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Breeze, Lack of Rain Hamper S. Carolina Firefighting Effort; News Conference Will Highlight Obama's 100-Day Achievements; Bronx Teacher Made Threats, Barricaded in School; Older Workers Retraining
Aired April 24, 2009 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Here are some of the other stories we're watching.
Happening right now, General David Petraeus is testifying on Capitol Hill about the budget for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He talked to the House Appropriations Committee behind closed doors earlier this week, but today, it's an open session.
A pair of American journalists will be forced to stand trial in North Korea. Laura Ling and Euna Lee are accused by the North Korean government of going into the country illegally and preparing to carry out so-called hostile acts. They were arrested March 17th on the China-North Korea border.
Firefighters expecting more hot spots to break out near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In a news conference just a few moments ago, fire officials said they have the fire 50 percent contained now, but they are also prepared for increased winds to move the fire toward more neighborhoods today. That, of course, is the danger. Nearly 70 homes have been destroyed so far.
This morning big news and bleak developments in the U.S. auto industry. Chrysler, 84 years of history and six days that will shape its entire future. A government deadline is approaching, and the threat of bankruptcy looms.
General Motors facing some sobering warnings this morning, on its plans to temporarily close 13 of its factories. Key partners say they may not survive the summer shutdown.
And this morning, huge losses for Ford Motor company.
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HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Here are some of the other stories we're watching.
Happening right now, General David Petraeus is testifying on Capitol Hill about the budget for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He talked to the House Appropriations Committee behind closed doors earlier this week, but today, it's an open session.
A pair of American journalists will be forced to stand trial in North Korea. Laura Ling and Euna Lee are accused by the North Korean government of going into the country illegally and preparing to carry out so-called hostile acts. They were arrested March 17th on the China-North Korea border.
Firefighters expecting more hot spots to break out near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In a news conference just a few moments ago, fire officials said they have the fire 50 percent contained now, but they are also prepared for increased winds to move the fire toward more neighborhoods today. That, of course, is the danger. Nearly 70 homes have been destroyed so far.
This morning big news and bleak developments in the U.S. auto industry. Chrysler, 84 years of history and six days that will shape its entire future. A government deadline is approaching, and the threat of bankruptcy looms.
General Motors facing some sobering warnings this morning, on its plans to temporarily close 13 of its factories. Key partners say they may not survive the summer shutdown.
And this morning huge losses for Ford Motor Company and the company's reaction speaks volumes about the state of the industry.
We do have our crews breaking it all down for you. Christine Romans is looking at Chrysler's struggle to survive, and Poppy Harlow has the inside track at Ford.
Let's go ahead and begin with you, Christine, this morning of the CNN Money Team, of course. What's going on here now?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know that Chrysler has about six days or so before it has to report to the United States government about how it will become a viable company, how it will do a deal with Fiat and how it will survive. It went to the government for emergency loans about a month ago, and it was given 30 days and time is running out.
The company preparing for a bankruptcy filing, Heidi. It has $7 billion in debt. The company - the government rather is trying to convince those creditors, the people who loaned the money to the company, to take less money in return. But so far, no deal there.
And what about Fiat? This is the Italian carmaker. The president of the United States basically said, do a deal with Fiat or you will not survive. And that deal is still not done yet.
So it's a tough road here. For anybody who is a loyal customer for Chrysler, these are painful days. For anyone who is an employee of Chrysler, these are painful days because time is running out and many analysts are saying it's looking less likely like the company will emerge certainly as a standalone company. It all depends on whether they can do a deal here with Fiat, frankly, Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes. And do it pretty darn quickly, too. All right, Christine Romans, thanks for that.
As Chrysler and General Motors face bankruptcy deadlines, Ford is out now with its quarterly report card. It's the only one of the big three that has not asked for government bailout money. So how did the company do?
CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow has those numbers for us.
Hi, Poppy.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi.
Well, here's the headline that everyone wants to know. Ford CEO Allen Mulally confirming at this point the company will not ask for a government bailout. The quarterly report card, good and bad news, beating expectations by a long shot. Losing $1.4 billion in the first quarter of this year, but analysts expected a $2.8 billion loss. So half of that.
But you should know Ford has lost more than $31 billion now since 2006. It does say it's on track to meet its financial target internally, that's to break even by 2011. One key reason, Heidi, is that this company is not burning through cash as quickly as it had. In the last quarter it spent $3.7 billion more than it took in. However, compare that to the fourth quarter of 2008 when we saw Ford burn through $7.2 billion, Heidi. So things are getting much better at Ford but not good news yet.
COLLINS: Yes, not quite yet. So why is Ford in better shape though than GM and Chrysler? Is it actually selling more cars?
HARLOW: You know, it's all relative. Sales across the industry are dismal. Ford's market, we looked at it yesterday, it has increased a bit because the confidence in GM and Chrysler continues to dwindle, but sales so far this year really running at a pace. I spoke with an auto analyst who said listen we're at about 10 million cars a year for the U.S. industry. That's down 40 percent from the peak we saw in 2000. He said Heidi, we've never seen anything like this since the Great Depression.
COLLINS: Yes. HARLOW: We know Ford has focused more on these fuel efficient cars and we heard the administration, the Obama administration criticizing GM and Chrysler for its focus on big SUVs and trucks. So it really is that focus on energy efficiency, at least that's what you'll hear a little later from Ford's CEO Allen Mulally, I'm sure.
COLLINS: Yes, in fact, you're going to be talking to Ford's CEO in just a couple of hours, right?
HARLOW: Yes. We're going to talk to him this afternoon around 12:30 Eastern time. We'll have that full interview on CNNMoney.com.
But it's going to be very interesting to talk to him about what the company did right and what it still has to do. Ford sold off big assets like Jaguar and Land Rover, and it also took out some big loans before the credit crunch. And that's something that we didn't see with Chrysler and we didn't see with GM and it's paying off now at Ford.
We'll have that full interview with the CEO right here on CNNMoney.
COLLINS: All right. We'll be watching for that. Poppy Harlow, thank you.
HARLOW: Sure.
COLLINS: Some chilly warnings this morning for General Motors. Some parts suppliers say they may not survive GM's summer shutdowns of 13 assembly plants. Local businesses and even governments also saying those closures could be disastrous. GM says it needs to close the factories so bloated inventories can be whittled down a bit.
Right now though I want to check out the Big Board for you. You see the numbers there. Hey, look at that. Well, it was triple digits to the positive, wasn't? We can get back up there hopefully before the end of the trading day. About 35 minutes in on a Friday, and we are above the 8000 mark right now on the Dow Jones Industrial Averages. We'll have our eye on those numbers for you as always, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
It is day 95 in the White House for President Barack Obama and a new CNN Poll of Polls shows most Americans leave he's doing a good job. Sixty-four percent say they approve of the way President Obama is handling his job, 28 percent disapprove.
The CNN Poll of Polls averages three national tracking polls taken between April 14th and April 21st.
But which president did better in their first 100 days? In April 1961, Gallup poll shows John F. Kennedy with an 83 percent approval rating, only five percent disapproved. And back in 1953, President Dwight Eisenhower enjoyed a 100-day approval rating of 72 percent, with only 10 percent disapproving.
Wouldn't it be cool though to grade the politicians you actually elected. Join us for President Obama's 100 day in office for the "CNN NATIONAL REPORT CARD." Wednesday night you can grade all of them with CNN's best political team. You can do it together by rating the president, Congress, and even state leaders. On Wednesday beginning at 7:00 Eastern an CNN and cnn.com/reportcard.
Pulling back from a Pakistani district and pulling back from a possible confrontation with a nuclear armed country. The Taliban announcing today it is withdrawing from the Buner district.
CNN's Ivan Watson is in the capital of Islamabad with the very latest on this developing story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A Taliban spokesman tells CNN that the Taliban has order to withdraw from the contested Buner district. That's located just 60 miles, about 100 kilometers, northwest of the Pakistani capital. The Taliban made a land grab into that region earlier this week. They took over territory they order court houses shut.
But moments after the Taliban spokesman made this announcement to CNN, Pakistani television showed footage of heavily armed militants climbing aboard trucks and appearing to evacuate a compound they seized earlier in the week.
This will be a positive signal for the Pakistani government which has come under fire for not taking strong enough measures against the Taliban as it has moved to consolidate and take over more territory in the weeks since the Pakistani government signed a peace agreement with the Taliban which allows the imposition of Islamic Sharia law in Pakistan's Swat Valley. However, there are other districts that the Taliban have moved into since that agreement was signed.
In addition to that, the Taliban have declared that the Pakistani government is un-Islamic in the week since that agreement was signed. They have challenged anybody who does not agree with their version of strict Islamic law denouncing them as non-Muslims. We'll have to see whether or not the Taliban will follow through on their latest announcement.
Ivan Watson, CNN, Islamabad.
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COLLINS: Two American journalists will be tried on criminal charges in North Korea. Laura Ling and Uni Lee are accused of crossing into the country illegally and committed "hostile acts."
North Korea hasn't detailed the charges or said when the trial will actually begin.
Ling and Lee were reporting on North Korean refugees living in China when they were arrested last month.
A wildfire emergency in South Carolina spreading dangerously close to a popular tourist destination. Our Rob Marciano is keeping an eye on the winds in the area.
Hi there, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Heidi.
Yesterday they got a bit of a handle on it because the winds were light, but today we expect a sea breeze to kick in. It's already doing that, and that may fan the flames. We'll talk about it next when the CNN NEWSROOM comes right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: More homes in danger today near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. A wildfire has burned more than 30 square miles so far. Nearly 70 homes have been destroyed. About 100 other homes were damaged. The fire skipped through several neighborhoods, but so far has stayed away from the beach areas and the popular tourist hotels.
Fire officials though say it will still be several days before the fire can be fully contained. In fact, just a short time ago those officials held a news conference to update us on the latest movement of the fire. They were pretty anxious to reassure vacationers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB GRABOWSKI, HORRY COUNTY COUNCIL: It's especially a big challenge in Horry county. We have the largest county east of the Mississippi, over 1100 square miles, and a lot of that has caught on fire. I'd like to mention for the tourists that are thinking of coming here this weekend for vacation, we should have no problems taking care of our guests and visitors that are going to come to Myrtle Beach and north Myrtle Beach and enjoy our beaches.
I don't want to tell them to stay away. Chamber of commerce has issued a statement saying welcome. We can accommodate these folks and we're looking forward to doing that, but this is going to be an ongoing operation. It's going to last - we don't really know how long. We're not going to be able to look at this in two or three days and say it's over. We're going to be...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just want to go home.
GRABOWSKI: Your houses - that will be addressed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hurry up.
GRABOWSKI: We'll get with you on that as soon as it's safe to get in there. We need to make sure that it is safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Boy, you can hear the residents there in the background demanding to know when they can return home. Around 2,500 people were evacuated.
Our meteorologist Rob Marciano has been watching all that. You can just really hear and feel their frustration. They want to get back home but it has to be safe before they can do that.
MARCIANO: It is. And that's just human nature. You want to get back to your home base, you want to check it out and make sure it's safe.
But the problem with these fires, as you know, Heidi, is that these embers can travel in some cases, you know, half mile or more and then just land on a house. So they got to make sure they have a line that is contained and get a handle on it before they can start letting people back in.
Forty percent containment at the moment. They're hoping to increase that containment today. Yesterday, got a hold of it because the winds were pretty light. Today the winds are already starting to pick up.
Here we go. Here's Myrtle Beach. You can kind of see the winds are now southerly. Well, that's good. Because it brings in some humidity off the ocean. We have relative humidity levels today that are 50 percent to 60 percent, which is higher than they have been in the past, but also when we talk about wind speeds that are now at eight, nine, ten miles an hour and we're not even at noon, the sea breeze really kicks in around, you know, 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon.
So that number could easily reach 15 to 25 miles an hour, and then you're talking about a bit of a problem there. So the good news with that southerly wind is it is moving things away from the main hotel strand there along Myrtle Beach proper. All right. Here is a warm front heading this way. There are some showers and thunderstorms moving through Altoona. It's cool in New York right now, but this will allow some warmer air to get into the east coast proper as we go to the next day or two.
Here is some of that warm air right here. 86 in Atlanta, expected high. 86 in Nashville. 75 in D.C., but that warm air will be on the move and it will feel very, very summerlike this weekend. Talk about the fires in South Carolina. This is out of Florida, Alligator Alley, which was shut down and they're still hemming and hawing, the highway patrollers as to whether or not they should reopen that stretch of highway that kind of connects the west coast to the east coast there in Florida, but over 50 square miles burned there, and there's the interstate itself, 75, I believe, which heads that way.
So a number of fronts on the fire line to deal with, Heidi, and I should mention this. We had some rough weather move through Atlanta last night which shut down the airport for a bit. This is not weather-related at the moment but departure delays at the Atlanta Airport for about 30 minutes right now. Back to you.
COLLINS: They actually got back in shape pretty quickly after that because the whole place had to be shut down. There were some issue with the lightning.
MARCIANO: It is the busiest or at least one of the busiest airports in the world and they're pretty good at getting things back up and running.
COLLINS: Yes. They are. All right. Rob, thank you.
MARCIANO: You got it.
COLLINS: How about this now, three small earthquakes shook southern California. The largest a magnitude of 4.0 rocked Orange County. The quakes were centered within a few miles of the city of Yorba Linda yesterday within less than four hours. Some people say they didn't even feel it even though. Others say they definitely felt a jolt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY CHIERICH, YORBA LINDA RESIDENT: It was like somebody like dropped a bomb. It was just a bang.
ABID CHAUDRHRY, YORBA LINDA RESIDENT: I was on the couch watching the Laker game and all of a sudden a big jolt. It was literally like a semi hit the house. The windows, the shutters just opened up. Turned the pool light, the water was swaying back and forth.
MARI ARROYO, YORBA LINDA RESIDENT: Oh, I was afraid to stay home. I'm in a two-story, and the whole thing jumbled so loud it's like it scared me right out of the house.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: So far there have been no reports of damage or injuries.
Some insurance and mental illness. I have them today's "Empowered Patient." Tips for struggling families trying to maintain coverage.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Some information to you that we have in the CNN NEWSROOM now.
Now we have been able to confirm a situation that is happening at a middle school in the Bronx in New York, of course. We understand that inside this middle school there have been some threats that have been made by a teacher. So, therefore, they have had to actually evacuate this middle school. That teacher is now apparently barricaded inside a classroom. The school is actually known as MS - middle school, of course - 328, also known as the New Millennium Business Academy, if you're familiar with this area.
Apparently the teacher is the only person inside the classroom at this point. Of course, New York PD is on the scene and we are getting all of our information also confirmed through the city board of education there.
The information, again, comes from the city board of education, New York PD and so forth. But one thing, just updating you as to what we know at this point. Apparently, this middle school MS 328 has been evacuated in the Bronx in New York because a teacher has made some threats. That teacher is now barricaded inside a classroom. We, of course, will stay on top of this situation for you and bring you any information as it comes our way.
Keeping health insurance can be a tough task in today's tight economy. It can be made even more difficult though for those people dealing with a mental health issue.
CNN's senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here now to answer your questions today in "Empower Me Friday."
Hi there, Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, hi. Yes, it's "Empower Me Friday," So we help people navigate their health care. We come up with solutions. We don't just talk about the problems...
COLLINS: Great.
COHEN: ... we come up with solutions and we have at least the start of a solution for a family today. Why don't you go ahead and start...
COLLINS: Yes. This is our first question now, comes from Theresa. And she writes this, "My son in 19 years old. He has mental illness coupled with drug and alcohol addiction. His insurance with his dad ends in December of 2009. Can you help me with any advice?"
Very tough situation.
COHEN: This is a very tough situation and I'm just going to be clear and blunt here. This kid is not going to be able to get insurance on his own. We asked the folks at the health insurance who are in the business of selling insurance, and they said he's not going to be able to get insurance. It's not going to happen if he goes out on his own and applies.
And I tell you, Heidi, that our "Empowered Patient" mailbox, full of hundreds of thousands of e-mails. The most common one that we get is people with pre-existing conditions...
COLLINS: Sure.
COHEN: ... like this young man who - they're out of luck in a lot of ways.
COLLINS: All right. So what can they do?
COHEN: OK. The first thing for this particular young man and this applies to a lot of people, he is about to lose his insurance. He needs to get COBRA.
COLLINS: OK. COHEN: And Cobra can be expensive but...
COLLINS: I was going to say, yes.
COHEN: But hopefully for him, it won't be because he's part of a whole family. And just taking him out and putting him on Cobra hopefully won't be too much.
The thing about Cobra that's great, they can't deny him. They can't say you have this incredibly expensive illness. They've got to take him for the next year and a half or so and at the same premium that he was paying before. So Cobra is really important with someone with pre-existing conditions.
COLLINS: OK. Let's say still though they just can't afford it. I mean, are there government programs now that they can look to?
COHEN: You know what, there probably are.
Actually, I was on the phone with someone who was from the state of Pennsylvania just about 10 minutes ago. And they think that there are some disability programs perhaps for this young man. There might be other things.
So what you want to do is talk to your state insurance commissioner and also go to the Cover Me Foundation. This is a great group that helps people in exactly this kind of situation. Cover Me Foundation, they help find free or very low cost federal state funded programs that will help you in this situation.
Another thing you want to do is go to the Kaiser Family Foundation website. They have a list of states with high-risk pools. High-risk pools are exactly for this kind of situation. That's the Kaiser Family Foundation.
COLLINS: What do you mean by that?
COHEN: In other words, these are pools for people who are high- risk. This young man is high-risk. It's going to cost a lot of money to take care of him. So that's why no private insurer wants to touch him. These state high-risk pools, they have to take you, and they can't charge you an arm and a leg, at least that's the way the rules are.
So you want to see if your state has a high-risk pool. A lot of states do. But we already found a program in Pennsylvania that's similar to a high-risk pool and they were pretty optimistic that they think that he might qualify for that program or for some other state program.
COLLINS: OK. Does it turn out to be less than Cobra or - which is more expensive?
COHEN: The family will have to actually call the state of Pennsylvania and decide which is going to give them better coverage for the money. COLLINS: Kind of case-by-case basis.
COHEN: Yes, exactly. There is no questions. This is a lot of work. When you have a pre-existing condition, you have a lot of work in front of you. No question.
COLLINS: Definitely. All right. Elizabeth Cohen, we sure do appreciate it. "Empower me Friday," a lot of people always writing in.
COHEN: And any more questions, empoweredpatient@CNN.com. Maybe you'll be the one we help next week. We always try.
COLLINS: Yes, absolutely. All right, Elizabeth, thank you.
COHEN: Thanks.
COLLINS: Let me tell about this story now. A machete attack during an attempted robbery caught on tape in Indiana.
Take a look.
The store clerk says the suspected robber came into the convenience store with a machete and started attacking. The clerk used a stool to defend himself and managed to wrestle the machete away from his attacker. He only suffered, can you believe this, a cut on his hand. The suspect ran away without getting any money. Police arrested him just a few minutes later.
The fiance of murder suspect Philip Markoff is in seclusion at her parents' home in New Jersey. Though she's not talking publicly, her father about her two reporters yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM MCALLISTER, MARKOFF'S FIANCEE'S FATHER: As expected, not well. She's still confident in Phil, but other than that saying a lot of prayers. She's got a lot of friends, a lot of family, friends, and it's been a big help to us. Everybody has been wonderful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: A law enforcement official says Markoff, also known as the Craigslist killer, has been placed on suicide watch now at a Boston jail. The medical student has been charged with killing a masseuse who placed an ad on Craigslist.
COLLINS: A good start for wall street this morning, but will it keep going? We're watching the big board.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Heidi Collins.
COLLINS: Quickly we want to get you back to this story that we told you about just a moment ago here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Information about a middle school in the Bronx that has had to be evacuated.
You are looking at it now.
This is MS 328, also known as the New Millennium Business Academy. The reason, because apparently there was a teacher inside the school making threats of some kind. We don't know the nature of those threats, but it was enough certainly to get the school evacuated.
We are also learning that the teacher is barricaded inside a classroom there inside the school. Also, understanding that that teacher is the only person now left in the classroom, I believe. I want to say in the school, but I'm not positive of that.
So we want to make sure that we have all our information correct here as we move along, getting all these pictures from our affiliate there in New York, WABC. So we appreciate that. From them, also this information coming to us from the city board of education.
Once again, that a teacher is apparently barricaded inside of a classroom there in the New Millennium Business Academy. The students have been evacuated from the classroom there. Some sort of threats that this teacher has been making, so we'll stay on top of that and try to get you any more information just as soon as we learn it.
To Wall Street now. Two separate earnings reports from two completely different companies, but they tell one common story. And that is, Americans still aren't spending money, and it's having a big effect on corporate America's bottom line.
Susan Lisovicz on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange now this morning with more details here.
Hi there, Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi.
They're two completely different companies in two completely different sectors, but they're both heavyweights, and yes, and they matter.
Microsoft in technology reporting its first sales loss, sales decline since it went public in 1986. How did that happen? Well, people are buying cheaper computers. Those computers require cheaper versions of Windows, which is, of course, Microsoft's cash cow, and people are buying fewer computers to begin with in this global recession. That's how that happens.
American Express, its quarterly profits, meanwhile, tumbled more than 50 percent. The average cardholder spent under $2,500 during those three months. That's down 18 percent from a year earlier, Heidi. AmEx saw its loan losses also spike. That is a recurring theme in the first quarter. It expects the loan losses to continue to climb, and it boosted its loan loss provisions to $1.8 billion -- Heidi.
COLLINS: We talk a lot about those loan loss provisions. Remind everybody what they are and more importantly why they are important.
LISOVICZ: OK. Well, first of all, it's a weight on the balance sheet, so that's not good.
COLLINS: No.
LISOVICZ: Secondly, what does it mean? Well, it's an important clue as to consumer spending habits. And the fact that you're continuing to see these loan losses, a problem, a weight on the balance sheet. And American Express saying it expects them to climb -- not a good thing.
Not a surprise, actually, in the sense that we do expect the unemployment rate to rise. You do see loan losses mount as the jobless rate rises, and American Express says it does expect the unemployment rate to rise to 10 percent, Heidi. We're at 8.5 percent right now.
COLLINS: OK. Well, it seems like kind of not great news from all of those different reports there. But stocks still are up, at least a little bit. What's going on?
LISOVICZ: Yes. There's the disconnect once again.
COLLINS: Yes.
LISOVICZ: Again, a lot of investor reaction is to the preparation, the expectation, if you will. Microsoft's earnings came in line with estimates. Microsoft shares right now are up seven percent.
American Express, its losses weren't as bad as the Street expected. Its shares are up 11 percent. American Express, by the way, says it plans to cut jobs, which obviously is working to improve its bottom line in the future, also to repay the government TARP funds. Received about $3.5 billion.
So, AmEx shares are up sharply. Microsoft shares are up sharply. Both of them are Dow 30 companies. And so, you're seeing the Dow rally on this final trading day of the week. It's up 80 points. Nasdaq is up 21.
Obviously, Microsoft a big factor in how the Nasdaq -- the direction of the Nasdaq. And once again, Heidi, it's possible, if this rally gains momentum, we could see a seventh consecutive week of gains.
COLLINS: Fingers crossed, no question about that. All right. Susan, thanks so much. Have a great weekend.
LISOVICZ: You're welcome.
COLLINS: Walls of fire around Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The flames are starting to turn away now from that popular tourist spot. That could change, though, with the winds. Fairly calm overnight. They are expected to pick up a bit. Already, 31 square miles and about 70 homes have burned. One hundred more are damaged. So far, though, no one has been hurt.
So, everybody wants to know the answer to this: Any relief for firefighters coming their way, Rob?
MARCIANO: Not in the form of rain. They get a little bit more in the way of humidity today. The problem is, they got the big blue H. That's this area of high pressure right in through here. So, that's going to create basically a barrier to any sort of rainfall that's going to stick around around Texas, and then the threat for severe weather today is going to be across parts of the upper Plains and western Great Lakes.
So, what they will see, though, with that high pressure is sunshine, which is pretty strong this time of year. And they're going to see a bit of a sea breeze. So, that does increase the humidity levels just a little bit. But that sea breeze is going to be a bit stronger today. And because of that, I think they're going to have to deal with stronger winds today as compared to yesterday. So, that part of the situation is going to be problematic.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: Are they talking to you in your ear?
MARCIANO: Yes, they're saying stick around for the next story. What is it? What do you got?
COLLINS: Well, just -- we thought it was pretty interesting. The control tower, you know, we talked about this earlier today, at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport back in operation today. Reason why that's good news is because a lightning strike last night and the storms that you've been talking about knocked out the power to the tower and also the runway lights, we understand.
An FAA spokeswoman says the outage affected those runway lights. Severe storms in the area had already forced a ground stoppage, which we knew, but the control tower did go back into operation less than an hour later. Pretty unusual, though.
MARCIANO: And you're probably thinking, you know, I've landed on an aircraft carrier.
COLLINS: Oh, sure, yes.
MARCIANO: Who needs lights to land at the...
COLLINS: Of course, I just sat there while we landed on the aircraft carrier. I did nothing.
MARCIANO: You looked good. Oh, we're going to see the Sears Tower, I'm being told by (INAUDIBLE).
COLLINS: Yes, and also more lightning stuff to talk about.
MARCIANO: This is really cool. That I like.
COLLINS: Isn't it amazing? Look at that.
MARCIANO: Bang. You get the forward stroke, you get the reverse stroke. You know, see that flash?
COLLINS: Yes.
MARCIANO: Often it will flash three or four times. I mean, that's the atmosphere, the lightning stroke just paving the road for that electricity. And once it makes that connection, that electric charge will go up and down that road several times until basically the positives and negatives are neutralized.
So, I love that flash, and that's the reason you get it. But to see it, like, just hit the top of that Sears Tower looks like something out of a movie.
COLLINS: You've got to get in the habit. It's called the Willis Tower now. It's called the Willis Tower. We should also mention, too, that those pictures coming to us, thankfully, from one of our iReporters. I believe it's Manjot Grewal. So, we thank him very much for sending those in to us. Really, really incredible.
Also, more incredible video that I haven't seen yet, so I want to show this with you. Look at it. Here's what happened to a truck driver near Reno, Nevada. You know why that happened? Apparently wind.
MARCIANO: OK. That will happen in Reno.
COLLINS: High-wind warnings that the trucker did not pay attention to, apparently. There goes the rig, of course, on two wheels and then off to the side of the road there. It happened last December as a state trooper was trying to catch up with the driver, I guess to warn him.
MARCIANO: To tell him to get off the road.
COLLINS: Yes. Look at that.
MARCIANO: Because they will shut down the highways there...
COLLINS: Yes.
MARCIANO: ... when it's a high-profile (ph) vehicle (INAUDIBLE), so that's why.
COLLINS: Yes, this is a report that's just been released now by the Nevada Highway Patrol. So, no word on how the driver was after that. But really gives you an idea of the power yet again of Mother Nature.
MARCIANO: And thanks for sharing that with me, Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, you're welcome. All right, Rob. We'll check back later.
MARCIANO: Sounds good.
COLLINS: Maybe.
The first 100 days for President Barack Obama. Chief national correspondent John King will give us a look at how our "CNN National Report Card" is going to look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Well, in just five days, President Obama wraps up his first 100 days in office. So, how's he doing? CNN will take an in- depth assessment next Wednesday with the Best Political Team on Television.
So, we called up John king. He's our chief national correspondent and host of CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION." Joining us now live in Washington with a little preview.
All right, so, John, we tracked you down. What are we going to see on Wednesday?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You're going to see a little bit of everything, Heidi, and it's going to be very interactive. So, any viewer out there who's going to tune in on Wednesday night, bring your laptop, bring your computer and tune in and help us.
Because we're going to bring together the Best Political Team on Television. You got to know them during the campaign. All of our analysts will do the grading. They will judge the president, how's he doing on bipartisanship, how's he doing on getting his budget through, health care reform, taxes and spending, reviving the economy. How's he doing on the world stage.
We'll go through all the big things that have started in the first 100 days and grade the president so far. Candy Crowley will take a look at all the promises made in the campaign and how the president's doing in keeping those promises. We'll also have new polling, extensive new polling, on what you the American people think the president's doing so far. You score him.
And we're going to ask people during the program to go online with us, send in their questions, send in their comments. Facebook will be involved. I'll have the magic map to do a little then and now to walk through some key benchmarks, so...
COLLINS: Wait, whoa, whoa. The magic map? I thought it was the magic wall.
KING: Magic wall, sorry. I call it a number of different things. You should hear what it calls me.
(LAUGHTER) KING: But we'll take a number of different ways to look at the president at this first benchmark, 100 days. And the president himself will be part of the program, Heidi, because he has decided to schedule a prime-time news conference that night. So, we'll also bring you the president in his own words, offering his own assessment of the first 100 days. And we'll have our team on hand to analyze it after it takes place.
COLLINS: So, is the president going to grade himself also?
KING: You know, it's very interesting, actually. I suspect not, although maybe somebody will put that question to him. I know Ed Henry's watching right now, so maybe he'll ask that question.
COLLINS: Maybe he will.
KING: But the White House at first tried to minimize this, saying these challenges are so big, it's not fair to judge us at 100 days. but now they've added a town hall event. They've added this news conference. They understand media organizations traditionally going back to the FDR days have done this 100-day testing.
COLLINS: Right. Yes.
KING: So, they obviously want to put their stamp on it.
COLLINS: Yes. He certainly won't be the first president to go through the hallmarking, if you will.
All right, well, John, we're very excited. And we should probably remind everybody about how they can go ahead and weigh in because as you mentioned, we certainly want our viewers to get involved. So, once again, next Wednesday night beginning at 7:00 Eastern, a prime-time event. You and the Best Political Team on Television are going to be doing this. And by the way, John, it's like A, B, C, D, F, right? Is that how the grades are going to go?
KING: And I suspect there might be a few incompletes.
COLLINS: Yes. Maybe. Yes. Good point, good point. So then at 8:00, of course, President Obama's going to let us know about his first 100 days himself. That's the live presidential news conference that we mentioned. So, again, all of this going to be happening Wednesday beginning at 7:00 on CNN and CNN.com.
John King, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
KING: Thank you, Heidi. Take care.
COLLINS: Today, President Obama takes on the rising costs of college. Skyrocketing prices for tuition and books have strained many middle-class families, and the president says he can cut some of that wasteful spending. He wants to end taxpayer subsidies to banks that take part in the federal student loan program.
While student loans are a concern for many people right now, they also have questions about the president's recovery plan and about buying foreclosed property.
Financial editor Gerri Willis and a panel of experts have answers at "The Help Desk."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: We wanted to get you answers to your financial questions. Let's go straight to "The Help Desk." Alison Brower is the executive editor of "Redbook," and Jack Otter is a financial journalist.
All right, guys, let's get to the questions. Paul asks, "I retired in 2005 at the age of 56. I'm too young to get Social Security. Since I don't work, I expect that I will not be getting any stimulus money from the president's program."
Is this correct, Jack?
JACK OTTER, FINANCIAL JOURNALIST: Well, this is true directly. However, there are indirect ways in which he could benefit if he, for instance installs energy-saving devices in his house, new thick windows. He might get stimulus money in the forms of a tax credit.
WILLIS: Spending money to make money.
OTTER: Yes. Exactly. But my bigger question on this guy is, he's 56 and retired. He's got 30 or 40 years. I hope that he has a really big nest egg, and if not, what he needs to do right now is think about, hmm, when the economy bounces back, where might I find some part-time work? If he's in great shape, and he's got enough to go for half a century, he doesn't need stimulus money.
(LAUGHTER)
WILLIS: All right. OK. So, take that.
Our next question comes from Sandra, who says, "I'm looking to be a first-time home buyer in the New York City area, but the market is still pretty unaffordable for me. Where can I find listings of foreclosed homes? I see Web sites that charge a fee to search foreclosure listings, but I'm not sure if these are legitimate businesses."
Alison, everybody wants to get a deal in this real estate market...
ALISON BROWER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "REDBOOK": Right.
WILLIS: ... and they're trying like heck to do it.
There are a lot of services, frankly, that you can pay for online like RealtyTrac...
BROWER: RealtyTrac.
WILLIS: ... but they're going to charge you a fee, many of them. BROWER: They are going to charge you. RealtyTrac is free for the first month, but then you have to remember to log on and undo your account, take your credit card number off there. But it does have good listings, some pretty comprehensive listings, and also some good advice.
The thing to know in New York is that actually, unlike the rest of the country, foreclosures have dropped here in the first quarter. And this is because of a new state law that has sort of lengthened the process and tried to take some of the pressure off these homeowners. So, there aren't actually as many foreclosures here, you know, coming up.
But the thing you really need to do is not think you're going to find a secret on the Internet but work with a real estate agent who's experienced in foreclosures. You can't do it on your own. It's just not for the faint of heart. These auctions, you know, are risky, and working with the sellers is risky, so...
WILLIS: And that's the nice thing. A lot of these real estate agents now, they're really specializing in foreclosures because, hey, the rest of the market isn't that great. So, they're really learning about this, and it's to your advantage.
BROWER: To work with them.
WILLIS: Guys, thanks so much.
"The Help Desk" is all about getting you answers. Send me an e- mail to gerri@CNN.com or log on to cnn.com/helpdesk to see more of our financial solutions.
And "The Help Desk" is everywhere. Make sure to check out the latest issue of "Money" magazine on newsstands now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Older, experienced workers expanding their resumes in a shrinking job market.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Quickly want to get back to the story that we've been telling you about. Just into the CNN NEWSROOM now, a little bit more information about the situation happening there in the Bronx at a middle school where apparently we have learned a teacher, because of some threats that he made inside this school, that middle school has had to be evacuated.
We are not certain of what types of threats, but we are learning according to the Associated Press now that apparently the New York Police Department's bomb squad is now on the scene. Want to be clear, there is no indication, again according to the Associated Press, that any explosive devices have been found at the school, but once again, we do know that hundreds of students in this building in the Bronx, also known as the New Millennium Business Academy Middle School, have been evacuated. They're apparently going to other schools for the rest of the day.
And just to be clear, a little bit about the building, again, according to Associated Press. It houses three schools, but the teacher is barricaded inside this New Millennium Business Academy Middle School. Once again, that teacher is still apparently barricaded inside the school.
So, at this time, we are learning police on the scene, bomb squad on the scene and no injuries to report at this time. We will continue to follow it all throughout the CNN NEWSROOM right here today.
Some older workers are responding to the tight job market by gaining new skills in fields they knew nothing about before the economic downturn.
Reporting now from West Bend, Wisconsin, Patrick Paolantonio with our affiliate WISN.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK PAOLANTONIO, WISN-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's never too late to open a new chapter in life, especially in this economy.
JIM MILLER, OLDER WORKER: Here we got all kinds of fixtures for, like, doors.
PAOLANTONIO: The building industry is new to Jim Miller (ph). His background is on the road -- 30 years in truck parts.
MILLER: Yes, yes, a little different than the truck industry. Bigger parts there, but, no, this is a whole new learning experience for me.
PAOLANTONIO: At 59, he's learning side by side with Tom Ream.
TOM REAM, OLDER WORKER: My training's in electronics. I did computer repair for about 15 years.
PAOLANTONIO (on camera): Both men are with a group called Experience Works, which takes people 55 and older and teaches them new skills so they can re-enter the work force.
(voice-over): The guys are using the Habitat for Humanity ReStore shop in West Bend as their training ground. Twenty hours a week is what they put in. What they get out is experience, from retail...
REAM: (INAUDIBLE) being out here to help people find what they want.
PAOLANTONIO: ... to navigating the computer.
MILLER: Utilizing the power of the computer.
PAOLANTONIO: Anyone in the program must actively seek employment, apply for two jobs a week and meet income requirements.
JERI STEVENSON, EXPERIENCE WORKS: And some of our people have retired, but because of the economy and the things that have happened, they've lost the money that they had to live on, and so now they have to go back to work.
PAOLANTONIO: Back to work in a tough job market.
REAM: Not a lot out there. Real slow.
PAOLANTONIO: As slow as it might be, they're both positive that new skills will eventually open doors.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: The Experience Works program operates all across the United States. Interesting idea.
Free groceries thanks to a random act of kindness from school children. Students at Hopewell Christian school in Gainesville, Georgia raised $2,000 and used the money to help people pay for their groceries. Cashiers handed customers an envelope with a card telling them students had paid for their purchase. Students say they are glad they could make a difference.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I think it's a really great lesson that we're helping these people, and that we're going to buy these groceries for them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just nice to help people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, I just like to see their happy faces when we pay for their groceries.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That is so nice. Thank you so much (INAUDIBLE).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Love this story. As you can see, the kids got lots of hugs and handshakes from very thankful customers.
They got a chance to talk to the first lady, so what's the main thing the kids want to know from Michelle Obama? Tell us about your new dog, Bo.
