steve: log onto foxan dfriends.com. [captioning made possible by fox news channel] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- bill: this is a fox news alert. new sign that town hall meetings across the country are having an effect on the national debate. polling numbers show that they are pushing americans further away from the democrats' plan. >> kill the bill! bill: we are seeing hundreds of examples like this, that senator ben cardin's town hall meeting. the associated press writing the following --

good morning, everyone. megyn: you are watching political history in the making with these town halls. new poll numbers suggest average american protesting health care in its current fashion are winning. bill: we start at the white house this morning with mike emanuel. president obama going back on the road for a town hall. where is he headed? >> he is going to bozeman, montana to a county where he carried by 1600 votes. they have voted twice for him -- for george bush in the past. there is some sense and that

they want to get max baucus' attention by going there, and montana is ground zero for health care reform, because that is where he is from. we have already seen people lining up to get tickets to the event. bill: there is a gallup poll out today that says independent voters are moving in a certain way. 35% are more sympathetic to the views of the protesters, opposed to 16% who are less sympathetic. how are these numbers being received? >> in the briefing yesterday, we heard robert kids say that some people were somewhat disappointed that he did not get a tougher response in new hampshire. he constantly talked about the food fight of the debate and

have cable news is feeding on this, but clearly from the gallup poll, independents are starting to become sympathetic with these people protesting. certainly not good in terms of public opinion. bill: thank you. megyn: do you remember the other day when we showed the arlen specter town hall and one of the participants said that we need a national referendum? this is what this one boater proposed on a national basis. we need a referendum where everyone can go if we need this health care reform or not. we are starting to hear more talk about that national referendum. 3 congress people are talking about this. one congresswoman held a town

hall with 600 people and a number of constituents expressed their frustration over the hard sell from the white house and democrats. >> if the american people want health care reform, they vote for it. [applause] megyn: the group who attended the town hall was mostly seniors and agreed with the cumbersome and that the current plan is not what the nation needs. bill: a democrat in texas is getting some attention to crack down on protesters. jeagene green once participants to show identification to prove that they are local. he co-sponsored a resolution in 2005 calling the requirement an

undue burden on citizens. we contacted his office and we are told he is out of the country. megyn: this is a fox news alert. new video from afghanistan as u.s. marines and afghan forces go door to door to retake a key town from taliban fighters. operation in eastern brazil is days away from securing control of the the area ahead of presidential elections. greg palkot is the only american reporter embedded with the military. what is the latest on the operation this morning? >> day two of operation eastern resolve is underway. they have had a pretty busy day. the cameraman and i spent some time with the marines in this

dangerous town. it got off to a bit of a rough start. take a look at what we saw and heard. [gunfire] we have been hearing taliban fire all around us. and these marines are working with another platoon as they work their way down this village, trying to clear this place. the taliban are not giving up. the marines are going house-to- house, making sure that there are no militants remaining, and they are doing in while the taliban the marines did not kill us today tried to kill them today. morning patrol faced some pretty stiff resistance with some fire coming from the mountains. not an easy job, but the sense

is a corner anhas been turned. bill, let's hope they have turned a corner. they have never gone into that town before. -- bill: let hope they have turned the corner. a major breakthrough that could one day lead to a cure for blindness. also this -- >> we need to run our country according to the founding fathers. megyn: millions saw the arlen specter town hall on health care. could this have been a watershed moment that changes everything in health care? bill: and the one flight you do not want to be stuck on. seven hours overnight.

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megyn: new details on the dramatic $65 million jewel heist in london. this is surveillance video as two thieves make their getaway. a third accomplice is now in police custody. now we are learning police used -- they used a professional makeup artist to make rubber masks to change their features. no one was hurt in the robbery, although they briefly to of one woman hostage before fleeing.

police say the one suspect is now free on bail. how does that happen? bill: we showed you the video the other day. they are still on the loose, two oo. the white house is now looking at an airline nightmare in minnesota. 47 people stuck on the airplane for seven hours last week overnight. no food, little water, a broken toy that on board. -- toilet on board. because of rough weather, it had to be diverted, nothing wrong with that. but the airplane had to stay on the tarmac overnight because

security personnel inside had already gone home. >> you are almost numb because you are so exhausted. you cannot sleep because babies are crying, the smell is getting worse. you are almost just numb, thinking what is going to happen next? bill: a former corporate jet pilot is now the editor of corporatejet.com. good morning. why does this happen? >> this is not the first time we have seen this happen. it is a breakdown in communication somewhere along the line, and everyone is pointing the finger at everyone else. when it comes down to it is it is a small airplane that a small airport in the middle of the

night when almost no one is around. bill: how about common sense? >> what is common sense to one is not always common sense to the other. unfortunately, pilots are somewhat limited on what they can do. they have had this beef about security. as well, they do not have stairs always readily available. bill: i do not buy it. i think it is cruel and unusual punishment. does this apply? >> i do not know if there is any law broken, but as you mentioned, common sense. airlines and the ear transport association -- air transport

association what the government to stay out of their business, but definitely we need to make some changes. bill: everyone has experienced this. the crew is not on time. you have off-duty crews who are also waiting to finish up so that they can go home. it seems they need to develop a system with some greater flexibility. would that work? >> again, the problem is you had an airplane stop on the ground, and there was no one there to come out to the airplane. the manager said it was not a security issue. maybe security is one thing, but common sense is another. continental did not serve the this airport, so they did not

have anyone on the ground. someone needs to call and make arrangements, though. bill: may of this year, 35 flights were stranded for more than three hours. in june, 278. that is an enormous spike. i am looking at the airline guilty of this -- expressjet, comair, continental, and delta. delta contract with comair, too? >> yes, and those partnerships are part of the problem.

when they buy service from a regional carrier, passengers do not know the difference. they think they are flying continental and then everyone starts pointing the finger at everyone else. bill: there is a bill and the senate that is being considered that if you expect to be held for more than three hours, you would be allowed to go into the airport. thank you for your time. so many of us are at the airline's mercy once we climb aboard. megyn: it is that time again. a couple of wildfires have broken out in california and they are getting bigger. these are live pictures. thousands of acres scorched near santa cuz and hundreds have been forced from their homes. we are expecting more live pictures.

bill: we are wondering if this town hall was the one that changed everything. arlen specter on the receiving end of impassioned people. what this one hour may mean for the future of your health care. this is not about t.a.r.p., about the left and right. this is about the system -- systematic dismantling of this country.

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bill: there is a massive wildfire burning out of control in northern california. shares are going door to door announcing the evacuation of about 600. 1,000 acres or already burning, and it seems to be growing. they had a similar case like this just a year ago. we are watching this for you. megyn: and an exclusive on a dramatic new hope for those who live each day without the ability to see. gene therapy is helping to restore sight to those who are legally blind. orlando salinas has the details.

is this true? scientists have been able to restore sight to blind people? >> to answer your question, researchers say that three of them do have sight they have never had before. the three people in these studies, two women and one man, initially began here in gainesville, florida. they have the a disease that is untreatable and affects their eyesight. they are missing a gene that produces a certain form of vitamin a that your right now needs to have. now all three of them can see light, which they could not do before. the one woman said that she was able to read the digital clock

in her car. that was a huge deal. she was never able to do that. megyn: so this can treat a particular kind of blindness from this particular defect, not all forms of blindness. also, any downside to to the treatment? >> i spoke with one of the patients in the study and he told me one of the only things he was worried about was calling completely blind. the one man that i spoke to was a second year law student. he said he was worried something very bad could happen. there were a couple of downside to it, and said he had considered it for quite some time, and realized this could be the chance he was praying for. >> gene therapy is a true

miracle. who would have ever thought that we could give people sitght? >> it appears the treatment was working only for people who have this disease. this is probably one of the most common form of blindness, and researchers say this the flicks children and infants, but this is a story of promise. also, the volunteers received small doses of this corrective gene therapy and it was only applied to a small portion of their eye. as soon as one of them realize that it was starting to work, he bent to have it on both --

begged to have it on both eyes, but during the study and they were blinded by certain limitations. now this is being talked about in the blind community. even being able to see in small increments is huge for them. megyn: that is a true miracle. good for them. thank you. bill: it is amazing what we can do. speaker pelosi put out some new information saying the health care reform bill pays for itself and will not add to the deficit. is that the case? we ran this by our fact checkers. megyn: and it could save lives on the american battlefield. an incredible breakthrough in the makers of the next

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bill: nancy pelosi is up in arms over a new and from the house chamber committee. >> washington latest health care idea, a trillion dollars health plan and a government-run option with big tax increases, even on health care benefits. the cbo says the deficit will grow $239 billion. bill: you get a sense of what they are saying. speaker pelosi says and that is not true. we went to our brain room research team to research this. stu varney is with me now. we are going to put up two sacks. -- facts.

bill, that was speaker pelosi -- bill: that was speaker pelosi. if that is the case, it is this only people making above $250,000? >> she claimed that this will be paid for by taxing the rich, households making more than $350,000. i question that. i do not think you will bring in a half trillion dollars just by bringing in these taxes. i do not think it is enough. secondly, speaker pelosi says this will be paid for by taking $500 billion out of medicare and medicaid. when have you ever seen that kind of cut in future costs in

future programs in american history? i think she is saying it, but i think she is using fuzzy math. bill: the reason we are bringing this up is because it was one of president obama's campaign promises. point number two -- does that hold? >> yes, those are figures from the cbo. speaker pelosi dismisses that. she says it will be fully paid for but she does not look at the 10 years after that when this cbo says there will be a massive increase in these out years.

again, speaker pelosi's numbers do not add up. bill: thank you for this. the reason it is so important is because it is part of the national debate and the potential cost that could be incurred. final thoughts? >> there is a debate about policy and a debate about money. we deal with money. the speakers numbers do not add up. megyn: was it the moment that changed everything? arlen specter's town hall with many watching, and many were riveted. >> i have spent 40 years in government and i have never seen the government programs, and at one price and stay there. >> we cannot afford this. >> i am sick of the lies.

>> you do not have a right to choose us of being a month. >> -- a mob. megyn: some powerful moments. but then they changed the perception? top democrats say that those who are voicing their anger are un- american. bill sammon is our managing editor and vice president of news. was this town hall meeting -- i have to tell you, today we had this whole show planned, and then we had this arlen specter town hall on folding, and it was very compelling.

was it a watershed moment in the health care debate? >> i think not just this one, but every town hall has been a watershed moment. the empirical evidence is starting to come in. we had some polls that show two-one independent voters look up these things as favorable. president obama's approval rating is falling. so i think you can start to conclude that this debate over whether these town hall meetings would hurt or help the democrats is coming into focus, and it looks like it is hurting them, at least in respect to health care. megyn: i want to ask you about

both of those points, swaying the mind of independence, and the polling data. in an editorial in the "washington post" they talk about how health care protesters are playing with fire. you can see all of these protesters, but "what does not make the news is their reaction among the larger population of the voters whose views will ultimately influence the fate of this." he talked about that town hall with representative dingell. he says the disrespect the congressperson was shown was unforgivable, and can expect a backlash from the voices that are not being heard by now. so does this undermine the theory? >> i could not help to think that he had written this before

this rash of pulling had came in which seems to undermine his thesis. they are actually becoming more sympathetic to the protesters, as poll numbers show. the thing about overreaching, it can cut both ways. by focusing on the wing nuts that these protests, that that would marginalize this movement, that was one attitude. also, the democrats overreached themselves when they describe these people as a mab and kkk. i think the backlash is coming onto the democrats rather than these fringe elements. most people see these events as populated by run in the mill conservatives with legitimate concerns.

megyn: that is what was so interesting about that or the inspector town hall. most people do not go to these meetings because they have worked or cannot get in, what ever. they were able to see this one from start to finish. they saw exactly who showed up, and how it worked. it may have swayed some people, but are want to talk in particular about arlen specter. there were some interesting report about the slip in his polling numbers. he is running for reelection, now as a democrat, and pat toomy trailed arlen specter in june by 11 points. now he is leading by 12 points. more than a 20-point swing in favor of the republican. what does that tell you? >> that the health-care debate

has not helped our inspector. give him credit for phasing in these hard questions. two-thirds of congressional members have not been holding these meetings. it is interesting to watch. he had all of these tough questions, and that hurt him, and obama could have used some of these tough questions to have a foil to play off of. i think, ironically, it hurt the president because he needed to have some of these crazies in the ground to prove his point. megyn: when i used to practice law and the judge was firing questions at you, you always welcome that because it gave you the opportunity to persuade them. they were giving you what they thought were your arguments weaknesses.

when everyone is polite, there is no ability to persuade the other side. >> that is a great point. he got to the eighth time in his town hall meeting when he wanted to hear only from opponents. when it gets to that point, you know that he is looking to articulate his view. he needs to talk to the kind of people that came to arlen specter's town hall. thankmegyn: thank you. bill: we will see what happens over the weekend. our troops getting a boost in the battlefield. looking for a trip -- a target that is miles away, day or shine? no problem. the latest in night vision goggles. megyn: and it is not just congress taking heat about the

health care reform. we have new numbers on president obama. wait until you hear what america is saying. >> i am charging you with usurping authority not granted to you by the constitution. lots of discounts on car insurance. can i get in on that? are you a safe driver? yes. discount! do you own a home? yes. discount! are you going to buy online? yes! discount! isn't getting discounts great? yes! there's no discount for agreeing with me. yeah, i got carried away. happens to me all the time. helping you save money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today. and an environment in balance. between consuming less

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bill: and that is what our soldiers and marines see as they move through the night. night vision goggles and a modem or forces move through the darkness of night and continued our battle. new night vision goggles that can do so much more now, and with me now is the senior

program manager for the company making those goggles. good morning. they look like fancy binoculars. if i were looking through them, what what i see? >> if you look through this system, this is what it would look-alike -- look like. you are able to see daytime, night time, rain or shine. bill: how many miles? >> i am not going to be too specific for reason to protect our soldiers. it is quite capable. bill: you can see in the ninth time, through fog and smoke? how is that possible? >> that is possible because of

our infrared camera. we have a laser range finder, a gps, and lasemagnetic compass. all of that allows us to perform specific targeting. bill: what doesn't it have? >> i explain it like the blackberry equivalents. when a soldier needs to go on a mission that requires surveillance, targeting, they can grab this single system and go. it is designed to run on low power and last for a long time. it is designed to replace several independent systems. bill: that is the critical thing. how would a soldier benefit from using a device like this?

>> again, it is all in one, light weight, and they can do several different missions with this technology. not only does it include this thermal channel, but it is digital as well, so you can transfer data across the battlefield. bill, that is extraordinary. -- bill: that is extraordinary. >> we are very proud of this system. we are happy to build this for the people that are protecting us. bill: this is really a digital soldier. you know what the military will tell you, if you can control the night, you can control the battlefield. thank you. megyn: folks in one california neighborhood got the surprise of their lives when they looked at

the back of -- look out the back of the window. bill: and after days of town hall meetings, we are back in iowa to speak to average citizens on how they feel about health care reform.

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bill: tensions flaring once again on the streets of capitol

hill it -- city in honduras. supporters of the president writing with the military now. they are demanding the return of the exiled president. also, and the libyan bomber could soon be released from prison. the report from great britain say that he is suffering from cancer and may be let free as a humanitarian gesture. he is serving time for the pan am bombing. meanwhile, the memorial is being held for those five victims of that mid-air collision in the hudson river. families and dignitaries are attending the service here in manhattan. megyn: children across the country are getting ready to go back to school, and many in the

south are already back. can you believe that? bill: i would count the days i had left in school, starting in the fourth grade. megyn: i never remember going back this early. anyway, and there are some of the first in the nation to put forth the cdc guidelines dealing with swine flu. that is where we have marianne silber. these kids have been in school for almost a week. what is the school doing to protect them from h1n1? >> this is their fourth day back. this ithey are also keeping plao stay open if there is an incident. this is their quarantined area. this is where you can put kids,

if they are sick. there will be some places here for kids to wait. they want to get them out of here as quick as possible without coming into contact with other students. the cdc has given these schools guidelines in order to stay open. one of those of course it is watching your hands thoroughly. this school decided to put and sanitizing stations at the entrance and in the hallways to keep them clean. they are also telling everyone to cough and sneezed into their elbow. they are trying to do everything they can hear, including talking to parents, making sure that they have a backup plan in place to watch over their kids. megyn: i went to an elementary

school recently and i felt like a giant. do you? >> yes, i just walked into the girl's a restroom, and everything is tiny. bill: two major tips from this. wash your hands. and if you see someone in the bathroom not much in their hands, tell them. megyn: come on, are you kidding? bill: and do not put the tips of your fingers in your eyeball. a senator seeing something he has never seen before, record turnout at town hall meetings. wait until you see what this is doing to the presidential numbers.

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megyn: this is a fox news alert. fresh poll numbers hot off the presses from rasmussen reports. only 47% of americans say they approve of president obama's leadership. 52% now disapprove of the way he is doing his tribe. those numbers marked a precipitous fall for the president since taking office, and it could be tied to this raging health care debate. that is where we begin this new hour of "america's newsroom." [captioning made possible by fox news channel] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- bill: sinking numbers for the white house. megyn: scott rasmussen will be joining us on these new numbers. he has some perspective for you

on how this compares to past presidents. first up, we have carl cameron at the iowa state fair, where people are making their views known on the subject of health care reform. things are happening in iowa. >> with all these town halls, there was this criticism that people were coming with their minds already made up. these are just regular folks, so we decided to take a look. who wants to talk about healthcare? what do you think? should we change the health care system? nobody wants to talk about it. should we change? how? >> free health care that the state has should be changed. myself, i have to go to the dentist. if they cannot to get me, i have

to drive to iowa city, and i cannot afford to do that. >> what are you making in here? >> anything that you want fried. >> this is completely unprepared, by the way. who is watching health care? do you know what they're talking about? >> not really. >> when we do these types of interviews, we are not going to pre-interview them. when they say they do not care, that is part of what is happening. all of this yelling is happening in the town hall meetings, but people out here are not really paying attention. megyn: that was very insightful. thank you.

back to the deep fried fast. you just need to put it out of your mind. bill: we are only midway through august, and that means that we are only midway through these town halls. opposition spilling into north dakota. here we have byron dorgan tried to reassure constituents about where he stands. >> i do not intend to support legislation in the senate that has a government-run health care system. i would not vote for a piece of legislation that has public funding for abortion. i would not ever vote for something that promotes euthanasia. just so you know, this is not something we need to have a debate about. bill: he did not face much you need there, but there was a wide range of opposing views.

>> why are we taking the best health-care system in the world and throwing it out the window? >> we have health insurance. our union jobs provide this. we do not know where we would be otherwise. i see those benefits as a right. not a privilege, a right. bill: there are numerous town hall meetings planned for about the country today. we will be covering it for you. megyn: things are a bit more about the on the east coast. democratic senator ben cardin facing a local audience at a health care reform. >> i think the obama administration has already started to restore trust in health care by being -- [booing]

by taking on the tobacco industry. megyn: if only these grounds could make it clear how they really feel. the one pulled any punches when they took the microphone also. >> i am speaking for my constitutional right. it is ridiculous. how are we supposed to have any faith in you, and the administration, with my health care, with my 9-year-old son's health care? megyn: he had his hands full. that is just a sample of what we have been seeing. bill, this is a fox news alert. -- bill: this is a fox news alert. new developments in the high seas. a ship carrying $1.3 million in cargo managing. -- vanishing.

officials say that pirates likely hijacked it, something that is unprecedented. now russia is joining in on the search. when did this specifically happen, dana, and what are the best clues we have to work on today? >> i love a good mystery story. this has to be the best mystery story of the summer. we know the arctic sea, a 4000- ton cargo ship registered under a maltese flag with 15 crew members is boarded off the coast of sweden by armed men claiming to be swedish drug police. it turned out they were not police. they make a routine radio call passing through the dover straight. two days later it may have been seen by portuguese waters.

if it is pirated, it would be the first ship pirated and eastern european waters and 60 years. a kremlin source tells me they do not know what it is about, drugs, a criminal gang, mafia, maybe piracy. now everyone is concerned. they had about one more day of fuel and then they will need to port somewhere. we are also just hearing from someone who runs a maritime internet site here in russia and had been in contact with the family members, and a russian warship could be shuttling this thing up the coast. so far they are denying that, but we are tracking not. bill: that would be an interesting development. -- tracking that. what is the kremlin sincst. abot

this so far? >> right now they are centering their search in the center of the atlantic. i guess they are doing some production of courses, but the kremlin says that they will use force to board the ship even though it is not under a russian flag because it has a russian crew on board. bill: thank you. live developments when he gets them. megyn: we are going to have to get back to carl cameron because we got an e-mail from 1 beaver who says, for get about the town halls. i want to see doughnuts being made. meanwhile, hundreds of people forced to evacuate their homes from wild fires in northern california.

we are live on the fire lines. bill: and there is no denying the elkridge at these town halls. now it could be impacting the president's approval ratings. scott rasmussen is with us with some fresh polling numbers. how does jell-o sugar free pudding fit all that rich, chocolatey taste in 60 calories? ♪ ♪ oh, so delicious who cares? jell-o sugar free pudding. every diet needs a little wiggle room.

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call liberty. they can help you live a better life. call the number on your screen. bill: first she lost her school -- her cool after a question in the congo, down a meeting in nigeria where she seemed to compare the two dozen recount here in the u.s. to their political problems. >> our democracy is still evolving. we have all kinds of problems in our past elections, as you might

remember. in 2000, our presidential election came down to one state when the brother of the man running for president was the governor of the state. we have our problems, too. bill: that raised some eyebrows. the state department defended her, saying she was making a point about the willingness to accept a flawed result like in nigeria brendan and resorting to violence. calling into question results from nine years ago? megyn: as i recall, there was a supreme court decision involved. bill: what ever you do, do not ask her what her husband thinks. i'm just saying, it was a high- school student. megyn: she was there to talk about her opinion, not her husband's.

bill: take the high road, let it go. megyn: we talked about it yesterday, and you were not angry at the fact that she was there to talk about women's issues, and they were asking about bill clinton. bill: although, take the high road. high-school students. megyn: president obama's approval ratings are taking a precipitous fall. latest rasmussen tracking poll showing -- take this one away. you are confusing them. not this one either. let's start over. the latest poll shows 47% of voters approved the way the president is doing his job. that is the lowest level for him

yet, which is why it is significant. 52% disapprove of the job he is doing. scott rasmussen is with me now. is this the first time in your polling that the president has fallen this low and his disapproval clearly on ways his approval ratings? >> yes, this is a new low. he fell below 50% for the first time in july. what we are seeing now is just a lot of things beginning to weigh down on him. it seems the honeymoon has come to an end. megyn: what consist of his approval rating being at 47%? >> a lot of things. they were unhappy about the continuation of the bailout. they were opposed to the

takeover of general motors and chrysler. the stimulus package. voters were opposed to cash for clunkers being extended. now the health care debate seem to be bearing the brunt. support for his plan has been falling dramatically, and that seems to be the latest push down for the president. over all, it is a series of things, and this is what happens. they bear both the good news and bad news, the way the nation perceives it. megyn: i know that a gallup poll just three months ago had the president's approval rating at 60% -- 68%. your polls are showing 47%. there we go, that is the right one, folks in the control room. explain this chart to us.

>> these are the people who have strong opinions. strongly approve, strongly disapproved. these are the people who show up at town hall meetings, talk to their neighbors. it is something that has been a part of the equation. these people have been talking all while about their disapproval. what we are also seeing in all these trends, republicans have been against the president from the beginning. in the last few weeks, independencts are starting to break away from the president. there are about one-third of the nation, so that is a huge segment of the population. the number of people who consider themselves not affiliated continues to grow between each election cycle. but over all, the fact is this

president is at a point in time where his performance is being closely tied to the way the economy is going, perceptions over issues like health care, deficit spending. over time, more people will be saying, we are looking for results. one year from now if the economy is great and gm is posting profits, these numbers will look different. if the economy moves in the other direction, the democrats will be in a weaker position heading into 2010 elections. megyn: thank you. bill: we have this story about sheila jackson lee speaking at her home town in houston. she entered her cellphone while a constituent was asking a question about health care. you can hear other listeners in the room slightly stunned.

>> simply because you think it is good for america, then -- ok. >> seriously, really? come on. dude. >> if congress allows them -- bill: she did hang up the phone, but we understand that she also spoke with the congresswoman after the meeting. it was bad form. it was not like she totally ignored this woman, who by the way is a cancer survivor who was on fox news earlier this morning.

i do not know how long she was standing there, but it was not nearest thing in the world. megyn: if i was on the receiving end of that, i would have said, here i am. it is like when you go to the store to buy something and then the phone rings and they keep talking for five minutes. i am right here! one of our viewers said that she stayed at that town hall until 1:00 in the morning to talk to constituents. bill: your privacy and health- care information on a computer. we will go on a fact-finding mission to see if this is a good idea. megyn: and playboy came calling for this beautiful ohio mother, but when her husband showed up, everything was different.

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bill: the sun is coming up in california and bone dry conditions fuelling a fast- moving wildfire in the california mountains. it has now burned through more than 1,000 acres. that is a live picture on the left, a videotape on the right. 600 people were evacuated from their homes. we saw this in the same area of the state last year. we are keeping an eye on this. megyn: in the meantime, new details on that violent prison riot in chino, california at

left over 100 inmates injured. now we are looking at the extraordinary damage that was done. and we're finding out how much it will cost the taxpayers to clean up. california's correction chief says that it will cost up to $6 million, and california cannot afford that now. it will be even more if they rebuild a dormitory destroyed by fire. debris is everywhere, but ran -- bathroom sinks ripped from the walls. seven other buildings were also heavily damaged. several inmates were also sent to other facilities. they cost a lot of disaster. bill: from overseas a critical battle occurring. it will take at least one more day to get control of helmand province.

this is a region that has seen some of the most vicious fighting in that country, all part of an operation to clear away the taliban, ahead of next week's presidential elections. we are live from kabul. what kind of progress can we gage with the marines? >> -- gauge with the marines? >> it is tough, but they are making progress. some are fighting from the hills, and others are going door to door. it is not only the fighting, but very hot temperatures and the dry air makes it difficult. one of the main tasks is not only to clear the taliban but also to limit civilian deaths. that has been high priority here. so far there are no reports of

deaths of that can't as they move in to take the area. bill: have we had an idea on u.s. casualties? >> there are no reports of american casualties, which is surprising considering the heavy resistance and the amount of troops. there was a report of an american soldier killed in southern afghanistan in an unrelated ied attack. roadside bombs have been the biggest killer of american troops so far. bill, thank you. megyn: new worries about health care reform that have nothing to do with medical care. the sensitive information on your health and financial records, and how they could fall into the wrong hands. and 1 cup did not mind his wife bearing in all four "playboy" until his buddies at the

precinct got a hold of it. now he is suing. imodium multi-symptom relief combines two powerful medicines for fast relief of your diarrhea symptoms, so you can get back out there. imodium. get back out there. . unlock an outdoor dreamland for your indoor cat. exciting flavor combinations, plus a touch of garden greens make it irresistible. friskies indoor delights. feed the senses.

megyn: manufacturers are raising a red flag over the energy bill making its way through congress, you may know it as cap

and trade, opponents call it cap and tax. the group's study says manufacturing will bear between 59% and 69% of all job losses associated with the bill. the study cites higher energy costs and greenhouse commission caps as financial burdens to financial -- to manufacture and manufacturing industries will not be able to cope. bill: critics fear for privacy that electronic records could be a problem. this came up in pennsylvania. >> i have spent 35 years in information technology. i have read this bill closely. you are about to concentrate more information about more pennsylvanian and americans in this bill in one place in the

computers of washington than has ever occurred. bill: a bit of background now. what does the white house say, what do critics contend? the director of health policy at the cato institute is with me now. good morning to you, michael. this is what president-elect obama said on january 8, 2009. he said -- >> is he right? technology is the way? >> that is what electronic records do in all sectors of the economy. your dry cleaner, your gym, and supermarket. they increase efficiency and reduce waste. bill: so you support that?

>> absolutely, and it when it comes to medicine. if you are enrolled with kaiser permanente, you have a medical record that you can e-mail to your doctor, and it is wonderfully convenience. people love that. what is dangerous is when your doctor uses your record, make sure that he is using in well and that your personal medical information is protected. the way to do that is with choice and competition. if kaiser is not protecting your information, you can go somewhere else that is. billif the government is holding that information, you have no choice over how it is used, and you do not have the chance to leave when it is being misused. still, the white house says that -- bill: the white house says that they want to avoid repeat

procedures and doctor visits. that is a real cost saver. it will save lives. he said -- the handwriting of doctors are poor, and that can lead to some medical mistakes. do you agree? >> yes, but the biggest reason we do not have the electronic records is because of the government. medicare is the biggest purchaser of coverage in the world. if a doctor or hospital tries to develop medical records to reduce error, so that they did not give you the wrong dosage of a drug, medicare penalizes them for doing that. it pays doctors less when they avoid medical errors. that has suppressed the

development of electronic medical records and has increased the error rate in american health centers. we do not mean the government to fund the electronic records. we need to have the government start creating that perverse incentive. bill: i see your point, but i have one more thing to talk about. the president said -- that was a sensible thing to do. he said that in new hampshire. this would cut down on time. i understand what you are saying now. go ahead and make the technology available to doctors, on a local level, just do not send it to washington. what is the big fear about your medical records being in one place? >> we have heard horror stories of the irs skipping through tax returns of the rich and famous.

government laptop's being lost with peoples security numbers, tax information, veterans health information being lost. if we use choice and competition as a check on doctors and health systems, and then if a private health system lets that sort of thing happen, we can go to somewhere else that holds more security. if the government holds that information, we would not have the opportunity to leave. who you cannot fire the government, as attractive as -- you cannot fire the government, as attractive as it is. bill: they are trying to implement this in the uk. if we want to look to them for an example, they are trying it. thank you.

as though health care was not enough to worry about, wait until we show you what a new report says about nasa and the killer asteroid that threaten to earth. megyn: and i shall not covet thy neighbor's wife. but what happens when your neighbor is a cop and she takes it off for "playboy?" gecko vo: geico's the third-largest car insurance company in the nation. but, it's not like we're kicking back, now, havin' a cuppa tea. gecko vo: takes lots of sweat to become that big. gecko vo: 'course, geckos don't literally sweat... it's just not our thing... gecko vo: ...but i do work hard, mind you. gecko vo: first rule of "hard work equals success." gecko vo: that's why geico is consistently rated excellent or better in terms of financial strength.

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and a long-acting bronchodilator working together to help you breathe better. advair won't replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking advair. we had a great day, grandpa! we sure did. ask your doctor how advair helps improve lung function for better breathing. (announcer) find out how to get your first full prescription free at advaircopd.com. gregg: coming up in 20 minutes, the big search is underway in the atlantic for an enormous hardship that was missing along with its crew. the russians are frantically

looking for it. jane: and the chicago cubs fan who donned a beer on the baseball player last night. security throughout the wrong man. -- threw out the wrong fan. megyn: on the docket today, " playboy" and the police station. perhaps you recognize her. her husband is a member of the force in columbus, ohio. apparently he did not realize that "playboy close code is for sale and to the general public, and his police force was

creating a humiliating, intolerable, harassing work environment, after the addition hit the stands. so does he have a case? let's ask our panel. good morning. it turned out if you post in " playboy" they are going to see it. something that the officer learned the hard way. julia, if you have to represent this officer, how do you make your case? >> first of all, she is a major hottie. she has had four kids. we need to appreciate that. seriously. in any event, in all seriousness, when you look at the allegations in the

complaint, it is pretty scary what was happening at the police station. it was not just these grown men sworn to protect and serve as acting like a bunch of schoolboys who had never seen a naked woman before. right after this, they started a bogus investigation of ron that involved a police officer assigned to family him and his -- to follow him and his family. the entire investigation was bogus. on top of that, they berated him about his medical issues, and spoke about them openly in front of other officers. megyn: what would be their incentive to arrest him in that

way just because his wife posed? >> there is no incentive. let me tell you, of all my david -- favorite definition of frivolous, it is lacking in seriousness. i cannot take this lawsuit serious and i commend you for taking the argument on his behalf. they followed him around because he was supposed to get $200 for an off-duty gig, but instead they made a check up to $2,000. what did the policemen to allegedly? he kept the money. once they called him down on it, he agreed to pay the money back. so they followed him around. at the same time, his wife chose to pose in the magazine. what a shocker that his co- workers would make comments to him? -- to him. i think he is seeking to take

money that does not belong to him. megyn: i do not see how this relates to his harassment claim. if you look at what the officers did in the precinct, making harassing phone calls, the police chief constantly bothered him for a autographed photo of his wife. could this amount to some sort of a hostile work environment nurses and other discrimination claim? >> no, this is not a discrimination claim. in order for someone to claim a hostile working environment, they need to be a member of a protected class. he is a white male who is a cop , and they are harassing him, but it is not discrimination. it is intentional infliction of emotional distress.

you cannot just -- you cannot just look at this in a vacuum and say what they were saying about his wife. there was a host of other issues here. when you put them together, -- was the behavior outrageous? yes, it was. if he suffered enough, he has a case. everyone is focusing on the wife, but there is so much else going on here. >> my second favorite definition of frivolous is having no sound basis in law or fact. that is the case here. megyn: always a pleasure. one final word, the allegations of the lawsuits sound more like

that of a winding, a disgruntled employee. was it really that shocking that the guys at the precincts showed some interest in his wife's naked playboy issue? was he really that humiliated? instead of suing everyone under the sun, take it up with the missus. just saying. bill: more on that growing wildfire in california. also, the killer asteroid that could ruin your day. megyn: and a panty raid that is no innocent prank. he is accused of lacking women'' underwear a bit too much. chloe is 9 months old.

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♪ bill: he is a big bear. megyn: he is a bit off the beaten coarse. but when your account borders the angeles forest, this is what you can expect. the curious bear even taking some time to cool off in the pool. not bad. police warning everyone to stay in their homes. wildlife control used horns to

scare him away. a rubber bullets appeared to do the trick as he ran away back into the forest. bill: massachusetts now taking chances with h1n1. in the commonwealth, paramedics and pharmacists are being taught how to administer the vaccine ahead of the expected return of the flu. molly line is in boston. >> the plan is to get as many people vaccinated as possible. first, the state wants to vaccinate people for the seasonal flu, and then in october, vaccinating everyone for h1n1. this is about capacity. that is why they have brought these extra health care workers into the mix, paramedics, school nurses, and even dentists. we spoke to one dentist, and he

said if he is called upon to do it, he is ready. >> the injection itself is pretty benign. it is more the formulation of the injection. it is quick and easy. >> only takes a couple of minutes but there will be a lot of people to do this to. the plan is to distribute 9 million of these. bill: who is at the top of that list? >> one of the top priorities is to insure everyone working at clinics and hospitals and long- term care facilities get these inoculations so that they are ready if there is an outbreak. then there are population concerns. children, pregnant women, people with underlying health concerns in get inoculated before the flu season. there is also a plan in place for funding. they want to make sure that

local health departments have the money that they need to set up these local clinics. bill: thank you. megyn: it is nasa's job to keep up with killer asteroids, but they say they do not have enough money. this is serious business. they estimate some 25,000 asteroids are potential threats, larger than 460 feet in diameter. and they cannot keep an eye on all of them without millions more in federal dollars for the equipment. bill: a lot of managers seem to be keeping an eye on them. -- amateurs seem to be keeping an eye on them. when the big one hits, all of the atm's will be down, and you will be set.

megyn: both parties feeling the anchor of voters at health care forums in america. in new response from the white house. and a man's apparent that -- infatuation with women's panties gets him in hot water. the size of his underwear's- along to his neighbors is astonishing. .

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