else suffer boycotts by organized labor. it's not okay, according to the labor unions, for the businesses to remain neutral. it stems from the epic battle over limiting union power as a way to reign in state budgets. >> reporter: extortion, threats, retribution, these are the words ascribed to the unions' actions. they said they would punish them, trying to put them out of business. forget your right to disagree. the stores were asked to display this poster, which reads, "this business supports workers' rights," an if they did not. those that refused were given this letter that reads -- >> reporter: the letter goes on to trash the republicans. and then -- >> reporter: it was signed by jim parrett, field representative for afscme. dawn from village dollar store. she created her own sign. 45 minutes ago, i spoke with dawn on the telephone. she's a 54-year-old grandmother, a absolute delight, who started her own business from scratch and she said she will not be bullied by anybody. in fact, she telephoned jim parrett to tell him so. he didn't pick up. shleft a message saying, "i don't know who you are. why are you targeting my business? i won't be threatened." she hasn't heard back from parrett, no surprise. his union threat may have backfired because dawn tells me she's done a week's business in just a day. people from everywhere, hours away, have driven to her store to buy things, to show their support. i called parrett at two different numbers. no answer at both and both voicemail boxes were full. no kidding. megyn? megyn: he has an open invitation to come on this show and explain what's behind these tactics and try to justify them. >> reporter: he won't do it. dawn told me she spoke to a senator there -- she also notified a sheriff, but the senator said threatening to interfere or hurt somebody's livelihood may well be a crime. megyn: interesting that you mentioned that, because we're going to take up that debate today in "kelly's court." this story is getting nationwide attention. there's a wisconsin business group who has been on the phone with many smalltown merchants all day. we'll find out how many of them have handled the challenge. many of them have taken a hit. a lot of the others that folks don't know say their business is dwindling and they're in trouble. so we'll check with that business representative 5 minutes away. meantime, wisconsin republicans coming forward with claims of death threats and harassment over their vote in support of the controversial governor walker bill. today we're learning new details in the case of catherine windles, 26-year-old charged with two felony counts for allegedly making threats against two state lawmakers. this woman is accused of sending an email telling the lawmakers that they and their families will be killed. she faces up to three years in prison and $10,000 fine if she's convicted. and in madison, wisconsin, there's a hearing today to determine whether republicans violated state rules when they passed this controversial union law a couple weeks back. the woman who has ruled against the governor is judge maryann sumi, hearing allegations that the republicans didn't provide enough notice when they voted on the measure. governor scott walker has accepted the ruling to suspend the law while the legal dispute plays out. we're just learning about a provision in the 2,000-page law that allows the federal government to reimburse states, unions, and companies to pay for older workers until 2014. so, basically, you pay for them. and some latest figure shows that $1.8 billion has been paid out. now questions are being raised about where that money is going and why we're paying for this. stu varney is the first to report this over on the fox business network. break it down for us. what exactly is it and what's the problem? >> under obamacare if you are an organization that has workers that retire early, say, at 55, the obama administration will pay your company, your union, your state, to cover the medical expenses of those early retirees. megyn: 55 to 65? >> until 2014 when the insurance exchanges kick in. megyn: why? >> the feeling was that it's difficult for individuals to go out at the age of 55 to get medical insurance on the open market. there's a real problem with that. therefore, in comes obamacare to bridge the gap. the lion's share of this money went to the unions and state workers and the feeling is that, frankly, it's a bribe. we'll pay you so that you support obamacare and you continue to support obamacare. you support obamacare and it's free money. megyn: if the feds had not agreed to give this to the unions, companies and states, i guess, what would have happened to those folks retiring at 55? >> they would have been out on the open market looking to get -- megyn: so if they retired early -- >> it's their choice to retire at 55. listen to who got the money. u.a.w., $206 million. california public employees, $57 million. baltimore county, $1.7 million. american federation of state and county municipal workers, mentioned in the piece you just did, $31 million. state workers, ohio, $70 million. texas teachers, $68 million. oregon workers, $8 million. megyn: how does the administration justify this? >> they're using your money to buy support for obamacare. g.e., the largest corporation in this country, which paid no tax at all on $14 billion worth of profit, got $36 million to take care of their early retirees at age 55. that's just in 10 months. there is more to come. obamacare has budgeted $5 billion for this payoff for the early retirees in unions, states and some favored companies. megyn: that's a stunning headline, stuart varney. >> surprise. megyn: do you know what the white house defense to this is? >> it's part of obamacare. it was designed to transition, to help the people that retire early, get medical insurance. obamacare will help. we want to extend help. that's the reason for this. of course, it's extended to favored communities who supported obamacare. megyn: wow. stu, thank you. much more on that on foxnews.com. a number of people are still without power after strong storms tear across florida. it was breaking news yesterday as funnel clouds were spotted in tampa. trees were brought down and wind gusts flipped cars and planes. take a listen to these eyewitnesses. >> we were at home and, to make a long story short, a huge burst of wind came through. it started 3 1/2 minutes and the rain was going sideways. >> we heard someone holler, "tornado." and then i went to the front window and that's when all the insulation picked up and blew off. megyn: and on florida's other coast, minor damage to the space shuttle endeavour. two funnel clouds spotted near the spacecraft. ken suarez with our tampa fox affiliate in lakeland, where the airport was hit hard yesterday. ken? >> reporter: it's a beautiful day here in florida. much different than yesterday. crews were out all night picking up things, sawing things, getting everything ready and they've done an impressive job to get this show back on the road. when that storm barreled through, it took down trees, campers, tents, and planes were hit. 70 planes were damaged. a dozen were totaled. seven people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. now sun and fun is trying to get back on its feet for the big show this weekend. they're kind of afraid that people might stay away. what's happened is the opposite. bottom line, we have problems with parking, but that didn't cause people from coming back today. there were miles and miles of people out there. now hopefully it's in the pavement megyn: what a difference a day makes. ken, thank you. you saw how unions are pressing business owners for support whether they want to give it or not. some of the businesses are firing back and it is getting ugly. we're live with their part of the story in 3 minutes. this man claims that republican budget cuts are going to kill tens of thousands of children. really? we investigate. and cannibalism? a tribe that has a unique system of justice in the jungle at 1:45. >> what shocked scientists is that human remains were found here, too, and those bones showed the same marks from the fresh-cutting tools. and this is a replica of part of a skull of a number of people who were stripped of their flesh and eaten. are you receiving a payout from a legal settlement or annuity over 10 or even 20 years? the experts at imperial can convert your long-term payout into a lump sum of cash today. aren't absorbed properly unless taken with food. he recommended citracal. it's different -- it's calcium citrate, so it can be absorbed with or without food. also available in small, easy-to-swallow petites. citracal. eggland's best eggs. -the best in nutrition... -just got better. even better nutrition -- high in vitamins d, e and b12. a good source of vitamin b2. plus omega threes. and 25% less saturated fat than ordinary eggs. but there's one important ingredient that hasn't changed. -better taste. -better taste. -better taste. -mmmm... [ female announcer ] eggland's best. better taste and now even better nutrition make the better egg. better taste and now even better nutrition your baby sister bonniehas something to say. [ male announcer ] this intervention brought to you by niaspan. so now your doctor's talking about plaque building up in your arteries -- she called it coronary artery disease. you think that's something you can just stick in an email and that's the end of it? do you know me? look, bonnie. i know you've been exercising and eating a healthier diet. and that's great. but you wrote that your doctor also wants you on this cholesterol medicine -- niaspan. i know -- another pill. i get it, i do. but i am not taking no for an answer. 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[ male announcer ] if you cannot afford your medication, call 1-877-niaspan. niaspan is not for everyone, like people with stomach ulcers, liver, or serious bleeding problems. severe liver damage can occur when switching to niaspan from immediate-release niacin. blood tests are needed to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you have muscle pain or weakness; this could be a sign of serious side effects; this risk can increase with statin use. tell your doctor about alcohol use, if you've ever had gout, or are diabetic and experience increases in blood sugar. flushing, a common side effect, is warmth, redness, itching, or tingling of the skin. ask your doctor about niaspan. fight back. fight plaque. niaspan. megyn: back to our top story today and the new union fight shaping up in wisconsin that's gaining national attention. wisconsin smalltown business owners are firing become after becoming the targets of big labor and what some describe as bullying and harassment. it started when some businesses chose not to hang signs showing their support for the unions and their cause. unions say their decision it stay neutral, the small business owners' decision it stay neutral, is the equivalent to saying no to labor rights and they should be forced to pay. jim haney works with a business group in wisconsin that's been talking with some of the mom and pop stores today, warning them about union pressure, giving them suggestions. jim, what exactly is wrong with the unions doing this? why can't say say, you don't support me, i won't support you, and i will tell the public and they can decide whether it's a good or bad thing. >> megyn, the analogy stops when you think back on other protection rackets, which is what happens in chicago more than wisconsin, to put up a sign like this is un-american. it's appalling how monopolistic unions can participate in these thug-like tactics. megyn: they're saying, you can stand by your values and then we'll stand by ours and we'll boycott you and tell others that we think they should boycott you because you don't support union rights. and then it's up to the people in wisconsin to choose a side, to say, i'm with the unions on this, or i think the unions are being ridiculous, like we saw in the case of that woman at the top of the hour. >> that's right. and bless her for standing firm and saying, bring it on. i think most of these things generally fail after a few weeks. boycotts are not typically very effective. we've boycotted for a lot of things over the years and they usually fizzle. what troubles me is when you have police unions, fire unions, their leadership, sending letters to people saying, either you are with us and disavow your support for, for example, governor walker, or we will target you. megyn: that happened earlier this month with quick shop, i think it was. >> quick trip and m & i were targeted. and their sin, their offense, was that individual employees of the companies had made a political contribution to the governor. some of them had even made a political contribution to the other side. didn't make a difference. they get a very threatening letter. and it strikes me as very close to extortion and it doesn't have a place in wisconsin. megyn: what is this doing to the small business owners that are being targeted? >> well, many of them are just working to try to come out of this recession. they're working long hours. they're tired. they don't want to get into a fight. they listen to their customers. they try to respond to all of their customers. and to say, we'll take these customers but reject those, that's not the way you do business. it's very intimidating to them. they're frustrated. and they have decided, in small part, to strike back. our credit card donation system crashed because we've had so many business people saying, can we put some money into the effort to right this wrong. megyn: people outside of wisconsin? >> well, there are some from outside of wisconsin, but a good part of it is just businesses in wisconsin, who say, like the lady from union grove, we'll not be bullied. and they're speaking up. megyn: jim haney, thanks for being here, sir. >> thanks for having me. megyn: all the best. this is getting nationwide attention. and you heard jim mention it. there's a question about whether these tactics by the unions are legal. can you do that? can you threaten somebody's business if they refuse to support a position that you are taking politically? is that legal? we'll take a fair and balanced look at that in "kelly's court." we're getting scary reports from japan that a strange blue light can be seen rising above the smoking reactors in fukushima. what is that? we're live in japan. some nuclear experts suggest that this strange could make the situation even more drastic. you can run or you can slither, but you cannot hide forever. how the poisonous cobra managed to hide for so long. >> she's resting comfortably and secure in the reptile house. it was a serious situation. megyn: well, the concrete jungle in detroit can rest easy today because the poisonous egyptain cobra has been found of the snake broke out of its holding cage in the reptile house a week ago. she was finally found still inside the building, curled up in a dark corner, resting, just 200 feet from where she first escaped. >> the key strategy here in recovering the snake was patience. we had to give her a chance to feel secure and comfortable so she would come out and explore her environment and that would be the best chance for us to get her. megyn: sounds like a psychotherapist, doesn't he? we needed her to feel secure with her environment. she does now. the snake was an instant star on twitter. someone pretending to be the snake was sending out fake updates. she had 200,000 followers. the reptile house will reopen next week. mass anti-government protest spreading across the middle east, syria, yemen and jordan. young protesters there gathering in the capital city for a sit-in demonstration, demanding democracy, less than a week after clashes with government sources left one man dead. reena ninan with more. >> reporter: police were dressed in riot gear with water cannons, ready to go. they didn't want a repeat situation of last week when there was at least one man killed. all the action took place after friday prayers. they are stepping out, saying they want to elect their own leaders. they want to take away some of the power from the king and put it back into the hands of the people. in yemen, thousands took to the street to protest president saleh. he said he is willing to shed his own blood for his country. protesters are calling for him to step down. he's been there for 32 years. in syria, president assad, apparently, has the upper hand there. there were not large numbers of protesters, but a few. in damascus, at least four people were killed when there was a crackdown with syrian security forces versus the protesters that are against assad. there are people call for democracy, calling for their rights. one leader of muslim brotherhood that i spoke to said to me today, people have gotten a sense of freedom. they've had enough, and they're not willing to live like slaves anymore. they are demanding equal rights. megyn: thank you. remember when then-congressman alan grayson said for the healthcare plan was to "die quickly?" this man may have topped that saying that the g.o.p. plans will spell death for 70,000 children. we explain in 3 minutes. and there is a strange blue glow in the sky over japan's damaged nuclear plant. we're live with that new worry after the break. eating with cannibals? how would you like them to be your dinner partner. doesn't sound like a good idea. a story unlike anything you have seen. we'll try to keep it out of your lunch hour. sfwl i want to find people alive today that have practiced cannibalism. so i'm traveling to the other side of the world. some of the most recent accounts of cannibal activity come from tribal populations on new guinea. okay, team! after age 40, we can start losing muscle -- 8% every 10 years. wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. 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[ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! what super fruit is taking sunsweet ones.orm? prunes? they're a delicious source of nutrients. wow! it's packaged by itself... that's fantastic! that is so juicy. this is delicious. sunsweet ones. over 400 million enjoyed, and counting. megyn: new reports on a bizarre and potentially troubling sight at japan's nuclear power plant. it's boulevard that melted fuel is causing a chain reaction, sending out a burst of heat, radiation and a blue flash of light. from what we understand, it's not good news for the workers trying to prevent a nuclear meltdown there. dominic di-natale with more. >> reporter: it's known as a localized criticality. we've heard of them in the past. 12 years ago here in japan, three workers were exposed to this and two were dead within seven months as a result of the radiation. so far, they're saying that they don't believe it will be a full-on meltdown. the biggest concern for the workers there is that they're not being issued with enough of the hand-held meters that can tell them how much radiation is around them. this is a meter here. the darker it gets, tells you how dangerous it is. you get a wrist version that starts to beep. and that will start beeping. you have a pager version and a pen version. they say there are 300 of you and th