New York (CBS) -- BALLOON BOY PARENTS IN BIG TROUBLE
In last week's "balloon boy" story, says the Sheriff.
"It has be determined that this is a hoax," said Jim Alderden, Sheriff, Larimer County, Colorado.
"We believe that we have evidence at this point to indicate that it was a publicity stunt done with the hopes of marketing themselves, or better marketing themselves, for a reality television show," said Jim Alderden, Sheriff, Larimer County, Colorado.
If that's the case, Richard and Mayumi Heene, the parents of six-year-old Falcon Heene, are in a heap of trouble.
"Conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, which is a class four felony, false reporting to authorities, which is a class three misdemeanor, and attempting to influence a public servant," said Jim Alderden, Sheriff, Larimer County, Colorado.
Mind you, the district attorney has yet to bring any charges. In fact, Sheriff Alderden says he hasn't presented his finding to the D.A. yet.
"We believe that at some point we will be presenting a case filing to the district attorney," said Jim Alderden, Sheriff, Larimer County, Colorado.
As a publicity stunt, says Sheriff Jim Alderden of the now famous "balloon boy" story.
"It was a great success, but these people are looking at some serious consequences now," said Jim Alderden, Sheriff, Larimer County, Colorado.
The sheriff feels as if he and his department have been had by the Heene's.
"They put on a very good show for us, and we bought it," said Jim Alderden, Sheriff, Larimer County, Colorado.
He says it's pretty clear the Heene parents may have had co-conspirators, media outlets and such. The Sheriff's not referring to the three Heene boys.
"They were 100 percent involved participants and have guilty knowledge. Given the age of the children, six, eight and ten, I seriously doubt whether they will be facing any criminal charges," said Jim Alderden, Sheriff, Larimer County, Colorado.
He just hopes he can get restitution for helicopter fuel, overtime for searchers, if the criminal case goes forward. A lot of big ifs there.
"If this is presented to the D.A., if he accepts the charges, and if it proceeds to court, we certainly will be seeking restitution," said Jim Alderden, Sheriff, Larimer County, Colorado.
Bizarre, isn't it?
"On the Bizarre Meter, this rates a 10 (laughter) yeah," said Jim Alderden, Sheriff, Larimer County, Colorado.
A CHILD'S TAKE ON ENERGY DRINKS
Energy drinks are a six-billion-dollar business. According to a study published in the prestigious "Annals of Emergency Medicine," so-called energy drinks compared to soda have no significant effect on performance or dexterity.
The research study, it turns out, was done by a 12-year-old. Brendan O'Neil, a student at Everest Academy in Clarkston, Michigan whose father Dr. Brian O'Neil is an emergency room physician who was very surprised at the result.
He thought at least that energy drinks would raise an athlete's blood pressure or heart rate.
But he submitted the study to the medical journal anonymously as all entries are.
"It got accepted. I called them and said, 'You know he's 12 years old, are there any rules against 12 years old?' And they said no, we don't have any," said Brian O'Neil, Brendan's father.
At the annual meeting of emergency physicians in Boston, Dr. Brian O'Neil's 12-year-old son Brendan set up the exhibits for his defense of the energy drink versus soda science project study.
"You get the top ones, I'll do the bottom ones," said Brendan O'Neil, 12-year-old Study Author.
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
"Every father helps their kid with their science projects," said Brian O'Neil, Brendan's father.
As 12-year-old Brendan explains his study.
"Many people use energy drinks like Monster to enhance their performance in sports, at least they think it will. I just wanted to test to see if these energy drinks really did what they were advertised to do," said Brendan O'Neil, 12-year-old Study Author.
Brendan himself would occasionally drink a Monster energy drink before a football game and wondered if it really did give him more energy. So he tested how many pushups volunteers could do after a caffeinated Monster as opposed to a decaffeinated Sprite. His conclusion?
"Energy drinks compared to soda had no significant effect on your exercise performance or dexterity," said Brendan O'Neil, 12-year-old Study Author.
In case you're wondering what Brendan wants to be when he grows up?
"Probably an emergency room physician, like my dad," said Brendan O'Neil, 12-year-old Study Author.
SWINE FLU FEARS REMAIN ELEVATED
In most cases the swine flu symptoms are not substantially different from regular seasonal flu. But in some people, says Pulmonary Specialist Dr. Jonathan Whiteson of NYU, the H1N1 virus can make them very sick indeed within a frighteningly short time.
"It does appear that there are a group of patients that have a very large amount of virus within the lung tissue, and they do within a few days, three or four days, get very severe pneumonia," said Dr. Jonathan Whiteson, Pulmonary Specialist at NYU.
Last night on "60 Minutes," the CDC's Rear Admiral Annee Schuchat explained what seems to be the mechanism for this.
"Influenza can damage the respiratory tree's lining and make it easier for bacteria to invade and then the bacteria can cause a pretty overwhelming pneumonia in those circumstances," said Rear Admiral Annee Schuchat, with the Centers for Disease Control.
The Centers for Disease Control says ordinarily it's people with weakened immune systems and in poor health overall who are most likely to succumb to seasonal flu. But no matter how strong and healthy you are, the swine flu can make you mortally ill very quickly.
"This is one of the really tragic parts of this epidemic, that people who are in the prime of their life, totally healthy, can suddenly become so sick," said Rear Admiral Annee Schuchat, with the Centers for Disease Control.
And Admiral Schuchat says the flu is spreading very rapidly.
"It's only October and we're seeing really uncharted territory. Typically in the month of October, we would not have seen so much influenza, we would not see the whole country with widespread disease. That's something that we often will see in February," said Rear Admiral Annee Schuchat, with the Centers for Disease Control.
There is not enough H1N1 flu vaccine to go around, and where it is available many people are afraid of it. News of how quickly it's spreading though is changing some people's minds.
"I thought about waiting but it just seems like its spreading so fast," said Donna Tanner, mother who received H1N1 vaccine at a clinic in Kentucky.
"I'm just really scared of what could happen if we didn't do it," said Kellie Parks, mother who brought her kids to a clinic in Indiana to get the H1N1 vaccine.
HEALTH CARE "HE SAID, HE SAID."
President Obama is saying he won't insist on a public option to drive down premium costs, although that would be his preference, and the White House is lobbying for that. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.
"In many parts of the country, where single industry, healthcare company rather, dominates 80 percent. That's where the largest premium increases are. A public option brings that type of competition, and then therefore downward pressure on prices and cost," said Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff .
President Obama used to say that if you like your present health insurance policy you can keep it. But now if you do have and like one of those so called "Cadillac" policies, the government would fine your company for selling it to you. Again, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.
"One of the most effective ways of putting downward pressure on healthcare premium increases is dis-incentive to ever expansive and expensive plans, and that was seen by the Congressional budget office as an important piece of controlling healthcare costs," said Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff .
Right now the revisions in the bill are being negotiated between Democrats, and other Democrats. Senator John Kyl, Republican of Arizona.
"The bill that is being written right now is being written in Harry Reid's office behind closed doors. No Republicans need apply to come in to that room," said Senator Jon Kyl, Republican of Arizona.
In the Finance Committee, some concessions were made to get one Republican.vote. In the present discussions, even the Democrats favorite Republican Olympia Snowe has no say whatsoever.
Thats a pity says Republican John Cornyn of Texas.
"We could find a way to work on this in a bipartisan basis, but so far the President has let Democratic leaders in Congress basically run the show to the exclusion of any constructive Republican suggestions," said Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas.
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