as a self-employed individual, have you been doing a s.e.p. plan. >> caller: no. >> is your business profitable at this point? >> caller: yes. >> so the s.e.p. lets you put in up to $49,000 a year on this formula into a retirement formula into a retirement account which is the best vehicle available to the self-employed. the other thing you can look at is something you may have heard me talk about before which is a roth account. and a roth is a -- works differently than a sep. a sep reduces your current taxable income for your business but all the money in the sep is ultimately taxed when you spend it in retirement.

a roth account works backwards. you can put five grand in it each year but you get no tax benefit up front but all the money in the roth is tax free at time of retirement. how about santa coming with his sleigh ultra early and having the thing packed with deals? i had already told you that this was going to be the most promotional christmas we could ever remember. promotional is retailees for meaning, everything is going to be cheap. walmart stores is responding to the competitive threat toys r' us is posing with all its new popup stores. those are temporary retail stores they're going to offer low, low prices on toys. walmart's response? 100 popular toys brand name toys for ten bucks. now, i tell you, i would push up

your christmas shopping for kids and get it done before october is over. because these toys are so affordable compared to what they'd be otherwise. there are so many people who want to buy for kids for christmas, i would buy early now. next on "clark howard" -- >> caller: that's not going to be an issue. my girlfriend's family lives there so -- >> free housing? >> caller: yes. >> free? you beat me, didn't you?

richard heene the so-called balloon boy's father left us scratching our heads again today. we were told to expect a big announcement but we got a big surprise instead. pressure is mounting for a louisiana justice of the peace to resign. what he refused to do that has the state's republican governor and one of its democratic senators outraged. lots of people like to dress up for halloween but an immigrants rights group says this costume is more of a bad trick than a good treat. you're watching hln "news and views." i'm holly firfer. so when you call a news conference you're expected to make news, right? well, that's not what happened in colorado this morning. richard heene contacted the media to say he had an important announcement about the ordeal surrounding his sun falcon and the family's run away balloon so

he came out on time approached the microphones, and then asked the media to write down their questions and drop them into a box at his front door. he then walked back into his house, but before he left, he did repeat something he had said before about the balloon incident. >> okay. i got people e-mailing me calling me. they got a lot of questions. i don't know how to quite frankly answer any of them other than i got a box. so later on tonight, 7:30, i want to meet you guys again. i can look these questions over. then i can answer them. okay? i'll plals the box up front. please write your questions down because i've got stuff -- friends are telling me they're saying this and that. i have no idea what the news are saying. i don't have a cable so, okay? >> can we just ask you our questions now? >> no not at all. what? >> could you just say once and

for all was this some sort of publicity stunt? was this a hoax? will you talk to the police today? >> absolutely no hoax. i want your questions in the box. i'll get right back to you. okay? >> well, heene claimed he answered the media's written questions later this evening. sheriff's investigators plan to talk to heene and his wife about the run away balloon incident again today. questions about whether this story started with a hoax were in the air not long after the balloon itself. earlier i spoke to psychologist stacy kis bert the cynical attitude that surfaced so quickly. >> i think we're all skeptics at heart anyway. everybody, including myself, were following that boy when we thought he was in the balloon. so i don't think there is any criticism of us. what i think has happened to all of us who watched it happen or are watching it unfold is we all

think this is an unusual story. how many people call 911 and say there's a flying saucer? how many people build these giant balloons in their yard? that is something we never hear of so it adds to our skepticism. then you throw in all of this sort of inconsistent behavior the things a little 6-year-old boy says, and you have a great mix for something that looks suspicious. >> for parents with their families at home watching this whole situation unfold who saw the whole incident who now know the story, how do they talk to their kids at home about what they saw and witnessed, what happened? >> well, in a similar way what i recommend people do is what i did with my own kids which is tell them the truth of what you know took place and then talk to them about the precautions in your own life. tell your kids how it's really important that people not climb into things that can go up in the air. that we keep ourselves safe. that you ask mom or dad or a

care taker if something is okay. i think this is a perfect opportunity for parents to talk to children about safety and about concerns so that they can protect their own families. >> great insight. psychologist stacy kaiser, thank you for that information this morning. we appreciate you. >> my pleasure. okay. check this out. this is in the northeast where winter has definitely arrived early. in norfolk, connecticut, you can see the leaves still changing behind all the snowfall. and a nor'easter is dumping rain and snow in new jersey. look at this rough surf. gusty winds are a concern all along the coast. further inland they expect as much as three inches of snow by tonight. some parts of the state did get about two inches of snow earlier on thursday night. not scary and definitely not funny. that's what an immigrants rights group is saying about this halloween costume that was posted on target's website. the illegal alien costume

featured an extra terrestial mask, orange jump suit with "illegal alien" written on it and a green card access richlt target took the costume off the website after the coalition for humane immigrants rights of los angeles complained. it calls the costume distasteful, mean spirited, and ignorant of social stigmas. reaction from people outside an l.a. target was mixed. >> i reckon it's ruthless, with the mustache a bit over the top. >> for a big corporation to put that out i think it's kind of not so much. not good. >> plenty of halloween costumes. it's a little bit of bad taste. >> the green card. >> that looks like cheech and chong but an alien. >> for sure. this is where you go. >> that's racist. >> who cares? it's so funny.

that's so funny. who cares? >> while the costume isn't on target.com any longer it's probably no surprise that you will find at least a dozen for sale on ebay. the governor of louisiana has joined in the outrage over a justice of the peace who refused to marry an interracial couple. he's calling for keith bardwell's immediatemeadimmediate dismissal. bobby jindal says this is a clear violation of state and federal law. louisiana senator mary landreau calls it bigotry. the woman he refused to marry because her fiance is black is speaking out. >> it's over racism and we are used to the cause of racism but we are not going to tolerate the over racism from an elected official. >> reporter: beth humphrey and her fiance did get married after finding another jus tifs the peace. bardwell would not comment to

cnn. the cdc says the h1n1 flu is already causing widespread problems in 41 states. but the agency says vaccine production is going more slowly than expected. the cdc was hoping to have 40 million doses of h1n1 vaccine available by the end of the month but manufacturing delays could knock the number down to less than 30 million doses. how does something you have to say in just 140 characters add up to big bucks for cancer research? we'll have the message and how that buzz got started.

the father of a missing florida girl has divorced his 17-year-old wife. ronald cummings married misty crosslin a month after his daughter haleigh disappeared in february. misty was the last person known to have seen haleigh. police say they don't think misty has told them everything she knows about haleigh's disappearance but she is not a suspect in the case.

a judge won't throw out a murder charge against casey anthony. anthony is accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter caylee. now anthony's lawyers wanted the first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse charges against her dismissed and claim the charges are based on circumstantial evidence but a judge said their arguments were insufficient. anthony has pleaded not guilty and says a baby-sitter kidnapped caylee. the little girl's remains were found last december months after she was reported missing. the lawyer for reality tv star jon gosselin is taking a swipe at gosselin's former employer. the network tlc is suing gosselin for breach of contract. he was one of the stars on the show "jon and kate plus 8" but the couple is divorcing and now he'll have a smaller role in the show. gosselin's lawyer calls tlc's suit baseless. he says gosselin's contract was, quote, unenforceable and unconscionable and denied him a chance to make a living. a kentucky man is enjoying life

again now that what he calls his walking nightmare is over. as lindsay english from louisville affiliate wave reports, he paid the time for a crime he didn't commit. >> you are a free man. god bless you, sir. >> reporter: after nine years behind bars and five years of probation, edwin chandler sheds tears of joy because, finally, he's a free man. >> it seems absolutely clear that there's ban grave miscarriage of justice. >> reporter: chandler was on trial in 1995 for the murder of 25-year-old brenda whitfield a clerk working at the chevron food mart. she was shot and killed by this gunman seen in surveillance video. on the stand during his trial, chandler pled that police had the wrong man. >> i said i'm telling you the truth. i didn't do it. he said i don't believe you.

i think you're lying. >> reporter: the jury didn't hear him. chandler says it wasn't until 2004 when attorney margarette thomas and the innocence project started listening and investigating this case. >> i couldn't tell you how you know, when you look for somebody to listen to you sometimes or you know, you need somebody there, somebody needs somebody, everybody needs somebody. you know, they were that somebody for me, really. >> reporter: with the request to reopen the case, the pd sergeant denny butler discovered a previously unmatched fingerprint lifted from a beer bottle which was left on the counter by the shooter. >> that print is a match of percy philips. >> reporter: yes, the same man you may remember who made national news from this recent outburst in court on unrelated charges. another eyewitness at the scene, john gray, also identified percy philips as the shooter.

>> how do you make this right? >> i don't know. really, i don't know. i couldn't answer that right now. >> reporter: remarkably chandler isn't pointing fingers. he says he just wants to move on with his fiance and his family and celebrate his 1-year-old's birthday. >> it means more than words. i can't get out the words to say it, because he's getting a new life. and it's long overdue. >> this is one of those days you just dream of dreaming it was going to happen and it is actually here so it was a very joyful occasion. >> that report was from wave's lindsay english. prosecutors join the defense in asking that chandler's conviction and sentence be set aside. chandler's attorney does plan to seek restitution from the state. a second vaccine has been approved to protect against the

virus that causes cervical cancer. the fda says cervarix can be given to girls and women ages 10 to 25 years. the second and third doses are given within six months. the fda approved the first vaccine gardasil in 2006. officials in minnesota say three pigs on display at the minnesota state fair tested positive for the h1n1 flu. the state's agriculture department says this may be the first indication that the virus is present in some swine here in the u.s. officials say the pigs showed no sign of sickness. they apparently were healthy. they say it's most likely the pigs contracted the virus from people. the fair took place between late august and the beginning of september. state officials say they're not sure where the pigs are now. they remind everybody you cannot get swine flu from eating pork products. check your freezer or free

'frigerator for potentially bad sausages. a california company is recalling more than 1100 pounds of the sausages. they're marketed under the vatran and montibella brands. and they were produced between march and october. the assorted sausages were distributed to retail stores in california but the company sent the meat to market before federal food safety inspectors checked them. so far, there are no reports of any illnesses linked to these recalled items. a kids playhouse was built to with stand an earthquake but this super deluxe, two-story cabin is going down, rope swing, and all. why? it went a few inches too far.

there's a chance today for fans of barbara streisand to grab some of her treasured mementos. the singer is auctioning off hundreds of items to raise money for her foundation. she basically says she's getting rid of many items she has loved for years but at this stage of her life it's time to let them go so she is selling art, furniture, jewelry antiques

clothes, costumes she has worn onstage and even in her movies. the beverly hills auction is expected to raise at least $500,000. raising money, awareness and a little internet buzz was the goal of a new social networking experiment called beat cancer everywhere. here's how it worked. between yesterday and today, people began setting up messages on twitter and facebook including the designation "hash tag beat cancer." for every message sent with that phrase ebay, pay pal and miller brewing company plan to donate a penny to a nonprofit cancer organization. the event was a 24 hour event and was at the blog world event in las vegas where i-reporter chris morrow caught up with cnn's don lemon. >> it's a huge initiative to set a record and raise money to stomp out, stamp out cancer in the world. it is -- it shows the power of

an idea, an idea just sitting over dinner talking about let's try to set a record and i think that social media takes the power of an idea to a new level. one minute you're sitting around hashing out this idea and the next minute it has a chance to make a change for good in the world. >> thanks to i-reporter chris morrow. like don said pound beat cancer organizers were hoping to set a world record for a social media event. when you have picture or video of breaking news or cool stories from your part of the world go to i-report.com and click on the upload now link. you'll find complete instructions on how to submit your stories. an oregon family has to get rid of their playhouse. the two story house was already on their property when the family bought it. after a neighbor complained, city inspectors found it's a bit too close to the property line. >> it is totally ridiculous. it's a beautiful structure not hurting anybody. >> it is over the five-foot line

by about nine or ten inches something like that. so it's really close. >> the neighbor says the house is causing runoff on to his property that's eroding his yard and rotting his fence. the playhouse has to be removed or destroyed in two weeks or the family faces fines of $250 a day. they say it would cost about $2,000 bucks to take the treehouse down and rebuild it. whether you call it hot-lanta or the atl atlanta is one of the hottest cities in the south. an atlanta native takes us on a tour of some of the city's coolest places in today's "my city my secret." >> my city is atlanta. i'm going to show you some of my best kept secrets. we are at the atlanta cupcake factory. has the best cupcakes in town. my favorite is the red velvet. it's small but it's cute and i love the day care orecore.

not well known yet but it will get on the map quickly. we are now at agatha's, the taste of mystery. it's a dinner/mystery theater. you come in and you eat and there is a murder/mystery going on at the same time. very interactive. during the show you'll have a few people that have speaking roles. there are people that will join in in chorusses. it's a lot of fun. this is a french restaurant. this is a part of atlanta but it's on a residential type street where there are old, converted houses that are now businesses. there is a euro feel. the bar area is very dark and acquaint. you see a lot of locals and regulars that hang out there. i've shown you my city. now show me yours. just go to i-report.com/my city my secret.

richard heene the so-called balloon boy's father left us scratching our heads again today. now, we were told to expect a big announcement but we got a big surprise instead. pressure is mounting for a louisiana justice of the peace to resign. what he refused to do that has the state's republican governor and one of his democratic

senators outraged. lots of people like to dress up for halloween but an immigrants rights group says this costume is more of a bad trick than a good treat. you're watching hln "news and views." i'm holly firfer. so when you call a news conference you are expected to make news, right? that's not what happened in colorado this morning. richard heene contacted the media to say he had an important announcement about the ordeal surrounding his son falcon and the family run away balloon. he came out on time, approached the microphones, then asked the media to write down their questions and drop them into a box at his front door. he then walked back into his house but before he left did repeat something he said before about the balloon incident. >> okay. i got people e-mailing me, calling me. they've got a lot of questions. and i don't know how to quite frankly answer any of them other than i've got a box and so later

on tonight, 7:30, i want to meet you guys again. i can look these questions over. then i can answer them. okay? i'll place the box up front. please write your questions down. i've got stuff friends are telling me they're saying this and that. i have no idea what the news are saying. i don't have cable. so okay? >> can we just ask you our questions now? >> no. not at all. >> would you just say once and for all was this some sort of publicity stunt? was it a hoax? will you talk to the police today? >> absolutely no hoax. i want your questions in the box. i'll get right back you to. okay? >> what's the major announcement? >> heene claimed he answered the media's written questions later this evening. sheriff's investigators are planning to talk to heene and his wife about the run away balloon incident again today. questions about whether the story started with a hoax while

they were in the air not long after the balloon itself. earlier i spoke to psychologist stacy kaiser about the cynical attitude that surfaced so quickly. >> i think that we're all skeptics at heart anyway. however, everybody including myself were following that boy when we thought he was in the balloon. but i don't think there is any criticism of us. what i think has happened to all of us who watched it happen or are watching it unfold is we all think this is an unusual story. how many people call 911 and say there is a flying saucer? how many people build these giant balloons in their yard? that adds to our skepticism. you throw in all of the sort of inconsistent behavior the things that a little 6-year-old boy said and you have a great mix for something that looks suspicious. >> and stacey for parents with their families at home watching this whole situation unfold who saw the whole incident, who now

know the story, how do they talk to their kids at home about what they saw and witnessed, what happened? >> well, in the similar way what i recommend people do is what i did with my own kids which is tell them the truth of what you know took place. then talk about the precautions in your own life. tell your kids it's really important people not climb into things that can go up in the air, that we keep ourselves safe, that you ask mom or dad or a care taker if something is okay. i think this is a perfect opportunity for parents to talk to children about safety and about concerns so that they can protect their own families. >> great insight. thank you for giving us that information this morning. we appreciate you. >> my pleasure. >> okay. check this out. this is in the northeast where winter is definitely arriving early this week. in norfolk, connecticut, you can see the leaves still changing behind all the snowfall.

a nor'easter is dumping rain and snow in new jersey. look at this rough surf. gusty winds are a concern all along the coast. farther inland they expect as much as three inches of snow by tonight. some parts of the state did get about two inches of snow earlier on thursday night. not scary and definitely not funny. that's what an immigrants rights group is saying about this halloween costume that was posted on target's website. the illegal alien costume featured an extra terrestial mask, orange jump suit with illegal alien written on it and a green card accessory. target took the costume off its website after the coalition for humane immigrants rights of los angeles complained. it calls the costume distasteful, mean spirited and ignorant of social stigmas. reaction from people outside an l.a. target was mixed. >> i reckon it's pretty ruthless especially with the mustache. a bit over the top.

>> for a big corporation to put that out i don't think -- i think that's kind of not so much. not good. >> plenty of halloween costumes. a little bit of bad taste. >> i like this one, the illegal alien. green card. >> that looks like cheech and chong, an alien. >> for sure. this is where you go. >> that looks like an alien locked up. >> that's racist. >> who cares? that's so funny. that's so funny. who cares? >> while the costume isn't on target.com any longer it's probably no surprise that you will find at least a dozen for sale on ebay. the governor of louisiana has joined in the outrage over a justice of the peace who refused to marry an interracial couple. he is calling for keith bardwell's immediate dismissal. bobby jindal says this is a clear violation of state and federal law. louisiana senator mary landrieu calls it an example of ugly bigotry and says bardwell should

resign. meanwhile, the woman who he refused to marry because her fiance was black is speaking out. >> it's over racism. we are used to the closet racism but we're not going to tolerate the over racism from an elected official. >> beth humphrey and her fiance did get married after finding another jus tifs the peace. bardwell would not comment to cnn. the cdc says the h1n1 flu is already causing widespread problems in 41 states. but the agency says vaccine production is going more slowly than expected. the cdc was hoping to have 40 million doses of h1n1 vaccine available by the end of the month but manufacturing delays could knock the number down to less than 30 million doses. new york state's mandatory order for health care workers to get flu vaccines is temporarily blocked. last month workers protested the mandate requiring them to get

vaccines by november 30th or possibly lose their jobs. the public employees federation is happy with the judge's decision. >> as we've noted all along we encourage our members to get vaccinated. we encourage the voluntary vaccination of our members against the influenza. however, we believe the commissioner over stepped his authority and jurisdiction when he implemented these emergency regulations. >> groups of nurses and teachers were also granted a temporary block against the mandate. the matter is scheduled to go back to court on october 30th. how does something you have to say in just 140 characters add up to big bucks for cancer research? we'll have the message and how that buzz got started.

the father of a missing florida girl has divorced his 17-year-old wife. ronald cummings married misty crosslin a month after his daughter haleigh disappeared in february. now, misty was the last person known to have seen haleigh. police say they don't think misty has told them everything she knows about haleigh's disappearance but she is not a suspect in the case. a judge won't throw out a murder charge against casey anthony. she is accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter caylee. now anthony's lawyers wanted that first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse charges against her dismissed. they claim the charges are based on circumstantial evidence but a judge said their arguments were insufficient. anthony has pleaded not guilty and says a baby-sitter kidnapped caylee. the little girl's remains were found last december, months after she was reported missing. the lawyer for reality tv

star jon gosselin is taking a swipe at gosselin's former employer. the network tlc, is suing gosselin for breach of contract. he was one of the stars on the show "jon and kate plus 8" but the couple is divorcing and now he'll have a smaller role in the show. gosselin's lawyer calls tlc's suit baseless and says gosselin's contract was, quote, unenforceable and unconscionable and denied him a chance to make a living. a kentucky man is enjoying life again now that what he calls his walking nightmare is over. as lindsay english from louisville affiliate wave reports he paid the time for a crime he didn't commit. >> you are a free man. god bless you, sir. >> reporter: after nine years behind bars and five years of probation, edwin chandler sheds tears of joy because finally he's a free man.

>> it seems absolutely clear that there's been a grave miscarriage of justice. >> reporter: chandler was on trial in 1995 for the murder of 25-year-old brenda whitfield, a clerk working at the chevron food mart at newberg and goldsmith lane. she was shot and killed by this gunman seen in surveillance video. on the stand during his trial, chandler pled with jurors that police had the wrong man. >> i said, well i'm telling you the truth. i didn't do it. he said, i don't believe you. i think you're lying. >> reporter: the jury didn't hear him. chandler says it wasn't until 2004 when attorney margarette thomas and the innocence project started listening and investigating the case. >> i couldn't tell you how you know, when you look for somebody to listen to you sometimes or, you know, you need somebody there, somebody needs somebody. everybody needs somebody. you know? and they were that somebody for

me. really. >> reporter: with the request to reopen the case the pd sergeant den bit letter discovered a previously unmatched fingerprint lifted from a beer bottle which was left on the counter by the shooter. >> that print is a match of percy philips. >> reporter: percy philips? yes, the same man you may remember who made national news from this recent outburst in court on unrelated charges. another eyewitness at the scene john gray also identified percy phillips as the shooter. >> how do you make this right? i don't know. really, i don't know. i couldn't answer that right now. >> reporter: remarkably, chandler isn't pointing fingers. he says he just wants to move on with his fiance and his family and celebrate his 1-year-old's birthday. >> it means more than words. i can't gather earth words to

say it because he's getting a new life you might as well say and it's long overdue. >> this is one of those days you just dream of. dream it was going to happen and it's actual higher so it was a very joyful occasion. >> that report was from wave's lindsay english. and prosecutors joined the defense in asking that chandler's conviction and sentence be set aside. chandler's attorney does plan to seek restitution from the state. a second vaccine has been approved to protect against the virus that causes cervical cancer. the fda says cervarix can be given to girls and women ages 10 to 25 years old. now, after the first shot the second and third doses are given within six months. the fda approved the first vaccine gardasil in 2006. officials in minnesota say three pigs on display at the minnesota state fair tested positive for the h1n1 flu. the state's agricultural department says this may be the

first indication the virus is present in some swine here in the u.s. officials say the pigs showed no sign of sickness and apparently were healthy. they say it is most likely the pigs contracted the virus from people visiting the fair. the fair took place between late august and the beginning of september. state officials say they're not sure where the pigs are now. they remind everybody that you cannot get swine flu from eating pork products. a kids playhouse was built to with stand an earthquake. but this super deluxe two-story cabin is going down rope swing and all. why? well, it went a few inches too far.

there is a chance today for fans of barbara streisand to grab some of her treasured mementos. the singer is auctioning off hundreds of items to raise money for her foundation. she basically says she's getting rid of many items she he has loved for years but at this stage it's time to let them go. she is selling art, furniture jewelry, antiques, clothes, costumes that she's worn onstage and even in her movies. the beverly hills auction is expected to raise at least $500,000.

raising money, awareness, and a little internet buzz was the goal of a new social networking experiment called "beat cancer everywhere." here's how it worked. between yesterday and today, people began sending out messages on twitter and facebook including the designation "hash tag beat cancer." now, for every message sent with that phrase, ebay pay pal and miller brewing company plan to donate a penny to a nonprofit cancer organization. now, the event was part of the agenda. it was a 24-hour event at the blog world event in las vegas. now, that's where i-reporter chris morrow caught up with cnn's don lemon. >> it's a huge initiative to set a record and raise money to stomp out, stamp out cancer in the world. this is -- it shows the power of an idea an idea just sitting over dinner talking about it. let's try to set a record. i think social media takes a power of an idea to a new level. one minute you're sitting around

hashing out the idea and the next minute it actually has a possibility to make a change for good in the world. >> once again thanks to i-reporter chris morrow. like don said, pound beat cancer organizers were hoping to set a world record for a social media event. when you have pictures or video of breaking news or maybe cool stories from your part of the world, go to i-report.com and click on the upload now link. you'll find complete instructions on how to submit your stories. an oregon family has to get rid of their playhouse. the two-story house was already on their property when the family bought it. after a neighbor complained, city inspectors found it's a bit too close to the property line. >> it is totally ridiculous that, i mean, it's a beautiful structure that's not hurting anybody. >> it's over the five-foot line by about i think it's about nine or ten inches something like that so it's really close. >> the neighbor says the house is causing runoff on to his property. that's eroding his yard and rotting his fence.

the playhouse has to be removed or destroyed in two weeks or the family faces fines of $250 a day. they say it would cost about 2,000 bucks to take the treehouse down and rebuild it. moorehouse college in atlanta is trying something new a dress code. the new policy enforces 11 expectations of students and among those restrictions, students can no longer wear baggy pants, baseball caps hoodies or do-rags in classrooms cafeterias or other places. students who don't follow the restrictions could be placed on academic restriction. officials at the all male college say the dress code is needed but some students aren't so sure. >> this is about the moorehouse legacy and tradition and about our young men preparing themselves to be leaders that they are. >> i think i understand where they're coming from. at the same time some things are restricting us from being ourselves. >> school officials say the policy was in part prompted by some men wearing women's clothes to class.

it could be a first of a kind, an under water meeting in the indian ocean by a president and his cabinet. this one held today by the president of the maldives and his ministers. they approved a resolution calling for global cuts in carbon emissions and are trying to focus attention on the threat their tiny nation faces from climate change. just ahead, it only happens once a year and this is the weekend that thousands gather at a west virginia bridge to take a wild jump. find out what this classic festival is all about.

dramatic new home video. a father watches in complete horror as a balloon takes off and for a time said he feared his 6-year-old boy was inside. this chaotic scene started a three-hour chase broadcast live on national television. seemed like the whole world was watching. little falcon heene ended up he was okay hiding in the attic. so the question many are asking

was this just a hoax, a stunt for the family to get some publicity? plus, heart stopping, terrifying video. a mother and 6-month-old baby wait for the train. she looks away one moment. when the stroller rolls and ends up under the train. what happens next will floor you. we love hearing from you. call in or e-mail us cnn.com/prime news or text us at hln tv. start your message with the word prime. your chance to be heard. >> controversy opinion, your point of view. this is "prime news." >> once again, this is prime news. i'm mike galanos. let's get right to it. so much speculation. 6-year-old now known as balloon boy was not in a balloon floating over colorado. he was hiding in the attic. the drama unfolded live on national tv. here's a quick recap. >> reporter: a 6-year-old boy we are being told, is actually

inside what is being called an experimental aircraft. all right. it's come down. we've all been holding our breath for about an hour now. according to police there is no one inside that balloon. >> thinking there was a 6-year-old boy that was in this and then when it lands there is no boy here. >> 6-year-old falcon? he's alive. >> he is. >> and he's at home. >> he's been hiding in a box, card board box in the attic above the garage. >> all right. now we have what you're seeing here dramatic home video. here's the family. shows the terrifying moments as the balloon took off. again, we now know little falcon heene was never in that balloon. the family no stranger to the camera here. not only yesterday but prior to that they've been on abc's reality show "wife swap" twice and now many people are wondering was this all a hoax? we'll take your calls. 1-877-tell-hln is the number. joining me now is a neighbor of

the heene family and also psycho therapist stacy kaiser and law enforcement analyst mike brooks. again, call in 1-877-tell-hln. bob, you're there at ground zero. have you talked to the family? >> no i haven't. i said hello this morning at the house briefly right after the live interview for the "today" show but other than that haven't spoken with them. >> what are people in the neighborhood saying? >> well i think people are surprised. people are all pleased of course that he was found and is safe. you know that's what i know. >> okay. let me ask you the question, bob. we aren't going to beat around the bush here. there are people and you've heard it speculating possible hoax here. your thoughts knowing this family again no stranger to the camera but seeing their emotions yesterday what's your take? >> it's not a hoax. i don't believe. i was heading for an appointment

this morning, yesterday morning late, and i heard some commotion in the back yard as i was leaving to take something out to my truck and i noticed over the fence that there was a lot of consternation and they were upset about something. and the mother particularly was distraught. and they -- there was no one to act for at that point. it was real. this is not a hoax. >> okay. so the emotion that's what's telling you. >> yes. >> the emotion you saw was not fake. >> no. it was genuine. >> okay. well let's get the sheriff ready. we're talking about the sheriff and we'll also hear from falcon himself. let's listen to falcon. this is what really has spurred on the talk of it possibly being a hoax. the heene family was on "larry king" last night with wolf blitzer and little falcon spoke talking about why he wouldn't come out when he heard his name called. let's listen to that. >> falcon did you hear us

calling your name at any time? >> mm-hmm. >> you did? >> you did? >> why didn't you come out? >> um -- you said that we did this for the show. >> no? >> okay. there you have it. bob, i'll ask you. this is what has people suspicious. when you heard that, do it for the show did you get suspicious at all? >> no. it's a 6-year-old. he was probably confused. that doesn't play for me. >> okay. let's bring in mike brooks investigator, has done interviews and listened to interviews. hike, when you heard that, what were your thoughts? >> yeah, he is a kid. but where does he pick this up? does he just make this up himself? you know what bothered me, mike, as an investigator, then wolf just following up on the question asked the father, well, what does he mean by that?

then he gets you know, look. he's outraged that wolf would have the audacity to ask him about that question. i don't think so. i think the sheriff, and we heard from the sheriff today they're going to go back and talk to the family too even though the sheriff doesn't think that this was any kind of hoax, that it was real. but one of the other problems i have with this mike the father was right there when this balloon took off. we're not talking in the middle of a field. we're talking in a back yard. you saw it's not that large of an area. and he built the thing. does he know there's a compartment? we heard about a box. i don't see any box on the bottom of this whatever you want to call it. you know then the father calls the faa and a local tv station before he calls 911. help me understand that one. >> okay. well, you mentioned the sheriff. let's make it clear. at this point the sheriff is taking this as a real incident, an accident if you will, that little falcon was hiding. let's listen to the sheriff

today. >> we feel it's incumbent upon us as an agency to go back to the family and attempt to reinterview them and establish whether this is in fact a hoax or if it's an actual event. we believe at this time that it's a real event. certainly people are free to speculate. they're free to be skeptical about it. >> okay. there you have it. we'll take a quick break on this and get stacy kaiser psycho therapist in on this. what is her read on this? maybe we'll replay what falcon had to say. we'll take your calls and thoughts, hoax or not. the number 1-877-tell hln.

now i'm starting to get a little ticked off because i'm repetitively getting asked this the last couple interviews. what have i got to gain? i'm not selling anything. i'm not advertising anything. my family and i, we do this all the time. >> all right. that's the father richard heene on the nbc "today" show. he's been angered when the suggestion that this is a hoax or a setup he seems to be more angry about it. he mentioned he's not selling anything. we're finding out though this family has been on a reality show "wife swap" twice. he and his family have pitched a reality show to tlc. we got their comment and they here's what tlc says. they approached us months ago and we passed on that. also pitched a couple other reality show production companies. let's bring in stacy kaiser.

what do you make of this? from what you're hearing, you see these interviews and dad's reaction, hoax or not? >> i'm on the hoax band wagon. i'll tell you why. what we know about families is they have patterns of behavior and this family is clearly dramatic and attention seeking based on their storm chasing based on the fact they chose a reality show like "wife swap" to be on. the other thing i want to throw into the mix is how many 6-year-olds do you know that would sit in a box for three hours without coming out? i don't know any. >> let's clarify that. i don't know if he was in a box. mike brooks, maybe you can help me. i believe he was just in the attic, not in a box. still, a pretty active 6-year-old to be up there for three hours. >> still hard to buy. >> good point. let me get to bob again, a neighbor obviously siding with the heene family. does not believe this is a hoax. saw their emotion. bob, about that attention seeking, have you talked to them about that? have they been open about hey, we're pitching a reality show? what can you tell us about that? >> well i knew when they did

the "wife swap" series that the two different programs and he's put together some science programs trying to get them and maybe some of them have been on cable tv before. so i can't deny that he's a bit of an attention seeker. >> okay. did you ever ask him about the reality show like richard, how do you guys put yourselves out there like that? not once but twice. have you ever had that conversation? >> i haven't asked that exact kind of question no. >> okay. well, let's -- stacy, i'd like to listen to falcon again with wolf blitzer last night. have you listened to it as well? just see as we watch it and listen again what you might pick up on to tell you i'm guessing you're thinking hoax here but let's watch that again, falcon last night talking with wolf blitzer on "larry king live." >> falcon did you hear us

calling your name at any time? >> mm-hmm. >> you did? >> you did? >> why didn't you come out? >> um you guys said that we did this for the show. >> yeah -- >> no. >> okay, stacy. you see momg in there, the two brothers look both ways at the parents. what's your read? >> i had a couple reactions. first of all the boy sounds completely honest and sincere when he comes out with that. kids are not good liars. they usually reveal it by moving around too much or touching their face. this kid sounds sincere. and the parents' reaction really startled me because they reacted in a way like uh-oh. and that made me think that that boy had revealed something he wasn't supposed to share. >> okay. >> and the father is so outraged, mike. what was he doing this morning? right back on the morning shows

again. >> yeah. falcon gets sick on national tv like that. as an investigator, we've obviously got a difference of opinion from folks out there. >> sure. >> how do you investigate this to really figure out whether it was a real event? yesterday i said when all this was ongoing you need to get the parents, separate them find out exactly where they were talk to the brothers. well apparently law enforcement did take falcon, take him upstairs and talk to him away from the parents yesterday. so, you know they probably got a pretty good idea of what the real story was but now after this comment law enforcement says they want to go back out and talk to them again. you know even though the sheriff was saying he believes because of the emotions and the investigators on the scene yesterday thought that this was a real event, just because of the emotions of the parents. >> got you. >> but you need to go back out and do the same thing again, sit down, say okay falcon. you know, here's what you said the other day. what did you really mean by that? because wolf tried to push that yesterday but the father went no, no.

you aren't going to ask him again. >> he's been consistently angry. we'll say that. let's get elizabeth in texas in. go ahead. >> caller: i think the nutty professor needs to be investigated by the faa. when he was on "wife swap" he was verbally and physically abusive to his kids and i think