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G-20 Discusses Money, Climate, Justice, War; Patients Suing Over Cancer-Ridden Transplants; Assessing the Impact of a Car Industry Bankruptcy; Floods Abate in Minnesota; Internet Worm Wreaks Havoc; Tobacco Tax Hike Takes Effect; Military Family Talks about Life after Suicide; Obama Meets with British, Russian and Chinese Leaders
Aired April 01, 2009 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Tony.
We're pushing forward on the protests, the politics, and the protocol of the G-20 summit. Amid the rage on the streets of London's business district, President Obama gets down to business. This hour, he's at Buckingham Palace.
Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, live from CNN's world headquarters here in Washington, D.C. And you're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Money, climate, justice, war. If it's a source of hardship anywhere in the world, it's a source of outrage in the financial heart of London.
For hours now CNN has brought you these live pictures of protesters by the thousands. The self-described meltdown crowding into the G-20 spotlight, crowding but not stealing.
The official summit business hasn't even started, but it's been a busy day, as you can see. President Obama just wrapping up a private meet-and-greet with Queen Elizabeth and heading into a reception with G-20 colleagues.
And earlier he and the British prime minister held a news conference where the president held up the prospect of real and unprecedented progress to heal the world's economy. He also did some one-on-one diplomacy meetings, separately with the presidents of Russia and China, accepting invitations to visit both of those countries.
And then he and the Russian president also agreed to launch a new round of nuclear arms reduction talks.
Well, bankers, traders and others who work in what's called "the city" fall into two categories: those who dress down or stay home to avoid being picked on today, and the stiff upper-lip crowd who didn't.
CNN's Jim Boulden has been in the heart of all those protests. He's always keeping a stiff upper lip, especially when he's surrounded by, well, we could say a lot of lunacy on many levels.
Hi, Jim. JIM BOULDEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Kyra.
Yes, you're not going to see that here. This is the climate camp. These protesters, thousands of them, came here about lunch time. We're getting to around dinner time now. And they have been in the streets all afternoon, and they plan to spend the night here. You'll see people are now singing. There's a bit of drinking going on. We've got the tents are laid out. And the police are letting this happen.
This is in front of a building that's very tied to the climate with companies. So they decided that this would be where they're having the climate camp. You'll see other places there have been a bit of -- a bit of fighting with the police, and there have been a few broken windows and things. But that's not here.
Here you have a very serious message. They want the leaders, especially President Barack Obama, to think about the climate when they're deciding how to rebuild the world's economy.
PHILLIPS: All right, Jim. Appreciate it. We'll keep checking in with you, obviously, as we follow the protests there.
Now, you'll almost need a program to sort out the G-20 protesters and their causes. There is a Web site, G20meltdown.org, believe it or not. And better yet, our own Candy Crowley joins me now to walk us through the uproar.
OK, I called you immediately this morning, as I'm watching all these live pictures. And you've covered so many of these summits. Really, how do you -- or can you distinguish what are -- what's the lunacy part of it, you know, and what's legitimate?
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, it's hard to. And generally, you gauge the legitimacy by what's their -- what are they fighting for, what is their protest about.
I mean, you always have at these events your anarchists, your anti-capitalists. You have, as we just heard, those who are worried about climate change. This time we have a whole other level added on, the anti-bankers, and the people wanting a better distribution of wealth throughout the world.
You also get people who just happen -- you know, they live in London. They're -- if you look, they're all pretty young.
PHILLIPS: Right.
CROWLEY: That's sort of the face of the crowd is young. And they come to kind of let their voice be heard.
PHILLIPS: And see, that's what I -- when you mentioned you can see how young they are, and -- but you really can't ever distinguish what type of organization or what the cause is. So you tend to -- I mean, a lot of people were saying this morning as we were talking in the meeting, it's sort of like the carnival, you know, or the Mardi Gras of protests.
Now, is there really a solid purpose here? Or is it more for the drama and just trying to, you know, be cool on many levels?
CROWLEY: Look, there are individual solid purposes. And I think you will find people out there who are organized and under an umbrella group of some sort who have worked all along in climate change issues, anti-war issues, that kind of thing.
But, yes, it has a -- you know, this is a magnet. This kind of meeting is a magnet for "let's go out, let's go into the streets." You're going to have your troublemakers; you're going to have some arrests. And then you have people who went there seriously.
And what appears to be going on, and what goes on a lot at these things, is there's this little -- over here it's about climate change, and they're in one bloc. Then you have the people throwing rocks into windows and banks. That's a different block.
So, you know, it's hard to kind of look and say it's all illegitimate...
PHILLIPS: Right.
CROWLEY: ... because a lot of those causes are worldwide causes.
PHILLIPS: People feel strongly about them.
CROWLEY: Yes. But it's also -- you know, you also do bring in your fair share of the lunatic fringe.
PHILLIPS: And we were getting word, too, that a lot of people are not showing up for work. They didn't want to wear business suits. As you put it, no pinstripes, no wingtips.
You know, and on a serious note, it's because they are concerned about their security, because these protests do get violent many times. If we think back, I think it was the G-8 when they basically set the city on fire. And then you already see people throwing things through windows. You never know what can happen on the danger factor.
CROWLEY: You don't. And actually, it was the London Chamber of Commerce that said to businesses, particularly in the financial district, you know, dress down; don't stick out; don't look like a banker. Because a lot of this fury this time -- again, it's sort of a new angle.
PHILLIPS: Is it first...
(CROSSTALK)
CROWLEY: Yes, there is a lot of that, because there is a group there, a number of people there, who are looking for a redistribution of wealth throughout the world.
But there's also this kind of anger that you've seen in France and you've seen in England, you've seen in the U.S., at top executives who are getting huge sort of good-bye payments, and yet have taken government money. I mean, I think yesterday in France we had the head of the big company there, and they attacked his car. You've seen some of that in England, as well. And you've certainly seen threats here in the U.S.
PHILLIPS: So Candy, let me ask you this. Bottom line: this happens every single summit. OK? You've got all these protesters. The -- from the president of the United States to the prime minister of England to whomever is attending this summit, do these protesters get anything? Do these leaders listen? Do they make any changes because of these protesters?
CROWLEY: I would venture a guess that the only one truly concerned about these protesters at this point is Gordon Brown, because he's the host.
However, you know, there is not an issue out there that any of these leaders have not seen: from rich versus poor, to global warming, and any of those. This is for us. This is for our cameras. They -- you know, protesters go to where the cameras are, and the cameras are at the G-20. If they were doing this in silence, I don't think you'd see a lot of this.
PHILLIPS: Candy Crowley, thanks so much. We'll see you back here in about an hour.
CROWLEY: See you more (ph).
PHILLIPS: Fantastic. Thanks, Candy.
Well, do you have a question for the White House about the G-20 summit or the economy? Go ahead and send us your e-mail right now at MailToTheChief.com. Our next hour, the president's chief adviser, Jared Bernstein, is going to join us live and answer your e-mails.
And another international company is slashing its workforce because of the global recession. 3M says that it's eliminating another 1,200 jobs worldwide. Fewer than half will be in the U.S., because it will include several hundred in Minnesota, where the company has its headquarters.
3M says that the 1,200 figure includes cuts already made this quarter.
And Ford has just released its sales in the U.S. for march. As expected, the news is bad. Ford says its sales plummeted 41 percent from a year earlier.
Other automakers plan to report their March sales later today. Those reports come as both GM and Chrysler are struggling to hold off bankruptcy.
And in just a moment we will hear from CNN's personal finance editor, Gerri Willis, on how an auto bankruptcy could impact you.
Let's go ahead and check the markets right now. Looks like the Dow Industrials up almost 85 points.
Atlantic Southeast Airlines has voluntarily grounded nearly 40 percent of its fleet because of engine safety concerns. The airline says that it's rechecking the engines on 60 of its Bombardier CRJ-200 jets after an internal audit raised questions about whether they had been properly inspected.
It's expected to take up to 42 hours, and travelers on ASA can expect some delays. A company spokesperson says that the airline itself reported the problem to the FAA.
ASA is a unit of Sky West and a regional carrier for Delta.
Outrage over cancer-ridden organ transplants in New York. Now the parents of the donor weigh in.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: The parents of a teen who died after being misdiagnosed with meningitis instead of cancer are joining those suing the hospitals and doctors. Two of four transplant patients who got the cancer-ridden organs died. Two others are battling for their lives.
Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen here.
Elizabeth, what exactly happened? How did this all go down?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, what happened was that two years ago, 15-year-old Alex Koehne died in the hospital, and the doctors said that he had bacterial meningitis. And so the parents made the decision. They said Alex would have wanted his organs to be donated. And four different people received his organs.
The Koehnes also insisted on an autopsy. And on autopsy, they found that Alex did not have bacterial meningitis. In fact he had lymphoma, which is a blood cancer. But by the time they'd done the autopsy, it was too late: Those four recipients had already received his donors. Two of them, as you said, came down with cancer. Two others are being treated for cancer -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: So how could they have made the mistake in the first place?
COHEN: Well, it's unclear exactly what happened. But we did speak to a pediatric infectious disease doctor. And he said, look, this boy did indeed have meningitis, because the cancer had caused the meningitis, which is an inflammation of the lining of the brain and the spinal column. And so he did have meningitis.
So they saw the inflammation. They said, well, he died of meningitis, and they didn't look further to see actually that it was the cancer that had caused the meningitis and not actually bacteria. So it's a very unusual thing and, obviously, a very tragic thing, as well. PHILLIPS: Well, how common is it?
COHEN: Well, the people we've been talking to say that this is extremely uncommon, that usually a death that looks like bacterial meningitis or viral meningitis or fungal meningitis really is from those causes. It's unusual that it's actually from cancer and that they would realize that it was from cancer.
So the doctors we talked to said, look, this is obviously a terrible thing that's happened, but people should still donate organs. People should still receive organs, because this is quite unusual.
PHILLIPS: Elizabeth, thanks.
COHEN: Thanks.
PHILLIPS: A bacterial meningitis scare at Ohio State University now. An infected student is being treated at the school's medical center. The illness was discovered when students returned from spring break, and the sick girl didn't attend class.
Bacterial meningitis is potentially fatal, causing swelling around the brain.
And after days of anxiety and fear along the swollen Red River, residents in North Dakota and Minnesota, well, have they escaped the worst? We'll talk about it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, it's never happened -- one of the Big Three automakers declaring bankruptcy -- but it's a definite possibility now. Joining us to talk more about it, CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis.
Gerri, what would be the impact if Chrysler or GM does declare bankruptcy?
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well, you know, the bottom line and the thing that's not obviously here is that bankruptcy is really no panacea for what's ailing these companies. We're used to seeing, say, airlines go bankrupt or retailers, but having a major auto company declare bankruptcy has a far-reaching effect.
The government has already stepped in and said it would guarantee new warranties on cars from these companies, but let's take a look at the broader impact and, certainly, the impact on consumers.
Sure you can get a warranty, but do you realize the resale value on these cars could drop as much as 50 percent, in half? Car prices could ultimately spike if one of these companies went into bankruptcy and couldn't re-emerge. Incentives would get less attractive across the industry because there would be less competition. So big impacts for consumers out there who might want to buy these cars, some unintended consequences -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. So who else could be impacted? Obviously, it's going to have a trickle-down effect on many levels.
WILLIS: Right. Well, here's the amazing thing. For taxpayers, the cost of these companies going into bankruptcy is probably even greater than not going into bankruptcy. I believe it's GM who has said that the cost would be some -- in excess of $20 billion of going into bankruptcy and then re-emerging, even in a fast bankruptcy.
Investors, let's face it, bonds from auto companies are a favorite investment, or have been in the past years by mutual funds, small investors, certainly senior citizens. And now those bonds, well, they're at risk, particularly the unsecured bonds. Their value could decline -- they're already declined but could disappear overnight if these companies went into bankruptcy and couldn't re- emerge.
Suppliers, dealerships, widespread bankruptcy thought possible for these two categories because of the pressure would put on this industry taking out two major companies. Factory closings across the parts and industry suppliers group. It's just wide-reaching effects.
And I think, Kyra, that most people thought that bankruptcy would be an easy out. In fact, you find, once you pull back the covers, it's more expensive for taxpayers, more expensive for the companies, and the risks are even greater.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Gerri.
WILLIS: My pleasure.
Well, it's no April Fools' Day joke. A troubling computer virus is worming its way into millions of computers right now. What it could mean for your P.C. Plus some tips on how to protect yourself.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, for the first time in days, life is returning to normal for people along the Red River in Minnesota and North Dakota. Residents are returning to their homes, and stores are starting to re- open. And now that the river has dropped more than three feet, well, it's still well above flood stage, but it's below the top of the levee's flood walls. Well, optimism is growing that the area dodged the catastrophe. City officials say that the danger isn't over. The river could rise again as that snow melts.
Our meteorologist Chad Myers is busy, of course, today. He's been busy all week in the CNN severe weather center.
Hey, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know, Kyra, I can't tell you how quiet it is here without you.
PHILLIPS: Aw! I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, Chad.
MYERS: Hurry back, would you please? PHILLIPS: I'll see you tomorrow.
MYERS: OK. Campbell, Minnesota, picked up two feet of snow. Now, that's upriver from all that snow that has to melt, and then go down the river toward Fargo. Fargo had 10 inches of snow from this latest event. This is going to be the snow that is going to eventually get back into this Red River.
Right now it's gone, though. The flood is gone, the blizzard is gone. Now, the water's still high; don't get me wrong. The water in the Red River is still 18 feet above flood stage, but so far it's being held back by those levees.
Rain showers across the Northeast slowing down airports. But the biggest story today -- hasn't happened yet -- it will be the flooding and will also be the potential for tornadoes across north Florida.
We've had an awful lot of rainfall here. Literally, Lake City all the way back over toward Jacksonville and north of Lake County, the Villages, that area there going to see an awful lot of moisture in the air today, some spin to these storms, and some of them could make tornadoes. There will be more tornadoes tomorrow, though. This could be a big tornado day tomorrow across parts of the southeast.
Right now Baltimore and Philadelphia, you're the only ones with airport delays. Things are cleared up a little bit across the northeast. But still they have been slow, so I suspect some of those planes have been canceled. That's why the delays aren't showing up. We just don't show the cancellations.
Here we go. Severe weather all the way across the Midwest and all the way down south. This big pink area will be the thunder zone for tomorrow. We'll watch it for you, too, today in Florida and here tomorrow -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Chad, thanks.
MYERS: You're welcome.
PHILLIPS: P.C. users, I hope your malware protection is updated, because hackers have a nasty new computer virus. It's called a Conficker worm, and it could cripple your computer if you don't take proper precautions.
Josh Levs has some tips for detecting it on your hard drive. He's here to tell us how to beat it.
I thought I was saying a cussword there for a minute, Josh.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I know. It's an awkward one.
PHILLIPS: Yes, I was really careful. I hope I pronounced that worm correctly.
LEVS: You did it very well. And you know what? It's good that we can laugh about it, because it really hasn't carried out the horror stories that we're hearing about.
Speaking of horror stories, Kyra, check out this picture. This is on USA.gov. This is their representation of the Conficker worm, as you were saying, and what they believe it could basically do to your computer. That's their representation.
But contrast that against this: our headline at CNN.com: "No Problems So Far as April Fools' Computer Worm Awakens." So to this point, not seeing a lot of widespread problems, particularly in the United States.
I got to speak with a member of what's called the Conficker cabal that's helping people protect from this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON DEBOLT, CONFICKER CABAL: Right now, everybody must know that Conficker is live and out on the Internet. This latest variant, Conficker C, that was set to trigger on April 1, it is trying to call home, but it hasn't been successful yet.
LEVS: OK, yet. So you're saying it still could be?
DEBOLT: Yes, there is a potential. But through the efforts of the Conficker Cabal, otherwise known as Conficker Working Group, efforts are taken to share information worldwide about this variant and take necessary precautions to protect the Internet at large.
LEVS: Don, has the threat been overblown here? There was a lot of horror stories about this suddenly appearing April Fools' Day, taking over potentially millions of computers, using them in these zombie ways. Was that threat overblown? Did we hear too much about this?
DEBOLT: No, I don't think so. We're talking about a threat that infected an estimated 10 million systems worldwide. That's the definition of a very successful Internet worm.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: And Kyra, I'll tell you, the number one thing a lot of people want to know, what do you do to protect your computer. Let's zoom in on the board here, because there's a really good rundown at CNN.com live, which goes along with the story here.
I'm going to let it play for you. Check your windows auto update. Perform manual auto Windows update, as well. And update your antivirus programs. Make sure all those are up-to-date.
And Kyra, I am told, if you do that, you should be pretty safe. Also, you might be interested to know this: Microsoft is offering $250,000 if they can catch whoever out there created this thing. You know, it's really pernicious and dangerous to those who get it.
PHILLIPS: All right. Appreciate it, Josh. Thanks.
LEVS: You got it. Thanks.
PHILLIPS: Well, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, a knight in shining armor or the creator of a huge economic mess? We're going to take a look at the host of the G-20 summit and how it may save him or break him.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips live in Washington, D.C. And you're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Well, a private chat with the queen, meetings with the presidents of Russia and China and the British prime minister, and it's not even dinnertime yet for President Obama at the G-20 summit in London. Here's the day's headlines: a new round of nuclear arms reduction talks scheduled between the U.S. and Russia; a high-level strategic and economic dialogue on tap with China; and visits by Mr. Obama to both countries later this year.
And flamboyant in some cases, violent protests in the heart of London's financial district. And as you may have seen live right here on CNN, throngs of ant-capitalists, anarchists, environmentalists and others have clashed with London police and trashed the Royal Bank of Scotland.
So what do the protesters want? A group calling itself the G-20 Meltdown organized this event. They're calling for an end to capitalism and, quote, "fair distribution of wealth."
Here's their Web site. Pretty wild-looking. It's titled G-20 Meltdown in the City. And it invites people to what they call "the party." The site reads, quote, "Lost your home, lost your job, lost your savings or your pension? This party's for you."
The group's manifesto says that it wants to oust the bankers from power, get rid of the, quote, "corrupt politicians," and guarantee everyone a job, a home and a future; establish a government by the people, abolish all borders. And it demands sustainable living to stop the climate chaos.
Well, one of the key players at the G-20 summit is its host, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. And CNN's Jim Boulden looks at how the summit could help or hurt his political future.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOULDEN (voice-over): U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown stands out among the G-20 leaders. Others, like President Barack Obama, can blame the current economic mess on predecessors. Not Brown. He was the U.K.'s finance minister for more than a decade, now recalled as the heady boom years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chancellor and Exchequer Gordon Brown.
BOULDEN: He promoted the city of London as open for business and light on regulation. Some say Brown inherited a mess of his own making but then took swift action to tackle the mess.
CATHERINE MAYER, "TIME" MAGAZINE: He appeared to be hitting rock bottom in popularity terms. And then in, I think, the most extraordinary bit of political drama, he actually had a reversal of fortune on the back of an economic downturn. Now, that is crazy, if you think about it.
BOULDEN: That bounce domestically has dissipated. All the polls show Brown will be pushed out at the next election. And if the G-20 comes to nothing, he could lose standing elsewhere.
MARTIN BROUGHTON, PRESIDENT, CBI: Certainly on the financial stability, bringing up the systemic financial risk back. I think he in the U.K. in it (ph). There has been appreciated certainly in Europe and I think in the U.S., as well. But the credit could wane very quickly.
BOULDEN: And it doesn't help when you boast about it, even accidentally, as Mr. Brown did in parliament late last year.
GORDON BROWN, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: And we not only saved the world -- saved the banks -- saved the banks -- and led the way. We not only saved the banks...
BOULDEN: "Time" magazine's Catherine Mayer was there.
CATHERINE MAYER, "TIME" MAGAZINE: I just couldn't believe that he'd made that slip, and it's the only time I think I've ever sat in the gallery there and had tears of laughter running down my face. No, he clearly -- he hasn't saved the world. The sad thing is, he saw the coming danger, and he still didn't save the world. So, if he's a super hero, he's a very flawed one.
BOULDEN: But he has won friends for his work on poverty. For years, he has pushed for aid and debt relief for Africa. Recently he's been pushing the G-20 not to erect protectionist barriers which could hurt developing countries.
RICHARD PORTES, LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL: He is very committed on these issues. And his own personal commitment to bring people out of poverty. He actually feels this very deeply, and I think that is reflected in his approach and his enthusiasm about the G-20 process.
BOULDEN: Whatever the enthusiasm of Gordon Brown and his finance minister, Alistair Darling, for the G-20 process, saving the U.K. economy and their political skins is just as much on their agenda.
Jim Boulden, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: So, do you have a question for the White House about the G-20 summit or the economy? Send us an e-mail now to mailtothechief@cnn.com. Our next hour, the vice president's chief economic adviser, Jared Bernstein, is going to join us live and answer your questions. The stress of combat taking a toll on the military. And one family who lost a Marine, a husband and a father to suicide tells their personal story. You're going to be inspired by everything that they're doing.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, smoking's just got even more expensive. The government's tobacco tax hike taking effect today. Jim Acosta tallies the cost and the controversy.
But first, it's war by remote control. Tiny planes sent into combat zones where precision is necessary but pilots are optional. CNN's Deborah Feyerick has this week's "Edge of Discovery."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Cameras come with a lot of fancy accessories these days. But here's a new one -- wings.
STEVE GITLIN, DIR OF MARKETING, AEROVIRONMENT: Unmanned aircraft are flying cameras.
FEYERICK: The newest eyes in the sky. They might look like simple remote control airplanes, but these high-tech devices are equipped with GPS infrared cameras and are fast becoming a crucial new tool in military intelligence.
GITLIN: The soldiers, airmen, Marines and in some cases sailors who use our small unmanned aircraft systems are often operating in very dangerous areas, in areas where they don't have access to the kind of information that they would like to have about what's over the next hill, what's on top of the building, what's around the neck corner.
FEYERICK: Some are launched by hand, and some lift off on their own. But they're all lightweight and compact, weighing less than four pounds, and they're only getting smaller.
Yes, even smaller. Researchers are now developing unmanned aircraft the size of birds and even tiny insects. And they could be put to use beyond the front lines.
GITLIN: Natural disasters are very appropriate applications for this kind of technology. Small unmanned aircraft would enable people to see which roads are passable, would enable to see where survivors are.
FEYERICK: Deborah Feyerick, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Sound and fury on the fringes of the G-20 summit. Thousands of protesters airing decades of grievances ranging from greed to global warming. Not far away, but far enough, the G-20 leaders are the toast of Buckingham Palace. For President Obama, this follows meetings with the British prime minister, the presidents of Russia and China and Queen Elizabeth herself. A working dinner, we're told, follows in about an hour at Number 10 Downing Street.
And here in Washington, top military brass are mincing no words on the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. General David Petraeus says the Taliban in Afghanistan and other insurgents in neighboring Pakistan are growing stronger. Speaking to senators on Capitol Hill today, Petraeus vowed U.S. forces would fight relentlessly and aggressively to defeat the insurgents in both countries.
Not all senators are buying the Obama administration's new strategy, saying it may be a mistake to link the Afghan war with helping Pakistan defeat its own insurgency.
Well, multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan are stressing the ranks of the U.S. military. And last year, the Army reported 128 suicide. The Marine Corps says that there were 41 suicides of active- duty members. And that's the most since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Well, the family of Marine Major John Ruocco knows the pain behind those numbers. In the three months after he returned from a tour in Iraq, he had nightmares, he lost weight, he was withdrawn and he was distracted from his two young sons. He promised his wife, Kim, that he'd get help. But the next day, the 40-year-old Cobra pilot killed himself.
Kim Ruocco is now a peer counselor for military families going through the same thing for an organization called TAPS. Her sons Joey and Billy spoke about their father at an event sponsored by that group here in Washington last night. That's where I had the privilege of getting to know them. Now Kim, Joey and Billy join me live. So great to see you guys.
KIM RUOCCO, MARINE'S WIDOW: Thanks for having us.
PHILLIPS: I get a little choked up, too, when I start reading about your dad. I think, you know, as a journalist we talk about this, but then I meet you guys personally, and it's like, my heart, you know, starts to thump.
But guys, you were amazing last night. You really were. And Joey, you spoke about your father and shared with thousands of people in that crowd about suicide, how it's impacted the family. Will you just give us a few thoughts from last night just for our viewers here on CNN?
JOEY RUOCCO, MARINE'S SON: I really just -- I mean I introduced myself. I told them my situation, about my dad and everything. And then I talked a little bit about General Graham, who lost a son in combat, and also to suicide, just like my dad.
And he really is a inspiration to a lot of suicide -- a lot of people who have to deal with someone they know committing suicide, because, like, you know, he speaks so freely about it and he does so much to make sure that those guys are as honored as the people who died in combat.
PHILLIPS: Yes, you talk about General Mark Graham. We actually had him on last week. And that's who you honored last night at this gala. We're looking at you right now actually giving him a big hug. And it's amazing, he not only lost a son in combat, but like you said, a second to suicide.
And, you know, here is a tremendous military leader. Does that give you -- I mean, I know he's been a role model. He's mentored you guys an been a part of the whole family. Has that given you strength to talk openly about suicide? I mean, why do you do that? because that's not easy for a teenager to do that, Joey.
J. RUOCCO: Well, I mean, I believe that my dad was a hero, even if he didn't die in combat. I mean, he dealt with many things that -- I mean, to have to take on so many different things at the same time, I mean, how can you? I mean, I'm just as proud of him as if he did die in combat.
PHILLIPS: And Billy, you love talking about memories of your dad. You cracked me up when you said he coached everything but even if he couldn't play the sport, he was your coach. Right?
BILLY RUOCCO, MARINE'S SON: Yes. Yes.
PHILLIPS: What else do you remember about your dad?
B. RUOCCO: Well, the sports thing, even if he didn't know it, he'd get a little, like, handbook like for drills and stuff and try to teach us in the drills. And he was always pulling practical jokes on people.
PHILLIPS: Kind of like you! I learned that last night. You've got that little devilish side. I love it. What else?
B. RUOCCO: Like once he put a fake snake in my grandma's bed at Cape Cod.
PHILLIPS: Grandma didn't like that, did she?
B. RUOCCO: No.
PHILLIPS: But, see, Kim, I meet the boys, and they're both, I mean, so terrific. They've got a great sense of humor. They remember amazing things about their dad. And you have played a tremendous part in that. How did you remain so strong and strategize the healing process for the entire family once you lost your husband?
K. RUOCCO: Well, it was a difficult road. It really was. Because of the stigma of suicide, when my husband first died, my main concern was what was I going to tell the children and how was I going to help them through this process.
And a lot of the information I got, honestly, was not very good information. I was told to tell them that it was an accident, that they wouldn't be able to handle something like their dad taking their own life. But that is what they were told in the first hours after the suicide.
But then I realized that in a tragedy like this, you really have to start with honesty and tell them the truth, and that you're rebuilding your family, essentially, and you need to rebuild it on the truth. And so, we talk about suicide and the problems that John had openly, and I think that the more open you can be about something like this, the more you can spread information on how to prevent it in the future.
PHILLIPS: And what do you tell other kids your age, Joey? I mean, I know you talk to a lot of people about this now.
J. RUOCCO: I mean, I just say exactly what I say to everyone else. I mean, he was depressed, he was away from us, he had so many things on his shoulders. He felt like he could carry everything. But you know, like one of his friends said, Superman finally found his Kryptonite.
PHILLIPS: Now, TAPS has -- not only do you have an amazing mom here, but TAPS has provided a mentor program. Both of you guys have a mentor now. What do you like about your mentor, Billy?
B. RUOCCO: He's really into sports. And...
PHILLIPS: Is he someone to kind of be a -- you can talk to him, look up to him?
B. RUOCCO: He buys me ice cream.
PHILLIPS: He buys you ice cream -- I love it. Billy keeps everything in perspective here.
K. RUOCCO: And he knew Dad, too, right?
J. RUOCCO: Yes, (INAUDIBLE).
K. RUOCCO: He flew with my husband in Iraq. And so, it was really powerful because we went to TAPS, and he had just showed up there to volunteer, and he saw the boys' name on the list, and he said, is this John Ruocco's sons? He found Billy, and he said that his dad had led him through battle in Iraq and really saved his life, and that now he would be there for Billy. That was an amazing turning point for him.
PHILLIPS: I tell you what, we not only lift up your mentors, but we lift up your dad today. And there was a fabulous, just, celebration of life last night and raising money for a great cause. And I really just admire all three of you so much.
And just thank you for just spending time with me and also coming in here today, and you keep that sense of humor, OK, Billy? You keep us all laughing during all the tough subjects. You kept me from crying today and last night. I love you! Thank you, guys, so much.
K. RUOCCO: Thank you for having us.
PHILLIPS: My pleasure.
K. RUOCCO: Appreciate it.
PHILLIPS: And if someone you know in the military needs help, here's the group. It's TAPS. It's the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. They're always ready to help. They've got people there 24/7. Here's the phone number, that Web site. They help all military families dealing with issues of suicide, death.
It's a fantastic organization. You see right here what it does for the Ruocco family. And once again, the number, 1-800-959-taps. Always somebody there around the clock.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, smokers might have gotten a nasty surprise this morning. A pack of cigarettes costs 62 cents more than it did yesterday, thanks to the government's tobacco tax hike that's just taken effect. And CNN's Jim Acosta has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Smoke 'em if you got 'em has become smoke 'em if you can afford 'em.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't do it anymore. I'm done. I'm done. I'm not smoking anymore after this cigarette.
ACOSTA: Last February, when President Obama signed a law that expanded health care coverage for millions of children, he did so on the butts of millions of smokers.
OBAMA: In a decent society, there are certain obligations that are not subject to tradeoffs or negotiations, and health care for our children is one of those obligations.
ACOSTA: To pay for all of that new health care coverage, starting today, the federal tobacco tax on a pack of cigarettes is going up big-time, from 39 cents to $1.01. Anti-smoking activists who've been fighting the likes of Joe Camel for decades like the smell of that.
DANNY MCGOLDRICK, CAMPAIGN FOR TOBACCO-FREE KIDS: All the research, all the evidence shows that one of the best ways to reduce smoking, particularly among kids, is to increase price. Our model suggests that almost 2 million kids will be prevented from becoming smokers just from this price increase.
ACOSTA: But critics argue it's a promise broken for President Obama, who has said he would only raise taxes on the wealthy. And it's the poor who smoke the most.
CHRIS EDWARDS, CATO INSTITUTE: If you're a pack-a-day smoker, this 62-cent per pack increase is a $225-a-year federal tax increase. For people with moderate income, that's a pretty big hit. ACOSTA: And the tax is not a big hit with the dwindling number of restaurants that still sell tobacco products, like this Washington cigar bar just a few blocks from the White House.
BOB MATERAZZI, OWNER, SHELLY'S BACK ROOM: If we get a dramatic increase in a particular brand or a particular line of cigars, we'll be forced to increase the price somewhat in order to maintain our margins. So, yes, if there's a dramatic increase in a particular item, we will pass that on somewhat.
ACOSTA: The big cigarette makers have done just that, raising their prices before the hike. Public health advocates say add that to the list of reasons for smokers to kick the habit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it's probably time to stop. It's just getting out of hand.
ACOSTA (on camera): And Congress isn't finished with the tobacco industry just yet. The House is set to vote on a bill that would give the Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate tobacco products for the first time. That's a quite a leap forward from those smoke-filled rooms up on Capitol Hill.
Jim Acosta, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: From Capitol Hill to Buckingham Palace, I don't think there's going to be any smoking going on in there. But President Obama and his wife, Michelle, still there. And this is the first bit of video that we're getting fed in.
Unfortunately we aren't able to go behind the palace doors. It's private what's taking place with the president of the United States, his wife, members of the G-20 summit, but the queen and Prince Charles by her side, hosting everybody right now as President Obama makes his first visit. Prince Philip and the queen greeting folks as they're coming in.
Well, taking it to the streets with Twitter's help. We're going to check out social networking for the anti-summit set.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, you know it's a big day when a U.S. and Russian pledged to restart nuclear arms talks. In just one of the headlines, and maybe not even the biggest, President Obama making the most of his first major international event, meeting with the Russian and Chinese presidents, the prime minister there in Britain, also Queen Elizabeth on the eve of the G-20 summit.
(CROWD SHOUTING)
And then elsewhere in London, a G-20 meltdown. That's what a wide assortment of protest groups are calling today's upheaval in London's financial district. You may have seen it live here on CNN. Anarchists, anti-capitalists clashing with riot cops, trashing at least one bank.
Well, some of these G-20 protesters are using Twitter to help organize their chaos. CNN's Errol Barnett is following that angle for us. Hey, Errol.
ERROL BARNETT, CNN INTERNATIONAL IREPORT CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Kyra. The protesters, they're throwing objects and paint at police. They're rocking barricades, and somehow they're finding time to jump on their mobile phones and tweet about it as well. I'm following a Twitter page under hash tag G-20, but some people are also voicing their thoughts.
This person saying, "Seems like a lot of police vans are moving towards the banks. Seems to all be kicking off again, this walking toward Waterloo.
We should let you all know this is all taking place in a central part of England, a financial district, almost like England's version of Wall Street, a banking area that the police have cornered off. Now, the group that mobilized this, G-20 Meltdown, they have a Facebook group that people have been voicing their opinions on. They posted where they would be at what times, which helped police protect the appropriate people.
On their page, though, this person saying, "I'm all for protesting, but it's not making a -- not when it makes things get violent."
And they link to the G-20 meltdown page, a pretty ominous-looking page. This is their symbol here, the four horsemen of the apocalypse. And they say, "Lost your home? Lost your job? Lost your pension? This party is for you" in an effort to get more people at this protest in London.
We have received some user-generated video from London here from England. Let me show you a few right now. This was sent to us by Gabriel LaDon (ph). Not one of the protesters, just a simple bystander. She works nearby, and snapped these images. She said it was calm early in the day. It was actually a positive mood, with people were listening to music and singing.
But eventually, the protesters started to clash with riot police. They started to rock barricades, and they actually arrested a few people because they had police uniforms with them. Another image from someone who works, actually, in this financial area -- he's a consultant -- took a picture.
I don't know if you can see it here, but this blue tank-like object in the middle is how the protesters arrived. This is the RVS Building, one of the largest banks in England that they were in front of. So, we're seeing that it's not really only protesters using social networking sites to communicate and plan, but it's also average bystanders who are seeing all of this happen without really understanding the appropriate impact of it -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Errol, I'm going to have to have a one-on- one with you because I am so behind the times.
BARNETT: I'll catch you up.
PHILLIPS: All right, thanks, Erro.
BARNETT: Sure.
PHILLIPS: Well now, the G-20 by the numbers. It's actually 19 nations, the European Union scrambling to stop the world economy from shrinking. Today, the host of the G-20 summit ticked off four main goals, starting with kick-starting economic growth.
For the U.K. and U.S., that means hefty public spending, which Germany and France are against. They want to focus on tough new global regulations, which is also on the British prime minister's to- do list. Lowering trade barriers, resisting protectionism are other top priorities, and ideally, the recovery will be green.
The leaders roll up their leaves tomorrow, but President Obama got down to business today. He's met with the British prime minister, the Russian and Chinese presidents and within the past hour, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
Our Suzanne Malveaux has a lot of ground to cover. Suzanne, let's go ahead and start with Russia. What's the headline there?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, obviously, these two leaders meeting. And the big news out of this we saw, you know, very warm conversations between the two, the body language.
But what came out of this meeting between the two is something very concrete. What they're going to do is look at reducing their nuclear arsenals. There's a treaty, the START treaty, that expires in December. They will meet in July in Moscow and simply talk about the way forward to renegotiate that treaty and to replace it with something where they will in earnest actually reduce their nuclear arsenals.
Very important for both sides and really a good measure, if you will. Barack Obama saying that he wants to press the reset button. This certainly is one example in which these two leaders are -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, and of course, the news from China. What came out of that meeting?
MALVEAUX: Well, this was significant as well. You have these two leaders. Obviously, it's been kind of a frosty relationship with both of them. There's been talk about the financial situation. You had Hu Jintao, who simply had suggested that perhaps there needs to be a global currency as opposed to what is set by the U.S. dollar. They didn't get into all of those specifics or really the controversy around that.
But what you are going to see is Barack Obama going to visit China. They're going to have a meeting. That's going to happen later in the fall. And then they're going to set up two different working groups. You'll have Hillary Clinton and her counterpart in China as well as Timothy Geithner, the treasury secretary, and his counterpart, meeting on a regular basis to talk about ways forward, whether or not it is security matters or whether or not it's financial matters. But obviously to try to improve this relationship with the Chinese -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: And you know, I was wondering, we talked so much yesterday, Suzanne, about Sarkozy and the fact he was threatening to walk out if things didn't go his way. And I just realized we haven't had any update or heard anything from him today. Did that just sort of go away and everything's been OK?
MALVEAUX: We actually did hear from Sarkozy, President Sarkozy. He was with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel. They had a joint press conference. And both of them saying they were not satisfied. There's not some consensus just quite yet on what they want out of this G-20 summit agreement. Pulling back a little bit, he didn't necessarily say that he was going to walk out. We expect that he will certainly be at these meetings.
But he's trying to push as hard as he can here this idea of regulating the financial markets, that perhaps there would even be some sort of global world organization or even an individual that would be responsible for doing that. So, he is still pushing that line. We suspect and expect that he's going to be at the G-20 summit -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. We'll track it. Thanks, Suzanne.
