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Bush Military on Mission from God?; Leaders Meet at White House to Discuss Middle East Peace; Middle-School Student Shoots Self in Head; Finding a Good Car Dealer; POW Flag Designer Dies; Retired Astronaut Could Be Next NASA Head; Service Member Motorcycle Crashes High; Latest Flu Death Highlights Need for Precaution; Atlanta City Councilman Sees Possibilities for Twitter in Emergencies; Chicago Faces High Teen Violent Death Rate

Aired May 18, 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: We're pushing forward on the gospel according to Rumsfeld. It's a revelation. The former defense secretary's biblical spin on top-secret briefings for the president. We'll get chapter and verse.

A cry for help in the Internet age. Where do you turn with 911 doesn't answer? If you can tweet, you may be in luck.

You can cheat death on the battlefield and still be a casualty of the superman complex at home. Pushing forward on a way to help troops get a handle on risk.

And we're watching the White House, where the course of Middle East peacemaking depends on a meeting of minds. Not just between enemies. But friends.

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

Up first, though, we've got breaking news from Louisiana. Police say a 15-year-old middle-school student shot himself in the head after shooting at a teacher and missing. It happened in the town of Larose, just southwest of New Orleans. A sheriff's spokeswoman says that the teen is in critical condition. We have no reports of anyone else being hurt at this moment.

We'll bring you more details, pictures and sound as soon as we get them.

Well, were U.S. troops who invaded Iraq, who toppled Saddam Hussein, on a mission from God? Newly-uncovered intelligence briefings indicate that President Bush thought so. Or at least the Pentagon thought the former president would be open to biblical directives.

An expose in "GQ" magazine brings to light a series of so-called worldwide intelligence updates produced for Bush in the early days of the Iraq war. Each has a cover page made up of war photos and a Bible verse, such as this one from April 3, 2003: "Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." "GQ" reports that those memos stirred up controversy inside the Pentagon. But the author insisted that the president and then-defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, liked them.

We want to know what you think. E-mail or tweet us. We'll have a lot more on this story, including your comments and questions, tomorrow.

Now to the White House and competing views of Middle East peace. President Obama, hosting the newly-elected prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, for meetings and a working lunch. One leader supports Palestinian statehood and ended Jewish settlements in the West Bank and no deadlines for diplomacy in the nuclear standoff with Iran. The other doesn't.

We expect to hear shortly from President Obama. And so will you.

So how can Israel deal with its adversaries when it differs with its biggest ally on some fundamental issues? My colleague Jim Clancy joins me now from CNN International. Insights won over many years of reporting there.

Let's start with Iran, nuclear facilities. What do you think, Clancy? U.S. or Israel? Who would strike first?

JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, clearly, Israel would be the one who would want to strike. The United States wants to pursue diplomacy. But remember that the CIA director has personally visited Israel and given them the message: "Don't you dare do this without clearing it with us first."

And most experts look at this, and they say there is no way that Israel is going to do that. Remember, it has to weigh a lot of things here. And one of them is going to be the long-term consequences of doing this. It would not remove their knowledge of nuclear physics. What it would do is drive their program underground. It could no longer be monitored. And it would then pose a greater threat, in the long term, to Israel.

Phillips: So Iran seems to be the prime minister's No. 1 agenda item, even before the Palestinian conflict. What's your take on that?

Clancy: Benjamin Netanyahu -- and I've known him for many, many years. I can remember running into him in 1991 outside the Madrid peace conference, talking to himself, and he told me, he said, "This must be stopped."

And I said, "What do you mean must be stopped?"

He said, "This entire peace process."

He does not want to negotiate peace with the Palestinians. He is putting up, saying Iran has to be solved first. And then, we can go on and talk with the Palestinians. Many say that's putting the cart before the horse. Others look on and they say, doing this is like saying there has to be a cure for AIDS before we negotiate with the Palestinians. One doesn't have much to do with the other. And at the same time, it's just something to stall. For this administration and Israel to stall. They have a lot of hardliners to satisfy.

PHILLIPS: Jim Clancy, we'll be following along with you. Thanks so much.

We want to get back to our breaking-news story now from Louisiana. Police say that a 15-year-old middle school student shot himself in the head after shooting at a teacher and missing. It happened in the town of Larose. That's southwest of New Orleans.

A sheriff's spokeswoman says that the teen is now in critical condition. We have no reports of anyone else being hurt.

Glynn Boyd from WGNO joins us now by phone.

Glynn, you were at the presser. Fill us in.

GLYNN BOYD, WGNO REPORTER (via telephone): Kyra, in fact, first injured about 15 minutes or so ago. And the school apparently still on lockdown right now.

Some parents are being given the runaround right now. Told to pick up the kids at the back of the school, the front of the school. They're at the front of the school right now. I see them dispersing right now. The students aren't with them. So apparently, the parents just feel frustrated and want to get their kids out of school.

Talking to Craig Webre, the sheriff here, he told us that the kind had --he pointed the gun at the teacher but did not fire the gun. Did not fire the gun. Instead, he fired the gun into the ceiling. Once he fired the gun into the ceiling, he walked out of the classroom. While doing so, he asked another student to go -- to come along with him. The student refused. And minutes later, they heard a gunshot. And that was the shot. He shot himself in the head.

And right now, again, as you just said, Kyra, that student is in -- student is in critical but stable condition, according to Lafourche County Sheriff Craig Webre here. No one else was hurt.

As far as a motive, the sheriff and his investigators do not have a motive just yet as to why this student did this. The principal would not say (OFF-MIKE) about this student.

Apparently, this student was not enrolled in this particular class at the time. He had a relative in the class. This wasn't his classroom. He was in this class. And he got up and walked and brandished this gun and fired the gun.

And just, as you can imagine, the whole class was in a frantic mode once that happened.

So that's the situation right here in Lafourche, Larose. We're about 60 miles southwest of New Orleans. Parents still here, on their cell phones, trying to find out, get more information of what's the situation as far as with the children. But the children are safe. Just one person here injured, and that was a self-inflicted gunshot wound -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Glynn Boyd, with WGNO out of New Orleans. Glynn, thanks.

With hundreds of car dealers across the country, about to go out of business, there are certainly deals to be had right now. But do you know how to get them? Personal finance editor Geri Willis, she sure does. She's here to give us some of her tips. Hey, Gerri.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, there, Kyra.

You know, that's right. Let me tell you how the scorecard, not just below sticker or invoice price but the low dealer cost. Unheard of? Well, not anymore. Transaction prices are down. Incentives and cash-back figures are on the rise.

And according to data from a company called TrueCar.com, last year, dealers sold 21 percent of 2009 models for less than what they paid for them. This year, that number is up to 25 percent.

Now, to get the best deals, start with arming yourself with as much information as possible before you head to the car lot. Edmunds.com, can tell you the true value of the car you're interested in. What they call a fair price, based on what other consumers are paying. Plus, vehicle inventory, dealer incentives, sales conditions, even current economic trends.

Check out KellyBlueBook.com, to find out what your current ride is worth. Trade-in values are an important part of the deal. Next, call several dealerships to find out which ones have the make and the model that you want on their lots. Knowing all this, before you go in, puts you in the driver's seat when it comes to negotiation -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, let's talk about negotiating -- negotiating with a sales person. I mean, you know, we know we want to go in there and negotiate. That's how we've always want -- you know, how we've done it in the past. Because you know, they're making a lot of money. But now, we're talking about horrible times where these cars have got to go. And I guess, in some ways, people feel a little guilty about this.

WILLIS: Feel a guilty, but you look at the end of the day, those companies are not going away. They're still going to be in business. You've got to watch out for your family's bottom line.

And when it comes to negotiating price, know the number you're willing to pay before you hit that car lot. Don't go for dealer add- ons like window tinting or chrome-plated wheels. They can be expensive and break your budget. This is critical, too. Walk away if you're not seeing eye-to-eye with the salesman. Finally, when you get that written contract, check all the numbers and make sure they match what you were promised. Ask questions about anything you don't understand -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: We've been getting e-mails, tweets. This one's coming to us from Scott Mayan (ph). Says, "Will people be able to purchase car parts? Or will they stop making the parts?

WILLIS: That's a great question, especially for those Chrysler and GM cars. You know, bottom line here, as I said, the companies are not out of business. The parts makers that supply them are in business and continue in business. They even got money from the federal government. So they're going to continue operating.

They're going to continue servicing these models. There will still be car lots that are open that represent these brands. So, if that's what you're worried about, I wouldn't worry too much.

PHILLIPS: All right, Gerri, thanks.

WILLIS: My pleasure.

PHILLIPS: Well, keep those car questions coming on Twitter, at KyraCNN, or our on blog, CNN.com/newsroom. I'm going to be talking with Peter Valdes-Dapena, from CNNMoney.com, next hour.

One moment, he was focused on his students. Now, his family is focusing on his funeral. An assistant principal, a victim in the swine flu outbreak.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: It was a simple design, sketched in pencil, that touched the hearts of millions of people. A silhouette of a gaunt man, a strand of barbed wire and a watchtower in the background with the words "POW-MIA, You Are Not Forgotten." Newt Heisley his black- and-white flag in 1971. It quickly became a symbol of the nation's heartache for those missing in action in the Vietnam War.

Well, in 1998, Congress mandated the flag be displayed at all federal buildings and military posts on federal holidays.

In an interview, Heisley explained why the flag was so important to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWT HEISLEY, DESIGNED POW-MIA FLAG: Well, I often thought if I ever was shot down, I certainly didn't want to be taken prisoner and forgotten.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Heisley was a veteran of World War II, flying cargo planes in the Pacific. He never got a dime for his flag design, because it wasn't copyrighted. He son says that that never mattered, because his dad believed the flag belonged to the public.

Newt Heisley died Thursday, after years of failing health, at his home in Colorado Springs. He was 88 years old.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, brooms and shovels doing extra duty in Los Angeles today, after a serious jolt from an earthquake. It's been followed by at least 10 aftershocks today. Windows were shattered last night.

Goods and services -- goods and other items, rather, fell off the store shelves. No major injuries are reported in the 4.7-magnitude quake. But one woman was hospitalized with minor injuries.

The quake was centered about ten miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles, but it was felt up to 100 miles away.

Well, the mercury is rising on one coast and seriously dropping on the other. What's up with all the changes in the weather? Why don't we talk to Jacqui Jeras about that -- Jacqui?

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: All right. Thanks, Jacqui.

Well, it started as a church's simple offering in tough times. Now, it's a help for many people in need. Earlier this year, with offerings down as a result of a bad economy, a Texas pastor told his congregation to take money from the collection plate, if they needed it.

Well, to his surprise, the Cross Timbers Community Church took in more money this Sunday than ever before. Now, the church has been able to go beyond its members to help others in its community.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. TOBY SLOUGH, CROSS TIMBERS CHURCH: We've given single moms and widows $100 gifts. We've taken $200,000 and spread it out to organizations. Four local, two missions that are feeding and clothing hungry people. We paid utility bills for members of our church that are unemployed or underemployed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, the pastor says that his favorite giveaway came three weeks ago. The church gave 1,400 families $50 each and told them to give it to somebody else who needed it.

He's a veteran shuttle pilot and a retired Marine Corps general. Now Charlie Bolden may be on the verge of his most important flight as NASA's next administrator.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: Well, a dangerous mission in more ways than one. The Shuttle Atlantis astronauts on their fifth spacewalk, finish up repairs on the Hubble telescope. It's the last-ever mission to Hubble. NASA says the more than $200 million in repairs should enable Hubble to peer into deep pace -- or deep space, rather, for another five to ten years.

Astronauts are expected to set Hubble free tomorrow. But their return home could be a little dicey. NASA says that Atlantis could get hit by the space junk in Hubble's 350-mile-high orbit. In an unprecedented step, Shuttle Endeavour is on the launch pad, just in case a rescue mission is necessary.

Despite the successful repair work on Hubble, NASA has been encountering some bumpy rides here on Earth. One reason: There's no one at the top of the space agency. Retired shuttle commander and Marine Corps General Charlie Bolden is expected to meet with the president today. And it's believed he'll be tapped for the job.

Here's CNN's John Zarrella.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIG. GEN. CHARLES BOLDEN (RET.), U.S. MARINE CORPS, FORMER SHUTTLE COMMANDER: Hi, I'm Charles Bolden.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Charlie Bolden, former astronaut, retired Marine Corps General is the right man at the right time, says U.S. Senator Bill Nelson.

SEN. BILL NELSON (D), FLORIDA: Everybody in NASA would say that's right if Charlie is selected.

ZARRELLA: Bolden is viewed as a no-nonsense leader who puts a high priority on people. As NASA administrator, he would be coming to a space agency at a crossroads where people are a major concern.

Within the next year and a half, the shuttle program will end. Thousands of space workers are likely to lose their jobs. The next generation vehicle won't be ready to fly humans for at least five years. President Obama has already ordered a review of that program to make sure NASA is going in the right direction and money is tight.

HOMER HICKLUM, FORMER NASA SCIENTIST: NASA is a can-do agency. You've got to give it a job to do and also the tools to do it, which means money. They need the money.

ZARRELLA: Bolden believes deeply that NASA must inspire young people toward careers in the sciences. Bolden took time to chat with kids when he helped launched a new shuttle exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought it was cool when the doors on top of the space shuttle opened up.

BOLDEN: The payload bay doors. ZARRELLA: To Bolden, even this exhibit needed to be inspirational.

BOLDEN: And if we don't have a handful of kids every week that change their mind and start raising their hands when somebody says how many of you want to be astronauts, then we have failed miserably.

ZARRELLA: Bolden piloted two shuttles and commanded two others. As an observer, Senator Nelson, then a congressman, flew with Bolden on Columbia in 1996. Bolden also piloted the mission that deployed the Hubble Space Telescope. When NASA developed a new launch pad escape system for astronauts, Bolden tested it. He's the only astronaut who ever took the ride, a ride likely a lot easier than the one he would face at NASA.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: John Zarrella is joining us now live from Miami. Well, it seems pretty obvious Bolden has a deep passion for education, John.

ZARRELLA: Yes, you know, he really does, Kyra. And every time that I have spoken with him, his biggest concern, his greatest concern, has been that there is a lack of inspiration from the space program, in getting young people to proceed in the math and sciences. He has said constantly, we have got to get more young people, through the space program, interested again, in the math and the sciences. And I think that's one of the things that, if he is tapped to be the administrator, he will absolutely do.

And it's hard to believe he can't get people inspired. If you take a look at the live pictures coming down from the two spacewalking astronauts right now. That's John Grunsfeld through his helmet camera with a piece of hardened aluminum insulation that they are putting onto the space telescope right now. Just again, some spectacular pictures.

They've had a few issues out there with the stuff that they've pulled off, which was like tinfoil, aluminum foil, flaking and flying off into space. They couldn't get it all into their space trash bags.

But now, they are moving on. There's three of these blankets they had to replace with hardened blankets. Two more to go here. Here you can see, that's a hardened shell that they are putting on right now.

This is the last space walk. This is the last item on the list that they had to accomplish. And they should be wrapping up here now, Kyra, in less than an hour in what everybody at NASA is viewing as one heck of a successful mission -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. John Zarrella. Keep us updated on Bolden, would you?

ZARRELLA: Will do.

PHILLIPS: OK. Thanks.

They survived combat, only to die once they returned home. We're going to tell you about what's happening to some troops who take the roads on motorcycles.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Just getting a video in from one of our affiliates out of New Orleans now, WGNO. These are the students leaving their middle school, or evacuating their middle school after a 15-year-old opened fire in a classroom. Pointed the handgun at a teacher. Didn't shoot that teacher. And then, shot himself. He is in critical but stable condition, we are told right now.

Police still don't have a motive. It happened at Larose-Cut Off Middle School. There are about 500 students in that school, grades six through eight. This is as the police were, one by one, getting the students to file out of that class to do a count, as that shooting went down.

We're still working details. We'll bring you more as we get it.

Well, which is safer for troops? A war zone or coming home? Well, for U.S. Marines, home may be a bit more dangerous. These numbers were an eye-opener for us. Last year, 25 Marines were killed on motorcycles, a higher death toll than in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan. What a wake-up call.

And the Navy's numbers? Well, in 2008, there were 33 motorcycle deaths. That's double the combat deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan.

And for the Army, its numbers doubled in four years: 51 soldiers died on motorcycle last year alone.

Why is this happening? Well, some psychiatrists say it's the Superman complex. So the military says it's time to take off the cape. Navy second -- Petty Officer Aaron Richards and Navy psychiatrist Lou Bishop know exactly what I'm talking about. We're going to dig a little deeper today.

Aaron, you know, let me start with you. You came back from Iraq and bought a motorcycle, right?

PETTY OFFICER AARON RICHARDS, U.S. NAVY: Yes, ma'am.

PHILLIPS: So did you buy it truly for transport? Or was it the thrill of the ride?

RICHARDS: For both.

PHILLIPS: So a little bit of both?

RICHARDS: Yes, ma'am.

PHILLIPS: So, when you heard about these numbers, first of all, were you surprised that so many guys were dying on these bikes when they got back, and even more than the combat deaths?

RICHARDS: Yes, ma'am.

PHILLIPS: So what was your reaction? You heard about the numbers. You bought the bike. Did you get concerned at all?

RICHARDS: It was a little shocking.

PHILLIPS: Go ahead. Tell me.

RICHARDS: You have to just take the proper steps to ride safely.

PHILLIPS: So explain to me the Superman complex. Did you sort of feel that, when you were overseas in Iraq? That "Hey, I survived bombs, explosions. A motorcycle's not going to kill me"?

RICHARDS: Yes, ma'am.

PHILLIPS: Are a lot of the guys like that?

RICHARDS: A majority are.

PHILLIPS: Really? Explain that to me. I mean, is there -- is there just not a fear of death? Put me in the mindset when you're over there.

RICHARDS: When you go to war and you escape. Or you come back home. And you feel like, "Well, if I made it through war, then getting on a motorcycle isn't going to take my life."

PHILLIPS: Now, have you ever crashed on your bike?

RICHARDS: No, ma'am.

PHILLIPS: Have your buddies?

RICHARDS: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Tell me what you know. What happened?

RICHARDS: I've seen a lot of road rash scars from people that have dropped their motorcycles on the road and different things like that.

PHILLIPS: Now, you were asked to take this training when you got back. Were you given any type of lectures or shown any pictures? Or how did it really hit you that, oh, my gosh, I seriously could kill myself on this bike if I'm not careful.

RICHARDS: I mean, the first portion of the class is classroom taught, and they show you pictures of motorcycle accidents of what happens. And, of course, watching the news, you see motorcycle accidents on the news and stuff.

PHILLIPS: Commander Bishop, were you surprised to hear how high these numbers were? LT. CMDR. LEIGH BISHOP, U.S. NAVY PSYCHIATRIST: Somewhat surprised, but not greatly surprised. Psychiatrists and mental health providers certainly are aware of some of the emotions and mental attitudes in our returning service members that can lead to seeking thrilling or exciting behaviors that may be risky.

PHILLIPS: So, when the guys come to you and they say, look, I love it. It goes fast. It gives me that adrenaline rush, how do you deal with that? I mean, how do you explore other ways to kind of fulfill that excitement factor?

BISHOP: Well, I first of all talk with them about the particular activity or sport that they're choosing to get that excitement from. And I explore with them whether they have taken any kind of training, any safety education courses to reduce the risk associated with that activity.

I also talked with them about the consequences of possibly having an accident, the effects of which sometimes they haven't really thought a great deal about. Effects that may go beyond just their own physical injury, but affects on family members, as well.

PHILLIPS: So, tell me about this training. We're looking at the video right now. What do the guys learn?

BISHOP: Well, they learn, first of all, about how to deal with the handling characteristics of the motorcycles that they're riding. One of the things that we know is that 88 percent of the accidents that have happened have happened on sports bikes, which handle differently than cruisers.

So, training them to use these bikes appropriately is a very important part of it. Also, training them in being aware of their own mental states and attitudes, teaching them not to drive when they're under stress or tired or have been drinking. All that's very important, as well.

PHILLIPS: Final thought, Aaron, when you get on the bike, what goes through your head since you've had the training, and you've watched your buddies die and just even this conversation, what's going through your mind when you get on that bike?

RICHARDS: Be as safe as possible.

PHILLIPS: There you go, and I understand the training is saving lives. Aaron Richards, Lieutenant Commander Leigh Bishop, appreciate your time, guys.

RICHARDS: Thank you.

BISHOP: Thanks, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, a well-liked and devoted New York educator the latest face of the deadly impact of the swine flu.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: Candles and flowers adorn a makeshift memorial for an assistant school principal in New York today. Matthew (sic) Wiener is the sixth person in the U.S. to die from complications of the swine flu and the first in New York. New York's outgoing health commissioner, who has been picked to run the CDC, says now is not the time to drop your guard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN, NEW YORK CITY HEALTH COMMISSIONER: There is no doubt that we will continue to see cases in schools, cases in different facilities, cases at Rikers Island and elsewhere. And unfortunately, we may well see additional cases of people with severe illness. It would be surprising if we didn't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: This has all been happening as the World Health Organization meets in Geneva to talk about the H1N1 virus. Our senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, here to tell us about what she knows about this latest case.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, it's a very sad case. This man got very sick very quickly. We're told that Mr. Wiener, that he got sick last week and then in just the course of a week, he went from being not all that sick -- his family wasn't that worried about him. Then they had to call 911 because began hallucinating and was incoherent.

Now, we're told by New York City officials that he had some underlying conditions. They did not get more specific than that. But if indeed he did have these underlying conditions, that would be sort of par for the course in what we're seeing from people who are dying of this H1N1 virus.

For, example, the deaths -- there have been three deaths in Texas thus far. There's been a death in Washington State. There's been a death in Arizona. All of those people had some kind of underlying condition. What happens is that when you have lung disease or diabetes, your immune system can't handle flu the way a healthy person can.

COLLINS: So, is it typical of the flu to get that sick that quickly?

COHEN: You know what, sometimes it is typical of the flu to get that sick that quickly. I was just talking to a flu expert a little while ago, and he said if someone has an underlying condition, they can get that sick that quickly.

But it's important to note that the vast majority of people who've gotten swine flu in the United States have had a very mild disease. Most of them have not even ended up at the hospital. Some of them haven't even gone to the doctor. So, you're seeing very different reactions from this one virus. PHILLIPS: And swine flu, we were leading the news with it every single day, and then it sort of died, you know, kind of went off the radar. Now, it's back on again.

COHEN: Yes, it's interesting sort of how that happens. And I think that's worth talking about, because that has been the case. Swine flu may have gotten off of a lot of a people's radar. But it has continued to grow and grow and grow.

And I think sometimes people forget that. And so, you have to continue to be vigilant. You have to continue to keep washing your hands. You have to continue to sort of be on the lookout. If someone seems sick and -- or has a -- you know, is coughing a lot or whatever, that may not be the time to greet them with a hug and a kiss. It's important to still be vigilant even though we're not talking about it quite as much.

PHILLIPS: All right, Elizabeth Cohen, thanks.

COHEN: Thanks.

PHILLIPS: Well, help for chemotherapy patients having a hard time keeping food down. A study by the University of Rochester Medical Center shows that as little as a quarter of one teaspoon of ginger eases nausea symptoms. About 70 percent of chemo patients experience some kind of nausea. Researchers say that taking ginger may reduce stomach queasiness by 40 percent on the first day of that treatment alone.

When he couldn't get through to 911, an Atlanta lawmaker sends a tweet for help. He's going to join us live to talk about the emergency, the response and Twitter's potential.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, the famous, often flamboyant, Cannes film festival is under way in France. CNN's Natasha Curry is there with a look at one Oscar-winning director's new film, as well as a few others that may or may not tweak your interest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NATASHA CURRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When you think of Cannes, you might think of late-night parties, high art and high-profile filmmakers. Well, speaking of high art and high profile, guess who's in town right now? Oscar-winning director Ang Lee.

Lee, of course, won Oscars for "Brokeback Mountain" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

(voice-over): Now he's here with his latest film, "Taking Woodstock," which is competing for the big Palme d'Or, the Golden Palm. And I sat down with him to chat. And the veteran director tells me that the competition and all the attention has him pretty nervous.

ANG LEE, DIRECTOR: I'm a little shy. It's a comedy, and it's warm. You know, it's competition.

CURRY: "Taking Woodstock" is a comedy, kind of a departure for Lee. The movie stars Liev Schreiber and Emile Hirsch and Imelda Staunton, and also acting newcomer, comedian Demetri Martin.

(on camera): Lee also told me when "Taking Woodstock" premiered here at Cannes this past week, it got a very warm reception, which he really appreciated.

Now, that's the high art side of Cannes. But there's a whole different side that most people didn't even know about before. So, we grabbed a camera, and we ran inside to what's being called the Cannes film market to see some other movies.

"'Comatose,' it comes to you when you sleep." It comes to you. What is it? I'm scared.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a ghost that comes to you.

CURRY: Is it scary?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not scary, but very scary.

CURRY: Do I smell a rip-off here?

"Ong Bak 2." I missed "Ong Bak 1." What about you?

"Mega Shark versus Giant Octopus." Who wins? Hey, but it stars Deborah Gibson.

So, you must tell me about the title -- "Reptilicant," (ph) am I saying it right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are saying it right. It's part reptile and part replicant, so together we get reptilicant.

CURRY: It's really like a whole different world in here. I'm still wondering, though, this is bugging me, who wins? Megashark or giant octopus?

"Megashark versus Giant Octopus" comes out in the U.S. May 26th, but only on DVD. But I am so renting this.

Ang Lee's film, on the other hand, probably I would almost bet here, OK, for sure, will be coming out in theaters.

Natasha Curry, Cannes, France.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: If 36 kids died of food poisoning or bike accidents in a single city in a single year, the headlines would be huge. But 36 kids have been killed on the streets of Chicago, mostly by other kids. And we'll meet one kid who is doing something about it in a real war that you never know when you have to drop everything and fight. And you never know when a photographer will put your picture on front pages everywhere. Pushing forward on the soldier and the boxers, next hour.

Hard to believe that your kid could buy hard liquor on the playground. But that's what's happened at an elementary school in New Mexico. Eight sixth-graders have been suspended for selling mini bottles of alcohol to classmates. The school says it may have been going on for a week before they found out. Now, the sheriff's department is investigating possible charges.

You mention life-saving technology, and Twitter's probably not the first thing that comes to mind. But it could be the site -- well, could the site be a tool in emergencies now? An Atlanta city councilman is wondering that himself. Check it out. He and some Good Samaritans dialed 911 to help a woman in distress and get put on hold.

So, what did Councilman Kwanza Hall do? Well, he sent a tweet for help. And what do you know, an ambulance rolled up.

So, here you are, driving home. You see this woman lying on the street corner. What did you do?

KWANZA HALL, ATLANTA CITY COUNCILMAN: Well, I immediately asked the people standing by what was going on. And they said, well, we've tried to call 911. We think she's unconscious. She might have had a seizure. Can you do something?

So, I immediately tried to make a call. I called my staff because I could not get into the -- enough cell life to keep that call on if it were 911. My staff started calling 911. I get out of the car. I go and talk to the woman. And she says, we've been trying to call 911. We haven't gotten through.

I get back in the car. My battery's charged. I start sending out tweets and Facebook messages. And the Twitter messages got a lot of retweets really quickly.

PHILLIPS: So, what did everybody tell you when they called 911? Could they not get through? Were they put on hold? Did anybody get a 911 operator and say, OK, no problem, sending an ambulance?

HALL: Well, I did get one on my second call, once my battery was charged up. But the woman said she did not get a response, so I don't know what was happening, if it was just a hold or what. But she couldn't get through.

PHILLIPS: OK, so here's your -- so, you go to a tweet. So, this is the -- how -- tell me how it went down, what you wrote and then how it went back and forth.

HALL: OK. So, the first one was at about 6:48. And it was "Need a paramedic on the corner of John Wesley Dobbs and Jackson Street. Woman on the ground unconscious. Please retweet." So, I'm asking everyone to forward this on to everyone in the network, hoping reporters such as yourself, EMS, anybody who's responsible would get the word out and try to get someone to the corner.

If I were lying on the ground, I would want that to happen. Then I send another one saying, "Battery low -- need a paramedic on the corner of John Wesley Dobbs, please retweet." And I think on the end I put a hash tag saying Atlanta, hash tag ATL and also hash tag Georgia, so people would know it's local to Atlanta and Georgia if they're searching on Atlanta. And usually people are every day. And they could get it to Grady EMS.

In less than 11 minutes, the Grady EMS arrived. Now, I don't know if it was only because of Twitter, but it definitely helped, or it felt like it helped.

PHILLIPS: So, no one said it was the tweet that got the ambulance there. You still aren't sure yet. Are you going to be able to find out?

HALL: I've reached out to the EMS director and asked him for kind of a report on kind of what really happened behind the scenes. We don't know if it was extra calls to 911, if someone from 911 saw the tweet or if it was just the calls that had gone in already from me and from my staff.

PHILLIPS: All right, so, two very important questions. The woman that had the seizure, do we know if she's OK?

HALL: We're checking now at Grady. I gave her my -- gave the EMS directors my card and said please have her to call me or just give me a notice to let me know how she's doing. I think she's all right, but we haven't heard back yet. I was moving so quickly on Friday, I just kept going. I was so happy that they came. I was just like, right, great.

PHILLIPS: You feel like, OK, I did my thing. I've got to go.

HALL: Yes, she's up and she's moving and she's talking. So, it felt good.

PHILLIPS: All right, the next thing you have to do, what are you going to do about these 911 operators? We can't be calling here in Atlanta and get put on hold and not be able to get through. So, Councilman, what are you going to do?

HALL: Well, I think we've started the conversation about next generation 911. And if governments could figure out how to embrace this, it would be wonderful for not only Atlanta but really around the country. I'm willing to help out. I've already started an @911 Atlanta and @911 HEL, and I'm willing to give it to our EMS director if he wants to use it.

I think it's a great start, at least to do broadcasts on the front end. And then on the back end, we figure out a system for pulling in that valuable information when people are trying to make updates. A lot of those people I never call. So, I wouldn't expect to receive a phone call from most of these folks, but a tweet can happen almost at any time of day or night. All right, we're going to have to like fold it into our tweet system as well. Great job, Kwanza. Thanks so much. Good to see you.

HALL: Thank you. Thank you, Kyra. My pleasure.

PHILLIPS: OK, well, talk about a big get. Michelle Obama headlining a college commencement. So, just what does it take to land the first lady? You're going to love this story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, this is the deadliest school year ever for students in Chicago -- 36 students killed. And we're committed to tracking the deaths and the impact. Our Abbie Boudreau of CNN's special investigations unit joins me live. Of course, it's something you've been on for a while. We kind of followed up and wanted to stay on top of this story as well, just to try and figure out what's going on.

ABBIE BOUDREAU, CNN INVESTIGATIVE UNIT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, it was really important for us to understand how all of this violence is affecting families in Chicago. So, we gave a video camera to a mom and her 10-year-old son for a couple of weeks. And we asked them to be open and honest and to show us just how difficult life is after losing a young family member to gunfire.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAM (ph) BOSLEY, VICTIM'S MOTHER: OK. Tell me your name.

TRAVON (ph) BOSLEY, VICTIM'S BROTHER: My name is Travon (ph) Bosley.

P. BOSLEY: And how old are you?

T. BOSLEY: I'm 10 years old.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): Travon (ph) Bosley sits in front of a video camera. His mom asks him questions about his older brother, who was killed.

P. BOSLEY: So, you had fun with your brother?

T. BOSLEY: Yes.

P. BOSLEY: Do you miss him?

T. BOSLEY: Yes.

P. BOSLEY: OK. So, the day when all this took place, you was there, right? You went to the hospital?

T. BOSLEY: Can you pause it?

P. BOSLEY: No, let's talk. You went to the hospital. Come on, Trav. It's hard. It's too hard? T. BOSLEY: Yes.

P. BOSLEY: OK. OK. OK.

BOUDREAU: A few minutes later, Travon (ph) sits back on the couch in front of the camera.

P. BOSLEY: It's hard to talk about him because everything has changed, right?

T. BOSLEY: Yes.

P. BOSLEY: OK. So, you don't have that same happiness in your house anymore?

T. BOSLEY: No.

P. BOSLEY: No more music?

BOUDREAU: School children throughout Chicago are scared. In the last school year, 36 students attending Chicago public schools have been killed. Thirty-six, compared with 26 the previous year. The crimes happen off school property. Most are shootings.

BOUDREAU (on camera): How is this happening now? What is going on?

DIANE LATIKER, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST: Because no unity. Because we are not unified.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Exactly. That's the word. That's the word.

LATIKER: Because our young people are not unified because we are not. We are their leaders. We're their parents. We're their community.

BOUDREAU: So who's failing the children?

LATIKER: I think we all are.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We all are.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is wrong with us? Wake up.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): A memorial was held on Chicago's South Side.

LATIKER: I'm wondering why we are not out in the street crying and screaming and beside ourselves.

BOUDREAU: Each brick you see represents a child who was killed in the city.

This is Pam (ph) Bosley, the voice you heard behind the camera, asking her young son about losing his 18-year-old brother, Terrell. This is his brick.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to have a moment of silence.

BOUDREAU: Chicago Mayor Richard Daley was at the memorial. We asked him about the rise in student deaths.

BOUDREAU (on camera): I'm wondering want you want the country to know right now about what's happening in Chicago. Tell us beyond what's happening -- for the people here in Chicago, they know what's going on. What about the people in the rest of the country?

MAYOR RICHARD M. DALEY, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Well, not in Chicago. You go to every community. You go to a large city or a small city. It's all over America. It's not unique to one community or one city.

You're killing another generation. That's all they're doing.

BOUDREAU: But there's a lot more students here being killed in the Chicago public school district.

DALEY: Because they follow them. They identify them. In other cities, they're dropouts. They don't call them students anymore. You dropped out of school at 15. You're gone at 14.

We count them as even students, even though they drop out. We count them as even students. Even though they drop out, we count them as students. The rest of America doesn't count them. You're a dropout forever.

We don't think they're dropouts. They're students. They're 13 years old or 14 or 15 or 16 or 17, or even 19 or 20. And that's what you see. People forget them. They're called the dropout society.

BOUDREAU: So, the problem isn't worse here than in other places?

DALEY: It's all over. Same thing.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): But a Chicago public school district spokesperson told us none of the 36 victims were dropouts, though 15- year-old Alex Arellano, who was recently killed after being beaten, burned and shot in the head, was forced to leave school. His mourning family says Alex left because he was threatened by gang members.

And when you compare student homicides in other major cities this school year, Chicago does stand out. In Los Angeles, a bigger city known for gang activity, 23 students were killed. In Atlanta, there were four. In Philadelphia, there were also four killed. Compared with Chicago's 36 student victims.

Most of the homicides happen on the city's South Side. And if we zoom down to this neighborhood, street level, and inside this house, there a 10-year-old boy dreams of making a difference.

T. BOSLEY: We have to choose (ph) unity over division. And sending a powerful message that change is coming to America. I am the first black president of the United States. I did -- I had to learn that speech because I want to be president, just like Barack Obama.

BOUDREAU: For two weeks...

P. BOSLEY: This is the football field where Terrell used to play.

BOUDREAU: ... we gave the Bosley family a camera...

P. BOSLEY: I have not been here since my son was murdered.

BOUDREAU: ... and asked them to record video diaries.

T. BOSLEY: I would give up any one of the game systems I have, anything just to get him back.

P. BOSLEY: I'm here at a cemetery visiting my baby. This is crazy. This is not the type of life that no mother should ever have to go through.

I tried to leave on my own. Even though I raised in the church, I tried -- the first year I tried to commit suicide. I couldn't take the pain. And I tried, but I thank God that he did not allow me to go out like that because my other two boys are already suffering.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Chicago is the deadliest place in the country for school-age kids. It's the third-biggest city in the America but leads the nation in murders of children and teens. The number since the start of this school year is 36. We're going to keep that number in the forefront as our coverage continues. That's more than one dead student per week. And if that's news to you, if the nation isn't taking note and action, well, many in Chicago say that's a crime in itself.