THE CAFFEINE BUZZ� HOW MUCH JOLT IS IN YOUR DECAF JAVA?
PUTTING DECAFFEINATED COFFEE TO THE TEST, ON �20/20,�
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21 ON ABC
Also: Deborah Roberts with the Incredible Story of a Career Military Man Turned Woman;
Chris Connelly Reports on �Helicopter Moms� � Moms Who Micro-Manage
Every Stage of Their Children�s Lives
Decaffeinated coffee is now more popular than ever, with millions of people drinking it each day. Some people drink decaf coffee for health reasons, others because they just do not want the buzz from caffeine. But how do you know that, when you buy a cup of decaf coffee, you�re really getting a cup of decaf coffee? �20/20� puts the decaf cup of joe to the test� and the results just might surprise you. Bill Ritter�s report airs on �20/20,� FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.
�20/20� hit the road, ordering decaffeinated coffee at popular coffee bars, convenience stores and fast food restaurants in the country�s three biggest cities -- New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. The cups of coffee were sealed, documented and then tested at a food laboratory, where the caffeine was separated, extracted and carefully measured.
And: For 25 years, Dave Schroer was a star in the US Army, rising through the ranks to become a Special Forces Commander leading a classified anti-terrorism unit involved in covert operations. Fellow soldiers described him as a classic military man. That all changed two years ago when he abruptly retired from the military and made a shocking announcement that stunned his colleagues and family alike. He would no longer be Colonel David Schroer, because he is now Diane Schroer, a transsexual. In his first television interview, Schroer explains to Deborah Roberts why this tough guy wanted to be a girl, willing to walk away from her life. �20/20� cameras are there are she meets her two brothers for the first time as Diane.
She also talks about the risk of losing everything� including a job offer to be a terrorism analyst at the Library of Congress. In what some say could be a landmark case, Schroer is suing the government for gender discrimination under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act � the job offered was rescinded once Dave admitted that, even though he interviewed as a man, he would begin at the Library of Congress as a woman. The Library of Congress responded to �20/20� via e-mail saying that they acted appropriately and �that claims such as those raised by Ms. Schroer�are not covered under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, or under the Equal Protection or Due Process clauses of the United States Constitution.�
Also: Do moms who micro-manage their children�s lives do more harm than good? That�s a question that Chris Connelly poses to mothers, kids and experts alike. Robyn Lewis, a single mom whose entire life has revolved around the care of her sons, Ethan and Brendan, still manages their day-to-day activities � even though the two kids are now in college. Her kids say they are grateful for their mom�s efforts, and she feels rewarded. But is she really helping them? Dr. Helen Johnson, a consultant on parental relations in higher education for some of America�s top universities, says parents like Robyn are far too involved in their children�s lives. �The problem is, they�re doing exactly what�s wrong for their son or daughter. She�s also crippling them in the sense that they are not going to understand that they can manage their own lives,� says Dr. Johnson, who explains that such moms are described as �helicopter moms.� �A helicopter mom is a mom who hovers over every state in her child�s development, from basically now in utero through the college years and beyond.�
College administrators say such �helicopter moms� � and dads � have become a campus phenomenon, fueled by technology that makes it easy to stay in touch. Another example is the Fagan family. Gail and Larry Fagan, who live in Connecticut, call their daughter, Heather, every morning to wake her up for her college classes in Texas.
Elizabeth Vargas and John Stossel are the anchors of �20/20.� David Sloan is the executive producer.
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