i'm wolf blitzer, sitting in tonight for larry.ben stein, do you think secretary clinton is doing a good job? >> well, before i say that, i've always wondered how democrats got to be democrats. obviously not from reading history. napoleon did not come back from the bath of waterloo. he was exiled to st. helen. and he died there miserable and alone. so democrats, read your history. second thing is, i think senator clinton was suffering from jet lag, god bless her, she was trying her best to give a good answer to a ridiculously insulting question. she's my law school classmate, and i love her and i think she does a good job, alth think she's got a lot of insoluble problems on her hands. >> and she was in congo today doing important work, where women are being raped and mutilated. >> terrible. >> penn, i think you'll agree with your colleagues here tonight, she's been impressive so far. >> well, yeah, but i wanted to ask a favor of james. because he knows hillary clinton. if by any weird chance, one in a billion chance i'm ever in a r

"the situation room" with wolf blitzer. thanks, wolf.ll look forward to it. >> thank you. >>> in india, this guy's a big bollywood star. in new jersey, just a guy who apparently looks to somebody else like a terrorist. is this a tsa profiling case or somebody trying to get publicity for themselves? 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. it doesn't cover everything. and what it doesn't cover can cost you some money. that's why you should consider... an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan... insured by united healthcare insurance company. it can help cover some pd what medicare doesn't... so you could save up to thousands of dollars... in out-of-pocket expenses. call now for this free information kit... and medicare guide. if you're turning 65 or you're already on medicare, you should know about this

i am wolf blitzer. are in "the situation room." >>> on one of your last frits, equipment failure may have happened and you didn't know about it. a disturbing new report that the "associated press" is releasing about recent flights involving u.s. jet liners experiencing curious technical problems after an air france plane crashed into the atlantic. let's go straight to jeanne meserve. what are you finding out? >> reporter: well, as early as next week, the federal aviation administration may issue an order requiring airlines to change the speed kren source on airbus a-330s. the air france flight was an a-330. investigators have not determined what caused that accident. automatic messages sent before the crash indicated there were inconsistent speed measurements and that has focused attention on pitot tubes. they turned up other speed censor incidents with a-330s and now they have turned up a dozen other occasions where speed censors malfunctioned. all of them, northwest a-330s. delta would not confirm the

." >>> welcome to "larry king live," i'm wolf blitzer sitting in for larry tonight. a full discussion beginning with president obama's number one priority right now, health care reform. is it going to happen? joining us james carville, the cnn contributor and democratic strategist. also joining us, ben stein, the economist and attorney, once was a speech writer for presidents nixon and ford. as you know, he's also a tv personality and actor. and joining us from las vegas, the illusionist, the best-selling author, the taller more talkative half of penn and teller. they're performing in las vegas, their program "b.s." is now in the seventh showtime series. he's a libertarian as a lot of our viewers know. thanks very much for coming in. the president was in new hampshire at a town hall forum today making his case for health care reform and among other things, he said this. >> under the reform we're proposing, if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. if you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan. you will not be waiting in any lines, thi

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." we begin with the breaking news we're following this hour. an explosive new development in the michael jackson investigation. the los angeles county coroner's office has ruled that the singer's death was a homicide. let's go straight to cnn's randi kaye. she's been following this story from day one. randi, what specifically is in this report? >> reporter: well, wolf, let me first say that these are the findings. this is not the final report. that is still on a security hold by the los angeles police department and the los angeles district attorney's office. but i can tell you, as you just mentioned there, that the manner of death has been officially ruled a homicide by the coroner's office. and the cause of death in terms of that, they found that he died from acute propofol intoxication. that is that very powerful sedative that his personal physician, dr. conrad murray, who was at the home that day when he died, thought that he'd become addicted to. he

we continue to remember the very, very long career of senator ted kennedy, we want to bring in wolf blitzerhington this morning who has been part of our coverage all morning long. wolf, so much to talk about here. more than 40 years of public service. >> a great senator, even as political adversaries and critics suggested he was a great senator, indeed. the vice president of the united states, joe biden, is getting ready to speak. over at the department of energy and we'll gethere and hear what joe biden has to say. joe biden one of senator kennedy's best friends in the united states senate. i know that this is a deep, deep loss for joe biden and here he is at the microphone stephen chew, the energy secretary just introduced him. let's listen to the vice president. >> mr. secretary, thank you and your staff for the privilege of being with you today on what, as i prepared last night was to be a joyous occasion announcing another step in the direction of energy independence and you said the president made a wise choice. the wisest choice the president made was asking you, i mean this sincerel

. >> for more now on senator kennedy's life and legacy, i am joined by my colleague, wolf blitzer in washington. wolf, good morning. >> good morning, tony. thanks very much. i want to alert our viewers, we are standing by to speak with senator john mccain a close, personal friend of senator kennedy and with former president jimmy carter. both of those interviews are coming up. i guess senator mccain is already on the line with us. senator mccain, if you're there, i know this is a sad day for you and so many of the colleagues that you have, but it wasn't just liberal democrats who loved senator kennedy, it was a lot of conservative republicans. >> oh, there was because ted kennedy had this unique way of doing hand-to-hand combat on the floor of the senate and as soon as we stopped our speechmaking he'd come over and put his arm around you and make everybody appreciate that we had our differences, politically, but personally we could be friends and work together as colleagues and friends for the good of the country. >> how much will he be missed in the senate. >> he's already missed, wo

here now, wolf blitzer and "the situation room." >> rick, thank you. happening now, questions and chaos. answers and anger. president obama con fronts fears about health care reform while voters confront lawmakers with angry concerns. >>> gm is determined not to run out of gas. it says its new car will drive you more miles a gallon than any car ever, and gm has a new sales strategy, as well. whether this drive gm back to the top? i'll ask the ceo, fritz henderson. >>> and platt plot to kill al qaeda-linked terrorists planned to take us u.s. troops at a huge american base in kuwait, during one of the holiest months for muslims. >>> i'm wolf blitzer in cnn's command center for breaking news and extraordinary reports around the world. you're in "the situation room." >>> it's one of the roughest days in this month that either will make or break efforts for health care reform. today, a town hall forum featuring president obama could have turned ugly, but he didn't back down. and it didn't turn ugly. he forcefully defended his ideas, thumbing his nose at kri

i'm wolf blitzer.'re in "the situation room." relatives of those killed in a horrifying terror attack more than two decades ago are now reliving the nightmare. they're agast that the man convicted of bringing pan am flight 103 down may soon be released from prison. cnn reports. >> reporter: it was december 1988, pan am flight 103 on its way from london to new york explodes over the scottish town of lockerbie, blown up by a bomb hidden in a suitcase. 270 people were killed. 11 of those residents of lockerbie. the bulk of the passengers on board pan am flight 103 americans on their way home for christmas. lockerbie from that moment on would forever be associated with one of the worst terrorist atrocities on british soil. it wasn't for another 13 years that the man accused of the bombing was found guilty. abdel basset ali al megrahi, onetime security chief for libyan arab airlines, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 27 years before he would become eligible for parole. even then, some r

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >>> stricken with brain cancer, senator ted kennedy is trying to make sure his seat is filled quickly should anything happen to him. our senior congressional correspondent, dana bash, is joining us right now. tell us about the extraordinary let they're the senator has written. >> reporter: well, look, the sad reality is that ted kennedy isn't sure he'll make it to a health care vote this fall. and since reforming health care has been his mission for 47 years in the senate, he's trying to make sure at the very least someone would be able to cast a vote in his place. rare, recent pictures of ted kennedy returning from a sail in his legendary family compound on cape cod where he now spends all his time. but kennedy, suffering from brain cancer, knows time is not on his side. so, he's formally asking massachusetts officials to change state law to be quickly replaced in the senate when he's gone. sending this poignant letter of request. what's behind this? m

i'm wolf blitzer.break month for health care reform, in the middle of it all, the obama administration may, repeat, may be soft.ing its stance on a cornerstone of reform, a is so-called public option insurance plan. listen to what the health and human services is secretary kathleen sebelius told our own john king on "state of the union" sunday morning. >> and i think what's important is choice and competition and i'm convinced at the end of the day, the plan will have both of those, but that is not the essential element. >> let me quite simply -- so the public option is not a deal breaker, from the president's standpoint? >> well, i think there will be a competitor to private insurers that is really the essential part, is you don't turn over the whole new marketplace to private insurance companies and trust them to do the right thing. we need some choices work he need some competition. >> listen closely to what she said today at a medicare conference. >> all i can tell you is that is sunday must have b

i'm wolf blitzer.in "the situation room." >>> this just coming into the "the situation room." while the recommend news channels of a tropical storm soaked the south, a major hurricane may be brewing out in the atlantic right now. the latest forecast has just come in, and we want to go right to our severe weather expert, our meteorologist chad myers. he's at the cnn hurricane headquarters in atlanta. what does that forecast, chad, say? >> it says that the storm may miss bermuda, but on the way toward the u.s. a little bit closer to the u.s. before it turns, exactly what we talked about at 4:00. as you mentioned, ana is no more. we won't have to worry about that. it is now just a tropical wave. it is just a little bit of a low. no name anymore. here's hurricane bill. 90 miles per hour, gusting to 115. so, how did the forecast change just in the past few minutes? the 5:00 advisory still has the storm at the same intensity, but instead of hitting very close to bermu bermuda, it has moved the path a little

i'm wolf blitzer. you want to know what's real in the health care debate, but the white house and others say rumors and misinformation are meant to distort the real issue. could one of them be a phrase with a very grave name but addressing a very serious issue? let's bring in plamary snow worg this story for us. >> reporter: there's been so much attention give on the this topic. the rumor about the so-called death panel. it's titled advance care planning continsultationconsult. we took a look at the bill. former alaska governor sarah palin introduced the term "death panel" when she was discussing end of life counseling as part of proposed health care reform and now rumors about euthanasia persists at town hall meetings. >> what it says is if a 74-year-old man, if you develop cancer, we're pretty much going to write you off. >> well, you're just not right. nobody 74 is going to be written off because they have cancer. that's a vicious, malicious, untrue rumor. >> reporter: at issue is a provision in the

i'm wolf blitzer.." >>> as divers look for the last of the victims, investigators are looking for answers to the weekend collision between a small private plane and a helicopter carrying a group of sight seers. one hotly debated issue. the crowded air space along the hudson river. let's go to cnn's susan candiotti. >> reporter: river currents have been so swift, the recovery operation was stalled most of the day. divers could barely see their hands in front of their faces. they spotted pieces of the single-engine plane but could not retrieve them let alone finding the two remaining victims. newly released 911 calls revisited saturday's horror when witnesses called for help. >> reporter: on a nearby pier, investigators picking their way through a maze of twisted metal that barely resembled the liberty tour sightseeing helicopter. a piece of the tail section moved aside. some pilots say the midair crash that claimed nine lives was an accident waiting to happen. what's the main problem as you see it? >> t

>> well, you're a woman and wolf blitzer's a man. >> i got ya.been great, you're certainly an aspiring journalist. i'm proud of you for getting that interview with the president. what's next? >> some football players. >> who in particular? >> steve nash, michael vick, bolden, tony romo, donovan mcnabb and many more. >> what would you ask michael vick? >> what was it like being traded to the eagles? >> that's it? what about his past? >> well, why were you fighting the dogs. >> and why that wasn't a good role model for people, right? >> no. >> no. it was not a good role model, you're right. damon weaver, you're an amazing young journalist. pretty impressive. good luck in school. take care and i know we'll be talking to you again. >> thank you for all you've done for me. >> take care, dear. >>> david schuster and alex whitt are going to pick things up next. today, right here on msnbc, one of the top republican moderates in the senate said the public option proposal, it's off the table. so how is this going to work? this is msnbc. the place for polit

wolf blitzer is off today. i'm suzanne malveaux in cnn's command center for breaking news in politician and extraordinary reports around the world. you're in "the situation room." >>> first, we begin with breaking news. a decision reached in a case the u.s. has been watching very closely, trying to fervently influence. should a terminally ill man convicted in the bombing of pan am flight 103 be granted compassion nal release and be allowed to die at home? our cnn homeland security correspondent jeanne meserve is joining us live. what are we hearing about this decision? >> reporter: suzanne, we're told that the obama administration has been notified informally that abdel baset ali mohmed al megrahi , the lockerbie bomber, will be released by scottish authorities on humanitarian grounds. state department officials tell this to cnn producers, saying this is a compassionate action on the part of the scots. the exact terms of his release have not been clarified to u.s. officials as yet. now, u.s. officials have been

i'm wolf blitzer.'re in "the situation room." >>> lots of america's families are visiting the country's national parks this summer but the first family will see two of them in the next two days. tomorrow, the president, the first lady and the two daughters visit yellowstone national park and on sunday the grand canyon. those parks and otherins are getting hundreds of millions of dollars from the stimulus package. kate bolduan is watching it unfold. what are you finding out about the actual money? >> wolf, this weekend the spotlight is definitely on the country's national parks, and we're taking a look at the $750 million in stimulus money heading their way. we visited one park just outside washington that's getting about $5.5 million for things like road repair and rehab on some historic cabins. other projects include millions for repairs like the lincoln memorial reflecting pool and millions more for solar power installation and trail improvements. 800 projects in all nationwide. we also had the chanc

wolf blitzer is off today. i am suzanne malveaux. in cnn's command center.>>> right now, it is warning in north korea there is speculation that bill clinton is still there. north korean state-run media says he has left. it says clinton got on a plane with his party. it is unclear if they are included american journalist euna lee and laura ling as part of that party or where clinton will head next. what is clear is that clinton scored a diplomatic triumph, securing the journalists release from north korean imprisonment. he has granted lee and ling a special pardon. they have been sentenced to 12 years hard labor for illegally entering north korea. the results of hush-hush negotiations. they deny a report that clinton delivered a message from president obama. the white house is mostly mum about this stunning development. let's bring in dan lothian. what do we know, dan? >> reporter: i can tell you that as you pointed out the white house is saying, despite these reports that the president, president obama, gave a message to former president clinton to deliver t

i'm wolf blitzer.ou're in "the situation room." >>> families locked up in a private prison, children kept behind barbed wire. those conditions for illegal immigrants have already been changing, but now a drastic turnaround in the detention policy of the united states is being planned. let's go to our homeland security correspondent jeanne meserve working this story for us. specifically, jeanne, what is this new potential change in policy mean for illegal immigrants? >> reporter: well, wolf, the administration took the first step today towards what it promises will be a comprehensive overhaul of immigration detention facilities. on any given day, 32,000 people are held in immigration detention in the u.s., and at some point in some places investigations have revealed appalling conditions. >> we've had over 90 detainee deaths since 2003. there's been a real crisis in the provision of medical care at these facilities. and the problems are really widespread and nationwide. >> reporter: now immigration and

i'm wolf blitzer.e in "the situation room." >>> they're known as the gang of six, three democrats and three republicans on the senate finance committee. they're trying for months now to try to hammer out a bipartisan health care reform bill. there are new developments in this effort that's been under way, efforts in the house of representatives. our senior congressional correspondent, dana bash, is here with latest. dana, there was a conference call. something's going on even though these guys are on recess. >> it happened late last night. they decided to keep at it, a big deal against the backdrop of the white house, the democratic leaders saying that, you know, they don't think they're going to get them. i'm told they focused on two big issues, affordability and cost. that is because that's what they're hearing most from back home. on the specific sh shoe of cost, i spoke with senator kent continue rod, one of the six negotiator, and he said that the issue of cost containment, that's when they talk a

news at the "cnn newsroom," the cnn family, bob novak, a longtime contributor, host, et cetera, wolf blitzeryou're remembering bob novak today. tell us your thoughts. >> well, first, he was a great, great journalists. going back to the '50s when he first came to washington. not long after he graduated from the university of illinois. he's been here ever since. and he really was a columnist. he was a pundit, an analyst. but he really wasle also lly wa reporter. when he was diagnosed with brain cancer and a tumor, he was out there reporting. he had sources all over town. he was getting good information. and first thing i'll always remember about bob novak was that he was a great reporter. he broke a lot of stories. used to have a joint column with roland and evans, evans and novak was the column for decades and heed a show on cnn, as many of the viewers will remember. i remember him as a great reporter. secondly, i remember him as a great family man. he had a great, great family. a wonderful wife and kids, and he was very devoted. and finally i remember him as a sportsman. this guy, i used to

wolf blitzer standing by. >>> rick, thank you. happening now -- flowers and mourning far senate powerhouse, a democratic psi continue, an american legend. we're covering the life and death of edward m. kennedy with friends and journalists who knew him well. this hour, the latest on funeral plans and reaction here in washington and around the world. >>> plus, the kennedy legacy. we'll let up with of the most influential voices in recent political history speak for himself. this is the place right here to hear the senator in a's own words over as many years of hope and hardship, victory and defeat. >> the work begins anew. the hope rises again. and the dream lives on. >> i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >>> his harshist critics knew senator kennedy was a force to reckon with and few would dispute his death at the age of 77 leaves a big void in the political arena. over the next three hours we'll bring you fresh and smart perspective on his life, liz lega legacy, and his final battle against brain cancer. most of all

i'm wolf blitzer. >> in "the situation room." up next, lou dobbs tonight. lou? >> good evening. thank you everybody. the obama white house and powerful special interest groups joining forces. their plan to attack the president's government proposal. >>> large polls showing a large desserting president obama. >>> fighting back against the democratic's party assault. they are, in fact, demanding the right to be heard at town hall meetings and in a barrage of e-mails targeting members of congress. >>> in our face-off debate tonight, we exam the issue of whether the federal government has a moral obligation to provide health care as many liberals are asserting now. first, the white house has opened a new front in its campaign to sell the president's plan. why officials are calling on democrats to send out a barrage of e-mails to support the agenda. david axelrod says those e-mails should debunk what he calls myths and lies. it's an attempt by the white house to stop the president's health care plan from collapsing altogether. dan lothian has our report from the white house. dan? >>

>> he interviewed wolf blitzer and asked for an internship. wolf said absolutely.e's making inroads very, early. >> contacts very early. he's got a better roll-a-dex than i do. >>> maybe you saw the movie james bond, chasing the bad guy, bouncing off the walls, all this stuff seems impossible. well, our zain verjee tried it out. >> reporter: real life superheroes. spinning through the air in style. owning the streets. >> exhilarating! it's just -- it's just the biggest buzz ever. >> reporter: they're not looking for the bad guys, but just looking for a good time. and a good workout. >> i like to keep my mind blank and just focus on something i'd like to achieve and just work on getting there. >> reporter: it's called freerunning. jumping, sliding, flipping, using the city's concrete jungle as their gym. you thought you could never be like spiderman. well, you can. these guys are judged on techal different cullty, execution, and fluidity. pretty amazing, right? telly! come back down. i was up for a lesson. i was a bit nervous. >> being scared is part of what we do.

i'm wolf blitzer, you're in "the situation room." >>> this man was found guilty of killing 270 people in cold blood, 189 of them americans, now he's free back home in libya. abdelbaset ali mohmed al megrahi was the only person convicted in the 1983 bombing over lockerby scotland. one man is taking responsibility for it, calling it an act of compassion for a man who's said to be dying of prostate cancer. and joining us now from scotland, the scotland justice secretary kenny mccaskill. did he kill 270 people? >> yes, he was convicted by a scottish court. >> is it normal procedure in scotland, that someone, a convicted mass murder who gets cancer is free to go home to his wife and family. >> thankfully in scotland we don't have many convicted mass murderers and this crime devastated our country as it did people in the united states and elsewhere. >> is there any precedent in scotland, where a mass murder, someone who killed 270 people in cold blood has been freed to go home to his wife and family because he's suffering from canner? >> this crime is unprecedented in our small country. it'

i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." up next, "lou dobbs tonight." >>> president obama today blasting television organizations, saying they are inflaming the controversy over his controversial health care plan. president obama trying to play down the impact of the town hall protests, as is the democratic leadership on capitol hill. opposition to the presidential proposal is rising as his approval ratings plunge. one of the president's strongest critics in the democratic party itself is congressman mike ross. today explaining why he disagrees with the president. we'll be joined by three of the top political analysts who will tell us whether the president has lost the battle for health care legislation. >>> and chaos in california. from fires to prison riots, a wild animal invasion. did we mention california's massive budget problems? we'll have that special report. >>> we begin tonight with the president taking his taee ing he plans to the west. he was at a town hall meeting in belgrade, montana. the president challenged

wolf blitzer is off today. i'm suzanne malveaux in cnn's command center for breaking news, politics, and extraordinary reports from around the world. you're in "the situation room." >>> a massive deficit, a giant stimulus package, bailouts and how a health care overhaul. how does the country pay for all of this? during the campaign, candidate obama promised it wouldn't be with new taxes on the middle class, but two of the top economic officials now appear to be leaving the door open. cnn white house correspondent dan lothian joins us. and, dan, obviously, there was a lot of back and forth we saw in that briefing today. what was the bottom line here? >> reporter: there really was. and the bottom line is, first of all, he said it's easier to tax the rich and get away with it. in fact, the polls show that most americans don't have a problem with it. but if you go after the middle class, well that becomes controversial. so, today, the white house was really trying to clean things up after bit after two officials se

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >>> breaking news we're following this hour. we're following a motorcade carrying the body of senator edward kennedy. it's heading right now to the boston library he helped build in honor of his brother john. we're awaiting the arrival and the chance for the public to file past the casket and say good-bye. our chief national correspondent john king is standing by over at the jfk library. john, i'll get to you in a moment. i want to look at the remarkable pictures we've seen so far. we saw the flag-draped coffin being taken from the kennedy compound in hyannis port. it was a rather emotional moment, made even more moving as the kennedys gathered outside the compound. take a look at this. the kennedy clan together. as you know, that senator kennedy's sister, jean, in the front standing with his widow, vicki. jean is the last surviving member of that generation of kennedys. the crowds have been lining the streets of your hometown of boston to watch this mo

i'm wolf blitzer sitting in for larry. we have an outstanding panel for four physicians. we're all going to get smarter in the next several moments as we try to understand what's going on in this health care debate. joining from us the cnn center in atlanta, dr. sanjay gupta. he's our chief medical correspondent. he's a practice neurosurgeon. joining us from nashville tennessee, bill frist. a heart transplant surgeon. former senator majority leader. his new book entitled "a heart to serve the passion to bring health, hope and healing." that comes out in october. we're looking forward to that. in cleveland, ohio, dr. miking roizen, he's the wellness officer and chairman at the wellness institute at the famed cleveland clinic. he's the author of "you staying young." and dr. james rowhak. he's a cardiologist himself. let me start with sanjay gupta. sanjay, viewers are confused. debate is rages across the country. what's the most important thing that we have understand about this debate right now? >> it's a good question. obviously, there's a lot of different issues here. let

wolf blitzer, what's on tap?ch, coming up at the top of the hours, my exclusive interview with the scottish justice secretary is, kenny mccaskill, i'll ask him why he decided to release a convicted terrorist to go back home to lib yachlt also, we'll get reaction to the interview from two family members of victims of pan am flight 103. that's coming up. >>> also, we'll speak with the only u.s. senator to have actually been in afghanistan to monitor the presidential election votes this past week. all that and a lot more coming up right here in "the situation room." >> we'll be watching. a grisly new picture is coming out about what happened to a murdered former model stuffed in a suitcase with her teeth and fing fingertips mixing. her reality star ex-husband is nowhe nowhere be found, why the manhunt stretches from california to canada. >> reporter: early saturday morning in swain in a park, california, a man looking through a trash bin for recyclables, finds a small unzipd suitcase. >> it was partially opened, i l

disaster, and that's going to be coming up here within the next ten, 15 minutes, so, stay tuned for wolf blitzer's interview with that. roland martin will be joining us in just a little bit. we call this segment "r&r," debuting it today. if it's anything like the other segments we've done in past, it will be passionate. there he goes. we'll be right back. ( revving, siren blares ) there's no way to hide it. sir, have you been drinking tonight? if you ride drunk, you will get caught... and you will get arrested. helping people save money doon car insurance.ut there gecko: aw thank you, sir. boss: but i think there are a few other things you can say about what a reliable company geico is. gecko: right. uh, well maybe how geico's the third-largest car insurance company in america? nice tidbit there. boss: exactly. and i've been thinking, looking a bit more businesslike might help too. gecko: oh my. uhhh, no it's, what's, what's the word... vogeico. 15 minutes could save you 15 percent or more on car insurance. i think i'll go with the preferred package. good choice. only meineke lets you choose the b

he said he might even work with wolf blitzer one day. i expect he will sooner rather than later. join us on "the situation room" from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. every weekday and on sundays from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. >>> first up, a major hurricane scrapes the northeast for the first time in years and the first family heads into the path of the storm. >>> global outrage, imagine the guy who blew your loved ones up on an airplane and he is released from prison early to a hero's welcome. how compassionate is that? >>> war zone at home, gangs and thugs run rampant, families lose children it seems every day, but they refuse to be victims. can we save chicago's deadly streets? hello, i'm don lemon, weakening but still dangerous. that is the tropical storm warnings and huge waves are crashing into east coast beaches this hour. bermuda felt the punch earlier with power outages. this weekend could be a deadly one for east coast beachgoers who venture into the dangerous rip currents spawned by the storm. straight now to jacqui jeras, keeping a close watch on it all. >> the waves have been incredi

i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." up next, "lou dobbs tonight." >> good evening, everybody. the obama white house appears to be in disarray tonight over its health care initiatives. the obama administration insisting the president still supports a public option, so-called. although top administration officials saying the idea could be abandoned over the weekend. also, americans losing patience with president obama as the showdown over health care is escalating. those americans expressing anger and frustration in town hall meetings across the country. but the white house and supporters are striking back. new controversy over second amendment rights. gun control advocates furious that a man with a rifle turned up outside president obama's event in phoenix today. that is the subject of one of our "face-off" debates tonight. but first, what could be a pivotal point in the showdown over the president's health care initiatives, the white house today declaring the president remains committed to a so-called public option for health care initiatives. but over the weekend, health and

wolf blitzer is off today. suzanne malveaux, and you're in "the situation room." >>> well, their nightmare is over. two young journalists are back on u.s. soil and reunited with loved ones. they faced a dozen years of hard labor in north korea's brutal prison system until suddenly a former u.s. president showed up. we've been following this story for months and only cnn has the global resources to bring it to you from korea, china, washington, and california. let's go straight to our cnn's dan simon. dan? >> reporter: hi, suzanne. i'm at current tv's headquarters. i had a chance to talk to the new ceo here. get this, he's only been on the job for about a week. i asked him what he thought about thaefrg happened today. he said he was, quote, ecstatic. i'm sure that's a sentiment felt by everyone who works here. the plane touched down just before 6:00 a.m. pacific time. a short time later, from inside a hangar, the two journalists emerged. then former president clinton. so much emotion. but this may be the most en

i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." >>> up next, "lou dobbs tonight." lou? >> wolf, thank you. and good evening, everybody. >>> the white house facing a nationwide rebellion against the president's health care plan. but the administration, the democratic party, and left-wing groups are striking back, and they're striking back hard. what happened to the politics of hope? >>> also, another clear indication the economy is rebounding. something, by the way, i have been forecasting here for months. the unemployment rate is declining for the first time in 15 months, but the white house appears relubtant to acknowledge those positive developments. >>> and some right-wing commentators think some things are just terrible. we'll have a special report. >>> and the cash for clunkers program, another $2 billion for the kitty. but there are new questions about whether the program makes sense for anyone, taxpayers, consumers, even the car industry. >>> first, the already nasty fight over the president's health care plan is getting even uglier. there have been more angry con

. >> let's take you over the "the situation room" and wolf blitzer. suzanne malveaux.ning

i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." up next, ""lou dobbs tonight."" >>> the white house is struggling to sell the president's health care proposals. his poll numbers continue to plunge. extremist fringe groups are now trying to dominate the health care debate. we will tell you who is behind those groups, both on the left and the right. also, rising concern tonight that the obama administration is trying to push through a big government agenda funded by american taxpayers, an agenda that some say could change this country forever. that is the subject of our face-off debate tonight. new evidence that the worst recession sings world war ii has ended. even the federal reserve acknowledging our economy has stabilized, something that i have been predicted, i might point out, for months. >>> we begin with the president's approval ratings, now at the lowest level since his inauguration. president obama has been on a full-out campaign to sell his health care plan. but all of the polling shows the president losing ground on every

i'm wolf blitzer sitting in for larry king. "360" starts now. >>> remember sarah palin's allegation that government health care reform would lead to death panels? today, a key voice in the debate. a key republican senator said you should worry about the government pulling the plug on grand ma. we'll get reaction from another key senator in a moment and check the facts with our own dr. sanjay gupta. but first, candy crowley has the "raw politics." >> if it's okay with you, i'll get started. >> reporter: senator chuck grassley holds his 72nd town hall meeting of the year. what a year. >> we're here at a time when i sense that people are scared for our country. >> reporter: his town halls have been twice, sometimes three times as big as he's had in previous years. so many hands in the air, so many cross currents. >> i need to know what are you doing to these insurance companies that are just putting everything in their pocket. >> simple math, even for this southern iowa redneck? so we can cover the people who want coverage with a private policy. >> reporter: making his way through the quest

now we have an expert, wolf blitzer was one of our experts the other night. very good. you can ask the expert what he thinks of the question. i think it's still a wonderful show, but now, of course, cable has become a giant. there's a lot more competition out there and so it's difficult to get those blockbuster ratings we got the first time. i didn't think we were going to do that all over again. i'm thinking it's an excellent addition to what else is on tv. >> larry: one of your joys, regis, is you love what you do. you love doing it, you love it. >> that's about it, yeah. i love -- i didn't think i was going to like a game show as much as i liked this one. i also loved "password," too, on cbs for the last couple of years. i think those are outstanding shows. the millionaire has that million-dollar prize and all those lifelines. i think that's maybe the greatest game show we've ever had. >> larry: couple other things. we have some twitter questions for you via -- going to ask you about twitter. pick new people your "dancing with the stars." i turned it down four years

here with a preview, wolf blitzer and campbell-brown. guys? >> thanks very much, lou. 2.5 million votes so far on the national report card. people are going to cnn.com and telling us -- telling us what they think on ten key questions, and we're going to get a lot more coming up at the top of the hour. >> started the second 100 day is the perfect time to reassess. this is part of the ongoing conversation we have been having with you guys at home as people have been letting us know where the president is on these issues, how they feel about health care reform, the economy, the media and congress right now. >> not necessarily very flattering numbers. we take a look at the national report card of the president of the united states. some of the questions that we're asking, for example, grade the obama administration's handling of foreign affairs. grade the performance of the secretary of state, hillary clinton. grade vice president joe biden. and we're going to assess when you think about all of these issues and a lot more with the best political t

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >> nothing burns me up more than hearing some of these scare tactics districted at seniors. because seniors, they're vulnerable. they get worried about some of this stuff. they get some crazy flyer in the mail. they get scared that they might lose their care. >> the president's push to overhaul the nation's health care system overcame a major hurdle this week. from key members of the blue dogs. those fiscally conservative house democrats. reach ad deal with the democratic leadership on a reform bill. if the blue dogs are getting on board, could republicans soon follow? and joining us now, the top republican in the house of representatives. minority leader john boehner. thanks for coming in. >> good to be with you. >> it looks like the house and senate committees are probably going to get something done before the recess. the president is reaching out, though, to everyone. saying spend the recess. read the bills. and then we can talk. listen to. this. >>

on cnn's "situation room," wolf blitzer pressed scottish official kenny macaskill. >> is there any precedent where a mass murderer has been freed to go home to his wife and family because he's suffering from cancer? >> this crime is unprecedented in our small country. it's actually the worst atrocity, terrorist atrocity, ever perpetrated anywhere within the united kingdom. in scotland, justice is equally tempered with mercy. >> in just a bit, you're going to hear from the brother of one of al megrahi's victims. >>> in washington tonight, an early exit for a government program too pricey and popular to survive. >> the cash for clunkers program winding down. the government says the popular program will end-month-o monday >> car owners can get up to $4,500. well, at 8:00 p.m. eastern time on monday, all that paperwork must be submitted. >> dealers must front the money, sometimes to the tunes of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the government has been slow to pay them back. >> of the 1.9 billion in reba rebates, the government has reimbursed them 145 million. >> they're going to get their m

i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." up next, "lou dobbs tonight." >> thanks, wolf. millions of residents on the east coast over the united states tonight are bracing for hurricane bill. it is a monster storm over 100 miles wide with hurricane-force winds of 110 miles an hour. >>> plus, another blow to president obama's health care plans. new polls show confidence in the president's leadership is plunging to fresh lows. also, the recovery -- the economy is recovering from recession. where are the jobs? and tonight we continue our series of special reports, "dobbs and jobs" now. >>> but first, president obama's agenda from health care to energy to the economy is under fire tonight with new polls showing increasing opposition to his plans. after a tough week, struggling to sell his agenda through town hall conferences -- conference calls, media interviews, the president leaves washington for a ten-day vacation, and leaves behind an increasingly bitter fight over health care proposals. and more. ed henry has our report from washington, as there is a new set back for the

i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." up next, lou dobbs tonight. lou? >> thank you. >>> good evening, everybody, the white house is insisting tonight it's not sending mixed messages over the president's health care plan after days of shifting policy and language, the obama administration now says a government-run public option remains the cornerstone of the president's plan. the fight over the so-called public option has exposed obviously a deep rift within the president's party in congress. house democrats tonight are actually threatening to kill the legislation all together if there is no government option, and with all of the talk over health care and health care legislation, no one seems focused on the more than 30 million americans without a job. tonight, we will be focusing on them, and the reasons for the high unemployment in this country, and the lack of a public policy solution. our special new segment on this show begins tonight, "jobs now! ". >>> good evening, the obama administration today trying to end what has become an uproar that it caus

wolf blitzer asked me if i thought sarah palin could win a a presidential election. i said i think anything is possible in this stupid country. and yes, some people's heads exploded and bill o'reilly called me a pin head. >> conan: he called you a pin head? >> yes, which is, a, not true. and b, really funny coming from a doody face like him. [ laughter ] [ cheers and applause ] >> conan: you're right. it is a stupid country. >> well, it is. so i had to, the next week, i just had to defend myself, because, you know, i like to back up what i say. >> conan: sure. >> so, you know, you can look this stuff up. there are polls that they do and they find out what people in this country are thinking, or, in this case, not thinking and it's really frightening. like over half the people cannot name one branch of government. or tell you -- or tell you what bill of rights is. they're constantly bitching and moaning about how much taxes they are taxed and spent. they have no idea what the government spends money on. they think 24% of our budget goes to foreign aid when it's less t

join me, wolf blitzer, john king for live coverage. that will happen right here on cnn. >>> kennedy coverage, wherever you turn today, lots of pomp, boldfaced names. but still the most poin yent reflections coming from average americans telling how the legendary senator touched their lives with small acts of kindness. >> gloria gomez holds something dear to her, a letter senator edward kennedy wrote her weeks before his death. >> july 31st. i received it on august 7. >> the letter was a response after she wrote kennedy, thanking him for an act of kindness about his family decades ago. abc news reporter john carl was driving with his wife and two young daughters in 2002 when they were in a terrible crash, surviving but hospitalized and shaken. >> the very first call that i got from somebody was not part of my immediate family. it was a call from ted kennedy. >> lori stanford was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 6. she stayed in touch with lauren over the years with letters and phone calls. >> lauren this is ted kennedy. >> i was ho

and bill maher said this -- >> wolf blitzer asked me if i thought sarah palin could win an election inhis country and i said yes, anything is possible in this stupid country. some people exploded. bill o'reilly calleds me a pinhead, which is tremendous -- not true and funny coming from a [beep] like him. brit: you make the call. finally, check out a bill o'reilly premium membership. think about it. you guys get the daily factor postgame show, special message comment on the factor and nice discounts and the benefits go on and on. bill: the mahatma? i kind of like that, steve. how about the mahatma of insight? you you -- there you go. bill: well, let's not go crazy here. bill: mr. bush mostly vacationed at his primary residence in crawford, texas, and i don't know how much his mortgage payments are. wise up. jill wolf, colorado. bill: well, the taxpayers only pick up security and travel costs, jill. mr. obama pays the leisure part. bill: the reason we go after people sometimes is because of at buvese power. if a media person is being dishonest in a presentation it's my job to point that

i'm wolf blitzer. join us week days in "the situation room" from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. eastern and every saturday at 6:00 p.m. eastern on cnn. and at this time every weekend, on cnn international. the news continues next on cnn. >>> trapped in iran. americans behind bars in an anti-american state. this could be the beginning of an explosive international incident. also in iran, protesters, including some of the country's most prominent politicians, and a foreign journalist, on trial. they face tough sentences. >>> murder motive. not one, but two possible motives surfacing tonight in the brutal slaying of a florida couple. plus, new details and new evidence surface. >>> and whites only. not the 1960s. but right now. black city workers in philadelphia claim segregation, harassment, and humiliation on the job. and it's stories like this spread, we're hearing from you. i-reporters speak out on race in a very personal way, and we want you to logon. because you're part of our deeper discussion just moments away here on cnn. hello, everyone, i'm don lemon. it is an ominous hea