Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Truckers Halt to Protest High Fuel Prices; Oil Execs Grilled by Congress; Residents Testify to Congress about Health Effects of FEMA Trailers; Dow Rallies on Wall Street

Aired April 01, 2008 - 13:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: For big oil, it's the cost of record profits. A grilling on Capitol Hill over record high gas prices, record high oil prices and billions in tax breaks for the industry.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Independent truckers say they need a break from diesel costs, now topping four bucks a gallon. Otherwise, they say they could be driven off the road.

LEMON: But Brianna, check this out. A triple-digit rally on Wall Street, fueled by new signs of hope for investment banks and -- and American factories. Could the worse really be over? That's a question for you.

Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live in the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

KEILAR: And I'm Brianna Keilar, in today for Kyra Phillips. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: All right. Independent truckers say soaring fuel costs are driving them out of a job. So they're protesting the only way they can, and that is by pulling to the side of the road. Does this mean empty store shelves?

Let's take you to a truck stop in Atlanta in the area, and CNN's Rusty Dornin is there. Rusty, what does this mean? Does this mean empty shelves? And are you seeing truckers pulled over there to the side?

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are meeting a few folks, Don, who have pulled their trucks over. We're at the Patriot Truck Stop. And the owner did tell us that his business is down about 50 percent. A lot of people stayed home.

Some people did come to the truck stop, like Thomas Capers, who is a driver who actually has two rigs.

And you pulled yours over to the side here. Is that right? Is one of these trucks yours?

THOMAS CAPERS, TRUCK DRIVER: Yes. The green Bobbo (ph) is mine.

DORNIN: OK.

CAPERS: Yes. I pulled it over today, because I saw that the other independents was going to stay off today. So I took the day off to support it, support with them. But the fuel prices are very high. And...

DORNIN: You are saying you drive -- you drive produce, right?

CAPERS: Right.

DORNIN: You just came from Laredo?

CAPERS: Yes. I brought a load of strawberries up from Laredo. And I had to pay about $1,800 in fuel to make that run. So when you factor all the -- everything in, you don't -- you didn't make anything hardly off of that.

DORNIN: But you're -- you're an independent trucker. Is this really going to make any kind of a difference, do you think, for guys like you pulling your trucks over today?

CAPERS: I think so. I think if everybody would join in together and stick together, we can make a big impact on what's happening.

But we should at least get Obama, Clinton, or McCain to talk about what's going on. They're talking about health care. I mean, if we -- if they lower the prices of fuel, we can pay for our own health care. We don't need them to make health care for us. All we need to do is make enough money where we can support our own families. And it's hard to do with the prices up $4 and something a gallon.

DORNIN: All right, great. Thomas Capers, thank you very much.

To give you an example, one of the truckers gave me the check that he had. That's $1,073 to fill up his rig with fuel. Last year at the same time, about $700. So you can see it's really hitting them in the pocketbook.

LEMON: Oh, my gosh. Every time you fill up it must just be heartbreak every time.

He said $1,800 for him to get to and fro so far, where he's coming and going from?

DORNIN: That's right. From Laredo to Atlanta, you were saying, was $1,800 to get here?

CAPERS: In fuel, yes.

DORNIN: Yes. And so -- I mean, how much did you end up making out of that trip?

CAPERS: Probably made about $700 out of that trip with all the expenses and everything, because I had to buy pallets, as well.

DORNIN: And what happens if the truck breaks down?

CAPERS: Oh, Lord. Oh, God forbid that happening. Because if I have a flat tire, that's about $3, you know -- $300 to repair the tire. But thank God nothing happened to the truck while we was coming back.

DORNIN: And he's got 18 tires, Don, that could go flat.

LEMON: Oh, my goodness.

DORNIN: So you can see where they -- these guys are really hard hit.

LEMON: Yes, and Rusty, what you're...

DORNIN: And it's going to start transmitting -- we're going to -- we're going to see it on the grocery store shelves and are seeing it, as well.

LEMON: Whether you agree with what they're doing or not, your heart definitely goes out to them when you hear, you know, $1,000 to fill up your tank. You know, hey.

OK, Rusty Dornin. Thank you, Rusty. We'll be checking back with you. Great reporting out there.

KEILAR: It is April Fool's Day, and law makers say big oil is playing a big joke on you, raking in record profits while gas prices reach record highs.

The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded has hit an all-time high of $3.29. And Congress wants answers. Right now, as we speak, a House panel is grilling executives from some of the biggest oil companies in the world.

CNN senior correspondent Allan Chernoff is walking all this action from New York.

Allan, what is the tone of what you're hearing there?

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Brianna, boy, those oil company executives are getting an earful. One Congressman said to the oil company executives, "You know, your approval ratings are even lower than ours, and that's way down low," he said. So they certainly are getting a lot of criticism for earning record profits and, certainly, at a time when gas prices, oil prices are so high.

Remember, the House did recently pass legislation that would take away about $16 billion in tax breaks. The House wants to send that money over to developing alternative energy such as wind, hydro, et cetera. The oil industry has been battling that.

So, that's background to this hearing that we're having today.

KEILAR: And we're talking executives from Exxon Mobil, Shell, B.P. America, Chevron, ConocoPhillips. I'm wondering, have they had a chance yet to respond? If so, how are they responding?

CHERNOFF: They're responding as we speak. And let me just quote from some of the testimony from Chevron. They haven't spoken just yet, but they're saying, "We are as concerned about escalating oil prices as any other energy consumer." They're saying, "Hey, we're getting hit, too. We have a lot of energy expenses."

Now, I don't know if the average consumer is going to be very sympathetic with the oil companies. But they are saying, "Look, we're not the only ones responsible for the rise in the price of oil." And keep in mind, it is the rise in price of oil that is pushing up the price of gasoline.

They're saying demand is very strong, supplies are tight. And they also point to the fact that a lot of investors have jumped into commodities, like oil, like gasoline, and they helped to push the price even higher.

KEILAR: All right. Allan Chernoff for us in New York following this hearing, where of course, oil executives are getting an earful. Thanks, Allan.

And also, want to take a look at the markets right now. And amazing rally. You can see over 300 points, the Dow up 309 points. And actually, in the first few minutes of -- after the opening bell this morning, the Dow actually rose 140 points.

Stocks surging at the open as investors really welcoming slumping commodity prices and news that Lehman's stock offering got a bigger than expected response. We're going to be checking in with Susan Lisovicz coming up in just a few minutes for more on that.

LEMON: Yes. Just hold that pictures there because some investors are going, whew. It's not very often that we see the Dow up like that. So let's hope it lasts.

KEILAR: Let's have a freeze frame.

LEMON: Yes, freeze frame. And maybe we should...

KEILAR: We'll pull it up tomorrow.

LEMON: Yes, we should put it up next to us. When it's down, we put it -- we put it next to us. Now that it's up, we should show it, as well. Because some people are celebrating that fact.

All right. Let's move on and talk about this weather happening across the country. The calendar certainly says spring, but winter, well, it's hanging on. Hanging on especially out west.

Interstate 70 is open again over Vail Pass in Colorado, a day after a snowy pile-up. Dozens of vehicles smashed into one another. One person was killed. Several were hurt there.

Also, parts of the upper Midwest could get up to ten inches of snow before it's all over. It's been coming down hard in Northern Wisconsin. Into the south, well, there's rain and fears that it, combined with melting snow, could cause more flooding.

KEILAR: That's right. And snow, rain, storm warnings. It is such a mess out there, Jacqui. What are you seeing?

(WEATHER REPORT)

KEILAR: Now on the up side, though, Jacqui, I mean, yesterday and the day before we saw delays of three to four hours. So that's the silver lining, I guess, today. It was worse before.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know, shave that in half.

KEILAR: Yes. In half. All right. Jacqui Jeras, thank you.

LEMON: Their lives were blown apart by Hurricane Katrina. Then they were told their FEMA trailers might be wrecking their health. Storm victims take their stories to Capitol Hill.

KEILAR: And that cell phone attached to your ear. Is it a bigger health danger than smoking even? We'll loop you in on the new study.

LEMON: All right. You got my attention.

Plus, stocks surge on Wall Street. Look at that. Everybody celebrate now. Let's hope it lasts. We'll keep an eye on what's moving the markets.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: OK. Well, law makers in Washington come face-to-face with victims of Hurricane Katrina. People who say they were victimized again when they moved into trailers from FEMA. Those trailers were later found to be contaminated with formaldehyde.

CNN's Sean Callebs, who first brought you this story months ago, is following developments from New Orleans, which is really Ground Zero. All of the Gulf Coast, but New Orleans is kind of Ground Zero here, Sean.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Without question. Still tens of thousands of trailers down here, both travel trailers and mobile homes. And you talked about the formaldehyde. It is a colorless gas but has a very, very, very strong odor.

Now, today members of a CDC branch that focus on toxic substances heard from congressional members who basically just blistered them, saying that the CDC and FEMA took scientific findings and basically steered them into the earth.

They did nothing to protect people living in these trailers. They did nothing to warn them about the problems that come with excessively high levels of formaldehyde: everything from watering eyes, irritation of the nose to more serious things like asthma that could affect children and the elderly, all the way to cancer.

Now, among those testifying on Capitol Hill today, Lindsay Huckabee, who has for the last two-and-a-half years, been living in a trailer with her family and her five children.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LINDSAY HUCKABEE, LIVING IN FEMA TRAILER: I feel like the CDC and FEMA and the ATSDR all knew a year in advance from today about the formaldehyde in the trailers. I feel like, essentially, we were lab rats. We were put in this situation, we were exposed to this. And seeing as this large group of scientists knew about it, it seems they should have at least been doing studies to find out what the effects were.

This is not a new chemical. It's been around, used in everything for decades, if not longer. I think that it's a shame that this -- this high tech agency has no more information on this than they do have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLEBS: And the ATSDR you heard her talk about, that is the agency of the CDC focusing on toxic substances.

The subcommittee went on to say that, basically, those two entities, CDC and FEMA, created the illusion for people down here in the Gulf Coast to live in these trailers, not knowing just how bad things were.

There were whistleblowers out there, Don, including Dr. Chris De Rosa, who for the better part of 2007 tried internally to get the CDC to come clean and talk about the potential long-term health risks. How was he rewarded? He was demoted -- Don.

LEMON: And you know what's interesting, Sean? She lived in Pass Christian in Mississippi. And I went down -- I don't know, maybe two years ago and then back again and then back again. And every time you go you expect these trailers to be gone, right, and they're still there.

CALLEBS: Right. Well, there's -- there's nowhere for people to live. We've done these stories.

I went in a travel trailer, which now FEMA says they will never, ever send to a disaster again to house families. They will only use mobile homes. We went to one of these travel trailers that had been shut. FEMA says if you want to mitigate the formaldehyde problem, just vent the window a little bit.

We went in, and instantly, our eyes started burning, nose started running. It is an incredibly powerful, overwhelming presence that you run into in these formaldehyde trailers. And who knows how long they're going to be down there?

LEMON: Yes.

CALLEBS: Because there's no housing to be had.

LEMON: Yes. And such small spaces, too. The last one I went in I said, "Wow, this is really small."

And the resident said, "Oh, no, Don, this is a big one." So it's just -- yes.

CALLEBS: Yes. I know you're going to talk to Miss Huckabee next hour.

LEMON: Yes, yes.

CALLEBS: Talk to her about living with five children in 400 square feet.

LEMON: You got it. That's exactly what we're going to talk about. And also the symptoms of her children, Sean. And I'm sure you've seen the pictures. It's just horrifying. Thank you very much for your report. We appreciate that.

And as Sean mentioned, next hour we'll be talking with Lindsay Huckabee about what her family went through, living in their contaminated trailer, and what she expects the government to do.

KEILAR: Security with a smile. Mood lighting, music. How it's all supposed to make you safer in the sky. We've got a look how the TSA plans to beef up security by keeping you mellow.

LEMON: Ahh!

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: OK. So they're supposed to be on the road today, but many are protesting. Brianna, we're talking here about independent truckers, saying these soaring fuel costs are driving them out of the job. So they're protesting the only way they can, they say, the only way they really know how. And that is by pulling over to the side of the road.

This is Ridgefield, New Jersey, we're looking at now, just off the Jersey Turnpike. And if you've been on the Jersey Turnpike, you know there are trucks. There's actually lanes built just for trucks and then a car-only lane, as well. So it's a big area for truckers. But they're pulling over today.

One guy Rusty Dornin spoke with the last hour says he was from Texas to here and it was, like, $1,800 so far that he had -- it had cost him to fill his tank. So it's not just happening in New Jersey. It's happening all over.

KEILAR: That's right. We also have some pictures, some tape from Macon, Georgia, where as you can see, there are signs, "More pay for fuel increase." Again, these independent truckers.

And the problem is, I mean, if you're out on the road buying your regular unleaded, they're buying diesel. These truck drivers are buying diesel. Right now it's even higher than regular unleaded; $4.02, I believe today. It hit an all-time high March 22, and it hasn't really gone down since then.

They are really struggling. And it's coming out of, basically, their profits. So they're struggling, they say, to compete with union truck drivers.

LEMON: And then it's going to spill over to us.

KEILAR: That's right.

LEMON: I've got to thank WABC in New York for those pictures.

KEILAR: Oh, that's right. And WANZ (ph), one of our Georgia affiliates, with those -- that tape from Macon, Georgia.

And it is. It's going to hit consumers in the pockets.

LEMON: Absolutely. Let's talk to Susan about that.

KEILAR: Yes, let's. Let's do. And in business news, you know, it's a new month, a new quarter. Wall Street appearing to have a fresh perspective. Maybe some good news here. Because stocks, boy, are they on the rise. And the gains are big.

Susan Lisovicz, you are on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. What are investors so darn happy about?

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's not typical when I say that subprime is sublime, but it is financials. There's a lot of subprime news today. On the surface doesn't appear to be good, because there's more write-downs and more losses involving not only big financial firms in the U.S., but overseas, as well.

The difference, apparently, is, Brianna and Don, that they're taking steps to shore up their balance sheets. Lehman Brothers was selling stocks. UBS is trying to raise billions -- billions of dollars in capital. And let's face it: until their balance sheets get healthy, they won't be lending like they used to. And that's really the solution, perhaps, to the economic woes. When you can get access to credit again.

That is really playing out big time. You've seen all Dow 30 stocks higher, led by Citigroup. Its shares are up 10 percent. Lehman Brothers is up 14 percent. UBS, the biggest bank in Switzerland, up 14 percent.

We also got a better-than-expected read on manufacturing. And even on construction spending, wasn't so bad. A report that we got. And it's no joke, financials leading the charge today -- Brianna and Don.

KEILAR: And Susan, you know, today's rally aside, the recent trend for stocks has really been distinctively to the down side. And you know, our investments in the stock markets are often just a large part of our retirement savings, right?

LISOVICZ: That's right. And we have seen how it's playing out with older Americans. They're altering their lifestyle by simply -- they're delaying retirement. You know, the Labor Department says the number of people, Brianna, ages 55 to 64 at the work force picked up last month, year over year. An extra one million workers in that age group. That's the translation. And folks over the age of 55, an extra 200,000 workers versus the year earlier.

This is interesting, because it's coming at a time when you're expecting a mass exodus of older people out of the work force. Because as we've been reporting, many times -- the first wave of Baby Boomers are turning 62 this year. Retirement accounts, of course, took a hit from the downturn that we started to see late last year.

And certainly in the first quarter, all three major averages were down. The NASDAQ alone was down 14 percent of the first quarter. So that's bad timing for those folks who are planning to retire and don't have the benefit of waiting for an uptick like what we're seeing today.

The first quarter for the S&P was down 10 percent. A lot of our -- a lot of retirement accounts are tied to that.

And we are seeing Dell, for instance, cutting jobs today. So one of the lessons, hold onto your job. Cutting 900 jobs in Texas.

There's a research firm out with a report that says it expects 200,000 jobs lost in the financial sector over the next 18 months.

In the next hour, we're going to be talking about oil prices. Not only diesel, diesel truckers talking about it, certainly is a lot of talk on Capitol Hill, as well. Oil prices, by the way, picking up slightly, Brianna, over $102 a barrel.

KEILAR: All right, Susan Lisovicz there, where the market is rallying, thank you.

LISOVICZ: You're welcome.

LEMON: Let's get you out on the campaign trail. Senator John McCain's biography bus tour is in Virginia today. We'll listen to what he had to say as he sat down with our Dana Bash.

KEILAR: And how are political ads like real estate? It's all about -- you know it -- location, location, location. We'll tell you how that's figuring into election 2008.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: The weather is, like, kind of weird outside. It's a little warm in here, don't you think?

KEILAR: It sure is. We're warm in here.

LEMON: Because we're -- we're both complaining before the take (ph).

Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

KEILAR: And I'm Brianna Keilar, in for Kyra Phillips. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(NEWSBREAK)

LEMON: John McCain now, he wants America to get to know him. He is on the second leg of a five-state tour where he is talking on his family history and his patriotic roots. After kicking off his so- called "Service to America" tour in Mississippi, he's visiting Virginia, including the high school he attended in Arlington. He also sat down with CNN's Dana Bash to talk about issues, including his well-known temper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I say everybody's life is a work in progress. I have a better and more impressive record of bipartisanship and working across the aisle in legislative solutions and leadership than anybody that's running against me by far.

And those leadership qualities required an even temper. And those abilities to reach across the aisle and work for Democrats for the good of my constituents in the country are clear indications that that's a very, very minor thing as compared to my record of accomplishment.

And my record of accomplishment required even, mature and experienced judgment in order to achieve what I've achieved. And I'm confident that the American people will judge that as well, and I am confident that they'll look at my record and my vision.

And that's -- and if they don't expect me to get angry when I see corruption in Washington, when I see wasting needlessly of their tax dollars, when I see people behaving badly, they expect me to get angry, and I will get angry, because I won't stand for corruption, and I won't stand for waste of their tax dollars, and I will demand people serve their country first and the special interests second.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, you can catch Dana's full interview with John McCain straight ahead in "THE SITUATION ROOM." That's coming up at 4:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.

KEILAR: We haven't reached the point where presidents are chosen on game shows, but we may be closer than you think.

CNN's Tom Foreman looks at one show where the candidates are buying a lot more than vowels.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Those are some of the most important words in politics these days, because all three presidential contenders are spending big to advertise on the "Wheel."

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is not like "Price Is Right." You are not going to get a big prize. FOREMAN: Obama has dropped more than $1 million on "Wheel," Clinton almost $815,000, McCain more than $167,000. And CNN media consultant Evan Tracey has a clue why.

EVAN TRACEY, CNN MEDIA CONSULTANT: It's a very good way to reach average American voters. This is when they're winding down. They have either had dinner or they're eating in front of the TV. They have got their kids are off to bed. They're getting ready to start their evening of television watching.

FOREMAN: Like real estate, the issue is location.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... joins us with a check of your forecast.

What a difference in today.

FOREMAN: What campaigns want most is ads during local newscasts. They have spent collectively almost $37 million there to reach audiences loaded with likely voters.

TRACEY: It's like oceanfront real estate. If you can afford it, you buy it.

FOREMAN: But, in key states during primary season, that ad time sells out. So candidates buy the next best thing, ads in talk shows, game shows and sitcoms that air near the news.

For Clinton and Obama, that means big buys in "Oprah." Yes, Oprah endorsed Obama, but millions of women watch, and not all will follow her lead politically.

FOREMAN: And, for McCain, "Jeopardy" is the answer to the question: After "Oprah," where do I spend my campaign cash?

(on camera): You may wonder why they're not all duking it out in prime time. Well, even for big-time politicos, that's expensive.

(voice-over): So, perhaps it is no wonder that, right now, Obama, with by far the most money, is outspending Clinton in prime time well over 2-1.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Will there be more money for screening, special schools and health care? What the presidential hopefuls are saying about the mysterious disorder called autism.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: You probably use your cell phone a lot, like many of us, and never really think twice about it. Here's a question though, will you ever see a surgeon general's health warning on the side of your cell phone? Well, maybe not, but a well-respected Australian neurosurgeon has released a research paper, get this, equating cell phone usage to the dangers of cigarettes. He says brain cancer triggered by cell phone radiation could one day overtake smoking as a leading public health danger. Cell phone use could overtake smoking as a leading cancer danger.

Now his report suggests using a cell phone for a decade or more could double your brain cancer risk. The cell phone industry disputes the findings, and the American Cancer Society warns against equating the dangers of cell phone usage with smoking.

Also, CPR just got a little easier. The American Heart Association says you can skip the month-to-month in cardiac arrest cases. New guidelines urge rapid deep presses on or -- mouth-to- mouth, I should say. They urge rapid deep presses on the chest of a suspected heart attack victim instead of that mouth-to-mouth.

Now, experts hope the change will encourage bystanders to jump in and help. Since the hands-only CPR method is easier to remember, it takes away the ick factor of breathing into a stranger's mouth. Mouth-to-mouth would still be need for children or for drowning victims.

KEILAR: Health care is a big issue on the campaign trail, but what about autism? We are focusing on this mysterious disorder this week. Experts say more funding is need to understand it and to help parents whose children have it. Where do the candidates stand?

Here is our Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: John McCain caused quite a stir when he linked autism to the childhood vaccines.

MCCAIN: There are strong evidence that indicates it has got to do with a preservative in vaccines.

GUPTA: That's a widely held view, but mainstream scientists say it's wrong. Mainly because the preservatives Senator McCain referred to is no longer used in vaccines, and the autism rate is still going up. A few days later, McCain backed off.

MCCAIN: And we don't know what's causing the increase in autism.

GUPTA: But, the episode showed that autism can be an election issue.

OBAMA: It is reaching epidemic proportions.

GUPTA: All the candidates say they would fund more research into what might be making children sick. But Democrats say they would make sure insurance companies cover therapy for children with autism by not allowing it to be a classified as a pre-existing condition.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Something is causing this.

GUPTA: Senator Clinton also promises to create a special task force to identify which treatments work best. And said she wants to provide care to families faster once a child has been diagnosed.

CLINTON: We've got to have services available so families can know there is some help there.

GUPTA: Like Clinton, Senator Obama says he'll give more money to schools for screening to make sure children with autism are diagnosed early, and to improve special education classes.

OBAMA: And what I've said is we are going to start fully funding special education.

GUPTA: In fact, when it comes to education for children with autism, the candidates basically agree.

MCCAIN: I will do everything in my power to try to help find the cause and to help with the education, so that these young people can lead useful lives and contribute to our society.

GUPTA: McCain says he would promote early screening and research to find effective treatments for autism. Of course, without a known cause or a cure, autism will be a daunting challenge for the next four years and beyond.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Tomorrow is World Autism Awareness Day. CNN brings you a special report on autism at noon Eastern. That is Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. Eastern.

You can read more about autism online at CNN.com. You can share your personal stories, also send in an i-report. You can learn more about this mysterious illness. We have a virtual resource center there for you. Just go to CNN.com/autism.

Amazingly intricate artwork that's attracted an international following all of it created by a talented man who has autism. Tomorrow in the CNN NEWSROOM, you are going to meet artist Steven Wiltshire as he gives us a tour of his London gallery, and shares what it's like to live with autism.

LEMON: Well, we saw a rally on Wall Street and it's still holding, 312 points the DOW up now. We're going to check in with our Susan Lisovicz in just a little bit to give as breakdown. Why is this happening? We have record high gas prices, and you know the economic mess we are in. Still, a rally on Wall Street.

Also, making a budget and sticking to it. It is not easy, but in these tough economic times it just might be necessary. We'll give you a how-to.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Wow, that's a great song. If you're a frequent flyer, or travel with a pet, or book your ticket over the phone, get ready to pay more if you're flying Delta. The airline's imposing a bunch of new or higher fees that go into effect today. They're trying to make up for soaring fuel prices.

They include a $25 handling fee for booking certain frequent flier tickets over the phone. The fee for taking a pet in the cabin goes up from $75 to $100, and the oversized bag fee is now $150 up from $100. Kind of outrageous, isn't it? Earlier, United Airlines and Northwest raised some fees, as well.

KEILAR: Hawaii's Aloha Airlines says it comes down to numbers. But that is little consolation to the 1,900 Aloha workers who are out of a job after the airline shut down passenger service. Some of them actually confronted President David Banmiller Monday as he came out of bankruptcy court, accusing him of not doing enough to save the 61- year-old inter-island carrier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What matters is that inner island people will have work. Mathematics? Screw mathematics.

DAVID BANMILLER, PRESIDENT ALOHA AIRLINES: I'm not going to get into this (ph) with you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of course, you are not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Aloha says it tried to save its passenger service, but couldn't find investors to refresh its dwindling cash supply. It also blames rising fuel prices and competition. State officials asked a bankruptcy judge to keep Aloha from shutting down passenger service, but the judge said that decision was up to the airline.

LEMON: Remember we told you about Terminal Five, at London's Heathrow Airport? Had a big live shot there was opening, much expected. Well, five days after it's opening, Terminal Five at that airport is still mired in baggage backlogs and delays. British Airways says about 20,000 -- 20,000 pieces have piled up after a failure in the high tech baggage system.

Now, the scene today, oh it's calmer thanks to dozens -- more flight cancellations that kept passengers numbers down. Otherwise, it would have been more bags sort of going who knows where. British officials called the situation at the $8 billion terminal a national embarrassment.

KEILAR: Hostile screeners, uncooperative passengers all too often part of the airport experience. Kind of unfortunate, but it's no wonder some people -- they get a little nervous in those lines. Rejoice, because now the Transportation Security Administration has new plans aimed at keeping you calm and safe at the airport. CNN's Jeanne Meserve has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mellow music, cool spectrum lighting, snappy graphics all aimed at making checkpoints calmer so an agitated terrorist will stand out in the crowd. And there will be more employees in front of the checkpoints, studying behavior, hopefully picking those terrorists out.

RANDALL LARSEN, AUTHOR: "OUR OWN WORST ENEMY": Our technology will not allow us to detect many types of bombs today, so the best way to find a bomb is by looking in the eyes of the bomber. And so, we want to get those TSA people out there.

MESERVE: You will still need to take off your shoes, strip off your belt and take out your laptop. But now, there's a counter where you can get organized: plastic bags for liquids provided, more sophisticated bag screening machines will automatically recycle empty bins and divert bags that need a closer look instead of tying up the line. Some travelers will be asked to step into a body-scanning machine.

(on camera): And how do you pick the people who go through?

ELLEN HOWE, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMIN.: Well, we don't tell you that part.

MESERVE (voice-over): If you are uncomfortable with the intimate image the machine provides, you can opt for a patdown. Posters will even introduce you to the screeners who are getting new training on how to deal with travelers, even uncooperative and abusive ones.

A former head of security at Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport says the TSA is right to try to get the public on its side.

RAFI RON, NEW AGE SECURITY SOLUTIONS: Our work is easier because then they cooperate, they do what we ask them to do and they actually help us to do what we are there to achieve.

MESERVE: But Teri Watson, a frequent traveler is skeptical.

TERI WATSON, TRAVELER: Window dressing, window dressing.

MESERVE (on camera): It's not going to improve the things that you think need to be improved?

WATSON: No, I think staffing is the No. a thing, having ample lines is another.

MESERVE: The first of these checkpoints will be rolled out this spring at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. And then, officials will see if it delivers what they hope, improves security and a better travel experience.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Barack Obama goes bowling for votes and ends up in the gutter. Our Jeanne Moos will have the highlights for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: It is opening day at the ballpark, again, at least for two teams, that is. St. Louis was hosting Colorado yesterday and leading 5-1 in the third when the rains came. They're going to try again tonight. And the Yankees' home opener, their last in Yankee Stadium was also a washout last night. They're going to play the Toronto Blue Jays tonight, weather permitting, of course.

And Jacqui Jeras, what are the chances that this is going to go ahead?

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: All right, Jacqui and Brianna, and you know, people at home as well. Remember that shot from a few months back when Barack Obama was playing basketball in South Carolina? We were there, as a matter of fact.

KEILAR: Is he good? Is he OK?

LEMON: And actually -- oh, he was ...

KEILAR: OK.

LEMON: We're going to show it to you. But it was great. He came over and talked to us live right after that shot.

Well, maybe he should stick with hoops and stay away from bowling because -- well, our Jeanne Moos will tell you why.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Talk about gutter politics. Barack Obama went bowling for votes in Pennsylvania at the Pleasant Valley Bowling Range. But it was most pleasant for the press, writing snarky headlines like "Spare us" and "Obama's striking bowling blunder." In seven frames, he bowled a measly 37. Somebody give that candidate one of those kiddie bowling ramps. When he finally got a spare, it sparked a chant.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes, I can!

MOOS: Such are the perils of candidates "they're just like us" campaigning, connecting with voters by eating hot dogs and drinking beer, bottle-feeding a calf. That experience led the eloquent Obama to rhapsodize ...

OBAMA: She chowed that sucker down. MOOS: But at least the senator was spared from wearing what the herd wore, not the herd of cows, the herd of press, forced to wear plastic booties so they wouldn't track in germs to that might hurt the cows. How did the candidate avoid looking like a Hazmat worker in his germ-free footwear?

OBAMA: I bought some new shoes, got them out of the carton.

MOOS: Shoes the senator should have given the boot to with a size 12 bowling shoes and what did inspire what became a quotation of the day, "My economic plan is better than my bowling."

So is his basketball.

(CHEERING)

MOOS: Some praised his bad bowling. "Good, I'd hate to elect a president that was good at bowling." Notice the attached photo of a former president. And good bowlers have gotten knocked out of the race like so many pins. Go ahead and criticize. "Good God, he bowls like a ninny."

(on camera): Yes, well, Obama may bowl like a ninny, but at least he didn't get booed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president of the United States.

(BOOING)

MOOS: ESPN mics picked up raucous booing as President Bush threw out the first pitch at Washington, D.C.'s new stadium, though there was a murmur of approval ...

(CHEERING)

MOOS: ...at the president's relatively strong pitch.

And so what if bowling isn't right up Senator Obama's alley? He used body language to will the ball in the right direction, we were bowled over by the Obama gutter step.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxantshop.com