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Guantanamo Bay Prisoners; Liberty City Shooting; Changing Hairstyles; Tuskegee Airmen Special Invitation; Making Cell Phone Music
Aired January 24, 2009 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: This weekend also marked the first weekend of the Obama administration. But there's no time to kick back. President Obama warns that without quick, bold action on the economy, a bad situation could get dramatically worse. He discussed the crisis today in a meeting with his top economic advisers. And earlier in his first Saturday address from the White House, he urged Congress to approve his stimulus plan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE U.S: It's a plan that will save or create 3 million to 4 million jobs over the next few years and one that recognizes both the paradox and the promise of this moment, the fact that there are millions of Americans trying to find work even as all around the country there's so much work to be done. That's why this is not just a short-term program to boost employment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Well, CNN's Elaine Quijano is live at the White House with more on the Obama administration's recovery plan. So Elaine what are the specific goals of this plan?
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well we know, Fredericka, that the Obama administration is interested in adding green jobs in order to help boost the U.S. economy. But in addition, the president also wants health care coverage to be a part of this economic recovery plan as well. In a White House report released today, in fact, the administration laid out some of its priorities on that front.
Now, according to the White House, the president's plan would make health records computerized, to save money, but also to reduce the number of medical errors that take place every year. The president also wants to include a tax credit for uninsured Americans who lose their jobs so they can keep their health insurance through cobra. Cobra is that 1986 law that lets some people temporarily keeps their health insurance at a group rate even if they get laid off. The administration believes that doing that alone would help provide health insurance for some 8.5 million people, just one of the goals that President Obama is hoping to achieve.
Fredericka.
WHITFIELD: What is the president saying, if anything, about the Republicans' concerns about the size of the scale of this recovery plan?
QUIJANO: Well certainly that is something that the president says he understands. But he also says that the administration will take unprecedented steps basically to ensure transparency in the process. For example, they plan to set up a Website at www.recovery.gov in order to allow people to better track how this money is being spent. But you're absolutely right. Republicans in the house in particular are very skeptical. They say this $825 billion price tag is simply too high.
President Obama for his part, we should mention, in just a few days is going to head to Capitol Hill to try to address some of those concerns and assuage some of those concerns by talking to lawmakers to lay out exactly how he plans to be transparent, how he believes that that money will be money well spent.
WHITFIELD: So for all of this talk of bipartisanship, the president played a little hard ball yesterday during that meeting with congressional leaders at the White House. What more can you say about that?
QUIJANO: During a discussion about tax cuts in particular, at one point President Obama told a Republican house member Eric Cantor of Virginia, look, I understand there are ideological differences here when it comes to the issue of tax cuts. They were talking about having some provisions in and not being able to have other provisions included. But the bottom line President Obama laid out that, look, I won, meaning I won the election, so, in essence, I trump you on some of this.
So not exactly bipartisan, in some people's eyes but, again, really just a statement of fact. President Obama feels he does in fact have the support of the American people to carry out economic reforms.
Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Elaine Quijano at the White House. Thanks so much, appreciate it.
The man who ran against Mr. Obama in November says he hopes the new president succeeds. Republican John McCain was a guest on CNN's "Larry King Live."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, CNN HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE:" Rush Limbaugh said, I believe, yesterday, about this current administration, I hope he fails. What do you think of that?
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: I can't really analyze Mr. Limbaugh's remarks particularly since I don't know the context. I think most Americans want this president and this country to get out of this ditch we're in. The economic challenge, which is greater than any time in your or my lifetime, the challenges we face being in two wars, I think Americans want us to bring America back. And we have to. And if Mr. Limbaugh's remarks were in the context of he doesn't agree with his philosophy --
KING: He doesn't want government to solve things. He wants private industry, although as someone said private industry is the thing that got them into trouble in the first place.
MCCAIN: What I hope is we can have the kind of economic recovery that will restore business, free enterprise, et cetera. But I think we also know there has to be a definite upgrading of the oversight of our financial markets. I mean, it just has to be. We are backing regulatory bodies designed in the '30s and now we're in the 21st century.
KING: No other course. You have to do this?
MCCAIN: Absolutely.
KING: It is strange to hope he fails.
MCCAIN: We also believe that the free enterprise system and capitalism is still the way America should be. And that means its still, to us, that the more we can give free enterprise and capitalism and small business people, the better off we are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: So how is the recession affecting your kids, your family's structure? That's the focus of a special hour of the "CNN Newsroom" today focusing on everything from foreclosures to financial aid, to public schools, all of that. Now the focus of the economy and perhaps even the new administration. We're going to focus on that next hour 4:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
All right. A freak wind storm ripped down part of a sports center with children inside. And four children were killed. It happened near Barcelona, Spain. Winds as strong as a category 2 hurricane tore down the building's metal roof and a cement wall. The children who died were all boys between the ages of 9 and 12. Nine other people were hurt, some of them seriously. The windstorm is being blamed for six other deaths across Spain.
And chilling details are surfacing about that deadly rampage at a Belgian day care center. Police say a man walked into the center and started stabbing people yesterday. Two babies and an adult were killed. A dozen others were wounded. Police say the 20-year-old suspect had his face painted white with black rings around his eyes. They say he was wearing a bullet proof vest and was armed with a knife, an axe and a fake gun.
President Obama's special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, could be there as early as next week. The two administration officials are telling CNN that Mitchell plans to leave on Monday. The mission will include stops in Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian territories. Saudi prince says he is encouraged by Mitchell's appointment. He said former President George W. Bush left, quote, a sickening legacy in the Middle East. He says U.S./Saudi relations will be at risk if the Obama administration does not change U.S. policy. Israel launched a three-week campaign against Hamas rulers in Gaza. This is among those things that he's talking about. A fragile cease- fire is now in its sixth day.
Americans are weighing in on the latest crisis in the Middle East. To Washington now where our Bill Schneider has some new poll numbers. So, Bill, which side does Americans sympathizes with more?
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The answer is Israel. Now, that's generally been true over the years. But what we're finding in our latest poll taken about a week ago just before the cease-fire is a high mark for Israel's support in this country. Sixty percent of Americans now say they sympathize more with Israel than with the Palestinians in the Middle East.
Now, we haven't seen sympathy for Israel hit as high as 60 percent since 1991, which was the year of the Persian Gulf War when Israel was under attack by Iraq with scud missiles and you found over 60 percent sympathy with Israel. Generally about half of the public sympathizes with Israel but its very clear those sympathies have grown stronger and they have been reflected by the comments of both President Bush, who was in office when the war in the Gaza began, and it was continued, of course, by President Obama.
WHITFIELD: So does that immediately translate into Americans feeling pretty comfortable that Israel's use of military force was justified?
SCHNEIDER: Well, Americans do feel that use of force was justified. President Obama has talk about how a country can't just sit by and watch its territory being hit by missiles, in this case, missiles and rockets coming from the Gaza. But when asked, do you think Israel was justified in taking military action against Hamas and the Palestinians in the area known as Gaza, 63 percent of Americans said they thought Israel is indeed justified.
That's a 2-1 margin. Thirty one percent said they thought Israel is not justified in taking that kind of military action. When asked, do you think Israel has used too much force in its military action, there you see 38 percent, a little under 4 in 10 say, yes, they think there has been too much force. But if you add together the number that says about right or too little, you have a solid majority saying Israel's use of force was in fact justified. So these results make it pretty clear that American sympathies are with Israel and feel that Israel's actions in Gaza have been justified.
WHITFIELD: Bill Schneider thanks so much. Good to see you.
President Obama issued a call to service. We'll show you who is answering.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. A call to service. Like presidents before him, Barack Obama is asking Americans what they can do for their country. Well, some are already answering. Here now is CNN's Ted Rowland.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In an emotional scene that played out at gatherings around the world, the members of the first AME Church of Los Angeles watched President Obama take the oath of office.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): So help you god.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE U.S: So help me god.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): Congratulations, Mr. President.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): This really happened. I mean, it really happened.
ROWLANDS: Reflecting on the historic event, Javelin and Kaishauna Guidry say they plan to answer President Obama's call to do something to help the country. Javelin says he'll do more community service. Kishonna is headed to medical school.
KAISHAUNA GUIDRY, LOS ANGELES RESIDENT: I want to practice medicine in an underserved community.
ROWLANDS: Tuesday night at an inauguration party in southern California, Paulette Bradley, who already volunteers, says she hopes Obama will inspire others to join her.
PAULETTE BRADLEY, VOLUNTEER: Bringing something to the table and sharing your experience, your skills, things that you know who do. And we all have skills.
ROWLANDS: Across the country and online there's a push to volunteer. Starbucks is promoting pledge five asking people to perform five hours of community service. There are presidential pledges on myspace.com where people are urged to follow the lead of several celebrities who made video promises to help the country.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): I pledge --
(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): To volunteer more of my time to help children battling serious illnesses.
OBAMA: There is much that government can do and must do. It is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.
ROWLANDS: Whether the nation responds remains to be seen.
JAVELIN GUIDRY, LOS ANGELES RESIDENT: We are to be inspired and not only embrace this moment but use this as the fuel that we take with us to serve one another and to restore the unity in our country.
ROWLANDS: Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: So how can you answer President Obama's call to service? CNN's Josh Levs is here to tell us about some Websites that can help you find volunteer projects.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's pretty cool.
WHITFIELD: Is it easy to navigate?
LEVS: You know it actually really is. Let's zoom in. I want to show you one of the most popular ones right here which is called Volunteermatch. I will show you what you do, it is great. You see those white bars. Location or any key word the kind of thing you want to do. I filled this out. Let's say we live in Miami and we want to know what's available in the coming days. There's all this different volunteer projects it lists and they'll give you a map. You can click on whichever thing interests you the most and see if you want to take part in this.
But that is just one of the many; there is also this one, be the change inc., which does something similar. Also this BBITV.tv. This is beyond borders internet television. A lot of information about ways to get involved in some of the major international issues and charities going on. You know how I found out about a lot of this? By just having joined facebook. I climbed onto the facebook bandwagon.
WHITFIELD: You gave in.
LEVS: I gave in. Our interactive producer said, are you crazy, get on facebook already. It's really cool. I got on and I wrote what Websites do people use to do this and this is the ones they told me. And then -- check this out, too. We also have a sound bite I happened to find from someone saying, these days that's how you get people to show up to do volunteer projects.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LES WILLIAMS, VOLUNTEER: It's funny. When I posted that note on my facebook page, other people said what are you doing this time? It's actually the community food bank. So it's very viral. I think that's going to, a tremendous -- the success of volunteerism down the road.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: If there are any major ones I'm missing, facebook, Josh Levs CNN. Keep in mind impact your world. Whenever you want to know about charities, CNN.com/impact. We talk about charities linked to the major stories that you're hearing in the news. That does well, too.
WHITFIELD: I'm seeing quite a few benefits here from the volunteering. "A," doing good for others. "B," you have exemplified how your world expands. You now have a lot more new friends. But, wait, there's something else. Apparently it's also good for your health. How?
LEVS: Did you know that?
WHITFIELD: No. I can't wait for you to tell me.
LEVS: I have a very solid source on this. Let's zoom back to the board, I'm going to show you who my source is. Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
WHITFIELD: If he says so, then it must be.
LEVS: I think we're all recognizing that. Volunteering for your health. He just posted this on his blog yesterday. To show you one of the quotes. He says new research from Mayo Clinic shows people who volunteer have lower rates of heart disease and live longer. Previous studies have shown that people who volunteer are overall more physically and mentally fit than those who don't. Another reason to get on the volunteering bandwagon.
WHITFIELD: Opening your heart makes your heart stronger.
LEVS: Is that on a t-shirt?
WHITFIELD: No. I made it up.
LEVS: You ought to copyright it.
WHITFIELD: It's great incentive. Thanks a lot, Josh.
All right. So he's hologrammed with us. You know who I'm talking about. Now he will relive history with us.
You won't want to miss the world premiere of Will I am Short film diary of the inauguration. That will be on "State of the Union with John King." It captures Will I am his thoughts, feelings, images as he reflects on the inauguration of his friend, President Barack Obama it is coming up tomorrow 9:00 a.m. Eastern and it is only on CNN.
A wildfire burning right to your doorstep. Well, that actually happened to a family in Oklahoma.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Two people killed, seven wounded in this look around the nation here. Police are searching for whoever opened fire on a crowd in Miami's Liberty City last night. They don't know of a motive. Liberty City is known for poverty and simmering racial tension. Miami Mayor Manny Diaz has expressed outrage at the crime.
An embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's attorney has quit. Ed Genson said he's withdrawing as lead counsel because Blagojevich was not listening to his advice. Blagojevich's impeachment trial set to begin Monday. He says he won't be there, but he is launching a media blitz. A Florida-based public relations agency confirmed today it will represent him. We understand he's going to be on "Larry King Live" Monday night.
Health officials say a nationwide salmonella outbreak may have caused a seventh person to die. The victim was an elderly woman. The plant suspected as the source of the outbreak has shut down and laid off most of its workers. Hundreds of people have been sickened by eating its product containing tainted peanut butter and paste.
All right. Pretty close call, you might say, in central Oklahoma. A wildfire burned right up to a home near Oklahoma City. Firefighters managed to put out the flames before the house was damaged. Another fire nearby burned along a busy interstate, bringing traffic to a standstill. Witnesses say a car crash sparked this fire.
Jacqui Jeras is in the Weather Center. This seems like a strange time of year to be talking about it being so dry that something like a car fire could spark a huge fire.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Not really, though.
WHITFIELD: I'm thinking kind of the frost on a lot of the vegetation and even though -- it's cold and a little bit damp, the air is.
JERAS: Cold air holds a lot less moisture.
WHITFIELD: That's why we've got you. You're so smart. Thank you for straightening me out.
JERAS: Well, it's very dry there. They also have normally dry conditions. In fact, parts of northern Texas down into central Texas have extreme to exceptional drought conditions here. So things have been really dry. But that's going to be changing. It looks pretty quiet on the weather map here today. Our temperatures are much cooler than they were yesterday. So we've seen a big change that way. But check out what's going on to the west. We've got some moisture. That's going to be streaming in.
But we're a little concerned, by the way Oklahoma -- including Oklahoma City area, that as cold air moves in from the north and this moisture comes in from the west, we're going to be seeing warm air in the mid levels of the atmosphere. When you put that equation together as a meteorologist, it spells ice, freezing rain kind of ice. So we could have a significant ice storm in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, on into Arkansas and Missouri early next week. We think that's going to start on Monday. So a big heads-up on that potential.
In the meantime, we're dealing with some rain here, snow into the higher elevations, snow levels around 5,000 feet into the Wasatch Range. Look at this for the snowfall totals of the next 48 hours. That dark purple that you see is about two feet plus of snow. Here's where that arctic air is that I was talking about. Check out your wind chill index. Big goose egg for you in Minneapolis. We have a live picture to show you. Downtown Minneapolis over looking the river. You should be in the 20s this time of the year.
So, yeah, we are cold. We're going to stay that way, the five-day forecast showing single digits here through the weekend even early Monday. Then you make it up where you should be by Wednesday. But still lows down to the teens. Mighty chilly there. We're feeling like spring again in the south. Look at that, Fred. See, 70s back.
WHITFIELD: Still doesn't feel like spring to me. I keep telling myself feels like spring. Thanks a lot Jacqui. Appreciate it. Well you know a little bit ago Jacqui and I talked about among the millions of people invited to the inauguration there to witness it all were about 200 to 300 Tuskegee airmen, that man included, who happens to be my dad. All of them there as special guests. The full story straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, 30 minutes after the hour. Here are some of the stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM. A welcome home celebration starts in just about half an hour for Captain "Sully" Sullenberger. You know his face by now. Friends and neighbors are gathering on the town green in Danville, California. Sullenberger is the pilot who safely landed a U.S. Airways jet in the Hudson River. Stay with CNN for live coverage of today's celebration.
And President Obama met with his top economic advisers today to talk about ways to fight the recession. Earlier in his first weekly address from the White House, the president urged Congress to pass a stimulus package. He said failing to act could make a bad situation even worse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA (D), UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: Our economy could fall a trillion dollars short of its full capacity, which translates into more than $12,000 in lost income for a family of four. And we could lose a generation of potential as more young Americans are forced to forego college dreams or the chance to train for the jobs of the future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, some Republicans in Congress are not on board with president Obama's economic plan. House GOP leader John Boehner, well, he explained why during the Republicans' first weekly radio address since Mr. Obama took office. He says the president's plan is full of spending programs that won't do anything to stimulate the economy, right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP JOHN BOEHNER (R), OHIO: Their plan also provides government- funded paychecks disguised as tax cuts for those who don't pay income taxes, also the plan would spend a whopping $275,000 in taxpayer dollars for every new job that it aims to create, saddling each Household with $6,700 with additional debt paid for by our children and grandchildren.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Now, Republicans want tax cuts, a tax credit for home buyers and tax incentives for small businesses to expand.
So, closing the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, a clear priority for president Obama. Within two days of taking office, he issued an executive order requiring it to shut down within a year. Well, still up in the air, where the detainees will actually end up. Here now is CNN Pentagon correspondent, Chris Lawrence.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: The clock is ticking on the Guantanamo Bay detention center, and there's still no clear idea where these prisoners will go.
REP. DUNCAN HUNTER, JR (R), CALIFORNIA: I don't think that they ought to be put on American soil.
LAWRENCE: California Representative Duncan Hunter, Jr. introduced legislation that would make it illegal to transfer terrorists to San Diego's Camp Pendleton. But Defense Secretary Robert Gates says since the inauguration, more European countries may be willing to accept prisoners.
ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: That they are willing to consider taking these and we have not heard from those people before.
LAWRENCE: President Obama has ordered a review group to examine each case at Guantanamo and divide prisoners into groups, those that can be released to other countries, those tried here in the U.S., and those who can't be tried in American courts, but are too dangerous to let go.
SARAH MENDELSON, CTR FOR STRATEGIC & INTL STUDIES: It's very important that President Obama urges the review panel to do everything they can possibly to put the men to the two categories, release or prosecute.
LAWRENCE: Analyst Sarah Mendelson says if too many prisoners end up in that third group, Secretary Gates will find those European countries much less willing to help.
MENDELSON: They'll think of it as moving Guantanamo rather than closing it.
LAWRENCE: Another executive order requires all interrogations follow the Army Field Manual. That limits interrogators to less than 20 approved techniques, all of which involve psychological methods. It does not allow any physical contact with prisoners. Secretary Gates says that's OK, because they know a lot more about al Qaeda than they did immediately following September 11th.
GATES" The need for measures that go outside the Army Field Manual is dramatically less than it was several years ago.
LAWRENCE (on camera): Some critics of this plan say certain techniques should not be unilaterally ruled out but decided on a case- by-case basis. And some intelligence officials say if their techniques are made public, terrorists could be trained to resist questioning.
Chris Lawrence, CNN, the Pentagon. (END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, Less than one month ago, she was well on her way to becoming a world class supermodel. Today she's dead, the victim of a rare drug resistant bacterial infection. Marianna Bridi was a two-time finalist in Brazil's competition for a Miss World competition. She was just 20 years old and in rent weeks doctors amputated her hand and feet in a desperate attempt to stop the disease.
Well, first the death of a son, now allegedly an extortion threat against actor John Travolta. Bahamas police have two people in custody. The actor's 16-year-old son was found dead earlier this month during a family vacation. Police say the alleged extortion threat was linked to that death. The associated press reports a Bahamas senator was arrested. She resigned today. The other person in custody is an ambulance driver. There's no comment from the Travolta family.
Two people killed, seven wounded in Miami's Liberty City. Well, police are searching for whoever opened fire on a crowd of people last night. They still don't know of a motive for the attack. Liberty City is known for poverty and simmering racial tensions.
And joining us right now is the Reverend Jerome Starling. His 5-year- old niece was killed by a stray bullet in 1997 while she was walking home from a parade honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.
Reverend starling, glad you could be with us. Are you hearing anything more about last night's shooting?
REVEREND JEROME STARLING: Basically, I heard that the shooting occurred because of a young man was gambling on the sidewalk. Basically, maybe one young man getting mad, left, came back with a gun, and maybe sprayed the sidewalks up with bullets.
A senseless -- this happens sometimes in different communities where one person may get shot in a crap game of this nature. But, never seen nine people shot and killed before. This is a senseless act. This was a coward act. And this was a massacre to have happen and we are trying to address this quickly here in Miami.
WHITFIELD: It's senseless and it's sad and very aggravating for this to happen in any community. But, tell me a little bit more about Liberty City.
We know that Liberty City has had quite a few problems with crime in the past. We know that in Liberty City, just a few years back, there were a lot of problems with tourists losing their way and getting into trouble in Liberty City, but fast forward now to recent years. Has it become a little bit more calm, a little bit safer, a little bit easier for people to get by?
STARLING: Liberty City has been become just a little bit safer, but the random shootings that occur must stop. And, you know, after the Martin Luther King parade, we had a couple of shootings. With this shooting that occurred, two blocks away was the Poke 'n Beans and we used to have major shootings in the Poke 'n Beans projects.
And the city of Miami police cleared that up. And now what has happened is people are going outside on the main way, which is 15th Avenue -- 15th Avenue was a deadly avenue back in the '80s. And now we don't want that to happen again. So we are -- we're having a major meeting on Monday at 4:00 p.m. At journey grove missionary Baptist Church where we're asking the community to come together. And we're going to address that the police are going to get out and start making major arrests.
We need the police department to really get involved and start arresting these guys on each and every street corner and we need the support of the community. The police department is willing, but we do need the strong support of the community.
OK, Reverend Jerome Starling coming to us out of Miami on what has become a very tragic investigation of a tragic shooting involving too many lives cut short just last night. Thanks so much Reverend, appreciate it.
STARLING: Bless you.
WHITFIELD: All right, a job market so tight that it squeaks? Well, some are ditching their hair don'ts for hair-dos. Getting an edge in corporate America.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK).
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop it!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Oh, the refined sport of tennis? Not really, not here, not so civil after a match at the Australian Open. Ethnic tensions erupted after the defending champion, a Serbian player, defeated a Bosnian-born American. Fans from both side started hurling chairs and you see there even bottles and insults. No serious injuries were reported, however. But, Australia has a large population of immigrants from the Balkans and two years ago a similar brawl broke out.
Financial fears realized in Great Britain. New numbers confirm the country is officially in a recession. The British economy shrank 1.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008. And that was the second straight quarterly decline. The biggest slump in almost 30 years, Britain has been hard-hit by the global financial crisis, rising unemployment and falling housing prices.
All right. No doubt the economic downturn has forced many of you to change your spending habits. Some are changing something else -- Hairstyles. Eric Wilkinson of CNN affiliate King-5 news gives us the buzz.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kelly?
ERIC WILKINSON, KING-5 REPORTER: Out of work for three months now, Kelly Mullaney is desperate for a job, so desperate...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want clippers or scissors on the side?
KELLY MULLANEY, JOB HUNTER: Just do scissors on the side.
WILKINSON: ...the shaggy-haired tech writer is instituting some cutbacks of his own.
MULLANEY: So I'm essentially taking myself from looking a little more punk rock to a little more conservative and professional.
WILKINSON: It's the tried and true economic barometer of the barbershop to be believed, grouchy Seattle is going Republican. The recession prompting job hunting pinksters, punksters and hipsters to clean up their act and take on a different part to the right.
IAN THOMPSON, HAIR STYLIST, RUDY'S BARBER SHOP: Instead of like spiking it up and doing like that and really messy this is kind of getting a little more like parted and sleeker and that kind of deal.
WILKINSON: In a market where too many people are looking for too few jobs, eager applicants don't want to send a prospective boss the wrong impression.
PAUL FREED, EMPLOYMENT RECRUITER: One had purple hair, it might be an initial turn-off.
WILKINSON: Employment recruiter, Paul Freed says first impressions are critical, that's why knowing the culture of the company you're working for is key. That Mohawk could convey different messages to different bosses.
FREED: You could fight authority or you could be rebellious or you could be very artistic and creative. Those things could be things companies are looking for in a certain attribute or department or group.
WILKINSON: as for Kelly Mullaney, he's trimmed up and ready for corporate America, almost.
MULLANEY: I think it's just going to make me look a little bit more professional than before. I can ditch the earrings, I think. I think.
WILKINSON (on camera): You're ready to go.
MULLANEY: I'll blend in. I'll be good.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Well here's a look we saw during the presidential inauguration, bundled up, ready for the brutally cold temperatures. Well, for a group of Tuskegee airmen invited to be special guests, well, that is nothing compared to what they've seen and endured in their lifetime.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHEERS)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just want to I have a moment to myself and just cry. I can't put it into words.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Oh, pretty emotion-filled, unforgettable historic day, no matter where were you in any corner of the world. The inauguration of Barack Obama takes Washington and the whole world by storm, as you saw.
Well, inauguration day was a special day for many Americans, and it was very special for Tuskegee families. You may know that my father, Mal Whitfield, is an Olympian and he's also a member of the legendary Tuskegee airmen. Well, he along with about 300 or so other airmen were invited as special guests during this inauguration. And I brought along a camera while escorting dad. And this is an idea of what he saw through his eyes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
Dad, you are among the Tuskegee men who are the special guests of the president-elect and we're just about ready to leave. How do you feel?
MAL WHITFIELD, FMR TUSKEGEE AIRMAN: Great, great, great, great.
WHITFIELD: OK, we're off. Dad's all bundled up. It is cold. All right, these busses, right here, will have many of the upwards of 300 Tuskegee airmen, all invited as special guests for this inauguration. These men all served in World War II in a segregated military. And it was during the Truman years that the military was integrated.
These men are so excited for the first time invited to a presidential inauguration.
Look at the long line of the busses. We're all heading now to the capitol.
It's been interesting. It's about a 10-minute ride actually, and it's almost quiet on the bus. The only thing you can really hear are the sirens. And you would think for a moment that these men would be rowdy and rambunctious, but I guess when you reflect and think about how much they've been through in their lifetime after serving World War II, serving in a segregated military, flying bombing missions and everything else that would follow.
We're here right on Constitution Avenue. And you can see the general public going through security over here. You've got all the armed services right here along the route, because this will become the parade route. And did I tell you we're going to bundle up my dad to make sure. Yeah, here we go. He's cocooned, but you know what? He will be warm. He's in a nice down sleeping bag.
You all right? You warm? You good? OK, we've got all the buses lined up. Everyone's ready to go, ready for the show to begin.
We're heading to the orchestra pit area. You cannot beat this. Beautiful.
OK, it is now 9:45, here at the foot of the Capitol where it's all going to unfold, right here. Folks are taking their seats. If I understand my numbers correctly, 1,000 will sit up there in the bleacher area -- dignitaries, past presidents, military band and special guests.
And here at this platform level, the ground level, the court opens up to the mall, 1,600. Oh my goodness, let me take another look at that view. Is that not beautiful?
What are your first impressions, dad?
M WHITFIELD: Impressive.
F WHITFIELD: May be a little difficult to hear me, but if you look straight ahead is Don King, "Just So" actress Tyne Daly being seated over here, as well. There's photographer Annie Leibovitz, here. Dustin Hoffman. There's Samuel Jackson, Angela Basset just walked by.
M WHITFIELD: Listen.
F WHITFIELD: And you can hear the crowd.
The view and the sounds from section five as everyone got a chance to see the new president on the Jumbotron moments before he's to be sworn in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I Barack Hussein Obama...
BARACK OBAMA (D), UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: And will to be best of my ability...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And will to be best of my ability...
OBAMA: And will to be best of my ability...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the United States.
OBAMA: Preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the United States.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So help you god.
OBAMA: So help me god.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Congratulations, Mr. President.
(APPLAUSE)
M WHITFIELD: I'm telling you, he is a dude. He's a maker of men.
F WHITFIELD: All right, 12:30, roughly eight hours after our journey began, today, and it has been filled with lots of excitement, lots of emotion, especially for the Tuskegee airmen who are here on special invitation and to see this huge sea of humanity. Everyone here for a common purpose, to celebrate what's ahead and to celebrate with the 44th president of the United States.
It's 5:00 p.m., now, Tuesday, nearly 12 hours since his journey began. Dad a little weary, but like most of the Tuskegee airmen today, feeling very refreshed.
M WHITFIELD: For so long I looked forward to this. It's off my mind now, maybe I can relax. It has actually happened while I'm alive. I would have known nothing if it hadn't been the case like this. Everybody has a chance. And I think everybody is so, so happy. I mean, never been -- I don't think America has ever been this happy in their life. All Americans, just not Black folks, I mean White folks and all nationalities.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, that was dad, Mal Whitfield, among the 300 or so Tuskegee airmen who got to chance to witness history. They're used to making history and it was nice for them to be there invited to witness a little history -- a lot of history.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: That's a big deal to get all these guys on the bus, get them bundled up, with their medical needs. Really telling on how important it was for them.
WHITFIELD: You really could see that, I mean, most of the men in wheelchairs, there were canes and the armed forces provided incredible assistance to make it as accommodating for them as possible, even building the ramps there at the Capitol steps, but on board the bus, having the types of buses where you could just simply wheel the wheelchair right up to it, and it's lifted up. I mean, it was just incredible. It was just exactly what a lot of these guys needed for the added comfort to make that journey, because it's a hard trip.
JERAS: Absolutely. What else did your dad say in terms of what this meant to him to be able to witness such an event?
WHITFIELD: Well, you heard him say he never thought it would happen in his lifetime. But he also talked about what an honor it was for he and the other airmen to have been invited to this special occasion.
JERAS: That recognition that were important and they contributed.
WHITFIELD: Exactly. But, you know, they're also very humble men. They don't really brag and boast about what they did, blazing the trails that they did. But I think there was sort of a quiet appreciation that they exuded in their own little way of being included in such a historic day.
JERAS: So cool you got to witness it, too.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, it was nice. Thanks Jacqui, appreciate it. Thanks so much.
JERAS: Nice going.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, and thanks everybody for being an audience to it.
All right, well phoning it in never sounded so sweet, the latest option in high-tech tunes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, e-mailing, texting, jumping on the Internet and now how about making your own music on your cell phone? Here's Reynolds Wolf.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Meet ZooZBeat, it's a new gesture-based music making program developed by Professor Gil Weinberg and his team at Georgia Tech. Made for the Nokia SmartPhone and Apple iPhone, ZooZBeat has been on the market since late 2008. It's essentially a music studio at your fingertips. You can buy ZooZBeat light for less than $1 online at the Apple Store and for a little extra, you'll get more beats and instruments and then it's shake, rattle, and roll.
PROF GIL WEINBERG, GEORGIA TECH: Everyone can have a sense of rhythm and shaking is defiantly something, a gesture that people are familiar with. But you know, if you shake high you get high pitches, if you shake very low, you get low pitch. If you make all kind of gestures, you can manipulate the rhythm.
WOLF: So, you make your music, now what? Well, that's a good question, because for now, users can't upload their creations to the Web or make them into ring tones, but a free upgrade this spring will fix that problem.
WEINBERG: And when I'm ready, I can send it to someone else. Now it comes from this phone.
WOLF: Also on the horizon, ZooZPro, where you can share tunes and play together with friends in the same room, or even across the planet. It's a virtual cell jam session that brings new meaning to the term "world tour."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some of the ideas that you're going to be play over across different countries and that kind of thing, too. And he also is trying to make it so you can also be playing in the same room with as someone and have the beat synchronized, as well.
WOLF: And you don't have to be a pro to use it. MARK GODFREY, LEAD ENGINEER, ZOOZ MOBILE, INC: You can play this anywhere, so you can play with this ap anywhere, you can make music anywhere you are, any time. It's in your pocket, so take it out and make music.
WOLF: So to dial your inner musician, well, all you need are a few bucks and a SmartPhone and then you're not just playing along with the band, you are the band.
Reynolds Wolf, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
