we'll send you straight to washington where the news continues in america's news headquarters. with shannon bream. have a great day. >> shannon: a change in tactics for the white house eager to get trillion dollar healthcare reform plan passed. president obama has a new fall guy and he is taking the battle over healthcare personal. i'm shannon bream live in the capital for the next two hours. the healthcare reform is taking a new bunch with word that the white house may be ready to accept the plan without a government run public option. fox news is all over the healthcare battle. caroline shively is in washington where the heavy hitters from both sides making their cases on the sunday talk shows. we begin with mike emmanuel travelling with the president in scottsdale, arizona. and has the latest from his

remarks and the administration top health officials out there as well. i understand the administration is possibly backing off the idea of including public option as part of the plan. what do we know? >> that is right. kathleen sebelius, the health and human services saying that the government option, public option is not essential. take a listen. >> i think there will be competitor through private insurer. that is the essential part. you don't turn it over to private insurance company and trust them to do the right thing. we have choices and competition. >> robert gibbs was asked about the idea of a public option. he says the president still thinks the public option is the best option in terms of bringing choice and competition to healthcare reform around the country. bottom line, if there is not a public option and choice in competition, the white house would be satisfied. >> mike, also, we are hearing that there is a shift in strategy when it comes toing

issaling out a villa -- singling out a villen in the healthcare debate. what is that about? >> no question. the president is out on the stump talking about healthcare reform and says doctors are on board, the nurses are on board. he likes to say that the retired folks are on board, the hospitals are on board. but he goes after the health insurance companies and say they make money and others are struggling to find coverage. found insurance company to be the villain in this. >> shannon: thank you, mike. secretary sebelius is saying that the non-profit co-op could work. it looks like some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle embrace the idea. we have the latest from washington with caroline shively. >> this development changes the dynamic of the debate in congress. it was dead stuck on the

senate side. >> there are not the votes on the public healthcare side and to continue to chase the rabbit is wasted effort. >> deal breaker for republicans answer moderate democrat in the senate. some compare the government run option competing with private run companies to mcdonald's going up a kid's lemonade stand. give at it while and the lemonade stand will be pushed out of business. under conrad proposal in the senate finance committee, the government would provide the seed money for co-ops because they have to have a healthy financial reserve if they have to pay out high plains. then the non-profits would run independently of the government. that idea might just might pull republicans who oppose the current plan to the yes column. >> we already have something like those. non-profit that seems to work. i don't know if it will do everything people want but we ought to look at it.

a far cry from the original proposals. >> this plan could pass knowledge the senate side, but it makes it complicated on the house side. many liberal democrats say since they know to the public option and i say no to your entire plan. this could dramatically change the count. >> thank you. >> shannon: we have to see if anyone changes the tone of the town halls where members find out what the boss is, the constituents think. more on that coming up. as you heard many times, a sticking point healthcare reform is the end-of-life provisions in the proposed house health bill with death borned death panels thrown around, a lot of seniors are shaken up by possible government mandates. we should not have a government program. >> end-of-life issues are taking center stage at town hall across the country.

the government advisory boards what they call death panels are key decisions about what kind of treatment they'll get in the later years. >> the rumor that is circulating a lot lately -- >> though they want to quell any efforts to something more sinister, his own words may have contributed to the atmosphere of fear. he often discusses his grandmother's story. she was battling terminal cancer when she fell and needed a hip replacement. mr. obama said he would have paid her bills out of pocket but whether society should be willing to pay such costs is a tougher question. in april interview he said that's where i think you get into difficult moral issues and that's a huge driver of costs, right? >> that does not mean we should tie the continuation and quality of individual's life to how much they cost the government. >> cost is an issue.

roughly a quarter of medicare recent budget, $10 bill$100 bil spent on patients in the final year of life. real concern that the lawmakers pushing for healthcare reform could look for spending cuts limiting "unnecessary procedures for the elderly." would medical professionals be urged to council against the costly procedures in patient consultation? supporters of the consultation says the suggestion is nothing more than a scare tactic. >> one who may not be on board is the aarp. the senior vice president of government relation, advocacy for the group, david sloan. >> thank you for having me. >> shannon: has aarp endorsed any specific legislative proposal or the president so-called plan that knows he doesn't have one. >> we haven't made decision about endorsement. we have three separate bills in the house and reconcile

bills in the house. assuming the finance committee can get an agreement. e-we're watching things closely and having a good discussion with the members and we're learning a lot. >> you represent millions of senior seniors. we have seen them concern or there is concern about the end-of-life issues. what is the fact about this? >> the fact about this is it's wildly blown out of proportion. unfortunate casualty and mythology about health reform. people with advanced directives is something we recommend for anybody. whether you're 30 or 40. it doesn't matter if you're 65. unfortunate thing but we shouldn't let it stand in the way of trying to get health reform done. >> shannon: one thing to refer to is the house bill, 3200. that's one section talking a about the end-of-life counseling, where the doctors and patients will talk about the living will, hospice,

those things. it's voluntary, not mandatory. >> correct. >> shannon: but critics say it's tucked in a bill whose overall goal is cut costs and they worry there are negative connection with patients counseled away from more expensive options. what is your understanding about what kind of counsel willing go on in the meeting. >> all it would be is the consultation every five years, that's discretionary. the choice of the beneficiary, that would be reimbursed by medicare. so they could talk with their physician. we get facts for living will and advanced direction. if the moment comes and they're incapacitated at any age, and the wishes are known. basic. >> shannon: any chance the counseling sessions could be used to ration care for seniors or anyone else? >> the american medical

association endorsed the bill. this has done tremendous service to public. one thing that august has done is with all the counterclaims that are going on and claims and the mythology, it's forcing people to get educated on the bill. that is what is happening. one thing we noticed is we get a lot of calls from the members. often they're not happy when they get the calls. we have a spike of people for the basic information, that tells you they are asking tough questions and want to learn about what is in the bill. >> shannon: thank you for coming in. >> appreciate it. >> in a sign of the economic times the city of chicago is hanging out closed for business side. city hall, public library, health clinics and most city offices are closed for day tomorrow in part of the effort to reduce the budget by $8 million. while most city employees have the day off without pay, police and firefighters will still be on the job.

parts of florida are under tropical storm warning at this hour. new depression formed this morning in the gulf, threatening the panhandle. when while, tropical storm ana and bill are raging west through the atlantic. meteorologist rick reichmuth is tracking it all. he's a busy man. what is the latest? >> three storms. we went from having nothing in the atlantic hurricane season to having a lot going on, all of a sudden. this is claudette now. this w has gotten its act together overnight. it continues to, you can see on the latest at l latest satel image, organized on the eastern side of it. it's where the rain is when you look at the radar picture. center of the storm to the south of appalachacola, florida. you notice this, this is jogging to the west and that's the official forecast,

we'll probably talking around 55-mile-per-hour or 60-mile-per-hour storm making land fall. the biggest effect is heavy rain across florida. you do have the tropical storm warning from pensacola, the georgia/alabama border. maybe five or ten inches of rain for some people throughout the afternoon and overnight. then we have other two storms. this is ana and this is bill. ana having a hard time maintaining the structure. bill not the case. bill getting much more organized. show you the tracks quickly of both of these. this is the official track for ana. pulls up toward the west and maybe ends up as a low in the gulf. broken apart where it's not a major factor for us. it may stay off the coast. folks if bermuda, watch this closely as well over the next few days. shannon?

>> shannon: a busy season. thank you for updating us. >> you bet. close to 2,000 firefighters are battling 11 wildfires in santa cruz mountains of california. some residents are urged to evacuate now. governor schwarzenegger met with the fire crews to discuss the specific difficulty of the fires. >> this fire is different from most of the fire because of the terrain. it's hard to get equipment in there and resources in there. you see helicopter used. tremendous heat in the mountain. low humidity and very dry. also, there is winds up to 30-mile-per-hour. that makes it dangerous. fast-moving. >> shannon: we will check in with an official from cal fire in the next hour as they try to get a handle on dozen wildfires there. polling equipment and ballot boxes sent out across afghanistan today in preparation for thursday

presidential election, despite a sharp up-tick in violence and threats from the taliban. later in the show, defensive department spokesman jeff morrell will join us to talk about how they are trying to ensure a safe election there. a russian fighter pilot is dead. they collided earlier today that sent a jet crashing in the houses below and killing a pilot. woman was seriously injured when the jet crashed not far from the airfield. three other pilots involved in the crash ejected safely from the jet after the collision. senator arlen spector who recently switched from the republican to the democratic party says people who are expressing their anger at town hall meetings and he's seen plenty of it, do not reflect the broader public opinion of the proposed overhaul. facing tough town hall audiences in his home state of pennsylvania. >> there is such a disconnect from washington to the people

of this country. you have set yourselves up on a level that you do not identify with your own constituents anymore. what do you think at home and is it doing anything for cost? julie banderas has the report. >> reporter: anxiety over healthcare reform surfaced in town hall meetings across america cities. the latest fox news opinion dynamic poll shows sharp contrast among americans on healthcare reform and economic recovery. on 15% margin, the public opposes the plan with 34% in favor, 49% are against it. americans say the angry outburst at the town hall meeting are genuine, with 52% saying these are real expression of outrage. significantly more than the

29% who think protests are organized by the political activists. overall satisfaction with the way things are going in the country is declining with more than six in ten americans saying they are dissatisfied with the direction of the country. president obama is taking heat over his policies. his job approval rating dropped from 65% during his first week in office to 53%. as he travels the country promoting his vision of healthcare reform. and economic recovery. almost half of americans say they would like to see less of him on tv. this is up from 36% who felt that way when polls back in march. the economy continues to weigh heavily on the american public, but the outlook is less gloomy. 44% say the worst is past us. up significantly from 27% back in april. with signs the economy is improving without spending most of the stimulus money. most americans, 72% say they

want unused funds from the stimulus to be returned to taxpayers. an opinion shared by most democrats, republicans and independents. perhaps some common ground, as the country navigates, through the challenging times. in new york, julie banderas, fox news. >> shannon: fox news alert for you now. the mayor of milwaukee is in the hospital after being attacked at the wisconsin state fair. police say that tom barrett was leaving the fair when he heard a woman calling for help. as the mayor called 911, a man threatening the woman turned on the mayor and hit him with a metal pipe. we're told barrett is in stablen condition. the woman was not hurt. police are searching for suspect. e-mail link to president obama went out to many of congressmen mark kirk's constituents, an invitation to town hall healthcare at kirk's office. a lot of people knew about it except mark kirk. we talk to the congressman about what happened when beget back.

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>> shannon: topping the news right now. as you know, forced healthcare. president obama prescription for healthcare reform shifted to include an attack on insurance companies. in an op-ed in the "new york times" he writes he's battling a healthcare system that works better for insurance industry than for the american people. florida's panhandle is bracing for a stop call storm. warning was -- tropical storm. newly formed depression is swirling 90 miles off the coast. tropical storm bill and ana moving west across the atlantic. commuters in san francisco could be in for a huge traffic jam tomorrow. negotiator for the bay area commuter rail system and the

union have one more day to hammer out a deal or a strike could strangle tomorrow's commute. congressman mark kirk has a bone to pick with president obama. he says his constituents signed up for meeting through an e-mail they got from barackobama.com. but he says the white house never told him about it. after a flood of confused citizens arrived at his office, congressman wrote a letter to the president about the snafu and joins us live to talk about it. thank you for coming in. >> thank you for having me. >> your constituents got an e-mail from barackobama.com asking them to sign up for town hall or come see you is the white house affiliated with the e-mail? what is the source of that? >> my constituents thought so. it said here is a way to set up a schedule and visit your congressman. we got constituents showing up thinking they had an appointment with me. the e-mail didn't say it but it was misleading.

a number of constituents went away more mad at the president because it was disingenuous to set up appointment with your congressman. >> you reached out to get to the bottom of this. >> what happened? >> we wrote a letter sand said give us courtesy of a call. i love meeting people i represent. no answer yet. >> are you having town halls? >> i am running for illinois right now. statewide tour. seven city last week and 198 cities in the week to come. we can't have enough town hall meetings because the american people want to express views on healthcare. i think having a vigorous debate is okay. as one commentator said america was born in an argument and it's okay to

have the debate. we know it's important. >> we know that some are angry with the proposal they understand, house bill that has come out. they're angry about things that the democrats are proposing. what is the g.o.p. showing as alternative? >> i wrote the g.o.p. alternative. we have three main pillars. number one, the medical rights act, that says congress should make no law interfering with the decisions you made with the doctor. the second is defensive medicine reform, to lower the cost of defensive medicine. we have rock 'n' roll and lawsuit reform and fully electronic medical records owned by the patient. insurance reforms to break up local state monopolies. americans should buy insurance from whoever is offering it in whatever state. we should give same tax breaks to individuals.

the first thing i talk about in healthcare is what we're for. insurance reform, defensive medical reform and the medical rights act. then we go into why we shouldn't have a trillion dollar plan and we should haven't the government take over healthcare. the taxes in the healthcare bill alone would push top marginal rate in the state of illinois to 49.9%, which ironically is four points higher than france. >> bottom line if you have reforms as well, is there price tag to g.o.p. and how is it funded? >> much less. heavy on reform, and light on taxpayers funding. the government is 1.8 trillion in debt. we are borrowing at rate of $160 billion a week. since the congress was inaugurat inaugurated, we borrowed $5 trillion. the congress if you add up all the legislation that it's adopted, it's ordered the treasury to spend over $2 trillion more.

that is very irresponsible. a healthcare bill that's heavy on reform so that we repeat the good things that happen for example in the state of california where health insurance costs are much lower than the bad things that happen for example in new jersey where they have almost no reform. is what we're about. we don't think we should have unsustainable trillion dollar healthcare bill. >> thank you for making time for us today. good luck with the continued town hall as they go. >> fox news now. tropical depression four is upgraded to tropical storm. this will be claudette. this is in the eastern gulf of mexico. it's expected to move ashore in the next few hours in the florida panhandle. politics influence some of the strangest things. get, this some of your favorite candy could get more expensive. some of the biggest food

companies are blaming the president. taking a lot of heat these days for everything. so guess what. again, when i least expected it, my asthma symptoms came back. so this time, my doctor gave me symbicort to help control my asthma. it combines two medicines that help control inflammation and constriction. so i'm breathing more freely day and night, and that feels good to me. and symbicort is an asthma controller that starts to open my airways within 15 minutes. very unexpected. symbicort will not replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. and should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort contains formoterol. medicines like formoterol may increase the chance of asthma-related death. so, it is not for people whose asthma

is well controlled on other asthma medicines. see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse. i know symbicort won't replace a rescue inhaler. it helps control my asthma and starts to open my airways within 15 minutes. ask your doctor if symbicort is right for you. (announcer) if you cannot afford your prescription, astrazeneca may be able to help.

>> shannon: president obama health and human secretary joining the reform debate. kathleen sebelius says opponents of the overhaul are using scare tactics. bottom of the hour. caroline shively with the top of the news.

>> president obama health secretary is suggesting the white house is ready to accept non-profit insurance cooperatives instead of government run public option in the health overhaul plan. appearing on abc this week, kathleen sebelius said that claims the government would set up death panels to rule on life sustaining care for older people are not true. >> i think it's really terrific that opponents of the health reform bill used this painful, personal moment to try to scare people about what is in the bill. >> the number of wildfires raging across california is growing today. about 25 firefighters have been injured. this is a fire in santa barbara county that forced 2400 people from their homes. 11 fires are burning in the state because of the dry hot weather.

sad story that shows the danger of driving distracted. in philadelphia, police say a deadly crash was caused by a distracted driver fiddling with her ipod. two young women, best friends, walking out of a hospital when a car plowed into them from behind. police official told that a 20-year-old driver reaching for her ipod and lost control of her car. a woman was killed instantly and the other is in critical condition. the driver had minor injuries. no charges have yet been filed. american held prisoner in myanmar in the last three months arrived safely in bangkok. he was accompanied by the man who secured his release, u.s. senator jim webb. it came after he met with the myanmar military chief yesterday. those are the top stories. back to you. >> two british soldiers were killed in afghanistan pushing the death toll past 200. to join operations in 2001. ten british troops have been killed this month.

all of them had full military funerals and xhov coverage in t british press. it sparked debate whether the mission is worth the human cost. britain has 9,000 troops on the ground in the region. afghan will elect a new leader this week and the latest poll numbers suggest hamid karzai is a shoo-in to stick around. will it suit most afghans? how many people are terrified to get out to the polls? here to tell sus geoff morrell, spokesman for the defense department. thank you for coming in. >> thank you for having me. >> jamie: a lot going on in afghanistan. >> shannon: let's talk about the recent upsurge in v violence and how it could impact things. >> it's a difficult past couple months. not surprisingly so. we knew it would be. we put in 22,000 additional u.s. forces not to mention the additional allied forces that went in, in an attempt to improve the security situation on the ground leading up to the elections on thursday.

we believe there will be better access to polls than predicted as a result of the operations particularly down in the south. there was a great deal of concern whether they would have access to polling places in the south. it looks like it would be closed but the security situation will be closed. >> the other organizations involved making sure it's safe, there leaflets going out from the taliban saying you could be a victim if you show up to vote. how about winning the war to get them to the polls? >> this is whether or not they believe it's safe enough to get to the polls. we're trying to work to make them believe indeed the situation is secure. this is an afghan led effort. we're there to provide support to their effort to put on the elections. the taliban made it clear. you saw the attack outside

the headquarters yesterday. they're trying to go at the very heart of thetheir, of the afghan people. let them to believe that indeed not even itap, the american force forces are invul in to believe our attacks. there is an effort made through support of the afghan security forces to persuade the people that most of the polling places will be secure enough to get to. we're encouraging people to get out and exercise the constitutional right on thursday. >> shannon: i imagine for many of them it's a badge of honor to go to the poll and take part. we know the polling shows that hamid karzai is probably staying in place as the president -- >> i wouldn't so sure about that. >> shannon: really? >> i'm not a prognosticator but this is not faitecompli. 37, 39 candidates running for the presidency of

afghanistan. we have to let the election take its course. the u.s. is not backing a candidate. we're there to help the afghan people put on a credible fair election. i'm not so sure that this is a done deal by any means. let's go to the poll to see what happens. i caution we're probably not going to know in the first through days or that might. it will take time for the polls to show who a true victor there. >> shannon: there is a possibility of a runoff if the election is indeed a close one. can you tell us what it means for the country for what it means if he stays or go? >> if there is a runoff, if indeed no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote it shows that there is a dynamic political system on the ground. you have seen it despite the violence on the ground, you

have seen an effort on the part of candidates to get out and campaign. very much a western style campaign with political consultants, one-on-one televised debate, posters, colors and so forth. if there is enough of a vibrant opposition on the ground to result in a runoff, it speaks to dine schism of the political theme in afghanistan. >> a whole new way of election nearing. sounds like taste of the west. thank you so much. >> my pleasure. >> shannon: turning to business news, some of the favorite candy, cereal and shoeing gum may taste less sweet. hersh hershey, kraft, and other companies say they're heading for a sugar shortage and they're blaming barack obama? brenda buttner is here to explain. say it isn't so! not our favorite treats. >> you can call it sweet and low. that's how many of america's food companies describe the sugar stock pile.

a big problem that many brands, including kraft, general mills, hervy and mars to warn of higher prices for thousands of products. chocolate, cereal, cookie, gum, among them. >> sugar prices are high. prices of sugar futures are up 95% this year. why? simple supply and demand. growing numbers of sweet out there and less sugar getting grown. it doesn't help that india the world's second largest producer suffers from a bad drought. like most economic issues these days, politics is a big part of the recipe. food companies pay higher prices for u.s. sugar because it's artificially high. kept that way for powerful lawmakers supporting the sugar beet and cane sugar farmers.

chocolate and cookie makers want president obama to allow them to have more sugars overseas. there is a big debate simmering about that. even whether there is really a shortage of sugar in spite of the high prices. before you go to sugar shock, fearful you won't get hersheys, america won't likely run out of sugar. we don't emergency reserve like we do with the other commodity we crave, oil, but many of producers have stock piles so there is no need to horde the favorite food, though the world futures for the sweet stuff is on a sugar high in the economic times, racing prices for sugar, and like is one temptation most big food firms might have to resist. >> shannon: all right. i have to tell you that the producers here, the fabulous producers on the america's news headquarters have begun stockpiling. we have options. if something has to go, we have to decide between hershey, mr. goodbar and

hershey special dark, which gives my vote. want to weigh in on who lives or dies here? >> glad you said weigh in. those are down in d.c., i don't see anything on my desk here. the producers didn't take care of me. >> we'll rectify the situation if the prices don't get too high on the favorite goodies. thank you. >> take care. >> shannon: luckily for bakers in detroit, no shortage of sugar when they attempted to make the world's biggest cupcake. it weighs in at diet busting 1224 pounds, that's the new world record. this is their second try. the first one they tried to make whopping 7,000 pound cupcake, it flopped when it expanded so much that it blew a heating rod in the oven. that's an oven i'd like to see. freeze, don't move. do not go anywhere. coming up, we talk to a man who got a rare look inside one of the most secret law enforcement agencies behind the scenes access and stories about the men and women who protect the president of the

united states. i was in the grocery store when i had a heart attack. my daughter was with me. i took a bayer aspirin out of my purse and chewed it. my doctor said the bayer aspirin saved my life. please talk to your doctor about aspirin and your heart. i'm going to be grandma for a long time.

if you're just tuning in, a look at the he c1 if you're just tuning in, a look at the headlines. that tropical depression headed for florida pan-hand is a -- panhandle is a tropical storm named claudette. there is activity in the atlanta. very busy out there. the white house says it's

looking into claims some americans got unsolicited e-mails about healthcare from the obama administration. hundreds of those who received e-mail are trying to determine how they ended up on the list. some say they visited the website on the white house but only to comment on something different. overs say they only contacted a member of congress. texas is facing the worst drought in history. they imposed severe water restrictions. next week, austin has hired people to fine violators on the spot. police are investigating a visit to the merge room that turned deadly in washington state. a 1346 year veteran -- ad s s 13-year veteran officer shot someone who showed up with a head injury. the man was agitated when they tried to prepare him for medical tests.

police were called. he took two guns from the patient. then a third one and in the struggle the officer shot the man. the officer on routine administrative leave pending a full investigation. senator chris dodd is home today after what doctors say was a successful surgery. dodd underwent treatment on tuesday for early stage prostate cancer. spokesman for the senator says he's recovering well and he looked forward to getting back to work. waiting for him in washington this month. if you ever wanted to know the juiciest thing about presidents, who better to ask than people closest to them. literally. the next guests interviewed current and former secret service agents. ronald kessler is author of "in the president's secret service. behind the scene of the presidents those in line of fire and presidents they protect." congratulations, the book is doing well. >> on the best seller list. >> shannon: this is a top take fasciistrtes americans and beyond the borders as well. tell us the kind of storious

heard from folks and who you were able to talk to. >> i was able to talk, as you said, to over 100 agents, culitent or foda er. they're just like hidden surveillance cameras. they see everything that goes on behind the of it ranges from, toimmy carter who wanted to project an image as a great populist peanut farmer but actually he would prothe end to carry his own luggage. in fact, the luggage was either emp-- or he would carry it in front of cameras and then give it to aides. come in at 5:00 in the morning to the oval office and tell the press office to tell the press he was in there wor amng hard for the american people. but then he would fall a3 seep on the couch. >> shannon: let me ask you about the luggage, too. was it his idea or understanding that he thought the agents would carry his luggage? i'm guessing that's not something they do. >> it's not something they do. he would try to give it to them to cality. at one point agents left it in the trunk of his car when

he was campaigning so he was without clothes for two days. >> shannon: a little standoff over the luggage? >> it's amazing. when you find out what some of the presidents were really like, it's a wonder we ever elected them. and because this does tell you something about character. character dveis have something to do with how they perform in office and how they exercise the leadership. it's something we need to know about. unfortunately, you know, a lot of this is secret. jenistr bush, for example, not wanting her secret service agents to follow her. she would go tive ough red lights. one time she and her husband to be were at a halloween party and he got so drunk the secret service had to take him to the hospital. lyndon, tooh: on was out of control. he would go into the air force one and strip naked,

literally in front of his dzighter, se loetaries, just because he could, you know. it shows the ego of the man i think. an agent said, you know, if he weren't president he'd be in a mental hospital. k e would uriistrte in front of female reporters. of course, this never came out at the time. >> shann the tdof course not. of course the press was different then. i want to akn about particular episode io folving president ronald reagan. he came across as a tough guy. apparen aiy it was tr cl. >> one time he came out of his home in california wearing a pistol. the agent said what is that for? he said well, just in case you gkn s need some help. >> fantastic! he was ready to roll. ronald decemb kesslehand thank ? thenuch. we wish you continued success with the book. fascinating stories tive oughout. so many we couldn't get to. have to get the book. thank you. ? thenayor of u.s. ci-- gveis aboe and beyond the call of duty. tom barrett comes to the rescue and ends up in the

k ospital. we have the details coming up. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

>> shannon: topping the news right now, could president obama be ready to consider a healthcare plan that does not include a government run public option? health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius says president obama still believes there should be choice and competition in healthcare insurance, but that a public option, "is not the essential element." the mayor of milwaukee is in the hospital after being attacked at the wisconsin state fair. police say tom barrett was leaving the fair when he heard a woman crying for help. a man attacking the woman charged the mayor and hit him with a metal pipe. barrett is in stable condition. the woman was not hurt. police are out searching for suspect. a 5-year-old oakland boy with

cerebral palsy is still missing today. hasanni campbell has been missing since monday. close to 100 volunteers have been searching for the boy and police ramp up their efforts. we'll keep you posted as the story develops. well, local farmers and state officials in new york think they found a way to get healthier food to needy people at an affordable price. rick leventhal will tell us more. hi, rick. >> we're at one of more than 100 farmers market that operate in the new york area every week. this place is pretty busy today. they attract thousands of people. in some cases tens of thousands of people on a daily basis who are buying fresh fruits and vegetables from farms in the region. now, a lot of the people are using food stamp benefits here and at farmer's market across the country. this is a relatively new development. in many states they went to a paperless food stamp system where you get an atm card and you can use the card now at some farmer's markets, roughly 750 farmer's markets

across the country because they now have the devices here. you can take a food stamp card, swipe it through. instead of giving you cash, they give you wooden dollars or nickels and five dollar coupons i guess. a wooden five dollar thing. token. thank you. michael herwitz a director of a prom in new york that helps people spend the food stamp benefit. you told me there are a billion in benefits in new york alone issued to families in need. >> right. >> that is just the families who are enrolled. about 60% enrollment rate. >> what is it, what is this, what is the purpose of this program? two-fold. first and foremost, green market with the environment of new york city. the mission is to help small local farms remain viable to have opportunities sell directly to customers. other side of that, ensure a continuous supply of regionally produced agriculture products to the new york city residents. for that it's all new york

city residents. the goal is make sure that every new yorker has access to the best tasting, healthiest fresh fruits and vegetables around. >> buy fresh fruits and fresh vegetables to the people who need it. >> the most. >> and neighborhoods that where most food stamp enrollees live are neighborhoods without access for fresh fruit and vegetables. >> hate to wrap you, but we're running out of time. in new york and several states you can use the cards and get the fresh fruit and vegetables. people are using them. >> shannon: we all need more of that. thank you very much. now that president obama health of human services may forgo key provision of the plan to get it through congress, could we see movement on the healthcare plan debate? "fox news sunday's" chris wallace weighs in next.

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>> i don't know if they're myths but a question was does the health plan represent a government takeover? a lot of the facts on that changed today because you had the health secretary, kathleen sebelius, suggesting and i think it was more than suggesting. it was a serious trial balloon that the public option is not essential. and that the president might go for the non-profit cop ratives -- cooperatives. that would be a big deal. we had two important people on. kent conrad, the member of the so-called gang of six, from the negotiated bipartisan compromise and said the public option is dead anyway, it can't pass

the senate and crazy for the president to keep chasing that rabbit. then we have richard shelby, one of the leading republican critics who say i'm not sure about the co-ops but they found better than the public option. i think that is a major change today in the debate over healthcare. >> shannon: does it signal a bit of a dismantling of what the president initially proposed in hope to get? losing key provisions he's a huge supporter of? namely public option? >> absolutely. look, it's a political process. there is always a negotiation. it's like trying to sell your house. you say it will be "a" and the person trying to buy it says it's "z" and you try to meet somewhere in the middle. the president certainly knew he was never going to get everything he wanted. i do think, however, they underestimated particularly what we have seen in the town hall meetings that the real concern and fear on the part of average americans about some components of this bill and as a result i think it's scaring a lot of moderate democrats. they'll have to scale back just to get the votes to pass it.

even though you have the democratic majorities in the house and senate. >> shannon: speaking of fear, end-of-life options and proto visions in the house bill, that stoked a lot of reaction from people. some say it's complete misinformation. president says scare tactics and those things. what did you learn about that? >> we did shed light on that. in term osthe idea of death panels, there is nothing in the legislation that you're going to go up before government panel and basically, you know, justify your life. what there would be is voluntary consultation with doctors. this provides that the doctor gets paid to talk to you about things like living wills and do not resuscitate orders. it's already in the law. if you go to the hospital and you're a senior, you already get the information. it just means that the doctor would be paid for the consultation. having said that, again, the democrat kent conrad said you know what? it's just too politically explosive. we have dropped that

conversation. i have a sense for public option that idea has come and gone. >> shannon: a short time left. in the last week or so for the first time i heard from g.o.p. senators the "f" word, filibuster talking about the plans. still coming together in the senate. >> i didn't know that was the "f" word. >> shannon: it may provoke the other "f" word. talking about filibuster. do you think it's possibility? i hear it is on the senate side. >> well, sure. the number, the democrats have filibuster proof majority of 60 but if you get the moderate -- there are a half dozen moderate democrats, ben nelson, mary landrieu of louisiana, they may fall away. then it's a 60 majority that might become 56, 55. if the republicans hold firm they could filibuster. >> shannon: we'll all be watching. thank you, chris.

>> shannon: it's crunch time in the debate over healthcare. the white house is targeting the big bad inturion companicompan -- big, bad insurance companies and reporting a big without a public option. mike emmanuel has the latest now. i have to ask you, we heard today that health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius may say the white house is willing to go along with a plan that doesn't include a public option. what are you hearing? >> that's right. sebelius saying on the sunday talk shows today, basically that the public option, the government option is not essential. here is how the health and human services secretary sold it this morning. >> what is important is choice and competition. i'm convinced at the end of the day the plan will have

both of those. that's not the essential element. >> on another sunday show, robert gibbs, the white house press secretary says the government believes in the government option. the bottom line is they want to see choice and competition. so they seem to be backing away from the public option, shannon. >> all right. mike, where do we go from here in the reform debate? if the president gives up too much of what he planned will he take the heat from the other side, maybe his liberal base? >> there is no question about that. there are some people who think he should have taken more ownership of this, that the white house should have crafted its own plan and gotten sponsors in the senate and the house to carry it for them. so he probably will get some criticism from his own liberal base. but there is a reality check. they don't have the votes to get the public option through. they are listening to what the senators are saying in terms to what have is likely to come out of a deal that may be struck in the senate. they have goto get on board if they want healthcare reform. otherwise if the president wants to threat an veto, it won't get done.

they put so much on getting it done they need to declare a victory even if it's healthcare like. >> something that may help them is reframing the debate toward one villen in this thing. who is the villain? what is that all about? >> we heard a lot in town hall meeting. three in the last five days where the president went after the health insurance companies. here is how he sold it. >> if you like your healthcare plan, you can keep your health plan. if you like your doctor, you keep your doctor. i have don't like the government bureaucrats meddling in your healthcare. i don't want insurance bureaucrats meddling in your healthcare either. >> that line is going after the insurance company got a lot of applause last night in grand junction, colorado. >> it did, mike emmanuel travelling with the president. thank you for update today. >> thank you. >> shannon: with the white

house signaling it is willing to drop the government run health insurance option, compromise with the republicans is slightly more likely. could it be the change that moves the overhaul forward in congress? caroline shively is keeping an eye on it in washington and joins us with more. >> hi there, shannon. with plenty of senators, republicans and democrats the public option was a deal-killer. private cooperatives could change things, though, with the co-op. the government would be involved at first, but then would step back. >> the idea is the government would front end some of the money and we have yet to discuss whether all of that or sol some of that gets paid back. but the would-be that amount of involvement. but it would be member run, member controlled and the government wouldn't have any ongoing obligation or any control. >> that was kent conrad, democrat as part of the gang of six. three democrats and three republicans on the senate finance committee who are trying to negotiate a bipartisan deal. today he said they are not now and never have been the

votes to pass a public option. he said chasing that rabbit was a wasted effort. insurance co-op might even get some republicans who strongly oppose democratic reform plans on board maybe. >> i think that's something we should look at. we already have a lot of those. something like them. non-profit, basically, that seem to work. i don't know if they do everything people want. but we ought to look at it. i think it's a far cry from the original proposals. >> it is more complicated on the house side. house committee passed a bill to include public option. the full house to get something done. many liberal democrats say you lose the public option and you lose them. we have to see if it changes the tone of town halls. members find out what the bosses, constituents think about the co-op. shannon? >> shannon: thank you so much. the exchanges in healthcare town hall meetings have been tense putting it nicely. including confrontations between representatives and their constituents.

>> i believe the polls show most people are happy with their healthcare. there is a few problems. the illegals. they shouldn't even be here. let alone -- [ cheering ] i would ask congress to do something to send them home so we don't have to deal with it. there are people who don't want to pay for coverage, then let them pay for the service when they get the service. we should haven't to provide for that. let's focus on tort reform and focus on helping people carry their coverage over to a new job. [ applause ] but leave us alone. that's all we ask. would you leave us alone. >> shannon: will outrage over healthcare reform actually help shape the final bill if there is one? republican congressman of georgia is a doctor and also a member of the energy and commerce committee which has actually put out its version of the healthcare. the legislation. right before the august recess. he joins us live from atlanta. congressman, thank you so much for your time today.

>> thank you, shannon. >> shannon: give us a little bit of your unique perspective being a local physician and lawmaker in washington. what do you make of the debate in its current form? do you expect there will be resolution anytime soon? >> well, shannon, just like on the previous clip it was said that most people are satisfied and like their health insurance. let me make an analogy. most dogs are satisfied with their dog food. but when you put a big lump of broccoli in the dog food, they aren't going to eat it. that's where the public plan is to health insurance. people don't want that. you can't cover up the taste of the dog food by putting in kibbles and bits. you have to take out the broccoli. that's what the american people are saying. it wasn't enough for we republicans, all republicans and a handful of democrats in washington to say take out the public option. they weren't going to do it because majority felt like they had the votes they could cram it down our throats. when it comes from the

american people, the grassroots talking at the town hall meetings, i think we're finally got their attenti attention. >> shannon: are you having town hall meetings? what are you hearing from the con stitch wents? >> yes, shannon, we have one last thursday. and we had over 1,000 people there. largest town hall meeting i've ever had. of course, i got a standing ovation, because they know i'm opposed to the public option. not opposed to healthcare reform, not opposed to health insurance reform. you know, the health insurance industry, of course, the villain du jour. i don't know why the president doesn't blame osama bin laden. everybody hates him. everybody has their beef against the insurance industry. but the truth be told, they had already come to the table. and agreed to do certain things like not deny coverage for preexisting conditions. and to make sure that you have community rating and things like that.

so i think the insurance industry is a little bit taken aback that all of a sudden they're the big villain in this. >> shannon: congressman, new polling out this week from rasmussen reports shows for the first time voters trust the g.o.p. more than they do the democrats when it comes to handling healthcare by a margin of 44 to 41%. is there anything the party plans to do with that tiniest little bit of political capital moving forward? >> well, absolutely, shannon. i think these things change. and change based on the current information. and the position that either party takes. the american people, republicans, democrats and certainly the independents now see the republicans as the party that has the better ideas. we're for tort reform, meaningful tort reform. we're for equalizing the tax treatment. so people buying on the individual market can take a tax deduction as well. for electronic medical records. we're for giving people vouchers who are on medicaid. so if they want to, they can

use that voucher to buy private insurance. we're for allowing people to go across the state lines and so-called shshaddock bill where they can buy a policy that's less expensive because it's not larded up with mandates from their own state. last and not least, we are very much for health savings account combined with a high deductible, low premium, very low premium that young working healthy people can afford. and we're very frightened that this whole new h.r.-3200 could completely eliminate that by some government bureaucrat, one of the 44 czars we've been talking about so much. >> shannon: congressman, we know there is a lot of work to be done in your recess and when you're back in washington. we'll keep an eye on it. thank you, sir. >> we want to work in a bipartisan way with the democrats when we get back in september. hopefully they would be willing to bring to us the table. >> shannon: see you then.

the table. >> shannon: we'll see you then. ana, bill and now claudeette, there. meteorologist rick reichmuth is watching all of them. meteorologist rick reichmuth is watching all of them. he is at the fox weather center in new york with the late jeff this is the latest, claudeette, let me tell you, fairly impressive over the satellite. a lot of territory still to cover. 25 miles to the south of appalachacola. it will not cause any major ron lemes. heavy rainfall probably the story from the form. some areas around five to ten inks of rain, the panhandle of florida around southern parts of alabama and georgia. tropical storm warnings from the mouth of the suwannee river

towards pensacola and maybe panama city, some where in that area. ana and bill. ana having a hard time staying together. bill is getting organized and will be major hurricane. ana, this is a look, that will probably weaken the storm but less interaction at the end of the week. we could be talking about it in a more significant way. notice the threes on the icons. is a major hurricane. this would be the first hurricane of the season, probably the first major hurricane of the season and it is going to scoot up and not make landfall on the eastern part of the u.s. can't rule it out just yet but hopefully that is what we will see. if you are in bermuda you want to be watching this closely as we move towards next weekend. >> shannon: starting august 24th, in austin, residents will be fined on the

spot by city employees out patrolling area neighborhoods. restaurants even told do not serve water to customers unless they specifically order it. the state's governor in california is telling residents better safe than sore. >> i this -- than sorry. >> this is different because of the terrain. it is hard to get equipment and the resources if there. that is why you see a the lot of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft being use. there is a tremendous amount of heat in the mountains, low humidity and very dry and then also there is wind up to 30 miles an hour. that makes it dangerous and fast moving. >> shannon: crews are struggling to control nearly a dozen wildfires burning on tough terrain. we go to the cal fire battalion

chief who joins us on the phone. what can you tell us about the latest? >> good morning. we are getting breaks in the weather and not getting any sustained winds. however, we have almost 7,000 acres burned and about 2400 residents still evacuate from their homes. >> shannon: what do you think about the predictions as far as the conditions and being able to get things under control? a good or bad prognosis now? >> today, a good prognosis as long as we don't have any significant winds. it is helping fan the flames through the vegetation and that is causing challenges in the rough terrain. we are hopeful that we have weather today that will have more containment and get a line along the fire and get some people back in their houses.

>> shannon: the wildfire situation is one you are familiar with, the state battles it ever i have -- ever every year for an extensive period of time. >> this is a state that has a lot of fires and the fire agencies here work cooperative together and the team of cooperation and we move resources from one end of the state to the other. we bring on additional firefighters in the summer. we train on communicating with each other and managing incidents. we have as many firefighters on this fire as we have evacuees. it really is an amazing thing here in california. >> shannon: all right, julie hutchinson, thank you so much for your time and send all of our prayers and thoughts for the safety of you and the crews out there. thank you. the government shutdown in the windy city begins tomorrow

as most chicago city workers prepare to go without pay. two additional shutdowns for the day after thanksgiving and christmas eve and the city is hoping that the moves will save more than $8 million. according to a survey by the "wall street journal," a majority of recon mists agree -- economists agree the recession is over. david russell is a reporter for the "wall street journal" and also the author of "in fed we trust." thanks for coming in today. >> a pleasure. >> could you really think the recession is over? most of the economists think the recession ended in july or august. the bad news is reit coverry is expected to be so slow and unemployment so lie that a lot of americans -- so high that a lot of americans won't notice the difference. >> shannon: any timeline?

>> we we asked how long do you expect unemployment to remain for nine and a half percent most say well into next year, the end of next year. that means the consensus prediction and they weren't good at predicting before so they may be wrong again, it will we a long slow climb out of the recession. >> shannon: fed reserve chair ben bernanke, how much of the credit does he get? >> they are looking at president obama's decision in january, he. do i give the guy another four years or replace him. all of the economists say they think the president should reappoint mr. bernanke and 70% expect the president will. why? because changing drivers when the road is to bumpy is too risky and they think the president will appoint him.

he is at b minus and lousy stage. not paying your taxes turns out to be a bad omen. he didn't seem to have the physical stature but i think his grades have gone up over time as he has grown into the job. >> shannon: we hope the predictions are on target, at least that the worst is over. thank you very much. >> you're welcome. >> shannon: he wants taxpayers to pay for his laser hair removal treatment and that is not all. he wants taxpayers to fund his sex change operation. one more thing. did we mention this person is in prison for murder? stick around for this fair and balanced debate. i think i'll go with the preferred package. good choice. only meineke lets you choose the brake service that's right for you. and save 50% on pads and shoes. meineke.

>> shannon: topping the news right now, just two weeks after north korean leader kim jong il met with former president clinton over the use of two journalists, they have returned to using force. they promised a mercyless retaliation in response to any restrictions on. the mayor was leaving a fair when heard a woman calling for he help. he tried to help the woman and was attacked with a metal pipe. california firefighters say they are having a tough time battling dozens of wildfires burning in relatively

inaccessible terrain. some 2,000 firefighters now on the frontlines working to contain the blazes. more unavailing story out of iran. three female ministers with take their place in the cabinet of mahmoud ahmadinejad. although we know the two women named to the cabinet so far are fellow hardliners. the last woman to serve in tehran held until 1977 and was executed after the islamic resolution in 1979. hamas leaders tighten security after an al-qaeda cal length to their hold on the territory left at least 28 people dead. mike tobin is in jerusalem with the very later. hi, mike. >> palestinians shed palestinian blood as hamas said the hold over groups more radical than ultra168. with a lack of condition for

reaction from the outside world, a hamas crushed the group in the gaza strip. members of the group holed up inside a mosque and a mass attack. more than 24 people killed. six considered unarmed civilians. among the dead was the radical leader of the group. on friday, he gave a speech before television cameras in which he declared that an islamic emrate had been born in the gaza strip. on saturday he was dead. police are patrolling the streetsation certing their authority. rebound sights are making statements about violent reprisals. a spokesman declared that everything was under control in the gaza strip. this is the worst palestinian on palestinian fighting since hamas seized control of the narrow strip from its rivals in the fattah party and that was

back in 2007. >> shannon: a lot of yelling at the town hall meetings about healthcare reform. is anybody listening? we will discuss the whole town hall strategy with our expert panel, right after this break.

>> shannon: president obama switching gears and shifting strategy in his push for healthcare reform. it is the bo tomorrow -- bottom

of the hour. caroline shively with the top of the news. >> the white house is changing tactics after weeks of angry protests ove over healthcare rm and making insurance guys the fall guys. president obama using the town forum in grand junction, colorado, saying ordinary americans are held hostage by health insurance companies. this comes as the administration is signaling it may be able to abandon the idea of a government run insurance option. at least 11 wildfires continue to burn in the santa cruz mountains today. some two thousand firefighters trying to gain control of the mountains. despite help from mother nature, the fires are still difficult to contain because of the extreme terrain of the mountain range. the monday morning commute to work may be more difficult tomorrow in san francisco unless transit workers work out their differences today.

one of the three workers unions won't agree to a pay cut. 330,000 riders use bart each day. helping creade the demand for hybrid and higher gas mileage vehicles. ford is producing more of the popular hybrid models and sales up 2.4% over the last year. this is the first jump in sales since november of 2007. those are four stories right now, shannon, back to you. >> shannon: good news from senator chris dodd. he is back home after prostate cancer surgery. doctors operated on dodd on thursday. he is resting well at home and is looking forward to getting back to work. wisconsin governor jim doyle struggled to keep the badger state out of the end are soon going to end. he will not seek a third term. doyle's office says he will announce his future plans

tomorrow. his seat is one of 39 up for grabs in 2010. next year will be a big year for senate races with 36 senate seats opening up. for some people the town hall meetings are about healthcare reform. are they productive? are we really any closer to healthcare reform? >> former speechwriter for george bojanovicand bob beckel. welcome you both. are they make anything progress? >> they are making progress. i think we will see a change? what obama care is as we thought of it is going to be and in my opinion a great direction to be moving in. >> shannon: bob, you think it will get done? >> in 1986 i started a firm, a grass roots firm and we are

particularly good at packing town hall meetings, if anybody believes that this is not organized on both sides and by the way, people have every right to go out and protest whatever they want to do. this is not some spontaneous effort. the press has done a good job of giving talking points on both sides. this is not what we call a spontaneous -- >> a lot o of the people that we pulled out said, yes i'm part of an organization on one side or another but a lot will say i'm upset and confused. >> you have done this and you know this. the fact is these people are angry about a lot of things. angry about the stimulus, boon dogled, they are angry about the deficit and cash for clunkers, just a redistribution of wealth and upset about healthcare being crammed down

its throat. >> cash for clunkers is very popular. have you notice there hasn't been any videotape of those town hall meetings that are calm, cool and collected? no. >> the president is happy. >> we are not going to cover the president, right. the fact of the matter is if it doesn't bleed it doesn't lead. if you get someone up there screaming, it makes for good video. >> a lot more than just specter. we are getting this from all over the country. >> the irony is so amusing. a commander in chief who is a community organizer. he said in the campaign get in your neighbor's face and get out thy and challenge their views. that is what 1 happening and it is not in his favor this time. >> i didn't say get out there and yell.

they fell behind in the debate and in organizing and now they caught up and he has now backed out and re-establishing the message. talked about now a cooperative and not a public plan. it may be the democrats will come up with tort reform as part of the package and if that happens republicans are totally on their heels. >> he looks like he is still campaign, the rolling up his cleaves and taking off his jacket. he is comfortable there. you do need more than a great speech. >> apparently look at the poll numbers across-the-board and rasmussen which is the most respectable after 2000 and 2004, 60% of independents say they don't want any part this of bill. >> that was only when they heard about pulling the plug on the grandmother. by the end of the month the polls will be back up and more people will be -- this thing is

going to pass. 50 years we have been trying to get this as democrats. it is in our dna and we will get it. >> shannon: this has been the most interesting august recess in long time. >> that is for sure. >> shannon: watch this and see how it plays out. thank you. >> thank you. >> shannon: a horrific mid air collision left at least one pilot dead. a woman was seriously injured when the jet crashed not far from the airfield. three other pilots involved in the crash did eject safely from the yet jets after the collisi. >> reporter: russia's envoy to nato says operations to find the missing freighter and its 15 russian crew members is in full swing and unfolding positively. they reported that the ship's owners have received a ransom demand but gave in further

details. >> the maersk alabama, the stand off ended when navy seals killed three somali pirates and rescued the captain. the new documentary shows their desperate battle. >> families suffer an agonizing ordeal. >> i was evercome with fear. >> i thought he might not come home. it was really scary. >> out at sea, the loved ones weigh a desperate battle to save their ship and their captured captain. >> three or four times to think about the family and say the last words, you know. >> he survives and returns home a hero but the unsung heros are the ordinary men who fought to save tim. >> this was not going to happen on an american ship.

>> this is their incredible store. >> i premiers tonight at 8:00 eastern time on tlc. >> shannon: how is the high-end auto industry surviving in today's economy? casey stegall is live for the pebble beach auto show with a look at the finest and rarest automobiles. please correct me and clean that up. this is not a bad assignment to have today. >> it is a tough job but someone has got to do it. this is the only time that pebble beach is closed down to golfers. look at the 18th fairway. it looks different today. packed with cars for the annual event and it is actual spectacular. some absolute beauties. this i ralph lauren's bentley.

and the chairman of this event. you are running this show this year, right? >> i have been for almost 25 years. >> tell us why this is the creme de la creme of devents. >> it started as road races with cars like these and in 59 years we have been celebrating elegance with cars. a fantastic group of cars. winning best of show is what it is all about. the olympic moment here at pebble beach. >> and they come from all over. 340 different countries i understand. all over and some people start shipping their cars months before to get them here for the event, right. >> the process sometimes takes as long as a decade from the time they find the car, restore it, research it and finally get it here to pebble beach and they work all year and the cars start coming from around the world three or four months ago. >> one quick question for you. a lot of viewers watching at home. some go for a lot of money and people are wondering how can we

do this in such an economic downturn but a lot of money from the event goes to charity and you have been doing that for some time. >> the monterey peninsula is also in need and we give over a million dollars each year from the proceeds of the show and all stays here locally. >> sandra button, nice to meet you. we will show you more of these beauties throughout the day. stay tune. >> concord de -- something like that. >> you got it. >> casey stegall, thank you so much. a man has been living with a woman for almost 16 years and now wants a sex change to make it all complete and he wants you the taxpayer to pay for it. could that actually happen? we'll ask legal experts up next.

>> shannon: a look at the top headlines. president obama is gregly challenging critics of his healthcare proposal and says he is changing and charging the insurance agencies with all and need touses get them onboard. considering signing a bill without a public option. a california foster father is pleading for the return of a missing five-year-old boy with

cerebral palsy who he claims has been kidnapped. he disappeared from his foster father's car in the parking lot of a shoe store on monday. an american army hero reported missing for 66 years finally laid to rest. satisfy sergeant james moore, just 22 years old when left to serve in world war ii remains have been returned homele. michael vick says it the great to be back at practice. his controversial return to the nfl has not been without public disapproval and protests as animal rights activists voice their disapproval outside o of the eagle's practice facility. a federal judge in boston is pulling the plug on a

convicted murderer's taxpayer funded body hair removal. the u.s. district judge says michelle will not suffer serious harm if the treatments are stopped. he has been living as a woman in prison since being convicted of murdering his wife. he is also having the state of massachusetts to pay for a sex change operation. we turn to the experts. donna, should he get the electrolysis or the sex change? >> i have a tough job today but somebody has got to do it. if we have an inmate who needs his ton sills out, a limb removed or having a baby, none of us is going to complain. is a medical necessity. he is trying to say that his sex change operation is, indeed, a medical necessity and

if that is true, he is entitled to it? >> i think jonna made the point herself that it has to be for a medical necessity. if someone is having a baby or has a medical emergency the prison system is obligated to take care of it but if they want a nose job or electrolysis, the prison system has to decide that is not an appropriate use of taxpayer money. >> shannon: we have a federal judge weighing in here and psychological has been weighed. jonna, how much do we have to factor in the psych logical issues. >> completely. gender identity disorder is by its very name a disorder, a mental disorder. we f. we have inmates suffering from depression we treat them. this is depression with an added twist but still a

disarmed. the courts have to be mindful of that. i know there are razors, but isn't it part of the process like getting a tooth pulled you need novocain, i think it would be hard to be a transgendered woman with a constant 5:00 shadow. >> i imagine being fully dressed as a woman and living a in an all male prison cannot be an easy thing to do. makes me call to mind the characteristic iron mash, i can't remember his name. clinger. >> clinger. >> maybe he is genuine and legitimate. how are we going to weed out people who maybe are trying to work the system a little bit when it comes to the unusual issues. >> exactly. the point is, i mean someone could be depressed because they are getting wrinkles. does that mean we need to start giving botox injections in prison? do we want to give nose jobs to everybody in prison? there may be psychological

effects and this may cause some disrupt to the particular inmate and quite frankly may have cost less for the prison to ey eventually cave in the long-term. if it is not a medical necessity they have to allocate the money to the most urgent scenarios and this is not one of them. >> shannon: thank you both for being such good sports and weighing in on the legal debate today. >> thanks. >> president obama and his family got a chance to check out yosemite and they are going on a tour of the grand canyon right now. there are some deals to be had. we will get the scoop on where to go, up next. ♪ vacation

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>> shannon: if you warrant to get away, not too -- if you want to get away, not too late to get away on a budget. chris is here to fill us in on last minute deals. tell us about the great last minute ideas. >> we are at the tail end of a summer that doesn't been as good as the travel industry wanted and kids are going back to school earlier. we still have good deals for labor day. at expedia we were looking at some of the most popular destination in the country and hotel rates down 25%. cities like san diego and new york and vancouverer, popular places, down 25%. maui down 20%. mexico, people from new york

can go to cancun from september round trip air fare and a room for under $400 per person. just amazing. >> shannon: how are the air fares looking into the summer? >> the airlines are cutting back on capacity. i don't think that air fares are going to go up that much because of the capacity cuts. you know, as long as demand continues to fall and it does typically in september and october, we going to see some really, really good deals. >> shannon: talk about the cities where they are having air service cut. that is not a good thing for them. who is getting hit? >> delta has cut way back. they are cutting another 20%. pittsburgh has been hit pretty badly, too,. >> you can't even fly nonstop

from pittsburgh to l.a. or san francisco. people can still get where they want to go, just have to have a stop to get there. >> shannon: what are the better deals for folks right now? >> during the fall the dynamic changes and you need to pay attention to weekend travel. during the week, business travelers are out there keeping rates up but on weekends rates come down. i was down at best western avitar hotel in the san jose and silicon valley area. their rates during the week of $150 when the techy guys are down there but on weekends when families want to go there they go down to about $80 a night. look at weekend travel during the fall. midweek is going to be expensive because business travelers keep rates out out there at conventions and getting back on the road now that the kids barrin are back n school. >> shannon: when you travel

away from san francisco, where do you like to go? any personal picks. >> if i had a choice to go some where on the cheap and get a good deal, i love to go to mexico. i'm not worried about the swine flu on there anywhere. on expedia we have package deals where you get hotel and air fare together, round trip for four nights at a four or five star hotel, you can't beat that right now. head south during the fall. another good deal is the cruises. people are very afraid of hurricanes during the fall season but we have had actually a pretty weak hurricane season this year so far and the reality is cruiseships can stir around the hurricanes. fares are so low, probably $50 per night for a three or four night cruise in the caribbean. a good deal. >> shannon: thanks for bringing us the latest and best travel

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>> shannon: topping the news right now, a possible advance in the healthcare debate. president obama may be willing to sign a bill that does not include a government run public option. that is the word from health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius. she suggests the white house may be accept nonprofit insurance cooperatives instead. >> some two thousand firefighters struggling to control nearly two dozen wildfires throughout the date of california.

three tropical storms. one in the atlantic and one in the gulf. tropical storm claudeette has formed off the northern gulf coast. tropical storms ana and bill turning west across the atlantic. we have new video of the horrific mid air collision outside moscow. two russian jets were practicing acrobatic maneuvers when they crashed. one pilot was killed and a woman injured. three other pilots involved in the crash ejected safely from the jets after the collision. the windy city is trying to save cash by shutting down tomorrow. the entire city, brenda? >> you might think that he or she must be out to lunch but monday, most of the city government will be out for real and for the whole day.

emergency services such as police, fire and paramedics still on the job, if you want to check out a library book, no luck, get your garbage picked up, no. visit a clinic, forget it. chicago faces a big budget crisis so it is shutting down for a day. this is the first of three shutdowns planned for the rest of the year. city workers will not be paid at an estimated savings of 3.9 million bucks. unlike the federal government which keeps printing money, chicago and the rest of the cities have to balance the books. this kind of shutdown may become more common. california so strapped for cash it had to issue ious. in chicago, city workers have borne part of the for the budget out of control. all that is forecast by the mayor's office to reduce the 2009 budget deficit by

$32 million. limiting services can control costs but is far from the only answer to cities and local governments facing big budget shortfalls. can be a bit more politically feasible than hiking taxes, especially when, washington, seems to have a little trouble considering that option. back to you, shannon. >> shannon: are there going to be other days this year with the same tactic. in. >> the first of three. the day after thanksgiving and i think it is christmas eve but sometime around the holidays but they are using this to cut costs. we'll see if other cities follow suit. >> we'll see if everyone gets the word as they show up at the libraries and places you mentioned tomorrow. maybe a lot of unhappy customers. the world record for most fire trucks in a parade has been broken. the organizers of summerfest in north dakota man tajed to put 180 fire trucks in their

parade. that broke the old record of ed inrucks that participated in switzerland in 2006. tuggers in port byron, illinois, and in iowa tried to pull each other into the mississippi river. 35,000 peck tater -- spectators watched port byron win. not quite like the tug of war you had as kid. is tug of war on steroids. that is it for us here in washington. we willle continue to monitor town hall meetings across the country and beyond and keep you updated on the healthcare debate with the newest developments including word that the white house may be okay on signing off on a plan that doesn't include a public