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CNN SUNDAY MORNING
Meningitis Outbreak in Nine States; Stewart vs. O'Reilly; Soldier's Fight Against DOMA; V.P. Debate Coming Up Thursday
Aired October 7, 2012 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: From CNN World headquarters in Atlanta, this is EARLY START WEEKEND. The death toll rises from an outbreak of fungal meningitis in nine states and officials worry that number could go up much higher.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not asking for help for the rest of my life. I want to feel like I matter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Veterans who put their lives on the line at war, return home only to fight for disability benefits they say they're entitled to. It is a CNN exclusive investigation.
(music)
KAYE: You may not recognize the guitar player, but you should know the tune. A look back at half a century of James Bond.
And the political debate everyone is talking about. Not Obama/Romney, but Jon Stewart versus Bill O'Reilly.
It is Sunday, October seventh. Good morning, every one. I'm Randi Kaye. I'm glad you're with us. We begin this hour with news that the pharmacy responsible for making this steroid blamed for spreading fungal meningitis has recalled all of its products nationwide. The move comes as the CDC reports two more deaths from the disease, bringing the total now to seven. Take a look at this map with me. 64 cases of fungal meningitis are confirmed in the nine states that you see highlighted there, but that number could go up. Health officials say the contaminated steroid went out to 76 medical facilities in 23 states. Our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has more details on the symptoms of this disease.
DR.SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Randi, it's worth pointing out again that we're talking about fungal meningitis here as opposed to bacterial meningitis or the most common form of meningitis, which is viral meningitis, that's the type that you typically hear about being spread, for example, on college campuses. Fungal meningitis can be very serious, if there's any good news about it, it's that it's not very contagious typically. In this case, they now know that it was actually -- people got this because they were -- it was injected into them through a contaminated steroid injection. What happened was that the manufacturer of the medication sends these drugs to a compounding facility to divvy up the doses or to concentrate the doses, and then contamination occurred and the medication was sent to several different clinics and hospitals around the country. Obviously the numbers are pretty significant and they're probably going to go up in part because it takes a while for people to - to get sick.
Take a look there. Up to 28 days before someone actually develops symptoms and then they can develop all sorts of things that are consistent with the pretty - with the really bad meningitis. They can have stroke-like symptoms, weakness or numbness on one side of the body or the other, swelling near the injection site, and then ultimately everything that's consistent with the inflammation around the brain and spinal cord, headaches and back pain, neck pain and as you know, they can eventually lapse into unconsciousness, Randi, and even die. The goal is now to identify all those patients who received injections, make sure no more injections are given and if people are having any symptoms to make sure they get treated and get treated quickly. Randi, back to you.
KAYE: Sanjay, thank you very much for that. And now, to Pennsylvania. Where the state's deputy attorney general and his wife are accused of severely abusing two children they adopted from Ethiopia. Police arrested Douglas and Kristey Barbour after the kids had a doctor's visit. Investigators say the doctor noticed several fractures on the 18-month-old girl's head and the six-year-old boy appeared starved. The couple faces charges of assault and child endangerment. Their attorney had no comment.
The family of an Alabama college student is seeking answers this morning about his death at the hands of a police officer. The 18- year-old University of South Alabama freshman was killed yesterday. School officials say he was running around campus naked and rushed the officer several times. Darwin Singleton of our affiliate WPMA in Mobile, Alabama, has more now.
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DARWIN SINGLETON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Colgan Meanor says he and student Gilbert Collar were from the same hometown, but weren't extremely close friends. But he says he knew him well enough to know this:
COLGAN MEANOR: This - this is definitely unusual, and it's a very weird situation ...
SINGLETON: Meanor is talking about the shooting death of 18-year old freshman Gilbert Thomas Collar of (inaudible), Alabama, killed by a single shot fired from a campus police officer's weapon. What happened? Well, today USA campus police scrambled to explain what a university spokesman describes as a campus tragedy. According to campus police at 1:23 a.m. one of their officers heard a loud banging noise on one of the campus police station windows. The officer says he was confronted by what they described as a muscular nude man, quote, acting erratically. The unidentified officer says the man, quote, verbally challenged him. USA spokesperson Keith Ayers took up the explanation. KEITH AYERS: The man repeatedly rushed towards the police officer and verbally challenged the officer in a fighting stance. The officer with weapon drawn ordered the individual to halt. The officer retreated numerous times in an attempt to calm the situation. The individual continued to press toward the officer in a threatening manner.
SINGLETON: Ayers went on to say the man rushed the officer again and again with the officer retreating several times verbally ordering the man to stop.
AYERS: When the individual continued to rush toward the officer in a threatening manner and ignored the officer's repeated commands to stop the officer fired one shot with police side arm, which struck the chest of the assailant. The individual fell to the ground, but he got back up once more and continued to challenge the officer further before he collapsed and expired.
SINGLETON: USA police have requested the D.A.'s office conduct an external investigation. They will, assisted by the Mobile sheriff's department. Meanwhile Colgan Meanor and those who knew the competitive high school wrestling standout struggled to make sense of it all.
MEANOR: That's not the kind of person he was. You know, he was -- you could ask anyone that knew him, he was a great, loving guy, always made people smile, you know. He's not the kind of guy that people knew him and said he would do something like this. I mean everyone from my hometown is, you know, expressing the same shock that I am right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: So sad to see that happen. CNN spoke with the student's mother about the shooting. She said campus police should be equipped to handle activity like that without having to use lethal force. She also said that she doesn't know why her son was acting that way.
To politics now and big money. President Obama's campaign says they raised $181 million last month. That's easily the most for either candidate in any month in this election. They both raised around 115 million in August. Now, here's the hall. The campaign says the average donation was just 53 bucks, the Romney campaign hasn't released their September numbers just yet. The president ended the week with a romantic dinner with his wife, First Lady Michelle Obama. Wednesday was their 20th anniversary, but, of course, the president spent that night debating Mitt Romney in Denver. So, they got away to the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown last night to celebrate the anniversary, of course, not the debate. The president heads to California today for a fundraiser. Mitt Romney is in Florida again today. He has been reaching out to voters in the crucial swing state this weekend. A lot of his talk has been centered on taxes and health care, but he's also taken time to talk about his inspirations and the people that he's met on the campaign trail.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MITT ROMNEY, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I met someone named Jane Horton. Jane also suffered tragedy in her life. Her husband Christopher was serving in Afghanistan on the day she was packing up a care package to go to him for his birthday, the knock came at the door that he'd been tragically killed there. And what did she do? She didn't fall into sadness and despair, but instead went to work to help other families that had lost loved ones and served our nation. She went to the funeral for her husband when his remains came back, of course, and this was at a time when that misguided group was protesting at funerals of our services men ...
(BOO)
ROMNEY: And she was asked, what do you think about these people protesting at your husband's funeral? And she said this, and I quote, "Chris died for them to be able to protest." This is quite a nation we live in.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Florida is just the start of the week for Mitt Romney. He's got an even bigger event coming up tomorrow and as our political editor Paul Steinhauser reports, it is just the beginning of another big week on the campaign trail.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Hey, good morning, Randi. Foreign policy is in the campaign's spotlight tomorrow when Mitt Romney gives what is seen really as a big speech at the Virginia Military Institute, which happens to be in a crucial battleground state. We may hear Romney criticize the president over last month's killing of the U.S. ambassador to Libya.
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ROMNEY: We face a time when there's tumult in the Middle East and other parts of the world, and people are asking where's America, where's American leadership.
STEINHAUSER: As for the president, he starts the week out west, before reaching out to voters Tuesday in another crucial swing state Ohio. Both campaigns will highlight high-profile surrogates this week.
BILL CLINTON: This is a pivotal election.
STEINHAUSER: Former president Clinton teams up with Mr. Obama at a fundraiser tonight in California. Two days later, Clinton campaigns for the president in another battleground, Nevada.
ANN ROMNEY: Mitt is up to the task, he's prepared.
STEINHAUSER: Romney's wife Ann goes in front of cameras Wednesday morning when she's a special co-host on ABC's "Good Morning America." But the highlight of the week is the vice-presidential debate. JOE BIDEN, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT : I hope it could be a good debate.
PAUL RYAN, REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I love debating . That's one of the things I like about this job.
STEINHAUSER: Both running mates are preparing for their only showdown, which will take place Thursday in Danville, Kentucky.
BIDEN: I'm looking forward to it, I really am. The thing about Congressman Ryan is, he's been straightforward up to now about everything he is -- all the significant changes he wants to make. We have a fundamentally different view on a whole range of issues.
RYAN: I'm studying, I'm reading Joe Biden speeches, reading - watching Joe Biden tape. And just studying all over the various issues.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STEINHAUSER: And thanks to Romney's strong performance at the last week's debate, there's even more on the line at the V.P. showdown. Randi.
KAYE: Paul, thank you for that.
If you hear someone talking about the big debate today that went down Saturday night, well, they're not talking about President Obama, Governor Romney or even "Saturday Night Live", they are talking about Fox News host Bill O'Reilly and "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart. Both men went at it, and left no subject off the table during the debate the built as the "Rumble in the Air-Conditioned Auditorium" at the Georgetown Washington University in D.C. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL O'REILLY, FOX NEWS HOST: President Obama spent more money than all of the other presidents combined if you take out World War II.
JON STEWART, DAILY SHOW: My friend Bill O'Reilly is completely full of [ bleep ]. What we disagree on is the scope of these issues and the cause of these issues and the timing of these issues. You don't want your taxes to go to something that you don't agree with, is that your premise?
O'REILLY: No, I want them to go ...
STEWART: No, no, no, no, no, no.
O'REILLY: I want our taxes to go to people who need help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: If you missed it last night, you can watch it online at the Rumble2012.com.
Israel shoots down an unmanned drone that entered its airspace. Now the country is considering taking other action.
And veterans returning home from war, facing another fight, his one over benefits. I'll bring you my exclusive report.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back. 14 minutes past the hour now. Let's check the headlines overseas and begin in Israel. The country's military says it has shot down an unmanned drone over the Negev Desert. Defense Minister Ehud Barak released the statement saying Israel views the flyover very severely and it's considering a response. It is not clear where the drone originated. It was not carrying any weapons or explosives.
And we're learning this morning that South Korea has reached a deal with the U.S. to extend its missile range. It will now be able to fire missiles up to nearly 500 miles, a distance long enough to reach into North Korea. The goal is to deter military action out of Pyongyang. Tensions between the countries have increased after North Korea test-fired a long range rocket back in April.
An Islamic cleric extradited to the U.S. on terror charges is set to be arraigned on Tuesday. Abu Hamza al-Masri faced a federal charge in New York yesterday for his first court appearance. He has only one eye and wasn't allowed to wear either of his prosthetic arms. Al- Masri and four other suspects arrived here from London early Saturday after a long legal battle.
Officials in Turkey are warning people not to go outside in the town near Syria's border. Three shells fired from Syrian troops crossed into Turkey yesterday. According to Turkish media, villagers could hear gunfire from their homes. Turkish troops fired back at Syria. The U.S. Defense Secretary is concerned about the exchange of fire saying the conflict could broaden.
It is election day in Venezuela. People are going to the polls, to vote for their next president. Hugo Chavez is hoping to hold on to his power, but he's facing the strongest challenge to his 13-year rule from Henrique Capriles Radonski, CNN's Paula Newton is following the election for us in Caracas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, and true Hugo Chavez style, he called an impromptu press conference on the eve of the election on Sunday. Now, the first thing he had to say was look, our election here will be transparent and fair. He had observers with them that verify that the result will be very legitimate and that they've gone to great lengths to make sure that everyone can vote and that the vote is free and fair. And he has quite international backup on that. The Carter Center has also said that it'll look that electoral process here in Venezuela on Sunday will be transparent and should be fair and is one of the most automated systems in the world. Having said that, though, being Hugo Chavez he wouldn't shy away from controversy when asked directly if he would relinquish power to the opposition. This is what he had to say. HUGO CHAVEZ (through translator): Here the country is going to be the winner. The voice of the people will prevail after so said. So let's listen to the voice of the people and let's act based on that.
NEWTON: Now while he seemed to indicate, of course, that he would relinquish power he was definitely true to form as the President Chavez as then he seemed to really relish his time here with the media, going on and on about Venezuela's place in the world and how his revolution was not finished yet. You know, what's interesting, though, he had a not so veiled threat, and that was about exit polls.
Both sides here, the opposition and the government have been telling CNN that look, we expect a lot of manipulation through exit polls. Through the law they're not allowed to report exit polls, but they believe a social media will campaign -- will begin on Sunday afternoon to try and drive momentum, either for the opposition or for the government. Hugo Chavez clearly said that he believes the opposition will try and drive that and he said anyone who does that will be punished. But it was, as I say, true to form. True Chavez, cracking jokes throughout, and looking quite healthy, really, despite what has been a very terrible year for hum in trying to battle cancer. Paula Newton, CNN, Caracas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: From Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, who is your favorite James Bond? The cinematic spy has turned fishy. We'll share some great Bond's moments and some Bond trivia you may not already know.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back to EARLY START WEEKEND. From "Dr. No" to quantum of solace, from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, super swab British secret agent James Bond has been entertaining moviegoers around the world for five decades. Now, and here to celebrate and maybe teach us a few things that we might not already know about the famous film series, is Nadia Bilchik. Good morning.
NADIA BILCHIL: Good morning.
KAYE: So 50 years?
BILCHIK: 50 years. 1962, "Dr. No" premieres in London with Sean Connery as James Bond and since then there have been 22, and this year, there will be 23 James Bond features. And if you look at inflation, it's been the highest grossing series ever, around $5 billion.
KAYE: What do you think it is about him? What makes him so popular?
BILCHIK: Don't you think the ultimate hero? Men want to be James Bond ...
KAYE: Yeah, no doubt.
BILCHIK: And women want to be with James Bond. He's so debonair, he's so charming, he's an adventurer. He is indomitable, and for women he's the protector and a great lover.
KAYE: And he makes great martini.
BILCHIK: Exactly. Shaken, not ...
KAYE: Exactly, not stirred.
BILCHIK: Shaken, not stirred.
KAYE: There you go. Do you have a favorite?
BILCHIK: Or, definitely. For me Sean Connery was the ultimate James Bond. I found Roger Moore a little too smooth, and I think Daniel Craig is a little too rough. And you?
KAYE: He is - he is kind of violent. Pierce Brosnan. He's so debonair. So ...
BILCHIK: He just--
(CROSSTALK)
KAYE: Yeah, he just - yeah, he looks really good.
BILCHIK: He's the perfect, yes. The second perfect James Bond.
KAYE: Yeah, yeah, exactly. So, and, of course, we can't talk about the James Bond without the Bond girls, right, and all the antics that went on with them.
BILCHIK: And Ursula Andress, I don't know if you remember in the white bikini emerging in "Dr. No" with a knife strapped around her waist.
KAYE: Oh, yes, yes, yes.
BILCHIK: Do you know that she's now around 76, the Swiss actress is in her late 70s?
KAYE: That's incredible. I loved all the names, they always had the really clever names.
BILCHIK: Yes.
KAYE: Many of them we are not going to repeat on the air.
BILCHIK: No, remember (inaudible), Blackman tape, the one you don't want to repeat on the air ...
KAYE: Yeah. Right.
BILCHIK: Much more famous for the name than for her performance.
KAYE: Right. Right.
BILCHIK: And then there was Shirley Eaton - Shirley Eaton in "Goldfinger" was naked except for wearing gold body paint.
KAYE: Oh, mine.
BILCHIK: And there she is with the gold body paint.
KAYE: Wow ...
BILCHIK: ... that became a very famous iconic James Bond moment. And then there was the urban legend is, did she die from the toxicity of the paint?
KAYE: Really? I've never heard that.
BILCHIK: That was what people said, but she didn't. She's alive and well.
KAYE: Oh, my goodness. What a terrible rumor that is.
BILCHIK: Over that.
KAYE: And who else is there? Do you have another?
(CROSSTALK)
BILCHIK: And they're wonderful women. I mean Jane Seymour. I liked Halle Berry as well.
KAYE: Halle Berry was wearing in that orange bikini. That she always wore. That was - that looked really good.
BILCHIK: Very voluptuous, in great shape that made so many women's careers when you think about it.
KAYE: Right. Right.
BILCHIK: Even Madonna had a cameo in one of the James Bond movies.
KAYE: Really?
BILCHIK: Yes.
KAYE: I never remember that.
BILCHIK: In -- never - what's the - "Die Another Day"
KAYE: Wow!
BILCHIK: Which is your favorite Pierce Brosnan, Madonna has a cameo ...
KAYE: I didn't remember that. I was too busy looking at Pierce to notice Madonna. Was she really (ph) right? What about the music?
BILCHIK: Well, every James Bond movie has incredible theme music ...
KAYE: Right. BILCHIK: But the only one that made the number one on the charts was Duran Duran's 1985, which was "A View To A Kill."
(MUSIC)
BILCHIK: And there they are parachuting.
KAYE: I remember this, yes.
BILCHIK: Did you see the Olympics when the queen parachuted in with Daniel Craig?
KAYE: I did. Yes.
BILCHIK: Now, it's really interesting to see because the next James Bond, which is "Skyfall," we have Adele is singing the theme song. So, that's going to be interesting. That's going to be the 23rd James Bond movie with Adele singing the song.
KAYE: That's going to be a huge hit. Huge hit. My favorite bad guy, though, I got to say as we leave it here, was Oddjob. He was always my - he was good.
BILCHIK: Well, I hope we'll be watching. "Skyfall?"
KAYE: Yes.
BILCHIK: ... our martini, shaken not stirred. You are also allowed champagne when you think of James Bond.
KAYE: OK.
(CROSSTALK)
KAYE: All right. Nadia, thank you. Good to know.
Hundreds of thousands of war veterans say that they have suffered for months, even years while waiting for their disability benefits that they say they're entitled to. I spent the last three months investigating this very issue, and I'll tell you what I found.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back and thanks for starting your morning with us.
I'm Randi Kaye, it is now half past the hour.
Honda is recalling more than 260,000 SUVs, because the power window switch could cause a fire. We're talking about CR-Vs, model years, 2002-2006. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration says, the switch can catch fire when it gets wet even if the car is off. Four fires have been reported.
In Colorado, a massive search under way for missing ten-year-old Jessica Ridgeway. More than 200 gathered Saturday morning to search for Jessica. Volunteers expressing support for the family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just a tragedy that anything like this could ever happen to a child.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's hard as a mother to make yourself try to go there. I feel as much for her today as Jessica.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Jessica disappeared on Friday. She was supposed to meet a friend while walking to school. An amber alert has been issued.
An infant's remains are discovered in the yard of a Long Island home after authorities went to the home to check on the welfare of another child. The infant's mother told the official she never reported the death of the child. Police then obtained a search warrant for the remains. No charges have been filed though police are calling it, suspicious.
Three missing fishermen were rescued about a hundred and ten miles off the coast of the Pacific Island of Kiribati yesterday. Their boat 16 foot boat was reported missing Monday. A coast guard crew flew out to deliver food, water, a radio and an emergency beacon to indicate their position while a South Korea fishing vessel moved in to the location and then brought the men aboard.
Many U.S. veterans returning home from war are finding themselves in a new fight they did not expect, the fight go get disability benefits that they say, they are entitled too. And the very agency that's supposed to take care of them, the VA, the Veterans Administration is the agency many vets say have abandoned them. I spend the last few months investigating this issue. And here's what I found.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Mike Rioux can't go to the grocery store without making a list even for just one item. He can't drive without gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turn white. And he can't stand longer than 30 minutes because of severe back pain. This is Mike Rioux's life post-Afghanistan.
MIKE RIOUX, VETERAN: I need to discover who I am again. I'm not asking for help for the rest of my life. I want to feel like I matter. KAYE: Mike's wife, Maggie says her husband returned from war a shell of the man he once was. Gone was the fun-loving, free-spirited, laid back guy he used to be. War, she says, changed him.
He still has ringing in the ears from explosions. He also suffers from vertigo, headaches, and has terrible anxiety. We saw it first- hand during our interview. Mike was so anxious, he could hardly sit still.
We met at Mike Rioux's mother's house near Phoenix, Arizona, where he, his wife and daughter have been living for the last year and a half. Maggie and their daughter share a bedroom and Mike sleeps every night on the living room couch.
(on camera): What is it like for you at 51 to be sleeping on your mother's couch?
RIOUX: Ashamed. I feel low. I feel -- how can I support my family, let alone get them a house?
KAYE (voice-over): Mike doesn't have the money for a place of their own. He can't work. Fire fights and an IED blast in Afghanistan left him with a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Maggie isn't working, either, so she can look after him. The money is running out and they find themselves like hundreds of thousands of other veterans, fighting a battle they never expected.
One they frankly can't believe. They're fighting for benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
RIOUX: I thought they were there to help us. You know, I -- if it wasn't for my wife, I would be in the fetal position. I would be curled up in a ball. I couldn't do it.
KAYE: Mike has been trying to get his disability claim processed for nearly two years. There has been lost paperwork, long wait times for appointments, and erroneous lab results. When Mike was prescribed some medication, it was for a bladder infection he didn't have.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
And when we come back, we'll continue with Mike Rioux's struggle to get disability payments and we'll ask the assistant secretary of Veterans Affairs, why the department isn't doing more to help veterans?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Before the break, I shared the story of one veteran struggling to get disability payments from the Department of Veteran Affairs. But his story is not over. Mark first filed his claim in January, 2011 right after he got back from Afghanistan. In August, that same year he learned his claim was finally in review. And then in December, 2011, he was told to expect a decision by the end of the year. Well, that deadline came and went. So we went to the V.A. to ask them why so many veterans like Mike Rioux felt abandoned.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Keeping them honest, we asked Veterans Affairs Assistant Secretary Tommy Sowers why veterans who risk their lives for this country are waiting months, even years, for disability, despite V.A. Secretary Eric Shinseki's promises for a quick turnaround on claims.
(on camera): Secretary Shinseki said that his goal was to have claims resolved in no more than 125 days with 98 percent accuracy. Why hasn't that happened yet?
TOMMY SOWERS, DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS: Well, again, this is a problem that has been decades in the making. We're transitioning from a paper-based system to an electronic system and it is a huge amount, it's a huge undertaking and task.
KAYE: Is the current backlog of claims acceptable?
SOWERS: It is unacceptable and we know that. We do.
KAYE (voice-over): Unacceptable, yet more than a year after Mike Rioux filed his claim, he was still waiting.
(on camera): We interviewed 16 other veterans for this story. All of them told us they waited many months to get a simple disability claim resolved, in some cases, more than a year.
Many of them also told us they weren't helped quickly enough with serious mental health issues related to PTSD. In one case, a veteran told us he had called a V.A. suicide hotline and was told they would call him back. They never did.
(voice-over): Right now, according to the V.A., there are close to 900,000 claims pending and of those, 66 percent of them have been waiting longer than Secretary Shinseki's goal of 125 days.
Worse, more than 228,000 claims have been pending one year or more. On average, the V.A. says, veterans wait 256 days before their claim is resolved.
Paul Rieckhoff, the founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, says troops are tired of the rhetoric.
PAUL RIECKHOFF, IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS OF AMERICA: There's a difference between the speak you get out of the bureaucrats in Washington and the reality of what you see on the ground. The guys and gals on the ground don't care about how many bureaucrats there are, how many pilot studies there are, how much money is being spent. They care if they have gotten a decision back from the V.A.
KAYE (on camera): There is a saying among veterans about the V.A., you might have heard it. They say the V.A.'s policy is delay, deny until we die. What is your response to that?
SOWERS: I would say that there are many veterans out there that love their V.A. care, that absolutely love it.
KAYE (voice-over): Assistant Secretary Sowers says the V.A. is on track to process one million claims this year, and that it paid out nearly $5 billion in compensation last year.
Adding to delays, the V.A. says many veterans are returning with severe and complex mental injuries, and sometimes file incomplete paperwork. The backlog also increased when thousands of vets were finally allowed to file claims for Agent Orange and gulf war syndrome. On June 27th this year, Mike finally got word his disability claim had been processed, 18 months after he had filed. But Mike was awarded only 40 percent disability, which works out to $659 a month.
He got credit for his PTSD, but even though he had been diagnosed with a mild traumatic brain injury, by a doctor at the V.A., he was denied coverage for that injury.
Like so many others, Mike and Maggie plan to appeal their disability rating, a process that could set them back another two years in getting their case resolved.
MAGGIE RIOUX, WIFE OF VETERAN: And he could have been killed. Every time I spoke to him on the phone I thought this might be the last time I hear his voice. And our relationship has had to take --
MIKE RIOUX: That's another dimension. Yes, our relationship.
MAGGIE RIOUX: I'm married to a different man now. I love him as much as I've always loved him, but he's different.
KAYE: Different in a way Maggie and Mike hope to make the V.A. understand that $659 a month in disability certainly doesn't cover the price they've paid for war.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
This story has caught the attention of so many. If you would like to read more about Mike Rioux's struggle to get disability benefits and read the comments that others have left about this story, you can go to cnn.com/health.
Another soldier who fought for this country is now fighting against it for a good cause, trying to get a controversial law changed so she can take care of her family. She joins me with her emotional story, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: The navy has a new ship with a very special name. They christened the USS Michael Murphy in style yesterday in New York. It is the Navy's Newest Guided Missile Destroyer and part of the Pacific Fleet, they named after Navy SEAL Michael Murphy, he was killed in Afghanistan in 2005. Murphy was the first person to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan.
The Defensive of Marriage Act has been under fire since it was first passed back in 1995. It basically says that the federal government does not recognize same-sex couples, that means no federal benefits like military pensions or medical benefits. The Obama administration has decided not to defend DOMA. And that could lead to a Supreme Court challenge.
Now, one of the couples watching very closely is Chief Warrant Officer Charlie Morgan and her partner Karen Morgan. They were married last year right after "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was repealed. Good morning to both of you and thank you for joining us. C.W.O. CHARLIE MORGAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE NATIONAL GUARD: Thank you.
KAREN MORGAN, MARRIED C.W.O. CHARLIE MORGAN IN 2011: Good morning.
KAYE: Now, you have joined a lawsuit challenging DOMA, but your case may be a little more immediate, certainly more urgent than others. Charlie, tell us why.
CHARLIE MORGAN: Well, I've been recently diagnosed back in April with less than six months to live. That's been updated to 12. I'm doing really well and doing (INAUDIBLE) but that's a big concern because if I were to pass away, Karen wouldn't receive any of the spousal benefits, spousal benefits that are out there.
KAYE: And what type of cancer are you battling?
CHARLIE MORGAN: Breast cancer. Basically, I'm stage IV terminal breast cancer.
KAYE: Charlie, certainly, our thoughts are with you. I know this is a very, very tough battle. You originally got out of the military though after ten years and you were teaching school, right? So, why did you get back in?
CHARLIE MORGAN: Well, I was teaching school in Kentucky and in 2004, I went to a conference and I was talking about how I had been in the military and a principal who was also a colonel in the military has said, why would you come back in? And I didn't think they'd take me after a 12 year break. So, as soon as I got back, I contacted the recruiter and they said, absolutely, we need everybody we can get. So, I was so proud to join the service, especially after 9/11.
KAYE: Karen, as Charlie said here, at issue is thousands of dollars in medical benefits and other benefits but certainly also the health and well being of your daughter. Can you tell us more about that?
KAREN MORGAN: Yes. As a family, the benefits affect all of us. It's -- Casey is currently covered as a dependent, however, I am not because DOMA prevents us or prevents me from being recognized as a legitimate spouse. So some of the benefits that I'm missing are health insurance, there would be survivorship benefits like V.A. and Social Security, burial rights, those types of things.
KAYE: And there are other restrictions too, right? In addition to just those, I mean, you don't even have base access, right?
KAREN MORGAN: That's correct. One of the things that we have found is that I cannot get onto base, I can't visit the commissary or take my daughter to appointments that might be necessary on base because I just simply can't get in. I don't have an identification card that would allow that.
KAYE: And Charlie, the Obama administration says that they will not defend DOMA. But if that is enough for you, I mean, should they be doing more to actually actively get it off the books? CHARLIE: Well, I know there's a lot of things that the Department of Defense can do, and SLDN who represents us in the lawsuit are actually working that end. So hopefully -- and also Amanda Lucidon legal stranger project, she points out a lot of things that the Department of Defense could do that would involve the actual law itself that could help care and such as getting ID card.
KAYE: Well, listen, as I said, I can't imagine how difficult this is for you and your family. I do hope that you feel good over the next few months and we'll continue to watch your story and see how it progresses. Thank you both.
CHARLIE MORGAN: Thank you so much. Thank you.
KAREN MORGAN: Thank you, Randi.
KAYE: The number of cases of a deadly meningitis infection are growing across the U.S., and the people getting sick were infected with the disease, it turns out unknowingly.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Each week we shine a spotlight on the top ten CNN heroes of 2012. This next honoree is bringing a hidden population out of the shadows. Kids who are caregivers for -- aging loved ones, and she's helping them hold onto their childhood.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you OK? Here, let me help you.
My mom has been sick for as long as I can remember.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need more methadone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Helping her out is a bigger priority than going to school because I don't know what I would do if something happened to her. I wouldn't be able to really live.
CONNIE SISKOWSKI, 2012 TOP TEN CNN HERO: In the United States, there are at least 1.3 million children caring for someone who is ill or injured or elderly or disabled.
They can become isolated. There are physical effects, the stresses of it and the worry...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, baby. Thank you so much.
SISKOWSKI: ...but these children suffer silently. People don`t know they exist.
I'm Connie Siskowski. I am bringing this precious population into the light to transform their lives so they can stay in school. We offer each child a home visit.
Has a ramp been helpful? We looked at what we can provide to meet the need. We go into the schools with a peer support group and we offer out of school activities that give the child a break.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is so relaxing.
SISKOWSKI: So they know they're not alone. We give them hope for their future.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now I`m getting As and Bs and I feel more confident.
SISKOWSKI: But we have a long way to go. There's so many more children that really need this help and support.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The top ten CNN heroes for 2012 have been revealed, and to vote for who you think should be the hero of the year, just go to cnnheroes.com. We will reveal the winner on December 2nd during our CNN heroes, an all-star tribute hosted by Anderson Cooper.
All right. Time now to get you ready for the week ahead. We have a very busy Monday right here on our week ahead calendar. Monday, of course, is Columbus Day. Maybe you have the day off. Maybe you don't. But if you do, well, enjoy it.
Also Monday, Governor Romney making a big foreign policy speech. If you have some time, you can tune in for that, we're not clear exactly what he's going to cover. He certainly has been critical of Obama's handling of events in the Middle East which is Libya, Egypt, Syria, Iran. He'll probably talk about defense spending as well. We'll have that for you live here on CNN from Virginia.
And also on Monday, this is going to be really, really cool. It's a sky dive from space. A daredevil will attempt a free fall from 120, 000 feet. He could become the first person to break the sound barrier without riding a vehicle. Well, I don't know why it became a blank but it is going to be really cooler than that.
All right. On Tuesday, we're looking at Jerry Sandusky, we're expecting sentenced thing for former Penn State football coach Sandusky. He's been convicted of course as you've probably know of abusing ten boys over 15 years. Should be happening at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
And on Thursday of course, the vice-presidential debate in Kentucky, one and only, face-off between Paul Ryan and Joe Biden. That's going to be interesting. Probably, you'll see some fireworks there. That will be happening live right here on CNN starting at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday.
Well, thanks for starting your morning with us. We've got much more ahead on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING," which starts right now.
From CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. The death toll rises from an outbreak of fungal meningitis in nine states. And officials worry that number could go up even higher. A victim of that deadly movie theater shooting in Colorado is speaking out about gun control asking why the subject wasn't even mentioned at the presidential debate. And the other debate everyone is talking about. Jon Stewart versus Bill O'Reilly.
Good morning, everyone. Once again I'm Randi Kaye. It is 7:00 on the East Coast, 4:00 a.m. out West. Thanks so much for starting your morning with us.
We begin this hour with news that the pharmacy responsible for making the steroid blamed for spreading fungal meningitis has recalled all of its products nationwide. The moves comes as the CDC reports two more deaths from the disease bringing the total now to seven.
I want you to look at this map with me. Sixty-four cases of fungal meningitis are confirmed in the nine states that you see highlighted there, but that number could go up.
Our Brian Todd has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just a week after getting a steroid injection she thought would help her, Janet Russell is in intensive care at a Tennessee hospital. That tainted injection might well have given her meningitis. Her family is more than just concerned.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of course, we're just worried sick is the main thing.
TRACY BARREIRO, JANET RUSSELL'S DAUGHTER: This doesn't happen in America. I mean, this doesn't -- I mean, I hope that doesn't sound -- but you're just thinking, this is something that it's not even real.
TODD: Their mom's one of more than two dozen people in Tennessee and dozens more in at least seven states believed to be victims of an outbreak of fungal meningitis from bad steroids. Some have died. Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord.
Health officials believe the victims in this case got it from a tainted batch of this steroid, methylprednisolone acetate, injected into the spinal column to treat back pain.
In Maryland, a state where hundreds of people could have been exposed, we went to clinics known to have received shipments of the steroid. At the SurgCenter in Bel Air, at least six people got injections.
JANICE STEWART, SURGCENTER OF BEL AIR, MARYLAND: The ones we've talked to have all been fine. Hopefully, they'll continue to be fine. They say the symptoms can take -- could take a while to show up.
TODD: But other clinics here could have a bigger problem. (on-camera): An administrator at the Green Spring Surgery Center in this building in Baltimore did not want to go on camera with us but did tell us that they had 300 patients who got injections of that drug. The administrators said that they are working with federal and local officials to investigate the case.
They have contacted all 300 of those patients, the ones who have had mild symptoms, he says, they have urged to get checked. The administrator says they have no confirmed cases of meningitis for people from this facility who got the drug. He did say that they are disappointed in the drug manufacturer and that that manufacturer put patients at risk.
(voice-over): The manufacturer is the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Massachusetts. In a statement to CNN, the company says it has recalled that steroid, is working with health officials in the investigation, and has shut down temporarily.
Quote, "The thoughts and prayers of everyone employed by the NECC are with those who have been affected."
As for this form of meningitis --
(on-camera): How dangerous is this? Is this very contagious?
DR. LUCY WILSON, MARYLAND DEPT. OF HEALTH & MENTAL HYGIENE: So, this type of meningitis is not believed to be transmissible from person to person. So, we're really reaching out to people who have been exposed to the contaminated product and those of the people who should be looking for symptoms and signs of meningitis.
TODD: Those symptoms include fever, chills, headaches, stiff necks, and unlike patients who have other types, they can even get small strokes. Officials are scrambling to get the word outside to as many people as possible who may taken that steroid, very concern that this outbreak could grow significantly in the days ahead.
Brian Todd, CNN, Baltimore.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: A student killed, a campus in shock, and a mother searching for answer this morning. It's all over the shooting death of a freshman yesterday at a University in South Alabama in Mobile by a campus police officer. Officials say an officer opened fire after 18-year- old Gilbert Collar rushed him repeatedly and kept making threats. Now, Collar reportedly was naked and acting erratically.
One student expressed about how the situation was handled.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSHUA FRYE, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA STUDENT: I feel the cop had more than a gun. With that being said, he could have pulled out a taser, pepper spray, anything like that. So, why a gun on this kid. Probably was drunk, you know, or something like that. It seems it could have been handled in a better way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: CNN spoke with Collar's mother. And she said she doesn't know why her son was acting that way, but she wishes police could have handled the situation differently without using lethal force.
Now to Pennsylvania where the state's deputy attorney general and his wife are accused of severely abusing two children they adopted from Ethiopia. Police arrested Douglas and Kristen Barbour after the kids had a doctor's visit. Investigators say the doctor noticed several fractures on the 18-month-old girl's head and the 6-year-old boy appeared starved. The couple faces charges of assault and child endangerment. Their attorney has not commented.
To politics now, and there are just 30 days to go until Election Day. Last week, President Obama and Mitt Romney squared off in the first presidential debate. Well, they'll do number two on the 16th of this month. But in between, their seconds will do the battle.
The number two, yes, the vice-presidential debate, is this week on Thursday, and our Athena Jones takes a look at what to expect.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Then-Governor Sarah Palin winking during the 2000 debate with presidential nominee Joe Biden -- not just once but some half a dozen times.
Then, there's Senator Lloyd Bentsen's dig at Senator Dan Quayle in 1978.
LLOYD BENTSEN (D), 1988 VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy.
JONES: Memorable moments but hardly game-changers.
While presidential debates can affect the outcome of an election, vice presidential debates like this week's upcoming matchup between Vice President Biden and his GOP challenger Paul Ryan are a different animal.
MARGARET HOOVER, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: You need to be able to see that each vice-presidential candidate has hit the standard of readiness, that they will be ready in an emergency and a national crisis to be able to step into the Oval Office and take the reins of presidency. But beyond that, in terms of the actual debate itself, unless there is a star-killing or star-catching moment, it rarely changes the course of the debate.
JONES: Democratic strategist Donna Brazile says the first rule here is to do no harm.
DONNA BRAZILE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: In terms of substance, try not to break any ground. This is not an audition for 2016. This is about 2012 and the top of the ticket.
JOSEPH BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't like a damn thing about it -- no --
JONES: Biden, who participated in more than 20 debates and forums in the 2008 campaign, said the contests are never easy.
BIDEN: What I've been doing mostly is, quite frankly, studying up on Congressman Ryan's positions on the issues, and Governor Romney has embraced everything I can see. I don't want to say anything in the debate that's not completely accurate.
JONES: So what are the biggest strengths? Analysts say for Ryan it's his ability to talk in detail about policy issues. For Biden, his ease in talking about how national policies affect ordinary people.
Here's Congressman Ryan's take on Biden.
REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: He's fast on the cuff, he's a witty guy, he knows who he is, and he's been doing this for 40 years. So you're not going to rattle Joe Biden. Joe is very good on the attack. Joe is very good at trying to confuse the issues.
JONES: When it comes to advice for the candidates --
BRAZILE: Try to be comfortable in your skin, be rested, looking to the camera, smile from time to time.
JONES: And a little humor always helps.
SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (I), CONNECTICUT: I can see my wife and I think she's thinking, gee, I wish he would go out into the private sector.
RICHARD CHENEY, FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: Well, I'm going to try to help you do that, Joe.
JONES: Athena Jones, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: The candidates stayed clear of talking guns at last week's debate and an Aurora shooting survivor is speaking out. He says skipping gun showed a real lack of respect.
Plus, FOX News host Bill O'Reilly and "The Daily Show" Jon Stewart battle it out in a debate of their own.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: In President Obama and Mitt Romney's first face-off, the candidates sparred a lot over taxes, Medicare and jobs. But they didn't mention a word about gun control, a topic my next guest says should have been raised, especially in Colorado, a state that had two of the country's deadliest massacre in 19 years, 1999 massacre at Columbine High School that left 13 dead, and this year's theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado, that killed another 12. Stephen Barton is joining me now to talk about this. He was one of 58 people wounded in that Aurora shooting, shot in the face and the neck.
Stephen, good morning to you.
First of all, let me ask how you're feeling.
STEPHEN BARTON, AURORA SHOOTING SURVIVOR: I'm feeling just fine. My recovery's gone remarkably well.
KAYE: Well, that is certainly good news to hear. You were one of the lucky ones.
What would you like to have seen Wednesday night at the first presidential debate in terms of the discussions about guns?
BARTON: I mean really any specific discussion or reference to the issue would have been great. Ideally, I would have loved both candidates to talk about whether they support having a background check for every gun sold. I mean, that's a huge issue and a huge thing that we'd been pushing for. And it would have been great to see that, especially in an auditorium 10 miles from a theater where I was shot and so many others were shot.
KAYE: This certainly could come up at a later debate, which we'll discuss more about social issues. But you told one of our reporters that skipping gun laws at this debate even showed a lack of respect from the candidates.
BARTON: Yes, I think -- you know, I think they owed it to the people who were shot in a theater in Aurora, but also just to the American public at large. When you consider 34 Americans are murdered with guns every single day and then you think about the families and communities around those 34 Americans. I mean, the number is huge, the number of people who are affected by gun violence every single day in this country.
KAYE: I want you to look at this map with me. You can see that each of Colorado shooting massacres took place just over l0 miles, as you said, from the spot of the presidential debate. Colorado has a culture, as you know, of strong and proud gun ownership.
According to Alan Masaud (ph), dean and professor at the State University of New York, talking guns in the state is, quote, "political suicide". He writes, "No politician in their right mind would say anything about gun control in Colorado because you simply won't get it."
What do you think of that? Is that correct?
BARTON: You know, I think there's a misconception, a miscommunication because if you look at the pollings, specifically on the issues. So, for example, requiring a background check for every gun sold as I was saying earlier, 71 percent of NRA gun owners when polled support that and 87 percent of non-NRA gun owners support that. So, I think people just say gun control and people freeze up. But, you know, what we're talking about is crime control and there's a large consensus in the American public for specific measures.
KAYE: In terms of the Aurora shooting suspect James Holmes, I'm sure you're aware he did get his guns and his ammunition legally. So what changes do the law -- to the law are you looking for?
BARTON: Well, I mean I don't know that, for example, requiring universal background checks would have changed what would have happened in Aurora specifically, but I mean Aurora and Columbine, those are the big named shootings that we talk about every day. But kids are dying on the streets in Chicago every single day and law enforcement had told us that the best way to reduce the number of people who are dying across this country from gun violence is to require background checks.
I mean, 40 percent of guns sold in this country don't require a background check under federal law because they're sold privately. I think a lot of people don't know that and think some regulations are in place and in fact aren't.
KAYE: What do you say to people who suggest that gun control is really irrelevant to mass shootings, because the perpetrators will always find a way to get around the laws if they really want to, maybe they'll steal a gun, find a gun, whatever it is?
BARTON: You know, there's always going to be black market or, you know, a secondary market for guns, no matter how much we regulate it. But I think it's worth at least making it more difficult and consider ways that we can put obstacles in the ways that people who shouldn't have guns.
KAYE: Stephen, I appreciate your coming on the show and talking about this. We certainly we wish you the best in your recovery and watch that upcoming debate, and maybe we'll talk with you after it and to see what you think if you heard what you needed to hear that time.
BARTON: Sure. Thank you, Randi.
KAYE: All right. Thank you.
An unmanned drone shot down in Israel after entering the country's airspace without permission. Now, the country considers its next step.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: In South Korea, a new missile agreement with the United States. South Korean missiles will now be able to fly greater distances and carry more weight. They'll be able to cover almost 500 miles which will include the entire range of North Korea. The deal is a move to deter military action from Pyongyang which test-fired its own long range missile back in April. That test launch was not successful.
In the Philippines, a major break through on peace. President Aquino announced a framework of a peace deal with Muslim rebels in southern Philippines. Those rebels have been battling the government for the past 15 years. The deal would establish an autonomous region for the minority Muslim population in the south and it will be called Bangsamoro.
In Israel, the country's military says it has shut down an unmanned drone over the Negev desert. In a statement, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Israel views the flyover very severely and it's considering a response. It's not clear where the drone originated from. It was not carrying any weapons or explosives.
It's election day in Venezuela and polls are now open. World leaders and economists will be closely watching this one because of Venezuela's major place in the oil market. President Hugo Chavez is seeking a fourth term there.
A North Korean soldier has done what very few others have been able to. He defected to the South and told authorities when he got there, he had just killed his superior.
CNN's Paula Hancocks has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's not unknown but it's certainly rare for a North Korean to escape to the South through the DMZ, the demilitarized zone, that separates North and South Korea. It is described as the most heavily fortified border on Earth and yet a North Korean soldier was able to walk across it on Saturday.
The joint chiefs of staff here Seoul described to reporters how he managed it.
COL. LEE BUNG-WOO, SPOKESMAN, SOUTH KOREAN JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF (through translator): A North Korean soldier has defected to our guard post and inter-Korean management zone at 12:10 p.m., October 6th. Our army has raised its military alert in the area, but there's been no extra ordinary moves by the North Korean army so far.
HANCOCKS: Seoul says the soldier was on guard duty when he killed his platoon and his squad leaders. He was then able to cross the border without being stopped. South Korean guard says they heard the gunfire before seeing the North Korean soldier fleeing after it was confirm that he did, in fact, want to defect.
He was taken to an undisclosed location and interrogated.
Very few managed to cross this tightly controlled border. In fact, the last time a North Korean soldier succeeded was 2 1/2 years ago, according to the defense ministry here in Seoul.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Back home, if the presidential debates were not enough to get you fired up, maybe these two men will. They held a debate of their own and we'll show some of it to you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: President Obama and Governor Romney were not the only two having all the debate fun. "Saturday Night Live" mocked the candidates' performance last night, while FOX News host Bill O'Reilly and "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart had a showdown of their own in Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to hire teachers, millions and millions of teachers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So then your plan is basically to hire teachers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right, as many as it takes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Governor Romney, your response.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, Jim, when it comes to jobs, President Obama prefers what I call a trickledown government solution. Now, my plan is different. It involves 41 basic elements, six of reversals of position and three outright lies.
Number one, get us energy independent, with energy produced right here in America. Number two, open up more trade, especially with Latin America.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The anniversary gift, I can't believe I forgot the anniversary gift. This is bad. This is very bad.
BILL O'REILLY, FOX NEWS: I want my taxes to go to people who need help.
JON STEWART, THE DAILY SHOW: And I am sorry that you don't want to spend your hard earned tax money on that $130 million but let me say this to you welcome to the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) club.
We as the country are only as strong as the weakest amongst us, as the New Testament tells us the poor will always be with us.
O'REILLY: Wait, wait, wait. You're telling me --
STEWART: It's not whether or not to take care of them, but how best efficiently to bring the poor and those in need back into more productive society.
O'REILLY: This is an outrage. This is a total outrage. This is a -- this man has offended -- this man over here has offended every single American. Are you going to stand there -- are you sitting or standing?
STEWART: I read the bible.
O'REILLY: Are you going to -- (CROSSTALK)
STEWART: I am short. But when you tell me I'm short, I don't blame the liberal weights and measures bureau or I don't suggest that my numbers are skewed and I'm really 6'1" if only the lame stream people would tell people.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
KAYE: Pretty funny stuff. But in a more serious note, after the break, we'll tell you about a very strange shooting incident at a university in Alabama.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back.
The pharmacy responsible for making the steroid blamed for spreading fungal meningitis has recalled all of its products nationwide. The move comes as the CDC reports two more deaths from the disease, bringing the total now to seven.
Take a look at this map. You can see 64 cases of fungal meningitis are confirmed in the nine states that are highlighted there, but that number could go up, of course.
In Alabama, a campus in mourning. Early Saturday morning, 18-year-old University of South Alabama freshman Gilbert Collar was shot and killed by campus police. The school said Collar was naked, acting erratically and rushed an officer. The officer has been placed on administrative leave, pending an investigation.
Honda is recalling more than 260,000 CRVs because the power windows switch could cause a fire, model years 2002 to 2006. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration says the switch can catch fire when it gets wet and even if the car is off. So be on the lookout. Four fires have been reported.
More top stories at the top of the hour when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues.
But, first, "SANJAY GUPTA, M.D." begins now.
