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President Bush to Announce Shorter Combat Tours for Troops; More Passengers Left Stranded After Canceled Flights; Severe Weather Strikes Midwest

Aired April 10, 2008 - 10:00   ET

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

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Brianna Keilar.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris. Stay informed all day at the CNN NEWSROOM.

Here's what's on the rundown.

Dangerous times across the heartland. A big storm system may fuel a tornado outbreak today.

KEILAR: President Bush set to announce shorter combat tours for American troops in Iraq. We got live coverage ahead.

HARRIS: Lining up to wait it out. American Airlines leaves thousands of travelers stranded again today, Thursday, April 10.

You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

KEILAR: Waking up to disaster. Devastation this morning after vicious killer storms, tornadoes, flooding, even potential blizzards. It's a deadly mix.

CNN meteorologist, Rob Marciano, following all of the extreme news. But first, check out the scene in Dallas overnight. What is in store for today? Well, let's head straight now to Rob.

I mean, Rob, it seems like the only thing that we are not worrying about here is a hurricane.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

KEILAR: Flooding, tornadoes, blizzard.

MARCIANO: Yes. It's all-encompassing storm. You know, April, it's a big transitional month. It is prime time for severe weather. And it's still early enough to pull down some cold air from Canada. That's really the main reason you get such turbulent weather is because you get that cloud, air mass. So, you got snow here, you got low there. You got problems down to the south. Forgive me for reading some of these things fresh off the wire.

These are tornado watches that are in effect. Inside these tornado watches, it is possible if not likely to get tornadoes pop out if you get the right thunderstorms to develop. We're trying to get some stuff out of Texas and just when we had that done, extreme northeast parts of Texas, tornadoes dropping out of the clouds here. This is Miller County, southwestern parts of Arkansas.

And this just increased from the last what -- you can see the radar being cut through the -- there is the latest one. And you can see the imagery upgrade here. This swirl, this corkscrew is what the Doppler sees as a circulation within the clouds.

If you could query that. Try to pop that up. And this computer has the ability to not only show that but to track this circulation and show you exactly where it is going the tracking 45 to 50 miles an hour. The number of people in the path of this storm are 6,356 population-wise. Next up is Garland, 9:08 -- 9:21, is Stamps.

And then Patmos, it's 9:24. This tightened impact is basically a scale of zero to ten. Ten being the worst. So, that basically says that it's likely that there is a tornado on the ground. You know, on a scale of one to ten, it is a three percent likelihood. But we have gotten reports there would be one on the ground.

So, it's just a matter of how big that tornado is. This just in from public information. Officers saying that yes, tornado was located on the ground. About 13 miles southeast of Texarkana, moving northeast at 45 miles an hour.

So, you folks that live in Miller County, and this is Lafayette County, you are going want to take cover until this storm gets out of your neighborhood. All right, here's a wider picture. Little Rock under the gun here as is much of southern parts of Missouri.

And you folks are seeing some heavy rainfall in areas that doesn't need any more heavy rainfall. There's also been a couple of tornado warnings posted here. No confirmation of that on the ground. But there are flash flood watches out for a good chunk of southern parts of Arkansas.

Here's the northern fringe of the system, blizzard, middle of April. Come on. Give me a break. Southeastern parts of South Dakota into the arrowhead of Minnesota, that's what you can expect later on today. Blowing snow, is what we're seeing at Denver, Colorado.

You're seeing snow right now -- 30 degrees, KUSA, thanks for that shot. A little wide on the Mile High City. You go up in the mountains, you get 10 to 20 inches coming your way. My goodness, winter just not want to quit for Colorado. Hopefully, it will solve some water problems out there.

All right, severe thunderstorms are past beyond looking today in through tomorrow. Strong thunderstorms could very well push into Ohio and western Pennsylvania.

But right now, guys, again, Miller County and then into Lafayette County, and southwestern parts of Arkansas, there has been a report of a tornado on the ground. Those folks certainly want to take cover and get the most interior part of your home and bring some blankets in and just dock down.

KEILAR: And keep CNN on and keep listening to your weather radio. That's your best friend today, right?

MARCIANO: Absolutely.

KEILAR: Rob, thanks.

HARRIS: How about a closer look at some of the devastation people are waking up to this morning? A huge cleanup job for the small town of Breckenridge, Texas. Look at this. Cars flipped over like toys here. The sheriff says that it could have been a lot worse. And at least no one there was killed.

Thousands lost electricity in the storm and an Oklahoma woman died when her car skidded off the road in heavy rains. Several people have been treated for storm related injuries. Flooding is the problem in the deep south. The Mississippi River is still rising.

Tim Vasquez is with us on the phone. He is the police chief of San Angelo, Texas.

Chief, good to talk to you. Thanks for your time.

TIM VASQUEZ, POLICE CHIEF, SAN ANGELO, TEXAS: You bet.

HARRIS: Hey, orient us if, you would, please, on the map. I just did a quick Google map search here. You are south and west of Dallas and west and north of Austin. Is that correct?

VASQUEZ: That's correct.

HARRIS: OK. How badly was your town hit? I believe this was in the overnight hours, maybe even as early as yesterday evening.

VASQUEZ: Yes, just after midnight we had a very intense thunderstorm come in and we were fortunate that it was only an isolated part of an industrial area in our city.

HARRIS: All right. We're looking at pictures of Breckenridge. So at least while we have these pictures up, how close are you to Breckenridge?

VASQUEZ: We are probably about an hour and a half west of Breckenridge.

HARRIS: OK. So let's take it back to your town of San Angelo. Any injuries to report?

VASQUEZ: No. We were very fortunate. We did have an 18-wheeler flip over and a couple of accidents caused by the high winds but nobody was injured.

HARRIS: I've heard some descriptions of cars being flipped. Is that accurate?

VASQUEZ: Yes, that is accurate.

HARRIS: Wow. VASQUEZ: We had a truck tractor trailer that was in the parking lot of one of the warehouses here in town that was flipped over on its side.

HARRIS: Any structures damaged?

VASQUEZ: Yes. We have some major structural damage to a manufacturing company here, that manufactures shoes, the roof was completely torn off. A lot of their trees were uprooted. We believe that the winds were estimated about 75 miles per hour with some golf ball-sized hail.

HARRIS: Golf ball sized hail. Give us a sense of how many people live in the town of San Angelo.

VASQUEZ: In our metropolitan area, we have about 106,000 people.

HARRIS: Did you have to move any folks out?

VASQUEZ: No. Fortunately we did not have to move anybody out. We did get into a tornado warning and our warning system went off on two occasions. And it was after the second occasion that the storm hits our community.

HARRIS: Bottom line is did you feel like you had enough warning that a storm was coming?

VASQUEZ: Absolutely. The National Weather Service did an outstanding job here last night.

HARRIS: Tim, appreciate it. Thanks for your time this morning. Tim Vasquez is the police chief of San Angelo, Texas.

KEILAR: Another major story that we are following. Airline passengers in limbo. Yes, for the third day in a row. American Airlines canceling hundreds of its flights this morning. And our Deb Feyerick is at La Guardia Airport in New York.

What are you hearing there, Deb? I imagine some unhappy folks for sure.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a lot of unhappy folks. A lot of people had to change their plans altogether. Some had hour-long delays, others overnight here and now they are making their way to wherever it was they were supposed to arrive at yesterday. Now, American Airlines does tell CNN that it has completed work on many of the planes that were grounded.

However, the spokesperson was wary to give us an actual number saying instead they are waiting for FAA inspectors to sign off on the planes. Still, 900 flights grounded again today, the third day in a row. The big hubs that were affected, of course, are La Guardia, Chicago O'Hare, also, Dallas-Ft. Worth. Those have servicing cities all across this country.

Now, if you look at the arrival and the departure board behind me, the cancellations listed in yellow. On the departure side, a number of them. On arrivals, what I'm noticing is that there are a number of delays. So, that is really out of whack in terms of what you normally see when you arrive at an airport.

A lot of people, boy they say that it really left a bitter taste.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's just no organization here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have been here over an hour and no one told us anything.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have to spend the night. I can't get out until tomorrow. My luggage is on its way to Detroit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need to get to LaField (ph) in the next 30 minutes or we are really in trouble.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Now, the problem is the wires in wheel well. Those can short-circuit and cause a fire or even an explosion. And the airline was supposed to make sure that all of those were in compliance. They had not. That's what they are racing to do now, racing effectively against the clock. And American Airlines acknowledged this meltdown was really unacceptable.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN GARTON, AMERICAN AIRLINES: We are, you know, extremely sorry for this great inconvenience. We are humbled by the loyalty of our customers. And we are very, very disappointed to ever let them down. And we know how difficult this has been. Whether you are on a leisure trip or business trip, this kind of interruption is truly unacceptable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Now, American Airlines was helped out in part by other carriers who were trying to honor the tickets the people had. American Airlines itself was making hotel reservations and providing accommodation. Also providing food and just trying to make things a little bit easier. The line today definitely not as long as they were over the last day or two.

That means things are getting a little bit back on track here, at least, here at La Guardia Airport. But it also means that people knowing what the situation was made sure to take steps so that they weren't stuck or stranded -- Brianna.

KEILAR: And Deb, today is day three, what's up with tomorrow? Is there going to be a day four of this?

FEYERICK: You know, unclear right now. A spokesperson really waiting to let us know exactly how many planes have been approved by the inspectors so that they can resume travel. So, again, a lot of uncertainty. But at least if people know about it they can a make plans. And that puts them in a better frame of mind, certainly.

KEILAR: Certainly. All right. Deb Feyerick for us at La Guardia Airport. Thanks for that.

And all of those safety inspections that we heard about from Deb, those passenger delays, they're grabbing the attention not just of you people out there flying but also the Senate Commerce Committee. Right now, as we speak FAA officials are getting grilled about what went wrong.

Later this morning, we'll hear from some of the lawmakers about a passenger bill of rights. It aims to make sure that airlines don't keep you trapped on a runway for hours without food, without water and the worse, right, without clean restrooms. Just terrible.

And this just in. According to the Associated Press, Midwest Airlines is now grounding planes and canceled flights to reinspect a wiring harness. We are working to confirm this story and find out just how many flights are affected.

HARRIS: President Bush addresses the nation this morning on Iraq. Live now to White House correspondent Elaine Quijano.

Elaine, good morning to you. What can we expect?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning to you, Tony.

An acknowledgement of the incredible pressures on the U.S. military, President Bush this morning in his speech here at the White House. We will talk about cutting down the combat tours of duty from 15 months to 12 months but only for troops starting to deploy come August 1st.

Now, in addition, in his remarks, the President will also sign off on the recommendation by his top U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, a recommendation for a 45-day period of assessment. The White House calls it a pause essentially in the troop draw down numbers. Now, that would mean that some 140,000 troops will remain in Iraq indefinitely.

Now, this morning, the President had breakfast with General Petraeus as well as a top diplomat, U.S. diplomat in Iraq, Ambassador Ryan Crocker. This, of course, on the heels of their congressional testimony this week.

Now, interesting to note, Tony, that unlike last September, after they first testified, the White House decided this time around not to have the President address the nation in primetime. Instead, the President again making his remarks 11:30 Eastern time. We are told they it likely last about 12 to 15 minutes -- Tony.

HARRIS: Thank you. Elaine Quijano following this for us at the White House. Elaine, appreciate it. Thank you. Important news for military families. President Bush, again, an announcement on combat tours. Live this morning -- 11:30 a.m. Eastern time right here in the NEWSROOM.

KEILAR: Terrorism and the Olympics. China says it has uncovered a plot targeting the upcoming summer games in Beijing. China says that terrorists plan to kidnap athletes and attack tourist hotels. At least 35 people are under arrest right now. China says it found poison, explosives and what it calls jihadist propaganda.

It is blaming a separatist group in a predominantly Muslim province and some human rights groups though are questioning China's claim. They say China could be exaggerating the threat to further tamp down dissent.

The Olympic torch and the heat being felt around the world for sure. The latest off San Francisco, the only North American city on the torch's route to China. And once again, the torch ignited more scuffles between supporters of China and then those protesting the country's human rights records, that forced last-minute changes for the torch run.

Some people, they waited hours on the original route. This is kind of sad only to find out they were totally out of luck. Missed the torch. Even the planned closing ceremony yesterday at the waterfront was canceled. And instead it was moved to San Francisco International Airport. The flame was then placed on a flame and it wasn't displayed.

HARRIS: A pop star sings praises and raises cash for Hillary Clinton and a hypothetical match up in the presidential race. Dan Lothian has our political roundup this morning. He is with the CNN Election Express in Philadelphia.

Dan, good morning.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.

I guess, we could call it the battle of the dream ticket. You know, there has been so much talk this week about on the Republican side, the ticket being Senator John McCain and Secretary of State Rice. Well, a new poll shows that this might be a good thing for the Republicans at least in the state of New York.

This is a Marist College WNBC poll and it shows that if you have the Rice-McCain ticket matched up against Clinton and Obama they would win by three points -- 49 percent to 46 percent. If that same match up is against Obama-Clinton then Republicans again win by five points at 49 percent to 44 percent.

Tony, though, this of course is really an exercise for now because as we know Secretary Rice said she's not interested in being on the ticket. Now, both of the Democrats will be campaigning again here in the state of Pennsylvania today.

But last night, Senator Clinton was in New York at a fund-raiser with Elton John where her campaign says she was able to raise more than $2.5 million. And Senator Clinton there was telling her supporters that she's in the race until the end.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There is so much love and so much support and there's so much enthusiasm. But I cannot express to you in words. They fail me and I sure can't sing. But what I want you to know is I'm still standing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LOTHIAN: As for Senator Obama, he has really been able to put the whole controversy over Reverend Wright behind him. But the controversy again at least in the form of a question did come to the surface yesterday while he was campaigning here in Pennsylvania pen at a town hall meet when someone asked this question.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Senator Clinton is a good person. She's a hard-working senator. She is a smart person. But she doesn't see the problem with lobbyists in Washington. And my attitude is, look, let me tell you, this is why I decided not to take money from lobbyists. Because I don't want to just be the Democratic version of what we have right now. I want to completely change what's going on in Washington. Because that's how we will change America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LOTHIAN: OK. That was Obama, obviously talking about change in Washington. But both of the campaigns also were focusing yesterday on the economy and talking specifically about how they understand that voters are paying more at the grocery store, more to put gas in their cars. Really talking about how many people here in the state of Pennsylvania have lost jobs.

This is an issue that is really important to voters here. In particular, those white working class voters. It's a group that both of the campaigns are really going after -- Tony.

HARRIS: Dan, paying more than ever before in fact. Dan Lothian with the CNN Election Express in Philadelphia. Dan, good to see you. Thanks.

KEILAR: We have been talking about the travel nightmare for flyers today.

HARRIS: Yes.

KEILAR: Because American Airlines has canceled hundreds of flights, 900 flights today. This is day number three of this. And we're getting some new information right now. We got Ken Capps, he is the spokesperson for DFW, Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport, which of course is an American hub. And Ken, can you just tell us what's being done for passengers today.

VOICE OF KEN CAPPS, DALLAS FORT WORTH AIRPORT: Well, you're right. We are in the midst of day three. And it has been quite a challenge for us.

But we've got, -- we are doing everything from our concessionaires handing out coffee and pastries and the ticket lines, as people try to get rebooked. We've had restaurants open 24 hours a day. So, people that had to stay in the terminals, could get something to eat. And the TSAs even kept their checkpoints open all night so people can get in and out.

So, it's definitely been something that, you know, we can't control what's going on as far as what's going on with the airplanes but we can try to control the environment in our terminal and try to keep everybody as comfortable as possible.

KEILAR: Obviously, you know, this problem stems for American Airlines. As you are with the airport, two completely separate entities. But what advice do you have for passengers coming to an airport like DFW or even a regional hub for American?

CAPPS: Well, it's the thing, I mean, the nationwide dilemma that everybody is in right now. So, the most important thing you can do is just check the Web site of the airline or you can go to our Web site, dfw.com and we track all the flights in and out of DFW itself.

And you know, American is trying to do the best they can to rebook folks and to get everybody where they need go. But we have a nationwide problem like this, it takes a few days to get sorted out.

KEILAR: All right. Ken Capps, the spokesperson for DFW airport. We really appreciate that you're taking the time to be with us, sir.

HARRIS: Well, you know, he didn't hold back. Barack Obama strongly criticized the Iraq war while questioning the top U.S. commander in Iraq. But what's Obama's plan? We will talk to his top foreign policy adviser.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Good morning again, everyone. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

I'm Tony Harris.

They boarded their dog, the kennel sent a different one home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got five kids. She is like the sixth kid. And everybody wants the dog back

(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: Callie, come on home. Come on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: We have been trying to nail down exactly what plan White House candidates have for Iraq. They put their question yesterday to the top U.S. commander in Iraq. And now the presidential campaigns are taking our questions. You've heard from the Clinton and the McCain camps we are going to turn now to Senator Barack Obama.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I continue to believe the original decision to go into Iraq was a massive strategic blunder. That the two problems that you pointed out, al Qaeda and Iraq, and increased Iranian influence in the region are a direct result of that original decision. That's not a decision you gentlemen made. I won't lay it at your feet. You are cleaning up the mess afterwards.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Obama's senior foreign policy adviser, Susan Rice, joining us live now from Washington.

Susan, thanks for taking the time to be with us.

SUSAN RICE, OBAMA'S SENIOR FOREIGN POLICY ADVISER: Good to be with you, Brianna.

KEILAR: So, your candidate, Senator Barack Obama, is in favor of an eventual draw down. Let's talk specifics here, how fast, how many troops, under what conditions?

RICE: Well, Senator Obama views situation in Iraq as having left us less safe. He thinks our military commitment there is unsustainable and it is preventing us from taking the necessary action we must in Afghanistan where al Qaeda and the Taliban are resurging. So, his plan is as follows. He would begin immediately upon assuming the presidency to begin the responsible withdrawal of our forces.

Military experts believe that we can safely redeploy our forces at the rate of one to two combat brigades a month. At that pace, Senator Obama has set a timetable of roughly 16 months to withdraw our combat forces from Iraq. So he has been very specific and he said unlike Senator Clinton who won't set a timeline and unlike Senator McCain who is happy for us to stay there indefinitely, that we need to use the fact of our withdrawal to put the political pressure on the Iraqi party that has been lacking so that they are catalyzed to achieve a political reconciliation which is Iraq's only hope for lasting security and stability.

KEILAR: Does Senator Obama have a goal for when all troops would be out or is there an expected that there would be, obviously, a continuing troop, U.S. troop presence in Iraq?

RICE: Right now, Brianna, our combat forces are essentially policing Iraq's civil war. That has got to end. So, his plan focuses in the first instance on responsibly removing our combat forces at a pace that will be safe for our forces.

KEILAR: But would - I'm sorry to interrupt you, but would some troops remain in the end?

RICE: I'm trying to answer that. Yes. He would leave behind a presence to protect our embassy and civilian employees who continue to do reconstruction and to engage in targeted counter terrorism operations against al Qaeda in Iraq. Senator McCain has said we will stay there in large force levels indefinitely.

And Senator Clinton has described a much longer term mission and a much broader residual mission to include having our forces in Iraq be deployed in a fashion that can affect Iran's behavior as well as her surrogate said yesterday a long-term stabilization presence for the Middle East and to go after other non-al Qaeda terrorist entities in the region.

So, there is a significant difference here between Senator Obama's conception of what would be the residual missions and Senator Clinton's and indeed, of course, Senator McCain.

KEILAR: And I think whether there is military commitment isn't the only concern of Americans. I think they want to know about a monetary commitment as well. At this point, I think it is about $40 billion U.S. taxpayer dollars that's been spent on reconstruction.

And would there still be a monetary commitment to Iraq even if there isn't so much military commitment under Barack Obama's plan?

RICE: The monetary commitment needs to be much reduced. The reality is that Iraq is pumping oil and oil is at $110 a barrel. As of yesterday, and they have significant resources that they ought to be directing to their own reconstruction. That they haven't been. This is a matter of significant concern.

And we have spent, I think, $45 billion on reconstruction efforts. And it is long pastime that the Iraqis assume the bulk of that burden.

KEILAR: And how would Barack Obama ensure that Iraqis do assume that burden? Because up until now, if you look at the numbers in terms of what the Iraqis have spent, it is very small compared to what Americans have spent.

RICE: Yes, it is. But we can control what we spent. What President Bush has done is pump billions and billions and billions of dollars in. Without regard to the Iraqi performance. He hasn't tied it yet directly to whether the Iraqis are spending a significant share of their own resources. We can do that. That's very easy to do. To link our own contributions to the Iraqi budgetary outlays. We will do that.

KEILAR: All right. Senator Barack Obama's foreign -- senior foreign policy adviser, Susan Rice. Susan, thanks for taking the time. Appreciate it.

RICE: Good to be with you.

KEILAR: And President Bush will be addressing the nation on this topic on Iraq. His speech, a major speech, set to begin at 11:30 that is Eastern time. Here this morning in the CNN NEWSROOM, 8:30 Pacific. Of course, we're going to have it live.

HARRIS: Is your retirement getting closer or further out of reach? We will tell how to protect your nest egg in this sour economy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Campus rage, a plot to attack a high school halted. Lessons Virginia Tech a year after the massacre ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Hi there, you're in the CNN NEWSROOM. And I'm Brianna Keilar.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. Good morning, everyone.

Will you retire comfortably? You know, the number of Americans now confident of that has really dipped to its lowest level in seven years. How can you keep your retirement on track?

There she is. CNN's ...

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, there.

HARRIS: ...Gerri, good morning to you.

WILLIS: Good morning, Tony.

HARRIS: You know, what's the first step? Let's get right down to basics here. What is the first step to securing our retirement?

WILLIS: Well, you need to know what you're saving for, right. How much money are you going to need when you go into retirement? Are you sitting down, Tony?

HARRIS: Yes, yes, I am.

WILLIS: OK. Some experts say ...

HARRIS: Oh boy.

WILLIS: ...that you should take your final salary, that's the salary you'll have right before retirement and multiply that by 10. So, think about that. Yes, seems like a lot of money, doesn't it?

HARRIS: Oh, that's -- I wish it were a bigger number, but it's a big number. Yes, it's a lot.

WILLIS: I mean, that's your savings. But keep in mind, you need to account for how much you've already saved plus what your costs are in retirement. And you may not need as much money in retirement as you do when you're working.

Go to the calculators at CNNmoney.com and bankrate.com to make sure you're on track. I know that's a big number, but that gives you a goal in mind to start saving towards.

HARRIS: Hey, for all of us, that's a big number when you think about it.

WILLIS: Yes.

HARRIS: For all of us.

WILLIS: Yes.

HARRIS: Hey, look, with the turmoil in the markets right now, and boy, we've been talking about this ...

WILLIS: Right.

HARRIS: ...for months and months on end now. What's your advice for people who are sitting back and watching the value of their 401(k) just diminish before their eyes?

WILLIS: Right, well, we're all doing that.

HARRIS: Yes.

WILLIS: But you know, look, you can't afford to adjust your 401(k) asset allocations to favor more conservative investments. Short-term market moves, down turns, they are completely normal. You do need to check up on your portfolio and examine what kinds of investments you have and how they're doing.

But don't, don't stay on the sidelines and stop investing in stocks altogether. Look, Tony, even if you're close to retirement, you want to have some of your portfolio in stock ...

HARRIS: Yes, yes.

WILLIS: ...because if you don't, you run the risk of outliving your money. Because look, even -- if you're retiring at 60, 65, you can live to be 80, 85, 90. That's a lot of time to save for.

HARRIS: OK, we're investing in these mutual funds and OK, we're buying stocks through the mutual funds. I get all that. But what can we do about the fees on some of these funds?

WILLIS: Yes, this is the hidden got you. Fees could really eat into your returns. Look for the expense ratio, that's what'll explain it to you. This is the actual amount that a fund takes out of its assets each year to cover expenses.

HARRIS: Yes.

WILLIS: Now, according to Morningstar, the average expense ratio of say, a balance fund is a little less than one percent. So, if you have $10,000 invested, your fees are $900. But make sure to look at the focus of the quality of the fund. You got to make sure you're not paying too much for the kind of return you're getting.

HARRIS: And Gerri, don't stop there. Let's talk about the fees on 401(k)s.

WILLIS: Yes, this is ugly. You know, 401(k) fees -- Congress is really looking at this now. Hearings last year were held on whether hey, are these fees too high or hidden too much? As a general rule, your 401(k) fee should not be more than 1.5 percent a year.

Keep in mind, expense ratios and target retirement funds are even higher. We talk a lot about those, they're expensive. If you don't know what fees you're paying, ask your plan administrator or your HR representative and you can always complain.

The bottom line here, the keys to retirement success, putting your money in the right places, asset allocation, stay in the market a long time, long-term investment horizon and bargain basement low fees ...

HARRIS: Nice.

WILLIS: ...for where you're investing.

HARRIS: Great tips, great tips.

You know, I know we're spending a lot of time talking about "ISSUE #1," that great program that you and the money team are working on at noon every day now. But I don't want to lose sight of the other great show you're associated with, and that's "OPEN HOUSE." Will you please give us a preview of this weekend's "OPEN HOUSE."

WILLIS: Absolutely, we love "OPEN HOUSE." OK, we're going to bring you latest on the housing stimulus bill. You know, the Senate's voting about now I think on their housing stimulus bill. We'll tell you all about it.

And then, getting rid of your debt on the Internet.

HARRIS: That's terrific. All right, "OPEN HOUSE." What are the times again, Gerri?

WILLIS: OPEN HOUSE is at 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning and if you can't get up for that on Saturday morning, 3:30 p.m. on "Headline News," Saturday and Sunday. So, join us.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

WILLIS: We're talking about the biggest investment you'll ever make.

HARRIS: And "ISSUE #1" at noon Eastern time today.

WILLIS: Noon Eastern right here on CNN. We're talking about all the things that matter to you. HARRIS: All right, Gerri. Good to see you, thanks.

WILLIS: My pleasure.

KEILAR: Cadets on a mission.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What better way to understand someone than by going and living with them and being with them and experiencing their culture.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Training for war while learning about different faiths. West Point's winning the peace program.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Want to tell you about some disturbing new details coming from that polygamous compound that was raided by Texas authorities. Agents there say they found a bed inside the temple where adult men apparently had sex with under-aged girls after wedding ceremonies. According to an affidavit, it was one of several sex beds inside the temple.

Court documents also identified the suspect accused by a 16-year- old girl of beating, choking, and sexually assaulting her after what's called a "spiritual marriage." Authorities are searching for Dale Evans Barlow (ph). He was sentenced before to 45 days in jail in Arizona on charges of conspiracy to have sex with a minor.

Officials say they believe the girl behind the accusations against Barlow may be in protective custody. It was her phone call that led to this raid. Authorities have removed 416 children from the compound and they're hopeful that she is among them.

HARRIS: The army's future leaders learning about cultural differences in Jersey City. This semester, it is a program that is called Winning the Peace.

Here's CNN's Richard Roth.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Prayers at a New Jersey mosque. And among those at the service, the U.S. Army, thirty cadets from the West Point Academy, some soon to serve overseas. This is part after military course called Winning the Peace, getting to know cultures and religions the army will come face- to-face with in less tranquil environments.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why do we cover? Why do Muslim women cover?

MAJ. REBECCA PATTERSON, U.S. ARMY: The Jersey City experience is the first time that they can take what they've read in books and heard from speakers and really conceptualize it in a real-life situation, in a place where there are immense diversities in culture, and religion and ethnicity.

ROTH: Jersey City has a large Muslim population. The cadets tour several of city's multiethnic areas.

AHMED SHEDEED, ISLAMIC CENTER OF JERSEY CITY: We actually know that these cadets, they are going to some of the Islamic countries, and they want to know something about the mosque, how to respect the mosque, how to live in the mosque, what people do in a mosque.

ROTH: No matter location, an army marches on its stomach. In this case Pakistani cuisine. The Army mess hall not missed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a lot more delicious, I've got to say.

ROTH: And a rare opportunity to discuss issues they may soon have to confront.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In our training, we are taught that if you see a man -- like, most of the time, like, the suicide bombers, like, driving cars, are shaved, cleanly shaved men. And, like, is there a significance?

ROTH: Immersion is key to this trip, which means shoes are removed and head covering required for female cadets.

This is not a day trip. The cadets spend two nights sleeping in the mosque.

AARON OWEN, WEST POINT CADET: What better way to understand someone than by going and living with them and being with them, and experiencing their culture.

ROTH: If they want to, the cadets can participate in the services.

BEN HAAS, WEST POINT CADET: In the future when I may be a platoon leader in Iraq or Afghanistan, then, you know, I think I'll have an enhanced ability to relate to people in the community, religious leaders, and leaders in general. And you need that trust in order to get things done.

ROTH: The kind of trust the Army and the Muslim community believe encounters like this promote.

Richard Roth, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Important news for military families. President Bush's announcement on combat tours live at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time, right here, in the CNN NEWSROOM.

KEILAR: Ladies and gentlemen, meet this guy, an honest man, doing the right thing, returning lost cash.

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KEILAR: Well, in Los Angeles, some people call landscaper Eli Estrada just plain crazy. But others, including us here at CNN, right, Tony...

HARRIS: OK.

KEILAR: Yes, we're going to salute him for honesty. Because Estrada -- get this -- He found $140,000 in unmarked $20 bills in the middle of a Southern California street. There it was, in the middle of the street. He called police and he turned the money in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELI ESTRADA, RETURNED LOST MONEY: I fell like I wasn't losing anything because it wasn't mine to begin with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Now the money had been picked up by A brinks armored truck at a bank on March 11. Apparently, though, the guard left the bag on the truck's bumper. Here's the -- I know. Can you believe that? It's amazing. But Brinks here, they showed gratitude. They gave Estrada a $2,000 reward, and this is really going to come in handy, because he's getting married soon, maybe a honeymoon. This could be part of his honeymoon.

HARRIS: Well, there you go. Nice guy.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

KEILAR: Campus rage. A plot to attack a high school halted. Lessons from Virginia Tech a year after the massacre.

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KEILAR: It's been almost a year since the Virginia Tech massacre. And a big question, are college campuses any safer? Are officials better at spotting troubled students?

A CNN special investigation unit documentary tackles those tough questions.

Correspondent Abbie Boudreau has a preview.

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ABBIE BOUDREAU, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sometimes the warning signs are clear.

RICHARD SONNEN, PLANNED SCHOOL ATTACK: I hated myself, I hated them, I hated everybody. I was a sick -- I was a sick man.

BOUDREAU: Richard Sonnen was a would-be teen-aged school shooter from Idaho who was planning to stage another Columbine. He was angry, depressed and bullied.

SONNEN: I wanted to get as much revenge as I could.

BOUDREAU (on-camera): And you were prepared to shoot them?

SONNEN: Yes.

BOUDREAU: And you were prepared to shoot yourself?

SONNEN: Yes.

BOUDREAU: And end it all?

SONNEN: Yes.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): Yet, Richard Sonnen didn't end it all.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is the scene secure and has the gunman been (INAUDIBLE) ?

BOUDREAU: But that wasn't the case for Steven Kazmierczak, whose girlfriend, Jessica Baty says she saw no signs that he would go on his Valentine's Day shooting spree at Northern Illinois University.

He killed five, injured 16, then turned the gun on himself.

JESSICA BATY, NIU GUNMAN'S GIRLFRIEND: He was not abusive towards anybody or anything. Ever. He didn't -- I didn't think he had a violent or aggressive bone in his body. He was just nice. He was a nice guy.

BOUDREAU (on-camera): Listening to you talk, it's almost like he had a double life.

BATY: I -- I don't know how he could have had a double life. I was in his life all the time.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): So how do colleges deal with the growing number of students with mental illness and what more can be done to stop school shootings before they happen again?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Abbie Boudreau joining us now with more on this special, "Campus Rage."

And, you know, it really makes you wonder, why would someone go on camera to talk about having -- wanting -- they wanted to plan something like this?

BOUDREAU: Well, right after NIU, this boy's mother actually called CNN, e-mailed CNN, and said she wanted to talk to us about this. She told us her son plotted to kill his high school classmates. She was afraid he could be violent and if he stopped taking his medication. But Richard Sonnen, who's now almost 19, and his mother, Elaine, thought it was important to talk about warning signs like depression and feeling suicidal. In this case, the signs were clear and Elaine Sonnen was able to stop her son from carrying out a massacre. But in other cases, as you know, it's just not so clear; the Warning signs are just not clear.

KEILAR: Yes, and that makes me wonder, because last year I spent eight days, the day of the shooting at Virginia Tech, and through a week after Virginia Tech. It was clear in the months afterwards that there were red flags, that Sun-Hui Cho had, in a way, fallen through the cracks. Were warnings signs missed here?

BOUDREAU: Well, in a lot of cases, warning signs are ignored. Oftentimes, though, they're going unnoticed. In a way, it makes sense considering experts say there are more students than ever before who are in college and on medication.

With these high numbers, college-counseling centers are having hard time keeping up. They are understaffed and underfunded, which is a huge problem. We will explore those issues in our Special Investigations Unit documentary, which is on Friday.

KEILAR: Yes, Abbie, thanks so much for being with us. And again, that's the documentary "Campus Rage," premiering tomorrow night on CNN at 8:00 Eastern.

HARRIS: And still to come in the NEWSROOM this morning, terror at the Olympics. China says it's uncovered a plot. Beijing scare, in the NEWSROOM.

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HARRIS: OK, a wild truck chase near Charlotte, North Carolina.

Brianna, have you seen these pictures yet?

KEILAR: I have not.

HARRIS: Have a look.

Police say suspected home burglars carjacked a city truck hauling a lawnmower, as you can see here. The truck -- here we go -- jackknifed on the highway, but stayed upright. Three men decided, OK, let's run. Silly. A motorcycle cop caught one. And as you can see, have a couple here. Yes, a sanitation worker comes to the rescue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF GILL, SANITATION TRUCK DRIVER: Two guys were running down the alleyway here and the One state trooper was chasing them. I came out from around the truck. I think I just showed them up enough for the state trooper to apprehend the one guy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Nice work here, huh. A third suspect was caught nearby. Police say they may be responsible for dozens of burglaries.

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