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Intense Fighting in Pakistan; Pope Visits Jordan; White House Correspondents Dinner Moments
Aired May 10, 2009 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Pakistan's military takes aim at the Taliban. The number of militants killed reportedly rising.
Mass in the Middle East. Pope Benedict XVI speaks in Jordan as part of his good will visit.
And this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now Sasha and Malia aren't here tonight because they're grounded. You can't just take Air Force One on a joy ride to Manhattan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: You didn't know the president is also a comedian, poking fun at himself, his administration and, yes, Republicans. Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield at the CNN Center in Atlanta. Happy Mother's Day to all moms out there. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
First up in northwest Pakistan, more intense fighting is under way. CNN's Reza Sayah has the latest from Islamabad.
REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Day four of the Pakistani army's military offensive against the Taliban in the Swat valley and the Pakistani army says over the past 24 hours, another 200 militants have been killed and a number of strategically important areas have been taken back from the Taliban.
We should note, CNN cannot independently verify this information because reporters are banned from the battle zone. CNN can also report more civilian casualties over the weekend and we're getting conflicting reports how this is happening. Locals who fled the area are telling CNN many civilians are dying because of indiscriminate fire from the army.
But the Pakistani army is saying it's the militants who are killing the civilians by planting improvised explosive devices and using civilians as human shields.
Also, the humanitarian crisis deteriorating as more people are fleeing the battle zone. On Sunday, for nine hours, the military lifted the curfew, opening the door for more locals to leave the area. The U.N. says 500,000 civilians have either left the battle zone or on their way out. The Pakistani army says despite this humanitarian crisis, the operation will continue against the Taliban. Over the past year, a half a dozen military offensives have been launched against these militants in the Swat valley. The two sides have also fought to a standstill. But this time, the Pakistani army insists things will be different. This time they say they will stay in the region until the Taliban is defeated. Reza Sayah, CNN, Islamabad.
WHITFIELD: U.S. forces have conducted air strikes against Taliban positions in Pakistan. But on CNN's STATE OF THE UNION with John King, General David Petraeus insisted there are no plans to send U.S. ground troops into battle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: I think we have been unequivocal in saying that this is not about us putting combat boots on the ground. This is about us providing assistance as we do numerous nations around the world. A bit more robust in this case, certainly. But we provide some training assistance. We provide ammunition. We provide spare parts, help with maintenance systems, processes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: So can the Pakistani army defeat the Taliban by itself? We'll hear from the Pakistani ambassador to the United States later on this hour.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made an unannounced visit to Iraq today. The one-day stop in Baghdad comes as U.S. military prepares to withdraw troops from Iraq by 2012. Pelosi spending her Mother's Day there, met with Iraqi leaders, including Prime Minister Nuri al- Maliki. She discussed how a smaller U.S. military presence must be accompanied by a, quote, "strong intelligence presence."
Pope Benedict is on an historic visit to the Middle East. His first stop Amman, Jordan, where today he celebrated an open-air mass before a crowd of 20,000 people. CNN's Ben Wedeman reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A song of welcome for a pope who has come on a perilous pilgrimage to the Middle East. But in this Amman stadium, Pope Benedict conducting his first mass in the Arab world, was preaching to the converted. The pontiff stressed the church will not neglect the Christians of the region in troubled times.
POPE BENEDICT XVI: The Catholic community here is deeply touched as difficulties and uncertainties which affect all the people of the Middle East. May you never forget the great dignity which derives from your Christian heritage or fail to sense a loving solidarity of all your brothers and sisters in the church throughout the world.
WEDEMAN: This mass has drawn thousands and thousands of people, not just from the Jordanian Christian community, but also people from the ancient Christian communities of Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian territories and Iraq. Among the children to receive Holy Communion was Peter Mikho, an Iraqi whose family has taken refuge in Amman.
PETER MIKHO, IRAQI REFUGE: Just a great gift from god. It made me wait all those years just to get it from the Pope itself. So it's a good gift from God.
WEDEMAN: For the Iraqi children, it was an unforgettable day.
CECILLE ADAM, IRAQI REFUGE: I feel great. It's like a dream come true. It's great.
WEDEMAN: The mass was part a statement of the enduring, if diminished strength of the Arab Christian community. And part a family celebration. And some took away from the pope a message that was almost biblical. Love thy neighbor.
MICHELLE HIJAZIN, ATTENDED MASS: I do want to show to everybody that Christians and Muslims are brothers. And the pope himself emphasized that.
WEDEMAN: Many Christians have emigrated abroad, fleeing war and sectarian tensions. But others are determined to stay in their ancestral homeland.
MICHELLE CHADWICK, ATTENDED MASS: Over 2,000 years we still exist over here. I think we'll carry on existing. It's a strong faith. It will be here always.
WEDEMAN: On a day like this, the future of Christians in the Arab world doesn't seem so bleak after all. Ben Wedeman, CNN, Amman.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: The pope leaves Jordan tomorrow for Israel. He will also visit the Palestinian territories, including the West Bank city of Bethlehem where Christian tradition holds that Jesus was born.
All right, here in this country, cool, moist ocean air is helping tame a wildfire in Santa Barbara, California. Most of the residents forced to evacuate have actually returned home today. A mandatory evacuation order was lifted. The winds blowing off the Pacific helped firefighters make considerable progress. The fire is now about 55 percent contained. Full containment is expected by Wednesday. At least that's the hope. About 9,000 acres have burned since Tuesday. Nearly 80 homes and businesses have been damaged or destroyed. Jacqui Jeras is in the Weather Center keeping a close watch on all that, 55 percent contained. That's encouraging, but, I know, you know, it's still a pretty tenuous situation.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: All right, a new push for teen abstinence. The message comes from a familiar face. Eighteen and a new mom and the new -- the media, politics and Hollywood together in the nation's capital.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I saw you on "Saturday Night Live." Who would you play if you could get a role in an Obama administration film?
THE ROCK, ACTOR: Oh, that's very easy. There's a reason they call me The Rock Obama. There's only one man.
BOLDUAN: Done and done. I'll call some people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: That's our Kate Bolduan with The Rock and his wife. The best moments from the White House Correspondents Dinner.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Hello, welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in the CNN NEWSROOM. Special Mother's Day greetings from our troops overseas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPEC. BRANDON MARTINKA, U.S. ARMY: I am specialist Brandon Martinka from Mosul, Iraq. I just want to say happy Mother's Day to Becky Martinka in Waco, Texas. Love you, mom, love the family, can't wait to come home. See you soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: A third person in the U.S. has apparently died of complications from the swine flu. Washington State health officials say a man in his thirties with heart problems died there last week. The two other H1N1 virus victims in this country also had pre-existing medical problems. The CDC says the number of confirmed swine flu cases in the U.S. has jumped to 2,254. That's an increase of 615 patients since Friday.
All right, Bristol Palin, daughter of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, is trying to use both her celebrity and her new role as new mom to send a serious message to teens. Abstain. Will she get kids' attention? This weekend, I asked Brenda Rhodes Miller of the D.C. Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy about that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRENDA RHODES MILLER, D.C. CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT TEEN PREGNANCY: It gives parents a great opportunity to open a conversation with their children and to say, celebrities aren't experts. They don't know you. They don't care about you because they can't. They don't know you. But as your parent, I care about you a great deal. And let's talk about love and sex, relationships, birth control, abstinence, what it means to be a parent.
WHITFIELD: But in this case, you want this young celebrity, you know, we'll call her that at this point. You want her to get the attention of young people. Because now her mantra is, wait a minute. Abstinence and had I known what I know now, you know what, this parenting thing is really hard. So what do you, as a parent, what your daughter or your son to hear from her?
RHODES MILLER: Well, I think that as a parent or I think what parents want their children to hear is the information they need to keep themselves safe, to protect themselves in situations they're not mature enough to handle.
There are only two ways to prevent pregnancy. Either you don't have sex, which is what Bristol Palin is talking about, or if you do have sex, you use contraception carefully and every single time. But that's a conversation that a parent is really best suited to talk to about their children with.
WHITFIELD: But then there is the argument of what is realistic? We heard from Bristol's former, you know, fiancee Levi who said this is not realistic to even talk about. He came out in a campaign just as her campaign was unveiled that she's promoting abstinence among teenagers. He said it's not realistic to talk to young kids and encourage them, you know, to not have sex because everyone is doing it.
RHODES MILLER: Well you know, dueling campaigns aside, what is realistic is for parents to say to their children that "I'm here to talk to you. I care about you. I know what's going on in your life."
WHITFIELD: When kids are getting the message from their peers, which is you know what, it's fashionable now. Especially as we see younger celebrity types, whether they be married or not, who have got that little belly bump. They are making it look really fashionable and fun and a lot of young kids are admiring them and saying, I want a piece of that life.
RHODES MILLER: Well, I don't know. Yesterday, D.C. Campaign did a roundtable with teen fathers. And these young men talked about how difficult it was for them to have a job, to go to school, to be a good father. I don't know if it's as fashionable as some people might lead us to believe.
WHITFIELD: So is that what you want to hear from Bristol on this campaign? She needs to talk about the real consequences, the real hardships of what it is to be a parent.
RHODES MILLER: She should talk about the fact if you are sexually active, you need to use birth control. If you are not sexually active, you still need to know about preventing pregnancy and if you become a parent, you need to really be an adult so you can handle the responsibilities.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Every weekend, we post stories on our blog. And here are some of your comments regarding Bristol Palin's message of abstinence. Cass says, "Bristol lost credibility when she got pregnant. Her area of focus should be support and awareness for teens who have babies." And Patty wrote in saying she thinks Bristol should focus on the difficulty of the life-long relationship with the father. She wrote the relationship with Levi to work together to raise their child will require much commitment and many hardships. She should talk about that, said that e-mailer.
And be sure to check out our blog at CNN.com/NEWSROOM and leave a comment of your own.
Well, apparently it is never too late for a high school reunion.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Well, this time of year, it's an exciting time for graduating students. Well, one group of seniors in Wellston, Oklahoma, is taking a trip down memory lane, reuniting with the teacher who touched their lives not in high school but 80 years ago in grade school. Phil Cross with CNN affiliate KOKH brings us their reunion.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL CROSS, KOKH CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Seventy years ago, these senior citizens were seniors in high school.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where were you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was probably under the bench.
CROSS: And 80 years ago, they were students in Miss Jones' (ph) fourth grade class.
DELBERT GOGGIN, CLASSIC OF 1939: She was a stickler with kids and made them mind and taught them well. And she did a lot of good things for the school.
CROSS: It's funny the things you remember after 80 years.
JOE LEGAKO, CLASS OF 1939: Twenty froggies went to school down beside a rushy pool, 20 little coats of green, 20 vests all white and clean.
GOGGIN: I tried to learn spelling the best I could, and I won a first prize that day. And I remember she gave me a Mickey Mouse and I didn't even know there was a Mickey Mouse then, a toothbrush holder. So she said all right, to make it even, I'll just punish everybody. Hold out your hands like that, took that ruler. I don't know how many times she hit it.
CROSS: But what they remember most is the kindness.
GOGGIN: Hi, teacher. You are looking so good. I love you.
CROSS: Miss Jones, now just Fay Crum is 105 years young.
FAYE JONES CRUM, FORMER ELEMENTARY TEACHER: I can't believe it, can't believe it, oh, my.
CROSS: The decades haven't dulled her sense of humor or her passion for her students.
LEGAKO: She said Joe, find and repeat the 20 froggies went to school. And I stood up.
CRUM: Down beside the rushy pool.
LEGAKO: Twenty little coats of green, 20 vests all white and clean.
CRUM: They were, all of them were good kids.
CROSS: Eighty years later, these students say it's the simplest lessons that matter the most.
ARMELDA JEFFRIES, CLASS OF 1939: Same old thing. Being honest, fair, considerate. Those good things that I don't think a lot of kids learn anymore.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Wow. What a special occasion that they would all get together again. So of the 30 students who graduated from Wellston in 1939, eight are still alive. Four of those students took part in a weekend homecoming parade in Wellston, Oklahoma.
All right, Vice President Joe Biden and TV host Oprah Winfrey made some graduation memories today. Biden gave the keynote at his alma mater of Syracuse while Oprah was at Duke.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OPRAH WINFREY, TV HOST: we all need makeovers from time to time in our life. And graduates, I know this. That if you can see the possibility of change in your life, of seeing what you can become and not just what you are, you will be a huge success.
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Of all the mothers who are here today, let me say to you, the spotlight may be on your graduates today, but just know that it would not shine nearly as brightly were it not for you. And they know it. They know it. So I say to all the graduates today, there's a line, a great line I heard that goes like this. If at first you don't succeed, do it like your mom told you to do.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Vice President Biden graduated from Syracuse Law School in 1968.
All right, a global manhunt is over. A very strange discovery made close to the scene of the crime.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: I'm Fredricka Whitfield in the NEWSROOM. Special Mother's Day greetings from our troops overseas. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPEC. LAREN LAMONACA, U.S. ARMY: Hey mom, it's Laren. I'm all the way in Tikrit, Iraq, COB Speicher, calling you back home in Forest Hills, Queens, New York. And I hope you are doing well. Happy Mother's Day and be good, ma, can't wait to see you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: An American in Iran is hoping for a ruling in her favor. After a five-hour hearing in Iran, a lawyer for jailed journalist Roxana Saberi says he is hopeful. Saberi was convicted last month on charges of spying for the United States. Her family says she is innocent but was forced to make damaging statements. A three-judge panel heard the American's appeal behind closed doors. A decision is expected in a few days.
And back now to our top story, the fighting in Pakistan. Government troops are trying to push Taliban militants out of the Swat Valley where they virtually had taken control. Pakistan's military claims 200 Taliban fighters have been killed, but there's no way to confirm that total. Pakistan eased the curfew in the Swat Valley for nine hours today allowing more civilians to get out.
The Taliban threat is growing in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. So yesterday in the CNN NEWSROOM, we talked about this in depth with Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani and former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad. And our Josh Levs asked them both some of your questions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Josh, we've got a lot of people who have asked questions about the growing of poppy and the heroin drug trade. We know that that is what is fuelling the fight for the Taliban, fueling them financially as well. What's the question going to former Ambassador Khalilzad on that?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, I'll tell you. Fortunately, a lot of our viewers are responding to CNN reporting on the ground about those poppy fields. And Ambassador, I'm going to focus on the board behind me. I'm going to show you a question that we received from Victoria here who talks about President Hamid Karzai having talked about the effort to stamp out poppy production in 12 provinces in Afghanistan. Is it realistic, sir, to think that this will ever be possible?
ZALMAY KHALILZAD, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO AFGHANISTAN: Well, it certainly will not be easy. And it will take time. The strategy that has been pursued so far has not produced the kind of result that would have been expected, that is need for adjustment. There has to be effort at alternative livelihood, there has to be greater effort at interdiction. There has to be greater effort to bring to justice those in government who are involved in facilitating narcotics trafficking. But as long as there is demand in the world for narcotics, they will be produced somewhere. But a more effective strategy can push it out or reduce it from Afghanistan.
WHITFIELD: Josh, you have a question from a viewer who is really asking about whether Pakistan's army can really take on the Taliban. We know that some U.S officials have actually said they are concerned about whether Pakistan's army really is equipped to deal with the kind of warfare that the Taliban would be prepared to carry out.
LEVS: Equipment and loyalty. That's what I want to post to Ambassador Haqqani. Let's zoom in, I want to show you something that we got from Brian here on Facebook who says the American public have heard elements in the Pakistani government and military have been running operations independent of their elected leadership. Tell me, sir, realistically and honestly, are there large numbers inside the Pakistani military that actually are not responding to the elected leadership and are taking part in other activities there?
HUSAIN HAQQANI, PAKISTANI AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: I think that we have a pattern in Pakistan in the past of military intervention in politics. We've had four coups. That's why people have these suspicions. But the fact of the matter is, that no one in the Pakistani army wants Pakistan to be Talibanized. They do not want Pakistan's young women not to ever go to school. So that's not the issue here.
LEVS: No one at all? No one in the army wants that?
HAQQANI: Probably very few. Not significant enough --
LEVS: Not enough to impact the military.
HAQQANI: Not enough to impact the military. What happened is that when General Musharraf ruled the country because he combined the office of army chief and president, his mistakes were often attributed to the military as an institution. That has changed now.
But it will take some time for that change to manifest itself. The important thing to understand is that the Taliban derived their support from disenchantment with the United States, disenchantment with westernization and globalization. And the feeling of helplessness and hopelessness than the poor of Pakistan in certain areas have. So if we can drain the swap of that poverty, we can deprive the Taliban of recruits.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And of course, we'll have more on the Taliban threat in both Pakistan and Afghanistan in the CNN NEWSROOM coming up at 4:00 Eastern time.
All right, stories making news across America right now. Boston transit officials plan tougher cell phone rules after a trolley collision. Authorities say the operator of one of the trolleys was texting his girlfriend at the time of the crash. Twenty people were hurt. Now operators will be barred from even having cell phones while on duty.
And five people died when a twin engine plane crashed in Nevada. It happened about 10 minutes after takeoff from an airport near Lake Tahoe. Investigators are still trying to figure out what went wrong.
And a body found in the woods near Athens, Georgia is indeed that of former University of Georgia professor George Zinkhan. Zinkhan was accused of killing his wife and two other people two weeks ago. Investigators say he apparently buried himself in brush and dirt. The "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" newspaper reports that he had a bullet wound to the head.
Two exiled Cuban artists, they share a passion for their homeland. But they split when it comes to President Obama's new Cuban travel policy. CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti reports on a growing divide among Cuban Americans.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Grammy-award winning musician Paquito D'Rivera defected from Cuba 28 years ago. Painter Geandy Pavon left more than a decade ago after his father, a political prisoner, was released from jail and granted a visa.
Yet both artists hold different views about a recently lifted travel ban for Cuban-Americans to visit family on the island. D'Rivera says despite the joy, unlimited visits can bring, it is wrong unless the Castro government changes.
PAQUITO D'RIVERA, MUSICIAN: Lifting sanctions to such a horrible, cruel and long-lasting regime, it's like giving an award -- taking the kid that fail everything in the school and then you take him to Disneyland.
CANDIOTTI: Despite that exile view, President Obama's decision to wipe out three-year restrictions imposed by the Bush administration has charter flights soaring. One Miami company, CNT Charters, reports more than three times the passengers heading to Cuba last month compared to April a year ago.
A recent CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, shows overwhelming support, 64 to 34 percent for lifting a travel ban to Cuba so every American can go there. Painter Pavon applauds taking a step in that direction.
GEANDY PAVON, ARTIST: Obama is calling the bluff on the Castro regime.
CANDIOTTI: Easing the travel ban for family visit he's hopes will chip away at Castro government policies. As a painter, he says he had his work confiscated.
PAVON: Morally, it's good the United States shows like Obama -- that he's willing to have a conversation.
CANDIOTTI: But Paquita D'Rivera argues so far it's a one-way conversation.
D'RIVERA: What type of business, I give you everything and you give me nothing. Watch out, President Obama.
CANDIOTTI: For Pavon, it's one step at a time.
PAVON: For me, it's very hard to think that there is no hope. I prefer to think there is hope.
CANDIOTTI: Two portraits of Cuban exiles who share a hope for change but disagree on how to get there. What a treat. Susan Candiotti, CNN, Union City, New Jersey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right. It was a night to loosen up for both the media and the commander-in-chief. President Obama lands some zingers at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: I'd like to talk a little bit about what my administration plans to achieve in the next 100 days. During the second 100 days, we will design, build and open a library dedicated to my first 100 days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: More from the president and comedian Wanda Sykes. Our Kate Bolduan has the best of the one-liners.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: President Obama has a pretty busy week ahead, one filled with pomp and circumstance and championship teams. Tomorrow he welcomes the University of North Carolina men's basketball team to the White House. He predicted they'd win the championship. And then on Wednesday, the president goes to Arizona State University where he will deliver the commencement address, but will not be receiving an honorary degree there. And Thursday, he heads to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to talk about credit card reform. And then Friday, Mr. Obama welcomes the world series champion team, Philadelphia Phillies to the White House.
All right, big laughs for President Obama. He showed his comedic side, poking fun at politicians and journalists and, of course, himself, last night at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner. Here's a look at some of the funny jabs from the president and comedian Wanda Sykes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OBAMA: I would like to welcome you all to the 10-day anniversary of my first 100 days.
WANDA SYKES, COMEDIAN: Whose idea was it to give the queen an iPod? What an awful gift. What is she going to do? Your or his idea? What is she going to do, download Lady Gaga? What are you going to give the pope, a Bluetooth?
OBAMA: Michelle Obama is here, first lady of the United States. Hasn't she been an outstanding first lady? She's even begun to bridge the differences that have divided us for so long because no matter which party you belong to, we can all agree that Michelle has the right to bare arms.
SYKES: It's hard to poke fun at the president because he's so likable. Everybody likes his T-shirts and bumper stickers, even the media. You guys have been very favorable towards the president. You know, it's funny to me that they've never caught you smoking but they somehow always catch you with your shirt off.
OBAMA: All this change hasn't been easy. Change never is. So I've cut the tension by bringing a new friend to the White House. He's warm, he's cuddly, loyal, enthusiastic. You just have to keep him on a tight leash. Every once in a while he goes charging off in the wrong direction and gets himself into trouble. But enough about Joe Biden.
SYKES: You're taking the first lady out on dates. I wouldn't be surprised if I walk past the White House and see you out there mowing the lawn.
OBAMA: I believe that my next 100 days will be so successful, I will be able to complete them in 72 days. And on the 73rd day, I will rest.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: That was the White House Correspondents Dinner last night. And right there, right in front of the White House, our own Kate Bolduan and you were all dolled up and you were there last night. Lots of laughs in the room, and, my goodness it was very star-studded as well.
BOLDUAN: It was a jam packed event. We've heard estimates from the -- over 2,000, over 3,000 guests were there, Fredricka. You summed it up. It's an annual dinner of the Washington elite that come together with journalists. Normally, a dash of celebrity comes. But many people who have gone to the event in the past feel there's a heavy dose of Hollywood and Hollywood glamour that came. We were on the red carpet. We talked to many of the celebrities coming in. We heard everything from -- I heard this was the dinner to be at from Chris Tucker to Alicia Keys who was a big supporter of President Obama who said she was excited to see this moment and see him at this first big correspondents dinner to speak at.
Everyone very much looking forward the main event, the president to see if he could pull off comedy, which many people said he did a pretty good job.
WHITFIELD: He's gotten some pretty good reviews the day after. And going into the dinner there was a lot of talk of, this is going to have to be the White House Correspondents Dinner that's toned down especially because of the economy and what's taking place. But I don't know. I saw some pretty dazzling outfits there.
BOLDUAN: I definitely saw some dazzling outfits, dazzling jewelry, a lot of dazzling going out. One thing that -- with all of the celebrity and excitement that was lost is part of the dinner that was discussed is that they actually scrapped dessert, saving some $13,000, and that money was -- is being donated to SOME, So Others May Eat. It's a charity here in Washington, D.C., that helps feed the poor as well as job training and things like that. So there was kind of a nod to that. But that is, I guess, we can see happen was quite overshadowed by the A-listers that we're walking through.
WHITFIELD: Yes, I was going to say, no dessert there was a lot of eye candy in the room if you will, right?
BOLDUAN: Perfect, right.
WHITFIELD: OK, all right, Kate Bolduan, thanks for bringing us some of the dazzling highlights. You can't be dowdy at a White House Correspondents Dinner, period. And you looked fabulous last night, too.
BOLDUAN: Oh, thank you.
WHITFIELD: And still glowing this morning. Thanks so much, Kate, appreciate it.
All right, mothers, today is your day. And our i-Reporters across the country are honoring their moms. Some moms are such cut- ups.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell me something about you that we don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not your mother.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Well again, I'm Fredricka Whitfield in the CNN NEWSROOM. On this Mother's Day, some special greetings from our troops overseas.
PFC. DAN PERDUE, U.S. ARMY: Hi, what's up, my name is PFC Dan Perdue over here in Tikrit, Iraq. I want to say happy Mother's Day to my mom. Yo, what up, ma. Miss you, love you. I'll be home soon.
SPC. DENIS CABELL, U.S. ARMY: Hello, my name is Sergeant Denise Cabell from Charlie Company 299 VSV Camp Liberty, Iraqi. I'd like to wish my mom and everyone back home in Chicago a happy Mother's Day and thank you all for supporting me while I'm out here. Thank you Tanisha (ph) and mom. I love you.
SPC. MICHAEL SMITH, U.S. ARMY: I'm Specialist Michael Smith here in Tikrit, Iraq. I just want to say happy Mother's Day to my mother Nancy in California. Love you, mom. You've always been there for me. You made me who I am. I love you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: A day to celebrate. More than 2,500 walkers and volunteers spent part of this Mother's Day in Washington raising money and awareness for breast cancer. The three-mile walk started from the National Mall this morning. Money raised at the event is going to the Breast Cancer Network of Strength. It's a support group for anyone affected by breast cancer. The group is holding similar walks in major cities across the country today.
I-Reporters are sharing their moms and their favorite memories with CNN on this Mother's Day. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's Greg Reese (ph) from Cincinnati and I'm here with my mom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm here with my mom Pat. And I'm here to ask her a few questions for Mother's Day to get to know her better.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My name is Angelica and for my i-Report assignment, I would like to share with you my number one in my life, my mom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you doing today, mom?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm fine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I ask you some questions?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sure.
ALEX CANTON, CNN I-REPORTER: This is a little bit of my mom. I'm Alex Canton. I'm reporting for CNN i-Report.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's your favorite thing about being a mother?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, the thing is making the memories and looking back on them because once you make those memories, like we used to go to breakfast every Saturday morning. I remember our road trips back and forth from Pittsburgh. Making those memories, those are the things that stay with you all of your life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's the challenging part of raising two sons?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh dear lord, do we have an hour and a half, two hours?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The most difficult part of being a single mom is having to play the role of both mother and father and yet only coming home with one paycheck.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The most challenging part about being a mom is when you try to tell your child what they should or shouldn't do and they have to learn from experience.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
I asked her how about the difficulty of not loving one child more than another. She said that didn't happen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What memories do you have of your mom? What's one that stands out?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, the one thing that stands out with my mother is all the times in the summer that we would spend going to Stevens Lake, to the pool. We had good friends. We'd all go together and picnic. We always swam. She kind of took me and threw me in the water. That's how I learned to swim.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My mom always emphasized the importance of saving money for the future.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell me something about you that we don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not your mother. No -- when I first got pregnant, of course, I wanted a daughter because I was a hairdresser before you guys were born. And, you know, prissy, pink bows. I wanted the little frilly things and the little patent leather shoes and the dolls. And, you know, I had a boy and I was like, wow, what the hell do I do with him? I've never been around boys that much. I was used to girls. But I adjusted very well, loved you just the same.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hold on to your kids as long as you can because the next thing you know, they will grow up faster than you can imagine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're the best mom I think I could have and good lady right here, love you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, love you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not kidding when I say this mom right here is the best mom in the world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you so much. It's Greg Reese (ph) from Cincinnati and that's my mom, Carol Rutker (ph).
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: That was so sweet. Happy Mother's Day. And happy Mother's Day to my mom. Now that I'm a mom, I've got one question for you. How did you do it? She raised three. I've got one. It's kicking my butt. All right, well it's been a weekend of wild weather across several states. Will it keep up through the week? Jacqui Jeras will be along.
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WHITFIELD: All right, one of the first cities to tumble in the nation's housing crisis is now showing signs of a rebound. Is that encouraging news for all of us? Here now is CNN's Dan Simon.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): California's capital was among the fist to be hit by the housing bust. It was also among the nation's hardest hit. But real estate experts say the market here shows signs of stabilizing. Home sales are up 45 percent this year and prices, while still at record low levels, don't seem to be falling any further.
CHARLENE SINGLEY, SACRAMENTO ASSN. OF REALTORS: I would say that right now we're seeing signs of a rebound, especially because we are seeing the number of sales pick up each month. Year over year, we've had a huge increase in the number of sales.
SIMON: That's why, for the first time in awhile, those in the industry are feeling optimistic that maybe the worst is behind them.
SEAN O'TOOLE, FORECLOSURERADAR.COM: We're at, you know, near peak sales volumes. We are back to fairly low inventories -- kind of traditional inventory levels. So, overall, the Sacramento market is pretty healthy right now.
SIMON: But thirds of the sales were driven by foreclosures in March -- buyers sensing a once in a lifetime deal -- a house so cheap that you couldn't pass it up. The rest of the market remains stagnant. And the unemployment rate is still high here -- 11 percent. And, that, some say, could keep the vicious cycle going.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're still experiencing job losses. And, you know, we shouldn't forget that, historically, it's been job losses that have driven these foreclosures.
SIMON: Still, the hope is that Sacramento has already bottomed out and that maybe the town is a barometer for the rest of the country. And some other parts of the West Coast are also looking better, including Phoenix and Las Vegas. Phoenix a 30 percent increase in sales year over year. But again, most of the sales being generated by deeply discounted foreclosures. People sensing a lot of good deals to be had. Dan Simon, CNN, San Francisco.
WHITFIELD: All right, let's check in with our Jacqui Jeras in the Weather Center. Miss fabulous mom.
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WHITFIELD: All right, let's take a look at what's happening now. Hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis are fleeing a region where army forces are cracking down on Taliban militants. Today, the military lifted a curfew for several hours so civilians could actually get out. Pakistani officials say up to 200 militants were killed over the last 24 hours.
And the case of an American journalist in an Iranian prison is now in the hands of Iranian appeals court. Roxana Saberi was convicted of espionage last month and sentenced to eight years in prison. Her lawyer says the court could issue a verdict next week.
And this mother of five, a grandmother to seven. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is in Iraq focusing on intelligence matters. She met with Iraqi leaders, including Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
And coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM one hour from now, we've all heard it. The only thing certain in life are death and taxes. Well, it's that death part that is helping a lot of people actually pay taxes these days. What am I talking about? The funeral industry is hiring. All right, "YOUR MONEY" starts right now.
