has a whopping 28 grams. if you missed part of today's show check out my podcast, cnn.com/podcasting. remember, this is a place for the answers for all of your medical questions. thanks for watching. i'm dr. sanjay gupta. more news on cnn starts right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com hello there, everybody, from the cnn center in atlanta, georgia. this is "cnn sunday morning" for september the 6th. hope it's so far so good on your labor day weekend. you got one more day, before everybody's back at work and back to school. i'm t.j. >> good morning, i'm brooke baldwin sitting in for betty nguyen. it is 9:00 a.m. in atlanta, 8:00 a.m. in st. louis. >> wait a minute, it's 8:00 in atlanta. >> it is 8:00. >> what is going on back there? >> oh, you guys. and i didn't catch that. it's 8:00 in atlanta, 7:00 in st. louis, and a bright and early 5:00 a.m. for folks waking up on the west coast in l.a. and speaking of, i know l.a. right on the water, got the ocean, but they're seeing some waves this morning in the middle of ventura boulevard, this water main break, quite a mess. a bunch of firefighters dealing with this. there was some water rescue. we'll talk more about that coming up. also a few states around the country have laws about texting and driving. what would you think about a nationwide ban? a lot of you have been chiming in on it this morning. some say it's common sense. you don't need a law. we'll share some comments. also, carl is back with our "cnn student news." we'll talk to him and see what students have to say and send your comments. you can get all kinds of ways of reaching us, weekended@cnn.com, and we have our facebook and twitter pages. we'll be sharing a lot of your comments this morning. first we need to get to some big news overnight. you may have missed one of the president's advisers have stepped down. his name is van jones. you may have heard the name a lot over the past few days, certainly last week. he stepped down for a number of controversial reasons, namely he signed the petition in 2004 that suggested the government let the 9/11 attacks happen. jones was the president's adviser on green jobs and an administration source says jones did not read that petition carefully. jones also drew some fire for controversial comment about republicans he made back in february. listen for the bleep. >> how were the republicans able to push things through when they had less than 60 senators but somehow we can't? >> well, the answer to that is, they're [ bleep ]. >> they good bleep. you understood what he was saying there. jones did apologize for the petition but also gave this statement. i'm quoting here, on the eve of historic fights for health care and clean allergy, opponents of reform have mounted a vicious smear campaign against me. they're using lies and distortions to distract and divide." now again, this is certainly a name you've been hearing about the past few days but more about him now. jones is a long background of environmental and legal activism. he founded a group called green for all, the group promotes green jobs and also founded the ella baker center for human rights that focuses on stopping violence in lower income communities. "time" magazine named jones as one of its influential environmental heros in 2008. jones is a yale law graduate. so when you hear that the president of the united states is speaking to school kids, getting them ready for school and sending a message to study hard you wouldn't think it would be that big a deal but it is a big deal to some parents who say the classroom just really isn't a place for politics and so facing this angry backlash from a lot of parents out there, the administration is planning to release the transcript of that planned speech sometime tomorrow. cnn's tom foreman has the story. >> reporter: call it a fast lesson in public pushback. the president's plan to speak to school kids on tuesday has some conservative parents saying he's trying to brainwash their kids into buying his politics. >> think being my kids, sorry, in school, having to listen to that, it's really upsets me. >> politics is totally up to the family. >> will i send my child? i don't know. right now i would say no. i'll keep them home. >> across the country, many school districts are encouraging students to watch. in new orleans, it will be required, but that's an exception. in virtually every state, at least some schools have decided to either not show the speech, review it first, or make viewing optional. some sites schedule conflicts and technical difficulties, but this was not what the white house expected. the president's speech will focus on keeping kids in school, a subject he's promoted before. >> unfortunately, nearly 30% of u.s. high school students aren't making it to graduation. >> reporter: but the core complaints seems to be with supplementary teaching material from the department of education. originally they called for students to write, "what they can do to help the president." the white house has since changed that, suggesting the children write about their own educational goals. furthermore, the text of the president's speech will now be put online monday, so any teacher, parent or politician can preview what's going to be said. plenty seem fine with that, including the national president of the pta. >> we have an opportunity here in the united states for parents, teachers and students to take part in a tremendous civics lesson. >> reporter: still, just like the crowds at all those town hall meetings, others are far from satisfied. >> my rights as a parent are being circumvented so this president can speak to my children. >> reporter: they clearly resent the notion they are unfairly questioning the president's motives. >> education matters, and what you do today and what you don't do can change your future. >> reporter: after all, they point out, when the first president bush spoke to school kids on tv in 1991, top democrats called that just political advertising, on the taxpayer's dime. tom foreman, cnn, washington. >> well, a lot of people have opinions here. a lot of parents, a lot of school administrators have opinions, but some people who are not involved in the fight at all have an opinion as well. but you all have been climbing in. we'll read a few responses now. we have been getting a ton. read this top one from our facebook page. "the lesson plan say lesson on civics. all americans should be asking what they can do to help the president, even if you do not agree with his views, your version of help could be to pray for him. you can help by contacting your representatives to let them know your thoughts or to encourage new legislation." let's scroll down just a few here, this one takes a different approach. robin says "let the kids watch spongebob instead and they could be more like the parent" suggesting it's not a smart idea to keep the kids out. and twitter "we elected obama but we won't let him speak to our children. what's wrong with that picture? geez." we appreciate them. we will be sharing more. facebook, twitter, and our blog as well. >> again that speech to the students nationwide happening tuesday, but you don't have to be in school to see the president and hear what he has to say. you can tune in right here to cnn, we will carry it live for you at noon eastern time tuesday. >> all right, also let's turn to afghanistan now where a u.s. service member was killed today, this american was the victim of an insurgent attack on the eastern part of the country. meanwhile the top u.s. manned commander in afghanistan says he is convinced civilians were among those killed in a nato air strike, the air strike in northern afghanistan killed at least 90 people, this came after two tanker tricks were hijacked late thursday by the taliban. afghans were attempting to siphon fuel from the trucks when they were hit by the nato strike. anderson cooper is taking you inside afghanistan all week long, reporting live from the battle zone, "ac 360" airs weeknights 10:00 eastern. the reports start tomorrow night. some progress out west in the massive wildfires burning. it was around 42% this time year, 50% convinment now. take a look at the flames. apparently it's no longer threatening homes along the western flank, but already 76 homes have been destroyed and in terms of mileage, 250 square miles burned in the angeles national park, but the really toughest part of the whole story is the fact that investigators have determined that this fire was set on purpose and beyond that, two firefighters were killed. >> yes, so they say the western flank, that was the main area we're looking at, where they were trying to get it stopped but it's popping up in other areas so not everybody is out of danger. other areas popping up where it could threaten homes but at least they're getting some kind of a handle. when this broke out, 5% containment, that's something when you talk about fire that massive. bonnie schneider keeping an eye on the weather, all week pretty much they didn't have weather cooperating. there wasn't wind, that was a good thing for the first few days. how is the weather going to treat them out there in. >> they didn't have the strong winds, t.j. and brooke but they had extremely scorching temperatures. right now as we look at the map, we're looking at really in terms of temperature, temperatures that are a lot cooler than where they were last this time last week. in glendale, it is 63 degrees. high temperatures in and around the los angeles area will climb to i'd say about 82, 83 degrees. so we are going to see some improvements in the weather. it's definitely not going to be as hot. it's also going to be a nice day in and around the new york city, metropolitan area. we have a live picture of central park to show you, a string of great weather days for this holiday weekend. it's a little hazy. you can see the reservoir in the distance to the north, and a beautiful weekend for those of you headed to the beaches on long island and the hamptons. nice conditions there. cape may, new jersey, on the new jersey shore temperatures in the 70s so cooler than it has been but not every place is going to enjoy a perfect beach forecast as we go through the rest of this holiday weekend. check out what's happening in south florida. we have showers and thunderstorms just offshore, near south beach, so that's actually going to affect your weather for your beach forecast there. we are looking for wet conditions in the forecast. temperatures will be mild well into the 80s. scattered showers all the way up to north carolina, down through south beach, that's where we'll see temperatures in the 80s and that's pretty much what we're looking at now and we are also tracking the weather for tomorrow for those of you that are planning to extend your weekend with that labor day off. we have scattered showers and thunderstorms along the gulf coast. watch out for that and a lot of monsoonal moisture up and around the arizona area. we've seen some heavy rain for phoenix, that will persist in terms of temperatures. it is looking fantastic. the last official blast of the summer, well, you're feeling it in texas in the 90s. salt lake city up to 91, and we'll be looking for temperatures of 98, hot in phoenix. back to you. >> we like that word. >> we like that, we looked at each other and said monsoonal moisture. >> monsoonal, that's good. >> whoa. >> bonnie's word of the day. >> bonnie's working it. >> bonnie, you didn't mention but i assume there are torrential downpours in the los angeles area. i didn't hear you mention it but when we look at the video, i assume there have to be -- >> except they're not coming from the sky. >> not quite. this say huge water main break, it's coming up out of the ground there. this is in l.a. studio city. this was happening overnight. >> this thing, they're saying several feet deep. you see some firefighters there, about 125 firefighters called to work this thing. in fact, there was a car, you see some of the cars wheels submerged on that hummer, but one person had to be rescued after their car was swept away in the floods. they were saying it will probably take four to five hours to shut the flow of the water main break but not fun for people in that part of l.a. >> that's a mess on a holiday weekend. also coming up here, don't go too far. lessons learned from the h1n1 outbreak. we're going to go back to one of the first schools that was hit hard by so the called swine flu. and later, be honest. you text while you drive. let us know where you stand. we want to know because we're talking about it, and we're all kind of guilty here. >> uh-huh. >> but we have to stop. so we're talking about that and we'll also be reading your responses coming up in our next half hour. so dangerous. hy is dick butkus here? i hired him to speak. a lot of fortune 500 companies use him. but-- i'm your only employee. we're gonna start using fedex to ship globally-- that means billions of potential customers. we're gonna be huge. good morning! you know business is a lot like football... i just don't understand... i'm sorry dick butkus. (announcer) we understand. you want to grow internationally. fedex express apparently he's not the only one. (announcer) start their school year off right with nutritious chef boyardee at an unbeatable price. save money. live better. walmart. ♪ bicycle, what are we waiting for? the flowers are blooming. the air is sweet. and zyrtec® starts... relieving my allergies... 2 hours faster than claritin®. my worst symptoms feel better, indoors and outdoors. with zyrtec®, the fastest... 24-hour allergy medicine, i promise not to wait as long to go for our ride. zyrtec® works fast, so i can love the air™. the rest of the body is a no brainer. doesn't your whole body deserve excedrin strength relief? excedrin back & body. excedrin. what ache? been there, done that. don't want to go back. private catholic school in new york knows all too well how to deal with the h1n1 virus. it's already been through one outbreak and doesn't want to go through another one. cnn national correspondent susan candiot candiotti. >> reporter: these sisters are excited about going back to school except for one thing, the h1n1 virus or swine flu. >> i was nauseous, threw up, spotty chills, fever. >> reporter: and rita has the dubious distinction of being among the first people in the country to get swine flu last spring at new york city's epicenter, st. francis prep school. >> as soon as i say prep people say "oh, the swine school?" >> reporter: the school is ready as possible for opening day. the school was scrubbed last spring. hand sanitizers are in the cafeteria and every bathroom. the high school's principal is teaching other schools how to handle an outbreak. are you worried? >> well, i am worried. some of the experts are saying that since so many kids have the flu here that they probably have built up an immunity to it. >> reporter: but this school isn't taking any chances. school assembly also remind kids how to protect themselves. in the event of an outbreak, sick kids will be temporarily isolated in the auditorium. >> there were kids around the bend waiting to get in. >> reporter: school nurse mary paas knows firsthand about a quick response. when the swine flu hit the school's phone lines were jammed. security guards had to help take temperatures. to save time, should a lot of students show up in the nurse's office this year they'll be using the strip thermometers. easy to use, you peel off the back, and put it on your forehead. this is brian, and it will register the temperature just like that. the temperature glows, but is every school this prepared? >> my biggest fear is that it would be in a school where there was no nurse and it would be chaos for those kids. >> reporter: some schools can't afford nurses. nationwide, vermont has the best nurse-to-student ratio. one nurse for every 275 students. in utah, it jumps to one nurse for every 4,900 students. but how to prevent an outbreak? in new york city, elementary students will be offered free swine flu vaccines when they're ready next month. plan on getting the vaccine? >> yeah, i would definitely get it. >> i'm just hoping that it doesn't, like nothing like this happens again this year, or any other year. >> reporter: susan candiotti, cnn, new york. recess is over. lawmakers headed back to capitol hill this week, and the president this wednesday, big night for him, talking to a joint session of congress, talking about health care reform, what might he say, how might he map it out? we'll talk to "state of the union's" john king at the minnesota state fair this morning. stay right here. i can enjoy the zoo with my grandkids. (announcer) for people with copd including chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both, great news. advair helps significantly improve lung function. while nothing can reverse copd, advair is different from most other medications because it contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator working together to help you breathe better. advair won't replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be use more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking advair. we had a great day, grandpa! we sure did. ask your doctor how advair helps improve lung function for better breathing. (announcer) find out how to get your first full prescription free at advaircopd.com. i'm finally going to get a flat panel for my home theater. - ( cheering ) - ( laughs ) thank you. what should i get? uh, you. you should check out our new leds. the picture's better than life. okay, but i don't want to pay too much. don't worry about it. we'll match those other stores' prices. and we'll deliver and hook it up for free. okay. last question. if you guys are here, who's in the stores? the latest home theater technology and thousands of people eager to help. best buy. buyer be happy. some encouraging news about the global economy coming from the world's top money leaders. >> but the so-called group of 20 finance ministers agree it isn't time to start giving high fives yet. treasury secretary tim geithner explains in an exclusive interview with cnn. >> we have brought the world economy back from the edge of at business and you are starting to see the necessary conditions for a recovery, but we don't have recovery yet. we have growth under way but we don't yet have the conditions for a self-sustaining recovery led by private demand, which is what we're all committed to achieve. >> you know this name, van jones? he's out. one of president obama's advisers stepping down. why? apparently he signed a petition in 2004 that suggested that some high-level government officials, the wording "deliberately allowed the 9/11 attacks to happen." jones was the president's adviser on green jobs, but an administration source says jones didn't quite read the petition carefully. jones has apologized but he gave a statement accusing opponents of the president's health care reform plan of smearing him. ♪ i need someone to save me from the choices i have made ♪ ♪ i need a hand >> these are opponents of some of the health care proposals out there and of big government, making sure their protests remain fresh in their lawmaker's memories, a lot of members of congress are staging tea parties, a lot of the protesters are like this one in louisville, kentucky. today the protests are scheduled in indiana as well as illinois. a trusted presidential adviser steps down. just told but that. congress returning from recess and the president about to face off with congressional leaders over health care reform. >> it's a busy week in politics. politics usually we talk about it happening in washington. but politics out there, in the heartland, and that's where our gu guy, john king is coming up, of course this is from "state of the union" but what you're doing in minnesota in the first place. >> good morning. >> reporter: first and foremost, t.j., we're having a little bit of fun, winning some prizes. we were at the midway last night playing games. this is the minnesota gophers college football. we have more toys for you. you mentioned we're out at the state fair for a labor day "state of the union" because we wanted to get the health care debate. you have to listen to the president wednesday night and congress needs to get behind the president. if you go to the republican party's booth you get this one here, "hands off my health care ogs and "change? i'd like mine back." the debate is about to pick up in washington. we wanted to come to a state fair and watch the debate play out around the games and a lot of food on the stick here. >> i was going to ask if you had snickerdoodles or corndogs there. very tasty. >> reporter: not for breakfast. >> not good. we were talking about how cnn sources, i'm sure they're your sources, john king, there's talk of the administration drafting their own health care reform legislation. what are you hearing about that and what might be their strategy? >> reporter: i lost that feed, guys. the strategy now is to get more specific. you guys got me now? >> yes. >> reporter: i thought i lost you for a second. their strategy is to get more specific. the president wanted the house and senate to pass a bill by august recess. that didn't happen. he's bringing them together after the town halls and protests, look at the public opinion polls, support for the president's plan and approval of his handling of the issue plummeted so the president will try to reframe the debate, capture a national television audience and the white house says yes, they will have some more specifics. will it be a 1,000-page piece of legislation, probably not. more details on the big issues, one of the biggest issues the president has to referee is a disagreement within his own democratic family about the public option, should there be a government-run health care program that competes with private insurers? a huge challenge for the president. he's picking wednesday night to deliver the prime time speech tells you the president understands the clock is ticking, this is his number one domestic political priority and right now he has a political problem and if we're going to see a test of the leadership beginning wednesday night. >> john you spoke or mentioned about another prime time speech. it seems like we see a lot of him in prime time and there's a buildup and everybody's anticipating to hear from the president to shape this debate and to lead, but remember that last press conference he had about health care reform, a lot of people thought was a dud, nobody got anything out of it in the health care redebait. how much pressure is on him to actually deliver something on wednesday? do we have any indication that he will deliver something that will change the game on sfwhens. >> reporter: well, we have indications that they say he will be more specific, even members of his own party have said mr. president, you can't let the house write one bill, the senate write another bill. other people have this idea, i have that idea. time to say i'm the president rnlgs this is the centerpiece what we need to do and referee some of the fights. there are some who say it is too late and to the moment of overexposure is the question. does the president have to do this too often? the white house says this is a huge venue and they understand the pressure but in the political environment you don't do this out of a position of strength. the president has lost control of much of the debate over the summer and this is his attempt to get it back. he still remains personally popular and the white house is yet again going to that well, the personal popularity of president obama to try to overcome right now a bit of a deficit when it comes to the policy issues. >> all right, "state of the union's" john king live at the minnesota state fair with gophers and stuffed animals and the like, and we appreciate it and have fun up there, john. >> see you in about a half hour. thanks so much. >> reporter: thank you, guys. we have seen some shocking public service ads, meth addiction, it could be brutal and hard to shake, but some addicts are fighting back. ldn'to what i wanted to do. but 5 minutes ago i took symbicort and symbicort is already helping significantly improve my lung function. so today, i've noticed a significant difference in my breathing. and i'm doing more of what i want to do. so we're clear, it doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. my doctor said symbicort is for copd, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. my copd often meant i had to wait to do what i wanted to do. now i take symbicort and it significantly improves my lung function, starting within 5 minutes. symbicort has made a significant difference in my breathing... now more of my want to's are can do's. ask your doctor about symbicort today. i got my first prescription free. call or go online to learn more. (announcer) if you cannot afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. wellbeing. we're all striving for it. purina cat chow helps you nuture it in your cat... with a full family of excellent nutrition... and helpful resources. ♪ purina cat chow. share a better life. not even the occasiol staring contest. (announcer) start their school year off right with a great kellogg's breakfast at an unbeatable price. save money. live better. walmart. are working from the road using a mifi-- a mobile hotspot that provides up to five shared wi-fi connections. two are downloading the final final revised final presentation. - one just got an email. - woman: what?! hmph. it's being revised again. the copilot is on mapquest. and tom is streaming meeting psych-up music - from meltedmetal.com. - ( heavy metal music playing ) that's happening now with the new mifi from sprint-- z) the mobile hotspot that fits in your pocket. sprint. the now network. deaf, hard-of-hearin÷l and people with speech disabilities access www.sprintrelay.com. hello again, everybody on this "cnn sunday morning." i'm t.j. holmes >> good morning, i'm brooke baldwin in for betty nguyen. it is 8:30 eastern time sunday, september 6th. hope you don't have to work tomorrow. >> we'll start with a few top stories we want to share with you here. this happened yesterday, a tough scene, this is in a rural south georgia community where seven people had their funerals and their burials all in one day. these were for seven of the eight people killed last week north of brunswick. all of them laid out, these coffins, seven coffins laid out in the burials yesterday, a tough scene for this one community. the victims found in a mobile home, 22-year-old guy heinze jr., the son of one of the victims, has been charged now eight counts of first-degree murder. heinze made the initial 911 call to alert police of the killings. more than 200 mourners attended those funerals. in california, a parade will celebrate the return of jaycee lee dugard, who was snatched on her way to school, headed to the bus stop, about 18 years ago now. people will line the streets of south lake tahoe to revel in the relatively happy ending to a crime that reverb rates throughout the community, even today. cnn's kara finnstrom has the story. >> everyone was just going, did you hear, jaycee's alive? she's found? we were all so excited. >> reporter: neighbor angie keil never forgot the blue-eyed girl so violently snatched on her way to school. during the nearly two decades since sadness and fear have reverb rated in the small mountain community. >> there were tears and they were scared and they should have been scared. >> reporter: jaycee dugard's fifth grade teacher said classmates wrote letters. one classmate felt jaycee's absence during each life milestone. >> she didn't have the chance to graduate high school, to have friends, turning, you know, 21 and going to college. i think that's probably been the most haunting thing. >> reporter: but angie keil says in the midst of all the horror and loss, jaycee unknowingly gave her and other parents an incredible gift. >> this guy walked around the corner and he said, "if you come find my wallet with me i'll give you $5." that was kyle's son emmett during a 2002 encounter. emmett was taught to escape through a program in school called "a fighting chance." >> my name is terry. i'm jaycee lee dugard's mother. >> we would put the kids in the trunk of the car and actually lower this. we don't latch it all the way. >> reporter: isn't that scary for the zmids. >> at first it is a little scary but when they get out of the trunk they feel really good. they understand what it takes to break wires, what it takes to kick out tail lights or what it takes to bang on the top of the roof and really make a lot of noise. >> the training told me to say no, you don't know this guy, and so i did. >> you just never know what would have happened but the fact that emmett knew what to do and not to engage in any conversation meant that he is with me now. >> reporter: kyle says in this community, where nobody used to lock doors, the training apeers to have helped a number of children. now she's overjoyed, knowing the girl who started it all is finally back home. >> i can't imagine what it would be like to get her back. >> reporter: jaycee's mother ultimately moved away from south lake tahoe but this community has always felt very connected to the dugard family. sunday they'll be holding a hometown parade of celebration to show their support. kara finnstrom for cnn, south lake tahoe, california. >> coming up, is the power of prayer strong enough to fight a horrific krital meth addiction? one former user you're about to meet says god worked, when traditional methods failed. another check of our top stories, including shark tales from cape cod. okay...um...eighteen pounds and a smidge. a smidge? y'know, there's really no need to weigh packages under 70 pounds. with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service, if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. cool. you know this scale is off by a good 7, 8 pounds. maybe five. priority mail flat rate boxes only from the postal service. a simpler way to ship. listen to this combination, cold tablets, lithium ain batteries and deadly ammonia, ingredients to make meth and they're easy to find but the addiction, difficult to quit. so why is it that some people recover when others don't? we look at one addict's answer in this morning's "faces of faith." these may look like scenes from a horror movie but they're not. these are anti-drug ads from the meth project, showing suburban teens turning into meth-addicted zombies, their faces picked apart, a dramatic look at how methamphetamine can destroy the body, but this is also the face of a meth addict. randi used the drug for three and a half years. now is he clean. >> i was one of the people used to look in the mirror, today's the day i'm not going to drink and use drugs and i did every day. whether you know it or not i did. >> reporter: randy was struggling with alcohol abuse when a friend introduced him to crystal meth. >> actually the person who gave me crystal is dad. >> reporter: crystal is referred to as speed, ice, glass or tina. long-term use can cause psychosis, hallucinations, anxiety and stroke. a 2007 survey from the national institute on drug abuse found 1.3 million people over the age of 12 reported abusing meth. that number was down slightly from the year before but still cause for chern. when randy realized that his life had become unmanageable, he sought treatment. when traditional therapy didn't work, he looked for help from a higher source. >> then i had to make a decision to turn that over, you know, to a power outside of myself, who i choose to call god, and to ask god for help and guidance, and to get beyond this. >> reporter: he joined a 12-step program for crystal meth addicts which works like alcoholics anone muss. his groups meeting have a spiritual focus. they pray together, some read scripture. people talk about their connection to a higher power. jocelyn cox, an addition psychiatrist, oftentimes recommends that her clients attend 12-step meetings as part of their treatment. >> the spiritual principle that helps someone to recover include things like a willingness to make changes, openness to suggestion, honesty is one of the most fundamental principles. >> reporter: traditionally, many of the 12 steps reference god. step five, admit to god, to ourselves and to another human being the compact nature of our wrongs, but experts point out you don't have to be religious to participate in a 12-step program. >> spirituality really is not necessarily synonymous with religion. and spirituality, it's one of the simplest definitions, is that which gives a person meaning and purpose in their lives. >> reporter: today, randy has several years of sobriety behind him, but he still takes it one day at a time. he attends is it 12-step meetings and prays every day. >> i have to have constant meditation and prayer throughout the day. you never have to use again if you don't want to. >> crystal meth as you can imagine, highly addictive. experts say you use it one time, once, you get hooked. crystal meth anonymous is one 12-step fellowship and there are hundreds out there eager to help. t.j.? >> all right, thank you, brooke. the associated press now reporting horrible story out of pennsylvania, they have a suspect and anticipate filing charges in the case of a missing 4-year-old boy. police say they found the body of wayne thomas smitsky stuffed inside a neighbor's septic tank yesterday. he disappeared friday after playing with his sisters outside of the home. we'll keep an eye on the story. another little boy i told you a story about, the focus of a custody dispute. strange circumstances. he was missing for nearly two years but then found alive inside a wall inside his grandmother's house in benton, illinois. the house contained several hiding places around it. the boy's mother disappeared with him in late 2007, after he had a custody disagreement with the father. the child's mother also found at that home. now the mother and the boy's grandmother have been arrested. we'll turn to something else that will scare you a bit here, take a look at that, that's a shark you do not want to see if you're on your beach vacation in cape cod. this is a shark, a couple spotted in chatham, massachusetts. some of the beaches have been closed in that area. some people still braving it, getting out there in the water. pretty uncommon to see these things. great whites we're told they are, out there in the water. they were tagged so some of the wildlife officials could keep up with them but don't go in the water, folks. that's the more half the story. more video to show you here, a car in suffolk county, new york t went airborne and ended up, listen to this, on the second floor of a home. the driver may have been speeding, may have. >> how does that happen? >> may have been speeding, police say. actually hit something and went airborne, went into the second floor, ended up down in the foyer of the home. nobody, amazingly, injured in this thing. the homeowner actually described it as a scene out of "dukes of hazzard" which is probably accurate. >> who knew. "may have been speeding" i like that. may have been texting. who knows. >> we'll get into that. >> hi carl. >> how are you all doing. >> good morning. >> thanks for having me back. >> school is back in session. >> for me it's like being back in school without detention. in the right direction. >> carl is back with extra credit coming up after the break. having flashbacks talking about homework. homework is back, the grades are back and the questionable square pizza cafeteria food. >> i miss it. >> carl azuz is back. we missed you this summer. glad you had a good one. >> it was good. >> good to talk about what's going on with you and students. classrooms are in focus with the president making his speech. welcome back, explain, remind everybody what you do. >> cnn student news, cnn's ten-minute commercial free newsroom program for the classroom. we bring news of the day to classrooms across the nation. there are three ways you can check us out. one at cnn cnnstudentnews.com. you'll find every show we do, in addition to the media literacy question of the day, materials to help teachers out. find us on itunes, there's a free downloadable podcast, search "cnn student news" and monday through friday on hln at 4:00 p.m. eastern time. >> you're back but taking a break. >> i'm here for you today, though. >> good to see you. what are the students talking about? i'm sure some are going to be talking about the speech the president will make on tuesday but texting and driving which a lot of kids do. >> not just kids. >> almost all of them text, some drive, a lot of your audience does both at the same time, as some kids tell us. i brought you some comments that give what students are saying about this. we have one from michael talking about texting while driving. we asked them, should there be a national ban on this and michael is saying "i personally think you shouldn't be able to text while driving. my dad does it with one hand on his blackberry and one on the wheel." michelle says "the u.s. government didn't spay for the cell phones. they shouldn't decide when they are used. people should just learn to be more responsible." a quick poll, not scientific but a quick poll on the blog, where do you stand on this overall and the results came in, looked like 80% of the students were saying outlaw it all together. currently it's done by state. 80% think there should be a national ban. 20% say no way. >> i was reading an article from the "new york times" a couple of days ago, printed it out and can't find it but because of fatalities in utah they passed the strictest law on the books statewide, if you're caught texting and driving, you go to prison for 15 years. >> that's heavy. >> a lot of students are asking how do you prosecute that? if they get the records showing you were texting around the time of an accident it can put new deep trouble. >> you're documenting, you're guilty. you are actually documenting your guilt as you're driving around. >> oh, yes. >> carl, it is good to have you back. enjoy your break. >> thank you. bringing you more highlights from cnn student news in the weeks ahead. >> thank you. nice to meet you. >> all right. >> he shared some comments from some of the students. we have some of our adults chiming in on this as well. we've got a few i'll share with you. my favorite so far is from twitter. see that right there, the guy calls himself "killbay." i'd love to share my thoughts on texting and driving but i really need to make this next exit off the new jersey turnpike. "i think it's crazy people would text and drive. i'm guilty but it's crazy." a couple saying "i'm not that coordinated. i have to admit i wait until i get to a red light, stop sign or open road." you could still hurt yourself on the open road. it is really dangerous >> bad news. >> when you catch yourself doing it, it almost scares you. you look up and take your eyes off for a second. >> you consciously know you shouldn't be doing it but so many do it anyways. so far, health care reform has focused on cutting costs. >> i got a question for you now. would you pay more, sometimes a lot more for vip health care service maybe? hmm. just ask my son. (announcer) start their with quick and delicious kraft easy mac at an unbeatable price. save money. live better. walmart. but now that i'm breathing better with advair... i can enjoy the zoo with my grandkids. (announcer) for people with copd including chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both, great news. advair helps significantly improve lung function. while nothing can reverse copd, advair is different from most other medications because it contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator working together to help you breathe better. advair won't replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be use more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking advair. we had a great day, grandpa! we sure did. ask your doctor how advair helps improve lung function for better breathing. (announcer) find out how to get your first full prescription free at advaircopd.com. your hair mixes with pollen and dust in the air. i get congested. my eyes itch. i have to banish you to the garden. but now with zyrtec-d®, i have the proven allergy relief of zyrtec®, plus a powerful decongestant. i can breathe freer with zyrtec-d®. so, i'll race you to our favorite chair. i might even let you win. zyrtec-d® lets me breathe easier, so i can love the air™. zyrtec-d®. behind the pharmacy counter. no prescription needed. would you tilely pay more for better health care? some people are turning to the so-called concierge services, paying a pretty steep fee for it, but some of them do like their service. this personalized care, it is photojournalist john barden takes us inside the md vip program. >> before dr. chef i went to a large practice. the waiting was usually half an hour plus. good morning. >> hi, good morning. >> i have an appointment with dr. chef. >> okay, mr. jones. >> yes. >> we'll get you all checked in, if you want to have a seat someone will be right with you. >> my practice had gotten out of control. i didn't have time to sit still with one patient and give them my full undieded attention. distractions, phone calls, paperwork that needed taking care of. the day was busy, at the end of the day on the way home i'd be worried maybe there was something i didn't do or forgot to take care of that was going to come back to haunt me or hurt a patient. hey, tom. good morning. good to see you again, too. come on and have a seat down here so we can talk. >> i feel he's more of a coach than doctor. he's preventative medicine and wants know to say in shape. when i heard about the md vip practice style it addressed those concerns. it's a pretty straightforward concept, a primary care physician like myself, by cutting down drastically on the number of patients and with the added time that's available, we do an old-fashioned prevention-oriented physical on every person every year. i'm addressing risk factors, lifestyle issues as well as any health conditions or diseases that may be present. if they can afford to do it, it's good. it's helpful and comforting. >> thank you very much. take care. >> cnn listen carry the president's health care reform address on wednesday night, the one he's making to a joint session of congress again, 8:00 eastern time wednesday night. principals have been doing their math and the budgets are not adding up. what gets cut, teacher its or school day? excedrin back and body has two ingredients to block and relieve the pain. doesn't your whole body deserve excedrin strength relief? excedrin. what ache? so i couldn't always do what i wanted to do. but 5 minutes ago i took symbicort and symbicort is already helping significantly improve my lung function. so today, i've noticed a significant difference in my breathing. and i'm doing more of what i want to do. so we're clear, it doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. my doctor said symbicort is for copd, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. my copd often meant i had to wait to do what i wanted to do. now i take symbicort and it significantly improves my lung function, starting within 5 minutes. symbicort has made a significant difference in my breathing... now more of my want to's are can do's. ask your doctor about symbicort today. i got my first prescription free. call or go online to learn more. (announcer) if you cannot afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. not even the occasiol staring contest. (announcer) start their school year off right with a great kellogg's breakfast at an unbeatable price. save money. live better. walmart. so i know a lot of economists have technically said we are out of the recession but a lot of us aren't feeling it, that includes schools across the country but there's this one school in georgia and some school administrators decided instead of handing out 39 pink slips to 39 teachers, they're cutting a day, a week of school. >> that sounds pretty good. four days a week, a lot of kids would love to have an extra day off but cnn's fredricka whitfield explains it's not so popular with the parents. >> i was devastated. i'm sure i speak probably for every superintendent in the state of georgia. >> reporter: susan s. clarke is school's superintendent in rural peach county, georgia. >> it was almost like, come on! it's a week before school starts. what are we going to do? >> reporter: in july, public schools in georgia got some bad news. as the state grappled with the budget crisis, they were told to cut spending. peach county suddenly ha lly ha shortfall of nearly $800,000. >> do i want to shut the buildings down and take the bulk of the energies in transportation or lay off 39 people. >> reporter: peach county decided to try something new to georgia, a four-day school week. for all 4,000 students in peach county, no school on mondays. the county estimates it will save $400,000 by closing school buildings and parking school buses. it's saving a system lar amount with a three-day furlough for all staff. >> when they first said we were going to a four-day week i thought this is crazy. >> reporter: nancy harper, whose daughter is a third grader at byron elementary, wasn't happy. >> had it planned out what i was going to do, okay, and when you make a budget, and you've got your finances in a budget, and you got it set, all of the sudden they threw a monkey wrench in it. >> reporter: parents are left trying to keep their kids occupied or cared for on mondays. some got lucky. thanks to jesse fortson, pastor of byron baptist church. >> we thut together a program on mondays, extremely low cost. we don't want to just do child care. what we want to do is come alongside, a mentoring and help them out in school. >> reporter: that helps a few dozen students. a group of moms came up with another plan. >> several of us, we're getting our children together on mondays and letting the children experience things they sometimes can't learn in school and we're making the best out of a delicate situation right now. we talk about anything from the seven continents to the five oceans to the five senses to coloring, counting, anything that are age-appropriate exercises. >> reporter: susan clarke says there are no easy options. she believes she took the least damaging course. >> are you willing to take the risk to do what you believe is in the best interests of the children or not? >> reporter: there may be more tough choices ahead. the county expects further budget cuts in january. fredricka whitfield, cnn, atlanta. >> four-day weeks. >> so kids are loving it but parents have a big argument to make there. we're going to hand this over to john king in a moment but before we do that, we just want to say to you, again, thank you for being here. i'm going to give a little news here but want to say thanks anyway, you are appreciated. the video, van jones, you've been hearing a lot about this week, president obama's adviser on green jobs.