Wal-Mart Customers Spending Less; Winning Gold in a Wheelchair
WHITFIELD: The world's largest retailer is sharing its sales projections for the coming weeks. Wal-Mart says it expects sales in its American stores to be right where they were one year ago. And it has a whole lot of people wondering what's going on with Wal-Mart's customers. Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange. So, Alison, you know, Wal-Mart is considered an economic bell weather. So what does this say about the state of the U.S. economy overall?</s>ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is interesting because, you know, Wal-Mart is the world's biggest retailer and we do look at Wal-Mart as a barometer and then we look at what its earnings report look like. Its most recent one. And some of the comments in there show that the discount shopper did pull back, was a little cautious from the beginning of this year. And not so surprising. It really makes sense because higher gas prices, for one. Gas prices have been high for 35 days in a row. That cuts into how much consumers are willing to spend, let's say, at Wal- Mart. Also, you've got, since the beginning of the year, the end of the payroll tax holiday. And, sure, that affects everybody, but it especially hurts the typical Wal-Mart shopper. And then, of course, finally, the delay in tax refund checks going out because Congress was trying to decide which tax cuts, you know, to keep, which would go. That delay kept that disposable income from going out to places like Wal-Mart. So, yes, all of that hitting those lower income shoppers harder. That took income out of their pockets. Income that would have otherwise gone to Wal-Mart. Fredricka.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, got that. And then, meantime, how is the stock market reacting?</s>KOSIK: Looking overall -- well, Wal-Mart, actually, is up more than 2 percent. So the overall market, different story. The Dow down 89 points. You know, it just seems like yesterday we were talking about that elusive record for the Dow. You know, it doesn't look like we're going to be hitting that today or any time soon. A couple things in the works here. The sell-off actually started yesterday when the Federal Reserve indicated in its minutes from last month that it may be looking to pull back its stimulus. That really has propped up the market. Also, a weak manufacturing report weighing on stocks today, as well as unemployment claims from last week. They are up. So, one piece of good news, though. There was a rise in home re-sales, but obviously not enough to keep stocks in the green today. Fredricka.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Got a little encouragement, though. We'll take that. Thanks so much, Alison Kosik.</s>KOSIK: Sure.</s>WHITFIELD: David Weir, you know the name, he's a world record holder and six time gold medal winner. Well, in this week's "Human Factor," Dr. Sanjay Gupta introduces us to this remarkable British athlete who exemplifies courage and determination while competing in a wheelchair.</s>DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two Olympics, six gold medals, Beijing, London, a handful of world records, world championship titles in six London marathon wins. David Weir is one of the top Paralympian athletes in the world, competing in long distance races. He's also confined to a wheelchair. All of it pure upper body strength.</s>DAVID WEIR, 6-TIME PARALYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: So I can feel my legs, but they can't move. Well, it's called spinal cord transection, which is -- it was damage to the nerves in my spine and the doctors don't know how or when or why. So it was a disability from birth really.</s>GUPTA: He was just a young boy when he decided not to let his disability keep him from his dreams from being an athlete.</s>WEIR: I was into sport very early at school. It was my best subject, P.E. I wasn't very good at anything else. So I knew that I had to get the sport right if I wanted to succeed in life. And I was very lucky and I was talented at an early age and wheelchair racing took over my life.</s>GUPTA: He began training in earnest at age eight. Joining Team Great Britain by age 11. And started winning medals at the age of 25.</s>WEIR: I found a lot, really, in a short space of time.</s>GUPTA: And he's also starting to give back, helping to train the Paralympic athletes of tomorrow.</s>WEIR: I just encourage them, really. Give them advice and tactics and the way to push and the way to sit in their racing chair, because I've got a lot of knowledge over the years.</s>GUPTA: Weir says for anyone dealing with any disability, whether they're headed for the Olympics or just want to stay fit, exercise is the best medicine.</s>WEIR: It makes you forget for a few hours of what's happened and stuff like that. So if it's wheelchair racing, basketball, swimming, anything, just to get out and do something because I think it's just the way of life when your -- you have to savor it. And another process of healing, I think.</s>GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, London.</s>WHITFIELD: And be sure to watch "Sanjay Gupta MD" on Saturday, 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time and Sunday 7:30 a.m. Eastern. All right, two young girls forced to fight on camera. The shocking video has now gone viral and now police want to track down the people responsible. We'll show you the video after this.