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Cockpit Recording Reveals Truth of Buffalo Crash; Soldier Shooting Brings PTSD to Forefront; Author Provides Job Search Tips; Farrah Fawcett Says Hospital Sold Medical Records; Saltiest Meals in the U.S.; Your Car Warranty's About to Expire; Mystery in Thailand; Checks in the Mail

Aired May 12, 2009 - 13:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Tony, thanks so much.

We are pushing forward on pilot know-how and passenger safety. In the wake of the nation's worst air crash in seven years, a hard looking at training, aptitude and attitude in the cockpit.

Has your car warranty expired? If you have a phone, you may have gotten a call -- make that called, whether you have a car or not. Feds say they've heard enough.

Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Icy weather, pilot training, cockpit chitchat all figure into the federal probe of the commuter plane crash last winter on the outskirts of Buffalo, New York. You'll remember 49 people were killed on board Continental connection Flight 3407, along with a man in a house that that plane hit.

Exactly three months later, the NTSB is holding an unusual hearing. Unusual since these usually take a year or more to come together. The board is pushing forward on safety issues, but also looking back to the moments leading up to the crash.

According to cockpit transcripts, Captain Marvin Renslow and co- pilot Rebecca Shaw took note of a heavy buildup of ice on the wings. Listen to this. This is what Shaw said: "I've never seen icing conditions. I've never deiced. I've never experienced any of that. I don't want to have to experience that and make those kind of calls. You know I'd have freaked out. I'd have, like, seen this much ice and thought, oh, my gosh, we're going to crash."

Then Renslow replies, "Oh, yes, I'm so glad. I mean, I would've been -- fine. I would have survived it. We never had to make decisions that I wouldn't have been able to make, but -- now I'm more comfortable."

Three minutes later the recording ends as Shaw screams. Chilling.

That twin engine turbo prep operated by the regional carrier Colgan Air went into a stall which Captain Renslow apparently made worse. From that comes a new debate about training and this report from CNN's Allan Chernoff.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Flight 3407 was about to stall, an emergency system called a stick pusher activated to push the aircraft's control column forward. Yet the pilot, Marvin Renslow had never been trained in a flight stimulator to respond to a stick pusher emergency, only in the classroom. An experience gap that may have been a factor in the pilot's failure to save the aircraft.

DOUG MOSS, STALL RECOVERY EXPERT: I think that's a significant problem. You can study it academically all you want to, but you really need to develop the proficiency, the skill, the muscle memory required.

CHERNOFF: Colgan Air said, "We stand by our FAA-certified crew training programs which meet or exceed the regulatory requirements for all major airlines and include training on emergency situations."

The FAA concedes its requirements aren't exact enough to demand stick pusher training in a flight simulator.

MOSS: The FAA generally trains to a standard of routine line operations with only a minimal tolerance for deviation outside the norm. They don't focus at all on the edges of the envelope which if they were to do that would be costly, but I think it would improve the overall competency of airline pilots.

CHERNOFF: Veteran pilots tell CNN today's cost-conscious regional airlines need to provide more training because many of their pilots are far less experienced than those at the major airlines. The Regional Airline Association counters that the Buffalo tragedy notwithstanding its flights are safer than ever.

ROGER COHEN, PRESIDENT, REGIONAL AIRLINE ASSOCIATION: The training standards for regional airlines, mainline airlines, network airlines, low-cost airlines, all identical under the exact same protocols, all approved in the exact same category by the Federal Aviation Administration.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: All right. Now we want to hear from you. E-mail or tweet us if pilot training enters your mind when you board a plane. If you don't give it a thought, well, tell us that, too, and tell us why. Next hour, we're going to talk more with a former director of the FAA's Office of Accident Investigation.

Now that we know who, maybe we can learn why. The Army says that Sergeant John Russell opened fire yesterday at a stress clinic in Baghdad. Two officers from that clinic staff and three soldiers were killed. "The Washington Post" is reporting that Russell is 44 years old and is from Sherman, Texas.

One investigation is focused on the crime. Another, focused on the bigger question: what would drive a soldier to kill his comrades?

Our Cal Perry is in Baghdad.

Cal, you actually learned that Russell's commanders saw enough red flags, what, about a week ago and actually took his weapon away?

CAL PERRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. I want to read you a quote from General Perkins. He's the lead spokesperson here for the U.S. military in Iraq. He said, quote, "His chain of command had concerns about him. He had been undergoing counseling within the command, and they had already taken the immediate measure of removing his weapon."

So they had already red-flagged this soldier as a potential danger. He'd obviously been receiving counseling within his command structure. We were told that he had spoken to a chaplain.

I've also just been given information from our producers downstairs that his unit was deployed here in May of 2008 on a 15- month tour, and we understand that this was his third tour, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: And you know, we have talked so much about PTSD on this newscast. It's something that is important to me and a lot of people on our team, Cal. And I know it's something that you have spent a lot of time researching, as well. And we were talking about 300,000 U.S. soldiers are now estimated to have PTSD. The number keeps growing.

So, you know, what is going to happen to these soldiers from this point on, because this has reached a level that they just can't have this happen again?

PERRY: You know, I think that this is going to be the coming story in the years that we're going to see in the United States. And I think there's going to be a national debate on this story. We're talking about 300 soldiers who are going to be coming back. And there are certain veterans' organizations that use the saying, "Back at home, still at war."

I used to work for a veterans' organization in Vietnam clearing land mines and helping the people of Vietnam. And the man who founded that organization, Veterans of America. It's a guy by the name of Bobby Mueller (ph). He was a captain in the Marine Corps, and in Vietnam he was shot in the back through his spine. He was paralyzed.

And three years ago he was sitting with me in Washington, D.C. I'll never forget what he said, Kyra. He said that these Iraqi veterans are going to return home, and they're going to have a harder time readapting to American society than Vietnam veterans. That is something that has been ingrained in my brain ever since. To hear from a Vietnam veteran who founded veterans' organization and is trying to help these Iraqi vets say something like that, really absolutely stunning, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Yes. And we have seen what has happened to our Vietnam vets and how they haven't been cared for, Cal. The last thing we want to see is the same trend going forward with our vets there in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Appreciate your excellent reporting, Cal. Thank you so much.

Let's get to the White House now. And a new assault on the crippling cost of health care. A day after President Obama outlined a private sector pledge to hold down costs by $2 trillion over a decade, he brought in business leaders for talks on the burden of insuring employees.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What we've done here today is to gather together some of these stories and best practices to make sure that they are going to be informing the health care reform discussions that take place here in Washington.

There's no quick fix. There's no silver bullet. When you hear what Safeway or Johnson & Johnson or other companies have done, what you've seen is sustained experimentation over many years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, on the Hill meanwhile, a round table on reform got an earful from uninvited advocates of so-called single-payer government-run health care for all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Chairman...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The people at this table have failed Americans for 30 years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll stand in recess until the police can restore order.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... at this table. Health care is a human right. We want guaranteed health care. No more Blue Cross and double-crosses. We want guaranteed health care. No more Aetna -- thank you. No more Aetna or single (ph) bosses. We want guaranteed health care. We want to see our doctors when we need. And get our bills that are guaranteed. We're tired. Want insurance free (ph). We want guaranteed health care.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, in any discussion of health care reform, the elephants in the room are entitlements: Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security. Those are where the real money is or isn't. And next hour the secretaries of the treasury and health and human services will give their yearly report on the financial health of the programs all of us depend on or hope to depend on some day.

A year ago trustees projected that the Social Security trust fund would run out in 2041, Medicare in 2019. The recession almost certainly has shortened the lifespan of both. Hey, college grads, are you ready for the big job interview? Make sure you wear clean underwear and a fresh nose ring. Body art doesn't have to be a deal breaker, believe it or not.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, he worked narcotics in the Bronx. No easy beat. But nothing like the dangers of Afghanistan. NYPD Officer Deon Taylor was on his second tour of duty there with the National Guard. The man who once played with G.I. Joes and defended the other kids from bullies, no match for an IED. Officer Deon Taylor was killed in action last October. In a way, though, he's still protecting the streets. He encouraged his brother and four cousins to become police officers.

Next hour President Obama honors top cop award winners. We're going to take you to the White House live. It's all part of our team's special coverage of National Police Week. More on that at CNN.com/newsroom.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, thousand of college kids are pouring into the job market this graduation season. This week, we're trying to help them find potential employers in our 30-second pitch, college edition.

We sent our crews to Emory University's graduation yesterday. Economics major Kyra -- Kyle Wilson says that he's been looking for a job for a while, so let's go ahead and get the clock ready. And here's Kyle's pitch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KYLE WILSON, JOB SEEKER: Hey, CNN. I'm Kyle Wilson. I just recently graduated Emory University. My major is economics. And the reason you should hire me is I'm a great candidate. I'm fresh out of college. I'm eager, and I'm willing to do what it takes to do the best for the job.

My economics background gives me a lot of financial intuition, and I feel like my personality and my charismatics [SIC] will help a lot. So thanks a lot. And make sure you vote for me. Thanks. Bye.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: If you have a job for Kyle and his charismatics, you can e-mail him at kwils09@emory.edu.

All right. Well, our next guest has a real-world check list for grads looking for a job. Check Facebook for embarrassing photos from the keg party and the belly shots from the local bar. Check. Change e-mails, HotMama@hotmail.com and DizzyMissIzzy@gmail.com. Not so good for a job interview. Check.

But here's some good news. Ellen Gordon Reeves says that you can go ahead and wear the nose ring to the interview, but it may come with a little risk.

Ellen, good to see you.

ELLEN GORDON REEVES, AUTHOR, "CAN I WEAR MY NOSE RING TO THE INTERVIEW?": Good to see you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Hence, of course, the book that you wrote that we will show viewers in just a second. Really, a nose ring is OK?

REEVES: It really depends on the environment. I tell people, sure, wear your nose ring, but understand that 50 percent of the people out there may not hire you. You've to find out if it's a nose- ring-friendly environment. You have to know yourself, and you have to know the employer.

PHILLIPS: Tell me why you wrote this book.

REEVES: I wrote it because, well, I've been advising students and people of all ages for job hunting for years and years and years. And the questions kept coming. "Can I wear my nose ring to the interview" is a real question I've been asked over and over by the people I've counseled, young people particularly, and many other questions.

So I started putting them all together, collecting the questions over the years and giving them real answers. They have questions that they're afraid to ask. And I wasn't afraid to answer them.

PHILLIPS: Well, what are some of the strangest interview questions you've ever received?

REEVES: Some of the interview questions, people have been asked things like "draw my dog"; you know, "how many jellybeans can fit in the car?" And they get thrown by this. But the point is when people are asking questions like that, they don't care as much about the answer as about how you handle the answer. It's about grace under pressure and whether you can be diplomatic, think on your feet, be confident and -- and think on your feet.

PHILLIPS: And you were -- you were saying you're not necessarily -- well, don't necessarily look for a certain job but a certain person. Explain what you mean by that.

REEVES: That's right. I say stop looking for a job and start looking for a person. The right person will lead you to the right job. You've got to be out there networking. You need the tools. You need a business card before you're in business with your name and contact information and the professional contact information, as you said at the beginning.

And you've got to reach out. Using Facebook, in fact, using your college roommates, your college alumni resources, your community, your religious community, anywhere to get inside the company or organization you're targeting.

PHILLIPS: Did some of the mistakes that you made help you kind of put this book together, as well? And if so, what were some of them?

REEVES: Sure. Well, for one thing I wrote a thesis in college on Sartre's "La Nausee," and I had "Nausea," the title in English, written on my resume. And my dad looked at it and said, "I don't think you want 'Ellen Reeves, Nausea' right on top of the resume." So that was a good reminder.

I went to another job. I applied to be -- to be an admissions counselor for Harvard Admissions Office. And I researched the job. I found out what it was like during heavy season, and when the interviewer asked me if I had any questions or concerns, I more than willingly shared mine.

I said, "Yes, I hear that at peak season you need to be reading folders all night long. And I think that might interfere with my real thing I want to do, which is to write." Game over. Obviously, I did not get the job. And again, my parents said, "Did you just not want that job?"

PHILLIPS: Bottom line, what makes your book so different besides the title, which I love? The title is "Can I Wear My Nose Ring for the Interview?" Of course, that's what grabbed our attention. You know, what makes this so different from all the other books that are out there? You know, it's a tough time, Ellen. And everyone seems to be wanting to write a book on this.

REEVES: Well, sure. This -- first of all, this is real advice. These are all real questions that I've been asked over the years. I didn't make any of this up. These are the real questions that young people and others are usually afraid to ask in person. I answered them all. I'm fairly direct but very encouraging.

I say -- as I said, you know, contrary to most of the advice you'll hear, wear your nose ring but understand the effect on what everything young people do to be by intent. Everything is an act of self-presentation. And when you're job hunting, you really have to clean up your act.

PHILLIPS: And bottom line, you say grads actually have a better opportunity now, because they don't have to be brought in for lots of money, and people want to be cut down.

REEVES: Absolutely. And the recession, actually, entry-level jobs are the least affected by our recession. And look, we don't expect you to have 10, 20, 30 years of professional experience. In fact, like some of the people you're competing with now, not just your peers, which is the hard part.

But the good news is that, while we don't expect you to have that professional experience, we do expect you to behave professionally and to present yourself in a professional way. And that's something you can learn.

PHILLIPS: Ellen Reeves, author of "Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview?" And I guess in some cases, you can. Ellen, thanks so much. REEVES: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Well, 15 bucks for the first bag, 25 bucks more for the second. Those bag fees the airlines are charging you to defray once-high fuel costs have generated a lot of cash. U.S. carriers collected more than $1 billion in bag fees collected last year.

Who led? Well, American Airlines and U.S. Airways collected the most, nearly a billion dollars between them. That's more than double what they made in 2007. Delta, United and Northwest Airlines round out the top five.

She played a detective on TV's "Charlie's Angels," and in real life, actress Farrah Fawcett went after a different type of bad guy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FARRAH FAWCETT, ACTRESS: I said, OK, "You know, and I know. I'm not telling Redmond. I'm not telling Ryan. I'm not telling my father. I'm not telling anyone." So I knew that if it came out, it was coming from UCLA.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Find out who she caught in her private sting operation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, you know her as a TV icon and from that famous swimsuit poster that was at many college dorm rooms in the '70s. Farrah Fawcett's very personal battle with terminal anal cancer has created a very public fight about a celebrity's right to privacy. After her medical records were leaked, Fawcett set a trap.

Our Alina Cho explains.

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra.

For 2 1/2 years we watched her battle cancer. Now Farrah Fawcett is speaking out in a riveting, three-hour conversation with the "Los Angeles Times," an interview that was videotaped, too, Fawcett alleges the hospital where she was often treated for cancer leaked her medical records to the tabloids and was paid for it. Explosive allegations that Fawcett says have taken a big toll on her health.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHO (voice-over): Farrah Fawcett...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you feeling?

CHO: ... under the microscope as she seeks treatment for cancer. Headlines all but announcing her death. Now, Fawcett is speaking out, alleging the hospital where she sought treatment pressured her to donate money and, worse, sold her medical records to "The National Enquirer."

FAWCETT: When my cancer came back, that's when I set it up with the doctor. I said, OK, "You know, and I know. I'm not telling Redmond. I'm not telling Ryan. I'm not telling my father. I'm not telling anyone." So I knew that if it came out, it was coming from UCLA.

CHO: The "Charlie's Angels" star says UCLA Medical Center initially did nothing to stop it. UCLA eventually did investigate and found one of its employees had been looking at patients' records, but the hospital would not reveal the name to Fawcett's lawyers.

FAWCETT: She said, "We have a responsibility to protect our employees."

And I said, "More than your patients?"

CHO: The interview with the "Los Angeles Times" was recorded last August but held until now, timed to the release of her new documentary. In the interview, Fawcett says cancer becomes your life. It's all consuming. And your quality of life is never the same.

She places blame squarely on the tabloids for making public a story she had hoped to keep private.

FAWCETT: It's like buying -- buying stolen goods, you know. You know that you're committing a crime.

CHO: UCLA Medical Center would not comment specifically about the case or whether Fawcett was even a patient, but it did release its policy on privacy, stating in part, "In the wake of past patient privacy violations, the UCLA health system instituted an internal audit and has taken this opportunity to strengthen our internal systems. Our practice is one of zero tolerance."

Yet, the 1970s icon is America's fascination, in sickness and in health.

HARVEY LEVIN, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, TMZ: The beauty of Farrah Fawcett is in such stark contrast to what we're seeing now that I think it's that punctuation that has really riveted people.

CHO: A spokesman for Fawcett's longtime companion, Ryan O'Neal, says the actress remains stable and continues to fight, just as her documentary, her most challenging role, is set to debut.

FAWCETT: I'm holding onto the hope that there is some reason that I got cancer and there is something that may not be very clear to me right now but that I will do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHO (on camera): CNN has reached out to "The National Enquirer." We have not heard back.

But the question remains, why go after the tabloids now? Farrah Fawcett has been in the spotlight for decades. A representative for the actress says her cancer is a line she would not allow to be crossed. He told us, if the "Enquirer" writes that Fawcett has stopped treatment and is dying, she hears from cancer patients who say, "If you're giving up hope, what hope is there for me?" And that, Fawcett's rep says, is the reason she is speaking out -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Alina Cho, thanks so much.

Well, it's a tough question about fame and privacy. Where do you draw the line? I want to hear what you think. Post your comments at my blog at CNN.com/Newsroom or send me a tweet at Twitter.com/kyraCNN. We've already gotten a bunch from a lot of you.

ScooterCatLB (ph) says, "Get right to the point: saying the line should be drawn at the hospital door."

TwiceGirl28 (ph) agrees. Quote, "The law guarantees patient privacy for all, not just the unknown. Her personal life may be tabloid fodder, but her medical records are not."

But TheRightStuff (ph) disagrees. He says, "Celebrities and anyone in the public sector know they are fair game. Once you become a major player, you can't have it both ways."

Still grieving and angry one year after China's killer earthquake. Parents of some of the thousands of students who died speak out to our John Vause. Nothing has been done to investigate what happened.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Well, a big smile from American journalist Roxana Saberi, and one well-deserved after languishing four months in an Iranian prison on charges of spying for the United States. The U.S. called the charges baseless. Saberi spoke to reporters in Tehran for the first time since her release yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROXANA SABERI, FREED AMERICAN JOURNALIST: I'm, of course, really happy to be free and to be with my parents again. And I want to thank all of the people all over the world, which I'm just finding out about, really, who whether they knew me or not, helped me and my family through this period.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Now Saberi was freed after an appeals court reduced her eight-year prison sentence to a two-year suspended sentence. The move appears to have removed a snag in President Obama's effort to restart talks with Iran.

In China, a day of mourning and remembrance. A minute of silence was observed at the exact time that a killer earthquake hit Sichuan Province one year ago today. Nearly 70,000 people were killed, including more than 5,300 students. One year later, and still officials insist there's no evidence to support claims of poor construction. No one has been punished or even held accountable for that collapse of the school. But China's president vows to increase rebuilding and disaster prevention efforts.

Well, numerous parents of children killed in the Sichuan earthquake aren't buying the president's promises. One year later, they're still grieving, angry and convinced that corrupt officials and shoddy construction are the reasons that their children died.

CNN's John Vause reports from the quake zone.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is how officials in China keep reporters away from grieving parents. A police checkpoint outside the village of Wufu where more than 100 children died when their school collapsed.

You can't do interviews here, the policeman tells me, unless you have the right credentials.

So instead, we met Liu Xiaoying in a secret location. She says she's being watched by local officials and can't stay long.

I first met Xiaoying in the days after the quake. Her daughter had died when her primary school collapsed. Every other building in the village was left standing. The passing of a year has not dulled the pain.

When I dug her out of the rubble, I just hoped she would come alive, she says. When I touched her ice cold face the next morning, I knew there was no hope.

But what makes this so much worse is what she calls a government cover-up. The school building was made from substandard material, she says, and officials refuse to listen.

If this was caused by the earthquake, if it really was a natural disaster, we'd let it go. But this wasn't a natural disaster, she says.

In Beichuan, where more than a thousand students died, police are never far away. Zoltan Finn (ph) never found the body of her 18-year- old son. She sells flowers at the site, the only way she could earn a living. They don't allow us to file a lawsuit or stage demonstrations she told me. The government is on the side of the contractors, there's nothing common people can do.

During our interview, a policeman standing off camera warns her to think about what she says and then he leaves.

Chen Nianhuai wants to show me where his son died. This anniversary really hurts. We're full of grief, he says, because the government hasn't given us any answers.

Again, the same policeman, this time with a video camera records our conversations.

(on camera): The government maintains that all of the schools collapsed because of the sheer force of the earthquake, not because of how they were built. They say, so far, there is no evidence of any corruption during the construction process. No evidence these buildings were made from substandard material.

But a year on and so many parents whose children were killed just don't believe it.

(voice-over): In recent days, the rubble at Beichuan has become a shrine. They burn incense and fake money. It's for the dead in the afterlife.

But here and now for parents like Liu Xiaoying there is only anger, grief, and at times guilt. I never really protected her enough, she says. The day of the quake it was like the sky fell down.

John Vause, CNN, Beichuan, China.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And for more on the Chinese earthquake anniversary and how you can help, go to cnn.com/impact.

Brush fires are soaking up more hot spots in eastern Florida and putting people on the move. Let's get the latest now on the fire danger from our meteorologist Chad Myers.

Hey, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Kyra, I don't think this is going to be the last of many forest fires, wildfires to come here in Florida. The deficits. This is how much it has not rained in Florida since January. Eight, seven, six inches of rainfall, from Vero Beach to Melbourne, Daytona. I mean it doesn't matter what city you're in, you just haven't seen rainfall. Temperatures have been in the 90s, upper 90s across parts of the deep south of Florida and the rain showers today are still well, well up to the north there. One shower to the west. That looks like about Fort Walton Beach.

I'm going to take you to some video now. Here's the video. This is what it looks like. How do you think about waking up to that picture. I mean that is just ugly, screaming fires on the horizon. That's worse than red sky in the morning for sure. This is what they were seeing today and yesterday as well.

And then you can almost see these little fireflies coming in. Those fireflies are not really bugs. Those are actually the embers flying off the cells (ph), flying off the storms and then moving away from the firestorm itself into other areas, into other neighborhoods. These people had their hands full yesterday and they're not getting any help today across the eastern sections right now Florida. Northeastern Florida. But I believe there's going to be an awful lot more to worry about here in days to come if we don't get a widespread rain event in Florida. And I don't see that happening.

Back out here to the west. Here's Oklahoma City. Here's Tulsa. Back into Arkansas some thunderstorms. We are watching for some cells to develop across parts of west Texas. That has not happened yet. But at least so far so good on the airports. Look at this, 5,000 planes in the sky right now. Kyra, good news, they're not that big -- 5,289 right now. So people are getting to their locations and their destinations today.

PHILLIPS: That's good news. So did you ever have a paper route?

MYERS: A paper route?

PHILLIPS: Yes.

MYERS: No. Never had a paper route. Jeffrey always had the paper route. He never wouldn't give it up.

PHILLIPS: Who's Jeffrey?

MYERS: He was two doors down from me.

PHILLIPS: That's not what I heard. I actually heard you did have a paper route.

MYERS: No.

PHILLIPS: Yes, I actually found the picture. You actually were on the cover of a magazine.

MYERS: Oh, Paperboy.

PHILLIPS: Well, we found a town with no paperboys or no papergirls.

MYERS: What?

PHILLIPS: Yes. It's unbelievable. There's no way you could make a movie like "Better off Dead" in Junction City, Kansas, now. Remember what happens when you cross the paper posse?

MYERS: No.

PHILLIPS: I'm waiting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: $2.00 $2.00 $2.00

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: There's a John Cusack movie for every occasion, isn't there, Chad Myers?

MYERS: You come up with them. I don't know where you pull them up, but you must have a really good Netflix account somewhere.

PHILLIPS: My entire team, including myself, we are insane. "The Junction City Daily Union," Chad, has laid off more than 30 carriers. Say it isn't so. Now the post office will deliver "The Daily" along with the mail. Can you believe that?

MYERS: You know, I just looked at it online. They have a fantastic online version, too. So, you know, is paper going to be the next thing to go away and you're going to have to get it on the Internet? I don't know. We'll see. It's in the mail? The mail carriers are taking it now, huh.

PHILLIPS: That's right. The head of the paper says that this is an effort to actually improve customer service. I think it's such a bummer. I miss those days.

MYERS: Doesn't seem cheaper.

PHILLIPS: Yes, that's true. Well, it's a sign of the times. Thanks for playing, Chad.

MYERS: All right.

PHILLIPS: Well, imagine stealing about $20,000, 42 cents at a time. Well, a special agent with the postal service says that a now former postal worker has admits stealing stamps and selling them on eBay. He also told them what he did with the money, put it toward his mortgage. He was behind in his payment and he arranged to turn himself in.

Going out for dinner should be a treat, right, not a prelude for a trip to the emergency room. Find out why a not so secret ingredient on the menu could actually kill you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: It's time for another "30-Second Pitch," college edition, and we voted that this one is the best use of the graduation cap to get a job. Get the clock ready and get set to hear from Pradeep Pramanik.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRADEEP K. PRAMANIK, JOB SEEKER: My name is Pradeep K. Pramanik and your job is my creative outlet. My selling points, first, I'm a spacial thinker with synstesia (ph), which means I have a neurological knack to take ideas across disciplines. Second, I have five years of legal research, which means that I know how to encounter completely alien subjects, not with fear, but by taking on a challenge and learning completely everything about it. Third, I know what it is to work for someone else. I used to work with the Atlanta Public House Community teaching kid debate. In sum, I'm basically really driven by ideas to make people desire to make themselves better than what they are.

(END VIDEO CLIP) PHILLIPS: And let's keep it rolling. There it is. Check it out. Best available space to make his pitch. If you have a job for Pradeep, you can e-mail him at pradeeppramanik@gmail.com. His pitch and others will be on our blog at cnn.com/newsroom.

Well, do you think monsters aren't real? We found some people who chase twister beasts every day.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's become bigger, Travis. The tornado's becoming bigger.

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PHILLIPS: Oh, yes. While most folks head for the basement, these people head toward the vortex. We go storm chasing next hour.

Also, running toward danger when the rest of us are running away. Law enforcement officers who protect this country every day. We're paying tribute to their bravery every day this week. It's part of National Police Week. And the White House also is honoring top cops next hour and we'll take you there.

Call them heart attack entrees with a side order of stroke. Restaurant meals so overloaded with salt that eating just one could send you to the ER. The Center for the Science in the Public Interest looked at some of the saltiest meals in America.

Our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has the details.

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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's pretty incredible if you think about how much sodium is in some of the foods that we eat out at restaurants. The answer is far too much. But now there's some studies done trying to figure out exactly how much is it. And they picked on a couple of particular restaurants here. I think they might be emblematic of a lot of restaurants out there.

This is from Red Lobster. It's called the Admiral's Feast. About 7,100 milligrams of sodium in this particular dish, 7 grams of sodium.

If you go ahead and look at, for example, Chili's. Chili's to go. They have these buffalo wing fajitas. Look at those, about 6,400 milligrams, 6.4 grams.

And finally something that a lot of people have talked about, the Tour of Italy, for example, at Olive Garden. Even that is going to be around 6,100 milligrams, 6.1 grams of sodium.

The important thing here is to figure out how much sodium you need on any given day. For most adults it's around 2 grams or 2.3 grams. So just a single meal out to eat one night of the week is more than three times you need for the entire day in terms of sodium content.

Now, what we know about sodium, salt, is that it's linked to all sorts of things, including high blood pressure, including the increased likelihood of heart attacks, including strokes. And you're not just getting it from restaurant food. You think about it overall. You can also get it from other sources of food.

Tomato juice. A can of tomato juice, about 1 gram of sodium. A large hot dog, 600 milligrams. And a medium Frappuccino, 300 milligrams. Again, the salt seems to be just about everywhere.

When you talk about the potential problems here, the salt is metabolized and processed in the kidneys. When you have the kidneys seeing a lot of excess salt in the body, what starts to happen is it releases this hormone that you see there known as renen (ph), and that squeezes down the blood vessels and that causes the hypertension as well. There is a lot of salt in the food that we eat. And if you look at the labels and you start to examine it, you might just be able to start to limit it as well.

Back to you.

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PHILLIPS: Well, in case you're wondering, about 2.3 grams that Sanjay talked about, well, it's just one teaspoon. That's all you need for the entire day. And many of the meals tested in the study actually had three or more teaspoons of salt in them.

Well, you've probably gotten the repeated robo calls telling you that your car's warranty is about to expire. Well, even if you don't own a car, now Uncle Sam wants to pull the plug.

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PHILLIPS: Politicians inflicted tons of those annoying robo calls on us last fall, but they sure don't like getting them themselves. Senator Chuck Schumer is spearheading government action over those car warranty telemarketer. Seems he got one on his cell during a meeting on Capitol Hill and he's far from alone.

This report now from Katie Collett of our Virginia affiliate WABY.

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KATIE COLLETT, WABY REPORTER (voice-over): It's a sound you hear every day. But recently, who or what on the other end of the line has some shouting, do not call.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello. I'm calling about important personal business.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are still eligible to reactivate warranty coverage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the final call before we close the file.

COLLETT: Sound familiar?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Say on an average of one every five to 10 minutes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't like to be annoyed by the phone calls.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They come at least three or four times a week, maybe more.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I get three or four calls a day from them.

COLLETT: Adam Insley (ph) of Williamsburg can't figure out why he's inundated with automated warranty calls on his land line and cell phone.

ADAM INSLEY: I don't have a license. I don't have a car and have never owned a car.

COLLETT: Doesn't own a call, yet the call says his vehicle's warranty is up.

INSLEY: Either way I have to think they're scamming something.

COLLETT: For two years, Adam's received numerous calls from warranty solutions saying...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Press one to speak with a representative now about your vehicle. Press two to be removed from the follow-up list.

COLLETT: He pressed two, only to receive a call moments later. He pressed one and asked the operator to place him on their do not call list. Adam says he's done that five times. So he called Ten on Your Side for help.

INSLEY: And then they call at all hours.

COLLETT: Through our investigation we learned these auto calls are a nationwide issue. The website Telemarketer Road Kill shows hundreds of complaints against Warranty Solutions, the company calling from hundreds of area codes, East Coast to West, making it hard to trace.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please don't make the mistake of driving without a warranty.

COLLETT: One of those calls hit our newsroom. And we asked Adrian, a Warranty Solutions representative, how he got the number.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ma'am, we work with all the major manufacturers. The database is contacting me and letting me know that you have a vehicle from 1995 to 2007.

COLLETT: Sir, what name do you have listed on the contract? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't have any personal information, ma'am, for your private protection.

COLLETT: Where are you based?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, ma'am . . .

COLLETT: And how did you get my cell number?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll put you on the "do not call" list.

COLLETT: Sir, before you hang up, are you there?

Adrian wasn't willing to give his company's information.

TINA HOLT, VIRGINIA OFFICE OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS: This business does not want to give that information, then their practices are questionable.

COLLETT: Speaking with Ten on Your Side over the phone, Tina Holt of the Virginia Office of Consumer Affairs says some of the warranty calls are scams, while others are legit.

HOLT: They are actually marketing companies on behalf of warranty companies calling people to try to get them to purchase a vehicle warranty. And one thing that some marketing companies do, they have just an auto dialer pick numbers at random.

COLLETT: So what can you do to get the calls to stop or at least slow down? Well, Holt says, first, if you haven't already done it, register on the Do Not Call list by calling 1-888-382-1222. If you speak to one of the automated warranty callers, get all of the information you can from them about their company so you can file a complaint with authorities.

Adam has already filed his complaint. Now all he wants is the ringing in his ears to stop.

INSLEY: And, you know, even a brief moment of peace is a brief moment of peace.

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PHILLIPS: Well, no peace for anybody, it seems. Our control room's warranty is about to expire. You've got to love Dennis Bovelo (ph). He always puts a little drama into everything. We're going to explain next hour what the heck happens on a constant basis in our control rooms on our hotlines when it comes to these robo calls. Oh, yes.

Plus, we're going to have a special guest from consumer.com. She's going to tell us what to try to do to help make those calls stop. Dennis will be all over it, I'm sure.

Paradise isn't supposed to end like this. Two healthy young women staying in an island hotel. We're going to tell you what happened to them, coming up.

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PHILLIPS: What started as a trip of a lifetime ended in tragedy and mystery for a young American tourist in Thailand. Since then, the mystery and the tragedy have grown.

CNN's special investigations unit is on the story. Here's our Drew Griffin.

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DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was supposed to be a dream vacation for Jill St. Onge. A three-month journey through Asia, capped by a visit to Thailand's Phi Phi Islands. There was even a marriage proposal from fiance Ryan Kells.

But then something went horribly wrong. Kells says he found St. Onge gravely ill in their room at the Lalena (ph) Guest House. He put her in a shopping cart and searched desperately for help.

RYAN KELLS, JILL ST. ONGE'S FIANCE: She couldn't breathe. She was vomiting. And I tried to run her to a hospital and she ended up passing within maybe 12 hours of the first symptoms of being sick.

GRIFFIN: Her family in California was crushed.

ROBERT ST. ONGE, JILL ST. ONGE'S BROTHER: It's really bad. It's about the worst thing any of us have ever gone through.

GRIFFIN: The Phi Phi Islands are a popular tourist destination off the west coast of Thailand. And up until she died, St. Onge seemed to be having the time of her life. "Food, drink, good books, sun and warm waters. What else do you need," she wrote on her blog. St. Onge was only 27 and described by her friends and family as healthy and vibrant.

BROOKE FRIED, ST. ONGE'S BEST FRIEND: She was just so much a part of our lives. It's impossible to think about what it's going to be like without her.

GRIFFIN: Adding to the mystery, the "Associated Press" reports that within hours of St. Onge becoming ill, another tourist also was sickened and died. She, too, had been staying at the Lalena Guest House, a budget hotel where rooms go for as little as $17 a night. That woman was Julie Michelle Bergime (ph), a 22-year-old from Norway. A Norwegian newspaper, citing a local police chief, reported traces of cyanide had been found in her stomach. Autopsy reports for the two women have yet to be released, but authorities are looking at the possibility that Bergime and St. Onge may have died from food poisoning.

That is cold comfort for St. Onge's friends, who have erected a memorial at the bar where she worked. WHITNEY FILSINGER, BARTENDER: It's a little hard to be here. We can feel her here and we miss her. And the hardest part, I think, is that we just don't really know what happened to her.

GRIFFIN: The owner of the guest house in Thailand where both women were staying says the resort had nothing to do with their deaths. He thinks they died from drinking too much. Until the mystery is solved, a cloud of uncertainty could cast a shadow over this tropical paradise.

Drew Griffin, CNN, New York.

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