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GM, Chrysler Dealers Closing; Obama Announces Changes to GITMO Trials; Regional Airline Pilots Paid Poorly; Electric Car, Scooter, Offer Gas Solutions; Obama Says He Objected to Conduct, Not Principle, of Military Commissions; New York Poised to OK Same-Sex Marriage; Recent College Grads Should Verify End of Parents' Insurance Coverage; Tarantino, Pitt, Ledger Draw Attention at Cannes; Car Dealership Closures Have Dramatic Local Effects

Aired May 15, 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 in the CNN NEWSROOM. Straight down a dark road. The auto industry is careening down it, and the casualties are mounting. Car dealers rapidly dying off one after another after another.

Flying high on low pay. The dirty little secret is out, and you need to hear it. Pilots holding your life in their hands while they hold down a janitor's salary.

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

Chrysler dealers have had their D-Day. Now it's General Motors' turn. Eleven hundred dealers have gotten the dreaded news from the mother ship in Michigan. Their relationship with GM will end late next year. Many of them probably won't make it through this year. And this is just the first step.

The company plans to whittle its retail network down from about 6,000 to 3,600 by next year as it tries to steer clear of bankruptcy. The deadline for a restructuring plan: just over two weeks away.

Just imagine getting that "Dear John" letter and knowing that your livelihood and your life are going to change. Waiting for that letter, even more agonizing. Michael Rosenfield from our Detroit affiliate, WXYZ, with us now from a Pontiac dealer in Rochester Hills, where they're actually waiting to hear if they are on the list.

What can you tell us?

MICHAEL ROSENFIELD, WXYZ REPORTER: Yes, Kyra.

Certainly, a very difficult day for so many GM dealerships across metro Detroit, the home of General Motors and across the country as GM begins the very difficult process of alerting about 1,100 of its dealerships. GM is severing ties by October of 2010.

With me right now is Russ Shelton, the owner of Shelton Pontiac- Buick-GMC here in Rochester Hills, Michigan. And Russ, have you gotten any news yet today?

RUSS SHELTON, CAR DEALER: The only news I got, of course, was on the press conference earlier, talking about how the letters are going to roll out and what the letters say, and that basically, the dealers that are going to be affected by this letter, and what they have an opportunity to do between now and 2010.

ROSENFIELD: So you haven't gotten any letter from any UPS or FedEx today so far?

SHELTON: No, I've been watching the trucks. And nobody -- nobody has stopped here to deliver anything for me. That's for sure.

ROSENFIELD: And that's probably good news, because most of these letters would have arrived by now.

SHELTON: That's the way I understand it. Yes, it is good news.

ROSENFIELD: What makes a dealership like this a strong one and likely part of GM's future down the road?

SHELTON: Well, No. 1, we're channeled properly. We have a Buick-Pontiac-GMC franchise, which I was able to put together a couple of years ago. We're in a great location in a great area of Rochester Hills, Michigan. We have a great employee base. We have a great customer base. We just have everything kind of going in the right direction here.

ROSENFIELD: You've been around a long time. You've got a lot of friends in the business. What have you heard today, and how difficult is this for all of your fellow owners?

SHELTON: Well, I really haven't heard from any other GM dealers as far as getting a letter. And I frankly don't think they're going to call me and say, "Gee, guess what I got" kind of thing. But based on my other friends, which are the Chrysler-Dodge dealers from yesterday, this is a far different story that you're talking about today.

ROSENFIELD: And probably employees, as General Motors struggles here, how difficult is it for all of you guys on a day-to-day basis?

SHELTON: Things are pretty positive. We had an all-employee meeting here Tuesday and tried to put it all out there, answering questions that came up. And they were pretty much attuned to what was going on. I mean, they watched the news and pretty much have an idea how this is all going to play out. And this news today, I think, would just probably really put them at peace.

ROSENFIELD: In general, how are sales these days, given the credit market and the future of Pontiac -- Pontiac coming to a close?

SHELTON: It's been pretty good. We had a great day on Monday. We had a lot of floor traffic, a lot of people out looking. And I mean, the weather was one of the reasons. But just people, I think, have realized, they're still going to buy a car. There's a lot of pent-up demand out there. And I know GM is going to be around, even if it's in a little different form. And I'm going to be around. And it's just -- it's really helped us in car sales.

ROSENFIELD: All right, Russ. Russ Shelton. Thanks so much for your time today. And good luck.

Kyra, again, a very difficult day for so many dealerships, GM dealerships in metro Detroit and across the country, as they get some very tough news.

We're live in Rochester Hills, Michigan. I'm Mike Rosenfield. Back to you.

PHILLIPS: Michael, thanks so much.

And it looks like an order that James Bond gets from M. Top secret: for your eyes only. Inside the folder, bad news. Almost 800 Chrysler dealers got one yesterday, including the oldest Chrysler dealer in the company's home state of Michigan. Its 95-year run over. What now for workers there? We'll have their story later this hour.

He once called it sloppy. Now he wants to clean it up. President Obama plans to restart the military commission system for trying terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay. And administration sources say that he's adding expanded rights for those defended.

The president suspended the controversial Bush-era trials on his third day in office, but he also pledged to review the whole process before making a firm decision. Now it looks like the decision has been made.

Here's what Mr. Obama said back in January.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The message that we are sending around the world is that the United States intends to prosecute the ongoing struggle against violence and terrorism. And we are going to do so vigilantly. We are going to do so effectively, and we are going to do so in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Administration sources say that the president's plans to limit hearsay evidence and ban any evidence that's gotten through cruel or inhumane tactics. Also, detainees would have more of an opportunity to pick their military lawyers, and they would be protected from punishment for refusing to testify.

OK, I know what you're thinking. The dreaded "F" word. By that I mean flip-flop. That it is -- this really is a presidential flip- flop, or is it just a consistent course of action?

Let's bring in our senior political correspondent, Candy Crowley. Candy, what do you think? Is it a flip-flop?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Listen, if you go back, as they did, and look at the things that President Obama and candidate Obama said about these military commissions, you could come away with the conclusion that he didn't like them, and he didn't.

You could come away from what you just played thinking, "OK, they are not going to use military commissions. Perhaps they'll use a court martial, or perhaps they'll try them in federal court."

So I think there was -- certainly was the expectation, particularly by those left of center in his party, that he would not use them anymore. The ACLU, for instance, thinks that there's no way you can make these courts fair, that they are set up to convict prisoners without any particular rights and certainly not the rights that you give -- you get in U.S. civil or criminal courts.

But -- but it gave the impression that he never said that. And this looks like a compromise. This looks like, in some ways, like what we have begun to see as classic President Obama, and that is, he took 120 days. His people looked at it. They said, "Listen. I think this is a bad way to go. That's a bad way to go."

So we came out, essentially, with what President Bush was doing but with some key changes so that there are those greater rights for prisoners. And they will move forward.

And I think that what's going to be interesting is you've got about 240 prisoners still in the Guantanamo Bay facility, and he wants to shut it down by January. So that seems to be a rather speedy process. So we'll have to watch that.

But I don't -- I wouldn't say flip-flop. I'd say he massaged what he wanted to do.

PHILLIPS: Massaged, massaged. OK. Massage, methodical, OK, let me try and think about these words. Will this give fuel to the critics who say, if he has to act quickly and decisively, he might be too methodical or by even massaging this, as you say, moving forward to act?

CROWLEY: I think -- I think it says a couple of things. I think first of all it says that the campaign trail is a lot easier than the Oval Office. I think, in particular, when presidents get to be privy to all of the ins and outs, particularly when it comes to national security, defending the nation, the U.S. military, that they begin to rely more and more on the advice from their military and the advice from their Justice Department that they might not have been privy to when they were campaigning. So I think that's what it says about President Obama at this point, that it's just much more difficult to do what sounded easy on the campaign trail.

As far as can he make a split-second decision, what if something immediately required his attention, I don't think we know that at this point. He hasn't been challenged with that sort of thing. I think the closest we get to it was the pirate situation, and that went on for several days. And he basically signed orders that said do what you have to do to get that captain out of the situation.

So I think, obviously, that the American people look at him and think deliberate is good. But we don't know. Like, OK, got to make a decision right now. I would suggest to you that probably President Obama will follow form and will consult with people, maybe not as many people if there's some sort of emergency, and then he'll make that decision.

PHILLIPS: Candy, thanks.

CROWLEY: He's for abortion rights and embryonic stem-cell research, and that's sparking anti-President Obama protests on and off the Notre Dame campus now. The Catholic bishop of nearby South Bend, Indiana, is boycotting the president's commencement address this weekend. He says it's not right to give an honorary degree to the president.

Some students are also skipping out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMILY TOATES, VICE PRESIDENT, NOTRE DAME RIGHT TO LIFE: I feel that if he was invited in another context, we would not have this problem. If he was invited to a town-hall meeting, a panel discussion, something where we were actually discussing these issues and positively engaging, then I wouldn't have a problem with it. I would go, and I'd want to hear what he has to say and dialogue with him.

The problem is that a commencement isn't the context for a dialogue. He's going to be standing up on the stage, speaking to us in our seats. There isn't that opportunity for dialogue. And as we hand in that honorary degree, it -- it becomes an endorsement for him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: But guess what? Not all Catholics feel that way. So we're pushing forward, crossing the Catholic divide on President Obama, abortion and beyond. It's a CNN NEWSROOM special Saturday 4 p.m. Eastern.

And you can see President Obama's commencement speech at Notre Dame, live right here on CNN, 2 p.m. Eastern this Sunday.

He runs one of the nation's biggest public health agency. Now he's moving up. President Obama has named this man, Dr. Thomas Frieden, to head the Centers for Disease Control. Frieden is currently New York health commissioner. He was all over the news when a cluster of swine flu cases was discovered among high-school students there.

Frieden's been New York's health chief since 2002. He also used to work for the CDC. So would you let a surgeon work on you if you knew he or she was making about 24 grand per year? We're thinking not. After all, they've got your life in their hands. Just like some airline pilots do, pilots who make about 24 grand per year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: A sign of our respect and remembrance, the American flag flies at half-staff at the nation's capitol and across the nation for peace offers -- Peace Officers Memorial Day. It was established during the Kennedy administration. May 15th always falls during National Police Week.

Exactly six weeks ago tomorrow the city of Pittsburgh was stunned by the deaths of three police officers killed on a domestic dispute call. Officer Eric Kelly was headed home after his overnight shift when he detoured to the scene for backup. He had 14 years on the force.

Officers Paul Sciullo and Stephen Mayhle were newer, two years each, but no less devoted to the job. Their supervisor remembers both were always early, ready, and there to start their shift and just loved being cops.

More of our team's special coverage of National Police Week on our blog: CNN.com/newsroom.

Well, he wanted to reenlist after 9/11. His wife said no. When she died of cancer in 2006, Steven Hutchinson was devastated and driven. The Vietnam vet returned to active duty at the age of 59. He did a tour of Afghanistan and then shipped out to Iraq.

Major Steven Hutchinson was killed by a roadside bomb Sunday, age 60, the oldest U.S. troop to be lost in Iraq.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Talk about an eye-opener. We can't stop talking about how little money regional airline pilots are making. It's one of the most shocking details to come out of the investigation into the commuter plane crash near Buffalo. It's not shocking to people inside the industry.

CNN's Jason Carroll reports and tells us what it might take to bring up the pay to meet the stakes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The investigation into the crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 revealed something many outside the aviation industry may not have known.

PETER GOELZ, FORMER NTSB INVESTIGATOR: The dirty little secret: that we're not paying these folks enough to fly safely.

CARROLL: Twenty-three thousand, nine hundred dollars. That's how much First Officer Rebecca made a year working for Colgan Air, an amount that raised concerns with NTSB investigators and came as a shock to her mother.

LYN MORRIS, REBECCA SHAW'S MOTHER: She told me what she was making, and I was -- I was amazed. I -- I thought she would be making a lot more.

CARROLL: Shaw had a second job at a coffee shop when first hired, and she lived with her parents in Seattle. Investigators question if that salary prevented Shaw from living closer to her job in Newark, New Jersey. She took two flights cross country overnight before the doomed flight. Did that, investigators ask, prevent her from getting needed rest?

MORRIS: I don't think she came to work tired. I think she came to work ready to do her job and do it to the very best of her ability.

CARROLL: Pilot Ken Berman says the airlines have been cutting back for years. Berman is with a major carrier and just took a 25- percent pay cut. Still, it's better, he says, than the days of flying a regional jet.

BEN BERMAN, COMMERCIAL PILOT: I suffered as a regional pilot for years. And I started out at $11,284. Very, very difficult to live life.

CARROLL: Some aviation experts say, while pilots are doing their best, low pay could lead to complications in the cockpit.

CAPT. PAUL RICE, AIRLINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION: Flying is an exacting business. And as such, you have to have all your capacities available to you.

CARROLL: The president of the Regional Airline Association takes offense to suggestions lack of pay equals lack of performance.

ROGER COHEN, PRESIDENT, REGIONAL AIRLINE ASSOCIATION: This kind of linkage just doesn't make any sense to any average layman out there, that someone would do less of a job to protect his or her own life, let alone their responsibility to the passengers, simply because they weren't paid as much.

CARROLL: The average annual starting pay for a regional pilot: about $18,000. Compared to a janitor, 21,000 or a New York City cab driver with just a few years' experience, 22,000. Some passengers say it is time to pay pilots more.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am putting my life in their hands. And so I do think that they need to up that. Whatever it takes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything about the airlines makes me nervous, yes.

CARROLL (on camera): Aviation experts that we spoke to say in order to pilot compensation to change, first, there has to be a strong recommendation from the National Transportation Safety Board. And they say the public has to get involved, as well, and insist that pilots be paid more.

Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, if you want to get an idea about how much a regional pilot or a major carrier pilot is making, here's a Web site for you. It's called AirlinePilotCentral.com. Two pilots actually founded this as a resource for their cockpit comrades. And we found the homepage and this is what we decided to do. We clicked onto -- you can see over here on the right side. You can go to airline profiles: Legacy, Canadian, major national, cargo regional, charter, international, et cetera.

We went ahead and clicked on "regional," and we clicked on "Colgan Air." All of this information about Colgan Air, a quick take, has all the latest facts. It was purchased by Pinnacle Holdings back in 2007. All of this various information about the pilots, the fleet, the union.

Then you can come all the way down here, and you see the pay scale. So from 15-year experience all of the way down to one-year experience. There you go. For first officer, $21,000 is the starting salary.

Then what we decided to do was click onto the legacy aircraft just to compare, give you an idea. Delta, bigger carrier. Right? Same type of information on this site.

Scroll down to the compensation of pilots. We decided to pick the smaller DC-9, right? That's a smaller aircraft. Look at that. One year, first officer, $52,000. More than double the pay of a commuter aircraft. Interesting information.

You can logon to that Web site and find out whatever you want about all of the airlines. Pretty much -- as a matter of fact, I believe every single airline is listed on this Web site. Once again, AirlinePilotCentral.com.

Well, changing minds in New York state. A lesbian couple helped convince their assemblywoman to support same-sex marriage. How did it happen? We're going to talk to all three of them, live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, happening right now 350 miles above, astronauts undertaking the second of five scheduled space walks to repair the Hubble telescope.

Check out this live picture coming to us from NASA right. And Reynolds -- I can actually see it better now. There is -- there we go. There he is. You can kind of see him lying on his back there. You see the other astronaut right down here.

And just exactly what they're doing, the tasks that -- that are involved in this, they're actually reinstalling the rate sensors and replenishing batteries. OK. So I said, please, give me a little more information on what exactly that means. Well, the rate sensors help point the telescope to a specific target. And Reynolds is -- how do I erase that, Reynolds? Right here?

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's a little eraser button.

PHILLIPS: Thank you. Just learning how to use the big board. Thank you so much. Don't move, because I might still need you.

Now, the batteries, of course, are a power source, but big ones. Each three-battery module weighs about 460 pounds. That's quite a sight. But not as spectacular as the picture that NASA actually captured today.

Check out this cool picture. Aw, we cued the music. Thank you so much. This is the space shuttle. Look at that. Whoops. There we go.

WOLF: There you go.

PHILLIPS: Now I'm OK. Now I can hit the little pen?

WOLF: Yes, go ahead.

PHILLIPS: Look at -- why isn't it doing it?

WOLF: You've got to go this way, then this way.

PHILLIPS: There we go.

WOLF: Another thing that makes you just want to...

PHILLIPS: Smile.

WOLF: Yes, exactly.

PHILLIPS: You are my sunshine. But look at this. Isn't that cool? They caught this. This is actually -- I got it. It's the Space Shuttle Atlantis. It was caught, actually, in the silhouette against the sun. And it was released by NASA after it was making its -- its way, obviously, to work on the mission.

They used a telescope with a solar filter. Is that cool?

WOLF: It's amazing.

PHILLIPS: I never had a telescope like that. Come here and help me out.

WOLF: I know. It's an incredible thing to see.

You know a thing that also is amazing?

PHILLIPS: Yes.

WOLF: Those space suits they use are about $10 million each. It's an amazing thing. And many of the parts they have inside the Hubble are razor sharp. So they have to be so careful...

PHILLIPS: There it is right there.

WOLF: ... dealing with these sharp objects. I mean, they compromise their suits in any way, it's going to be bad news for these guys. Just amazing thing to see them work so hard.

That's what's happening high above. Let me show you...

PHILLIPS: Let me see your board now, pal.

WOLF: Sure thing. Why don't we show you folks what's happening on earth in terms of weather.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: All right. Thank you, Reynolds.

WOLF: You bet.

PHILLIPS: Thanks for the little map instruction there. I'm going get that board down. I'll be just like you and John King.

WOLF: Good deal.

PHILLIPS: All right. A lot of people charge their cell phones overnight. Your car may be next. Melissa Long has the story now in this week's "Solutions."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA LONG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A sports car and a scooter. An unlikely pair, but they have something in common.

STEVEN SHAPIRO, VECTRIX OWNER: You just plug it in to a regular socket and charge it.

LONG: Neither use gas. Steve Shapiro bought this highway- friendly Vectrix maxi-scooter last year when gas prices were high.

SHAPIRO: It takes two hours to charge, and then you have about 50 to 60 miles of driving.

Underneath the seat and in this back storage compartment I can get the equivalent of three bags of groceries. So that works for my family of four.

LONG (on camera): We know the trunk can hold a couple of bags, but let me see if I could actually pack my work bag and ride to work. I get made fun of because my bag is so big. Well, it's a tight squeeze, but it does actually fit.

(voice-over) For those willing to give up gas but not the trunk space, the Tesla Roadster might be a better fit.

JEREMY SNYDER, TESLA MOTORS: Ninety-five percent of America drives less than 100 miles a day. There Roadster has a range of 244 miles. So for daily driving purposes, this suits 95 percent of Americans.

LONG: For about $100,000, it goes from zero to 60 in under four seconds, a bit faster than the Vectrix.

(on camera) This vehicle has a lot of pickup. It can go from 0 to 60 in 6.8 seconds. Done it (ph).

(voice-over) To date, Vectrix have sold about 1,500 scooters. Four hundred Tesla Roadsters have been purchased; 1,200 are on order; and there's a waiting list for the not-yet-released cheaper sedan model. This may change the quintessential road trip. No more gas stations.

SHAPIRO: When you're riding this, you do keep an eye out. There are a lot of outside outlets, and I have plugged in.

LONG: Melissa Long, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Apparently, President Obama just made a statement on military commissions with regard to GITMO. Jill Dougherty live at the White House now with more. What did he say, Jill?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra. Well, you know, we were expecting some type of statement. Here it is. It's a print statement. And I'll try to go through it quickly. Essentially, what the president is saying is, he did not object to the idea or the principle of military commissions. But what he did object to was the Bush administration version of those military commissions.

He says he objected to them strongly, drafted by the Bush administration, because it failed to establish a legitimate legal framework and, he argues, undermined the U.S. capability to ensure swift and certain justice against those detainees being held at the time.

So, what is he going to change? Essentially, there are five things they point out. The first one, as we've been reporting, statements that have been obtained by -- from those detainees using cruel, inhuman and degrading interrogation methods will no longer be admitted as evidence at trial.

Number two, the use of hearsay will be limited. Three, the accused will have greater latitude in choosing their own lawyers. And fourth, basic protections will be provided for those who refuse to testify. And then the fifth has to do with the jurisdiction of those courts.

So, it is as we have been reporting, Kyra, that there will be these increased protections and rights for the people, the detainees and defendants at Guantanamo. It's not getting rid of the system entirely, as some of the president's supporters, especially on the left, have been urging and demanding.

PHILLIPS: Jill Dougherty from the White House. We'll continue to follow it. Thanks so much.

New York State is halfway to approving same-sex marriage after the assembly passed a bill this week. It will have a tougher time in the state Senate now, but minds are being changed, including one Republican assemblywoman convinced by her constituents.

Well, Theresa Page and Judy Bechard were a big part of that. That couple join us now live via broadband from Plattsburgh, New York. We also have state Assemblywoman Janet Duprey on the phone with us. Theresa and Judy, let's start with you. Theresa, how would an actual marriage vow right there where you're living change your lifestyle?

THERESA PAGE, NEW YORK SAME-SEX MARRIAGE SUPPORTER: It's, Kyra, it's more about equality with having a marriage. To put it straight, Judy and I are actually legally married in Massachusetts, and what we actually are given is health -- being able to be on Judy's insurance saves us quite a bit of money per month. And we also own several homes together, so if anything were to happen to either one of us, that would protect it.

PHILLIPS: So, aside from a financial advantage, Judy, would it change your love, your commitment, your connection to each other in any way to say, hey, we are legally married here in New York?

JUDY BECHARD, NEW YORK SAME-SEX MARRIAGE SUPPORTER: Well, it wouldn't -- I don't really need a piece of paper to show my love. But the paper stands for more than that. It gives us, as Theresa said, our legal rights that we would not be given and is also recognized through cultures, countries and religions and we're a civil union, where any other name would not be recognized. Everyone recognizes a marriage.

PHILLIPS: Now, there were a number of Assembly members that we tried to get in contact that are against this. We made three calls to three different members of the Assembly. Nobody wanted to go on camera.

However, you two have an interesting twist. You actually built up a type of relationship with a Assemblywoman Janet Duprey, somebody who was against this, but you changed her mind. Theresa, what did you tell her? How did you reach out to her?

PAGE: Well, she actually reached out to us. I had received a phone call from her office asking if we would meet with her to discuss how we felt about guy marriages, and why was it important for us. And we had several people -- I think there was 12 of us that met with her and basically shared some of the hurdles that we go over every day to try to be with our partner and to get the rights that we want. And she actually listened. And I don't think we changed her mind. I think we allowed her to see something different.

PHILLIPS: Interesting. So, Judy, did you two receive any other phone calls from any other members of the Assembly seeking these types of questions?

BECHARD: No. Janet Duprey was the only one that sought information. She really wanted to be educated, and I'm hoping that, you know, apparently, we helped her along that way.

PHILLIPS: Perfect segueway to Assemblywoman Janet Duprey on the phone with us as well. Assemblywoman Duprey, why did you reach out to them? And do you know if any other of the members of the Assembly reached out to gay couples?

ASSEMBLYWOMAN JANET DUPREY (R), NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY: I don't know of any others, and I have certainly encouraged many of my colleagues to do the same thing I did. It really was a very simple couple of phone calls I made, and, you know, when the bill was presented in 2007, I voted against it because I was an advocate for civil unions. And I listened to the testimony of many of my colleagues at that time. And I was moved by those in support of it, but I -- although I was -- I was un -- well, I don't want to say I was undecided because I truly felt that civil unions was the way to go instead of marriage.

PHILLIPS: Well, you were against this as you point out at the beginning. What was it that Theresa and Judy said where you thought, OK, I get it, I am changing my mind?

DUPREY: Well, it was certainly meeting with, as they said, about a dozen of them at one time. We met for a couple of hours. But in addition, I received many phone calls and letters and e-mails, and I met with several other people. In all, I met with dozens of constituents, and quite frankly, with some who were for and against same-sex marriage, including some religious leaders who were opposed.

And I also read books that I was able to get and position papers that -- and the position papers were the ones that I read that really made the sense to me are the ones that show over 1,300 rights that are denied through civil unions that are provided through marriage. And, you know, as I met with the homosexual couples and individuals, their love came out clearly for each other, their commitment. Some have children. And they're wanting to provide the best possible life they can for each other and their children.

And all they're asking for, to a person, to every single person, is equal protection under the law. Not trying to interfere with anybody else's lives. You know, my husband and I have been married for almost 42 years. Giving Theresa and Judy and anyone else a right to marry is not going to affect the way we live. And I think it was, I mean, that's just a basic human compassion and human rights way of looking at what I guess can be a contentious issue.

But, you know, once I put it in that category in my mind, my decision was very easy. And I'm very committed to it, and I was very proud to be able to cast my vote in the affirmative for civil rights, equal rights for all people, including those of the same sexual orientation.

PHILLIPS: Well, I can see the next conversation. Theresa and Judy, you should talk with Janet Duprey about how she made it 42 years. She could write a book. Janet Duprey, assemblywoman, Theresa and Judy, thank you so much. Appreciate it. We will follow up on what happens there with regard to the state Senate.

Well, as college grads gain their degrees, many lose their health insurance. What to do when mom and dad's plan won't cover you anymore. Elizabeth Cohen's here with the answers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: College graduation time. And besides looking for jobs, many new grads are trying to find and figure out how to afford health insurance. Here to help, senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen with this week's "Empower Me" segment. We're going to dive right into it. Karen from Wyoming wrote into you and said, "My daughter's graduating from college in May, and so far has had no luck in her job search. what recommendations do you have for students who are graduating and can't find jobs?"

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: All right. Well, Karen's a little bit out of luck here, and her daughter. And the reason for that is that in Wyoming insurance companies are allowed to kick children off of their parents' health insurance plans at age 19. Since she's graduating from college, I assume she is older than 19. So, they can just tell her to get lost, and it's perfectly legal.

So, let's take a look at how much it would cost Karen's daughter to buy a health insurance policy on her own. This is a problem facing many, many college grads. In Cheyenne, it would cost $92 a month to get -- that's the lowest price for a health insurance policy with a $1,000 deductible.

And just to give you some comparison, Chicago would be $136 a month. In Miami, $218 a month. So, just to give you some idea if you're young and healthy, you can actually get affordable insurance. Now, if you're young and not so healthy and have a pre-existing condition, you need to go to CNN.com/empoweredpatient, where we have a whole story there on what to do when you have a pre-existing condition.

PHILLIPS: So, it varies state by state, the age limit to when you get bumped.

COHEN: That's right. That's right. States are under -- states make different rules about what insurance companies can do. So, let's take a look for example. These states on this map, they tell insurance companies, at 19 you can kick them off. You can kick them off. So, you see right there in those states, it's 19.

And then there are other states where they say to insurance companies, hey, you have to keep kids on their parents' insurance until they're 26, even when they're not a student. You've got to keep them on until 26. All the other states fall in between, somewhere between 19 and 26.

Now, I'm sure you're wondering, well, what about in my state? What's the rule there? So, if you go to CNN.com/newsroom, you will see a blog that my colleague Sabriya Rice wrote, and it has a link to all of the information for every state. CNN.com/newsroom, and click on Kyra's name because, well, it's your show.

PHILLIPS: OK. Thanks to Sabriya. She's a hard worker.

COHEN: She is.

PHILLIPS: All right, thanks, Elizabeth.

COHEN: Thanks.

PHILLIPS: Bollinger's is more than just an auto dealer. It's a part of history. How many dealers in place today have pictures like this? A rich past, yes. A future? Unfortunately, no.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Director Quentin Tarantino and actor Brad Pitt, two big names go together at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Tarantino's new movie, "Inglourious Basterds," which stars Pitt, is just one of the films making a buzz in the French Riviera.

CNN's Natasha Curry is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NATASHA CURRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Of all of the films here at the Cannes Film Festival, two seem to be getting the most attention. And of all the stars, one name is on everyone's lips.

(voice-over): He towers over Cannes, from the front of the Carlton Hotel to the pages of the newspapers. And everyone, it seems, can't wait to see him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very excited to see Brad Pitt.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Brad Pitt.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Brad Pitt. I mean, he's a great star.

CURRY: For the third year in a row, Brad Pitt will be stepping out on the red carpet at the Cannes film festival.

(VIDEO CLIP, "INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS")

CURRY: This time, it's to unveil the new movie from Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds." Tarantino's trying to earn the second Palme d'Or of his career. Back in 1994, he snared the festival's top prize for "Pulp Fiction."

KENNETH TURAN, FILM CRITIC, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": Quentin Tarantino had a big success here with "Pulp Fiction." His career really started when "Pulp Fiction" won the Palme d'Or.

CURRY (on camera): When it comes to buzz at Cannes, no film is more highly anticipated than "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus." That Terry Gilliam film features the final performance of the late Heath Ledger.

(voice-over): Ledger died in the middle of filming the movie. Three stars stepped in to take over his role, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law. The Cannes audience is about to see the results.

TURAN: Heath Ledger's last film, I think there's a lot of interest. That's why people come here, because interesting films are here. So, people show up to see them.

Natasha Curry, Cannes, France.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: The Colgan Air crash and investigation raising so many concerns for everyone that flies. Patrick Smith writes a column called "Ask the Pilot," and I've got all kinds of questions for him next hour.

Also ahead, a teenager's pain, her embarrassment printed in black and white for all to see. A traumatic end to the school year. A teacher now on leave. We'll have that story and your tweets.

Two seasonal employees at Yellowstone National Park fired for fouling Old Faithful. These two geniuses decided to pee into the geyser but forgot about the 24-hour live webcam. Wouldn't you know, someone was watching, called their boss and they were busted. They're lucky they weren't burned, too. Hey, guys, "when nature calls" is just an expression.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Today's like Black Friday for more than 1,000 GM dealers. They find out if their days are numbered. The bad news already is sinking in for almost 800 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep dealers, including Bollinger's in Lakeview, Michigan. It's been around since 1914. The town not just losing a business, it's losing part of itself. Rachel Ruiz from CNN affiliate WOOD reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RACHEL RUIZ, WOOD-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For 95 years, Bollinger's occupied a good part of this block. In fact, very few people can even remember life in Lakeview without it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They've been here since I've been here, and they was here before that.

RUIZ: And the Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep dealership so proud of that long affiliation.

ANNOUNCER: Bollinger's has been proudly serving mid-Michigan since 1914.

RUIZ: The owners, as you can imagine, feeling quite the blow when they got this confidential letter, saying that decades-long marriage could soon be over. A "Dear John" letter of sorts, saying Chrysler would not be willing to buy back the new cars that sit in this showroom, or any car parts.

BILL BESEMER, CO-OWNER, BOLLINGER'S: They just said you're done, and you just do what you can do and wish for the best, I guess.

RUIZ: Their dealership the cornerstone of the Lakeview downtown, a village of about 1,300, with American flags on its lamppost streets, the only new car dealership in these parts. The question many are asking now: What's this mean for Lakeview?

JAMES FREED, LAKEVIEW VILLAGE MANAGER: Because they're at the end of town, people drive through town to get to them, and that's a lot of traffic that passes by other businesses.

RUIZ: For Bill and John, two men at retirement age, that "what's this mean" question still hasn't even sunk in.

BESEMER: Well, probably when I get a chance to think about it, it probably will be like a death, yes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Let's go ahead and talk with Bill Besemer now, co- owner of that dealership. He joins us live from Grand Rapids. You know, Bill, you guys survived two world wars, a depression, all kinds of social upheavals. What happened this time around? Why do you have to close?

BESEMER: Just part of the program that with this bankruptcy that Chrysler's going through as part of their requirements.

PHILLIPS: So, did you see it coming? When did it start? Just the signs that you may be in trouble?

BESEMER: Well, we thought we were in trouble. We've been thinking that for some time. However, the media's often suggested that the dispayment or no payment for incentives on the warranty would be our first leading indicator. We have gotten those. They were a little bit late two weeks ago, but they were right on the button yesterday -- or Wednesday. And so we thought, uh-oh, we're over the hill, you know, we're going to be one of the accepted ones. So, it was a drastic shock when I got the letter.

PHILLIPS: So, tell me what that was like. You said it was a drastic shock, so you weren't expecting it. How was it presented to you? Can you remember what it felt like as you started to read it? Kind of take me through that moment, Bill.

BESEMER: OK, as I got the letter. I got it UPS, number one. And it was inside an envelope, which you have to rip open to get to the -- which is also sealed. I opened that, started reading, and they started giving the reasoning for the elimination of the they so-called rejected dealers. And then the second paragraph said, I'm sorry, but you're one of those, the dealership listed above. In the beginning of the letter is one has been selected for rejection, so.

PHILLIPS: So, how did you break the news? Did you -- and what are you going to do? I mean, I know that this has been your life, your livelihood. It's all you know.

BESEMER: It is all I know. I came there right out of college. I've been there 51 years. It's the only business I know. And, yes, it -- and my partner, we're both ready to retire, but we have not due to the economic climate in Michigan.

PHILLIPS: Well, I tell you what, Bill, you have a lot of respect from people within that community. And, you know, we do this segment called a "30-Second Pitch." So, let's get together again. Let's talk about you and your employees and see what we can do to get you involved with finding another line of work, if indeed this looks like truly the end of the road. Does that sound good?

BESEMER: That sounds very good.

PHILLIPS: Bill Besemer, I know this is not easy to do. I sure appreciate your time. We appreciate you.

BESEMER: Thank you very much.