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Veterans and Mental Health; Campaign Appearances; Tornadoes Ravage South
Aired May 03, 2008 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everybody, you are in the CNN NEWSROOM. The news is unfolding live on this Saturday, May 3rd. Good morning, I'm Betty Nguyen.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: And hello everybody, I'm T.J. Holmes. 25 suspected tornados in less than 24 hours. Now the Midwest is bracing for more.
NGUYEN: Gas prices, they are going up. So, is anything coming down?
HOLMES: Also this morning we have this to talk about, the (INAUDIBLE) side affects of treatment. Why military personnel are choosing not to get help for mental illness.
However, we want to start with that severe weather. A severe storm system rolling east today after bringing death and destruction to middle America.
NGUYEN: More than 25 tornados may have touched down Thursday and Friday, storms though moved through Tennessee overnight, bringing heavy rain, strong wind, even hail. But there are no reports so far of any major damage or injuries. Now earlier four tornados hit the Kansas City area leaving hundreds of homes and businesses damaged. Look at this, i-Reporter Tim Kukuk took these pictures of the destruction near Liberty, Missouri. And then there's Arkansas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not normal. We outrank Oklahoma for tornados now. And Arkansas has never seen nothing like this.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Arkansas suffered the most in yesterday's storms. Eight people died and hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed. i- Reporter Allen Smith took these pictures. Ok, I want you to take a look at how close he got to the twister. He took these shots in LePlanto, Arkansas. CNN's Sean Callebs is in the hard hit Arkansas town of Damascus, which is north of Little Rock. And let me make sure I got this right Sean, this is the second twister to hit Damascus in the last three months?
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the last three months. The one previous to this was less than two miles from where we are. If you look behind me, you can see this house, the devastation, how it was picked up slammed right by the road. And as bad as this devastation is, it doesn't tell the whole story. We know about the number of deaths in Arkansas. Well I can tell you less than a quarter mile from where I'm standing right now, a direct hit on a home simply leveled the house and claimed three lives inside. I've had a chance to speak to a lot of people here who knew the family that lived there. Said they were just wonderful people. And the cruel irony is, they apparently had a storm cellar out back and either didn't get enough notice to try and get out of the home into the storm cellar for some other reason didn't make it inside. That has a lot of people today really second guessing what's going on here. We know people did get a warning, but how much warning do you really good when a tornado comes to an area? We know they come through so very quickly. Well I can tell you that there are dozens of people out all up and down this road where we are trying to do some cleanup and I want to bring in a gentleman now to join us now, Bill Diles. Bill come on in here for a minute. We've seen you out here with your chainsaw, you and some other folks are out here doing what you can to clean up this debris but you don't live anywhere near here. What made you want to come out?
BILL DILES, TORNADO SURVIVOR: Well we may be the next ones to have a problem and we would appreciate it if people came to help us. And so there are probably 20, 25 of us from the College Church of Christ in Searcy, approximately 40 miles from here, and we just came over to see what we could do.
CALLEBS: You obviously heard about this yesterday. What were your thoughts when you knew it was so bad? Clearly the weather was bad in Searcy as well, but nothing like here. What did you think when you saw this damage for the first time?
DILES: Well, it's just shocking, but we -- we did something like this just recently, up the road here probably 30 miles north of here, when the tornado hit up there, and so we'd seen this kind of devastation in the last few months. And so it -- it's always shocking though, and we know that we may be the next ones.
CALLEBS: Bill thanks very much for taking time to chat with us. We know you got the chainsaw stuck there. We're going to come and give you a hand to get it out in just a minute Bill.
DILES: Ok, thank you.
CALLEBS: Thanks very much. Just one of the number of people, Betty, we've seen out here this morning. It's just amazing to watch this community spring to life in the aftermath of such devastation and on a day like this, when the sun is out, the sky is blue, it does give people somewhat of a good feeling that yes they are going to be able to rebuild, put pieces back together, but certainly heavy hearts here today with the number of losses in Central Arkansas as well. Back to you.
NGUYEN: No doubt. But as you mentioned, they are resilient and rebuilding is really all that they can do at this point. Sean Callebs joining us live, thank you Sean.
All right, so lets get the latest on the storms, because they are still brewing at this hour.
HOLMES: Yeah and our Reynolds Wolf has been a busy man this morning at that desk. What's popping now. We had some watches and warnings, that stuff still in effect?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Let's talk about the good news. Good news, T.J. and Betty, is that the warnings are expired. However, watches are still in effect. Whenever you have a watch, either a thunderstorm watch or a tornado watch, that means conditions are favorable for those storms to form. So that's what we have right now. Let's go right to the weather maps. We're going to zoom in on a couple key locations, all of them are all in the southeast at this point you see a box there that was shaded in red. That's your tornado watch. Earlier we had a tornado warning south of New Orleans. That has since expired. These strong cells still south of New Orleans and New Orleans at this time still, they are celebrating jazz fest, a lot of people there with the umbrellas. I'm telling you, the next hour or two, things are going to get better there in New Orleans. Now the heaviest strongest storms now moving through parts of the Florida panhandle and into Alabama. From Montgomery south into Troy, over to Ocalaca and Auburn, you've got some heavy showers to deal with. But the farther north you go, you'll notice you're not seeing as much on radar in terms of the orange and reds, which indicates greater density in the atmosphere. Heavier rainfall. More violent storms. That's certainly not the picture in Atlanta. North where we go back up into the smoky mountains where from Knoxville north through (INAUDIBLE), we're seeing the rainfall and then back into Kentucky. Moderate showers this morning through Louisville where they're going to have the, gosh, what is it? The 100th and something running of the Kentucky Derby? Conditions at the track are going to be very wet, however, all the rain is going to be gone, with muddy conditions no doubt. And then you'll see the top half of this system really, things are getting a little better as we get dry air vecting in from the north of this point. But (INAUDIBLE) the Great Lakes, we're seeing some snowfall in extreme northern Wisconsin. That is the latest we've got for you. Again, the good side, no warnings but the watches, yeah, they're still in effect through midday. Back to you.
NGUYEN: Ok, stay on top of it and we'll have the latest here as well. Thank you, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet.
HOLMES: When was the last time you've heard this sentence on national TV -- Guam. The results are expected in. The first results in the Guam caucuses coming into us right now. U.S. territory out in the pacific does not participate in the presidential election in November, but it will send delegates to the Democratic National Convention. And with the democratic presidential race as tight as it is, every single vote counts right now. Voters in Guam held caucuses today to chose eight delegates, each one with half a vote apiece. So that means they actually get four actual pledged delegate votes. Now with two out of 21 villages reporting Obama leading Hillary Clinton, 64 percent to 36 percent. Democratic officials say it may take several hours to get a final tally and we do not have any exit polling out there. So the numbers we get will be actual numbers. No projections here. Even though we're still awaiting final results from Guam, the candidates are focusing on North Carolina and Indiana today. Hillary Clinton making appearances in both states while Barack Obama will be concentrating on Indiana. CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser is in Indianapolis, there with the election express. Indiana is where the race is really, really tight.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Really, really tight. You know, T.J., we did talk about trying to move the bus to Guam, but you know, whatever. They said no. Here in Indiana it is all tied up. It is as close as can you get. Dead even. Whoa! And the winds are blowing and that was the umbrella that just went flying over me. But our poll of polls here in this state shows it dead even right now between the two candidates with just three days to go. There is a lot at stake here in Indiana. 72 delegates here, 115 in North Carolina. This state though, a large working class population. You would think that would favor Hillary Clinton, she's done well with those kind of people in past primaries, also northwestern Indiana, is the Chicago media market that is Barack Obama country. Both candidates talking about the economy. It's issue number one, and it is on the minds of voters here T.J.
HOLMES: All right, and you talked about that area. Let me ask about this part, the part of Indiana that gets that Chicago media market, where a lot of people are familiar with Barack Obama. Is that certainly expected to be good or anyone saying at all, that you know what, that area of the state, they know him. So does that necessarily mean they all like him?
STEINHAUSER: Well, that's a very good question. They do know him up there, though. They've been familiar with him. He was, remember, a state legislator in Illinois for a long time and then a U.S. senator from Illinois since '05. So they are very familiar with him. That's about maybe 10 to 20 percent of the democratic voters were up in that northwestern corridor, and I think they've gotten to know Barack Obama over the years, and a lot more than people elsewhere in the state and elsewhere in the country and they're familiar with him. T.J.?
HOLMES: All right, I want to ask you about John McCain, who plans to try to steal a little bit of the thunder, maybe, on Monday. I think Monday and Tuesday. He's going to be traveling to these states where the democrats are having their primaries. He's still involved in this thing, even though he's taken the weekend off.
STEINHAUSER: Yeah, he's taken the weekend off. But as you said, he's going to be in North Carolina Monday and especially Tuesday. Tuesday he's going to be reaching out to conservative voters it seems like. He'll be talking about what kind of judicial nominees he would appoint if he were elected president and he'll be teaming up with Fred Thompson and Sam Brownback, two former presidential candidates, who were his rivals during the primaries. But yeah, it seems John McCain keeps showing up in areas where the democrats are campaigning. He was right across the border in Ohio, right near Pennsylvania, when that state was having its primary and Tuesday he's going to be right there in North Carolina when voters are going to the polls T.J. HOLMES: And last thing quickly, back on Guam, we're just talking about four pledged delegate votes here. However, can we expect Clinton or Obama, whoever wins that contest, to use it and to put it out there and make it sound like some kind of a big win and a big momentum boost?
STEINHAUSER: Yeah, I don't know. I think, I, myself would have a hard time saying, making a lot of four delegates. But every delegate matters. And you know what, even though the candidates didn't go to Guam, because it's a long way away, the Obama campaign is there. Both campaigns were advertising campaign commercials in Guam. So you know what, they weren't taking it for granted.
HOLMES: All right. And it appears that you all might have taken that gusty wind for granted, since it seems like a few things blew around. We'll let you get out of that wind and you all get the equipment and everything back together. Paul Steinhauser for us in Indianapolis we appreciate you as always, buddy.
The next contest, as we're saying, Indiana and North Carolina, but then West Virginia democrats vote May 13th. Oregon and Kentucky hold primaries May 20th. Then in June, Puerto Rico votes on the 1st. I have already put my bid in for that assignment.
NGUYEN: To Puerto Rico?
HOLMES: The final primary is on the 3rd in Montana and South Dakota. We'll have much more campaign coverage ahead on CNN today, "Ballot Bowl" at 3 o'clock eastern, noon pacific. Your chance to hear from the candidates themselves. Tune in.
NGUYEN: Something that the candidates are talking about is the tough reality of a slow economy.
HOLMES: Some states are struggling, others however, thriving.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, it's kind of fun to be here.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Wyoming is the place to be. From Wyoming's boom to California's bust.
NGUYEN: Plus, can they stop the pain at the pump? The battle being fought between the presidential hopefuls to help you get a break from the high gas prices.
HOLMES: And the battlefield of the mind. How troops can get some much-needed help in dealing with mental illness.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: So it's not much, but the price of gas has inched down just a little bit. HOLMES: We'll take it Betty.
NGUYEN: Yep. This morning AAA indicates a national average where a gallon of unleaded regular is $3.61. That is down a whole penny from yesterday. I know. I know. But get this, it is still up 60 cents compared to this time last year. So -- gas prices up. Home building down. Jobs gone. California is feeling the weight of a sagging economy, but one state's pain is another's profit. We have two reports now, one from Ed Lavandera in Cheyenne, Wyoming and the other from Los Angeles and that's where we begin with CNN's Chris Lawrence.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: California once lured Americans to a land of opportunity, but the golden state has lost some of its glow.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just awful.
LAWRENCE: Betty Larkin is just one of more than 100,000 homeowners foreclosed on in the last few months alone.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People are saying something about recession might come. To me, we are in one.
LAWRENCE: The mortgage collapse has eliminated 10 percent of California's construction jobs. We just saw the worst March for home building here in California since the 1970s.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is the primary story here. Housing prices down 25 percent. Building activity essentially wiped out. That's flowing through to consumer confidence and taxes.
LAWRENCE: Lower property taxes contributed to a projected $20 billion budget deficit forcing the state to send pink slips to tens of thousands of teachers.
GINNY ZEPPA, TEACHER: It's really sad. Because it's not like I'll be able to find a job any where else either. California, cuts are everywhere.
LAWRENCE: And the open road offers no escape. With gas prices soaring past every other state in the country. Chris Lawrence, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): I'm Ed Lavandera in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where a state that's used to a yo-yo economy is enjoying an upswing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once ever 10 years we get rich, the next 10 years we're broke. LAVANDERA: The state is profiting from the taxes on high energy prices, coal mining and natural gas are the state's economic backbone. Unemployment is below the national averages and companies can't find enough workers.
MARION LOOMIS, WYOMING MINING ASSOCIATION: We've been going all over the country looking for qualified people to work in the mines, mechanics, electricians, welders are in huge demand.
LAVANDERA: But to minimize the yo-yo effect, Wyoming now invests some energy tax revenue in stocks and fixed income funds. The interest from that money now pays for about 25 percent of the state's budget.
(On camera): The Wyoming state budget is $163 million ahead of where state officials expected it to be by this time of year. So while state lawmakers across the country are slashing budgets, here in Cheyenne, they're writing checks.
(Voice-over): Schools are being built and remodeled, highways are being upgraded. State treasurer Joe Meyer is smiling.
JOE MEYER, WYOMING STATE TREASURER: Right now, it's kind of fun to be here. You can go hunt and fish, too.
LAVANDERA: Just don't let these guys hear you say that. Ed Lavandera, CNN, Cheyenne, Wyoming.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: The failing home values mean your equity is evaporating, and if you are getting letters like this one -- your home equity line of credit has been frozen. That's especially true if your HELOC covers 100 percent of your home's value or you've had a late payment. Experts say you can thaw that frozen HELOC of yours, write a letter, point out your good payment history to your bank or you can refinance your equity line with a lender that isn't as stringent. Industry experts say American's equity lines add up to $2 trillion. The economy, issue number one right about now, that includes your mortgage. Did you read the fine print when you bought that house? How the American dream turned into a nightmare for so many people. Don't miss, "Busted! Mortgage Meltdown" tonight and tomorrow night, 8:00 eastern.
NGUYEN: Also want to talk about war wounds that you cannot see. The battle rages on for many troops dealing with mental illness and we are going to take an in-depth look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: War in Afghanistan and Iraq. We've all seen horrific pictures of troops maimed, burned, scarred for life. But there's also the unseen wound, mental scars. Especially for troops on their third, fourth, or even fifth tour of duty. A study from the American Psychiatric Association shows more than half of all U.S. troops think seeking help from mental health will hurt their careers or even embarrass them. And one survey finds one in five vets returning from the war zone faces post-traumatic stress. To encouraging troops through to get the help that they need, the pentagon now says mental treatment will no longer impact security clearances. So joining us is Colonel John Bradley, chief of psychiatry at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. Thanks so much for being with us, colonel.
The first thing I want to talk to you about is the stigma here, because according to the army inspector general and a report by the general, troops will often forego mental health evaluations and treatment because they fear it's going to hurt their career, but how so?
COL. JOHN BRADLEY, CHIEF OF PSYCHIATRY, WALTER REED: This is a very important issue, Betty. I thank you for your question. Really, the military has been very aggressively targeting this question of stigma and in particular focusing on this question 21 on the national security clearance checklist which asks about family issues, other mental health issues and now it stands to a deployment related combat- related issues, whereby a soldier can with a straight face check no, that they have not received any sort of treatment for this that would in any way affect their ability to achieve a security clearance. It's important, next step in what the military has already been doing, because much of what soldiers haven't known is that when their cases come before adjudication for their security clearance evaluation, if they've checked yes, what the security clearance adjudicators do is interview the treating provider about the circumstances around their treatment and what impact that may have had.
NGUYEN: Yeah, just to clear it up for people who are hearing this or maybe unaware of it, you're talking about question 21, which is on the government security clearance form, and it specifically asks whether the applicants have ever had any kind of mental illness treatment. If you check yes on that, you would have to disclose your name and the doctors, and the kind of treatment. Well now, though, under a new defense department policy, that's no longer the case?
BRADLEY: That's correct. It's a remarkable step forward, and I think will help people who are seeking security clearances really understand that this should not impact their ability to get one.
NGUYEN: But does that mean that someone who really needed some help is not disclosing that and could be put in a security situation where they may not be ready because of that mental problem?
BRADLEY: Well, the military really takes very aggressively this question of, is a soldier fit to deploy to combat? And we screen soldiers as they're preparing for deployment, really to make sure that they are not suffering a mental illness that's going to either be affected negatively by the deployment or be a cause for concern during that time.
NGUYEN: And when it comes to post-traumatic stress disorder, if a person doesn't seek help, is this kind of like a domino effect, that it could lead to more increased problems when it comes to that mental disorder? BRADLEY: Well, that's really the central question, because what we know is that treatment is available. Treatment is effective, and for soldiers who are suffering who don't receive treatment, the prognosis is really quite poor. They can develop ongoing problems with their marriage, substance abuse disorders, et cetera. So it's really, really important to get the message out that it's a great idea to get treatment, to treat these symptoms early and aggressively such that the rest of your life is not affected.
NGUYEN: And the key here it's ok to get the treatment and you will not be penalized when it comes to your job?
BRADLEY: That's exactly right and that's really the message that we want to send out to the world and to soldiers across the globe, that it's important to get treatment, that the military cares, that we have mental health resources available and we really, really want to help the soldiers who might be suffering.
NGUYEN: Colonel John Bradley, chief of psychiatry at Walter Reed. Obviously you have a big job on your hands and it's important to get this treatment in. We do appreciate you spending some time with us today.
BRADLEY: Thank you Betty, appreciate the opportunity.
NGUYEN: And as we've been discussing, three out of five military members fear negative consequences should they seek help for a mental illness. So, what about those who do get help? Are they treated any differently? Ahead in the 2:00 eastern hour of CNN NEWSROOM, we're going to talk with a soldier who is actually getting treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, and you can hear how his life has changed.
HOLMES: This morning, all eyes, political eyes -- Guam. Who knew?
NGUYEN: Who would have thought? You heard it right. We are getting results right now from the Guam caucuses. You can look at those numbers at the bottom of your screen. Four delegates at stake in this tight democratic race.
HOLMES: And the race there in Guam, as we see, has gotten tighter, 55 to 45 percent now for Barack Obama. We're keeping an eye on it. Also, gas prices, you're keeping an eye on those. Is it going to put a damper on your summer vacation? We have the tips that help you lighten that load and save some money.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: And Hillary Clinton here speaking at an event in Wake Forest, North Carolina today. Those primaries coming up on Tuesday. We'll take a listen in.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Particularly running for the presidency. Has to be able to deal with both. The immediate, the urgent, the long-term and necessary. What I have tried to do in this campaign is to keep us focused on how we have to plan for the future, be prepared to deal with the economy, with energy, education, health care, our standing and position in the world, but also to deal with the day to day, because I have seen very personally the challenges that our families are facing now. These prices that are going up from gases, gas prices, to grocery prices, are really taking a big chunk out of people's disposable income. You know, I think that it's imperative that we try to obtain some immediate relief. And what I have proposed would do just that, and there's a big disagreement in this campaign. You see it in the headlines about where both Senator Obama and I stand in taking on the immediate crisis that we confront. You've probably heard the debate about the gas tax. Because my opponent is running ads and holding press conferences, attacking my plan to try to give you some kind of break this summer. Now, it's important to me that we come up with solutions, and in a campaign, sometimes that's hard, because of the back and forth in the campaign. But it is important, too, for you to see clearly what it is I propose and what I would do. There is no contradiction between trying to provide immediate relief and having a long-term vision and a plan for what we must do to lessen our dependence on foreign oil, and to be moving toward more home-grown fuels.
So here is what I propose. I want the oil companies to pay the federal gas tax this summer. Now, some people say, well, that wouldn't save the average consumer all that much money. Well, we figure we'd save about $70 for the average consumer. It would save a whole lot more for truck drivers or farmers, for people who commute long distances to work, who rely upon transporting the goods they sell for their business and it would probably save truckers $2 billion in fuel costs, just for the summer, and that's $2 billion that wouldn't go into the cost of the food that you go to the grocery store to buy. I also believe that we should make it clear that there is something not right about the way these prices are going up, and I would ask the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to conduct an investigation to try to get to the bottom of this. And here's why I believe this, and why I am urging the president and the congress to really take this seriously. There was testimony by an oil company executive just a few weeks ago in congress when he was pressed, he admitted that probably if it were just market forces, the price of oil would be less than $100 a barrel. Well, we know it's $120 a barrel. Another investigation in the senate found that there's about a $20 premium on the cost of oil, because of market manipulation by energy traders. Now, we remember energy traders. Back during Enron, energy traders deliberately drove up the price of electricity on the west coast. I am convinced energy traders are driving up the cost of oil and gas right now in the global marketplace. And we need to close what is, unfortunately, called the Enron loophole, and start regulating energy traders again. So that they cannot be basically taking advantage of the rest of us.
I also believe we should quit buying oil on the market to put in the strategic petroleum reserve. The president of the United States runs the strategic petroleum reserve. The point of it is to have a huge reserve of oil in case of some terrible disaster. It is 97 percent full. We can very well stop paying for it at these high prices, which drives the price up for everybody else, and I would even release some of it to send a message to the oil companies and the oil producing countries that we're going to be serious going forward. And I would also begin to take on OPEC. OPEC is a monopoly cartel. You know, we believe in a free market in America, and sometime I think we're the only people who do. Our market is a whole lot freer than any market anywhere in the world. People love to come into our market, because we're so open, and then they won't let us sell into their market, and OPEC is a closed cartel. They get together every few months, decide how much oil they're going to produce and how much it's going to be sold for. So I want to take them to the WTO, nine of those countries are members, of the World Trade Organization, and I want to change the law here in America to let Americans sue under antitrust. We've got to begin to try to break up the incredible monopoly that OPEC has over our futures.
HOLMES: Well, talking about a very popular topic, and really a point of contention that has finally been found some would say in this debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, gas prices and the gas tax. Talking about it again there at an event in Wake Forest, North Carolina. We just wanted to give you a little bit of Senator Clinton today campaigning in North Carolina, also North Carolina and Indiana, both on the map for Tuesday's primaries. Well, Barack Obama, his next stop is going to be in Indiana. Specifically Indianapolis, in just a little more than an hour he's scheduled to deliver a speech. His campaign is calling his closing argument. 12:45 eastern is when that closing argument comes. We'll take some of his comments live as well, and Republican John McCain spending the weekend at his ranch in Arizona, he's taking it easy. He's not scheduled to make any public appearances.
NGUYEN: Voters are giving John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama an earful about high gas prices. So what are they saying in return? Well, McCain was the first to support a so-called gas tax holiday. The presumptive republican nominee would lift federal gas taxes just over 18 cents a gallon during peak summer travel months. Hillary Clinton well she favors a tax holiday, but she would make up the revenue with a windfall profits tax on oil companies. Clinton also would close gas and oil loopholes worth about $7.5 billion. So let's get you to Barack Obama and what he thinks, well he does not support a gas tax break, but he does favor a windfall profit tax on oil companies to help low-income families pay their energy bills.
HOLMES: All right, gas prices are high, that would mean that people would want to stop driving as much. Are they really? Well the answer -- might surprise you a bit.
NGUYEN: Yeah, Josh Levs is here with a reality check on gas prices and driving habits. The big question, I know that I don't drive to as many places as I would and I try to lump them all together to get as much done in that one trip.
JOSH LEVS: So you are doing that?
NGUYEN: Yeah, I'm trying to.
LEVS: Well you are one of the very few.
NGUYEN: Really? LEVS: Yeah, when you start to look at these numbers., that was one thing I was into this group --
NGUYEN: I'm surprised at that though.
LEVS: I am, too. Because all these people have those dramatic stories and some of them write to us at i-Report saying, hey, I'm really changing my life. But the reality is, it's not happening that much.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BUSH: High gasoline prices.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: These increasing fuel prices.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Gas prices.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our dependence on foreign oil.
LEVS (voice-over): While the president and those vying for his job debate what to do about the soaring gas prices, there's something individual Americans can do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At this point really our only way of getting prices down is for us to voluntarily cut demand.
LEVS: Is that happening? Not really. The energy information administration reports that demand in the second and third weeks of April was higher than for the same time last year. In the final week of April, it was slightly below last year but still about the same amount. Nearly 400 million gallons a day. So does this mean Americans by and large are not responding to these sky-high gas prices in a tangible way? Actually, no. There is a way Americans are responding with their pocketbooks. They're buying smaller cars that require less fuel. GM is reporting a 27 percent drop in its truck and SUV sales in April compared to the same month last year. Ford said its SUV sales are down 36 percent. Toyota said it's SUV sales fell 8 percent while sales of its hybrid Prius were up 67 percent.
These changes have not yet translated into major changes in gasoline demand but they show Americans taking action. One expert says if Americans don't decrease demand for gasoline, the only other possibility may be --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For a recession to cut demand without, really, our permission.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: And of course, that's not what anybody's hoping will happen.
Now to keep this in perspective I will point out to you the United States does not have the most expensive gasoline in the world. Here's a list. Most expensive gas in the world, not there, you can see Sierra Leone., $18.42.
NGUYEN: Which is so surprising. Because Sierra Leone is the second poorest country in the world and yet it has the highest gas prices.
LEVS: Yeah, you know I didn't know it was second poorest. I knew it was poorest, you've been there, right?
NGUYEN: Yes, been to Sierra Leone. The poorest country is (INAUDIBLE).
LEVS: Wow, and look at that, $18.42 for a gallon. And if we go over to the cheapest list over there, you see some -- there you go, Venezuela, 12 cents a gallon. Iran 40 cents. A lot of this has to do with cost of refining and taxes and decisions made by the governments. It also isn't an exact comparison, the value of the dollar changes. A lot of the countries they don't drive as much. They don't need as much gas as us. So they can charge a lot more.
NGUYEN: Supply demand thing. All right, thank you.
HOLMES: Josh we appreciate it.
Of course it's summertime, that means a lot of moms and dads are loading up the kids, they're heading off for vacation. You know the wallets are just getting lighter and lighter and lighter. But there are ways to stretch those MPGs. CNN's Kathleen Koch at an Exxon station in Washington. We've been talking to you this morning. We haven't seen the numbers go up or down, have we? In the time you've been there?
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, they haven't. Right here at this station, right now, T.J., $3.71 for a gallon of regular, that's about a dime higher than the national average. Right now, $3.61. Everyone knows drivers are getting very frustrated. We talked to some and they talked to us about their strategies for coping.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm actually inflating the tires and I'm going to drive at 55 or 60, I'm really just trying to make the most efficient use of the gas that I have to buy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think if it gets up to that level, $4, $5 a gallon, at that point I might just forget driving at all and just rely completely on the metro public transportation and maybe walking more often.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: We talked to the experts and got their best fuel saving tips. Let's start with number one, and that is, checking your air filter. By having a clean air filter, you can boost your gas mileage by up to 10 percent. That will save you roughly 35 cents a gallon. You can save another 35 cents a gallon by getting an alignment because poorly aligned tires not only wear more quickly and wear unevenly, but they also make your engine work harder, making it less fuel efficient. Get a tune-up. By having a tune-up you can improve your gas mileage by some 4 percent, that saves you 14 cents a gallon. Have properly inflated tires. We hear that all the time and unfortunately, about a quarter of us drive around on improperly inflated tires. You can save yourself 10 cents a gallon by just inflating the tires to the proper tire pressure. Another big savings is, get rid of the unnecessary items in your trunk. Whether it's kitty litter from the winter to give you more traction on ice, or those golf clubs. Just carry them when you need them. The experts say if you just unload 100 pounds of weight from your vehicle, you'll save four cents a gallon by doing that. Then certainly don't speed. Not only is it illegal and dangerous, but they say you can cut your fuel consumption, the experts, by 7 percent if you just slow down a little bit. Back to you.
HOLMES: You know, Kathleen, getting rid of 100 pounds in the car, I'll just stop giving people a ride, that will get rid of 100 pounds right there. I'll save some gas money. Kathleen Koch for us in D.C., thank you so much for the tips, they are simple and they are helpful, they can save us some money.
Continue to watch us here at CNN. Because our money team has got you covered when it comes to jobs and debt, housing and savings. "Issue #1," the economy, every day at noon eastern.
NGUYEN: You are still picking me up tomorrow morning right?
HOLMES: I will not.
NGUYEN: I'm done.
HOLMES: I'm trying to save my 7 cents a gallon.
NGUYEN: I'll be riding my bike. Thank you very much, T.J.
All right let's get to a serious story, and that's severe weather and tornadoes. They are shaking up the south.
HOLMES: People in Arkansas still trying to clean up from yesterday's storms. We'll be checking in again with Reynolds Wolf, they have the very latest.
NGUYEN: Also, giving of oneself. Meet a man who gave up his dream to help kids in need.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: A year after being hit by a tornado, Greensburg, Kansas now going green.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think it's red or blue to be green. I think green is green. And green makes sense and it also saves you green.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: How the town is betting its future on renewable energy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: The NEWSROOM continues at the top of the hour. Fredricka has been busy getting ready.
NGUYEN: Very busy today.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: You know that, we've got a busy day. That's ahead, noon, 2:00, 4:00, you want to stick with us all day.
HOLMES: We are well. Are you well?
WHITFIELD: Ok, I am good. Starting with the noon hour, of course, our legal guys, always informative, always very fiery, they're going to tackle quite a few interesting cases that we have, including one that involves a Wisconsin set of parents that are now facing second-degree murder charges in the death of their child. They chose prayer over medicine. Controversial case. We'll delve into that and so much more, and you know what? Do you guys clip coupons?
NGUYEN: Every now and then.
WHITFIELD: You know, I try, I try. It's hard. Food prices are insane.
NGUYEN: You got to keep them in order, know when they expire.
WHITFIELD: Exactly. But you know what, we talk with someone who really is an expert on it.
NGUYEN: Really?
WHITFIELD: Yeah, because that was my concern. You know what, it's the cutting, it's the storing of the coupons, all that stuff. How do you do it? She's got some really great instructive set of instructions.
NGUYEN: I don't think they'll really convince T.J. any time soon.
WHITFIELD: I'm hoping that (INAUDIBLE) doing it.
Anyway, she's very instructive, and she really offers some great incentives as to why you may want to think about it.
NGUYEN: Yeah, when you hear how much you're going to save, you may change your tune. WHITFIELD: She saves thousands a year.
NGUYEN: No, thousands?
WHITFIELD: You can do it online, too.
HOLMES: Ok.
WHITFIELD: So it's not just the old fashioned cutting, clipping.
HOLMES: Now you got me.
WHITFIELD: She's called the coupon mom. Did I intrigue you?
HOLMES: You got me now.
WHITFIELD: Reeled you in?
NGUYEN: Hook, line and sinker.
WHITFIELD: All right, well, noon, 2:00, 4:00. We have a lot for you all day.
HOLMES: We'll tune in.
WHITFIELD: Tune in, ok.
HOLMES: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Want to get you another CNN hero now. Nominated by a viewer just like you, he gave up his dream of living in America to fulfill the dreams of children back in Ethiopia. Meet Yohannes (INAUDIBLE).
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
He was a -- look full of every kind of --
I was born in a small town in the southern pocket of Ethiopia. When I was 19 I found a book, and this book was really the first book that I read outside of school. And this book really changed my whole life. My name is Yohannes. I'm bringing (INAUDIBLE) to the children of Ethiopia. Most Ethiopian children only have access to textbooks in the classroom. Books that children read outside of the school, those are the spices of education.
There were toy trucks, airplanes and boats. But that was not all.
I came to the U.S. as a political refugee. I just wanted to come back to Ethiopia and help children have a future, have hope. Children could imagine everything from books. Connections to other countries, to other people, to other children, and to the universe at large.
The reward is seeing children reading every day. Eager children, who have never had books in their hands coming and sitting and reading. These literate children, there's no limit to how much we can do.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: So if you know someone who deserves to be a CNN hero, tell them about us at cnn.com/heroes. You never know, you could see your hero right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Greensburg, Kansas, one year ago a tornado left a massive destruction.
HOLMES: Now that town is rebuilding with an eye to you future. Here now, CNN'S Rob Marciano.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): A massive tornado almost two miles wide tears through a tiny town, almost nothing is left. One year later residents understand that how they rebuild will determine the town's future and Greensburg is, well, going green. Windmills are popping up like the winter wheat, and even conservative farmers are getting on board.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All you have to say to them is, if you could save $200 a month on your utility bill by harnessing this wind what do you think.
MARCIANO: Here green has no political party.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think it's red or blue to be green, I think green is green and green makes sense and it also saves you green.
MARCIANO: For the Estes the fourth generation family business is a John Deere dealership and the tornado hit them especially hard.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Steel twisted inside of brick, and then miles per hour that it had to have, picked combines up that weigh 20,000 pounds plus and that equipment that headed right into harvest, gone.
MARCIANO: Right.
Rebuilding the new John Deere site is just getting started, and you got it, it is going to be green.
MIKE ESTES, BTI GREENSBURG: Below us is hydronic in-floor heating. We put hydronic in here so that the heat will be radiant from the base of the floor up.
MARCIANO: Is that much more efficient than your other?
ESTES: Much more efficient.
When we drain the oil out of our machines, it's going to go into the tank. That tank will then house the oil that's going to be burned that will heat the water in this floor. At present that particular windmill is powering this job site.
MARCIANO: Is that right? And when it's completed more than half of the dealership's electricity will come from the wind.
ESTES: My granddad would, trust me, he liked to save energy and he was an environmentally conscious person as was my dad. Farmers are environmentalists.
MARCIANO: And farmers here hope to turn their town's tragedy into an environmental triumph. Rob Marciano, CNN, Greensburg, Kansas.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And so far they are well on their way.
HOLMES: CNN NEWSROOM continues with Fredricka Whitfield.
