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Mission From God?; Hearing on Abusive Restraints in Schools; Cleaner & Greener Cars

Aired May 19, 2009 - 14:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: "This should never happen again," a grieving foster mother's words hitting home at a House hearing on the use of seclusion and restraint in schools, practices commonly used on the most vulnerable of students, those with special needs. School administrators, experts and, yes, moms describe what really goes on behind some classroom doors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONI PRICE, FOSTER SON RESTRAINED, KILLED: Cedric struggled as he was being held in a chair, so the teacher put him face down and sat on him. He struggled and said repeatedly, "I can't breathe."

ANN GAYDOS, DAUGHTER RESTRAINED, INJURED: Within a week, she came home bruised and told me, "Mommy, my teacher hurt me and I couldn't breathe." Concerned, my husband went in to speak to the teacher who said she restrained Paige (ph) for refusing to stop wiggling a loose tooth when in time-out. She claimed she could not have caused the bruise.

We were shocked that we had not known of this use of force and that such force could be used for something so trivial. Paige (ph) was also restrained for refusing to complete work. In June, my husband ran into a former aide from Paige's (ph) classroom who warned us that the teacher had forced Paige (ph) face down on the floor and sat on her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, the Government Accountability Office prepared a report on restraint practices for today's hearing. It found that young children have been seriously injured, even killed, in this country's public schools. According to the GAO, some special needs teachers are poorly trained and improperly use restraint as a punishment.

More now more from our Special Investigations Unit Correspondent Abbie Boudreau.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARRETT PECK, AUTISTIC CHILD: No, no, no, no.

ABBIE BOUDREAU, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is Garrett Peck. He's one of 6.5 million special needs children in U.S. public schools. He's 8 years old, loves animals and has autism.

Children like Garrett have become the subject of an intense debate over how public schools manage special needs children. House Education Committee Chairman George Miller says tougher laws are needed.

REP. GEORGE MILLER (D-CA), CHAIRMAN, HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: Very often special needs children are subjected to policies of seclusion and policies of restraint that have in fact turned out to be lethal in a number of instances. Children have died at the hands of the people who are supposed to be taking care of them in the public school system.

BOUDREAU: GAO also investigated the misuse of time-out, which is supposed to be used to refocus a child but is often used as a punishment.

G. PECK: Your turn.

BOUDREAU: That would happen to Garrett. According to the Utah Department of Human Services, Garrett's mother picked him up early one day from school, but she didn't see him in class. So she asked the teacher where he was. Garrett was put in this three-sided cubicle in the corner of the room.

BECCA PECK, MOTHER OF CHILD WITH AUTISM: And I just heard Garrett say, I want my mom. And he walked out around that corner, and he was covered in marker on his eyelids, on his hair, face, clothes, legs, arms, everything.

BOUDREAU: A report by Utah's Department of Child and Family Services found that Garrett, who was then just 7 years old, had been in time-out for a minimum of two and a half hours.

B. PECK: What was he thinking? Why is my mom letting this person do this to me? Why am I here? I mean, I -- I mean, I trust no one now. And now I question everybody.

JOSHUA PECK, FATHER OF CHILD WITH AUTISM: Yes. We felt that it was so -- it's so sad. We thought it was a form of torture to him. But he being autistic, he had no way to express it, no way to tell.

BOUDREAU: DFS found the teacher that caused Garrett emotional maltreatment. His school district would not comment because the finding is now been appealed to juvenile court. But the district did confirm the teacher is still working.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Abbie Boudreau now joining us from the newsroom.

Oh my gosh. And the fact that the teacher is still teaching.

BOUDREAU: Yes. Well, that's, of course, what the parents are so angry about. They're saying how could this happen and then she's still in the classroom? You know?

I mean, of course the child couldn't say in that school. I mean, it was too much. He had to move schools.

PHILLIPS: So, two-and-a-half-hour time-out. I mean, that -- the mom talked about how it affected him. I'm sure it affected him. It still does.

BOUDREAU: I mean, it wasn't so much a physical event as it was an emotional trauma for this child, according to the parents. I mean, they say that he was this really happy boy, and the second this happened, days later, all of a sudden he started becoming violent and he wouldn't go to sleep at night. He refused to go school, and they didn't understand what was going on because, remember, he wasn't able to communicate to them. He couldn't go home and say, "Mom and dad, listen to what happened to me at school today."

PHILLIPS: So, what does this report actually say needs to happen now?

BOUDREAU: I think the report really focuses on, you know, how teachers need to be trained better to handle challenging situations in their special needs classrooms. I mean, right now there are no federal laws that say here are the standards, here are the guidelines and laws that you need to follow to know what you can and cannot do in your special needs classroom. And so that's really what this hearing is about, to try to figure out better laws and rules that teachers can follow, and get them better training so they know how to handle these children and how to better discipline.

PHILLIPS: Yes. It's so unfair for the student.

BOUDREAU: Absolutely.

PHILLIPS: On every level.

Abbie, thanks.

BOUDREAU: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: You know, you just heard some of her testimony before Abbie's piece. And I'm talking about Toni Price. She actually helped put a face on the use of abusive restraints in our school. Just like Abbie focused on a student, Toni's foster son Cedric actually died after his teacher forced him down and sat on him.

And Toni, I was watching your testimony today. And really, it just pulled at all of our heartstrings. And I appreciate you so much for leaving that setting, coming and talking to us, because it's an important issue to us and our team, and we want to push forward and talk about what's being done.

But for you personally, tell me about Cedric. He was dealing with an eating disorder; right? And tell me what happened that day at school. PRICE: Well, evidently, she had withheld his food because he wasn't cooperating by sitting in his chair. And she withheld it for quite a period of time, so he began to get angry, and he decided he was going to find something to eat.

And he -- from my understanding, he left out of the room, they got him back into the room. He then stole some candy or something -- that was said -- and they tried to force him into a chair, and they restrained him in the chair. And he was moving in the chair, and that's when she restrained him on the floor.

PHILLIPS: Now, why did she choose to withhold food from him? Why was she seeing that as the proper punishment for what she said was disruptive behavior?

PRICE: I don't know why she chose to withhold food from him, because I had already informed her that food was an issue with Cedric, and even told her some of the techniques that we had tried at our home. Like, if he stole something, he had to pay it back out of his allowance, and there was a consequence, and that way it didn't trigger any behaviors of being deprived from food. Why she withheld food from him for such a long period of time, I have no idea.

PHILLIPS: So, she knew that food was an issue with this child, trying to use it as some type of lesson or punishment.

Why did she feel she had to restrain Cedric? What was he doing that she said she had to basically -- you said she sat on him?

PRICE: Well, she had -- I don't know why she felt she had to restrain him, even when he came back into the room, because doing the restraint, from my understanding is that you don't restrain someone unless they're harming themselves or others are in danger. He wasn't harming himself and no one else was in danger, so why she chose to restrain him is still a question in my mind.

The force that she used to restrain him was such a violent force, of course, because now he's lost his life. Yes, she did sit on him, from my understanding. She had straddled him. And from the autopsy report, it had stated that they hadn't seen anything like this except for in a car crash.

PHILLIPS: Oh God, Toni.

So were there any other students around? Was Cedric saying, "I can't breathe, please get off of me"?

PRICE: There were other students in the room, also with trauma issues. And he was saying, "I can't breathe. I can't breathe." And she said, "If you can talk, you can breathe."

PHILLIPS: And then that was it?

PRICE: And he stopped struggling and he stopped talking.

PHILLIPS: What did the teacher say to you? Did you have a conversation with her?

PRICE: I had no conversation with her after this. Prior to all of this, she did call me on my job and told me that Cedric was not breathing and they had called the ambulance. And I left my job and rushed up to the school.

So prior to that, she tried to call. I wouldn't take her calls. My husband did speak with her and she told him all she was doing was her job.

PHILLIPS: Did she ever apologize?

PRICE: No apology. And even in saying all that she was doing her job, with no sympathy, no remorse, no compassion, "All I'm doing is my job," how can you say that? You have taken a child's life and all you have to say is "All I'm doing is my job"?

PHILLIPS: Is she still teaching?

PRICE: From my understanding, she's teaching in northern Virginia.

PHILLIPS: Did the school board in any way apologize with any action taken against the school board or her?

PRICE: Not to my knowledge.

PHILLIPS: So you didn't -- you chose not to sue?

PRICE: Well, because I'm a foster parent, I could not sue. I asked questions and I looked into it, but because he was not my biological child.

PHILLIPS: So, it sounds like not only did you feel that the teacher failed you, but it sounds like the system failed you. I mean, if you -- if you could have -- I mean, is there anything in this situation that you wished you could have seen happen for the sake of other children, what would it be?

PRICE: It would be that, that teacher was not able to teach any children, and that something needs to be put in place where teachers, if they have a background of any kind of abuse that can be tracked -- no child should have to go through any type of abuse. When these teachers -- and, you know, it makes it bad for good teachers, because you do have good teachers, even in the behavioral department, but it makes it bad for them.

The teachers that abuse their power -- and that's what they do, they abuse their power, and they take things beyond and takes it out of control. And for children to have to be in an environment that already have gone through some abuse and some trauma, to traumatize them even more in this situation is totally unnecessary, and something definitely needs to be done.

And I believe it can be done through some kind of registry with teachers that have been accused of child abuse or have a record of mistreating children, have to be put on a registry. And if you've done it and caused someone to lose their life, you should lose your teaching license.

PHILLIPS: Tell you what, Toni, you're a strong woman. And we appreciate what you did there in the hearings. We appreciate you talking to us.

And I can tell you, we're definitely going to continue to stay on this story and follow through and see what exactly is going to happen. Hopefully some legislative proposals to get some laws in place so teachers are not allowed to push things that far. PRICE: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Toni.

PRICE: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: So, what are the warning signs that this kind of abuse may be happening? Curtis Decker is executive director of the National Disability Rights Network.

What should a parent do first if you get a feeling that something is wrong in your child's classroom?

Also, you heard Toni Price. Why wasn't that...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, as you just heard, we've been covering the story of these special needs students hurt and even killed in our nation's schools. It's incredible what's going on in some of our kids' classrooms, and it's an issue that Curtis Decker has been trying to spotlight for two years. And today's House hearing actually came about because of a report that his group put out in January.

And Curtis, it's amazing how our time together keeps coming back, and it's on stories like this which are incredibly heartbreaking. But I salute you for everything that you're doing to protect kids with special needs.

And I want to ask you, just listening to Toni Price, I never realized that the teacher was never held accountable, that the teacher is still teaching in a school. And that because Cedric was a foster child, you know, that she couldn't take any kind of legal action.

Could you please explain to me why this teacher is still teaching and why no one could be held accountable?

CURTIS DECKER, NATIONAL DISABILITY RIGHTS NETWORK: Well, there seems to be a breakdown between the various entities and agencies that investigate these kinds of abuses. So, even though these teachers may show up on a child abuse registry, there's no cross-referencing to them, to their employers and future employers, as to the fact that they really show up on these lists. And we heard today at the hearing that these teachers even fall off the list. So, then another jurisdiction may not have the information necessary. And it is quite shocking that these teachers can engage in this behavior, and then they surface later in another classroom, in another school district.

PHILLIPS: But this child died in -- she was -- she suffocated this child to death. I just -- I can't understand how anyone could allow her to keep on teaching.

DECKER: Well, we found five in our report issued in January, and the GAO today said there were 20 that they had documented of children that had actually died. Then, of course, there's all those children that were injured, and then the trauma to the child, to the family, and to the other children who are witnessing this kind of behavior in the school day.

I mean, we want people to be realizing that we think kids are safe in school, they're not being hurt, and then these kinds of conditions exist. And both the GAO study and our report showed that this is pervasive, it's in almost all schools around the country, and this is why there needs to be some kind of national standard, national reporting laws, a registry that would follow these folks, notifications to parents that they can be vigilant and intervene when they realize something is going wrong. And we have to provide the training and support for the teachers so that they don't have to resort to these kinds of techniques.

PHILLIPS: All right. Let's move into that in just a second, but one quick question while I have you. The 20 instances of abuse, are you saying -- are there 20 teachers named in this GAO report, actually named and the explanation is in there as to how that child died in their hands?

DECKER: No, I do not believe the teachers are actually named. This is -- Congressman Miller asked the GAO to document this really was a pervasive problem that needed national attention. And there was a follow-up to our report, which also raised serious questions about the prevalence of this technique. So, our reports weren't necessarily going after the individual teaches, but it clearly has emerged there has to be a better system for tracking these people so they don't end up in other teaching jobs.

PHILLIPS: Well, you have just given me an idea of how we're going to push forward and follow up on those teachers that are still teaching in these schools. So, OK. That will be our next interview, Curtis.

Meanwhile, let's get down to what happened today in these hearings. You know, this issue has come up before, so what makes today different from any other time that this has been brought forward to our lawmakers? Is this the -- is something finally going to happen with regard to legislative proposals?

DECKER: Well, I'm very hopeful that today really was a turning point. That hearing was well attended by members of Congress. I think they were shocked. I think they now realize that there has to be a national approach to this problem, we can't just let it happen district by district or state by state.

They did hear from not only parents, but other experts who confirmed that there are other methods through training that would allow teachers to monitor these situations, diffuse them, assist the children, and then protect them from these kinds of injury and death. So...

PHILLIPS: And it's not just special ed teachers, but regular education teachers need to learn warning signs and how to deal with these children, because many times they're mainstreamed, right?

DECKER: Absolutely. We, for 30 years, have been trying to mainstream children with disabilities into the regular classrooms, and this would be a terrible result if the result of the mainstreaming effort, all we've accomplished is putting these children in jeopardy. So it's very critical that these important disability principles are not in any way undermined by poor training and lack of oversight and lack of attention to this issue.

PHILLIPS: Well, we'll definitely not lose track of this issue and stay focused on it with you.

Curtis Decker, really appreciate your time today.

DECKER: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Well, those big gas-guzzlers shoved to the ditch. Clean and green are in under President Obama's new fuel and emission standards. We're going to find out how they'll impact your wallet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: For those of you who are up to your neck in credit card debt, the Senate today passed the Credit Card Bill of Rights that bans arbitrary rate hikes and excessive fees. Among the provisions, a 45-day notice before raising your interest rate; you must be 60 days late on payments before the interest rate on an existing balance can be raised; and your previous lower rate must be restored if you pay the minimum balance on time for six months.

The House has already endorsed a similar measure. Then a final version is expected on the president's desk by the end of the week, and he is expected to sign it.

Now, making American cars more energy efficient, that's been a goal of President Obama's since the campaign trail, and now he is out with a plan.

Mr. Obama's new fuel and emission standards would require passenger cars to get 39 miles per gallon of gas. Light trucks, 30 miles per gallon. And the overall average, 35.5.

Now, unlike now, there would be a single national average for greenhouse gas emissions that would be cut 30 percent. The plan, which would be in place by 2016, has broad support, including approval from automakers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BARACK H. OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now, in the past, an agreement such as this would have been considered impossible. It's no secret that these are folks who have occasionally been at odds for years, even decades. In fact, some of the groups here have been embroiled in lawsuits against one another, so that gives you a sense of how impressive and significant it is that these leaders from across the country are willing to set aside the past for the sake of the future. For what everyone here believes, even as views differ on many important issues, is that the status quo is no longer acceptable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, let's take a closer look at the CAFE standards.

First of all, CAFE stands for Corporate Average Fuel Economy. The current fleet standard for cars is 27.5 miles per gallon. It was set at that level in 1990. The standard was first set in 1978 in response to the oil embargo. It was 18 miles per gallon then. Companies that don't meet the current standards face a fine.

In our "Energy Fix," Poppy Harlow will speak live with EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to hear what she has to say about President Obama's new fuel and emissions plan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Whether you're saving for retirement or your child's education, knowing how to save can add to your bottom line. CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis and her team of experts have some tips from the "The Help Desk."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: We want to give you answers to your financial questions. Let's gets straight to "The Help Desk." Walter Updegrave is a senior editor at "Money" and Doug Grave is a certified financial planner and founder of Flynn Zito Capital Management.

All right, guys, let's get to the hard work here. Tom asks, "I've read that individuals can transfer IRAs to Roth IRAs without any other tax or other consequences. What are the rules for transferring funds from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA without taxes or penalties?"

Walter, good luck with that, right?

WALTER UPDEGRAVE, SENIOR EDITOR, "MONEY" MAGAZINE: I wish there were a way to do this. I would do it. I would be the first one in line to do it, but you can't. What Tom may be thinking of is that if you have money in your IRA after tax contributions you've made, maybe you made nondeductible contributions, those dollars have already been taxed. And when you do a conversion, you pull that money out, that money isn't taxed again. But for most people, they're putting in deductible contributions and they have to pay the tax.

WILLIS: Yes, good try, but you didn't quite make it.

Maureen asks, "We have a student entering college in the fall. Her university is offering an interest free monthly payment plan with a 10 month cycle. There is a70 buck enrollment fee each year and a life insurance plan that covers the balance of that term."

What do you think of this, Doug? This is interesting stuff.

DOUG FLYNN, FOUNDER, FLYNN ZITO CAPITOL MANAGEMENT: I like them a lot, actually. It's a great way to spread out the payment over a 10 month cycle.

And if you do the math on this, if the -- if the bill is $7,000, that's like a 1 percent interest rate to spread that out.

WILLIS: That's great.

FLYNN: And if you have a higher bill, it is less. So we think they're a great way to do it and you could even possibly put it on a credit card, as long as you're going to pay it off every month only to get the points.

WILLIS: On a credit card? Putting your college bill on a credit card?

FLYNN: If you pay it off in full and then maybe get a free ticket once a year for all this trouble and it costs you $70. That's an OK way to do it.

WILLIS: So you're talking about paying it off.

FLYNN: As long as you pay it off in full.

WILLIS: So you never face any interest fees. OK, well that makes sense then. I see that.

All right, guys. College is, of course, a big problem for so many folks out there. There were some gimmes in the stimulus plan. The plan for college students, and increase in Pell grants an increase in the Hope Scholarship tax deduction.

Walter, what's your advice right now for folks looking for folks who are looking for a little help?

UPDEGRAVE: Well, I think you have to see, you know, generally you have to save as much as much as you can, but you want to make sure that you do that in the right way. Put it generally in your name, not the child's name. That can be disadvantageous. And see if these increased loan limits are going to work for you.

FLYNN: And be smart about how you withdraw the money. Withdraw it in the right order. Take it from the right ownership, take it out of the kids' money first. Leave the money in your name last when using the money for college.

WILLIS: Great advice.

"The Help Desk" is all about getting you answers. Send me an e- mail to gerri@cnn.com or log on to CNN.com/helpdesk to see more of our financial solutions.

And "The Help Desk" is everywhere. Make sure to check out the latest issue of "Money" magazine on newsstands now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL STEELE, CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: Too bad the chattering class is inside the Beltway, however, are too busy fretting over phony disputes and intraparty intrigue to notice that a change has indeed come to America. But it's not the one the Obama administration wants aired on the nightly news. Those of you who live outside of Washington know what I'm talking about. Those of you who actually attend Lincoln Day dinners and county party events, those of you who toil in the vineyards (ph), spending time in communities in diners, barbershops and coffee shops where real, everyday, hard working Americans can be found. You know it's real. You can see it and you can feel it. This change, my friends, is being delivered in a tea bag.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: You heard it here live. The embattled head of the GOP insists that the party not only isn't over, it's on its way back.

CNN political editor Mark Preston attended that speech by RNC Chairman Michael Steele last hour in Maryland. He joins us me from National Harbor, Maryland with more on republicanism in the age of Obama.

Before I get to my questions, what was the moment that stood out to you, Mark?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: You know, Kyra, a couple of things.

One is I think it was Michael Steele's finest hour in what has been a very, very bumpy ride since he took over the head of the RNC. Look, he's had a lot of difficulty, he's had a lot of critics. But what we saw today when he gave this speech is that he was able to deliver some red meat issues to the folks in the room and he received sustained applause. Something that we didn't necessarily expect Michael Steele to get, but he did receive that today.

And Kyra, he also said, point blank, republicans will no longer apologize for the mistakes, probably a veiled reference to the Bush era when congressional republicans seemed to run away from the president, certainly last year in the elections. But he said we're no longer going to apologize, we're going to talk about the future.

So he was very well received in the speech, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, and he didn't told back talking about democrats, labeling it the arrogance of power. Let's take a listen to how he put it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEELE: We've seen strategists writing memos and doing briefings, urging the republicans avoid confronting the president, steer clear of any frontal assaults on his administration. They suggest that instead we should go after Nancy Pelosi, who nobody likes, or Harry Reid, who nobody knows, or this Tim Geithner fellow, who nobody believes, or maybe even Barney Frank, who nobody understands.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Is this what's going to keep the party united?

PRESTON: Well, you know, Michael Steele's role, he has a dual role. One is he needs to rebuild the party from a very strategic and tactical standpoint.. He needs to raise money, he needs to try to help out the state parties. But he also has to be the main critic of the Democratic Party. And that's exactly what we heard right there as he was attacking the congressional leadership and one of the leading democrats in Barney Frank as well as President Obama's treasury secretary.

When you throw outlines like this, Kyra, what you're trying to do is you're trying to get republicans to really rally around you and say, you know something, he's absolutely right, we need to get democrats out of power. And that's exactly what we heard today.

PHILLIPS: So, who's the next face of the party? We heard him name names, but we hear about Cheney, Gingrich, Limbaugh, Palin. Who is it?

PRESTON: You know, very good question. And I think that Michael Steele might think that he is the leader of the party at this point, which would be in dispute from some of the folks that you just mentioned.

Look, the Republican Party right now is in a struggle. Should they attach more to the social conservative side where they would talk about abortion and stem cells or do they want to be more of a big tent party, a more centrist party. And that's really where the struggle is where there's going to become a leader. So you have folks like Dick Cheney talk about the Bush years. You have Newt Gingrich talk about his ideals. You have folks such as Sarah Palin who's really a darling of the right, but yet, can she be a really strong contender in 2012?

I think, you know, the short answer or very long answer and I'll try to shorten it up, Kyra, is this, the answer is probably comes from the states. It's going to be from the governors, it's going to come from the Tim Pawlentys of the world, the Mark Sanfords of the world, the Bobby Jindals of the world. These are all governors out in the states, and I think that's probably where you'll see the rebirth of the party.

PHILLIPS: Mark Preston, appreciate your time.

The Obama administration says the fuel economy and emissions rules unveiled today reduce greenhouse gas emissions and cut gas consumption.

Let's talk more about that. Poppy Harlow has our "Energy Fix" from New York.

Hey, Poppy.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra.

I mean, the president from the campaign trail to now, pushing this energy independence agenda, also, reducing green house gas emissions. What happened today, that announcement at the White House was two major steps on both of the fronts.

In terms of fuel economy emissions, they want an average of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016. That's the headline here. Also the president says, listen, this is going to greatly cut our dependence on foreign oil while cleaning up the environment.

This afternoon, just about an hour ago, we spoke with Lisa Jackson, she's the head of the EPA. Of course, she is 100 percent behind this move.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LISA JACKSON, ADMINISTRATOR, EPA: The president called it a historic announcement. I couldn't agree more, but if we focus on the immediate, what we are saying to the American people is that we've forged a blueprint, a way of working together across our differences that's going to last. EPA will work with the Department of Transportation, 10 automakers joined, the UAW, governors, states. It was - it's a historic partnership.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: All right. Kyra, but here's a concern. Here's what I asked her about that. Listen, Isn't this going to put U.S. automakers sort of behind its foreign competitors that are already more fuel efficient, that will have an easier time meeting these standards? And she said, no, because we have until 2012 for these to really kick in. So she says the next three years will be critical. U.S. automakers can catch up. We'll see. That's the hope, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, and of course, what about the cost to consumers?

HARLOW: Yes, it's not going to be cheap. It going to cost people more on the front. Jackson says, listen, you're going to make your money back on gas savings, especially if gas prices go up.

Take a quick listen there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACKSON: This adds another $600 and we don't take that lightly, but what's important to remember is these changes pay for themselves in about three years. And over the life of a car, the average car owner saves about $3,000 because of the fuel that he or she never uses.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: All right. We did the math here, Kyra. If you look at a car that gets 39 miles per gallon, you look at today's gas prices, about $2.31 a gallon, you're going to save about $372 a year. So you're going to make it up in less than four years. That's the hope. If gas prices go up, you'll save even more. The EPA definitely behind this one - Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Poppy, thank.

HARLOW: Sure.

PHILLIPS: If you're buying a new car, what should you know about fuel efficiency? Well, we'll tell you about a government Web site where you can actually find out how to save a lot of money on gas.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, President Obama hopes to have the new fuel and emissions plan fully in place seven years from now. It would raise efficiency and cut greenhouse gas emissions. Right now, the federal government has a Web site that you can actually use to find out a lot more about saving gas and money. It's called fueleconomy.gov. Because we were all wondering, OK, with all these things going into place, what would be the best car to have, the best car to drive? Can I change my car to make it more efficient in anyway? If I wanted to buy a new car, what type of car could I buy?

You know here on the front page, it's got all kinds of questions. You can, "Why's Fuel Economy So Important?" "Gas Mileage Tips," "Driving More Efficiently," "Hybrid Vehicles," "How Hybrids Work?," "Tax Incentives For Hybrids," "Gasoline Prices: Find The Lowest Prices Out There."

All these great things. OK, but we wanted to click on to how to actually find the best car. If I wanted the buy a car right now, you know, you put in how many miles do you drive, OK, annually? The percentage of miles city/highway, how much you pay for gas in your car, and you can actually add all of that up and it will tell you what the best car is for you according to how many miles you drive per day, per year, et cetera. OK?

Then we went to the most and least fuel efficient cars. Another thing that you can click on to on this Web site. Most efficient overall car right now to buy, Toyota Prius, 48 miles per gallon in the city, 45 on the highway. And then it goes into most and least fuel efficient cars by the size and class.

So you can come down here to the mini compact cars, Mini Cooper still your best car. You know, scroll down. Mid-sized cars, down here to mid-sized station wagons, the Kia Rondo, 20 miles per gallon right now. That's your best deal to this point. More fuel efficient.

Then look at this. For all of you Lamborghini drivers, forget about it. The worst possible car you can buy when it comes to gas mileage. Eight miles per gallon. Or you Bentley folks, you are not in good shape, either, nine miles per gallon.

So, anyway, it's a great Web site. Good access to great information. Once again, fueleconomy.gov.

Now if you want good mileage, we're also thinking that America might want to go old school. And we mean really old school. That's right, why don't we go back to the Model T. Henry Ford's model back from 1908, guess what it got? Twenty-five miles per gallon. You got to crank it. You know? Takes a little exercise, but what the hell? Forty-five miles per gallon. That's better than a lot of cars currently on the road right now.

All right, on that note, it's vacation season and you are not the only one hitting the resorts and hotels - possibly in the old Model T - well so are the thieves. We're actually going to have some tips to help you travel safely.

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PHILLIPS: Memorial Day weekend almost here. For millions of Americans, that means one more thing, road trip. AAA says 32 million of us to be specific.

Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. Going to take a little different twist here. Some tips on how you can stay safe while you're away from home.

We were reading a few articles, Susan, you were doing some research, too. We know how to, you know, lock our hotel doors and don't let our guard down, but this is a serious problem right now and that is violence, I guess, in hotels.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Kyra.

I mean, you know, you're talking about saving money at the pump. Now we want to save your vacation. You know, it does happen. You know, people work hard, they go on vacation and sometimes they let their guard down. You know, hotels are very busy Memorial Day weekend. Some of them are like miniature cities, all sorts of people are coming and going. A lot of theft occurs when the room is thought to be unoccupied. So, yes, lock your door, obviously.

Keep the do not disturb sign on the door. You might consider keeping the TV on when you're out or a light on at night. Book a room on the third floor or higher. Put valuables in the hotel safe or better yet, just limit the bling that you do bring.

There's some other things, you know, just so that you can be safe in the premises. Suck it up and pay valet rather than wandering around in a garage or a parking lot. Remember, a lot of times, you know, you're not familiar with these surroundings. You may be off guard, you're having a good time, you're just not familiar.

You can ask hotel personnel to accompany you to the room. And don't get on an elevator if you've got a bad vibe. If somebody's there around you, somebody's on the elevator. If you are on an elevator with somebody that makes you feel uncomfortable, let them get off first, Kyra.

You know, it sounds a little scary but it's just good to know, because people, when they go on vacation, do let their guard down.

PHILLIPS: Sure, we do. And you know, now, it is -- we are seeing a lot of theft increase as well because of the bad economy. When we fly, we are always supposed to know the exit. What do you think? Is that being advised for hotel guests, as well?

LISOVICZ: No question about it, Kyra. The State Department says that not only should you know where the nearest fire exit is, but also, alternative exit.

PHILLIPS: Just real quickly here, President Obama met with former heads of state, secretaries of state and also secretaries of defense.

Let's go ahead and listen in.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hello, everybody.

I just had a wonderful discussion with four of the most preeminent national security thinkers that we have, a bipartisan group of George Shultz, Henry Kissinger, Bill Perry and Sam Nunn, all who've come together and helped inspire policies of this administration in a speech that I gave to Prague which set forward a long-term vision of a world without nuclear weapons.

I don't think anybody would accuse these four gentlemen of being dreamers. They're hard-headed, tough defenders of American interests and American security. But what they have come together to help galvanize is a recognition that we do not want a world of continued nuclear proliferation, and that in order for us to meet the security challenges of the future, America has to take leadership in this area.

This is particularly true at a time when countries like North Korea and Iran are in the process of developing nuclear weapons capacity, at a time when we see a country like Pakistan with a large nuclear arsenal on the other side of a long-running conflict in the subcontinent with India, at a time when terrorist organizations like Al Qaida are trying to seek fissile material.

It is absolutely imperative that America takes leadership working with not just our Russian counterparts, but countries all around the world to reduce and ultimately eliminate the dangers that are posed by nuclear weapons.

We can take some very specific steps in order to do this. We can revitalize our Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. We can work with the Russians as the two countries with by far the largest nuclear stockpiles to continue to reduce our dependence on nuclear weapons. We can move forward on a comprehensive test ban treaty.

It's going to require more work, but I think that we can get something accomplished there, and we can lock down loose nuclear weapons that could fall into the hands of terrorists.

We are going to be pushing this as one of our highest priorities, to take specific steps, measurable steps, verifiable steps to make progress on this issue, even as we keep a long-term perspective and a long-term vision about what can be achieved.

And we can think of no better advisers, counselors, and partners in this process than the four gentlemen who join us here today. We also think this is a reminder of the long tradition of bipartisan foreign policy that has been the hallmark of America at moments of greatest needs. And that's the kind of spirit that we hope will be reflected in our administration.

So with that, let me just allow George to make his statement.

GEORGE SHULTZ, DISTINGUISHED FELLOW, HOOVER INSTITUTION, STANFORD UNIVERSITY: All four of us support enthusiastically what the president is doing, as expressed eloquently in his speech in Prague. First of all, we all noted, on your White House Web site, that the first sentence was "We work for a world free of nuclear weapons." That's the vision. The second sentence is, "As long as nuclear weapons are around, we will be sure we have a strong deterrent, ourselves." So we support that notion -- that we must be conscious of our national security all the way along to zero (ph).

Then we were really impressed to see that you had such a constructive meeting with the president of Russia. And there, the two of you, the countries with most of the nuclear -- over 90 percent of the nuclear weapons, pledged together to seek a world free of nuclear weapons. And in your Prague speech, you linked the vision to steps -- and you identified a few of the steps. And we think that's just the way to proceed; that there is an interaction between the vision, which you need -- cause you to think of the steps and know where you're going; and the steps, which need to be taken to show that the vision has a reality to it. And we're getting there.

So all four of us, Mr. President, support what you're doing. I would only have one word of slight disagreement. You said that you welcomed the fact that this is bipartisan. And well, it is. At the same time, I think all of us have said when people have told that to us that it's really nonpartisan. This is a subject that ought to somehow get up above trying to get a partisan advantage. It's of such importance that we need to take it on its own merits, and that's the way we proceeded, and that's the way, at least it seems to us, you have proceeded.

OBAMA: Thank you so much, George.

And thank you all, gentlemen, for joining us. This is going to be an ongoing collaboration. We're very grateful to them, and we're grateful for you guys for taking the time to listen.

Thanks a lot.

PHILLIPS: Schultz, Kissinger, Perry and Nunn, right there. All formers secretaries of state defense and secretaries of state advising the president, sharing their knowledge with him today.

That does it for us. We'll be back here tomorrow.

Rick Sanchez takes it from here.