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Will Dems Hold Power Until 2049?; 20 People Injured in Trolley Crash; Making Movies in Michigan; Protecting Pakistan From the Taliban; Preview of Summer Movies

Aired May 09, 2009 - 10:00   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Pope Benedict is in the Holy Land and this morning he spoke to Muslim leaders in Amman, Jordan. He called for Christians, Jews and Muslims to unite as worshippers of God.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: The president this morning talking about the country's job losses. We just got new numbers. They were bad, but not as bad as many thought they might be. The president saying he cannot rest until the economy turns around. You'll be hearing from the president and his weekly address.

Hello to you all from the CNN Center. This is the CNN NEWSROOM for this Saturday, May 9th.

I'm T.J. Holmes.

NGUYEN: Yes, good morning, everybody. Thanks for joining us.

I'm Betty Nguyen.

It's 10:00 a.m. here in Atlanta, 9:00 a.m. in Chicago, and 7:00 a.m. in Santa Barbara.

Let's get you the latest on the weather out there, because they are battling some really fierce wildfires.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: In his weekly address, President Obama talks about the credit card reforms he'd like to see Congress pass.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK H. OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The abuses in our credit card industry have only multiplied in the midst of this recession, when Americans can least afford to bear an extra burden. It is past time for rules that are fair and transparent, and that's why I've called for a set of new principles to reform our credit card industry.

Instead of an anything goes approach, we need strong and reliable protections for consumers. Instead of fine print that hides the truth, we need credit card forms and statements that have plain language in plain sight. And we need to give people the tools they need to find a credit card that meets their needs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: The president says he wants to sign the reforms into law by Memorial Day.

The president also talking about the unemployment rate this weekend. The U.S. lost fewer jobs than expected last month. Still, the president says that is not good enough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: The unemployment rate is at its highest point in 25 years. We're still in the midst of a deep recession that was years in the making, and it will take time to fully turn this economy around.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: That unemployment rate he speaks of is at 8.9 percent. That is up from 8.5 the previous month and 8.1 the month before that.

Employers chopped more than 500,000 jobs. Still, that was fewer in the previous month of 600,000 plus jobs that were lost.

Unemployment went up almost two percent for African-Americans, now at about 15 percent. Women, another group here we can highlight, saw a .1 percent jump to a little more than seven percent. Teenagers have the highest rate at 21.5 percent, but that number actually down from last month. The rate for Hispanics also dropped a bit as well to 11.3 percent.

NGUYEN: All right. We want you to take a look at this next picture that we're going to show you, because it is a beautiful shot.

Air Force One in the foreground, the Statue of Liberty in the background. There it is, really a beautiful picture. But...

HOLMES: But some say that it's not worth $328,000 that it cost for this photo-op. And it also cost a White House aide his job.

The April 27th flyover sent nervous New Yorkers running for cover, and for good reason. It also angered the mayor, as well as President Obama.

So, Louis Caldera, who authorized the low-altitude flyover, resigned yesterday. He says the controversy over the photo shoot made it impossible for him to lead the White House Military Office.

And, of course, that picture, that plane, is a part of the Air Force One fleet. The president, of course, was not on it. They wanted to get some publicity shots, wanted to get shots they could use for possible souvenirs. We're told it's not going to be used now, but it's a beautiful picture.

NGUYEN: So, again, some, what, $300,000 for this mission? That included them flying over to take this shot. And someone lost their job, and now the picture is not being used.

OK. So, those are the facts out there, folks.

We've been asking you to weigh in this morning, and boy, have you.

Let me go to my Facebook page, first of all, because Susan writes, "I totally understand how people got scared and upset on the incident, but isn't the outrage a bit much? I'm not even sure it's worth a resignation. An apology could have been enough."

But then Alice, right below her, says, "They could have used Photoshop and saved a whole lot of money."

HOLMES: That's a lot of the responses we are getting, there was another way to go about this. But again, officials in New York, some officials, knew about it but were told expressly not to tell the public about it. So nobody -- I mean, really, New Yorkers, all they've been through, this country's been through, you look up and see a low-flying plane, two military jets behind it, and you think the worst.

NGUYEN: Absolutely.

So, you know, Keep the comments coming, would you? Send it to our Facebook pages or Twitter site, weekends@cnn.com. There's lots of ways to get in touch with us, but we want to hear from you today.

HOLMES: All right. Well he forged -- or helped former President Clinton forge his way into the White House. And coming up Democratic pundit James Carville, he has a forecast about a very bright and blue future.

NGUYEN: And while most of us spent our college years in transition, shall we say, we're going to introduce you to a CNN Hero who took that time to make an impact.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: You know, some people say that some out there are just sore winners. It's not enough that Democrats rule right now in Washington. CNN political pundit James Carville predicts his party will stay in power for the next 40 years. He makes that point over his 300-page book, "40 More Years." You see the cover there, kind of interesting.

We're not going to wait another 40 years to ask him if his prediction is going to be true. We're going to ask him right now. He joins us this morning from Washington.

James, good morning to you, kind sir. You say the next 40 years, and you're going on history here to say this is going to happen. Not necessarily something you see right now, just historically, these go in cycles.

JAMES CARVILLE, AUTHOR, "40 MORE YEARS": Well, yes. There's two things that I see. First, the Republicans have been dominant for 40 years from 1968 to 2008. And the Democrats now have a whole generation of younger voters that are deciding at 2-1 to favor the Democrats. As these younger voters get old and replaced by other younger voters, and the older voters leave the system, I think it's going to trend Democratic. I don't think we're going to win every election for 40 years, obviously, but I think we're going to win more than we lose, and I think it will reflect itself in the presidency also.

HOLMES: And we're seeing that trend, but how much credit do you give an unpopular president, an unpopular war, and then a very transformational, transitional, transcendent character like Barack Obama for bringing those young people along?

CARVILLE: Well, first of all, I started this book back in early 2007. So this was prior to -- very little of this book was written after President Obama's election.

The second point that I would make here is that, look, the most dominant any political party ever was in a decade was the Republicans in the 1920s. They won the '20, the '24 and the '28 elections all by double digits and then were wiped out in 1932.

I do think that the early period of this century, from 2001 through 2008, turned a lot of people off. And I think the Democrats were able to pick them up. I think President Obama deserves a lot of credit for sealing the deal with a lot of these younger voters. But right now, for the foreseeable future, I don't think they show much inclination to being Republicans.

HOLMES: Speaking of that inclination now, you have been some credit, and I'll ask you if you deserve this credit, for the strategy of making Rush Limbaugh the head of the Republican Party right now. Politico, there's an article back in March -- I'll show you a part of it here -- in which they said you did some research that showed that he was a deeply unpopular figure in a poll, and learned that the longtime tormenter was deeply unpopular with Americans, especially younger voters. So there is a concerted effort on your part and other Democrats to make him the head of the Republican Party.

Is that the truth?

CARVILLE: Well, the truth is, is that he made himself the head of the Republican Party.

HOLMES: Now, how did he do that, James?

CARVILLE: Because he would speak out and people were afraid to contradict what he says. And we've seen that time and time again when somebody offers a mild criticism one day, they'll apologize to Rush the next day.

Rush is very, very effective in leading his wing of the party. I guess I just served as his publicists, his unpaid publicist. I was this kind of communications director, if you will, and wanted to get the message out as to just how powerful Rush was in the southern talk radio base of the Republican Party, and wanted to be sure that they didn't just know about it, but everybody got a chance to know about it.

HOLMES: But at the same time, James, he is just -- he's an entertainer. There are plenty of leaders who just don't have the platform he has to get their message out, and they're competing with the president and the bully pulpit. A lot of leaders in Washington, Republicans, Republicans around the country -- but it serves you to well to make him the guy.

CARVILLE: Well, no. But think of all the Republican leaders that have apologized to him or groveled before him. It's not like he's just an entertainer, he's a very powerful, influential person in that party.

When they had these latest (ph) things that they were all calling the listening tour, and Rush said he thought it was absurd to have a listening tour, well, I mean, it wasn't a listening tour. Look at Phil Gingrich (ph), a guy from Georgia who literally made a fool of himself groveling before Rush. Look at Michael Steele, the chairman of the Republican Party.

These are very, very influential people that acknowledge Rush's dominant position in the party. And the Republicans love him. I'm really at a loss a little bit about what we're doing was controversial.

HOLMES: All right. And I've got to let you go here, but you tell me, who deserves most of this credit? Do Democrats, have they had some kind of a platform change that appealed to young people, or is George W. Bush -- does he deserve most of the credit, do you think, for turning those young people off?

Did the Democrats really do anything different?

CARVILLE: Well, you know, I think that the Democrats have gotten smarter. And I think our president deserves an enormous amount of credit. He certainly energized young people all across this country in the primaries, and continues to do so as president.

I think the Republican Congress helped a lot. I wouldn't -- certainly Bush had a big hand in this, but you can't forget people like Tom DeLay. I mean, where did he go? We need him back, too, pretty soon.

And a lot of their policies. I mean, remember, this was the party that completely botched Hurricane Katrina. This is the party that left us in Iraq, the deficits, everything. The policies were what really turned this generation off. They wanted something different.

HOLMES: Well, I guess that was it. You know, I was trying to find out was it more so what Democrats did or just it was what Republicans maybe were doing wrong. James, we'll have you back.

CARVILLE: A little bit of both. HOLMES: A little bit of both. Well, I'll have you back in 40 years and we'll see if you were right.

CARVILLE: I hope so. That would be great.

HOLMES: All right. Enjoy your Saturday. Have a good weekend. Good to see you.

CARVILLE: You bet.

HOLMES: Now, of course James Carville, even though you hear him a lot, he's not the only one talking politics out there. Former Vice President Dick Cheney defending the party by not defending it.

Cheney says it would be a "mistake for the GOP to moderate its policies to attract public support." He says most Republicans have a pretty good idea of values and they don't need someone to tell them the only way they can win is to act more like a Democrat.

NGUYEN: Want to tell you about this story. Some 20 people recovering today after a trolley slammed into another one in Boston. The trolley operator admits he was text messaging at the time.

Nicole Oliverio of affiliate WHDH joins us now from Boston.

Nicole, let me ask you this -- what about the operator? Is that person facing any charges?

NICOLE OLIVERIO, REPORTER, WHDH: Well, what we know, he's a 24- year-old driver. He's been with the MBTA for two years.

He apparently admitted to transit police when he was taken to the hospital that he was, in fact, texting. Apparently, he tried to use his phone just a minute before, that didn't work. So he was texting.

He looked down. When he looked back up, that's when they said he slammed into that first trolley. Now, transit police say he could possibly be facing criminal charges, but it's still early in the investigation, so they don't know that yet. But the MBTA says if, in fact, he was texting, and that's what caused the crash, then he can expect to lose his job.

NGUYEN: And what is the policy there when it comes to operators using their cell phones, text messaging, whatnot, while on the job?

OLIVERIO: Well, we can tell you, the MBTA has the strict zero- tolerance policy. About this time last year, there was another crash, it was believed the operator there may have been texting. That was never proven, but the MBTA says that they stepped up efforts, telling their operators that they're in charge of the lives of everyone that they are taking on the bus or the train, and they cannot be using any sort of electronic device.

They did have a three-strike policy, the third strike you're out. But now they're saying maybe they need to up that a little bit. They're even talking about now not even letting operators possibly bring their cell phones or any sort of other electronic equipment on the trains. They want to make sure that it doesn't happen again. This morning, they're outraged. They're saying that, that they're mad at this operator if, in fact, that is what caused this crash.

NGUYEN: All right. Nicole Oliverio with our affiliate WHDH today.

Thank you for that. We appreciate it.

HOLMES: Well, from the unemployment line to the craft service line, the story of how some laid-off auto workers are finding new careers in the film industry, and the state is picking up the tab for their training.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: You know, some students see college as four years of classes and parties, but this week's CNN Hero transformed his college days into a life-changing experience, and he rallied thousands of young people in the process with a crash course in philanthropy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is "CNN Heroes."

SHIN FUJIYAMA, YOUNG WONDER: That period in life when you're, like, 18 to 22 is very transitional. Whatever it is that happens during that time has an amazing ability to really mold your future.

I went and volunteered for Honduras. After my first trip, I wanted to keep helping. I saw such a great need, I knew I had to do something.

My name is Shin Fujiyama, and I mobilize college students to help kids and families in Honduras.

I started to talk to all my friends. It's a lot of poverty, a lot of kids that sleep in the streets. My little sister Cosmo (ph) joined the cause.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please check it out. Nice to meet you. Thanks again.

FUJIYAMA: Our motto is "Students can make a difference."

We're all here for one thing. We came to Honduras.

We have had hundreds of bake sales, car washes, little things, but they've added up. We have about 20 trips that we organize every year. We've had about 500 students go to Honduras with us.

A lot of our focus is with children and with education. We've raised money to be able to send girls in Honduras to college. We've built two schools. We're also building an entire village for the people. We have big goals, but I know with can do it together.

When I wake up in the morning where things are tough in Honduras, I think of all the members that have come to Honduras and the ones that are thinking of going. And that's what keeps me going.

For people to say that young people like us can't do anything, we have proven to them over and over that we can do anything that we dream of, and so can these kids in Honduras.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: What a great story.

All right. So if you'd like to help this week's hero, or if you know someone who is doing something so extraordinary that they deserve to be a CNN Hero, go to CNN.com/heroes. And remember, all of our CNN Heroes are chosen from you, so nominate the ones that you want to see out there. It's all about you.

HOLMES: Well, it is maybe one of the few industries doing well right now in Michigan, and if the governor there, Jennifer Granholm, has her way, filmmakers are going to be doing pretty well as well. She's backing a program to train displaced workers for film-related jobs, recruiting the kind of talent used to make movies like "The Bridges of Madison County" and the "Majestic."

Well, Jim Behnke worked on both of those films. He's now training people like Loni Gass. She lost her job with GM after 16 years.

Jim and Loni, thank you both for being here.

Good morning to you. You all doing all right?

LONI GASS: Good morning. Doing great.

JIM BEHNKE, TIC TOCK STUDIOS: Good morning, T.J. Thanks for having us.

HOLMES: All right. Well, Lonnie, 16 years with GM and now you might go be an actress. Now, tell me how that idea and that transition's kind of working out.

GASS: Well, basically, I was laid off after 16 years at GM, and always had an interest in film and television. And then started being an extra in a few films. And then saw the opportunity to take the classes through Tic Tock Studios and decided that, you know, possibly a career behind the lens would be right for me.

HOLMES: And there you are there. Lo and behold, yes, you have been in some of these films. That is so neat to see. But can you believe it yourself, another question for you, Loni, that given what you had been doing the past 16 years, I'm sure you never thought you might end up in a movie somewhere?

GASS: No, I didn't really. And it's definitely has changed. HOLMES: It has changed.

Well, Jim, what has the reaction been, I guess, around Michigan? Because we know there has been a lot of efforts and time and money and publicity put in to trying to get movie studios and get people to come make movies in Michigan.

Is it working?

BEHNKE: T.J., the focus on trying to take existing skill sets like Loni has from previous industries and apply them to film work to create a deeper bench so that the films we bring to Michigan are able to take full advantage of the discount. The incentive that the state has created, has caused a lot of interest in Hollywood in filming in Michigan.

HOLMES: And Jim, describe for me, what are some of those skill sets that Loni may have had and other people who may have been laid off from the auto industry, at least, what are some of those skills that they can bring to a movie set?

BEHNKE: Loni has organizational skills, communication skills. She pays attention, follows directions, and is quick on the uptake, as you have to be in films. And there are a number of receptor sites for someone with those skills with just a little bit of insight and training, which we offer in the programs to get the students up to speed and jump-start their career in films.

HOLMES: And Loni, what advice would you have out there -- we hear so oftentimes all these economic stories we're covering with people losing jobs. They say you should get a different skill set, and some people are thinking, well, what in the world am I supposed to do? But this was obviously something you were open to. Maybe movies never really something you thought about before, but you were willing to give something else a chance and get another skill set.

GASS: Well, I think the key thing is not to give up. You know?

There's a lot of people that have been unemployed for a really long time, and you have to be open to trying new things. Film in Michigan really isn't new per se, but it's now becoming such a burgeoning industry, that they're going to need a lot of newer people that probably hadn't thought that they would be good at something like that. So, somebody who was, you know, an assembly line worker, for them to work as a grip on a film would be a great transition for them.

HOLMES: Well, you know what? We will see -- it has been working, and hopefully it continues to. But Tic Tock, we want to mention, is the first independent studio to use this program, work directly with the state of Michigan to create this program. So the state's behind it, and it seems to be working.

Loni Gass, good luck to you. We hope to see you...

GASS: Thank you.

HOLMES: ... down the road in a feature film somewhere, and maybe on a red carpet.

And Jim Behnke, sir, thank you for being here and the work you do to help some of these workers make it through the tough times.

Thank you both for being here.

BEHNKE: It's a pleasure.

GASS: Thank you.

HOLMES: Betty.

NGUYEN: Well, a suspected drone attack in Pakistan killed at least five people today. Thousands are running from the fighting between Pakistan's military and Taliban forces.

And this to tell you about. Wildfires, they continue to burn through southern California, possibly forcing more evacuations.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, hello, everybody. And welcome back. It is 10:30 Eastern here in Atlanta, 9:30 in the heartland.

I'm Betty Nguyen.

HOLMES: And good morning to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes, on this Saturday, May 9th. Here are our headlines this morning.

Deadly weather to tell you about. It ripped through the Midwest overnight. Five people killed across Missouri, Kansas, as well as Kentucky. We'll take a look at all that damage. That's straight ahead.

NGUYEN: Yes. And in California, the morning fog and cooler breeze, well, that's providing a little help for the firefighters battling those wildfires in Santa Barbara. So far, though, 30,000 people have left their homes and another 23,000 are expected to evacuate.

HOLMES: Also, Pope Benedict XVI, he's on his second-day tour of the Holy Land. This morning, he spoke to Muslim leaders in Amman, Jordan. He called for Christians, Jews and Muslims to unite as worshippers of God.

NGUYEN: Let's talk about this for just a second, because one million Pakistanis caught in the crossfire, trying to flee fierce fighting between Pakistan's military and the Taliban. So the question is, do the Pakistani people have faith that their shaky government can defeat the Taliban, and can they win this war without American military support?

CNN International Correspondent Reza Sayah has some answers for us. He joins us now from Islamabad.

Reza, let me ask you this -- why do many people on the streets still believe that this is "America's war?"

REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Betty, it's an issue of trust. Simply put, many Pakistanis do not trust Washington. They believe that it is what they call a failed policy in Afghanistan that led to militancy and extremism in Pakistan.

I can't tell you how many Pakistanis I've spoken with who tell me that there weren't suicide bombings in Pakistan until after U.S. forces invaded Afghanistan in 2001. You also had Washington supporting the military dictator, Pervez Musharraf, who went on to become a very unpopular president.

And you also have these very controversial U.S. missile strikes from these unmanned drones. You had another one today in south Waziristan, in the tribal region. They do take out some militants, but they also killed a lot of civilians, and Pakistanis certainly do not like that.

So, put all that together, you have a lot of mistrust on the part of Pakistanis. This latest opposition in the Swat region came while there was a lot of pressure from senior government officials in Washington. May in Pakistan are convinced that this operation was launched because of that pressure from the Obama administration -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right, Reza. Let's talk about the one million Pakistanis who are caught in the middle, caught in this crossfire.

What's happening to them?

SAYAH: Well, this operation against the Taliban in the Swat Valley that was launched on Thursday night is designed to defeat the Taliban, but what's really emerging is a humanitarian crisis. Hundreds of thousands of people are leaving the area, underequipped and understaffed hospitals are being overwhelmed with injured, and refugee camps are overflowing.

The numbers are staggering. You have 200,000 people, according to the U.N., who have already left the area, 300,000 people are on their way out by any means necessary, climbing on buses, using rickshaws. If they can't find transportation, they are walking.

Today, the Pakistani prime minister, in a press conference, acknowledged the humanitarian crisis that's emerging. He's pledged about $12 million, but he said this is an operation that needs to go on to get to the Taliban in the Swat region -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right.

CNN's Reza Sayah joining us live from Islamabad today.

Reza, thank you for that. We appreciate it.

HOLMES: The president of Afghanistan says the Taliban and al Qaeda cannot threaten the values of the Afghan people. President Hamid Karzai sat down with our Wolf Blitzer for a wide-ranging interview. Despite ongoing attacks in country, he discounted the Taliban threat in Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Who is the bigger threat to Afghanistan, the al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden, or the Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar?

HAMID KARZAI, AFGHAN PRESIDENT: None of them. They can cause damage, they can kill innocent people, they can destroy schools, but they're not a threat to Afghans.

They can hurt. They can slow down our progress towards a better tomorrow. They can slow down the reconstruction. They can attack bridges and destroy them. But they're not a threat to the Afghan state or to the value system that the Afghan people hold deep.

BLITZER: I always ask you this question. I'll ask it to you again. Do you know where bin Laden is?

KARZAI: No, I don't know where he is, really. But I hope we will catch him one day soon.

BLITZER: Do you think he's in Afghanistan?

KARZAI: Definitely not, no. He can't hide there.

BLITZER: Where do you think he might be?

KARZAI: Well, there were rumors that he's probably in an area close to the Afghan border in Pakistan, but we don't know.

BLITZER: But you believe he's alive?

KARZAI: Well, from what we hear, he probably is alive. But we don't know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Karzai also emphasized the importance of his government beginning what he called a peace process with the Taliban in the coming years.

NGUYEN: Well, President Obama's decision to close the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba could be seen as another peace offering to the Muslim world, but where will those detainees go when the facility closes?

In this week's Republican radio and Web address, Missouri Senator Kit Bond says it's a matter of national security.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KIT BOND (R), MISSOURI: While President Obama has no plan for what to do with these killers, he has pledged to close the terrorist detention facility in January to fulfill a campaign promise. This is a dangerous case of putting symbolism over security, or, as I like to say, this is a classic example of a ready, fire, aim strategy. When it comes to national security decisions, I prefer aiming before shooting, which is why I keep calling on President Obama to tell us, the American people, how his plan to close Guantanamo will make our nation safer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: And just this week, members of the president's own party demanded a detailed plan for shutting down Guantanamo.

HOLMES: Well, swine flu spreading to more countries. Japan and Australia now reporting their first cases.

The World Health Organization says there are more than 3,400 confirmed cases in 29 countries. Nearly half of those are in the U.S. Of those who have died with this flu, 45 people were in Mexico, two in the U.S., one in Canada.

Turn to Italy now. And today authorities are reporting what could be their first contagious case of swine flu from inside the country.

A 2-year-old boy has the virus, even though he has not left Italy. He may have contracted it from family members who just got back from Mexico.

NGUYEN: We do have some sad news to tell you about this morning from the world of the NBA. Hall of Fame head coach Chuck Daly has died. He was battling pancreatic cancer.

And Daly made his name as the tough coach of the Detroit Pistons in the late '80s and early '90s. That was during the team's bad-boy days, when they won back-to-back NBA championships. He was also the head coach of the original Olympic basketball Dream Team, winning the gold medal in 1992.

Chuck Daly was 78 years old.

HOLMES: A lot of people, even if they didn't follow NBA basketball, they know the Dream Team and bringing back the gold. So he kind of set the model for those superstar teams, and he's going to be missed in the world of basketball.

NGUYEN: Yes, absolutely.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: Well, summer is almost here, but the summer blockbuster season has begun.

NGUYEN: Yes. Already, you know, old becomes new again as revamped "Star Trek" hits theaters. Remember those old shots of it? Oh, it's totally different now, and that is just the beginning of what is expected to be a long, hot summer on the big screen.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: Well, Hollywood used to make movie fans wait until Memorial Day to see action-packed blockbusters. Not anymore.

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine," that stormed into theaters last weekend. And on Thursday night, the "Star Trek" series was relaunched in theaters across the country.

Thom Geier is senior editor for "Entertainment Weekly" magazine and has a preview of the other big movies hitting the big screen between now and Labor Day.

Thanks for being with us.

But before we move to some of these other ones, you know, let's start with what's happening right now, and that being "Star Trek." I mean, it's all anyone's talking about. I mean, how much of a cash cow is this going to be?

THOM GEIER, SR. EDITOR, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": I mean, I think this movie stands to do very, very well, indeed. Remember that the last "Star Trek" movie which came out seven years ago grossed just $35 million. This one, I think, has already made that on Saturday morning. So, it's looking to do very well indeed.

NGUYEN: Is Hollywood considered recession-proof, or are these big movie studios, are they starting to cut back on some of the movies that they're making? Because when we think about these Hollywood blockbusters, that costs a lot of money. Usually you're blowing something up or you're using all these action heroes to tell the story, and that obviously costs some cash.

GEIER: It certainly does cost cash, but it seems like the studios are really ramping up the number of big-event movies like the Star Treks and the Wolverines, and maybe scaling back on some of the middle-scale movies, the romantic comedies that cost not quite as much to make, but maybe may not make quite as much at the box office as well.

NGUYEN: Like what? Give me some examples.

GEIER: We're seeing fewer of the kind of -- "The Ugly Truth" or "The Proposal" with Sandra Bullock, and films like that. But they're really investing heavily in the big blockbuster tentpole movies.

NGUYEN: And you know, "Terminator," that's one of them. Is that going to live up to the hype?

GEIER: I mean, I think there's certainly a lot of expectation around "Terminator," and this is the first film in that series that's actually PG-13. So again, that's a very conscious effort on the part of the studios to draw a wider audience. The teenagers who would be locked out of the R-rated films that the "Terminator" series has been in the past can now get into this one.

NGUYEN: All right. Just go down the list for me, maybe top three, top five, the biggest blockbusters this summer. What are they go to be?

GEIER: I mean, I think you're looking at movies like "Terminator," movies like the "Transformers" sequel, which are out in late June. And I think the big one that a lot of people are looking forward to is the "Harry Potter" film, the sixth in the series, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

NGUYEN: Really? They're at number six now, huh? Wow. It seems just like yesterday the first one came out.

All right. So for those who aren't so interested in all this action, what about, you know, I don't know, the chick flicks out there? You got any good ones coming up?

GEIER: Certainly there's "The Proposal" with Sandra Bullock. There's "The Ugly Truth" with Katherine Heigl. And I think for the female audience, a lot of them are going to be drawn to "Julie & Julia," which is out in August and stars Meryl Streep as Julia Child, the great chef. Meryl Streep has had a terrific run at the summer box office and has really become a kind of summer blockbuster draw.

NGUYEN: I see T.J. is very interested in that one. I want to make sure he gets to see that.

HOLMES: Yes.

NGUYEN: All right, Thom Geier. Thanks so much for your information today. And enjoy the movies.

You know, a new "Star Trek" movie is expected to beam right to the top of the box office, as we just talked about, but it's getting such rave reviews, that more people than ever are willing to go where many others would not go before.

Check out our iReporters. Melissa Fosley (ph) talked to a few hardcore fans out in Yorba Linda, California.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, you guys really liked it?

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Awesome. Two thumbs up over here?

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Two -- yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Go see it!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go see it!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: All right. I can't do that. I mean, I tried. T.J., can you do it?

HOLMES: You know, I'm just never -- yes.

NGUYEN: Yes. You're good at that.

HOLMES: I never -- you split your two fingers. It's not that difficult.

NGUYEN: I can't do it. As much -- well, that's the best I can get.

Anyway, "Star Trek," it's huge. People are interested in it.

Let's go to Facebook, because we are hearing from you today.

Jennifer (ph) says, "'Star Trek,' yes, I am a geek. Don't judge me." But she is going to be there for it.

HOLMES: I'm judging her.

NGUYEN: Steven (ph) says, "Me, too." But Jonathan says, "'Terminator,' I just hope I don't hear the line 'I'll be back.'"

But I'm sure he will. That's why it's selling (ph) out.

HOLMES: The only reason to watch that movie; right?

NGUYEN: I know.

NGUYEN: Now, this is a little different spin, not quite like the Terminators of old. But I never got -- I don't get "Star Trek." If somebody can write me to explain it.

You know what? Explain it in a Twitter, in a tweet. If you can explain to me...

NGUYEN: In under 140 characters? Good luck.

HOLMES: ... in 140 characters what this whole the "Star Trek" craze and the followers, the Trekkies, explain it to us in a tweet.

NGUYEN: All right. Twitter nation, it's on you. Explain that to us. Hit us up on our Twitter site.

But you know, hey, it is time on go to the movies to kind of release.

HOLMES: Yes. Love the summer.

NGUYEN: We're dealing with an economy, and a lot of people really just need that sense of getting it away from it all.

HOLMES: Yes, but not a romantic comedy.

NGUYEN: No. HOLMES: OK? You can keep those, Betty.

All right. Always dreamed, a lot of people, of a European vacation. Just don't think you can afford it? Well, how about perusing the streets of Paris for pennies?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, if you've always wanted to take a trip to the City of Lights, but thought Paris was out of your budget, you should think again.

Richelle Carey reveals how to save "On the Go."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHELLE CAREY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There are many ways to explore the City of Lights without putting a dent in your wallet.

GABE SAGLIE, TRAVELZOO.COM: Part of the beauty of a city like Paris is that the memories are often made by just the grandeur of the places you get to visit for free. The exteriors of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, even just a stroll down the Champs-Elysees you can do for free.

CAREY: And use the most efficient way to get around town.

SAGLIE: The Paris Visite card gives you public transportation, access, but the Carte Orange has -- is considerably cheaper.

CAREY: You can also score deals at hotels.

SAGLIE: Four-and-five-star luxury properties have trimmed pricing to 60 percent, 70 percent off what it would have been a couple years ago. When you're inquiring about the rates, take it further. Inquire what incentives guests have for the local attractions.

CAREY: Finally, taking your trip at the right time can save you a bundle.

SAGLIE: The best day travel are Tuesday, Wednesday, and oftentimes on Saturday. So, you benefit from not only lower pricing, less crowded airplanes and less crowded airports, which can enhance your travel experience overall.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

OBAMA: Many of you know that I got my name, Barack, from my father. What you may not know is Barack is actually Swahili for "That One."

(APPLAUSE)

And I got my middle name from somebody who obviously didn't think I'd ever run for president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: And that was the commander in chief acting like a comedian in chief and cracking up the house at a charity function in New York last year in reference to Senator John McCain saying "That one" during a debate.

HOLMES: Yes. Hopefully, he's going to be bringing the jokes along with the black tie later tonight. The big White House -- you know, the national -- the annual Correspondents' Association Dinner that takes place.

Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser with a preview for us.

This is prom night for you folks up there.

NGUYEN: Oh, you love it, too.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, this is -- you know, they have the Academy Awards in California. Well, we've got the White House correspondents dinner here.

It's the big night. You've got all the top politicians, T.J., Betty. You've got a lot of big names from Hollywood, in fact, too. And there's so much attention on it this year, even more than in years past, because you have a brand new president who is pretty darn popular with this country.

You saw that clip there. That was from Al Smith Dinner last October.

You know what, though? John McCain was actually even funnier that night. And Barack Obama was pretty good, but John McCain, I think, was even funnier.

Barack Obama, back in March, went on "The Tonight Show." Take a listen to what he did.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I bowled a 129.

(APPLAUSE)

JAY LENO, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": Oh, no, that's very good. Yes. No, that's very good, Mr. President.

OBAMA: It was more a bit like -- it was like the Special Olympics or something.

LENO: No, that's very good.

OBAMA: No, listen, I'm making progress on the bowling.

(END VIDEO CLIP) STEINHAUSER: Well, it backfired. Remember, Barack Obama was the first sitting president to go on one of those late-night talk shows, and that comment, that derogatory comments about the Special Olympics backfired. He had actually apologized to the head of the Special Olympics, and the White House had to put a statement out.

So I think he'll be careful tonight because of what happened on "The Tonight Show." But we will see a whole new side of Barack Obama that we've rarely seen, guys, and that is Barack Obama the comedian.

HOLMES: But Paul, he's going to be well scripted tonight.

NGUYEN: Yes.

HOLMES: He won't be asked to do anything off the cuff, will he?

STEINHAUSER: Very good point. He was scripted for that Al Smith dinner back in October, and he was not scripted, obviously, for the Jay Leno show. Yes, his writers are putting stuff together. I'm sure he's working with them right now. And you know what? We'll be talking tomorrow morning about how he did.

NGUYEN: All right. Can't wait to see the clips though. You know they're going to be funny.

HOLMES: Enjoy yourself tonight, Paul.

STEINHAUSER: I will. Thanks. I appreciate it.

HOLMES: All right. We'll see you, buddy.

NGUYEN: All right.

Well, hello, everybody. It is 11:00 a.m. Eastern here in Atlanta.

You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Thanks so much for joining us today.

I'm Betty Nguyen.

HOLMES: And hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.

At least five people have been killed in damaging storms across the Midwest, and the angry weather now heading south. The power out for thousands of people from Kansas to Kentucky, and many homes are either damaged or destroyed.

The weather service still trying to determine how many tornadoes actually hit. In Wilson County, Kansas, a 54-year-old woman was killed when her mobile home was blown off its foundation. A church and post office also destroyed.

Missouri's governor has declared a state of emergency. A couple was killed on the highway when a tree fell on their car near Poplar Bluff. Another man died of a heart attack when winds tossed him and his wife into an open field.

Then in Kentucky's Madison County, officials blamed a possible tornado for the death of a woman whose body was found in a pond. Many others were injured and one person still missing.

NGUYEN: Well, northern Tennessee also got hit. In Scott County, residents reported seeing a tornado on the ground.