cast, cnn.com/podcasting. join us on twitter at sanjayguptacnn. this is the place for the answers to all of your medical questions. i'm dr. sanjay gupta. thanks for watching. more news on cnn starts right now. good morning. and check out this new video into cnn. we have learned that john yettaw, the man released from a myanmar jail thanks to the efforts of jim webb. from the cnn center, this is cnn sunday morning. it is august 16th, 8:00 a.m. here at cnn headquarters in atlanta, 7:00 a.m. in the heartland. good morning, everybody. i'm betty nguyen. >> and i'm t.j. holmes. glad you could be here. there are some tropical storm warnings issued for parts of florida. we'll get the latest from our reynolds wolf. but first, our top story, developments today. >> yep, let's get right to it. less than 48 hours ago, he was a prisoner in myanmar, right now john yettaw is one step closer to home. yettaw and webb, they are traveling back on a government plane. you see yettaw getting off that plane in thailand just a short while ago. he did not talk to reporters, however, senator webb did. here's what he had to say. >> i feel fortunate that the government honored my request to allow him to come back here to thailand with me. he was on the aircraft with me. he's not a well man. he had a medical incident this morning when they read him his ordinance of deportation. now undergoing a medical review here in a hospital and see if we will be able to return to his family. we had many different discussions, in depth discussions about different issues, some of which were [ inaudible ] in the future. and during those discussions, i made three requests to the burmese government. the first was that they should consider on humanitarian grounds the release of john yettaw. i'll explain a little bit more about that in a minute. the second was that i be allowed to meet with aung san suu kyi and have a discussion with her. and the third was that they consider my strong recommendation that free aung san suu kyi from her current sentence of house arrest and allow her to participate fully in the political process. that, hopefully, will be moving towards election in myanmar in 2010. >> all right. two out of his three requests, dan rivers, were granted. still don't know what's going to happen with aung san suu kyi, if she'll be able to participate in the election, if she'll be released. but let's start with john yettaw first. where is he and when is he going to be coming back home? >> reporter: right, well he's being examined at a hospital here in bangkok, we understand. he actually had some sort of medical incident when they told him he was going to be freed. he's been having seizures and epileptic fits. he's not a well man. he's got diabetes as well, and he's also of a troubled mind, i think it's fair to say. he's a former vietnam veteran who was under the impression that he had to go and warn aung san suu kyi in some way, possibly, about an assassination attempt or something that he had in his mind. and that's why he embarked on this bizarre episode where he swam the lake to find her. he was sent there two days before he was discovered. and that's what sparked this whole bizarre incident, which resulted in her getting 18 more months house arrest. he'll be on a plane possibly within next two hours, back to the united states. as you said, senator webb did not get the third thing he asked for, the freedom of aung san suu kyi, that was always going to be pretty difficult. but he did spell out clearly there was a recalibration going on of u.s. policy towards myanmar. clearly, they are looking at trying to engage, trying to have some sort of dialogue, possibly more trade and relaxing sanctions. i think this was an important visit. although it was unofficial, clearly, he has the ear of secretary of state hillary clinton. he went there with her blessing to try to find out what was possible, what they werie willig to compromise and what could be done to move this forward. >> dan rivers, you and i talked about this yet, whether or not or exactly how this would play in myanmar. how the government would use this visit by senator webb as a propaganda visit. how is this visit playing in the region? >> it's played extensively on the state-run tv, mrtv. they've shown extensive pictures of senator webb, meeting with the seminar general, meeting with aung san suu kyi. i think they want to give the impression, well, look, here's this u.s. senator coming in, he's holding all these high-level talks, we're doing everything we can to engage with the international community. the critics of senator webb will say, with he's handed this propaganda cue to the rregime, you've got the freedom of john yettaw, but you have not achieved anything on the freedom of aung san suu kyi. he would say, this is the beginning of the process and perhaps we should look at the bigger picture here. he pointed out in the press conference, look, china doesn't hold elections, we trade with them. north korea has seen engagement with president bill clinton going there. so there is clearly a reassessment of the broader age of policy here and specifically with relations to mooyanmar. >> dan rivers for us in bangkok. we appreciate it, dan. thank you so much. back here at home, we want to get to the latest on the weather outside, because we are were hurricane headquarters, as you see right there. and so far, we haven't seen a hurricane as of yet, but that does not mean it is in the works. we've got two tropical storms out there and rends wolf has been watching all of it for us as well. he joins us now. hey, reynolds. >> hey, guys, between ana and bill, i think bill is more likely to become a hurricane. we have a third system we're dealing, tropical depression number four, which is actually off the coast. we're going to start with that one and then go back to ana and bill. first and foremost, got to the sunshine state of florida where we see those scattered showers that are forming right off the coast. this one expected not to remain stationary, but edge itself a bit to the north. it's going to move past appalachia cola. for people that have been battling all kinds of issues, with especially for people in alabama, you're going to get some rain. some places could see 6 inches of rain before the day is out. we're also going to be seeing these two systems that are spinning their way in the atlantic. ana over here, bill a little bit farther out towards the east. ana not looking all that impressive this hour. look at the outflow, looks disfigured. being sheered apart. farther back to the east, we see bill. bill, a much stronger storm for the time being. but we do anticipate that ana is going to fluctuate in power and make itself way to the west. it's expected to interact with land, which could weaken it a little bit. by tuesday, increasing to 50, but then back to 35, as we get into wednesday, and thursday, into the straits of florida, possibly over havana, cuba. now let's tackle bill. take a look at that. it's going to be roaring as you go from monday into tuesday. then as we get into wednesday, a category 2 storm possible, at least according to this forecast from the national hurricane center. and number three, that stands for a major hurricane. category three storm on the s r saffir-simpsons scale. it's going to be moving into an area with very minimal shear and very warm water. one thing, very quickly i want you to watch, chances of strong storms across parts of the midwest and into the central plains. flash flooding and severe storms, especially for the late afternoon. that is a wrap on your forecast. back to you at the news desk. >> our business man. and you know why we can tell that? the sleeves rolled up. it's a telltale sign. thank you. this may be a make or break month for health care reform. today, president obama is taking a break to check out the grand canyon, the latest stop on his trip out west, but as our senior white house correspondent ed henry tells us, the health care debate seems to follow the president everywhere he goes. >> reporter: family time at yellowstone national park. the first family expressing joy at the sight of old faithful. but a sharply different emotion from the president at a health care event in colorado. for the first time, he invoked last year's death of his own grandmother to slam conservatives like sarah palin, who have accused him of promo promoting euthanasia. >> i just lost my grandmother last year. i know what it's like to watch somebody you love that's ageing deteriorate. so the notion that somehow i ran for public office or members of congress are in this so that they can go around pulling the plug on grandma. i mean, when you start making arguments like that, that's simply dishonest. >> reporter: the only really pointed exchange -- >> i would love to have a debate, justallout, anytime, oxford style, if you would like. college student zack lane pressing on whether a public option would wipe out insurance companies. >> how in the world can a private corporation providing insurance compete with an entity that does not have to worry about making a profit, does not have to pay local property taxes, they do not have to -- they're not subject to local regulations. how can a company compete with that? >> it's good to see a young person who's very engaged and confident challenging the president to an oxford-style debate. i think this is good. this is good. i like that. you've got to have a little chutzpah. >> reporter: the president said the details are not final, but broadly speaking, the charge is not true. >> in fact, right now, you've got a lot of private companies who do very well competing against the government. u.p.s. and fedex are doing a lot better than the post office. >> reporter: in a sign of just how engaged the public is right now, lane told me he drove four hours to get here. he expressed disappointment the president did not share more details. >> these town halls are genuine. i was very concerned when i came up here, i was afraid the people that were going to be called on for questions were going to be plants. and i'm not saying that none of them were, but i'm saying i came here with a genuine question, and if he knew my question, he might not have wanted to call on me. but he called on me not knowing anything about me and that is one thing i do respect. >> reporter: the first family's summer tour of national parks continues sunday at the grand canyon in arizona. then the president wraps his western swing monday in phoenix with a speech to the vfw's annual convention before heading back to washington, as his fight for health reform reaches a critical stage. ed henry, cnn, grand junction, colorado. >> the president's town hall crowds, even though as you saw the young man challenging him there, they've been pretty much polite to the president, but similar events haven't gone so well for some other politicians. republicans deny stirring up protests at town halls, but in this week's gop address, utah senator orrin hatch says he's happy to see opponents of the president's plan speak out. >> nearly 85% of americans have coverage. and they are really worried about what reform means for them, especially our seniors. and these concerns are moving from kitchen table conversations to town hall discussions. i am disappointed about the attempts to characterize the behavior of americans expressing their concerns as "un-american," although i strongly encourage the use of respectf fuful debat these town halls, we should not be stifling these discussions. there is nothing un-american about disagreement. in fact, our great nation was founded on speaking our minds. families are voicing their concerns because they feel like they are not being heard in washington, and i'm here to tell you that your voices are coming through and it is essential for all of you to be involved in this issue. >> hatch was part of the senate committee involved in health care negotiations, but he left that panel in frustration last month. >> all right, so overhauling health care, hosting a middle east ally and then get ready for a martha vineyard's vacation, all of it part of a busy week for president obama. paul steinhauser is cnn's political deputy director. paul, let's get to those health care town hall meetings. are they creating clarity, or causing more confusion? >> maybe a little bit of both. we're only two weeks into a five-week summer recess for congress, so there are a lot more town halls planned and there could be protests at some of these. we're going to be covering at least five town halls tomorrow, cnn will be doing that, with our producers, with our correspondents and photojournalists. we'll be covering the good, the bad, and the ugly. >> okay. let's get to those mideast peace negotiations. they're getting back on the front burner this week. how so? >> the president of egypt will be right here at the white house on tuesday. this was rescheduled from earlier this summer. the president and president mubarak last met back in june when president obama was in cairo giving his speech to the muslim world. so tuesday when president mubarak is here at the white house, front is center will be the mideast peace process. >> and then the obamas head to martha's vineyard. not too bad, besides a little r&r, anything special planned? >> this is going to bring back memories of the clinton years. bill clinton spent a lot of time summering in martha's vineyard. now it's time for barack obama to try it out. we believe he leaves about a week from now and we believe the first lady and the girls will be heading out there a little early. it's one week of summer vacation before coming back here to washington, betty. >> after all these town hall meetings and flying all across the u.s., i imagine he's looking forward to that little rest and relaxation at martha vineyard's. paul steinhauser, we appreciate it. >> thanks, betty. young people in their 20s are the largest group of uninsured americans, so will the president's health care plan change any of that? >> our josh levs is on the case for us and he joins us now live. >> hey, guys. will it cover college students? we've been getting a lot of questions from college stu out there. so look at the facts and we have a verdict. i go down to the pool for a swim... get out and dance... even play a little hide-n-seek. i'm breathing better... with spiriva. announcer: spiriva is the only once-daily inhaled maintenance treatment for both forms of copd... which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. i take it every day. it keeps my airways open... to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announcer: spiriva does not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. stop taking spiriva and call your doctor if your breathing suddenly worsens, your throat or tongue swells, you get hives, or have vision changes or eye pain. tell your doctor if you have glaucoma, problems passing urine or an enlarged prostate, as these may worsen with spiriva. also discuss the medicines you take, even eye drops. side effects may include dry mouth, constipation and trouble passing urine. every day could be a good day to breathe better. announcer: ask your doctor 8 all right. we have been hearing a whole lot of promises about what health care reform will do for americans. one of them is that uninsured college students will be helped. the question is, how true is that? our josh levs is here with the truth squad to find out some answers for us. so? >> there are a lot of uninsured college students out there. i didn't realize how many are. we actually have this on the graphic. let's go straight to it. it's about one in five college students in america, 20% of college students are uninsured. that's a pretty big chunk when you take a look at it. there are various reasons for that, but some people are uninsured because your parents' insurance plans only cover you up until a certain age. let me show you a question that we got. i think this is a really good example for a truth squad, because we are taking questions directly from you and then we're investigating them. take a look right here. this came to us from david in portland, maine. he said, i would like to know if under obama's insurance reform plan, if students like me who turn 25 and can't be on their parents' insurance plan anymore while they're full-time students will be covered. especially in this economy, you have more people going back to being full-time students so it is an increasingly important question. here's a fact we can show you about obama's health care plan. his plan would, indeed, help people who are too old for their parents' insurance. this is something that the president is pushing for. so for your specific question, here's our verdict. true. yes, indeed, it would help. but let's emphasize, this is the president's plan. we're not at a place where congress or either chamber as a full bill, final bill that they're voting on, let alone anything going to the president. but the president is pushing for that. you can get all the latest truth squads right here at cnn.com/healthcare. we encourage you to check it out right here. it's a link to all of these fact checks, every single one we've done so far. the truth squad is all over it. if we zoom back in here, i'll show you how it works. once you click on that, it traces you through a lot more details. if you would like to spend time reading the bills itself, there's a house bill that's 1,000 pages, the senate bill you can read as well, with not the absolute final ones, but you can read them. and at cnn.com/josh, i've given you a lot of links to the facts that are out there. one simple web address that will get you to everything, cnn.com/josh has all sorts of links, that way you don't have to write this down. and i'm on facebook and twitter at joshlevscnn. and the truth squad has a lot more questions we're facing and a lot more verdicts coming this week. >> thanks, josh. it's bad enough when you're in foreclosure, a lot of people in foreclosure because they can't make their mortgage payment. but can you imagine being in foreclosure and on top of that, you start getting fined. some homeowners are finding this out. their story, coming up. and when an elephant took a wrong turn and actually lost a leg, human volunteers stepped in. you know what's complicated? 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(announcer) only a nationwide insurance agent can give you an on your side review. call this number to save up to $523. we take a look at the policy and look to see if there's any gaps in coverage. you know, in addition, we talk about discounts that are available. and we try to save you money. i mean we really do. (anncr:) call this number now or call a local agent. switch today and save up to $523. listening and saving you money is how... ♪ nationwide is on your side ♪ that is t.j. holmes' personal request this morning. a little carly simon to wake you up or maybe get you to relax. >> never know with me. >> get up and make that breakfast. >> we can keep that going as we talk about this next story here. >> these folks need a little relaxation because they are d