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U.S. Troops Ambushed after Helicopter Downed; Bush Calls for Sanctions Against Sudan; Presidential Candidates Under Fire for Iraq War Vote; Stranded Whales Head for Ocean; Five Hangings in Texas May Be Murder/Suicide

Aired May 29, 2007 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
T.J. HOLMES, CO-HOST: And I'm T.J. Holmes, in today for Don Lemon, who's on assignment. We've got two developing stories we are working on right now in the NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: We're going to begin with a shocking story out of Texas. What police found inside a mobile home today is almost too horrible to even imagine: a 23-year-old mother and her four daughters, all found hanging in a bedroom closet.

It happened in Hudson Oaks near Ft. Worth. The mother and three of the girls, ages 5, 3, and 2 are dead. The 8-month-old baby survived and is listed in good condition right now.

Police say it looks like a murder-suicide, but they're still investigating what happened. They're also questioning the children's father, who is separated from the mother.

We're going to bring you more on this developing story, straight ahead on the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: The other story developing this hour, the CDC is investigating a medical scare in the sky. It includes an American passenger who flew on some transatlantic flights and is infected with a virulent form of tuberculosis. It's called XDR TB, and that stands for extensively drug resistant T.B.

And health officials say passengers and crew who flew with the T.B. patient may have been exposed to the disease. The CDC plans to hold a news conference next hour, and we will bring that to you live.

PHILLIPS: Targeting U.S. troops and the people who try to rescue them. It's a devious tactic Iraqi insurgents have repeatedly used. Now, they've done it again, and the results are deadly.

It started with a helicopter shoot-down in Iraq's volatile Diyala province, and it turned into much more.

Let's get straight to Baghdad and CNN's Paula Hancocks.

Paula, bring us up to date.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra.

Well, unfortunately, those were not the only deaths on Monday. We understand from the U.S. military, ten U.S. troops were killed that day, bringing the total this month to 114, which means May is now the third deadliest month since this war began.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Through their sacrifice...

HANCOCKS (voice-over): As Americans around the world commemorated Memorial Day, more U.S. troops were killed in Iraq, eight of the latest casualties in the volatile Diyala province northeast of Baghdad.

Two pilots were killed when their helicopters were shot down Monday with small arms fire, according to the U.S. military. A quick reaction force was called in to recover the chopper. One of the vehicles was hit by a roadside bomb, killing five.

A second vehicle in the force was hit, killing another soldier. Three more were injured.

This month, the deadliest for the American military since November 2004. Those killed were from Task Force Lightning, the force that controls parts of northern Iraq, including the Diyala province.

It is at least the 11th helicopter to come down so far this year in Iraq with 30 deaths.

Two more car bombs ripped through Baghdad Tuesday within an hour of each other, killing at least three dozen people and injuring many more.

Meanwhile, at least three people were kidnapped from an Iraqi Finance Ministry building by gunman wearing police uniforms. This happened on Palestine Street in Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HANCOCKS: And we're just getting an update from the British foreign ministry on that particular abduction. Five Britons have been confirmed to have been kidnapped from that Iraqi Finance Ministry. We understand that the British embassy here in Baghdad is assessing with the Iraqi authorities to find out exactly what happened and how to get these people back -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Paula Hancocks live in Baghdad. Thanks, Paula.

LEMON: Well, May has now become the deadliest month this year for U.S. troops in Iraq and one of the deadliest in the entire war.

We want to go now to the Pentagon and CNN's Barbara Starr to talk first more about what we're learning about the Memorial Day incident in Diyala province. Hello to you, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hello to you, T.J. As my colleague, Paula, on the ground there in Baghdad is saying, quite an ambush of sorts, if you will. That helicopter, once it was brought down -- the indications are now it was brought down by heavy machine gun fire, that from a wing man who was flying nearby.

With the quick reaction force that went in, they got hit by an IED. The recovery force that went in to help them, they got hit by an IED. A very complex attack.

Not clear if it was a preplanned ambush or simply a great deal of insurgent activity in that area of Diyala province. But it underscores, these Memorial Day incidents, just how deadly the current trend is in Iraq.

We wanted to take a look at some of the statistics to try and demonstrate to our viewers what that trend is looking like. So we put together some statistics just about an hour ago that showed the month of May, not over yet, and turning into one of the deadliest months of the year.

We had that at 112, and then the new report coming in of additional deaths, and so that correct figure now, of course, 114.

If you look, that compares to the last time that it was that grim, back in December of last year, 112. And you have to go all the way back to November of 2004 to see the next deadliest month, 137.

Of course, it's a little bit ridiculous to talk about how deadly it is. Each one of these fatalities for the U.S. military a very significant tragedy for the families and friends of those who have lost their lives -- T.J.

HOLMES: That is a good way to put it, Barbara. Barbara Starr for us at the Pentagon. Thank you so much.

PHILLIPS: Taking a stand, President Bush orders economic sanctions against Sudan, four years into the bloody conflict in that Darfur region.

An estimated 200,000 people have been killed there by the Janjaweed militia. Another 2.5 million have fled.

The U.S. sanctions target Sudanese companies involved in its oil industry, preventing them from doing business with U.S. companies. They also focus on a rebel leader and two high-ranking Sudanese government officials believed to be behind the violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I call on President Bashir to stop his obstruction and to allow the peacekeepers in. And to end the campaign of violence that continues to target innocent men, women, and children. And I promise this to the people of Darfur: the United States will not avert our eyes from the crisis that challenges the conscience of the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: White House aids say that the president wanted to impose the sanctions last month but has been holding off to give the United Nations secretary-general more time to find a diplomatic end to that crisis.

The Sudanese government says that new sanctions imposed by the United States highlight Washington's, quote, "hostile intentions." This morning, President Bush announced the economic sanctions and blamed Khartoum for the continued violence in Darfur.

His comments came ahead of a trip to Southern Georgia. And CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us now live with more -- Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Kyra. And here in Georgia, President Bush took a tour of a federal law enforcement training facility, a place where he talked about what he calls comprehensive immigration reform. Reform that, of course, conservative critics have blasted the administration over, as Congress considers that comprehensive bill, President Bush defending the bill, saying that it does not amount to amnesty.

Now, earlier as you noted, before the president arrived here in Georgia at the White House, the president announcing those new expanded sanctions against the government of Sudan. As you noted, specifically targeting 31 companies and three individuals.

It was almost three years ago that the Bush administration labeled the violence in western Sudan, in the Darfur region, genocide. Hundreds of thousands of people, as you noted, have been killed. Millions of people have been displaced.

And today, President Bush said that Sudan's leader, President Omar al-Bashir, has not done anything to stop the violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: The United Nations believed that President Bashir could meet his obligations to stop the killing and would meet his obligations to stop the killing. Unfortunately, he hasn't met those obligations. President Bashir's actions over the past few weeks follow a long pattern of promising cooperation while finding new methods for obstruction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now, President Bush also announced today that he is directing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to work with Britain and other allies in order to come up with a new U.N. Security Council resolution. Among other things, the United States wants to see a ban on any offensive Sudanese military flights over Darfur -- Kyra. PHILLIPS: All right, Elaine Quijano. We'll be talking about this throughout the day. We appreciate it.

HOLMES: If you wear contact lenses, you need to stay tuned. We've got the latest on that lens solution recall. That is ahead here in the NEWSROOM.

And, make way for the humpbacks. A pair of wayward whales get closer to safety, closer to home. We'll bring you a live progress report. That's ahead, as well, right here in the NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: And a question of intelligence, a key pre-war report now back in the spotlight. Presidential hopefuls facing questions about how much reading they did before they voted to authorize the Iraq war. That's coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: 1:12 Eastern Time. Here's a couple of the stories we're working on from the CNN NEWSROOM at this hour.

Police are investigating a horrific scene near Ft. Worth, Texas, right now. A mother and her four young daughters ere found hanging in a mobile home closet. The woman and three of the girls, ages 5, 3, and 2 are dead. An 8-month-old baby survived. Police say it appears to be a murder-suicide.

An urgent worldwide health investigation is underway right now. Authorities fear that a U.S. citizen has been infected with a strain of tuberculosis and may have exposed other people to the disease. They say the unidentified person traveled on two transatlantic flights, and they're trying to track down all the passengers and crew right now.

New protests going on in Caracas, Venezuela. People are still angry over the government's weekend shutdown of an opposition-linked TV station. Meantime, the government is investigating news broadcasters, accusing them of inciting these protests.

HOLMES: New questions today about several presidential hopefuls. Did any of them even read a key intelligence report before a vote to authorize the war in Iraq?

CNN's Mary Snow investigates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Democrat Hillary Clinton was grilled on the campaign trail last month about whether she read the classified National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you read it?

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No. I was briefed on it. I was briefed. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You said briefed?

CLINTON: I was briefed on it.

SNOW: A spokesman says, "Senator Clinton was briefed multiple times by several members of the administration on their intelligence regarding Iraq, which included the classified aspects of the NIE."

Clinton was not alone in not reading the roughly 90-page classified report assessing Iraq and its weapons of mass destruction. A spokeswoman for Republican Senator John McCain says Senator McCain was briefed on the NIE numerous times and read the executive summary.

John McLaughlin, former deputy director of the CIA, says the report raised questions about Iraq's ability to develop weapons of mass destruction.

JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: I think if someone read the entire report, they would walk away with the belief that the intelligence community thought there was weapons of mass destruction in Iraq but that there were serious differences expressed on a number of points.

SNOW: Now a CNN contributor, McLaughlin says dissenting views by the State Department, Department of Energy, and the Air Force made up about 10 to 12 pages of the report.

Critics say they were not prominently highlighted.

In order for members of Congress to read the report, they would have to physically go to a secure location on Capitol Hill. The "Washington Post" reports no more than six senators and a handful of House members were logged as reading the document.

Asked whether he'd read it, Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Joe Biden told "THE SITUATION ROOM"...

SEN. JOE BIDEN (D-DE), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I not only read the dissenting opinions; I spoke to those who dissented.

SNOW: A spokeswoman for Democratic Senator Christopher Dodd says he did not read it.

A spokesman for former Democratic Senator John Edwards says, "Having served on the intelligence committee, Senator Edwards read and was briefed on the intelligence provided to the committee."

The NIE report was requested by the Senate Intelligence Committee. It came out about ten days before Congress voted on the Iraq war resolution.

Mary Snow, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Getting the most for your money on the road. Jump in and buckle up. CNN NEWSROOM takes you on a road trip, straight ahead.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dan Simon in Vallejo, California. Those two wayward whales -- well, they're moving in the right direction again. We'll have that story coming up.

HOLMES: All right, and Cindy Sheehan. She's no longer going to be the face of the anti-war movement. Her bitter letter of resignation. That's coming up, right here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, the two humpback whales that have made headlines for days aren't out of the woods yet, or in this case, out of the river just yet. But they are headed in the right direction.

CNN's Dan Simon joins us now from Vallejo, California, with a progress report.

What can you tell us, Dan?

SIMON: Well, hi, Kyra.

It is an extremely windy day here, but the wind does not seem to be impacting the whales' movement on the water. At this point, they are about 30 miles away from reaching the Golden Gate Bridge. They have advanced about 30 miles in the past 24 hours. In fact, these whales are just a little ways away from that bridge, about a half mile away from that bridge.

Experts are encouraged that they are now in saltier water. They say it's going to help improve their injuries. As you may know, both these whales were believed to be injured by the keel of a boat.

They injected some antibiotics into these whales over the weekend. They're not going to do so today, because they got a good look at these whales and they seem to be doing a lot better.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERNADETTE FEES, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH & GAME: We believe that that improvement is in part due to the first dose of antibiotics that were administered as well as the change in the water. They're now in a more high saline waterway, which we know is much more healthy for them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON: Well, there's a lot of activity going on here right now, Kyra. We are told these whales can be seen from our location. I'm trying to get a look at myself. Perhaps our photographer can zero in on the whales here where we are at the mouth of the Sacramento River.

In any case, Kyra, good progress today. One of the concerns is as soon as the whales get into these open waters, there's some ship traffic. Crews are concerned that there might be a collision between the whales and perhaps one of these vessels. They're going to be communicating with the various ship captains to prevent that kind of thing from taking place -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, Dan, just looking at the live picture. We're looking at some tape right now, actually, of the two, Dawn and Delta, the whales. Here we go. We're back live now.

Obviously, it's pretty windy out there. It's choppy conditions. Does this affect the -- the pattern of the whales, the effort the try and work them to the mouth there of the Golden Gate Bridge?

SIMON: You know, they say there could be some changes for these whales when the tide changes.

In terms of the wind, I asked that question during a news conference a short time ago. They don't believe the wind really impacts the whales and their ability to navigate through these waters. But there can be some changes with the tide.

The current, of course, is going upriver. The whales are headed downriver. So they are going against the current. But, over the last 24 hours, that really has not made an impact, because as I mentioned earlier, these whales have traveled about 30 miles.

What motivated these whales to suddenly start going again in the right direction, no one seems to really know. All of the other efforts failed. And when the crews backed off, when the experts backed off, that's when the whales started going. So in this case, less seems to be more, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Dan Simon, live from Vallejo, California. We'll keep checking in with you. Thanks, Dan.

HOLMES: The company that gave us the gas-guzzling Hummer trying to change its image. Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange with details on G.M.'s efforts of becoming greener. A greener Hummer. By all means, go to hear this, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, may not be a greener Hummer, but maybe the other vehicles, T.J., that it offers.

G.M.'s conversion comes amid the growing popularity of its chief rival, Toyota, the leader in fuel-efficient hybrid cars. Toyota recently surpassed G.M., in fact, as the world's biggest automaker.

According to the "Wall Street Journal", G.M. is spending millions of dollars in order to become the most environmentally friendly company in the auto biz.

One way is speeding up a process to get its recently unveiled electric concept car, the Chevy Volt, out on the road. It now aims to do so within three to four years.

G.M.'s also reportedly hiring 400 technical experts to work on fuel saving technology. And it's planning to take its hydrogen fuel cell technology to the next phase of development by handing it over to engineers who will prepare for commercial launch. The "Journal" says G.M. is trying to shake off its image of an old-school truck and SUV maker. It wants people to see it as part of the solution, not part of the problem.

It should be noted that, you know, the Hummer, the SUVs, the trucks, have been the most lucrative vehicles that G.M. has sold, which may explain why it was kind of reluctant to get into the hybrid market -- T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Well, Ford as well. Got some more auto news. Trying to lose some weight? They're going on Jenny Craig or what are they doing?

LISOVICZ: Well, it's more than that. It's trying to lose a lot of financial weight, if you will, T.J.

The struggling automaker's reportedly looking to sell the Swedish car maker, Volvo. According to a newspaper report, German car maker BMW could be a potential buyer. Ford flatly denies the reports, calling it speculation. BMW has no comment.

Ford bought Volvo in 1999 as part of the company's premier lineup, which also includes Jaguar and Land Rover. Its luxury brands lost $300 million last year.

Both G.M. and Ford are in the midst of massive restructurings.

(STOCK REPORT)

LISOVICZ: In the next half hour of NEWSROOM, some spectacular drops, which places went from hot to cold. Could be an opportunity there, T.J., Kyra. Back to you.

HOLMES: We will be listening up next time we see you. Not that we weren't listening last time, but we'll be listening up when we see you again.

LISOVICZ: I'll have info for you.

HOLMES: All right. Thanks, Susan. See you soon.

PHILLIPS: Well, Controlling China's food and drug mistakes. Recent deaths now pushing the Chinese government to crack down, straight ahead from the CNN NEWSROOM.

HOLMES: Also, you folks that wear these contact lenses, you need to stay tuned for this. We'll have the latest on the lens solution recall. That is ahead right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Philips, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

HOLMES: And I'm T.J. Holmes, in today for Don Lemon, who's on assignment. Take one potentially deadly strain of tuberculosis. Add two transatlantic flights, and the result: possibly hundreds of people exposed.

PHILLIPS: Now an urgent global search is underway.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Hello everyone, I'm Kyra Phillips, live at CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

HOLMES: And I'm T.J. Holmes in today for Don Lemon who's on assignment.

Take one potentially deadly strain of tuberculosis and two trans- Atlantic flights and the result, possibly hundreds of people exposed.

PHILLIPS: Now an urgent global search is underway. We're waiting to hear the latest from the centers for Disease Control. You're live from the CNN NEWSROOM.

HOLMES: We now have another developing story we're watching out of Texas. What police found inside a mobile home today, just too horrible to imagine. A 23-year-old mother and her four daughters all found hanging in a bedroom closet. This happened in Hudson Oaks near Ft. Worth. The mother and three of the girls, ages five, three and two are dead. Her eight-month-old baby survived and is listed in good condition.

Police say it looks like a murder-suicide, but they are still investigating. They're also questioning the children's father who separated from the mother. We'll bring you more on this developing story as we get that information ahead here in the NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: An Iraqi government building brazenly stormed by insurgents and they were apparently targeting westerners. The British government now says five of its citizens were kidnapped in this finance ministry building in Baghdad today. An Iraqi spokesperson said that insurgents drove up in at least 19 cars and stormed the building.

The wail of sirens, an all too common sound in Baghdad these days. At least 38 people are dead, more than 90 wounded after two car bombings today. One bomb went off near a police checkpoint in a busy market area in central Baghdad. The other exploded about an hour later at a street market in southwestern Baghdad.

HOLMES: It started with a helicopter shot down in Iraq. It ended with eight U.S. service members dead. The incident happened yesterday near Baquba in the volatile Diyala province. Insurgents shot down a U.S. military chopper, killing the two pilots. Then, a quick reaction force that rushed to the scene hit a roadside bomb killing six soldiers. Nearly a dozen helicopters have been shot down or forced to land under fire in Iraq this year. In all, 30 people have died in those incidents. PHILLIPS: May is now the deadliest month of the year for U.S. forces in Iraq, 114 Americans have died so far this month. The deadliest month ever for troops in Iraq happened in 2004, 137 Americans died in November of that year and the number of U.S. service members kill in the war right now stands at 3,465.

Well, they rushed to the battlefield. They stitched the wounds, and they helped fallen soldiers rise again. They're the first responders, the hand holders, the lifesavers and often, they become casualties of war themselves. Military rescue forces, paramedics and surgeons, they've saved countless lives in Iraq and they've dealt with the loss of countless others. Today we want to honor them with a photographic glimpse into their lives produced by CNN's Cal Perry and edited by Dominick Swan (ph).

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: The maker of a contact lens solution linked to a rare infection doesn't see eye-to-eye with the government. Advanced Medical Optics is standing by its complete moisture plus multipurpose solution. Last week, the CDC warned it appeared to be a factor in the painful eye infection that can lead to blindness. Advanced Medical Optics is voluntarily recalling the solution. But it said the proper handling of contact lenses is to blame for the eye infection, not the contamination or anything in its manufacturing process.

PHILLIPS: Well, the CDC is investigating a medical scare in the sky. It involves an American passenger who flew on some trans- Atlantic flights and is infected with a form of tuberculosis. It's called XDR TV for extensively drug resistant and health officials say that passengers and crew who flew with the TB patient may have been exposed to the disease. The CDC plans to hold a news conference at the top of the hour. We're going to bring that to you live as soon as it happens.

HOLMES: Moving to stem the controversy over its food and drug safety problems, China instituting its first ever recall system for unsafe products and ordering harsh punishment for its former drug regulation chief. CNN's John Vause has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): By next week, (INAUDIBLE) could become the next fatality of China's food and drug scandal. For seven years, he was the head of the national agency regulating drugs. Tuesday, this Beijing court sentenced him to death for receiving almost a million U.S. dollars in bribes to approve untested medicine which killed at least 10 people. They're among an estimated 200,000 deaths every year here from fake or sub standard drugs.

HENK BEKEDAM, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: The problem that China has is the numbers. China has more than 5,000 manufacturers, 5,000 pharmaceutical manufacturers. To start controlling it is extremely, extremely difficult. VAUSE: Last week, health officials in the Dominican Republic and Panama seized thousands of tubes of Chinese toothpaste because they contained a deadly chemical often used in antifreeze, the same chemical which may have been used in Chinese cough syrup, also exported to Panama and reportedly responsible for more than 100 deaths last year. And it comes after countless dogs and cats in the U.S. died after eating pet food tainted with the chemical melamine.

Authorities here have detained the managers of two Chinese suppliers, accusing them of adding melamine to the pet food ingredients to artificially increase protein levels. Analysts say in almost all of these cases, there's a common trend.

SCOTT WARREN, SECURITY ANALYST: I think it's more likely that the things are coming not out of intentional wrongdoing, but somebody looking for a cheaper ingredient.

VAUSE: China's government knows it has a problem and has announced the country's first system for food recalls, promising it will be in line with international standards and in place by the end of the year. John Vause, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: A churning surf and red flag warnings. Beachgoers on Florida's east coast are being urged to swim close to shore again today if they go in the ocean at all. Over Memorial Day weekend, life guards rescued hundreds of people caught in rip currents. Part of Cocoa Beach was closed yesterday after life guards pulled 200 people out of the water in just three hours. Dangerous waters off of Florida, dangerous storms in the plains. Karen Maginnis watching it all from our weather center for us. Hi, Karen.

KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi. As we take a look at what's happening across the southeastern United States, some pretty big thunderstorms now rumbling across Texas. Well, we've got the squall line that's making its way towards the east and southeast. This is looking very impressive over the last few images. We'll see some of those rivers and steams really begin to fill up. Already, in some cases, one and two inches, there could be an additional one to two inches certainly possible.

Let's head up towards portions of Nebraska along interstate 80, cuts right across the state. This is where we're watching that intense line of thunderstorms develop in that region as well. Omaha, for the most part, just light precipitation. But now we've got these squall lines just kind of developing a little bit further towards this west. Now, the atmosphere is very active right now. Funnel system not making a whole lot of progress.

But we've got two areas of low pressure in the atmosphere, one across the Dakotas and one further south across Texas. These are spinning in the atmosphere and kind of roughing it up and producing some of the activity that we're seeing all the way from Texas where the rainfall has been very heavy, all the way up towards the Dakota. Now you can see some of that cooler air by tomorrow make its way down all the way into Nebraska where temperatures will mostly be in the 70s. Through the southeast, still kind of smoky, still a problem along coastal sections of the Atlantic coast of Florida. We're still looking at that rip current thanks to a very strong ridge of high pressure. And in Portland, Oregon, if you think 88 degrees is warm for this time of the year, it, in fact, is. Don't know that it's a record, but nonetheless, exceptionally warm.

We'll go back to slightly cooler temperatures as we go into next week. But we keep the chance of thunderstorms not just for today, but even going to tomorrow across the central U.S., all the way from the great lakes down towards the Gulf coast. We'll keep you updated. Kyra?

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Karen.

HOLMES: Getting the most for your money on the road. Jump in, buckle up, we're about to ride on out here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Gas prices down almost a penny this day after Memorial Day to an average of $3.20 a gallon according to triple A. CNN consumer reporter Greg Hunter is on the road traveling from Columbus, Ohio to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I hope he gets to play some golf. He wants to see if it's cheaper to drive or to fly. Today, he's in North Carolina.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GREG HUNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm in front of the Carolina theater in Greensboro, North Carolina. Of course it's on national historic register of historic places built back in 1927. Take a look at it. It's beautiful, ornate. The sun's hitting it. Look at the work up there in the stone up there. It's gorgeous.

On to our vehicle built in 2007, a Kia minivan, gets about 19.5 miles to the gallon considering its weighed down. Take a look at this -- weighed down pretty good. Here are the bags back here. The TV crew of course. We have our luggage and all kinds of cases. We have about 1,000 pounds. So the vehicle has done reasonably well. We do have some help navigating. We have some old technology. We have some new technology, satellite navigation. And I still got lost. But that was operator error.

Here's what our trip looks like leaving Columbus, Ohio, we have some beautiful rolling hills, green patch, here's rivers, but those hills turned into mountains in West Virginia and that's where we decided to take a little break and take a go cart ride. Sorry.

Well, the go cart ride turned into more like bumper cars, but after about 10 or 15 of that, we got back in the saddle, on the road, drove another 100 miles or so. When we filled up 150 miles from Greensboro, it was painful. We got a deal on the fuel. It was less than the national average, less than $3 a gallon. Still took on 15 gallons and a little painful.

So here are the totals so far on day two. Miles driven, 431, hours driven, 10, that includes breaks. There's the two-day costs, gas, $46, food, $49.08, hotel, $290.90. That's for two rooms. We have three people in our family. We have our photo journalist and a producer, both standing behind the camera, Steve and Ronnie. And extras included $24.42. That's tolls and those bumper cars.

So that's a grand two-day total of $479. So, how much will it cost to drive as opposed to fly? We'll find out tomorrow in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Back to you guys.

PHILLIPS: Well, you can get more on oil and gas trends on cnnmoney.com. Get in depth analysis of what's happening and why and find out what you can do, so go to cnnmoney.com.

HOLMES: As we head back over to the weather center. Karen Maginnis keeping an eye on some severe weather happening in Nebraska now. Do tell.

MAGINNIS: I was pointing this out just a few minutes ago. There is a tornado warning that goes for about the next 20 minutes. This is in southwestern Nebraska. Now, I was pointing out this line of activity, these kind of embedded super cells. And, in fact, a trained weather spotter has reported a funnel cloud in the vicinity of Dickens, about 21 miles north of Hayes Center. We'll also be continuing to watch and monitor this squall line that's making its way across southwestern Texas or southwestern Nebraska.

I will mention that this is part of the area that the severe storm prediction center did indicate there would be an area that would be prone to strong to severe thunderstorms. So it just goes until the next 20 minutes or so. And that is for Lincoln County in southwestern Nebraska. But you can see, we've got these thunderstorms just kind of firing up all across Nebraska and the east, not so much. But as I mentioned before, this is an area that has been primed for the severe weather potential tonight. And a funnel cloud has been spotted in that area. But we'll keep you updated.

HOLMES: All right, Karen, thank you so much for that update. We'll see you again here soon.

PHILLIPS: A post-fight analysis, Rosie O'Donnell takes to the Internet to vent her feelings about her former co-host on "The View." We're going to have her unvarnished views straight ahead on the NEWSROOM.

But first, as we go to break, let's take a look at the big board right now, Dow industrials down 34 points. More in a moment, you're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, Reho Maury (ph) has done her country and her grandmother proud. The 20-year-old won the miss universe pageant last night, only second Miss Japan ever to do so. Her grandmother had only told her to win the national crown by age 20. It was a rough night for Miss USA though. She slipped and fell to the stage as she paraded in her evening gown. I got to tell you what, slip or not, she is still h-o-t and she was booed by the Mexico City crowd unfortunately during the interviews. That was wrong. But still she managed to finish as the fourth runner up. She gave the look, stroke the hair.

HOLMES: That was the most beautiful fall I've ever seen in my life.

PHILLIPS: It was definitely the most gorgeous sexy fall we've ever seen. Here we go, you read, one, two, looking good, back up, looking good, work it, work it, work it, give the look.

HOLMES: Do your thing, Rachael.

PHILLIPS: First place to me.

HOLMES: All right, how did you get the Miss Universe and I got Rosie O'Donnell here.

After the smack down between Rosie and co-host Elizabeth Hasselbeck on "The View," O'Donnell now taking to the Internet with some post fight analysis. CNN's Jeanne Moos has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What other star would let herself be seen like this. Watch Rosie sneeze on her video blog. Watch Rosie swig -- don't worry, she's not getting drunk. You can examine Rosie examining herself.

ROSIE O'DONNELL, FORMER CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Stress related rosacea. You can connect the dots.

MOOS: All dots lead to this.

O'DONNELL: You said nothing and that's cowardly.

ELIZABETH HASSELBECK: No, no, no.

O'DONNELL: When I saw the split scene, that's when I knew it was over.

MOOS: Rosie used her video blog for post-fight analysis, answering e mail questions from fans and foes. Somebody wanted to know if conservative co-host Elizabeth Hasselbeck had apologized. Rosie said she had called and spoken to Rosie's long-time partner.

O'DONNELL: I haven't spoken to her and I probably won't. I think it's just as well.

MOOS: But through the miracle of previously recorded videotape, Rosie and Elizabeth did speak again. They didn't speak, they got lovey dovey.

O'DONNELL: Ladies and gentlemen, it's Elizabeth's birthday. MOOS: Memorial Day happened to be Elizabeth's 30th birthday and "The View's" Memorial Day show was prerecorded two weeks or so ago, taped before the two of them went nuclear.

O'DONNELL: I asked you a question.

HASSELBACK: I asked you a question.

MOOS: Hard to believe that this was what Rosie was talking about not long ago.

O'DONNELL: You know what your birthday gift is from me?

HASSELBECK: What?

O'DONNELL: You and Tim and the baby get to spend a whole weekend at my house in Miami.

MOOS: But you can kiss those hugs and kisses good-bye.

O'DONNELL: Big, sad, lesbian loud Rosie attacks innocent "View" (ph) Christian Elizabeth.

MOOS: On her video blog, Rosie answered e-mail comments from critics.

O'DONNELL: Quite being bin Laden's mouthpiece. If only it was about bin Laden, his name should be been forgotten. Remember, it was all about bin Laden. We forgot him, 3,000 kids later, dead.

MOOS: Conservative Web sites and pundits accused Rosie of coddling terrorists by suggesting for instance that Khalid Sheik Mohammed had been tortured. That remark resulted in this with the caption Sheik Rosie Mohammed captured yesterday by U.S. forces. But what captured our attention was the verbal smack down.

HASSELBECK: Defend your own insinuations.

MOOS: Now the only view that's Rosie is a rear view. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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